Aurelio Giraudo, Cluster General Manager at Banyan Tree Doha at La Cigale Mushaireb & La Cigale Hotel Managed by Accor
Doha: The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 has not only provided an unforgettable experience to football fans, but it has also given a reason to cheer for the local hospitality sector. Hotels in Qatar have witnessed a strong rise in bookings due to FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021.
“We have seen a strong surge in bookings from Saudi, Oman and Kuwaiti markets. For FIFA Arab cup, we saw strong growth of tourist arrivals in the country with a large contingent of fans travelling over to Doha,” Aurelio Giraudo, Cluster General Manager at Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb & La Cigale Hotel Managed by Accor, told The Peninsula. “We foresee the trend of Saudi market to continue after the visit of Saudi Crown Prince. Saudi school holidays are starting from January 16 until February 3 next year, hence we have forecast strong numbers for this period from Saudi market for both our properties,” he added.
Conferred by Hotelier Middle East as Power 100 GM in the Middle East 2021, Aurelio has four decades of experience with leading luxury hospitality companies including Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Dusit Hotels & Resorts, Marriott & Accor group.
FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, which concluded yesterday, received huge response from local and global fans. A record 63,439 fans attended the quarter-finals match between Qatar and the UAE. To facilitate fans and general commuters during the Arab Cup, Doha Metro operated around 100,000 trips per day on its three lines. The Arab Cup witnessed 16 countries from the region, including the Middle East and Africa, compete in a thrilling competition.
The local hospitality sector has benefitted immensely from this mega sporting event. Hotels across the country witnessed increase in their occupancy rates. A major share of the fans was from neighbouring countries.
Talking about the recent trends in the hospitality sector, Aurelio Giraudo said that visitor arrivals in the country from neigbouring counties have increased. The number of visitors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE has increased since first quarter of this year.
“These bookings (by visitors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE) are coming at a very short lead-time. We have also planned Sales trips to GCC and Saudi Markets for the coming months. We are also doing digital, social media campaigns and print ads to further tap into this market,” said Giraudo.
“Social media influencers have come over and experienced our properties from these markets. In the coming months, we will be doing joint venture marketing with Banyan Tree AlUla to further enhance the visibility of our hotel in the Saudi market,” he added.
Sharing his plans about Food & Beverage segment, Giraudo said that Food and Beverage has witnessed healthy growth over the past couple of years and with this trend there have been some significant shake-ups. The sector has moved increasingly from imitation to innovation and we need to think out of the box to be successful in this very competitive market.
“We will be doing year round promotions with the Michelin Star Chefs (4 Hands & 6 Hands gastronomic experiences), Celebrity events, Musical performances, Celebrity DJs, Theatrical performances and so on,” he said.
“We will be introducing vegan & organic food and drinks menu to further tap into this segment. Calendar of events are planned for both of our hotels for the next year and we are excited to welcome the locals and visitors at our hotels with the latest and new offerings,” Giraudo added.
