Doha
22 Feb. 2017 (QNA)

Qatar's added value on spending doubled from year 2011 to year 2015 as per a report released today by Qatar Ministry of Economy and Commerce.

The added value from the tourism sector in Qatar grew from QR 21.2 billion in 2011 to 41.3 billion in 2015. The figures were provided in a report on the contribution of the tourism sector to the Qatari economy. The report highlighted the positive role that tourism sector plays in the economy, noting that its contribution in the past three years was between 12 percent and 14 percent. The sector's contribution to GDP was 5.4 percent, compared to a contribution of 3.3 percent in 2011.

As per the report, tourism is playing it's role as one of the main pillars of economic diversification. Tourism export rose from QR 10.2 billion in 2010 and reached QR 24 billion 2015. The increase was mainly due to the increase in the number of tourists and their spending. The total number of tourists increased from 1.7 million in 2010 to 2.9 million to 2015, a CAGR of 11 percent. The spending increased from around QR 2,471 per person in 2010 to QR 8,418 in 2015.

The report indicates scope for further growth in tourism sector especially as World Cup 2022 is approaching.