Doha: Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) has praised the hotel sector’s commitment to adopting the Qatar Clean programme, announcing that more than 90 percent of the hotel establishments licensed by QNTC have already been certified.
The Qatar Clean programme is one of the initiatives recently launched by QNTC in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) as part of the gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
The initiative furthers QNTCs efforts to revive the tourism sector and provide a safe tourism experience for Qatars visitors and guests.
The programme defines best practices for sterilisation and disinfection in hotel establishments and other tourist and service facilities. The first phase of the programme applies to hotels, while the second phase will extend to all licensed restaurants in the country.
Minister of Public Health, H E Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, said: “Early action, including preventive measures, coordinated efforts and fruitful cooperation among public and private sector partners have helped Qatar achieve remarkable success in mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Qatar Clean is a result of our ongoing cooperation with Qatar National Tourism Council, and we will continue to further develop the programme and expand its application to ensure the provision of safe tourism experiences for citizens, residents and visitors alike.”
For his part, QNTC Secretary-General and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “We welcome the hotel sector’s commitment to this initiative which once again proves Qatar’s ability to adapt in light of the exceptional circumstances the world is going through.The Qatar Clean programme has contributed to encouraging domestic tourism by providing a safe tourism experience to guests, and this has been reflected in the high occupancy rates we are witnessing.”
“Since QNTC launched this ground-breaking initiative in partnership with MoPH, hotels have rushed to meet programmes requirements, and we aim to have 100 percent of our hotels certified Qatar Clean in the coming months,” Akbar Al Baker added.
In the second phase of the programme, the MoPH and QNTC have announced beginning the implementation of Qatar Clean in all restaurants and F&B outlets across the country, alongside several other new health and safety measures including food safety.
These measures include a temporary ban on open buffets, mandatory contactless ordering and payment options, as well as sterilisation and disinfection.
