The successful hosting of the 2022 Qatar World Cup once made Qatar an international tourism hotspot. Thirteen months later, the Asian Cup football match once again ignited the passion for football in Qatar. In the “post-World Cup era,” Qatar continues to promote its strategy of driving tourism through large-scale events and activities, and has achieved remarkable results. Let’s take a look at the report from Doha, Qatar, by a reporter from China Central Radio and Television Station.
Main station reporter Liang Hui:
This is the Old Market Waqif in Doha, a must-visit place for tourists in Doha. During every competition, there are particularly many tourists here.
We met Dussel, a souvenir shop owner. He told us that every time the competition comes, many tourists will come to the Old Market of Waqif to shop and experience the local culture. At this time, their business is always booming. It’s going to be good.
Souvenir shop owner Dussel:
Old Souq Waqif is the most famous attraction in Qatar. It has the best shops and is the favorite place for tourists to come to Qatar. There have been a lot of tourists coming recently, especially from Asia. Our business became very good during the Asian Cup.
Main station reporter Liang Hui:
During the World Cup 13 months ago, more than 1.2 million tourists came to Qatar, and more than 3.4 million people watched the games live. Before the start of this Asian Cup, nearly 1 million tickets had been sold, and Qatar once again welcomed a boom in international tourists.
According to data from the Qatar Tourism Authority, the number of tourists to Qatar will exceed 4 million in 2023, setting a new high in the past five years. Looking at the 2024 event calendar, after the Asian Cup at the beginning of the year, it will be followed by the World Swimming Championships, followed by a series of events such as the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup and the World Athletics Diamond League Doha Station. These major events will bring huge numbers of international tourists to Qatar.
A report released by the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry shows that local aviation, hotels, and tourism have become the industries with the greatest revenue from hosting sports competitions, and the brand effect of these competitions will also bring long-term commercial value to Qatar and promote the sustainable development of tourism and other industries.
Iraqi fan Hussein:
I have been to three stadiums and the stadiums in Qatar are all beautiful and I feel very good. The people are very welcoming, there are tourists from all over the world, and it is a really good experience to come and watch football in Qatar.
The Qatar Tourism Authority stated that in the “post-World Cup period”, Qatar is stepping up its layout of “sports economy”, deeply integrating sports and tourism industries, and using this to promote the development of multiple industries. According to the goals planned by the Qatar Tourism Authority, Qatar’s tourism industry will account for 7.3% of GDP in 2026. By 2030, Qatar will receive about 6 million tourists every year, double the number of tourism-related employees, and strive to The contribution of tourism to GDP has increased to 12%.
Hassan Al-Kuwari, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications of the Qatar Asian Cup Organizing Committee:
Buy a ticket and come. Hop on your flight and soak up the atmosphere of Qatar, you’ll love it and come back again. (Headquarters reporter Liang Hui, Zhao Yuanfang, Zhang Yu)