Gulf States Bet on Joint Tourism Campaign to Rebuild $131.9 Billion Market

The Gulf was losing an estimated $600 million per day in tourism revenues at the height of its conflict with Iran, according to a March estimate from the World Travel & Tourism Council. Now six Gulf states plan to fight back with a single global campaign selling the region as one multi-country destination.

Bahrain's minister of tourism, H.E. Fatima bint Jaffar Al Sairafi, told Fortune the campaign would encourage international visitors to travel across several Gulf countries on one vacation. Bahrain proposed the initiative at a Gulf tourism meeting in Manama, the kingdom's capital, in September, and secured approval there.

"All the countries are on board and the plan will be implemented very soon," Al Sairafi said at the Gulf Gateway investment forum in Bahrain.

What does the campaign change?

The initiative brings together Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait. Their goal: restore confidence in a market where visitor numbers have collapsed after eight months of conflict.

The stakes are large. Tourism in the Gulf states generated nearly $131.9 billion in 2025, and the region welcomed 75.7 million international tourists that year, according to UN Tourism — a 4.9% increase on the previous year. The Gulf Cooperation Council publicly announced approval of a tourism recovery plan on Sep. 10, and Al Sairafi confirmed the global campaign is close to launch.

"[We want to] promote our countries in terms of multi-destination itineraries rather than solo itineraries, that's actually where our strength is," Al Sairafi said. She added that Gulf tourism leaders had been "very disheartened" by the Iranian attacks after years of expansion in the sector, and that closer regional cooperation offered a way to rebuild.

The conflict, she argued, accelerated cooperation between Gulf tourism authorities, turning shared exposure to disruption into an incentive to market destinations together. "I really believe that the recent developments that have happened over the past few months are one of the main drivers for us to actually combine our effort," she said.

How would a multi-country Gulf trip work?

Al Sairafi's model is the multi-country European vacation. Visitors making a long journey from Europe or Asia — including China — would be encouraged to explore neighboring Gulf states using the region's road and air connections.

"Rarely do we only visit one country," she said of trips to Europe. "We want to create a destination where people enjoy all the cultures of all the GCC states and spend time and money equally."

Making those trips easier to book will require real coordination. Al Sairafi said aligned tourism calendars, better transport connections, and cooperation between airlines, hotels, and booking platforms would all be needed.

Is Bahrain proof the recovery works?

Al Sairafi pointed to Bahrain's international conference calendar as evidence that confidence is returning. Business visitors, she said, are extending their stays and booking guided tours, bringing spending beyond the events themselves.

The numbers back her up. According to the ministry, Bahrain's visitor numbers increased more than 50% between the launch of its tourism strategy in 2022 and 2025, while tourism revenue rose more than 30%. Al Sairafi defines recovery as renewed annual growth in arrivals, revenue, and overnight stays.

What could still go wrong?

The research agency ORF Middle East cautioned that support for tourism businesses and efforts to restart events could become harder to sustain if the conflict drags on. With increased tensions and potential renewed disruption, the joint promotion offers no guarantee of a return to previous tourism numbers.

Al Sairafi sees the balance differently. "I believe that the opportunity that we see outweighs the challenge," she said. Whether that holds depends on how quickly travelers — and their spending — come back to a region still counting its daily losses.