Qatar tourism sets up office in Mumbai to cash in on holidays

QTA’s Chief Marketing and Promotion Officer Rashed AlQurese said the decision was taken in view of the rapid growth of India’s outbound tourism market in recent years, coupled with QTA’s intensified efforts to diversify and grow visitor source.

“The steps taken to make accessing Qatar easier are particularly targeted at visitors seeking to experience our country’s luxury hospitality and unique cultural offerings, all while benefiting from the convenience of relatively short flights,” AlQurese told media persons. 

The QTA has about a dozen offices worldwide including in Moscow, Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, the US, China, Russia, the Gulf Cooperation Council markets and South East Asia, he added. According to a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimate, India will account for 50 mn outbound tourists by 2020. Similarly, the market for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 7.23 per cent during the period 2016-2021. QTA’s office here will oversee a wide range of promotional initiatives, including workshops and sales visits to boost Qatar as a leisure and business tourism destination. 

After Qatar waived entry visas for Indians last year, it has become an accessible destination for Indian travellers, with over 110,000 visitors in the Q1 of 2018. The Qatar Airways has 100 weekly direct flights connecting the capital Doha to 13 major cities across India and 67 flights from India to Qatar by airlines like Air India Express, Indigo Airlines and Jet Airways. Indian nationals can enter Qatar visa-free, for 30 days’ stay, which can be extended by another similar period.