Qatar is on the right track of tourism development, the latest figures show. The number of foreign visitors received by the state rose by 8% in the first nine months of 2015 compared to the same period last year, according to the third quarter Tourism Performance Report released by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
In total, Qatar received nearly 2.25mn visitors until September-end, a remarkable achievement.
Pointing to a “thriving tourist accommodation sector”, the report showed that occupancy rates in all hotels stood at 71% in the said period, holding steady from the same period in 2014 despite the addition of 15 new hotels to the market.
Arrivals from the GCC, Qatar’s largest source market, grew substantially during this period, increasing by 22% as compared to the same period in 2014.
The growth was primarily dominated by an increase in visitor arrivals from Saudi Arabia, which grew by 31%. The majority of this growth took place in March when visitor arrivals grew by 82% compared to March 2014.
Visitor arrivals from the UAE also grew during the first nine months of 2015 (by 13%), while arrivals from Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman increased by 7%, 9% and 2%, respectively.
The largest growth in other primary markets, outside of the GCC, included arrivals from France (up 9%), China (up 16%) and the US (up 2%).
Visitors arriving in July increased by 14% compared to the same period last year and 31% compared to the same period in 2013.
This report is proof that Qatar is on track to achieving its objective of transforming the country into an attractive travel destination for regional and international visitors.
QTA expects the visitor number to cross the 3mn mark before the year’s end.
The soon-to-be-opened  Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) will further boost Qatar’s tourism potential, contributing to the country’s status as a globally-competitive destination for business events.
The QR2.3bn DECC, located in the heart of Qatar’s business district, will host its first event on November 2 and five more by the end of this year.
Located just behind the City Center Doha in West Bay, the 47,700sqm venue has a state-of-the-art exhibition hall, modular wall system, high-tech meeting and conference rooms, an exquisite VIP hosting suite and a 2,800 car capacity underground parking facility.
DECC CEO Jose Vicente expects the addition of the new convention centre will make Qatar  a strong contender for hosting international events and attract more visitors.
Qatar has already seen a substantial increase in business meetings and exhibitions, averaging 150 events annually. At least 50 annual exhibitions form part of Qatar’s scheduled events for 2015 mostly on medicine, education, real estate and handicrafts.
For the past three years, QTA also recorded an average growth of 35% on exhibitions taking place in the country every year.