DOHA: Qatar has shown early signs of recovery from tourism slowdown with 7 percent increase in year-to-date (January-August) arrivals of GCC visitors which comprise a major share of the total number of visitors during the period.
Latest Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) report has revealed influx of GCC nationals continued to grow with 7 percent increase in visitor arrivals from January to August compared to the same period last year.
According to the report the total number of visitors to Qatar in the first eight months of the year has reached 1,926,964, majority of which (48.7 percent) are GCC nationals.
Saudi Arabia again dominated year-to-date visitor arrivals reaching 640,584 — an increase of 9 percent compared to last year. The number of UAE nationals who visited Qatar increased by 11 percent while the number of Bahrainis who visited the country was up by 2 percent. Figures of Omani and Kuwaiti visitors, on the other hand, were down by -6 percent and -1 percent respectively.
Meanwhile, visitors entering the country on the Qatar-Oman tourist visa increased by 2 percent year-to-date in comparison to the same period last year. Visitors who are nationals of the Americas also increased by 6 percent between January and August this year compared to the same period last year.
Overall, total visitor arrivals in the month of August increased by 2 percent compared to August last year. August is typically an off-peak month with declines in visitor arrivals compared to the rest of the year. The increase in arrivals this August, compared to August of last year, comes after efforts to incentivize travel to Qatar through Qatar Summer Festival promotions and entertainment activities. These included special packages from 56 hotel establishments, shopping promotions in malls across Qatar, and entertainment events throughout the month, including the Doha Comedy Festival.
QTA projections point to further modest increases in visitor arrivals in the coming months, supported by September’s Eid Celebrations in Qatar and the docking of the first cruise ship of the season in October.
The Peninsula
