Launched in 2000 by Emiri Decree, Qatar Tourism Authority’s (QTA) role is to organize, enable, and supervise tourism industry development in Qatar, as well as represent and promote Qatar as a quality tourism destination for leisure, business, education, and sport. QTA works closely with other government ministries and committees, associations, and the community. It gets actively involved in organizing events and promotions which positively reflect on the general image of Qatar as an evolving tourism destination.

The overall strategy of QTA is to bring Qatar to the world and the world to Qatar. QTA markets and promotes Qatar as a safe and welcoming destination in the heart of the Arabian Gulf. In addition to promoting the leisure, business, education, and sports sectors, QTA promotes the country as a family travel destination and an ideal place for wellness vacations with a focus on culture, natural environment, and outdoor pursuits. To achieve this strategy, QTA has developed a corporate structure comprised of four divisions including Planning and Development; Quality Control, Licensing, and Regulations; Marketing, Promotions, and Events.

The authority also supervises a number of companies and institutions operating in the tourism sector. Over the past few years, it achieved major successes at the level of tourism infrastructure investment and modernization of transport and aviation services. This made World Travel and Tourism Council, the largest tourism authority in the world choose Qatar for its Summit held in 2004.