Chairman of Qatar Tourism H E Saad bin Ali Al Kharji (centre) with Akbar Al Baker (right) during the award ceremony.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Tourism has announced the winners of the third edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards, during a celebratory ceremony held at Raffles Doha on November 26.
The event honoured the organisations and individuals who continue to elevate Qatar’s position as a leading global destination.
This year’s winners were recognised in the presence of Chairman of Qatar Tourism H E Saad bin Ali Al Kharji; CEO of Visit Qatar Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al Mawlawi; Chief of Tourism Development at Qatar Tourism Omar Al Jaber; Executive Director of UN Tourism H E Natalia Bayona; Director of the UN Tourism Regional Office for the Middle East H E Samer Al Khraishi.
Launched two years ago, the Qatar Tourism Awards were created to celebrate and recognise the exceptional contributions of businesses and individuals who set the highest standards of service excellence. The programme honours those whose outstanding achievements enhance visitor experiences and help reinforce Qatar’s reputation as a leading global destination.
Al Kharji said: “Today, we gather to celebrate excellence, honour dedication, and recognise the exceptional efforts of the professionals driving our tourism sector, which has become a fundamental pillar in delivering Qatar National Vision 2030. Since the launch of this award two years ago, our goal was to set a benchmark for excellence and to recognise those who continue to surpass it. Now, in our third edition, this vision is reflected in the remarkable response we received, with more than 1,160 nominations submitted, demonstrating how deeply excellence is embedded within our sector and how widely it is embraced across the industry”.
Commenting on the awards, Bayona said: “In just three years, these Awards have become a symbol of ambition, celebrating innovation, service excellence, and the people who turn ideas into impact. The Qatar Tourism Awards are more than recognition; they are a platform for leadership. This spirit of excellence is also reflected in Qatar’s emergence as one of the world’s most dynamic destinations, consistently surpassing its pre-2019 visitor levels and accelerating its global tourism momentum”.
This year, the Qatar Tourism Awards featured seven categories, ensuring a holistic representation of the visitor experience. The categories included: Service Excellence, Gastronomic Experiences, Iconic Attractions and Activities, World-Class Events, Digital Footprint, Smart and Sustainable Tourism, and Community Leadership.
Akbar Al Baker was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement in Tourism award. Qatar Tourism had previously announced the judging panel for this edition, a distinguished group of ten national and international industry experts, including two senior representatives from UN Tourism.
