The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) travel and tourism industry contributed $247.1 billion to the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, marking a 31.9% increase from 2019, according to new figures from the GCC Statistical Centre.
The data, published in a report titled “Tourism in the GCC: A Gateway to Development and Sustainable Transformation” to coincide with World Tourism Day, highlighted the sector’s crucial role as a driver of economic growth and job creation across the region.
The report projected that the industry’s share of GDP would climb further to 13.3% by 2034, equivalent to $371.2 billion, positioning tourism as a central pillar of economic, social, and environmental development in the Gulf states.
Employment generated by the sector was valued at $4.3 billion in 2024, up 24.9% compared to 2019. Over the next decade, the report anticipates the creation of around 1.3 million new jobs. The industry is also proving to be a significant platform for workforce participation, with women accounting for 13% of the tourism workforce in 2024, a 73.2% increase since 2019.
Efforts to advance sustainable tourism are also gaining momentum. The report found that natural reserves (terrestrial and marine) covered 19% of the GCC’s total area in 2023, a 7.5% rise on 2022 levels, reflecting a regional commitment to protecting biodiversity and promoting eco-tourism.
Tourism growth is also strengthening regional ties, with intra-GCC travel increasing by 52.1% in 2024 compared to 2019. Approximately 19.3 million tourists travelled within the Gulf that year, accounting for 26.7% of total international arrivals.
The findings signal that the Gulf’s tourism and travel sector is on track to become an even more significant contributor to the regional economy over the next decade, driven by diversification efforts, sustainability goals, and rising demand for intra-regional travel.
