Qatar’s Arrivals Are Down 30% This Year — Its Recovery Now Rests on F1

Skift Take Arrivals are still down a third from last year. Qatar’s answer, as it was for the World Cup, is another mega event on the calendar. The small Gulf nation of Qatar drew 303,000 visitors in August, up 6.3% from July’s 285,000, according to Qatar Tourism data released on Wednesday. Qatar’s tourism sector is still recovering from the fallout of the U.S.-Iran war, which began on February 28 and triggered airspace closures and a collapse in regional travel demand. Arrivals initially fell from a January high of 646,000 to a March low of 63,000 — a 90% drop — at the height of the war. Total arrivals through the country’s land, air, and sea ports reached 2.3 million through the first eight months of 2026, down 30% from 3.3 million over the same period last year. For context, the country received 5.1 million visitors in all of 2025. GCC travelers remained the dominant source market this year, contributing 958,000 visitors, or 41% of the total. Asia and Oceania followed with 489,000 arrivals (20.9%), just ahead of Europe’s 486,000 (20.8%). Qatar’s monthly r