Qatar Tourism Authority concludes successful GCC Roadshow

Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) hailed the successful end to their promotional road show covering six cities across the Gulf to boost awareness of Qatar’s tourism offerings as an ideal destination for Eid AL Fitr and Eid Al Adha.

During the road show QTA delegates from the hospitality, culture, sports and leisure sectors met with business and incentive travel professionals to highlight and educate them on the potential of Qatar being an ideal destination to celebrate the two Islamic holidays.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Roadshow 2012 started in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Al Khobar on 26 May, before moving on to Riyadh, Kuwait, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and concluding in Dubai on 31 May.

QTA’s tourism strategy during the GCC Roadshow aimed to promote Qatar’s authentic heritage and rich past while highlighting its focus on building the future through creativity and innovation by promoting the five major pillars: Meetings, Sports, Culture, Leisure and Education.

“This Roadshow was an initiative we launched by specifically targeting professionals in the MICE (meetings, incentive, convention, exhibitions) industry,” said Abdulla Malalla Al Bader, Director of Tourism at Qatar Tourism Authority. “The tour was very successful- we built new relationships and strengthened existing ones in these cities, which are all important markets for Qatar.”

"Qatar is preparing for a robust economic future, and tourism will play a key role in creating a diverse and sustainable economy. This rapid development in Qatar’s tourism industry and infrastructure will only solidify Qatar’s position as an upcoming business destination in the Middle East. Conducting this roadshow across the GCC was very important because we want as much interaction with all the Arab neighboring countries and for them to come and visit Qatar, especially during the two auspicious Islamic holidays,” concluded Al Bader.

Qatar has made significant investments domestically and internationally to encourage cultural, sport, and leisure tourism to complement business tourism industry in the country. The government of Qatar has made significant investments to develop Qatar’s tourism infrastructure over a 5 year period, including the construction of new hotels, resorts and other tourism facilities. Qatar is a hosting venue for many international sporting championships in tennis, golf, athletics and football. Plans are being put in place to build world-class stadiums for the 2022 Football World Cup.

The iconic Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M. Pei, has put Qatar’s capital city of Doha firmly on the cultural scene in the Middle East. Other major projects scheduled to open in the near future include the Qatar National Convention Centre, which boasts 40,000 square meters of state-of-the-art exhibition space and the New Doha International Airport, which upon completion will be able to handle 50 million passengers.