Qatar Joins U.S. Visa Waiver Program, Marking a Political Milestone.
Qatar has been added to the United States Visa Waiver Program, allowing citizens of both countries to travel visa-free. This makes Qatar the 42nd country to join the program and the first to be added this year. It is also the only Gulf nation included in the list.
This inclusion reflects Qatar’s significant commitment to U.S. security interests rather than its tourism appeal. To qualify for the Visa Waiver Program, countries must meet rigorous criteria related to counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration control, document security, and border management.
According to a statement, Qatar made substantial efforts across its government to meet these requirements, including cooperation on terrorism and serious crime information sharing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted that Qatar’s compliance with these stringent security standards would strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and boost the movement of people and commerce.
Qatar is the 42nd nation to be admitted to the program. Recent additions include Croatia in 2021 and Israel last year. Participating countries must offer similar visa-free travel privileges to U.S. citizens.
Despite this development, U.S. tourism to Qatar remains modest. As of August this year, approximately 129,000 American visitors traveled to Qatar, which represents about 4% of the total 3.28 million tourists. Comparatively, Qatar receives similar numbers of tourists from Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.
Since the FIFA World Cup in Doha in 2022, Qatar has sought to maintain the high visitor numbers experienced during the event. However, without major events, the tourism sector has struggled, exacerbated by the addition of 10,000 new hotel rooms since early 2022, bringing the total to nearly 40,000. Despite the increase, hotel occupancy rates averaged 58% in 2023, with nightly rates around $112.
In response, Qatar Airways has introduced new stopover packages, allowing travelers to stay in Doha for up to four nights at subsidized rates through its holiday subsidiary, Qatar Holidays. Additionally, Qatar’s tourism authority offers transit visas for about $27 and provides tours for travelers with layovers of six hours or more.
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