2. Qatar To Host Major Global Tourism Conference
Doha Jan 5th, 2014
We were glad to announce, during a press conference held at the Qatar Tourism
Authority, on Sunday, January 5th, 2014 the first annual Tourism in Tomorrow’s World
Conference. This announcement was made by Hassan Abdulrahman Al Ibrahim,
Strategy Development Director of the Qatar Tourism Authority, Professor Robert
Coelen, Executive Dean of Stenden University Qatar, and Nicolas Frangos, Chief
Operating Officer of Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company.
The conference will take place from February 23-24 at the Renaissance Doha City
Centre hotel, and is being held under the patronage of the Prime Minister and
Minister of the Interior of Qatar, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al Thani. It
is being sponsored by Stenden University Qatar, in partnership with the Qatar Tourism
Authority, Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company, and the European Tourism Futures
Institute.
3. At the press conference Mr. Al Ibrahim noted that “The conference will give
opportunities for practitioners within the tourism industry to interact and network
with experts from around the world.” According to Dean Coelen, “The growth of
hospitality and tourism are integral to Qatar’s economic diversification attempts.”
Key speakers at the conference will include the Secretary General of the United
Nations World Tourism Organization, Dr. Taleb Rifai, as well as the Chairman of the
Qatar Tourism Authority, Issa al Mohannadi. Among the other speakers will be a
number of internationally known experts in Tourism and Hospitality, as well as local
professionals.
4. The conference will be addressing “What the future holds for tourism in the region.”
Mr. Al Ibrahim has said that, “The conference comes at a critical time when Qatar
witnesses phenomenal growth in tourists, hotels and tourism offerings.” Currently,
there are 81 hotels in Doha and a further 118 hotels under construction. The
conference will focus on this growth, as well as sustainability, addressing such issues
as preparations for the 2022 World Cup, and their effect on the tourism and
hospitality industry. It will highlight the importance of tourism for Qatar and the
region, and how to anticipate tourism trends of the future and become an innovator
in the tourism sector.
Nicolas Frangos
Chief Operating Officer
Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Co.
