Speaking during the eighth Regional Workshop on Innovation in Tourism Statistics, GCC-Stat director general Intisar Al Wahaibi said tourism sector’s economic contribution grew at an annual rate of 7.3 per cent between 2019 and 2025, exceeding the global growth rate of 6.7pc.
The statistics showed that GCC countries received around 75.7 million tourists in 2025, while spending by international visitors reached approximately $131.9 billion.
The tourism sector’s total economic contribution stood at around $254.7bn.
Gulf tourism has also strengthened its position on the international tourism map, accounting for around 5pc of global tourist arrivals and 6.9pc of global tourism revenues.
This means the GCC’s share of tourism revenue is higher than its share of visitor numbers.
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