DOHA: The number of foreign tourists visiting Qatar has surged 50 percent in the current tourism season compared to the previous one and the number of ships carrying tourists anchored at Doha seaport increased from five in 2011 to 14 in 2012, said a local tourism operator.
“The tourism season starts in October, but this year tourists began pouring into the country in September,” said Emad Abu Jalala, Chairman of Gulf Adventures Tourism Company. “The local tourism sector is booming and attracting huge numbers of foreign tourists,” he added.
The growing number of foreign tourists is putting pressure on the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) to review its strategies to boost the sector, said Abu Jalala.
The hospitality sector is working to keep pace with the fast development of tourism sector, Al Sharq reported yesterday.
Demand in the hospitality sector is increasing and it witnessed at least 20 percent growth last year, said a hotel manager.
DOHA: Katara witnessed more than two million visitors in the last six months of 2012 making the cultural village one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country.
Statistics from Katara revealed a total of 2,239, 891 people visited it during the second half last year with an average 12,654 daily visits.
Most of those who visited Katara during the period were from diplomatic bodies (46 percent), followed by government organisations (36 percent) and schools and universities (18 percent).
With three main venues, including the Opera House, Drama Theatre and the Amphitheatre, in addition to nine art galleries, Katara hosted nearly 300 events, including 109 educational programmes, 96 performances, 65 exhibitions and 11 festivals last year.
The Peninsula
