The growth in the number of visitors was ascribed to an upsurge in both air and land travellers. Credit: Hamdan Yoshida / Shutterstock.

Qatar’s hospitality sector has exceeded its yearly target of 8.8 million room nights, having sold nearly ten million room nights so far in 2024.

The total figure was set to increase with an anticipated additional 35,000 room nights on 31 December.

The nation’s hotel industry has also witnessed significant expansion, now boasting more than 40,000 available hotel rooms.

Qatar has reported a historic surge in tourism with the arrival of more than five million visitors in 2024, indicating a 25% increase in international tourist arrivals from the previous year and reinforcing the country’s status as a premier global travel hub.

Tourist inflow has seen a steady rise throughout the year, with notable spikes at both the beginning and end of 2024.

The AFC Asian Cup hosted in January initiated what became an unprecedented influx of tourists. The year concluded with an uptick in activity due to the launch of the 2024/2025 cruise season, the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix, and a significant number of visitors from Saudi Arabia during their November school break.

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As of this point in last year, travel statistics show that air travel brought in 56% of visitors, land crossings accounted for 37%, and sea routes were used by 7%.

Of all visitors to Qatar this year, GCC nationals represented 41% while the remaining 59% came from other international locations.

Notable increases in visitors from key markets such as Saudi Arabia, India, the UK, Germany, and the US highlight Qatar’s broad-ranging appeal across different regions.

Qatar Tourism chairman Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji said: “Surpassing five million visitors is a landmark accomplishment for Qatar, bringing us closer to realising our vision of positioning the country as one of the world’s fastest-growing, family-friendly premier destinations.

“This 25% year-on-year growth, alongside the exceptional sales of ten million room nights, underscores the effectiveness of our strategy and the collaborative efforts of our stakeholders. This milestone is not only a celebration of our accomplishments but also a foundation for future growth as we continue to deliver unique experiences and service excellence across all the tourism touchpoints for every visitor.

“Our tourism goals are ambitious but achievable. Between 2022 and 2030, we aim to nearly triple our visitor numbers and to at least double the tourism in-destination spend. We also aim to increase total tourism contribution to GDP to 10%-12%.”