Qatar records significant boost in tourism

Qatar had a fantastic year for tourism in 2024! They welcomed over 5 million visitors, which is a big increase compared to 2023.

By the end of October 2024, Qatar had already reached the same number of visitors as the entire year of 2023. This shows how quickly tourism is growing in the middle eastern country. People from different countries visited Qatar, with Saudi Arabia being the most popular.

Several factors played out the boost in country’s tourism: for instance, the Hayya platform made it much simpler for people to get visas, which encouraged more visitors. Qatar hosted major events like the Formula 1 race and the Asian Cup, which brought in lots of people. Similarly, campaigns like “Feel More in Qatar” helped to promote the country as a great place to visit.

To handle all these visitors, they built more hotels, with over 40,000 rooms available by September 2024. Hotels were also very busy, with an average of 66pc of rooms occupied.

In 2025, Qatar plans to host even more events, which should attract even more tourists.

Overall, the success in 2024 shows that their efforts to improve tourism are working well. They are making it easier for people to visit, offering exciting things to do, and improving their hotels. This will likely lead to even more growth in the future.

Back in August 2024, Qatar introduced visa-free entry, eliminating the need for a visa. Here’s a step-by-step guide for visiting Qatar from Pakistan.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for visa-free entry to Qatar, you must meet the following criteria:

Hold a valid Pakistani passport with at least six months’ validity
Have a confirmed return ticket or onward travel arrangements
Possess a valid hotel booking or proof of accommodation in Qatar
Have sufficient funds to support your stay in Qatar
No criminal records
Passengers arriving directly from Pakistan should have a certificate of vaccination against polio.

It is pertinent to mention here that Qatar’s tourism sector witnessed a surge in visitor numbers during the first half of 2024 with the AFC Asian Cup Qatar being a major driver of growth, according to Qatar Tourism data. The report revealed a 28 percent annual surge in visitor numbers to 2.6 million international visitors in H1 2024.

A total of 2,639,000 international visitors arrived in Qatar, 51 percent of whom came by air, 40 percent by land, and 9 percent by sea.

Pakistani passport holders can also visit other countries without any visa requirement, including;

Africa: Burundi, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo

Asia: Cambodia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste

Caribbean: Barbados, Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Montserrat, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago

Oceania: Micronesia, Niue, Palau Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Qatar tourism hits milestone with 25% growth in 2024