What is tourism?

Tourism is a subset of travel and comprises the activities of visitors taking a trip to a destination outside the usual environment for less than a year for any motive, including business, leisure, or other personal purposes.

What is the difference between travel and tourism?
Tourist vs. Same-Day Visitor
  • Tourist: A subset of all travelers, requiring the trip to include an overnight stay in the destination.
  • Same-Day Visitor: A traveler who does not spend at least one night at the destination.
Types Of Tourism

There are three types of tourism, which are:

Examples for each type:
  1. Inbound Tourism
    Example: A tourist from Germany visiting Saudi Arabia to explore historical sites like AlUla.
  2. Outbound Tourism
    Example: A Saudi resident traveling to the United Kingdom for educational or leisure purposes.
  3. Domestic Tourism
    Example: A resident from Riyadh visits Mecca to perform Umrah.