Controversy surrounding Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will not deter football fans from visiting the Gulf state to support their national team, reveals the World Travel Market 2014 Industry Report, released today (Monday 3 November).
Two-thirds of the travel industry (64%) say tourists will travel to Qatar to watch World Cup matches in eight years’ time.
The statistics clearly show that negative and ongoing publicity over Qatar’s winning bid to host the event has not put them off attending the Beautiful Game’s most prestigious tournament.
Nor are they concerned over warnings of excessive heat if the World Cup takes place in the height of summer.
A similar number of travel industry executives (65%) believe UK tourists will visit Russia in four years’ time when it hosts the 2018 World Cup.
World Travel Market, Senior Director, Simon Press said: “Football fans are a hardy bunch who are prepared to travel far and wide to support their national team.
“There is still much pressure on the football authorities to switch to another host country in 2022 or move the tournament to the winter when temperatures are lower in the Gulf.
“As the situation stands at the moment, fans are undeterred by the controversy over Qatar holding the 2022 World Cup and fears of excessive heat in the peak of summer.”
– ENDS –
About World Travel Market
World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.
More than 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL – London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.
03WTM, now in its 35th year, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals.
WTM 2013 generated more than £2 billion of travel industry contracts, revealed independent research by Fusion Communications.
WTM is owned by the world’s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions (RE), which organises a other portfolio’s of travel industry events including IBTM Events, the world’s leading showcases for the meetings and events industry and International Luxury Travel Market events.
In 2013, RE held more than 500 events in 40 countries bringing together more than six million people from around the world generating billions of dollars in business.
Reed Exhibitions
Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry, with a wide-ranging portfolio of 21 international events in 14 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa.
Its market-leading, business-to-business events cover all elements of travel and tourism, including leisure travel, luxury travel, meetings, events, incentives and business travel, as well as golf, ski and spa travel.
RTE is part of Reed Exhibitions.
www.reedtravelexhibitions.com