SPORTS TOURISM INITIATIVES TOP OF AGENDA AS QATAR AND LEBANON PARTNER UP AHEAD OF 2022 WORLD CUP

Qatar and Lebanon are planning a partnership to launch sports tourism initiatives during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with the former set to host the tournament later this year.

The announcement was made by Lebanon’s caretaker tourism minister Walid Nassar, in a statement to Beirut’s news agency NNA. He made the comments while discussing Lebanon’s tourism strategy for summer 2022, during the inauguration of the “Eternal Love Forest – Loop”.

Nassar claimed that 32,000 Lebanese fans have purchased tickets to attend the Qatar World Cup – the first World Cup to be hosted in the Middle East region.

“The other tourism initiative is in sports. During our recent visit […] we negotiated with the Prime Minister and those responsible for the World Championship that will be organised in Qatar in order to work on sports tourism, and not just the transmission of football matches”, Nassar said, as reported by Doha News.

Earlier in August 2022, the caretaker tourism minister told the Qatar News Agency about plans to implement bilateral sports tourism initiatives, during the World Cup and beyond. Nassar claimed that his ministry would work on organising tourism packages between the cities of Doha and Beirut.

Furthermore, the caretaker tourism minister said tourism initiatives will be launched after summer 2022, “reflect[ing] Lebanon’s beautiful, cultural and civilised facets”.

One event centred around recreational and cinematic tourism originating from Beirut will launch on August 25.

Lebanon’s caretaker minister of information Ziad Makary has said his country and Qatar aim to have media cooperation during the World Cup. “The two sides discussed the possibility of media cooperation between Beirut and Doha during the State of Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup”, a statement from Makary’s office read.