Hospitality professionals get training on receiving guests with special needs

More than 70 professionals from across 4 and 5-star hotels in Qatar have completed a training programme aimed at enhancing their establishment’s readiness and capability to receive and host guests with disabilities. The 15-hour intensive programme was delivered over three days, and addressed various accessibility challenges, including visual and hearing impairments, cognitive and physical disabilities. To mark the completion of the programme’s first round, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs (QSRN) held a recognition ceremony for the participants, which was attended by senior representatives from Qatar’s Ministry of Interior and Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA).“In 2016, QTA introduced a new hotel grading and classification system which directly links the number of stars a hotel has with how accessible it is. The criteria were set based on international best practices and aims to encourage hospitality establishments to prioritise accessibility features in all their development plans,” QTA’s tourism licensing director Mohamed al-Ansari said.“QTA’s system also stipulates that hospitality staff should be qualified in dealing with and hosting disabled guests. As such, we are ensuring that all visitors are made welcome and able to enjoy Qatar’s famed hospitality,” he added.QSRN CEO Amir al-Mulla expressed his pleasure at the fruitful collaboration between QTA and QSRN to deliver this intensive training programme, particularly as it addresses a wide range of disabilities and boosts the tourism sector’s preparedness to host and welcome all guests.