Qatar to host 2023 ITT conference next June

ITT chair Steven Freudmann revealed the destination and venue at the institute’s conference in Istanbul on Thursday (16 June).

The event will be held at the Waldorf Astoria Lusail in Qatar’s capital Doha over 5-7 June.

"As always, it’s going to be held in a world class hotel in a unique setting in spectacular surroundings," said Freudmann.

Istanbul delegates will get a £200 discount on booking for the 2023 conference, Freudmann added. There will also be deals available with Qatar Airways.

Qatar previously hosted the event in 2004, when it was held at the Ritz Carlton Qatar. It will be the ITT’s 28th, with the event dating back to the mid-90s.

‘Transformation’

Phil Dickinson, vice-president international markets at Qatar Tourism, said those who went back in 2004 "would notice a transformational difference" in the destination, latterly spurred by Qatar being granted the 2022 World Cup.

This includes more than 100 new hotels, new theme parks and attractions, a new grand cruise terminal, a state of the art metro system – effectively, said Dickinson, a "new, modern city".

Dickinson said Qatar’s aim is to grow its tourist arrivals threefold to six or seven million compared with pre-pandemic visitation.

A new travel agency training programme is launching in July, with 19 deals already signed with the trade to support the destination’s ambitions.