As more international borders continue to open with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, Qatar Airways has been playing a significant role in the recovery of Indonesia’s tourism industry, ambassador Ridwan Hassan has said.
Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of Project Qatar and Hospitality Qatar, which concludes today at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC), Hassan noted that tourism in the two countries “is steadily coming back, which is an important development” for both the Gulf and southeast Asian nations.
“There are several indicators that show a positive trend in terms of the influx of tourists from Qatar to Indonesia. Qatar Airways flies to Indonesia thrice daily and the flights are always fully-booked. This is a very good indicator. Also, flights to Bali have resumed. They are, likewise, fully booked, and the embassy has been receiving a lot of inquiries about Bali.
“We know that Qatar is a very important country with a significant number of expatriates living here, as well as its citizens. There has been a significant increase not only in the number of Qatari tourists but also from residents of Qatar,” Hassan explained.
The ambassador also lauded the move to combine the 18th edition of Project Qatar and the seventh for Hospitality Qatar, which Hassan described as “a really a good initiative.”
“Qatar is an important economic hub for Indonesia. Its economy is continuously growing and there is a lot of construction and development activities happening, and in anticipation of the World Cup, Qatar has been hosting many different events.
“Also, a lot of properties are on offer in Qatar and for that reason, this country is one of the most important showcases for Indonesian companies, which are looking for many possibilities here,” Hassan stressed.
Speaking on Indonesia’s role in projects across various sectors of the country after the World Cup, the ambassador said the tournament is part of a series of events lined up by the Qatari government.
“We are going to see more events coming to Qatar, which is positioning itself to be a hub for international sports. That said, Indonesia, as with other countries, would like to continue participating in projects related to the development of Qatar, and this would hopefully lead to better economic co-operation between our two countries.
“Indonesia is also looking to contribute to Qatar’s national initiatives, such as food security and self-sufficiency. These are areas where our country could participate in and work with Qatar beyond the traditional sectors, such as the oil and gas industry” he added.
Qatar-Indonesia Business Council president Farhan al-Sayed noted that Indonesia is hosting the World Youth Cup in 2023, adding that “this would be a great partnership with Qatar.”
“Qatar has extensive experience in hosting high-level sports events, so the country can be a great source of expertise for Indonesia when it hosts the World Youth Cup next year. In terms of trade, Qatar’s investment in Indonesia is huge and is steadily growing in different sectors, including telecommunications, energy, and hospitality, among others,” al-Sayed noted.
Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of Project Qatar and Hospitality Qatar, which concludes today at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC), Hassan noted that tourism in the two countries “is steadily coming back, which is an important development” for both the Gulf and southeast Asian nations.
“There are several indicators that show a positive trend in terms of the influx of tourists from Qatar to Indonesia. Qatar Airways flies to Indonesia thrice daily and the flights are always fully-booked. This is a very good indicator. Also, flights to Bali have resumed. They are, likewise, fully booked, and the embassy has been receiving a lot of inquiries about Bali.
“We know that Qatar is a very important country with a significant number of expatriates living here, as well as its citizens. There has been a significant increase not only in the number of Qatari tourists but also from residents of Qatar,” Hassan explained.
The ambassador also lauded the move to combine the 18th edition of Project Qatar and the seventh for Hospitality Qatar, which Hassan described as “a really a good initiative.”
“Qatar is an important economic hub for Indonesia. Its economy is continuously growing and there is a lot of construction and development activities happening, and in anticipation of the World Cup, Qatar has been hosting many different events.
“Also, a lot of properties are on offer in Qatar and for that reason, this country is one of the most important showcases for Indonesian companies, which are looking for many possibilities here,” Hassan stressed.
Speaking on Indonesia’s role in projects across various sectors of the country after the World Cup, the ambassador said the tournament is part of a series of events lined up by the Qatari government.
“We are going to see more events coming to Qatar, which is positioning itself to be a hub for international sports. That said, Indonesia, as with other countries, would like to continue participating in projects related to the development of Qatar, and this would hopefully lead to better economic co-operation between our two countries.
“Indonesia is also looking to contribute to Qatar’s national initiatives, such as food security and self-sufficiency. These are areas where our country could participate in and work with Qatar beyond the traditional sectors, such as the oil and gas industry” he added.
Qatar-Indonesia Business Council president Farhan al-Sayed noted that Indonesia is hosting the World Youth Cup in 2023, adding that “this would be a great partnership with Qatar.”
“Qatar has extensive experience in hosting high-level sports events, so the country can be a great source of expertise for Indonesia when it hosts the World Youth Cup next year. In terms of trade, Qatar’s investment in Indonesia is huge and is steadily growing in different sectors, including telecommunications, energy, and hospitality, among others,” al-Sayed noted.
