Stopovers are a key part of Qatar's tourism strategy, and as Doha Airport becomes an increasingly viable connection option for long-haul journeys, particularly for travel originating from the U.S. East Coast, it makes perfect sense.
To encourage vacationers to spend a few days in the capital of Doha and beyond, the country offers free transit visas of up to 96 hours, and travelers can apply online on national carrier Qatar Airways' website. And this year, in conjunction with the airline, hoteliers offered complimentary stays in Doha as part of a stayover initiative.
Of course, those enticements won't amount to much unless travelers are convinced that Qatar's tourism product is worth sticking around for. During a Doha fam trip hosted by the Qatar Tourism Authority last spring, I got to experience firsthand many of the country's top tourism draws.
Beach goers near the Regency Holiday Desert Camp peer across the Persian Gulf at eastern Saudi Arabia. Photo Credit: TW photo by Eric Moya
Art and industry
A young country, having been declared a sovereign state in 1971, Qatar nevertheless boasts "deep cultural roots," as the tourism authority puts it, and cultural attractions are front and center in the country's promotional efforts.
Undoubtedly, the cultural centerpiece is the I.M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, which houses a collection spanning 14 centuries and three continents.
Ceramics, textiles, manuscripts and more fill the five-floor facility, with temporary exhibit space on the first and fourth floors and permanent collections on the second and third floors.
Within the permanent exhibits, I was particularly taken with a circa-1640 jeweled falcon from India and suits of Turkish armor for both horse and rider from the late 15th or early 16th century.
Learning, leisure in Qatar
The museum's top floor is occupied by Alain Ducasse's Idam restaurant, serving Mediterranean-inspired creations.
Unlike the Islamic art museum, the Msheireb Museums focused specifically on Qatar. Its collections, contained in four historical houses in downtown Doha's Msheireb neighborhood, reflect various aspects of the country's development. For example, the Company House focuses on Qatar's emergence as an oil-producing nation in the 1930s.
The Mohammed Bin Jassim House offers a historical overview of the city that emerged from that industry, with video testimonials from citizens about landmarks such as Doha's first hotel, bank and cafes.
The Bin Jelmood House, meanwhile, doesn't shy away from the country's history of pearl diving, once a key industry for Qatar and one that made use of slave labor. Divers were subjected to harsh conditions; they combed the seafloor without scuba gear, tethered to the surface with a rope around their ankles. Through multimedia presentations and artifacts, the Bin Jelmood House offers an unflinching look at human exploitation, not just in Qatar but across many civilizations throughout the centuries.
A deluxe room at the Ritz-Carlton Doha, where Qatar’s penchant for opulence is well represented.
Luxury: International and Arabian
While its cultural attractions are perhaps underappreciated, Qatar's penchant for opulence is surely no secret. We experienced our share of that, as well: from its celebrated souks (perhaps you've got a couple hundred grand to spare for a pet bird of prey at Doha's Falcon Souk?) to the 1.2-metric-ton Swarovski crystal chandelier of the Ritz-Carlton Doha, our host property.
It's one of 263 chandeliers at the 374-room property — a heck of a ratio. My room, sadly, was not chandelier-equipped, but it did otherwise offer the unparalleled amenities and attention one expects of the brand. (One cute touch: a welcome amenity of camel-shaped cookies standing in a dune of cinnamon sugar.)
Of course, Qatar has attracted some of the biggest names in luxury hostelry. We took a tour of another example, the 272-room Shangri-La Doha, and enjoyed dinner and drinks at its Shanghai Club. True to its name, it offered sophisticated takes on dim sum and other Chinese fare and an extensive selection of wine, beer (including Chinese standby Tsingtao) and spirits.
Though the Ritz-Carlton and the Shangri-La were appropriately elegant, perhaps more evocative of our location was the Regency Holiday Desert Camp, about an hour outside Doha near the Persian Gulf shore.
Beach cabanas at the Regency Holiday Desert Camp, about an hour outside Doha near the Persian Gulf shore. Photo Credit: TW photo by Eric Moya
The camp, which touts itself as "a blend of traditional Arabian design and modern comfort," lived up to that billing during our site inspection. Its 15 luxury tents were the stuff of T.E. Lawrence fantasies — with air conditioning and WiFi.
We arrived at the camp via SUV caravan; earlier that day our drivers had taken us on a dune-bashing run. The mostly flat terrain didn't offer as much of the drifting, slightly out-of-control feeling as my dune-bashing experience in Dubai did; instead, between dunes our driver was able to kick up some considerable dust, with only the odd camel or two to slow us down.
In all, we spent three full days in Qatar, and it was easy to envision how one might spend an additional day or two there: nightlife at Doha's ever-growing number of hotels, more shopping, perhaps a cruise aboard a traditional dhow. Despite our comprehensive stopover sampling, it felt like we were just getting started.
Agent training
A recent revamp has made Tawash, Qatar's online destination training program, more user-friendly, according to officials. Agents can register for the free program at www.usa.tawashqatar.com/login.
For more information on Qatar tourism, see www.visitqatar.qa.