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Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker and Qatar Airways board member and Qatar Tourism Authority chairman Issa al-Mohannadi have met with a delegation from the Chengdu Culture and Tourism Development Group and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two organisations. |
A gift exchange of traditional cultural memorabilia also took place, commemorating the occasion.
“Chengdu offers strong cultural and economic opportunities to passengers on our network and I am delighted to have had the opportunity this year to meet with the mayor of Chengdu, Ge Honglin, and just this week Yang Chai, vice-general manager of the Chengdu Culture and Tourism Development Group,” said al-Baker.
Designed to strengthen ties between Qatar Airways and the tourism authorities in Chengdu, one of Qatar Airways’ seven gateways across China – including Hong Kong – the MoU will integrate the resources of both representative parties to promote and strengthen the benefits of the connectivity that the route provides, together with the tourism and cultural highlights of Chengdu, to passengers flying on the Qatar Airways network.
The meeting this week in Doha follows a successful trip to China in April, where al-Baker met with the mayor of Chengdu, further building on the strong ties that exist between the airline and China.
The airline, which has provided its service to the Chinese market for over 10 years, started its first flight to Shanghai in 2003 and now has the largest route network across China for any Middle Eastern carrier, serving the cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Hong Kong.
“Qatar Airways has progressively developed its operations in China for over 10 years, connecting passengers through a variety of gateways to our new global hub and home, Hamad International Airport.
“The signing of this memorandum of understanding with the Chengdu Culture and Tourism Development Group strengthens our connectivity and ties with China, and in particular highlights not only our own recent route launch to Chengdu in 2013, but Chengdu itself as a tourist destination,” added al-Baker.
Chengdu is historically home to the giant pandas and the province also benefits from a convenient 72-hour tourism visa-on-arrival service for all travellers who wish to experience the marvels of the region.
The Chengdu government and Culture and Tourism Development Group are keen to promote this amenity to travellers wishing to immerse themselves in unique experiences in nature, including visiting the home of the treasured panda.
Qatar has for long been sought after by Chinese travellers as an optimal transit point for cultural and shopping excursions. Additionally, the network offered by the national carrier provides various options for business and leisure travellers from China venturing westwards.
