Destination Competitiveness: The Perceptions of Foreign Tourists Visiting Qatar

Abstract

This paper aims to develop an evidence-based integrated model for destination competitiveness and apply it to the case of Qatar, such that it could be used to identify relevant determinants and rank their contributions to tourism performance in Qatar based on survey data for foreign tourists’ perceptions of the country. Various statistical methods were used to categorize the relevant constraints and the key determinants of tourism performance in Qatar. The results reveal that the highest-ranked determinants concerned core resources, particularly heritage-based artistic and architectural features, historic sites, and traditional arts and culture. In contrast, natural resources—such as national parks, wildlife, and nature-based activities—were ranked relatively low as determinants. This paper presents fresh insights into the competitiveness of Qatari tourism from visitors’ perspectives, and this may inform strategies for improving the country’s level of tourism competitiveness.