Discover Qatar, the destination management subsidiary arm of Qatar Airways, announced a new selection of pre-bookable city and desert tours for passengers transiting through Qatar.
The Discover Qatar Transit Tours allow all passengers with a transit time of five–12 hours at Hamad International Airport (HIA) to choose from a range of activities to help them experience Qatar during their stopover. This includes visiting key landmarks around Doha. Passengers can also book a unique desert experience and visit the Sealine Beach and the sand dunes of Mesaieed in an exclusive off-road monster bus or a luxury 4X4 vehicle.
Alongside the city and desert tours, transit passengers can also book the ‘Stop & Shop’ tour which offers a chauffeur-driven car to the Mall of Qatar for a wide selection of luxury fashion brands and world-class restaurants.
The renowned city tours, initially launched in 2015, have been hugely popular with passengers transiting through HIA. In a move to provide more options, Discover Qatar has revamped and enhanced its tours, offering a wide variety of new exciting excursions. They now include the popular Doha City Tour, in addition to the Monster Bus Desert Experience, Private Desert Safari, Stop & Shop and chauffeur services for passengers who wish to explore Qatar at their own pace.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said they are very proud to be playing a part in the growth of Qatar’s tourism industry, in partnership with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
The city and desert tours will allow our passengers to enjoy every step of their journey with us, and we hope to see more of our passengers booking and taking part in these tours, to experience Qatar’s renowned hospitality, culture and heritage, and the vibrant city of Doha, before connecting to one of more than 150 destinations that we serve on our expanding global network.’
Qatar Airways passengers who wish to take the advantage of the Discover Qatar Transit Tours can pre-book online or they can visit the Discover Qatar Transit Tours desk at HIA with their valid passports and boarding passes for their onward travel.
Hassan Al Ibrahim, Acting Chairman of QTA, said that their partnership with Qatar Airways come as part of their effort to diversify and grow Qatar’s visitor source markets.
New developments such as these are guided by the next chapter of the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2017-2023, which is focused on enhancing the end-to-end experience for travellers who are either en route to another country or have chosen Qatar as their destination.’
Visitors who are able to venture out of the airport and enjoy short excursions during their stopover are more likely to make longer visits in the future. Through facilitating transit passengers’ ability to explore and experience our country’s unique and authentic tourism offerings, we are able to spread our message of welcoming the world.’
Discover Qatar encourages all passengers to consider adding Qatar to their itinerary. In addition to Transit Tours, Discover Qatar also offers a range of other services for passengers by bringing together the best stopover packages, hotels and ground arrangements. Visitors can select from an array of four- and five-star hotels, airport transfers, desert safari and city tours on Discover Qatar website.
Passengers who wish to turn a layover into a stay-over can take advantage of recently launched +Qatar programme, which allows them to discover the culture and attractions of Qatar with a complimentary hotel stay or two-night stay offers at one of Qatar’s many international hotels.
Travellers who wish to take this opportunity to visit Doha during their journey can use the multi-city booking option to include the stop in Doha when booking their flights on qatarairways.com or contact their nearest Qatar Airways office or travel agent.
