Qatar Airways (QA) has launched a unique stopover package in partnership with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) to promote and market Qatar as a destination of choice for international travellers, offering transit passengers the opportunity to discover Doha with free luxury hotel stays and complimentary transit visas.
The offer is part of a broader campaign called +Qatar which looks to encourage all transit passengers to consider adding Qatar to their itinerary.
This offer from QTA and QA allows passengers travelling through Doha to experience a taste of the Middle East for free. Throughout the summer, the national carrier, with the support of QTA, will give passengers the chance to turn a layover into a stayover by offering four and five star hotel accommodation at no charge to those transiting through Doha. The promotion invites all Qatar Airways passengers to add Doha to their vacation by taking advantage of a free one-night hotel stay from a selection of the country’s best four- and five-star hotels in the capital, Doha.
Passengers transiting through Doha can extend their stay to make the most of their journey taking in the sights of Doha with a completely free night courtesy of Qatar Airways and QTA or stay a little longer with a second night’s stay for a modest USD50 booking fee. Passengers can choose from hotels such as Four Seasons, Marriott Marquis, Radisson Blu Hotel Doha and Oryx Rotana Doha. The free hotel accommodation, available throughout the summer, will offer passengers the opportunity to explore Doha and experience city tours, desert safari adventures or a dinner cruise aboard a traditional dhow, giving visitors a taste of authentic Arabian hospitality, courtesy of Discover Qatar.
Chief Tourism Development Officer, Qatar Tourism Authority Hassan Al-Ibrahim, said:
It was a great source of pride for all of us in Qatar when we launched the transit visa last November. We have already seen a surge in stopover passengers, with a 53 per cent increase recorded in March 2017, compared to the same month last year.’
To be eligible for this offer, passengers simply book their flight on QA website, select ‘multi-city’ and choose their hotel once they receive their flight confirmation. The online transit visa application is also free and is eligible for those in transit between five and 96 hours. This ground-breaking offer is available for all Qatar Airways passengers, both Premium and Economy, demonstrating the airline’s commitment to its brand ethos of ‘Going Places Together’. To maximise their time in Qatar, visitors can explore additional stopover packages offered by Discover Qatar.
This unique offer with QTA has been launched by Qatar Airways’ newly created destination management company, Discover Qatar, and is just one of many new initiatives that will be launched over the coming months to generate awareness of, and visits to, Qatar. It was designed to kick off the newly launched campaign ‘+Qatar’ from Qatar Tourism Authority and is aimed at supporting the growing demand for tourism in Qatar.
This exciting and innovative announcement comes as the airline celebrates its 20th year of operations, marking two decades of growth, industry leadership and innovation. This year, Hamad International Airport (HIA) was also ranked the Sixth Best Airport in the World by the 2017 Skytrax World Airport Awards, as well as having been named Best Airport in the Middle East for the third consecutive year, and recognised as having the Best Staff Service in the Middle East for the second year in a row.
Known for introducing industry firsts, Qatar Airways is one of the fastest-growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. Qatar Airways has a modern fleet of 197 aircraft flying to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents.
