Doha loses 5,000 tourists since Arab quartet’s boycott

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Sun, 30 Sep 2018 - 09:57 GMT

BY

Sun, 30 Sep 2018 - 09:57 GMT

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad – press photo

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad – press photo

CAIRO – 30 September 2018: The Qatari opposition website Qatari Leaks released a clip on Sunday revealing that the tourism sector in Doha is witnessing great repercussions and a collapse with the continuation of the Arab quartet’s boycott to Qatar.



According to the report, Qatar’s tourism sector is witnessing severe deterioration despite the measures it has taken to support the sector, including the amendment of the visa laws to attract tourists, and its efforts to extend the periods of transit visas. These actions failed and did not succeed in overcoming the impact of the Arab boycott.
Qatar has lost more than 500,000 tourists since the start of the boycott, as it could not compensate expatriates from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Moreover, Qatar Airways has suffered a $69-million loss this fiscal year, showing the challenges still facing Doha since Arab and Gulf states decided to cut diplomatic ties with the tiny emirate last June for supporting and financing terrorism and having ties with regional foe Iran.

"This turbulent year has inevitably had an impact on our financial results, which reflect the negative effect the illegal blockade has had on our airline," Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said in a statement Tuesday.

The boycott locked Qatar Airways out of the airspaces of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, forcing the airline to take longer flights consuming more jet fuel and raising expenses.

Demands of the boycotting nations include Qatar limiting diplomatic ties to Iran, shutting down the state-funded Al-Jazeera satellite news network, and cutting ties with all terrorist organizations including the Muslim Brotherhood.

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