Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has honoured its long-serving employees, who have spent between five and 20 years in service, at the QTA Annual Staff Meeting held in Doha. 
QTA chief tourism development officer Hassan Abdulrahman al-Ibrahim awarded 33 staff members and thanked them on behalf of the authority’s chairman and all employees for their loyalty and commitment over the past years.
On the occasion, al-Ibrahim said: “The tourism industry has seen many developments in 2015, such as the unveiling of the Qatar First Destination Brand and joining the Cruise Arabia Alliance. And, as we are celebrating these accomplishments and readying for more growth in 2016, it was a must to recognise those who have witnessed the development of QTA for more than a decade and are credited for this growth, thanks to their hard work and dedication.” 
In a statement, QTA said it “recently experienced remarkable growth” in line with the development of Qatar’s tourism industry, which the country’s leadership has identified as a priority in pursuit of a diversified national economy. 
In 2015, QTA established an Investment Promotions Unit, in addition to a Festival and Tourism Events department. The year was also highlighted by the launch of QBIC-Tourism - a business incubator specialised in supporting businesses that contribute to enhancing the Qatar tourism experience – in addition to the opening of the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. 
The year which passed by also witnessed significant developments on the global stage, with Qatar being selected by the UNWTO as the official host of World Tourism Day in 2017. In addition, the World Economic Forum ranked Qatar as the second most competitive travel and tourism destination in the Mena region in its 2015 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report.