Flight bookings from across the Middle East to Qatar have increased by more than 4,000 per cent ahead of Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022.
With the world’s biggest football tournament kicking off in a little more than 15 weeks, fans from around the world have been securing flights to the Gulf state, with confirmed flight bookings in November and December increasing since the beginning of the year.
About 1.5 million fans, a little more than half the population of Qatar, are expected to descend upon the country and it looks like travellers from the Middle East will dominate the Doha stands.
According to the latest data from digital travel marketing company Sojern, flight tickets issued in the region are up 4,145 per cent for travel to Qatar during the tournament, compared to bookings in January 2022.
Not only is the Middle East hosting the tournament, but airlines including flydubai and Air Arabia have opened dozens of match-day shuttle flights between the UAE and Doha, making travel in the region during the World Cup easier than ever.
Not to be left behind, European fans will also be jetting into Qatar, as flight bookings from the continent are the second highest, at just under 3,000 per week.
Travellers from across Asia Pacific are also ready to head to the sporting event with bookings from the region now outpacing all others as the fastest growing when it comes to reserving tickets to Qatar. Confirmed flight seats are up more than 6,000 per cent compared to early 2022 levels, with the majority of reservations for travel to Doha coming from India.
