Tourism Breaking News
With just over a month until the International football spectacle kicks off on 20 November, leading travel company Skyscanner shares a deep dive into the global appeal of Qatar highlighting:
- The top football nations travelling to Qatar in November and December
- The global increase in bookings to Qatar this year
- The halo effect and increase in bookings to UAE and Saudi Arabia this year
- Game plan to find the best travel deals on Skyscanner for those lucky enough to bag last-minute tickets
The top football nations travelling to Qatar for the global football event*
A deep dive into Skyscanner data reveals the UAE as the biggest origin country for football related bookings to Qatar for the duration of the football spectacle, followed by the UK and Japan. Dubai, unveiled as the top city destination for travel to Qatar during the global event, reflects how local and international football fans are using the UAE as a travel hub en route to the event. In fact, global bookings to the UAE during the international sporting event have increased steadily since the beginning of the year with bookings increasing in September by 114% compared to the previous month.
Top booking origin countries for travel to Qatar during this year’s sporting spectacle
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- Japan
- South Korea
- Spain
Top booking origin cities for travel to Qatar during this year’s sporting spectacle
- Dubai
- London
- Tokyo
- Seoul
- Madrid
Qatar is rising in popularity in the global ranks**
As result of the global event, Qatar is surging in popularity as a destination globally in 2022. This is most notable for countries with teams taking part in the sporting spectacle with bookings from South Korea up 410% and USA up 327%. Bookings to Qatar from wider GCC region have also increased significantly, up 270% from the UAE and 59% from Saudi Arabia this year, as result of increased domestic demand and international football fans travelling to Qatar for the sporting spectacle via the wider region.
| Ranking | Origin Destination | Increase in bookings to Qatar in 2022 |
| 1. | South Korea | +410% |
| 2. | US | +327% |
| 3. | UAE | +270% |
| 4. | Spain | +263% |
| 5. | France | +158% |
| 6. | Germany | +139% |
| 7. | Netherlands | +106% |
| 8. | Saudi Arabia | +59% |
| 9. | UK | +50% |
| 10. | Italy | +45% |
The halo effect of the global sports spectacle***
The wider GCC region is also seeing an uplift in travel bookings this year, as part of halo effect of the global football event, taking place in neighbouring Qatar, with bookings from Brazil to UAE up 125% and from Netherlands to Saudi Arabia up 220%.
| Ranking | Origin Destination | Increase in bookings to UAE in 2022 |
| 1. | Brazil | +125% |
| 2. | Austria | +113% |
| 3. | Netherlands | +92% |
| 4. | United States | +63% |
| 5. | Poland | +56% |
| 6. | Spain | +47% |
| 7. | Mexico | +44% |
| 8. | Germany | +40% |
| 9. | Portugal | +43% |
| 10. | Belgium | +31% |
| Ranking | Origin Destination | Increase in bookings to Saudi Arabia in 2022 |
| 1. | Netherlands | +220% |
| 2. | Germany | +186% |
| 3. | France | +144% |
| 4. | Italy | +132% |
| 5. | UK | +136% |
| 6. | Australia | +65% |
| 7. | Spain | +64% |
| 8. | Switzerland | +55% |
| 9. | Morocco | +50% |
| 10. | United States | +40% |
Skyscanner Travel Expert (and football fanatic) Ayoub El Mamoun comments:
“As football fans count down to the international event kick-off, our flight data shows the global impact of the event with bookings to Qatar soaring this year as football fans travel to support their teams. We’ve seen bookings to Qatar from South Korea surge by 410% and bookings from the US increase by 327% this year compared to 2019.
“The halo effect of the Qatar global sporting event is clear with a booking uplift across the wider GCC this year too with bookings to Saudi Arabia from the Netherlands up 220% and bookings to the UAE from Brazil up 125% in 2022 compared to 2019.
“Looking at bookings to Qatar for the duration of the sporting spectacle, the UAE is the top origin country, reflecting the UAE’s role as a key travel hub, followed by the UK, Japan and South Korea as the countries with the most dedicated supporters!”
Taking advantage of the Last-Minute Sales Phase for tickets and looking for a last-minute travel deal? Skyscanner’s Ayoub shares his top tactics for getting a good deal:
Book ‘early doors’: “Acting as quickly as possible can mean you score a bargain before demand increases to certain destinations. You can set up price alerts on Skyscanner to make sure you’re the first in the know when prices to your destination change. Some destinations will be more popular than others so if you can book early doors, you’re more likely not to be disappointed as interest increases.
Go wide: “The days immediately either side of any fixture will be the most expensive and will get cheaper the further out you go. Because some dates are more popular than others, prices will vary. Use Skyscanner’s “month view” tool to see if there’s a bargain to be had by flying out a few days early or staying in your destination a bit longer.”
Think outside of the box: “Searching by multiple airports will give you the best chance of a bargain. Different airports have different routes and going a little bit further to a different airport could mean a more direct flight or better prices. The same can be said for your destination. If you can fly to an airport a little further from the game, and travel to it via public transport or a hire car, you might reduce your travel time as well as save money.”
Make a substitute: “Mix and matching the airlines you choose to fly with can seriously cut costs. Fares don’t have to be booked as returns. Look at flying out with one airline and back with another to save money. You can easily compare prices on Skyscanner’s cheapest month tool.”
Don’t think it’s all over: If you’re unable to book quickly, setting up price alerts will ensure you’re the first to know as prices drop with any additional discounts or added supply. If you mark a flight or flights that you’re interested in, Skyscanner will email you whenever the price goes up or down.”
Live Skyscanner Football Deals****
Abu Dhabi to Doha (direct economy return) 16-22 November: AED 948
Abu Dhabi to Doha (direct economy return) 2-8 December: AED 1950
Abu Dhabi to Doha (direct economy return) 29 November-14 December: AED 1950
*Bookings made on Skyscanner between 1 January 2022 and 12 October 2022 for economy return travel to Qatar between 20 November 2022 and 20 December 2022
**% increase in year-to-date bookings to Qatar on Skyscanner, 12 October 2022 versus 12 October 2019
*** % increase in year-to-date bookings to the UAE and Saudia Arabia on Skyscanner, 12 October 2022 versus 12 October 2019
****Live prices correct on Skyscanner on 12 October and subject to change
