By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter


Festivals and events organised by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) further boosted hotel occupancy rates in the country, a senior official of the Ritz-Carlton Doha told Gulf Times yesterday.
“We recorded a significant number of visitors this summer particularly during the Qatar Summer Festival 2015,” general manager Erden Kendigelen explained.
“QTA did an excellent job in August with the special hotel package that they had and it really turned out to be a great success,” he noted on the sidelines of a press briefing to announce the hotel’s major renovation.
Some 26 members of the hospitality industry developed these special packages for visitors during the festival. The offerings include ‘pay for two nights and stay for three’ in hotels, and ‘pay for five nights and stay for six’ in hotel apartments.
Kendigelen added that these kinds of events benefited not only hotels but the whole city, attracting a large number of tourists from different parts of the world, especially those from neighbouring GCC countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
He described Doha as a ‘top luxury destination’ in the GCC where visitors can feel the true Arabic elegance.
About the rapidly increasing number of hotels in Doha, he said competition is helping them to be more challenging as they prepare for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“Challenges will make us better in our positions and we are seeing a great growth with plans for getting ready for the World Cup,” he pointed out. “Competition at the end of the day is good and it is giving us an opportunity to look at ourselves and how we can be better at the business.”
Citing his long experience in the hotel industry in different countries, Kendigelen underscored the importance of providing unparalleled services and facilities to guests in keeping with the rising competition.