The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tourism sector is present process a change fuelled by means of infrastructure funding and experience-led building, as published within the Connecting Shuttle Insights Document 2025. Powered by means of Mabrian, the worldwide shuttle intelligence platform, the record identifies important expansion alternatives for the area—together with leveraging air connectivity, refining visitor stories, and tapping into high-potential segments like bleisure and more youthful travellers.
That is the second one consecutive 12 months Mabrian, a part of The Information Enchantment Corporate – Almawave Crew, supplies information intelligence for this learn about, drawing from its extensive differ of over 30 world information assets and information analytics experience. The Connecting Shuttle Insights Document 2025, introduced in an business luncheon throughout Arabian Shuttle Marketplace 2025 in Dubai, has been advanced in partnership with Connecting Shuttle, main Heart East shuttle industry media outlet.
This record unveils a data-rich image of the way the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is fast-tracking its evolution right into a world-class shuttle and tourism hub, from each inbound and outbound standpoint. In relation to global call for to GCC locations, the learn about identifies 4 key traits reshaping the regional tourism panorama:
Pattern #1: Leveraging Air Connectivity Edge to Spice up Inbound Shuttle
The GCC’s speedy ascent to world tourism prominence is underpinned by means of robust air connectivity. In line with Mabrian’s air capability information, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar shape a powerful connectivity triangle, pushed by means of constant global air capability expansion since 2019—+38%, +14.5%, and +14%, respectively. Reinforcing air connectivity throughout the shoulder seasons (with milder temperatures) or thru seasonal routes operated by means of low cost carriers may fortify the objective of accelerating long-haul recreational arrivals—no longer just for those nations, but in addition for different GCC locations equivalent to Oman and Bahrain.
“Your next step is to leverage this strategic benefit to pursue 3 key targets: expanding long-haul recreational arrivals and remains, aligning with seasonal call for thru customised, crafted stories, and exploring new call for segments to spice up visitation,” says Carlos Cendra, Spouse and Director of Advertising and marketing and Communications at Mabrian.
Pattern #2: Hanging Planned Focal point on Crafting Outstanding Shuttle Reports and Journey, as Core Differentiators
The record guides readers during the array of experience-led tasks being advanced throughout GCC nations, highlighting how those sights mix native heritage, cultural richness, and global manufacturers to seize world consideration and attraction to travellers international. Then again, Mabrian’s Vacationer Product Pride Index (TPI) raises a crimson flag on a important factor: to effectively place themselves as top rate locations for high-value, repeat guests, GCC nations should prioritise the standard of stories—particularly by means of handing over world-class on-site carrier.
“TPIs from benchmark locations for the GCC—equivalent to Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and the Seychelles—differ from 70 to 75 out of a imaginable 100 issues, while the GCC reasonable stands at 68.1, reflecting the efficiency throughout all six nations,” says Cendra. “The excellent news is that every one GCC locations are appearing an upward pattern on this index, indicating they’re at the proper trail and will have to proceed to construct in this development within the months and years forward.”
Pattern #3: Bettering total and mid-range perceived visitor stories, the most important for enhancing long-haul recreational remains
”To succeed in sustained expansion, total pride with lodging is very important for expanding recreational arrivals and inspiring longer remains. This visitor pride should lengthen past the luxurious phase—specifically in higher midscale and upscale inns.” explains Mabrian professional. “If the visitor journey does no longer meet global requirements, it’ll discourage travellers from taking into account GCC locations as viable long-stay vacation choices.”
Hospitality Pride Index (HSI) ratings disclose spaces for growth: locations like Saudi Arabia (62.1 out of 100), and Qatar and Bahrain (70.3) should pass the additional mile in ensuring accommodation stories are memorable. This implies making an investment in visitor journey no longer best in luxurious segments but in addition throughout decrease classes—diversifying resort building to incorporate upscale and mid-upscale choices in each city and lodge settings.
Pattern #4: Faucet into uncharted segments to grab and seize recreational world call for
Mabrian information featured within the Connecting Shuttle Insights Document 2025 additionally highlights the prospective of key call for segments to spice up recreational shuttle within the area—specifically the bleisure phase and more youthful generations. As Mabrian’s CMO notes, “Travellers to GCC locations show a definite behavioural trend that units them except for different markets: trade travellers persistently file longer reasonable remains than recreational guests. This pattern, noticed over the last two years, means that those locations are effectively capitalising at the bleisure alternative amongst global travellers.”
There are, on the other hand, two exceptions—Saudi Arabia and Oman—the place the steadiness pointers in favour of recreational travellers. In Saudi Arabia, as an example, recreational guests live a median of four.11 days, in comparison to 3.18 days for trade travellers. In Oman, trade remains are moderately shorter than the ones of recreational visitors. “To give a boost to the bleisure phase, GCC nations will have to make stronger mid-range lodging choices and align resort stories—particularly in top-tier classes—with world requirements,” Mabrian’s CMO provides.
Likewise, there’s vital expansion prospective amongst more youthful travellers. Taking pictures their consideration may spice up arrivals, no longer best by means of increasing accommodation choices in midscale and economic system classes but in addition by means of selling aspirational tourism services that resonate with their pursuits. In line with Mabrian insights, lately, about 1 in 5 guests to GCC locations is elderly between 18 and 35. Preserving this phase engaged may make a considerable affect in each the close to and long run.
The Connecting Shuttle Insights Document 2025 additionally explores further aggressive benefits that place GCC locations to draw global holidaymakers. Those come with a forward-looking imaginative and prescient for multimodal mobility, enhanced cross-country collaboration to optimise promotion and building, and the ability of vacation spot specialisation to develop into the area’s long-term tourism methods.
“This 12 months’s findings replicate a maturing and increasingly more aggressive world tourism ecosystem—and the GCC is obviously taking part in to win,” says a Mabrian spokesperson. “That’s why information intelligence is so necessary on this fast-evolving panorama—no longer best as a device to await traits and alternatives, but in addition to uphold excessive requirements and live attuned to converting traveller personal tastes and vacation spot building dynamics.”
