With the group stage of the Qatar World Cup now complete, the excitement of the knockout rounds is sweeping the globe, with many fans flocking to Qatar to cheer for their favorite teams. Data from the organizers show that more than 765,000 tourists have flocked to Qatar since the tournament opened. However, this number does not seem to have met the expectations of the authorities.
As host, Qatar had expected to welcome more than 1.2 million visitors during the finals week. In particular, the number of visitors should have peaked from Nov. 24 to 28, at the height of the group stage. However, the knockout stage has seen a large number of eliminated teams and their supporters leave the country, and preliminary statistics show that more than half of the tourists have already left Qatar. The decline in visitor numbers has led to excess demand for accommodation, causing the authorities to revise downward their expectations for visitor numbers.
This year's World Cup is the first to be held in the Middle East, and FIFA says stadium attendance has already exceeded that of the 2018 World Cup in Russia at the same time. However, the high cost of tickets and hotels has deterred many fans. Still, there are exceptions. For example, Morocco, which has reached the last eight for the first time, is expected to attract many fans to Qatar to cheer on the African team in the hope of witnessing another success.
