(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Meeting planners for international associations met with local industry representatives yesterday in a session hosted by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) to introduce event planners to potential hosts.
The planners represented international associations looking to host their upcoming congresses and conventions to be held in the years between 2019 and 2024.
The associations include the Global Association of International Sports Federations, International Society of Endocrinology, and the International Sport and Culture Association.
Such sessions enable planners to witness first hand a sample of the country's state-of-the art conference facilities, and meet with leading local organisations such as Qatar Olympic Committee, Qatar Financial Centre, Sidra and Virginia Commonwealth University - Qatar.
'It gives us great pleasure to match global associations to representatives of institutions in Qatar from across key sectors such as health, sports and art, QTA's exhibitions director Ahmed al-Obaidli said in a statement.
'Given the strong synergies between the association's activities and those of the Qatar market, we are confident that the meetings will provide further support for Qatar's position as a fitting host for their conventions and events, he added.
Al-Obaidli said that QTA regularly holds sessions to introduce planners to local stakeholders, as part of its work to empower Qatar-based organisations to bid for and host global events.
QTA is stepping up efforts to engage international associations as Qatar's leadership has placed leisure and business tourism at the top of the national development agenda for the next five years.
Large-scale international events that draw thousands of delegates can bring up to $50mn in revenue to a host country, through visitors spending on hospitality, transportation, and retail.
The business events sector's growth is complemented by developments in supporting sectors, such as hospitality and air travel. Qatar currently has over 20,000 rooms, which is set to grow substantially in the coming years.
'Our national carrier, Qatar Airways, directly connects us to over 150 destinations with one of the best fleets of aircraft in the world, al-Obaidli noted.
MENAFN1810201700670000ID1095962687
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.