The Competitiveness of Qatari Tourism: A Comparative and SWOT Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.97.12536Keywords:
Comparative analysis, global competitiveness index, inbound tourism, tourism competitiveness, SWOT, QatarAbstract
Purpose- Qatar has placed its tourism sector as one of the main strategies of economic diversification to achieve sustainable tourism goal. The country aims to develop diverse tourism products, ranging from cultural, urban, and nature tourism to education. The government has invested a huge amount in designing and building tourism infrastructures such as the eight new stadiums to host the 2022 World Cup, the national museum, Museum of Islamic Art, Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif, and many resorts and high end hotels. Given these significant tourism investments, it is unquestionable that the country reaps commensurate long-term benefits in terms of growth of its tourism sector and possible ripple effects in other sectors of the economy. Hence, this study reconnoitres the viability of positioning Qatar’s tourism sector as being pivotal to its economic-diversification strategy by comparing its tourism competitiveness with its strong competitors, namely the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Methodology- To examine this, the study employs secondary data, questionnaire surveys as well as SWOT analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of Qatar relative to the competing destinations. Findings- The findings reveal that Qatar is not price competitive with the nearby countries. Furthermore, the competing nations, in general, have longer and deeper expertise in tourism, and invested more resources than Qatar in developing their tourism sectors. However, Qatar performed the best for its health and financial systems, compared to its competitors, based on scheme of the Global Competitiveness Rankings. In order to increase its tourism, the country should focus more on developing the highest quality of health tourism products and targeting on wealthy tourists who can afford to buy a property and live in Qatar as second-home residents. Originality/value- This paper investigates the tourism competitiveness of Qatar in comparison of its neighbouring destinations with respect to the goals set up by the Qatari government. Based upon the analysis, it can be concluded that Qatar has loss its price competitiveness to its neighbouring countries. Furthermore, the study provides a comprehensive examination of Qatar and its competitors using all indices provided by the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness reports, and conduct strengths and weaknesses analysis based on these indicators.
References
Abdulibdeh, A. and Zaidan, E. (2017). Empirical Analysis of the Cross-Cultural Information Searching and Travel Behavior of Business Travelers: A Case Study of MICE Travelers to Qatar in the Middle East. Applied Geography, 85, 152-162.
Adeola, O. And Evans, O. (2020). ICT, Infrastructure and Tourism Development in Africa. Tourism Economics, 26(1), 97-114.
Al-Hamarneh, A. (2005). New Tourism Trends in the Arab World. Islamic Tourism. March-April (16), 50-54.
Al-Zo’by, M. (2019). Culture and the Politics of Sustainable Development in the GCC: Identity Between Heritage and Globalization. Development in Practice, 29(5), 559-569.
Balli, F., Balli, H. O., Karimova, A., & Louis, R. J. (2018). Gulf cooperation council outbound tourism: the role of expatriates. Tourism Analysis, 23(3), 433-437.
Balli, F., Ghassan, H. B., & Al Jeefri, E. H. (2020). Towards understanding GCC outbound international tourism. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 12(2), 142-151.
Becic, E. And Crnjar, K. (2009). Trends on the Tourism Labour Market. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 15(2), 205-216.
Busaidi, M. A., Bose, S., Claereboudt, M., & Tiwari, M. (2019). Sea turtles tourism in Oman: Current status and future prospects. Tourism and hospitality research, 19(3), 321-336.
BBC News (December 2, 2020). Singapore Approves Lab-Grown ‘Chicken’ Meat. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55155741
Ben Hassen, T. (2019). Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation: State of Qatar Transformation to a knowledgebased economy, in Alkhteeb, H. (ed.), Qatar Political, Economic and Social Issues, Nova Publisher, New York, pp. 193-209.
Ben Hassen, T. (2020). The State of the Knowledge-Based Economy in the Arab Workd: Cases of Qatar and Lebanon. EuroMed Journal of Business, 16(2), 129-153.
Buhalis, D. and Law, R. (2008). Progress in Information Technology and Tourism Management: 20 Years On and 10 Years After the Internet – The State of eTourism Research. Tourism Management, 29, 609-623.
Castro-Nuño, M., Molina-Toucedo, J. A. and Pablo-Romero, M. P. (2013). Tourism and GDP: A Meta-Analysis of Panel Data Studies. Journal of Travel Research, 52(6), 745-758.
China-Macau (2021). Macau Casino Macau Nightlife. http://www.china-macau.com/nightlife-guide/macaucasinos.htm URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.97.12536 207
Crouch, G. I. (1992). Effect of Income and Price on International Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 19, 643-664,
Collier, D. (1991). The Comparative Method: Two Decades of Change. Comparative Political Dynamics: Global Research Perspectives, HarperCollins Publishers, 1991, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2905409
Collier, D. (1993). The Comparative Method. POLITICAL SCIENCE: THE STATE OF DISCIPLINE II, Ada W. Finifter, ed., American Political Science Association, 1993, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1540884
Crouch, G. I. and Ritchie, J. R. B. (1999). Tourism, Competitiveness and Societal Prosperity. Journal of Business Research, 44, 137-152.
Dunn, H. S. and Dunn, L. L. (2002). Tourism and Popular Perceptions: Mapping Jamaican Attitudes. Social and Economic Studies, 51(1), 25-45.
Ebrahim, A. H., & Ganguli, S. (2017). Strategic priorities for exploiting Bahrain’s medical tourism potential. Journal of Place Management and Development.
Euromonitor International (February 6, 2010). Qatar’s Ambitions to Develop its Tourism Sector. https://blog.euromonitor.com/qatars-ambitions-to-develop-its-tourism-sector/
Exell, K. and Rico, T. (2013). ‘There is no heritage in Qatar’: Orientalism, Colonialism and Other Problematic Histories. World Archaeology, 45(4), 670-685.
Fan, Y. (2006). Branding the Nation: What is Being Branded? Journal of Vacation Marketing, 12(1), 5-14.
García-Altés, A. (2005). The Development of Health Tourism Services. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(1), 262-266.
Giampiccoli, A., & Mtapuri, O. (2015). Tourism development in Qatar: Towards a diversification strategy beyond the conventional 3 Ss. African journal of hospitality, tourism and leisure.
Greenwood, V. A. And Dwyer, L. (2017). Reinventing Macau Tourism: Gambling on Creativity? Current Issues in Tourism, 20(6). 580-602.
Kaplanidou, K., Al-Emadi, A., Triantafyllidis, S., Sagas, M. And Diop, A. (2016). Qatar World Cup 2022: Awareness of the Event and its Impact on Destination and Country Character Perceptions in the US Tourism Market. Tourism Review International, 20(2-3), 143-153.
Katircioglu, S., Katircioglu, S. And Altinay, M. (2018). Interactions Between Tourism and Financial Sector Development: Evidence from Turkey. The Service Industries Journal, 38(9-10), 519-542.
Lawson, B. and Samson, D. (2001). Developing Innovation Capability in Organisations: Dynamic Capabilities Approach. Inernational Journal of Innovation Management, 5(3), 377-400.
Gulf Business (February 24, 2014). Qatar Plans to Invest $45bn in Tourism By 2030. https://gulfbusiness.com/qatar-plans-to-invest-45bn-in-tourism-by-2030/
Hazime, H. (2011). From City Branding to e-Brands in Developing countries: An Approach to Qatar and Abu Dhabi. African Journal of Business Management, 5(12), 4731-4745.
Henderson, J. C. (2006). Tourism in Dubai: Overcoming barriers to destination development. International Journal of Tourism Research, 8(2), 87-99.
Henderson, J. C. (2015). The development of tourist destinations in the Gulf: Oman and Qatar compared. Tourism Planning & Development, 12(3), 350-361.
Kester, J. G., & Carvao, S. (2004). International tourism in the Middle East; and outbound tourism from Saudi Arabia. Tourism Economics, 10(2), 220-240.
Mansfield, Y. and Winckler, O. (2007). The Tourism Industry as an Alternative for the GCC Oil-Based Rentier Economies. Tourism Economics, 13(3). 333-360.
Mansfeld, Y., & Winckler, O. (2008). The role of the tourism industry in transforming a rentier to a long-term viable economy: The case of Bahrain. Current Issues in Tourism, 11(3), 237-267. 208
Mena Report (2017). Qatar plans to make $45 billion in tourism sector investment to boost the industry. Mena Report, 9 March 2017. http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A486120022/AONE?u=cowan&sid=AONE&xid=68d38f50 . Accessed 16 November 2018.
Michael, N., Reisinger, Y., & Hayes, J. P. (2019). The UAE's tourism competitiveness: A business perspective. Tourism Management Perspectives, 30, 53-64.
Morakabati, Y., Beavis, J. and Fletcher, J. (2014). Planning for a Qatar Without Oil: Tourism and Economic Diversification, a Battle of Perceptions, Tourism Planning & Development, 11(4), 415-434.
Musinguzi, D. (2016). Trends in tourism research on Qatar: A review of journal publications. Tourism Management Perspectives, 20, 265-268.
Mustafa, M. H. (2010). Tourism and Globalization in the Arab World. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 1(1), 37-48.
Nazmfar, H., Eshghei, Al., Alavi, S. and Pourmoradian, S. (2019). Analysis of Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index in Middle East Countries. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 24(6), 501-513. NOAA. Assessment for sustainable tourism. available at:http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/management/international/pdfs/day2_assessment_manual.pdf accessed Nov 2011.
Pirani, S. I., & Arafat, H. A. (2016). Interplay of food security, agriculture and tourism within GCC countries. Global Food Security, 9, 1-9.
Porter, M. E. (1990). The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Harvard Business Review, March-April, 73- 91.
Reisinger, Y., Michael, N., & Hayes, J. P. (2019). Destination competitiveness from a tourist perspective: A case of the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(2), 259-279.
Reihanian, A., Mahmood, N. Z. B., Kahrom, E., and Hin, T. W. (2012). Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy by SWOT Analysis: Boujagh National Park, Iran. Tourism Management Perspectives, 4, 223-228.
Ritchie, J. R. B. and Crouch, G. I. (2003). The Competitive Destination: A Sustainable Tourism Perspective, CABI Publishing: Oxon, UK.
Sadi, M. A., & Henderson, J. C. (2005). Local versus foreign workers in the hospitality and tourism industry: A Saudi Arabian perspective. Cornell hotel and restaurant administration quarterly, 46(2), 247-257.
Saleh, A. S., Assaf, A. G., Ihalanayake, R., & Lung, S. (2015). A panel cointegration analysis of the impact of tourism on economic growth: Evidence from the Middle East region. International Journal of Tourism Research, 17(3), 209-220.
Saleh, A. S., Bassil, C. And Safari, A. (2021). Tourism Research for the GCC Region: Current Status and Future Research Directions. Tourism Economics, March 2021. doi:10.1177/1354816621999968
Saha, S. and Yap, G. (2014). The Moderation Effects of Political Instability and Terrorism on Tourism Development. Journal of Travel Research, 53(4). 509-521.
Saha, S. and Yap, G. (2015). Corruption and Tourism: An Empirical Investigation in a Non-Linear Framework. International Journal of Tourism Research, 17, 272-281.
Saha, S., Su, J-J., Campbell, N., (2017). Does Political and Economic Freedom Matter for Inbound Tourism? A Cross-National Panel Data Estimation. Journal of Travel Research, 56(2) 221–234.
Scharfenort, N. (2017). Tourism Development Challenges in Qatar. In M. L. Stephenson and A. Al-Hamarneh (Eds.), International Tourism Development and the Gulf Cooperation Council States: Challenges and Opportunities (pp. 140-155). Routledge.
Scharfenort, N. (2012). Urban Development and Social Change in Qatar: The Qatar National Vision 2030 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Journal of Arabian Studies, 2(2), 209-230.
Sharpley, R. (2002). The challenges of economic diversification through tourism: the case of Abu Dhabi. International journal of tourism research, 4(3), 221-235. 209
Sharpley, R. (2008). Planning for tourism: The case of Dubai. Tourism and Hospitality Planning & Development, 5(1), 13-30.
Smith, P.A. (2010). Qatar pledges $20 billion for tourism and culture. Middle East, July 2010. P. 36
Stephenson, M. L. (2014). Tourism, development and ‘destination Dubai’: cultural dilemmas and future challenges. Current Issues in Tourism, 17(8), 723-738.
Stephenson, M. L., & Ali-Knight, J. (2010). Dubai's tourism industry and its societal impact: social implications and sustainable challenges. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 8(4), 278-292.
Sutton, J. (2016). From desert to destination: conceptual insights into the growth of events tourism in the United Arab Emirates. Anatolia, 27(3), 352-366.
UNWTO (31 March 2021). Tourist Arrivals down 87% in January 2021 as UNWTO Calls for Stronger Coordination to Restart Tourism. https://www.unwto.org/news/tourist-arrivals-down-87-in-january-2021-asunwto-calls-for-stronger-coordination-to-restart-tourism
Virglerova, Z., Addeo, F. And Zapletalikova, E. (2020). Business Dynamism in the World Economy. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 18(3),160-169.
Xiang, Z. and Gretzel, U. (2010). Role of Social Media in Online Travel Information Search, Tourism Management, 31, 179-188.
Zamani-Farahani, H., & Henderson, J. C. (2010). Islamic tourism and managing tourism development in Islamic societies: the cases of Iran and Saudi Arabia. International journal of tourism research, 12(1), 79-89.
Zeineddine, C. (2017). Employing Nation Branding in the Middle East – United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Management and Marketing, 12(2), 208-221.
Zhang, W. (2018). Growth and National Debt with Imported Goods, Tourism, and Public Goods. Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics, Special issue, 587-607.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Ghialy Yap, Shrabani Saha, Saif S. Alsowaidi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
