Qatar Airways to reveal 'grand plan for tourism in Qatar'

The announcement was made on Monday during London's World Travel Market at an event to launch the annual conference of influential tourism body the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Mr. Al Baker was part of a panel of industry leaders who spoke of the need for greater collaboration between government and industry in order to foster sustainable growth and greater security for the travelling public. The debate offered an insight into the discussions that will take place during the Summit when it is held in Qatar's capital from 1-3 May 2004.

Mr. Al Baker commented: "In Qatar, tourism is the second industry behind natural resources. At the Summit, we will unveil a grand plan for tourism in Qatar. Everyone has sun, sea and sand. We are differentiating ourselves by selling our culture. In addition, safety and security is a selling point. In my country the crime rate is zero".

The panel discussion was chaired by television journalist Gwenan Edwards and covered issues ranging from emerging markets and the implications of the latest technology to the impact of government policy on safety and security. The panellists were:

Akbar Al Baker,CEO, Qatar Airways
Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President, World Travel & Tourism Council
Luis Correia da Silva, Minister for Tourism, Portugal
Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor, NBC's Today Programme
Lalit Suri, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Hotels and Member of Parliament, India

The 4th Global Travel & Tourism Summit will take place at the Sheraton Doha. With the theme of 'Driving Change', it will be attended by the Chairmen and CEOs of the world's top travel and tourism companies, as well as leading travel and business journalists and government officials. Delegates will consider the future of the industry in a series of plenary sessions, interactive panel discussions and smaller focus groups.

The WTTC represents 100 of the world's foremost tourism and travel companies, including major airlines, hotel chains and tour operators. Among them are TUI, American Express, Thomas Cook, Universal Media and Starwood Hotels.