Post-World Cup, Qatar's Tourism Industry Is Relying on Spikes, Surges and Mega Events
Skift Take
Qatar's tourism numbers are growing, but so is the country's reliance on events and conferences.
The small Gulf nation of Qatar is relying heavily on events to keep its tourism sector going. During the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the country scrambled to open thousands of hotel rooms, which it now struggles to fill without similar mega-events.
The latest official count shows Qatar's hotels have an occupancy rate of 72% as of April. That sounds strong - it's similar to Dubai, in fact. But occupancy surged during the Asia World Cup at the start of the year, and then dropped afterward.
Here are the numbers:
The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 took place in Qatar from January 12 to February 10 this year, using the stadiums
