With the reopening of the airspace between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, a positive international travel intent to the three GCC countries has been reported by travel data expert Sojern. When looking at global flight searches to these three destinations the last few weeks has shown a steep incline in search volumes inbound to Qatar.
Although domestic travel is leading the way for Qatar, regional hotel searches show that the next two top MEA countries for looking to book a stay in Qatar are the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Mikel Ibrahim, Executive Assistant Manager, Mondrian Doha, mirrors that. “Following the recent restoring of diplomatic ties, we expect to see a significant spike in the number of visitors from across the GCC to Qatar, and Mondrian will be on the list of the must-visit destinations: it is an epicentre for fine dining, exclusive rooms and wellness offer, with the bespoke design by Marcel Wanders that makes Mondrian Doha a heaven for the art lovers and aesthetes.
“Mondrian Doha is also home to world-known and high-end dining brands, Morimoto, led by Masahuru Morimoto and supervised in Doha by award-winning Executive Chef Timur Fazilov, offering the most refined and inventive Japanese style cuisine to all high-end dining lovers, and CUT by Wolfgang Puck who are leaders in the fine fusion dining scene overseen by popular favourite, Executive Chef Justin Yu.
“Our aim is to create the hospitality icon of the 21st Century that is within one of the world’s most exciting urban developments”
– Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani
“We are also regularly collaborating with the artists and launching events and exhibitions that showcase Mondrian’s art-focused ethos, much appreciated in the region – and in the world. We will make sure to remain active in this sphere in the months to come, for our guests to enjoy a full Mondrian experience.”
FOOTBALL CRAZE
The FIFA World Cup 2022 is sure to see occupancy soaring. Deep Kumar, Director of Sales and Marketing, Dusit Doha Hotel, says, “The fast-approaching FIFA World Cup 2022 and The International Horticultural Exhibition EXPO 2023 will undoubtedly have an important – and positive - impact on the hospitality industry in Qatar. All hotels are eagerly preparing for both these much-awaited events, which are excellent opportunities for Qatar’s hotels to demonstrate their quality and distinction. These global events also bring incredible incentives for the country’s hospitality industry to prosper and to showcase Qatar’s tourism potential to the rest of the world.”
KATARA-ACCOR SIGNING
Katara Hospitality, a leading global hotel owner and operator based in Qatar, announced a new partnership with Accor, a world-leading hospitality group with the two-fold signing of Raffles and Fairmont hotels in Qatar.
The management agreement, signed by Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman of Katara Hospitality and Sebastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO of Accor, will see the properties open in 2022.
“Katara Hospitality is one of the first investors that understood the significance of the project, committing to developing the hospitality icon of Doha for the 21st Century in the State of Qatar. We are confident the ethos of Accor brand is a strategic fit for this iconic project as it is important that we have an operator who understands our vision and strategy, while ensuring it occupies its rightful position in the local and global marketplaces when it opens next year,” said Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani.
“The world’s most loved cities are often identified through imagery and landmark buildings. We strongly believe the property we are developing will provide Qatar with an architectural symbol that is known and understood right across the globe. Our aim is to create the hospitality icon of the 21st Century that is within one of the world’s most exciting urban developments. Our vision is to set new standards that go beyond the borders of the hospitality industry and provide a landmark location that is instantly recognised internationally,” he added.