Condition and factors of development of international tourism in Middle Eastern countries

Development of international tourism is a key direction for economic diversity of Middle Eastern countries. It provides favorable long-time economic aspects and enhances positive image of the region. The purpose of the research is to assess the current state and identify the factors of development of international tourism in the Middle East in order to validate priorities for tourism development applying specific features of each country. Based on comprehensive analysis of the main indicators of tourism, authors identified significant differentiation among countries and different contributions of tourism service exports to the development of national economies. The largest contribution of tourism service export is made by Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain and the UAE to the national GDP and by the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to the national exports. In terms of aggregate service exports the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq have the highest contributions. The leading countries in the region are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, which account for two-thirds of the tourism service exports in the Middle East. Based on determining the average values for the region for each indicator, the authors ranked countries into "above average" and "below average" groups to account for the specific characteristics of tourism development in each country. Through the analysis, the authors justified and classified positive and destructive factors of tourism development in the region. The following priorities for tourism development were formulated for countries: focusing on the development of modern tourism infrastructure, especially in Yemen, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Kuwait; promoting tourist attractions; restoring tourist trust in the region's security (Syria, Iraq, Palestinian Authority, Israel, etc.); diversifying the tourism product (UAE, Qatar, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia); providing comprehensive services (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain); deepening intergovernmental cooperation and creating a joint regional tourism product (for all countries in the region).