Destination | QATAR – PORTUGAL
Qatar Q
atar – set to welcome the FIFA World Cup in 2022 – has big ambitions when it comes to tourism and putting on a world-class event. The government has earmarked US$65 billion for infrastructure development ahead of 2022. Tourism infrastructure also continues to keep pace, with a new airport capable of processing 50 million passengers a year set to open by 2015. According to the Qatar Tourism Authority, the country will see a decade of
development and growth, with more than 85,000 new hotel rooms to bolster the current inventory by 2022. The Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay is slated to open later this year. Located near the Qatar Stock Exchange, the 42-storey five-star hotel will feature 250 guest rooms and suites along with 80 large serviced apartments. Plans are also underway for a two-storey spa and health club and a rooftop pool, which will open by 2016. The St. Regis Doha welcomed its first
Doha skyline
Qatar at Arabian Travel Market Qatar Tourism Authority ME4210
Portugal Douro River, Porto old town, Portugal
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guests at the end of March 2012. The 336-room property marks the brand’s entry into Qatar. Property USPs include catering from Michelin-star chef Gordon Ramsay, an in-house wedding planner and bespoke butler service. InterContinental Doha The City opened in February 2012 offering the country's highest dining experience and an in-house chocolatier. The property has 302 rooms and 58 suites in addition to 176 Residence Suites, ranging from one- to fourbedroom apartments. For food and beverages, the hotel offers six restaurants and two lounges. Strata, on levels 55 and 56, is Doha's highest restaurant. Marriott International recently opened three new properties in West Bay Doha – the 257-room Renaissance, 204-room Courtyard by Marriott and 123-room Marriott Executive Apartments – all situated in the Doha City Centre Mall complex which also features more than 340 shops and attractions. Katara Hospitality, previously known as Qatar National Hotels, has announced that the 31-yearold Sheraton Hotel in Doha – one of the oldest international hotels in the city – is to undergo a US$200 million refurbishment. Works will include renovation of guest rooms together with the conference centre, while the
entrance of the Sheraton Hotel from the Sheraton Roundabout will also be upgraded. Hotel owner Katara Hospitality has also recently appointed The Ascott Limited to manage the 200-unit Somerset West Bay Doha. The serviced residence opened in 2008 and has enjoyed success with business travellers, with average occupancies of over 80 percent. Katara Hospitality alone has more than 4,000 hotel
rooms already operational or under construction, while budget properties are also set to enter the market. Meanwhile, national carrier, Qatar Airways will launch six new routes in H1 2013, growing its current network to 123 key destinations. All of this development is in readiness to welcome the projected 3.7 million annual visitors Qatar will handle by 2022.
The island archipelago of Madeira sits 400 kilometres north of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic. A popular tourist resort, it receives one million visitors a year, attracted by its Madeira wine, flowers, landscapes and embroidery. Portugal’s other offshore territory, the Azores, is composed of nine volcanic islands located 1,500 kilometres west of Lisbon
in the Atlantic. The Azores are some of the tallest mountains on the planet, measured from their base on the ocean floor. The Portuguese government is also working to promote and develop new tourist destinations, including the Douro Valley, the island of Porto Santo and Alentejo. Further underlining its tourism links
with the Middle East, national flag carrier TAP Portugal has entered into a reciprocal codeshare agreement with Emirates, enabling passengers from both airlines to benefit from seamless connections, with a single combined ticket. Under the agreement, Emirates’ flight number will be placed on TAP services from Lisbon to Porto, Faro and Funchal in Portugal as well as Seville, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. TAP will place its code and flight number on several of Emirates’ services between Lisbon and Dubai to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Barzan Towers
The State of Qatar is a peninsula in the east of Arabia, bordering Saudi Arabia and extending into the Arabian Gulf. It is rich in oil deposits and covers 11,437 square kilometres Population: 1.9 million Climate: Summers (May to
Tourism infrastructure continues to keep pace, with a new airport for 50 million passengers a year set to open by 2015
The Portuguese government is also working to promote and develop new tourist destinations, including the Douro Valley, the island of PortoSanto and Alentejo
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n average, 13 million arrivals visit Portugal each year, making it among the 20 most-visited countries in the world. The tourism industry contributes nine percent to Portugal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – an important revenue earner. It also accounts for eight percent of the country’s workforce. The Portuguese capital of Lisbon is one of Europe’s great historical cities. Visitors can take in ancient castles, narrow
cobbled streets, Atlantic coast and historical boulevards. It is the second most-popular European city with tourists, after Barcelona, receiving more than seven million tourists a year. From Lisbon, arrivals commonly visit the Algarve, to the south of the country. Famed for its beautiful and often undiscovered beaches, the region is a popular family destination. Faro, the capital city of the Algarve region, is the southernmost city on mainland Portugal.
Portugal at Arabian Travel Market Turismo de Portugal EU8170a
National Pantheon, Lisbon
Qatar fact file
September) are hot, with temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius and alternate between dry and humid. Winters are moderate. Rainfall is negligible all year Local Time: GMT +3 Currency: Qatari riyal Language: Arabic Getting there: Qatar Airways connects Doha to 123 destinations worldwide, and the number is rising. Doha International Airport welcomes 18 million passengers a year and is served by international carriers such as British Airways, Lufthansa and United Airlines
Pigeon house, Katara
Portugal fact file Portugal is 92,391 square kilometres in size and shares the Iberian Peninsula at the western tip of Europe with Spain Population: 10 million Climate: Portugal is one
of the warmest European countries. In mainland Portugal, yearly temperature averages are about 15 degrees Celsius in the north and 18 degrees Celsius in the south. Spring and summer months are usually sunny and temperature maximums average between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius Local Time: Portugal is regulated by the Western European Time Zone (WET), the same time as in the UK and Ireland Currency: Euro Language: The official language is Portuguese, which is today one of the world's most-spoken languages and ranked sixth according to the number of native speakers Getting there: A number of major airlines fly to Portugal including British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, Continental and Delta, besides the country's own TAP Portugal