Data released by the Statistical Centre for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) indicate that the region’s share of global tourism revenues climbed to 7.5% in 2024, with international tourism earnings totaling $120.2 billion.
According to the Travel and Tourism in the GCC Countries 2024 report, issued on Saturday, international tourism revenues in GCC countries grew by 8.9% compared to 2023, marking a sharp increase of 39.6% compared to 2019 levels.
The report attributed this growth to the continued strong performance of inbound tourism, reflected in higher visitor numbers, increased revenues, and expanded employment, reinforcing tourism’s role as a key driver of economic diversification and GDP growth, reports Al-Jarida daily.
The number of international tourists visiting GCC countries reached 72.2 million in 2024, representing a 6.1% increase year-on-year and a 51.1% rise compared to 2019, raising the region’s share of global tourist arrivals to 5.2%.
This performance indicates a recovery that exceeds pre-pandemic levels, supported by expanded air connectivity, simplified visa procedures, and the diversification of tourism offerings.
The report highlighted growing diversity in source markets, with visitors from the Middle East accounting for 18.8% of total arrivals, followed by Europe (14.6%) and the Asia-Pacific region (14.5%), underscoring the GCC’s rising appeal to long-haul markets alongside strong intra-regional travel.
Intra-GCC tourism accounted for 14.3% of total international tourist arrivals, recording an average annual growth rate of 51.2% between 2019 and 2024. This reflects the success of Gulf tourism integration initiatives aimed at easing cross-border movement and promoting joint events and destinations.
The surge in tourism demand has been accompanied by significant infrastructure expansion. The total number of hotel establishments across GCC countries reached 11,200, while employment in the tourism sector rose to 1.7 million workers in 2024, representing an annual growth of 33% compared to 2020. This growth highlights tourism’s social and economic role in job creation and supporting economic stability.
Direct GDP generated by the travel and tourism sector reached $93.5 billion in 2024, achieving approximately 64.1% of the sector’s 2030 targets. Tourism’s contribution to overall Gulf GDP rose to 4.3%, reflecting its transformation from a supporting sector into a central pillar of economic diversification strategies.
On sustainability indicators, the report noted an increase in the average length of stay to 8.4 nights, higher average tourist spending of $674.6, and improved labor productivity across the sector.
The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, headquartered in the Sultanate of Oman, is the officially accredited body responsible for GCC data and statistics and plays a key role in strengthening statistical and planning capabilities across member states.
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