Qatar's two- and one-star hotels witnessed improved rooms' yield this March on higher occupancy, as visitor arrivals surged, according to the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).

The total number of inbound visitors was 433,000 in March, going up by 183.5% compared to the same month in 2022, and by 11.3% compared to February this year, the 111th issue of the PSA's Qatar Monthly Statistics bulletin showed.

The visitor arrivals from the GCC were 164,410 or 38% of the total; followed by Europe with 114,681 or 26%; other Asia (including Oceania) with 85,234 or 20%; other Arab countries with 35,020 or 8%; the Americas with 26,567 or 6%; and other African countries with 7,202 or 2%.

As for visitors by type of port, those coming by air made up the highest numbers with 47% of the total number of visitors, QNA reported.

Visitor arrivals from the GCC countries increased 212% and 12.4% on a yearly and monthly basis, respectively, in March 2023.
In the case of visitors from Europe, it soared 205.8% on an annualised basis this March but shrank 5.2% month-on-month.

Visitors from other Asian countries (including Oceania) rose 130.6% and 19.3% on an annualised and monthly basis respectively this March.

The visitor arrivals from other Arab countries reported a 198.4% and 51.5% increase year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in March 2023.

In March 2023, the visitors from Americas were seen increasing 148.2% and 15.7% year-on-year and month-on-month.

In the case of other African countries, the visitor arrivals witnessed 127% and 58% jump year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in March 2023.

Meanwhile, the country's overall hospitality sector saw a 25.57% year-on-year decrease in average revenue per available room to QR262 in March 2023 as the average room rate shrank 19.6% to QR447 and occupancy by 4% to 59% in the review period, according to the PSA's data.

The two-star and one-star hotels' average revenue per available room was seen increasing by 15.32% year-on-year to QR143 in March 2023 on the back of a 16% surge in occupancy to 90% although the average room rate dipped 4.79% to QR159.

However, the five-star hotels saw the average revenue per available room shrink 16.98% on annualised basis to QR357 in March 2023 as the average room rate was down 7.42% to QR624 and the occupancy by 7% to 57%.

The average revenue per available room in the four-star hotels tanked 36.16% on a yearly basis to QR143 in March 2023 as the average room rate declined 12.2% to QR259 and the occupancy by 21% to 55%.

The three-star hotels saw a 28.28% year-on-year contraction in average revenue per available room to QR142 as average room rate shrank 9.22% to QR197 and the occupancy by 19% to 72% in the review period.

The deluxe hotel apartments saw a 28.43 year-on-year plunge in average revenue available per room to QR219 in March 2023 as the average room rate decreased 28.95% to QR378; even as the occupancy was flat at 58% in the review period.

In the case of standard hotel apartments, the room yield plummeted 31.88% year-on-year to QR156 in March 2023 even as the average room rate dropped 20.45% to QR249 and occupancy by 10% to 63%.

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