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Major infrastructure investment planned to support tourism

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Al Nuaimi…seeking high-end visitors

QATAR plans to pump up to $25 billion into its tourism infrastructure as it prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The chairman of Qatar Tourism Authority, Ahmed Al Nuaimi, told Reuters the investment will go into hotels, parks and entertainment venues as well as long-term infrastructure projects.

Around 5,000 new hotel rooms are to be added to the existing 10,000-room capacity this year and the target is to have 30,000 rooms in operation by 2013 with a further 5,000 coming online each year until 2022.

Many internationally recognised brands are already in development with five new properties due to open at The Pearl Qatar, the artificial island development off Doha, within the next three years.

The delayed City Centre development, which includes six hotels including Rotana, is also due to begin opening later this year.

The government has given the go-ahead for a cruise ship terminal at Doha’s new multi-billion-dollar port which will initially be able to accommodate around three ships with the possibility to increase capacity in the future.

And $11 billion has been allocated for a new airport.

However, Al Nuaimi said Qatar is not looking at tourism as a revenue generator and is still seeking to attract high-end visitors who will appreciate its cultural attractions as well as the sporting events it is bringing forth.

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