Boom Boom Boom – Goooooooooal – Tourism in Qatar has Increased By 200% as a result of the World Cup; by 2030, 6 million tourists will visit each year.
The FIFA World Cup, which began on November 20, has crossed the halfway mark. The final 16 teams have been selected. Qatar was expecting 2 million foreign tourists by the time the final is held on 18 December. However, due to getting more responses than expected, the trees of the surrounding Gulf countries including Qatar have blossomed. More than 1 million tourists have reached Qatar by the first round match itself.
Almost 3 million tickets have been sold. In such a situation, it is expected to reach a record number of fans.
Qatar may have been eliminated from the World Cup race, but it has won the hearts of fans worldwide. In fact, Qatar took a novel approach to attracting tourists, something no other country had done before. Foreign tourists no longer need a visa to visit Qatar. Qatar’s alcohol policy and gay rights have been called into question ahead of the World Cup, but the country has proven that anything is possible if the will is there. There was no commotion or fight even after 48 matches.
‘When I was coming from England to Qatar, I took my father along as a guardian,’ 19-year-old sports activist Ellie Milson told England’s ‘The Times’ newspaper. I expected to be arrested or harassed if I showed my body, but everything has changed here. There was no indecency or racist remarks about girls. In the UK, I had a bad experience. I want such a beautiful environment to exist in the United Kingdom as well.
The host countries go to great lengths to ensure the event’s success. This is also being demonstrated in Qatar. FIFA has informed member federations that it has received a record revenue of Usd 1.5 Million from Qatar over the course of a four-year agreement. More than Usd 200,000 from the 2018 World Cup in Russia. With the influx of tourists, Qatar hopes that by 2030, six million tourists will visit annually.
500,000 people can stay in Qatar’s hotels, which have 45,000 rooms. Many tourists have stayed in neighboring countries such as Dubai, Riyadh, Oman, and Muscat. Fans travel to Qatar via shuttle flight for 60 to 90 minutes and return within 24 hours of the match. According to local media, the number of Arab tourists visiting Dubai, Riyadh, and Oman, has increased by 200% as a result of FIFA.