Doha: The tourism sector in Qatar continued its strong growth during the first half of 2025, welcoming more than 2.6 million international visitors between January and June, representing an increase of 3 percent compared to the same period last year.
According to Qatar News Agency, Qatar Tourism announced that visitors from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries accounted for 36 percent of arrivals, followed by visitors from Europe at 26 percent, Asia and Oceania at 22 percent, and 7 percent each from the Americas and other Arab countries. These figures underscore Qatar’s standing as a preferred destination in both regional and international markets.
Qatar saw visitors arrive by air (57 percent), by land (33 percent), and by sea (9 percent), reflecting the success of the country’s multi-access strategy that ensures ease and smooth entry for visitors from around the world.
This growth coincided with solid performance in the hospitality sector, with hotels recording an average occupancy rate of 71 percent, an increase of 2 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024. A total of 5.23 million hotel nights were sold, marking a 7 percent rise from the first half of 2024.
Commenting on these achievements, HE Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chair of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar Saad bin Ali Al Kharji stated that the figures for the first half of 2025 confirm the success of Qatar’s comprehensive strategy to strengthen its position on the global tourism map and to develop the tourism sector as a key pillar in diversifying the national economy, in line with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.
Earlier this year, Qatar Tourism announced that the tourism sector contributed QR 55 billion to the country’s GDP in 2024, accounting for an estimated 8 percent of the total economy, a 14 percent increase compared to 2023. This demonstrates clear progress towards the Tourism Strategy 2030 target of raising the sector’s contribution to 10-12 percent of GDP.
In the first half of the year, Visit Qatar launched several regional and global media campaigns to attract visitors from key target markets. This included the “Moments Made for You” campaign, which highlights the range of experiences available during the summer season and invites visitors from GCC countries and beyond to discover Qatar.
These campaigns coincided with major events such as the Qatar Toy Festival, Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition 2025, Ras Abrouq, Sealine Season, Shop Qatar, and Qatar International Food Festival, alongside key initiatives such as Scoop on the Sea and whale shark tours.
Chief Executive Officer of Visit Qatar Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al Mawlawi commented on the success in the first half of 2025, noting the sustained momentum and growing confidence from regional and global markets in Qatar’s tourism offerings.
Qatar Tourism and Visit Qatar are currently preparing to host major events and launch key initiatives in the second half of 2025. The 2025/2026 cruise season will launch in November 2025, building on the success of the previous season.
The second half of the year will also feature the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Championship finals in Doha, the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, the F1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2025, the third Qatar Tourism Awards, and the unveiling of the Michelin Guide Doha 2026, along with several other events to be announced soon.