Qatar Set to See Over 100% Rise in Cruise Tourists in 2018-19 Season Nearly 140,000 Tourists Are Expected to Arrive in 44 Cruise Ships This Season
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SUNDAY DECEMBER 30, 2018 RABI AL-AKHIR 23, 1440 VOL.12 NO. 4499 QR 2 FINE Fajr: 4:55 am Dhuhr: 11:37 am HIGH : 24°C Asr: 2:35 pm Maghrib: 4:54 pm LOW : 18°C Isha: 6:24 pm Business 12 Sports 16 LNG prices slip but deliveries Firmino hat-trick takes for Dec at record high Liverpool 9 points clear in EPL Constant patrolling, advanced systems bring down accidents at Sealine Deputy PM receives call from US Secretary of State HISHAM ALJUNDI Although accidents do occur helicopter, he added. DOHA during the season, their impact has “In addition, we have added DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister of been lessened by improving the more off-road 4X4 vehicles for Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed ADVANCED GPS system, more response time of the first respond- quick rescue.” bin Abdulrahman al Thani on Saturday ambulances operational off road ers, thanks to deeper reach into the Most of the injuries, he said, received a telephone call from US Secre- and stand-by choppers are helping camping sites. are caused by ATVs and reckless tary of State Mike Pompeo. authorities deliver a safer camping “GPS maps have been updated car drivers who drive down sand They discussed bilateral relations season at the Sealine beach this year. and new roads have been laid deep- dunes carelessly despite warnings and the means to promote them in addi- According to paramedics Qa- er inside this year to facilitate better from the traffic police. tion to key issues of common concern. tar Tribune spoke to at the camp- reach to the mostly crowded beach- The Ministry of Municipality They also discussed recent progress in ing site, accidents involving dune- es. These have made our jobs much and Environment has streamlined the Afghan peace process. bashing vehicles that swarm the easier,” said an ambulance driver. commercial activities at the Sea- Pompeo extended his gratitude to beach during the season have come The number of ambulances at Authorities are striving to deliver a safe camping season at Sealine beach this year. line beach, allowing vending stalls Qatar for its efforts in supporting the down significantly this time due to the paramedics’ disposal has also and restaurants only on dedicated peace process in Afghanistan. improved security measures and been increased. Now, four ambu- are stationed at the beach to meet the campsite quickly, a chief para- spots. It has also laid asphalt roads (QNA) constant patrolling. lances with off-road capabilities any eventuality anywhere within medic said. There is also a stand-by to the main beach fronts. Qatar set to see over 100% rise in cruise tourists in 2018-19 season Nearly 140,000 tourists are expected to arrive in 44 cruise ships this season SATYENDRA PATHAK Qatari citizen sets Guinness record by DOHA IN a major boost to tourism in the country, Qatar is all set to flying world’s largest kite witness more than 100 percent rise in the number of cruise HISHAM ALJUNDI area of 2,673 square metres. It is 66 in China the day before and a number of tourists to 140,000 in the on- DOHA metres long and 40.5 metres wide and is volunteers, including citizens and expatri- going 2018-2019 season com- The number of cruise tourists to Qatar increased 39 percent to made in the colours of the Qatari National ates, helped him set it up before it was pared with 65,000 passengers 65,000 passengers in 2017-2018 cruise season. THE Guinness world record for the largest Flag. It also features a photo of the Amir flown to Qatar on Saturday. in the 2017-2018 season. kite ever flown now belongs to a Qatari HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani. “My dream has come true now, I According to a report pub- Doha Port welcoming two mega and Watches Exhibition, the citizen. Hussain al Khayarin flew the giant For Khayarin, this is one of his several wanted to do something remarkable for lished recently by Qatar Na- ships on the same day in 2018 as Arabian Fashion Exhibition and kite over Smaisma beach for 20 minutes initiatives to show the Qatari capabilities my beloved country Qatar and enter the tional Tourism Council (QNTC), a major step in the development the Qatar Motor Show in 2018, on Saturday in the presence of officials to the world, following the unjust blockade Guinness Book of World records,” he said. Qatar welcomed 22 cruise ships of the tourism sub-sector. attracting more than 65,000 from the Guinness Book of World Records imposed on the country by some of its The kite, named Al Majd, was supposed with 65,000 passengers in the The year also saw five new visitors. to bag the honour. neighbours since June last year. to be flown on the National Day but it was last cruise season that ended in ships making their maiden calls New editions of nation-wide When laid flat, the kite covers a total The kite, Khayarin said, was tested postponed due to some technical issues. April this year. to Qatar. festivals such as Qatar Interna- In the ongoing 2018-2019 Making it easier for cruise tional Food Festival (QIFF), Qa- cruise season, which kicked off passengers in particular and tar Summer Festival (QSF) and in October and will continue tourists in general to explore Shop Qatar further energised until April 2019, the report said, Qatar was QNTC’s tour guide tourism-related sectors such as Qatar is expected to see nearly training programme, which re- retail, F&B and hospitality as 8,000 new double the number of cruise sulted in licensing of 137 tour well as provided platforms for Pakistan PM to visit Qatar in January ships that arrived in the previ- guides who speak 20 different local entrepreneurs to showcase houses to be ous season bringing 140,000 languages, the report said, their products and services. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will undertake official visits to visitors to Qatar’s shores. Highlighting Qatar’s emer- QNTC has said in the report Qatar and Turkey in the first month of the New Year, according toDaily ready next year: The number of cruise tour- gence as a major hub for in- that it made significant efforts Times. Khan’s visit to Qatar was earlier planned for 29th and 30th ists visiting Qatar increased 39 ternational conferences and in diversifying visitor source of December, the website said, but now it has been rescheduled for percent to 65,000 passengers in exhibitions, the report said the markets and promoting Qatar Al Asmakh 2017-2018 cruise season when country hosted 131 exhibitions as an attractive tourism destina- January 2019. compared with the previous sea- and conferences in various fields tion. In 2018, six representative TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK son, the report said. this year. offices were opened in three of DOHA The report has cited sign- In 2018, the report adds, the world’s largest visitor source ing of memorandum of under- Qatar won the rights to host six markets like China, India and AROUND 8,000 new units will be add- standings (MoUs) with two of major business events to be held Russia. ed to the existing housing pool in Qatar Europe’s leading cruise opera- between 2019 and 2022 with QNTC is also working to next year, an Al Asmakh report has tors as major factors that would the number of prospective par- leverage the country’s state-of- Qatar opens overseas said, suggesting a robust spending on further develop Qatar’s cruise ticipants reaching up to 2,400. the-art sports facilities to bolster commercial buildings in the country. tourism. More than 1,000 brands Qatar’s position as a world-class Most of these new houses under The report has highlighted took part in the Doha Jewellery sports destination. visa centre in Karachi construction are in Lusail, The Pearl- Qatar and some areas in the north and TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK south of Doha, the report added. It said DOHA real estate projects in the country are expected to see massive growth until N QATAR opened its second Visa Centre 2022. 4 dead as storm sweeps AR ING W : in Pakistan on Saturday in Karachi. The “Around 250 properties are be- centre will help work visa applicants mi- ing developed for the hospitality sec- through central Philippines grate to Qatar quickly by facilitating their tor. Most of them are hotels, which paperwork. The centre will also collect when completed will add 90,000 more Four people were killed in their biometrics data and conduct medi- Qatari and Pakistani officials at the opening rooms in the country. These are besides landslides and thousands of cal tests. The centre operates through an of the visa centre in Karachi. the 55,000 rooms being built as differ- others evacuated from their integrated electronic system to complete ent types of real estate. the enrolment of biometric data and re- ment, Major Abdullah Khalifa al Mohan- The report pointed out that areas in homes after a storm swept quired medical check-ups. nadi and Labour Expert at the Ministry of north and south of Doha were witness- through the central Philippine The inaugural ceremony was attended Administrative Development, Labour and ing significant structural movement islands on Saturday, officials by Consul General of Qatar in Pakistan Social Affairs Mohamed Ali al Meer. The due to urbanisation. “The 2022 FIFA said. Almost 12,000 people Earth’s Mishal Mohammed AA al Ansari, Maj event was also attended by Pakistan Gov- World Cup projects, as well as those “Great Dying” Gen Abdullah Salim al Ali, Director of ernment officials including Nawab Mu- related to Qatar National Vision 2030, were also evacuated from Expat Affairs Department at Ministry of hammad Taimur Talpur, the Minister for are a great incentive for the real estate their homes in the Bicol is nearer than Interior, Brig.