As Qatar counts down to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the country’s hospitality and broader tourism sector have recorded significant growth and development.
Earlier this year, Qatar’s Tourism disclosed that the industry has witnessed seven times increase in the number of visitors in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the previous months. It is expecting an even stronger outlook in the second half of the year.
Yesterday, while launching the Hospitality and Project Qatar exhibition, Minister of Commerce and Industry H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Thani said that the importance of the Hospitality Qatar exhibition represents an opportunity to review the evolution being witnessed by the hospitality sector in Qatar.
He stressed that this is significant, particularly in light of the anticipated positive indicators for the growth of the national economy in the coming period. He added that Qatar’s interest in the exhibition reflects its belief in the pivotal role played by the hospitality sector in supporting the diversity and competitiveness of the national economy.
The Minister also expressed his aspiration that this event will achieve concrete results that consolidate Qatar’s position as a leading tourist destination in the region and the world.
It is no surprise that the country’s hospitality sector has shown resilience despite the challenging period as sports events; an increase in staycation demand; cruise business; travellers from GCC countries; exhibitions; food festivals, and other such events have been tipped to power the country’s hospitality growth in 2022.
Besides, the hotel supply is set to exceed 44,000 rooms by the end of 2022, almost a 50 percent growth from the current supply of 30,000 rooms, offering opportunities unmatched by any other market in the world.
Monthly statistics by the Planning and Statistics Authority also paint a promising picture of Qatar’s strong growth in visitors’ arrival, which has boosted the tourism sector. April 2022 data showed that 97,854 visitors arrived in the country, compared to 13,312 in April 2019, a 635 percent rise.
The Chedi Katara Hotel and Resort, five-star all-suite Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha and the newly launched Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts in Lusail are all hospitality projects earmarked to drive attraction to the country, pre- and post-World Cup. Also, the tourism sector’s ambitious but achievable vision for 2030 and over the coming years is to increase the number of visitors to Qatar three folds, boost spending in the destination by three to four times and grow the hospitality sector’s contribution to the GDP from seven to 12 percent.
