Doha: Qatar witnessed growth in the arrival of visitors as over 285,000 visitors arrived in May 2023 showing a surge of 72 percent on an annual basis, according to the latest report released by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).
Visitors from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries contributed significantly to the strong growth in tourist arrivals in May as GCC countries make up 37 percent of the total arrivals.
According to the report, of the total visitors, 29 percent were from Asian countries (including Oceania), in May this year. Travellers from other European and Arab countries represented 17 percent and 9 percent of the total visitor arrivals, respectively.
As for visitors by type of port, the visitors via Air make up the highest percentage with 66% of the total number of visitors.
Qatar has been making significant investments in its tourism infrastructure and attractions in recent years, including constructing world-class hotels, development of cultural and sporting venues, and enhancing transportation networks. These efforts have helped position Qatar as an emerging tourism destination.
According to Qatar Tourism data, the country welcomed 253,191 cruise visitors during its 2022/23 season (December 2022 – March 2023), an increase of 151 percent compared to the previous season, equivalent to 100,500 visitors. Qatar continues to impress as a major international tourism destination with an industry-leading suite of attractions and a continuous schedule of events.
This year’s cruise season started later than usual (in December rather than October), as the Doha Port was hosting floating hotels for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 event to accommodate guests and spectators. This substantial increase in visitor numbers is even more astounding in considering this fact.
Turnaround passengers made up 37,144 of the total cruise guests welcomed this season, an increase of 790 percent over the season before (4,172 passengers). During the 2022–2023 cruise season, Qatar received a total of 54 calls, including transit and turnaround calls, a 59 percent increase from the previous year.
Despite COVID-19’s challenges, Qatar’s cruise industry has shown amazing endurance and development. The country has experienced a continuous rise in cruise ship dockings and passenger counts, and the sector is positioned for future expansion. The recently completed significant refurbishment of the country’s Doha Port, which can now accommodate two megaships at a time and up to 12,000 people each day, makes clear that the country’s thriving cruise industry is essential to how it expects to fulfil its long-term tourist ambitions.
The PSA data also reveals an increase of over 75% in the total number of new driver’s licenses and over 20% increase in new vehicle registration in May 2023 when compared to April 2023. The total number of registered new vehicles during May 2023 reached 8214 new vehicles.
Traffic accidents cases without counting the accidents without injuries, a total of 704 traffic cases were recorded during May 2023, showing a monthly decrease of 9.6% and an annual decrease by 14.4%.
Regarding the data of buildings permits issued, the total number of permits has reached 758 permits during May 2023, recording a monthly increase of 97.9% and an annual increase of 17.5%.
