Qatar's green own goal as World Cup fans set to jet in from …
- Nancee Shimp 22-09-26 01:53 43 0
By Alexander Cornwell
DUBAI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The Middle East's first ever soccer World Cup promises boom time for Dubai hotels this November, with thousands of fans expected to descend on the Gulf city due to limited accommodation in neighbouring host nation Qatar.
But the environmental costs of transporting those visitors nearly 400 km (249 miles) for match days, overwhelmingly by plane, raises further doubts over Qatar's pledge last year to host the first ever carbon-neutral FIFA World CUP Cup.
While more than a million soccer fans are expected to attend the tournament, Qatar had just 30,000 hotel rooms as of March.
More are due to be added before the tournament kicks off on Nov. 20, but many will be occupied by soccer teams, their support staff and World Cup officials.
"We expect the traffic to be pretty big and pretty busy to and from the World Cup," said Dubai Airports Chief Executive Paul Griffiths, predicting many fans will choose to stay in Dubai, where there are about five times as many hotel rooms - and easier access to alcohol.
State-owned Qatar Airways has helped organise a shuttle service operated by regional airlines in and out of Doha on match days from Gulf cities, including at least 60 daily flights to and from Dubai.
That raises questions over the organisers' initial pledge to make the event carbon neutral, a large part of which they said hinged on it being centred around the capital Doha, with fans flying into one airport and staying in one location, rather than being spread across numerous cities like previous tournaments.
DUBAI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The Middle East's first ever soccer World Cup promises boom time for Dubai hotels this November, with thousands of fans expected to descend on the Gulf city due to limited accommodation in neighbouring host nation Qatar.
But the environmental costs of transporting those visitors nearly 400 km (249 miles) for match days, overwhelmingly by plane, raises further doubts over Qatar's pledge last year to host the first ever carbon-neutral FIFA World CUP Cup.
While more than a million soccer fans are expected to attend the tournament, Qatar had just 30,000 hotel rooms as of March.
More are due to be added before the tournament kicks off on Nov. 20, but many will be occupied by soccer teams, their support staff and World Cup officials.
"We expect the traffic to be pretty big and pretty busy to and from the World Cup," said Dubai Airports Chief Executive Paul Griffiths, predicting many fans will choose to stay in Dubai, where there are about five times as many hotel rooms - and easier access to alcohol.
State-owned Qatar Airways has helped organise a shuttle service operated by regional airlines in and out of Doha on match days from Gulf cities, including at least 60 daily flights to and from Dubai.
That raises questions over the organisers' initial pledge to make the event carbon neutral, a large part of which they said hinged on it being centred around the capital Doha, with fans flying into one airport and staying in one location, rather than being spread across numerous cities like previous tournaments.
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