QATAR CALLING
As the world’s best male footballers limber up for the World Cup, Qatar Tourism’s Phil Dickinson tells Travel Weekly’s Lucy Huxley why there’s such a buzz about the destination
T
he Fifa World Cup 2022 is just days away – and Qatar is getting excited to show off all it has
to offer as 1.2 million people prepare to visit. Between November 20, when
the hosts take on Ecuador in the newly built Al-Bayt Stadium, and the final on December 18, when the winners will be crowned in Lusail, the eyes of the world will be on the Gulf nation. And while its tourist board appreciates the opportunities and
thrills the World Cup will bring, it hopes the tournament will kick-start a boost in long-term visitors to the country.
HUGE INVESTMENT Qatar Tourism’s vice president of international markets Phil Dickinson says he hopes to see up to six million people a year visit Qatar by 2030. He points to the key attractions Qatar has built to support the
hosting of the World Cup, adding: “It’s been a 12-year journey for the destination, with a massive amount of investment to make sure the country was going to be ready to host. “There have been a huge number of infrastructural changes, including a new metro system and a lot of new hotels – we’ve
42 17 NOVEMBER 2022 Al-Bayt Stadium
moved from 23,000 keys to nearly 50,000. There are also restaurants, attractions, new water parks, new theme parks – all adding to our fantastic cultural side.”
EASY ACCESS Dickinson says Qatar is attractive to a wide range of holidaymakers, from families to solo travellers. And due to its small size, he stresses that
visitors can pack a lot in during their stay. “The great thing with Qatar is everything is very easy,” he
adds. “You could literally be lying by the pool one minute and, 45 minutes later, you could be dune bashing on a desert buggy, or sand-skiing or paragliding or hot-air ballooning. “Everything is accessible. You don’t have to travel large
distances, which I think is one of our USPs.” The country also hopes to build on its stopover market.
Some 40 million people transit through Qatar each year – with four-star hotels bookable for as little as $14 a night when booking the special stopover package with Discover Qatar (for the trade) and Qatar Airways (for consumers). There are also plans to develop more three-star and four-star properties to offer “unrivalled luxury at affordable rates”.
travelweekly.co.uk
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