Qatar is fast becoming a favourite destination for tourists. And Qatar Tourism Authority is steadfast in its mission to firmly establish the country on the global map where people of the world come together to experience Qatar’s unique culture and diversity.
Qatar has taken several measures to boost tourism. In September last year, the country witnessed the launch of the Next Chapter of its National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030, which charts the next five years of the tourism sector’s growth in Qatar.
The Next Chapter aims to attract 5.6 million visitors to Qatar annually by 2023, double the number which the country welcomed in 2016. It also aims to achieve a 72 percent occupancy rate across all hotel establishments, through a combination of increasing demand and diversifying the country’s tourist accommodation offerings.
Since the strategy’s launching in 2014, Qatar has welcomed over 10 million visitors.
Recently, the Mall of Qatar said it was looking to attract foreign visitors coming through cruise ships, in a bid to increase footfalls. The Mall is in talks with QTA to tap into growing number of cruise tourists coming to the country.
A total of 65,675 visitors arrived on Qatar’s shores during 2017/18 season, marking a 39 percent increase compared to the previous season, according to QTA. The visitors were on board 22 cruise ships, 14 of which were mega-ships.
The cruise season, which ran from October 2017 until April 2018, witnessed five maiden voyages to Doha, made by MSC Splendida, Mein Schiff 5, Crystal Symphone, Europa 2 and Crystal Serenity.
Data gathered by QTA shows that most visitors aboard cruise ships the last season were European, with the largest portion being German. Italian and British visitors formed the second and third largest groups respectively.
Also, Qatar Tourism Authority and DER Touristik Deutschland joined hands to further boost awareness of Qatar as a tourism destination. The deal comes following a 22 percent rise in German visitors to Qatar in 2017 compared to the previous year.
In the last quarter of 2016, QTA, the Ministry of Interior and Qatar Airways introduced a free 96-hour transit visa . The scheme attracted a huge increase in stopover passengers at Hamad International Airport. In August last year, Qatar eased its visa policies allowing citizens of 80 countries visa-free entry.
After the announcement, Qatar became the first country in the region in terms of number of nationalities eligible to enter visa-free, making it the most open country in the region.
Qatar’s tourism infrastructure is expected to receive a major boost in 2019 when the first phase of Doha’s new metro system comes online and the much-anticipated National Museum of Qatar opens its doors to the public.
Qatar offers every traveller an unforgettable experience. Hospitality is the essence of Qatari culture. With more malls and tourist attractions coming up in the run-up to 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar is going to witness a boom in tourism in times to come.
