Qatar branded taxis drive past Big Ben in London as part of the ‘Qatar Destination Brand’ promotional campaign.

By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter


Destination branding is a crucial element in how well a country’s tourism system can function cohesively, Dr Taleb al-Rifai, secretary general,  the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), said yesterday, speaking  at the UNWTO Ministerial Summit, hosted at the ongoing 36th edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London under the title ‘Destination Branding – New Challenges in a Changing Market’.
Qatar has developed a brand, ‘Qatar Destination Brand’ to position the country as a premium tourist destination that offers authentic experiences rooted in the nation’s culture and heritage. It was unveiled at the WTM on Monday.
“It is more important to create a unique experience than a marketing tagline,” al- Rifai said.
“The brand has to be authentic, personal, and credible – otherwise you are exposing your destination to issues and crisis, which will damage a lot more than the good that you expect the brand to do.”
Al-Rifai stated that developing solid tourism products would in turn make tourists, as well as industry partners and citizens, the greatest brand ambassadors.
The secretary general stressed the growing importance of tourism as a central pillar of growth in today’s economy. UNWTO’s latest data shows 4.3% growth for global tourism in the first nine months of 2015, which promises to make this the fifth consecutive year of growth for the global industry.
“This industry is so vital to today’s world, not only in creating jobs and addressing economic deficits, but because we are the industry that deals with the deficit of smiles and happiness,” he concluded.
Meanwhile the Qatari pavilion at the WTM is attracting a large number of visitors from around the world who are eager to know about the tourism potential of the country.