By Pratap John
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Driven by higher hotel occupancy rate, Qatar’s four- and five-star hotels earned a total revenue of QR703.1mn in the third quarter, up 13.81% on the same period last year, official data shows.
Despite the industry adding some 600 rooms, the average hotel occupancy rate in the third quarter had gone up to 57% from 50% in the corresponding period of 2012, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) said yesterday.
“All key indicators of the tourism sector demonstrated improvement and growth in the third quarter compared to the period under review in 2012,” QTA said.
According to QTA, four- and five-star hotels account for some 11,717 of Qatar’s total 13,551 rooms, with calls for more economy and budget hotels from consumers.
Regional visitors increased by 20%, with the greatest increases coming from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait while the UAE and Oman remained static.
Tourists reaching Qatar from other continents rose by 13.36% whereas arrivals from Asia showed the biggest increase at 18.27%.
QTA statistics now incorporates “wider field of data” which provides “greater guidance” to the industry. The data is based on hotel submissions to QTA and assists in assessing trends and underlying opportunities.
Despite the increase in room inventory, the average room rate per available room per day for both four- and five-star hotels increased by 8.82% in the third quarter compared to the same period in 2012, reaching QR319 from QR293.
Contrary to industry opinion that predicted falls in revenues due to rapid room inventory increases, average total revenue per available room per day grew by 4.41% in the third quarter compared to the third quarter in 2012.
This indicates the sector is still facing robust demand and the fourth quarter in 2013 is likely to show strong growth, according to QTA.
“Driving the tourism sector was increased exposure to the global economy, assisted by the influx of companies and businesses supporting Qatar’s infrastructure development,” it said.
“A diverse range of events and activities in Qatar, and increased regional and international presence during the third quarter of this year also pushed growth in the leisure sector. These include the Eid Festival 2013, as well as performances of Cirque du Soleil at the Aspire Dome,” QTA said.
The third quarter had also seen many achievements for QTA.
The Eid al-Adha Festival in October was aimed at promoting Qatar as a family tourist destination regionally.
In September, QTA announced the official opening of its representative office in Paris, the second such facility in Europe.
QTA also joined the world in celebrating World Tourism Day on September 27, organising a local photography competition to raise awareness of the importance of tourism to Qatar’s economy and the local community.
The authority led a high-level Qatar delegation to ITB Asia in Singapore, the largest travel show in Asia. QTA utilised the occasion to hold buyers meetings and interact with counterparts in the Asian tourism industry, setting the stage for increased tourist growth from the region.
QTA said: “The scene is set for continued growth, as new infrastructure readies to accelerate the growth of the sector. Doha Exhibition and Conference Centre is under construction and Hamad International Airport is set for an early 2014 opening.
“QTA is readying the launch of a new phase in Qatar’s tourism industry with the release of the National Tourism Strategy, later this month, which will serve as the road map for the sector’s development in the coming years. Qatar Tourism Authority has a key role to play in co-ordinating the development of a sustainable tourism sector in the country, and growing tourism sector’s contribution to a diversified national economy.”
