Qatar Tourism Authority

Qatar Tourism Authority

Agency overview
Jurisdiction QatarState of Qatar
Headquarters Qatar Tourism Authority
24624 Lusail Expy,
Doha, Qatar
Website www.visitqatar.qa

Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), a branch of the Government of Qatar, is the apex body responsible for the formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to the development and promotion of tourism in Qatar. This ministry is responsible for tourist attractions and accommodations for travelers, to expand and diversify of Qatar's tourism industry, as well as building up the role of tourism in the GDP of the country and it's future growth and social development.[1][2]

QTA’s work is guided by the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 (QNTSS),[3] published in February 2014, to set out a roadmap for the industry’s future development.[4]

Background

QTA is an autonomous entity working within the overall purview of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce,[5] acting as an enabler that works across many parts of the public and private sectors to increase investment in tourism and to build the infrastructure needed for growing the tourism industry.

According to the UN World Tourism Organization,[6] annual growth in the industry over the period 2010-2030 is expected to average 3.3% worldwide and 4.4% in emerging markets (including the Middle East). Qatar has significant attractions and attributes, including year-round sunshine, pristine beaches, the Inland Sea (Khor Al Adaid),[7] desert scenery and mangrove lagoons, are enhanced by cultural attractions, such as Al Zubarah UNESCO World Heritage Site,[8] several world-class museums,[9] public art installations, and traditional heritage activities. The country has also invested in a five-star airline,[10][11] facilities for a wide range of sports[12][13][14] and recreational activities, as well as world class conference and exhibition venues.[15][16]

Priority Areas[17]

Activities

QTA’s role is to activate the promotion, planning, regulation and development of Qatar’s tourism. A major responsibility of QTA as part of its planning and regulation efforts is the collection and analysis of data and market intelligence to provide the basis for formulating goals and setting priorities to take measures necessary to improve the tourism infrastructure and services.

In line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, substantial new hotel capacity is under development to meet the expected increase in visitor demand and prepare for major events such as the FIFA World Cup 2022, the 17th World Championships in Athletics in 2019; FIFA World Cup in 2022 & FINA World Swimming Championships in 2023. In 2015, several new hotel properties opened, bringing additional rooms to the market. At year-end, Qatar had 98 hotels and 21 hotel apartment establishments providing total accommodation of more than 20,000 rooms.

Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030

QNTSS was developed in close consultation with a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders, including infrastructure and transport suppliers, airlines, destination management companies, accommodation providers and meetings organizers, with a view to maximizing synergy and integrating tourism into the broader Qatar National Vision 2030.

QNTSS aims to achieve 5.2% contribution to Qatar’s total GDP and 9.7% contribution to the non-hydrocarbon economy by 2030.[18]

QNTSS will focus on attracting discerning and culturally aware travelers and families. In addition to building on Qatar’s existing strengths in the GCC market and among business travelers, increased emphasis will be devoted to diversifying into new geographical source markets and further enhancing Qatar’s MICE/business travel sector.

Regulation

QTA’s regulatory framework is designed to ensure consistently high quality standards across Qatar’s tourism industry. It is primarily based on a system of self-evaluation and online reporting by industry stakeholders, as well as online applications for licenses and renewals.

QTA’s legal responsibilities for the regulation of the tourism sector are enshrined in the provisions of two laws:

Regulation of the tourism sector is conducted through a system of licensing and classification.

QTA has introduced a standardized system of classifying hotels, hotel apartments and other accommodation providers catering to visitors. This involves self-evaluation by each accommodation provider against a detailed list of some 1,200 criteria.

Development

QTA is responsible for coordinating the development of the tourism infrastructure and services needed to achieve the goals of QNTSS and for mobilizing the necessary investment and human resources by focusing on the main areas: culture and heritage; urban and family entertainment; business events; and sports.

QTA’s Investment Promotion Unit (IPU) seeks suitable investors to undertake tourism-related projects that complement and expand the country’s existing range of facilities and attractions. It facilitates the flow of information and acts as a contact point between potential investors and appropriate public and private sector partners.

An important recent initiative in this regard has been the launch of the Qatar Business Incubation Centre Tourism (QBIC Tourism),[19] a specialized incubator for tourism start-ups, which will enable SMEs and entrepreneurs to develop products and services that enhance the Qatar tourism experience by providing them with business development tools and access to guidance from QTA decision-makers.

Promotion

A significant development in the promotion of Qatar’s tourism sector was QTA’s launch of a new destination brand in November 2015. Much of QTA’s promotional effort is targeted at the international travel trade, in recognition of the important contribution of overseas tour operators, travel agents and other industry professionals in promoting the destination in their respective markets.

In addition to its head office in Doha, QTA is building up an international network of representative offices. This currently comprises six offices: in Saudi Arabia (covering the Gulf Cooperation Council countries),[20] the USA, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Singapore (covering Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong).

QTA promotes Qatar through destination branding and an annual calendar of festivals and events.

Performance of Qatar’s Tourism Sector

QTA regularly reports on Qatar’s tourism development. In 2015, visitor numbers increased by 3.7% over the previous year to reach 2.93 million. This was 72% more than in 2010, representing an average annual growth rate of 11.5% over the last five years. Visits from all regions of the world have increased substantially between 2010 and 2015.

References

External links

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