Oman poised for sustained tourism growth despite ME headwinds: WTTC
Oman is expected to emerge as one of the Middle East’s strongest long-term tourism growth markets despite short-term geopolitical disruptions weighing on the regional travel industry, according to new forecasts released by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
The WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Research (EIR): Global Trends Report projects Oman’s Travel & Tourism economy to expand from $7.9 billion in 2025 to $12 billion by 2036, supported by continued investment in tourism infrastructure, destination development and economic diversification.
The positive outlook comes even as the Middle East is forecast to be the only global region to record a decline in Travel & Tourism GDP this year. WTTC estimates the sector will contract by 14.5 per cent, from $386 billion in 2025 to $330 billion in 2026, reflecting the impact of regional conflict on airspace and travel flows through one of the world’s most important aviation hubs, which handles around 14 per cent of international passenger traffic.
Despite these near-term challenges, WTTC expects the Middle East to become the world’s fastest-growing Travel & Tourism region between 2026 and 2036, with sector GDP projected to grow at an average annual rate of 6.3 per cent to reach $605 billion by 2036.
The recovery is expected to be led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar, which together generated $272 billion in Travel & Tourism GDP in 2025 and are projected to increase this figure to $435 billion by 2036.
Saudi Arabia remains the region’s largest growth story, with Travel & Tourism contributing 14.1 per cent of GDP and international visitor spending forecast to more than double over the next decade. The kingdom also recorded 19.4 per cent growth in tourism investment in 2025, driven by Vision 2030 reforms and a pipeline of large-scale tourism developments.
The United Arab Emirates continues to benefit from its mature tourism ecosystem, with the sector accounting for 11.9 per cent of GDP and nearly $57 billion in international visitor spending. Qatar, meanwhile, continues to leverage its global profile, with visitor spending accounting for 94.1 per cent of all services exports.
“The Middle East is facing a challenging period, and Travel & Tourism is often among the first sectors to feel the impact of geopolitical disruption. But history repeatedly shows that our sector is remarkably resilient, and few regions have demonstrated that resilience more clearly than the Middle East,” said Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO.
She said governments across the region have made long-term commitments to tourism through investment, connectivity, infrastructure and economic diversification, adding that these foundations “remain firmly in place.”
