'Transiting Through Doha 8.1% Cheaper Than Via Dubai Qatar Should Accord Top Priority For Competitive Stopover'

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Transiting through Doha is, on average, 8.1% cheaper than via Dubai, making it imperative for Qatar to accord top priority for a“competitive” stopover programme, according to a Georgetown University in Qatar study.
A study of 'Qatar's Airfare Competitiveness' by Dr Alexis Antoniade, Professor Director, and Chair of International Economics at Georgetown University in Qatar, found that on average, across all origin-destination pairs and time periods, travellers save 8.1% by choosing Doha over Dubai for transit.
Flights connecting North America and Africa that transit through Doha were, on average, 11.2% cheaper than those transiting through Dubai, it said, analysing 100mn airfares across 157 destinations between February 2023 and October 2024 (both point-to-point and transit flights through Doha).
Similarly, flights connecting the Middle East and Western Europe via Doha were 10.8% cheaper than those via Dubai, it said, adding across all regional pairs, Qatar provides cost savings for transit flights.
Suggesting that a“competitive stopover programme should be Qatar's top priority”; he said to boost tourism, the focus should not be on what to build or where to build, as this approach overlooks the main barrier to increasing tourist numbers identified.
“Instead, the focus should be on how to encourage the millions of travellers passing through Doha airport to step out and visit Qatar for a few nights,” he added.
A successful stopover programme would provide an immediate boost to the tourism sector, offering critical support to the hospitality, retail, and entertainment industries, according to him.
Additionally, it would organically promote Qatar's beauty and offerings as tourists share images and stories on their social media platforms, enhancing brand awareness, according to him.
Such a programme would also improve economic sentiment, as busier streets, malls, and restaurants would create a sense of vibrancy, he said. This, in turn, would drive growth in the real estate sector and make Qatar more attractive to companies, foreign direct investment (FDI), and talent, he added.
Results highlight a significant airfare premium for point-to-point travel to Qatar, which was 39% higher on average compared to Dubai, limiting Qatar's attractiveness as a destination. A key factor that may explain these large cost premia, which make Qatar an uncompetitive travel destination, is the greater number of carriers operating at DXB (Dubai International Airport) - including low-cost carriers - and increased competition that is absent in Qatar.
Highlighting that the average cost of economy airfare for round-trip travel to or from Qatar and the 157 airports included in the study, the author said the average airfare for economy round-trip flights to and from Qatar between February 2023 and October 2024 was $1,355 for non-stop flights and $1,541 for one-stop.
When evaluating Qatar's airfare competitiveness, the study found that Qatar is a“significantly” more expensive destination compared with Dubai across all regions, regardless of whether non-stop or one-stop flights are considered.
Travellers flying to Qatar from South Asia and back (or travellers flying from Qatar to South Asia and back) have paid on average 82.2% more than those in Dubai for similar trips. Even within Middle East and North Africa or Mena travel, point-to-point travel to or from Doha was, on average, 45.5% more expensive than comparable travel to or from Dubai.

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