Doha, Qatar: Qatar received over 2.6 million international visitors in the first half of 2024, registering an increase in arrivals by 28%, compared to the first half in 2023.

Saudi Arabia remained the leading country, contributing approximately 29% of the total arrivals. The AFC Asian Cup Qatar was a major driver for growth in the tourists, according to the data released by Qatar Tourism.

A total of 2,639,000 international visitors arrived in Qatar in the first half of this year. Among them, 51 percent came by air, 40 percent by land and nine percent by sea. Saudi Arabia continued to be the top contributor to international arrivals in the first half with 755,000 visitors, constituting 29 percent of the total visitors coming in by June 2024.

The remaining top 10 countries were: India with 8 percent; Bahrain with 5 percent; UK, Kuwait, Oman, and Germany with 4 percent each; USA and UAE with 3 percent each; and Italy with 2 percent.

The room-night demand continued to soar in the first half of 2024, leading to increased occupancy. The room-night demand grew in line with tourist arrivals, reaching 4.9 million room-nights by H1 2024, which is 28% higher than H1 2023.

January recorded the highest monthly arrival ever at 703,000, while February witnessed 596,000 arrivals; March, 329,000; April 382,000; May 313,000; and June 316,000.

Of the total arrivals Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’ contribution stood at 43 percent, which is an increase of over 151 percent, compared to arrivals from the GCC in the first half of 2019.

The room-night demand hit a record high of 4.9 million in the first half, compared to 3.1 million in the first half of 2019, which is an increase of over 56 percent.

Qatar’s strategic initiatives, including hosting of high-profile events, have propelled the tourism landscape forward. The country’s legacy of hosting mega events such as the FIFA World Cup, the Geneva International Motor Show, Formula 1, Web Summit, Qatar Economic Forum, and many others solidified the country’s position as a global destination of choice.

Since the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar’s tourism sector has experienced significant expansion and development. New districts like the Qetaifan Islands have emerged, and new hotels and attractions have opened. These include the Meryal Waterpark and Our Habitas Ras Abrouq.

Qatar’s travel and tourism sector is set to contribute QR90.8bn to the country’s economy this year, constituting 11.3 percent of the nation’s total output, according to a recent report.

It is anticipated to generate more than 334,500 jobs nationwide, accounting for a substantial 15.8 percent of the entire workforce, the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2024 Economic Impact Research has forecasted.

The travel and tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP surged by 31 percent in 2023, hitting a record QR81.2bn, which amounts to 10.3 percent of Qatar’s overall economic output. The country’s tourism strategy is guided by Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy 2024-30. Qatar aims to attract six million visitors annually and raise tourism’s contribution to the GDP to 12 percent by 2030.

The country is rapidly establishing itself as one of the world’s most captivating travel destinations, offering a unique blend of rich Arabian heritage and modern amenities.

The nation is working to simplify visa policies to send a message that it welcomes the world. The new visa policies resulted in Qatar becoming the most open country in the region and the eighth most open in the world, according to visa openness rankings released by the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in August 2018. The high ranking reflects a string of visa facilitation measures introduced by the country, including allowing nationals of 102 countries to enter Qatar visa-free and free of charge.

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