QNTC holds townhall with tour guides to develop training programmes

Berthold Trenkel, COO, Qatar National Tourism Council

Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC)’s Service Excellence team hosted a virtual townhall, which was attended by more than 60 licensed tour guides. During the meeting, QNTC unveiled the objectives of its "Service Excellence" programme, which aims to strengthen Qatar's position as a global leader in providing best in class hospitality services. By increasing visitor satisfaction across all touchpoints, the programme works to make Qatar a more attractive tourist destination. The meeting addressed a variety of topics, including the development of a new and improved tour guide training programme, which is due to launch later this year, and illustrates QNTC’s commitment to upskilling Qatar’s front line tourism workers. Further, regular tour guide round tables with QNTC have been established to drive engagement, improve collaboration and ensure the availability of tour guides matching language requirements of tourists. Chief Operating Officer of Qatar National Tourism Council, Berthold Trenkel said: “As a primary representative to the destination, tour guides are one of the main pillars of our Service Excellence programme. Their knowledge and ability to tell effective stories is crucial for enhancing the tourism offerings. They are key to reaffirming Qatar’s position as a destination that offers unforgettable experiences. We look forward to more sustained dialogue with tour guides to help them deliver the best quality service to domestic and international audiences.” Qatar is home to over 100 QNTC licensed tour guides, 25% of these tour guides have already spent more than 3 years in Qatar, are familiar with local customs, and knowledgeable about various tourist attractions in the country. QNTC’s Service Excellence programme aims to collaborate with stakeholders to elevate customer-facing experiences through every touchpoint in the destination. The programme was kicked off with a collaboration with Mowasalat (Karwa) to train their drivers. The tour guide training marks the second phase, and the programme will continue to be rolled out across sectors, training staff in customer service and enhancing their knowledge of the destination’s offerings.