Qatar Airways offers free Doha stopovers

Qatar Airways has launched a new Doha stopover package, enabling transit passengers to take advantage of a free night’s stay in the city.

The carrier is running the deal “throughout the summer” in partnership with the Qatar Tourism Authority, to help “promote and market Qatar as a destination of choice for international travellers”.

All Qatar Airways passengers transiting through Doha can opt to add a free night’s stopover at hotels including The Four Seasons, Marriott Marquis, Radisson Blu and Oryx Rotana. A second night’s stay can also be added for a US$50/`3,210 booking fee.

The +Qatar package is available in three options: • +Qatar Premium – a one-night stay in a four-star hotel for

transiting economy passengers • +Qatar Luxury – a one-night stay in a five-star hotel for

transiting business and first class passengers • +Qatar Ultimate – a two-night stay in either a four- or fivestar property, for an additional US$50 booking fee Qatar’s recently-revised transit visa is free, and allows passengers to stopover for up to 96 hours.

Chief tourism development officer, Qatar Tourism Authority, Hassan Al-Ibrahim, says, “It was a great source of pride for all of us in Qatar when we launched the transit visa last November. We have already seen a surge in stopover passengers, with a 53 per cent increase recorded in March 2017, compared to the same month last year.

“With the launch of +Qatar, we aim to convert a larger portion of the 30 million passengers passing through Hamad International Airport into stopover visitors. We are delighted to make Qatar more accessible to people from around the world and invite them to discover our country, our cultural heritage and our natural treasures.” qatarairways.com, visitqatar.qa