GCC international tourism revenues climb 40% in five years

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Elephant Rock, AlUla / Credit: Saudi Tourism Authority

GCC international tourism revenues have surged by almost 40% over the past five years, reaching US$120.2 billion in 2024 and lifting the Gulf countries’ share of global tourism receipts to a record 7.5%, according to the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (Gulf-Stat).

The performance underlines the GCC’s success in positioning tourism as a key non-oil growth driver, supported by large-scale investment and coordinated regional strategies, as it targets US$188 billion in annual tourism revenues by 2030.

In its ‘Travel and Tourism in the GCC Countries 2024’ report, Gulf-Stat said international arrivals hit 72.2 million in 2024, representing growth of just over 51% in five years and lifting the GCC to 5.2% of global tourist arrivals. The rebound goes beyond a simple post-pandemic recovery, reflecting structural shifts such as expanded air connectivity, streamlined visa policies and the rollout of new leisure, culture and entertainment offerings across the bloc.

Saudi Arabia has been a major engine of this momentum, following its opening to international leisure tourism in late 2019. The kingdom’s international tourism revenues rose 207% in the first seven months of 2024, compared with the same period in 2019, according to UN Tourism data cited in the report.

Riyadh skyline, Saudi Arabia

Gulf-Stat highlighted that demand is well diversified by source market, with Middle East visitors accounting for 18.8% of inbound tourists, followed by Europe at 14.6% and Asia-Pacific at 14.5%. Intra-GCC travel remains a cornerstone of the sector, making up 41.3% of total international tourists and growing at an average annual rate of 51.2% between 2019 and 2024, supported by easier cross-border mobility and a packed calendar of regional events.

Momentum is set to build with the planned GCC ‘Grand Tours’ visa, expected around 2026, enabling seamless regional travel under a single 30‑day permit, complemented by the GCC Rail project eventually linking major tourism hubs from Dubai to Jeddah and creating a land corridor from the Indian Ocean to the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea.

Intra-GCC tourism sees 52% growth

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Hospitality supply across the GCC is expanding in parallel with demand. Hotel inventory reached around 11,200 establishments comprising approximately 711,500 rooms in 2024, alongside a tourism workforce that climbed to about 1.7 million, up 33% on 2020 levels. Direct travel and tourism GDP was estimated at US$93.5 billion in 2024, equivalent to 4.3% of GCC GDP and already achieving 64.1% of the sector’s 2030 target.

Gulf-Stat also noted an average length of stay of 8.4 nights and average visitor spending of US$674.6.

With GCC-wide indicators now running ahead of pre-pandemic benchmarks, 2025 is on track to be another record year for most Gulf states, led by Saudi and the UAE. Travel and tourism in the kingdom is set to contribute more than 10% of GDP in 2025, underpinned by record international and domestic visitor spending, while in the UAE, international visitor spend in 2025 is forecast to hit a record AED228.5 billion (US$62.2 billion), roughly 37% above the pre-pandemic peak.

For more information, visit gccstat.org