Qatar Sees 28% Surge in Foreign Tourists in First Half of 2024

Qatar's tourism sector has reported a 28% increase in the number of tourists in the first half of 2024. The primary driver,according to the National Tourism Council, was the Asian Football Cup held in Qatar in January and February. As a result, the country welcomed 2,639,000 international tourists in the first six months of the year.

Saudi Arabia remains the leading source of tourists to Qatar, with a third of visitors (755,000) coming from the Kingdom.India follows in second place with 8%, followed by Bahrain at 5%. The United Kingdom, Kuwait, Oman, and Germany each contributed 4% of tourists, while the US and UAE accounted for 3% each. Italy rounds out the top ten with 2%.

The travel and tourism sector's contribution to GDP grew by a third last year, reaching a record 81.2 billion Qatari riyals ($22.25 billion USD), accounting for 10.3% of the country's GDP. Qatar expects tourism revenue to grow to 90.8 billion Qatari riyals ($25 billion USD) this year, representing 11.3% of GDP.

By 2030, Qatar aims to attract six million visitors annually and increase tourism's contribution to GDP to 12%.