Travel & Tourism

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Qatar Airways:
Going Places
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M O N DAY 18 , JA N UA RY 2016

Extending warm hospitality to all

HE State of Qatar sponsors the

tourist sector and provides it
with all the required facilities
and incentives to keep pace with
the development witnessed by
various economic sectors of the country.
In recent years, Qatars interest in

The Qatar Experience is a unique

blend of adventure, leisure and Arabian
tradition, from desert dune driving to
exciting water sports, from fascinating
museums to traditional markets. Qatar
offers world-class hotels, restaurants
and spa facilities and activities for
all the family in a safe and secure
environment.

the sector of tourism increased remarkably, particularly after Doha became the
regional capital of policy, thought, economy and media forums in addition to its
ongoing organisation and hosting of artistic
events, regional and global sports tournaments. Besides, Doha organises other
international events, fairs and shopping
festivals which require distinct tourist
services for Qatar visitors coming from
all parts of the world.
In this context, Qatars hotel industry
has made impressive progress to meet
the needs of tourism, travel and airlines
services. Hence, Qatar became one of the
leading countries in the world in providing the best tourist services on its modern
airline fleet.
The Qatar Tourism Authority organises,
enables, and supervises tourism industry
development in Qatar, as well as represent
and promote Qatar as a quality tourism
destination for leisure, business, education,

PICTURE: SAJAD SAHIR

and sport. The overall strategy of QTA is

to bring Qatar to the world and the world
to Qatar. QTA markets and promotes Qatar
as a safe and welcoming destination in the
heart of the Arabian Gulf. In addition, QTA
promotes the country as a family travel
destination and an ideal place for wellness
vacations with a focus on culture, natural environment, and outdoor pursuits.
Qatar is situated in the Heart of the
Arabian Gulf which not only describes
its geographical location but also the
importance given to the countrys Arabian
culture, heritage and warm hospitality.
At a conference or exhibition a visitor
can enjoy Qatars year round sunshine,
diversity of activities, friendly people and
relaxing atmosphere.
The Qatar Experience is a unique
blend of adventure, leisure and Arabian
tradition, from desert dune driving to
exciting water sports, from fascinating
museums to traditional markets. Qatar
offers world-class hotels, restaurants and
spa facilities and activities for all the family in a safe and secure environment.
With Qatars sophisticated meeting
facilities, infrastructure and security, the
country is well-positioned to host events
of any size. Conference organisers will
enjoy the ease of coordinating successful
meetings and conferences, in addition to
the first-class hotels and facilities available, Qatar offers beautiful scenery and
wonderful shopping in a relaxing environment a wonderful combination of
business and pleasure.
Qatar welcomes its visitors in world
class reputation and high standard hotels
like the Sheraton, the Ritz-Carlton, Four
Seasons, the InterContinental, Movenpick,
the Marriott, the Sealine Beach Resort and

Al Sharq Village and Spa, to name a few.

Life in Qatar had always been a story
of sea and desert. Both were a source of
livelihood despite all the hardships the
Qataris faced. Today, the sea and the desert
are still the source of wealth and a destination for anyone looking for an enjoyable
day away from the hustle and bustle of
modern day-to-day life.
They are also the backbone of tourism industry in Qatar: The sea with its
calm beaches and its warm waters and the
desert with its vista of endless stretches
and marvels of nature as well as manmade wonders.
Doha is the capital of Qatar where
almost 80 percent of the population live.
It is the hub of cultural, business and economic activities of the country. The city
reflects the countrys cultural identity
and its rapid development. Among places
that a vistor should not miss: A calm bay
embracing the edges of the mainland. The
Corniche, virtually the lung of the city,
is a destination for people.
Doha thrives with many tradtitional
souqs where visitors can discover the spirit
of a truly oriental way of shopping. The
falconry souq is worth visiting to have a
look at the impressive falcons with their
charm, beauty and the unimaginable prices
paid for them.
Next to the falconry shops stands the
camel market. In the old traditional souqs
of Doha the exotic smells of spices, coffees
mixed with the heady scent of cardamom,
and medicinal herbs fill the air.
With every step, all shops of handicrafts, oriental textiles and glittering gold
entice the visitor to have a look or haggle over prices. At the end of your tour,
you might refresh yourself with a glass

of tea mixed with rosewater, or a cup of

Arabian or Turkish coffee with cardamom flavour while sitting back in one
of the traditional coffee shops scattered
around town.
While traditional markets are considered prominent tourist attractions, Doha
city includes several state-of-art shopping
complexes, making shopping a pleasure
for individuals and families accompanying their children.
These complexes include entertainment facilities for children, restaurants
and cinemas, Internet cafes and areas
for ice hockey or ice skating. From time
to time artistic shows and events are held
there, as well as shopping festivals where
attractive offers prizes are presented.
The main shopping centres in Qatar
are: The City Center Shopping Complex,
The Mall Shopping Center, the LuLu, Hyatt
Plaza, Villaggio, Land Mark, and the Ezdan
Mall to name a few.
Not to forget is The Pearl-Qatar. This
is a multi billion man-made island covering 400 hectares of reclaimed land
offshore of Qatar, the Arab worlds
wealthiest per capita country. The
Pearl-Qatar is the countrys first international real estate venture, its largest
real estate development and the first to
offer international investors freehold.
It is a four-phase mixed-use development comprising 10 distinct, themed
districts housing beachfront villas, elegant town homes, luxury apartments,
exclusive penthouses, 5-Star hotels, marinas, schools as well as upscale retail and
restaurant offerings. It will be a destination in its own right a lavish, secure
and exclusive island retreat with a Riviera-style community.

PICTURE: SALIM MATRAMKOT

More foreign visitors arrive in Qatar

Qatar Tourism Authority
outlines several
achievements made
last year

HE Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA)

recently released its achievement
report shedding light on the performances of the Authority last year. The
report showed significant growth
in the number of foreign visitors, which rose
by by 8 percent compared with 2014. This is
in addition to notable development and performance in hospitality sector, especially 4-Star
hotels and normal hotel apartments compared
to the previous year.
The share of the GCC states, which is the
biggest market exporting tourist to Qatar,
increased by 22 percent in 2015 compared to
the year before. The growth was primarily
dominated by an increase in visitor arrivals
from Saudi Arabia, which grew by 31 percent
in 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.
The significant increase was in March
last year at 82 percent compared to the same
month of the previous year. Tourists from the
United Arab Emirate also increased by 13 percent, while tourists from Bahrain, Kuwait and
Oman rose by 7 percent, 9 percent, and 2 percent respectively.
The second big growth in tourists outside
GCC was from China at 16 percent, France at
9 percent and USA at 2 percent.
The continued demand growth in the sector is also evident from data released on hotel
performance. Overall occupancy rates have
grown. The statistics of the first nine months in
2015 showed strong performance hotel apartments, which rose by by more than 76 percent
compared to 71 percent in hotel sector.
GCC Ministers in charge of tourism meet
Minister of Economy and Commerce H E
Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al
Thani chaired the second meeting of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) ministers in charge
of tourism. The meeting was attended by Prince
Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, President of the
Board of Saudi Commission for Tourism and
National Heritage. The meeting approved a
number of recommendations focused on boosting tourism sector in member countries. Among
the recommendations approved was one on
the celebration of the capital of Gulf tourism
in Manama to highlight tourism potentials in
each GCC member state, increasing awareness
about the importance of tourism and create
opportunities for the development of the sector and its projects and related services.
The recommendations also focused on the
development of joint action between the public and private sectors in the tourism field. The
meeting stressed the importance of preparing
a strategy for joint tourism action in the GCC,

QTA has also maximised its

presence by opening more
representative offices in
worlds leading tourism
markets

along with coordinating regional and international cooperation in the field of tourism and
intensifying efforts for intra tourism development and strengthening cooperation in the
field of exhibitions and conferences.
The GCC ministers in charge of tourism
inaugurated the first annual GCC Handicrafts
Exhibition under the theme Our Handcrafts
are Woven with the Thread of our Heritage at
Sheraton Doha Hotel Al Majlis Hall. The exhibition from October 6-10 came after an initial
agreement made during the first GCC Tourism
Ministerial Meeting, which took place in Kuwait
last year. The meeting decided to organise exhibition to portray GCCs culture and heritage in
order to increase cultural attractions and boost
tourism. The meeting also witnessed the signing of joint cooperation agreement with the
Ministry of Tourism of Oman to boost tourism
sector between the two countries.
Promotion of tourism globally
Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) disclosed the
first sub-commercial brand Qatar Destination
Brand for business events after it successfully
unveiled its new global brand campaign to
global audiences at the World Travel Market
in London on November 2, 2015. The aim of
launching two brands at the worlds most highly
attended global expo was to ensure maximum
exposure and unify promotion efforts of concerned partners in tourism and business events
in Qatar and introduce the countrys tourism
facilities.
QTA participated in the Arab Market (ATM)
held in Dubai from May 4-7, 2015. The 2015
edition of ATM brought tourism and travel sector from six continents and featured seminars,
debates and workshops that provided topical
and forward thinking as well as insightful content from industry pioneers.
QTA participated in tourism exhibitions
and events promoting tourism at regional
and global levels such as the IMEX exhibition
in Frankfurt from May 19-21, 2015. QTA also
participated Gulf Incentive Business Travel
and Meeting Exhibition (GIBTM) held in Dubai
from May 16-18 last year. It also participated
in IBTM exhibition in Barcelona from November 18 to 20, 2015.
QTA has also maximised its presence by
opening more representative offices in worlds
leading tourism markets. QTA opened its 6th
office in Italy in November. It has also plan
to open more offices in USA and Turkey. The
move comes after opening offices in Berlin,
London, Paris and two branches in Saudi Arabia in Riyadh and Jeddah, in addition to an
office in Singapore.
QTA adopted international marketing
plans which suit each of the representative
offices abroad. It invited journalists from the
UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria
and the GCC states to conduct tourism tours
in Qatar to get to know about Qatars tourism potentials.
The Telegraph group launched in December tourism applications on smart phones, IPad
and tablets directed to British tourists interested
in visiting Qatar. Qatar was the first country in
the Middle East for which the group launched
this app which include valuable information
about tourism sector in Qatar.
QTA also welcomed the members of Paris
St Germain Club team and administrative staffs
who established summer training camp in Doha
in 2014. In 2015 Paris St Germain also arrived
to Qatar as part of winter tour and established
training camp and played friendship match
with Real Madrid. QTA also hosted a team of
11 players from the Paris old club as part of
training and cultural and tourism tour in Doha.

PICTURE: QASSIM RAHMATULLAH

Dubai on May 6. Qatar General Electricity &

Water Corporation (Kahramaa) honoured QTA
for supporting the initiative of Tarsheed in
ceremony held in the Sheraton Doha on April
23, 2015.
QTA was recognized for its efforts during
this years Earth Hour celebration which annually organized to raise awareness about the
risks of pollutions, climate changes and global warming. Qatar ranked as the second most
competitive travel and tourism destination in
the MENA region by the World Economic Forum
(WEF) in its Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015 issued in Davos, Switzerland
on May 6.

Qatarisation process

Developments in marine tourism

Qatars accession to the Cruise Arabia was
important event for the promotion of Qatar
and other GCC states as sea tourism destinations. Arabia Cruise Alliance was formed in
2013 to promote the growth of cruise tourism
in the GCC by Sultanate of Oman; Abu Dhabi
Tourism and Culture Authority and Dubais
Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. Qatar also hosted for the first time the
Seatrade Middle East Cruise 2015, in December last year. QTA along with its partners in
the Cruise Arabia Alliance has participated

in the Seatrade Convention for Marine Tourism held in Miami, USA, from March 16 to 19
last year. The aim of the participation was to
strengthen the position of Qatar as a major
tourist destination for marine tourism.
Qatar will receive 8 ships this season,
including Island Sky, a Noble Caledonia ship
that will be the first to dock in the Old Doha
Port as part of the Cruise Arabia Alliance. A
delegation from Qatar Tourism Authority led
by Hassan Al-Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer, heads to the German city of
Hamburg to attend the Seatrade Europe Cruise
and River Cruise Convention.
QTAs participations in conferences
Doha hosted meeting of GCC ministers in
charge of tourism, and the meeting resulted in a
number of recommendations including launching of the GCC Tourism Capital. A delegation
of QTA participated in the 21st UN World Tourism Organisations General Assembly meeting,
held September 17, 2015 in the Colombian city
of Medellin. QTA hosted the international conference Art for Tomorrow in Doha on March
14-16. QTA along with the Ministry of Culture,
Arts, and Heritage, and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, represented Qatar
in the fifth edition of the Gulf Heritage Village
Festival in Kuwait in February 2015.
QTA also own a number of prestigious
regional and global awards. Qatar has won
the right to host the official World Tourism
Day (WTD) 2017 celebrations, which will be
held under the theme, Sustainable Tourism
a Tool for Development. The announcement
was made following a vote of the 21st UN World
Tourism Organisations General Assembly, held
in the Colombian city of Medellin. QTA also
won the award of the Best Arab Government
Tourism Authority 2015 at the seventh Arab
Tourism Media Awards held in Muscat.
QTA received award for Leading Business
Travel Destination at the Middle East edition
of 22nd Annual World Travel Awards 2015, held
in the Four Seasons Resort at Jumeirah Beach,

QTA led the Qatarisation process. At present,

Qataris represent 71 percent of the manpower
in the Authority. QTA launched in collaboration
with Qatar University (QU) Social and Economic
Survey Research Institute (SESRI) comprehensive survey to understand and analyse tourism
activities of Qatars residents within the country. The domestic tourism survey, which will
be conducted in four phases, aims to understand and analyse sector-specific spending
activities among residents in Qatar.
During Ramadan, QTA conducted an inspection and evaluation process, paying visits to
Ramadan tents, hotels and other tourism establishments to assess quality and compliance
with local customs and traditions and Islamic
values. Inspectors checked the quality of food,
the diversity of dishes and their presentation
at Iftar and Suhour.
QTA and STR Global a leading data provider, signed an agreement to provide hotel
establishments across Qatar with access to
timely data and in-depth analysis on their individual performance in comparison to market
competitors as well as international benchmarks.

Specialised incubator
QTA, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and
Qatar Business Incubation Center joined together
in an initiative to develop specialised incubator
to encourage and support aspiring entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises in the
tourism sector.
Capacity Building
QTA organised World Tourism Organisation,
Regional Conference and Executive Training
Workshop in Qatar on e-marketing in tourism.
QTA organised in March a regional workshop
with UFI to review UFI rules and regulations
covering international procedures and classification of exhibitions under MICE, which
would now apply to exhibitions being held in
Qatar. QTA also sponsored training workshops
at the level of Middle East in collaboration with
Josoor Institute.
QTA and World Tourism Organisation successfully concluded the first phase of regional
program for capacity building which included
three educational packages on the key skills
needed for developing tourism strategies,
developing tourism product and tourism investment. The programme hosted 200 participants
from both public and private sectors from the
MENA region. QTA hosted in March the International Congress and Convention Association
( ICCA) workshop on organising and sponsoring international association meetings. QTA
in collaboration with World Tourism Organisation also organised a training course on
human resources development.

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Milano Travel: Keeping up with times

ILANO Travel was established in 2007 with the

aim of meeting the needs
of Qatari market. The travel
agency takes part in different local and
global tourism events and activities.
Keeping this in view, the travel agency
has kept up with new developments,
latest technology and programmes,
in addition to building the capacity
of its staff through constant training
and updating them. This to deliver better services to the customers granting
them best booking offers.
Milano Travel General Manager Ali
S Thabet (pictured) said: Our travel
agency is characterised by its leave
section which gained great experience
in the past eight years. This section has realised development by around 12 percent every year. The section of ticket
and booking has satisfactory offers that suit customers

interests and their capabilities.

The travel agency said that it is
keen to participate in local events
and activities such as the National
Day, Sport Day and other festivals.
It worth mentioning that Qatar Airways, which constantly maximises
its presence in the world of travel and
has obtained international awards for
service excellences, has managed to
promote the concept of internal and
external tourism. The carrier has significantly expanded the tourism sector
by reaching more than 150 destinations all over the world.
Last but not the least, is not possible
to pass without mentioning the efforts
exerted by Qatar Tourism Authority
to introduce local tourism outputs by attending international events and playing effective role in promoting
tourism sector.

The Torch Doha stays on top

T
Welcome aboard the Dhow
xperience authentic Five-Star Qatari hospitality aboard our luxury collection of traditional
Arabian dhows, Lusail 2 and 3. Take in Dohas
spectacular skyline while enjoying the music
and outstanding service. Dine in exclusive
style with gourmet Arabic and international dishes created by our on-board chef, and a special daily buffet.
Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels welcomes you aboard
another one-of-a kind experience. Dhow tours include
a variety of packages such as a romantic dinner for
two, family celebrations and special sunset cruises.
All packages are tailored to suit guests preferences, promising the truly personalised service that is
characteristic of Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels. Dhow
tours include a variety of packages such as a romantic
dinner for two, family celebrations and special sunset cruises. All packages are tailored to suit guests
preferences, promising the truly personalised service
that is characteristic of Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels.

Signature Cruises
Daily Cruise: An amazing cruise with family and friends
Theme Nights: A five-star themed buffet under the stars
Romantic Dinner: A magical dinner with your loved one

HE Torch Doha has performed excellently

in 2015. The hotel occupancy percentage
was one of the highest among the Five-Star
hotels in Doha as well as being the top service provider.
The Torch Doha continued to achieve success and
maintained standards as being the top service provider in Doha among our hospitality service provider
competitors throughout 2015. This can be seen with
the following awards that the hotel has received in
2015 as well as the reports from the Guest Satisfaction Index Scores of Medallia & Olery (Performance
Index as well as Social Media Scores).
Awards 2015:
1. 2015 World Luxury Hotel Awards: Country
Winner - Luxury Business Hotel
2. 2015 Hotel of the Year Awards: Best Sports
Hotel Worldwide
3. 2015 Hotel of the Year Awards: Best Hotel Afternoon Tea Worldwide
4. 2015 Hotel of the Year Awards: Top 100 Hotel
Worldwide
5. Hospitality Qatar (Salon Culinaire Chefs Competition) 2015: 12 medals (out 14 participants)
6. Qatar Tourism Authority Award for achieving High Standards and Quality of Services in The
Hotel Quality Rating System of the State of Qatar.
7. Qatar Tourism Authority Award for fulfilling
Special Needs Criteria. The selection process was
based on hotels compliance with a code drafted in
collaboration between QTA and the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs
8. TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2015
2014-2015, London, UK
-Recognised as a Top Performing Hotel
9. Best International Hotel in Qatar, International
11. KUFIC Lounge Favourite Tea Room in Doha, FACT Dining Awards 2015
Hotel Awards 2014-2015,London, UK
10. Best Hotel Arabia, International Hotel Awards
12. ISO Certificate 9001 : 2008

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Qatar Airways: Going Places Together

The airline started

2015 as the global
launch customer
of the A350, the
latest in aircraft
design by Airbus. It
also launched eight
destinations last year
Abha, Amsterdam,
Durban, Nagpur,
Faisalabad, Multan,
Sialkot and Zanzibar

atar Airways (QA) has

achieved a 20 percent
growth in its fleet last year,
along with other major
achievements.
Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive,
QA Group, said: As 2015 comes to an
end, QA is able to reflect on successes
throughout the year, while celebrating the launch of our new global brand
campaign and latest on board safety
video. This has been a momentous
way to end what has been a truly historic year for Qatars national carrier,
which has seen, among others, several
top award wins, the forging of new
partnerships, strong engagement on
social media, the launch of a brand
new aircraft type and the start of several new routes on its passenger and
cargo networks.
Qatar Airways launched its new
global brand campaign and tagline
Going Places Together in New York.
This is a new and fresh direction for the
airline, which has developed a messaging strategy to reflect its evolution as

More destinations and more awards

Akbar Al Baker (centre), Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways; Gunter Saurwein (right), QA Vice-President,
Americas; and Deborah Flint, Executive Director, Los Angeles World Airports, at a press conference.

a brand and its role as a leader in the

airline industry. The campaign plays
on the theme of achieving great things
together whether for work, for family or for adventure, and encourages
passengers to take journeys that will
help them achieve their dreams and
ambitions.
The new campaign captures the
essence of the Qatar Airways brand,
which is all about inclusiveness and
bringing people together. One of the
fastest growing airlines operating one
of the youngest fleets in the world,
Qatar Airways has adopted the emotive and modern brand campaign to
reflect its core values as a contemporary and innovative company that is

really going places and wants nothing

more than to inspire its passengers to
do the same.
At the heart of the campaign is the
concept of the airline connecting people both physically and emotionally
with any of the 153 places on its global network on board one of its 173
state-of-the-art aircraft. The theme of
connectivity extends to the warm welcome every passenger receives when
they board a Qatar Airways flight from
the friendly and helpful cabin crew
who are hand-picked for their natural
ability to make personal connections
with every passenger they meet.
The airline also created a buzz with
its fresh and unique on board safety

video featuring FC Barcelonas La Liga

players like Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis
Suarez, Gerard Pique, Ivan Rakitic and
Javier Mascherano.
Scenes from the video show the
players bringing important safety messages to life in a uniquely FC Barcelona
way, including Suarez taking to the
pitch in a life vest, Pique causing a stir
as he arrives and demonstrates the
brace position.
Filmed mainly at Camp Nou Stadium, the home of FC Barcelona, the
video features familiar sights for fans
such as the pitch, the stands, the changing rooms and the team bus.
The airline started 2015 as the global launch customer of the A350, the

latest in aircraft design by Airbus. With

this, QA became the first in the world to
operate every family of Airbus modern airliner portfolio, comprising the
A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380.
During 2015, QA added 29 aircraft to
the fleet, increasing the number by 20
percent, reflecting the airlines significant growth and expansion.
It also launched eight destinations
last year Abha, Amsterdam, Durban,
Nagpur, Faisalabad, Multan, Sialkot
and Zanzibar.
QA witnessed a 17 percent passenger growth, touching 24 million, for the
first nine months last year on year-onyear basis and the number is expected
to hit 30 million by the year-end.
During the 2010/11 financial year,
Qatar Airways carried over 16 million passengers worldwide, hit over 17
million passengers in 2011/2012, and
surpassed 18 million during the 2012/13
financial year. The airline carried over
26 million passengers in 2014/15.
Qatar Airways secured another
digital milestone as the five-star airline became the worlds first to pass the
10-million-fan mark on Facebook, reaffirming its position as the worlds most
popular airline on the most popular

social media network. The airline first

became the most popular carrier ever
on Facebook when it passed eight million fans in December 2014, and has
held the title consistently since.

Qatar Airways
secured another
digital milestone
as the ve-star
airline became the
worlds rst to pass
the 10-million-fan
mark on Facebook,
reaffirming its
position as the
worlds most popular
airline on the most
popular social media
network

atar Airways was named Asia Pacific

Airline of the Year at 2015 CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence held in
Singapore recently. Akbar Al Baker,
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: To be named CAPA Asia Pacific
Airline of the year rounds off a big year of award
wins for Qatar Airways. It is truly an honour
when our efforts and accomplishments are
recognised by our peers for they know what it
takes to be an industry leader. We have made
great strides in consolidating our leadership in
the aviation business this past year, and much
of the credit goes to the entire team at Qatar
Airways who bring our award-winning product and service to life each and every day.
The CAPA Asia Pacific Airline of the Year
award was given to the airline that has been
the biggest standout strategically during the
year, has had the greatest impact on the development of the airline industry, established itself
as a leader, and provided a benchmark for others to follow.
Qatar Airways has pursued rapid growth
over the last year, launching over 10 new destinations and adding capacity to numerous
existing destinations, said CAPA Executive
Chairman Harbison. Other milestones from
2014 included moving to a new hub airport
in Doha, taking delivery of its first A380 and
becoming the launch operator of the A350.
In 2014, the carrier added 11 new destinations to its network and was subsequently
awarded Worlds Best Airline, Best Business
Class Airline Seat, and Best Airline in the Middle
East at the annual Skytrax 2015 World Airline
Awards earlier in June.
Qatar Airways has also been named Best
Middle East Airline Serving China at the 2015
Business Traveller China Awards, picking up
the award for the fourth consecutive year.
Qatar Airways started operations in China
in 2003, with Shanghai being the first port of
call. Since then, Qatar Airways has expanded
to seven cities in Greater China, including
Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong,
Chongqing, Chengdu and Hangzhou, with 45
weekly non-stop flights to Doha, connecting
passengers seamlessly to more than 150 destinations globally.

Besides continued success at the Business

Traveller China Awards, Qatar Airways was also
recently recognised as Best Full Service Airline
in Western Asia at the Future Travel Experience
Asia Expo, 2015, and Best Airline, Best Business
Class Airline and Best Middle Eastern Airline
at the Business Traveller Awards held in London. The airline also received the Airline of
the Year, Best Business Class Airline Seat and
Best Airline in the Middle East at the 2015 Skytrax Awards. This is the third time the airline
has won the accolade of Airline of the Year.

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of Qatar,

is one of the fastest growing airlines operating
one of the youngest fleets in the world. Now
in its 18th year of operations, Qatar Airways
flies to 152 key business and leisure destinations across six continents.
At the Dubai Airshow last year, Qatar Airways displayed three of its aircraft, the A380,
A350, for which it was the global launch customer, and a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, its 25th
of this aircraft type, delivered directly from
Boeing to the show.

The A380 entered service with Qatar Airways last autumn and Qatar Airways received
the A350 as Global Launch Customer in December 2014. The A350, which entered service in
January, now flies double-daily to Frankfurt,
triple-daily to Singapore and daily to Munich.
The Business Class cabin has 36 seats in a 1-2-1
configuration featuring an 80-inch full flat
bed and 17-inch HD in-flight entertainment
screen and a spacious inflight bar.
Economy Class features 247 18-inch wide seats
in a 3-3-3 configuration, each with a 10.6-inch

in-flight entertainment screen, and more space

at shoulder level for passengers in window seats
due to the vertical side wall panel design. The
517-seat A380 aircraft comprising of First, Business and Economy Class over two decks, is the
largest passenger jet in the world, and currently
flies to Bangkok, Paris and London from Doha
in the State of Qatar. The new First Class A380
features a seat with a 90-inch pitch that transforms into a fully-flat bed and has up to 2,000
entertainment options displayed on individual
HD 26-inch television screens.

PICTURES: SAJAD SAHIR , KAMMUTTY VP

Hospitality sector
poised for growth

ourism is one of the fastest

growing sectors in Qatar
and its share in gross
domestic product (GDP)
was four percent of nonextraction (non-oil) economy in 2013.
GDP is a measure of the size of the
national economy. It is estimated that
tourism provides 70,000 jobs in Qatar.
Our long-term strategy is to
increase tourisms contribution to
Qatars economy to 5.1 percent, and
up to 9.7 percent of non-hydrocarbon
economy by 2030, said Hassan Abdulrahman Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism
Development Officer, Qatar Tourism
Authority (QTA), at World Export Development Forum 2015.
With the support of QTAs public
and private sector partners, tens of
millions of dollars have been invested
in upgrading and developing needed
infrastructure to support the sectors
expansion.
In 2014, Qatar National Tourism
Sector Strategy was launched which
sets a clear path for development of
the sector through 2030 by identifying
four key focus areas: Urban, business,
cultural and sports tourism.
The other aspect of the strategy is
to expand the portfolio of year-round
expos, shows, conferences and business events. Since the launch of the
strategy, we have welcomed over five
million international visitors to Qatar
and are on track to achieve the milestone of three million annual visitors by
2015-end. That represents an average
annual growth of 14 percent between
2009 and 2014, making Qatar one of
the worlds fastest growing destinations. Also, Qatars hospitality sector
offers huge growth potential for affordable hotels mainly 2-star and 3-star
hotels. Currently the countrys hospitality market is dominated by 4- and
5-star hotels. The sector in Qatar now
provides approximately 17,900 keys,
of which 84 percent are either 4-star
or 5-star.
There is potential for growth for
2- and 3-star hotels in Qatar. Majority of supply in Qatar, coming in next
18-24 months, consist of 4- and 5-star
hotels, said Johnny Archer, Associate
Director, Consulting and Research, DTZ

Qatar. Qatar has now emerged as a

major centre in the region for financial
activities. It has created state-of-theart infrastructure to host international
conferences and exhibitions, which
work in favour of hospitality sector
in general and affordable hotels in
particular.
Qatar has invested a lot in building conference and exhibition centres
which have generated strong demand
for business visits. Several professionals coming on business visits like to
stay for a night or two in relatively
affordable hotels, said Archer.
In total, 11 new hotels have opened
in 2015, adding approximately 1,400
rooms to the hospitality sector. These
new hotels have increased the overall
number to 118, including apartment
hotels. Qatars hospitality sector is
poised to witness strong growth in
coming years. According to data from
QTA, approvals are in place for more
than 120 more hotel establishments in
Qatar, which if realised will increase
the level of supply to approximately
35,000 keys. DTZs research has

identified 30 new hospitality developments that are under construction

and should increase supply in the market by approximately 10,000 keys over
the next three years.
The Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy Plan 2030 has set out a
programme to invest $45bn in tourism projects over the next 15 years,
which will aim at attracting a larger
amount of tourist numbers from outside GCC, with an ambitious target
to increase overall. Qatar is the second most tourism friendly destination
in the Middle East and North Africa
(Mena) region. The World Economic
Forum (WEF) has ranked the country
as the second most competitive travel
and tourism destination in Mena in
its 2015 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report.
Across the 14 dimensions, Qatar
scored highly on a supportive Business
Environment (ranking 3rd globally),
Safety and Security (2nd globally),
Human Resources and Labour Market
(14th globally), and Price Competitiveness (19th globally).

50,000 cruise tourists likely this season

Q

atar is expected to receive

over 50,000 cruise tourists
in the 2016/2017 cruising
season. We are having
discussions with executive
directors of marine tourism companies in preparation for the season
during which we expect more than
50,000 tourists and over 130,000 in
the coming year, Hassan Al Ibrahim,
Chief Tourism Development Officer,
Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), said
yesterday.
Al Ibrahim told the opening of the
Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum
in December that Qatar had received
hundreds of tourists through Cruise
Arabia Alliance and five ships are
expected arrive in the country in the
current season which began in October and ends in April next year.
He said QTA, in partnership with
various sectors, is exerting efforts to
develop cruise tourism as an important
sector and provide visitors a different experience. We are working with
partners in Qatar Ports Management
Company (Mwani) to benefit from the
new port for us to be able to host big
ships visiting Qatar.
In 2016, we are going to work
on renovating Doha Port to receive
big ships carrying more visitors. We
are also receiving support from the

QTA, in partnership
with various
sectors, is exerting
efforts to develop
cruise tourism
as an important
sector and provide
visitors a different
experience.
Ministry of Economy and Commerce,
the Ministry of Interior and the private
sector to provide good experience to
visitors from the time they arrive until
they leave the country, he stressed.
Capt Abdallah Al Khanji, CEO,
Mwani, said they are cooperating with
QTA as they prepare to welcome the
first cruise ships of 2016 and the focus
is on small and medium cruise ships.
We would like to transform Doha Port
into one that concentrates on receiving tourists. We would like to have
an integrated kind of port that would
guarantee high-level services and this
will enable Qatar to have a distinctive position in the GCC as one of the

most important cruise destinations.

The summit and conference
brought together 12 global cruise line
executives and regional stake-holders
to discuss topics, including diversification of regional shore excursions
and challenges facing regional tour
operators. Al Ibrahim said the summit comes at a very important time in
the global tourism industry which has
seen growth in various sectors, especially in newer destination markets.

He said the GCC has become one

of the three main winter cruise destinations in the world. Estimates show
that Qatar is set to be a promising destination for cruise tourism which offers
enormous opportunities, he added.
Hassan Al Ibrahim also said that at
least 6,000 rooms on cruise ships will be
provided for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
QTA is committed to providing at
least 6,000 rooms on cruise ships for the
2022 FIFA World Cup competition in

the redeveloped Doha Port reinforcing cruise tourism as one of our most
exciting and enduring legacies, he said.
Al Ibrahim stressed Qatar places
huge importance on the cruise industry, both to diversify the tourism sector
and Qatars overall economy.
There are long-term plans to
upgrade the countrys infrastructure,
all of which will enable us to tap into the
potential of cruise tourism by developing Qatars ports. We are building our

infrastructure and human capital; we

have a new destination brand that consolidates the industrys efforts to attract
more visitors; and, we are diversifying
and enhancing the products and services across the entire industry.
For our part, QTA is working with
partners across the public and private
sectors, to plan, regulate, develop and
promote the tourism sector, with the
aim of achieving growth that is both
exponential and sustainable.

Wedding venues for new beginnings at Hilton Doha

f youre looking for a unique place to organise your wedding, Hilton Doha is the perfect
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Your only job will be to picture a perfect scene and
our dedicated team of hospitality professionals
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From the especially tailored and themed
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off, if required).
Addition of continental breakfast and romantic in-room set up accompanied with the special
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brings along.
May your happily ever after begin with us.

For further information and prices for this exclusive

Wedding package, please contact Hilton Doha at +974-4-4233347 or
e-mail: doha.events@hilton.com

DOHA HAS A LOT TO TAKE IN. SEE IT ALL STARTING AT QAR 675.
Book your stay at Hilton Doha with the Winter Sale offer and experience style and service taken to new heights. Enjoy the waterfront, privat 

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Limited availability at the advertised rate. Offer is subject to availability. Book until 31st January 2016 and stay on weekends between 20th November 2015 and 30th December
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2014 Hilton Worldwide

Book now, visit doha.hilton.com or call +974 4423 3333

PO Box 24572 | Diplomatic District | West Bay Area | Doha | Qatar

Record 8.4 million travellers transit HIA

he Hamad International Airport (HIA)

saw a record 8.4 million passengers
during the third quarter of last year,
showing a 23 percent increase compared to the same period the previous
year. HIA saw 8,405,831 visitors pass through
its gates during the three months from July to
September last year, with the highest number
of passengers in August.
A senior HIA official attributed the record
rise to the launch of several new flights from
the airport during the summer and an increase
in frequency of flights by a number of airlines
to meet the increased demand.
According to official data, HIA saw a total of
2,701,958 passengers departing, arriving and
transiting in July. In August, a record 3,025,641
passengers travelled through HIA, an unprecedented figure for a month, both at HIA as well
as its previous hub, Doha International Airport, HIA said. The month of September saw
2,678,232 passengers.
The turnout shows a significant increase
compared to the same period the previous
year, which saw 6,837,454 passengers travelling
through HIA, including 2,160,843 passengers
in July; 2,475,340 in August and 2,201,271 in
September.

Within less than a year of

commencing operations,
HIA has won several
prestigious awards
including three Skytrax
2015 awards at the
Skytrax Airport Award
Ceremony in recognition
of its outstanding
performance and services
including the Best Airport
in the Middle East award
HIA also reported a significant increase in
aircraft movements during the same period
with 55,186 movements, representing a 19 percent increase compared to the same period the
previous year. Aircraft take-offs and landings
at the airport over the three months in 2014
amounted to 46,405. The month of July recorded

18,222 aircraft movements while August saw a

new record of 18,660, followed by September
that saw 18,304 aircraft movements.
Commenting on the airports record-breaking figures, Eng Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief
Operating Officer at HIA, said: We partially
owe this phenomenal increase in our operations to the increased frequency of several of
our patron airlines weekly flights from Hamad
International Airport, and we also had several
new airlines commence operations at HIA.
This increase is also a testament to the continued rapid growth of Qatar Airways, Qatars
national carrier.
HIA seamlessly transitioned from its previous hub, Doha International Airport (DIA), to
its current state-of-the-art facilities and full
commercial operations of the airport began
on May 27, 2014.
The transition was a testimony to intensive
planning efforts by the airport management,
Qatar Airways and its subsidiaries. HIA has now
matured into a globally-recognised airport.
HIA has also performed well in the surveys
by Airport Service Quality in the first quarter of 2015. This includes being ranked first in
the Middle East for Cleanliness of Airport Terminal, Speedy Baggage Delivery and Comfort

of Waiting Areas. Al Meer said: We owe our

accomplishments to our focus on customer satisfaction. We put the customer at the heart of
everything we do. With this in mind, we have
invested in a bespoke research programme to
get to know our passengers and their needs. We
not only offer passenger services, we also offer
an overall passenger experience. Our future
development strategy will focus on increased
capacity and additional facilities.
Hamad International Airport (HIA) occupied
the sixth place in the list of 10 best airports in
the world, according to the assessment by the
readers of Conde Nast Traveller 2015, which
was conducted in August last year.
The list of the 10 best airports in the world
is ranked by the readers of Conde Nast Traveller and the criteria under which the airports
are selected are customer satisfaction, airport
access, airport retail, security and safety, the
statement said.
Within less than a year of commencing
operations, HIA has won several prestigious
awards including three Skytrax 2015 awards
at the Skytrax Airport Award Ceremony in
recognition of its outstanding performance
and services including the Best Airport in the
Middle East award.

HIA also won the Strategic Project of the

Year award at the 2015 Global Projects of the
Year awards ceremony organised by CG/LA
Infrastructure.
On the ocassion of World Tourism Day,
Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) handed out
2,017 roses to visitors at Hamad International
Airport arrivals terminal. The celebration was
to mark Qatars winning the right to host official WTD 2017 celebrations.
QTA welcomed visitors and travellers
through Qatar with roses grown in Qatar, packaged in boxes carrying the WTD slogan, and a
message reminding them that every time they
travel, they become part of a global movement
that has the power to create opportunities and
positive social and economic change.
In 2017, Qatar will host official WTD celebrations under the theme Sustainable Tourism
A Tool for Development, that aligns with
Qatars National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030,
which aims to foster a sustainable and mature
sector that can support the countrys efforts
to diversify economy and achieve sustainable growth. The strategy sets pathways to
achieve this growth, including international
cooperation, attracting investments, and opening representative offices abroad.

TOURIST HOTSPOTS

Fireworks at Th Pearl Qatar.

A rider attempting
a stunt on a water
scooter at Corniche.

The Al Shaqab Fort, a heritage

site behind Al Shaqab
Equestrian Centre.

Camels at Sealine.

Discover a unique sanctuary in Qatar

Banana Island presents guests a taste
of traditional Qatari hospitality and a
unique resort experience with access
to some of the most enticing culinary
experiences from across the world. The
resort offers eight dining options with
a choice of Middle Eastern, Italian and
international cuisines

anana Island Resort

Doha by Anantara is
offering guests a taste
of traditional Qatari
hospitality and a resort
experience with the first and only
over-water villas in Qatar and a
wellness centre which is one-ofits-kind in the Middle East.
The sanctuary island setting
in the Arabian Gulf off Doha offers
natural exclusivity and facilities
for everyone with opportunities for relaxation, adventure,
wellness, romance and pure
indulgence.
Guests feel a world away from
Doha, yet the resort is 20-minute
journey by luxury ferry from Al
Shyoukh Terminal in downtown
Doha or a 10-minute helicopter
ride from the airport.
The 141 luxury rooms, suites
and villas are designed in Arabian style with Anantara touches,
including 54 premier sea view
rooms, 16 deluxe sea view rooms, 8
sea view suites, 18 Anantara suites
and 34 spacious sea view pool
villas featuring a personal pool
and poolside cabana. The 8 twobedroom over-water villas and
trio of three-bedroom Anantara
over-water villas offer 360sqm
of luxurious space and a 62sqm
personal pool. The resort boasts
of its marina with 30 berths and
a fully equipped dive centre ideal
for beginners.
Water sport fun ranges from
kayaking, pedalos and stand-up
paddle boarding, wakeboarding,
banana boat, triple tube and donut
rides, water skiing and jet skiing
to fishing trips.
Guests can also enjoy
the private 800-metre-long
beach, energise with laps in the
100-metre-long lagoon pool or
watch their little ones play in the
childrens pool which features
water slides.
Guests looking for recreation
have options from tennis, beach
volleyball and a fitness centre
to an entertainment centre with
a nine-hole putting golf course,
eight-pin bowling alley and VIP
cinema theatre. Families are welcome at the Cool Mint Kids Club
and Pepper Mint Teens Club.

Banana Island presents guests

a taste of traditional Qatari hospitality and a unique resort
experience with access to some
of the most enticing culinary experiences from across the world.
The resort offers eight dining
options with a choice of Middle
Eastern, Italian and international
cuisines.
Banana Island also offers tailor made dining options to enjoy
exclusive dinners by design.
Themed Dining by Design, guests
celebrating a special occasion,
or for those simply wishing to
share a romantic evening or intimate meal with family or friends,
can plan a customised Dining
by Design option. Guests can
choose from Anantaras collection of connoisseur menus, or
collaborate with their personal
chef to fine tune the menu, customising it to their tastes and
preferences.
Al Nahham offers guests the
taste of the Middle East, where
they can indulge in a range of shisha flavours. At Azraq, or blue in
Arabic, the world of exciting flavours from Western, Asian and
Middle Eastern cuisines come
together along with the chefs
signature dishes to offer an unparalleled dining experience.
Riva, the resorts contemporary trattoria-style restaurant,
specialises in handmade pasta and
pizzas from the wood-fired oven.
For those looking for a healthy
alternative, the Zest Organic Caf
offers well balanced meals and
delicacies made with healthy and
organic ingredients.
Conveniently located by the
childrens and teens clubs and
bowling centre, Teds, the American-style diner is the perfect place
for families to share the signature
1kg hamburger.
The resorts Q Lounge & Restaurant, Lagoon Pool Bar offers
a refreshing start to the day with
la carte breakfast options with
relaxing pool views and soothing sea breeze.
The resort was named Hospitality Company of the Year at the
2015 Arabian Business Achievement Qatar Awards.

5DIHV6LQJDSRUHVLQFH

KATARA HOSPITALITY,
PRESERVING ICONIC TREASURES
There is much more to being a world-class hospitality
organisation than just owning, managing or developing
hotels. At Katara Hospitality, our appreciation for the past
powers our aspirations for the future. Decades of experience,

an innovative mindset and meticulous attention to detail enable

us to craft unique masterpieces that set new standards for
others to follow. With us, it is all about our boundless passion
for creating legendary hospitality, building on our heritage.

Katara Hospitality Building

Marina District, Lusail City, PO Box 2977 Doha, Qatar
T +974 4423 7777 F +974 4423 7860
info@katarahospitality.com www.katarahospitality.com