The opening of this year’s Hospitality Qatar was led by Ministry of Commerce and Industry Undersecretary HE Sultan bin Rashid Al Khater, in the presence of local and international dignitaries, including ambassadors of participating countries and heads of international delegations.
Among the VIP guests are the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HE Prince Mansour bin Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud, the Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar HE Dr Mustafa Gökso, and the Deputy Director General of the Industrial Exports Sector at Public Authority for Industry in Kuwait, Dr Sanad Al-Ajmi.
The most exclusive and the longest-standing international trade fair in the country for the hospitality, hotel, restaurant, and café sector (HORECA), Hospitality Qatar is organised by IFP Qatar and will run until 8 November at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC). This year’s edition brings together over 150 suppliers and service providers from more than 20 countries, along with investors and industry leaders to explore potential investment opportunities in Qatar’s hospitality and tourism market.
Unprecedented growth of Qatar’s tourism sector
The only trade event in its field, the event comes after Qatar’s hospitality sector recorded unprecedented growth rates that placed the country among the fastest growing in the world. Euro News confirmed in its latest report that Qatar’s hospitality market is the fastest-growing market in the world, with the sector predicted to continue to move forward in the next phase, due to Doha’s unique geographical location.
About 80% of the world’s population is within a six-hour flight away, which will certainly increase the likelihood of Qatar becoming a prominent tourist destination in the Arabian Gulf, enabling it to achieve its goal of hosting six million visitors annually by 2030.
According to the Gulf Hospitality Sector Report issued by Alpine Capital, the size of the hospitality sector in Qatar jumped from US$1 billion in 2021 to US$1.6 billion by the end of 2022. It is expected to stabilise at US$1.4 billion in the next two years.
The Al Asmakh Real Estate Projects report also underscored that hospitality developers are continuing their plans to build facilities to further develop Qatar’s tourism and hotel sectors, amidst the state’s efforts to enhance tourism revenues and improve the quality of service provided in hotels, to attract more visitors and tourists from around the world.
Qatar also continues to invest heavily in the tourism sector, in support of the aim to develop the sector to become the third largest sector contributing to GDP after oil and gas, and construction sectors.
Qatar welcomed over 2.56 million visitors from January to August 2023, surpassing its total number of visitors in the whole of 2022 and recording a 157% increase in international visitors compared to the same period last year, confirming Qatar’s continued tourism momentum from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
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Remarkable turnout
According to IFP Qatar General Manager Haidar Mshaimesh, they are delighted with the remarkable turnout of this year’s Hospitality Qatar. He said they are confident in the success of this edition and will continue to enhance the experience of exhibitors and visitors alike and contribute to supporting the national effort to attract more tourists to Qatar.
Hospitality Qatar is a platform for industry professionals and senior players to market their products and services. The event provides a window to showcase talent and skills through specialised hotel, restaurant and café competitions and live cooking demonstrations.
HE Dr Mustafa Gökçu, Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar, said 14 Turkish companies are participating in this year’s edition of Hospitality Qatar to underline the close relationship between Turkey and Qatar. The ambassador said the event has strengthened the trade and economic relations between the two countries.
One of the highlights of this year’s programme is the Salon Culinaire live cooking competition, gathering more than 150 chefs representing 37 of Doha’s leading four- and five-star hotels.
The competition highlights the skills of chefs in preparing dishes in over 20 different categories. The show will also feature a coffee competition which will also allow barista experts to showcase their creativity in the art of coffee making.
For updates and more information, visit hospitalityqatar.com.
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