UNWTO summit to be held in Qatar: Qatar sets new trends for tourism
Mr Al Nuaimi, QTEA’s Chairman, speaks at the German-Arab Forum on Tourism in Berlin
Berlin, Germany (March 11, 2009) – Qatar tourism and exhibitions authority announced that Qatar will host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) conference and meeting this April. Mr Ahmed Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Qatar tourism and exhibitions authority, spoke during the 11th German-Arab Forum on Tourism, organized on the sidelines of the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin.
Speaking about trends for tourism in the Arab World, Mr Al Nuaimi informed the audience of Qatar’s unique vision for tourism.
Mr Al Nuaimi announced that the UNWTO Conference on the Human Resource Challenge for Tourism “Qatar Summit” will be held in Doha from April 21 to 22.
“In Qatar we believe that tourism plays a chief role in both stimulus programmes and building infrastructure, due to its immense capacity to create jobs and its recovery potential. By hosting this international conference on the human resource challenge for tourism, we’ve created a unique opportunity to assess the volatile economic situation and its impact on tourism, and discuss the appropriate responses and policy recommendations.”
Speaking on the role of Qatar tourism and exhibitions authority in Qatar’s economy, Mr Ahmed Al Nuaimi explained : “QTA has helped create a new economic pillar in the country by combining business and leisure. We are already a hub for business and the MICE industry, with over 120 international conferences and exhibitions organized in 2008. 95% of visitors to Qatar come for a business purposes. We have built our infrastructure to support a very specific demographic, namely business focused tourism and high-end leisure tourism.”
Mr Al Nuaimi highlighted the unique combination of tourism and the economy in Qatar, that preserves Qatar’s identity: “We are not looking to attract mass-tourism, but rather a specific niche within the market. Catering to every tourism demographic would force us to lose our identity. But tourism in Qatar is not just about entertainment. In Qatar we are dedicated to sharing our culture with our guest through a variety of sites such as our new Museum of Islamic Art.”
Qatar tourism and exhibitions authority continues to expand its presence on the global stage, by participating to the biggest European travel trade show, International Tourism Bourse (ITB) to be held in Berlin, from March 11th until March 15th .
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About Qatar tourism and exhibitions authority
Launched by the Emiri Decree (24) in 2007, Qatar tourism and exhibitions authority (QTEA)’s role is to organize, enable, and supervise tourism industry development in Qatar, as well as represent and promote Qatar as a quality tourism destination for leisure, business, education, and sport. Qatar tourism and exhibitions authority gets actively involved in organizing events and promotions which positively reflect on the general image of Qatar as an evolving tourism destination.
