Sunday will be the much-anticipated kick-off of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, an unprecedented and controversial event that will be held for the first time in history in the Middle East, in a Muslim-majority Arab country, and in winter.
This event represents an exceptional opportunity for the country to promote luxury tourism, strengthen its trade relations and deposit millions of Qatari riyals into its coffers to further promote the transformation of the country.
At Doha’s Souq Waqif, football shirts and scarves from teams from around the world mingle with rugs, teapots, fabrics, gold jewelry sold by weight and all sorts of souvenirs. Qatar eagerly awaits the World Cup to serve as a springboard for the tourism sector in a country that has spent millions of dollars quickly to recover.
Qatar’s markets are a real hotspot on weekends, both for locals and tourists who come to buy handcrafted shapes, fabrics, decorations, jewelry and spices, among other souvenir products; A real claim and a mandatory gift to participate in Arab culture.
These typical markets are expected to receive more than a million visitors who can generate more than €16 billion in revenue for the country’s economy. Merchants have even indicated that they are willing to open their stores 24 hours a day during the World Cup.
Thanks to this major sporting event, a solid foundation will be created for the Qatari Government’s strategy, which aims to be the start of an ambitious tourism plan to increase the number of tourists annually by 6, to reach more than 6 million visitors annually. . in the next five years.
In fact, large companies led by Qatar Airways, its national operator, are investing a lot of money in new infrastructure that will allow the city to receive more tourists.
It is because Qatar seeks to attract new tourists who enjoy high purchasing power between luxury and luxury and the grandeur of its infrastructure and skyscrapers. This year the country is experiencing a veritable wave of openings, whether for hotels, museums, theme parks or shopping malls.
The Arab country is preparing before and after international tourist visits. During the first half of the year, the number of international arrivals increased by almost 20% compared to 2021, and that number could triple in the last quarter of the year due to the FIFA World Cup.
To accommodate all this tourism that is expected to receive, almost a hundred new hotels have opened and many top attractions have been launched, such as the Lusail Winter Wonderland, an amusement park where visitors can relax on the beach in the sun while enjoying games and tours and live entertainment.
Also opened was Lusail Boulevard, a dynamic commercial, residential and commercial district destined to become the Champs Elysees avenue in the Middle East, with an open-air, climate-controlled boulevard offering a wide range of experiences.
In addition, Hamad International Airport in Qatar was recently named the best airport in the world for the second year in a row. It has the most luxurious VIP rooms in the world, quadruple massages, five-star hotels, distinguished international stores, Michelin-starred restaurants or even a heated swimming pool.
Big Sponsors
The Qatar 2022 World Cup is full of good news, and no other sporting event other than the Olympics attracts such a large audience. This is the most expensive World Cup in history, with an investment of 212 billion euros.
Therefore, large multinational industries confirmed their presence as sponsors or institutional partners of the event. The main ones are: AB InBev/Budweiser, Adidas, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Qatar Airways, Hyundai-Kia, Visa, Wanda Group, Qatar Energy, Crypto, Vivo, Hisense, Mengniu and Byju’s.
Sponsoring an event of this magnitude is a complex task, so sponsors play an essential role during the tournament. That this great show, which is followed by millions of people all over the world, is a great show that can boost your business.
“The point of choosing a great brand for a World Cup or other high-level sporting event is, fundamentally, to deliver the brand and go hand in hand with disruptive experiences, providing differential value and a sense of belonging to all users”, he says. Jorge Espinos, mobility and tourism specialist, from Grupo VB.
For this reason, it is not surprising that brands dream of being in Qatar, as the figures provided by FIFA indicate that the event will transfer more than 10 billion dollars (9648 million euros), between direct and indirect revenues.
Thanks to the World Cup, the West Asian Arab country has an exceptional opportunity to position itself as a world-class business destination, but also as a luxury tourist destination, with the country having art and culture, 5-star hotels, cruise ships, malls, markets, good gastronomy, excellent beaches and even an artificial island.
A very interesting place for investors and entrepreneurs who have the opportunity to get to know a country that is constantly growing and hopes to favor more business in the coming years.