Earlier this year we were delighted to partner with Qatar Tourism to host the Tropical Sky Reward Trip. It’s always a tightly fought battle to secure a place on this annual incentive trip – with every team member vying for position. The final twenty were selected and packed their bags, along with the Tropical Sky board members, and flew direct either from Dublin or Heathrow with the award-winning Qatar Airlines.

On the first morning, the team enjoyed a ‘City and Culture’ tour, including visits to the Sheikh Faisl Museum, Msheirb Museum and Katara Cultural Village to learn all about the history and culture of Qatar, followed by some much-deserved downtime to snooze in the sun. One of our Sales Specialists, Roisin, says she enjoyed the National Museum of Qatar and the Katara Cultural Village.

Later in the afternoon they were taken for a wander around the Souq Waqif, where they soaked up the sights and smells of the wonderful spice stalls and browsed the displays of handicrafts and traditional clothing. They really loved the buzzy atmosphere and colours of the lanterns hanging through the stalls. After dark, there was also a rather unique parade, with costumes and music – very entertaining to watch!

Another highlight of the trip was an adventure in the desert, which was loved by all. The adrenalin junkies loved the 4x4 racing through the dunes, whereas the quieter team members loved a glorious swim in the sea. Lunch at the desert camp was included, with lots of delicious traditional cuisine right by the water.

Our Operations Executive, Sandra, really enjoyed the dune bashing: "The dune race was very exhilarating - and the reward at the end to see the Inland Sea was 100% worth it. That to me was my show stopper moment of the trip"'.

Eating and drinking is always a key part of any trip, and Qatar had so much to offer. From local, Middle Eastern cuisine to swanky restaurants in first-class hotels, there is so much incredible food to enjoy. Many raved about their dinner at Mr Tailor in the Rixos Hotel, with sizzling steak and all the trimmings, whilst others were wowed by lunch at the Ritz with its freshly caught seafood and panoramic views. Sandra was really impressed with the food: "We had an excellent Middle Eastern buffet at the Beach Club after our dune experience. So many different dishes in lots of different little bowls - it was just amazing!"

One of our Directors, Chris, loved dining outside of the hotels too: “I fully recommend dining like a local, and where better than the Old Souq. The food here is not only divine, but great value for money too. I enjoyed strolling through the alleys to grab some chicken on steel skewers – the baked breads and hummus is to die for too. The local spiced rice dish, Machboos is also delicious, and I love anything cooked in a clay pot called Fahsa. The atmosphere in the Old Souq is electric, and dining al fresco is a great experience.”

Two of our Sales Specialists, Karen and Lucy, also loved time spent in the Old Souq, noting that the atmosphere felt safe and friendly, with lots of fabulous stalls in browse and enjoy. They also loved the food available, with a special shout out to the fabulous sushi at the Ritz.   

A few of us enjoy golf, and there was time to explore Qatar’s two main golf courses, Doha Golf Club and Education City. Doha Golf Club is a top Middle East golf destination and has hosted prominent European and Asian tour events. Our team enjoyed the well-maintained course with its skillful designs and challenging holes, as well as the warm hospitality. Meanwhile, they liked that Education City’s meticulous greens rivalled world-class standard courses, and felt this plus Doha GC offered an affordable and excellent Middle Eastern golfing duo.

Our Sales Training Manager, Nicola, really loved her time in Qatar: “Qatar for me was a most fabulous experience, from the minute we arrived to the moment we left, I loved it.  Driving through a city with tall unique buildings with dhows floating in the water whilst the sun was shining.  I absolutely loved the buzz at the Souq Waqif, it was full of colourful umbrellas and lanterns hung from heights, had amazing outdoor dining and some great entertainment too. The food wherever we went was delightful – lots of tapas style dishes with fresh fish and spicy flavours.  The highlight of the trip for me was the half day Dune bashing excursion – we were collected from our hotel, enjoyed racing in a 4x4 in the dunes and then had a fabulous swim in the sea and lunch, I just wish I could have stayed there as the overnight accommodation looked exciting.”

All in all, everyone loved their time spent in Qatar, and came back inspired to book fabulous holidays to this cultural mecca with our customers.