Riyadh – Mubasher: Total cultural tourism spending in Saudi Arabia exceeded SAR 56.6 billion ($15.1 billion), said the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) in a recent study.
Direct spending of domestic and international visitors on cultural tourism’s activities reached about SAR 13.5 billion ($3.6 billion) during 2016, said the SCTH’s statement.
The domestic cultural tourism trips exceeded 6 million during 2016.
The direct job opportunities created through visitors' activities in cultural heritage sites and surrounding businesses amounted to 112,000.
The Saudi body stated that there are more than 150 archaeological sites in the Kingdom, including 22 museums, 174 special museums, and more than 50 urban heritage sites.
