Qatar’s hospitality industry is set to grow further with more hotels and hotel apartments opening in the coming years, according to a leading hotelier
By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter
Every member of the hospitality industry in Qatar gets “a fair share from the big cake” despite the huge competition, a veteran hotelier told Gulf Times.
“And the cake is growing,” Melia Doha general manager Markus Kraus stated, referring to the rapidly-increasing number of arrivals to the country.
This trend and the high hotel occupancy can be attributed to Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA)’s strategy of promoting the country as a family and luxury destination, he observed.
From a hotel and city infrastructure point of view, it is the right strategy because of the presence of entertainment, ultra-luxury hotel resorts and shopping malls. Access to beaches is also an important factor in promoting luxury tourism, according to Kraus.
However, he stressed Qatar should not be compared to Dubai or other GCC states.
“Whatever is in Qatar right now and what it is going to get in the next five to 10 years will be worthwhile to promote among tourists,” he said. “I am 100% convinced that it will be successful.”
Besides Melia Doha, other luxury brands such as Marsa Malaz Kempinski at the Pearl-Qatar, Banana Island Resort by Anantara and eight other hotels have opened since the start of this year to cater for the growing number of tourists looking for high-end destinations.
Kraus sees Qatar’s hospitality industry to grow further with more hotels and hotel apartments opening in the coming years.
Occupancy rates across all hotels reached 75% for the first half of the year, QTA’s 2015 mid-year tourism performance summary showed.
The report said this figure was 2% higher compared to the data for the same period in 2014. However, average room rates dropped slightly by 2% for 4-star, 2-star and 1-star hotels.
The report also noted that the new properties were a mix of luxury, standard hotel and hotel apartment segments. These included five 5-star, one 4-star and five 3-star hotels.
“Each needs to have its competitive edge and uniqueness, which others do not have.
“Competition is big and a lot of new hotels on a very high standard are coming,” he added.
Out of the newly-added 1,400 rooms in Doha, Melia Doha in West Bay features 280 rooms and 37 suites.
QTA has been promoting the country as a luxury destination not only in the other GCC countries but also in various regions worldwide.
The opening of QTA’s overseas offices in Europe (Germany, France and the UK) has also attracted many tourists to visit Qatar. These offices have launched special promotional campaigns to further increase tourist arrivals to the country.
Markus Kraus: Melia Doha general manager
