At least 13 hotels, Ramadan tents and tourism establishments have received citations for violating a number of Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) guidelines for the holy month.

In a press statement, QTA noted that it sent a specially trained team to these venues to assess the quality of their tourism experience offering and compliance for Ramadan.

During their visits, inspectors ensured hotel and tourism establishments follow the guidelines set for Ramadan event as part of their marketing efforts.

QTA representatives also evaluated the quality of food, the diversity of dishes and their presentations at Iftar and Suhour. Décor, lighting and quality of Ramadan activities as well as how heavily popular local dishes feature on the menu was also surveyed.

The team also checked if all Ramadan activities held in hotel establishments had received the required licensing from government authorities and adherence to QTA’s instructions.

“We evaluate hotel and tourism establishments on an ongoing basis to ensure we are consistently raising the standards of the hospitality sector in Qatar while perpetuating local heritage in places frequented by tourists,” a QTA spokesperson said.

“Inspections during this period are specifically based on metrics developed by our specialists to ensure licensed tourism establishments are in line with the special practices of the holy month,” he added.

Hotel performance in these evaluations contributes to the selection process at the Annual Tourism Awards hosted by QTA.

QTA maintains regular contact with tourism establishments issuing memos to hotel and tourism establishments with instructions to assist them in ensuring experiences are appropriate to religious and national holidays.