Latest news with #WorldTourismOrganization
Qatar Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar Tourism reveals judges for 3rd Qatar Tourism Awards
Qatar Tourism has revealed a distinguished ten-member jury panel of local and international experts for its third edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards. These eagerly awaited awards honour organisations and individuals known for consistently delivering exceptional tourism experiences in Qatar. The Qatar Tourism Awards is an initiative by Qatar Tourism, developed in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), aimed at recognising individuals and businesses across the tourism and hospitality sector in Qatar for their remarkable contributions to service excellence. The panel is tasked with carefully evaluating tourism businesses that demonstrate excellence across seven primary categories: Service Excellence, Gastronomic Experiences, Iconic Attractions and Activities, World-Class Events, Digital Footprint, Smart and Sustainable Tourism, and Community Leadership. These categories, along with 37 sub-categories, reflect key dimensions of both the visitor and resident experience. The jury includes the following distinguished members: HE Vice-Chairman of the Education, Culture, Sport and Information Committee of the Shura Council and the Chairman of the External Affairs, Political and National Security Committee of the Arab Parliament Hamad Al Mulla, OBE, Visit England Director Andrew Stokes, Travel Content Creator Aurelie Bouti, Executive Director SME Development at Qatar Development Bank Dr Hamad Salem Mejegheer, Food and Travel Magazine, Publisher and CEO Gregor Rankin, Director- Regional Office for the Middle East UN Tourism Samer Al Kharashi, Deputy Director, Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department, UN Tourism Marcel Leijzer, CEO of Al Wa'ab City Dr. Abdulla Al Mehshadi, Innovation Expert Ramzan Al Naimi and Dean of the College of Business and Economics at Qatar University Prof. Rana Al Sobh. The carefully selected panel of judges will evaluate submissions expected to surpass last year's total of over 800 entries from across the sector. Winners will receive extensive promotion locally, regionally, and internationally to enhance their visibility. The winners of the third edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards will be revealed during a formal ceremony taking place in November 2025. The Qatar Tourism Awards is open to all businesses and individuals in the tourism sector. The Awards is a benchmark for excellence, highlighting the nation's top tourism offerings, services and innovations and outstanding achievers. It is a chance to help set the standard for the tourism industry and recognize those who elevate Qatar's tourism reputation on the global stage. Winning the prestigious Qatar Tourism Awards is a demonstration of excellence that strengthens brand equity, shapes businesses or careers and to gain nationally and internationally recognition. Submissions are a simple process where the applicants need to answer 5 unique questions and attach supporting documents. The application portal launched on May 19, and the deadline for applications submission is August 7, 2025.
ILoveQatar.net
6 days ago
- Business
- ILoveQatar.net
Qatar Tourism unveils prestigious jury panel for Qatar Tourism Awards 2025
Qatar Tourism has revealed a distinguished ten-member jury panel of local and international experts for its third edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards. These eagerly awaited awards honour organisations and individuals known for consistently delivering exceptional tourism experiences in Qatar. The Qatar Tourism Awards is an initiative by Qatar Tourism, developed in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), aimed at recognising individuals and businesses across the tourism and hospitality sector in Qatar for their remarkable contributions to service excellence. The panel is tasked with carefully evaluating tourism businesses that demonstrate excellence across seven primary categories: Service Excellence, Gastronomic Experiences, Iconic Attractions and Activities, World-Class Events, Digital Footprint, Smart and Sustainable Tourism, and Community Leadership. These categories, along with 37 sub-categories, reflect key dimensions of both the visitor and resident experience. The jury includes the following distinguished members: HE Hamad Al Mulla, Vice-Chairman of the Education, Culture, Sport and Information Committee of the Shura Council & the Chairman of the External Affairs, Political and National Security Committee of the Arab Parliament; Mr. Andrew Stokes, OBE – Visit England Director; Aurélie Bouti, Travel Content Creator; Dr. Hamad Salem Mejegheer, Executive Director SME Development at Qatar Development Bank; Gregor Rankin, Food and Travel Magazine, Publisher & CEO; Samer Al-Kharashi, Director- Regional Office for the Middle East UN Tourism; Marcel Leijzer, Deputy Director, Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department - UN Tourism; Dr. Abdulla Al-Mehshadi Ph.D. Eng., CEO of Al Wa'ab City; Ramzan Al Naimi, Innovation Expert and Prof. Rana Al Sobh, Dean of the College of Business and Economics at Qatar University.
Morocco World
10-06-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco Launches New Star Rating System for All Tourist Accommodations
Rabat – Morocco has officially introduced a new star rating system that will apply to all types of tourist accommodations across the country. This marks the first time that hotels, riads, guest houses, and other lodging options will be classified under a single, internationally recognized star system. The Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy has announced new rules to improve the quality of tourist accommodations across the country. Five new official orders have been published to update the 2015 law on tourist lodging, aiming to give visitors a better and clearer experience. From now on, all types of tourist accommodations will be rated using a star system similar to hotels. This new star rating is easier to understand and follows international standards, which would help tourists choose their stay more confidently, said the ministry in a press release. 'Every type of accommodation, whether Hotels, riads, Hotel clubs, Kasbahs…will now use the same star rating system that travelers recognize worldwide,' said the Minister of Tourism Fatim-Zahra Ammor. The evaluation will focus on buildings and facilities, as well as on the quality of service throughout the guest's stay. To ensure this, mystery visitors will regularly inspect the accommodations using a detailed checklist of up to 800 criteria, developed with the World Tourism Organization. Ratings will no longer be permanent. New establishments will be reviewed every 7 years, and others every 5 years, to maintain high standards. Another new idea introduced is called 'Residences Immobilières Adossées' (RIA). This lets investors build private villas connected to 5-star or luxury hotels, which they can sell to private owners. These villas will be managed by the hotel, offering luxury guests a more private experience. This aims to encourage more investment in Morocco's tourism sector. Ammor said this is step as a big achievement, saying it will help position Morocco as a top tourist destination. 'Morocco is world famous for its hospitality. With these new measures, we are elevating our hospitality standards to match our legendary reputation!' she wrote. Tourism businesses have 24 months to adjust to the new rules. This gives them time to improve their services, train their staff, and prepare for the new inspections. Soon, new rules will also cover other types of lodging like 'bivouacs' (camping sites), home stays, and innovative options such as container homes and cabins. These rules will also include listings on popular booking platforms. Tags: accommodationMoroccoTourism
Ya Biladi
10-06-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Morocco overhauls tourist accommodation regulations with new star-rating system
Morocco's Tourism Ministry has published five new decrees in the Official Bulletin, completing the regulatory framework of Law 80-14 on tourist accommodation. The measures aim to modernize the sector and ensure a high-quality customer experience. All tourist accommodations will now follow a simplified star-rating system aligned with international standards. Guesthouses, tourist residences, and holiday clubs, previously classified under separate categories, will now be rated with stars, like hotels. Riads and Kasbahs will also join this unified system, helping them better showcase their unique offerings. This universal classification brings greater clarity for tourists and more transparency for operators. In addition to infrastructure, service quality becomes a key evaluation criterion, assessed throughout the customer journey. To ensure standards, specialized auditors will conduct regular mystery visits using a detailed evaluation grid of up to 800 criteria, developed with the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism). Classifications will no longer be permanent—they'll be reassessed every seven years for new establishments, and every five years afterward. A major innovation targets 5-star and luxury hotels: «Attached Real Estate Residences» (RIA). This model allows investors to build and sell villas linked to their hotels, offering a private experience for upscale clients while boosting sector investment. Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor called the reform a «decisive step» and noted it was achieved through broad collaboration. «Beyond regulation, this positions Morocco among leading global tourist destinations», she added. Professionals will have 24 months to comply with the new standards, giving them time to upgrade facilities, train staff, and prepare for audits. The framework will soon expand to cover bivouacs, homestays, and alternative lodging (e.g., container homes, cabins), including those listed on digital platforms. These upcoming decrees aim to: Ensure quality and safety through strict guidelines, legally integrate informal operators, and expand lodging options for tourists. This diversification is expected to improve pricing regulation, especially during peak seasons, making tourism more accessible without sacrificing quality.
CairoScene
17-04-2025
- CairoScene
This Ancient ‘Gingerbread Village' Is Carved Into Saudi's Mountains
This Ancient 'Gingerbread Village' Is Carved Into Saudi's Mountains The road from Abha descends through the Asir mountains, curving past ridges softened by mist and valleys stitched with green terraces. Some fifty miles from the city, at the base of a steep incline, lies Rijal Almaa—a village so quiet, so composed, it seems to have emerged fully formed from the stone itself. At first glance, you might miss it. The buildings—tall, stacked, angular—cling to the earth like outcrops, their forms echoing the rhythm of the hills. But then the road straightens, the valley opens, and the village reveals itself in full: towers of stone and clay, rimmed in white, their windows catching the sun like mirrors. For centuries, this place was a resting point—traders passing through from Yemen to the Levant, pilgrims on their way to Makkah and Madinah. The village rose from the necessities of exchange, of shelter, of spiritual pause. Yet what was built here went beyond utility. Today, Rijal Almaa feels less like a crossroads and more like a memory preserved in architecture. There are roughly sixty buildings in the village, many of them rising five, six, even eight stories high. Constructed from dark stone, clay, and wood, the structures are sometimes called "forts," though their elegance makes the word feel too blunt. The façades are studded with white crystal stones. Inside, the walls bloom with Al-Qatt Al-Asiri—a form of geometric mural painting passed down through generations of women. The colours are bright, sometimes clashing, always intentional. The effect is one of quiet rebellion: a burst of expression inside walls meant to keep the desert out. At the center of it all is the Rijal Almaa Heritage Museum, housed in what was once the Al Alwan Palace. Over four centuries old, the building now contains more than 2,000 artifacts—manuscripts, tools, weapons, objects from lives once lived here. Though time frayed its edges, the village never truly disappeared. In recent years, restoration efforts—led by national bodies and supported by the local community—have brought Rijal Almaa into the present without sanding down its character. An open-air theater now hosts performances against a backdrop of stone towers; green spaces spread where once there were only rocks. In 2021, the World Tourism Organization named it one of the best tourism villages in the world. It remains on Saudi Arabia's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status. Despite everything, the feeling Rijal Almaa leaves is older than any plaque or award. Visitors walk narrow alleys where camels once passed. They see the mountains framed through windows once opened to catch the evening light. They move through a village where everything—the towers, the art, the quiet—is still speaking, if you know how to listen.
