Tourism in Qatar enjoys exceptional levels of service for visitors.
Qatar has promoted the distinguished modern facilities it abounds with.
Expo 2023 Doha will last for 6 months with the participation of 70 countries
Qatar Tourism has achieved remarkable achievements throughout its journey, thanks to the efforts made by the state to upgrade the tourism product and encourage domestic tourism for citizens and residents, in addition to attracting tourism from abroad and increasing the number of tourists. The State of Qatar recently launched the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030, which was prepared in accordance with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the country, may God protect him, and which is considered the final stage on the road to achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. The strategy identified the tourism sector as a key sector within the economic diversification clusters entrusted with contributing to achieving sustainable economic growth. The strategy also focused on identifying special initiatives to support the tourism sector, including activating tourism policies to enhance the attractiveness of the tourism sector, and maximizing the benefit from the connectivity network provided by Qatar Airways.
Qatar Tourism, headed by His Excellency Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, as part of its commitment to achieving Qatar National Vision 2030, focuses its efforts on enhancing the country’s tourism infrastructure, supporting sustainable development, and enriching cultural exchange, in order to achieve its strategy that aims to make Qatar one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the Middle East, increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP by 12%, increase domestic spending, and receive 6 million visitors annually by 2030.
More than 50 hotels and resorts
Qatar has seen significant growth in its hospitality sector in recent years, with more than 50 hotels and resorts opening since 2022. More tourism facilities are currently being expanded and opened, including the recently opened Habitas Ras Brouq Resort, Qetaifan Island, which includes six beaches, a new touristic entertainment island that is part of Lusail City, and the “Sustainable Simaisma” project, which will be built on an area of 8 million square meters and a 7-kilometre extension of the waterfront on the eastern coast of the State of Qatar.
Leading tourist destination
Qatar’s tourism experiences are characterised by exceptional levels of service, diverse offerings and immersive entertainment activities. From relaxing poolside retreats to thrilling safari adventures, and art experiences, Qatar has something for everyone, thanks to Doha’s stunning skyline, iconic architectural landmarks that reflect Qatar’s national heritage and culture, luxurious hotels and beaches along the Arabian Gulf.
Visitors enjoy the wonderful balance that Qatar offers, where modern global culture meets its rich national culture. Qatar is always surprising its visitors with new and unique experiences. Visitors are surprised to learn that Qatar has beautiful natural scenery in the heart of the desert, or that it is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Al Zubarah Archaeological Site) and the world’s first modern wellness resort that combines the principles of traditional Arabic and Islamic medicine (Zulal Wellness Resort).
Growth in international visitor numbers
By the end of July 2024, Qatar had welcomed around 3 million visitors, an increase of 26.2% over the same period last year. In January 2024 alone, it welcomed over 700,000 visitors – a new record and the largest number ever in a single month. The highest number of visitors in a single day was recorded on 25 January 2024, with 42,500 visitors, with hotel occupancy reaching 95%.
This growth in the number of international visitors to Qatar is the fruit of the strategy developed by Qatar Tourism. Thanks to the focus on priority tourism markets, the multi-faceted approach, and the tireless efforts and pioneering initiatives launched by Qatar Tourism in cooperation with its partners in the public and private sectors, visitors from all over the world have been attracted to Qatar and the unique blend of development and modernity with the authenticity of cultural heritage has been highlighted. Over the past months, Qatar Tourism has launched several promotional campaigns and initiatives aimed at enhancing the performance of the tourism sector and introducing the growing hospitality offerings that the sector provides to visitors to Qatar.
In addition, Qatar Tourism has strengthened its presence in the tourism and business events sector, promoting the country’s distinguished modern facilities, which include Qatar Airways, the award-winning Hamad International Airport, its integrated transportation network, and a leading group of conference and exhibition centers, in addition to its keenness to participate in the largest travel and tourism exhibitions hosted by countries in the region and the world.
Successful marine tourism season
This growth in visitor numbers is also attributed to the increasing interest that Qatar Tourism is giving to the cruise sector, as Doha Port, which is distinguished by its strategic location in the heart of Doha and has undergone a comprehensive development and renovation process, allows visitors to make the most of their short visit to Doha.
During the 2023-2024 cruise season, Qatar Tourism welcomed a group of international cruise ships and steamers that launched their trips to Qatar for the first time, such as “Crystal Symphony”, “Mein Schiff 2”, “Azamara Journey”, “MS Riviera”, “MS Hamburg”, and the award-winning Norwegian ship “Norwegian Dawn”, which launched its first-ever trips in the Arabian Gulf region during the season.
During this season, Qatar received 73 cruise ships and more than 378,000 visitors, as the season witnessed a 33% increase in the total number of ships and a 38% increase in the number of visitors compared to the previous season 2022-2023.
A rich calendar of events
Since the beginning of 2024, Qatar has announced a rich calendar that includes more than 80 distinctive and diverse events that meet all tastes and aspirations. This year, Qatar Tourism hosted the 20th edition of the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition, the 13th edition of the Qatar International Food Festival, the 8th edition of the Qatar Shopping Festival, and many events, shows and concerts that were held in parallel with the matches of the Asian Football Cup. Qatar also hosted Expo 2023 Doha, which lasted for 6 months and was attended by more than 70 countries. In addition to the “Web Summit” conference, which is the largest technology forum in the world, which Qatar successfully hosted at the end of February 2024, for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region.
One of the most prominent events recently organized by Qatar Tourism was the second edition of the Qatar Games Festival, which concluded on August 14, 2024, after 31 days of entertainment activities that included 42 diverse events and 26 theatrical performances, all of which were suitable for the aspirations and tastes of all family members. This year’s edition of the festival recorded a new record in the number of audience attendance, which reached 109,654 visitors, which means a 33% increase compared to its inaugural edition last year. The festival, which was held on an area of 17,896 square meters, was attended by more than 50 global brands.
The Qatar Games Festival, held in collaboration with the famous Spacetoon channel, included 10 themed zones and a daily line-up of live shows, competitions, and concerts. The festival also attracted a group of prominent Arab singers and artists such as the famous Kuwaiti singer Hamoud Al-Khudher, the Syrian artist Tariq Al-Arabi Tarqan, the Syrian artist Rasha Rizk, the Qatari artist Dana Al-Mir, and the artist Asem Sakr, which gave the festival’s activities a festive and vibrant atmosphere.
This year’s edition featured an increase in the number of zones, including pre-school, anime, family, movie land, theater, food and beverage area, seating area, and shopping area. The Qatar Games Festival featured 76 mascots and more than 50 games from the most famous brands in the world of games, which were suitable for the tastes and aspirations of visitors of all ages. The most prominent participating brands were “Barbie”, “Marvel” and “Naruto”, in addition to new global brands such as “Mr. Bean” and “Barney”.
Other success factors
Tourism growth in the country is supported by many factors, most notably the presence of more than 100 nationalities that call Qatar home, and the ease of entry into the country, as citizens of 102 countries are entitled to enter the State of Qatar without a visa or obtain a visa upon arrival.
Qatar is strategically located in the middle of the world and has an award-winning national carrier, Qatar Airways, which connects Doha to more than 177 top business and leisure destinations across six continents. The national carrier has won the “Best Airline” award several times at the Sky Awards. Hamad International Airport has also become a leading airport in the world, winning the title of “Best Airport in the World” for the year 2024 at the Skytrax World Airport Awards, the third time it has won this title. In addition, Qatar has world-class facilities and installations, with 128 venues providing a total exhibition capacity of 70,000 square meters, enabling it to host events related to meetings, incentives, exhibitions and conferences.
Qatar has a proven track record in the field of security and safety, maintaining an advanced position among the list of the safest countries in the world according to the Numbeo database classification for the fifth year in a row.