GM Debate
As GM of the Hotelier Great GM Debate’s host hotel, Franzen thinks that one of the hot topics will be the large future pipeline, citing a local press report that identifies 21 new properties due to come on line before 2017.
“That’s a lot of rooms! Qatar has a lot of potential for leisure tourism. We already get a lot of visitors from Saudi Arabia on the weekends, but the European leisure market is still not very well tapped. The Qatar Tourism Authority is working on that. We are nowhere near the UAE, especially Dubai, but with all these hotels coming up, there will be a big push from the government.”
Franzen cites such as events as the Moto GP, the Tour of Qatar and the Islamic Museum as examples of initiatives in place to encourage visitation, as well as the continuing expansion of Qatar Airways’ network and the opening of the new airport this month, with its potential to encourage stopover holidays.
| Advertisement |
“I don’t think [the Qatari government] wants to replicate Dubai’s mass tourism model. It’s more like Oman, they are looking for upscale tourists interested in arts and culture,” he concludes.
The hotel at a glance
- 249 Rooms
- 91 villas
- 65-70% average 2012 occupancy
- 2.2 days average stay
- 60:40 MARKET SEGMENTATION CORPORATE:LEISURE
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
