QT: Qatar 2022 visitors to enjoy football and much, much more

               Staff Reporter

Qatar is ready to welcome a huge number of FIFA World Cup visitors who will have the opportunity to experience a wide range of tourism and hospitality offerings apart from the football frenzy, Qatar Tourism (QT) chief operating officer Berthold Trenkel has said.“Everyone will be focused on the stadium, on the matches … but for me, this is the part that I want to show people we have much more than football,” he told Gulf Times on the sidelines of a recently held QT event.Trenkel noted that the QT partnered with various social media channels and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) with their influencer programme, giving “people the best experience so that they see what the country has to offer”.He cited the recent opening of new attractions and hotel properties and resorts, in addition to shopping and entertainment centres in time for the prestigious tournament, which will take place from November 20 to December 18.One of these hotels is Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha, which offers luxurious amenities for different age groups such as a vibrant entertainment programme, several dining outlets, an engaging kids’ club, and state-of-the-art fitness facilities.The 35,000sq m Outpost Al Barari, on the other hand, offers curated experiences that celebrate the country’s rich natural environment and heritage – surrounded by soaring sand dunes and desert wilderness.The resort features 21 villas, comprising Emiri and Heritage villas, which provide guests with ultimate privacy and uncompromising comfort, scenic views of the desert “from private terraces with infinity pools inspired by the turquoise sea of Qatar”.Al Maha Island, meanwhile, is also expected to attract many visitors with its engaging activations, particularly the Lusail Winter Wonderland besides its high-end restaurants and eateries.The recently opened Lusail Boulevard – a unique leisure and entertainment spot and touted as the “Champs-Élysées of the Middle East” – features a vibrant and diverse shopping, commercial and residential area.“Al Maha will be amazing, all its facilities, not just the Lusail Winter Wonderland but also the new restaurants that are coming,” Trenkel said, noting that a new tourism campaign is set to be launched soon.“Qatar is ready, the stadiums and infrastructure, everything is ready ... I know it is less than two weeks to go. The key point, we are fully ready,” he stressed.Hamad International Airport (HIA)’s first phase expansion, inaugurated yesterday, increases its capacity to 58mn passengers annually, in line with the expected flow of visitors and football fans during the tournament.“The airport (HIA) is ready, the decorations are magnificent, and it is amazing. Even the arrival experience (at the airport) has changed,” Trenkel said.