Qatar will welcome travel and events professionals from around the world to inVoyage's luxury incentives and events showcase at the soon-to-open Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha from October 2 to 5, it was announced on Tuesday.
Up to 200 leading industry professionals from more than 24 countries will arrive in Doha for the event, a first for Qatar. It will be staged in partnership with Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha, Qatar Tourism, Discover Qatar, and Qatar Airways.
The new Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha is described as a grand refurbishment of a historic building that first opened in 1973 as the ‘Gulf Hotel,’ and quickly became a landmark in the city. The venture by Rixos Hotels, in partnership with Accor and Katara Hospitality, will consist of 378 rooms and suites and seven dining outlets, blending comfort, style and cutting-edge technology.
In a press statement, Qatar Tourism COO Berthold Trenkel said: “We are thrilled to be able to support this top tier travel event bringing leading industry figures to our shores from around the world. MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) is a core focus for us as Qatar is connected directly to more than 150 destinations on all continents by the world’s best airline Qatar Airways, which we believe makes our country an ideal and accessible hub for business.
“We offer dedicated convention centres such as the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre and the Qatar National Convention Centre, and a fantastic range of hotels, such as the stunning new Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha.”
Qatar is a growing hub for major conferences, sporting and business events, with 80% of the world’s population living within a six-hour flight. By 2030, Qatar aims to welcome more than 6mn visitors a year, with MICE travellers accounting for approximately 20% of them.
Rixos Gulf Doha general manager Sherif Kasseb said: “We're delighted to host the very first event of inVoyage in Qatar and look forward to welcoming this elite group of luxury incentive and events professionals to our new property.”
inVoyage co-founder Richard Joslin said: “Our job is to bring this event to fruition with the support of great partners and to fill the room with an amazing collective of international events and luxury hospitality professionals ready to be inspired and do business."
Discover Qatar senior vice president Steven Reynolds said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for Discover Qatar along with our partners Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism to showcase just how much variety Qatar has to offer, cementing its place as the perfect destination to host luxury and high-profile events.”
Qatar Airways chief commercial officer Thierry Antinori said: “As the World's Best Airline, we are keen to partner with top-tier events professionals to inspire and empower through connecting experiences. Over the years, inVoyage has brought together hundreds of senior-level international incentive travel and events buyers globally, giving Qatar Airways confidence in this partnership agreement, along with other major stakeholders in Doha.”
 
 
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