Josoor Institute, part of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (the SC), in partnership with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) successfully concluded four days of professional development workshops. The workshops focused on building human capacities in sports tourism and events industries in Qatar and the MENA region.

The two workshops titled ‘Sport Tourism – A Comprehensive Overview’ and ‘The Implications of Mega Events for Tourism and Hospitality’ were hosted from 20 to 23 April 2015 at Aspire Academy by Josoor Institute, in partnership with QTA.

The four days of interactive panel discussions, case studies and presentations brought together almost 150 delegates from the sports, tourism and hospitality industries in Qatar and around the region, including representatives from the SC, Qatar Tourism Authority, Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Ministry of Interior, Qatar University, Qatar Football Association, Aspire, Qatar Museums, Wasserman Media Group and several hospitality industry representatives.

Commenting on the success of the workshops, Mushtaq Al-Waeli, the Executive Director (acting) of Josoor Institute said, “In Qatar we are preparing not only to host the region’s first FIFA World Cup but countless other global, Asian and MENA region high profile sporting and non-sporting events. In 2014, Qatar alone hosted over 180 events, including global sporting events such as the Men’s Handball Championship and FINA World Swimming Championship. These are all important opportunities that must be fully maximised and they widen the scope of operations for the tourism industry.”

Highlighting the importance of the collaboration with QTA, he added, “Success always comes with great partnerships and we are delighted with QTA’s support for these workshops. QTA has spearheaded this initiative and it would not have been possible without their vision.”

Since its launch in 2013, Josoor Institute has played an instrumental role in elevating the events industry in Qatar by training many of the people who will deliver large-scale sporting and non-sporting events across the region before and long after 2022. To encourage further growth of the sector, QTA also provides investment opportunities for industry professionals. A recent report published by QTA states that the number of regional and international visitors in Qatar has already gone up by 11% in the first quarter of 2015, compared to the same period in 2014.

Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer at QTA said, “The cooperation between multiple industries and stakeholder groups is crucial to maximise the opportunities created by MEGA events and sports tourism in Qatar and the MENA region. This is why we immensely value our partnership with Josoor Institute as a leading entity to promote new ideas and to build collaborative relationship between multiple sectors. The focus of our strategy at QTA is to transform Qatar as a world-class tourism hub with deep cultural roots and now is the perfect time to start.”

The workshops highlighted the impact of large-scale sporting events on the public and private sectors. It focused discussions on the collaboration between the different business partners including hotels, tour operators, events organisers and many others required for the success of MEGA events. These collaborative efforts will contribute to the expansion and diversification of Qatar’s economy and help achieve a sustainable development for the sports and events industries in the region.

The sessions for the workshops held last week have been delivered by regional and global leading figures in sports tourism, hospitality and commercial sports sectors and academic organisations including speakers from George Washington University, Qatar University, Destination British Columbia, Repucom, Gulf Multisports, VisitScotland, Wasserman Media Group, Qatar Tourism Authority and representatives from tourism authorities and institutes in Abu Dhabi.

Please visit www.josoorinstitute.qa for more information on Josoor Institute and its activities.

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