The Best Travel Destinations in 2022
#10: Doha, Qatar
In 2021, Austin finally landed its first major professional sports team, Austin FC, and our soccer-starved city enthusiastically poured into our gleaming, brand new Q2 stadium in support of the Verde and Black.
Whether you’re a recent convert or a lifelong fan of “the beautiful game,” you will no doubt have Doha, Qatar, circled on your 2022 travel list, as it will make history in November by hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Announced in 2010, this year’s games will be the first ever played in the Middle East, as well as the first hosted in winter.
Consistently recognized as one of the safest cities in the world, Doha boasts globally acclaimed art galleries, museums, UNESCO world heritage sites, five-star hotels and entertainment, as well as a thriving expat community, which makes up about 75% of the city’s population. Coincidentally, it’s also almost identical in size to greater Austin, making the city’s rapid transit system, Doha Metro, extremely effective.
The system’s 37 stops and 3 lines will ferry you between your hotel and eight dazzling world-class stadiums designed by the world’s leading architects and engineers. But if Uber is more your speed, you’ll find affordable fares and plenty of availability, a definite perk of visiting an oil-rich nation. Just watch out for surge pricing.
For football fanatics and aficionados of warm winter getaways, there is no better time than November to visit this Mideast marvel!
