(GCC Statistical Center): $254.7 billion is the total economic value of GCC tourism in 2025

Muscat, Sept 27 (KUNA) -- The Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries said on Sunday that the direct and indirect economic value of tourism in the GCC rose to approximately $254.7 billion in 2025, compared to $11.7 trillion globally. This was stated in a report issued by the center titled “The Strategic Tourism Ambition in GCC Countries,” which examines the sector’s capacity to withstand geopolitical tensions, recovery trajectories, and expected economic outlooks up to 2035.

The center added that the number of jobs linked to tourism in the GCC reached approximately 4.5 million, compared to around 371 million globally, noting that tourism’s contribution to GDP, employment, and sector growth rates in the Gulf came at “competitive levels” compared to global averages.

It pointed out that the Gulf tourism sector achieved “tangible progress” in implementing the targets of the “Gulf Tourism Strategy 2022–2030,” with the average progress toward strategic objectives reaching approximately 73.8 percent by 2025. This progress was driven by continuous growth in visitor numbers and tourism spending, an increased contribution of the sector to GDP, and the expansion of direct job opportunities.

In this regard, the center explained that its report measures progress across six main objectives of the Gulf Tourism Strategy: increasing inbound trips, direct GDP contribution of the travel and tourism sector, spending by inbound tourists, the sector’s share of GDP, spending by domestic tourists, and direct employment.

The strategy aims to reach 128.7 million visitors by 2030, raise the direct GDP contribution of the travel and tourism sector to $145.8 billion, and increase spending by inbound tourists to $188 billion. It also targets raising the sector’s direct contribution to GDP to 6.5 percent, increasing spending by domestic tourists to $49 billion, and achieving approximately 2.9 million direct jobs.

Regarding the inbound visitor index, the center reported that the number reached 89.9 million visitors in 2025, representing 69.9 percent of the 2030 target of 128.7 million visitors. The figure recorded a 3.1 percent growth between 2024 and 2025, while the average annual growth during the period (2019–2025) stood at approximately 29.4 percent, taking into account the impact of the (COVID-19) pandemic on the index’s trajectory.

Concerning the spending by inbound tourists index, the total rose to $131.9 billion in 2025, achieving 70.2 percent of the 2030 target of $188 billion. It recorded a 9.7 percent growth over one year, with an average annual growth of 17.5 percent during the period (2019–2025).

On the front of domestic tourism, spending by domestic tourists reached $42.9 billion in 2025, achieving 87.6 percent of the 2030 target of $49 billion. It recorded a 6.2 percent growth between 2024 and 2025, while the average annual growth during the period (2019–2025) stood at approximately 20.3 percent.

Regarding the direct GDP contribution of the travel and tourism sector in the Gulf countries, the center stated it reached $101.7 billion in 2025, achieving 69.8 percent of the 2030 target of $145.8 billion. It recorded an annual growth of 8.8 percent between 2024 and 2025, and an average annual growth of 15.9 percent during the period (2019–2025).

In this context, it pointed out that the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to the GCC’s GDP rose to 4.6 percent in 2025, achieving 70.8 percent of the 2030 target of 6.5 percent. The contribution recorded a 7 percent growth between 2024 and 2025, while the average annual growth during the period (2019–2025) stood at approximately 7.2 percent.

On the labor market front, the center clarified that total direct jobs in the travel and tourism sector reached 2.2 million in 2025, achieving 74.7 percent of the 2030 target of approximately 2.9 million jobs. It recorded an annual growth of 5.6 percent between 2024 and 2025, and an average annual growth of 4.9 percent during the period (2019–2025).

The center emphasized the importance of these indicators in enhancing the international standing of the tourism sector in the GCC countries, noting that the GCC’s share of total international tourism reached 5 percent in 2025, while its share of global tourism revenues stood at 6.9 percent, reflecting “the region’s expanding presence in the global tourism market and the growing economic impact of the sector.”

Regarding international travel ease, the (GCC Statistical) center pointed out that GCC countries occupy the top six positions in the Arab world in passport strength according to the (Henley Passport Index 2026), with a cumulative improvement in the ranking of Gulf passports compared to 2016 ranging between 6 and 36 positions as of July 16 last year.

It is worth noting that the Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, headquartered in the Sultanate of Oman, was established in 2011 to serve as the official body responsible for data, information, and statistics related to the GCC countries, as well as to enhance statistical and informational work among national statistical centers and planning authorities within them. (End) M.G.B. / T.M.