Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Chairman of Qatar Tourism H E Akbar Al Baker has emphasised that the tourism industry should devise ways to weather the pandemic and continue with business.
He also said that tourism related activities could continue in a more controlled and safer environment during the times of the pandemic.
“As you know the pandemic is still not under control. There are still major parts of the world that need to be vaccinated; there will be new variants, and new waves,” said Al Baker on Wednesday.
“But what we have to do as tourism authorities and in our tourism sector we believe to invent ways to be able to live with this virus and continue our affairs may be in a more controlled and smaller way and gradually increasing as there is herd immunity around the world,” he said during the press conference after the signing of partnership between Qatar Tourism and the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) to develop and host the newly designed Qatar Geneva International Motor Show in Doha in 2023.
Al Baker highlighted that the aim of Qatar Tourism is not only to concentrate on developing tourism in one country but also to attract the world to Qatar, he added that new events related to tourism will be announced in due time and as the pandemic is controlled.
“The GIMS is one of the events that we are targeting and there will be many other events which we will gradually unveil as the pandemic comes under control in major parts of the world especially the target markets of Qatar Tourism,” said Al Baker.
“As for tourism between Switzerland and Qatar, GIMS attracts people from all over the world. It’s not just concentrating because the show has Geneva in its name that it will attract people from the Switzerland. It will attract people from all over the world, who are motor enthusiasts and also within our region, the biggest motor enthusiasts. This will give big boost to both to the Qatar motor show and bringing Geneva here to enhance the experience they already have.”
While President of the Permanent Committee of the Geneva International Motor Show, Maurice Turrettini said that world of trade fairs is undergoing constant change, and it has been further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We see digitisation as an opportunity that offers us new ways of involving car manufacturers and visitors. With these digital tools, even in times of pandemics and travel restrictions, trade fairs can take place and at the same time offer completely new experiences, in our case around vehicles and mobility. These innovative formats and experiences also allow us to showcase the current transformation of the automotive sector in its many facets and bring it closer to the people,” said Turrettini.
