Story details
Qatar welcomed 2.614 million visitors through its land, air and sea entry points in the first nine months of 2026, Qatar Tourism said in a statement reported by Qatar News Agency on 6 October. The statement also recorded 276,000 visitors in September, compared with 273,000 in September 2025, a year-on-year increase of 1.1%.
The Gulf Cooperation Council countries were the largest source group for January–September, accounting for 1.069 million visitors, or 40.9% of the total. The release did not state a year-on-year growth rate for the full nine-month visitor count, so the September comparison should not be read as a trend for the entire period.
The figures count visitors arriving through the listed entry points and describe inbound tourism activity. They do not measure visitor spending, overnight stays or tourism revenue. Qatar Tourism’s monthly dashboard provides a broader statistical framework, but this announcement reports only the figures and comparisons stated above.