DOHA: Qatar is set to become a global meetings destination, investing more than $20bn in tourism-related infrastructure that will boost its MICE (meeting, incentive, conferences, events) credentials, a statement from the Gulf Incentives, Business, Travel and Meetings (GIBTM) said yesterday.
The state has identified the meetings industry as a key pillar of economic diversification and growth and with this in mind, is rolling out venues, hotels, world-class aviation facilities and high-profile events that will command the attention of influential meeting and event planners globally.
Qatar’s ambition as a global meetings hub is underlined by its major presence at the upcoming GIBTM, which takes place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) from March 24 to 26, 2014.
“Qatar’s position as a convention destination of growing global prowess, is evident having moved up 49 places to reach 111th position in the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) league table of busiest global meetings cities for 2012,” said GIBTM Exhibition Manager Lois Hall (pictured).
Qatar’s travel and tourism sector contributes $3.4bn to GDP directly, the equivalent to 1.8 percent of economic activity, according to the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC), but the industry’s total contribution is around $13bn, or 6.7 percent, of GDP. The WTTC anticipates sector growth of 7.1 percent in 2013 and an annual average of four percent growth between 2013 and 2023.
The destination is already skewed heavily towards meetings business given the industry accounted for 72 percent of all visitors to the state in 2011, according to Oxford Economics, plus the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has confirmed the MICE segment is “by far the largest piece of the tourism pie”.
To bolster its exposure further, the QTA is one of the regional National Tourism Offices (NTOs) supporting a brand new post-show familiarisation trip programme which will involve tours, designed to provide GIBTM’s Hosted Buyers with an insight into the latest business and meetings facilities offered in Qatar.
“A multi-billion dollar investment plan earmarked for tourism-related projects will surely promote Qatar further up the rankings and attract the interest of global meeting planners seeking world-class facilities, such as GIBTM’s select group of influential Hosted Buyers from Europe, Asia and The Americas.”
Infrastructure developments designed to drive more business visitors to Qatar are wide-ranging and include the $15bn Hamad International Airport, with the first phase set to open by the end of the year and the facility expected to be fully operational by 2020.
In addition, $25bn been has allocated for railway construction and a further $6bn has been allotted for a new Doha Port project to include a cruise ship terminal.
Venue-wise the new Doha Exhibition & Convention Centre will provide 29,000sqm of conference space when it opens in the first quarter of 2014, plus 110 hotels are under construction in Qatar, adding a further 19,931 rooms to the current 13,407 room inventory.
New hotel and venue announcements are also anticipated as Qatar gears up to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Peninsula
