Complete 6 pages APA formatted article: Qatar Tourism. Strategy 2030 “identified several areas that Qatar should focus on as part of reinforcing its tourism sector and capitalizing on the many exciting avenues of tourism the country has already begun building or has made considerable strides in” (Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2014).

Though a small state, Qatar is one of the wealthiest nations in the world thanks to its oil and natural gas reserves. However, the current reserves are finite, and importantly as those reserves are non-renewable energy sources, it could eventually run out causing a severe threat to the economy of the country. This is where tourism could help Qatar in the longer run. So, tourist products are being created in the priority areas in which Qatar has a notable competitive edge, and they include – Culture, Urban, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), Sports, Sun & Beach, Health & Wellness, Nature & Education (Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2014). Qatar is also developed with the aim of being more authentic Middle-Eastern tourist destination in comparison to other destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Bahrain. Their efforts are paying off as is evident from the fact that Qatar was featured in the 50 best-ranked countries in the Travel and Tourism Competitive Index of 2013 (The 50 best-ranked countries 2014).

Qatar’s increased tourism potential is revealed in the figures regarding the growth of the country’s hospitality sector. Around 100 hotels were up for construction and on completion will provide 19,931 rooms to meet the increase in demand. The previous year the total capacity of the hotel rooms itself was just 13,407 rooms (Scott 2013). This trend is only expected to grow in the coming years. Fig1 depict the surge of the hospitality industry in Qatar in 2012 as compared to the year 2011.

Shopping in Qatar is a tourist delight and is a must for the incoming tourists considering the fact that the country is tax-free.&nbsp.