By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter


A large number of people from different parts of the world have visited and interacted with the exhibitors from the Qatar pavilion at the 38th World Travel Market (WTM) that was concluded in London last week.
A strong contingent of 26 hospitality sector organisations, led by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), had taken part in the WTM 2015 and included tour operators, travel agents, hotels and others.
Rashed al-Qurese, chief marketing and promotions officer, QTA said: “QTA targets discerning world travellers, who visit countries to seek cultural experiences. In promoting Qatar as a destination, protecting and perpetuating our culture, traditions and heritage are always front of mind.”
Al-Qurese also indicated that QTA will open its Milan office towards the end of this month, having told Gulf Times before the start of WTM, of plans to open a representative office in Italy sometime this month.
“There are many factors that make this the right time to open our office in Milan, key among them is the number of Qatar Airways flights to and from Milan rising to five a day, which will help a great deal in encouraging Italian visitors to choose Qatar,” said al-Qurese, adding that the trip to Italy is a short one – between five and six hours,” he said.
QTA’s strategy to reaffirm Qatar’s position on the global map of destinations places high emphasis on the European market, which is the source market to over half of the world’s 1.18 billion tourists, according to World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) figures. QTA’s present  representative offices are located in London, Paris, Berlin, Riyadh and Singapore.
Many visitors felt that Qatar is an ideal choice for them as a holiday destination. One of the officials of a German delegation at WTM, Henrique Olson, pointed out that Qatar has all the potential to become a leading tourist destination in the Middle East. “The ethos of Qatar’s tourism sector is a very promising one. The idea to market the country as a destination that holds on to its culture, traditions and social values, is truly distinctive and highly encouraging for tourists from all around the world,” he said.