Qatar Tourism Authority is leading the Qatari delegation at the annual Arabian Travel Market 2014, with a 75 per cent larger presence than in previous years.

The event is set to take place between May 5th-8th 2014 in Dubai.

The high-powered delegation comprising representatives of 29 hotels, operators and travel agencies will highlight Qatar’s growing status as a destination for family recreation, leisure and cultural tourism.

The show is viewed as an opportunity for Qatar to showcase their tourism progress to travel industry professions who unite in one important location for four days.

Qatar’s rapidly developing tourism industry notched up another strong performance in 2013, with the number of hotel guests increasing by ten per cent to a total of 1.32 million during the year.

This represented further encouraging progress toward the targets set out in the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030, a blueprint roadmap that calls for the industry to play a key role in the country’s economic diversification and sustainable development plans towards making Qatar “a world-class hub with deep cultural roots.”

By 2030, annual tourist arrivals are expected to reach seven million and the sector’s direct contribution to the economy will amount to an estimated 3.1 per cent of national GDP.

These targets are already being reflected, with 2013 recording overall hotel revenues reaching QAR 3.58 billion, up by 13 per cent from the previous year.

Four and five star room occupancy was up by five per cent even as new properties came on the market.

A further 124 hotels and hotel apartments are currently being developed to cater to even higher numbers of visitors in the years ahead.

Qatar expects buoyant growth in its traditional markets of business travel, including MICE, and visitors from the GCC.

However, the most rapid expansion will take place in leisure tourism, which will increase its share of total arrivals from around 30 per cent at present to 64 per cent in 2030.

Qatar has all the necessary ingredients for success in international leisure tourism, including year-round sunshine, outstanding hotel facilities, sightseeing opportunities and a wide range of recreational and sporting activities.

As a major aviation hub and home to Qatar Airways, Doha is easily accessible from all major tourism source markets with exciting plans for the new Hamad International Airport set for a 2014 opening.