In January 2024, Qatar’s tourism sector saw a surge in visitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The country welcomed 370,051 visitors from the GCC compared to 141,998 in January 2023, a 160.6 percent annual increase. Visitors from the GCC regions comprised 53 percent of arrivals to Qatar, contributing significantly to its growing tourism sector.
Qatar aims to receive six million tourists by 2030 under its national strategy, which also aims to increase the tourism sector’s contributions to the gross domestic product from 7 percent to 12 percent.
GCC visitors
Official data by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that in December 2023 the number of visitors from the GCC region to Qatar stood at 171,035, a 116.4 percent monthly increase. Travelers from the GCC to Qatar made up 53 percent of total arrivals, supporting the tourism sector’s surge. Meanwhile, other Arab countries constituted 7 percent of total visitors. In January 2024, 51,583 Arab tourists visited Qatar, a 446.1 percent annual increase compared to 9,446 in January 2023.
Of the total arrivals, 289,633 visitors arrived in Qatar by flight, a 93 percent annual increase. Meanwhile, 85,666 visitors arrived by sea and 327,509 entered the country through land border.
Asian visitors surge
Qatar’s tourism sector saw a surge in arrivals from Asia, Europe and the Americas. Fifteen percent of the total visitors to Qatar came from Asian countries. PSA revealed that 103,713 visitors came from Asia, a 79 percent annual increase compared to 57,950 in January 2023. Meanwhile, European visitors accounted for 20 percent of total visitors to Qatar, reaching 137,202 visitors in January. Qatar also saw a 27.5 percent surge in visitors from the Americas, reaching 31,297 in January. Finally, visitors from Africa recorded 8,962 in January 2024.
Read: Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector attracts $13 billion in investments, eyes $85 billion in revenue
National strategy supports growth
Qatar launched the third National Development Strategy 2024-2030, which is the last stage in achieving the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030. In its vision, Qatar places great emphasis on the tourism sector and its growth.
To further support the tourism sector, Qatar launched a calendar of events for 2024, showcasing more than 80 unique events for the year. The calendar includes art and culture events, conferences, sports events, summits, and panels in an effort to attract a wide range of visitors. This will allow Qatar to attract more tourists, in line with its vision, and achieve economic growth.
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