Tourism

At a glance

Tourism has been identified as one of five priority sectors integral to diversifying Qatar’s economy. Qatar is one of the world's most welcoming countries for visitors. Nationalities from 100 countries can enter visa-free, and all others can apply for an e-visa using the Hayya platform online. Hosting around 80 sporting events and world-class competitions annually, the country has made history as the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Championships in Athletics (2019), World Corporate Games (2019), FIFA World Cup Qatar (2022) and the FINA World Swimming Championships (2023). This rich track record in hosting international events is part of a comprehensive plan to transform Qatar into one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.

Arab Tourism Capital

for 2023

Designated by the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism

6 million

international visitors by 2030

Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030 sets a target to attract over 6 million international visitors a year by 2030

$16.8 billion inbound visitors expenditures

in 2022

Qatar had the second highest international traveller spending in 2022 and is poised for exponential growth

10%

contribution of travel and tourism

to Qatar’s GDP in 2022

What's happening

Shopping malls

Doha's world-class shopping malls are family-friendly destinations. With a comprehensive array of high street and luxury brands from around the world, the larger malls have an extensive range of recreational facilities. These include restaurants and cafes, supermarkets, cinemas, arcades, indoor play areas, ski slopes and live entertainment. Some of the malls in Qatar are Al Hazm Mall, Mall of Qatar, Doha Festival City, Villagio Mall, and the Landmark Mall.

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Katara Hospitality

Katara Hospitality is a global hotel owner, developer and operator, based in Qatar. With 50 years of experience in the industry, Katara Hospitality actively pursues its strategic expansion plans by investing in peerless hotels in Qatar, while growing its collection of iconic properties in key international markets. Katara Hospitality’s portfolio has grown to include 42 owned and / or managed hotels and the company is now focused on achieving its target of 60 hotels in its portfolio by 2030. As the country’s flagship hospitality organisation, Katara Hospitality supports Qatar’s long-term economic vision.

Katara Hospitality currently owns properties spread across four continents in Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Singapore, Thailand and United States of America. While it partners with some of the finest hotel management companies, Katara Hospitality operates owned and non-owned hotels through its standalone operating arm, Murwab Hotel Group.

Katara Hospitality has gained global recognition for its contributions to the Qatari and international hospitality landscape, through numerous prestigious accolades from the industry.

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World cup 2022

In December 2010, Qatar made history by winning the right to host the FIFA World Cup 2022™ and became the first Middle Eastern country to do so. In the years since, the country has used this opportunity to not only work on developing an exceptional experience for the fans, but also to create a lasting legacy for Qatar, the Middle East, Asia, and the world.

All of the FIFA World Cup™ stadiums in Qatar are less than an hour’s travel time from one another. More than 1.4 million tourists from across the globe visited Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022™. Fans started their day in the south, cheering on their favorite team in Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah City in the afternoon and headed north to soak up the atmosphere at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor City later that day for the evening fixture. Qatar’s commitment to sustainability was further showcased with the construction of the first fully demountable stadium made from shipping containers which are now being repurposed into a range of sporting facilities.

Fans traveled to matches via metro, car, rail, bike or even water taxi, using advanced transport systems that made this the first-ever carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup 2022™.

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Msheireb

Msheireb is the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project, that will revive the old commercial district with a new architectural language that is modern, yet inspired by traditional Qatari heritage and architecture – its proportion, simplicity, space, light, layering, ornament and response to climate. Utilising the latest in sustainable technologies, Msheireb will adhere to the highest standards in green building. The strategic objective of the Msheireb project is to reverse the pattern of development in Doha, which has tended towards isolated land use, reliance on car transportation and energy hungry structures. Msheireb Downtown Doha will become a new social and civic hub in the city centre – a place where it is enjoyable to live, work, shop, visit, and spend time with family and friends.

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Who is already here?

Embrace Doha

Embrace Doha provides cultural tours and services to tourists and residents of Qatar through a unique Qatari experience that is authentic, immersive, and interactive. The cultural sessions are designed for guests to develop a deeper understanding of Qatari culture. The cultural events provide clients with a culturally curated Qatari Hospitality experience. Embrace Doha also provides cultural consultancy services for clients’ local and international events to ensure authentic reflection of Qatari culture.

Doha Bus

Doha Bus provides tourists with experiences around Doha. They provide tours, such as City Tours, Desert Tours, Cultural Tours, Sea Tours, and Combo Tours, that help travellers discover Qatar.

Qatar Museums

Qatar Museums is Qatar’s preeminent institution for art and culture dedicated to providing authentic cultural experiences through an expanding network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art, and programming.