The latest data issued by Qatar Tourism showed that the tourism sector has achieved remarkable performance during the first half of the current year 2023, thanks to the many tourist attractions that Qatar abounds in, such as the leading tourist attractions and destinations, the calendar always rich in events, festivals, unique tourist experiences, and the authentic Arab hospitality that is famous for. It has Qatar.
Qatar has received more than 2 million international visitors so far this year, with the months of May and June together (more than 567 thousand visitors), which is the highest number of visitors recorded in these two months during the past ten years. The total number of international visitors has almost doubled pre-pandemic levels (1,053,000 visitors in 2019).
The significant increase in numbers was attributed to Qatar Tourism’s “Qatar More Than Feeling” campaign, which was promoted in key markets, along with the permanent, world-class calendar of events organized across the country since the beginning of the year that maintained the level of The positive momentum and lively atmosphere that accompanied the recent FIFA World Cup. It also made it possible to extend the validity of the Haya card for its current holders and re-launch the Haya platform to become a unified portal for issuing visas for visitors coming to Qatar, facilitating their entry procedures to it.
Since the beginning of this year in January, the “Winter in Qatar” campaign launched by Qatar Tourism included a variety of events and festivals, on top of which came the nineteenth edition of the Doha Jewelery and Watches Exhibition, the twelfth edition of the Qatar International Food Festival, and many singing and music concerts that were held. Within the “Qatar Live” festival. Qatar also continued to enhance its sporting heritage by attracting more sports tournaments such as the Freestyle Kiteboarding World Cup 2023, the Judo World Championship Doha 2023, the 8th Tennis Association Open Championship and others, all of which have contributed strongly to the number of international visitors reaching these levels.
The celebrations of Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha also contributed to the growth of the number of visitors, thanks to the rich calendar of events during the celebrations of the two holidays, which was organized by Qatar Tourism. The Qatar Events Calendar, which is a monthly release, allows visitors to know the best ways in which they can enjoy the offers and events that Qatar is witnessing throughout the year.
Commenting on the results for the first half of the year, Mr. Berthold Trinkl, CEO of Qatar Tourism, said: “These impressive results are a testament to the effort, hard work and sincere determination of all parties, partners and workers in the Qatari tourism industry, as well as to the dedication of everyone for Giving our visitors unparalleled tourism experiences.With our range of world-class events, state-of-the-art infrastructure in our modern hospitality sector, and unwavering commitment to achieving the highest levels of service excellence, Qatar is well on its way to becoming the fastest growing tourism destination in the Middle East.”
During the months that passed from 2023, the number of visitors coming to Qatar by air accounted for 51% of the total number of visitors, while 37% of the total number of visitors arrived by land and 12% by land and sea. Visitors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continued to top the list of visitors to Qatar this year, as the Saudi market contributed nearly a quarter of the total number of visitors to Qatar. India and Germany ranked second and third, respectively.
It is expected that the positive momentum of the wonderful events that will be held in Qatar will continue during the second half of the year, as Qatar will witness many upcoming events such as the Summer Campaign in Qatar, the Geneva International Motor Show – Qatar, the Qatar Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Doha Horticultural Expo 2023.
The mission of Qatar Tourism is to consolidate Qatar’s position on the world tourism map as a leading destination that blends the authenticity of the past and the modernity of the present.
Qatar Tourism, which specializes in organizing, developing and developing the tourism and hospitality industry and encouraging the private sector to invest in it, is responsible for setting the national strategy for the tourism and hospitality sector and following up on its implementation and reviewing it periodically, so as to enhance the diversification of tourism offers in the country and support the increase in tourism spending.
Qatar Tourism is working to enhance Qatar’s presence on the global tourism map and enhance the ability of the tourism sector to reach the target audience directly through the network of representative offices in the most important global markets, and through advanced digital platforms.
