Qatar Tourism and CLIA UK & Ireland establish partnership

An extensive tourism development is under way in Qatar as the country works to diversify and build upon its offerings and broaden its appeal for visitors ahead of and beyond the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and achieve its long term goal of welcoming more than six million visitors a year by 2030.

New tourist attractions

A host of new hotels and hotel apartments, activities, theme parks, shopping malls and major projects have recently opened or are currently under construction.

 As of July 12, Qatar reopened its borders to fully vaccinated international travellers with vaccines approved for use by the Ministry of Public Health.

Andy Harmer, CLIA UK & Ireland managing director, said: ‘We’re very excited to welcome Qatar Tourism to the CLIA family. Their support for the trade is a clear indication they are looking to build positive cruise momentum. The region was proving increasingly popular with cruisers and we’re all looking forward to seeing ships start visiting the exceptional facilities of the Doha port and its surroundings again.’

Re-opened borders

Qatar Tourism COO Berthold Trenkel said: ‘As Qatar has re-opened its borders, we are looking forward to welcoming back cruise travellers from around the globe.’

Trenkel described Qatar as 'one of the most cosmopolitan destinations in the Middle East, rich in art, culture and tradition.

‘Adventure-seekers can enjoy the thrill of dune bashing across the desert, cultural enthusiasts can explore our world-famous museums and galleries, and there is a variety of fine dining options serving local and international cuisine to suit all tastes.’

 Doha port refurbishment

In 2019/2020, Qatar welcomed 207,000 cruise visitors to Doha. With the Doha port undergoing a multimillion-pound refurbishment recently, the destination has set its sights on meeting and exceeding this number moving forward in the 2021/22 season, starting November.