BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
While the country focuses on developing tourism in the sport and (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sectors, Qatar’s nature tourism holds great promise with the country’s sprawling mangrove forests to be preserved, developed and marketed for the rest of the world to experience.
Qatar, like other Gulf countries, has been home to mangroves since ancient times and the country has several mangrove forests along its shores, the largest of which can be found in Al Dhakira.
In recent years, the mangroves of Al Dhakira has been the favourite site for kayaking trips provided by Entalek, the first eco-adventure company in the country.
Since Entalek started its kayaking tours in February 2011, the company has managed to take around 5,000 people for adventure tours in the area, all of whom were awed by the beauty of this hidden natural treasure.
“Everyone who has experienced our trips said it was one of the most amazing experiences they had in Qatar,” Steve Rhodes, founder of Entalek, told The Peninsula, adding nobody could believe such environment existed in Qatar.
The kayaking tours into the mangroves are not just a unique adventure activity which is a departure from the already very popular dune bashing but also enriching as tourists learn about the mangroves and their importance to Qatar’s ecosystem
“One of our goals is to teach people of Qatar about the mangroves and the best way to do it is through the tours. Enjoying the environment would encourage people to protect and preserve it,” he said.
People think Qatar doesn’t have nature and that new buildings must be constructed to boost the tourism sector, Rhodes, however, believes the country has its nature as a tourism product that is marketable to the rest of the world.
“It doesn’t cost so much to develop it,” said Rhodes, adding building awareness about Qatar’s mangroves would be a significant step to boost its huge potential for tourism.
The mangroves are a hidden natural heritage of Qatar that should be tapped for people to see and experience. What makes them special is that they don’t harbor wild animals that could pose danger to tourists, he said.
“Qatar does have beautiful nature that has to be preserved and developed,” he said, adding more and more people in Qatar are becoming aware and interested in kayaking tours.
To promote kayaking, there had been some institutions that offer programs such as Aspire, which earlier this year held a basic kayaking programme for the community.
It was a very successful two-month program held during the weekends which saw nearly a thousand participants from the community, he said.
Entalek has also been active providing educational programs for schools based on kayaking, camping, outdoor skills, hiking and other outdoor activities that promote experiential learning.
Rhodes said they have already worked with many schools on educational programs and are currently into developing school curriculum based on local culture and what Qatar’s nature could offer as there is a dearth of materials in this aspect.
Qatar’s mangrove forests teem with biodiversity. They play an important role to the ecosystem and a haven to a variety of birds, fish and other animals. Mangroves are also crucial for climate change as mangrove forests store up to eight times more carbon than tropical forests.
People, especially the young should recognize the importance of this vital aspect of Qatari environment and the only way to do this is through education.
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