GCC Tourism Sector Adds $247 Billion to GDP in 2024, Set to Reach $371 Billion by 2034

📷SPA

Riyadh, Sept 27, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – The travel and tourism sector contributed $247.1 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in 2024, up 31.9 percent from 2019, according to figures from the GCC Statistical Centre.

The report, released on the occasion of World Tourism Day and titled “Tourism in the GCC: A Gateway to Development and Sustainable Transformation”, projected that the sector’s contribution will rise to $371.2 billion by 2034, equivalent to 13.3 percent of GDP.

Tourism was identified as a major engine for job creation across the region. In 2024, its contribution to employment reached $4.3 billion, a 24.9 percent increase from 2019. By 2034, the sector is expected to generate around 1.3 million new jobs.

The sector has also expanded opportunities for youth and women, with women accounting for 13 percent of the workforce in 2024, an increase of 73.2 percent compared with 2019.

The GCC Statistical Centre noted that member states have made significant progress in sustainable tourism, with natural reserves – both terrestrial and marine – covering 19 percent of the region’s total area in 2023, up 7.5 percent from the previous year.

Tourism also strengthened intra-GCC integration. In 2024, intra-GCC tourism rose 52.1 percent compared with 2019, with 19.3 million tourists travelling within the bloc, representing 26.7 percent of total international visitors.