Italian chamber official lauds Qatar’s evolving tourism sector

The successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has helped ensure that the tournament would remain a memorable event “for many years,” especially among fans, tourists, and the people of Qatar, an official of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Qatar has said.
According to Palma Libotte, the country’s tourism sector is “constantly improving,” thus providing stakeholders and players in the industry the opportunity to contribute to its development and growth.
The World Cup helped cement Qatar’s place in the global tourism map, said Libotte, who noted that the training provided to staff of important sectors across the country, such as transport, services, and hospitality, among others, was a key factor to ensuring that tourists and visitors enjoyed the matches and their stay here.
“The training offered to all industry professionals before the FIFA World Cup worked out fantastic and everyone – from the metro stations, bus drivers, restaurants to the hotels and ushers – were all so helpful with the visitors. This was trending on social media and clearly gave Qatar an amazing promotion.
“Overall, I am happy to witness this exciting transition phase of Qatar, which is now becoming a popular tourist destination, thanks to all the visibility it obtained from the 2022 FIFA World Cup and to the positive feedback that all the football fans will share in their home countries. Word of mouth is always the best promotion and Qatar won everyone’s hearts through the World Cup,” Libotte emphasised.
Earlier, Qatar Tourism announced an “action-packed” 2023 calendar of activities, which includes the Geneva International Motor Show, AFC Asian Cup, and Formula 1, as well as the Expo 2023 Doha, which is poised as “the second-largest global event in Qatar after the World Cup.”
Only recently, the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) announced its calendar of sports events for this year, which will see 81 events, including 14 major international tournaments.
According to Libotte, the World Cup provide stakeholders and players in the local tourism sector, such as destination management companies (DMCs), the added experience to operate successfully during these upcoming events this year.
“The FIFA World Cup served as an intense training course for DMCs to understand what is most appreciated by visitors. It also taught them how to improve and how to set tourism-related rules for the future in Qatar,” Libotte explained.
She added: “I am looking forward to Formula One as it will draw many Italians. Also, the Geneva Motor Show will be interesting to combine with some scenic trips to Doha. The stopover packages offered by Qatar Airways are also incredible and they will also encourage many people to visit Qatar before going on holiday in Asia.”