Tourism in Qatar: targeting 250 million tourists in eight languages

Emad Mourad - Doha

Cities embracing the waters of the sea, a stunning desert, and a construction boom with skyscrapers racing towards the clouds, with those words Peter Pysudski described the Polish tourist Qatar after a week spent in the country.

Pisodsky's belief in the development of tourism in Qatar is in line with the country's plans to develop this important sector as a major contributor to the national economy.

Pysudski details his visit to Doha, which is his first, as he travels through the Doha International Port on a cruise, and during his stay in Qatar, he is acquainted with all the tourist attractions in the country, but what has caught his attention since his arrival in Doha is her hospitable people and moderate faces, This time of year, as well as their cultural diversity.

Pessodsky plans to travel to Qatar after learning about the national promotion launched by Qatar National Tourism Council under the slogan "Authenticity of Experience", which aims to strengthen Qatar's position as an attractive and pioneering destination for tourism experiences. The campaign, launched in all media outlets in Europe, Different languages, targeting 250 million people; enabled Pessodski to take the experience he described as brilliant.

sea ​​tripes
According to official data obtained by Al Jazeera Net from the National Tourism Council, the tourism season in Qatar 2017-2018 has achieved a 39% growth in the number of visitors on board the cruise, with expectations of continued growth this season, to reach more than 100% Number of visitors and flights to be received by Doha Port.

Qatar aims to attract 5.6 million visitors annually by 2023, with the aim of increasing the direct contribution of tourism to Qatar's GDP from $ 5.4 billion in 2016 to $ 11.3 billion by 2023.

Since the launch of the first phase of the national tourism strategy in the country, the total contribution of tourism (direct and indirect) in the country's GDP has increased to 6.7%.

The National Council for Tourism is making significant efforts in diversifying tourism markets and promoting Qatar as a global tourist destination. In 2018, six representative offices were opened in three of the world's largest tourism markets - China, India and Russia. The leading travel agencies in China, German-speaking markets and the Italian market.

The training of travel agents on the marketing of trips to Qatar was also part of the efforts of the National Council for Tourism. It trained more than 8400 travel agents on how to market tourism in Qatar and carried out more than 190 promotions through travel agencies and travel agents. Also the tour guides, where the official licenses were granted for the guidance of tourists to 137 guides speaking twenty languages.

Attractive events
Hosting exhibitions and conferences is one of the most attractive elements of tourism in Qatar, especially in light of the organization of Qatar 131 exhibitions and conferences in various disciplines. Last year, local exhibitions attracted more than 65 thousand visitors.

The sports sector benefiting from Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup and hosting the Aspire Academy is one of the most important sports treatment centers in the region. Qatar has become a global sports tourism destination and has made more than 10 international clubs. Is organizing its winter camps in Doha this year.

Qatar's plans to attract tourism have resulted in Qatar being ranked eighth in the list of countries most open to visitors, according to the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations, after the state exempted more than two thirds of the world's population from the requirement of obtaining a visa and the advance cost, Through its application of the visa system.

"The tourism sector has been able to achieve remarkable growth over the past year, thanks to the great development boom in the country," said Abdul Hakim Fayez, an official at a tourism company in Qatar, stressing that business tourism is the main focus of the results of tourism facilities. General.

Fayez added that there are many factors that contributed to the revitalization of tourism, the most important of which is the exemption of 80 nationality visas, the expansion of Qatar Airways, the growth of the portfolio of Katara hospitality locally and globally, in addition to reviewing the national tourism strategy, the economic boom and development in Qatar, Hosting the most important sporting events and championships, as well as the flourishing of transit tourism through Hamad Airport.