Business

Monday, February 09, 2026 | Daily Newspaper published by GPPC Doha, Qatar.

Business

Gulf Times

Visit Qatar deepens trade engagement in India at OTM Mumbai 2026

Visit Qatar has concluded its participation at Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) Mumbai 2026 – India's leading travel trade exhibition held from February 5-7 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.Visit Qatar said in a statement that its participation reinforced Qatar's positioning as a high-quality, well-connected tourism destination for Indian travelers, with a clear focus on trade engagement and sustained destination visibility.During the OTM, Visit Qatar signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI), and ClearTrip, aimed at enhancing destination education, product visibility and joint marketing initiatives.These partnerships are designed to enable Indian travel trade partners to more effectively package and promote Qatar across leisure, weddings, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) and premium travel categories."India is a priority source market for us, with direct connectivity from over 13 Indian cities and clear momentum toward longer stays, repeat visits and celebration travel,” said Visit Qatar public relations and communications director Jassim al-Mahmoud. “Our focus is on enabling the trade to convert stopovers into multi-night itineraries and position Qatar confidently for leisure, MICE and destination weddings."The Visit Qatar pavilion featured 14 partners representing leading hotels and destination management companies in Qatar, alongside strategic partner Qatar Airways demonstrating a unified approach to market engagement.Visit Qatar's participation enabled direct engagement with tour operators, travel agents, and industry decision-makers, solidifying the importance of India as a priority source market.The presence at the OTM Mumbai 2026 formed part of a broader programme of market activity, following a targeted promotional roadshow held across three Indian cities in January.Engagement with trade partners focused on positioning Qatar as a standalone destination and encouraging longer stays, supported by strong air connectivity, geographic proximity, and streamlined access for Indian travelers.

Qatar Chamber acting director general Ali Bu Sherbak al-Mansouri held a meeting Sunday with Timo Hammaren, head of the EU Trade and Economic Affairs Department for Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman.

Qatar Chamber discusses commercial co-operation with EU

Qatar Chamber acting director general Ali Bu Sherbak al-Mansouri held a meeting Sunday with Timo Hammaren, head of the EU Trade and Economic Affairs Department for Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman.The meeting, held at the chamber’s Lusail headquarters, reviewed the economic and commercial relations between Qatar and the EU and explored strategic ways to enhance bilateral co-operation across various sectors.Al-Mansouri praised the close relations between both sides across all fields, particularly in economic and trade matters. He highlighted the chamber’s strong ties with EU counterparts and Arab-EU joint chambers.Hammaren proposed establishing a European Chamber of Commerce in Qatar to enhance bilateral co-operation, which would link Qatari companies with European counterparts and stimulate trade and investment, “notably in the context of the ongoing GCC-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations”.He also urged Qatari companies to leverage the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), a vital global platform that enables businesses to build international relationships, find European partners, and effectively promote their products for export.