Visits to Qatar Peak During March 2016, QTA's Q1 Report Shows

Doha, April 20 (QNA) - Qatar received 305,014 visitors in March 2016, the largest number of visitors to be welcomed into Qatar in one calendar month, according to Qatar Tourism Authority's Q1 2016 Tourism Performance Report. Total visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2016 (822,626) dropped by 2% in comparison to the same period in 2015, due to a lower number of visitors from non-GCC Arab countries, the Americas, Europe and Asian countries including Oceania. However, visits to Qatar by nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries increased 11%, while visits by nationals from other (non-Arab) African countries increased by 7% in comparison to the same period in 2015. In addition, the number of international visitors entering Qatar on leisure visit visas (tourist visas, personal visit visas, family visit visas, and transit visas) has risen by 6% in Q1 2016 in comparison to the same period in Q1 2015. Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer said: 'Qatar continues to attract a healthy number of leisure visitors, signifying the growing portfolio of tourism offerings, especially for visitors from the GCC who find Qatar a place where they can enjoy new experiences while benefiting from the comfort of shared language and heritage.' 'This data offers us important insights as we step up our development and promotional efforts. It also helps us as we guide investors and work with our partners in the public sector on the expansion of Qatar's leisure and business events offering, as well as the cruise industry.' Within the GCC, Saudi Arabian nationals have contributed to the majority of the growth in arrivals from the region. Compared to the first quarter of 2015, arrivals of Saudi nationals have increased by 16%, while arrivals of UAE nationals increased by 14%, and arrivals of Bahraini nationals rose by 2%. Data shows that the number of visits spiked in the period between 9-18 March, which coincided with spring holidays in Saudi Arabia. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Qatar is the only country in the Middle East region that has maintained consistent arrivals growth for over a decade. The country had registered a 3.7% growth in annual arrivals in 2015, compared to 2014, and an average of 11.5% growth over the past 5 years (2010-2015), making it one of the fastest growing destinations in the world. Meanwhile, occupancy rates in the tourist accommodation sector are aligning more closely with global averages, with an average of 70% for hotels and hotel apartments recorded for the quarter. This is 14% lower than the average occupancy rate of Q1 2015, which reflects the growth in accommodation supply (11% increases in total room stock since end of March 2015) and the continued maturation of Qatar's tourism industry. Such drops in occupancy rates, along with simultaneous (albeit smaller) drops in average room rates, have led to declines in revenue per available room (RevPar) as well. RevPar across the entire accommodation sector has declined by 20% between Q1 2015 to Q1 2016, with hotels dropping by 21% and hotel apartments by 14%. However, the Total Revenue achieved across the accommodation sector has held stable between Q1 2015 and Q1 2016 (at -0.3%), as increased revenues from food & beverage and other sales has compensated for decreases in room revenues. QTA promotes Qatar as a destination around the world, through its destination branding, international representation and participation at trade shows, and by developing a rich calendar of festivals and events. With a growing international presence, QTAs representative offices in London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Singapore, and Riyadh support QTAs promotion efforts. Since launching QNTSS, Qatar has welcomed over 6 million visitors, and achieved an average annual growth in arrivals of 11.5% between 2010 and 2015. The economic impact of the tourism sector in Qatar is becoming increasingly visible with 2014 estimates showing a total impact on Qatar's total GDP of 4.1%. (QNA)