Hotel occupancy rates in Qatar rose to 61% in the first six months of this year, compared to 59% in the same period last year, according to the Qatar Tourism Authority. The improvement in hotel performance can be attributed to the effort the government has put in motion to increase tourism activities, and in hosting sporting and cultural events, QTA said. It is also due to the continuous expansion of Qatar Airways into new routes in spite of the global economic crisis, the authority added.