Tourism in GCC expected to grow 47.4 percent by 2016

(MENAFN) The hospitality sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is projected to increase by 47.4 percent by 2016, Saudi Gazette reported. The tourism sector is expected to increase from USD19.2 billion in 2011 to USD28.3 billion by 2016. Alifiya Sura at Omnix International said: "We've seen a tremendous increase in the demand from the hospitality and tourism sector in the MENA region upgrading their IT infrastructure." According to a VISA survey, 65 percent of global travelers carry their smartphones with them, and 54 percent take their computers.