Qatar’s Tourism Sector Grows Strongly in First Half of 2025 with over 2.6 million visitors

Qatar’s tourism sector maintained strong momentum during the first half of 2025, welcoming over 2.6 million international visitors between January and June, a 3% increase compared to the same period last year.

Visitors from GCC countries represented 36% of arrivals, followed by Europe (26%), Asia and Oceania (22%), and 7% each from the Americas and other Arab countries. Arrivals by air accounted for 57%, land 33%, and sea 9%, reflecting Qatar’s multi-access strategy to facilitate smooth entry for travelers.

The hospitality sector also showed solid performance, with hotels achieving an average occupancy rate of 71%, up 2 percentage points from 2024. Hotel nights sold rose 7% to 5.23 million.

H E Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, attributed the growth to the country’s comprehensive strategy aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030, aimed at positioning Qatar as a leading global tourism destination and diversifying the economy.

Qatar Tourism revealed that the sector contributed QR55 billion to the GDP in 2024, about 8% of the economy, marking a 14% increase from 2023 and moving closer to the Tourism Strategy 2030 goal of 10-12% GDP contribution.

Visit Qatar launched several regional and global campaigns, including the “Moments Made for You” summer campaign and promotional content featuring footballer David Beckham, highlighting Qatar’s diverse attractions. The organization also boosted stopover promotions targeting key markets such as the UK, USA, South Africa, China, and Australia.

Major events in the first half included the Qatar Toy Festival, which attracted over 130,000 visitors, along with the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition, Ras Abrouq, Sealine Season, Shop Qatar, and the Qatar International Food Festival.

Looking ahead, Qatar Tourism and Visit Qatar plan a busy second half of 2025, featuring the 2025/2026 cruise season launch in November, the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Championship finals, FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, F1 Qatar Airways Grand Prix 2025, the third Qatar Tourism Awards, and the unveiling of the Michelin Guide Doha 2026.

Engineer Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, CEO of Visit Qatar, emphasized the sector’s growing confidence and ongoing investment in events and innovative tourism products to ensure Qatar’s position as a world-class destination year-round.