UAE travel, tourism spending highest in GCC region at $27.4bln

UAE travel, tourism spending highest in GCC region at $27.4bln

The UAE remains the top destination for travel and tourism in the region, with visitor expenditures reaching nearly $30 billion in 2021 alone, according to a new report.

Leisure and business visitors in the UAE spent a total of $27.4 billion in 2021, the highest among the GCC markets, Alpen Capital said in its latest GCC Hospitality Report.

Saudi Arabia came second with total spending pegged at $22.2 million, followed by Qatar ($16.5 billion), Kuwait ($5.5 billion), Oman ($2.5 billion) and Bahrain ($3 billion).

Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia cumulatively accounted for more than 64% of the total travel and tourism spending within the region last year.