Conducted by SESRI, survey to provide insights on domestic tourism activity and spending
Qatar University's Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) will begin reaching out to residents this weekend to survey tourism-related spending patterns and insights on Qatar's domestic tourism industry. The survey will be conducted by telephone targeting a statistically drawn sample of the resident population from SESRI's state-of-the-art calling center.
This Domestic Tourism Survey will be the first of four as part of a partnership between Qatar Tourism Authority and SESRI, with the aim of understanding and analyzing sector-specific spending activities among Qatar's residents. Data collection for this first survey will take place between May 28 and June 17.
According to Hassan Al-Ibrahim, QTA's Chief Tourism Development Officer, survey results will feed into the State of Qatar's Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), a system approved by the UN Statistical Commission for establishing the economic impact of tourism on a country's economy. TSA development in Qatar is overseen by a cross-institutional committee, chaired by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, and includes representation from QTA, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Finance.
"The insights we receive from respondents will help to define the impact of domestic tourism on the overall tourism economy," he said. "Such studies are a powerful tool which allow us to better monitor, plan, regulate, and develop a sustainable tourism sector in Qatar. We greatly appreciate the collaboration of residents and call on them to respond freely and candidly."
The survey will also support QTA's partners in the private sector in their efforts to understand resident activity patterns and levels of customer satisfaction and to develop their products and services accordingly.
A draft TSA estimated domestic tourism spending in 2013 to be QAR 9.3 billion, an amount that fed directly into Qatar's non-hydrocarbon economy. Spending came from tourism-related activity inside Qatar as well as travel outside of Qatar on Qatar Airways. The planned survey will help to refine these estimates and provide more detail by industry sub-sector, as well as fill in current data gaps, such as the proportion of hotel revenue that can be attributed to domestic spending.
The information obtained from the study will be confidential and the results from the analysis of these data will be presented as summary statistics so that no individual answers can be identified.
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For more information about this press release, please contact:
Riham ElHoushi
Riham.elhoushi@ogilvy.com
+974 33180096
About Qatar Tourism Authority
As the Qatari government's tourism planning and promotion arm, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) works in partnership with stakeholders to plan, regulate and promote the development of a sustainable and mature tourism sector that contributes to Qatar's future and positions the country as a leading tourism destination.
Chaired by H.E. Mr. Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, QTA works on showcasing all that Qatar has to offer, reinforcing the country's position on the world tourism map as a premium destination for authentic experiences, business facilitation, and family-focused recreation.
@Qtourism
About Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI)
The Social and Economic Survey Research Institute is an initiative by Qatar University for academic survey research. SESRI was established in October 2008 with enthusiastic support from the leadership of Qatar University where it falls directly under the Office of the President.
Now in its sixth year of operation, the Institute has employed a highly qualified staff with diverse research interests, a wealth of professional experiences, and above all, a shared vision and commitment to the importance of conducting high quality survey research that serves the public interest.
For more information about the Institute, please visit SESRI's website: sesri.qu.edu.qa
© Press Release 2015
