Gulf Statistical Center: Gulf Tourism Grew 4.9% in 2025 Year-on-Year - Sarmad
The GCC Statistical Center revealed a 4.9% growth in the tourism sector in 2025, with revenues rising to $131.9 billion, emphasizing the role of digital transformation in enhancing competitiveness.
Translated by Qiyas from سرمد — Original source
The Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries announced on Sunday that the recent growth in tourism indicators across the GCC states underscores the importance of the tourism sector as a driver of economic diversification, and its role in stimulating investment, creating job opportunities, and enhancing the contribution of non-oil activities.
In a weekly bulletin titled “Gulf Tourism in the Era of Smart Transformation,” the Center added that tourism indicators in GCC countries showed growth in tourist arrivals, tourism revenues, and hotel establishments in 2025, alongside the development of digital infrastructure, the adoption of emerging technologies, and the expansion of digital government services, all of which enhance the competitiveness of the tourism sector.
Regarding this growth, the Center noted that tourist arrivals to the GCC reached 75.7 million in 2025, representing a 4.9 percent increase compared to 2024. Total tourism revenues amounted to $131.9 billion, reflecting an annual growth rate of 9.7 percent. Meanwhile, intra-GCC tourist movements reached 20.1 million, marking a 3.6 percent increase.
During the same year, total hotel establishments in the GCC reached 12,400, a 4.8 percent increase compared to 2024. The Center emphasized that this “reflects the expansion of the sector’s operational base and its growing capacity to absorb demand, alongside the diversity of accommodation options and services offered to visitors.”
The Center stressed that these indicators highlight the importance of tourism as a pillar of economic diversification in Gulf countries, given its linkage to a wide range of activities including transport, aviation, hospitality, retail, entertainment, and services, as well as its role in stimulating investment, creating jobs, and boosting the contribution of non-oil activities to their economies.
On the front of digital infrastructure development, the Center pointed out that the growth in tourism indicators coincides with advancements in digital infrastructure, the adoption of emerging technologies, and the expansion of digital government services, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the tourism sector and supporting the transition toward smarter, more integrated, and sustainable tourism experiences.
In this regard, the Center outlined three key indicators reflecting the level of digital readiness in GCC countries and their role in reshaping the future of tourism and developing services and experiences. It noted that these countries scored between 34 and 99 points on the “Adoption of Emerging Technologies 2025” index, with three Gulf states ranking among the top 20 globally in the same indicator.
The Center added that GCC countries scored between 60 and 77 points on the “Mobile Application Development 2025” index, reflecting the availability of a digital foundation that can be leveraged to develop innovative tourism applications. These applications facilitate visitors’ access to information and services, enhancing the quality of their experience before, during, and after their trips.
Regarding the “Online Government Services 2025” index, the Center stated that GCC countries scored between 56 and 99 points, with three of them ranking among the top 25 globally. This “highlights the importance of digital government services in facilitating travel, accommodation, and tourism-related procedures, and improving the efficiency of services provided to visitors.”
The Center clarified that these indicators demonstrate that digital transformation has become a “fundamental pillar” for enhancing the competitiveness of Gulf tourism by leveraging data, artificial intelligence, and digital applications to understand tourist needs, forecast demand, and develop more personalized services. This is complemented by improved destination management and more efficient resource utilization, which support sustainability and elevate visitor satisfaction levels.
In this regard, the Center emphasized the importance of strengthening digital integration among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and developing joint platforms that connect booking, transportation, events, and tourism information services, thereby enabling visitors to enjoy a smoother and more integrated Gulf experience and contributing to encouraging intra-regional tourism and maximizing the benefits of the diverse natural, cultural, heritage, and recreational assets available in the region’s countries.
It is worth noting that the Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), headquartered in the Sultanate of Oman, was established in 2011 as the official authorized body for data, information, and statistics related to GCC member states, in addition to its role in enhancing statistical and informational efforts among national statistical centers and planning authorities within the GCC.
