The added value of the travel and tourism sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached approximately $247.1 billion by the end of 2024, an increase of 31.9 percent compared to 2019.

The sector's contribution to the Gulf's GDP is expected to reach 13.3 percent by 2034, equivalent to $371.2 billion, according to data released by the Statistical Center for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. This data confirms the pivotal and growing role of the tourism sector as a major contributor to comprehensive development in the GCC countries, whether economically, socially, or environmentally.

The center's data indicated that the travel and tourism sector contributed to enhancing intra-Gulf integration, with the intra-GCC tourism index growing by 52.1 percent in 2024 compared to 2019, bringing the number of tourists traveling between GCC countries to 19.3 million, representing 26.7 percent of the total international tourist arrivals.

"Tourism in the GCC: A Gateway to Sustainable Development and Transformation," issued by the Gulf Statistical Center on the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27, revealed that the tourism sector is a major driver of direct and indirect job creation. The sector's added value in employment in 2024 reached approximately US$4.3 billion, a growth of 24.9 percent compared to 2019. The travel and tourism sector is expected to provide approximately 1.3 million new jobs by 2034.

The sector also represents a platform for empowerment and enhancing the participation of youth and women in the labor market. The percentage of female workers in the sector reached 13 percent of the total workforce, a growth rate of 73.2 percent compared to 2019.

The GCC countries have witnessed positive developments in the field of sustainable ecotourism through their commitment to preserving natural resources and promoting the concept of sustainable tourism. According to the latest data released for 2023, the percentage of nature reserves (land and marine) of the total area of ​​the GCC countries reached 19 percent, an increase of 7.5 percent compared to 2022.

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