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QNA
Doha
Tourism sector in Qatar has achieved remarkable growth with the activation of the National Tourism Sector Strategy 2017-2023, which outlines the roadmap for development of the sector, Acting Chairman of Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) Hassan al Ibrahim has said.
In an interview with Al Watan newspaper, Ibrahim said Qatar has advanced its position to become the most open tourist destination in the Middle East, with attaining eighth rank globally.
"It is also among the best three countries in terms of maritime tourism. This is a result of the new visa policy which allows citizens of 88 countries to enter Qatar visa-free and free-of-charge. Another major measure was the launch of free transit visa with a validity of up to 96 hours," he said.
The '+Qatar' campaign promoted Qatar as a transit destination and the number of passengers wishing to stop in Qatar increased by 40 percent. Qatar is among the few countries in the world having an electronic visa system, which enables travellers to obtain a visa on arrival, he said.
"No other country in the world has achieved such a feat in such a short period of time, especially when the country was facing an unjust siege," Ibrahim said, attributing the growth to the support of the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and his wise directives for the development of the sector. Ibrahim said the siege has acted as a catalyst to drive the growth of the tourism sector.
Tourism sector's contribution to the national economy is 6.7 percent, and the QTA is working on to increase this in the coming years. The QTA also seeks to increase the participation of the private sector in tourism, Ibrahim said, pointing out that a private company has already set up a snow city in the country.
The QTA has launched 13 representative offices in major tourist markets across the world. Last year, it opened offices in China, Russia and India, which represent more than a quarter of the world's population. This resulted in an increase in the number of visitors from these countries to Qatar during the third quarter of this year.
Maritime tourism has a major role to play in Qatar owing to the country's geographical position in the heart of the Arabian Gulf. This sector is also important in the preparations for the World Cup 2022. He pointed to the plan to use cruise ships to accommodate football fans in order to avoid building more hotel units than the country needs after the World Cup.
"Maritime tourism in the country has achieved a great growth. During the 2017-2018 season, Qatar received 22 cruise ships and more than 65,000 visitors, a growth of 39 percent from the previous season. Estimates indicate that during 2018-2019 season, this will reach 140,000 tourists, a record high of more than 155 percent compared with last season. The country is expected receive 200,000 visitors in 2019 season, and by 2021-2022, QTA aims to achieve a target of 300,000 tourists," Ibrahim said.
Qatar has also become one of the most attractive destinations for business tourism, conferences and exhibitions, especially in the Indian and Chinese markets.
"Another major sector which contributes to Qatar's tourism is sports, as the country is now known as the international capital of sporting events. QTA is also focusing on amateur and non-professional world championships, such as Ooredoo Marathon, the Desert Marathon and mind sports. Qatar has become a major host country for mind and recreational sports," Ibrahim added.
