ADTA hosts workshop to brief initiatives on raising quality standards

The workshop provided an opportunity to the key decision-makers of hotel apartments to gain more meaningful insights into the service and quality standards for the upkeep of the hospitality properties and providing a unique experience to the visitors in line with the ADTA's vision.

The workshop comes as part of ADTA's role in boosting the hospitality sector of the emirate, which is a key pillar of the tourism industry.

Mr. Nasser Saif Al Riyami, ADTA's Director of Licensing & Classification Department, said: "The ADTA is committed to organising specialized seminars, conferences and workshops aimed at qualifying the staff in the emirate's hospitality sector and enhancing their awareness. The workshop for housekeeping managers was specifically aimed at enhancing the service levels extended to guests on par with international standards, and to further boost the luxury tourism sector."

Mr. Al Riyami said that the workshop was aimed at supporting the international criteria outlined by the tourism industry to assure all visitors a truly enriching tourist experience. The training programmes complement the tourism promotion activities undertaken by Abu Dhabi to further develop the emirate as an international tourist destination.

Mohammed Youssef, Head of Classification Section, ADTA, said the training programmes meet one of the demands pertaining to hotel classification and will help boost the tourist sector. Abu Dhabi's hotels already enjoy a marked superiority to hospitality projects in other countries in terms of facilities offered, architectural elegance and the natural bounty supporting them.

Sultan Al Awani from the Classification Sector at ADTA and a trainer at the workshop said ADTA's vision of developing tourism as a key revenue earner will further position the emirate in the world tourism map by promoting sustainable tourism.

The workshop, prepared and presented by qualified UAE national cadres from the Classification Team at ADTA including Sultan al Awani and Jawaher Obeid, discussed the current status of hotel institutions by identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and offered practical solutions that are in line with ADTA's tourism promotion plans.

A presentation on the Classification System scheduled for use in June, 2008, was revealed at the workshop including the conditions and criteria stipulated. Standards of hygiene, assigning responsibilities and supervisory patterns were other aspects discussed.

The workshop also shed light on how to employ workers, assign responsibilities and roles, use the methods of control, supervise room cleaning and deal with the nature of work and the timeline for implementing a proposed plan.

The laws and rules regulating the licensing and classification operations were also explained with special focus on Law no. 13 of 2006 with respect to control over tourist institutions and the law-appended table of fines.

The participants expressed their admiration for the programme in offering practical solutions that also enable them to further advance their careers.