QTA & partners launch first Business Events Guide

Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and its partners in the business events sector launched the country’s first Business Events Guide, ushering in a new chapter of growth in the sector, according to local daily The Peninsula.

The Guide, available both online and in hard copy, offers a comprehensive resource that will help international event organisers, wherever they are, plan and deliver their exhibitions, conferences, conventions and meetings in Qatar.

The Guide was launched at the first Qatar Business Events Gathering, an event organised by QTA to celebrate the strides the sub-sector has taken to date, and to allow its members to discuss the broader strategy for its development. The gathering was attended by event organisers, conference and exhibition venues officials, in addition to the various members of the travel, tourism and hospitality value chain who help to make a business event successful.

Addressing attendees, Ahmed Al Obaidli, Director of Exhibitions at QTA, laid out QTA’s plans to support the growth of the sector hand-in-hand with its members, by developing home-grown events that attract international visitors, in addition to cultivating the talent that can deliver those events; developing products and services catering to business visitors, and promoting Qatar to business event planners by hosting familiarisation trips and attending international trade shows.

“Empowering our partners in the private sector to participate in the national efforts to promote Qatar as a destination for global business events is at the core of our strategy. This Guide, which was collected with input from all of the sector’s members, will put all the tools needed to organise an event in Qatar at event planners’ finger tips,” Al Obaidli said.

“Ensuring Qatar’s business visitors have an authentic experience that is reflective of Qatar’s culture requires the collaboration of all the organisations that contribute to this experience, whether they provide transport, accommodation or excursions.”

“The launch of this Guide is a source of immense pride for us, as its content reflects all that Qatar’s business events sector has to offer, and the shared commitment each of us has for taking this sector through to its next chapter of success,” he added.

With more than 150 business events taking place in Qatar annually, business events is emerging as a key sub-sector of the country’s tourism industry, accounting for a substantial number of Qatar’s visitors. To capitalise on this strength, Qatar’s National Tourism Sector Strategy (QNTSS) aims to triple the number of business events tourists by 2030, contributing at least half of the country’s revenue from tourism spending. Qatar has already invested heavily in infrastructural developments that provide a major boost to the business events industry.