(MENAFN - Qatar News Agency) Qatar National Hotels Company (QNH) has renamed its brand to Katara Hospitality, it was announced in this year's Arabian Travel Market, currently held in Dubai.
HE Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, Katara Hospitality Chairman, made the announcement in a press conference earlier on Monday morning, on the sidelines of the event staged in Dubai's International Convention and Exhibition Center (DICEC).
Reviving the name of Katara reflects the rich cultural heritage of Qatar, honors the historical roots of the country, and points to Qatar's "well-known identity beyond the territorial boundaries since ancient times," HE noted.
HE highlighted the growth the Qatari tourism sector has recently witnessed, citing statistics about the number of tourists visiting Qatar and the number of hotels in the country.
"Hotel occupancy rate increased in Qatar in 2011 by 70 %, while more than 1.5 million tourists visited the country," HE told Qatar News Agency (QNA).
HE added that, in 2006, Katara Hospitality owned eight hotels in and out of Qatar, while now it has 24 hotels, with more nine currently under study and design.
HE noted that Katara Hospitality aims to have 60 hotels all over the world by 2030, saying that it currently owns 5300 hotel rooms.
"We have short-and long-term strategies and you will see in the near future that we are expanding quickly," HE said.