VZCZCXRO7380
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHDO #0212/01 0570932
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260932Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6262
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000212 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON QA
SUBJECT: QATAR ESTABLISHING A TOURISM NICHE 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary. The acting Director General of the Qatar 
Tourism Authority (QTA) told Emboffs that in developing a 
tourism sector, Qatar is not looking to become a mass-market 
destination like Dubai but is aiming to be a niche market for 
East to West travel. The government has dedicated USD 18 
billion to the development of the tourism industry. The main 
limitations of this goal are limited hotel capacity and 
balancing new development with the conservative elements of 
society. QTA acknowledges that tourism will not be a major 
employer for Qataris because most of the eligible Qatari 
labor pool does not want to work in such jobs. End Summary. 
 
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QATAR'S VISION 
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¶2. (U) Jan Poul De Boer, acting director general of the QTA, 
told Emboffs February 14 that tourism is an effort to 
diversify Qatar's energy-dependent economy. Qatar plans to 
have 1.4 million tourists each year by 2012. Last year when 
Doha hosted the Asian Games Qatar received 870,000 tourists 
and in 2005, 700,000 people visited Qatar. Unlike Dubai, QTA 
plans to develop a niche market for educational, medical, and 
sports tourism along with the existing meetings, incentives, 
conventions, and expo travelers. De Boer envisions the 
typical traveler staying for 2 to 3 days. He stated that 
while others in the region are trying to attract tourists for 
resort vacations, Qatar wants visitors to come to Education 
City, Hamad Medical Center, or one the many sporting and 
convention events and then offer additional entertainment. 
The QTA is using Thailand as a model for medical tourism with 
the hope of making Qatar a medical hub for the Middle East. 
Qatar is already home to the Weill-Cornell Medical School and 
the Hamad Medical Center and is continuing to spend massive 
amounts on new hospitals and other facilities. 
 
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COSTS 
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¶3. (U) De Boer said the government is investing USD 18 
billion into tourism. There will be 2 large conventions 
centers, one of which is already under construction at 
Education City, where it should be completed by 2009, and 
another will be built downtown where the current Exhibition 
Center stands. Qatar is also developing its entertainment 
outlets with 4 new museums, which are expected to open in the 
next 3 years, and 3 new golf courses are underway. A new 
international airport is under construction; the first phase 
should be completed by 2010 and the second phase by 2012. 
Qatar would like to use the new airport to make Doha a 
gateway to the Middle East and beyond for 2.8 billion 
potential tourists from China and India. One of the 
challenges that Qatar's tourism market is facing is a 
shortage of hotel rooms; there are currently only 3000 hotel 
rooms in Qatar. There are a number of major hotel chains 
planning to open sites, adding 10,000 rooms to the market by 
¶2010. The QTA is funded directly by the Qatari government and 
De Boer has no concerns about the future financial stability 
of this subsidized development because the Qataris "will 
always have money." 
 
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JOBS FOR QATARIS? 
----------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Tourism has been highlighted as a method of job 
creation with estimates as high as 20,000 additional jobs by 
2010 but De Boer told Emboffs that he expects the majority of 
these jobs will be filled by Eastern Europeans and other 
Arabs.  De Boer estimated that of the 200,000 Qatari 
citizens, the real labor force is only about 50,000 people. 
De Boer said that many Qataris do not be want to work in the 
tourism industry because they prefer "cushy" jobs in the 
government. He noted that Qatari women show great promise but 
only before they are married. QTA does offer scholarships to 
Qataris who want to study in the hospitality arena but many 
drop out of school because they don't want to continue the 
work. 
 
¶5. (U) De Boer opined that Qatar's new-found wealth, enjoyed 
by even young Qataris, precludes any feeling of urgency to 
earn a living or move ahead. He noted that Qatar's top-down 
culture, where parents often make decisions for their 
children well into adulthood, makes young Qataris unable to 
handle responsibility.  De Boer stated that young Qataris all 
want to be managers right away, drive a fancy car, and have 
low-pressure jobs with short work hours. 
 
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MAINTAINING A BALANCE 
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DOHA 00000212  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6. (U) De Boer told Emboffs that is was very important to the 
Amir that Qatar not lose its culture at the expense of 
development. Qatar does not want to turn into Dubai and wants 
to avoid the social ills that have accompanied Dubai's 
development. While the general public has not voiced any 
concerns about the pace of progress, the QTA does not want to 
strain the conservative elements of society. De Boer told 
Emboffs this is the primary issue for Qatar's tourism sector 
and he is not sure how it will be resolved in the future. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶7. (U) With the massive amounts of money it is spending on 
healthcare, education, conference centers, and hotels, it is 
likely that targeted tourism could work in Qatar. There is 
already a built-in market of business travelers from the 
energy sector and much room for growth in both Education City 
and the Hamad Medical Center. However it seems unlikely that 
the tourism industry will be a profitable enterprise for 
Qatar in the near term.  Perhaps just as important is how the 
tourism industry will clash with Qatar's culture and how the 
younger generation will contribute in a meaningful way in the 
future to this endeavor. Thus far it appears as though Qatar 
is able to effectively blend the traditional with the modern 
but the key to changing the work ethic of young Qataris is an 
enigma to all. 
UNTERMEYER