Hospitality Qatar expo closes on high note
The event provided ideal platform for local tourism and hospitality industry
The success of thie expo is testament to Qatar’s continuing attractiveness as a robust market poised to continue growing over the coming years
Haidar Mshaimesh, General Manager of IFP Qatar
HOSPITALIT Qatar, the biggest tourism and hospitality event in Qatar, has ended the fifth edition of the show on a high note following three successful days of animated activities with over 11,500 visitors from around the world, the organisers said in a statement on Saturday.
The event was hailed once again for providing the ideal platform to expand the reach of the local tourism and hospitality industry and boost trade opportunities, which is one of the major drivers of the country towards economic diversification.
Held in partnership with the Qatar National Tourism Council for the second consecutive year, the event witnessed three major new additions such as the free certified training programmes for hospitality professionals designed to promote best practices including customer service, time management, and food safety and hygiene to ensure world-class services in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022.
A new dedicated exhibition zone was also launched this year, introducing the Destination Pavilion sponsored by Qatar Airways. As a dedicated pavilion, it featured new tourism developments and destinations as well as hosted representatives of several countries and leading tourist destinations, including Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Austria, Bulgaria among others.
The event highlighted as well new trends in luxury tourism through a dedicated exhibition zone in association with Luxury Trade Marketing Group (LT MG), focused on technology innovations in services, luxury solutions and entertainment.
Haidar Mshaimesh, General Manager of IFP Qatar, organiser of Hospitality Qatar, said, “The event proves once again its strength in delivering an innovative platform for the hospitality sector, as reflected in the number of new features, the participation of leading tourism destinations and the visitor turnout, among many others. This success is testament to Qatar’s continuing attractiveness as a robust market poised to continue growing over the coming years.”
The Hospitality Qatar Conference, certified by CPD, was also among the highlights of the show which has been taking place for two consecutive years now, tackling key insights concerning the current challenges in tourism and hospitality and the various responses from the industry including new strategies and the use of the latest technologies and concepts aimed at increasing engagement in the sector.
Among the activities which continued to attract the crowd was Hospitality Qatar’s signature event, the Salon Culinaire’ organised in partnership with Qatar Culinary Professionals (QCP) and supported by the World Association of Chefs Societies for Africa and the Middle East, which featured live cooking competitions and presentation of tasteful delights.
The Qatar Barista Championship was also held sponsored by Corona, scouting baristas with outstanding skills in preparing and serving innovative coffee and beverages. The most talented barista has won a free trip to Italy to train in a specialised academy for a week to enhance his skills using the latest technology.
Maher Chukir, Corporate Communication Manager, QNIE, one of the largest FMCG distribution companies in Qatar, and Live Cooking Sponsor of Hospitality Qatar, said, “Participating at Hospitality Qatar allows us to enhance our global and local partnerships, keeping us one step ahead of the market. During this edition, we had many opportunities to expand our business connections which we are confident can contribute to the growth of the business and serve the hospitality sector even more with high quality products.”
Hospitality Qatar recorded a total of 22 exhibitors and seven international pavilions from 33 participating countries.
The event featured leading players from various segments of the hospitality industry such as hotels and facilities, interiors and design, entertainment and leisure, travel and tourism, resorts and outdoor landscape, HORECA technologies and equipment, ecologically friendly hotels systems and solutions, and food products and beverages.