Doha, Qatar: Qatar has emerged as the regional leader in tourism growth, recording the highest increase in visitor room nights across the Gulf. As part of its strategy to sustain this momentum, the country is developing a series of beachfront developments to enhance it as a premium leisure destination while reinforcing its focus on quality, extended stays, and economic impact, noted Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism.

Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, he stressed that the country is shifting its tourism strategy to focus on high-impact metrics and longer visitor stays.

“In 2024, we reached five million visitors, which is a 25 percent increase from 2023. But more importantly, we exceeded 10 million room nights for the first time. This gives us a clearer picture of economic impact,” said Al Kharji.

Qatar currently ranks first in the region for room night growth, outpacing tourism giants. “We’ve seen a 22 percent growth in room nights ahead of Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Abu Dhabi and Kuwait follow with 10 percent and 8 percent, respectively,” he noted.

Al Kharji emphasised that length of stay is a key focus. He said, “We want tourists to stay longer in Doha to enjoy the sun, sea, adventure, and quality family time. It’s about offering more than just a quick visit.”

The Chairman also revealed that the tourism sector contributed QR55bn to the national GDP in 2024, accounting for 8 percent of the total economic output and a 14 percent rise compared to 2023, by affirming that the country is firmly on course to meet its Tourism Strategy 2030 target of reaching a 12 percent GDP contribution.

On the other hand, Qatar continues to leverage its world-class infrastructure by hosting major global events. “We are hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the Arab Cup, and Formula 1 later this year,” Al Kharji said. “These events activate our stadiums, transport networks, and the strong global reach of Qatar Airways.” Looking ahead, Qatar will also host the Basketball World Cup in 2027 and the Asian Games again in 2030.

Additionally, Al Kharji highlighted a new push toward medical tourism, backed by Qatar’s significant healthcare investment. He said, “We spend around 12 percent of our national budget on health. With the Ministry of Public Health, we have developed a new strategy to attract visitors for world-class healthcare services.” The strategy was recently approved by the Prime Minister and is seen as a key way to diversify tourism offerings.

Technology and training are also central to Qatar Tourism’s plans. “We are working with AI and big tech firms to bring tourism closer to the people and personalize the experience,” he said.

The Qatar Excellence Academy is training hospitality workers, guides, drivers, and even global partners to promote Qatar effectively.

The country is also launching major beachfront developments, including the QR20bn Simaisma project featuring a theme park.

“Tomorrow (May 22), we will announce our first Public-Private Partnership with the Public Works Authority and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to develop new beaches. We are also building a beach for this hotel (Fairmont and Raffles), which is missing,” he said.

Al Kharji added, “Qatar currently has 40,000 hotel rooms, with another 7,000 in the pipeline.”

© Dar Al Sharq Press, Printing and Distribution. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).