Qatar seeks to become an international tourist destination

2011-02-18 By Nasser al-Ghanem in Doha

Music and cultural festivals are a popular tourist attraction in Qatar. [Nasser al-Ghamen/Al-Shorfa]

Fahad al-Hajiri, a Saudi, considers Qatar his favourite tourist destination. His drive to Qatar takes only four hours through the Abu Samra border crossing shared by the two countries.

"I frequently visit Doha during the holidays because the city hosts several events and festivals during the year," Al-Hajiri told Al-Shorfa.

He also mentioned he enjoys the international and continental sports championships, music festivals and international car shows that Doha offers.

Citizens throughout the Gulf are discovering Qatar as a vacation option. The country is seeking to become a tourist destination in the Middle East and is taking advantage of the promotional opportunities available as host of the World Cup in 2022.

Ahmed Al-Nuaimi, head of the Qatar Tourism Authority, said the authority developed an ambitious plan to make Qatar a tourist destination.

"We have printed maps showing the tourist sites of the country, and they have been distributed along our borders. We participated in several international exhibitions with the intent of presenting Qatar as a tourist destination worth visiting," he told Al-Shorfa.

Al-Nuaimi added, "Despite our small size, Qatar is home to several important landmarks on the national, regional and international levels. The most prominent of these is the Museum of Islamic Art which is an architectural masterpiece and is home to thousands of rare, artistic pieces. These pieces have cost millions of dollars to collect and belong to different cultures. We also have the Museum of Modern Arab Art which recently opened in Doha and holds some of the most remarkable works of Arab art from the previous two centuries.

Ibrahim Saadoon Al-Hajiri, an official at the Qatar Tourism Authority, believes the warm temperatures in Qatar are no longer an impediment for tourists to visit even during the summer.

"We think the nature of the summer activities convinced lots of Qatari families to spend their [summer] holidays inside the country," he added.

Al-Hajiri said the authority has tried to organise diverse activities to attract the largest number of tourists and to cater to all tastes. "There are annual music festivals, film festivals, book fairs, auto shows, jewellery and fashion shows, horse races, tennis competitions and much more."

Al-Hajiri also believes conferences are a key component that could present Qatar as a preferred tourist destination. Every year, Qatar organises dozens of regional and international conferences of all types.

According to 2010 statistics from the Qatar Tourism Authority, the number of tourists visiting Qatar in 2007 reached 700,000 people. In 2008, the figure rose to 800,000. The authority hopes to increase the number of visitors to 1,250,000 by the end of 2011.

Hussa Al-Rumaihi, a Kuwaiti, believes Qatar rivals Dubai as a tourist destination.

"I don't hear about Dubai as much as I hear about Qatar," she said. "In the past, I couldn't wait to go to the UAE, but now things are different. Qatar has a lot of nice things, and the people are kind."

As for the places she insists on visiting when she comes to Qatar, she says "Of course, it has to be Souq Waqif. It is very beautiful, and I like to visit and spend long hours in the traditional cafes."

Hussa said she enjoys visiting the Sealine Beach Resort which overlooks the Arabian Gulf as well as walking along the Doha Corniche. She also attends musical events in Doha.

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READER COMMENTS

Shaik abdul imran

2011-10-25

It is very happy to see a small country is going in a right path by encougaring the tourism of the country
رؤوف حسن

2011-3-10

There are several reasons which helped develop the tourism sector, including markets and the beautiful public sites Qatar has built through a big construction revolution which helped advance all aspects of life in a way that impacted Qatar and made it one of the countries which receive thousands of foreign tourists annually.
نجاح كريم

2011-3-10

I believe that Qatar took major steps in the field of developing the tourism sector and advancing it, and has come to work extensively on becoming one of the most important touristic countries frequented by tourists from all over the world. The state of Qatar has taken pains with the projects which will develop the tourism sector, and which greatly contributed to the prominent status it has attained today, regarding the nonstop coming of thousands of visitors and tourists into the State of Qatar throughout the year. Qatar adopted the modern construction structure in building huge buildings and touristic hotels that contain many of the amenities of comfort and luxury which are provided for the arriving tourists. The State of Qatar has worked on opening up the space and attracting all the capabilities and supporting creativity in contributing to showing Qatar in the form we see today, which reflects the development displayed in many aspects, which allows Qatar to attract tourists from all over the world. We cannot forget the role played by the organized media in supporting the touristic movement and making it extend to all the countries of the world, whether in festivals, sports tournaments or other different activities, which show the potential and beauty of Qatar that makes it the destination of many tourists in the world.
حليم

2011-3-10

The state of Qatar has succeeded in attracting Arab and foreign tourists from different parts of the world without exception, because of the correct policies adopted by the Qatari officials and the unique care they give to their country to attain the status it has today. One of the most important reasons which made Qatar one of the touristic countries of the world is the openness Qatar demonstrates to all the countries of the world in all aspects, as it is developing and its economy is growing.
شوكت

2011-3-10

Qatar has great potential, as it constructs many luxurious hotels, built using modern advanced construction methods. Tourism in Qatar is very special, and Qatar has been able to attract tourists from different countries of the world, because it has strong international relations in the field of tourism and many of the qualifications for success, including strong tourist agencies and an air fleet that has played a very important role in attracting tourists, as it made transportation easier. Qatar is distinguished by a good reputation in other fields, like sport, which has also contributed to developing tourism there through the international championships organized by the state of Qatar, which attracted many tourists.
دعاء

2011-3-5

Qatar has worked hard to improve and develop the country’s situation, thanks to the government, the officials, and the specialists’ keenness to serve the Qatari people, who deserve all the best. This proves that the Qatari government is working hard to rebuild the country and to provide a decent life to people. Thus, Qatar has started to attract tourists from all over the world; especially since it has many aspects of tourism that cause the tourists to visit Qatar and its famous places, such as “Waqef” market, which offers everything to the people, even various and unique kinds of birds, shops that are specialized in Arab items, the sea, which is the most beautiful thing, the cultural district “Ktara,” which is a beautiful, traditional place, which includes a Roman theater and many entertaining places, in addition to its location by the sea, and there are many beautiful restaurants. In fact, Qatar is one of the best Gulf countries in terms of its economy; it is stable and it gives great support to sports, through the building of sports cities that organize tournaments, such as the last Asia Cup of 2011, which attracted many tourists to Qatar, which will be the first Arab country that will host the World Cup in 2022, thanks to its development. So it deserves to be a great country that has burgeoning tourism in the region.
شاكر كاظم

2011-3-5

Qatar has a high profile in the region, and it has become the only Arab representative in sports, because it is the first country in the Arab world and in the Middle East that will host the World Cup in 2022. In fact, this was achieved through the hard work of the government and the officials in Qatar, in addition to the high culture of Qatari people, who are known for their generosity and many other Arab values. Qatar has become a tourist country because it is famous for being well organized, safe and stable. Moreover, it has a beautiful climate that attracts tourists. In fact, hosting the World Cup will help Qatar to become famous as a tourist country. That is why we hope that all the countries of the Middle East become tourist regions like Qatar, because the Arab World and the Middle East have many beautiful places, but they must work hard to make their countries beautiful for the sake of tourism.
منير عباس

2011-3-2

This development in the field of tourism should draw the interest of tourist bodies in Qatar, because it provides an important source of national income for any country. In addition, it helps make the country prominent in the international arena. Therefore, I would advise the Qatar Tourism Authority to do their utmost to make the tourism sector a success, and to promote Qatar through tourism.
علي نومان

2011-3-2

Qatar is eligible to become a tourist attraction and destination in the Middle East, because it features all the elements to have a prosperous tourism sector. Besides, tourists would find many things and various events that impress the viewers. Therefore, I would advise people to visit Qatar whenever they have the opportunity, because it is a beautiful country, and people there are wonderful and kind. I think that the special thing in Qatar is the variety of tourist attractions. For instance, Qatar features many magnificent urban constructions, which are unequalled in the Middle East, and various annual festivals which are held in Qatar, including music and cinematographic festivals. In addition, there are many important sports championships which have been hosted by Qatar. The latter is an important factor to attract tourists, along with a series of reasons which have made Qatar the most frequently-mentioned country in the Gulf and among the other Middle Eastern countries, among those who want to spend a tourist holiday or a pleasant vacation.
منتظر

2011-3-2

There are many people in Qatar who are worried about their country. They are doing their best to develop their nation and have it catch up with the world’s civilized countries; where people fear for it and do everything they can to develop their country and make it catch up with the civilized world. In fact, this is a gift from Almighty God to the Qatari people. On the other hand, conditions in other Arab countries are very different, because we suffer from a lack of honest officials who are worried about the interests of the nation as well as the people. There is no might or power but from God. Qatar has achieved noticeable urban development, along with such other domains as media and sports. Such matters have enabled Qatar to become a well-known country for other people and particularly foreign tourists, let alone the beautiful landscape in some Qatari regions. All factors considered, the tourist business in Qatar is moving forward and is developing and making progress.
معتز

2011-3-1

As far as I am concerned, after being honored with the hosting of the FIFA World Cup, Qatar has become a tourist attraction. In fact, tourists want to know more about this Arab country, which earned the right to host the biggest world championship. This is of course another reason which is added to the other ones, which make Qatar a tourist attraction. Indeed, it is a safe and secure country. In addition, there are no problems in Qatar, and this is an important factor that helps tourism prosper in any country.