Doha: October 27 - Qatar Tourism has revealed the winners of the Qatar Tourism Awards 2024 to honor the organizations and individuals elevating Qatar as a premier global destination. The winners of the second edition of the awards were announced at a ceremony that was attended by HE Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chair of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Executive Director of UN Tourism, Natalia Bayona, and UN Tourism Regional Director, Middle East, Basma Al Mayman. Developed in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), the Qatar Tourism Awards was launched to celebrate and recognize the remarkable contributions made by businesses and individuals that continually aspire to exemplify service excellence in customer service delivery. They are designed to encourage all industry actors who directly, or indirectly, deliver experiences to Qatar's visitors to emulate exceptional initiatives characterized by uniqueness, sustainability, accessibility, and high-quality service. In his opening remarks, HE Chairman of Qatar Tourism, Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji, emphasized the growing interest of the awards, saying: "we are gathered for the second edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards to celebrate the outstanding contributions of businesses and individuals in creating exceptional tourism experiences. We evaluated over 1200 applicants, reflecting the growing interest from the public to participate in such prestigious awards." HE Al Kharji continued with thanking the panel of judges for their transparency, objectivity and accuracy during the evaluation process. He added, "Qatar Tourism is committed toward a clear strategy aimed at making Qatar one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the region, with service excellence at the heart of our priorities. Qatar Tourism Awards has become a benchmark of excellence, highlighting the best offerings, services, innovations, and achievements in the tourism sector." In his closing, he encouraged all tourism professionals to apply for the next edition of the awards and showcased all the advantages including full access to the Winners Alumni Network. This year, the Qatar Tourism Awards expanded from three to seven categories to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive representation of the visitor experience. The categories this year include Service Excellence, Gastronomic Experiences, Iconic Attractions, World- Class Events, Digital Footprint, Smart and Sustainable Tourism, and Community Leadership. Winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges, where they meticulously evaluated the businesses and individuals that excelled in each of the categories. This year's edition featured a new category, Tourism Influencer Award, included to celebrate the talented content creators who have brilliantly showcased Qatar's vibrant culture and unique experiences to the world. Source: Qatar News Agency