{"id":4843,"date":"2025-09-27T16:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T12:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/gcc-tourism-247b-gdp-2024\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T20:09:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T16:09:23","slug":"gcc-tourism-247b-gdp-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/gcc-tourism-247b-gdp-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"GCC Tourism Sector Boosts Economy by $247 Billion in 2024: What This Means for Investors and Business Owners"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitv3sog-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OMAN OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogh\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Websites For <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Omani Businesses.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogs\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Empower your brand with custom digital solutions designed for high conversion and market dominance.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbl\"><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Responsive designs built for growth<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Fast loading with smart automation<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitv3sogbtn\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Build Your Free Website <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>MUSCAT, SEPT 27 \u2014 The travel and tourism sector contributed approximately $247.1 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states by the end of 2024, representing a <strong>31.9% increase<\/strong> compared to 2019, according to the GCC Statistical Centre.<\/p>\n<p>A recent report titled \u201cTourism in the GCC: A Gateway to Development and Sustainable Transformation,\u201d released on World Tourism Day (September 27), projects that the sector\u2019s share of the region\u2019s GDP will grow to 13.3% by 2034, valued at $371.2 billion. This growth highlights the sector\u2019s expanding role as a key driver of economic, social, and environmental development across the Gulf.<\/p>\n<p>The report emphasizes tourism\u2019s importance in job creation, noting that the sector\u2019s contribution to employment reached $4.3 billion in 2024\u2014a <strong>24.9% increase<\/strong> from 2019. By 2034, travel and tourism are expected to generate approximately 1.3 million new jobs. The industry is also promoting greater participation of youth and women in the workforce, with women making up 13% of the tourism sector\u2019s employees in 2024, marking a <strong>73.2% rise<\/strong> since 2019.<\/p>\n<p>On the environmental front, GCC countries have made significant strides in eco-tourism and sustainability by expanding natural reserves. Protected land and marine areas now constitute 19% of the GCC\u2019s total territory as of 2023, reflecting a 7.5% increase over the previous year.<\/p>\n<p>The report further highlights a significant increase in travel within the GCC, with intra-GCC tourism reaching 19.3 million travellers in 2024\u2014a <strong>52.1% growth<\/strong> since 2019. These trips accounted for 26.7% of all international tourist arrivals in the region. \u2014 ONA<\/p>\n<p><style>\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-shimmer{0%,100%{opacity:0.3;transform:scaleX(0.4)}50%{opacity:1;transform:scaleX(1)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-glow{0%,100%{opacity:0.6}50%{opacity:1}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-badge{from{opacity:0;transform:scale(0.8)}to{opacity:1;transform:scale(1)}}\r\n<\/style><style>\r\n.hitl8gakw{container-type:inline-size;width:100%;max-width:970px;margin:0 auto;box-sizing:border-box}\r\n.hitl8gaka{display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration:none;color:#fff;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,system-ui,sans-serif;position:relative;overflow:hidden;cursor:pointer;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#111118 0%,#080808 100%);border:1.5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.08);border-radius:14px;gap:20px;padding:20px 40px;transition:border-color .2s}\r\n.hitl8gaka:hover{border-color:#dc262688}\r\n.hitl8gakg1{position:absolute;inset:0;background:radial-gradient(ellipse at 50% 0%,rgba(220,38,38,0.35),transparent 65%);pointer-events:none;z-index:0}\r\n.hitl8gakg2{position:absolute;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;height:45%;background:radial-gradient(ellipse at 50% 100%,rgba(220,38,38,0.15),transparent 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitl8gak-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakh\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Your Website <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Should Sell.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gaks\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Custom-built websites with smart automation & AI-powered features.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbl\"><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>SEO-optimized & lightning fast<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Smart features built for your business<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitl8gakct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitl8gakbtn\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Get Free Consultation <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Special Analysis by Omanet | Navigate Oman&#8217;s Market<\/p>\n<p>The booming travel and tourism sector in the GCC, with a projected GDP contribution of $371.2 billion by 2034, presents <strong>significant growth opportunities for Omani businesses<\/strong> to tap into expanding intra-GCC travel and sustainable eco-tourism. Smart investors should prioritize <strong>sustainable tourism ventures and workforce inclusion strategies, especially those empowering youth and women,<\/strong> to align with regional development trends and maximize returns amid rising demand.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The GCC travel and tourism sector contributed $247.1B to GDP in 2024, up 31.9% since 2019, and is projected to reach $371.2B by 2034. Employment rose to $4.3B, with women\u2019s workforce share up 73.2%. Intra-GCC tourism grew 52.1%, boosting economic growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[482],"tags":[252,1761,207],"class_list":["post-4843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","tag-economic-growth","tag-gcc-tourism","tag-sustainable-development"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3141237.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4843"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4845,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4843\/revisions\/4845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}