Qatar Tourism has revealed that by the end of October 2024, the visitor count has reached a remarkable 4 million, which matches the total number of visitors recorded for 2023. This year-to-date figure indicates a 26 percent rise in international visitors compared to the same timeframe in 2023, QNA reported.
This trend bodes well for an even larger visitor count by the close of 2024, particularly with the onset of the winter season and the diverse range of activities planned for this period.
Visitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) represent 41.8 percent of the total, with the remaining 58.2 percent hailing from international markets. The leading visitor markets include the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of India, United Kingdom, Kingdom of Bahrain, United States of America, State of Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, Federal Republic of Germany, United Arab Emirates, and People’s Republic of China.
As of now, 56.2 percent of visitors arrived by air, while 37.84 percent came by land, and the remaining 5.96 percent traveled by sea.
Moreover, Qatar’s hospitality sector has seen significant expansion, exceeding 40,053 hotel keys as of September 2024, as part of the country’s upgraded tourism infrastructure.
Impressive July figures
In July 2024, the total number of inbound visitors to Qatar grew by 10.2 percent year-on-year, reaching approximately 317,000, along with a 0.4 percent increase compared to June 2024. This data was highlighted in the 127th edition of the Qatar Monthly Statistical Bulletin released by the National Planning Council, which noted that 46 percent of visitors were from GCC countries. Air travel was the predominant mode of entry, accounting for 59 percent of all arrivals.
The report also indicated a monthly rise in total commercial bank deposits and facilities of 0.1 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively, compared to June 2024. Year-over-year, these figures saw increases of 11.3 percent for deposits and 7.4 percent for facilities compared to July 2023, according to QNA. The Total Broad Money Supply (M2) in the banking sector reached approximately QAR727 billion in July 2024, marking a 6.4 percent annual increase from July 2023.
Read more: Indian travelers may soon make UPI payments in Qatar
Demographic data and social security
In terms of demographic data, July 2024 recorded 2,501 live births, reflecting a 2.2 percent monthly increase in Qatari live births. In contrast, there were 221 deaths registered during the same month, which is a 17.6 percent increase compared to June 2024.
July 2024 also saw a 0.3 percent decline in total marriage contracts, while divorce certificates surged by 93.7 percent. The number of marriage contracts was 348, while divorce certificates totaled 244. Social Security expenditures amounted to QAR77 million in July 2024, benefiting 14,385 individuals, which represents a 0.3 percent monthly increase in the value of social security and a 0.2 percent rise in the number of beneficiaries.
Qatar welcomed over 4 million visitors in 2023, reflecting a remarkable 58.4 percent increase compared to 2022. Furthermore, in the initial four months of 2024, visitor numbers had already surpassed 2 million.
Between January and August 25, 2023, Qatar hosted over 2.56 million visitors, according to Qatar Tourism (QT). This figure exceeds the total number of arrivals recorded in the first half of 2022, demonstrating an impressive growth of 157 percent compared to the same period in the prior year.
The tourism sector in Qatar is thriving, with over 3.2 million visitors expected by the end of August 2024, marking a 26 percent increase compared to the same timeframe in 2023, as noted by Saad Bin Ali Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism and chair of the board of directors of Visit Qatar.
GCC visitors lead the way
The total number of inbound visitors to Qatar reached approximately 288,000, signifying a monthly growth of 2.1 percent compared to June 2023 and a staggering 91.4 percent increase from July 2022. According to the latest report from Qatar’s Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA), GCC nationals comprised 47 percent of the total visitors. Additionally, air travel remained the dominant mode of entry, making up 58 percent of all arrivals.
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