00:04I think Qatar is like a hidden gem that people don't know enough about, and when we bring our products,
00:09it brings people with them.
00:14From live cooking demonstrations to the latest technology, Hospitality Qatar offers a glimpse of how the industry is evolving.
00:23Now in its 11th year, the exhibition has brought together 120 companies, including 30 from overseas.
00:30And for the businesses taking part, it's also a chance to look at the challenges ahead.
00:36Actually, what's changing in this industry is the focus on technology and integrating technology to get the best out of
00:44the sector.
00:45So now you integrate technology and AI and everything to make it more productive, to make it less positive, and
00:51so on.
01:03Qatar's hospitality industry has transformed over the past decade with new restaurants, hotels, and a growing tourism market.
01:11But the challenge now isn't just attracting new visitors. It's giving them a reason to come back.
01:17More than 5 million international visitors came to Qatar last year.
01:22And with so many hotels and restaurants to choose from, there's plenty of competition.
01:27For one hotel group, that means rethinking what it offers guests.
01:33We observe that the customer daily, they are looking for more experience.
01:38So for that, we are trying to be more dynamic around our environment here in Qatar, to propose to the
01:45guests to explore Qatar, to go to the event, to explore new places here in Qatar.
01:51And there's another challenge for hotels here.
01:54What visitors think they know about Qatar before they arrive.
01:58The biggest surprise, to be honest, it's always the same thing.
02:02We never thought that Qatar is like this.
02:04They think it's a dessert, but they are well surprised by the hospitality industry here in Qatar.
02:12And hotels are also noticing a change in where their guests are coming from.
02:18We are exploring a new guest market because the market here in Qatar basically is based on the JCC country.
02:26But right now we are observing that a new market is opening to Qatar.
02:31We are seeing more guests coming from Europe, from USA.
02:47It's not just tourists taking an interest in Qatar.
02:51Spain is one of the world's biggest tourism destinations, and its businesses are also looking for opportunities here.
02:58The Spain-Qatar Chamber of Commerce is helping make those connections, with companies bringing everything from food products to technology.
03:08I'd say Spain is really good at socializing and creating business.
03:12So we also like to come into Qatar and make a close relationship with our customers and with our other
03:19members that we have.
03:20So I'd say a great way to be is just to be open and friendly and just create business in
03:25a more laid-back structure, which I think Qatar does really well as well.
03:29And one Spanish company has already found an opportunity.
03:33Barcelona-based Explorance recently opened an office in Doha, bringing its travel technology to the local market.
03:42If you go to the VisitQatar app application, you download, you have opened, there is a session called Wallet.
03:50So all the interactions and like rewards and points related with the tourist experience in the destination is connected to
03:58our technology.
03:58So we're helping them to connect many ecosystems.
04:01So how does that work for visitors?
04:04Well, the idea is to use rewards and incentives to encourage people to try something new.
04:10That could mean discovering a local attraction or business they might otherwise have missed.
04:16So the same, we help them to drive the visitor experience to another place with the same type of interest
04:24or the same amount of activities, but not that much famous on the internet.
04:33For Qatar, the next challenge isn't simply bringing more tourists through the door.
04:39It's making sure they leave with something worth remembering.
