Despite ongoing regional tensions in the region, most Middle East and North African countries continued to earn profits last year. Of the most visited countries, Jordan alone fell in 2024.
On the Gulf Coast, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Dubai continued to promote tourism, while in North Africa, Morocco overtook Egypt as the region's most visited country.
This let's take a look at the number of international tourism in 2024 in some of the most visited countries in the Middle East.
Qatar: 25% increase
According to the latest data from Qatar Tourism, Qatar saw 5 million international tourists in 2024, improving 25% year-on-year.
The GCC nations – the Gulf Cooperation Council – accounted for 41% of visitors, with the remaining 59% being 59% from the international market. Major source markets include Saudi Arabia, India, UK, Germany and the US
Qatar Tourism Chairman Saad bin Ali Al Khalj said in a statement posted by the government: “Our tourism goals are ambitious, but achievable. We aim to almost triple the number of visitors between 2022 and 2030 and at least double the spending of tourists. We also aim to increase the total tourism contribution to GDP to 10-12%.”
Morocco: 20% increase
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Morocco's tourism industry saw a record 17.4 million arrivals in 2024, surpassing its 2026 target two years ago. This diagram has increased 20% since 2023, with nearly 3 million visitors.
Foreign tourists accounted for 8.8 million arrivals, an increase of 23% from the previous year, and visits from expatriates in Morocco increased by 17% to 8.6 million.
Tourism Minister Fatim Zafra Elmore attributed the growth to government investment and industry cooperation, but did not specify which initiatives had the biggest impact.
The 2024 results have strengthened its position as a key player in Africa tourism, as Morocco is 35% ahead of its pre-pandemic performance in 2019.
Türkiye: 9.8% increase
According to official data, the number of foreign visitors and tourism income in Turkey rose to a new record high in 2024.
According to data from the TurkStat Institute, revenue from tourists rose 8.3% from the previous year to $61.1 billion.
Individual data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that the total number of visitors arriving in 2024 would increase to 62.7 million, up 9.84% from the previous year, including visitors from Turkey.
Saudi Arabia: 9.4% increase
Saudi Arabia had 30 million international visitors last year. According to its tourism minister Ahmed al-Kateb, he revealed the number in January during a panel discussion in Davos. This reflects 9.4% growth over 2023.
Al Khateeb said for now the focus is on driving domestic and regional travel. He said the country had a total of 127 million travelers last year. This means that 97 million people are domestic.
“We will initially focus on domestic tourists and then on tourists in the Gulf countries, and make sure that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will attract citizens of the Gulf countries and enjoy the Riyadh season. Seasons, summer Red Sea and Aba… etc. Then we reach European countries, neighboring countries, China, India, and these markets are very important,” he said.
In 2024, numerous campaigns were announced designed to attract international tourists. The “Land is Calling” campaign launched in August and covers the UK, France, Italy, Germany and the US.
A month later, we launched a campaign aimed at Indian travelers. A campaign in China has also begun.
According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, all of these efforts are centered around the growth of leisure tourism in the Saudi Arabia, but historically, the majority of travel to the Saudi Arabia is religious tourism.
Al Khateeb confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that religious tourism remained the biggest driver last year.
“Macca and Madina are top of Saudi Arabia's list of most visited destinations and attract millions of pilgrims each year due to their religious significance.”
Dubai: 9% increase
Dubai recorded 18.72 million international overnight visitors last year. According to data from the Dubai Economic and Tourism Authority (DET), this shows a 9% increase compared to the arrival of 17.15 million in the same period in 2023.
The performance of key hotel metrics was strong in 2024, with the average occupancy of the hotel sector increasing to 78.2%, up from 77.4% in 2023.
The average daily rate (ADR) was $146, a slight increase from $145 in 2023. Meanwhile, revenue per room available reached $114 in 2024, up 2% from $112 the previous year.
Egypt: 5.3% increase
Egypt attracted a record 15.7 million tourists in 2024, surpassing the previous year's record 14.9 million – a 5.37% increase, the Ministry of Tourism reported.
“In spite of the geopolitical situation of the region and changes in the world in general, what tourism has achieved in Egypt has been the result of a collective effort that we all should be proud of and sustained.” said Tourism and Ancient Minister Sherif Fati. The Senate meeting last month.
Tourism revenue totaled $14.1 billion that year. Egypt's top ten markets in 2024 included Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic, the US and France.
Jordan: 3.9% decrease
Jordan, which shares a long border with Israel, had one of the most interesting travel shifts of the past year. Travel numbers in Jordan fell 3.9% in Jordan as 6.1 million visitors last year. This was driven heavily by a massive decline in international tourism due to the Gaza crisis, according to the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and the Ancient Ministry.
“It is clear that the war with Gaza has had a detrimental impact on Jordan's tourism performance, as witnessed by a decline in visitor numbers and receipts (expenditures),” said the 2024 Annual Review The Ministry of Tourism writes.
The most important impact of the war on Gaza came from international tourism. The number of international visitors fell by 600,000, with spending down $692 million. This sharp decline was partially offset by an increase in 196,000 visitors from the GCC, contributing to $213 million.
Additionally, spending from Arab visitors increased by $44 million, while Jordanian foreign receipts increased by $161 million. These fluctuations have led to a global decline in 245,000 visitors, with total revenue loss of $273 million compared to 2023.
At Skift Global Forum East 2024 in November, Yordania's Minister of Tourism and Bones Lina Anab said the sector has seen “dramatic drops” in certain markets, but others have become stronger. He said he is or is growing.
“We have seen dramatic declines in visits from certain markets, but our diversity has made us feel that we are fulfilled by the declines in certain markets (other) maintain or increase. I saved you.” Dubai. “The Jordanian sauce market is highly concentrated in Europe, the US and regions. It is divided into the GCC and Arab countries. The GCC and Arab countries have seen an increase (during visits).”
The Minister of Tourism said it is to reassure Jordan that it is a safe destination.
“What are we doing to reassure you? We use typical marketing techniques. “Don't take our words. Please visit us.” There are influencers.
“This sense of security is simply not coming (it doesn't come). The resilience of the Jordanian tourism sector is shown to travelers coming here. Jordan has been met with all I have encountered. It's on people's bucket list.”
Jordan's Ministry of Tourism and Bones did not immediately respond to Skift's request for comment.
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