Doha - The tourism sector in Qatar has experienced a major
boom in recent years, after it achieved remarkable growth rates, both in terms of the number of visitors to Qatar, and in the advancement and development of infrastructure and governance of the tourism sector in order to achieve economic diversification in the country.
The latest statistics issued by the Qatar Planning and Statistics Authority showed that the number of visitors to Qatar during the month of June reached more than 145,600 visitors, recording a growth of 499.5%, compared to 24,200 visitors in the same month last year.
The figures showed that the Gulf market came first in terms of the number of visitors, with numbers of 59,620 visitors, followed by Asian countries and Oceania, with about 33,790 visitors, while the percentage of visitors from other Arab countries reached about 10 thousand, and from the European continent about 24,500 visitors. .
The World Cup makes Qatar a global front in the field of tourism (Qatari Press)
tourist destination
Saeed Al-Hajri, director of a tourism company, explains that the increase in the number of visitors to the State of Qatar is due to the fact that Doha has become one of the most famous and fastest growing tourist destinations, as it has an excellent tourism infrastructure, a hotel system with international brands, various museums, and traditional and modern markets, as well as Distinguished infrastructure in the road sector, in addition to a modern airport that occupies the first place in the Middle East and a 5-star airline.
Al-Hajri said, in a statement to Al-Jazeera Net, that there is also a close connection between the increase in the number of tourists to the State of Qatar and the approaching date of the World Cup finals, especially since Qatar has become a target for any tourist in the world to learn about it, whether at the present time or during the World Cup period.
Al-Hajri believes that Doha has become one of the most famous and fastest growing tourist destinations (Al-Jazeera)
good chance
He added that hosting the World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as Qatar will host tourists from all over the world, so officials in the tourism sector must take advantage of this opportunity and build on it in order to make Qatar one of the distinctive tourist destinations, whether in the Middle East or the Middle East. the scientist.
Tourism in Qatar has recently become a growing industry that succeeded in a short period of time in playing an effective role in achieving economic diversification, contributing to the gross domestic product, and creating enormous investment opportunities, according to Al-Hajri.
Qatar Tourism is adopting a multiple approach aimed at building a vibrant and sustainable tourism sector, allowing it to attract 6 million visitors annually by 2030, as well as strengthening Qatar's position as a prestigious tourist destination.
The World Cup is a major tourist attraction in Qatar (Shutterstock)
Attractions
In turn, the economist Abdullah Al-Khater considers that there are many factors that contributed to the significant increase in the number of visitors, most notably Qatar's ability to control the Covid-19 pandemic, and the return of life to normal, as well as providing all the elements of attraction for tourists, as well as the elements of investment in various fields. economic fields.
Al-Khater said, in a statement to Al-Jazeera Net, that Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup in a few months has a major role from now in increasing the number of tourists to Qatar, especially in light of Qatar's tourism promotional campaigns being linked to this huge sporting event that the whole world is waiting for.
He adds that Qatar's global prestige in various political, economic and security fields has created a capital of peace and a global tourist destination, especially in light of the stability experienced by the region compared to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Al-Khater considers the 2022 World Cup an opportunity to promote Qatar's transformation into a global regional destination that attracts tourists (Al-Jazeera)
Great Expectations
Al-Khater expected that the number of visitors and tourists to Qatar would double with the approach of the World Cup, which is the most prominent football event in the world. However, he stressed that the biggest challenge for the tourism sector during the coming period will be working to promote Qatar's transformation into a global regional destination that attracts tourists.
Since its establishment in 2021, Qatar Tourism has been working instead of the National Tourism Council to cooperate with partners in the public and private sectors in implementing its national strategy for the tourism sector, which works to enhance the visitor experience, diversify local tourism products and offers, enhance promotional efforts, and enhance opportunities for private sector participation in Tourism investment.
The most prominent areas open to tourism investment in Qatar are business, cultural and heritage event services, desert safari services, food, health and well-being, free activities and entertainment, sports, recreation, organizing tours, tourist accommodation, and transportation and transportation services.
Qatar Tourism sees the 2022 World Cup as a major and important station on the path to achieving sustainable tourism development, as it focuses in cooperation with its partners on enhancing the experience of visitors in general, and enhancing the experience of fans in particular, by developing the hospitality sector and creating non-traditional accommodation solutions, to host the tournament’s audience such as The floating residence experience in which you cooperate with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and the Ministry of Transport and Communications.