Executives from public and private organisations in Qatar and the Middle East complete training programme on eMarketing in tourism recently.

More than 70 executives from public and private organisations in Qatar and the Middle East have  completed the Regional Executive Training Programme on eMarketing in tourism held recently.
Organised by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and conducted by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and its Themis Foundation, the three-day training provided participants with international expertise in tourism eMarketing.
The programme also included a conference and two-day workshop held in both English and Arabic. The course aimed to equip tourism sector officials and professionals across Qatar and the Mena region with knowledge, capacity and skills in eMarketing.
Mohamed al-Mahmeed, head of Tourism Investment Promotion at QTA, said they had jointly trained close to 600 industry professionals from across the region in various aspects in tourism.
“Our aim is to empower the private sector and equip them with tools such as best practices and a platform for knowledge sharing, so that they are better able to diversify and promote a sustainable tourism sector,” he said.
Al-Mahmeed added that QTA is also working to position Qatar as the regional hub for tourism education in the Gulf.  
Faisal al-Nuaimi, director general of Tourism Development at the Tourism Development Department of Ajman, UAE, noted that the course has shown how much Qatar is doing to support the tourism sector with UNWTO taking the country as a case-study in developing tourism through marketing and social media.
UNWTO studies show that the expansion of new technologies has transformed the tourism sector in unprecedented ways, presenting immense opportunities as well as great challenges for the public and private tourism sectors that need to keep up with constantly changing and competitive environment.
The course provided a platform for participants to examine the latest developments and best practices in eMarketing, including social media and content marketing. They were also introduced to a step-by-step process for developing an eMarketing strategy in tourism, in addition to a selection of tools available to them as eMarketers to succeed in their role.
“This is the second time I have done a training course on this topic. The subject this time around is a lot more interesting, as there is more emphasis on social media as the new marketing tool, and the professors had a wealth of knowledge to share,” said Tamara Khalil, corporate director of Marketing Communications at Katara Hospitality. “The course is also more diversified, with participants from all over the region and different parts of the industry.”


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