Tourism is predicted to contribute 5 percent of Saudi Arabia's GDP by 2021.
The country recently opened up to tourism, accepting applications for tourist visas and loosening its regulations on non-married couples renting hotel rooms.
Within ten days of enacting the changes, the country welcomed 24,000 tourists, with Chinese visitors topping the list at 7,391 visitors, the UK in second with 6,159, and the USA in third with 2,132.
President and chief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council Gloria Guevara has since predicted that by 2021 the country's tourism industry will account for 5 percent of its GDP.
The kingdom has been investing heavily in developing its tourism industry, with projects such as The Red Sea Project, a planned carbon-neutral, plastic-free series of hotels, resorts, and leisure facilities on the Red Sea.
