HOW ARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS CHANGING QATAR’S TOURISM SECTOR?
Qatar’s Tourism Strategy, focuses on enhancing visitor experience as it ramps efforts in establishing itself as a tourism destination.
Some of the key projects amplifying Qatar’s role in global tourism are Katara Cultural Village; National Museum of Qatar; Museum of Islamic Art; and all the stadiums surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The final panel of the Leaders in Construction Qatar Summit featured Martin Baeuerle, Operations Manager, Cundall; Samer Aoun, Senior Manager – Qatar, Khatib & Alami; and Dr Max Clark, Vice President – Delivery Services, Parsons as panellists.
“It’s ambitious, but feasible,” Aoun said about Qatar’s Tourism Strategy, while speaking at the conference.
He added: “If you look at the variety of tourism projects under construction, you can understand just how serious the Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) is in branding Qatar as a future top destination in the Gulf and in the world.”
As Qatar evidently makes massive strides and efforts in achieving internationalisation and improving international awareness as a tourism destination, this is reflected in six key areas. Aoun outlined the key areas as coastal and desert tourism, cultural tourism, business events, sports tourism, urban and family entertainment projects and more.
In enhancing its development projects, Qatar has seen an increased “beautification” of its several assets.
Baeuerle said: “Over the last five years, we have seen many different theme parks in Qatar. We are also seeing resorts popping up in the middle of the desert. There is great diversification underway.”
Qatar’s Lusail City has been integral to its current position as an upcoming tourism hub. The city has been planned and developed for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022.
Highlighting this, Clark concluded: “With Lusail City, we [Parsons] have been engaged constantly. It’s wonderful to watch a city develop from the ground up, help build that vision, and see how such new cities fit in and emerge with the rest of Doha.”