As per the latest United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, Qatar’s international tourist arrival during January and July 2023 was above 95 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels, which is the highest globally. This is in line with the recent figures published by various agencies showing a significant rise in the number of passengers handled by Hamad International Airport (HIA) in the first half of the year.
The overall international tourism landscape exhibited substantial progress, having reclaimed 84% of pre-pandemic levels during the January–July 2023 period. This recovery is a testament to the industry’s resilience. World over, popular destinations are reporting astounding growth in the number of tourists, and this has helped the travel and hospitality industry in general, and airlines in particular, to bounce back from pandemic woes as many leading airlines reported rapid growth in revenue and passengers.
Qatar is at the cusp of seeing its tourism sector grow in leaps and bounds as the climate turns pleasant bringing in more tourists as the season peaks. The fact that Doha boasts of world-class infrastructure will only accelerate the overall growth in the sector. Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 helped Qatar set up a very robust hospitality backbone for the tourism sector. To serve the millions of fans who travelled to the country for the football extravaganza, Qatar had in place accommodations suiting all budgets and varied food and entertainment options. This will now serve the millions of tourists who will visit the country in the coming months. There are some big-ticket events coming up like the Expo 2023 Doha, Formula 1 tournament and Geneva International Motor Show, which are expected to attract many international visitors.
It is heartening to note that according to available data, several destinations reported double-digit growth in January-July 2023 compared to the same months of 2019, including Qatar (+95%) where arrivals almost doubled, Saudi Arabia (+58%), Albania (+56%), El Salvador (+32%), Armenia (+30%), Ethiopia (+28%), Jordan and Colombia (both +23%).
Doha was chosen as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2023 by the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism earlier this year cementing the growing importance of Qatar as a tourist destination in the region.
The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer underscores the resilience and resurgence of international tourism, with projections indicating a trajectory that remains on course to reach between 80% and 95% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023. Qatar’s stellar performance, alongside the broader regional and global recovery, paints a promising picture for the future of international travel and tourism and the aim of six million visitors annually is not too far.
