Starting today, July 1, tourist groups from China will be subject to easier rules when planning to visit Saudi Arabia, following the implementation of the Approved Destination Status agreement.
Among the new rules are streamlining visa processes, lowering costs and also boosting flight capacity by more than 130 per cent in order to help the further economic growth in this country, VisaGuide.World reports.
Besides, Chinese nationals will be provided Chinese language support at Saudi airports, destinations as well as tourist sites, together with the possibility of having convenient payment methods in systems like UnionPay for Chinese visitors.
The new plan aims to attract more than five million Chinese tourists to the Kingdom by 2030.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia have also increased daily flights between China and Saudi Arabia thus allowing Chinese travelers to apply for visas upon arrival.
The official ADS status demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s readiness for Chinese visitors and our progress toward making China our third largest tourism market by 2030.
According to the Minister, the Saudi Tourism Authority has an important role in visa facilitation, reducing fees, improving air connectivity and also ensuring the country’s readiness with Mandarin-language information available on the official portal, as well as Mandarin-speaking tour guides and hotel staff.
By strengthening bilateral ties with China, the ADS agreement opens doors for economic development across sectors, benefiting both nations.
In this regard, STA CEO, Fahd Hamidaddin, said that Saudi Arabia’s approval as a tourist destination for visitors from China shows the country’s ongoing efforts to participate in trade shows as well as conferences thus leading to agreements with organizations in China.
Over 100 Million Tourists Welcomed in Saudi Arabia in 2023
According to a report from Jing Daily, about 290,000 tourists from China had arrived in Saudi Arabia by April 2024, thus accounting for a 101 per cent increase compared to the figures from the same period last year.
Besides, the Saudi Tourism Authority revealed that last year, more than 100 million tourists were welcomed in Saudi Arabia, in 2023. The same source revealed that 2023’s statistics account for an increase of 56 per cent compared to 2019 statistics before the spread of COVID-19.
Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Authority revealed that of the total nearly 77 million were domestic travelers and 27 million internationals. They spent more than US$67 billion on the economy of Saudi Arabia.
Such figures were considered by the Tourism Authority as a remarkable accomplishment.