Culture & Tourism
From The Report: Qatar 2012
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As an ancient pearl fishing centre, Qatar was once part of an historic trade network stretching across the Indian Ocean and connecting the merchants of Arabia and East Africa to South Asia. The modern state continues to show a commitment to building on its cosmopolitan history to attract travellers to its shores and expand its dynamic tourism offerings. The five pillars targeted for development to promote sector growth are: MICE, culture, education, sports and leisure. Certainly, challenges remain; one issue currently being addressed is infrastructure congestion. However, development of niche tourism segments complements long-term diversification plans by expanding the knowledge-based areas of the tourism economy.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Extending its reach: Business, education, sports and culture segments drive expansion
OBG
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As an ancient pearl fishing centre, Qatar was once part of an historic trade network stretching across the Indian Ocean and connecting the merchants of Arabia and East Africa to their counterparts in South Asia. Ships navigated with seasonal winds and built an expansive economic-cultural sphere, helping establish the region’s tradition of trade, travel and cultural exchange. The modern State of Qatar continues to show a commitment to building on its cosmopolitan history to attract travellers…

Analysis

Artistic synergies: Increasing investment in cultural facilities bodes well for the industry
OBG
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With energy windfalls fuelling large-scale development in virtually every area of the economy, Qatar has attracted – and continues to bring in – flocks of business visitors from around the world. Although business tourism is still a major breadwinner for the overall industry, the state is not placing all its eggs in one basket. Indeed, the tourism sector has been working to expand its range of offerings, and cultural tourism in particular has seen impressive growth in recent years. In addition…