A shortage of accommodation in Qatar for the World Cup is being cited for a surge in flight bookings from the UAE where many fans will be based during the tournament.
Bookings from the likes of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are currently running at ten times the volume of pre-pandemic levels, analysis by industry data firm ForwardKeys found.
The UAE’s strong showing is explained by a shortage of accommodation in Qatar, according to the company.
Many fans are expected to stay in the UAE and fly over on match days.
Day trips currently account for 4% of all arrivals in Qatar during the World Cup, 85% of which originate in the UAE.
The other top source nations for travel to the tournament in November and December are Mexico, Argentina, Spain and Japan.
Despite the requirement to present a negative Covid-19 test to enter Qatar, the popularity of the tournament is such that there have been millions of searches online for flights to Qatar in the first nine months of the year, the study showed.
Twelve per cent of them are for journeys originating in the UAE, 12% from the US, 7% from Spain, 7% from India, 6% from the UK and 6% from Germany.
The data is based on issued flight tickets, including day trips at September 29 for travel to Qatar between November 14 and December 24.
The tournament is set to benefit the whole Gulf region, as flight bookings to GCC countries during the competition are currently 16% ahead, and, for the initial stages, 61% ahead.
Many World Cup visitors are also travelling to other destinations in the region, with Dubai being the biggest beneficiary.
ForwardKeys insights vice president Olivier Ponti said: “As global events go, the FIFA World Cup is one of the most attractive drivers of travel there is, so much so, that other destinations in the Gulf will benefit, not just the host nation, Qatar.
“In tourism promotion terms, the World Cup will throw a media spotlight on Qatar and help it become a more established destination, and not just a major hub for intercontinental air traffic.
“Normally, just 3% of travel to Doha is destined to stay in the country; and 97% comprises onward connections. However, during the World Cup almost 27% has Qatar as the ultimate destination.
“The UAE will also benefit substantially from the tournament because it has much more hotel accommodation than Qatar, and two global hub airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”