With the view to market its educational and academic ecosystem, Qatar is set to launch special, custom-built tours for students from around the world.

Soon, a new segment of tourists is likely to head to Qatar as the country prepares to curate specially-designed tours to showcase its top-tier educational and tourism resources as well as the distinctive features of Doha.

Though Qatar is currently overflowing with tourists from all corners of the world enjoying the ongoing, nail-biting FIFA Football World Cup 2022, the country has been taking a longer-term view and already begun working to diversify its tourist source markets and positioning various attractions to cater to demands from different tourism segments.

As part of this strategy, Discover Qatar (DQ), a destination management company and a subsidiary of the flag carrier, Qatar Airways, is offering custom-made for school and college students from across the globe, these tours present a unique opportunity for a holistic view of Qatar’s premier academic ecosystem, while immersing guests in the culture of the country.

Through these tours, Discover Qatar aims to provide life-enhancing travel experiences to empower students to learn beyond the classroom. These tours will enable cross culture connections for the students to develop new ideas and perspectives through special experiences, training, and networking opportunities.

“The successful development and launch of our educational tours for school and college students is a testament to Qatar’s dynamic offerings as a unique global destination for educational pursuits. We look forward to enriching the academic growth of students around the world with resources, insights, and experiences from leading academic and cultural institutions in Qatar,’’ says Steven Reynolds, Senior Vice President, Discover Qatar.

According to a press statement, DQ’s educational tours focus on a range of subjects including architecture, art and culture, sports and performance excellence, fashion and design, business management, and gastronomy, all with the goal of stimulating learning for students through curated activities and workshops. Bringing learning curriculums to life, students can develop problem-solving skills, improve critical thinking, broaden their worldview, and learn through a variety of custom-designed workshops, activities, and interactive experiential sessions.

The specially-designed programmes are offered for five days and can be extended up to 10 days, based on the subject or expected learning outcomes. These are all-inclusive group programmes that combine services such as hotel accommodation, meals, airport & local city transfers, sightseeing activities & a guide who escorts the group for a complete stay in Doha.

The press statement adds that DQ recently conducted familiarisation tours during which participants discovered diverse opportunities through interactions at Qatar Foundation and Education City, mainly at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, Texas A&M University at Qatar, and Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar. DQ also arranged visits to National Museum of Qatar, 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, Fire Station, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, M7, Katara Cultural Village, and Aspire Academy to present an all-inclusive understanding of Qatar.

“I was pleased to witness things beyond my imagination in Doha. Fascinating architecture influenced by its traditions and culture, priceless art treasures, sumptuous gastronomy diversity, state of art interactive museums, fantastic education infrastructure in form of modern campuses, labs, classrooms, teaching facilities and open spaces – there is so much to learn from. Qatar is one-step ahead in fashion & design uniquely maintaining its culture and a country that encourages top quality sports in world-class facilities. It was a treat for my eyes to see the serene white sand dunes merging with blue sea. Qatar has a high focus on innovation and sustainability, I truly believe there is a lot to learn from this forward-looking country,” says Mark Alexander, Founder and CEO, Happymiles Outdoor Learning, who was part of familiarisation tour.

Happymiles Outdoor Learning says it is aiming to send approximately 25 student groups to Qatar in next 6 months.

DQ has already signed several agreements with key travel partners in India and is looking to Europe and USA markets for strategic key partnerships, says the statement.

Qatar combines globally renowned education with a rich culture, world-class facilities, and social stability, all-while offering it in a safe environment. Doha, which is up to a seven hour flight away from countless major cities around the world, offers a visa-free entry to eligible citizens of 95 countries.

With the national carrier, Qatar Airways, currently flying to more than 150 destinations worldwide through the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport, Qatar is an ideal destination for students’ educational tours. Students arriving in Doha will discover a vibrant, forward-thinking city presenting unparalleled learning resources in the fields of arts and culture, architecture, sports, fashion and design, gastronomy, business management and higher education, set against the multi-faceted backdrop of modernity and heritage with unique attractions, architectural marvels, museums, theme parks, shopping boulevards and much more, says the statement.

Students between the ages of 18 and 30 can also benefit from Qatar Airways’ exclusive Student Club programme, which is powered by the airline’s loyalty programme, by receiving special fares on flights, extra baggage allowances, flexibility to change flight dates, complimentary Super Wi-Fi onboard, and more.