The number of hotel establishments across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries exceeded 11,200 in 2024, up 1.3 per cent from the previous year, according to data released by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat).
The total number of hotel rooms reached about 711,500, marking a 0.2 per cent increase compared with the previous year, reported Emirates News Agency (WAM).
GCC-Stat said the figures reflected continued expansion in
tourism infrastructure across the region, driven by major hotel projects and
the growth of tourism facilities, strengthening the competitiveness of the Gulf
tourism sector and its ability to attract more tourists and investment in the
coming years.
The centre’s “Tourism Trends in the GCC Countries 2024”
report highlighted strong growth in the Gulf tourism sector, reflecting the
sector’s recovery and reinforcing its position as one of the vital economic
sectors supporting economic diversification in the GCC countries.
According to the report, international tourist arrivals to
GCC countries reached around 72.2 million in 2024, up 51.5 per cent compared
with 2019 and 6.1 per cent higher than in 2023.
International tourism revenues in the GCC countries also
increased to approximately $120.2 billion, achieving growth of 39.6 per cent
compared to 2019, and 8.9 per cent compared to 2023, reflecting the growing
appeal of Gulf destinations globally.
In addition, intra-GCC tourism accounted for approximately
41.3 per cent of the total international tourists, recording a growth of 61.2
per cent compared to 2019, and an increase of 1.2 per cent compared to 2023,
underscoring the importance of regional tourism integration and mobility in
supporting the sector.