Director of Public Relations and Communications at Visit Qatar, Jassim Al Mahmoud
Doha, Qatar: Visit Qatar is set to launch a comprehensive summer campaign to drive the tourism sector’s robust recovery following a temporary pause caused by the regional crisis, with a strong emphasis on family-friendly initiatives and enhanced partnerships, an official has said.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of yesterday’s launch of the Qatar Boat Show 2026 campaign, where the organisation reaffirmed its ongoing support for one of the country’s flagship maritime events, Director of Public Relations and Communications at Visit Qatar, Jassim Al Mahmoud, outlined Visit Qatar’s upcoming plans.
Al Mahmoud acknowledged that the tourism sector experienced a slowdown after several events were cancelled due to the regional crisis. However, he expressed confidence that the sector is now bouncing back stronger than ever.
“Things are gradually picking up after the little pause caused by the regional crisis,” he said. “We took this opportunity to load our plans and to gather our effort to come back stronger. We are going to start a very great summer campaign that will launch on May 1 until the end of September. We are bouncing back in a bigger way.”
Al Mahmoud highlighted Qatar’s proven resilience. “We are resilient. Qatar has been through difficulties before in the past, and every time we came stronger. So this time we are coming even stronger, more than ever,” he said.
A key element of the recovery strategy is a consolidated plan developed in close collaboration with all major partners, including the hotel sector, hospitality industry, malls, attractions, and destination management companies (DMCs).
He noted that recent infrastructure developments include the launch of two new beaches, Nami Beach last week and the Ladies Only Beach three weeks ago, to enhance leisure options ahead of the summer season.
“The recent Hot Wheels event also provided positive momentum, with the show almost sold out every day, demonstrating strong public interest,” Al Mahmoud said.
The Visit Qatar official added that one of the flagship initiatives for the summer is a series of family-oriented offers designed to encourage domestic and regional travel.
“In partnership with the hospitality sector, families will benefit from complimentary stays and activities for children under 12 years old, with up to two kids per booking.”
“As well as attraction, there will also be some offers for the kids to go. We are supporting the family to go back again together, basically,” Al Mahmoud explained. “And we are marketing Qatar as a family destination where all family from local and also regional are welcome. Ultimately, international of course. But we are starting strongly back with local and regional campaign.”
He added that the popular Toy Festival will return soon, this year featuring more activities to draw even larger crowds. “Last year the event attracted more than 120,000 visitors, and organisers are aiming higher this summer. So the tourism sector is ready. As I mentioned, we took this time to prepare and reload our thoughts, ideas to come back stronger. And we are resilient,” Al Mahmoud affirmed.
He noted that with these targeted steps, Visit Qatar is confident of consolidating last year’s gains and positioning Qatar as an attractive year-round destination. The authority’s proactive approach during the challenging period underscores its commitment to sustainable growth and delivering memorable experiences for visitors from across the region and beyond.
Speaking about the Qatar Boat Show 2026, Al Mahmoud stressed the significance of such platforms for both sailors and the broader tourism industry. “We always support such projects and the CEO of Old Doha Port emphasised on the importance of these shows as a great platform for the maritime industry and a great platform for tourism as well,” he said.
“We saw the impact of this show on the tourism sector for the past two years. Great numbers I must say. Over 27,000 visitors last year, more than 105 nationalities also were there. This is something in line with the tourism perspective.”
He added that Visit Qatar is proud of this homegrown initiative and will continue to support the event with full commitment.
