MUSCAT: Total international tourism revenues in the GCC reached $120.2 billion in 2024, representing an 8.9% increase compared to the previous year, according to a recent GCC Statistics Centre report. The total number of tourists to the region rose by 6.1% year-on-year to 72.2 million visitors.
Tourism demand to the GCC in 2024 was led by the Middle East, which accounted for 18.8% of total inbound tourists, followed by Europe (14.6%) and the Asia-Pacific region (14.5%). Arrivals from the Americas and Africa increased by 11.4% and 5.5%, respectively, compared to 2023.
According to the report, 86.7% of visitors (62.2 million) travelled to the GCC in 2024 for personal purposes, while 10.9% (9.6 million) visited the region for business and conference-related purposes.
Total employment in the GCC tourism sector reached 1.7 million workers in 2024, reflecting a 2.8% increase compared to 2023. Saudi Arabia accounted for the largest share of tourism employment at 55.5%, followed by the UAE at 29.2%, underscoring the sector’s role in job creation across major GCC economies.
Hotel infrastructure continued to expand in line with rising visitor numbers. The total number of hotel establishments across the GCC reached 11.2 thousand properties in 2024, marking a 1.3% year-on-year increase, with a combined capacity of 711.5 thousand rooms. Saudi Arabia led the region with 8,393 hotel establishments, followed by the UAE with 1,205 properties, while average hotel room occupancy rates stood at 56.7% in Saudi Arabia and 54.7% in the UAE.
In terms of economic impact, the report noted that the direct contribution of travel and tourism to GCC GDP reached $93.5 billion in 2024, accounting for 4.3% of total GDP and achieving 64.1% of the sector’s 2030 target under the GCC Joint Tourism Strategy. Tourism revenues also represented 7.5% of global tourism receipts, highlighting the region’s growing weight in international travel markets.
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