Qatar is bracing for a World Cup tourism boom as the tiny Gulf state prepares to welcome more than a million soccer fans. One complication: many of them can’t or don’t want to stay there, Bloomberg comments.
Tight accommodation and a low tolerance for alcohol and partying in the conservative Muslim nation means tens of thousands of fans will settle in neighboring countries for the months-long tournament. Match-day flights from major Middle Eastern cities will transport spectators to the games, benefiting airlines, hotels and hospitality venues in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Dubai’s already popular tourist hub will benefit the most. Of the more than 90 new flights landing daily in the host city of Doha, around 40 will depart from the UAE. A new hotel built on an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree has been made available for visitors who intend to settle in Dubai and take the 40-minute flight to Doha with simplified immigration procedures.
Dubai will be “the main gateway” for the World Cup with probably more people coming through the city than from Qatar, said Paul Griffiths, the chief executive of Dubai Airports. “The hotel capacity in Qatar is quite limited and we have so much to offer here.”
Qatar has been preparing to host the Cup for 12 years and estimates the influx of 1.2 million visitors will add $17 billion to its economy. Amid concerns about accommodation shortages, organizers have chartered two cruise ships and will set up more than 1,000 tents in the desert. A regional bus service will connect Doha with other cities including Muscat, Riyadh, Jeddah and Kuwait City.
Saudi Arabia and Oman hold festivals to attract fans and plan to streamline travel procedures. The Saudi Tourism Authority says it expects to welcome 30,000 visitors due to the World Cup, while those registered with Qatar’s Hayya fan card can apply for multiple entry visas to the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Oman’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism says the tournament will “raise the profile of many regional destinations” and have an economic impact far beyond the event.
Both FIFA and Qatar welcomed the tourism benefits that will flow to the region.
Source: Capital
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