QTA Qatar's focuses on promote tourism

In order to develop tourism and attract more investments to the sector, the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) is focusing on the country''s cultural identity and heritage instead of vying with leisure destinations. "The QTA is promoting Qatar as a unique world-class destination, and a centre for business innovation. We seek to enrich visitors’ awareness of the most visited traditional and cultural world-class places here," chairman Ahmed Abdullah al-Nuaimi. Al-Nuaimi''s comments, which was quoted by Gulf Times as saying, were featured in an interview from the book "40 Years of Excellence and Achievements," launched by Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry to mark the progress achieved in Qatar in the last four decades. Recalling that tourism has grown remarkably in the last four decades in Qatar, the official pointed out that the country has experienced a dynamic rise in the number of international hotels and a diversity of tourist activities. "Qatar boasts a robust position as a business tourist destination. The industry developed remarkably and made a positive impact on the number of hotel facilities and number of visiting businesspeople. Business tourism accounts for the lion’s share of all visitors: 90%. In 2011, Qatar won the World’s Leading Emerging Business Destination Award at the Annual World Travel Awards gala ceremony," he said. Al-Nuaimi said: "This year will witness the inauguration of the Qatar National Convention Centre at Education City, besides 35 hotel facilities, deluxe hotel apartments and housing blocks including 6,369 additional rooms. Qatar receives over a million visitors a year." There is a strategic plan set for the QTA to play a key role in the national income and participate in the sustainable development through the diversification of resources of income other than from oil and gas. Conferences and business meetings are the main target of the tourist market. There are also plans to construct three major conference centres in three years. Regarding preparations to meet the requirements for the FIFA 2022 World Cup, he said: "Our plan is to increase the current number of hotel rooms, from over 10,000 to 110,000 before the date of hosting World Cup 2022. So we have to grow 10-folds in almost 10 years. This is not unattainable, especially with the outstanding achievements of the country in many areas." The Qatar Statistic Authority (QSA) had revealed that in 2010, hotels and restaurants generated a profit of QR25mn. The QSA indicated that Qatar spends a lot on promoting cultural, sports and education tourism. Al-Nuaimi said that in 2010, Qatar launched 66 hotel facilities with 9,574 rooms in various categories. "The average occupancy rate in five-star hotels last year reached 60% with QR1.8bn in total revenues." It is expected that by the end of this year, 45 hotel facilities would have been launched with around 7,089 rooms and 1,359 apartments. The Museum of Islamic Art on the Corniche, the Weaponry Museum at Al-Luqta District, the House of Folklore on the Grand Hamad Street, the Zubarah Fort at Al-Zubara (105km northwest of Doha), and Umm Salal Mohamed Fort (21km from Doha) are among the tourist attractions. The Khor Al Udeid (Inland Sea, 78km south of Doha) featuring sand dunes of about 40m height, and Al-Jassasiya site are among Qatar’s unique attractions.