Doha: The number of visitors to Qatar during first quarter of 2022 has risen by about seven times compared to the previous years, Qatar Tourism (QT) has said.
Speaking at the annual Tourism Industry Ramadan Ghabga, QT Chief Operating Officer Berthold Trenkel said they are expecting an even stronger influx of visitors in Qatar in the second half of the year as 2022 kicked off with a “promising start.”
The event was attended by QT Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, along with officials and distinguished guests from the public and private organisations.
Data shows that between January and March 2022, number of visitors reached 316,000, compared to 2020 and 2021 full year figures of 581,000 and 611,000 respectively. In 2019, a pre-COVID-19 year, the visitors tally reached 2.1 million.
Trenkel said Qatar Tourism has an ambitious but achievable vision and strategy for 2030, which is to increase the number of visitors to Qatar three fold; and grow the travel and tourism sector's contribution to the GDP from seven to 12 percent.
Qatar Tourism Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive H E Akbar Al Baker with QT Chief Operating Officer Berthold Trenkel during the event.
Aside from this, he emphasised that they wanted to double the employment of tourism sector through six demand spaces: active holidays; relax and rejuvenate; sun, sea and sand; cultural enthusiasts; luxury city breaks; and romantic getaways.
The country is now offering a visa free access to over 95 countries and the 96-hour free transit visa is being re-activated.
To accommodate the rising number of travellers, 50 new hotels will be opened by the end of 2022.
Place Vendome, which opened in Lusail on Friday, is a proof. It is a mixed-use development, sits on a 1,000,000m² development and hosts two five-star luxury hotels, serviced apartments, and a mall featuring up to 600 different retail outlets with an exclusively luxurious wing dedicated to top designer labels, and a central entertainment component showcasing constant attractions.
“I am confident that this year and beyond, working together, we will continue to go from strength to strength, and will see the launch of several projects that will attract visitors to Qatar well beyond the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” Trenkel concluded.
The major thing that is happening in Qatar is the country’s hosting of the first-ever FIFA World Cup tournament in the Arab world. Around 1.5 million fans will attend the quadrennial competition from November 21.
QT Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, commented: “We are entering an exciting new chapter after a period of great difficulty in the tourism industry, thanks to the collaborative efforts and support from the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). We have successfully resumed all tourism activity in time to host the highly awaited FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and we have an exciting line-up of events for residents and visitors to Qatar to enjoy.”
Qatar Tourism works closely with partners from the public and private sectors to develop products, services and events that attract domestic, regional, and international visitors year round.
