Doha, Qatar: His Excellency Mr. Saad Bin Ali Al-Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, participated in a high-level panel discussion titled "Tourism in Focus" at the fifth edition of the Qatar Economic Forum (QEF) 2025. 

The session, moderated by Bloomberg Television anchor Joumanna Bercetche, included insights from Sébastien Bazin, Group Chairman and CEO of Accor, and addressed significant themes influencing the future of global tourism, such as luxury, sustainability, economic resilience, health tourism, and emerging market trends.

During the discussion, His Excellency Mr. Al-Kharji noted that the tourism sector contributed QR 55 billion to the national GDP in 2024, accounting for 8% of the total economic output—a remarkable 14% increase from 2023. He expressed confidence that Qatar is on course to meet its Tourism Strategy 2030 goal of achieving a 12% contribution to GDP, underscoring the sector's growing significance within the nation's broader economic diversification efforts. 

In 2024, international visitor arrivals reached 5 million, marking a 25% year-on-year increase, and in-destination spending totaled nearly QR 40 billion. Furthermore, the hospitality sector achieved a significant milestone by recording 10 million room nights sold during the year.