The travel and tourism sector has contributed about QR42.7bn or 7.5 percent to Qatar’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020, a decrease of 34.5 percent compared to QR65.1bn or 10.4 percent contribution of the sector to Qatar’s economy in 2019, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Global Economic Impact & Trends 2021 report.
It added that globally, the travel and tourism sector suffered losses of almost $4.5 trillion, 62 million jobs lost, with its global contribution to GDP declining by 49.1 percent compared to 2019, at only $4.7 trillion in 2020, as a result of COVID-19 and the ongoing restrictions to international mobility.
The report went on to reiterate that the proactive action of governments around the world has effectively enabled the sector to save millions of jobs and livelihoods at risk through retention schemes; without which the figures would be significantly worse.
“While government support has been instrumental throughout the crisis, international coordination is more crucial than ever. The swift recovery of the sector will only be possible if leaders and public officials have a coordinated response to the resumption of international travel, including clear roadmaps, rules, and mobility protocols, providing certainty and restoring consumer confidence,” said the report.
In Qatar, the travel and tourism sector contributed over 210,300 jobs, or 10.2 percent of the country’s total employment in 2020, a 19.8 percent decrease (52,000 jobs) compared to 262,300 jobs contributed or 12.5 percent of total employment in 2019, said the report. In 2020, international tourists for both business and leisure trips in Qatar spent over QR32.1bn, compared to QR47.8bn worth of spending by international visitors in 2019.
Domestic travel and tourism spending by residents in Qatar for both business and leisure trips stood at QR6.9bn in 2020, compared to QR11.6bn in 2019. Also, spending on leisure travel in Qatar by the residents and international visitors reached $7.04bn in 2020, compared to $9.89bn in 2019. While spending on business travel in the country by residents and international visitors reached $3.65bn in 2020, compared to $6.42bn in 2019, the report said.
It added that international visitors from Italy (7 percent) topped the list of inbound arrivals for travel and tourism in Qatar in 2020, followed by the United Kingdom (6 percent), Germany (5 percent), United States (4 percent), Kuwait (3 percent), and the rest of the world (76 percent). For outbound departures, the United Kingdom (20 percent) was the most preferred destination of tourists from Qatar, followed by Kuwait (13 percent), Bahrain (11 percent), Saudi Arabia (8 percent), Turkey (6 percent), and the rest of the world (42 percent). The upcoming Qatar Travel Mart 2021 is expected to further boost the ongoing recovery phase in the country’s travel and tourism sector.
According to Rawad Sleem, Co-founder & General Manager of NeXTfairs for Exhibitions and Conferences, the organizers of the event, the tourism industry is a priority sector which is fundamental to the country’s economic diversification.
In a statement, he said: “The sector has witnessed great development in terms of regulations and legislation that has promoted Qatar’s openness in tourism giving the local market the opportunity to attract the most prominent hotel brands in the world. Furthermore, Qatar tops the list of investment destinations in terms of returns on tourism and hotel investments in the Middle East”.
Sleem added that the Qatar Tourism also reflects the government’s vision in developing the tourism and travel sector. “At the same time, it enhances the integration between the national strategy of tourism and hospitality sector, helping to achieve its goals of attracting 5.6 million visitors to Qatar annually by 2023, raising the contribution of leisure tourism to reach 67 percent of the total number of visitors, and sustain the occupancy rate in hotels at 72 percent by increasing demand; diversifying tourist accommodation options, so that it fits different categories of visitors,” he added.
