march cover: build and they will come

8/2/2019 March Cover: Build and They Will Come...

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Cover Story

Qatar today m a r c h 2 0 1 236

Qatar tourism authority (Qta) has pegged the meetings, incen-tives, conventions & events (mice) sector as their priority

segment in the market. their immediate focus is on attractingbusiness travellers, corporate functions and city-wide eventsto the peninsula in the hope that they will kick-start the other

segments, such as leisure tourism, in their domain.

BUILD AND THETHE TOUrIsM

b y R o R y C o e n


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37m a r c h 2 0 1 2 Qatar today 37

WILL COME...sECTOr gETs rEADY

The QTA has being playing catch-up with all

o its counterparts in this sector since their

streamlined strategy was invoked. The a-

cilities and inrastructure were non-existentup until recently; convenient, regular and

luxurious transport into the country wasnt

available; and the skilled personnel to attract

MICE events werent operating in the coun-

try. Verily, till a decade ago, nobody rom outside the Middle East

knew about Qatar and its only over the last couple o years that its

enjoyed instant recall in the global memory.

So it was with great pride, ater the eort put in to drive the seg-

ment, that so many o the contributors were rewarded at the recent

World Travel Awards (WTA) held at Katara Cultural Village in Jan-

uary. Hailed as the Oscars o the Travel Industry by the Wall Street

Journal, the WTA are chosen by important gures in the world

o global travel and tourism to recognise and honour the leaders

in the sector.The city o Doha was voted Worlds Leading Business Travel

Destination, Qatar Airways was named the Worlds Leading Airline

Business Class, while Regency Travel & Tours collected the award

or the Worlds Leading Travel Agency.

With sport also being heavily backed by the Qatari government,it was another major coup or the project when the Aspire Zone was

named the Worlds Leading Sports Tourism Development Project,

which rewarded the countrys sporting dreamers.

QTA, Chairman, Ahmed Al-Nuaimi, said: This is a great achieve-

ment and solidies Qatars premier position as a great place to do

business as well as one with rst class leisure, sporting and cultural

attractions. Graham Cooke, President and Founder, WTA, said: Qa-

tar in particular is playing a decisive role in generating new oppor-

tunities in travel and tourism, hence our decision to host our Grand

Final in Doha. More than $100 billion worth o inrastructure is due

to be completed beore the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he added.

Wht mkes good Bsiness Torist destintion?

The QTA knew something about this category because they won theWorlds Leading Emerging Business Travel Destination or 2009,


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world class inrastructure, extensive conerencing acilities and

high quality venues or holding meetings, conerences and exhi-

bitions, competitively priced travel packages and excellent ight

connections.

Further developing the industry through showcasing the desti-

nations products and services, networking opportunities, gather-ing inormation through research reports and enhancing knowl-

edge o business tourism through education will drive the business

tourism industry orward in the country, she adds.

Later on, we will examine how the QTA and the hospitality sec-

tor are progressing with respect to Halls argument above. She

details where a destination must excel to reach a certain standard

to attract regular MICE visitors and events. I Qatar is to corner

this market, and really promote itsel as a global MICE magnet, the

QTA will need to master each o her points above.

If yo bild it, will they come?

Qatar has obviously made great strides in recent years to reach

their current level, but does the difcult work begin now? Con-

structing top-class acilities and laying suitable inrastructureto complement these acilities is one thing and certainly made

simpler with the signicant wealth generated by the hydrocarbon

sector but Qatar is still only a pup; its still making a name or

itsel globally. What challenges are really acing the QTA and the

MICE sector in Qatar and the region as a whole? Hall argues that

theres a lack o knowledge amongst the people who are actually in

the industry itsel, but there is help and guidance available to them

to achieve their air market-share and reach their global poten-

tial. These entrepreneurs may have grand acilities and be ready

or business, but gaining experience and respect, acquiring con-

tacts and developing loyalty doesnt happen over-night; it takes a

signicant amount o time and skill.

QatarS World travel aWard iS a

great aChievement and

SolidifieS QatarS premier

poSition aS a great plaCe to do

buSineSS aS Well aS one With firSt

ClaSS leiSure, Sporting and

Cultural attraCtionS.

ahmed al-nuaimiChairman, Qta

so the signals coming rom their peers were all green or go. But with

so many o the large cities in the Gul also ocusing on the MICE

sector, how can Qatar really secure their market share?

The Gul Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition

(GIBTM) is an annual event to promote the MICE sector in the

GCC region and will be held in Abu Dhabi, March 26-28. Business

Tourism destinations rom the Middle East and around the world

showcase a diverse range o products and services to enhance any

meeting, conerence, incentive or business travel booking or cor-

porate, association and agency event planners and buyers.

REED Travel Exhibitions Manager, GIBTM, Lois Hall argues

that a good business tourism destination is a combination o

t o u r i s t s v i s i t i n g q a t a r i n 2 0 1 1

BusinessTourisTs:

TourisTsfrom AsiA:

72%

58%increAse of TourisTsfrom ArABic region:

19%

15%

gcc nATionALs:

increAse ofTourisTs from

europe:

845,633


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i am very proud that our buSineSS

ClaSS produCt haS again

been reCogniSed, aS Well aS our

long-haul international ServiCeS

and our WillingneSS to target

diverSe and underServed marketS.

akbar al-bakerChief exeCutive offiCer

Qatar airWayS

A major challenge is education, as many people working on

meetings and incentives in corporations, agencies and organisa-

tions dont know that they belong in the industry, she explains.

We want to reach out to all involved in the business to develop the

industry.

GIBTM provides the perect business platorm or both inter-

national and regional venues, hotels, destinations and suppliers

to meet with local, regional and international meeting planners,

incentive travel buyers and those involved in the global meetings

and events industry. The business tourism industry has expanded

signicantly over the past year and as a result we are creating an

education programme that embraces every topic or anyone who is

actively engaged in the proession.Whilst a certain amount o savvy is needed to attract customers

to your hotel door-step, they are beginning to arrive in larger num-

bers at the borders at least. New gures recently released by the

QTA revealed that the country recorded one o its strongest years

to date. QTA Chairman Al-Nuaimi said the gures highlighted that

Doha is on track to become one o the main tourist destinations or

the citizens and residents o the GCC. 845,633 tourists rom the

GCC region visited Qatar in 2011, a 50% increase on 2010, while

international tourist gures increased by 12%. Asian tourists be-

trayed the greatest sense or the country, accounting or 58% o the

total visitor numbers. (With respect to business tourism, the main

market or Qatari exports is Asia and in particular Japan, which

buys most o the countrys oil products, and India and China to a

lesser degree so this could account or Asias interest in cominghere). Arab countries increased by 19% and Europeans by 15%.

All o this is o course welcoming news or Qatars hoteliers. The

total income or our and ve star hotels was just under QR2.8 bil-

lion last year, compared to just over QR2.3 billion in 2010, with rev-

enue rom rooms and ood and beverage operations accounting or

the largest proportion. Although the number o rooms in the city

increased, occupancy rates remained stable.

Al-Nuaimi pointed out that business tourism accounted or 72%

o the passengers received by Qatar last year but he said the QTAs

strategy o targeting high-end tourism was showing results.

Tourism is central to Qatars vision o creating a diversied and

sustainable economy, he said. These strong results can be at-

q a t a r a i r W a Y s i n n u m B E r s

2012

103 A i R C R A f t110 D e s t i n A t i o n s

2013 pLAn

120 A i R C R A f t120 D e s t i n A t i o n s

DesTinATions

e u R o p e : 27M i D D l e e A s t & A f R i C A : 32

A s i A p A C i f i C : 19s o u t h A s i A : 19

n o R t h A M e R i C A : 4s o u t h A M e R i C A : 2

tributed to the growth o the hospitality industry, especially in the

area o hotels and resorts as well as our strategy to target travellers

transiting to stop in Doha. 2012 will be another landmark year or

Qatars tourism sector. We will see 3,500 new hotel rooms come on-

line. We will continue our eorts at marketing Qatar as a destina-

tion, as well as bringing large scale events and conerences to Doha.

We will also build on these results with a promotional campaign

later in 2012 targeting the GCC countries.

So whts bringing them here?

The Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) was completed at

the tail-end o last year and immediately played host to the World


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Innovation Summit or Education (WISE) in November and the

huge World Petroleum Congress (WPC) in early December.

More than 60,000 visitors came to Doha or the QTAs Food Festi-

val in early February. The our-day event saw the country s best and

most popular restaurants take part as well as a range o activities or

visitors including magic shows and Japanese cooking demonstra-

tions as part o the 40th anniversary o Qatar-Japanese relations.

It is important or the QTA to bring these events to the commu-

nity. Not only did visitors enjoy great ood and un entertainment in

record numbers, they also had the opportunity to taste dishes rom

other cultures which all seek to promote cultural awareness in our

amazingly diverse community.

Meanwhile, more than 300 exhibitors, including some o the

worlds most exclusive and well known brands, showcased their lat-

est designs at the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE)

at the Doha Exhibition Center, February 20-26. More than 60,000

local and international visitors attended the seven-day exhibition.

Organised by QTA, the exhibition is billed as one o the regions pre-

eminent and again will bring to Doha some o the worlds nest jew-ellery and watch collections. In 2011 the show attracted more than

50,000 visitors, many o them coming rom within the GCC.

QTA Internal Exhibitions Head, Lahdan Al Mohannadi said:

The high quality prole o the exhibitors and artisans this event

continues to attract has helped to make this show one o the most

successul and sought in the Gul and the world or retailers and

those who appreciate ne jewellery and watches.

The timing o the DJWE is signicant in that it alls between

the two most important jewellery and watches exhibitions in Swit-

zerland: the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva

and Baselworld in Basel. The Doha Jewellery and Watches Ex-

hibition has thus become part o the preview series or the latest

collections.The ten-day Doha Trade Fair, which took place at the Doha Ex-

hibitions Center, recorded an overall attendance o approximately

250,000, an increase o around 15% rom last years event.

Over 570 world-renowned exhibitors rom 29 countries par-

ticipated in this years DTF, showcasing and selling a wide array

o unique, exclusive and traditional products, said Sheikh Sultan

bin Fahed Al-Thani, events manager at q.media. We have received

positive eedback rom agents, exhibitors and visitors or the sec-

ond year in a row. Many exhibitors have already conrmed their

participation in next years DTF, including business organisations

rom Cyprus and the Czech Republic.

Qatar was chosen to host the 18th Conerence on Climate Change

(COP18) in December, 2012. The conerence is the most prominent

international meeting in the eld o environment, political, eco-nomic and environmental importance in light o the growing global

interest in the adverse eects o climate change.

Who orgnises these events?

To stage a MICE event takes a lot o research, planning and pro-

motion beore the public see any tangible signs o the nal prod-

uct. There are many established event organisers through-out the

country who all nd themselves in a lucrative, but very competitive

market. Everyone wants a large slice o the pie, but how do they

generate their business?

Qatar-Expo is one such enterprise who delivers events here in

the capital and Chie Operating Ofcer, Georges Saliba explains:

We Were the firSt eventS Com-

pany here, Starting in 1993, and

due to the varied and extenSive

experienCe of our Staff, every

employee haS at leaSt five yearS

experienCe in thiS induStry. thatS

What it takeS at thiS level.

georgeS SalibaQatar-expo Chief operating offiCer

o c c u P a n c Y r a t E s i n q a t a r i h o t E L s

2010:

59%2011:

59%


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We generate a lot o ideas ourselves, and implement them too, butmost o our events are or organisations who reach out or our ser-

vice, expertise and knowledge, especially government entities.

Saliba reveals that his company gain a lot o business o the QTA

their main source o business and revenue and that the country

is still a baby in the industry, with a lot to learn, but with so much

room or growth. It could be seen as an industry which anybody

could take their hand at.

These days many people can open an events company, but do

they have what it takes to organise events in a creative and proes-

sional manner? Qatar Expo is a 100% local company and has gath-

ered the required knowledge to deliver internationally renowned

events right here in the city. We were the rst events company here,

starting in 1993, and due to the varied and extensive experience oour sta, every employee has at least ve years experience in this

industry. Thats what it takes at this level.

We have managed such events as INFDEX, the urniture show

that was staged here in Doha; the Green Building Solution (GBS),

which included mostly international companies; and the Interna-

tional Wedding Exhibition and Fashion Show (iWed).

Trnsporting them here

Part o the QTAs strategy was to work with all relevant sectors close-

ly to orm a synergic eect to maximise the countrys potential

make-up in the industry. This meant engaging with the hoteliers

to reach and maintain a certain standard o product and service. It

also meant having a special relationship with Qatar Airways and the

new airport which is opening up at the end o the year, which willtriple air capacity. Qatar Airways continues to expand its route net-

work, as well as its eet. They have orders worth over $50 billion or

more than 250 aircrats, including Boeing 787s and 777s, and Airbus

A380s and A320s. They currently operate a eet o 103 aircrats to

110 diverse business and leisure destinations across Europe, Mid-

dle East, Arica, Asia Pacic, and North and South America. They

plan to serve 120 worldwide destinations with a eet o 120 carri-

ers by 2013. Qatar Airways has recently announced plans to y to

Kigali in Rwanda and Zagreb in Croatia on a daily basis, whilst also

committing to ying to Perth, Australia on a thrice-weekly basis.

They will now y to 27 destinations in the MICE-riendly Europe,

including seven new routes in 2011; Bucharest, Budapest, Brussels,

Stuttgart, Venice, Soa and Oslo. Qatar Airways have really ocusedon its Business Class o course winning the WTA in January in

this eld to meet the requests o the QTA. They try to create an en-

vironment which has the business traveller prepped or his meeting

when he deplanes, allowing him to work, sleep, dine or play.

Qatar Airways Chie Executive Ofcer Akbar Al-Baker said the

airlines winning streak can be attributed to its high standards o

quality and service. Everything we do and provide, rom person-

alised treatment and customer service, to in-ight duty ree and on-

board cuisine, is ve-star and based on superior attention to detail

and customer satisaction, said Al-Baker. I am very proud that our

Business Class product has again been recognised, as well as our

long-haul international services by US-based travellers.

developing the induStry by ShoW-

CaSing itS produCtS and ServiCeS,

netWorking opportunitieS and

gathering data through reSearCh

Will drive the induStry forWard in

Qatar.

loiS hallexhibitionS manager, gibtm, reed travel

v i s i t o r s t o E x h i B i t i o n s i n q a t a r

DohA fooDfesTivAL, 2012

(4-DAys)

DohA TrADe fAir(10-DAys)

60,000

120,000 40,000

DJWe, 2012

(6-DAys)

WorLDpeTroLeum

congress (4-DAys)

50,000


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Cover Story


any room at the inn?

convening large-scale events in Qatar cannot be done without the

cooperation of the hospitality sector. however, the hotels need

assistance off the government to attract tourists to the country,

whether they come here for leisure or business. as evidenced below, both

groups are pragmatically working together to try to sell the country,

and the products and services it offers, to a global standard.

R

ecent gures rom the Qatar Tourism Au-

thority (QTA) revealed that eight new ho-

tels opened up in Qatar in 2011, bringing the

total number to 74; this increases the total

number o rooms to 11,341 a gure which

is still miniscule compared to the countrys

ultimate aspirations. Despite the increase

in hotel room inventory, occupancy ratesin hotels remained at 59% or the year, with January and February

recording the highest rates because o the Asian Cup.

The ultimate commitment is or the FIFA World Cup in 2022 o

course, where up to 90,000 hotel rooms are required. However, re-

gardless o whether the country won the rights to stage this event,

Qatars strategy was to promote business tourism anyway, and

boosting the number o hotel rooms in the country was always a

medium-term goal.

QTA Chairman, Ahmed Al-Nuaimi recently explained that there

are plans to reach 30,000 hotel rooms by 2013, with 5,000 new

rooms coming online each year through to 2022.

Speed of Development

Al-Nuaimi agreed that over-supply was a key concern or every-body, but he was condent that any extra hotel capacity post-2022

could be absorbed with an airport that could process 50 million

people per year as well as Doha Port being a hub or the cruise

business.

In act, his biggest worry is the speed o the development o the

hotels and inrastructure. Although the QTA are working diligently

with investors and developers, and there is over a decade until the

World Cup, the primary lesson they learned rom the 2006 Asian

Games was to promote a culture o preparedness in relation to

staging large-scale events.

Al-Nuaimi conrmed last year that their strategy was as a busi-

ness tourism destination as opposed to concentrating on the tour-

ists who were in pursuit o a lazy vacation. The QTA gure the high-

end market will always ourish. Whilst private hotels can ollow

their own policies, the QTA will be primarily available to assist with

attracting business tourists to their acilities.

We dont want people to come or a $50 room to lie on the beach

all day and walk around with a backpack and shorts, he said. These

are not the type o people were targeting. For the last ve or six

years weve invested in high-end hotels and acilities, high-end con-vention centres and museums. But were not looking or it to be a

revenue-generating industry. We are dierent rom the neighbour-

ing countries. They ocus on tourism as a source o income. I (the

tourism market) crashes, it makes no dierence to us.

Qatar Today spoke to a couple o hotel groups in Doha to inves-

tigate what they were doing to promote themselves in the GCC

region and globally, as well as their relationship with the Qatari

Government.

The Ritz-Crlton Hotel Compny

We are working very hard with the Qatar Tourism Authority, said

Herve Humler, President and Chie Operating Ofcer o Ritz-Carl-

ton Hotel Co LLC. The Ministry is working diligently with the ho-

tels and you do not nd this everywhere you go. Its a very excitingrelationship; they are going to create an organisation where they

are going to gather all the eedback o the hoteliers in the coun-

try. In act, they have a signicant budget to advertise Qatar to the

world, and this is something, as a company, we cannot do. So it is

great to have them on our side like this.

We learned rom the Ministry today that Qatar has 17,000 ho-

tel rooms but the event organisers or the Conerence on Climatic

Change have requested 27,000 hotel rooms, so there is huge room

or growth. They do not want to slow down they want to push

ahead because they know the day you become stagnant will be

detrimental.

The new airport is amazing. It is extremely well positioned to


8/13


compete with any airport out there and will certainly provide extra

distribution or Qatar. I am glad a second convention centre is be-

ing constructed, because you will be able to accommodate a second

city-wide event that wants to come to the city at the same time.

Cluster General Manager or Ritz-Carlton Doha, Hoss Vetryoversees operations at the Ritz-Carlton and the Sharq Village and

Spa Hotel on the Corniche, which he explained are two totally con-

icting products and dont in any way compete with each other.

Doha is very much a business oriented city, mainly driven by the

government sector. 90% is very much business, 10% leisure, but its

changing. The leisure segment has certainly improved to a degree.

There are more entertainment acilities, water-park, Souk Waqi,

the museums. I think the country will evolve into a leisure tourism

destination eventually.

The Ritz-Carlton is the number one government hotel. Any

government events take place there, simply because o the way the

hotel is laid out. The banquet acilities have a riendly eel and the

hotel is also very easy to secure. So that hotel is mainly government

driven. We do have regional MICE groups coming too; we promotegroups, city-wide events, and corporate programmes.

Sharq Village and Spa Hotel does both surprisingly business

and leisure. It has a relaxed eel. How great is it that you can have

an important business meeting in a resort setting. You can leave the

meeting and warm up or a period o relaxation straight away.

The acilities are denitely in place and the sta are well

trained to stage an event, so what is The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Com-

pany doing to promote a) Qatar as a tourist destination and b) the

Ritz-Carlton Hotel itsel.

We look or every opportunity out there. Our sales group is very

active. Most o our visits are to our clients to say hello, to see i

they need anything. Perhaps they might book something in our

hotel at a later date; we have to have a continuous presence in themarket. I am going to Turkey this week and last week I was in Saudi

Arabia, the week beore I was in Kuwait. In two weeks Im going to

Germany. My Director o Sales and Marketing is in Kuwait today, so

you can see the eort we are putting in.

The QTA are preparing or a marketing blitz on seven regional

cities in April. They really are doing a great job; they are very active,

promoting the hotels and working with Qatar Airways. Together we

have recently gone to Berlin, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Cannes,

Frankurt, Singapore and the UK to present the country. Actually

ever since the winning 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, we just promote

the hotels because people know the country now. I personally ad-

mire the Chairman [Ahmed Al Nuaimi]; hes a very smart business-

man, he has a great relationship with the hotels.

Is there a chance that Qatar wont be able to attract the touristsand the events which it is aspires to? Its all very well to have a hal-

dozen large events each year which ood the hotel industry, but

what about the rest o the year. How do the hotels cope with the

idle hours?

As a hotel operator I will always say I am worried about over-

supply, but I can also look at it in a positive way: the more compe-

tition, the higher the standard, the better the overall product. We

always want competition because every hotel chain that comes to

Qatar brings their own customers, their own brand ollowers. I we

maintain our standards, then well always have these customers.

With the convention acilities which are being developed and

the airport is going to bring huge capacity. I we could get six or

seven events like the WPC last December every year, it would reallyhelp the hotel industry nancially. As a result o QNCC and the oth-

er dedicated convention acilities, we are doing more weddings as

compensation. We average at about three a week in both The Ritz-

Carlton Hotel, Doha and Sharq Village and Spa Hotel, with maybe

600-700 guests at each one. Its a dierent way o doing business.

Mrriott Interntionl

Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director o Marriott Mid-

dle East and Arica, echoed Humlers sentiment about the relation-

ship the Qatari government has with the hotels.

The degree o interest rom the Qatari Government in the hotel

industry is overwhelming. Ive worked in the hotel industry all over

Qta have a SignifiCant budget to

advertiSe Qatar to the World, and

thiS iS Something, aS a Company,

We Cannot do. So it iS great to

have them on our Side like thiS.

herve humlerpreSident and Ceo, ritz-Carlton

hotel Co ll


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Cover Story


thereS thiS perCeption that

there are too many hotelS here

you need to SeCure buSineSS, hoW

are you going to do thiS? im not

Worried at all, We have a

great produCt.

tareQ derbaSgeneral manager, St regiS doha

Qatar Cannot groW unleSS it

Can hoSt viSitorS and to do thiS

you need hotel roomS, So a part-

nerShip iS CruCial to help de-

liver the groWth that Qatar iS

looking for.

alex kyriakidiSpreSident and managing direCtor,

marriott middle eaSt and afriCa

the world, and with many dierent governments and this is one o

the ew that takes a very close interest in the hospitality industryand wants to be a partner in it. Qatar cannot grow unless it can host

visitors and to do this you need hotel rooms, so the partnership is

crucial and thats why we visited them to help deliver the growth

that Qatar is looking or.

Qatar is seeking to position itsel as the meeting and conerence

hub o the Gul. So what will drive this? I you look at the big indus-

trial drivers o the economy here the hydrocarbons, etc you can

easily see theres outstanding business demand here. Then you have

cultural tourism and the improved inrastructure. So on the back o

these, the related industry exhibitions and conerences are being

pulled into Qatar. So we think that the continued investments in

inrastructure, coming alongside the major sporting events in the

m a r r i o t t m i D D L E Ea s t

currenTLy:

h o t e l s

38e M p l o y M e n t :

12,000

2015:

h o t e l s :

90e M p l o y M e n t :

30,000A n n u A l G R o w t h R A t e :

25%


10/13


uture, and the recent development o the conerence and exhibi-

tion space will work synergistically to ramp up the conerences and

exhibition space in Qatar even more. This will thereore raise the

demand or hotels.

Marriott International has 38 hotels under dierent brand

names in the Middle East and they are hoping to bring this gure

to 90 by 2015, an annual growth rate o 25%. These 38 hotels em-ploy 12,000 people, so they predict that i their growth continues

as hoped, they should be employing 30,000 people in the region in

three years.

St. Regis Doh

General Manager at the recently opened St Regis Doha, Tareq Der-

bas says his hotel is being built to cater or all sectors, but mainly

corporate business and corporate groups. The hotel eatures 336

rooms including 70 suites, 10 restaurants and bars, 4,000 square-

metres o meeting space (which can also host bespoke weddings

or other social events) and extensive recreational acilities includ-

ing Remede Spa, an Olympic sized swimming pool and beachront

cabanas with private Jacuzzis.

It also oers a 1,800 square metre boardroom, business centre

and conerence rooms, so conerences and business meetings are

going to be the backbone o our business in this regard, said Der-

bas. We started promoting it six months ago going to the major

global trade shows. Its important to meet potential business and

corporate clientele they know we have the acility and we can ca-ter or their needs. I went mysel to the luxury travel market in Chi-

na; our sales and marketing team came back rom Cannes recently

where they attended the International Travel Market. We got great

leads and met a lot o business potentials. A lot o the time you get a

acility with 150 or 200 rooms but they havent got the state o the

art banquet and conerence acilities like we do and rooms to back it

up. We are also in every MICE publication worldwide.

We also have a very good programme within Starwoods Pre-

erred Planner, which is an incentive plan or people who do busi-

ness with them, so this helps us get the benets o their booking

channels worldwide.

Every brand creates its own market. We have 22 people in our

sales team and they attract new business; they need to be creative

to bring business rom outside the city. There needs to be a publictrust in the brand. Theres this perception that there are too many

hotels - you need to secure business, how are you going to do this?

Im not worried at all, we have a great product. I you come up with

a brand which will add value to the market, i you come up with a

service which people will value, you will denitively get your air

market share. The demand or luxury is becoming more apparent

as the clientele is becoming more sophisticated.

The QTAs support has also been great. They recently saw our a-

cility and they were very impressed. It takes two to tango. We need

their support, but they also need us to do our part, like providing

rooms and a quality service. Neither o us can do much on our own,

we have to work together.

aS a hotel operator i Will

alWayS Say i am Worried aboutover-Supply, but i Can alSo look at

it in a poSitive Way: the more

Competition, the

higher the Standard, the better

the overall produCt.

hoSS vetryarea general manager,

ritz-Carlton doha

s t r E g i s D o h a

R o o M s :

266s u i t e s :

70e M p i R e s u i t e :

18 ( 1 9 0 s q - M )

p R e s i D e n t i A l s u i t e :

2 ( 6 0 0 s q - M )R e s t A u R A n t s :

10M e e t i n G s p A C e :

4,000 s q - M .


11/13

Cover Story


dubai and abu dhabi

Sizing up the

oppoSition

in a recent edition of Qatar today, we looked at how the country is

perceived as a nation from a political standpoint. for such a small and

relatively insignificant country a decade ago, it has fast-tracked its way

to the top table in many sectors. one area where its perceived they are

doing Quite well is in business tourism. how does Qatar fare against its

closest rivals?

Travel and Tourism is one o the most impor-

tant industries in Germany, where each year

German travellers spend more than $80 bil-

lion abroad or various products and services

this is even more than the US. Germany has

also the eighth largest inbound tourist trade.

Qatar Today spoke to Matthias Schultz,

Sales Director or FVW Mediengruppe, Ger-

manys leading travel industry media group with more than 40

years o expertise in tourism and travel to gain a better understand-

ing o how Qatar is perceived as a business tourism destination inthe hotspot or the sector currently.

Qatar is a young player in the market, he says. Destinations

such as Dubai or Abu Dhabi are well established, but Doha needs to

push or exposure and awareness it needs to spend more on com-

munication, PR and marketing in order to outline the USPs (Unique

Selling Proposition) or reasons to have an event in there. Last year,

it started a strong communication campaign in the German market

and has invited leading travel and MICE experts to Qatar to explore

the acilities and opportunities. The outcome was that the overall

product is attractive and can compete but there is still room or

improvement.

How much contact does a leading travel group in Germany have

with Qatar and the Middle East in general? Why would Germans

want to do business in a place as ar away as Qatar?

We have long lasting and good business relationships with all

governments (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al-Kaimah), with

the airlines (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Gul Air) and with

the various hotels groups. The business relationships are not only

in terms o advertising business or some o the governments we

are consulting workshops or tourism marketing services.

The Gul region has a strategically good position geographically.

As the German industry is living rom its exports and international

business relationships (a huge amount in Asia and Middle East) itis extremely convenient to have conerences, events, meetings and

seminars in the Gul region. Asian business partners and their Eu-

ropean counterparts can meet hal way.

Schultz is o the opinion that its good to ocus on both leisure

and business tourism, but the competition is so strong in the lei-

sure segment that it would be very difcult to compete here. He is

however positive and optimistic about the uture or Qatar in the

business segment, and gits some advice.

Large global events such as the FIFA World Cup will lead to a

higher visibility o Qatar and will push the country to a much high-

er level in terms o event management and acilities. Again the hub

situation will add benet. Once Qatar achieves a reputation o not


12/13


Qatar needS to Spend more

on CommuniCation, pr andmarketing in order to

outline the uSpS or reaSonS

to have an event in there.

matthiaS SChultzSaleS direCtor,

fvW mediengruppe, germany

being a second Dubai or another UAE (which is o course inac-

curate, but a lot o visitors dont know any dierent), and is a valu-

able destination with its own USPs, Qatar will lead the industry.

Especially as Dubai struggles to maintain its reputation due to the

crises and real estate dramas.

DuBaI

How is Dubai doing, in light o their recent set-backs? It was the pi-

oneer o business travel in the Middle East. Qatar Today asked theDirector at Dubai Convention Bureau, Jerad Bachar how competi-

tive Dubai is at the moment.

MICE is one o the primary tourism segments or Dubai, he

says. Depending on the time o year and location o hotel, MICE

can contribute as much as 25% o hotel occupancies. A strong ocus

has been placed upon the segment in the DTCMs (Dubai Depart-

ment o Tourism and Commerce Marketing) next our year strat-

egy. Dubais tourism strength comes rom a diversication in mar-

ket segments and in source markets. There is a strong, collective

ocus on MICE and this collaboration exists among hotels, DMCs,

PCOs, the World Trade Centre, and the DTCMs Dubai Conven-

tion Bureau. How do those involved in promoting Dubai tourism

eel about the rise o Qatar as a player in this segment? Is it good to

raise competition or standards within the region, or do they eelthat theres not enough meat on the bone to eed all the MICE play-

ers? Are they all oering the same package essentially? The MICE

industry oers vast opportunities or us all, he continues. We nd

that more and more clients are looking at destinations rom a busi-

ness perspective, not only ocusing on particular hotels, attractions,

and activities. I an organiser has a strong business reason to be in

the destination, they will typically avor that location. There will be

occasions when customers will want/need to be in Doha, same ap-

plies to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. When it comes to regional develop-

ment o MICE destinations, it doesnt have to be a winner takes all

outcome. There is enough business or us all to succeed.

Dubais strength comes rom a number o areas. The commerce

and trade network that exists in Dubai is a strong attraction or

many organisations; generally speaking the companies that partici-

pate in many o the events are generally based here in Dubai. Fur-

ther the airlit, hotel options, expanded convention centre and the

large number o expert service providers all contribute to Dubais

attraction, he added.

a B u D h a B i , 2 0 1 0

b u s i n e s s v i s i t o R s :

500,000

i n t e R n A t i o n A l / n o n u A e :

95,000 (19%)

e A C h i n t e R n A t i o n A l v i s i t o R s p e n D s ( p e R 5 - D A y e v e n t ) :

A e D 10,000

A D n e C s w o R t h t o e C o n o M y :

A e D2.4 b i l l i o n

e C o n o M i C i M p A C t o f b u s i n e s s e v e n t s :

Ae D2.4 b i l l i o n( 1 % o f A b u D h A b i s n o n - o i l G D p . )

p R o p o s e D i M p A C t 2 0 2 0 :

A e D5.1 b i l l i o n


13/13

Cover Story


aBu DHaBI

According to the 5th Middle East meetings Industry Research Re-

port in 2011, the UAE was the leading country in the Gul or the

number o business events held and Abu Dhabi came 2nd in the list

o likely destinations to be chosen or business events in the next

12 months. The report is produced annually with the results being

made public at GIBTM later this month.

Business Tourism Manager at Abu Dhabi Tourism & Cultural

Authority, Gillian Taylor recognises there is a challenge rom Qa-

tar: We welcome proessionalism and experience in the region andglobal positioning and empowerment o the Arab world but clearly

there is competition between the cities. Abu Dhabi Tourism &

Culture Authority has a specialised division dedicated to attracting

MICE business. We have started 2012 well with our largest congress

ever the World Ophthalmology Congress 2012 which attracted

more than 10,000 attendees, 80% who had never visited Abu Dha-

bi beore. We are currently bidding on several major conventionsassociated with the medical and cultural sectors. In the main, we

ocus on sectors that are linked to the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan. Our

key source markets are predominately where we have ofces UK,

Germany, Italy, France, USA, China, Australia and Russia andalso

anywhere that Etihad Airways ies.

In the ace o some erce competition rom Dubai, Doha and

other regional and global cities, what can Abu Dhabi bring that the

others cannot. What kind o acilities are they trying to entice pro-

spective MICE groups with?

Abu Dhabi is the administrative and business capital o the UAE

and the place to do business so it is easy to justiy the ROI and ROO

o bringing a business event here, Taylor continues. In addition

to ADNEC and ICC (International Convention Centre) and manyhotels, there are other unusual and character venues or meetings

and events, such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi the worlds largest

indoor theme park which signicantly enhances our incentive ap-

peal, has meeting space and is available or private unctions.

dubai iS a Strong attraCtion

but generally Speaking the

CompanieS that partiCipatein many of our eventS are

generally baSed here in dubai.

Jerad baChardireCtor, dubai Convention bureau

We have Started 2012 Well With

our largeSt CongreSS

ever the World ophthalmology

CongreSS 2012 WhiCh attraCted

more than 10,000 attendeeS,

80% Who had never viSited abu

dhabi before.

gillian taylorbuSineSS touriSm manager,

abu dhabi touriSm & Cultural authority

march cover: build and they will come

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