Travel agent interview: NM Shafiq

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Shafiq: Regency Travel is the only Doha travel agency to open 24/7 every day of the year.

N.M. Shafiq, operations manager at Regency Travel in Doha talks recruitment problems and explains why the agency's one-stop-shop concept is a success.

Regency Travel is one of Doha's largest travel companies. Is further expansion on the cards?

We already have 22 offices in Doha, including implants [in companies] and we are opening eight more outlets by the end of the year. We are basically looking to open offices around shopping malls; one will be opening in the City Centre Mall in about six months, and we are looking at other malls as well.

We might go with a kiosk, or something similar to what we have in our main office. We have just won the PSA for Virgin Atlantic; we are the GSA for Kingfisher Airlines; and pretty soon we will be the GSA for South African Airways. We will be representing them in Qatar.

How many members of staff do you employ?

At the moment we have 157 staff but we are looking to double that number as soon as possible. The problem is finding good staff in this region - it has become a nightmare. Though you have high salaries because of the escalating rents in Doha, the [high] cost of living here is discouraging people from working in Qatar or the Middle East.

Have salaries reflected the increasing rents in Qatar?

Salaries have really gone up, in fact we have increased our salaries by 40% and upwards. We have even doubled the salaries of some employees but it's still really difficult to find staff. That is the story across the GCC, but we are feeling the pinch because our operation is quite big and we have to open new branches and new locations and need the manpower.

We are looking at new [source] countries like Ethiopia, as well as the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. We're also looking at Africa. You get some really good people from South Africa and North Africa, particularly Arab nationals, but getting them on board is a nightmare. Many Arab nationals are choosing professionals other than travel.

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