Visit Qatar plans to expand its annual "Qatar Through Your Lens" competition following a strong response to its inaugural edition, which attracted over 1,300 entries, according to Jassim al-Mahmoud, PR and Communications director at Visit Qatar. The announcement was made during a ceremony held at Qatar Tourism’s headquarters in Msheireb Downtown Doha.

The competition, launched to encourage creative content showcasing Qatar’s landscapes, culture, attractions, and visitor experiences, featured categories in both photography and videography. The event marked the announcement of winners, recognizing individuals whose submissions stood out amid a highly competitive field.

Al-Mahmoud described the volume and quality of the entries as a significant achievement for Visit Qatar, highlighting the role of public participation in promoting the country as an international tourism destination. “We are very happy to receive this number of content that will help us in promoting Qatar as an international destination,” he said, congratulating the winners, who ranked among the top ten in their respective categories.

The judging process was described as particularly rigorous due to the high standard of submissions. Beyond celebrating individual talent, the competition also served as a resource for Visit Qatar to obtain user-generated content that can be utilized in future marketing efforts and social media campaigns.

Al-Mahmoud emphasized that although many participants may have viewed the competition primarily as a contest, Visit Qatar values the creative material gathered as a tool to enhance the country’s tourism image. “People think that we are doing a competition for people, but they do not know that we are getting the benefit out of the content,” he noted.

Encouraged by the positive reception and quality of the submissions, Visit Qatar intends to continue the competition in subsequent years. Plans for the next edition include expanding its scope, with interest already expressed by several government entities wishing to be involved and elevate the competition’s scale.

Details regarding the upcoming edition are expected to be announced once the planning process is finalized.