Qatar welcomes the world at EIBTM, Barcelona

Qatar, Doha,  2012-12-11 — /travelprnews.com/ — Taking part in the global meeting and events exhibition, EIBTM (Exhibition for the Incentive Business Travel and Meetings), Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) will be participating in the 25th anniversary of the event at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain, from the 27th till the 29th of November 2012.

Hosted by QTA, the Qatar Pavilion is located on stand B500 and will feature a large number of strategic partners including the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Cultural Village Foundation, KATARA, Qatar Airways, Souq Waqif, Qatar MICE Development Institute and Qatar National Convention Centre, in addition to a range of tour operators and hotels such as the St. Regis hotel, Renaissance Doha City Centre hotel, Oryx Rotana Hotel, Gulf Adventures and Qatar International Tours.

Staged annually in Barcelona, EIBTM is the leading global event for the meetings, incentives, events and business travel industry, held in the vibrant destination of Barcelona. The event delivers three days of focused access to a dynamic business environment, thought provoking professional education and business networks for all attendees. This year’s exhibition will host its first business forum, the EIBTM Forum, on the 26th of November.

The return to EIBTM is one of QTA’s many initiatives to position and promote Qatar as a leading world-class events destination for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. MICE tourism is the country’s most successful tourism division with more than 95% of tourists coming to Qatar for business. As Qatar gains a growing reputation for quality and excellence, QTA is driving the development of sustainable events and the supporting infrastructure needed for exhibitions, events and business tourism. The country has proven its ability to successfully host international world scale events, rapidly earning a reputation as the region’s hub for business, conferences and exhibitions with its upscale facilities and leisure amenities.

Qatar was the proud host of the 20th edition of World Petroleum Congress in 2011 and is currently gearing up to hold the UN’s largest Environmental Summit in December 2012 – COP 18, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha.

Qatar offers a perfect environment for business travel combined with leisure, just a hop away from the European travel market, yet offering a very different experience, ranging from traditional Arabian culture to the latest 21st century luxury facilities that easily match international standards.

As part of its five-year plan, Qatar is investing US$17 billion in tourism infrastructure, including the construction of luxury hotels and resorts, as well as significant investments in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. These assets include an increasing number of sizeable exhibition centers including the Doha Exhibition Centre with 15,000 sqm of exhibition space, and the Qatar National Convention Centre offering 40,000 sqm of exhibition space. The Doha Exhibitions and Convention Centre, set to open in 2013, will provide a further 47,000 sqm of exhibition and convention space.

The UNWTO’s study ‘Tourism Towards 2030’ forecasts international tourists will reach 1.8 billion by 2030. The Middle East region is expected to capture 8% of the 1.8 billion with a steady growth of 4 million tourist arrivals per year. Business tourism will experience faster growth towards the year 2030. QTA is developing a strategy to attract the largest number of these visitors to Qatar, as it promotes the country as a destination which is ready to welcome the business world. Business tourism will experience faster growth towards the year 2030.

Qatar scooped the accolade of “World’s Leading Business Travel Destination”, at last year’s WTM Award ceremony held in Dubai that celebrated the best of the travel and tourism industry.

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