Qatar Travel Mart 2021, the first of its kind exhibition at Doha Exhibition & Convention Centre

Under the Patronage of the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani

The long-awaited first edition of Qatar Travel Mart (QTM) 2021, organised by NeXTfairs for Exhibitions and Conferences, will bring together key players in the local, regional and international travel and tourism industry to offer the most sought-after upscale travel destinations, as well as the latest trends on tourism sectors such as Luxury, Business, Medical, Sports, Leisure, Cultural and Halal. QTM Exhibition, to be held at Doha Exhibition & Convention Centre (DECC) on 16th to 18th November 2021, will provide insights and new perspectives on the future of tourism with a three-day Conference, by bringing together local and international experts who will share their knowledge on industry movements and directions. QTM 2021 aims to connect global tourism businesses to stimulate the industry’s recovery, opening new horizons and showcasing fresh opportunities.

The exhibition is under the Patronage of the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, and in Strategic Partnership with Qatar Tourism. It also has Katara Hospitality as Founding Partner, Qatar Airways as Official Airline, and Discover Qatar & Qatar Airways Holidays as Founding Leisure Partners. In addition, Amadeus is the event’s Technology Partner, Retaj Hotels & Hospitality the Gold Sponsor and Gulf Adventures the Silver Sponsor. Internationally, QTM has Association Partners, which are The World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Training (AMFORHT), World Leisure Organisation (WLO), and World Tourism Association for Culture & Heritage (WTACH).

Rawad Sleem, Co-Founder and General Manager of NeXTfairs for Exhibitions and Conferences, explained: “We are delighted to have full government support for the inaugural edition of Qatar Travel Mart and from all our sponsors in Qatar’s leading organisations and international associations.  We are very proud to have achieved the participation of 31 countries and 14 large pavilions with 136 exhibitors at our first event.  Tourism is a priority sector for Qatar’s economy and QTM 2021 aims to provide a timely boost for the revival of the sector after the pandemic.  It’s back to business for tourism in Qatar and our business events industry is key for supporting its renewal.”

He continued: “QTM 2021 is being held in one of the most active markets for investment in hospitality, 

as Qatar gets ready to welcome the world at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”

The event’s high-profile Conference will be providing insights in the future of travel and tourism. Taking place each day from 11am to 3pm, the Conference will be attended by senior executives and industry decision makers.  A great line-up of high-profile travel & tourism experts from around the world will be lending their support to share best practices which will include Nigel Fell – President & CEO of The World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage (WTACH); Philippe Francois – President of the World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Training (AMFORHT); Dr. Cristina Ortega – President and COO of the World Leisure Organization; Daniyal Akhmetov – Former Prime Minister of Kazakhstan and Governor of the East Kazakhstan Region; Hugo Rivera – Vice Minister of Economic Affairs and International Cooperation of Dominican Republic’s Grupo Puntacana; Cuthbert Ncube – President of the African Tourism Board; Siyabonga Dube – Chairperson of South African Tourism Board; Sergey Sukhanov – CEO of 
JSC “ Tourism RF Corporation” Government of Russia; Florian Senstschmid – CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board; Clare Akamanzi – CEO of Rwanda Tourist Board and more to count. 

Speakers at the Conference will cover in-depth key topics such as the Road to Recovery and How the Future will look; Sustainable Tourism & Development; Innovation & New Trends; and a CEO Panel Discussion will focus on Behavioral Changes of Consumers and Hiring and retention of Employees in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

The event also features a Hosted Buyers’ Program, involving 24 influential buyers from all over the world to network and to close deals.  

A three-day Media Familiarisation Trip for international media is being arranged to showcase FIFA 2022 World Cup stadiums and many of Qatar’s famous cultural sites and attractions, as well as allowing them to enjoy Qatar’s impressive hospitality landmarks.

Jill Jiao, QTM Exhibition Manager explained on the Travel & Tourism stats, “reports from Oxford Economics estimate that Qatar will receive an additional $0.9bn in visitor expenditure and 290,000 visitor arrivals on average per year over the period 2022-2025 as a direct result of the marketing investment. Additional gains in market share will be achieved in the longer run through continued visa expansion and tourism product improvements. While estimated number of jobs supported by the travel and tourism sector in 2030 will hit around 247,800.

31 regional and international countries are attending the event, with 14 country pavilions representing their nations, such as Visit Britain, African Tourism Board, Korea National Tourism Organisation, ENIT – Italian State Tourist Board, Azerbaijan Tourism Board, Visit Rwanda and Dominican Republic Tourism Board. 136 leading companies in the industry have signed up to exhibit at the event, including airlines, hotels & resorts, DMCs, cruise lines and transport companies to name a few.

The exhibition is expected to attract more than 7,000 visitors over the three days from 16th to 18th November 2021 at the DECC. Visitors will expect to network with representatives from international tourism boards, national & regional tourism offices, airlines, tour operators and hospitality venues to travel agencies.  Others represented include health service providers, halal tourism, policy makers, corporate travel, investors, academics, travel technology providers, MICE operators, cultural and educational bodies, entertainment and families.

Vibrant cultural performances in the Global Village will take place each day to showcase each country’s heritage, with Indonesia, Thailand, Portugal, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Dominican Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan’s participations.

Source: Press Release