DOHA: Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) delegations are participating in global congresses to seek training, establish connections and increase Qatar’s worldwide ranking on business events indexes.
Participation is part of QTA stepping up efforts to position Qatar as a premium destination for business events.
Delegates took part in the 54th International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress in Buenos Aires and the 82nd UFI (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) Congress in Milan.
Through the events, QTA worked to develop partnerships with ICCA and UFI members, received training on bidding for international events and sought to attract more events to Qatar through their membership in ICCA and UFI.
QTA’s membership in both organisations is in line with Qatar’s objective of increasing the number of tourists by 20 percent over the next five years.
It is expected that most of these tourists will come to Qatar to attend business events, as the current ratio of business to leisure is 70:30.
Hamad Al Abdan, Director of Exhibitions, QTA, said, “Our strategy places emphasis on increasing involvement of local stakeholders in national efforts to promote the country as a destination for conferences and conventions. “By gaining tools to secure and host quality global events, we are better-equipped to empower our partners in the private sector to capitalise on this knowledge and deliver world-class conferences and exhibitions in Qatar.”
ICCA is the global expert in international association meetings. It represents main specialists in organising, transporting, and accommodating international meetings and events, and comprises almost 1,000 member companies and organisations in over 90 countries.
UFI is an association of the world’s leading trade show organisers, fairground owners and major national and international exhibition associations. The UFI Congress provides members with studies and research regarding all aspects of the exhibition industry and offers professional seminars and workshops.
Qatar has witnessed a substantial increase in activity in the business meetings and exhibitions sector, averaging 150 events a year.
This year so far, Qatar has seen a 35 percent growth in the number of exhibitions and next year QTA expects a further growth of five percent, with 58 shows on the calendar.
The Peninsula
