Kuwaitis spent 1.9 billion dinars on travel in six months, see slight decline amid growing regional tourism
- This trend reflects a gradual shift in travel patterns, following several years of robust growth in outbound tourism.
- Analysts attribute this slowdown to a combination of seasonal and economic factors, including preparations for the summer vacation period, religious observances such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and the continued rise in airfares and hotel costs in Europe and Asia.
Spending by Kuwaitis on international tourism registered a modest decline during the first half of 2025, reaching approximately 1.902 billion dinars compared to 2.003 billion dinars during the same period of 2024, a decrease of nearly 5%, or around 100 million dinars.
This trend reflects a gradual shift in travel patterns, following several years of robust growth in outbound tourism.
Data shows that expenditures peaked in the first quarter of 2025 at 1.181 billion dinars before easing to approximately 720.9 million dinars in the second quarter.
Additionally, the growing popularity of short regional trips within Gulf countries has contributed to the moderation in international spending. Local promotional campaigns and regional travel offers have successfully redirected part of the demand closer to home, positively impacting Kuwait’s foreign currency outflows.
Despite this slight dip, total outbound spending remains near the two-billion-dinar mark, underscoring the continued appeal of international travel among Kuwaiti households, particularly during the summer months. Experts expect spending to stabilize in the second half of the year, supported by policies encouraging controlled household expenditures and expanded regional tourism options within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
On the inbound side, spending by visitors within Kuwait, recorded in the current account of the Central Bank of Kuwait’s balance of payments, decreased to approximately 317.9 million dinars in the first half of 2025, compared to 342.1 million dinars during the same period in 2024, marking a 7% decline.
Despite the limited drop in tourism revenues, Kuwait continues to pursue measures to attract visitors from Gulf, Arab, and international markets. Procedural reforms by the Ministry of Interior and other relevant authorities—including simplified e-visa procedures, flexible entry systems, and expanded entry categories for GCC residents—have facilitated short- and medium-term visits and eased family visits to the country.
These initiatives have supported the hospitality, retail, and restaurant sectors and strengthened collaboration with airlines and hotels to offer seasonal promotions targeting Gulf and Arab travelers.
While the full impact of these measures will unfold gradually, they are already enhancing Kuwait’s competitiveness as a cultural and urban tourism destination in the region.
Current indicators suggest that Kuwait has a realistic opportunity to achieve greater balance in its travel budget in the coming years, provided it continues diversifying domestic tourism offerings, expanding entry facilities for international visitors, and developing regular events and festivals to boost average domestic tourist spending.
