Flight bookings to Qatar continue to boom ahead of World Cup 2022.
From across the Middle East, reservations for confirmed flights are up 6,000 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, and the UAE leads the way as the top source market for travellers.
The world’s biggest football tournament is kicking off in a little over four weeks, and fans from around the world have been busy securing flights to the Gulf state.
About 1.5 million fans, a little more than half the population of Qatar, are expected to descend upon the country and travellers from the Middle East look set to dominate the Doha stands.
According to the latest data from digital travel marketing company Sojern, flight tickets issued in the region are up 5,772 per cent for travel to Qatar during the tournament, compared to bookings in January this year.
The UAE continues to be the top country from where travellers will fly to the tournament, with consistent growth month-over-month of three per cent. The Emirates accounts for 17 per cent of all flight bookings made in September for travel to Qatar during the World Cup.
Football fans in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and other emirates are close enough to the action to be able to stay in the UAE and have a quick commute to Doha aboard match-day shuttle flights.
Recent news that non-ticket holders to the World Cup are able to enter Qatar during the tournament, as long as they have approval from someone who does have a ticket, has led to an increase in flight bookings from the UAE.
"Ahead of the World Cup next month, it's heartening to see such strong travel intent to Qatar and the surrounding GCC countries," said Chris Gregory-Pasha, senior sales director for Middle East Africa at Sojern. "With Qatar being the first country in the Middle East to host the world's biggest sporting event, it's not surprising that the UAE is the top feeder market over the World Cup period.
"Football has long been popular in Middle Eastern societies so the tournament will firmly position the game as the region's leading sport. Given its diverse expat population hailing from a number of countries that love football and have teams represented, it's also likely that numbers have been boosted by this demographic. Whether attending in person or enjoying the festivities that come with the World Cup, the matches provide local football fans a wonderful opportunity to enjoy world-class sport on their doorsteps."
Last month, reservations for flights from the US to Qatar slowed, but the country remains the second largest feeder market for travellers heading to the world's biggest footballing tournament. It is followed by India, which accounts for six per cent of all September flight reservations.
The UK, Saudi Arabia and Spain rank next, followed by Kuwait, France, Egypt and Lebanon rounding out the top 10.
Argentina football fans book last-minute Qatar flights
Travellers are also keen to travel to Qatar from Argentina, with bookings growing at speed in September.
The South American country has had a 244 per cent increase in flight bookings to Qatar compared to the previous month. The country — which boasts footballing legend Lionel Messi, who has said this World Cup will be his last — accounts for 2.4 per cent of all September flight bookings to Doha.
Serious contenders to take the trophy in Qatar, Argentina will take on the UAE in a friendly match in Abu Dhabi on November 16. The match — which will be Argentina’s final warm-up game before they move to Qatar — sold out in less than 24 hours.
Overall, flight bookings to Qatar in September continued to increase.
Confirmed flight reservations from across Africa grew substantially, rising by 4,413 per cent in September compared to January bookings. Five teams from across the continent are playing in the World Cup.
Bookings from the Asia Pacific are up more than 17,000 per cent compared to the beginning of the year. This is likely because of the participation of a record six teams from across the region and the recent easing of travel restrictions in several Asia Pacific countries.
Travellers flying to Qatar from Down Under don't seem to favour last-minute travel plans. Having ranked sixth-highest for flight bookings to Qatar in July, Australia has seen a considerable slowdown in September, dropping out of the top 10 list.
Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
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Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
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