Qatar welcomes over 1.5M visitors in Q1 2025, aligning with strategic goals

Doha, Qatar: Qatar s tourism sector began 2025 with strong momentum, welcoming over 1.5 million international visitors between January and March. This...

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s tourism sector began 2025 with strong momentum, welcoming over 1.5 million international visitors between January and March. This surge was driven by an integrated tourism strategy that combines high-profile events, strategic partnerships, and diversified destination experiences.

Visitors from GCC countries accounted for (36%), followed by Europe (28%) and Asia and Oceania (20%), reinforcing Qatar’s growing appeal across varied markets. Visitor arrivals by air (51%), land (34%) and sea (15%) highlight the effectiveness of Qatar’s diversified access strategy.

Notably, Eid Al Fitr 2025 delivered the highest holiday arrival figures in three years, with 214,000 visitors during the 8-day period, a 26% increase over 2024. GCC visitors accounted for 49% of the total, marking an 18% year-on-year increase, and hotel occupancy reached 77%, up 10% from the same period last year.

Strong performance across the hospitality sector accompanied this growth. 71% average hotel occupancy and 2.6 million room nights sold reflected heightened demand fuelled by key events including Web Summit Qatar, the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition (DJWE), and the Qatar International Food Festival.

HE Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chair of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, said: “The achievements of the first quarter of 2025 demonstrate some of the planned outputs of our long-term approach to tourism development.