ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on only a few of the most pertinent geopolitical concerns in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. It describes the primary ways in which borders and conflict affect human mobilities and tourism development in the GCC states from the perspectives of creating tourist attractions, as well as functioning as barriers to tourism growth and development. The chapter examines the emerging trend of supranationalism and other forms of cross-border cooperation as they pertain to tourism in GCC. The system, introduced in 2014, aims to bring more tourists from such places as Brazil, China, India, Russia, South Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States, who may have been discouraged by the previous single-entry permit system, as it was more costly and administratively cumbersome. The chapter examines the role of borders and geopolitics in tourism in the GCC region. It described the role of borders in creating tourist attractions, as well as understanding geopolitical issues as barriers to tourism development.
