Monday 28 / September / 2026
Muscat: A statistical bulletin issued by the Statistical Centre for the GCC (GCC-Stat) clarified that more than 20 million tourists travelled between the GCC countries during 2025, recording an increase of 3.6 percent compared to 2024.
The bulletin, issued by the Centre on the occasion of World Tourism Day, reviewed the most prominent indicators of the tourism sector and the level of digital readiness in the GCC countries under the title "Gulf Tourism in the Era of Smart Transformation."
It is expected that tourism will contribute approximately $365.7 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the GCC countries in 2035, while the expected number of jobs provided by the tourism sector in the GCC will reach 5.8 million jobs by 2035.
The Centre clarified that the rapid transformations led by digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are pushing Gulf tourism toward a new phase that relies on data and innovation in developing the tourist experience, supporting decision-making, developing skills, and enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of tourism destination management.
Preliminary data contained in the bulletin showed that the number of inbound tourists to the GCC countries reached about 75.7 million tourists during 2025, rising by 4.9 percent compared to 2024. Meanwhile, tourism revenues increased by 9.7 percent to reach approximately $131.9 billion.
The significant increase in revenues compared to the growth rate in the number of tourists indicates an improvement in the economic value realised from tourism movement and a rise in average tourism expenditure, as the average revenue reached about $1,743 per inbound tourist during the year.
The bulletin indicated that the total number of hotel establishments in the GCC countries reached about 12.4 thousand establishments, an increase of 4.8 percent compared to 2024. This reflects the continuous expansion in capacity and investment in accommodation facilities and tourism services.
The Centre highlighted the digital enablers supporting the redesign of the future of tourism, affirming that advanced digital infrastructure represents a fundamental pillar for developing tourism services and experiences, and supporting the transition toward smarter and more integrated tourism.
The results also showed that all GCC countries scored 60 points or more in the mobile application development index. This reflects their possession of advanced digital capabilities that can be utilised to develop innovative tourism applications, facilitate visitors' access to information and services, and improve the user experience before, during, and after the trip.
The bulletin affirms that the future of Gulf tourism relies on increasing visitor numbers and expanding hotel establishments, as well as on the sector's ability to leverage data, artificial intelligence, and digital applications to understand tourist needs, forecast demand, personalise services, and manage destinations efficiently and sustainably.
The indicators also reflect the importance of enhancing the integration of tourism data among GCC countries, developing shared digital platforms, and linking booking, transport, and event services. This contributes to offering an interconnected Gulf tourism experience, maximising the economic value of the tourist, and cementing the region's position on the global tourism map.
