Qatar continued to reinforce its position as a leading global destination in 2025, welcoming 5.1 million international visitors, reflecting a 3.7% year-on-year increase, as Qatar Tourism announced in its annual performance report for 2025.
The steady growth was driven by the country’s year-round calendar of international events, festivals and exhibitions, which sustained demand across leisure and business travel segments. The strong performance aligns with Qatar’s long-term tourism ambitions, including its target to triple visitor arrivals between 2022 and 2030 and increase tourism’s contribution to GDP to 10%.
Tourism demand remained resilient throughout the year, with the peak travel period recorded in October 2025, when arrivals reached 637,000 visitors. The final quarter also benefited from major sporting and cultural events, including the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, supporting year-end travel momentum and delivering a 16% year-on-year increase in December arrivals.
Regional source markets continued to play a central role in Qatar’s visitor mix. GCC countries accounted for 35% of total arrivals, maintaining their position as the largest contributor, followed by Europe (25%) and the rest of Asia and Oceania (22%). In terms of access, 61% of visitors arrived by air, while 32% travelled by land and 7% by sea, highlighting Qatar’s strong regional connectivity alongside its global air links.
Hospitality performance mirrored the growth in visitor numbers. Total room nights sold increased by 8.6% year-on-year to 10.8 million, supported by higher occupancy and longer stays, with the average length of stay reaching 3.5 nights. Accommodation revenue rose by 12% to QAR 8.3 billion (US$2.3 billion), underlining the sector’s improving yield performance.
Qatar’s hotel inventory continued to expand, reaching 42,469 hotel keys by the end of 2025. The market remains well diversified, with four-star hotels accounting for the largest share at 20,789 keys, while the luxury segment remains significant with 10,564 five-star keys, reinforcing the country’s positioning in the premium and upscale travel space.
Looking ahead, Qatar’s tourism outlook remains positive. Doha has been officially announced as the GCC Tourism Capital for 2026, a designation expected to further strengthen regional collaboration and destination visibility across member states. At the same time, the hospitality pipeline continues to evolve, with upcoming luxury developments such as Corinthia Doha on Gewan Island set to add new inventory and further elevate Qatar’s high-end accommodation offering.
