The QTA has being playing 'catch-up' with all of its counterparts in this sector since their streamlined strategy was invoked. The facilities and infrastructure were non-existent up until recently; convenient, regular and luxurious transport into the country wasn't available; and the skilled personnel to attract MICE events weren't operating in the country.
Verily, till a decade ago, nobody from outside the Middle East knew about Qatar and it's only over the last couple of years that it's enjoyed instant recall in the global memory.
So it was with great pride, after the effort put in to drive the segment, that so many of the contributors were rewarded at the recent World Travel Awards (WTA) held at Katara Cultural Village in January.
Hailed as the 'Oscars of the Travel Industry' by the Wall Street Journal, the WTA are chosen by important figures in the world of global travel and tourism to recognise and honour the leaders in the sector.
The city of Doha was voted 'World's Leading Business Travel Destination', Qatar Airways was named the 'World's Leading Airline -Business Class', while Regency Travel & Tours collected the award for the 'World's Leading Travel Agency'. With sport also being heavily backed by the Qatari government, it was another major coup for the project when the Aspire Zone was named the 'World's Leading Sports Tourism Development Project', which rewarded the country's sporting dreamers. QTA, Chairman, Ahmed Al-Nuaimi, said: "This is a great achievement and solidifies Qatar's premier position as a great place to do business as well as one with first class leisure, sporting and cultural attractions. Graham Cooke, President and Founder, WTA, said: "Qatar in particular is playing a decisive role in generating new opportunities in travel and tourism, hence our decision to host our Grand Final in Doha. More than $100 billion worth of infrastructure is due to be completed before the 2022 FIFA World Cup," he added. What makes a good Business Tourist destination?
The QTA knew something about this category because they won the 'World's Leading Emerging Business Travel Destination' for 2009, so the signals coming from their peers were all green for go. But with so many of the large cities in the Gulf also focusing on the MICE sector, how can Qatar really secure their market share?
The Gulf 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 from the Middle East and around the world showcase a diverse range of products and services to enhance any meeting, conference, incentive or business travel booking for corporate, association and agency event planners and buyers.
REED Travel Exhibitions Manager, GIBTM, Lois Hall argues that a good business tourism destination is "a combination of world class infrastructure, extensive conferencing facilities and high quality venues for holding meetings, conferences and exhibitions, competitively priced travel packages and excellent flight connections.
"Further developing the industry through showcasing the destination's products and services, networking opportunities, gathering information through research reports and enhancing knowledge of business tourism through education will drive the business tourism industry forward in the country," she adds.
Later on, we will examine how the QTA and the hospitality sector are progressing with respect to Hall's argument above. She details where a destination must excel to reach a certain standard to attract regular MICE visitors and events. If Qatar is to corner this market, and really promote itself as a global MICE magnet, the QTA will need to master each of her points above.
If you build it, will they come?
Qatar has obviously made great strides in recent years to reach their current level, but does the difficult work begin now? Constructing top-class facilities and laying suitable infrastructure to complement these facilities is one thing - and certainly made simpler with the significant wealth generated by the hydrocarbon sector - but Qatar is still only a pup; it's still making a name for itself globally. What challenges are really facing the QTA and the MICE sector in Qatar and the region as a whole? Hall argues that there's a lack of knowledge amongst the people who are actually in the industry itself, but there is help and guidance available to them to achieve their fair market-share and reach their global potential.
These entrepreneurs may have grand facilities and be ready for business, but gaining experience and respect, acquiring contacts and developing loyalty doesn't happen over-night; it takes a significant amount of time and skill.
"A major challenge is education, as many people working on meetings and incentives in corporations, agencies and organisations don't 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 perfect business platform for both international 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 significantly over the past year and as a result we are creating an education programme that embraces every topic for anyone who is actively engaged in the profession."
Whilst a certain amount of savvy is needed to attract customers to your hotel door-step, they are beginning to arrive in larger numbers at the borders at least. New figures recently released by the QTA revealed that the country recorded one of its strongest years to date. QTA Chairman Al-Nuaimi said the figures highlighted that Doha is on track to become one of the main tourist destinations for the citizens and residents of the GCC. 845,633 tourists from the GCC region visited Qatar in 2011, a 50% increase on 2010, while international tourist figures increased by 12%. Asian tourists betrayed the greatest sense for the country, accounting for 58% of the total visitor numbers. (With respect to business tourism, the main market for Qatari exports is Asia - and in particular Japan, which buys most of the country's oil products, and India and China to a lesser degree - so this could account for Asia's interest in coming here). Arab countries increased by 19% and Europeans by 15%. All of this is of course welcoming news for Qatar's hoteliers. The total income for four and five star hotels was just under QR2.8 billion last year, compared to just over QR2.3 billion in 2010, with revenue from rooms and food and beverage operations accounting for the largest proportion. Although the number of rooms in the city increased, occupancy rates remained stable.
Al-Nuaimi pointed out that business tourism accounted for 72% of the passengers received by Qatar last year but he said the QTA's strategy of targeting high-end tourism was showing results. "Tourism is central to Qatar's vision of creating a diversified and sustainable economy," he said. "These strong results can be at tributed to the growth of the hospitality industry, especially in the area of hotels and resorts as well as our strategy to target travellers transiting to stop in Doha. 2012 will be another landmark year for Qatar's tourism sector. We will see 3,500 new hotel rooms come online. We will continue our efforts at marketing Qatar as a destination, as well as bringing large scale events and conferences to Doha. We will also build on these results with a promotional campaign later in 2012 targeting the GCC countries."
So what's bringing them here?
The Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) was completed at the tail-end of last year and immediately played host to the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in November and the huge World Petroleum Congress (WPC) in early December.
More than 60,000 visitors came to Doha for the QTA's Food Festival in early February. The four-day event saw the country's best and most popular restaurants take part as well as a range of activities for visitors including magic shows and Japanese cooking demonstrations as part of the 40th anniversary of Qatar-Japanese relations.
"It is important for the QTA to bring these events to the community.
Not only did visitors enjoy great food and fun entertainment in record numbers, they also had the opportunity to taste dishes from other cultures which all seek to promote cultural awareness in our amazingly diverse community."
Meanwhile, more than 300 exhibitors, including some of the world's most exclusive and well known brands, showcased their latest 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 of the region's preeminent and again will bring to Doha some of the world's finest jewellery and watch collections. In 2011 the show attracted more than 50,000 visitors, many of them coming from within the GCC. QTA Internal Exhibitions Head, Lahdan Al Mohannadi said: "The high quality profile of the exhibitors and artisans this event continues to attract has helped to make this show one of the most successful and sought in the Gulf and the world for retailers and those who appreciate fine jewellery and watches.
"The timing of the DJWE is significant in that it falls between the two most important jewellery and watches exhibitions in Switzerland: the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva and Baselworld in Basel. The Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition has thus become part of the preview series for the latest collections."
The ten-day Doha Trade Fair, which took place at the Doha Exhibitions Center, recorded an overall attendance of approximately 250,000, an increase of around 15% from last year's event.
"Over 570 world-renowned exhibitors from 29 countries participated in this year's DTF, showcasing and selling a wide array of unique, exclusive and traditional products," said Sheikh Sultan bin Fahed Al-Thani, events manager at q.media. "We have received positive feedback from agents, exhibitors and visitors for the second year in a row. Many exhibitors have already confirmed their participation in next year's DTF, including business organisations from Cyprus and the Czech Republic."
Qatar was chosen to host the 18th Conference on Climate Change (COP18) in December, 2012. The conference is the most prominent international meeting in the field of environment, political, economic and environmental importance in light of the growing global interest in the adverse effects of climate change.
Who organises these events?
To stage a MICE event takes a lot of research, planning and promotion before the public see any tangible signs of the final product.
There are many established event organisers through-out the country who all find themselves in a lucrative, but very competitive market. Everyone wants a large slice of the pie, but how do they generate their business?
Qatar-Expo is one such enterprise who delivers events here in the capital and Chief Operating Officer, Georges Saliba explains:
"We generate a lot of ideas ourselves, and implement them too, but most of our events are for organisations who reach out for our service, expertise and knowledge, especially government entities.
Saliba reveals that his company gain a lot of business off the QTA - their main source of business and revenue - and that the country is still a baby in the industry, with a lot to learn, but with so much room for 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 professional manner? Qatar Expo is a 100% local company and has gathered the required knowledge to deliver internationally renowned events right here in the city. We were the first events company 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. That's what it takes at this level."
"We have managed such events as INFDEX, the furniture show that was staged here in Doha; the Green Building Solution (GBS), which included mostly international companies; and the International Wedding Exhibition and Fashion Show (iWed)."
Transporting them here
Part of the QTAs strategy was to work with all relevant sectors closely - to form a synergic effect - to maximise the country's potential make-up in the industry. This meant engaging with the hoteliers to reach and maintain a certain standard of product and service. It also meant having a special relationship with Qatar Airways and the new airport which is opening up at the end of the year, which will triple air capacity. Qatar Airways continues to expand its route network, as well as its fleet. They have orders worth over $50 billion for more than 250 aircrafts, including Boeing 787s and 777s, and Airbus A380s and A320s. They currently operate a fleet of 103 aircrafts to 110 diverse business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and North and South America. They plan to serve 120 worldwide destinations with a fleet of 120 carriers by 2013. Qatar Airways has recently announced plans to fly to Kigali in Rwanda and Zagreb in Croatia on a daily basis, whilst also committing to flying to Perth, Australia on a thrice-weekly basis. They will now fly to 27 destinations in the MICE-friendly Europe, including seven new routes in 2011; Bucharest, Budapest, Brussels, Stuttgart, Venice, Sofia and Oslo. Qatar Airways have really focused on its Business Class - of course winning the WTA in January in this field - to meet the requests of the QTA. They try to create an environment which has the business traveller prepped for his meeting when he deplanes, allowing him to work, sleep, dine or play.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al-Baker said the airline's winning streak can be attributed to its high standards of quality and service. "Everything we do and provide, from personalised treatment and customer service, to in-flight duty free and onboard cuisine, is five-star and based on superior attention to detail and customer satisfaction," 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."
© Qatar Today 2012
