Mr. Ahmed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), said: “The unique, competitive and distinct study is the first of its kind in the tourism industry. The report reflects an in-depth analysis of the parameters which drive the travel and tourism sector worldwide. The report is an important study worldwide, and we have reviewed the results for the State of Qatar relative to the world stage in the field of travel and tourism. We disclose here the points we reviewed in detail, and will work on to develop and raise the competitive ranking of Qatar and maintain its competitiveness both globally and in the region.”

The Global Competitiveness Report is an important publication of the World Economic Forum and includes a detailed assessment of the competitive and comparative elements of countries in the world. The first report was issued in 1979 and since then the report has expanded to include more economies. The report for 2008/2009 covers 134 countries. Over the past years, the development of the methodology used to measure competitiveness in the report has evolved. The current measuring indicator is called the  Global Competitiveness Index (GCI). The index seeks to reflect accurately all the factors affecting the productivity of the state and reflects the reality of various countries included in the study.

The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report is an in-depth analysis of travel and tourism by country, using an index developed to assess the difficulties and obstacles facing the competitiveness of the public and private sectors within the travel and tourism sectors. The index is called the Travel & Tourism Competitive Index (TTCI). The aim of the index is to measure the factors and policies that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism sector in different countries. It offers a comprehensive strategic tool to help build and develop the tourism sector through the measurement and analysis of performance indicators. The index has been developed based in close collaboration with well-known organizations and international research centers including: the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Council of Travel and Tourism (WTTC).

The TTCI is based on three broad categories of variables that drive competitiveness in the sector: regulatory framework, business environment and infrastructure, and human, cultural and natural resources.   

The report is based on the results of opinion polls and surveys conducted by the comprehensive annual World Economic Forum in collaboration with a network of international institutions.

Qatar Tourism Authority, in cooperation with the Arab Tourism Organization, studied the details of the report and produced a number of observations and recommendations that will be focused on and developed to raise the competitive ranking of the country and maintain an advanced and competitive position globally and in the region.

Mr. Al Nuaimi commented on the most important observations and recommendation covered by the study. “We found through the study that the State of Qatar ranked second among Arab nations after the United Arab Emirates and ranked 37 globally in terms of travel and tourism competitiveness. This ranking is a respected assessment in the field of tourism and will raise the reputation of tourism in Qatar internationally. However, this ranking needs effort to maintain and improve.”

The support of the State of Qatar has helped to obtain significant advantages in this ranking such as an accessible and secure environment, which ranked ninth in the world. Qatar also has the availability of high-quality human resources in the country, ranking 22 globally on the availability of qualified human capital. The availability of good tourism infrastructure was ranked 28 in the world. Excellent infrastructure for air transport was ranked 20 in the world; in line with the increasing role of Qatar Airways as the core of air transport in the country.

Mr. Al Nuaimi said: “The State of Qatar has maintained the 37^th position globally for the second year in a row. While the index for regulatory and legal framework, and those indicators for infrastructure and business environment have improved significantly due to the efforts we have made in these areas in Qatar, we still have progress to make to improve the ranking for human and cultural resources and natural resources which will help raise the overall global ranking. The programs we have recently put in place for training and cooperation across the tourism sector in Qatar will contribute to this.”

As for the main recommendations to improve the overall ranking, Mr. Al Nuaimi said: “The next meeting of the World Economic Forum will be held in January 2011 in Davos, Switzerland. The Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa will be held in October 2010 in Morocco.  Accordingly, it will be possible to seek improvement in the assessment of the State of Qatar in the overall global competitive ranking and in the region for tourism and travel. Through efforts to improve policy rules and regulations, as well as efforts to upgrade infrastructure for ground transportation, and to do more to focus on environmental sustainability – the overall ranking will improve.”

Finally, Mr. Al Nuaimi said: “This study will, by providing for all professionals who want to see it, also be submitted to the relevant authorities in the State, together with appropriate recommendations for improvement.”