MUSCAT: The tourism sector in the Sultanate of Oman continued to achieve positive growth indicators during the first quarter of 2026, recording an increase in its contribution to the gross domestic product, with its role growing as one of the main sectors supporting economic diversification and a key contributor to enhancing the contribution of non-oil activities to the national economy.
Data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information showed that the contribution of the tourism sector to the gross domestic product at current prices rose to 2.9 per cent by the end of the first quarter of 2026, compared to 2.6 per cent during the same period of 2025, while the direct GDP of tourism rose to RO 293.8 million, recording a growth of 6.5 per cent.
While the total tourism output at the end of the first quarter of this year reached RO 610.4 million, an increase of 9.7 per cent, the total direct added value of the sector also increased to RO 286.4 million, with a growth rate of 6.6 per cent.
The data indicated the continued expansion of the sector’s contribution to economic activity, supported by the growth recorded by most tourism-related activities. Accommodation services achieved the highest contribution rate to the total direct added value of tourism at 24.8 per cent, followed by travel agency and booking services at 19.7 per cent, then transportation services at 18.7 per cent, and restaurant services at 18.3 per cent, indicating the diversity of growth sources within the sector and the benefit to economic activities related to tourism.
At constant prices, the direct GDP of tourism reached RO 279.9 million, compared to RO 272.3 million during the same period last year, with a growth rate of 2.8 per cent, while the sector’s contribution to GDP remained stable at 2.9 per cent, reflecting the continued real growth of the sector alongside the growth recorded at current prices.
The results are an extension of the upward trajectory witnessed by the sector in recent years, as the contribution of tourism to the GDP rose from 1.6 per cent in 2020 and 2021 to 2 per cent in 2022, then 2.5 per cent in 2023, and 2.7 per cent during 2024 and 2025, reaching 2.9 per cent by the end of the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the continued growth of the sector and strengthening its presence among the promising economic sectors. — ONA
