Hospitality and Tourism: Is there Room for more?

The tourism sector in Qatar has never before witnessed a flurry of activities as it is doing now. Business - both the volume and nature - are being defined by the players as much as it is by the trends in the overall macro-economics. There are new brands and bigger players that are setting up shop here, and constantly defining their own version of what business they are looking for.

Niche is the word and the new players have defined it rather well. But the question is whether there is any room for more? Don't we have sufficient rooms to cater to the small population of tourists filtering into the country?

The players and the authorities dispel all doubts and give a promising picture of the tourism and hospitality industry. Qatar Today meets the players - existing and new entrants - and the macro authorities to get the right perspective.

THE contours of the hospitality and tourism industry in Qatar can be represented by two phrases: (1) unprecedented capacity expansion; (2) ratings and classifications of hotels.
&Investment; (GATO). The express purpose of the classification and ratings of hotels is "to prepare Qatar's hospitality industry for the challenges of the 21st century", as the QTA website puts it.
Together with the growth in the number of hotel rooms, the sector witnesses the development of key niche market segments: sports, culture, education, medical, in addition to business tourism which will continue to dominate the growth graph.
At a parallel level, the landmark developments - Museum of Islamic Arts, The Pearl, Qatar, Lusail, Qatar Science & Technology Park, Al Waab City, Al Khor Area Development, Hamad Medical City and the New Doha International Airport - strongly substantiates Qatar's claim to actually becoming the desired quality destination for tourists from all over the globe.
Hospitality and tourism are inextricably linked to the overall economic development of any country. Qatar is no exception. With the boom in the economy, there has been a positive rub off on the tourism sector. The reasons are obvious - there are more opportunities with the Government's agenda of looking beyond oil, more diversification and consequently more footfalls into the country, both for driving the change as well as being a result of this phenomena.
Accompanying the boom, there is a rush of activities in the hospitality industry - new hotels are being announced, existing players are doing capacity expansion and refinement, in addition to the new international airport, which will be among the first in the world designed to accommodate the Airbus A380, the largest civil aircraft to date.
In Hospitality 2010: A five-year wake up call, published by Deloitte, the firm states, "The Gulf States are investing heavily in tourism infrastructure and markets such as Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman will challenge the traditional Continental Europe destinations for tourism - business, leisure and residential."
"Massive investments are already paying off as the Middle East is now the fourth most visited region in the world...Investment in tourism in the Middle East is the highest in the United Arab Emirates, followed by Saudi Arabia, with Qatar projected to have the highest growth," states Deloitte. These huge investments are a fall-out of the region's efforts at reducing the economies' dependence on oil and diversifying. Investments have followed growth in volumes and these have meant newer segregation of the business, with leisure tourism witnessing growth in competition from business, sports, culture and medical tourism.

The mere economics
According to Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Estimates and forecasts for GDP growth in the ESCWA region 2006-2007 (May 2007 Forecast), Qatar has achieved strong economic growth over the past years with an estimated rate of 7 percent in 2006. In 2007, an expansion in oil production will most likely offset the expected slight decrease in average oil prices, resulting in higher revenues. Strong public and private spending is expected to contribute to a modest acceleration in the growth rate of real GDP to 7.4 percent.As a fall-out of these robust growth indicators, 2006 and the first half of 2007 were bountiful for the tourism industry in Qatar, bolstered by a huge tourist arrival, which sent the occupancy rate at hotels at a remarkable 75 percent, when compared to previous years.
"In 2006, Qatar welcomed 960,000 visitors, just below the one million mark, of which approximately 90 percent came to Qatar for business. At this moment, we forecast that by 2010 Qatar will welcome approximately 1.5 million visitors, of which 30 to 40 percent will come to Qatar on leisure.

"Business so far this year has been good and we are experiencing consistent growth in all areas of the hotel. We have seen substantial growth in occupied rooms and average rate. Our restaurants and bars are very busy and the outlets in the new extension are doing extremely well," says Michael Jacobi, Resident Manager, Ramada Plaza Hotel, Doha
Echoes Abdul Aziz Al Emadi, General Manager of Sharq Village trade market, whatever the nature of the business may be.
Few destinations can compete with the unique hospitality that Qatar offers to its visitors. These plush, up market hotels combine impeccable and discreet service with wonderful restaurants and fantastic leisure facilities. The more hotels there are under construction, the more we have faith in ensuring that the future visitors to Qatar have an even wider choice of places to stay which markets the country as a complete destination," says Sunil Vohra, Acting CEO, Qatar National Hotels Company (QNHC).
And as in most sectors of the economy, hospitality is also busy touting the same factors that any other industry or sector gets defined by. In Hospitality 2010: A five-year wake up call, Deloitte delineates the factors that will impact the global tourism sector the most. It says, "...five mega-trends will have the greatest impact on shareholder value, namely brand, emerging markets, human assets, technology and business model". The emerging markets designated by Deloitte and those that have the prospects of huge growth are China, India and the Gulf States.
The brand hypothesis of Deloitte is adequately supported by the President, Europe, Africa & Middle East, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Roeland Vos, when he says, "In the hospitality business, we were one of the first to recognise that it is brands that do the differentiation, since customers choose a hospitality brand, based on a lifestyle choice and expectation."

While newer hotel brands enter the market, it is business as usual for the existing players. "Business so far this year has been good and we are experiencing consistent growth in all areas of the hotel. We have seen substantial growth in occupied rooms and average rate. Our restaurants and bars are very busy and the outlets in the new extension are doing extremely well," says Michael Jacobi, Resident Manager, Ramada Plaza Hotel, Doha Echoes Abdul Aziz Al Emadi, General Manager of Sharq Village and Spa, "The total number of guests who have stayed at Sharq since the opening on March 10, 2007 is approximately 6,000 guests." "Business has been good this year as Qatar is really booming right now. As the economy continues to grow, increased investment opportunities in Doha have resulted in an influx of international companies opening branches here and resulted in a growing client base for The Ritz-Carlton, Doha. Winning the contract to host the Asian Games was a huge coup for the country last year and has continued to positively affect hotel business this year. Putting the country in the limelight of sports excellence has opened another significant market for us to target and with an increasing number of international events now being held in Qatar, we benefit from this new sector.

"In the hospitality business, we were one of the first to recognise that it is brands that do the differentiation, since customers choose a hospitality brand, based on a lifestyle choice and expectation," says Roeland Vos, President, Europe, Africa & Middle East, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Woldwide

We have also seen a marked increase in business from the European market as Qatar Airways continues to expand their routes and more people become aware of and interested in Qatar," says Tarek Madanat, Director of Sales, The Ritz Carlton, Doha.

Boom, a business driver
The economic boom in the country has had positive impact on the business of hotels. It has not only swelled the business volumes, but has helped in diversification of avenues. Traditional tourism has been accompanied by a very robust growth in business tourism and a niche market destination.
"Just like most other businesses in Qatar, we have benefited from the recent economic boom and the great vision and leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. We have 14 meeting rooms ranging from a large ballroom to smaller boardrooms and the conference and events market is an area that offers tremendous growth in the coming years. Qatar is attracting several high profile conferences and even if the actual event is not held in the Ramada, we would usually benefit due to the higher demand for rooms during these events. There is a clear vision to turn Qatar into a niche market destination and we are looking forward to seeing some of the current projects in the health care, education and financial services sector completed.

"The total number of guests who have stayed at Sharq since the opening on March 10, 2007 is approximately 6000 guests," says Abdul Aziz Al Emadi, General Manager of Sharq Village & Spa

There is a clear vision to turn Qatar into a niche market destination and we are looking forward to seeing some of the current projects in the health care, education and financial services sector completed. Another thing that needs mention is the sports facilities and the business that these facilities have already generated and will continue to generate," says Jacobi. "Qatar's double-digit economic growth makes it attractive to international investors, especially in the tourism sector. Qatar has ambitious plans for the future and is defining itself as a niche market player in the region and is building a world-class infrastructure to stay a step ahead of the rest. The new $15 billion tourism master plan details an array of prestigious projects that are set to reinforce Qatar's status as a premium destination for discerning visitors," says Al Emadi. "The business boom in Doha has influenced the hotel business. There are important events, seminars and conferences for which we receive large volumes. We expect this business segment to expand in the coming years," says Hisham Nammari, General Manager, Millennium Hotels.

As well as corporate business, the growth that we are currently witnessing is allowing for a more diversified market, encouraging leisure and incentive guests. The next two years will witness a 200 percent growth in hotel rooms, greatly impacting the market and attracting more business, to the benefit of all. This development positions Qatar at its best as it becomes a focal destination in the region," says Madanat. Service, a major determinant With more and more international tourists and the introduction of ratings in the domain of hotels, players are unanimous that service quality and standards will determine the extent of success that they have. And while for some players, service is something that is a function of routine, for others there is scope for innovation in this too.
"The key word here is innovation. This, combined with motivated and empowered staff, allows us to constantly try out new ideas and build on the existing high service standards. Our mission is to provide innovative and diverse facilities in a fun and friendly atmosphere. We want our guests to relax and enjoy themselves and I think we're doing a good job at it," says Jacobi.
"Luxurious furnishings and amenities are not what make Sharq Village & Spa unique - it is our ladies and gentlemen that are our most important resource and it is their commitment to service excellence that will help us differentiate ourselves from the competition, increase loyalty, drive share and margins, as well as redefine the hospitality industry in Qatar," says Al Emadi.
"Improving services in our hotel is a continuous process that never stops. We start with our staff members, mainly our junior staff in order to offer personalised service to the guest. The hotel management looks after and takes care of staff welfare, accommodation, meals, periodic events and most of all their training process. The hotel seeks to improve services to the guest regardless of the cost of such services," says Nammari.
"We have strived to make sure that we pay attention to the smallest and largest details. And we are keen to constantly innovate and present all that is new and fresh so that Four Seasons remains at the top of the game in terms of providing services and experiences that guests have gotten used to. With product maturity comes a wealth of experience and seasoned professionals who deliver," says Livio Faverio, Hotel Manager, Four Seasons Hotel. Ratings welcomed
Rating of hotels have also been welcomed by the players on the ground that services will become more competitive as a result of this.
"These ratings have attracted awareness to Qatar as a tourist destination, as well as the business destination that it has been up until now. As a result of the unprecedented growth of the country, more and more hotels are opening their doors and increasing competition. It is important therefore to have a stringent rating system in place so that the quality of service and product is fairly represented and consumers can make an informed choice. The ratings being done by QTA and GATO are doing a great job in regulating what has been, up until now, a largely unexamined area. We are happy to apply for and gain these accreditations and thus assist guests with their choice," says Madanat. "
The rating of the hotel that took place this summer by QTA & GATO was a very professional step to set the hotel standards in Doha on track, and it will always help to improved hotel services and ensure value for money for all guests. It also forced the hotels to compete in enhancement of standards rather than compete in room rates alone. The rating that took place was done on a very high level of professionalism were there was no compromises or whatsoever with any other hotels," says Nammari.

All players have set ambitious targets for themselves in the current year, based on the business that they have generated in the past year. While most players have domestic targets, there are some that are eyeing overseas markets as well, bringing in a whole new dimension to diversification and growth. "We are very bullish and believe that we can continue to grow in all areas of our operation.
"We have opened our new East Wing extension in June, adding another 259 rooms and doubling our Food & Beverage operation. We do realise however that the Hotel landscape in Doha will change over the next few years with the planned opening of several new properties and that we need to be awake with eyes wide open to ensure that we don't miss opportunities and it will be slightly more challenging to maintain the current growth once more hotels have opened.
Our primary objective is therefore to build on our service levels, upgrade and introduce new facilities and remain competitively priced throughout the year and not only during the slow summer season.
"We want to continue to build relationships with our valued customers and thereby uphold their loyalty to us," says Jacobi.
"Sharq Village & Spa will continue to grow with the economic success of Qatar. In addition, we are committed to growing business from our key feeder markets, i.e., the Gulf region, UK and Germany.
"Additionally we are constantly seeking new opportunities in various emerging markets," says Al Emadi.
"With the current boom in business industry, many investors are investing in building a new hotel which approximately 16-20 hotels will be operational late 2008, which will supply more available rooms in the city and this will lead to a tough competition among hotels, wherein I'm expecting hotel rates to ease and clients will benefit from this competition in offering lower rates.

"Our hotel is planning to have an additional F & B outlet and emphasise on outside catering operation, which has a promising market in Doha. On the room sales side we expect continuous improvement in room business through loyalty for the hotel among individuals and companies," says Nammari.
"Over the next two years, we will be maintaining our current market position and working at the same time to increase our market share year after year as well as developing new markets within the region and internationally.
"Even in the face of so many new hotels entering the market, we still believe that the high quality of our service and product will retain our existing clients and guests and attract new ones as we continually strive to be a market leader for corporate travellers and luxury events in the region. We also aim to attract more leisure business by strengthening relationships with regional and international tour operators and appealing more to the leisure market with attractive packages and utilizing the leisure facilities that we already have in place in the hotel, our spa for example," says Madanat

AHMED Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority (QTEA) spells out the trends in the sector as a fall-out of the economic boom, initiatives of the QTEA to meet the increasing number of inbound tourists to the country, and the new concept of hotel ratings.
Describing the multifaceted trends in tourism, and one that is opening up avenues that were hitherto nonexistent, as a fall-out of the boom in the economy, Al Nuaimi says, "Qatar economy is indeed booming and the tourism sector is part of this growth. In the case of Qatar, unlike in other destinations, when we refer to tourism, we refer less traditionally to the leisure/holiday market only.
"Qatar tourism for example is very strong on the corporate sector, visitors coming on an individual basis conducting businesses as well as many people attending conferences and meetings and exhibitions. This is certainly a trend, which will continue as the infrastructure further develops in the next couple of years. The fact that the Qatar Tourism Authority has just merged/integrated with the Qatar International Exhibition Centre, shows the commitment of the Government to support this trend on a long term.
"Another trend is sport tourism. Clearly the Asian Games was a very successful event and it helped to showcase Qatar's capabilities in this sector. But Qatar has been hosting all different types of international sport events for years. Now, as the infrastructure further develops, we (or the country) will be able to be more active in the promotion of these important events attracting more visitors to Qatar.
"Cultural tourism will of course also become more important. Qatar is very committed to preserve its heritage and identity despite the growth and the intention to be a modern country. A very good example of its commitment to culture has been the beautiful restoration and expansion of the Souq Waqif, which has become a 'must stop' for visitors to Qatar.
"In addition we are all very much looking forward to the opening of the new Museum of Islamic Arts in March next year, which will showcase a most comprehensive collection of Islamic arts from various parts of the world but will also service as an education centre for arts. The Cultural Village is also under development in the West Bay area and will be completed sometime next year. While the National Library, the Photography Museum and the extension of the National Museum will be developed at a later stage.
There is in general a close cooperation between our authority with the National Council for Culture Arts and Heritage and the recently established Qatar Museum Authority.
The steps that QTEA is taking to tackle the increasing footfalls into the country, is to make the facilities world class. As a new business destination, Qatar is and will see more and more tourists coming from all parts of the world, with exposure to facilities that set a benchmark. "Increasing the number of hotel rooms in Qatar has been a necessity to meet the growing demand. The current capacity is almost 6,500 hotel rooms plus nearly 3,000 tourist apartments.
In the next couple of years the capacity is expected to reach 17,000 hotel rooms and 5,000 tourist apartments. "A few new hotels already opened during the past one year like the Sharq Village & Spa, The Millennium, the Moevenpick Tower & Suites and others. Others will follow shortly like La Cigale, Shangri-La, W, two Marriott hotels and more.
The hotels are not developed by QTEA but by a number of stakeholders in the public and private sectors who then appoint hospitality companies to manage the properties.

Hotel classification system
One of the important steps taken by QTEA has been to regulate this sector by implementing the Hotel Classification System during the past three months.
"The new classification system has established a high degree of transparency for Qatar's current and future guests and guarantee a continuing quality improvement of its lodging establishments. Hotels now must meet certain criteria in order to be awarded five stars, or four stars or three stars and so on. And these criteria comply with international standards of course."
"There is a list of other regulations that QTEA will gradually undertake in the future and we are now making the necessary preparations for that. Another very important element to improve the infrastructure in order to meet the growing demand has been the extensive renovation and expansion of the Doha International Airport last year, including the addition of the dedicated Premium Terminal for Qatar Airways Business and First Class passengers. This shows again the commitment of the Government to invest in the infrastructure, which is required. The airport can now handle more than six million people while before it had been built for a capacity of two million passengers. And as we know the New Doha International Airport is well under way and is scheduled for be ready at the end of 2009."
With more business, Doha is the new destination for a lot of business conferences and exhibitions. Commenting on the degree of preparedness to handle the increasing volumes, Al Nuaimi says, "Qatar is already a very strong player in the conferences, meetings and exhibitions sector, regularly hosting high level events, especially Government driven. Indeed this sector is rapidly expanding and will attract more and more visitors to Qatar. As mentioned the hotel capacity will now grow substantially and many of the new hotels will also have new meeting and conference facilities.
"In addition the current Qatar International Exhibition Centre will move in a couple of months to its new premises in the West Bay area, covering a multifunction exhibition area of 15,000 sq m, with additional well equipped meeting rooms, full business centre facilities, a large cafeteria and sufficient parking.
"In the meantime, works have already started to build the New Qatar International Exhibition Centre in the same area where it is located now, near the City Centre."
Though a seaside country, there is a marked lack of good public beaches. Al Nuaimi explains that Qatar has some very nice beaches, the best are those located in the north, a bit far away from Doha in fact. "I trust that the Government is planning some development of public beaches on certain selected areas, which will be beneficial for the residents of Qatar as well as for visitors."
Apart from Doha, are there any other tourist development spots that QTEA is looking at?
"There will be some extensive developments in Al Khor covering an area of seven million sq m, including a marine park, a natural reserve, four resort hotels, two golf courses, residential units, retail and commercial area, although it will develop gradually over the next decade or so. In the meantime there are a couple of new hotels like the Al Sultan Beach resort, which target both the residents as well as the visitors.
Other tourism and/or tourism related elements will also be developed in Lusail, Al Waab City and on The Pearl of course.

Preservation, the new thrust
"Although everybody talks about the developments spots of Qatar, I would like to mention the word preservation. The desert and Khor Al Udaid (Inland Sea) is very much visited and appreciated by the residents as well as by the visitors. This natural environment only otherwise exists in the desert of Namibia and it is really beautiful. Rather than encouraging mass tourism or to develop hotels and resorts in that area, potentially causing damage to the environment, Qatar government is committed to preserve this area and has already worked with the UNESCO on a plan of preservation of this area which has been approved and will start to be implemented very soon."

QATAR Tourism Authority (QTA), together with GATO International Tourism Organisation for Development & Investment (GATO), has completed, and is rolling out an innovative new hotel classification system to prepare Qatar's hospitality industry for the challenges of the 21st Century.
Qatar is currently experiencing enormous development of its tourism infrastructure, especially on the accommodation level as over 8,000 new hotel rooms are under construction. In addition landmark developments, such as the Museum of Islamic Arts, The Pearl Qatar, Lusail Development, Qatar Science & Technology Park, Al Waab City, Al Khor Area Development, Hamad Medical City and the New Doha International Airport are currently underway. All this will strongly substantiate Qatar's claim to actually become the desired quality destination.
International benchmarks and guest surveys have clearly indicated that an ever-increasing emphasis is placed on service quality. To cater for the shifting consumer demand and to achieve a sustainable development, a two-tiered hotel classification system has been selected for the roll out of the new hotel classification system.
The first phase will focus on quantitative (hard) factors (such as amount and size of rooms, facilities and services provided), in addition to the cleanliness, maintenance and quality of the building and its furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E;). This phase will be compulsory for all lodging establishments.
A mixed team of designated experts from QTA and GATO will conduct the inspections. The QTA inspectors, several of them Qatari Nationals, will be thoroughly trained by hospitality experts from GATO in advance to the inspections. Furthermore, a QTA internal quality audit system will be implemented to assure the continuing objectivity and quality standard of the inspectors.
In case the lodging establishment does not fulfil the minimum requirements for the desired category, a deficit report will be issued. The hotelier is hence granted a grace period between 6 to 12 months (in accordance with the magnitude of the deficits) to eliminate all deficits.
However, if a hotelier is in disagreement with the deficit report, it is possible to appeal against the classification.
The second phase will entirely focus on qualitative (soft) factors. It will allow hoteliers to up-grade their bronze rating to a silver or gold classification to indicate outstanding service quality. Nevertheless, the qualitative assessment is voluntary for hoteliers and will only become available once every lodging establishment has been rated in accordance with the quantitative factors. The primary goal of the new hotel classification system is to improve the overall quality of the Qatari hospitality industry. The combination of both hard and soft factors is aimed at striving to achieve the highest quality standards for one of the world's leading destinations.

TOURISM and hospitality in Qatar would not have seen the volumes, trends and excitement that it currently has without Akbar Al Baker CEO, Qatar Airways. In more ways than one, the national carrier has driven volumes in the business and generated newer dimensions in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Al Baker gives his assessments on the prospects of tourism in the country, how the current boom in the economy has had a positive ruboff on the prospects of the national carrier and how the airlines handles its most crucial asset, its staff.
"Qatar is currently experiencing enormous development in its tourism infrastructure on all fronts. The hospitality industry in Qatar is all set to get a tremendous boost as over 8,000 new hotel rooms are under construction.
"The government and private sectors are developing several new hotels and the room capacity is approximately 6,500 rooms to over 17,000 in the next couple of years. Considering business growth, there will be the new Convention Centre and plans are confirmed for the new Qatar International Exhibition Centre - keeping the airline focused towards planned growth of our fleet with focus on premium service onboard.
"The commercial, cultural and technological infrastructure of the Qatar is certainly attractive to high-end tourists and the airline is gearing up its fleet as well to meet this demand."

More than 60 percent of the 2,200-hectare airport is built on reclaimed land in the beautiful Arabian Gulf and it has a 100-room luxury hotel to serve VIP guests.
"The new airport should receive 12 million passengers a year. The whole project will be completed in 2015 when it will be able to serve a maximum of 50 million passengers a year - this project certainly complements the expected tourism growth in Qatar." Going by the in-bound passenger traffic, how much of the economic boom has rubbed in on the tourism sector? "Qatar Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, achieving unprecedented passenger growth averaging 35 percent year on year. During the financial year that ended in March 2005-06, Qatar Airways carried 6.3 million passengers and looks forward to PROMOTING 'BRAND QATAR' SEPTEMBER 2007 Qatar Today 47 Hospitality Is there Room for more? and Tourism: tremendous increase in traffic over the next few years as we open up new routes to complement the country's economic and cultural boom. For the financial year 2006- 07, passenger numbers reached more than eight million. With the new attractions in Qatar - Lusail Development, Qatar Science and Technology Park, Al Waab City, Al Khor Development Area - projects underway, we are expecting bigger numbers in high-end tourism."
Qatar Airways is the airline of choice when it comes to stopover in the country, like for instance Emirates in the UAE, since "Qatar Airways has a wide range of destinations. Leisure and business passengers can mix and match their travel plan. They can travel on business to Doha and conveniently connect to Maldives for a holiday or even to New York on a shopping spree. Our business and leisure travellers enjoy our convenient connections.
"Premium passengers can come on business and also enjoy our hospitality for a day or two on exciting stop over programmes in Doha and enjoy a refreshing spa treatment or relax in the First Class Lounge in our exclusive Premium Terminal before boarding our flights to another destination. Our new fleet with the state-of-theart technology and distinct service on board makes us a popular choice when considering a travel itinerary with stop over in Doha.
The airline, says Al Baker, has given Qatar, a different niche within the GCC. "Qatar's focus is on upmarket tourism."

Business targets
"We do have a strategy focused towards achieving 35 percent passenger growth per year. In fact, we are one of the very few airlines, which have established our own strategy and have been working through a strategy.
"Keeping in line with the vision of His Highness the Emir of the State of Qatar, I have geared my team to make the impossible happen.
"The airline has not rested since its re-launch in 1997. We have been averaging 10 to 11 destinations per annum and this will continue. The airline is growing at a phenomenal rate; expanding our fleet with the best aircraft and networks, and our several billion dollars New Doha International Airport is an architecture to behold - all geared towards many more millions flying Qatar Airways, in the years to come."
Staff is one key issue for any service industry, more so for an airline. There has to be a cultural fit between the organization and its recruits to be able to offer service at a certain level. "With Qatar Airways stepping up its growth plans and a larger number of new recruits moving into Qatar from different countries, the airline is careful to ensure that candidates fit the culture of the organisation. Qatar Airways is focused on developing its people. In a short while, we will set up our very own Excellence Centre to develop the skills of our non-technical staff."

CURRENTLY, Qatar Airways has a young and modern fleet of 58 aircraft. To meet the growing number of tourists into the country, the airline is looking at a fleet size, which will almost double to 110 aircraft, by 2015. These additional aircraft will include plans to acquire 80 of the new Airbus A350s and 22 Boeing 777s.
At the recent Paris Air Show, Qatar Airways confirmed a $16 billion order for 80 Airbus A350s making the airline the single largest customer of the European aircraft manufacturer's newest commercial jet. The airline has also increased its orders for the wide body Airbus A380s from two to five aircraft.
Qatar Airways' commitment is for 20 Airbus A350-800s, 40 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, the latter being a stretched version of the new aircraft. Qatar Airways is the launch customer of the A350-1000XWB variant.
The A350-XWB, depending upon variant, will have between 260 and 350 seats in a Qatar Airways' typical two-class configuration and will be used to operate on key routes across Qatar Airways' international network covering Europe, Africa, Far East and Indian subcontinent. Deliveries are set to begin in August 2013 and will gradually replace the Airbus A330s, which are currently the backbone of Qatar Airways' fleet.
More aircraft means more passengers, more tourists and a greater awareness of Qatar on the global map.

QATAR is in the midst of tremendous growth and diversification of the economy. There is boom in the economy and all the sectors are witnessing buoyancy. Hospitality and tourism is no exception. Sunil Vohra, Acting CEO, Qatar National Hotels Company (QNHC) charts out the degree of preparedness that the country has in meeting the growing number of conferences, the approach the QNHC needs to take to tackle the increasing traffic of inbound tourists and what the ratings mean for the hotels.
"Qatar is blessed with huge energy reserves from the oil and gas sector, and is in the midst of tremendous economic growth. That growth is being filtered throughout various sectors in the country, which also signals a boom in the hospitality sector," says Vohra, outlining the trends in this sector as a fall-out of the boom in the economy.
Any investment needs to be backed by sound research and a balanced approach. QNHC is doing exactly that in dealing with the increase in the number of in-bound tourists to the country. "It is important for us to take a more nuanced approach in our vision for growth and development. We are not building hotels for solely increasing the number of rooms and beds in Qatar. We have studied the market and analysed our inventory and saw that Doha is lacking in upmarket, luxury resorts in addition to mid-market business hotels. We also noted that in all our hotels, there is an absence of Qatari culture and identity; so we are filling those markets."

Diverse facilities
With more economic activity, both in terms of volume and nature, the tourism and hospitality sector is also redefining its business. QNHC has and will be establishing hotels catered to the business sector in addition to the countries projects that facilitate holding conferences and events within the vicinity of recreation and sports facilities. "The country has also, over the past few years, been attracting thousands of overseas visitors to Qatar through the development of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) markets. Qatar has a strong track record with regard to its hospitality and the nation's ability to organise these events and can now market itself as a MICE destination on the basis of the vast experience."
Putting the above into perspective, there is room for expansion in the existing hotel capacities, given the fact that Doha is a new tourist destination and one of the fastest growing for business conferences.
"Qatar is currently developing its tourism infrastructure by increasing the number of hotels with an addition of approximately 12,000 new rooms by 2008 bringing the total number of beds to over 16,000. The theory of supply and demand plays a fundamental role in moving the trade market, whatever the nature of the business may be.
Few destinations can compete with the unique hospitality that Qatar offers to its visitors. These plush, up market hotels combine impeccable and discreet service with wonderful restaurants and fantastic leisure facilities. The more hotels there are under construction, the more we have faith in ensuring that the future visitors to Qatar have an even wider choice of places to stay which markets the country as a complete destination."
Neighbour UAE or Oman has a number of resorts. Is the QNHC thinking on these lines for future developments since sun and summer are a good marketing plank for many developed First World countries? "Qatar is witnessing major growth in the tourism sector where by the year 2010 the country is targeting around 1.4 million tourists. QNH takes pride in taking part in hotel projects in major developments in Qatar, for example the Lusail development that will offer a 200,000 person residential area and commercial centre. It will also include the Energy City, which aims to attract industry leaders in oil and gas, support services and energy trading.
Outlining the initiatives of QNHC outside of Doha, Vohra says, "Apart from our various hotels in Doha, we currently own and manage the Sealine Beach Resort which is located in Mesaieed. We are looking into future plans in similar areas within Qatar."

Ratings to benefit industry
On the first ever initiative of QTA with GATO, aimed at a classification of hotels, there is unanimity amongst players that this will aid in the development of the industry as a whole.
"The new hotel classification and ratings was completed in July by Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority together with GATO International Tourism Organization for Development & Investment. The new hotel classification system is said to benefit the hotel industry and visitors in their decision-making and the new ratings will be able to match countries around the world with a quality system in place that is a win-win situation for all. This rating system is part of a worldwide hospitality practice which focuses mostly on quantitative (hard) factors (such as amount and size of rooms, facilities and services provided), in addition to the cleanliness, maintenance and quality of the building and its furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E;)."
QHNC has already acquired a property in Egypt. "We recently acquired the Renaissance Golden View Beach Resort in Sharm El Sheikh which is managed by Marriott. Our eyes are set outside Qatar with future Merweb ventures within the region and internationally. We are set to expand rapidly across the region, with new acquisitions and new management contracts." Defining the business segment that QNHC wants to operate in, Vohra says, "We have recently launched the Merweb brand, a new hospitality concept for the Middle East that will operate on a dual tier through Merweb hotels and Merweb Grand. Merweb Hotels designed and built for purpose and placed in the affordable mid-market sector, will cater exclusively to business travellers into and within the region. It will be marketed under a 'first for business' banner. Complementing this business brand, Merweb Grand will feature either new build or existing upscale mid-market offers, providing a wider range of facilities and amenities appealing to leisure and business travellers alike."

THIS new entrant to the hospitality sector in the country is scheduled to be ready by the first half of 2008. Their business proposition is to do things differently. And they have done a good job of redefining and fine-tuning their proposition to suit customers. One example of this redefinition when it comes to W is the nomenclature for its facilities and manpower: the pool is the Wet, the gym is the Sweat, the housekeeper is the Director of Style who styles the hotel and the doorman is the Welcome Ambassador.

The design is modern and contemporary with an infusion of the design elements indigenous to the region, including lighting, colours, and social areas.
As the Middle East booms as a business and leisure destination, W is proud to offer a new kind of experience for visitors and the local community in this region," says Guvenc, in his attempt to define the niche that W will mean here.

Clutter free
"W Doha will offer a level of design, energy and style that does not yet exist in Qatar while offering our high level guests access to some of the most authentic and treasured elements of the city, including shopping in traditional souks and desert safaris. Guests and residents will be treated to the W brand's signature Whatever/Whenever service, the hotel's 24-hour concierge that can provide whatever guests want whenever they want...as long as it is legal."
On the positioning strategy, Guvenc explains, "W Doha will position itself as the market leader by bringing a new flavour to the region as the first lifestyle design hotel in Doha. The hotel will set the standard for modern luxury accommodation in the city, offering residents all the benefits and amenities of 291 guest rooms and 156 W luxury serviced apartments that come with being connected to a W.
"The hotel business mix will be driven by a high end corporate segment, as well as the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions sector, leisure, upmarket Frequent Individual Travellers segments and short and long-term residents for the apartments.
W Doha will compete in the hospitality market in terms of service and will offer distinctive products such as two signature restaurants of the renowned Chef Jean-Georges, the Crystal Champagne Lounge, the Living Room and the Bliss(r) Spa."
W Doha will be the first W in the MENA region. However, W Hotels is a global lifestyle brand with 21 properties in the most vibrant cities around the world. Inspiring and indulging its guests with thoughtful, refreshing and stylish experiences, signature restaurants, bars and destination spas, W has become the fastest growing luxury hotel brand in the world. Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design, comfort, and cultural influences from fashion to music to art and everything in between.
Internationally, W has announced plans for hotels in Istanbul (2008), Doha (2008), Hong Kong (2008), St. Petersburg (2008), Athens (2008), Santiago (2008), Milan (2008), Dubai-Festival City (2008), Shanghai (2009), Barcelona (2009), Macao (2009), Guangzhou (2010), and Dubai-The Palm (2010).
Research-based foray W's foray in Doha is based on solid market feedbacks. "We have contacted all major market leaders and undergone a vast market research on local, GCC, Middle East and International feeders. Qatar is attracting a wide range of Investors and Foreign companies which results in growing employment opportunities and increased business for the hospitality industry. According to the Qatar Tourism Authority, the country aims to become a dominant player in the Middle East for cultural related travel, education related travel and medical related travel, and the Meeting, Incentive, Exhibition and Convention sector.
"Occupancy in Qatar has been 78.2 percent for the first six months of 2007, which is an increase of 0.8 percent on 2006. The average room rate has actually fallen from $253 in 2006 to $243 in 2007.
There will be a boom of International brands opening in Doha by the end of 2008 and these include: La Cigale, Kempinski, Hilton, Grand Hyatt, Renaissance, Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott Executive apartments, Radisson SAS, Shangri La, Four Seasons, St Regis and 2 more International brands not yet confirmed to open in the Pearl."
On the boom in the economy and the impact it will have on W's prospects here, Guvenc says, "After analysing the latest figures and statistics, one can understand that Qatar is thriving in attracting more and more business and investments to the country. The country aims to become a dominant player in the Middle East for the MICE sector as well as the Cultural and sport sectors. This will impact on high end customers that are regular travellers and loyal to Hotel brands."
The W Doha Hotel & Residences will feature 291 guest rooms 156 luxury serviced apartments all outfitted with the W signature bed, plasma television and wireless Internet access. The W brand's signature Living Room will offer a lounge-like atmosphere perfect for reading the paper, sipping a cappuccino or enjoying a cocktail with friends. Other facilities will include a signature restaurant, W Cafe, a Sweat workout facility, an indoor state of the art pool, and the W Whatever/Whenever service, the hotel's 24-hour concierge that provides whatever guests want - from a pair of running shoes to private jet service - whenever they want.

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THE NEW PARAMETERS

WHEN marketing of tourism is concerned, what does the country showcase to the outside world? And what is it that delineates Qatar tourism from the rest of the Gulf countries? Ahmed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of QTA and QTEA says, "Although some of the elements are similar, the vision of Qatar, from a tourism perspective, is quite different compared to that of some of our neighbours. Qatar does not wish to become a massmarket destination and aims to attract quality rather than quantity. Although in general the word tourism is synonymous with 'sun and summer', in the case of Qatar we aim to create a diversified type of tourism." The following is what will chart the course that tourism will take in the country:

Often people prefer to go abroad (a trend already very successful in Thailand for example and India) rather than wait too long in their home country or sometime because the equipments in their own country are not the latest model, or the operation is too expensive. And at the same time they can combine with a short break to recover and relax before going home.