#QNTC leads Qatari delegation to present the country’s varied offerings for the MICE industry and strengthen ties in the international association meetings industry
Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) along with 10 other industry partners are set to return to IMEX Frankfurt between 21-23 May to showcase the country’s desirability in hosting business events. The delegation, representing the country’s range of hotels, state-of-the art venues, tour operators and destination management companies, aims to establish business ties with foreign MICE industry stakeholders and promote Qatar as an attractive business events destination in the region.
Since Qatar’s participation in IMEX in 2018, QNTC has achieved significant milestones, including its transformation from QTA (Qatar Tourism Authority) to QNTC. With a new governance structure, the new entity seeks to unify and consolidate efforts to develop the tourism sector in line with its Next Chapter of Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy. A new corporation ‘Qatar Business Events Corporation (QBEC)’ has been launched as QNTC’s executive arm to organize, manage, operate and supervise events and venues in the state of Qatar. It will additionally participate in regional and international exhibitions and conferences to position Qatar as a leading business events destination.
Rashed AlQurese, Chief Marketing Officer QNTC, commented, “Along with our partners from the public and private sectors, we aim to enhance the end-to-end Qatar visitor experience. With our growing list of global partnerships, we have made strides in all tourism sectors including business events. In addition to world class hospitality, business visitors also benefit from authentic cultural experiences through our truly unique iconic landmarks such as the newly opened National Museum of Qatar… We truly value our global partnerships in this regard. Last year, we joined the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) as their globally-recognised Association Relations Partner (ARP). Since then we have hosted numerous successful events together and at IMEX Frankfurt 2019, we plan to initiate yet another partnership that will take our engagement with association community to a higher level.”
The ‘Customised Research and Membership Support Agreement’ recently signed between QNTC and ICCA will further enhance QNTC’s engagement with the association community by creating closer relationships with international association executives. It will further introduce Qatar’s MICE products in specified markets and segments globally and facilitate business introductions.
On the 1st day of IMEX, ICCA will host a Qatar Themed welcome session at its stand, where buyers will be invited to experience traditional Qatari hospitality and a video of the Qurated campaign followed by a networking lunch. ‘Qatar. Qurated for you’ is the country’s first global destination campaign launched by QNTC in November 2018. The campaign brings to life Qatar’s focus on imagination, through tailored visitor experiences that celebrate its heritage, and, is being rolled out in eight languages across 15 existing and targeted priority markets targeting 250 million travellers around the world.
QNTC’s approach is focused on attracting events that match Qatar’s existing growth sectors, thereby creating more enriching MICE experiences for business visitors while making significant contributions to the country’s economy and intellectual landscapes.
Over the five-year period between 2012-2017, the sector witnessed a 36% average growth rate in exhibitions. In 2018, Qatar hosted over 150 exhibitions and conferences in various fields and won the rights to host six major business events to be held between 2019 and 2022 with a prospective number of participants reaching 2,400. According to Euromonitor 2018, Doha was ranked among the Top 100 City Destinations worldwide.
Qatar’s 127 m2 pavilion located at stand number E600 at IMEX Frankfurt takes inspiration from this year’s theme: ‘Imagination’, giving an insight into the Qatar National Vision 2030 fast taking shape (smart and sustainable cities of Lusail and Msheireb, and Education City initiatives). The stand will also showcase the country’s expanding business event options and offer information about Qatar Financial Centre (a one window operation for businesses to facilitate their operations in the country or setting up their local offices).
The delegation will include representatives from the following tourism sector partners:
- Discover Qatar and Qatar Airways
- Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC)
- Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel
- Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel
- Park Hyatt Doha
- The Torch Doha
- Qatar International Adventures
- Regis Doha
- Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl – Doha
- Travel Designer W.L.L.
For media-related inquiries pertaining to this release, please contact Ms. Johanna Fischer, TMF Dialogue Marketing on:
About Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC)
Qatar National Tourism Council’s mission is to firmly establish Qatar on the global map as a place where cultural authenticity meets modernity, and where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in culture, sports, business and family entertainment.
QNTC’s work is guided by the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy (QNTSS), which seeks to diversify the country’s tourism offering and increase the sector’s contribution to Qatar’s economy by 2030. In 2017, the Next Chapter of QNTSS was launched, charting the next five years (2018-2023) of the tourism sector’s growth.
In 2018, QNTC launched a global destination campaign under the tagline ‘Qatar, Qurated for you.’ Curating requires professional or expert knowledge to select, organise and present unique experiences. As such, the Qurated campaign plays on the word’s definition and the destination brand’s iconic Q to underscore the country’s focus on delivering tailored visitor-centric experiences.
Since launching QNTSS, Qatar has welcomed over 12 million visitors. The economic impact of the tourism sector in Qatar is becoming increasingly visible with 2017 estimates showing a total (direct and indirect) contribution to Qatar’s GDP of 6.6%.
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