Fifa World Cup: 765k visitors fall short of Qatar’s expected 1.2m influx
- The tournament in Qatar is considered one of the most expensive in terms of tickets, hotels and alcohol, sales of which are restricted
- The December 7 report said first 17 days of World Cup saw 765,859 international visitors, but more than half have since left
Qatar received just over 765,000 visitors during the first two weeks of the World Cup, according to an organisers’ report, falling short of the country’s expectations for an influx of 1.2 million during the month-long event.
A huge surge in visitors at this stage is unlikely with only eight teams staying on in Doha, and eight games left out of the 64 in the tournament that began on November 20.
Organisers had previously identified the peak period for international visitors to be November 24 to 28 during the busy group stage, when 32 teams were playing four matches every day.
The December 7 report was prepared by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), which organises the tournament, and said that the first 17 days of the World Cup saw 765,859 international visitors. More than half have now departed.
The report registered 1.33 million match ticket holders and 3.09 million tickets sold across the eight stadiums in Qatar for the tournament that ends on December 18.
A Qatari official, who did not wish to be named, confirmed the figures.