Visit Qatar Brings Qatari Culture and Flavours to Madrid with La Parada
A taste of Qatar arrived in the heart of Madrid this September as Visit Qatar transformed Plaza de Santiago into a showcase of Qatari culture, flavours and hospitality.
Held from 9-11 September 2026, the three-day public activation, titled “La Parada,” welcomed more than 7,000 visitors, combining food, interactive experiences and giveaways to introduce Spanish and international audiences to Qatar in a distinctly experiential way.
The activation also forms part of Visit Qatar’s wider international marketing activity and its partnership with Audi Revolut F1® Team, for which Visit Qatar serves as Principal Partner.
A Taste of Qatar in Madrid
Food played a central role in La Parada, offering visitors an accessible introduction to Qatari flavours.
Visit Qatar partnered with Madrid-based Toma Café to create a selection of drinks and dishes incorporating Qatari ingredients, bringing elements of the country’s culinary identity into a contemporary café setting.
One of the more playful creations was a Qatar-inspired ice cream combining karak and raspberry flavours.
Karak, the spiced tea deeply associated with everyday life in Qatar and across the Gulf, was given a modern twist for the Madrid audience, creating a flavour that felt connected to Qatar while remaining approachable for first-time visitors.
More Than 7,000 Visitors Experience La Parada
Across its three-day run, La Parada attracted over 7,000 visitors to Plaza de Santiago.
Beyond food, the programme featured interactive experiences and giveaways designed to give visitors another way to discover Qatar before ever boarding a flight.
The approach reflects a growing emphasis on experiential destination marketing: instead of simply showing potential travellers images of a destination, activations such as La Parada allow them to experience elements of its culture, food and hospitality firsthand.
For Visit Qatar, Madrid also provides a platform to engage both Spanish residents and the city’s sizeable international visitor audience.
Formula 1 Meets Destination Discovery
La Parada also connects with Visit Qatar’s partnership with Audi Revolut F1® Team, bringing together sport and destination promotion.
Around the same period, Visit Qatar launched a new campaign inviting motorsport fans to explore Qatar through the experiences of Audi Revolut F1® Team drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
The drivers are guided through the destination by Qatari rally legend Nasser Al-Attiyah, using familiar names from international motorsport to introduce audiences to another side of Qatar.
The campaign demonstrates how Visit Qatar is increasingly combining sport, culture, food and entertainment to communicate the destination to different international audiences.
Bringing Qatar Directly to International Travellers
La Parada is part of Visit Qatar’s continued activity across international markets, where destination experiences are taken directly to prospective travellers.
Rather than focusing solely on Qatar’s hotels and attractions, the Madrid activation offered a more sensory introduction to the country-one built around taste, interaction and hospitality.
It is an approach that can help audiences associate Qatar with more than a traditional stopover or major sporting event, highlighting its culinary culture, hospitality and wider leisure tourism offering.
With more than 7,000 people experiencing La Parada over three days, Visit Qatar’s Madrid activation provided a small taste of the destination while continuing to build Qatar’s presence among European travellers.
For more destination inspiration and information, visit Visit Qatar’s official website
Visit Qatar, La Parada Madrid, Qatar travel 2026, Visit Qatar Audi Revolut F1 Team, Qatar Formula 1 tourism, Qatar food culture, Qatar hospitality, Qatar cultural experiences, things to do in Qatar, Doha tourism, Qatar events 2026, GCC tourism, Middle East travel
