section_path: Economy/Tourism
section_name: Tourism
paragraph_text: Tourism
  
  In 2019, Saudi Arabia adopted a general tourism travel visa to allow non-Muslims to visit. Although most tourism largely involves religious pilgrimages, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. According to the World Bank, approximately 14.3 million people visited Saudi Arabia in 2012, making it the world's 19th-most-visited country. Tourism is an important component of the Saudi Vision 2030, and according to a report conducted by BMI Research in 2018 both religious and non-religious tourism have significant potential for expansion.
  
  The kingdom offers an electronic visa for foreign visitors to attend sports events and concerts. In 2019, the kingdom announced its plans to open visa applications for visitors, where people from about 50 countries would be able to get tourist visas to Saudi. In 2020 it was announced that holders of a US, UK or Schengen visa are eligible for a Saudi electronic visa upon arrival.