In an open meeting today, Qatar Chamber and Qatar Tourism discussed the challenges facing private investments in the field of tourism in light of recent regional developments in the region, and the support the situation requires for businessmen and private investors to enhance the competitive capabilities of their tourism projects in line with the state’s vision of consolidating Qatar’s position as a distinguished tourist destination.
The meeting, which was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Chamber, His Excellency Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, President of Qatar Tourism, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of the Chamber’s Tourism Committee, His Excellency Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani, Member of the Board of Directors of the Qatari Businessmen Association, and a number of Qatari businessmen and representatives of companies operating in the tourism sector, discussed a group of important topics such as subsidizing electricity and water in hotels, and facilitating and deferring loans. Banking, coordination between entities in distributing the hosting of important events, facilitating the issuance of visas and residence fees, stimulating and supporting medical tourism and others, as it was agreed that the Chamber would inventory the challenges facing the tourism sector, and provide Qatar Tourism with them to work on studying them and finding appropriate solutions for them.
In a speech on the occasion, His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani stressed the great importance that the tourism sector has in supporting the Qatari economy and enhancing its diversification, stressing the Chamber’s keenness to protect the interests of this vital sector.
His Excellency praised the efforts of Qatar Tourism in supporting and developing the tourism sector in the country, and solving all the obstacles facing the sector, business owners and investors, noting the importance of joining all efforts in order to support investors in the tourism sector, especially new ones who were affected by the repercussions of the recent escalation, in order to support the continuity and growth of their businesses.
His Excellency also stressed the importance of strengthening joint cooperation to find ways to support and assist private institutions working in the tourism sector, in a way that contributes to developing their services and increasing their competitiveness.
For his part, His Excellency Mr. Saad bin Ali Al-Kharji stressed that the state attaches special importance to the role of the private sector in the growth of the national economy, noting the state’s keenness to support and support the private tourism sector and facilitate its role in economic development, and Qatar Tourism’s efforts to monitor the requirements of business owners and the obstacles they face, especially in the current conditions.
In addition, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Ahmed Al Thani, member of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Chamber and Chairman of the Tourism Committee, stated in his intervention that the hotel sector has incurred significant losses during the recent period, expressing his aspiration to support hotel owners with regard to electricity fees and postponing the payment of installments.
The participants in the meeting touched on the challenges facing the private tourism sector in this current regional circumstance, expressing their hope for an end to the escalation and the return of stability to the region due to its positive consequences on economic, commercial, development and tourism performance.