QTA and Qatar Airways Partake At Arabian Travel Market in Dubai on Monday

Doha, May 04 (QNA) - Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar Airways will have a major presence at the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) due to open in Dubai on Monday, May 06 . The four- day event that attracts the creme de la creme of the travel industry from around the world. The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) said in a press release issued here on Saturday that the authority is leading a delegation of the countrys premier hotels and tourism operators in one of the biggest delegations to the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) . QTA chairman Eissa bin Mohmed Al-Muhannadi said the high-powered delegation representing 32 hotels and operators will highlight Qatars growing offering as a destination for sport, family ,business, leisure and cultural tourism. He also reviewed the leading infrastructure supporting the business tourism and gallery sector in Qatar. The delegation will also showcase the tourist landmarks Qatar enjoys such as Katara , souq waqif , Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), the Pearl , Aspire in addition to hotels, distinguished public parks, castles and forts such as Zubara , Al Jassasiya ,and Mirweb . Al Jassasiya site is one of the most mysterious and attractive sites in Qatar. This years ATM will involve more than 320 main exhibitors and 2,000 companies, representing 69 countries and 60 national tourist organisations, and is the leading business-to-business platform for the regions travel and hospitality industry. "Qatar has become one of the emerging destinations in world travel and tourism thanks to Qatar Airways growth as well as our strategy to highlight the stunning range of activities on offer in Qatar," Al-Muhannadi said. "Qatar has everything a high-end traveller needs stunning hotels, cultural icons, many leisure activities and for the business traveller, ease of access." "It is important for QTA and our delegation to participate in large-scale trade events like the ATM as it not only allows us to showcase Qatar as a destination, but we can also discover new trends in the industry and make important contacts. This delegation highlights our strengths as a destination," he added. The airline returns this year to ATM to showcase how 2012 was a year of unprecedented growth and expansion with 12 new routes launched. Since then the airline has grown from strength to strength, winning numerous awards and achieving a number of momentous milestones, including being an elect member of the oneworld alliance, winning the Skytrax Airline of the Year 2012 award for the second year running, and introducing many new routes including Warsaw (Poland), Chicago (USA), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Najaf (Iraq) and Gassim(Saudi Arabia). This year at ATM the Middle Easts largest travel show Qatar Airways double-storey exhibition stand will herald the return of the airlines state-of-the-artBusiness and Economy Class Boeing 787 seats featured onboard the Dreamliner, at its stand (ME 4240) from May 69 at the Dubai Convention and Exhibition Centre. Speaking ahead of the airlines presence at ATM,Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Al Baker said he was looking forward to sharing exciting developments especially for the home markets with the introduction of new routes. "As the premier travel show in the Middle East, ATM is the perfect platform for Qatar Airways to announce some of our expansion plans across the Middle East and worldwide," he said. "We have a lot to showcase and discuss with the relaunch of Boeing 787 services and the opening of Hamad International Airport this year,and our continued commitment to open up the region to international travellers. I look forward to speaking about the next chapter in our success story to travel partners and customers." Qatar Airways won a raft of awards during the past year, including Best Long-Haul Airline (UK Business Travel Awards), Airline of the Year (Skytrax), Best Business Class in the World (Business Traveller Middle East), Best Airline in the Middle East and Africa (Business Traveller Asia Pacific) and Worlds Best Premium Service Airport (Skytrax). Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 123 aircraft to 126 key destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas, including Chicago, the airlines newest point introduced on April 10. Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch scheduled flights to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Salalah, Oman (May 22); Basra, Iraq (June 3); Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (August 20) and Chengdu, China (September 3) with many more new destinations planned.(END)