Qatar is not only attractive for GCC visitors for family tourism but is also attracting more and more Europeans for the same brand and more.
Gulf Times met Hungarian Janos Litvak, a mechanical engineer and a car enthusiast in trendy Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD), who is visiting Qatar with his family this time following his daughter Hanga Litvak’s visit last year to Doha and other touristic attractions.
Janos Litvak said: “After seeing the photos and videos brought back by my daughter in addition to what I saw on TV, the level of security and cultural events during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, I decided with my wife Melinda Litvak-Balla that we should treat ourselves to a nice holiday in Qatar this year. We flew on Qatar Airways in a direct flight from Budapest to Doha and we were very pleased with the quality of the timely service, the excellent food and the entertainment on board as well as the games and presents given to my young son Janos (Junior) for whom it is a dream come true. Upon arrival at the airport (Hamad International Airport, HIA) we were immediately met by our hotel limousine service and we were nicely surprised by the warm welcome and that what is in the catalog matches the truth.
"Some hours later we are in MDD talking to Gulf Times. I can’t wait to see the sports cars exhibitions. I found Souq Waqif amazing, it is like in the movies about Arab traditional towns but it is well preserved, clean, and people and visitors are so relaxed and I love it. After a traditional dinner in Souq Waqif, we strolled to MDD.”
His wife Melinda Litvak-Balla, a professional photographer said: “We like the eating options in Souq Waqif, the popular souvenir stalls and its arcades as it is nearby our hotel we will come back to enjoy the sight of the gleaming white mosques, and we are also going to visit the history museums housed in Arabic-style mansions. To learn about Qatari family life in Radwani House, I am looking forward to taking some beautiful photos. It is for this reason that we brought along my mother Katalin Balla, and father Sandor Balla, because they like history and Arabic traditional buildings. They are already thrilled with Souq Waqif and its wonderful souvenir and gold shops. We are also looking forward to our visit to the desert to get a camel ride, experience the dune bashing and hopefully see the sunset there.”
Their daughter Hanga said: “I am very pleased to be back in Qatar, I love the atmosphere in Souq Waqif and MDD and the easy going lifestyle, people look very happy and relaxed, it is a unique experience for me. I am also looking forward to visit some of the malls for shopping, MIA, Qatar Museums but most importantly the beach and the desert for camel riding. I also love the falcon tradition here, these birds are amazing and I want to show them to my younger brother Janos and take him to the Sports Museum.”
The Litvak-Balla family at the MDD.
