Doha: Qatar plans to accomodate some 12,000 football fans on cruise ships during the World Cup in 2022, a spokesman for the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) said yesterday.

The proposal for "floating hotels" is a revival of an idea which was initially rejected two years ago. However, Qatar is now seeking to strengthen its presence in the cruise ship market and the idea to house fans during the tournament has been re-floated. The QTA announced the proposals at a trade conference in the US over the weekend.