Gulf Cooperation Council countries have potential to become world attraction

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have competitive advantages to become a major travel attraction in the world, according to an economic report.
Such advantages mainly include strong economies that allow the GCC member states to invest in tourist products, said the recent report, compiled by the Diplomatic Center for Strategic Studies.
The GCC states also own huge airports that are able to receive large numbers of visitors, together with developed infrastructure that allows them to host major regional and international meetings and conferences, it added.
It also pointed to nice weather conditions in the GCC in a significant period of the year when leading tourist markets suffer low demand.
Furthermore, the approval of a single Gulf tourist visa would certainly have favorable effects, primarily a hike in the gross domestic product (GDP), given that the tourist sector is a weighty component of the GDP in many non-oil countries, he indicated.
This step would also lead to a big rise in the number of visitors and tourists in the GCC member states, whether they come from Gulf or foreign countries, the report added.
In this context, it pointed to a Gulf governmental plan to allocate a total of USD 380 billion for tourist projects until 2018, thus drawing more foreign currencies.
The sector of travel and tourism constitutes a key source of employment and labor, the report noted.