With 100 per cent of hotels in Qatar being certified ‘Qatar Clean’, residents and travellers can now enjoy their stay in the Middle-Eastern nation with one less thing to worry about. By Yagnoseni Das
With the gradual easing of international travel restrictions, this news will come as a relief for travellers planning a trip to Qatar. Every hotel in the country is now ‘Qatar Clean’ certified, according to an official press release. The Qatar Clean programme was established to ensure the highest standard in hygiene and cleanliness. It was launched by Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in June 2020.
QNTC’s Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker and COO Mr Berthold Trenkel marked the milestone by paying a visit to W Doha, the first hotel to be certified Qatar Clean. His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker says, “As we mark one year of our Qatar Clean programme, we are very pleased with its successful implementation […] the programme illustrates how together we are with our stakeholders and therefore have been able to innovate and adapt to the challenges of the past year. Qatar Clean is a key component of our proposition; those in Qatar can enjoy our award-winning hospitality and world-class offerings with their safety assured, and we look forward to welcoming visitors from both near and far.”
Residents and visitors can be assured that the highest standards of health and hygiene are being maintained at Qatar Clean certified venues. To maintain this certification, hotels must comply with the following requirements.
- The hotel’s facility must appoint its own Qatar Clean Programme Manager who will be responsible for supervising staff training and overall compliance with programme requirements.
- Hotels must sterilise their facilities daily; conduct a thorough cleaning and disinfection of all rooms, air conditioning systems, water tanks and toilets; and ensure rigorous sterilisation of guest areas, reception halls and lobbies.
- Ensure minimum contact by opting for digital means of check-in and check-out, and free up space to maintain a distance of at least two metres between individuals.
- Hotels to implement daily temperature checkups of all employees, guests, as well as suppliers. Anyone exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms must immediately be placed in isolation and MOPH should be contacted.
After fully certifying 100 per cent of the hotels, the programme is now reportedly being extended to restaurants as well. Soon enough, it will be rolled out to other sectors, too–transport, retail and culture.
Editor’s Note: Keeping the current situation of the pandemic in mind, T+L India recommends every reader to stay safe, and take all government-regulated precautions in case travel at this time is absolutely necessary. Please follow our stories on COVID-19 for all the latest travel guidelines.
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