Qatar’s presence at the World Travel Market continues to draw attention after the opening of the country’s pavilion, which was attended by HE Yousif bin Ali Al Khater, Qatar’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) launched the country’s latest destination promotion campaign, ‘Qatar Welcomes the World’ at the 37th World Travel Market (WTM). The campaign, which capitalises on the country’s new visa facilitation measures aims to leverage WTM’s platform to extend its audience reach.

International trade and media attending the global trade show, which attracts over 50,000 people annually, are closely following Qatar, who will be participating in the UNWTO Ministerial Summit on Sustainable Tourism. The summit will take place with the participation of 75 tourism ministers and heads of authorities.

WTM, which kicked off on 6th November in London, is the global tourism industry’s most anticipated annual event.

The three-day event held at the ExCel Centre brings together over 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, tourism industry leaders, government officials and international press.

Qatar is now the region’s most open country with nationals of over 80 countries eligible for a free entry visa waiver. To further facilitate visitor access, the country introduced an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system for visitors of all nationalities who hold valid residence permits or visas from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Schengen countries, or the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Rashed Al Qurese, Chief Marketing & Promotion Officer at QTA said, “Qatar Welcomes the World is the country’s largest destination promotion campaign yet and comes as part of our efforts to diversify Qatar’s visitor source markets.

“We are particularly excited to be launching it at WTM, where our stand’s visitors from across the global tourism and travel industry have an opportunity to learn more about the developments that make Qatar the most open country in our region.” 

Qatar’s delegation to WTM this year includes 24 hotels and Destination Management Companies (DMCs), representing the variety and range of Qatar’s leisure tourism options. QTA will be exhibiting alongside these private sector partners at WTM, providing a comprehensive one-stop showcase of the destination’s extensive offerings.

At the QTA stand, visitors are invited to collect ‘Your Passport to Qatar’, a brochure clearly explaining the various visitor visa types and the different systems that have been put in place to make a visit to Qatar—whether for a stopover, a short break or as a final destination—a smooth and enjoyable process.

The campaign also includes a fleet of taxis branded ‘Qatar Welcomes the World’ stationed around the ExCel Centre and in London during WTM and into 2018, encouraging those attending the show and those living in and visiting London to discover more about Qatar and its attractions.

In addition, a social media competition for the campaign encourages people in London to snap a photo of one of the branded taxis and upload to social media tagging @VisitQatar and using the hashtag #PassportToQatar.

The most creative photo will win a three-night trip to Qatar for two, including accommodation at the luxurious Sharq Village & Spa and flights with Qatar Airways.

WTM delegates gather each year to network and negotiate with representatives from global tourism destinations, and to discover the latest investment opportunities in tourism industry. This year, Qatar’s stand number at WTM is ME 100. The delegation includes representatives from the following organisations:

1.  Alwadi Hotel Doha

2.  Amari Doha

3.  Century Hotel Doha

4.  Discover Qatar

5.  Doha Marriott Hotel

6.  Fal Travelmart Travel & Tours

7.  First Travel & Tourism

8.  Grand Hyatt Doha

9.  Gulf Adventures

10. Holiday Villa Hotel

11. InterContinental Doha

12. InterContinental Doha - The City

13. Labbaik Travel

14. Mandarin Oriental, Doha

15. Mondrian Doha

16. Radisson Blu Hotel Doha

17. Regency Travel & Tours

18. Rehlaty for Travel & Tourism

19. Sharq Village & Spa

20. Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel

21. The Ritz-Carlton, Doha

22. Travel Designer

23. Unique Choice

24. Qatar Airways