Qatar Tourism Showcased at Travel Show
I still don't personally see Qatar as a tourist destination, due to the cost of getting here and the lack of things to do once you're here. However, it seems Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority has other ideas;
According to industry experts attending the world’s leading travel trade show, ITB Berlin, Qatar will be the exciting new travel destination of choice for those wishing to experience a quality destination for business, meetings, culture and sport.
The Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority, which will exhibit at ITB, anticipates that visitor arrivals to Qatar will boom to an expected 1.4 million in 2010, compared with 2005 figures when visitor arrivals to the country stood at 600,000.
“Qatar is a world-class destination with 20% annual growth targets for inbound travel. As the world’s fastest growing economy, Qatar also offers an upscale world of leisure and cultural attractions,” said Ahmed Al-Nuaimi, Chairman of the Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority.
Source: http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Qatar/241526
Now that the illegal taxis are being run out of business, I wonder if there will be enough Karwa to go to the airport to pick up all these tourists.
There certainly aren't any to pick people up from the shopping centers.
Another move by the government to cause inconvenience to residents and tourists alike.
"Qatar will be the exciting new travel destination of choice for those wishing to experience a quality destination for business, meetings, culture and sport." ...good joke
There are a few blokes here on QL trying to play cricket, football & go rock climbing....but has nowhere to go.
The "Tourist" are 70% people looking for jobs and 30% on visa runs from neighboring countries.
Dubai is Tourist Material but Qatar?
Plus Qatar has the world's best public transportation system..."Drive your self everywhere".
Repeated
goodlookin canary has natural green forests behind you when you are in the beach! plus you have a white sand and a crystal clear sea water!
Qatar is clueless when it comes to tourism.
It’s unsurprising really when the head of tourism also runs a major airline whose only objective is for Doha to be the No1 transit point.
Strange really when most Brits only require sun, sea & a hotel that has alcohol. I’m off to the Canary Islands in a few weeks for a bit of sun, what do the Canary Islands have that Qatar doesn’t?
my sister came to stay with us twice. First time for about 2.5 weeks, second time for about 3.5 weeks and I can honestly tell you that without QL Social Group having some outings I would have been hard pushed to entertain her with more than the Malls and a walk along the Corniche.
Yes, we went to a show at The Ramada but mostly, apart from the fact that she probably thought she'd never stayed on a building site the size of Wales before, all I could take her to were parties!
She was staying with her sister as a family guest, so I'm not sure a tourist would gain much from a stay (as a tourist).
She did say it was 'an eye opener' though.
Maybe most of the tourists are people with visit visa looking for job here!
Qatar is great for Jobs and calm peace life, but when it comes to entertainment its so bad!
I don't know why wouldn't they invest thier milions in profitable tourism attractions like a huge water park (like the one in Duba) or an amusment park like Disneyland?!!
If I had enough money I would have opened a water park!
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
No.
please move on...
Taverns or they can give up trying.
The hotels I find weird are the dry ones. Even if you were a strict non-drinker, why would you check in to a dry hotel rather than The Ritz or Intercon?
I guess all those investors who put money up to build massive hotels and resorts are getting worried that there will be no guests checking in.
Hopefully though they will have all the hotels ready for the visitors coming to the Asian Games.
I'm still trying to find the cultural attractions...
what are they gonna offer to the tourists? there's nothing in here except going up & down the sand dunes. oh wait, they can go to UAE for that as,well.
http://www.buhayqatar.com
mo lang!
I hope their figures aren't based on tourist visas, because I know half a dozen people who are visa hopping at the moment, and I did it for almost a year before getting my RP.
A 20% annual increase.
So they want to grow tourist numbers from 100 per year to 120 per year?
Yeah, that's not going to happen Davidak! And neither would I want it to.
Yes, that's an interesting point Novita - what do they class as a tourist? People arriving at the airport who don't have a residents visa? People staying in hotels?
How do other countries calculate tourist numbers?
My bet is the 'tourists' they count are people who come here to visit friends/relatives who works or living in Doha.
If I dont know anyone in Qatar, I rather spend my 500 pound to fly to Bali than flying to Doha.
Get some booze culture, none of this hotel crap, i'm talking seedy taverns with oak wood sighs haning over the doors.
Please, no tourists! Qatar is beautiful without them. They only create problems when they are not dressed properly or make love on the beaches.
I knew you'd have a positive spin on things MD :)
Blah, blah, blah. Paper is patient, truth is disturbing.