Image used for representation only.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s hospitality sector is witnessing a strong growth with hotels across all segments seeing an increase in occupancy rates. The two and one star hotels recorded the highest occupancy rate in October this year, according to the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) data.
The occupancy rate of two and one star hotels surged to 94 percent in October due to the rise in hotel visitors and guests.
The hotel and hotel apartments in Qatar witnessed a robust performance with the overall occupancy rate being at 66 percent in October 2023. The hotels of all categories, ranging from five star to four and three star have also seen rise in occupancy rates and revenue per available room, according to the data.
The three star hotels occupancy rate has jumped to 86 percent in October 2023. Similarly, the occupancy rate of four star hotels was 64 percent in October this year. In case of five star, the hotels’ occupancy rates stood at 62 percent in the review period.
The occupancy rates of deluxe hotel apartments and standard hotel apartments for October 2023 were 68 percent and 71 percent respectively.
Hotels in Qatar have also witnessed a rise in revenue per available room which is used to assess a hotel’s ability to fill its available rooms at an average rate.
Qatar hosted over three million tourists from various nationalities during the current year of 2023 confirming that Qatar has become a distinctive tourist destination, which is particularly evident as Qatar holds a record of hosting and organizing major global events and tournaments.
Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the unprecedented success in its organization was rich experience that can be utilized on the Arab level for the development of the tourism sector.
It is important because it helps hotel industry measure the overall success of their hotel. Revenue per available room for five star hotels stood at QR367 in October 2023 while it was QR140 in four star hotels; QR149 in three star; and QR143 in two and one star hotels.
The average room rate for deluxe and standard hotel apartments stood at QR338 and QR215 respectively in October this year. The average room rate for five star hotels stood at QR594 and incase of four star hotels it reached QR217, while the overall hotel and hotel apartment average room rate was QR414 in October 2023.
Tourism has been one of the most important drivers of economic growth and sustainable development in many countries worldwide over the past three decades. Enhancing the tourism sector is contingent on ambitious strategies that prioritize tourism and its pivotal role within Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and national strategy, acknowledging the importance and capability of the tourism sector to significantly contribute to supporting the national economy.
The Arab region, during the first nine months of 2023, succeeded in surpassing pre-pandemic figures by more than 20%, according to data from the World Tourism Organization. This success was attributed to the substantial demand and facilitation of entry visas in many regional countries, alongside investments in new tourism projects and hosting significant events.
As for tourism, the total number of inbound visitors reached about 288,831, recording a monthly increase of 16.9 percent (compared to September 2023) and registered an annual rise of 60.8 percent (compared to October 2022). The number of visitors from the GCC countries stood at 27 percent. As for visitors by type of port, the visitors via air make up the highest percentage with 70 percent of the total number of visitors.
Qatar aims to welcome more than six million visitors per year by 2030 and further its tourism offerings in line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030.
