Tourists are avoiding visiting Qatar after the boycott of the country by the UAE and other Arab states.
According to a report compiled by the UNWTO, the country has reported negative results as an aftermath of this diplomatic crisis.
Qatar’s tourism fell by 44.6 percent in June compared to the same time last year. This assessment is based on international overnight visitors. Four countries – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic, trade and travel connections with Qatar on June 5 over the quartet’s concerns that Qatar is funding terrorism. They blocked Qatar Airways from operating in their airspace, cutting off key routes for visitors.
The UNWTO figures show that tourism in Qatar fell by 7 percent in the first seven months of 2017, compared to the same period last year. Diplomatic relations between these four countries and Qatar went down since June this year since they expressed concerns that Qatar is funding terrorism.
Qatar’s falling levels go against the trend of rising tourism throughout the Middle East, with the region as a whole seeing a boost of 9 percent in the first of the half year. Due to improved security and increased promotion, Egypt’s tourism levels increased by 52 percent after it fell dramatically in 2016 and previous years. Palestine reported a 58 percent increase in the first quarter of this year.
