Qatar looks to boost sports tourism
Qatar is trying to encourage sports tour operators in the UK to offer packages to the destination since FIFA’s controversial decision to award it the World Cup in 2022.
Already it has held talks with specialists including Gullivers Travels with a view to being included in their programmes next year.
Abercrombie & Kent, Carrier, Travel Republic and Trailfinders are just some of the companies which have started selling Qatar recently. Funway Holidays, and possibly Virgin Holidays, are expected to add the Gulf state to their brochures next year.
However, 72% of the country’s visitors are meetings, incentives, conference and exhibition travellers and only a small proportion are holidaymakers.
"We are looking to build sports tourism and we will concentrate on this for the next few years," said director of tourism Abdulla Malalla Al Bader.
It is aiming to stage global sporting competitions, such as volleyball, handball, cycling and tennis, every year up to 2022.
The Gulf state would also like to encourage more long-haul travellers to break their journey in Qatar, a business which it hopes will increase when a new airport opens in Doha in the first half of 2013. Wendy Wu has is already featuring Qatar as a stopover destination.
"We don’t want to be another Dubai, we have our own culture and we are staying true to the ethos and culture of the Middle East," said Al Bader.
The country has a target of 29,000 hotel beds by 2013, which it expects to achieve within the next two months.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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