Qatar recently launched its first global destination campaign aimed at positioning the Arabian Gulf country as an attractive destination for authentic and bespoke experiences. Under the tagline ‘Qatar. Qurated For You’, the campaign brings to life Qatar’s focus on tailored visitor experiences that celebrate its heritage, and will be rolled out across 15 existing and targeted priority markets.
The campaign’s launch comes at an exciting period of growth and development for Qatar’s tourism sector. Just a few weeks earlier, Qatar Tourism Authority was converted into the Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC). The new governance structure paves the way for the implementation of key initiatives across the public and private sectors to develop solid tourism infrastructure and deliver exceptional visitor experiences.
Both the revised governance model and the global promotion campaign are critical components of the sector’s newest strategy launched in 2017 (The Next Chapter of the National Tourism Sector Strategy). These foundational developments are further complemented by the country’s revised visitor visa policies which have earned it the ranking as the most open country in the Middle East – and the 8th most open in the world – according to UNWTO’s recently updated visa openness rankings.
Rashed AlQurese, chief marketing & promotion officer, QNTC, added, “Qurated is more than an advertising campaign: we’ve closely examined what Qatar offers as a destination to bring into sharp focus the essence of the Qatar experience, and how it can be tailored to each of our visitor segments.” He added, “We look forward to bringing the spirit of Qurated to life, on people’s television screens, in airports around the world, and eventually here in Qatar where the world is welcomed to experience our authentic heritage and forward-looking vision.”
To deliver bespoke end-to-end experiences to our visitors while achieving true impact for the industry, QNTC is partnering with some of the world’s most popular travel platforms such as Booking.com, TripAdvisor among others, so that prospective visitors can curate their next visit to Qatar from the moment they read about the destination, through to making reservations and enjoying the destination’s various cultural and natural attractions.
Running across print, TV and digital platforms in eight different languages, Qurated will also leverage partnerships with global television networks such as CNN International, Al Jazeera, BeIN, Digiturk and Sky TV. Through captivating visuals that offer glimpses of Qatar’s authentic tourism offerings, the campaign is designed to make Qatar a top-of-mind destination.
Meanwhile, Cox & Kings India is now promoting Qatar as the group’s new preferred destination. The marketing and promotion campaign comes as part of a strategic partnership with Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) aimed at boosting the destination’s profile to attract luxury, business and independent travellers to visit Qatar. Nearly 260 Indian travel agents visited Qatar to attend a five-day training camp.
AlQurese commented, “We are pleased to be partnering with Cox & Kings group for the destination’s first ever integrated campaign in India. Qatar is an easily accessible destination within a few hours from most Indian cities making it an attractive destination for travelers looking for short city getaways or a convenient stopover when heading further West.”
He added, “India is a priority market for us and we look forward to welcoming Indian visitors in Qatar to discover our destination’s authentic experiences all while enjoying our famed Arabian hospitality.”
Qatar is an easily accessible destination within a few hours from most Indian cities making it an attractive destination for travellers looking for short city getaways or a convenient stopover when heading further West. Every week, there are 176 flights connecting Indian cities to Doha offered by Qatar’s award-winning national airline, Qatar Airways as well as IndiGo, Jet Airways and Air India Express. Since January of this year, Qatar has welcomed more than 335,00 Indian visitors, representing a 25 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.