After months of turbulence across regional airspace, Qatar’s tourism sector says the Gulf state is now open for business once again.
In an interview with Euronews, Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, CEO of Visit Qatar, said the country faced one of its most difficult periods in recent history, but worked closely with embassies, airlines and tourism partners to support stranded travellers and restore confidence in a destination that welcomed five million visitors in 2025.
During the early stages of the regional conflict, more than 12,000 international visitors, including 8,000 transiting travellers, were in the country – all of whom needed to be repatriated.
At Doha’s cruise port, around 5,000 cruise passengers and crew were also impacted due to the Strait of Hormuz being closed. Celestyal Cruises’ Celestyal Journey and TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 5 both safely departed the Arabian Gulf in mid-April.
“We’ve been through a difficult time,” Al-Mawlawi told Euronews. “I’ll be very honest with you, it was a difficult time that we had never been through before. But I always remind myself of the period of COVID where we passed through a very difficult time, but we passed it stronger than before, more resilience.”
Repatriation efforts, hotels and visas
A 24-hour hotline was launched alongside WhatsApp updates and social media alerts as authorities coordinated repatriation efforts through Doha’s Hamad International Airport.
Meanwhile, as many as 194 hotels were enlisted to accommodate the 12,000 visitors. For 15 days, Qatar Tourism, the country’s tourism regulatory body, covered hotel room fees and meals as part of its wider initiative.
The government issued approximately 8,000 emergency visas for transit visitors stranded in the country, while also facilitating visa extensions and overstay flexibility in the immediate aftermath of the conflict.
“We announced the visa extension as well as a free stay in the hotels with free meals for all of our travellers and guests by that time because we want to always ensure that our guests are a guest in our home,” Al-Mawlawi said.
Now Qatar is pushing ahead with a tourism recovery campaign centred around summer festivals, beach activities and family entertainment, before shifting focus towards international visitors later in the year.
Al-Malawi says the country is hoping its mix of luxury tourism, cultural experiences and major international events will help drive momentum into a busy winter season.
“Qatar is back to normal, and we can always reassure that Qatar is always safe and secure,” he said. “Qatar has always been known for the unique products where we bring together culture, heritage as well as modernity.
“You can enjoy diving with the whale sharks as well as going to the safari, having fine dining, shopping experience, hotel experience, beachfront, all at the same day. We always say that Qatar is the home of our guests from all over the world.”
After recently announcing its “Hala Summer” campaign and festival line-up, Visit Qatar is now looking to strengthen its position as one of the region’s leading tourism destinations.
Despite the challenges, Qatar’s tourism sector is ramping up campaigns, events, visitor experiences and adopting new digital solutions to build momentum for the remainder of the year and beyond.
Seasonal campaigns and events
Launched this month, Visit Qatar’s annual Hala Summer campaign will run until September. The line-up includes hotels and resorts offering packages and seasonal menus, as well as a series of concerts from international performers like John Legend. The Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter is set to take the stage at Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha on 10 September.
While initiatives such as kids go free are designed to boost domestic family tourism with citizens and residents’ children under 12 enjoying complimentary stays and dining, Hala Summer also targets leisure travellers seeking luxury accommodation, resorts, shopping and beach offerings.
Amid cooler temperatures, Qatar’s calendar for the final months of 2026 is set to feature performances by legendary composer Hans Zimmer and Colombian star Shakira, the adrenaline-fuelled Formula 1 Qatar Airways Grand Prix, and the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition.
Qatar Airways expands network
With the country’s tourism bodies looking ahead to the rest of 2026 and beyond, Qatar Airways continues to rebuild its global schedule in and out of Hamad International.
As foreign carriers make a return to Doha’s airspace, Qatar’s flag carrier has announced an expansion of its international network to more than 160 destinations from 16 June.
The expansion drive is set to continue into July, when the airline will charter inaugural flights to Caracas and Bogotá. This will mark the first time a Gulf carrier has entered the Venezuelan market, and the first direct flight between the Middle East and the two South American capitals.
In Europe, Qatar Airways will also resume operations to the Finnish capital, Helsinki, with four weekly flights from 15 July, before ramping up to seven weekly flights come 1 August.
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