DOHA: Destination branding is a crucial element of how well a country’s tourism can function cohesively, said UNWTO Secretary Dr Taleb Al Rifai yesterday.
Dr Al Rifai was speaking at UNWTO Ministerial Summit, hosted at the 36th World Travel Market in London under the theme ‘Destination Branding – New Challenges in a Changing Market’.
“Brand has to be authentic, personal, and credible, otherwise you are exposing your destination to issues and crisis, which will damage a lot more than the good you expect the brand to do,” he said.
Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has launched Qatar Destination Brand at WTM to global audiences, enhancing and accelerating efforts to promote the nation abroad.
Comprising bespoke designed typography, rich colour palettes, a distinct visual language, signature photography and well-crafted videography, the brand provides a striking and highly distinctive visual identity that captivates audiences and strengthens Qatar’s position as a premium tourist destination.
Fifty taxis bearing the new Qatar destination brand logo will ply the city of London for next six months. Developing solid tourism products would make tourists, industry partners and citizens the greatest brand ambassadors, he added.
Dr Al Rifai stressed the growing importance of tourism as a central pillar of growth in today’s economy.
UNWTO’s latest data shows 4.3 percent growth for global tourism in the first nine months of 2015, which promises to make this the fifth consecutive year of growth for the global industry.
He said UNWTO was expecting 1.18 billion tourists by end of 2014, with four million daily. Half of tourists travel in or out of Europe.
“This industry is so vital to today’s world, not only in creating jobs and addressing economic deficits, but also because we are in the industry that deals with the deficit of smiles and happiness.”
The Peninsula
