The tourism sector in Qatar has made great strides to reach 11.3% of the gross domestic product by 2024, according to the expectations of the 2024 Economic Impact Report issued by the World Travel and Tourism Council.
According to the report published by the Qatari newspaper Al Sharq, the travel and tourism sector is expected to contribute an “all-time high” of 90.8 billion riyals (3.65 riyals to the dollar) to the Qatari economy this year, noting that the sector will support the market with more than 334,000 jobs in the country, which will represent 15.8% of the total workforce in 2024.
According to the report, international traveler spending is expected to rise significantly this year, with expectations indicating a record spending of QAR 69.6 billion this year, while local spending is expected to reach QAR 12 billion.
“As part of these collaborative efforts, dedicated working groups have been established across multiple industries, with regular meetings planned to address challenges and leverage private sector expertise to drive travel and tourism growth,” the report said.
“Qatar’s travel and tourism sector is set to break records this year, highlighting its importance as a leading destination in the Middle East,” said Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council.
A significant increase
In a related context, statistics issued by Qatar Tourism showed that the number of visitors to the State of Qatar reached more than two million and 600 thousand visitors by the end of the first half of this year, an increase estimated at about 28.5% compared to the same period in 2023.
Qatar Tourism added in a statement that these figures reflect the good performance of the tourism sector thanks to the various attractions that Qatar abounds with throughout the year, such as the leading landmarks and tourist destinations, the events and festivals that are organized, in addition to the authentic Arab hospitality for which it is famous.
During the first six months of 2024, the number of visitors arriving in Qatar by air reached 1,329,000 people, representing 51% of the total number of visitors, while 1,054,000 visitors arrived by land, representing 40% of the total number of visitors, and about 231,000 visitors arrived by sea, representing 9% of the total.
🔶🔸 28% increase year-on-year.. Qatar Tourism: 2.6 million visitors in the first half
🔸Doha has become a preferred tourist destination at the regional and global levels.
🔸 Saudi Arabia is the largest contributor to the number of international visitors at 29%More details🔽https://t.co/rG3UPn1HSL#AlArab_Newspaper | #Qatar |
– Al Arab Newspaper – Qatar (@AlArab_Qatar) July 8, 2024
Gulf visitors
According to Qatar Tourism statistics at the end of last June, Saudi Arabia is still the largest contributor to the number of international visitors to Qatar this year, with more than 755,000 visitors arriving from there, representing 29% of the total visitors coming to the country.
Bahrain ranked second in the Gulf with 123 thousand visitors, representing 5%, while Kuwait came in third place with 98 thousand visitors, representing 4%, the Sultanate of Oman with 97 thousand visitors, also representing 4%, and the Emirates with 76 thousand visitors, representing 3% of the total number of visitors.
In terms of visitors from other countries, the top 5 visitor markets were India with 212,000 visitors (8%), the United Kingdom with 99,000 visitors (4%), Germany with 95,000 visitors (4%) and the United States with 92,000 visitors (3%).
The increase in visitor flows is due to the campaigns launched by Qatar Tourism, which were promoted in key markets, in addition to the permanent and world-class events programme that was organised across the country since the beginning of the year, maintaining its position as a preferred tourist destination for different nationalities.
The numbers confirm that Doha – according to Qatar Tourism – has become a safe and preferred tourist destination at the regional and global levels, especially with hosting many entertainment events and hosting a wonderful group of cultural events, sports tournaments, intellectual conferences and others in 2024, most notably the eighteenth edition of the 2023 Asian Cup.
In addition to Expo 2023 Doha, the first international horticultural exhibition to be held in the region, Qatar Shopping Festival 2024, and the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition, in addition to the Web Summit, the largest technology conference in the world, to be held for the first time in the Middle East and Africa region, with more than 80 events included in the Qatar events program.
