• New research from STR, produced on behalf of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) reveals strong growth in the hospitality sector across the GCC region in 2024
  • The study outlines how government initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s ‘We the UAE 2031’ campaign are fuelling growth and elevating the tourism experiences offered in the region
  • The research also identifies luxury hospitality as a key driver of growth, with leaders in the industry set to share exclusive insights at ATM 2025

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The hospitality sector in the GCC is experiencing a strong resurgence, with new data compiled by STR on behalf of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) revealing significant growth across the region in 2024.

According to the report, aggregated Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE last year rose by 5.4% compared to 2023, fuelled primarily by an increase in occupancy rates. In 2024, occupancy rates across the GCC reached 69.5%, surpassing the levels observed prior to the pandemic, underscoring the region’s successful efforts to establish itself as a world-class tourism and investment hub.

Key government initiatives, notably Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s ‘We the UAE 2031’ campaign have played a pivotal role in this transformation by promoting economic diversification, enhancing infrastructure, and elevating the overall tourism experience. These efforts aim to boost occupancy and establish the GCC as a competitive player in the global tourism landscape.

The research also found that Average Daily Rate (ADR) grew by 2.4% in the GCC last year, with the luxury hotel rooms segment significantly contributing to ADR growth. The region has added more than 35,000 hotel rooms over the last 10 years, with 19% of rooms now belonging to the luxury category, growing from 16% a decade ago.

STR’s report suggests that hotel rooms under all phases of development will continue to be dominated by the luxury segment, stating that with more than 33,000 rooms under development, Saudi Arabia alone has more luxury rooms in the pipeline than currently exist in the country.

Commenting on STR’S latest research, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Luxury hospitality continues to be a driving force behind the region’s tourism growth, offering exceptional experiences that attract high-spending travellers from around the world.

“Luxury hotel exhibitors will be a key part of ATM 2025, showcasing the innovative hospitality concepts that are redefining the industry. As demand for premium travel rises, the GCC is well-positioned to strengthen its reputation as a global luxury tourism hotspot.”

ATM 2025 will showcase a diverse array of leading hospitality and luxury brands, including IHG Hotels & Resorts, Jumeirah International, Address Hotels + Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Kempinski, Kerzner International, The Peninsula Hotels, Hilton Worldwide and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Middle East. The event will also feature exclusive insights from top industry experts, including Haitham Mattar, Managing Director across India, Middle East & Africa, IHG Hotels & Resorts, who are shaping the future of the region’s hospitality sector.

IHG’s Managing Director across India, Middle East & Africa, Haitham Mattar said: “Several markets across the GCC region are experiencing an exciting phase of growth in tourism and hospitality, driven by key government initiatives resulting in an increase in demand across hotel segments.

“Historically, markets in the GCC region have been driven by luxury hospitality and demand is set to rise owing to factors such as development of giga and mega projects, increased business activity and rise in leisure travel.

“As we bring and grow more world class brands in the region including Regent, Six Senses, InterContinental, Kimpton, Vignette Collection, Hotel Indigo, we are committed to contributing to the dynamic hospitality landscape, offering elevated experiences for a wide range of travellers.

“As we look forward to ATM 2025, we anticipate a great opportunity to build meaningful connections and showcase how IHG is helping shape the future of hospitality in the region.”

During the event, Mattar will host a session titled “Hospitality redefined, find your competitive edge”, which will address the challenges and opportunities shaping growth across the MEA and Southwest Asia regions. In addition, Sarah Duignan, Director, Client Relationships, STR will dive further into how the various GCC markets are individually contributing to the overall GCC success whether driven by occupancy, ADR or both whilst Jeremy Bowen, CEO, Cirium will discuss passenger trends, airlift and shaping the travel industry’s broader growth in the session “Connecting the dots… benchmarking aviation and hospitality.”

ATM 2025, which will take place from 28 April to 1 May, brings together travel professionals from around the world to share exclusive insights and visions on the future of the industry. Across four days, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with leading industry experts, forge new connections, and uncover fresh perspectives. 

In line with this edition's theme, ‘Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity’, Arabian Travel Market will shine a spotlight on the innovators reshaping the sector. Bringing together professionals and industry leaders from the leisure, business events (MICE), luxury and corporate travel sectors, ATM provides a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and business opportunities, allowing participants to explore the latest trends, innovations, and developments worldwide.

 

Held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2025’s strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Destination Partner; Emirates, Official Airline Partner; IHG Hotels & Resorts, Official Hotel Partner; and Al Rais Travel, Official DMC Partner.

Now in its 32nd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024 spanned 12 halls, making it the largest edition to date. The event attracted over 47,000 attendees, more than 35,000 visitors (including 6,000+ high-value buyers) and over 2,550 exhibitors and representatives from over 161 countries. In 2025, ATM will expand to 13 halls, growing across all sectors, and will continue to be a crucial gathering for the global travel and tourism industry. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai

ATM takes place from 28 April to 1 May 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai.

Arabian Travel Week is a week-long festival of events from 28 April to 4 May, alongside Arabian Travel Market 2025. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes Start-Up Competition, Influencers' Event, GBTA Business Travel Forums, and ATM Travel Tech. The event also features ATM Buyer Networking and a series of country forums.

About RX

RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.
About RELX

RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.

World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents. The events are Arabian Travel Market, WTM London, WTM Latin America and WTM Africa.

WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.

Next event: 4 to 6 November 2025 at ExCel London

WTM Latin America is held annually in São Paulo and attracts more than 29,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers a qualified content combined with networking and business opportunities. In its most recent edition, in 2024, WTM Latin America maintained its focus on the effective generation of business and managed to secure the early scheduling of more than six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents, and exhibitors.  WTM Latin America contents are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Next event: 14 – 16 April 2025, Expo Center Norte, São Paulo, Brasil

WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019.

Next event: 9 to 11 April 2025 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town 

About ATW Connect:  Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.

WTM Global Hub, is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub