QATAR AIMING FOR ONE MILLION TOURISTS BY 2010

QATAR is new to the business of tourism but it is using heavy spending and comprehensive planning to make sure that tourists will find plenty to interest them. In May 2008 the Qatar tourism authority unveiled a US$15 million Qatar tourism master plan that it hoped would boost tourist numbers from an annual level of 400,000 to 1,000,000 by 2010. Qatar will offer the high end of the tour-ist market a fantastic travel experience of beach resorts, sun, expansive desert land-scapes, rich Arabic cultural heritage, prestigious hotels and extensive conference facilities as well as major inte-rnational sporting events, all in a very safe environment, said Akbar Al Baker, Chair-man and CEO of Qatar tourism. Qatar is already well on the way to having suffici-ent infrastructure in place. No less than eight new 4 and 5 Star hotels have been opened in Doha, Qatar’s capital over recent years. Qatar hopes that an increasing number of its visitors will be arriving on the national airline, Qatar Airways, which at the moment, operates four flights a week to the Seychelles.
While Qatar is eager to see its tourist numbers grow, it is not looking for the budget minded sun sitters who have provided the basis for tourism groups in much of Southern Europe; instead it hopes to attract visitors interested in a destination that offers some-thing slightly different, toget-her with the highest level of service and comfort. Tourists are being targeted through new resort developments led by the pearl of the gulf. This 3.2 million sq meter island includes villas available to both local and foreign buyers, three luxury hotels, four mariners and community and recreation facilities. “Qatar is eager to see a strong cultural component in its tourism development. It has brought in leading international architects to design landmark projects that will attract attention for their design as much as for there use. Qatar is well known for retaining its rich Arabic culture, and the master plan makes sure that visitors and tourists will be able to share in our rich heritage,”  Mr. Al Baker states.