The sector has ambitious plans and is poised to drive economic diversification as the region aims to reduce dependence on oil and gas in the future.Last week’s Arabian Travel Market event in Dubai shone the spotlight on a sector that has registered tremendous growth after the Covid-19 pandemic, and which is a core part of long-term plans for economic diversification across the GCC. Saudi Arabia reported more than 106 million tourists in 2023, up 12 per cent from 2022 and an astonishing 56 per cent higher than 2019. Of this 106 million, slightly more than a quarter, or 27.4 million, were international visitors.  Dubai attracted a record 17.2 million international visitors last year, up by about 20 per cent year on year, while the other emirates also reported strong growth in both domestic and international visitor numbers in 2023.Hospitality was the fastest-growing sector in both Dubai and Qatar in the first nine months of last year, posting double-digit growth. In Bahrain, hospitality was the second fastest-growing sector after transport.  Hospitality (defined as accommodation and food services in official statistics) is a very narrow measure of tourism’s contribution to the economy, as travel to and from the country, as well as spending on goods and other services such as entertainment and leisure are not captured in this component of gross domestic product.While some of the growth in tourism over the last couple of years was undoubtedly due to the reopening of international travel after the pandemic disruptions, reforms to make travel to the region easier were probably a key driver of growth, particularly for Saudi Arabia.  These fundamental changes to the “openness” of the kingdom to visitors, as well as continued structural reforms to develop infrastructure, improve the business environment and attract investment could remain key drivers of tourism and business travel over the medium and long term, even as international passenger air travel returns to a more modest pre-pandemic trend growth rate in the low single digits. Most GCC countries have ambitious plans to grow the tourism and hospitality sectors significantly over the next decade and beyond as part of their long-term economic diversification strategies. (ICE DUBAI)

Fonte notizia: https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/economy/2024/05/14/why-tourism-is-set-to-drive-economic-div