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Statistics show that tourist arrivals in Qatar touched just 780,000 in 2007, compared with 6.44 million for Dubai in the same year.
However, with an economy that is expected to grow 4.5% this year - the fastest in the region - Qatar's tourism sector is well-positioned to weather the economic downturn, especially given the predominance of business tourism in the country.
Qatar has some of the most expensive hotel rooms in the world, reflecting the high influx of business tourists that the country receives. Room rates in Doha averaged $292 per night in 2008, placing it number two in the region behind Dubai, which averaged $300 per night, according to the latest data compiled by STR Global, a US-based research firm.
Not surprisingly, the vast majority of hotels in country are in the four and five-star category, with five-star hotels outnumbering three-star hotels by almost three to one.
However, despite the high cost of rooms, occupancy levels were relatively high in 2008. Average occupancy throughout the country last year was 61% in five-star hotels, 64% in four-star hotels, and 66% in three-star hotels, according to official figures.
Tourism push
In line with the country's efforts to boost its non-energy sectors, Qatar has announced ambitious plans for its tourism industry and launched a number of projects to boost visitor traffic.
The government says it is now targeting a 20% annual rise in tourism over the next five years, and has pledged to invest $17bn to help boost hotel capacity by 400% by 2012.
The government hopes to attract 1.4 million tourists by 2010, up from 780,000 tourists in 2007. It aims to meet this goal partly by attracting passengers travelling through its airport and luring them to stay an extra 48 hours in the country past their initial scheduled time.
The government aims to boost traffic through Qatar by building a new $11bn airport that will be capable of handling about 50 million passengers a year when it is fully completed in 2015.
The airport will serve as the home of Qatar Airways, which plays another key role in the country's tourism industry. The airline, which flew about 10 million passengers in the 2007-2008 financial year, currently flies to some 83 destinations across the world using a fleet of 65 aircraft. By 2012, the airline plans to boost its fleet to 110 aircraft, and increase its global destinations to 120.
Qatar is also taking steps to boost its image as a tourist destination, and was recently honoured for its efforts by The New York Times, which named the country a cultural destination of the year for 2009.
The Times noted the 'dazzling' collection at the recently opened Museum of Islamic Art, which was designed by I.M. Pei. It also touted the flurry of new contemporary art galleries in Doha's historic souk, the Souq Waqif, the creation of a national symphony orchestra, and the recent announcement that a Tribeca Film Festival Doha is coming to town in November.
The meetings and exhibitions market is another key element of Qatar's tourism, with some 25 exhibitions already booked this year at the Qatar International Exhibition Centre.
Looking ahead, construction is underway on the 112-storey Qatar Exhibition Centre located in the Al-Dafna area in Doha.
Jeff Florian, Senior Reporter
