After all, this is going to be the Middle East’s very first FIFA
The FIFA World Cup 2022 is going to be hosted in November this year. The event is exciting not only for football fans worldwide but also for the tourism industry in Qatar. After all, this is going to be the Middle East’s very first FIFA, and stakeholders are striving their best to leave visitors with an outstanding Qatar travel experience.
According to Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar is expected to see nearly 1.5 million visitors, especially football lovers. The event also sees sports bettors who’ve already started tracking FIFA 2022 odds, like other matches such as NFL Week 1 odds and more.
As the gulf country seems to be falling short of the capacity to accommodate the crowd, neighboring countries, including Oman, UAE, and Bahrain, are preparing to play host. In addition, many other sectors in other countries are trying to help people watch the event in the stadium. For example, FreeD Group has launched exclusive hospitality packages for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Details about FIFA World Cup 2022
This year’s tournament comprises 32 teams, with Qatar qualified automatically as host. All teams are arranged in eight groups, each consisting of four teams. Each team is guaranteed to play at least three matches.
The top 16 teams selected in the knockout phase will play in the quarterfinals and semifinals. The mass tourism sports event will take place at the 80,000-seat Lusail International Stadium in Lusail.
As of now, Qatar is the smallest country ever to host the FIFA World Cup. So, visiting the country to attend the mega event is easier. In addition, all eight stadiums where all matches will take place are located within a 35-mile radius of Doha, the country’s capital. All stadiums are well-connected by the metro system in the capital city. So, these will be easily accessible to visitors.
Challenge for Qatar’s tourism industry
The biggest challenge for Qatar will be to accommodate a large number of foreign tourists while making them leave with an excellent tourist experience. But as this is a great economic opportunity, Qatar has to come up with a solution.
The tourism and construction sectors are expected to be the primary beneficiaries. The government expects a $20 billion income from hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022. So, they need to rethink the metro system, airport expansion, new constructions, and a better tourism experience.
Photo by Fauzan Saari on Unsplash
TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific editorial team has an experience of over 35 years in B2B travel journalism as well as in tourism & hospitality marketing and communications.
