Tourism, Culture & Sport
From The Report: Qatar 2024
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The tourism industry has undergone a significant transformation since 2022. The FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar that year saw an estimated 1m visitors arrive for the tournament, boosting the country’s reputation as a travel destination. In addition, since 2019 Qatar’s supply of hotel rooms has increased by nearly half, and a flurry of museums and cultural sites have either opened or begun construction. The growth of the industry mirrors the pivotal role it plays in Qatar’s long-term economic framework. In 2023 arrivals in the first three quarters of the year more than doubled compared to the same period during the previous year.

This chapter contains interviews with Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism; Tan Huism, Executive Director of Qatar National Library; and Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi, CEO of Qatar Museums.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Changing dynamics: Strategic initiatives aimed at diversification and capitalising on niche sectors are paving the way for sustained growth
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Qatar’s tourism industry has undergone a significant transformation since 2022. In the fourth quarter of that year an estimated 1m foreign visitors arrived for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which was watched by over 1bn people worldwide and boosted the country’s reputation as a travel destination. In addition, since 2019 Qatar’s supply of hotel rooms has increased by nearly half, and a flurry of museums and cultural sites have either opened or begun construction. The growth of the tourism industry…

Interview

Cohesive collaboration: Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman, Qatar Tourism, on attracting private investment, and diversifying destinations and offerings
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Interview:Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji What is being done to encourage increased private sector investment in tourism? SAAD BIN ALI AL KHARJI: The focus is on positioning Qatar as a tourism destination by strengthening international partnerships, hosting diverse events and conferences, and fostering an attractive investment environment. To fulfil this, we have granted licences to business event organisers to establish offices, hosted high-profile events and facilitated induction trips for international…

Interview

Culture stock: Tan Huism, Executive Director, Qatar National Library (QNL), on collaborative efforts to preserve the country’s heritage
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Interview:Tan Huism How have libraries adapted in response to behavioural shifts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic? TAN HUISM: During the pandemic libraries adopted innovative approaches to ensure uninterrupted access to knowledge. In QNL’s case, this included the expansion of online services and the migration of in-person services to digital platforms. As such services proved popular and convenient, we have retained many of them despite returning to pre-pandemic levels of physical books…

Analysis

Sustained momentum: A growing emphasis on diversification underscores Qatar’s commitment to sustainable growth and resilience
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Tourism plays a crucial role in Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy 2024-30 (NDS-3), which serves as the primary framework for achieving the goals set out in Qatar National Vision 2030. The NDS-3 focuses on seven strategic outcomes: sustainable economic growth, fiscal sustainability, a future-ready workforce, social cohesion, enhanced quality of life, environmental sustainability and government excellence. The strategy emphasises diversification clusters to promote sustainable economic…

Analysis

Cross-border connections: Gulf countries are developing strategic partnerships to promote the region as a leading travel destination
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In 2022 the Middle East witnessed the sharpest relative increase in international arrivals of any region in the world, solidifying its rebound from the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic and further raising its profile as an increasingly attractive destination for inbound tourism. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), in 2022 international arrivals in the Middle East recovered to 83% of levels seen prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, outperforming all other regions. Road…

Interview

Cultural evolution: Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi, CEO, Qatar Museums (QM), on blending innovation with heritage
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Interview:Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi What role do museums and cultural development play in Qatar’s broader tourism ambitions? MOHAMMED SAAD AL RUMAIHI: Qatar’s tourism industry has seen significant growth, surpassing 2022’s full-year international arrivals by the beginning of the third quarter of 2023, despite 2022 being the year of the FIFA World Cup. Room demand has also risen over 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Cultural tourism plays a vital role in this success, drawing international…