EXPLORE: MOROCCO

MARKET UPDATE 2INVESTIGATION: Adventure Tourism 3VISIT: Sharjah/Umm Al Quwain/Ajman 4EXPLORE: Morocco 12ONSITE: Malaysia 14TRAVEL TALK 16TRAVEL CHANNELS 17TOUR: Ireland 18EXCLUSIVE: Business Travel 21LONG HAUL: New York 20WHO’S MOVED 22RENDEZVOUS 23NEWS & EVENTS 24

INVESTIGATION:ADVENTURE  TOURISM

APRIL 2011 ISSUE 18

VISIT: AjmanVISIT: Ajman

Middle East and North Africa Edition

www.traveltradeweekly.travel

Many pursuing the journey of their lifetime spurnlavish hotels and repetitive sightseeing tours.Instead more and more step out of their comfortzone by involving exploration and travel to remoteareas to discover what is more to the world.

The travel industry in Morocco has experienceda boom in the past 10 years thanks to Vision2010, a long-term plan designed to boost thedevelopment of tourism in the country.

In This Issue

88

33

1010

As the smallest of the seven emirates, Ajman has promoteditself as a destination rich with natural beauty and

an unspoilt coastline, offering relaxing resorts away from the bustling larger emirates.

April 2011, Issue 18

The group’s total revenue rose toEUR27.3 billion (USD38.9 billion),marking a year-on-year increase of 22.6percent, while the total operating profitgrew to EUR876 million (USD1.25

billion), representing more than a fivefold increase from2009. Net profit reached EUR1.1 billion (USD1.57billion) leading to a strong balance sheet and a successfulyear, Christoph Franz, chairman and CEO, DeutscheLufthansa, commented on the results. “We can be highly satisfied with this result; it shows thatwe have learned from the crisis of the past. Wemaintained our financial and operational flexibility aswell as our usual cost discipline and convincinglymastered the past year – not least thanks to a strong teamperformance by all of our staff and management on theground and in the air. And most importantly, Lufthansahas widened the gap to its competitors. That makes usproud and spurs us on to perform even better in 2011.”The group projects further increasing in both revenues

and operating figures.“2011 will not be a walk in the park. Theheadwinds of competition are becomingrougher on the European routes and long-

haul routes to Asia and the Americas,” added Franz.“The German air traffic tax hits the German andEuropean airlines, as well as their passengers, where ithurts. The fuel prices are at record levels. And we are notimmune to the consequences of political unrest, terroristattacks and natural disasters. The Lufthansa Group willface up to these challenges and maintain its successfulcourse in 2011; after all, the past year has shown that wepossess the necessary expertise.”

APRIL 20112

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.95Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1509.5Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.71Syria (SYP) Pound 46.65Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.28Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.38Morocco (MAD) Dirham 7.96Iran (IRR) Riyal 10,333Yemen (YER) Rial 215.05Algeria (DZD) Dinar 71.59Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.22

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 22/3/2011Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLYManaging Editor

Mary Kammitsimary@traveltradeweekly.travel

JournalistsRita Kasziba

Duncan MacRaeMarianna Keen

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingDimitris Thomaidis

DirectorsAndreas Constantinides

Mary Kammitsi

HeadquartersP.O. Box 25255

Nicosia 1308 CyprusTel: +357 22 820888Fax: +357 22 318958

Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

Emailsinfo@traveltradeweekly.travel

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P.O. Box 58300CY-3732, Limassol, Cyprus

Tel: +35725720035Fax: +35725720123

Email: info@cyprint.com.cy

CWT: Global Business Travel ProspersCarlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), the global business travel management company has recordedstrong performance in 2010, reflecting the rise of business travel. The sales volume increased by 13.5 percent compared to 2009 and reached USD24.3 billion, whilethe number of transactions managed by CWT rose by 11.9 percent year on year. CWT recordedgrowth in each region, with Asia Pacific outperforming the other markets. EMEA (Europe, MiddleEast, Africa) expericed a 6.6 percent increase, indicating a gradual economic growth in that region.The company retained 96 percent of its clients’ business and recorded USD1.8 billion in annualisednew sales, excluding renewals. Douglas Anderson, president and CEO, CWT, commented on theresults. “Our growth in 2010 was driven by our success in retaining our clients, winning newbusiness and of course, a more favourable economic environment. These excellent results wereparticularly significant in 2010 as there were many travel disruptions including heavy snow falls inEurope and the US and the Iceland volcano eruption. 2011 will certainly bring more challengesbut our global teams are well positioned to continue to serve our clients effectively.”CWT’s annual Travel Management Priorities survey projects that contain travel spending in thelight of the current economic situation will rank as top priority among travel buyers, and it liststraveller compliance, optimising online adaption and generating both air and ground transportationsaving as their main concerns.

Lufthansa Records Fivefold Increase in Operating ProfitLufthansa Group has recorded strong performance, ending the 2010 business year with operatingprofit in all business segments.

Our growth in 2010 was driven by our success in retaining our clients, winning new business and of course,

a more favourable economic environment

We can be highly satisfied with thisresult; it shows that we have learned

from the crisis of the past

3APRIL 2011

The Middle East and NorthAfrica has long appealed totravellers with its lureattractions and luxuryproperties. However, the region

has gained popularity among adventure touristswilling to get off the beaten tracks and discoversomething different. Along with the rapidlygrowing popularity of adventure tourism,numerous agencies and operators have emergedin the region in response to the increasingdemand on discovering scenic and untouchedlocations in an original way.Balloon Adventures Emirates offers a uniqueexperience where the balloons take off from themiddle of the arid area to give a fascinating view.Peter Kollar, managing director, elaborates moreon the product. “In 2010, 4,000 visitorsexperienced this peerless adventure. We havebeen doing ballooning for over 20 years, and nowwe are looking at alternative locations within theUAE and possibly the wider MiddleEast. Adventure tourism that has mostly been therealm of western tourists becomes more andmore attractive for Asian clients as those marketsmature and clients look increasingly for things todo in the UAE and will no longer be satisfiedwith the usual desert safari, cruising andshopping,” added Kollar. Absolute Adventure, the Dubai based adventuretravel organiser, expedition management companyand outdoor training course provider, also tends tooffer unparalleled activities. Paul Oliver, managingdirector, comments on what adventure travel todayincludes. “I started Absolute Adventure in 2004.And our first year consisted solely on overseas tripssuch as Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, MtToubkal in Morocco, trekking in Yemen andadventure tours to Afghanistan. In 2005, Idiscovered a traditional stone lodge at the back of

Dibba beach in the Musandam. This became ourAdventure Centre from where we launched manyshort local adventures. These include rockclimbing, trekking, mountain biking, sea kayaking,coasteering and canyoing. The tiny island of Socotra, Yemen, is highlyprotected due to its natural aspects. The islandwhich is recognised as a world natural heritagesite by the UNESCO, is often described as themost alien-looking place on the Earth. Nagib Al-Abse, general manager, Socotra Holidays ToursAgency explains as to why. “I would say thatSocotra is the heaven on the globe. The island hasa unique and rich wild life, nature, birds,mountains, beaches, sand dunes, fauna and flora.In addition, Socotra has over 900 plants andtrees, more than 300 of them found nowhere elsebut in this island.” Due to the unparalleled appeal of the isolatedisland, the agency specialises on tailor-madeservices. “Our agency, located in Hadibo, offersunlimited world of adventures and activities fornature lovers, such as diving, fishing, surfing,windsurfing, swimming with dolphins, boattrips, bicycle, caving trekking tours and rides,”added Al-Abse. Socotra, alongside with Yemen is not short ofquality attractions that appeal for both adventure

seekers and holidaymakers, Noman Al Arasi, theowner of Yemen Trek Tours, elaborates on theirservices. “We are a team of skilled guides anddrivers, organising both treks and classical tours.We also offer great trips for mountain biking,climbing, paragliding in addition to memorablejourneys to the wonderful island of Socotra.” The arid deserts, boundless sand dunes andpicturesque coastline of the oldest Gulf state,Oman also stands all demands of those withadventurous spirit, claims Aziza Kartoubi, salesand marketing manager of Musandam SeaAdventure Travel & Tourism.“The majority of our clients are from Germany,Austria, Italy, England, France, furthermore,from India, GCC and other Arabic countries.Our services include among others dhow cruiseto spectacular fiords and mountain safari to JebelHarim.”Jordan has long been regarded as a primedestination for adventure travellers. According toSara Noor, media and communications officer,Jordan Tourism Board, the country continues togain popularity among adventure seekers.“Adventure tourism is expanding at a fast rate inJordan and promises to remain one of the mostdynamic and innovative travel industry sectorsfor years to come,” said Noor.“Jordan offers adventure seekers a host of uniqueexperiences that compete on the internationallevel; for example, rock climbing in Wadi Rumor deep sea diving in Aqaba. Adventure tourismis an extremely important part of experiencesoffered in Jordan, especially during the summermonths. Jordan boasts a number of suitable spots foradventure seekers, like Wadi Mujib, Wadi Rum,Petra, Dana and Aqaba.”

Pushing the BoundariesMany pursuing the journey of their lifetime spurn lavish hotels and repetitive sightseeing tours. Instead more and more step outof their comfort zone by involving exploration and travel to remote areas to discover what is more to the world.

Rita Kasziba writes

- Adventure Travel

n

The third largest emirate in theUAE has succeeded in displayinga mix of tradition and naturalheritage with recently emergedcommercial developments, and

international tourist flow which has subsequentlygrown significantly.Since 1997, Sharjah Commerce and TourismDevelopment Authority (SCTDA) has promotedSharjah as the ideal tourism destination in theGulf for those wishing to experience the trueculture, rituals and lifestyle of the Arab region innatural surroundings. With commercial andstructural developments now well underway,officials appear keen for Sharjah to retain itsenvironmental focus by lowering its carbonfootprint and promoting energy efficiency.A total of 12 locations across the emirate hosted

the Sharjah Light Festival, organised by SCTDA,in February 10-18, in which music and lightshows illuminated the emirate’s Islamicarchitecture and culture, with a 51 percent(approximately 321 kilowatts) reduction in dailyelectricity consumption. Mohamad Ali AlNoman, director general, SCTDA, remarked onSharjah’s world tourism status, aided by the firstsuch light festival in the Middle East. “The Sharjah Light Festival turned the spotlight onthe emirate’s magnificent architectural heritage andhistory in a way that was never done before in theregion. By using special techniques and savingenergy, this unusual festival of light also tried topromote environmental awareness and energyconservation.”Considering the UAE’s commitment to the goalsof the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI),

announced on March 13, the region looks set tocontinue this sustainable trend. According to thememorandum, the UAE government willprovide USD15 million in green growth fundsover the next three years.In addition to moving towards more sustainablebusiness practices, Sharjah also endorsescreativity. Among its cultural backing activities,the SCTDA has sponsored the Sharjah Forumfor Emirati Talents, which promotes young localtalent and creativity and was held for the firsttime at Al Qasba from March 2-5. Thedevelopment is anticipated to have a positiveimpact on economic growth and partnershipformation in the emirate. “This is a hugebeginning,” added Al Noman.

EventsSharjah participated at ITB Berlin, which washeld March 9-13, where the emirate focused onprocuring networking ties and promotingtourism. The event featured Sharjah Investmentand Development Authority (Shurooq), whichis set to promote Al Qasba as a defining tourisminitiative, along with other unique projectsunder its management. Shurooq’s involvementat ITB Berlin was focused on expandinginvestment in Sharjah, including endeavoring toopen new investment markets and reinforceeconomic collaboration. The Sharjah stand atITB Berlin included the Heritage Village, whichshowed off traditional activities like henna andperformance by folk artists. “The warm responseto the Sharjah stand at the ITB Berlin, and itsselection for the Best Middle East ExhibitorAward this year shows that we have beensuccessful in our [promotional] attempts,” saidAl Noman.Further endorsing the emirate and the Sharjah LightFestival, SCTDA, in February, planned a tour formore than 30 media representatives from severalinternational and local audio-visual mediadelegations, involving a visit to the festival shows’locations.

APRIL 20114

- Sharjah

Staying Strong with a Cultural and Environmental Signature Following a recorded eight percent rise in international tourist flow into Sharjah, the emirate’s position as the hub of cultureand heritage in the UAE appears to be flourishing. Sharjah has excelled in endorsing itself as a safe, tradition-rich haven fortravellers, far from the turbulence experienced in some parts of the Arab world. Travel Trade Monthly investigates theinnovative projects recently launched in the emirate.

Marianna Keen writes

The warmresponse

to theSharjah

stand at theITB Berlin,

and itsselection

for the BestMiddle East

ExhibitorAward thisyear shows

that we have beensuccessful

in our[promotional]

attempts

Sharjah in BriefCurrency: UAE Dirhams (AED)Language: Arabic

The final destination of the tour was Al Qasba, whichfeatures the Eye of the Emirates, a 60m highobservatory wheel commissioned by the QasbaDevelopment Authority. The international mediadelegation of the tour in Sharjah embodied the UK,Germany, Russia and Switzerland, whereas localdelegation included UAE media. The purpose of thetour lay not just in promoting the show, but alsoenhancing the collaboration among local andinternational media with a view of expandingtourism. The SCTDA has recently been associatedwith several events and activities that directly orindirectly promote commerce and tourism sectors inthe emirate, including the Sharjah Heritage Days, theSharjah International Show Jumping Competition,the Emirates Festival of Children’s Theatre andClassic Cars Exhibition.According to SCTDA statistics, more than 1.55million tourists visited Sharjah in 2010,amounting to eight percent growth since 2009.42 percent of visitors came from Europe, withthe number of German tourists coming toSharjah having increased by 121 percent in thepast six years. In 2010, the emirate attracted 204,340 touristsfrom Russia, only second to the 300,000 visitorsfrom Germany. The SCTDA took part in the18th MITT exhibition, in Moscow, 16 - 20March, with the hope of attracting even moreinternational visitors. “Interestingly, 24 percentof visitors came from neighbouring Gulfcountries,” added Al Noman.

AirlinesHousam Raydan, corporate communicationsand customer relations manager, Air Arabia,commented that visitor numbers have not beenaffected by political protests and unrest in someparts of Africa and the Middle East. “We havenot cancelled any of our flights. We continuallyadjust our flight schedule to better accommodatecustomer needs during such times.”Highlighting the unwavering situation, Air Arabiahas recently increased flights between Sharjahand Kenya to daily, and will soon increase flightsto Kiev to daily. In the coming months, the lowcost airline also plans to announce more routes to

Sharjah. “Low cost carrier (LCC) travel hasbecome a reality in this part of the world and isgoing from strength to strength,” added Raydan.The low cost airline, NASAir, whose operationsto Sharjah commenced in 2008, has noted a mixof international passengers on flights to Sharjahand Abu Dhabi, with a high proportion comingfrom Saudi Arabia. Both leisure and businesstravellers are recorded to have taken advantageof the airline’s low fares and convenient onlinebooking. Simon Stewart, CEO, NASAircommented on the planned future growth of thecompany. “As we have a new aircraft delivery planwe are constantly reviewing our network forfurther opportunities. Sharjah is a great route forus, as is Abu Dhabi and Dubai, so we may look

to expand further into the UAE over the next 12months. It is possible that unrest in other areashas made the UAE a more attractive destinationfor leisure traffic compared to other routes on ournetwork.” Ratan Ratnakar, vice president, marketdevelopment and pricing for Gulf MEA, JetAirways, also remarked on the opportunity forgrowth in the region. “We have seen the growthopportunity in Sharjah as we currently operate adaily service to Kochi and have finalised newdaily operations to Thiruvananthapuram (bothin Kerala, India).”Sharjah - Kochi operations with Jet Airwaysbegan in 2009, and success indicates that Indiantourists to the region may be on the increase.

5APRIL 2011

- Sharjah

Sharjah skyline

We anticipate a growth

in the market

since Sharjah has big

potential and

comes upwith

new ideasand

programs

The airline has noticed no drop in passengernumbers on routes to and from Sharjah. “We seea mix of corporate, VFR (visiting friends andrelatives), student and traditional peak summerand winter holiday traffic and we do not see thischanging drastically,” added Ratnakar.On the other hand, EgyptAir has been directlyaffected by unrest in the Middle East, specificallythe 18 days of political protests that erupted inEgypt in January. Sharjah flights, as well as servicesto other international destinations from thenational airline of Egypt. Ahmed Osama,corporate communications executive, EgyptAir,observed the improvement in business since thesteady salvage of stability post President Mubarak. “EgyptAir was not affected largely by thepolitical situations in other African and MiddleEastern countries, as Egypt was able to regain itsstability and started to improve its facilities torecover quickly. This resulted in recovering theload factor for flights between Cairo and theUAE in general. Many airlines entered in severecompetition to obtain slots in Sharjah Airport,which introduced itself as one of the mostimportant airports in the Middle East because ofits huge capacity.”

Ayman Nasr, chariman and CEO, EgyptAir,suggested a strategy for expansion in the UAE,including the continually developing emirate ofSharjah. “Sharjah is one our important marketsin the Middle East. It is one of the fast growingmarkets in the region and many Egyptians livethere.”

AccommodationThe environment appears positive for Sharjah’stourism industry, which is also noted by thenewest hotel in the area, Ramada Hotel Sharjah,which opened its doors January 15. TamasFazekas, general manager, Ramada HotelSharjah, suggested that although the instabilitythroughout the Arab world is unfortunate, thesituation may have two sides. “Tourists who want to travel and were planningto head to those countries, will shift their trips tothe safe UAE including Sharjah.”The UAE has escaped the unrest so far, andalthough potential for unrest is considered,Sharjah, with its flourishing economy, has shownno signs of instability. Fazekas remarked thatspirits are high for the future, as the Sharjahtourism industry has also adapted to the

changing market. “We anticipate a growth in themarket since Sharjah has big potential and comesup with new ideas and programs.”The contemporary Ramada Hotel Sharjah islocated on the border near to Dubai and AlNahda area, opposite one of the largest shoppingcenters, Sahara Centre. It has so far attracted amix of leisure and business visitors and has noteda considerable interest from the GCC marketand Germany. The SCTDA recorded that the number of hotelsin Sharjah reached 45 in 2010, whilst the amountof hotel apartments reached 62. Hoteloccupancies registered at 73 percent. In light ofthe stability in the emirate, chances ofmaintaining this level appear secure.In addition to leisure tourism, Shurooq hasmarketed Sharjah’s readiness for MICE visits,hoping to further broaden its tourism reach.“While this beautiful emirate is renowned for itsgrand architecture, monuments and Arab andIslamic heritage, it is a complete holidaydestination for the entire family. It also has worldclass infrastructure and facilities for businessmeetings and conferences,” commented AlNoman.The tourism industry in Sharjah, as well as theairlines flying to the emirate appear confidentthat the growing trend in tourists visiting theemirate will continue. In addition to a focus onprincipal cultural values, the emirate’s tourismindustry appears to be embarking on a journeyof increased environmental responsibility,offering a positive future in a world increasinglyconcerned with climate change. Regionalconflicts, political protests and turmoilthroughout Africa and the Middle East haveaffected Sharjah tourism minimally, and couldeven have strengthened operations, contingencyplans, and the ability to adapt to such situations.“The emirate stands as an inimitable place to seewhen you visit the UAE,” added Raydan.

APRIL 20116

- Sharjah

Sharjah’s Blue Souq

While this

beautifulemirate isrenowned

for its grand

architecture,monumentsand Arab

and Islamicheritage,

it is acompleteholiday

destinationfor the entire family

The name Umm Al Quwain isderived from Umm AlQuwatain, which means‘mother of two powers’, areference to the powerful

seafaring tradition of this emirate. Traditions arestill evident however the focus of the emirate haschanged significantly. The emirate, whose main attraction has been itssmall size, relatively remote location and longclean beaches, has seen a boom in adventuresports. Available activities include not just watersports, but also shooting, horse riding, skydiving, motorcycle racing and pilot training. The Emirates Car and Motorcycle Racing Clubis scheduled to develop a grand club house withgym, sauna, jacuzzi, olympic sized swimmingpool, and a specialised multimedia library onmotor sports racing. A marina project currentlybeing developed also proposes to add to thesports and relaxation facilities available.

MarinaThe Emaar Umm Al Quwain Marina project isconceptualised around a large circular marinaand is designed to offer visitors a vibrant lifestyleand world class recreational facilities.Construction is underway at its location alongthe extensive coast of the lagoon of Khor AlBeidah. The marina, easily accessed from Dubai through theEmirates Ring Road, is developed as part of anagreement between Emaar and the Umm AlQuwain Government and is estimated to costAED12 billion (USD3.267 billion) with 2,000acres of mixed use, the project is anticipated to bringa new era of economic prosperity to the emirate. The total navigable water area, including marinaand a set of canals is planned at 450 acres, with acentral marina basin of 450m diameter that willberth over 600 boats.  The master plan envisages6,000 villas and 2,000 townhouses, andapproximately 1,200 resort and hotel rooms.The marina will cater for the high proportion ofleisure tourists visiting the emirate and will alsoprovide hotels fully equipped for businesstourism, which may rise as the economy of theemirate grows.

HotelsCurrently, Flamingo Beach Resort records a ratio of1:10 of business and leisure guests, predominantlycoming from Eastern Europe and Russia. Due torecent success, the hotel has some facilityenhancement programmes planned for the comingyear.Palma Beach Resort and Spa also procuresmostly leisure clients, with an increase noted incomparison to 2010. The majority of clientscome from India, Asia, Europe and the UAE.Maria Caguete, marketing manager, Palma BeachResort, is confident that the market remainsstrong. “The hotel and tourism industry is stillgrowing despite the political issues [in Bahrain].”Arun G. Menon, resort manager, Flamingo BeachResort, remarked on the prevalence of Umm AlQuwain’s tourism despite political protests and

unrest across the Arab world. “The politicalsituation in the Middle East and North Africa hasindeed influenced the tourism industry in theregion, but differently in different scenarios. As theUAE is a very stable country and is the economichub in the region, the current situation may nothave a sizeable effect on the tourism industry inthe emirate. This once rich, pearl fishing,economic hotspot of the region has everythingthat a globe trotter looks forward to.”The emirate is gradually regaining its once highstatus, having now become a bustling tourismdestination that presents highly sought afterexperiences. Gradually increasing its offering tovisitors to cover a spectrum of adventure sportsand facilities for relaxation, Umm Al Quwain hascarved out a unique image, which has provedpopular to tourists.

7APRIL 2011

- Umm Al Quwain

The Small Emirate Packed with Adventure, Pushes ForwardThe small and relatively remote Umm Al Quwain, with its long beaches, natural hideaways and archaeological sites, has long beenan attraction to tourists; yet the emirate is increasingly taking on a new form. The availability of a plethora of adrenaline filled sportsand leisure facilities, with innovative developments underway, are making Umm Al Quwain a new hotspot in the Middle East.

Marianna Keen writes

This once rich, pearl

fishing,economichotspot of the region

haseverything

that a globe trotter looks

forward to

W ith an increased focus onimproving infrastructureand boosting investmentand development,Ajman is being careful

not to compromise its primary attraction totourists – its natural beauty. While there havebeen widespread investor setbacks on many realestate projects in the area in the wake of theglobal crisis, prosperity, including increasedinvestment, has meant that developments aregradually taking form.Ajman has moulded its tourism focus to appealto those seeking a serene getaway in naturalsurroundings, with long pure beaches, complete

with availability of boutique hotels and luxurioustreatments. This appears now closer to includingextensive commercial complexes and waterfrontdevelopments.

ProjectsAjman One plans to offer shopping, leisure,residential, business and hotel facilities within asingle development. Aqaar, the developer behindthe Ajman One AED2.7 billion (USD735million) real estate project, reported littledisruption from the global economic downturn,although delays are being experienced. A source from Aqaar commented on the currentstatus of Ajman One, which was planned for

completion in 2011, saying that focus is currentlyon the residential phase of the project. Thetourism and commercial part of the project hasbeen split and Aqaar are looking at developing ahotel and exhibition centre sometime in 2012 or2013, with the commercial and office conceptcoming after that. A four-star Novotel Ajman is proposed to bebased in Aqaar’s development, comprising of200 rooms, with 70 serviced apartments.Further plans for the tourism part of the projectinclude developing an extensive marina andtransforming Ajman’s entire waterfront. Aqaaracknowledges that stretches of natural coastlineenhance the beauty of the landscape, so it willpreserve beaches.With Ajman’s close proximity to the UAE’s otherbooming emirates, most notably Sharjah andDubai, the comparatively untouched gem isattracting widespread attention, promising tobecome an increasingly popular touristdestination as well as a thriving business hub,attracting MICE tourism. Boosting investmentover recent years, Ajman was the second emirate,after Dubai, to offer freehold real estate andbecame the only emirate in the UAE to offerinvestors of any nationality fully transparent 100percent freehold ownership on real estate.Although the majority of projects never gotunderway, Al Zorah Resorts is now paving theway towards a luxury compound for recreationand relaxation, which embraces nature.The project, master-planned by SolidereInternational and developed by Al ZorahDevelopment Company Limited, in partnershipwith the Ajman Government, will be located onthe northern coast of Ajman.

APRIL 20118

- Ajman

The Teetering Balance Between Expansion and Green FocusAs the smallest of the seven emirates, Ajman has promoted itself as a destination rich with natural beauty and an unspoiltcoastline, offering relaxing resorts away from the bustling larger emirates. Despite a development boom, many constructionprojects, including hotels and leisure facilities, were left uncompleted in the wake of the global crisis; however the emirate nowlooks set to add to its tourism focus. Travel Trade Monthly explores Ajman’s potential of becoming the next thriving traveldestination in the Middle East.

Marianna Keen writes

The UAE

is one ofthe safestcountries

in theregion

andtherefore

we have notfelt anydecrease

innumbersof guests

Ajman marina plan

The project will have an area of 5.7 million m2, 60percent of which will be green and open spaces.Featured at the International Tourism Bourse(ITB) Berlin, March 9-13, Al Zorah Resortsmarkets itself as an ‘opportunity to rediscovernature.’ Activities for exploring and appreciatingthe Ajman landscape include bike riding, fishing,falconry, and a marina for canoeing and yachting.There will also be an eco marine museum, and anenvironmental focus of the project means thatbeaches, sand dunes and natural mangrove forestswill remain untouched by developers. The project demonstrates the UAE’s movetowards increased environmental awarenessand sustainable business operations, alsoincluding a low pollution electric train networkacross the resort. Heritage as well as nature is tobe encompassed in the Al Zorah resort, withofferings of cultural artisan, traditional boatbuilding and other historically steepedpractices. A golf course, retail outlets, pubs,adrenaline sports, and several boutique hotelsthat cater for MICE activities anticipate makingthis complex the ideal destination for a broadrange of visitors. In addition to Ajman One and Al Zorah Resortmarina plans, Tanmiyat Investment Group alsoproposes development of the Ajman waterfront,namely the Ajman Marina project. The smallestemirate of the UAE appears well on its way toachieving long aspired structural expansion.What effect this will have on tourism to theregion is still to be seen, however thus far tourismto Ajman has become gradually more popular.

HotelsJohn Stocki, assistant marketing and publicrelations manager, Kempinski Hotel Ajman,indicated that tourism in Ajman is set tocontinue growing regardless of political protestsand turmoil across the Middle East and Africa.“Kempinski is growing fast in the region and webelieve in the strength and stability of this regionin the long term despite the current events thatare breaking out at this stage.” The KempinskiHotel Ajman has attracted 80 percent of itsbusiness from leisure tourism, with main marketsconsisting of CIS and German speaking areas,and a new interest from Scandinavian countries.

“The UAE is one of the safest countries in theregion and therefore we have not felt anydecrease in numbers of guests. However, themacroeconomic factors dictated by the eventsare highly likely to affect many countries in thearea and beyond on many levels,” added Stocki.What affect the instability in some parts of Africaand the Middle East will have on the wider globaleconomy and tourism to Ajman, it is too early totell, however Iftikhar Hamdani, executiveassistant manager, Ramada Hotel and SuitesAjman believes that guidance from a tourismboard could help Ajman’s tourism industry. “Atourism board needs to be established to lead thehotels in Ajman in international travelexhibitions which will give the emirate moreexposure and bring in more tourists.” Thenumber of hotel guests at the Ramada Hotel and

Suites Ajman almost doubled in 2010, havingreached 113,744. The tourism trend, which hasled to developments across the emirate, mayfinally invoke the construction of AjmanInternational Airport, which was launched in2007 but has yet to take form.Planners indicate that the Ajman InternationalAirport will be situated in the Al Manama area,however according to BNC (Building andConstruction Network), the project withestimated value of USD1.5 billion is on hold. Theproject, led by the Spanish corporation GrupoInmobiliario Whitelake, involves plannedconstruction of an airport in a 5km area,including a 4000m runway.Building in Ajman is clearly seeing steadierprogress and is set to alter the tourism focus ofthe emirate, and an increase in focus onenvironmental responsibility may mean that thenatural landscape of Ajman is not drasticallydamaged. The tax free and liberal emiratecontinues to hold its image as a destination withwell preserved nature and stunning coastline,showing off the variance of countryside anddesert that the UAE has to offer, andexpectations are high for this to continue.

9APRIL 2011

n

- Ajman

We believe in the

strength and

stability of this region in the long term

despite the current

events that arebreaking

out

APRIL 201110

- Morocco

K ing Mohammed introduced anew vision for the nation andits economic growth and in2001, he launched a hugelyambitious strategic

development plan for tourism in Morocco.The strategy was to cost a staggering MAD28.6billion (USD3.6 billion) where the target was tocreate 600,000 new jobs in the industry andprovide 250,000 hotel beds by 2010. Thecountry was set to attract 10 million tourists in2010.Following the Morocco Tourism Report 2011,which was released at the end of 2010 by aresearch firm, Research and Markets, the reportrevealed the positive results from the past decadethat the tourism sector had been hoping for.According to the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism,8.34 million tourists visited Morocco in 2009which represented an increase of six percent fromthe previous year. A total of 9.21 million peoplehad visited Morocco in 2010 where from Januaryuntil July that year, 5.6 million tourists arrived,showing an increase of 10 percent year on year. Hamid Bendahar, vice president Morocco forSofitel, feels the country is an easy destination tosell to potential tourists. “It’s a short distance fromEurope and the Middle East although offers along-haul experience too, because it is so differentfrom most other countries. For example, you can

reach Morocco in less than three hours fromEurope, and have a completely differentexperience, as well as very pleasant weather. Evenwithin the country itself, there is a variety ofexperiences to be had. There is strong diversityand variety from city to city. Each city hasdifferent colour, cuisine, music and atmosphere.Morocco offers terrific tours and tourists caneasily mix a beach holiday with a cultural holiday.It also combines French elegance with Moroccanrefinement.”

The Morocco Tourism Report 2011 states thatthe figures regarding Morocco’s tourism industryover the past few years were stronger than fellowindustry analysts, Business MonitorInternational had anticipated. They applaudedMorocco for its ambitious targets, which haveover the past decade done much to boosttourism.

VisionBentahar from Sofitel is well placed to commenton the achievements and ambitions of Morocco’stourism industry, as he is also president of the

regional centre for tourism in Marrakech. Hebeams with pride when he reflects on how far theindustry has come in just a few short years. “TheKing put in place a strong strategy with Vision2010. He wanted Morocco to attract 10 milliontourists by 2010. It was extremely ambitiousbecause we were really starting from scratch. By2010 Morocco had attracted 9.4 million visitors,which was wonderful and due, in part, to theprivate sector and public sector working hardtogether to make improvements to ourinfrastructure.”The country’s Vision 2020, aims to encouragefurther improvements, potentially transformingMorocco into one of the top 10 destinations inthe world. A total of MAD178.6 billion(USD22.15 billion) is to be invested in order todouble the number of tourists, increase tourismrevenue and to create 147,000 new jobs in thesector by the end of the decade. The vision callsfor doubling the size of the tourism sector andincreasing tourism revenues from the currentMAD60 billion (USD7.4 billion) to MAD150billion (USD18.61 billion) over the next decade.Bentahar believes the country has the capacity tovastly improve its infrastructure and reach itsnew Vision 2020 targets, which also includecreating a further 200,000 hotels beds.

Morocco Looks Ahead With Vision 2020The travel industry in Morocco has experienced a boom in the past 10 years thanks to Vision 2010, a long-term plan designedto boost the development of tourism in the country. Travel Trade Monthly examines how Morocco’s new vision for 2020 willmaximise its tourism potential over the next decade.

Duncan MacRae writes

Morocco in BriefCapital: RabatCurrency: Moroccan Dirham (MAD)Language: Arabic

Tour operators wererecommending Morocco as an

alternative destination toclients who have initiallybooked their holidays for

Egypt or Tunisia

Royal Palace

APRIL 201112

- Morocco

n

“Major hotel groups from Europe, Asia and theUSA are developing new hotels in the country.As far as hotels are concerned, we need toproduce quantity and quality,” Bentaharexplains.“I think quantity should not be too much of aproblem but to achieve the high quality ofinfrastructure that we want will be more of achallenge, especially with strong competitionfrom elsewhere in the world. Most of the hardwork will revolve around training and motivatingworkers and that is something we will all have towork hard on, day by day. Moroccan people arehighly skilled, though and the targets can bereached. In 2001 nobody thought we would getanywhere near the target for 2010, but Moroccoachieved so much in those 10 years.Of the numerous plans for new hoteldevelopments in the country within the next fewyears, half of the deals have either been signedfor, or the hotels have already begunconstruction,” Bentaher adds.Sofitel itself plans to create new hotels inMorocco in the coming years, with Sofitel FezPalais Jamai due to open in 2013 and a furthertwo hotels under construction in Casablanca andAgadir. This will take the number of Sofitelhotels in Morocco to seven.

EnthusiasmThe King has given full backing to the tourismindustry, and emphasis on the crucial priority forMorocco and its continued socioeconomicgrowth. The recent political unrest in thecountry, and a smattering of other nations inAfrica and the Middle East, seems to have donelittle to dampen the enthusiasm of those workingin Moroccan tourism.Jamal El Jaidi, tourism & events promoter,Moroccan National Tourist Office, commentsthat the North African uprisings have had little

impact of Morocco’s tourism, particularly fromthe UK and Irish markets.“In fact, some of the UK tour operators wererecommending Morocco as an alternativedestination to clients who have initially bookedtheir holidays for Egypt or Tunisia,” he says. “The MICE sector, however, was slightly affectedbecause there were some group cancellations toMorocco shortly after the spread of the socialunrest in North Africa.”

According to Bentahar, any negative impact thepolitical problems may have had on Morocco’stourism industry will be reversed sooner ratherthan later. He was especially reassured by theKing’s public address in March, in which he

promised major constitutional reform, followingnationwide protests. “We have a new Morocconow,” Bentahar explains. “Before the King’sspeech, perhaps you could say we had someconcerns about the direction of the country andour tourism industry, but since he delivered hisspeech we are now much more confident. I’m sovery proud about what is happening in ourcountry. Our constitution is changing and thereis more emphasis on democracy and freedom.We are taking massive steps as a country.”El Jaidi notes that the Moroccan NationalTourist Office will now help to build on the pastdecade’s success by reinforcing the country’simage in Europe and targeting expandingmarkets, such as the Middle East. “In addition,we will need to explore ways of establishing newair services to Morocco.”Bentahar believes that the achievements andpositive developments Moroccans havewitnessed in their country can also give heart toother nations that are struggling financially orpolitically, particularly with many touristslooking to holiday elsewhere.“I truly believe Morocco can show othercountries the way, and be a positive example forother countries in Africa and the Middle East.This will be so important for the future of us allbecause we all have to work together and livetogether.”

Morocco can show other countries the way

and be a positive example for other countries in Africa

and the Middle East

Rabat

Hasaan Mosque, Casablanca

Sofitel Rabat

I n 2010, Malaysia recorded 24.6 milliontourist arrivals, compared to 23.6million in 2009, which generatedMYR56.5 billion (USD18.5 billion).Most of the visitors came from

Singapore, while Indonesia and Thailand tooksecond and third place. In terms of growth,Malaysia’s popularity showed an increase of 16percent in the UAE. The Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board(MTPB) promotes the country as anoutstanding destination and aims to encouragetourism and its related industries, explainedTuan Razali Tuan Omar, director, MTPB. “The major generating markets are Singapore,Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, China, India,Australia and the UK. Our culture and traditionsthat blended from many races make Malaysia atruly different destination.”According to the tourism board, Malaysia is alsogaining popularity in the Middle East and NorthAfrica. “Malaysia is a very popular destinationamongst the people in the MENA for family as wellas a honeymoon destination,” added the director. “The Islamic elements, natural wonders of thecountry, easily available halal food, good valuefor money destination, modern cities, shoppingfacilities, and the theme parks really attract themto visit Malaysia.”The director touched upon the likely impact ofthe recent turmoil in the Arab countries. “Weestimate an increase in the number of arrivals toMalaysia for 2011. However, the situations in theMENA region nowadays might affect the overallnumber of arrivals into the country.”

The country’s national carrier, Malaysia Airlines,operates services to several destinations in theMENA region, which is a major market for thecarrier. Merina Abu Tahir, regional senior vicepresident Middle East and Africa, commentedon this region. “The Middle East market is a keymarket for Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia is a veryattractive destination for Middle Easterntravellers because it offers a wide range ofattractions at affordable cost, in addition to thestrong cultural links. Visitor arrivals from Middle

East to Malaysia have increased by 51 percent in2010 compared to previous years.”Furthermore Emirates, Etihad and QatarAirways also offer flights to Kuala Lumpur. Inaddition, Qatar Airways has just introduced itssecond daily flight to the capital city.Malaysia plays host to numerous high-profile eventsthis year, including the fifth InternationalConference on Muslim Tourism on April 14. Theevent aims to increase awareness of the substantialpotential of muslim tourism. Jeffri Sulaiman, vicepresident, Malaysian Association of Travel & TourAgents, elaborates on the promotion. “Even in non-Muslim countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong andAustralia, Muslim tourism is largely promoted.Muslim travel is not restricted only for Muslims.Non-Muslim travel companies can learn the Muslimway of travel and how the packages are planned.”Yet Malaysia is not only a leading MICE eventhost but also one of the fastest emerginghealthcare hubs in Asia. In 2010, around 400,000foreigners arrived in Malaysia for medicalpurposes, generating an estimated MYR308million (USD101.65 million) in revenue. In response to the rapidly growing internationaldemand on medical treatments, severalorganisations have emerged such as MalaysiaHealthcare to offer comprehensive packages.Vijayan Samuel, chief operating officer, MalaysiaHealthcare, expands more on the packages. “Weact as our clients medical and holiday consultantsby helping them make informed decisions relatingto their treatment and/or holiday requirements.”The country is favoured among medical touristsworldwide including the Middle East.“Malaysia, being a moderate Islamic country, whichis a member of the Organisation of IslamicConference, is very appealing to the patients fromthe Middle East and North African countries. Thenumber of Middle Eastern patients has steadilygrown over the last three years simply becauseMalaysia offers excellent medical facilities. Themajor cities of Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Melakausually attract most of the Arabic and North Africantourists as they prefer to be near restaurants thatcater to their own food, culture and hospitals thatare closer in proximity to them. Also as the cost ofmedical treatment is skyrocketing in the US andEurope, Malaysia’s healthcare service comes as arelief to a patient,” Samuel added.

To accommodate the increasing influx oftourists, a range of hotels have recently croppedup across the country, such as DoubleTree byHilton. Leo Frankel, director of businessdevelopment, comments on the hotel. “Being thefirst of the DoubleTree by Hilton brand hotel inSoutheast Asia, the property has been creatinga lot of buzz in the regional and localmarket  since our opening in August 2010.We  have set up  facilities to make ourMiddle  Eastern guests feel at home. We haveKiblah's and prayer mats in the room as well as aSurau. We have a large inventory of suites withinterconnecting rooms to  accommodate thefamilies and we are also about to launch ourShisha terrace with a special Middle East menu.Kuala Lumpur itself is a colourful mix of culturesproviding an array of food and beverage options,where Halal food is easily available.”Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur has long beenfavoured due to its fine location and high-levelservice, reinforced Dawn Lim, marketingcoordinator. “The main selling points of the Le Meridien KualaLumpur is its location. There were a total of 148,233registered guests in 2010 with the majority fromAsia Pacific, Middle East and Europe. Our MiddleEast and American market segmentation isgrowing strongly. Location and ease of travel forboth our corporate clients and our FIT guests are ahigh priority.”

APRIL 201114

- Malaysia

Malaysia in BriefCapital: Kuala LumpurCurrency: Ringgit (MYR)Language: Bahasa Malaysia

 Where History Meets FutureMalaysia prides itself with its extreme contrasts, the land where skyscrapers tower upon wooden houses and where historymeets current. The country aims to enhance its share of tourism amongst leisure, business and medical travellers.

Rita Kasziba writes

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia is a value for money destination

n

APRIL 201116

Travel Talk is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear fromyou, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

Mohamad Ali Al NomanDirector General, Sharjah Commerce andTourism Development Authority (SCTDA)“While this beautiful emirate is renowned for itsgrand architecture, monuments and Arab andIslamic heritage, it is also a complete holidaydestination for the entire family. Moreimportant, it has world class infrastructure andfacilities for business and business meetings andconferences.”

Taleb RifaiSecretary General, UNWTO“The Silk Road is a powerful brand forleveraging continued tourism growth in Asiaand the Middle East, while utilising onlinetechnologies and social media. Nevertheless,there are still many barriers to overcome as wework towards our objectives, includingimproved travel facilitation for tourists.”

Ahmed El-MeliguiDirector of Sales and Marketing, Salalah Marriott Resort

“It fulfills me withgreat pleasure tocelebrate the firstanniversary of theResort that is suchan importantmilestone for us.To see the placegrow and develop

is truly wonderful and we can now look backon an eventful and quite successful first year.Through the dedication of our team and thegreat support of the local community andauthorities, the media and the owningcompany, Salalah Marriott Resort is now wellpositioned in the market and offers guests acomplete holiday experience by blendingMarriott’s authentic hospitality withexceptional facilities in an unmatched naturallandscape. We await the second year andmany more years to come with greatanticipation and will certainly continueproviding a new level of luxury and serviceto Oman."

Akbar Al BakerCEO, Qatar Airways“By 2013, Qatar Airways will have surpassed120 destinations worldwide and will shift thegoalposts even further with further expansion.Our ultimate goal is to be widely recognised asthe best airline in the world.”

Our ultimate goal is to be widely recognised

as the best airline in the world

There are still many barriers to be overcome

as we work towards our objectives

[The emirate]has world classinfrastructure and facilities for business and businessmeetings and conferences

Salalah Marriott Resort is now well positioned

in the market and offers guests

a complete holidayexperience

Akbar Al Baker

Taleb Rifai

Ahmed El-Meligui

Mohamad Ali Al Noman

17APRIL 2011

n

Tourism Mobility Comes Calling in MEAHolidaymakers have been going online and getting mobile with technology in their droves in recent years.

Today’s travellers are demandingmore from the internet andsmartphones than ever beforewhen it comes to planning andenjoying their trips abroad.

Early in 2010, a survey of Facebook users byprice comparison website Hotels-Fairy, showedthat the majority of people steer clear of highstreet travel agents in preference of planning andbooking holidays online.A total of 81 percent of those surveyed said theybook trips online, as opposed to 11 percent whoopt to visit high street travel agents to makearrangements and eight percent who prefer tobook over the phone.Other more recent studies back up the results ofthis survey, suggesting that travel agents mustadapt quickly to the changing habits of theircustomers.Strategy, marketing and sales consultants,Sempora Consulting, released the figures from astudy on the subject regarding smartphoneholiday bookings.The study showed that almost 25 percent ofthose surveyed are now reserving hotel roomsand booking flights on Apple iPhones, GoogleAndroids, BlackBerrys and Palm phones.The company also urged travel agents and hotelsto develop mobile applications in order tocapture this market share.Sempora Consulting predicts that mobileapplications will heavily influence the behaviourof consumer services and buying power in thecoming years.Priceline, a hotel, flight and car rental bookingwebsite, is another to have conducted researchinto the use of smartphones.Towards the end of 2010, it examined the use ofits hotel and rental car negotiator app for theiPhone, iPad and iPod over a period of twoweeks.Notable results included the fact that users leftbooking until the last minute.

The company also noted that those who arrangedholidays through smartphones, generallyplanned more upscale travel than those whobook through websites.This, however, should even out in the near futureas the use of smartphones becomes increasinglymore commonplace.Travelport, a business services provider to theglobal travel industry, this month released thefindings from its own research.The survey, which polled more than 150corporate travel buyers, agents, hospitality andtravel professionals from around the world,found that more than half of business customersuse mobile technology when it comes tosearching for and booking hotels.The study revealed that travellers expect mobiletechnology to be available to them in order tohelp them get the most out of their trips.A total of 80 percent of respondents wantedmobile apps that could suggest restaurants andbars to visit near the hotel, with 67 percentstating that similar apps suggesting recreationalactivities were desirable.Wi-Fi was also highlighted as being one of themost important technology solutions, with 71percent of respondents saying this should beincluded as standard in hotels rooms, and 82percent expecting the service to be available inall hotel rooms within the next five years.New smartphone travel-related apps that canbenefit travellers are constantly being developed.These can offer travel tips, translation, culturalinformation, navigation and maps, flight or traininformation, world time zones, taxi services andtour guides. Long-gone are the days when a map

or translation dictionary were essential items.So far, travel agencies and hotels throughout theworld have been slow to adopt the mobile web,but there are technology providers developingsolutions that have the power of mobile directlyinto hands of travel trade businesses.Starwood Hotels & Resorts, as an example,successfully launched an app for the BlackBerryin autumn 2010, which had been developed bybusiness solutions provider CSC. The SPG app was launched for the hotel chain’sStarwood Preferred Guest program and thecompany said that the app has made it easier forBlackBerry users to browse and make reservationsat Starwood’s 1,000 properties across the globe. It can also be used to manage reservations, checkrecent account activity, connect with customerservice, get directions and maps to hotels, andcheck travel trends and tips.South African-based technology and supportcompany, Real Time Travel Connections,recently unveiled its latest mobile booking tool,designed to enable travel agents to mobilise theirbusiness. The mobile booking solution, the firston the African continent, enables the local traveltrade to offer clients 24-hour access to travelcontent via their mobile phones.The solution enables customers to book and payfor flights, car rental and hotel reservations 24hours a day, as well as view travel itineraries onsmartphones.The technology that customers crave is already inplace and it is clear that today’s travellers haveembraced mobile technology and appreciate itsease of use. All that remains is for the African andMiddle Eastern travel trade to embrace it too.

APRIL 201118

- Ireland

It was not so long ago that Irelandexperienced a financial boom and, withthat, the country’s tourism industryflourished. New hotel developmentswere in full swing and tourists were

plentiful. The global financial crisis, however, leftIreland’s tourism industry reeling. Now, a string of hotels throughout the countrylie empty and boarded up, nicknamed the‘zombie hotels’. The stream of tourists has driedup and for the past two year’s the country’stourism industry has been on a sharp downwardspiral.Annique Labuschagne, representative, TourismIreland, Gulf Reps, says the global economicdownturn has led to fundamental changes in thetourism and travel industry around the globe. “Competition is fierce and the holiday choiceavailable for people everywhere is vast, withmany other tourist boards also targetingconsumers more aggressively than ever.”Ireland is now planning to turn things aroundand Tourism Ireland, along with Ireland’s newgovernment, have formed a plan of action inorder to make the Emerald Isle one of the world’smost attractive destinations once again. “Following some of the most difficult years fortourism in living memory, the Irish tourismindustry is poised for a return to growth,”Labuschagne adds. “Overseas tourism has acritical role to play in contributing to oureconomic recovery. It is one of our largestindigenous industries and is recognised by bothgovernments on the island as a vital export-oriented service industry that is set to play animportant role in economic regeneration.”

Those working in Ireland’s tourism industry willbe hoping that this year will be a turning pointfor the sector and, with Tourism Ireland

predicting growth of up to eight percent, theoutlook appears to be bright.This will require a restoration of economicgrowth in Ireland’s key source markets, a returnof consumer confidence and a restoration of lostaccess, according to Labuschagne.As far as the government is concerned, tourismremains at the heart of any potential economicgrowth.

Government Efforts To help with the revival of the hotel sector, theIrish government has vowed to control local andcentral government charges through a three-yearfreeze and, where feasible, lower central and localgovernment costs, such as energy and rates, tothe tourism sector. The government says it is also committed toreducing Value Added Tax (VAT) on hotelaccommodation and restaurants to 12 percent,thereby providing an important stimulus to thesector. The possibility of setting up a Loan GuaranteeScheme for the tourism sector in the Republic ofIreland on similar lines to those available in theUK is also to be investigated, while air travel taxreview charges at all airports.Luxury hotel Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, inCounty Wicklow, which welcomed fewer guestsin 2010 than in the previous year, feels that thenewly formed government has a big part to play.Sinead Cox, public relations manager, Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, believes that the reducedair travel tax and freezing of VAT could beparticularly beneficial.“If these two initiatives are brought in by the new

Minister for Tourism, Leo Varadkar, then itshould help improve competitiveness in theindustry. Price has long been identified as areason why many tourists have stayed away and,even though prices have decreased over the pasttwo years, there is still room for improvement sovisitors have more purchasing power.”Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, also urges thegovernment to review its visa entry regulationsin order to make it easier for travellers to visitIreland. “They need to ensure that airlines can keepcertain routes and important gateways open too.This is essential to make travelling here an easyoption,” Cox explains.“Transport and infrastructure is quite weak inIreland and improving this would attract moreguests further afield and out of Dublin city centre.It is clear that much damage has been doneinternationally following the economic and politicalevents of the past two years.” The new politiciansneed to reenergise brand Ireland, she added.

AirlinesIrish tourism, as a whole, is now focusing itsefforts on attracting tourists from far afield in abid to inject this much-needed energy. Local andUK customers have dwindled significantly, so theMiddle East and Africa could prove to be keymarkets.

Irish Tourism is to be ResurrectedThe collapse of overseas demand over the past two years has sent Irish tourism into crisis, with the Irish Tourism IndustryConfederation warning that urgent action must be taken if tourism in the Republic is ever to fully recover. Travel Trade Monthlylooks at what is being done to resuscitate a dying industry.

Duncan MacRae writes

Ireland in BriefCapital: DublinCurrency: Euro (EUR)Language: English

Following some of the mostdifficult years for tourism

in living memory, the Irishtourism industry is poised

for a return to growth

Dublin

At one time, Aer Lingus operated a direct servicebetween Dublin and Dubai, but after two yearsthe airline shut down these flights in March2008. Reports suggested that the service hadproved to be somewhat unpopular, however AerLingus says it had merely opted to focus itsattention elsewhere.“The route was suspended in order to use thecapacity from Dubai to increase frequencies onAer Lingus flights from Ireland to the USA,” addsSheila Gahan, representative, Aer Lingus. “Thereare no plans to create new routes to Africa or theMiddle East in the future.”Now, Etihad is the only airline to offer a directservice between Ireland and the Middle East,having launched four flights in summer 2007. The route was created as the UAE is viewed as animportant trading partner for Ireland and,therefore, made perfect commercial sense. Theroute proved so popular that a further two flightswere added in autumn 2007 and now the airlineflies 10 times per week from Abu Dhabi toDublin, with an average of 80 percent passengercapacity.Justin Warby, country manager for Ireland,Etihad, noted that the flights had remainedpopular despite Ireland’s financial problems overthe past couple of years.“Our flights to and from Ireland remain verypopular with passenger numbers on this sectorconsistently outperforming average passengerloads across the network.”The Abu Dhabi-based airline has been keen tomarket itself in Ireland in recent years and iscurrently the sponsor of the All-Ireland HurlingSenior Championship, one of the most popularsporting events on the island.“The sponsorship of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship has been the mostsuccessful and high profile marketing activityundertaken since we started serving the Irishmarket,” Warby explains. “The marketing program supporting thesponsorship won the European Sponsorship ofthe Year award in the Business-to-Consumercategory in 2008. It is, however, one element ofan overall marketing strategy that has workedacross all platforms, above and below the line, topromote the brand in Ireland. The reason that wehave and will continue to invest in promoting thebrand in Ireland is to increase the profile andawareness of Etihad, while outlining the uniqueselling proposition that Etihad provides to itsIrish customers.”The airline also maintains a sound relationshipwith the Irish travel industry, such as the tourismboard, hoteliers and tour operators.

PromotionTourism Ireland is also working with MiddleEastern and African companies in the tourismindustry, as well as the travel media, in order topromote Ireland as best it can.Numerous familiarisation and media trips havetaken place over the past three years and TourismIreland has organised roadshows in the region,with the most recent being in February 2007, inpartnership with Visit Britain. “As access to Ireland from Britain is excellent andmany travellers from here visit the UK andLondon in particular regularly, the objective is toencourage these visitors to take a trip to Irelandwhile there. We also work very closely withEtihad Airways in promoting the direct route toDublin from Abu Dhabi. Also Turkish Airlineshave excellent connections to Dublin via Istanbulfrom both Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” Labuschagneadded.An online training programme has also beencreated by Tourism Ireland, which travel agentsin the Middle East and Africa can make use offree of charge. The website has so far enabledtravel agents to become certified Irelandspecialists, called Shamrock Agents.

The launch of discover Ireland’s website and itsArabic equivalent, as well as presence on socialnetworking websites, are also helping to promoteIreland to the masses.“The opening of the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabihas greatly helped in facilitating the growth oftourism from this region to Ireland,”Labuschagne adds.Tourism Ireland says the results have, so far,proved to be extremely positive and the ongoingmessage to travellers from Africa and the MiddleEast is that. There has never been a better time tovisit, with great value and terrific things to seeand do.”That ‘value’ message will be highly visiblethroughout the year, as Tourism Ireland strivesto promote city breaks, touring holidays, golf andbusiness tourism across markets. Campaigns onTV, radio, online and social media should reachup to 200 million potential holiday makersaround the globe. Such commitment to promoting Ireland as aholiday hotspot could soon have Ireland’stourism industry, along with its zombie hotels,coming back to life.

19APRIL 2011

- Ireland

It is clear that

muchdamage has been

doneinternationally

following the

economicand

politicalevents of the past two

years

n

APRIL 201120

- New York

n

New York City (NYC) received48.7 million visitors (39million international and 9.7million domestic) in 2010which represents an increase

of 7 percent from 2009. This figure surpasses thecity’s previous 2008 record of 47 million andproves that NYC’s travel industry is back on trackafter the declining figures of 2009, for the firsttime since September 11, 2001.The visitors spent an estimated USD31.0 billionduring their stay in NYC. Despite the compellingfigures, Mayor Michael Bloomberg hasannounced the plan to break the record bydrawing over 50 million visitors by 2012. With the addition of 6,600 jobs, record numbersof New Yorkers were employed in the industrywhich, according to the mayor, remains a keydriver to the city’s economic growth.“The strength of our tourism industry is one ofthe reasons New York City was less impacted bythe national recession than other cities, and itcontinues to be one of the reasons we’re growingfaster than other cities today,” said Bloomberg.As many as 25.7 million hotel room nights weresold while Broadway attendance also rose by 3.8percent. According to the latest statistics of NYC &Company, the official tourism marketingorganisation of the city, New York is the number-one destination in the US among travellers fromthe Middle East, with more than half of themvisiting the city and the majority of them comingfor holiday or to visit friends and relatives. According to Chris Heywood, vice president,travel and tourism PR at NYC & Company,MENA travellers are proving to be a highlypotential segment. “As a region we are estimating388,000 for 2010, and we are still on track toachieve our 50 million annual visitor goal by2012,” said Heywood.Based on the Forbes’ list, New York prides itselfthat the most visited place in the USA is TimesSquare. According to Times Square Alliance, anaverage of more than 2,000 pedestrians traversea block of 7th Avenue each 15 minutes. The listof the top 25 most visited tourist destinations inthe US includes two other places in the city,namely the Metropolitan Museum and theAmerican Museum of Natural History.

New York City’s ever increasing popularity is alsowell reflected in John F. Kennedy ( JFK) airport’spassenger figures. According to Airports CouncilInternational, JFK handles more internationaltraffic than any other airport in North America,with more than 15.5 million travellers passingthrough the terminals in 2010, 6.2 percent morethan in 2009. In terms of passenger traffic, JFKwas the 14th busiest airport in the world withnearly 46.5 million travellers in 2010.

The Plaza hotel, managed by Fairmont, appealsas a timeless landmarked property that defies thenext generation of style and appeals for bothEuropean and Middle Eastern travellers,explained Nizar Adeeb, regional director ofdiplomatic sales.“Europe is a strong market for New York ingeneral, because of the strong Euro and thefrequency of flights; however the Middle Eastmarket has shown great growth in the last year.The history and iconic status of the Plaza is stillour strongest feature. After the renovation, theexcellent new rooms, great service and perfectlocation attracted new guests and helped usmaintain our base of travellers seeking luxury.”The property bears a high popularity amongMENA travellers.“The Plaza Hotel’s new room, personalisedservice and location offer the Middle East and

North African’s guests what they expect fromluxury hotels in New York,” added Adeeb.“Our amenities cater for these market based on therepeat feedback and experience we got over theyears of being their favorite hotel in New York. Forthat specific market, we have a team of experts thatmade sure our guests have all what it takes for themto feel home, especially in some extended stay visits.So we installed a special satellite dish that providesthe specialty suites with all the TV channels(Arabic, Russian, Turkish and others). Besides, ourkitchen team developed special menus for eachethnic cousin, translated in the native language. Ourmulti-lingual, multi-cultural team is very wellequipped to service travellers from the MENA.” To accommodate the influx of the travellers,Wyndham is set to open two new properties inthe city during summer, providing a greaterchoice of lodging options for both business andleisure travellers. The 173-room TRYP New York City – TimesSquare South, located in the vicinity of the city’stop tourist attractions, will represent the brand’sfirst entry in North America. The soon to be openWyndham Garden Hotel, compromising 108rooms, bring the brand’s eco-friendly exterior andenergy-efficient practices to the Big Apple.

Arab ‘Town’According to the 2008 statistics of the ArabAmerican Institute, more than 3.5 millionresidents in the US trace their roots to Arabcountries, about 160,000 of them living in thestate of New York, and nearly half of those locatedin the New York City metropolitan area.

The Fiery Melting PotNew York City, commonly referred to as the largest melting pot in the world, due to its high residential density and extraordinarydiverse population, hosted a record number of visitors in 2010 and is expected to welcome more than 50 million travellers by 2012.

Rita Kasziba writes

The Middle East market has shown great growth

in the last year

Times Square

21APRIL 2011

- Business Travel

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The popularity and success of theGulf Incentive, Business, Traveland Meetings Exhibition(GIBTM), which takes placeMarch 28-30 in Abu Dhabi, is a

key indicator of the value that tourism-relatedcompanies in the Middle East now place onbusiness travel. It is clearly a form of tourism that such businessesare taking more seriously as vast amounts ofmoney have been ploughed into the region’stourism sector. Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) ispredicting a 15 percent growth in business-related visitors to the emirate this year, rising by200,000 since 2010 to 1.5 million hotel guests.Lawrence Franklin, director strategy & policy,ADTA, commented on the demand. “Businessrelated tourism will continue to deliver the lion’sshare of demand in 2011 MICE tourism whichincludes international and domestic visitors,estimated at 225,000 hotel guests will deliveraround 15 percent of this demand.” Lloyd Kenyon, exhibition manager, GIBTM,points out that although there is little data aboutthe development of business travel or MICE inthe region, he is aware that business tourismcurrently accounts for around 70 percent of AbuDhabi’s hotel guest profile with 10 percent of thisemanating from the MICE segment. More than USD3 billion is being invested inLebanon’s tourism sector, with 20 internationalhotels currently under construction in Beirut,which will add an additional 1,000 rooms. In Syria, the number of visitors rose 63 percent inthe first half of 2010 to nearly four and a half million. “Both countries have unique offerings which manywho organise incentive travel and exhibitions will

find irresistible,” explains Kenyon. “Combinedwith its seemingly unabated infrastructuredevelopment, the Middle East has presented itselfas a premier location for holding meetings,conferences and exhibitions that are relevant.”

Tour operators and hotel chains alike, recognisethe importance of corporate travel. AnooshirvanHonari, director, Gashttour Inbound Tours, notesthat the Iran-based company has been dealingwith less corporate travellers recently. “Up until2009, business travellers made up 50 percent ofour customers but now it is more like 30 percent.It is still most important though, as business toursbring more financial income.”Groups, such as Millennium Hotels, Dusit Hotelsand Resorts, and Jumeirah, are keen to takeadvantage of the increasing influx of businesstravellers to the region.Management at the recently opened GrandMillennium Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi have vowedto redouble their efforts to secure large groups.Michael Sorgenfrey, general manager, GrandMillenium Al Wahda, says the addition of thefacilities enable the hotel to offer an attractive all-round package to the MICE buyer.“We have a prime location in the heart of AbuDhabi, near the established business districts andthe newly developed business of the city.”The Dusit Princess City Centre, which opened inDubai in 2010, will also be focusing its efforts onattracting business travellers. The aim is todouble its percentage of corporate travellers tothe hotel within the next year. Nick Bauer,general manager, Dusit Princess City Centre,elaborates on the business market. “The corporate sector has been our target marketsince opening. Now into our second year of

operation we have established our name in theindustry and can now look forward to pursuingwhat we originally set out to do and operate as alargely, corporate hotel.”Jumeirah’s Dubai hotel, Burj Al Arab, hasexperienced a drop of 10 percent in the level ofcorporate guests since last year. Reem Al Mulla,assistant manager of corporate communications,Jumeirah Group, said that the hotel will attemptto reverse that trend by focusing its attention onconsortia programs, request for proposal biddingprograms and local corporate agreements, alongwith attractive rates for business groups.“Business groups will play a very important roleas Burj Al Arab offers attractive group programs.It offers a unique, must-do experience for anycorporate incentive or conference visiting Dubai.”Nermin Abushnaf, coordinator of corporatecommunications, Hilton Worldwide MEA,comments that it is important for hotels to offerbusiness customers the right brands in the rightmarkets.“We need to ensure that the specific needs ofbusiness travellers are met when they stay in oneof our hotels. Whether that is creating an officeaway from an office working environment withall the facilities and service requirements theyneed, or an environment where they can relaxand get away from work for a while.”Kenyon believes that the Middle East’sinfrastructure is in place in order to enablebusiness people to reach the area with ease.“Excellent flight connections make the MiddleEast an ideal location for global corporategatherings,” Kenyon added.In Oman, the Sultanate will have a 6,000 plus, seatconvention and exhibition centre constructed inMuscat, due for completion in 2013.Abushnaf agrees that there is plenty of opportunityfor business travel to grow in the Middle East.“We currently have 34 hotels in the developmentpipeline, including for the first time hotels underour DoubleTree brand, which is suited to thelong-staying business traveller.”Gamal Sadek, general manager of tourism events,Oman Tourism Ministry GCC, comments thatthe country is experiencing strong growth inMICE business. “The new facility willcompliment the MICE capability of our leadinghotels and resorts, and act as a springboard forbreak-out groups and excursions.”

Business Travel is Booming in MEA The meetings and events industry in the Middle East is on an upward spiral. Travel Trade Monthly investigates how.

Duncan MacRae writes

APRIL 201122

Aloysius MichaelAloysius Michael has been appointed asresident manager of Dusit Thani Pattaya.In his new role he will assist the generalmanager in sustaining the resort’s serviceof excellence. Michael began his career inthe industry more than eight years ago atRitz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, holdingboth operational and managementpositions. He expanded his experience inrooms, sales and marketing as well ashuman resources. Michael joined DusitInternational as resident manager and wasan inaugural member of the executiveteam when opening the Dusit ResidenceDubai Marina, the first property of thebrand outside of Thailand.

Norbert StiekemaNorbert Stiekema has taken on therole of executive vice president,corporate sales and marketing ofCosta Crociere, a newly developedposition. In his new role, Stiekemawill refer directly to the presidentand will spearhead the company’ssales departments worldwide. Hewill also be in charge of theoperations of the corporatemarketing and world-wide salesservices departments. Stiekemabegan his career at KLM beforetaking on the role at EuroDisney assenior vice president sales anddistribution for Walt Disney World,Disneyland and Disney Cruise Linein EMEA. During his career heexpanded his experience indistribution channels, pricing andrevenue management.

Richard SolomonsRichard Solomons has been appointed assucceeding CEO of InterContinental HotelsGroup. He will take on the position fromAndrew Cosslett who will step down fromthe role on June 30. Prior to joining IHG,Solomons worked in investment banking atHill Samuel Bank Limited. He joined IHGin 1992 and held various senior roles sincethen, including chief operating officer of theAmericas hotels division and interimpresident of the Americas region. He took onthe role of the finance director of IHG in2003 and led the global finance organisationof the group in charge for strategy, corporateand regional finance, investor relations, tax,treasury, commercial development andprocurement. Solomons is member of theIHG Board and Executive Committee.

Cem KulCem Kul has been promoted to director of sales forKempinksi Hotel Ajman. He started his career in theindustry more than 10 years ago and expanded his wealthof experience in various operations and sales and marketingroles. Kul joined Kempinksi in 2005 as operations managerin charge of villas, Russia and CIS sales at Kempinski HotelThe Dome, Belek in Turkey. He was part of the pre-openingteam at Djibouti Palace Kempinski as assistant director ofsales and marketing. He then moved to Kempinksi HotelAjman as deputy director of sales and marketing, beforetaking on his current position. Kul graduated from DokuzEylul University in tourism and hotel management.

Geert BovenGeert Boven has taken on the role of senior vice presidentAmericas for Etihad. Based in New York, he will beresponsible to lead the airline’s current operations in theUS, Canada and South America. Boven takes over fromRobin Middleton, and has been tasked to spearhead

Etihad’s commercialinterests in itspartnership with theVirgin Blue Group asmanager alliance salesin Australia. Previously he heldsenior managementand board positionswith KLM RoyalDutch Airlines,Martinair, Oad Groupand Etihad. Mostrecently he worked asmanaging director forAmadeus Gulf.

Aloysius Michael

Richard Solomons

Cem Kul

Norbert StiekemaGeert Boven

Travel Trade Monthly: When did OasisTravel get the representation of airberlin, andfor which areas?Stefan Magiera: Oasis Travel was appointed asairberlin’s  GSA for  UAE and Oman in August2010.

Travel Trade Monthly: When did the flightsstart? How many flights per week do youoperate and which days?Stefan Magiera: airberlin  is the exclusiveoperator on the  Dubai-Berlin routeand commenced operations on November 2, 2010with three non-stop flights per week. We use stateof the art Airbus  A330 aircraft in a two-classconfiguration with business and economyclass.  Our flights are operated on a year-roundbasis and airberlin is very flexible in increasingfrequencies if we see a demand.

Travel Trade Monthly: Tell us more aboutyour client mix?Stefan Magiera: airberlin offers a high qualityproduct at a reasonable price and welcomes bothholiday and business travellers on board. Long-term, solid customer loyalty and simultaneousmessaging to all target audiences are central tobrand image and communications. Bonusprogrammes are for frequent flyers and SMEs, suchas a comprehensive in-flight service, free luggageand a special service for families withchildren.  airberlin is one of the most popularairlines in Europe today.

Travel Trade Monthly: From where doesyour business come from, is it mostly direct orthrough agencies?Stefan Magiera: airberlin is open for travelagencies and has always been a strong and reliable

partner for the travel trade. Our  flights can  bebooked through all important GDS. We have builtup a good business relationship to the travel tradein the UAE and have received strong support fromagents since we started our service. However weare of course also offering a very enhanced websitewith many useful  functions including ourown airberlin application.  

Travel Trade Monthly: Tell us about your fleet?Stefan Magiera: The fleet comprises 169 planeswith an average age of five years, making airberlinone of the newest fleet in Europe. Our modern jetsensure a sustainable reduction in harmful emissionsin air traffic thanks to their economic fuelconsumption. We operate Airbus A330 on long haulroutes including our Dubai-service. Flights withinEurope are operated with Boeing 737 nextgeneration and the Airbus A320 family. Regionalservices are operated with Bombardier Dash8  Q400  Turboprop aircraft. As one of the mostimportant airlines in Europe, airberlin flies to 163destinations in 39 countries. New markets have beendeveloped and expanded further via the fast-growing hubs in Berlin and Dusseldorf over the pastfew years.

Travel Trade Monthly: Do you plan toexpand further representation in the MiddleEast? Stefan Magiera: We are carefully watchingmarkets in the region and very flexible to step intomarkets if we see business opportunities. Wealready operate flights from Dusseldorf into Iraqand serve Arbil and Sulaymaniyah. 

Travel Trade Monthly: airberlin has joinedoneworld alliance. What does it mean inpractice?Stefan Magiera: airberlin  has signed adeclaration of membership to the global oneworldairline alliance. Full membership is planned for thestart of 2012. Together with other  oneworldmembers, airberlin is able to offer its customersmore services and benefits than it could as a singlecarrier. These services include an extended route network,the ability to collect and redeem frequent flyermiles in the entire oneworld network as well asmore airport lounges. oneworld combines elevenof the leading international quality airlines; QualityAirlines, American Airlines, British Airways,Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines,LAN,  Malév Hungarian Airlines, Mexicana,Qantas and Royal Jordanian – as well as 20affiliated members. airberlin's partner airline, theRussian  S7, joined the alliance in 2010. India'sKingfisher Airlines is preparing its application formembership. The Austrian airline NIKI has joinedthe alliance as an affiliated member.

23APRIL 2011

Q&A with Stefan Magieraairberlin, Germany’s second largest airline, launched its first non-stop services between Berlin and Dubai in November 2010.Stefan Magiera, general manager, Middle East and Southeast Asia, speaks about the carrier’s operation and further plans inthe region, as well as the sales agent (GSA) and entrance to the oneworld alliance.

n

airberlin offers a high quality product at a reasonable price

and welcomes both holidayand business travellers

on board

airberlin is open for travel agencies and

has always been a strong and reliable partner for the travel trade

Stefan Magiera

airberlin is one of themost popular airlines in

Europe today

APRIL 201124

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The Hotel ShowDubai, UAE, May 17-19, 2011(www.thehotelshow.com)Hospitality event for the MENA, GCC & emerging markets.

International Pow Wow 2011San Francisco, USA, May 21-25, 2011(www.ustravel.org/events/international-pow-wow)U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow is an international marketplaceand the largest generator of Visit USA.

IMEXFrankfurt, Germany, May 24-26, 2011(www.imex-frankfurt.com)Worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings & events.

AIBTMBaltimore, USA, June 21-23, 2011(www.aibtm.com)US event for the business travel and meetings industry.

China Outbound Travel and Tourism MarketBeijing, China, April 13-15, 2011 (www.cottm.com)Dedicated business to business event targeting the growing market foroutbound travel from China.

Arabian Travel MarketDubai, UAE, May 2-5, 2011 (www.arabiantravelmarket.com)The Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition.

Bahrain International Travel ExpoManama, Bahrain, May 12-14, 2011 (www.meembahrain.com)Travel expo for travel professionals in Bahrain and the Middle East.

IndabaDurban, South Africa, May 7-10, 2011(www.indaba-southafrica.co.za)Showcases the widest variety of Southern Africa's best tourism products.

WTM to Generate USD2,284 million of Travel Industry DealsThe success of World Travel Market (WTM)2010 resulted in travel and tourism industrydeals of GBP1,423 million (USD2,284 million),representing a significant increase of 25 percenton 2009. According to an independent research of WTMexhibitors and Meridian Club members, WTM2009 generated GBP1,139 million (USD1,825million) in deals, agreed by either at the event orduring the following 12 months. The extendedspeed networking session on the first day of theexhibition, allows exhibitors and Meridian Clubmembers to continue negotiations and enteragreements during the remaining three days ofthe event, favoring further business deals.Due to the wide scale of business opportunities,96 percent of exhibitors define WTM as animportant event to them, more than seven out often stating that WTM is better than most events,compared to previous years results.Exhibitor satisfaction increased to 94 percentcompared to 59 percent in 2009, visitor satisfactionrose to 93 percent.

A compelling 96 percent of exhibitors areextremely or very likely to exhibit at WTM 2011,taking place November 4-11. Simon Press, director, WTM Exhibition,reflects on the success of the previous events.“WTM 2010 has seen, and will lead to, aphenomenal amount of travel and tourismindustry business being agreed. The expandedspeed networking programme played an

important role in the success of WTM for bothexhibitors and Meridian Club members,offering both stakeholders increasedopportunities to meet new contacts and signcontracts. The amount of business conductedand the findings from the exhibitor and visitorresearch shows WTM is delivering on itscommitment to facilitate business in the traveland tourism industry.”

WTM 2010