Transforming Gulf Tourism: A Dialogue on Strategies for Sustainable Growth and Integration

The Arabian Travel Market 2024 exhibition in Dubai was the setting for a dialogue session focused on initiatives for developing tourism in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The event, organized by the Ministry of Economy, was attended by representatives from the tourism sector in the GCC countries, including Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council.

The session highlighted the importance of creating a growth strategy for the Gulf tourism sector to enhance its role in regional economies. Discussions centered on topics such as empowering innovation and entrepreneurship in the travel sector through collaboration with industry leaders and experts from around the world. The upcoming unified Gulf tourist visa project was also discussed as a step towards enhancing regional tourism cooperation.

One key topic at the session was exploring opportunities arising from the unified Gulf visa, which aims to facilitate travel between GCC countries. Educational institutions were also highlighted as crucial players in preparing professionals for careers in the tourism industry, while ways to enhance cooperation between GCC countries were explored to enrich visitors’ tourism experiences.

Tourism statistics showed that the sector made a significant contribution to GDP in 2021, attracting international tourists and creating employment opportunities across GCC countries. The aim is to increase tourism spending and achieve higher targets by 2030, with a focus on promoting destinations within each country and coordinating marketing campaigns for Gulf tourist areas to boost growth.

Overall, the dialogue session emphasized that collaboration and joint efforts are essential for sustainable growth and economic integration of tourism in GCC countries.