Immersive industry services to the fore

Tawfeeq Travel celebrating 15 years of operations will unveil the wonders of Qatar at the Arabian Travel Market to be held from May 6 to 9, 2024 at the World Trade Centre. Rehan Ali, CEO, Tawfeeq Travel, sat with TRAVTALK  to share some insights on the industry and summer travel as well as their full services.

TT Bureau

What will you showcase at ATM this year?

We will be showcasing the various wonders of Qatar and how it can be explored through us. From humble beginnings with seven staff and a small office 15 years ago, Tawfeeq Travel Group has witnessed significant growth to emerge as a leading Travel Management Company (TMC) in Qatar with a focus on offering industry-leading service to our customers. It is this singular focus that has made us win the Top Destination Management Company Award for Qatar continuously.

How is ATM important year after year?

ATM is an important event in our yearly calendar as we get to meet our partners, airlines, vendors, and stakeholders from the travel industry. We also got an opportunity to improve ourselves year-on-year by witnessing international and middle eastern trends and benchmarking.

With summer approaching, any update on where people would like to travel?

In summer, we think short break destinations such as Turkey, Dubai, Maldives, Thailand, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia will be the hot selling destinations. Tawfeeq Travel has already sent many group tours to these destinations and many more are in the pipeline.

Is experiential travel taking a leap now?

Yes. We are seeing emerging trends in experiential travel with many customers wanting to go beyond just the tourist traps. There is more interest in immersive experiences, such as going on walking tours with a local, food trails to experience the local cuisine, being sensitive to the environment on treks and hiking tours, learning about the culture by staying at small historic properties, and going the extra mile to learn the different facets of a destination or country.

Do travellers seek sustainable travel sites and hotels?

Sustainability is the most emerging with corporates and travellers seeking eco-friendly venues, minimising waste, reducing carbon footprint, and most importantly, supporting the local small economic players.