International tourists visiting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached 68.1 million in 2023, a 42.8% increase compared to 2019, according to the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat). This figure marks 52.9% progress toward the GCC’s joint tourism strategy target of 128.7 million visitors by 2030.
International tourism revenues totalled $110.4 billion in 2023, up 28.2% from 2019 levels, achieving 58.7% of the region’s goal to raise international tourist spending to $188 billion by 2030.
The Asia-Pacific region accounted for 38% of tourists, followed by the Middle East (25.1%), Europe (22.9%), Africa (8.8%), and the Americas (4.3%). Intra-GCC tourism represented 26.9% of the total international arrivals, growing 44.2% compared to 2019.
The travel and tourism sector contributed 10.8% to the region’s GDP in 2023, generating $223.4 billion in value, with an annual growth rate of 29.4%. Employment in the sector reached 1.5 million workers, a 17% increase from 2019, while the added value of tourism employment totalled $4.04 billion. Women accounted for 12.4% of the workforce, recording 27.5% annual growth since 2020.
The GCC countries recorded 10,893 hotel establishments and exceeded regional averages in air transport infrastructure in 2023. Environmental sustainability efforts also advanced, with 15.1% of the GCC’s land designated as natural reserves, reflecting a 39% increase from 2017 to 2023.
