It should come as no surprise that Qatar’s tourism sector has had rapid growth in recent years, but did you know that the industry grew by an incredible 147% in the last five years alone?

UN Tourism’s Executive Director Natalia Bayona recently spoke to The Peninsula about Qatar’s “impressive” tourism industry, saying it’s leading the way for emerging destinations and is closely followed by Albania, El Salvador and Saudi Arabia. 

In the exclusive interview, she explained that Qatar’s success can be attributed to a fusion of three important factors: air connectivity, infrastructure and people. 

She continued, describing Qatar’s flag carrier, Qatar Airways, as a “very strong asset” for its international air network.

“They have the best airline in the world, that is Qatar Airways, and that is really connecting the whole work and is investing as well in different emerging countries to develop tourism,” she said.  

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Following on from air connectivity is Qatar’s investment in infrastructure which Bayona said was a result of attracting largescale international events such as the FIFA World Cup.

“That’s the good of bringing powerful events to the country,” she said. “That’s an opportunity to promote the country brand, to promote the values, to promote the gastronomy, to promote the local communities, to promote the history, and of course to expect that after the event or the mega event, you can keep using those infrastructures for the good of the nationals and for bringing new tourists.” 

The final ingredient in Qatar’s recipe for success, according to Bayona, is the kindness of the local people and communities.

She noted that Qatar’s blend of expats and locals gives it a unique edge and an openness that’s well received by tourists. 

While it wasn’t listed in her top three, Bayona also stressed the significance of tourism investment, which Qatar is doing successfully by marketing itself to major investments and receiving foreign direct investment from other emerging destinations such as the UAE and Thailand. 

“Emerging destinations and investing in emerging destinations,” she added.  

Watch the full interview with The Peninsula, here.

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