Qatar recently hosted CONNECT’ 18, marking the first in a series of familiarisation trips planned this year as part of Qatar Tourism Authority’s (QTA) drive to generate visitor growth from the European and Asian markets. The 10th edition of the annual seminar attracted more than 75 participants from across France’s tourism industry, making it the largest delegation of French tourism professionals to visit Qatar to date.
The four-day seminar, organised by promoagv.com, provided Qatari industry representatives an opportunity to meet with their French counterparts to explore what the destination offers to French visitors. The delegation which included 26 different partners such as MSC Cruises, Look Voyages and ESCAET tourism school, also had an opportunity to discover first-hand Qatar’s unique tourism assets.
Rashed AlQurese, Chief Marketing and Promotion Officer at QTA, commented, “Our hosting for CONNECT’s 10th anniversary edition is an endorsement of Qatar as an attractive tourist destination for the French market.” He added, “Our hosting of familiarisation trips form an important part of our efforts to promote the country as an attractive tourism destination and spread Qatar’s message of welcoming the world.”
In 2017, Qatar welcomed more than 480,000 visitors from Europe, representing a 6% increase compared to the previous year; France contributed 9% of these arrivals. QTA is working closely with partners across European markets, through its representative offices in Paris, London, Berlin and Milan to promote the destination on both the leisure and business events fronts.
The CONNECT’ 18 itinerary included a desert excursion to the majestic sand dunes of Khor AlAdaid, watching a traditional camel race, a visit to the Museum of Islamic Art, and a discovery tour of Souq Waqif.
Sponsors of CONNECT’s 18 included the award-winning national carrier, Qatar Airways, QTA, the Shangri-La Doha Hotel and Gulf Adventures. Previous host countries for the annual B2B tourism event include Seychelles and the Maldives.
Cover photo courtesy of QTA
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