The Hospitality Qatar Conference provided a comprehensive view of global trends in tourism and hospitality yesterday, the second day of the conference, the organisers said.
The Hospitality Qatar Conference is a CDP-certified conference taking place as part of the fifth edition of Hospitality Qatar at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Successes in sustainable destination tourism around the world is one of the main highlights of the leading conference. “The global tourism sector and the hospitality industry are increasingly focusing its attention on sustainable destinations as a growing number of travellers seek more meaning and value to their travel experiences, especially towards environmentally sustainable destinations,” a press statement notes.
The event featured the ‘Successful Destination Tourism Initiatives Around the World’ led by Wadi Sadellah, chief operating officer of Four Seasons Hospitality Consulting. The session discussed the various facets of destination tourism, including sustainable tourism development and best practices in strategic tourism planning and management.
In another session, the Botswana Tourism Organisation presented an overview of the beauty of its wildlife.
Other key themes include the growing importance of hotel technology as well as the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in facilitating visitors for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 
The conference also tackled the challenges facing multinational enterprises in the sector, which are doing business across borders, and presented key case studies from around the world.
In addition, participants explored how hospitality has expanded to accommodate new ideas such as solutions-based applications to deliver integrated services and increase productivity.
Customising hospitality staff’s services to meet the needs of organisations is another aspect discussed during this session. Finally, the conference ended with a talk on the new trends in lighting design in the Horeca (hotel/restaurant/café) sector, featuring several case studies in the field.
Saba Mohamed al-Fadala, director of Communications and PR, Baladna Food Industries, noted: “Participating in Hospitality Qatar as the national production sponsor has effectively positioned our company’s leadership in providing services in the Horeca sector, gain access to leading players in Qatar’s hospitality market and gain valuable insights about the sector’s development and how it contributes to the economic growth of the nation.”
Imad Askar, owner of Askar Industrial, which is the official kitchen sponsor of the event, said: “Hospitality Qatar has continuously expanded to get bigger and better each year, providing us with the platform to connect to leading Horeca operators, suppliers, investors and key decision-makers. We have successfully connected with many professionals, met potential customers and business partners in the industry and presented our range of innovative products, solutions and services.”
Khaled Nasser Ahmed, director manager, Al Rayyan Agricultural, which is the fresh vegetables sponsor, added: “The Hospitality Qatar exhibition continues to open many new opportunities for us to expand our business and promote the strong hospitality industry of the country, in line with the goals of the Qatar National Tourism Strategy 2030. The competitions have been very lively and attracted many visitors, allowing us to showcase our advantages as a provider of fresh produce in the Horeca industry.”
On the third day of the training, participants will have a comprehensive session on key topics such as ‘Customer Service – Managing People in Big Events’, created to train customer service employees to improve the support they provide to the sector and increase customer satisfaction.
Another key focus will be on ‘Time Management – Get Organised for Peak Performance’, where participants will learn how to optimise time and take hold of the workflow and office space, effective use of the planner and task delegation techniques. 
Finally, the training on ‘Food Safety & Hygiene – Making it a Habit’ will highlight the best practices in food safety as the topmost priority in Horeca – from the time the food is delivered to the minute it is served to the customer.
The fifth edition of Hospitality Qatar, the leading international Horeca trade show in the country organised by IFP Qatar, is being held in partnership with Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) for the second consecutive year. It has reported the participation of 228 exhibitors and seven international pavilions from 33 countries, representing key segments in the hospitality industry such as hotels and facilities, interiors and design, entertainment and leisure, travel and tourism, resorts and outdoor landscape, Horeca technologies and equipment, ecologically friendly hotel systems and solutions, and food and beverages.
The three-day event concludes today, running from 1pm to 9pm.
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