Gulf Tourism Recovery Gets Fresh Push

Bahrain chaired a meeting of tourism ministers from the Gulf states to discuss ways to strengthen regional tourism cooperation and accelerate the sector’s recovery.

Minister of Tourism Fatima bint Jaafar Al Sairafi chaired the 10th meeting of the Committee of Ministers Responsible for Tourism in the GCC States, held as part of Bahrain’s presidency of the 46th session of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Tourism ministers and senior officials from across the Gulf participated in the meeting.

Al Sairafi said continued cooperation in tourism reflects the commitment of the Gulf states’ leaders to strengthening coordination and integration in support of economic development and prosperity.

She said the meeting provided an opportunity to build on progress in tourism cooperation and coordinate efforts to make the sector more resilient and responsive to changing conditions.

The discussions focused on a joint action plan aimed at accelerating tourism recovery across the region, along with coordinated promotional campaigns and the development of tourism packages and programmes.

Ministers also reviewed measures to strengthen the region’s presence in selected international tourism markets, as well as joint media initiatives and plans to develop a tourism data and indicators dashboard.

Other areas discussed included joint marketing campaigns, the exchange of expertise on tourism statistics and data, and the proposed unified tour guide licence.

The meeting also considered hotel classification guidelines and the selection of the Gulf Tourism Capital for 2027.

International cooperation, along with joint tourism activities and events, was also included in the discussions as the Gulf states seek to further strengthen their position as a connected and competitive tourism destination.