Development

Tourist Arrivals Decline in May

Tourist arrivals declined 2.3 percent year-on-year in May following a 19% drop in the number of Chinese visitors.

Data released by the Tourism Ministry, however, shows an increase in tourist arrivals from Europe and the Middle East.

The total number of tourist arrivals in May was recorded at 93,228, which is a 2.3% decline compared to the same period last year.

Tourist arrival figures in May last year stood at 95,389.

The total number of arrivals this year, however, increased to 540, 887, which is a 2.5 percent incline year-on-year.

Despite the significant decline in the number of Chinese visitors, China still contributed the highest number of visitors in May.

Visitors from the United Kingdom, Italy, India and Russia increased during the month.

The number of visitors from Saudi Arabia doubled in May, compared to the same period in 2015.