Tourism & Culture
From The Report: Qatar 2016
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Backed by a coordinated government strategy and strong investments in key economic enablers such as infrastructure, Qatar’s tourism industry continues to grow at a steady clip. Since 2010 Qatar has seen arrival numbers rise more than 72% to reach 2.93m in 2015. The sector’s economic contribution hit QR39.5bn ($10.8bn) in 2014, and mid-2015 estimates projected 2015 growth at 6.6%, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Foreign arrivals rose an average of 11.5% a year in 2010-15 and were up 3.7% year-on year in 2015, falling just shy of 3m visitors, according to Qatar Tourism Authority.

This chapter contains interviews with Hassan Abdulrahman Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer, Qatar Tourism Authority; and Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager, The Cultural Village Foundation-Katara.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

On the peninsula: Broad-ranging investments aimed at sustaining demand after the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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Backed by a coordinated government strategy and strong investments in key economic enablers such as infrastructure, Qatar’s tourism industry continues to grow at a steady clip. Since 2010 Qatar has seen arrival numbers rise over 72% to reach 2.93m in 2015. The sector’s economic contribution hit QR39.5bn ($10.8bn) in 2014, and mid-2015 estimates projected 2015 growth at 6.6%, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), an industry group. Foreign arrivals rose an average of 11.5%…

Interview

Sustainable appeal: OBG talks to Hassan Abdulrahman Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA)
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Interview:Hassan Abdulrahman Al Ibrahim How do you foresee supply and demand of hotel rooms developing? Is there a risk of an oversupply of rooms after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar? HASSAN ABDULRAHMAN AL IBRAHIM: QTA closely monitors tourist accommodation to ensure that the private sector is meeting market needs without overdeveloping. We have found that occupancy rates across all hotels held steady, remaining above 70% from 2014 to 2015 despite 20 new hotel establishments opening. We…

Analysis

Out of the night: New data projects will shed fresh light on industry trends
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The breadth of available data on tourist activity in Qatar expanded considerably in 2015 and will deepen further in 2016, providing valuable tools and market visibility for private businesses, policymakers and potential investors. The government agency responsible for planning, regulating and promoting the sector, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), currently compiles quarterly performance reports, which it distributes to public and private sector stakeholders. Yet their content has so far been limited…

Analysis

A landing place: Authorities look to tap the growing stream of cruise ship traffic
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In a bid to expand its share of the growing cruise tourism industry, Qatari officials are looking to redevelop Doha Port to include a dedicated docking station for passenger vessels, and have been successfully courting cruise lines to send an increasing number of their ships to the capital city. This should go a long way to enhancing Qatar’s tourism profile, with the potential to draw in thousands of new visitors each year. According to Abdul Aziz Nasser Al Yafei, director of Doha Port Management,…

Interview

Celebrating heritage: OBG talks to Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager, The Cultural Village Foundation-Katara
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Interview:Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti What plans are in place to enhance cultural offerings following on what has been achieved so far? KHALID BIN IBRAHIM AL SULAITI: There are several projects under way that will meet their scheduled deadlines. We will inaugurate the Falcons Museum in the second quarter of 2016, and the Katara Plaza will be inaugurated in the third quarter of 2017. The Katara Plaza covers 38,000 sq metres and will be a distinctive open-air and air-conditioned commercial…