Visitor arrivals to Qatar increase 1.5% to 1.464mn

Some 1.464mn people visited Qatar from the beginning of the year until June, marking a 1.5% increase over the 2016 figure of 1.442mn visitors, according to data released by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS).

Visitors from the GCC region accounted for 43.7% (639,182) of the total visitors arriving in Qatar, followed by other Asia (including Oceania) at 24.1% (352,469), Europe at 17.7% (259,121), other Arab countries at 7.8% (113,927), Americas at 5.7% (83,240) and other African countries at 1.1% (16,048), according to the MDPS monthly bulletin.

While Gulf countries accounted for the highest percentage of visitors, arrivals from Europe and the Americas witnessed the fastest growth, the statistics bulletin revealed.

Visitor arrivals from Europe witnessed the highest growth of 17.7% year-on-year, while visitors from the Americas increased by 7.1%. Other African countries came next, as their numbers rose by 6.2%, followed by other Asia (including Oceania), which saw a growth of 2.8%. 

In line with the tourist arrivals, Qatar's hospitality industry witnessed a higher 61% occupancy this June compared to 47% in the previous year period despite the diplomatic and economic blockade that started at the beginning of the review month.

The highest occupancy was reported in the four-star segment at 63% against 57% in June 2016, five-star 61% (42%), three-star 60% (40%) and one-and-two star 50% (52%), MDPS said.

The average hotel room rate in Qatar was QR462 in June compared to QR429 in the year-ago period. Five-star hotel room rates were at QR638n (QR620), and four-star at QR303 (QR292), while that of three-star and one-and-two-star was flat at QR255 and QR189 respectively.

The hospitality industry's yield (revenue-per-available room) stood at QR284 in June 2017 against QR203 in the same month of the previous year. The yield of five-star hotels was at QR388 (QR260), four-star QR191 (QR166), three-star QR154 (QR102) and one-and-two-star QR99 (QR98).

In the case of hotel apartments, the MDPS found that the occupancy was at 62% compared to 55% in the corresponding month of 2016 with deluxe segment witnessing 59% occupancy (50% in June 2016) and standard 69% (66%).

The hotel apartment average room rate was QR400 in June 2017 against QR412 in the previous year period. Deluxe and standard hotel apartments registered average room rate of QR459 and QR288 compared to QR481 and QR302 in June 2016.

The hotel apartments' yield was higher at QR249 this June against QR227 in the corresponding period of 2016. In the case of deluxe hotel apartments, the yield was QR271 (QR241 in June 2016) and that of standard was QR200 (QR198).

Meanwhile, with regard to passenger movement, the total number of arrivals in Doha registered a year-on-year decrease of 22% during June this year, as the total number of arrivals reached 246,000.