Doha – Mubasher: Experiential travel is considered to be driving tourism growth in Qatar, particularly as the Gulf country works towards achieving its ambitions for its 2030 vision, which include welcoming 10 million visitors a year and generating $17.8 billion in tourism receipts.

Qatar is looking to generate 5.2% of its GDP through tourism over the coming years, a report stated which released ahead of this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) exhibition taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre between 24 and 27 April.

The GCC member is also looking to create 98,000 jobs and manage an inventory of 63,000 hotel rooms, the report said.

“A perfect example of experiential travel is Souq Waqif in Doha, which offers several small shops lined along paths with an array of Middle Eastern merchandise, from spices and seasonal delicacies to perfumes, jewelry, clothing, and handicrafts,” according to the report.

Viewing its culture and heritage with paramount importance, Qatar is set to invest up to $45 billion in new developments under the National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030.

These projects will include a sum of $2.3 billion earmarked for the 2022 World Cup facilities and $6.9 billion for transport infrastructure and associated projects.

“Qatar’s well-paced National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 will steadily boost tourism numbers over the coming decade, with the first milestone of four million visitors a year by 2020 well on track,” stated ATM senior exhibition director Simon Press.

“The government, hotel operators, airlines, and other stakeholders are now beginning to see a return on their investment into the country’s tourism sector,” he added.

The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) predicts the country’s tourism sector’s total economic contribution to reach QAR 81.2 billion ($22.30 billion), representing 7.3% of GDP by 2026, up from QAR 48.5 billion ($13.32 billion) in 2015.