The GCC Statistical Centre placed the combined direct and indirect economic value of tourism at $254.7 billion for 2025, a figure that compares with $11.7 trillion recorded globally according to the same dataset. Inbound tourist spending reached $131.9 billion during the year while domestic tourism added another $42.9 billion, the centre’s report on strategic tourism ambition showed. Direct travel and tourism GDP stood at $101.7 billion, equivalent to 4.6 percent of the GCC’s overall output and marking a 7 percent increase from 2024 levels.
GCC-Stat data show the sector’s economic contribution expanded at an average annual rate of 7.3 percent between 2019 and 2025, surpassing the global average of 6.7 percent over the same period. International tourist arrivals climbed to 75.7 million in 2025 after reaching 72.2 million the previous year when revenues stood at $120.2 billion, according to earlier GCC-Stat figures. The region accounted for 5 percent of global tourist movements and 6.9 percent of worldwide tourism receipts last year, the centre’s latest assessment found.
The report indicated that inbound visitor numbers achieved 69.9 percent of the 2030 target of 128.7 million while inbound spending met 70.2 percent of the $188 billion goal set under the Gulf Tourism Strategy. Domestic tourism spending reached 87.6 percent of its $49 billion 2030 target and direct GDP stood at 69.8 percent of the $145.8 billion objective, GCC-Stat figures show. Overall implementation of the joint strategy averaged 73.8 percent through 2025, the centre reported during a workshop held in Muscat.
Total tourism-related employment across the GCC reached 4.5 million jobs in 2025 compared with 371 million globally, the GCC Statistical Centre stated in its assessment. Direct employment in the travel and tourism sector stood at 2.2 million positions, achieving 74.7 percent of the 2.9 million target for 2030 and reflecting 5.6 percent growth from the prior year. The centre noted that these employment levels underscore tourism’s expanding role in labour markets across the six member states.
Intisar Al Wahaibi, director general of the GCC Statistical Centre, said during the Regional Workshop on Innovation in Tourism Statistics that the sector has become a central component of national development plans. She stressed that reliable tourism statistics are essential for measuring the sector’s economic contribution, tracking its development and supporting policy investment and development decisions, according to remarks carried in the official release. The two-day event in Oman on August 31 brought together specialists from statistical authorities across the bloc to improve data integration and trend analysis.
GCC Secretary General Jassem Mohammed Al-Budaiwi highlighted the competitive standing of GCC tourism indicators relative to global benchmarks when he addressed the gathering. The figures reflect sustained momentum in a sector that has benefited from visa facilitation, expanded air connectivity and diversified offerings including cultural and entertainment attractions, Al-Budaiwi noted in statements reported by multiple regional outlets. Earlier GCC-Stat data for 2024 showed 11,200 hotel establishments offering 711,500 rooms, a base that has continued expanding to meet rising demand.
The tourism sector’s performance aligns with broader economic diversification efforts across the GCC where authorities have prioritised non-oil growth through infrastructure investment and strategic marketing, according to the centre’s analysis. Intra-GCC travel accounted for a substantial share of arrivals with average annual growth of more than 50 percent in the years following 2019, the statistics indicate. The latest report reinforces the industry’s contribution to GDP and employment at levels that remain ahead of many international peers.
