International Travel Drives Growth in Summer Spending in Qatar
- Summer spending on Visa premium consumer cards in Qatar rose 19% year over year.
- Longer getaways captured 66% of travel spend, while long-haul destinations in the Middle East and Asia grew 33%.
- eCommerce spending among premium Visa cardholders increased 20%, indicating a growing preference for alternative payment methods.
Doha, 17 September 2025: Visa, a global leader in digital payments, today released its latest consumer spending insights for the 2025 summer holiday period in Qatar, based on the Visa Consulting & Analytics Retail Spend Monitor. The data reveals an increase of 19% in total summer spending on Visa premium consumer cards compared to 2024, highlighting continued growth in digital payments, higher-value transactions, and evolving travel preferences.
Shifting Consumer Behavior This Summer
Summer spending in Qatar not only increased compared to last year but also demonstrated changes in consumer behavior. Outbound travel to popular destinations increased by 27%, with 6% of travelers planning as early as three months in advance, 10% planning 1-3 months ahead, and the majority (84%) opting for last-minute bookings within a month. Among premium Visa cardholders, staycations grew by 12%, dining and leisure spending increased by 28%, and digital payments expanded by 9%. Premium Visa cardholders accounted for 71% of total summer spend.
Travel Trends:
Short vs. Long Trips
Consumers in Qatar favored both short getaways (under 3 days) and extended vacations. Long trips accounted for 66% of travel spend and generated higher average spend. Destinations in the Middle East — such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Lebanon, and Bahrain — and Asia — particularly Thailand and China — emerged as favored destinations for long-haul travel, collectively growing by 33%.
Outbound Travel
Outbound travel spend was highest to popular destinations such as the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, UAE, France, Thailand, with 27% increase. Premium Visa cardholders increased their outbound travel spend by 24% and now represent nearly 76% of total summer travel spend.
Inbound Travel
Inbound spending by premium Visa cardholders from Europe — particularly United Kingdom, France and Germany — grew 43%. Premium cardholders from other regions — particularly South Africa, Jordan and Pakistan — grew 56%.
Digital and eCommerce Continue to Grow
Digital spend among premium Visa cardholders rose by 9%. eCommerce spending also increased by 20% within this segment, showing a preference for alternate payment methods.
“Consumers in Qatar are embracing digital payment options and experiences more than ever this summer,” said Shashank Singh, Visa’s Vice President and General Manager for Qatar and Kuwait. “Visa is committed to supporting these evolving preferences by providing secure and seamless payment solutions.”
Visa’s Retail Spend Monitor was produced by Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA), capturing total retail, travel, and experience-related activity during Qatar’s summer break (1st July — 15th August), based on a subset of VisaNet data and complemented by survey-based estimates for other payment methods.
“With the regional expertise of Visa Consulting & Analytics and the scale of VisaNet, Visa empowers clients with actionable insights into evolving consumer behaviors — helping them plan strategically, respond faster to demand shifts, and unlock new growth opportunities, especially during key seasonal moments like the summer holidays,” said Nicolas Khoury, SVP, Head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, CEMEA.
About Visa’s Retail Spend Monitor
The Retail Spend Monitor insights on national retail sales across all payment types. The findings are based on a subset of aggregate retail sales activity in the Visa payments network, coupled with survey-based estimates for other forms of payment. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into consumer spending behaviors and trends, aiding retailers in strategic planning and market positioning. Premium card definition — Following cards are mapped under Premium category — VISA SIGNATURE, VISA SIGNATURE PREFERRED, VISA INFINITE, VISA INFINITE PRIVILEGE, VISA PLATINUM, VISA ULTRA HIGH NET WORTH.