TravTalk - Middle East

1.5 mn fans visit Qatar to watch FIFA WC

- Shehara Rizly

Countdown to the biggest sporting event in the world this year ends on 20th November, as 32 best footfall teams in the world ÀJKW IRU WKH ),)$ :RUOG &XS WLWOH LQ 4DWDU XQWLO WK 'HFHPEHU 4DWDU 7RXULVP KDV D PXFK ELJJHU UROH WR SOD\ FRQVLGHULQ­J WKDW WKH\ are getting the best ever support from across the globe as the host country.

The next four weeks will be the most eventful for not just Qatar but the rest of the GCC, as the biggest sporting event in the world - FIFA World Cup - takes place in the Arab country. More than 1.5 million football fans are expected to visit Qatar to watch the sports event, while over 5 billion people will watch the matches on various screens. Qatar Tourism has been given the opportunit­y to take the event to the next level.

Role at the World Cup

Bertold Trenkel, Chief OperDWLQJ 2IÀFHU 4DWDU 7RXULVP shares, “We have two tasks that are related to the World Cup, we

are supporting the supreme committee in many initiative­s, one of them is training, which is a big programme, where so far over the last four weeks we have trained alone 25,000 people across hospitalit­y and other government functions. We are also supporting with basic informatio­n, the Hayya card, the entry ticket to the country, which replaces any visa process, but the Hayya card mobile app is powered largely by Visit Qatar content. So, when you XVH WKH +D\\D DSS \RX ZLOO ÀQG DOO WKH FRQWHQW WKDW \RX ZLOO ÀQG in the Visit Qatar mobile app. We are doing many other things like we are publishing a new guide book that will not be on shelves but in the hotel rooms by November, we are also publishing a new tourist map to optimise the visitor experience. We are also promoting all the events indestinat­ion before and during the World Cup. Outside of Qatar, Qatar tourism will run a destinatio­n campaign to make people aware of all the things they are missing out. “This will be the most watched FIFA World Cup ever in the history of mankind, so that is a big opportunit­y and we are capitalisi­ng on that one. With that springboar­d of 5 billion eyeballs that are watching the games, we are hoping to convert many of them and get their interest levels up to their considerat­ion list and hopefully visit Qatar in 2023 or the year after,” Trenkel said.

This will be the most watched FIFA World Cup ever in the history of mankind, so that is a big opportunit­y and we are capitalisi­ng on that one

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 ?? ?? Bertold Trenkel Chief Operating Officer Qatar Tourism
Bertold Trenkel Chief Operating Officer Qatar Tourism
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