As decided by the UNWTO General Assembly, the World Tourism Day 2017 Official Celebration will be held in Doha, Qatar, under the theme "Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development", in the framework of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017.
Qatar is a country steeped in history, rich in culture and buoyed by global growth. Owing to the country’s rapid development, visitors have an opportunity to capture the beautiful contrast of past and future in a single frame; the country is home to high rises and modern technology parks, sitting side by side with majestic desert landscapes and 1,400 years of Islamic history. In addition to offering a wide range of authentic experiences, Qatar hosts close to 80 sporting events annually, and will be the first Middle Eastern country to host the 2019 World Athletics Championships, 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 FINA World Swimming Championships.
In 2011, the country launched the Qatar National Vision 2030 to guide its plans for sustainable long-term development and economic diversification. In pursuit of this vision, tourism has been designated a priority sector by the country’s leaders. Tourism provides Qatar with the opportunity to find sustainable economic growth, while perpetuating and celebrating the nation’s cultural and natural gems.
In 2014, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) launched the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy (QNTSS) 2030, which charts a pathway of sustainable development for the tourism sector through 2030. Since its launch, Qatar has welcomed over 9 million visitors, and achieved an average annual growth in arrivals of 6% between 2012 and 2016. The economic impact of the tourism sector in Qatar is becoming increasingly visible with 2015 estimates showing a total impact on Qatar’s total GDP of 4.3%.
On World Tourism Day 2017, a new chapter of QNTSS will be launched, taking Qatar into the next phase of its journey towards 2030.
More information on the World Tourism Day 2017 website.