In the winter season Qatar will be one of the alternatives for the UAE in the Middle East

“In the winter season Qatar can become an alternative for the United Arab Emirates which are popular among Russian tourists. Since September 17, Intourist tour operator is offering Russian passengers package tours to Doha by regular flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg”, - reported press - service of the tour operator. "Departures to the capital of the country - Doha will be carried out daily from Moscow and St. Petersburg by regular flights of various airlines. The tour operator offers both beach and sightseeing tours lasting from three days", - added the report. Qatar is a relatively new direction for mass tourism, which became widely known to Russians as a place where the World Cup 2022 will take place. "The country is perfect for a beach holiday due to its comfortable dry climate. The average temperature in January in Doha is plus 16 degrees, and in July - plus 32. In addition, the Kingdom is famous for its historical monuments and museums, and shoppers may be interested in products made of gold and silver", - Intourist noted. According to representative of the tour operator, the direction will be interesting for those who like to relax in the Middle East region, and are looking for an alternative to the popular UAE. Qatar offers a wide range of hotels - Intourist has more than 500 ones. The cost of one-week tours starts from 47 thousand Rubles ($ 710) per person. According to Rosstat (the Federal State Statistics Service of Russian Federation), 66 thousand Russian tourists visited Qatar in the first half of the year, which is 73.7% more than in the same period of the last year. Such impressive increase of the tourist flow was provided by the abolition of visas for Russian tourists in August 2017. The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in September called Qatar as the most open country in the Middle East.