emirates7 - According to recent figures from the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat), the travel and tourism sector contributed around 11.4% to the GCC's GDP by the end of 2024, amounting to approximately US$247.1 billion.
The data also showed a significant rise in the sector’s economic impact, with a 31.9% increase compared to 2019 levels.
Globally, the sector accounted for 2.2% of the total GDP in 2024. Looking ahead, the GCC-Stat projects that the travel and tourism sector will contribute 13.3% to the region's GDP by 2034, reaching a value of US$371.2 billion. This projection reflects an anticipated average annual growth rate of more than 4.2% between 2024 and 2034.
Additionally, the statistics highlighted that the number of tourists traveling within the GCC saw an average annual growth rate of 41.5% from 2019 to 2023. These intra-GCC travelers represented 26.5% of all international tourists arriving in the region in 2023.
The data also showed a significant rise in the sector’s economic impact, with a 31.9% increase compared to 2019 levels.
Globally, the sector accounted for 2.2% of the total GDP in 2024. Looking ahead, the GCC-Stat projects that the travel and tourism sector will contribute 13.3% to the region's GDP by 2034, reaching a value of US$371.2 billion. This projection reflects an anticipated average annual growth rate of more than 4.2% between 2024 and 2034.
Additionally, the statistics highlighted that the number of tourists traveling within the GCC saw an average annual growth rate of 41.5% from 2019 to 2023. These intra-GCC travelers represented 26.5% of all international tourists arriving in the region in 2023.