Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) made its debut at ITB China 2019, one of the leading travel trade shows in China, held in Shanghai on May 15 to 17. The Qatar pavilion showcased a strong delegation of leading private sector partners including Qatar Airways, destination management companies and other hospitality suppliers, providing a comprehensive one-stop welcoming service to meet with China travel trade.  

Rashed AlQurese, Chief Marketing Officer QNTC commented, “China is a key source market for us, and we hope to continue building this relationship. In 2018 we saw significant growth in the number of Chinese visitors to Qatar, with over 62,000 visitors in 2018, we saw a 38% growth from the previous year. He added, “We’re delighted to work with our partners in China to share Qatar’s unique experiences with a wider audience.” 

The delegation’s participation is part of QNTC’s efforts to shed light on Qatar’s unique experiences, and promote the country as a tourism destination among travel professionals and tourism industry leaders in China. The award-winning national carrier, Qatar Airways, currently connects Doha to 6 cities in mainland China including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Hangzhou.

A B2B travel exhibition exclusively focused on the Chinese Travel Market, ITB China, inaugurated in 2017, has established itself as one of the leading travel trade shows in the country. This year’s exhibition hosted more than 850 top buyers from more than 300 travel agencies, representing the full range of China's largest industry players.  In attendance were industry professionals from all around the world.

QNTC has received multiple accolades while representing Qatar in leading tourism conferences around the world. Following its participation in ITB Berlin 2019 this March, QNTC received the ‘Top Destination Ranking in the Middle East for 2019’ by the German magazine fvw, which ranks destinations based on the number of German tourists received.

Also, in March, QNTC participated in the Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (MITT) 2019 for the first time, where it received the “Best Stand Design Award”. Combining traditional Arabic architecture with high-tech solutions, the stand reflected Qatar as a diverse travel destination, providing contemporary experiences rooted in the country’s rich heritage.