Doha: Qatar Tourism announced on Thursday the winners of its third annual Tourism Awards at Raffles Doha, honouring those advancing Qatar's global standing. HE Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, stated, "Today, we gather to celebrate excellence, honour dedication, and recognise the exceptional efforts of the professionals driving our tourism sector, which has become a fundamental pillar in delivering Qatar National Vision 2030."

According to Qatar News Agency, since the launch of this award two years ago, the goal was to set a benchmark for excellence and to recognise those who continue to surpass it. Now, in its third edition, this vision is reflected in the remarkable response received, with more than 1,160 nominations submitted. This demonstrates how deeply excellence is embedded within the sector and how widely it is embraced across the industry.

Commenting on the awards, UN Tourism Executive Director, Natalia Bayona, noted that in just three years, these Awards have become a symbol of ambition, celebrating innovation, service excellence, and the people who turn ideas into impact. She highlighted that the Qatar Tourism Awards are more than recognition; they represent a platform for leadership. Bayona also remarked on Qatar's emergence as one of the world's most dynamic destinations, consistently surpassing its pre-2019 visitor levels and accelerating its global tourism momentum.

This year, the Qatar Tourism Awards featured seven categories, ensuring a holistic representation of the visitor experience. The categories included Service Excellence, Gastronomic Experiences, Iconic Attractions and Activities, World-Class Events, Digital Footprint, Smart and Sustainable Tourism, and Community Leadership.

Qatar Tourism had previously announced a 10-member judging panel for this edition, including two senior representatives from UN Tourism. The panel evaluated all submissions following clear criteria set by a specialised team from UN Tourism. Each category was assigned to two judges, who assessed submissions independently without access to each other's scores, a new enhancement introduced this year to further strengthen fairness and accuracy.