The Qatari capital has been rated as one of the world’s best cities to live in.
Qatar and Miami took lead globally in hotel profit recovery for the year 2022.
Gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) was higher in both markets than it was in 2019, with GOPPAR in Miami indexing at 155% and in Qatar at 152% of the 2019 comparable.
This is according to a full-year profit and loss (P&L) statement data from STR, a global leader in premium data benchmarking, analytics, and marketplace insights for the global hospitality industry.
Due to its size and makeup, Qatar is listed as a market in the STR database.
Internationally, Paris was the top market in Europe with 123% GOPPAR ($173.02), which is on line with 2019 levels. London ($105.17), at 88%, was the next closest market. Only 60% of the 2019 GOPPAR was recovered by Berlin ($34.67).
While Qatar dominated the Middle East in terms of recovery, Dubai finished in a close second at 140% and had a higher GOPPAR level ($132.68). Oman experienced the slowest recovery, at 78% of pre-pandemic levels, albeit increasing year over year.
Elsewhere, New Delhi ($51.00) was the only significant APAC market to reach 100% of its pre-pandemic comparative.
According to STR, Singapore ($83.57) and Bali ($49.37) came in at 87% and 81%, respectively, of the 2019 comparables.
With a GOPPAR level of $88.03, which was 100% of the 2019 comparable, Toronto placed second in North America, only behind Miami. The GOPPAR ($50.86) for San Francisco was 41% away from its pre-pandemic equivalent.
Over in South America, Bogota’s GOPPAR came in at $36.83, which was 106% more than the similar figure prior to the epidemic. With a price of $17.17, Rio de Janeiro had the next-highest GOPPAR comparison standing at 71%. With a price of $5.74, Lima was only 14% of the 2019 comparable.
Meanwhile, the Qatari capital has been rated as one of the world’s best cities to live in by Resonance Consultancy, a renowned global advisor on placemaking, branding, and marketing for the best cities, districts, developments and destinations globally.
Visits to the Gulf country have also become more convenient due to the extended validity of the Hayya Card for fans and organisers wishing to enter Doha until 24 January 2024, the Ministery of Interior announced last month.
Those with the ID, a crucial document used at the time of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, must abide by a set of conditions in order to enter using the card, including proof of hotel reservation or accommodation with family or friends that is approved through the online Hayya Portal.
Another requirement is having health insurance valid for the duration of stay in Doha along with a return ticket.
Those wishing to enter the country must also have a passport that is valid for no less than three months upon their arrival to Qatar.
Tourism boom
Doha was recently named the Arab Tourism Capital for 2023 by the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism.
In October, Qatar welcomed about 180,000 visitors, which was a six-year record, according to data analysis from Qatar Tourism. The number of visitors has progressively climbed over the course of the year, with the most recent statistics for October showing that they are now almost a third (32% more than in October 2017) more than they were before the pandemic.
Visitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) made up more than a third of all foreign visitors to Qatar in October, drawn by the country’s attractions and family-friendly activities.
Qatar has also made plans to increase its tourism sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) by 12% till the year 2030 as part of its strategy to solidify its position as a top international travel destination by luring six million visitors yearly.
The cruise season, which is expected to receive more than 100 visits and about 300,000 visitors, is one of the most well-known events of the new year, according to the Qatar News Agency.
