Rahul Preeth
Doha
When it comes to shopping in Spain, Qataris aren’t shy of opening their wallets.
According to the Spanish Embassy in Doha, the average amount spent by a Qatari tourist in Spain on credit card is the highest in the world — $1,512 per card each trip. The same average for tourists from other parts of GCC is $1,413.
Having been energetically campaigning to increase the number of people travelling from Qatar to Spain, the Southern European nation seems to be reaping
rich rewards.
"Qatar visitors have grown by 150 percent in the last four years. In 2017, Spain had more than 34,000 tourists from Qatar,” Ambassador HE Belen Alfaro said on the sidelines of a meeting with senior executives in the tourism sector in Qatar. They discussed ways to increase tourist arrivals in Spain from Qatar.
Besides the Spanish charm, Alfaro credits a rise in number of direct flights and easier visa rules for the increased interest among Qataris in Spain.
In the past two years, Qatar Airways has increased its frequency and capacity to Madrid and Barcelona, operating 21 flights a week to Madrid and 18 flights a week to Barcelona. Besides, every summer, it flies two flights daily to Malaga.
"In fact, the national airline is responsible for bringing more than 750,000 passengers annually to Spain,” a statement from the embassy said.
Mediterranean cruises and the love of football have placed Barcelona as the most favoured Spanish city by Qatari nationals. This is followed by Madrid and the city of Malaga on the Costa del Sol.
Cities like Toledo, Segovia and Cuenca outside Madrid are also cities worth visiting, pointed out Tourism Counsellor for the Spanish Tourism Office in the GCC Miguel Nieto-Sandoval.
"They are, on an average, 30 minutes away from the capital and are steeped in charm and history,” he added.
While majority of the tourists visit the coastal town of Malaga and Marbella, known for their beautiful beaches and luxurious retail and leisure pursuits, the Tourism Board of Spain aims to encourage tourists from Qatar to explore the region of Andalucia itself.
Home for over 800 years to the Moorish Empire, exploring the Arab legacy in Andalucia from the Cordoba Mosque to the Alhambra Palace in Granada and the Alcazar in Seville is an "absolute must do” for anyone from the Gulf region, it said.
The Tourism Board of Spain is working very closely with tourism operators in Qatar on how to promote these destinations. It is also one of the few tourism boards that have invested in creating a website with information specifically tailored for the GCC traveller.
Available in both English and Arabic, the website (www.spain.info/gcc) highlights places to be explored around the main destinations of Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga, recommendations for families, shopping, halal restaurants, mosques and also offers a link directly to the BLS website, the company responsible for processing Schengen visas to Spain.