Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker (left), and Qatar Tourism Chief Operating Officer, Berthold Trenkel during the Qatar Tourism Awards press conference held yesterday at The Ned Doha.
Doha: Qatar Tourism, in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), launched yesterday an annual awards programme designed to recognise and celebrate the excellence of businesses that made remarkable contributions to the country’s tourism industry.
The initiative seeks to acknowledge businesses that go above and beyond in delivering outstanding and distinct tourism experiences in Qatar. The awards, called “Qatar Tourism Awards”, are intended to shine focus on the elements that contribute to crafting a visitor’s experience at every touchpoint of their journey by recognizing tourist firms that consistently achieve excellence in customer service delivery.
In a press conference held Tuesday at The Ned Doha, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker said that the launch of awards is designed to recognise outstanding efforts of stakeholders in the tourism sector.
“Through this programme, we hope to inspire and encourage our partners to develop new and innovative initiatives that will continue to elevate Qatar’s reputation as a world-class tourism destination.”
“In recent years, Qatar has experienced an exceptional transformation of its tourism industry which has elevated the country to being a world-class destination. The hospitality in Qatar has seen a remarkable investment in new hotels, resorts, attractions, and restaurants, all of which cater to diverse interests and tastes. The impact of this transformation is evident in the growth of our visitor numbers and the consistency in outstanding service and experience in our country.”
This initiative intends to encourage all stakeholders that have direct or indirect involvement in the delivery of tourist experiences to continue developing and replicating extraordinary programmes that are distinguished by their distinctiveness, sustainability, accessibility, and high-quality service. The awards will be divided into three categories: Service Excellence, Cultural Experiences, and Smart Solutions.
Qatar Tourism Chief Operating Officer Berthold Trenkel said that applications for the awards will be open from May 12 to July 31 via qatartourism.com/awards and awarding ceremonies will be in November this year.
He explained that the Service Excellence category is dedicated to individuals or organisations that consistently excel in creating high-value and positive experiences for Qatar’s visitors; Cultural Experiences is dedicated to organisations that give visitors memorable experiences of Qatar’s culture, values, traditions, and heritage; and Smart Solutions dedicated to organisations that enhance the visitor’s experience through innovative products, processes, and technologies.
UNWTO Regional Director, Basmah Al Mayman emphasised that the awards not only promote and celebrate excellence but also “showcase and promote Qatar’s most successful and innovative tourism products, services and experiences.” All tourism enterprises, operators, entrepreneurs, visitor attractions, organisations, and events that operate in the country and promote Qatar to a local and worldwide audience are eligible to enter the Qatar Tourism Awards.
