Organizers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar hope to attract 1.2 million tourists to the Gulf country, an official said, hosting them in traditional hotels and “innovative” accommodation.
“We hope that during the World Cup, more than 1.2 million visitors from around the world will attend,” Fatma al-Nuaimi, head of communications at the Supreme Committee that is organising the 2022 tournament, told AFP.
“They will not (all) be in the country at the same time, as the event extends over a period of 28 days.” Qatar, with a population of approximately 2.75 million, will be the first ever Middle East World Cup host nation between November 21 and December 18 next year. In addition to the hotels already available, Nuaimi said there were other “innovative and temporary” solutions to hosting visitors.
Those include accommodation on cruise liners, hotel apartments, fan villages with an Arabian desert vibe, as well as stays in private homes. Officials have said 16 floating hotels will also be built, providing around 1,600 rooms in total. Nuaimi said the “Host a Fan” initiative will give visitors an opportunity to learn about Qatari culture.
“We are a hospitable people, and this will be applied to the World Cup as well,” she told AFP. Qatar had earlier said it expected as many as 1.5 million people to descend on the tiny Gulf nation for the World Cup, and in the months before and after the big event.
