Khaberni - Gulf Cooperation Council countries have achieved more than $120 billion in international tourism revenues in a single year, according to recent data issued by the Statistical Center for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The center's data showed that international tourism revenues in the Gulf countries recorded $120.2 billion in 2024, an increase of 39.6% compared to 2019, and 8.9% compared to 2023, raising the Gulf's share of global tourism revenues to 7.5%.
This data reflects the continued strong performance of inbound tourism to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries during 2024, registering notable growth in visitor numbers, revenues, and jobs, reinforcing 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 Gulf Cooperation Council for 2024" report issued by the center indicated that the total number of international tourists coming to the Cooperation Council reached 72.2 million tourists in 2024, achieving a growth of 51.5% compared to 2019, and 6.1% compared to 2023, raising the regional market share to 5.2% of global tourism, reflecting a recovery surpassing pre-pandemic levels, driven by the expansion of air connectivity, visa facilitations, and diversity of tourist products.
The data also showed increasing diversity in tourist-source markets; with the Middle East region accounting for 18.8% of the total incoming tourists, followed by Europe at 14.6%, and Asia and the Pacific at 14.5%, indicating the increasing attractiveness of the region beyond inter-regional tourism, and growth in demand from long-haul markets.
Intra-regional tourism
Intra-regional tourism among the Council countries represented 41.3% of the total international tourists, with an average annual growth rate of 51.2% during the period 2019–2024, reflecting the success of Gulf tourism integration initiatives, ease of movement, and the enhancement of shared events.
The increase in demand was reflected in the expansion of the sector's infrastructure, as the total number of hotel facilities in the Cooperation Council reached 11.2 thousand establishments comprising about 711.5 thousand rooms.
The number of employees in the tourism sector also rose to 1.7 million workers in 2024, with an annual growth rate of 33.0% compared to 2020, confirming the social role of tourism in generating employment opportunities and supporting economic stability.
The direct gross domestic product of the travel and tourism sector recorded $93.5 billion in 2024, achieving 64.1% of the 2030 target, with the sector's contribution to the Gulf's gross domestic product rising to 4.3%, reflecting the transition of tourism from a supportive sector to a fundamental economic pillar within diversification plans.
Sustainability indicators showed an increase in the average length of tourist stays to 8.4 nights and an increase in average spending to $674.6, with improved labor productivity in the sector. In light of achieving completion rates ranging from 56% to 78% of the targets of the Gulf strategic tourism plan 2030, the region is poised for continued growth, especially with a focus on cultural, environmental, and business congress tourism.
