Qatar, a Luxury Travel Destination
Qatar’s growing status as a luxury travel destination and a hub for business travel is being recognized.
The Qatar Tourism Authority has been leading a high-profile delegation to the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes. This year the QTA hosted the “VIP Buyers Lounge” as well as meeting with highly influential buyers, agents and other travel professionals. The QTA’s stand hosted some of Qatar’s biggest names in hospitality including W Doha, Sharq Village and Spa, the Ritz Carlton Doha, La Cigale Hotel, Regency Holidays and the Diplomatic Club. QTA Chairman Mr. Ahmed Al Nuaimi said: “The year 2011 has been a landmark one for Qatar’s hospitality industry and these events have been an amazing opportunity to showcase the growth of the nation. We have seen not only a host of new hotels opening but also the landmark Qatar National Convention Centre as well as successfully hosting a range of high profile world leading events. In 2012 we hope to build on this success, bring more high end luxury and business travellers to Qatar as well as continue to prove that we are a destination of choice for large scale events.” (Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup).
Located halfway along the western coast of the Gulf, the 11,437 sq km State of Qatar benefits from its key location, halfway between Europe and Asia. Apart from dunes in the south and hills in the west, Qatar consists mainly of flat low-lying rocky desert and coastal salt flats or sabkha. The peninsula has a 563 km sandy coastline with numerous small islets, sand dunes and reefs. Approximately 18% of the land surface is covered by sand dunes or sand. The highest point in the country – at 103 m or 338 ft – is Qurayn Abu al Bawl (Tuwayyir Al Hamir), in the south at the ‘neck’ of the peninsula, close to the border with Saudi Arabia. The shallow waters of the Arabian Gulf are both warm in summer and high in salinity. Qatar’s territorial waters encompass some 35,000 sq km surrounding the peninsula. Coastal waters are extremely shallow, averaging 30 m along the northern and eastern coastlines, and only 20 m along the western coastline. The most prominent feature in the south is the spectacular Inland Sea Khor Al Adaid where crescent-shaped barchan sand dunes surround a body of salt water with a narrow inlet from the Gulf. This wilderness is a favourite spot for camping and picnics away from the hustle and bustle of Doha. The site is scheduled to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the west coast, the area between Umm Bab and Ras Abrouq is characterised by a range of eye-catching flat-topped limestone outcrops – which together with the sedimentary surface rocks are a reminder that 24 million years ago Qatar lay under the sea.
The shale hills in the west, together with a dry river bed in the centre of the country, are rich in fossils while the low salt flats near Al Shahaniya are collecting grounds for those willing to dig for the attractive gypsum formations known as ‘desert roses’. The presence of numerous farm estates between Al Shahaniya and the north of the peninsula is evidence of the numerous underground water reservoirs, springs and wells in the area, while the northern and eastern deserts are flat and rocky. Qatar’s onshore oil production is centered around Dukhan, while the natural gas field is located offshore from the East coast.
The Most Prestigious Address in Doha
La Cigale Hotel boasts five-star accommodation and a superb level of personal service in the heart of Doha. Behind its polished 20-story façade, this striking high-design hotel offers a stylish yet relaxing haven where business travellers can escape the city’s hectic pace. Named the 2010 Qatar Leading Hotel by the World Travel Awards and a member of the Leaving Hotels of the World, La Cigale is one of the city’s most esteemed hotels, an engaging blend of contemporary style and cosmopolitan ambiance. Located in the heart of the Business District, at only 15 minutes from Doha International Airport and just 10 minutes from the beach, La Cigale Hotel is convenient to the Museum of Islamic Art, Education City, Al Souq restaurants, and fashionable shopping malls. Consistently Recognized as the Best Hotel in Qatar
La Cigale Hotel is an address of true distinction in Qatar’s cosmopolitan capital and an exceptional experience for the senses.
