Staff Writer
A travel and industry specialist predicts that Qatar’s tourist industry will see a major uptick in the fourth quarter of this year.
With a slew of high-profile events planned, including the 2023 Moto GP World Championship in November and the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix, both of which take place in October, the country is anticipated to draw a lot of tourists in the final three months of the year, according to Deep Kumar Sindhi, Director of Sales and Revenue at The Ned Doha.
Sindhi emphasized the rise in demand for lodging, pointing out that passengers from Expo 2023 Doha are already choosing to stay at their hotel.
He emphasized further that an increase in demand will start in September and continue through the months of October, November, and December.
Due to scheduled conferences, forums, and meetings, even December, which is ordinarily thought of as a shoulder season, is predicted to prosper. While acknowledging the difficult summer months, Sindhi voiced optimism for the future and looked forward to a better outlook. Because there will be conferences across the nation, even December, which is often a shoulder season, will have really nice months.
The Peninsula was previously informed by Qatar Tourism that residents and visitors to Qatar can anticipate a busy calendar of events all year long. “At Qatar Tourism, we always have a robust calendar of world-class events year-round,” said Berthold Trenkel, chief operating officer.
The anticipated earnings from tourism in Qatar is consistent with these hopes. According to Statista, a German online site that specializes in data collection and visualization, the travel and tourism industry will generate an estimated $1,129,000 million in sales in 2023. The expected market volume by 2027 is $1,722,000m, with a consistent annual growth rate of 11.13% (CAGR 2023-2027). With a projected volume of $512.10m in 2023, hotels are predicted to dominate the market among the major categories. Package holidays, hotel stays, private vacation rentals, camping, and cruises are all included in the travel and tourism business.
According to data from Qatar Tourism, the nation now has 38,443 keys available, including hotels and apartments. 55% of the available space is occupied.
According to the Planning and Statistics Authority’s (PSA) most recent report, there has been an increase in tourists visiting Qatar. Over 285,000 people arrived in May 2023 alone, a phenomenal 72% increase from the previous year.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries accounted for 37% of all visitor arrivals, which notably contributed to the increase in the number of tourists. The majority of visitors (29%), including those from Oceania, were from Asia, with 17% coming from other European nations and 9% coming from Arab nations.
With 66% of all tourists arriving by air, air travel accounted for the most of the different types of ports of entry.
The tourism industry in Qatar is positioned for a successful final quarter of the year thanks to an enticing schedule of events and an escalating influx of visitors. The increase in visitors and significant revenue forecasts confirm Qatar’s standing as a popular tourism destination for visitors from around the world.
The upbeat trend is anticipated to continue into the first quarter of next year, securing Qatar’s position as a thriving tourist hub as the nation prepares to host the AFC Asian Cup in January. “Keep in mind that the Asian Cup will take place in January of next year. So the tourism industry will be growing in October, November, December, January, February, and March, as well as till Ramadan, stated Sindhi.
