Qatar can leverage partnership to promote EWAA tourism: Expert

Doha, Qatar: Qatar can leverage collaboration with stakeholders to highlight the country as an eco-tourism hub and showcase its commitment to eco-friendly practices, an expert has said.

As Eco, Wellness, Adventure, and Agritourism (EWAA) grows in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, experts have touted this form of tourism as crucial in shaping the future, concluding that responsible and sustainable practices are critical to its success. EWAA tourism is a sustainable model around immersive experiences characterised by surroundings, fostering respectful interactions between visitors and host communities.

In an interview with The Peninsula, Sara Ruggieri, Senior Consultant, Hospitality & Tourism, Colliers in the MENA region, stated that Qatar can leverage Heenat Salma Farm as a conduit to developing the sector.

“Qatar’s Heenat Salma embraces EWAA principles by emphasising the integration of nature within its concept. By showcasing the farm’s coexistence with nature, highlighting local treasures like its homegrown dates incorporated into diverse menus, and promoting the farm-to-table experience, the concept can attract eco-conscious travellers seeking sustainable and authentic encounters,” Ruggieri said.

Shahaniya-based Heenat Salma Farm is one of the initiatives to maximise the benefits of environmental technologies, enabling restorative growth in desert areas and creating a diverse tourist spot. Besides agriculture, the eco-farm and camp is also a hub for hospitality and creative education and the first of its kind to experiment with organic farming in the country.

In 2021, Qatar Tourism launched a global multi-media campaign to drive forward the country’s tourism goals and cement its ambition to welcome more than six million visitors a year by 2030. The strategy also targets raising the tourism sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) to 12% by 2030. In EWAA terms, Qatar’s dunes, water sports, and eco-resorts are sectors that can boost tourist influx, besides conventional tourism.

“Through collaborative efforts with travel agencies, tour operators and NGOs, media exposure, educational initiatives and sustainable certifications, Qatar can effectively leverage Heenat Salma Farm to showcase its commitment to eco-friendly practices and create a foundation for a broader eco-tourism narrative,” Ruggieri noted, adding that while the farm alone might not establish the country as a comprehensive eco-tourism hub, it serves as an inspiration for future projects that authorities can encourage to bolster the country’s appeal.

Regionally, a Colliers report disclosed that MENA requires proper planning and management to reap the benefits and minimise the negative implications of introducing EWAA tourism.

The report also showed that emerging tourist hotspots, particularly in the Middle East, are already transforming their rural landscapes.Destinations Al Ahsa, Taif, Abha, Al Ula in Saudi Arabia, Aswan and Siwa Oasis in Egypt, and Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert sands are some of the emerging EWAA hubs in the region.

According to Ruggieri, promoting eco-tourism in the region still requires a holistic approach that involves governments, businesses, local communities, and regional and international stakeholders. She stressed that educational programmes and media channels highlighting the importance and benefits of sustainable tourism, destination marketing, and branding efforts must align to create an identity for the Middle East as a prime eco-tourism destination.

“Given the region’s rich natural and cultural heritage, there is immense potential to grow this sector. Many diverse actions can be carried out, but raising awareness is essential as it directly impacts travellers’ behaviour and preferences, affecting destination demand. These efforts have been successful in other parts of the world, such as New Zealand & Australia, Northern Europe, Costa Rica, etc. However, it is still an ongoing effort in the MEA region,” Ruggieri added.

Meanwhile, as EWAA provides another option for tourism, it also serves as a valuable sustainability and climate change advocate. Sustainability is at the heart of Qatar’s economic diversification drive with policies to shift reliance from hydro-carbons to other sectors where tourism is primed to play a significant role. Ruggieri pointed out that the choices made in developing the EWAA concept can play a role in the fight against climate change.

She noted that employing sustainable construction materials like pre-fabricated modular structures, which help minimise disturbances to the site environment and cut down on waste by carefully controlling production, opting for pre-fabricated modular construction has the potential to decrease carbon emissions by reducing transportation requirements.

Others include optimising material usage, providing adaptable/reusable structures, sourcing locally or cultivating on-site, and harnessing renewables for generating energy to support operations.