Enhancing digital solutions for tourists seen to benefit small businesses

Tourists arriving in Qatar will stand to gain from potential collaborations forged by local tech startups and tourism stakeholders, which could help enhance visitors’ experience in the country.Among these collaborative initiatives would be providing tourists with more options to transact cashless payments whilst visiting Qatar’s various tourism destinations, said Doha-based entrepreneur Michael Javier, the CEO and founder of fintech firm CWallet.According to Javier, a "big synergy” exists between local startups and tourism stakeholders in the country’s private and public sectors that could play a key role in digitising commercial transactions."Tourists will be able to conduct digital payments that are not currently available in some areas of Qatar like Souq Waqif. This will increase domestic payment transactions,” Javier told Gulf Times.Visitors to Qatar will also get access to special offers, discounts, and buy-one-get-one promos when using local wallets in the country, such as CWallet, Javier stressed, adding that this will not only enhance the trust mark for tourists but also expand opportunities for key players in the business ecosystem.Aside from enhancing digital payments and transactions, Javier said there are other main trends to anticipate in Qatar’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector this year, such as the ever-evolving technology of artificial intelligence (AI)."Nonetheless, innovative ways of conducting offline and online transactions will still be on the rise. Climate tech and the focus on sustainability tech would probably surpass edutech and healthtech this year,” Javier predicted.He also said that while there are challenges to anticipate going forward, opportunities are awaiting local solutions providers, which they could offer to the country’s tourism sector, thus elevating the domestic tourism experience."The booming tourism industry is already a huge opportunity for local service providers. Tourists are meant to have fun, relax, and enjoy, thus they are willing to spend, which is good for domestic players."One of the challenges in the sector is that there are still cash-oriented retailers in Qatar and tourists are limited only in spending inside big establishments, such as malls or hotels. Providing tourists with the ability to access digital solutions like digital or cashless transactions will be a big support to local businesses and small players,” Javier explained.