Berthold Trenkel, Qatar Tourism Chief Operating Officer
DOHA: Qatar Tourism (QT) has announced that it is all set for the World Cup as the country anticipates over a million football fans coming for the biggest sporting tournament in the world.
All activities are in place for the visiting fans come Sunday.
Qatar Tourism, Chief Operating Officer Berthold Trenkel said in a media roundtable today that these activities are unique, and some are exhilarating which are specially curated for the World Cup. “We’re looking forward to an amazing tournament, to an amazing experience for every visitor that is coming to Qatar.”
He also revealed that the international arrivals to Qatar accelerated this year despite the Omicron wave affecting January and February arrivals. And as land borders reopened, land arrivals had contributed 40 percent of total arrivals in 2022. Visitors are mostly from Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Iris Wagner, from QT Tourism Marketing and Promotion Sector explained that the digital, social and content ecosystem of Qatar Tourism is ready for the World Cup. “All collaterals will be distributed across the visitor journey, from pre-arrival, arrival, during stay and official and non-official sites.”
She also emphasised that all information on events and tourists activities are both available digitally – mobile application and Visit Qatar website and Qatar Calendar.
The two key physical sources for visitor information are Qatar Now Guidebook wherein half a million copies will be distributed at key locations, a digital version is also available through Qatar Airways, Digital kiosks, and Visit Qatar website. Also, the Qatar Map – a physical map with key touristic sites and event information during World Cup. To date, more than one million copies have been printed and distributed to central locations.
Qatar Tourism’s social media channels will meanwhile capture the moments during the tournament. Wagner said the story will be told through “football and culture,” where they will educate, celebrate and inspire millions of people. Live broadcast from event venues will also be happening during the quadrennial event.
As the country is expected to welcome over a million football fans coming to Doha, Wagner said that these visitors can find tailored touristic information through their revamped call centre – hotline via 106, chatbox, and WhatsApp integration.
Visitor information centres will also be stationed in key areas. Currently, over 60 centres have been completed with over 10 virtual concierges in the pipeline. QR codes are also installed across the metro to over 280 locations.
Moreover, there are over 550 tour guides for the World Cup. Wagner said that these tour guides which some were sourced from other countries and are certified are German, Italian and Spanish speaking, aside from the English and Arabic speakers. “We cover a multitude of languages based on the requirements primarily for the event and beyond.”
