Intra-GCC tourism sees growth of 51.2% in 5 years

Muscat- International tourism revenues in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached approximately US$120.2 billion in 2024, an increase of 39.6 percent compared to 2019 and 8.9 percent compared to 2023, raising the GCC's share of global tourism revenues to 7.5 percent.

Data issued by the Statistical Center of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf explained that this reflects the continued strong performance of inbound tourism to the GCC countries during 2024, recording remarkable growth in the number of visitors, revenues and jobs, which enhances the sector’s role as one of the main drivers of economic diversification and support for the gross domestic product.

The “Travel and Tourism in the GCC Countries for 2024” report issued by the center indicates that the total number of international tourists coming to the GCC reached 72.2 million tourists in 2024, achieving a growth of 51.5 percent compared to 2019, and 6.1 percent compared to 2023, raising the market share of the region to 5.2 percent of global tourism.

This performance reflects a recovery that surpasses pre-pandemic levels, driven by expanded air connectivity, visa facilitation, and a diversification of tourism products.

The data also showed an increasing diversity in tourist-generating markets, with the Middle East accounting for 18.8 percent of total incoming tourists, followed by Europe at 14.6 percent, and Asia and the Pacific at 14.5 percent, indicating the region’s growing appeal beyond intra-regional tourism and the growth of demand from long-term markets.

Intra-GCC tourism represented 41.3 percent of total international tourists, with an average annual growth rate of 51.2 percent during the period 2019–2024, reflecting the success of Gulf tourism integration initiatives, facilitating movement, and promoting joint events.

The increased demand was reflected in the expansion of the sector’s infrastructure, as the total number of hotel establishments in the GCC reached 11,200 establishments, comprising approximately 711,500 rooms. The number of workers in the tourism sector also increased to 1.7 million workers in 2024, with an annual growth of 33 percent compared to 2020, which confirms the social role of tourism in generating job opportunities and supporting economic stability.

The direct GDP of the travel and tourism sector was recorded at US$93.5 billion in 2024, achieving 64.1 percent of the 2030 target.

Meanwhile, the sector’s contribution to the Gulf’s GDP rose to 4.3 percent, reflecting the shift of tourism from a supporting sector to a key economic pillar within diversification plans.

Sustainability indicators point to an increase in the average length of stay of tourists to 8.4 nights, and an increase in average spending to US$674.6, with improved labor productivity in the sector, in light of achieving completion rates ranging between 56 percent and 78 percent of the targets of the Gulf Tourism Strategy 2030, where the region appears ready to continue growing, especially with the focus on cultural, environmental, business and conference tourism.