Tourist arrivals in Qatar is expected to reach 1.8mn by 2014 with business visits projected to grow at an average 11.9% over 2009-14, according to Euromonitor.
While the global economic crisis saw international tourist nights decline from 1.2mn to 0.95mn from 2007 to 2009; the total number of tourist arrivals to Qatar increased from 0.96mn to 1.1mn over the same period, it said.
“Particularly promising is the growing number of tourists coming from outside the Middle East. Qatar has become a more popular destination for Europeans, who accounted for 16.3% of arrivals in 2004 but represented 33.1% of visitors by 2009,” it said.
Euromonitor also said many large Qatari companies and financing vehicles were looking to invest in the tourism sector, which however, is not a major contributor to the economy as Qatar’s tourist receipts of $0.7bn in 2009 trailed Bahrain and the UAE ($1.1bn and $7.2bn respectively).
However, tourism expenditure is growing and Qatar has attracted tourists in the meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market, hosting more than 80 events in 2009.
Highlighting that the new $14.5bn Doha International airport is set to open in 2012, it said it will have the capacity to accommodate 25mn passengers with room to grow by 2015.
“There has been significant investment in high-end tourism developments such as the Lusail City and the planned Qatar Entertainment City,” it said, adding the multi-billion dollar Pearl project is expected to be completed by 2013, creating 32km of extra coastline and housing residents on artificial islands designed to resemble a string of pearls.
Qatar has also sought to develop sports tourism with it bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympics and has already submitted the bid for the 2022 World Cup in view of its successful hosting of 2006 Asian Games.