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21:29 GMT
DOHA, May 3 (KUNA) -- Qatar's tourism sector began 2025 with strong momentum, welcoming over 1.5 million international visitors between January and March.
In a statement on Saturday, Qatar Tourism said, "this surge was driven by an integrated tourism strategy that combines high-profile events, strategic partnerships, and diversified destination experiences."
Qatar Tourism added that visitors from GCC countries accounted for (36 percent), followed by Europe (28 percent) and Asia and Oceania (20 percent), reinforcing Qatar's growing appeal across varied markets.
Visitor arrivals by air (51 percent), land (34 percent) and sea (15 percent) highlight the effectiveness of Qatar's diversified access strategy.
Notably, Eid Al-Fitr 2025 delivered the highest holiday arrival figures in three years, with 214,000 visitors during the 8-day period, a 26 percent increase over 2024. GCC visitors accounted for 49 percent of the total, marking an 18 percent year-on-year increase, and hotel occupancy reached 77 percent, up 10 percent from the same period last year.
For his part, Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chair of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, said "the achievements of the first quarter of 2025 demonstrate some of the planned outputs of our long-term approach to tourism development. (end)
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