Qatar’s travel and tourism sector will contribute an all-time high of QAR90.8 billion ($24.94 billion) to the economy in 2024, making up 11.3 percent of the total Qatari economy. The latest World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) also reveals that the sector will support more than 334,500 jobs, or 15.8 percent of the total workforce, across the country.
The WTTC also expects spending by international travelers to increase significantly in 2024 to a record-high of QAR69.6 billion ($19.12 billion). Moreover, it expects domestic spending to reach QAR12 billion ($3.30 billion). Hence, Qatar’s continuous efforts to increase public-private collaborations have boosted its travel and tourism sector and created more diverse and immersive experiences for visitors.
“Qatar’s travel and tourism sector is poised to break records this year, highlighting its significance as a leading destination in the Middle East,” stated Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO.
The WTTC expects Qatar’s travel and tourism sector to grow its annual GDP contribution to more than QAR135 billion ($37.08 billion) by 2034. That is nearly 13 percent of the nation’s economy. Moreover, it expects the sector to employ close to 458,000 people across the country, with one in five residents working in the sector.
2023 overview
Last year, Qatar’s travel and tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP grew 31 percent, reaching a record high of QAR81.2 billion. The sector has also positioned itself as a vital source of employment, creating more than 20,300 new jobs and raising its total contribution to nearly 286,000 nationwide. In addition, domestic visitor spending reached a record high of QAR1.4 billion.
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Middle East tourism
In addition to Qatar, the WTTC revealed that the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector saw a 25 percent increase in 2023, reaching almost $460 billion. Moreover, the sector created around 7.75 million jobs. International spending also saw a 50 percent increase to $179.8 billion while domestic spending grew 16.5 percent to $205 billion.
Looking ahead, the WTTC expects the region’s travel and tourism sector to grow to $507 billion and jobs to increase to 8.3 million. Moreover, it expects international visitor spending to reach $198 billion and domestic visitor spending to reach over $224 billion.
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