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PORT calls are expected to triple in Qatar by 2019-20, bringing approximately 300,000 visitors to Qatar's shores aboard cruise ships, says Chief Tourism Development Officer of Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) Hassan Abdulrahman al Ibrahim. In an interview with The Business Year, Ibrahim explained why swift and transparent visas are the way of the future.
What pillars will drive the growth of the tourism sector on its path to achieving 10 million annual visits by 2030?
Qatar's National Tourism Sector Strategy (QNTSS) was launched in 2014, charting a pathway for developing the country's tourism sector through 2030. Since QNTSS was launched in 2014, tourism in Qatar has developed rapidly to become a viable economic sector and has proven capable of contributing to economic diversification on a national level. So much so, that it has been designated by the country's leadership as one of the five priority sectors in the Qatar National Development Plan 2017-2022. In the process, new sub-sectors and projects have emerged and with them an extensive group of new government and industry stakeholders. We have also refined our monitoring tools and gathered new data, which may shift our future targets and projections. While the vision behind QNTSS is to develop Qatar into a world-class tourism destination that reflects our cultural heritage, it will remain broadly the same, as the approach will be clearly articulated and focused on bringing private and public sector stakeholders together to achieve this.
How could the recently revised tourism visa scheme promote the country as a world-class stopover destination?
Since QNTSS launched in 2014, there have been many milestone achievements that have shaped and defined the country's tourism sector. These include major policy developments that have eased access to the country through a transparent and swift tourist visa application process, as well as the introduction of a free, 96-hour transit visa. Within just six months of its introduction, we are seeing a 40 percent YoY increase in stopover visitors to Qatar.
In light of the redevelopment of Doha Port as a cruise terminal and tourist attraction, how is QTA working to boost the number of tourists?
The 2016-2017 season witnessed a 1,000 percent increase in the number of passengers and 120 percent increase in the number of cruise ships docking in Doha. By the 2019-2020 season, port calls are expected to triple, bringing approximately 300,000 visitors to Qatar's shores aboard cruise ships.
What are the results of the Shop Qatar programme in strengthening Qatar's position as a shopping destination and promoting Made in Qatar products?
The economic impact of the tourism sector in Qatar is becoming increasingly visible. According to the draft 2015 Qatar Tourism Satellite Account, a system approved by the UN Statistical Commission for establishing the economic impact of tourism on a country's economy, Qatar's tourism sector made a total contribution of 4.3 percent to the country's total GDP, representing 8.8 percent total contribution to the country's non-hydrocarbon GDP. The economic impact of tourism is particularly evident during the nation-wide festivals, such as Qatar Summer Festival 2016 and the inaugural shopping festival, Shop Qatar 2017, each contributing an estimated $100 million and $290 million to the national economy, respectively.
