In accordance with the ASPIRE4SPORTS 2012 exhibition, QTA organizes “Sport Tourism in Qatar” workshop
Doha, Qatar, 2012-11-15 — /travelprnews.com/ — Taking part in the region’s largest sports focused forum, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), in partnership with ASPIRE4SPORTS and the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), hosted a one day forum to discuss sports tourism in Qatar.
ASPIRE4SPORT, one of the largest conference and exhibition on Sports in the Middle East, presented an opportunity for all local tourism stakeholders and participants to discuss the different challenges and opportunities in developing Qatar’s sports tourism industry.
The workshop participants included the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), Qatar Football Association, Qatar 2022, Qatar Airways and a number of Hotels and Tour Operators.
The opening remarks of HE Mr. Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Chairman of QTA and HE Shaikh Saud Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, secretary general of QOC, underlined Qatar’s vision for sports tourism, its mission to become the region’s central hub for and the tools that will help create opportunities in the Sports tourism industry.
The conference’s packed agenda included a key note presentation from international sport- tourism expert Martin Wiest, CEO of Tourvest International and Team Destination Management, and a workshop session with selected speakers from Qatar Airways, Hoteliers and Tour Operators.
Martin Wiest’s presentation highlighted the success components of sports tourism covering the importance of logistics, partnerships, management systems, accommodation and venue management, and promotion and marketing of sporting events in the international markets.
HE Mr. Issa Al Mohannadi, Chairman of QTA said: “We hope that the conference provided an excellent insight into the strategic management and development of the sports tourism industry. Qatar has rapidly become the sports capital of the region due to its success at attracting international sports events; its win of the upcoming 2022 World Cup Bid was the crowning event that confirmed Qatar’s leadership in sports in the region as well as positively impacting the region’s global position. “
“QTA is working on a integrated strategic plan to develop the tourism infrastructure in Qatar to help position and promote it as today’s latest quality tourism destination for sport, leisure, culture, business, and education and attract tourism investors from all around the world. With the help of the nation’s collective sports organizations and its hospitality industry, we hope to elevate sports tourism in Qatar to become one of the major attractive reasons to visit the country.” Added Al Mohannadi.
QTA’s booth at the ASPIR4SPORT exhibition highlighted the many and varied sports visitors can take part in Qatar– from watersports to desert dune bashing, water skiing to sand skiing, from horse riding to quad biking, falconry to tennis, golf and motor racing, and many more.
Fast becoming one of the world’s preferred places to enjoy sports, Qatar has invested US$2.8 billion in infrastructure over the last several years to support athletic competition and US$20 billion to enable the tourism infrastructure in preparation for 2022.
Sports events, which number around 20 each quarter, many of which are international, are very much part of Qatar’s meetings and events sector which is a flourishing industry hosting over 60 major conferences each year.
Qatar is also home to one of the world most prestigious sports centers, Qatar Sports City – ASPIRE Zone, which is a world class complex for athletics, entertainment, recreation and wellness, where even the English football team has trained.
ASPIRE4SPORT is the only event of its kind in the region and provides a unique occasion for sport’s leading decision makers in the Middle East and around the world to connect, network and capitalize on real business opportunities. This year’s event themed ‘Connecting Business & Sport’ attracted the world’s top sports business experts from 12th to 15thNovember 2012.
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Al Mohannadi “With the cooperation and Support of the Nation’s different industries, we aim to elevate Qatar to become the world’s center in Sports tourism”