Tag Archives: qatar

Since April 2023, the platform has processed an average of more than 60,000 applications per month until today, while the number of active users on the Hayya mobile app has reached 2.7 million to date. The Hayya platform, which has recently moved under the umbrella of Qatar Tourism, has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing two million successfully processed e-visa applications in the period following the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, from 2023 to the date. During that period, more than 1.5 million individual applications have been submitted, highlighting its capacity to handle large volumes efficiently. This achievement reaffirms Hayya’s position as a primary tool for facilitating visitor entry to the State of Qatar and enhancing the overall tourism experience. Continuing to advance its digital services, the Hayya platform is playing a pivotal role in strengthening Qatar’s position as a leading global destination for tourism and businesses by streamlining travel procedures and supporting the country’s digital transformation agenda. Commenting on the milestone, Saeed Al-Kuwari, Director of Hayya, said: “Following the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, we enhanced the Hayya system to accommodate and manage multiple types of visas. By implementing the right technologies and aligning them with security requirements, the system has proven highly effective, as reflected in recent statistics. These improvements have greatly supported the tourism sector by streamlining processes and elevating the overall visitor experience.” The Hayya platform has consistently demonstrated its scale and efficiency. During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, it received over 2.4 million applications and recorded a peak of 50,000 applications in a single day, with 49,155 visitor entries processed in just 24 hours. This milestone underscores Qatar’s commitment to advancing its digital infrastructure in …

As part of its growing economic and industry partnerships with India, one of the organisation’s priority growth markets, Visit Qatar held two high-level dialogue sessions in Mumbai, engaging the country’s leading tour operators and wedding planners as the two nations look to deepen tourism and industry ties. During the interactive sessions, Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al Mawlawi, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Qatar, spoke alongside a number of representatives who highlighted key upcoming initiatives and potential opportunities for further collaboration between the two countries and attract more travellers and event organisers to Qatar. Through presentations, interactive Q&A sessions, recognition ceremonies, and networking, the events showcased Qatar’s world-class hospitality, seamless connectivity, and diverse offerings, reinforcing its position as the luxury destination of choice for Indian travellers and wedding celebrations.

MSC Cruises will be repositioning MSC Euribia for Winter 2025/2026 season and MSC World Europa for Winter 2026/2027, to homeport in Dubai. MSC Cruises seven-night Gulf itinerary offers a rich tapestry of experiences across iconic ports such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island and Doha, Qatar.  A highlight of the Gulf itinerary is access to Sir Bani Yas Island. Guests can relax on MSC Cruises’ private beach with full-service catering, or explore the island’s Arabian Wildlife Park on a guided safari, a one-of-a-kind experience managed in partnership with local organisations.

Visit Qatar participates as the official title sponsor of Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar 2025 in West Sussex, United Kingdom. The event is a highlight of the British horseracing calendar and reflects Qatar’s continued interest in being part of the international sporting calendar, as well as its long-standing relationship with Goodwood Racecourse. The festival is known for being a prestigious event that attracts world-class horses and jockeys, as well as equestrian and fashion enthusiasts from around the world. An official delegation from Visit Qatar is in attendance, along with representatives from the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club and key figures from the UK’s tourism and horse racing industries. This year’s event will also feature Qatari thoroughbreds, reflecting Qatar’s rich equestrian heritage. The 2025 edition will feature 13 group races, including three Group-1 events, along with curated daily experiences for guests. Visit Qatar has exclusive sponsorship of Group 1 and Group 2 races, including the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes (July 29), the Qatar International Stakes and the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes (July 30), the Qatar Nassau Stakes, the King George Qatar Stakes (August 1), and the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (August 2). Key areas across the festival, including the Richmond and Lennox enclosures, will be adorned with Visit Qatar branding, reinforcing the brand’s presence throughout the event. Highlights of the sponsorship include a dedicated hospitality pavilion that showcases authentic Qatari culture and serves as a platform to connect with international partners and tourism industry players. Visit Qatar’s VIP Pavilion will host business partners, embassy representatives, Racing and Equestrian Club guests, as well as UK stakeholders and invited influencers. The sponsorship aligns with Visit Qatar’s broader strategy to raise brand visibility …

New research by PwC Middle East, in collaboration with Mabrian Technologies reveals that visitor preferences across the Gulf region are undergoing a fundamental shift. Arts and culture rank as the top visitor motivators across Qatar (28.5%), UAE (26.6%) and KSA (24.5%)Visitors are increasingly drawn to destinations that offer cultural meaning and emotional resonance. In response to these findings, PwC Middle East developed a strategic framework detailed in their latest report, Stay Play Shop: Shaping Integrated Destinations for Connected Visitor Experiences. The report presents a clear approach for destination development companies, tourism authorities, destination managers and operators across the Gulf Cooperation Council to accelerate the evolution of destination strategies. It advocates a shift away from static, asset-led development towards dynamic, visitor-centric ecosystems that drive longer stays, deeper engagement and increased economic impact. Nicolas Mayer, Destinations Consulting Lead Partner at PwC Middle East, said, “This thought leadership aims to reframe how we think about destination value by integrating visitor behaviour with the realities of destination planning and placemaking. Stay Play Shop is more than a slogan. It is a robust framework backed by visitor insights and evolving needs offering development companies a strategic framework to drive visitation spending and loyalty.” Building on this idea of redefining destination value, Philippe Najjar, Destinations Consulting Partner at PwC Middle East, added, “By embracing the Stay Play Shop model leaders can shape not just where people go but how deeply they connect and experience places. This goes beyond destination development to crafting generational legacies that fuel cultural pride visitor loyalty and sustained economic return.” Emphasising a crucial prerequisite for success, Sonia Huerta, Vice President Advisory at Mabrian Technologies, highlighted, “Public-private partnerships among Destination Management Office, hoteliers, …

The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) highlighted the country’s growing reputation as a premier medical and wellness tourism destination in the Middle East and North Africa region reporting significant growth in international visitations for medical care and wellness therapies. The country’s medical tourism sector witnessed a remarkable increase with 224,740 medical tourists in 2024, building on consistent growth from 191,532 in 2022 and 202,592 in 2023. The first quarter of 2025 has already recorded 51,448 medical tourists, underlining another strong year for the sector. Jordan’s comprehensive healthcare ecosystem, comprising 69 private sector hospitals with approximately 5,500 beds, has positioned the country as a preferred destination for patients seeking advanced medical treatments, particularly from GCC nations and neighboring countries. “Jordan’s medical tourism sector has demonstrated remarkable growth, led by theworld-class healthcare services the country offers, the natural therapeutic sites with first class resorts, and our famed hospitality,” said Dr. Abdelrazzak Arabiyat, Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board. “Our healthcare facilities maintain international standards while providing cost-effective treatments, making Jordan an attractive destination for patients seeking high quality medical care.” Jordan’s strong position in regional medical tourism is highlighted by Iraq leading international demand at 257,396 visitations, followed by Saudi Arabia (216,256) seeking both inpatient and outpatient services. More than 31,920 visitors from Kuwait arrived in Jordan for medical tourism followed by Qatar at 15,524, Bahrain (13,856), Oman (8,828), and the UAE (6,584). GCC visitors particularly value Jordan’s cultural resonance, shared language, and understanding of their healthcare preferences. Recent studies show that Saudi and Kuwaiti patients primarily seek comprehensive diagnostic tests, weight loss surgeries, advanced dental care, and cosmetic dermatology. Omani visitors showed strong interest in vision correction and eye health treatments, while Bahraini …

Qatar Tourism and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) unveiled a strategic partnership designed to strengthen regional tourism ties through a new twin-centre holiday offering. This initiative enables travellers to seamlessly combine Doha and Abu Dhabi into a single, multi-city itinerary, making it easier than ever to explore both destinations in one trip. At the heart of this collaboration are Qatar Airways Holidays and Etihad Holidays operated by Capital Holidays, part of ADNEC group, who will jointly curate customised travel packages. Each will draw from a selection of hotels and experiences to design integrated itineraries that capture the essence of both destinations. These packages will be promoted to tour operators across key markets in Europe and North America. The initiative underscores a shared vision to broaden the region’s tourism offerings, tap into new source markets, and position the Gulf as a cohesive, world-class travel destination. By streamlining travel between Qatar and the UAE, the twin-centre packages provide visitors with a richer array of cultural, leisure, and hospitality experiences. This collaboration not only enhances international visibility for both Qatar and Abu Dhabi but also stimulates cross-border tourism and economic growth.

Visit Qatar and Microsoft strengthened their collaboration to drive digital innovation in the tourism sector by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Qatar Web Summit. The MoU was signed by Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al Mawlawi, CEO of Visit Qatar, and Lana Khalaf, General Manager of Microsoft Qatar, marking the beginning of a new phase of partnership between the two sides. Building on the success of Visit Qatar’s Smart Travel Assistant powered by Microsoft Azure, OpenAI 4o and 4o mini technologies, the two entities will explore the latest technologies to enhance visitor experiences and improve workflows. Visit Qatar’s Smart Travel Assistant is a pioneering innovation that seamlessly integrates text, voice, content, a conversational virtual assistant, maps and an interactive layout interface, setting new standards in digital excellence in tourism. Visit Qatar and Microsoft are developing a comprehensive technology roadmap to drive digital transformation in the tourism sector and enhance visitor experiences through integrated smart and digital solutions.

The fifty-first meeting of the United Nations Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Committee for the Middle East, hosted by Qatar Tourism, concluded  in Doha and saw the participation of tourism ministers, senior officials and experts from various countries in the region, as well as the leadership of the United Nations Tourism Organization. During the meeting, they reviewed the reports of the United Nations Tourism Organization on the performance of the sector during 2024-2025, in addition to discussing future policies and plans aimed at developing sustainable tourism and enhancing regional cooperation in this vital sector. In addition to the ministerial sessions and official meetings, the “Sports Tourism and Tourism Industry after the World Cup” conference  discussed the impact of major sporting events on tourism in the Middle East, their role in the development of sustainable tourism, as well as the role of technology in enhancing the sports tourism experience. Qatar Tourism’s hosting of this meeting reflects Qatar’s growing position as a regional and global hub in the tourism industry, and its prominent role in advancing sustainable tourism development, in light of its successes in hosting major international events.

Qatar Tourism will be hosting the 51st UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East in Doha on 12th February 2025. The meeting will bring together tourism ministers, senior officials, and experts from various countries in the region, as well as leadership from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism). The selection of Doha as the host city underscores Qatar’s growing status as a regional and global hub in the tourism sector and its leadership role in promoting both regional and international cooperation. This is especially significant considering the country’s recent successes in hosting major global events, most notably the FIFA World Cup 2022™. During the meeting, the UN Tourism will present reports on the sector’s performance for the 2024-2025 period, and future policies and plans will be discussed. HE Mr. Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chair of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, stated: “Hosting the 51st meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East reflects our steadfast commitment to enhancing regional cooperation and developing the tourism sector as a key driver of economic and social growth. Qatar has proven its capability to organise and host major international events, establishing itself as a global model for sustainable tourism. We are confident that this meeting will further advance regional cooperation in the tourism sector, and we look forward to exchanging ideas and expertise with partners from across the region to bolster the Middle East’s position as a unique global tourism destination.” In addition to the ministerial sessions and official meetings, the conference titled “Sports Tourism and the Tourism Industry Post-World Cup” will be held on February 13th at the Sheraton Grand Doha …