The Peninsula: Thriving tourism sector in Qatar

The year 2022 has been a tremendous success for Qatar’s tourism sector attracting visitors from across the world throughout the year culminating at its peak during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The 2022–2023 cruise season has also started in the country with French cruise ship Le Bougainville docking at Doha Port last week. Also on Thursday, Qatar welcomed 5,650 visitors, as MSC World Europe, which is on its first tour in the Arabian Gulf, docked at the Doha Port. The ship which is the second cruise to dock at the port is among the 58 cruise ships scheduled to call Doha Port as part of the 2022-2023 Qatar cruise season.

Back in February, Qatar Tourism signed a superyacht luxury cruises partnership with Swiss-based cruise company Emerald Cruises. The said cruises will launch its sail from Doha in January 2023.

Early November, and less than two weeks into the global sporting event, Qatar Tourism (QT) reported that the country had already welcomed over 600,000 visitors from around the world. Leading the latest tourism figures are visitors from Saudi Arabia (16% of total international arrivals), followed by India (8%), USA (7%), UK (6%) and Mexico (5%). 

Since its comeback in the beginning of 2021–2022, the cruise industry has fuelled boom in Qatar’s tourism industry. At Doha Port, 30 cruise ships have docked during the said season. Belgium, Brazil, France, India, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom are among the leading source countries of cruise ships arriving at Doha Port.

The cruise sector in the country was established in 2015, and has contributed to the country’s positioning as a sought-after location for maritime tourism in the region. The expansion of the industry, according to Qatar Tourism, also helps Qatar’s economy by increasing tourist spending and generating employment and business opportunities.

Meanwhile due to its great job, Qatar Tourism bagged numerous prestigious accolades for its global campaigns. The latest of which is its ‘Experience a World Beyond’ campaign that was named World’s Leading Marketing Campaign at the 29th World Travel Awards, Grand Final Gala Ceremony, in Oman.

This December, Qatar Tourism launched its new “Feel More in Qatar” campaign, which aims to highlight the country’s position as a premium destination, and as the Middle East’s top choice for the well-travelled tourist. In August this year, QT launched a new, interactive online training programme called Qatar Specialist, which is designed to enhance its global travel trade partners knowledge of Qatar’s diverse product offering and provide a recognised qualification for its global travel trade partners.