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An Analysis of Saudi Arabian Outbound Tourism

Alshammari, Basheer
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1416-3674
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1544099689356755

Abstract Details

2018, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: Geography.
Tourism has emerged in recent decades as one of the most impactful and consistent growth industries for nearly all parts of the globe, ranking as the world’s third-largest export category. However, global-scale tourism trends and statistics are summations of regional- and country-specific instances people traveling outbound, across an international border from their country of residence or citizenship, for tourism purposes. Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most important tourist-generating markets and the largest in the Middle East. Approximately 75 percent of Saudi citizens annually engage in an international vacation. This study is an analysis of Saudi Arabian international-outbound tourism, 2002-2015. The research focuses on two aspects of Saudi tourism - growth of outbound tourism and destination trends. Collective understanding of the characteristics of these outbound tourists is typically performed by connecting destination choice with socioeconomic and demographic variables, when those data are known. Owing largely to higher disposable incomes and liberal vacation time, Saudi Arabia has vibrant outbound tourism activity. Data collected by the Department of Tourism and Information Research (MAS) within the Saudi Commission of Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) on ages, incomes, education levels, and employment statuses of the country’s outbound tourism population for the year 2015 provides a unique means to assess, via discriminant analysis, if certain characteristics are common to destination choice. The study finds that the growth of Saudi international tourism is largely a result of both push factors within the nation and Saudi wealth. Saudi outbound choice is largely influenced by those places that are Arabic speaking/Muslim nations, as well as economic/politically stable destinations. In general, most Saudis seek a cosmopolitan vacation venue where indulgence in an upscale experience in an Arabic, more liberal Muslim nation, is the destination of choice. Trending data indicate emerging new western destinations for Saudi international tourists. But capturing the US 20 billion annual expenditure on outbound tourism may be elusive given Saudi preferences to vacation in culturally familiar places. The results offer some insight into a demographic understanding of Saudi outbound tourists and their destination choices and provide an opportunity to identify motivations of travel that exist beyond the data. The results also challenge that the reliance on country groupings by other organizations and the arbitrariness of demographic data categories that could potentially skew or compromise the actual motivations and understandings of outbound travelers.
Robert South, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Nicholas Dunning, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Changjoo Kim, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Kevin Raleigh, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Rainer vom Hofe, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
121 p.
Geography
Saudi Arabia; outbound tourism; destination trends; tourist growth; familiar culture; discriminant analysis

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Alshammari, B. (2018). An Analysis of Saudi Arabian Outbound Tourism [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1544099689356755

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Alshammari, Basheer. An Analysis of Saudi Arabian Outbound Tourism. 2018. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1544099689356755.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Alshammari, Basheer. "An Analysis of Saudi Arabian Outbound Tourism." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1544099689356755

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1544099689356755
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This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.