The new tourism law, issued by the Emir last August, charts the way forward for the tourism industry in this country in line with the development Qatar is witnessing in the urban, economic, cultural and social spheres.
The law supports the two main pillars of the tourism industry, namely hotels (which also include tourist resorts, camps and floating hotels), and tourist establishments (which include tourist sites, leisure parks and tourism service centres). With this new law, our country is way ahead of the rest of the region.
But it is pertinent to say that it is difficult to put all the articles of the new law into effect at present, while we are still in the middle of implementing a comprehensive plan of construction. This plan needs patience and persistence until we complete infrastructure projects necessary for receiving large numbers of tourists.
We have started preparing, but we need enough time to execute the ambitious projects we have planned. This, in fact, is what prompts me to call for patience as far as application of the new law is concerned. Some of our important projects have not been completed yet. We need to complete these in order to show them to the Arab and foreign tourists when they arrive.
Most of our planned tourist attractions and facilities are not complete yet. We are still waiting for completion of work on the new airport, which will, of course, be the symbol of our country. Some of our streets are not paved yet, leaving them unprepared for tourism. We keep hearing about the railways, but we don’t have them on the ground yet. This is a big project that will give us all pride, but its implementation needs patience and persistence.
Current work on the project includes digging and refilling areas where the trains will travel underground. This project will take our country many steps forward. We will feel proud when it is complete, and invite the world to celebrate the achievement with us.
Qatar’s ports need to be equipped to receive tourist ships. This, I think, needs not a short time. Other facilities, including hotels, public parks, the zoo, and resorts need upgraded infrastructure.
Therefore, we should not be in any hurry to attract foreign tourists to the country, but spend some time to get ready instead. We need to wait until all these projects are completed and become a tangible reality on the ground.
In the meantime, Qatar Tourism Authority needs to make efforts to find ways to apply the spirit of the law in the light of our future needs. Perhaps Article 12, which commits those holding a licence to operate a tourist facility to offering training to their workers, is one of the most important parts of the new law. The article will enable the human capital in this country to show its talent to the world.
I do not need to repeat, and here I address workers and officials in the tourism sector, that the current stage is one of preparation and hard work with the aim of creating a promising future. But to be attained, this promising future needs honest work.
