Issa Al Mohannadi (left), Chairman, Qatar Tourism Authority, with Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of World Tourism Organisation during the launch of the National Tourism Strategy 2030 at Katara on Sunday. Kammutty V P
DOHA: The tourism sector is projected to double its impact on the country’s GDP by 2030 through the National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 launched on Sunday at Katara.
Speaking at the launch, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) Chairman Issa Al Mohannadi said the direct contribution of tourism to Qatar’s GDP is projected to rise from 0.8 percent in 2012 to 3.1 percent by 2030, while the aggregate impact of tourism on the GDP will increase from the current 2.6 percent to 5.1 percent by 2030.
Citing tourism as a ‘main engine for development,’ Al Mohannadi said the strategy would see an increase in tourist arrivals from 1.2 millions in 2012 to 7.4m or more by 2030 and provide more jobs from the current 25,000 to 127,000 by 2030.
The number of domestic tourist trips is set to rise from 1.3m in 2012 to between 2.2m and 2.5m in 2030.
From between $1.3b and $1.4b in 2012, the total tourist spend is also expected to grow to $11b by 2030.
In 2010, Qatar’s tourism balance of payment was negative, with outgoing tourism expenditure surpassing incoming receipts by around $400m. The strategy will help reverse the trend, with the balance of payment reaching a positive $7b to $7.8b in 2030.
With the construction of many hotels, the number of rooms would also see an increase from 13,407 in 2012 to between 56,100 and 62,000 by 2030.
To attain its aims, the strategy will focus on high-impact programmes in the areas of culture, urban development, MICE, sports, sun and beach, health and wellness, nature and education, he said, adding it will also see a close partnership between the public and private sectors.
“Tourism is a vital pillar in Qatar’s development efforts and a key driver of socio-economic growth,” said Al Mohannadi.
“The strategy strives to fully capitalise on tourism potential and represents aspirations of the Qatari people for the future of their country.
“It will help reinforce Qatar’s regional and international standing as a premium destination offering authentic experiences, business facilitation, and family-focused recreation while expanding and promoting the country’s sports, health and wellness, nature, and educational tourism offering,” he added.
The strategy is set to expand the economy, increase the number of SMEs and encourage entrepreneurship and a greater role for the private sector in the economy.
More than 60 new strategic tourism development initiatives are in the pipeline, with the first having been launched in January 2014.
To achieving its goal, QTA has set up satellite offices in London and Paris, with eight more international offices set to open in the near future in key outbound markets.
The strategy builds on the current growth in tourism in Qatar and the development of first-rate infrastructure that has created an environment conducive to tourism through the exponential increase in the number of quality hotels and the construction of an advanced transportation network.
“Now the time has come to build upon our past successes and bring our bold plans to fruition. The end result of the strategy will be a thriving tourism sector that will be ready to handle the demands of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and far beyond.
“It will take a collaborative effort from all of Qatar working towards the success of our goals - the legacy of this strategy will be better infrastructure and higher quality of leisure and entertainment for us all. Most of all, every citizen will be proud of Qatar’s growing international profile as an economic and cultural force,” he said.
As part of its mission to plan, regulate, develop and promote sustainable tourism, QTA will monitor and ensure timely and successful implementation of the strategy, with the strategy’s programmes and projects to fall under the mandate of government entities, in partnership with the private sector. The Peninsula
