Georgia and Armenia continue to be popular destinations for Qatar residents, it is learnt, while Turkey and several European countries are at the top of the travel list for Qataris, especially during short holidays like Eid.
“Georgia and Armenia have been booming amongst the expat communities since few years now,” Tawfeeq Travel Group chief executive Rehan Ali Syed told *Gulf Times. “There are various agencies providing 4-5 days fixed departure tours to both the countries during the Eid holidays.”
He noted that the biggest unique selling point of these destinations are short flights and visa-free entry for Qataris and residents, in addition to their beautiful weather and nature.
Besides tourism, Syed said that members of the Asian communities are also exploring higher education opportunities, mainly in Georgia.
“So, the travellers are not just going to enjoy holidays but also explore what else the country has got to offer,” he said.
During the upcoming Eid break, he noted that the most emerging destinations out from Qatar include Dubai, Georgia, Turkey, and Phuket (Thailand) for expatriate communities.
Many Qataris, Syed added, are opting to go for Umrah.
Otherwise, places like Turkey, Dubai, Greece, Sarajevo, Maldives and Seychelles are some of the key destinations for the short holidays.
“This season will eventually give a kick start for the summer bookings and emerging travel trends in the market,” the official said. “Everyone is looking for a stress buster where they can spend quality time with family, and all these destinations give you a bespoke experience.”
Apart from looking for unique experiences, Syed said that many travellers are also willing to explore new places that are easily accessible and affordable especially for a short break, in addition to being a safe destination.
“Turkey (as a travel destination) has really picked up due to easy accessibility with several entry points and varied offerings for all various age groups,” he said. “In the case of Europe, getting an appointment for a visa is not easy, and (the process) might take 1-2 weeks minimum, which can hamper travel plans.”
“Now, travellers are more educated … they do some research before going ahead with their holiday bookings, and one of the most important criteria is whether they can get visa on arrival,” Syed said.
Two European countries – Spain and Switzerland – are some of the few destinations that witnessed significant tourism growth in recent years, and would continue to attract visitors from Qatar in a post-coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic era, according to the official.
“The Qatari traveller is all about luxury, and these destinations are known to raise the bar with their overall natural scenic beauty and the availability of various sporting activities like skiing, mountain hiking, sledging with reindeers, and others,” Syed said.
Sreekanth Menon, the general manager of popular online travel portal Musafir.com, which specialises in budget holiday packages, shared a similar view, saying that visa-free destinations for Qataris and expatriates such as Georgia and Armenia – apart from Azerbaijan and eastern European countries like Serbia – have huge appeal for expatriates in Qatar.
He said that people prefer package tours over individual travel, since they get “everything in one plate”, such as hotel bookings and airline fares, among other offerings, at a much lower rate.
“A normal plane ticket to Georgia would be much costlier than a package tour, and there are many different packages,” Menon said. “People are also (working on a) budget, which is a big concern for everybody nowadays. That is why most of them are taking package tours.”
He said that cities like London and Paris, and countries like Spain and Switzerland, as well as beach destinations like Maldives, continue to attract Qataris.
African destinations like Kenya and Tanzania – which were already popular even in the pre-Covid-19 pandemic era due to safari adventures and mountain climbing at Mount Kilimanjaro – are once again witnessing an increasing number of Qatari visitors, according to Menon.
However, he said that travel demand from Qatar to a number of countries in other regions like Asia has dropped because of health restrictions and pre-arrival procedures.
“People have to feel fully confident and safe with their choice of destination,” he said. “They are looking for hassle-free travel – not only about visas but the procedures, which are slightly complicated in other destinations.”
“Georgia and Armenia have been booming amongst the expat communities since few years now,” Tawfeeq Travel Group chief executive Rehan Ali Syed told *Gulf Times. “There are various agencies providing 4-5 days fixed departure tours to both the countries during the Eid holidays.”He noted that the biggest unique selling point of these destinations are short flights and visa-free entry for Qataris and residents, in addition to their beautiful weather and nature.
Besides tourism, Syed said that members of the Asian communities are also exploring higher education opportunities, mainly in Georgia.
“So, the travellers are not just going to enjoy holidays but also explore what else the country has got to offer,” he said.
During the upcoming Eid break, he noted that the most emerging destinations out from Qatar include Dubai, Georgia, Turkey, and Phuket (Thailand) for expatriate communities.
Many Qataris, Syed added, are opting to go for Umrah.
Otherwise, places like Turkey, Dubai, Greece, Sarajevo, Maldives and Seychelles are some of the key destinations for the short holidays.
“This season will eventually give a kick start for the summer bookings and emerging travel trends in the market,” the official said. “Everyone is looking for a stress buster where they can spend quality time with family, and all these destinations give you a bespoke experience.”
Apart from looking for unique experiences, Syed said that many travellers are also willing to explore new places that are easily accessible and affordable especially for a short break, in addition to being a safe destination.
“Turkey (as a travel destination) has really picked up due to easy accessibility with several entry points and varied offerings for all various age groups,” he said. “In the case of Europe, getting an appointment for a visa is not easy, and (the process) might take 1-2 weeks minimum, which can hamper travel plans.”
“Now, travellers are more educated … they do some research before going ahead with their holiday bookings, and one of the most important criteria is whether they can get visa on arrival,” Syed said.
Two European countries – Spain and Switzerland – are some of the few destinations that witnessed significant tourism growth in recent years, and would continue to attract visitors from Qatar in a post-coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic era, according to the official.
“The Qatari traveller is all about luxury, and these destinations are known to raise the bar with their overall natural scenic beauty and the availability of various sporting activities like skiing, mountain hiking, sledging with reindeers, and others,” Syed said.
Sreekanth Menon, the general manager of popular online travel portal Musafir.com, which specialises in budget holiday packages, shared a similar view, saying that visa-free destinations for Qataris and expatriates such as Georgia and Armenia – apart from Azerbaijan and eastern European countries like Serbia – have huge appeal for expatriates in Qatar.He said that people prefer package tours over individual travel, since they get “everything in one plate”, such as hotel bookings and airline fares, among other offerings, at a much lower rate.
“A normal plane ticket to Georgia would be much costlier than a package tour, and there are many different packages,” Menon said. “People are also (working on a) budget, which is a big concern for everybody nowadays. That is why most of them are taking package tours.”
He said that cities like London and Paris, and countries like Spain and Switzerland, as well as beach destinations like Maldives, continue to attract Qataris.
African destinations like Kenya and Tanzania – which were already popular even in the pre-Covid-19 pandemic era due to safari adventures and mountain climbing at Mount Kilimanjaro – are once again witnessing an increasing number of Qatari visitors, according to Menon.
However, he said that travel demand from Qatar to a number of countries in other regions like Asia has dropped because of health restrictions and pre-arrival procedures.
“People have to feel fully confident and safe with their choice of destination,” he said. “They are looking for hassle-free travel – not only about visas but the procedures, which are slightly complicated in other destinations.”
