Stenden University Qatar (SUQ) will host next month an international tourism conference covering major sectors such as family and business tourism, cultural, sun and beach, sports, education, health and environmental tourism.

The event is being organised in conjunction with Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (Artic), part of Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al Thani’s Al Faisal Holding group, and the European Tourism Futures Institute (ETFI).

The summit entitled “Tourism in Tomorrow’s World: What the future holds for tourism in the region” will be held under the patronage of the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani and in partnership with the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) at the Renaissance Doha City Centre hotel on February 23 and 24.

The event was launched today (January 5) by Professor Robert Coelen, VP International & executive dean of Stenden University Qatar; Hassan Al-Ibrahim, director of Strategy Development at QTA; and Nicolas Frangos, chief operating officer of Artic.

The conference will also address relevant cultural topical issues such as that of political tourism following the Arab Spring, as well as new industry developments and trends in the GCC and factors which can affect tourism in the region.

The purpose of the conference is to underline the importance of tourism for Qatar and the region, focusing on Qatar’s recent tourism growth and showcasing its authentic culture, identity and heritage and focus on sustainability.

The conference, which will become an annual event, will feature internationally renowned tourism experts as keynote speakers.

On a global scale, tourism is significantly one of the largest industries in the world and contributes 9 per cent of the world’s GDP and provides 260 million jobs, with one in 11 being tourism-related. QTA has predicted there will be up to 127,000 hospitality jobs in Qatar by 2030.

As Qatar emerges as a tourism hub in the region – with 81 hotels currently in Doha and another 110 under construction – the conference will spotlight the importance of the tourism industry as a career of choice.

In addition, with Qatar’s endeavors to diversify its economy in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, and its extensive construction and infrastructure development, hotels are becoming the virtual ambassadors for Qatar’s tourism industry as business people from across the world flock to Qatar.

The conference will also showcase major players in tourism and hospitality locally and internationally.

“This dynamic conference is the first of its kind in the region and will attract the world’s leading experts in hospitality and tourism to discuss important key trends, and the crucial role Qatar is to play in this sector in the near future,” said Coelen.

“Hospitality and tourism will be an increasingly important aspect of Qatar’s economic diversification and it is vital we ensure our young people are properly educated and trained to take on meaningful careers in hospitality and tourism.

“Stenden University Qatar has an unrivalled reputation for the placement of its students in some of the top tourism and hospitality organisations in the world.  Working closely with government, hotels and businesses throughout Qatar we want ensure that young people working in the industry are of world-class standards with the ability to become the leaders in their fields in the future.”

Al-Ibrahim said: “Sectorial human capital development is also a priority of QTA. With the amount of hotels and other tourism products and services currently under development, Qatar’s hospitality industry will be able to offer young people ambitious roles in international groups to provide a meaningful career path for life.”

Stenden University Qatar (SUQ) is a leading vocational hospitality and international business management college as well as a major institution for hospitality and tourism training in the Gulf. – TradeArabia News Service