File photo used for representation only. Photo by Abdul Basit/ The Peninsula
Qatar has the potential to become a regional and global destination for luxury destination events and weddings, Ackash Jain, Director of QnA International -- a leading global business-to-business event organiser, told The Peninsula.
Qatar Tourism recently launched an ambitious strategy to drive forward the country’s tourism and luxury offerings as it aims to welcome more than six million visitors annually by 2030. With several destinations opening ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and many already-existing historical and luxury spots, the ‘hype’ around Qatar makes it a desired location for clients, Jain stressed.
“Qatar is a brand new market. Weddings are happening, but it’s not out there. Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world, but its size is small, so there’s curiosity. After the World Cup, there’s a lot of hype about Qatar; people want to know what is here,” Jain said on the sidelines of an agreement signing with Qatar Tourism.
He added that from research done with planners worldwide to determine their interest and that of their clients in new destinations, Qatar emerged as one of the top desired destinations in the Middle East.
“There are certain destinations which have been there and done that, but people want newer destinations, and that’s where Qatar comes in,” he added.
According to Jain, the agreement signed with Qatar Tourism will see Qatar host the Destination Wedding Planners (DWP) Congress in March next year. He disclosed that the event would open Qatar to clients from other markets like Europe, America and other parts of the world. Places like Florence, Mauritius, Thailand and Bali have seen almost 100% increases in patronage after hosting the DWP Congress.
“Florence, which was more focused on Europe or the American market, suddenly saw a spike in Asian markets after the Congress. That’s what we are looking at doing in Qatar because right now, India and Lebanon are primary markets. But when we bring in people from Europe, US and Africa, these places have a lot of ultra-high-net-worth individuals. It opens up the market, which brings in a lot more business -- that’s the whole idea of bringing this event to Qatar,” Jain said.
