Gulf tourism surge sees sector reach...

Growth surpasses pre-pandemic levels with US$247 billion contribution

The travel and tourism sector in the Gulf countries has seen significant growth, with the industry contributing 11.4% to total gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, worth US$27.1 billion, according to data from the GCC Statistical Centre (GCC-Stat).

That means the sector's contribution to GDP in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait increased 31.9% compared to the figures recorded pre-pandemic in 2019.

GCC-Stat also predicts the average annual growth rate from 2024 to 2034 will exceed 4.2%, and reach US$371.2 billion, accounting for 13.3% of regional GDP.

The latest figures confirm the Gulf’s position as a leading global tourism destination, with growth outpacing international trends, with the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2025 Economic Impact Research (EIR) saying travel and tourism is expected to contribute 10.3% of global GDP, equating to a record US$11.7 trillion.

This strong GCC growth is fuelled by the average annual growth rate in the number of tourists travelling between the region’s countries from 2019 to 2023 reached 41.5%, accounting for 26.5% of the total international tourists arriving in GCC countries in 2023.

This uptick reflects the success of regional collaboration and investment in tourism infrastructure.

The launch of the unified Grand Tour Visa later this year is expected to accelerate intra-GCC travel, allowing visitors to travel freely between the GCC member countries. Authorities across the region anticipate that the visa could boost tourist numbers by up to 10 million annually.

Scheduled for completion in 2030, the Etihad Rail network will connect the UAE with Saudi Arabia, Oman, and eventually the wider GCC, enabling high-speed, cross-border passenger travel, linking key cities and tourism hubs across the Gulf.

For more information, visit www.gccstat.org/en

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