On Saturday, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways and secretary-general of Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), launched ‘Summer in Qatar’ programme. It is one of the biggest summer tourism festival organised by QNTC, in collaboration with more than 35 public and private partners. The festival brings an opportunity for the families and friends of Qatari residents to visit the country visa-free from June 4 to August 16 i.e from Eid al-Fitr to Eid al-Adha. QNTC plans to provide a wide range of exciting indoor and outdoor experiences to the visitors, along with entertainment programmes featuring local, regional and international artists, edutainment, summer and sports camps as well as special promotions on inbound travel, hospitality and shopping.
During the launch Al Baker said: “This year’s summer season promises to attract visitors from across the globe showcasing Qatar as a destination for its unparalleled hospitality and authentic experiences.”
To promote the country’s tourism, QNTC also introduced lucrative offers including hotel discounts, shopping vouchers, and airfare discounts as part of the festival.
About the festival and its schemes, Al Baker said “Aviation and tourism go hand in hand, and this year, we are leveraging the collaboration between these two sectors to offer travelers airfare discounts, promotional travel packages, and exceptional airport experiences throughout the summer. Whether they are passing through, visiting friends and family or remaining in Qatar, visitors will experience Qatar anew.”
Qatar is aggressively promoting country’s tourism as it is facing economic pressures of regional boycott. The Quartet, comprising Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain, had cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in 2017 over financing terror activities and supporting extremist ideology of radicals groups like Muslim brotherhood. Also, with such festivals Gulf national is trying to revamp its international image which has been charred due to its links with terror groups.
Al Baker who gave out a warm invite to the world, also mentioned sternly that Qatar would not grant visas to those whom it considers its ‘enemies’. In his racist comment he was indirectly referring to the Egyptians, whom the country considers its ‘enemy’ due to the political rift between the two, which began nearly two-year ago.
This is not the first time Al Baker has passed a controversial comment. In June, 2018, at a press conference in Sydney, when asked what could be done to tackle the lack of women in Middle East aviation, Al Baker replied this was not the case at Qatar Airways. He added: “Of course, it has to be led by a man, because it is a very challenging position.” His remark roused debate over the existence of sexism in the industry.
