Exhibition drives tourism & hospitality growth through strategic partnerships with global leaders

07 November 2018

 

Hospitality Qatar 2018, the leading international hospitality and HORECA (Hotel/Restaurant/Café) trade show in the country, continues to attract thousands of visitors on its second day, which witnessed massive participation from visitors and leaders of tourism sector from the opening day and reaffirming Qatar’s position as a leading global hospitality destination. Hospitality Qatar 2018, which hosts 188 exhibitors from 20 countries, is also hosting the ‘Future of Tourism in Qatar’ conference, which is being held in cooperation with the National Tourism Council. The conference is a strategic platform to discuss the most important opportunities, developments and challenges within Qatar’s tourism sector, as well as strategies, technologies and innovations to keep abreast of developments in the market.

The conference includes six panel discussions, eight presentations and a number of interactive sessions, with the participation of senior Qatari officials, tourism industry leaders, international experts, guests and celebrities from around the world, as well as the participation of some government and private entities in Qatar to present authentic tourism experiences.

The first day of the conference, which was inaugurated by Ahmed Al Obaidli, Director of Exhibitions at the National Tourism Council, focused on Qatar’s tourism sector futuristic developments and the Qatar Tourism sector strategy 2018-2023. Panel discussions reviewed the importance of enhancing visitor experience; the integration of innovation and smart technologies in the development of the tourism sector; and the latest technologies and digital platforms of the future. Another panel discussion focused on the development of recreational facilities for families and visitors.

The second day of the conference hosted the forum titled ‘From Farm to Table: Securing and Delivering Culinary Excellence,’ as well as sessions on supporting local food production to achieve national goals, strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors to enhance food security in the country, and showcasing the traditional Qatari cuisine and dishes. A panel discussion also discussed the recent developments in Qatar’s sport tourism sector, and another topic highlighted the importance of creating awareness on food safety and hygiene.

The third day of the conference will focus on the topic ‘Designing Visitor Experience’ by providing innovative services and modern facilities designed to make tourist experiences exceptional. In addition, a panel discussion will be held to discuss integration of brand standards within the local context for innovative designs to ensure unique visitor experiences. The conference will be attended by a number of government and private entities including the National Tourism Council, the Ministry of Transport and Communication, the Ministry of Municipality and the Environment, Katara Hospitality, Qatar Airways Group, Green Hotel Interest Group, Qetaifan Projects, Trimoo, Westin Doha Hotel & Spa, Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, Mawaed, World Chefs, Aspetar, Boecker Public Safety, Promontorio Architecture of Leisure – Portugal, Msheireb, Mandarin Oriental and Park Hyatt.

The ongoing exhibition also witnessed the launch of the first of its kind stainless steel nonstop grease interceptor constructed in full stainless steel of ‘AISI 304’ quality. The product aims to address oil and grease problems and ease the cleaning process in the hospitality and F&B sector.

Nazih Kohl, General Manager, Falcon Technical & Trading, said: “We are immensely proud of our reputation as a pioneer in food service, ware washing, refrigeration, waste management, and laundry equipment in the hospitality industry. The launch of the first of its kind stainless steel nonstop grease interceptor is a major highlight of our participation in Hospitality Qatar this year. We believe in the exhibition’s potential as the perfect platform to introduce new products to the market. By bringing together professionals and leading experts to discuss and explore opportunities, the event is the ideal opportunity to reach out to and connect with our industry peers and customers. Furthermore, through our participation, we can gauge the market response to our new products while also creating awareness about them among our target audience. We look forward to leveraging potential opportunities from across the country’s booming hospitality market, particularly in F&B, through our participation.”

Fadhel Ben Khalifa, Purchasing Manager, Haidari Trading, commented: “We have been taking part in this exhibition as one of the sponsors for the third successive year and we continue to see the growth of participants and visitors from so many different countries, which is impressing and encouraging at the same time. The number of visitors and exhibitors also continue to increase which clearly shows the growth in interest in hospitality market in the country. The exhibition is the ideal platform for our range of products of the highest quality fresh fruits and vegetables imported from all over the world.”

Imad Askar, Operations Director, Askar Industrial Company, noted: “Askar Industrial Co has been participating at Hospitality Qatar for several editions now and we continue to see that the event only grows bigger and even more exciting. It is great to be part of this event which has been attracting more interests from visitors to explore locally-manufactured products.”

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