Manama:According to Bahrain News Agency, a report by the GCC Statistical Centre revealed that the direct and indirect economic value of tourism in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries rose to approximately $254.7 billion in 2025. This growth is paired with the creation of around 4.5 million tourism-related jobs within the region.
The report, titled "Strategic Tourism Ambition in the GCC Countries," underscores the sector's competitive contribution to both GDP and employment when compared globally. It highlights the sector's resilience in the face of geopolitical tensions and its progress in achieving the Gulf Tourism Strategy 2022-2030 objectives. By 2025, approximately 73.8% progress was made towards these goals, driven by increased visitor numbers and spending.
Key targets for 2030 include attracting 128.7 million visitors and increasing direct travel and tourism GDP to $145.8 billion. By 2025, inbound visitor numbers reached 89.9 million, achieving 69.9% of the 2030 target. Inbound tourist spending rose to $131.9 billion, marking 70.2% of the 2030 goal, while domestic tourist spending reached $42.9 billion, achieving 87.6% of the 2030 target.
Direct travel and tourism GDP hit $101.7 billion in 2025, reaching 69.8% of the 2030 target. The sector's GDP contribution rose to 4.6%, achieving 70.8% of the target, and direct employment reached 2.2 million jobs, 74.7% of the 2030 goal.
The report also noted that GCC countries captured 5% of total international tourism and 6.9% of global tourism receipts in 2025, signaling the region's growing influence in the global tourism market. Additionally, the GCC countries held the top positions for passport strength among Arab nations, According to Henley Passport Index 2026, with significant improvements in rankings since 2016.