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NOVEMBER 2012 ISSUE 37
Travel Trade Weekly proudly enjoys readers on average per day
NOVEMBER 2012 ISSUE 37
EXCLUSIVE: MEDICAL TOURISM
EXPLORE: IRAQ
IN THIS ISSUEEXCLUSIVE: Medical Tourism
MARKET UPDATE
VISIT: UAE
ONSITE: India
EXPLORE: Iran & Iraq
LONG-HAUL: Australia & New Zealand
TRAVEL TALK
TRAVEL CHANNELS
INVESTIGATION: Tourism Developments
TOUR: Estonia
WHO’S MOVED
RENDEZVOUS
NEWS & EVENTS
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22
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One region which has undoubtedly been gaining ground in the multi-billion dollar medical tourism industry is the Middle East.
Building on its economic and political stability, fast-developing infrastructure, and highly skilled workforce, the
UAE has shown great resilience as it continues to enhance its standing as a burgeoning tourist and business hub.
VISIT: UAE
Iraq’s tourism industry is preparing itself for a boost in infrastructure as a large number of hotels are an-ticipating to spread their presence in a country whose economy is expected to soar over the next few years
Travel Trade Weekly proudly enjoys readers on average per day
3EXCLUSIVEMedical Tourism
NOVEMBER 2012
Stefanie Saghbini writes The multi-billion dollar medical tourism industry takes responsibil-ity of the healthcare of millions of travellers each year, all of who seek the best hospitals, doctors, thera-pies, and healing services, and one region which has undoubtedly been gaining ground in this spectrum is the Middle East.
Certifying Special Treatment
T he rise of affluent populations within devel-oping nations creates increasing demand for access to the best hospitals, specialty clinics, and other sources of medical care, according to Raza Siddiqui, CEO, Arabian
Healthcare Group, and executive director, RAK Hospi-tal, who pointed out that this is evident in parts of the Middle East in countries such as the UAE, which has its mind set towards possessing a considerable chunk of the global USD100 billion medical tourism indus-try this year, as a result of its infrastructure, standard quality healthcare, and competitive pricing, just to name a few.
“With rapid infrastructural growth over the last 40 years and boasting some of the best medical facilities available in the world, the UAE has naturally become a magnet for medical tourism. The country is fast tak-ing the centre stage by increasing its market share in this ever-growing sector,” he said, adding that as an emerging destination, it is set to witness increases in the number of patients, year on year.
“UAE is one of the few countries in the world which has identified medical tourism as a national industry. Over the last few years, we have seen nearly 14 hospitals in the UAE accredited by the Joint Com-mission International. Naturally, this foretells, the UAE medical tourism growth,” Siddiqui further noted.
RAK Hospital, highly acknowledged in the region, is an 80-bed multi-specialty private medical establish-ment, which has developed at a steady pace since it opened in 2007, Siddiqui revealed, who proudly re-ported a 30 percent growth this year to date, com-pared to the same period in 2011.
Abu Dhabi is also forging ahead with medical plans to greatly improve its healthcare industry, with the addition, earlier this year, of what is being herald-ed the largest private facility in the emirate; the 202-bed Burjeel Hospital.
Boasting world-class medical facilities with a large number of US-, UK-, and European-educated and trained doctors, offering end-to-end comprehensive clinical services in over 30 specialties, the new truly luxurious facility provides clinical excellence in all the areas of expertise offered and the highest standards of care, according to Charles Stanford, CEO, Burjeel Hospital, who further commented, “Burjeel Hospital’s aim is to change how people view health, by not just offering the best in treatment, but inculcating the concept of wellness in their lives.”
With the sixth Abu Dhabi Medical Congress hav-ing recently come to a conclusion, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre welcomed some 4,000 profession-als working in the primary healthcare, emergency, patient safety, rehabilitation, dentistry, and nursing sectors across the region.
Officially inaugurated by H.E. Zaid Al Siksek, CEO, Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the event, which took place on October 15 - 16, expanded from 7,000m2
in 2011 to more than 9,000m2 this year and hosted 110 exhibitors from 25 different countries and 12 Continu-ing Medical Education-accredited conferences.
Speaking during the official tour of the event, Al Siksek, said, “The Abu Dhabi Medical Congress reflects the improvements and advancements achieved in the healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi and is an oppor-tunity for all healthcare players in the emirate and the region to exchange knowledge and identify common challenges.
Meanwhile, Arab Health, hailed as the world’s sec-ond largest healthcare exhibition, is gearing up to take place on January 28 - 31, 2013, at Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre for its 38th edition, where it will see the opening of a new Plaza Hall accommodating an extra 200 exhibitors.
This is in addition to the 3,500 exhibiting com-panies already showcas-ing the very latest medical breakthroughs and tech-nological developments in healthcare, as well as announcing ground-breaking new partner-ships and collaborations within the Middle East healthcare sector.
Moreover, the fifth edition of The Internation-al Congress in Aesthetic, Anti-Aging Medicine &
Medical Spa, will be taking place on November 23 - 24 at Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa, located on Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach.
Additionally, Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, the organisers of Arab Health, alongside Riyadh Exhibitions Company, organisers of Saudi Medicare Exhibition for the last 15 years, recently announced the launch of the new Saudi Health exhibition and conferences, which is scheduled for May 12 - 14, 2013, at the Riyadh Inter-national Convention & Exhibition Center. This global event will offers a comprehensive multi-track congress including a diverse range of conferences covering a va-riety of medical disciplines.
Set to further refine the world’s 2013 medical events calendar, is the forthcoming International Medi-cal Travel Exhibition & Conferences, which will inaugu-rate at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, on March 22 – 23. Also organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions in strategic cooperation with the European Medical Trav-el Conference, the two-day conference and exhibition is expected to provide an international platform for in-dustry professionals to focus on the leading trends and developments, and is designed to become the world’s umbrella conference to independently represent the various country interests and different medical travel associations working around the globe for the im-provement of medical travel.
4 MARKET UPDATE
NOVEMBER 2012
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY IATA: Middle East Airlines Strongest PerformersMiddle East carriers have proven once again the strongest performers in the global aviation industry based on the International Air Transport Asso-ciation (IATA)’s traffic results for August.
G lobally, demand for air travel rose 5.1 per-cent compared with the same month in 2011, and as carriers continued to moder-ate capacity expansion, limiting it to a 4.1 percent improvement, load factors aver-
aged at 82.1 percent. According to IATA, the growth was mainly driven
by strong results in the Middle East, Africa, and North America, which reported increases of 11.3 percent, 10.2 percent, and two percent, respectively.
In fact, Middle Eastern airlines were once again the strongest performers and continued to expand rapidly, particularly on long-haul routes. The August growth rate of 16.7 percent, however, could have been boosted by the impact of Ramadan falling
Etihad Airways: Revenues Up 19 Percent
Etihad Airways’ third quarterly revenues reached USD1.3 billion, marking a robust year-on-year increase of 19 percent, driven by record seat factors.
The surging revenues reflected the 23 percent rise in passenger numbers with 2.79 mil-lion travellers flying with Etihad Airways during the three-month period, which led to the airline’s best ever quarterly seat factors of 81.2 percent.
As the rise in revenues and passenger volume continues to outperform the carrier’s growth capacity, Etihad Airways remains confident in achieving full year profitability for the second year running, as James Hogan, president, Etihad Airways, explained, “Our third quarter saw continued progress across the business, with all key indicators showing strong performance and we remain confident of delivering full year profitability based on current market conditions.”
Hogan further highlighted the strong contribution of the airline’s codeshare and eq-uity partners, a component which he believes is delivering a strong and growing revenue stream, complementing Etihad Airways’ double-digit organic growth.
throughout the whole of August in 2011, stated IATA’s report, adding that with a capacity expansion of 13.3 percent, load factor at 78.4 percent.
Meanwhile, although global freight volumes fell 0.8 percent, Middle Eastern carriers witnessed an in-crease of 11.3 percent.
Commenting on the figures, Tony Tyler, director general, IATA, highlighted, “Passenger markets have not grown since June and global air freight volumes are below previous year levels. In the face of these ad-verse conditions, disciplined capacity management has kept load factors high.
“There are always opportunities and some parts of the world are growing. But, overall, trading condi-tions are tough.”
MANAGING EDITORMary Kammitsi
JOURNALISTSStefanie Saghbini
Rita Kasziba Dominique Christou
SALES & MARKETING
Maria Demetriadou Derek Lainsbury
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Elena Stylianou
DIRECTORSAndreas Constantinides
Mary Kammitsi
HEADQUARTERST.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD
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6 VISIT UAE
NOVEMBER 2012
UAE IN BRIEFCapital: Abu Dhabi
Other emirates: Dubai, Sharjah,
Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman,
Umm Al Quwain
Currency: UAE Dirhams (AED)
Language: Arabic
UAE: The Beating Heart of the Middle East Building on its economic and political stability, fast-developing infrastructure, and highly skilled workforce, the UAE has shown great resilience against the global and regional challenges and continues to enhance its standing as a fascinating tourist destination and burgeoning business hub.
In 2011, travel and tourism investment in the UAE reached AED76.5 billion (USD20.8 bil-lion), representing 25.5 percent of the total investment, underscoring the industry’s piv-otal role in diversifying the country’s econo-
my away from its dependence on oil. “The UAE with its free economy, political stabil-
ity, culture of openness, exciting calendar of busi-ness and leisure events, exceptional infrastructure
and international connectivity is witnessing a pe-riod of great opportunity in attracting travellers in large numbers,” noted Michel Noblet, president, Hospitality Management Holdings.
Over the last few years, the seven emirates have attached great significance to showcasing their very own charm to build a country which Noblet described as ‘the beating heart of the Middle East.’
Abu Dhabi
F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Rita Kasziba writes
While over the past years, Dubai has stolen most of the headlines, Abu Dhabi has continued to evolve its infrastructure creating a world-class business environment and a true global city that offers a myriad of opportunities for both investors and visitors.
A s the destination continues to enhance its tourism capabilities, visitor numbers are soaring at an accelerated pace while hotel guest volume were recorded to have reached 1.55 million in the first eight
months of the year, rocketing 15 percent over the same period in 2011, according to statistics released by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).
Looking into the phenomenon behind the re-sults, Sultan Al Dhaheri, head of tourism and corpo-rate planning, TCA Abu Dhabi, said, “I believe that we are seeing strong overall growth because Abu Dhabi’s wider tourism proposition is more mature and more diverse than ever before, and our marketing efforts and outreach continue to develop and expand.”
The emirate now has much more on offer than ever before, be it entertainment, culture, sport, or other ac-tivities, Dhaheri further noted. “The diversity of hotel
choice is also a major factor in Abu Dhabi’s growing appeal. Enhanced competition has made the market more accessible and cost-effective, whilst the sheer choice of options from futuristic city hotels to sweep-ing coastal resorts and islands to desert camps and luxury escapes are all within relative short distances.”
In fact, Abu Dhabi’s hotel room inventory has wit-nessed tremendous growth, leading to what Ahmad Araj, cluster director of sales and marketing, Cristal Hotel Abu Dhabi and Cristal Salam Hotel, described as a very competitive marketplace.
Jonathan Hallmark, marketing manager, The Wes-tin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa, elaborated, “Due to an increase in room inventory, hotel occupancy rate dropped seven percent to 65 percent. Abu Dhabi now has some 128 hotels and hotel apartments account-ing for 22,079 rooms.”
On the same note Rabih El Hayek, assistant direc-tor of sales, Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche, added, “The market is facing an excess in supply compared to the current demand. Therefore, hotels are competing to get their market share by dropping their rates.”
Expressing similar views, Rima Rawass, group marketing manager, National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels (NCT&H), admitted that the high occupancy levels and good average room rate at the company’s upscale hotels came after ‘a bit of sacrifice in average daily rate.’
Referring to the emirate’s executive summary of hotel statistics, Philippe Harb, hotel manager, One to One Hotel – the Village, further explained, “Between January and August, hotel establishment occupan-cy stood at 63 percent, a decrease of seven percent when compared to the same period in 2011.
8 VISIT UAE
NOVEMBER 2012
Hotel apartments continue to achieve healthier occu-pancy rates at 75 percent [which] may be reflective of the nature of accommodation and longer staying guests.”
In fact, the length of stay has proven to be a major and positive factor in the emirate’s hotel sector, with Stuart Deeson, general manager, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, stating that overseas guest often tend to enjoy the hotel’s hospitality for seven to 14 days.
CLAIMING A SLICE
Looking to obtain a fair share of the destination’s flourishing tourism industry, which saw hotel guest nights improve 10 percent, totalling 4.39 million, in the first eight months of the year, according to TCA Abu Dhabi, hotel companies are keen to further ex-tend their presence in the emirate.
V Five Continents Hospitality Management re-cently opened its third property, the 120-room V Con-tinents Executive Suites. Commenting on the capi-tal’s fast-maturing supply of hotels, which he stated may need a few years to balance with demand, Tarek Elsherif, managing director, V Five Continents Hospi-tality Management, said, “Abu Dhabi is growing very fast […] and has achieved a very high level of recogni-tion in the past few years, attracting more investors.”
NCT&H’s Danat Residence is to due to open in the first quarter of 2013 while The Ritz-Carlton gears up to reveal its new luxury hotel by the end of this quarter, Pep Lozano, general manager, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal, revealed.
Meanwhile, Yas Island also continues to further en-hance its offering, whose developer Aldar Properties has delivered a significant number of projects since 2010 including seven hotels, the Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Links Golf Club, and Ferrari World, while Yas Water-world Abu Dhabi is scheduled to open at the end of the year, and Yas Mall slated to be launched in 2013.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has also launched several new attractions such as ‘Viaggio in Italia, a technolog-ically-advanced simulator ride, alongside a new line-up of interactive games.
“Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has proved its appeal with plenty of visitors over two years of successful operations and we aim to continue along the path,” Bruno Wiley, di-rector of sales, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi explained.
On Sir Bani Yas Island, Desert Islands Conference Centre is due to be revealed before the end of the year, as well as the Desert Islands WaterSports Centre, according to David Garner, regional director of sales and marketing, Middle East, Anantara Hotel, Resorts and Spas, who added that Anantara Al Yamm Villas on Sir Bani Yas Island is to start receiving guests in the first quarter of 2013 and Anantara Al Sahel Villas in the second quarter of 2013.
Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi is also to be completed in the first quarter of 2013, Diane Ionescu, marketing communications manager, Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, revealed, describing Abu Dhabi as one of the most prosperous and vibrant economies in the Middle East. “The stable environment encouraged the devel-opment of new projects that leads to a growth in the
business and leisure travel,” she explained.
SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY
The destination has indeed once again claimed its place on the tourism map with regards to business and conferences, as Shaun Parsons, general manager, Le Royal Le Méridien Abu Dhabi, expressed, saying that this resulted in a healthy influx of visitors that was sourly missed in previous years, starting a some-what chain reaction.
“When things are good in the business sector, it au-tomatically reflects on the leisure one as the destination
Heritage Site status, the headline attractions over the next decade are likely to be the world-class museums planned for Saadiyat Island. The Lourve Abu Dhabi is due to open in 2015; a year later the Zayed National Museum will open while Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will launch in 2017.”
In addition, the capital is set to further consoli-date its status as a regional and global business hub as well, as Mouna Ouni, public relations and market-ing director, Grand Millennium Al Wahda, noted.
“Abu Dhabi’s vision is focusing on MICE business and to create awareness about its facilities, and with the new Al Maraya Island, which will become the business district, Abu Dhabi will be known as the best business destination.”
BUILDING THE HUB
Over the past few years, Abu Dhabi has emerged as a major aviation hub and based on OAG’s recent data, its market is now outgrowing not just the global avia-tion segment but also the Middle Eastern market, with its seat capacity set to increase to 9.9 million this year, marking a 12 percent increase, as opposed to the pro-jected six percent regional growth, over 2011 figures.
These figures come as no surprise considering Eti-had Airways’ fast-paced growth, which currently boasts a route network spanning five continents served by a growing fleet of 67 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. “For the remainder of the decade, we will have an excess of 90 aircraft delivered, including 10 Airbus A380s, the world’s largest passenger aircraft,” indicated James Ho-gan, president, Etihad Airways. “In 2013, we will take delivery of 14 aircraft,” he added, revealing that within the next year, new services are set to commence to Washington D.C., São Paolo, the airline’s first destina-tion in South America, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Codeshare partnerships and equity stakes have also long been a significant part of the airline’s expan-sion strategy, and further commenting on this, Hogan said, “Etihad Airways now has almost 40 codeshare partners in addition to the equity partnerships with airberlin, Aer Lingus, Air Seychelles, and Virgin Aus-tralia. By building on the success of the organic growth achieved in our first seven years of operation, these codeshares and equity acquisitions are intended to give us the scale to compete on a global playing field.”
In accordance with the airline’s expansion, ho-teliers are keen to respond fast to meet the needs of the new markets, with Amer Ammar, general man-ager, Premier Inn Abu Dhabi Capital Centre, express-ing faith in the launch of Etihad Airways’ new routes, which he believes will certainly create new potential future business through tourists, corporate travellers, and even stop-over passengers.
Describing air travel as an essential factor for the destination’s substantial growth, Andreas Kohn, re-gional director of sales and marketing, Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi, said, “Travellers are continuously looking for new destinations that offer a different experience compared to what they are used to. The destination Abu Dhabi fits right into that niche traveller profile.”
Etihad Airways
keeps coming up in reports and the media. TCA Abu Dhabi has been key to such success,” Parsons added.
Similarly, Manfred Simons, vice president of operations, Middle East and Africa, Millennium & Copthorne, which operates three hotels in the city, said, “Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and strong efforts have been undertaken to improve business levels in all areas. Exhibitions, sports events, concerts, and cultural events, and of course the development of Abu Dhabi’s islands have contributed to all com-mercial activities.”
The task now, therefore, is to maintain the mo-mentum, Al Dhaheri further noted. “We will continue to look at both our traditional source markets and expand new ones, especially in the Arabian Gulf, East-ern Europe, and the Far East,” he noted, pointing out that China and India, which is already the second larg-est producer of hotel guests in the emirate, are now among the main priorities for Abu Dhabi.
In the first eight months of the year, the strongest growth in terms of hotel guests was recorded from Asia, followed by the GCC and Europe, with improve-ments being witnessed across all key markets apart from North America, which despite the slight drop, remains a priority for TCA Abu Dhabi, Al Dhaheri fur-ther explained.
The list of the top growth markets also includes Russia, as a result of the significantly improved air links between the two destinations, he added.
To cater to the broadening audience, TCA Abu Dha-bi lays great emphasis on diversifying the destination’s offering, as Al Dhaheri clarified, “Culture and heritage will form an ever increasing role in our tourism portfo-lio. In addition to Al Ain being awarded UNESCO World
9VISITUAE
NOVEMBER 2012
DubaiDubai’s fast-paced development is a visible example of the hard-work and dedication infused into the emir-ate’s infrastructure, as professionals charge head on to further enhance its reputation of excellence and re-main ahead of competition.
Rita Kasziba writes
I n the first six months of the year, over five mil-lion hotel and hotel apartment guests experi-enced the sights and sounds of this burgeoning destination, marking a year-on-year increase of 10 percent.
Meanwhile, based on data compiled by the De-partment of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), guestnights climbed 18 percent, to over 19.2
million, and average length of stay swelled eight per-cent to touch 3.8 nights, resulting in a sound revenue improvement of 21 percent.
As Dubai continues to gain reputation as a prime leisure destination both regionally and globally, the number of visitors is increasing day by day, Wael El Behi, general manager, Ramada Downtown Dubai, noted.
In fact, considering the rapid expansion of the emirate’s hotel inventory, these positive results un-derscore the destination’s ever-growing popularity in both traditional and emerging markets, as it gradu-ally turns into, what Janet Fitzner, general manager, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, described as a must-visit destination. “Dubai has benefitted greatly as a business hub and a safe destination and contin-ues to be an attractive destination for both business and leisure,” Fitzner added, noting that the steadily increasing number of events and conferences held in the emirate has also been vital to the positive results.
Delving deeper into the main factors behind Dubai’s undisputed success, Hussein Hachem, cluster general manager, Al Bustan Rotana Dubai & Al Murooj Rotana, also remarked on the great significance of the destination’s impressive marketing campaigns splashed across the globe, from both the government and the private sectors, as well as the hospitality seg-ment’s excellent reputation. “Accessibility and con-
venience are key factors as well,” Hachem highlighted.Craig Senior, regional director of sales and mar-
keting, Maydan Hotels & Hospitality, attributed much of Dubai’s success to its air services. “The flight net-work and routes offered are excellent, and provide the traveller with superb direct connections to the country from around the world.”
FLYING THE FLAG
Demonstrating the destination’s growing appeal, over the past few years, monthly average passenger volume at Dubai International has skyrocketed from just 2.9 million in 2009 to over 4.5 million this year, turning the airport into the world’s fourth busiest hub for international passengers and cargo traffic.
In July, passenger figures surpassed, for the first time, the five million mark, meaning that an average of 112 passengers passed through the airport every minute of every day, pushing the year-to-date vol-ume, by the end of August, to over 37.8 million, up 13.4 percent over the corresponding period in 2011.
The non-stop growth is a true testament to Dubai’s attractions to tourists and business around the world, according to Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Air-port, who expects that by 2018, average passenger volume would soar just under 170 travellers per
10 VISIT UAE
NOVEMBER 2012
minute, hence the reason USD7.8 billion is being in-vested in the future of the airport, he continued.
Having long realised the industry’s potential to drive economic growth, Dubai’s government has been investing heavily in the airlines and the associated tourism infrastructure, highlighted Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, who also revealed the low-cost carrier’s intention to double its fleet over the next four years and focus on further extending its network, primarily in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the GCC.
Hailed one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, Emirates has, this year, already added over 10 destina-tion’s to its network, as it continues to connect Dubai with top business and leisure destination from all around the world.
CHAIN REACTION
Dubai’s tourism sector relies greatly on Emirates’ and flydubai’s continuous growth, especially these turbulent times in the traditional markets, as David Thomson, chief operating officer, JA Resorts & Hotels, explained, “We do keep a careful eye on what is hap-pening in Europe as there is still talk of further reces-sion, which could impact our business here.”
According to Thomson, the increase of flights can only benefit the industry with travellers looking
for more choice when it comes to location and value for money, and hoteliers seeking to tap into newly emerging markets.
The soaring visitor volumes from Eastern Europe, the CIS countries, the Indian subcontinent or Asia are prime examples of how the airlines’ expansion ben-efits the whole industry, while according to Fitzner, Brazil and China have also illustrated the advantage Dubai has gained through new air routes.
James Wilson, general manager, Dusit Thani Dubai also expressed an interest in visitors from the airlines’ new destinations, which have already began to pour into the emirate, adding that with the multiplying flight links over the coming months, more travellers are expected to visit Dubai or make a stop-over, thus making these markets pivotal in balancing demand and supply. “Dubai is a very competitive destination but there is business in everyone,” indicated Wilson. “Airlines are continually expanding their destinations bringing new visitors to Dubai.”
Expressing similar optimism, El Behi added, “This integration with new markets will definitely boost the travel and tourism industry with the added advan-tage to the hospitality sector. The guest flow to Dubai will automatically see a visible increase which will im-pact on our hotel occupancy as well.”
Leonard Theng, director of sales, Pullman Dubai Mall of Emirates, further noted, “These are impor-tant markets to grow and develop for the future. Along with such new routes and service, we have also strategised an action plan to target these markets for future busi-ness,” Theng said, adding that they will also further diversify Dubai’s portfolio.
DTCM is also working hand in hand with the air-lines, as Eyad Abdul Rah-man, executive director, media relations and busi-ness development, DTCM, explained. “The new routes help us in attract-ing more tourists from that destination in which we also organise work-shops and other events.”
DTCM also lays great emphasis on further boosting cruise tourism with plans for a multiple entry UAE visa for cruise passengers long having been in discussion, ac-cording to Rahman.
This comes as Dubai prepares to welcome 110 ships and over 400,000
passengers this year, and expects to further boost these figures to 125 ships and 475,000 passengers by 2015.
Following the substantial gains of the hotel sec-tor, Dubai aims to replicate the success in the cruise tourism sector as well, bringing even more travellers to the emirate, which would benefits the whole sector, including car rental.
Budget Rent A Car, which moved its new head-quarters to Dubai Investment Park earlier this year, currently holds a market share of around 30 percent in car rentals at airport locations, according to Salim Damji, senior general manager, Budget Rent A Car, UAE, who added that the company plans to expand its network aggressively across the UAE by increasing its branches, hotlines, and micro links.
Moreover, Big Bus Tours has also experienced phenomenal growth since launching in Dubai a dec-ade ago, as Mike Lees, general manager, Big Bus Tours, Dubai, explained, “Big Bus Dubai has grown to keep pace with the rapid development of Dubai, launching with just six buses and 20 staff in May 2002. Big Bus now boasts a fleet of over 20 buses and 100 staff serv-ing all major sights and landmarks in the city.”
Also building on the recent consolidation, Chap-man Freeborn Aviation, which provides specialised air charter services for both passenger and cargo movements, is looking forward to the ever-evolving Middle East aviation market, as Eliska Mundell, gen-eral manager, UAE, Chapman Freeborn Aviation, re-vealed, praising the company’s immense change in structure over the past 13 years, which has seen it become one of the main long term players in the re-gional market, especially in cargo charter brokering. “On the Passenger brokering side, Chapman Freeborn has developed a dedicated team of professionals in the last few years, who have grown to be highly re-spected within the Middle East. This market is highly competitive, which makes our success all the more remarkable,” she further denoted.
STANDING TALL
Building on the positive market trends, Dubai’s tourism industry is set for further growth embraced in the sup-port of DTCM and the constant new promotions of the emirate, placing confidence in hoteliers, such as Gilles Longuet, general manager, Meliá Dubai, that the remain-der of the year and 2013, will be strong, as she expressed.
Habib Khan, general manager, Arabian Countyard Hotel & Spa, echoed identical sentiments, “Dubai’s performance looks healthy and we are quite positive that in 2013 it will increase further. […] We do agree that the competition is stiff but every hotel is able to manager its fair share.”
Despite the stiffening competition, professionals believe that Dubai is a destination, which will be able to create demand to balance supply, having always been, what Patrick Antaki, complex general manager, Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, described as a hotspot for tour-ists, with an increasing number of hotels set to create new attractions, which will, in turn, lure in more markets for the emirate’s tourism industry to cater to.
12 VISIT UAE
NOVEMBER 2012
AjmanDespite being the smallest among all seven emirates, Ajman not only dares to think big but is gradually challenging its sister emirates.
Rita Kasziba writes
E ncompassing an area of just 260km2, Ajman accounts for only 0.33 percent of the total area of the UAE, yet with its strategic location and authentic charm, it is continuously gaining sig-nificance in the country’s tourism scene.
Enchanted by the destination’s intimate atmos-phere, an increasing number of visitors choose to continue their journey beyond the borders of the larger sister emirates. “Overall, Ajman is booming and we are soon getting two more five-star beach properties,” explained Iftikhar Hamdani, general man-ager, Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman, revealing that in
2011, the property sold over 100,000 room nights, while year-to-date occupancy levels have reached as high as 94 percent, and considering the destination’s growing popularity, the trend is expected to continue in the long-run.
Reporting similarly encouraging results, Adnan Ashraf, marketing communications manager, Kem-pinski Hotel Ajman, described the past nine months as quite successful with the hotel outperforming all previously set targets.
One of the latest additions to Ajman’s hotel in-ventory, the 210-room and suite Crown Palace Hotel recorded a year-to-date occupancy level of 60 per-cent along with a decent average room rate, as Nehal Rizvi, general manager, Crown Palace Hotel, revealed, describing the property’s target customers as long-staying guests and holiday makers, especially from the domestic markets, visiting Ajman for relaxing weekend getaways.
Also emphasising the great contribution of the GCC sector, Arun Kumar, general manager, Tulip Inn Royal Suites Ajman, further remarked on the increas-ing importance of the CIS countries, as well as the emerging Asian markets.
In fact, Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman reported a 200 percent increase in guest volume from the CIS countries and Central Asia, since the hotel’s partici-
pation in the Kazakhstan International Tourism Fair earlier this year, Hamdani revealed.
Ashraf also described Russia as one of the most important international markets of the property, followed by Germany, however the hotel con-tinuously strives to de-velop new markets within the GCC as well as India and Scandinavia, as it is of great importance for all parties of the indus-try to take part in the destination’s promotion, especially until a tour-ism board and its strat-egy is put in place, he explained, nevertheless expressing optimism to-wards the destination’s future growth. “There is definitely a positive growth pattern expected in the next few years. The planned development of Ajman’s Tourism Board will definitely help in po-sitioning it positively in the mind set of travellers and generate awareness on an international level,”
Ashraf said, adding that announcements of the new projects such as Ajman Marina and Ajman Ring will definitely bring in new investments.
Sharing similarly positive views, Kumar added, “With the economy getting better and the inflation kept under control, the coming years should see posi-tive growth not only in the hotel industry but across other sectors as well.”
The planned devel-opment of Ajman’s Tourism Board will definitely help in positioning it positively in the mind set of travel-lers and generate awareness on an international level
Highlighting Ajman’s great strategic location on the UAE map, Rizvi further noted, “We have Ajman Free Zones along with Hamriya Free Zone and Shar-jah Free Zone just a few minutes drive from the hotel hence we get a good share of corporate clients. We have a great tourism boost from the major destina-tion management companies as most of the Dubai hotels are sold out during the major exhibitions and general tourists have to shell out a lot of money to stay during that period. So we act as a cushion for them, giving them decent accommodation at a very affordable price.”
In line with Ajman’s aim to further enhance its of-ferings, Fairmont Ajman is scheduled to welcome its first guests in early 2013, following the launch of the highly anticipated Ajman Palace, Hospitality Manage-ment Holding’s latest property, which is set to open in the first weeks of December.
These upcoming openings come as the emirate’s industry eagerly awaits the Ajman Tourism Develop-ment Department to reveal its long-term strategic plans.
13VISITUAE
NOVEMBER 2012
Sharjah has long earned its place as one of the most authentic and serene emirates, boasting a pros-perous blend of tradition and mo-dernity, just a short drive from the bustling streets of Dubai, however, what really put Sharjah on a rapid growth trajectory is its people and their vision and commitment to succeed.
Sharjah
Rita Kasziba writes
Eye of the Emirates
O ver the past few years, Sharjah has firmly established itself on the world tourism map, attracting an average of 1.5 mil-lion visitors annually, having grown from strength to strength, keeping pace with
the latest trends and practices in the global tourism industry, according to H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Noman, chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Develop-ment Authority (SCTDA).
Further noting that this year has been yet another success story with a significant upsurge in visitor vol-ume, Al Noman highlighted the neighbouring Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Ku-wait, as the strongest inbound markets to the emirate.
As a matter of fact, following a challenging year in 2011, over the past months, the industry has gradual-ly rebounded, as Mohammed Al Kilany, general man-ager, Al Sharq Hotel, explained, attributing the en-couraging results, apart from the destination’s unique character and peaceful atmosphere, to SCTDA’s vigor-ous work, which has certainly not been overlooked by the industry.
Boasting sound promotional campaigns, both re-gionally and internationally, the authority has opened up a range of new markets, developing new business channels for the industry and Sharjah’s economy as a whole, Jan Siddiqi, director of sales, Ramada Plaza Jumeirah Beach Residence and Ramada Sharjah, highlighted.
“The efforts of SCTDA and its participation in in-ternational exhibitions will surely benefit Sharjah as a destination and Ramada Sharjah in particular,” Siddiqi further noted.
Keen to continue its mission, SCTDA endeavours to bolster the industry’s development and open up new markets, hence has this year paid greater atten-tion to marketing Sharjah internationally by conduct-ing roadshows in the Middle East and Central Asia as well the CIS countries, and most recently in India,
which Al Noman described as another major emerg-ing market for Sharjah.
“The chief objective of the road shows is to showcase Sharjah’s unique charms and reach out to a huge and fast expanding tourism and investment markets in these coun-tries,” he explained, add-ing that Europe and the Middle East remain the two main feeder markets of the emirate, with Eu-rope representing over 40 percent, driven by strong volumes from Russia and Germany.
In 2011, visitor vol-ume from Russia totalled over 200,000, as a direct result of Air Arabia’s in-creased operation be-tween the countries, as Al Noman reported, re-marking the airline’s piv-otal role in connecting the destination with new markets.
In fact, to facilitate the ever-growing cus-tomer demand, Air Ara-bia has inaugurated a number of new services over the past months, linking Sharjah with new destinations primarily in the Gulf region and East-ern Europe, including Ukraine and Russia, hav-ing already experienced increasing volumes from these regions.
Holiday Inn Sharjah also witnessed a very strong start of the year with big volumes of business coming from the CIS market, according to Mohamed Said Khalil, hotel manager, Holiday Inn Sharjah, who expressed his anticipation to see increased business coming to
15VISITUAE
NOVEMBER 2012
the emirate from the newly opened markets as well as Germany, another key target of the hotel.
As the industry looks to further stretch its edge over its competitors and tap into new markets, it also greatly relies on Sharjah Tourism Development and Investment Authority (Shurooq), the emirate’s other leading organisation extending the destination’s rep-utation worldwide. “With Shurooq’s vision to enhance Sharjah’s position as a leading tourism and invest-ment destination in the world, the authority is keen to develop and further strengthen ties with various countries across the globe, especially China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the Far East,” explained H.E. Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Shurooq, who described the countries as emerging markets with multifarious op-portunities for trade and business, and with the po-tential for unprecedented growth and development.
“The main aim of Shurooq’s meetings with eco-nomic leaders in these countries is to allow them to explore the numerous economic and investment opportunities in Sharjah,” added Al Sarkal, revealing that the Authority is also keen to further strengthen economic ties with Turkey, Greece, Germany, and Singapore.
“With flexible and business-friendly legislative laws that offer stability and growth to investors, Shar-jah, over the past few years, has developed itself as UAE’s industrial hub, which manufactures around 33 percent of the country’s total production,” he contin-ued, highlighting that being located between Europe and the Far East, Sharjah is the only GCC hub with direct access to the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean, offering a gateway to two billion people in 160 countries.
After the unprecedented success of Shurooq’s Al Majaz Waterfront and Al Qasba projects, which re-ceived over 1.3 million visitors in the first half of the year, work is now underway on The Chedi Khorfakkan Resort, which Al Sarkal described as a brilliant combi-nation of two concepts; a Fort, which will be open to the public, and a 106-suite five-star resort for guests, with the hotel due to open in 2015.
“The hotel, at a cost of AED420 million (USD114 million), has been planned to become one of the most important destinations in the region,” added Al Sarkal.
Work is also progressing on the The Heart of Shar-jah development, hailed the largest heritage project in the region, which aims to develop the emirate’s heritage area while preserving its national historic landmark and the five-phase project is envisioned to be completed in 2025.
“Being designed in the centre of the emirate, it is an effort to restore the traditional heritage areas of Sharjah seeking to reflect what the emirate was like over half century ago and covers an areas of about 35,000m2,” explained Al Sarkal.
Al Hisn Island, the latest leisure and tourism pro-ject is also well underway with the objective to de-velop the Eastern region of Sharjah, in order to create another project that serves the interests of citizens in these areas, spur economic growth, and attract in-vestment that help create jobs and generate added
economic value to the emirate,” concluded Al Sarkal. These world-class developments, bolstered
alongside the authorities’ widespread initiatives, have helped Sharjah establish its status not only as a prime tourism destination but also as a business hub, with Expo Centre Sharjah welcoming over 212,000 visitors so far this year, and hosting an array of events, such as an education show, edutainment show, Green Middle East, International Automobile Show or Halal Food Middle East, just to name a few, as Saif Al Midfa, direc-tor general, Expo Centre Sharjah, explained. “We have recently added two new halls to the existing four, thus the centre now offer 26,000m2 of indoor exhibi-tion space along with 16,000m2 outdoor space. In ad-dition, we have also set up a new exhibition complex, the Expo Khor Fakkan, which is the only such facility in the eastern region of the UAE and boasts a strategic location due to the natural deep water port,” Al Midfa further noted.
Despite laying great emphasis on further improv-ing its infrastructure and business facilities, Sharjah also remains committed to preserving its cultural and historical heritage. Sharjah Museums Depart-ment (SMD) currently manages 16 sites, and its three main goals include providing a learning environment through a diverse collection for all, developing new museum projects and training UAE nationals in the field of museum stud-ies, Manal Ataya, director general, SMD, explained.
“Our various muse-ums are essential in de-livering and supporting two very important as-pects which are educa-tion and Emiratisation in the cultural sector,” Ataya added, further remarking on SMD’s vital role in po-sitioning Sharjah, which was already been recog-nised as Arab capital of Culture in 1998 and has been named Islamic Cul-ture Capital for 2014.
“Cultural tourism is one of the fastest-grow-ing global tourism mar-kets. Culture is increasing-ly being used to promote destinations and en-hance their attractive-ness. Therefore, Sharjah is actively developing our cultural assets, to have a competitive edge in the tourism marketplace, and to create local unique-ness,” Ataya concluded.
As Sharjah contin-ues to garner reputation globally, SCTDA makes
sure that the emirate gets all the attention it deserves from both tourists and investors. “As an international tourism destination, Sharjah has it all; world-class tourist infrastructure, a truly welcoming, friendly, and safe environment, and offering the best of everything from shopping to leisure to adventure,” Al Noman said.
“Thanks to its rich culture, monuments, and nu-merous museums and cultural events, it is designated and celebrated by the UN as the Cultural Capital of the Arab and Islamic world. All that we need to do is to promote it right and effectively.
“During the past five years, several new hotels, malls, and entertainment and cultural projects have come up. The emirate has introduced several cultural and tourism events and festivals like the Sharjah Wa-ter Festival, Sharjah Light Festival, Sharjah Biennial and many, many others,” he said, adding that there are still two major events in this year’s calendar, including the much anticipated Sharjah Water Festival and the Formula One Powerboat World Championship, which are expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visi-tors to the emirate.
In conclusion, Noman praised Sharjah as an at-tractive destination for both tourists and investors with a booming market, and a happening place in every sense.
16 VISIT UAE
NOVEMBER 2012
Fujairah Fujairah is considered the most naturally picturesque emirate which has made a rapid progress, over the past few years, towards establishing itself as a highly attractive destination for visitors and investors alike.
Rita Kasziba writes
F ujairah is an increasingly popular destination among tourists visiting the UAE, as Ashraf Helmy, general manager, area business de-velopment manager, Iberotel Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort, noted.
Based on data released by the Fujairah Tourism & Antiquities Authority (FTAA), the number of tour-ists visiting the emirate has increased 20 percent so far this year. “The result might come from the desire to expand the number of international exhibitions in which FTAA participated this year,” Mouza Al Yam-mahi, hotel classification manager, FTAA, speculated, adding that these figures come in response to the recently emerged demand from new markets. “The main source markets for FTAA are the German, Rus-sian, and European markets, [but this year] we also participated in Chinese and Ukrainian exhibitions. In addition, for the first time, FTAA has also been involved in a roadshow, one of the main channels
through which we would like to promote Fujairah.”Over the past five years, tourism in Fujairah has
been witnessing growth with the number of hotels and resorts having increased 27 percent between 2007 and 2011, while the emirate’s room inventory improved 33 percent, and guest volume rose 36 per-cent, as Al Yammahi explained.
“Fujairah is growing year by year with many new ho-tels opening in the near future,” commented Satish Gu-jaran, duty manager, Sandy Beach Hotel. Describing the emirate as one which attracts tourists from all around the world, he revealed that the main source markets at the hotel are predominantly European and CIS countries.
Meanwhile, Helmy accentuated the German and Scandinavian markets’ increasing contribution, and said, “Fujairah’s tourism sector is doing great and grow-ing rapidly by attracting new people.”
Also conveying his confidence in the emirate’s pro-gression, Patrick Antaki, complex general manager, Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, portrayed Fujairah as an international and competitive destination which is on the rise, particularly with the new express high-
way which, he says, has halved the travelling time between Dubai and the emirate and has boosted intra-regional tourism and increased local and inter-national visitor numbers.
Further commenting on the emirate’s growing appeal in various seg-ments, Mohamed Fekry, general manager, Con-corde Hotel Fujairah, high-lighted the increase in business witnessed from corporate clients and gov-ernment activities, includ-
ing UAE residents, in addition to the contribution from foreign travel agency websites.
“Newly established infrastructures help travellers to visit Fujairah in easier and faster ways,” Fekry indi-cated, also noting that these recent developments lay a firm foundation on which to build more promotional campaigns, as well as the industry’s optimism.
Meanwhile, Iberotel Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort is already in the process of building a new conference and wedding hall, Helmy revealed. “The reason behind this development is the amount of demand we are re-ceiving for meeting facilities,” he said, adding that man-agement is also in the process of finalising drawings for the second phase of the property, which will become a 60-villa resort instead of 353-room hotel.
Fujairah is increasingly seen as a perfect stop-over destination for visitors seeking a place to unwind and re-energise themselves, from the larger emirates like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, according to Imran Siddiqui, general manager, Emirates Springs Hotel Apartments. who add-ed, “It is far from being busy and noisy [and] is a develop-ing emirate for investors with lots of opportunities.”
In a bid to enhance these offerings and the emir-ate’s status as a fast developing destination, FTAA is working closely with the private sector and is in the process to release the Fujairah Hotel Establishments Ranking Outline, so as to maintain consistency in the highest quality of services for guest accommodation, food services and facilities, Al Yammahi explained.
Further fuelling the hoteliers’ anticipation to see more visitors, Rotana Jet recently inaugurated new domestic flights between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi, making travelling easier and convenient to tourists, according to Siddiqui.
Moreover, in a bid to facilitate this anticipated growth in demand, minor refurbishment projects are being implemented at the airport, Hajdu further ex-plained, emphasising the great importance of attract-ing new businesses to the emirate’s gateway.
18 VISIT UAE
NOVEMBER 2012
With its fast developing infrastructure, continually enhanced offerings, world-class projects, and effective marketing and promotional activities, Ras Al Khaimah well deserves the title of ‘the rising emirate’.
Rita Kasziba writes
Ras Al Khaimah
S ince its inauguration in May 2011, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAK TDA) has positioned the emirate as a global affordable luxury destination for leisure and adventure not only on the local
and regional but also on the international levels, as Vic-tor Louis, chief operating officer, RAK TDA, explained.
“We have initiated many new hospitality projects and hotels and as a result of the continuous invest-ments [...] in tourism projects, we have already received the demand of increasing the room inventory by vari-ous channels including international tour operators,” said Louis, attributing the emirate’s soaring popularity
to its firmly established image and ease of accessibility.In fact, Ras Al Khaimah’s convenient location in the
north of the UAE, just a 45-minute drive from Dubai International, has merited a well-earned place on the global tourism map, resulting in a diverse pool of source markets with Germany, the UAE, Russia, UK, and the Czech Republic leading the list.
Summarising the Authority’s main objectives, Louis said, “RAK TDA has been assigned a budget of USD500 million until the end of 2013, to develop Ras Al Khaimah into a global brand and an affordable luxury destina-tion.” He further noted that the number and volume of hospitality ventures and support programmes as well as other initiatives to entice foreign investment into the emirate, not only add to the inventory of luxury accom-modation available but also help further develop the
destination’s offerings of tourism attractions and in-frastructure.
CREATING A BUZZ
Since its re-launch over two years ago, RAK Airways has been committed to connecting the emirate with diverse destinations, having carried over 250,000 passengers in 2011. The airline also recently celebrated the inauguration of its first domestic services to Abu Dhabi following a codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways, which, according to John Brayford, CEO, RAK Airways, has already created a buzz in the marketplace.
“We are delighted with the high level of interest shown and this augurs well for the future success of the Abu Dhabi route,” he expressed, emphasising that for an airline of the qual-ity and prestige of Etihad Airways to choose RAK Airways as a codeshare
partner shows how far the carrier has advanced since its re-launch in 2010.
“At RAK Airways, we believe in putting the cus-tomer at the centre of everything we do and, with this exciting partnership, we are able to offer residents of Ras Al Khaimah and the Northern Emirates a much wider choice of destinations and also, for the first time, a direct link to the capital city, Abu Dhabi.”
To facilitate the anticipated growth, Ras Al Khaim-ah International Airport has outlined plans to boost terminal capacity by 140 percent, build seven new departure gates, create a 40 percent increase in retail space, launch a food court and a business lounge, add to the parking facilities, and open new duty free shops.
ENHANCING REPUTATION
As part of its vital role in attracting visitors and en-couraging investors, RAK TDA is engaged in a range of proactive campaigns that include participation in the major travel trade events, and forging relationships with international partners; initiatives which, accord-ing to Louis, have already paid rich dividends.
Demonstrating the benefits of such partnerships, Louis further highlighted that following the Authority’s partnership with German Tour Operator, Reise Service Deutschland and Dubai-based World of Travel, the launch of charter flights linking the destination with German and Austrian cities resulted in an additional 55,000 visitors to Ras Al Khaimah, while another part-nership, formed in 2011 with Swedish tour operator, Apollo, brought some 5,000 visitors to the emirate.
Building on the already proven success of such co-operations, RAK TDA has recently entered into an agreement with Russian tour operator Natalie Tours, in cooperation with Alpha Tours, in a bid to bring with the new charter services an additional 7,000 visitors to the destination.
To further facilitate all tourism and hospitality in-vestment opportunities and position the emirate as a potential investment destination, the Authority, ear-lier this year, launched the ‘Ras Al Khaimah Investors Guide’.
“This guide introduced to the investors, the avail-able investment opportunities including 35 plots within the Al Marjan Island, where Rixos Bab Al Bar, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Crowne Plaza Ras Al Khaimah will take place as scheduled. The highlight of ‘Ras Al Khaimah Investors Guide’ was a section where the investors were provided with complete 10-year plans and feasibility studies of the different hotel capacities in Ras Al Khaimah,” said Louis, continuing with an endless list of developments.
The 627-unit Rixos Bab Al Bahr, hailed the first ‘all inclusive’ property of this magnitude in the UAE, is scheduled to open its doors in the first quarter of 2013, as Basek Erel, senior vice president, brand man-agement, Rixos Hotels revealed, describing the rising emirate of Ras Al Khaimah as one which is fast becom-ing a strong contender within the global hospitality market.
The property will take a prime location on the Al
19VISITUAE
NOVEMBER 2012
Umm Al Quwain is yet another example of how each of the emirates embrace their own identity and comple-ments each other to create the ultimate destination.
Rita Kasziba writes
Umm Al Quwain
Marjan Island, the first man-made island that consists of a cluster of five coral-shaped islands extending over 2.7 million m2 worth over USD1.8 billion.
Revealing further developments in the emirate, Louis said, “The 340- key DoubleTree by Hilton Resort, Marjan Island, is scheduled to open in 2014, and the 442-room Crowne Plaza Ras Al Khaimah is due to be revealed in 2015 on the Al Marjan Islands.”
The ultimate Desert experience, Bassata Village, which opened in October, has introduced its visitors and guests to the Arabian experience with Bedouin shows and entertainment, Louis explained, adding that the recently revealed 30.5m sailing boat Prince of Sea offers sailing trips along the emirate's waters.
One of the most popular destinations in the Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Village, has also seen a substantial increase in occupancy over the past few months, ac-cording to Mark Hawkes, group chief financial officer, Al Hamra Group, who added that in an effort to pro-mote the emirate as a popular sailing destination, Al Hamra Marina joined ‘Destinations’, the famous ART Marine Marinas network.
“The current projects include the Waldorf Astoria, Ras Al Khaimah, which will be the first Waldorf-brand-
ed property in the UAE, scheduled for opening in the first quarter of 2013. The Al Hamra Mall will be ex-panded to include a number of additional attractions such as activities for children and a cinema complex.
“The Al Hamra Fort Hotel is in the process of being renovated and will re-open as a Hilton Resort prop-erty during the course of 2013. Al Hamra Marina has recently signed a significant partnership which will result in the launch of a new sailing academy, which will help develop local talent and will promote Ras Al Khaimah as a sailing destination,” explained Hawkes.
Leading and overseeing the hotel sector’s undis-puted development is the Ras Al Khaimah Hospitality Group. “This government entity was launched to sup-port and develop the emirate’s hospitality industry with the aim to diversified food and beverage con-cept offerings to the local residents and tourists as well as to increase the emirate’s total hotel and resort room inventory to 10,000 keys by the year 2016,” ex-plained Louis, noting that since its establishment less than a year ago, the group has been playing an active role in introducing new hospitality projects.
Continuing with the wide array of developments, Louis added, “As for upgrade projects, we are working
on the enhancement of the Al Hamra Marina and Yacht Club and already started the extensive upgrade of Ban-yan Tree Al Wadi, where the villa complex is being ex-tended and the selection of wildlife is being expanded. Furthermore, Ras Al Khaimah Country Club is an ongo-ing project, which will be launched at end of the year as an exclusive equestrian club in the emirate.”
Looking into the main factors behind Ras Al Khaim-ah’s success, Ali Kasapbashi, group general manager, Bin Majid Group, whose portfolio includes four hotels in the emirate, said, “Ras Al Khaimah offers a luxurious yet reasonably-priced getaway for both leisure and business travellers. Tourism in Ras Al Khaimah is pres-ently in full swing as the emirate looks forward to excit-ing projects and developments. The tourism industry will continue to develop over the next few years as the emirate is working on marketing itself as a tourist and business destination,” he continued.
In fact, between January and August a total of 725,544 visitors got a glimpse of the rising emirate, representing 68 percent of the destination’s annual goal of 1.1 million, and placing Ras Al Khaimah well on track to achieve its goal of 1.2 million visitors by 2013.
W ith its mangrove lagoon and sandy shoreline stretching along the Per-sian Gulf, Umm Al Quwain is con-sidered the place to visit for all wa-ter sports enthusiasts, as well as for
families looking to enjoy the waves while also injecting just the right amount of adventure into their holidays.
The emirate offers tranquility and fun in equal measure, a unique blend, that, according to Ghassan El Kesti, park manager, Dreamland Aqua Park, is one of the main drawing powers of the destination.
Hailed as one of the largest waterparks of the re-gion, El Kesti invites visitors to pump up their adrena-lin levels on a variety of water rides and then immerse themselves in a refreshing drink at the pool bar.
“[Overall], the leisure and entertainment markets have shown signs of recovery compared to 2011, with an increase in footfall of 30 percent in visitor volume,” El Kesti noted, adding that the recently launched new promotions in partnership with hotels and tour opera-tors have generated a new stream of business. “Our camping facilities are also gaining popularity, espe-cially for school and group outings as well as corporate team building events,” he continued.
As the emirate continues to garner recognition, ho-teliers are experiencing brisk business, as Arun Menon,
resort manager, Flamingo Beach Resort, explained, re-porting steady improvements over the past months, thus indicating the tourism sector’s revival following the past years’ submissive performance.
“[So far this year] business at the resort was bet-ter compared to the same period in 2011, and so was tourism in general in Umm Al Quwain,” Menon high-lighted, adding that after a shift in travel trends and tourism patterns, Eastern Europe and the CIS coun-tries, as well as China, have now all earned a place among the resort’s main source markets, along with the traditionally strong domestic market.
“Our largest con-tributor and yield maker market is domestic, […]. We also understand that apart from Europe, Eurasia and the Asian markets are also rapidly growing and hence, they have now be-come our target markets.”
Expressing similar views, El Kesti also listed the UAE and the CIS coun-tries as the most signifi-cant feeder markets of the
attraction, adding that the recently launched new pro-motion for the remaining months of the year is expected to further drive business.
Considering the global scenario, regional devel-opments alongside the growth prospects of the UAE, Menon also remains confident, as he concluded, “The UAE acts as a ‘double gateway’ connecting East and West, where rapid growth is inevitable and hence, the proportion of growth of tourism and travel industries in the UAE shall supersede any other part of the world.”
20 ONSITE India
NOVEMBER 2012
Dominique Christou writes
INDIA IN BRIEF
Capital: New Delhi
Currency: Indian rupee (INR)
Language: Hindi, English
Foreign tourist arrivals to India have so far recorded healthy figures and alongside a robust increase of ac-commodation options proliferating across the country and a growing middle-class population expected to entice domestic travel, India is, once again, proving itself to be a true touristic inspiration.
Aiming for Gold
O ver the next decade, direct contribution of travel and tourism to India’s GDP is forecast to rise by 7.7 percent per annum (pa) to reach INR3,805.2 billion (USD70.6 million) in 2022, according to reports re-
leased by World Tourism & Travel Council (WTTC).In 2011, direct contribution of travel and tourism
to GDP was INR1,689.8 billion (USD31.3 billion), rep-resenting 1.9 percent of the country’s total GDP, and this figure is expected to rise by 7.6 percent this year.
In par with positive forecasts on the horizon, India welcomed some 4.6 million foreign tourists between January and September, 5.9 percent more than that which was recorded during the same period in 2011, according to WTTC statistics, while September alone saw 415,000 foreign tourist arrivals, an increase of 13,000 over the same month in 2011.
With India’s middle-class set to rocket by some 400 million to reach 600 million by 2025, alongside investments underway in the country’s infrastructure,
domestic travel therefore demand in affordable and modern accommodation are expected to be spurred, according to Simon Barlow, president, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group already boasts a number of hotels in the pipeline in India, and through a strategic partnership with Bestech Hospitalities, the two companies plan to invest USD42 million to develop two mid-scale hotels; Park Inn by Radisson
Gurgaon Sector 88, and Park in by Radisson Chan-digarh, Mohali. By 2024, the country will be home to 49 Park Inn by Radis-son hotels across its north and central regions.
Moreover, Hyatt Ho-tels Corporation recently announced the open-ing of the 201-room Park Hyatt Chennai, marking the 30th hotel in the Park Hyatt collection and the first Park Hyatt hotel to be introduced to the city known as the gateway to southern India.
Commenting on the development, Yann Gil-let, general manager, Park Hyatt Chennai, said, “The hotel is truly a reflection of this great city with the art and design thought-fully encompassing In-dian heritage and culture. We are thrilled to join the Park Hyatt portfolio as the 30th hotel and look for-ward to providing guests with an ambience of so-phistication with service that is gracious and truly personalised.”
Adding to the group’s development pipeline, a Hy-att Hotels Corporation affiliate recently signed a man-agement agreement with Unity Infraprojects Limited for a 125-room Hyatt Place hotel in Nagpur expected to open in 2016, which marks the 24th Hyatt Place prop-erty under development in the country and brings the total number of upcoming Hyatt-branded hotels to 57.
“The development of the Hyatt Place hotels in India reflects our commitment to offering this select-service brand in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets,” said Ratnesh Verma, senior vice president, real estate and development, Asia Pacific, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “We are focused on creating preference by enhancing distribution of the Hyatt Place brand in both new and established markets in India where our guests are in-creasingly travelling.”
Moreover, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is gearing up to debut the group’s first property in India which will be located in Kerala and slated for opening in 2013.
In par with positive forecasts on the ho-rizon, India welcomed some 4.6 million
foreign tourists between January and September, 5.9 percent more than that
which was recorded during the same period in 2011
Propelling the country’s tourism even further, particularly from the Middle East, Air Arabia has an-nounced the expansion of services to the Indian capi-tal, New Delhi, to twice-weekly. Commenting on this addition, Adel Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia, said, “The rapidly expanding aviation sector in India is one of the country’s major economic drivers. We are confident that the expansion of service between Sharjah and In-dia’s capital will further enhance the air travel options for the residents of both states and positively contrib-utes to the economic development of both countries.”
Further reflecting the ever-growing appeal for flights between the two regions is Emirates which carried some 4.7 million passengers on its services to Indian cities, according to Andrew Parker, senior vice president, public, industry, international, and envi-ronmental affairs, Emirates, who described India as a central pillar in the airline’s global network.
21EXPLOREIran
NOVEMBER 2012
Remaining Strong
IRAN IN BRIEF
Capital: Tehran
Currency: Iranian Rial (IRR)
Language: Persian
Iran’s tourism sector has recently been showing signs of improvement in the face of external obstacles somewhat affecting inbound figures, as profes-sionals across the industry remain determined to continue improving these levels by conveying positive messages about the country to the world.
Dominique Christou writes
W orld Travel & Tourism Council’s report for Iran has shown that in 2011, direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP was IRR116,461 billion (USD9.5 million) represent-
ing 2.4 percent of the country’s total GDP.This figure is forecast to rise by 3.6 percent this
year, and to grow by four percent per annum over the next 10 years, to reach IRR178,990 billion (USD14.6 million) in 2022.
Meanwhile, Kish Island, part of the Hormozgan province, this year witnessed an increase in visitor numbers of 18 percent, in comparison to 2011, at the Kish Summer Festival which was held between June 17 and August 5.
According to Alireza Ameri, CEO, Kish Free Zone Organisation, 290,000 tourists travelled to the resort island, 90 percent of which travelled through the air-port while the remaining 10 percent entered via the sea port, to enjoy various programmes of the event.
Although figures, to a certain extent, seem en-couraging, professionals across the country’s tourism sector have reported contradicting results, includ-ing outbound tourism flow, largely blaming external factors.
On a positive note, Dina Cheraghvand, interna-tional marketing manager, Dornagasht Tour & Travel Agency, has reported increases in business so far this year, compared to 2011, although, she said, un-fortunately Iran itself has negative growth. “For the remainder of the year, if all goes on like this, we will have worse conditions and we are just trying to prove ourselves by taking part in different international ex-hibitions despite our current economical poor situa-tion,” she explained.
To further boost tourism to the region, Cheragh-vand indicated that Iran is going to have one of the country’s first literature tourism conferences, which she believes can attract many tourists in the close future. “Iran is so rich in this field by having the great poets like Hafiz , Ferdowsi , Molana , Khayyam, and Saadi. We are, nowadays, trying to focus on the fes-tivals that we have. We may not be able to have a special pre-planned package for them now, however when the occasion comes for our pre-planned tours, we will include them for sure,” she said.
Meanwhile, Aref Dashtban, manager, Khosro-parvaz Travel, recorded business as usual for the first half of the year, dealing mostly with tours to the Far East and, to a certain extent, Europe.
“Again, in the first half of the year, there were good business to some Middle East and North African des-tinations, such as Lebanon and Tunisia. Travel to the UAE has been less affected because many Iranians have second homes and own businesses in Dubai,” he
explained, praising Iran as a destination which offers a lot to the MENA market in terms of historic and holy sights, as well as pilgrimage travel, which has always attracted a great number of tourists.
This steady trend, however, declined sharply mostly due to the devaluation of the Iranian Rial, ac-cording to Dashtban, who views that these trends are set to trickle into the remaining months, unless, he added, there is a breakthrough in the political situation.
“There is little that can be done with the current heavy sanctions that is imposed on Iran to boost international tourism. The foreign exchange rate is so high that outgoing tourism is at a standstill. The exchange rate is very favourable for incoming business, but travel to Iran is being discouraged by the media and some foreign governments,” he continued.
On a positive note, Iran’s cultural office in Be-larus recently mounted an exhibition displaying a collection of 60 pho-tographs depicting con-temporary Iran while also introducing its historical, natural, and cultural at-tractions to the people of the Eastern European destination. Visitors were also offered the chance to become more familiar with scientific develop-ments and potentials of Iranian experts.
Further promoting its wonders, Iran attended
Matta Fair in Kuala Lumpur, one of Malaysia’s inter-national tourism exhibition, which took place on September 7 – 9, to introduce its tourism potentials, cultural heritage sites, and different handicrafts, as well as the considerable tourism investment oppor-tunities available in the country.
Although figures, to a certain extent, seem encouraging, professionals across
the country’s tourism sector have reported contradicting results,
including outbound tourism flow, largely blaming external factors
22 EXPLORE Iraq
NOVEMBER 2012
I raq has been placed second out of 10 nations in terms of showing the most promising growth prospects for the period 2010 – 2015, where a yearly increase in GDP of 11.7 percent is predicted for the five-year stretch, according
to Citibank, the consumer banking arm of financial services of giant Citigroup.
Evidence of these optimistic prospects can be seen in the USD186 billion placed in 2010 under Iraq’s National Development Plan to set the country on course to become a diverse and competitive economy dominated by the private sector, by 2014.
These figures have translated into a similar sanguine feeling among global hoteliers who view
Untapped Tourist PotentialIraq’s tourism industry is preparing itself for a boost in infrastructure as a large number of hotels in the pipeline are anticipating to spread their pres-ence in a country whose economy is expected to soar over the next few years.
Dominique Christou writes
Iraq as an emerging and important destination and one in which a large number of international hotel groups are spreading their presence.
Michel Noblet, CEO, Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH), expressed great confidence in Iraq as an emerging hospitality hub and one which he believes is an amazing destination to which the Coral Hotels & Resorts family will be welcoming the upcoming Coral Boutique Hotel Baghdad.
Operated by the hotel brand under a management agreement with United Iraqi Trading Company, the 80-
room and suite property aligns perfectly with HMH’s strategic growth plans in the region, according to Noblet. “Coral Boutique Hotel Baghdad embodies the distinctive experience that our guests expect from Coral along with the rich local culture and warmth,” he said, adding that he hopes the hotel will play a significant role in the emergence of Baghdad as a leading economy in the Middle East.
Bearing resemblance to this positive attitude towards the country and its cities is Dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, who described Iraq as a significantly new market for the brand, which recently signed a management agreement with Mihtab Group to develop a 300-room Hilton Erbil Hotel & Spa, slated to open in 2016.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer visitors to Erbil the consistent high brand standards that guests experience in over
80 countries worldwide. Hilton Erbil Hotel & Spa is set to be an outstanding, landmark property and we look forward to welcoming guests to one of the most beautiful and unexplored areas of the Middle East,” he further commented. Echoing similar sentiments, Rudi Jagersbacher, president, Hilton Worldwide, Middle East and Africa, said, “We are tremendously excited to introduce our second property to Erbil and welcome the opportunity to become part of its energetic and thriving city community. Establishing a strong presence in Kurdistan supports our ambitious strategy to open a further 40 hotels in the Middle East & Africa within the next four years.”
Also grabbing hold of the opportunities available in the country is Tangram Hotels, a member of global hotel alliance, which officially opened Tangram Hotel Erbil in April. According to Doaa Amin, general manager, Tangram Hotel Erbil, whose clientele range mostly from the Middle East and Africa region, primarily Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Qatar, and the UAE, the last quarter of the year will prove much stronger due to the major fairs taking place in the country.
Moreover, Peacock International Hotel Manage- ment recently announced that it is to manage the new five-star Highcrest Hotel, Sulaimaniya, a city where Ghassan Jaber, CEO, Peacock International Hotel Management, believes there is an increasing demand for quality. “This has encouraged us to expand our services to Sulaimaniya which is witnessing a growing need for accommodation facilities to meet all the standards and requirements of all tourists and visitors,” he added.
The region’s airline sector has also been demonstrating great commitment to Iraq, with companies such as Air Arabia and Qatar Airways having both recently expanded their route networks to the country.
Air Arabia is gearing up to launch its services to Basra, its third Iraqi destination, which according to Adel Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia, reflects the commitment the airline places to the Iraqi market. “This new service will further strengthen our current flights to Iraq and offer customers wider choice of affordable air travel; and at the same contribute to the trade and tourism ties between the UAE and Iraq,” he further commented.
Moreover, Qatar Airways is continuing its Iraqi network expansion with the announcement of scheduled flights to Najaf, its third route in the country, effective January 23, 2013, bringing the airline’s frequency to Iraq from eight weekly flights to 12. Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways, expressed delight for the boost in services to Najaf, a city which he stressed boasts major infrastructure development and vast untapped tourist potential, as well as the country as a whole. “Iraq is proving to be an important market for Qatar Airways. We currently operate four-flights-a-week between Doha and the cities of Baghdad and Erbil. We are confident that Najaf will prove to be a popular destination for our passengers, especially those from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific and those returning to visit their homeland.
IRAQ IN BRIEF
Capital: Baghdad
Currency: Iraqi dinar (IQD)
Language: Arabic, Kurdish
23LONG-HAULAustralia
NOVEMBER 2012
Claiming Centre Stage Australia has long been a global hotspot for tourists travelling from near and far, as it expands promo-tional tourism initiatives outside home soil for the first time, devotes some USD1 billion to upgrade its MICE facilities, and forges ahead with enhancements on major air route networks.
Dominique Christou writes
AUSTRALIA IN BRIEF
Capital: Canberra
Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD)
Language: English
D irect contribution of travel and tourism to Australia’s GDP was AUD34.7 billion (USD35.8 billion) in 2011, and this is fore-cast to rise by 0.8 percent this year, ac-cording to data released by World Travel
& Tourism Council (WTTC).By 2022, the country will have earned AUD45.8
billion (USD47.3 billion) directly from travel and tour-ism to the thriving destination, an increase of 2.7 per-cent per annum, WTTC’s country report on Australia has stated.
With the main markets for inbound tourism to the region coming from China and other Asia markets, the past year has also shown a return to growth in traditional markets such as Japan and the US, this ac-cording to Andrew McEvoy, managing director, Tour-ism Australia, who further noted that the Middle East market also continues to post increases. “The overall outlook for the remainder of the year is positive and suggests we are on track to achieve the Tourism 2020 goal to double over night spending to AUD140 billion (USD144.6 billion) by the end of the decade,” he com-mented.
Launched in Australia’s fastest-growing and high-est-value visitor market, China, on June 4, was the first ever Tourism Australia overseas campaign, namely There’s Nothing Like Australia.
According to McEvoy, the campaign aims to en-sure continued demand for Australia by leading with the country’s distinctive high quality tourism prod-ucts and experiences that are amongst the finest in the world.
With regards to the Middle Eastern market, McE-voy pointed out that more than 80 percent of visitors from the Gulf are expatriates working in the region, with the largest volume hailing from Dubai. “The Ramadan period is impacting on long-haul travel globally from the Middle East not just to Australia. We expect this situation to chance when Ramadan moves out of the summer peak outbound period in 2014,” he said, further noting that the latest visitor arrivals show there were 67,400 tourists to Australia from the MENA region, an increase of 2.9 percent for the January - July period.
A major contributor to Australia’s inbound tour-ism and a vital part of the national economy are busi-ness events, this according to Ton van Amerongen, CEO, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, one of the country’s leading venues comprising three major buildings with more than 30 meeting rooms, which can accommodate up to 3,500 people.
Commenting on the highly successful venue, van Amerongen revealed that the centre hosts an average of 600 events per year thus caters to one million peo-ple annually, thanks to its ideal position in Australia’s
gateway city, a major business centre in the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific region.
In line with these prosperous outcomes, the government of New South Wales has embarked on a AUD1 billion (USD1 billion) plan to redevelop Syd-ney’s convention, exhibition, and entertainment fa-cilities. The project, intended for completion in 2016, will create some of Australia’s largest and most ad-vanced facilities in a world-class venue.
Moreover, indicative of Australia’s rapidly devel-oping tourism sector especially from the Middle East is the growth in airline capacity between the two regions, particularly over the past five years, this ac-cording to Simon McGrath, CEO, Accor Pacific, who added that Qantas’ new global alliance with Emirates and the massive proposed increase in capacity from Dubai scheduled for 2013, places the Middle East as one of Australia’s most promising growth markets.
Subject to regulatory approvals, it is anticipated that the partnership arrangements will take effect in April 2013, as of which both airlines will give custom-ers a seamless international and Australian network,
exclusive frequent flyer benefits, and world‐class trav-el experiences.
Under the agreement signed by Tim Clark, presi-dent, Emirates, and Alan Joyce, CEO, Qantas, the Aus-tralian airline will move its hub for European flights from Singapore to Dubai and enter an extensive com-mercial relationship with the Middle Eastern carrier.
Further sharing its growing network, Emirates re-cently signed a global marketing deal with Tourism Australia aimed at boosting visitation from key mar-kets including Europe and New Zealand.
Under the new memorandum of understanding, both companies intend to collectively spend up to AUD14.3 million (USD14.8 million) over the next three years on a range of joint marketing activities focusing on some of the country’s leading inbound visitor mar-kets such as the UK, Germany, and New Zealand, in addition to France and Italy. The arrangement will fea-ture joint campaigns on traditional and digital media platforms as well as event and sponsorship activities.
“Emirates’ partnership with Tourism Australia takes the airline’s investment in destination Aus-tralia to the next level. This is the largest investment Emirates has ever made with a global tourism body, highlighting our commitment to Tourism Australia’s strategy for attracting global travellers,” commented Salem Obaidalla, senior vice president, commercial operations, Far East and Australasia, Emirates.
The overall outlook for the remain-der of the year is positive and sug-gests we are on track to achieve the Tourism 2020 goal to double over night spending to AUD140 billion (USD144.6 billion) by the end of the decade
Sydney
24 LONG-HAUL New Zealand
NOVEMBER 2012
Harnessing its Full Potential
NEW ZEALAND IN BRIEF
Capital: Wellington
Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Language: English, Maori
Certainly not a new member to the world of tourism, New Zealand is blessed with a striking backdrop of naturally parading colours, comfort-ably imposing themselves on the never-ending rugged mountainous terrain, and ever-flowing lakes, riv-ers, and seas, which surround the country’s continuously-developing cities, ceaselessly enhance the offerings available to the annually growing number of visitors.
G rowth in international visitor arrivals to New Zealand has, once again, been main-tained with 2,635,570 inbound tourists, equivalent to a total increase of 5.6 per-cent for the year ending August, accord-
ing to results released by New Zealand Tourism Board.Kevin Bowler, CEO, Tourism New Zealand, indicat-
ed that this improvement shows the industry’s resil-ience during what is traditionally a low season. “While total arrivals for the month of July were down 1.4 per- cent, there continues to be positive indicators from key markets with arrivals from China up 24.9 percent and Australia up 0.4 percent,” he said.
Figures released by Tourism Strategy Group, Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand, Australia led the international market share of the country’s tourism industry, as it welcomed some 1.64 million visitors from its neighbour to its shores, dur-ing the eight month period. Meanwhile, tourists from the UK came in second, while numbers from the US, China, and Japan came in third, fourth, and fifth re-spectively. Although New Zealand witnessed slight dips in visitation figures from the UK (by four percent), US (minus one percent), and Japan (down seven per-cent), the Chinese market rocketed some 34 percent between January and August, in comparison to the same period in 2011.
In addition, Tourism New Zealand reported that over 50.6 million stay days were generated by inter-national arrivals, which recorded an increase of 1.2 percent compared to 2011, 12 million of which were contributing by Australian visitors, equivalent to 24 percent of total stay days in the past year. As the largest single proportion of total stay days, Bowler stressed that these figures reiterate the importance of this market to New Zealand’s tourism industry.
On the other hand, Bowler brought to the light the challenges being faced from traditional long-haul markets, such as the US and the UK, as well as European countries, following research conducted by Tourism New Zealand in Germany, as he explained, “The research shows that as a result of the current uncertainty, many international travellers are looking for less expensive holidays and options that are closer to home, thus weakening demand for long-haul holi-days to destination such as New Zealand.”
Therefore, Tourism New Zealand and Qantas, Aus-tralia’s flag carrier, kicked off a joint venture campaign in Germany, early September, aimed at boosting visi-tor arrivals from the European hub into New Zealand during the upcoming summer season.
OPENING THE SKIES
The capital city’s gateway, Wellington Airport, re-
leased its latest audited annual report for the year ended 31 March, with figures showing yet another strong year having been recorded.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, am-ortisation, and fair value adjustments resulted at NZD75.5 million (USD61.5 million), equivalent to an increase of NZD5.2 million (USD4.2 million) over the previous year, excluding subvention payments.
Aeronautical revenue increased overall by 7.3 percent for the 12-month stretch, with strong growth on the international market, which witnessed an in-crease in passenger figures of 9.7 percent, thanks to an upsurge in capacity and attractive fares provided by the Air New Zealand - Virgin trans-Tasman alliance, and Qantas.
Meanwhile, the country’s second largest airport,
Christchurch International Airport (CIAL), catered to 5,592,529 passengers in 2011, a reported decrease in passenger movements of some 450,000 over the same period ending December 31, 2010.
According to Jim Boult, CEO, CIAL, the events over the past two years, which included a number of earth-quakes which rattled the city and the surrounding province of Canterbury, have inevitably taken a toll on passenger numbers, which have dropped some 7.5 percent since the 2010 financial year.
On a positive note, since December 2011, CIAL has been showing signs of improvement having re-cently reported a profit of NZD19.6million (USD16 million) which, after tax, was equivalent to NZD15.5 million (USD12.6 million), 30 percent ahead of budg-eted expectations.
Meanwhile, NZD28.2 million (USD23 million) of the company’s total capital expenditure of NZD63 million is currently being spent on the new terminal construc-tions which is due for completion in March 2013.
HOME AND AWAY
Martin Snedden, CEO, Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA), has stated that travel by New Zea-land’s two most important visitor markets, New Zea-landers and Australians, is set to increase by Jetstar’s plan to boost its services between the country’s three largest cities, this month.
Some 600,000 additional seats will be offered annually onboard services between Auckland, Wel-lington, and Christchurch. Commenting on these improvements, Snedden said, “New Zealanders trav-elling within their own country contribute AUD36 million (USD36.9 million) in economic activity every day of the year. Offering them more good-value op-tions for flights between the main centres will defi-nitely help boost that figure.”
In addition, direct services will also be enhanced from Queenstown to Sydney and Melbourne when Jetstar’s fleet will be introduced with a ninth Airbus A320 aircraft on November 15, further increasing ca-pacity by up to 50,000 extra seats every month which will serve up to 36-weekly return flights to its domes-tic and trans-tasman routes.
“Jetstar is now firmly established in New Zealand and these additional services follow strong growth for Jetstar services. The ninth aircraft continues our investment in our Kiwi operation,” David Hall, CEO, Jetstar, Australia and New Zealand explained, adding that these changes are set to contribute significantly to the country’s tourism industry with the airline cur-rently possessing a domestic flying market share of 20 percent.
Sharing similar sentiments, Snedden, who wel-comed the airline’s increased flights between the two countries, indicated that they will help grow New Zealand’s largest source of international visitors add-ing that the flow-on effects of the increased Jetstar services will benefit TIA members around the country, including attractions, activities, accommodation, and transport providers.
Cable Car in Wellington
Stefanie Saghbini writes
25TRAVEL TALK
NOVEMBER 2012
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DEBBIE NGOSHIMarketing coordinator, Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa.
“My most recent trip was a five-day visit to the Dhofar region of Oman which I decided to take to celebrate my birthday in mid-September. Oman is exactly the kind of destination that appeals to me. It has a diver-sity of interestingly natural ecosystems and physical beauty with an interesting history and culture comple-mented by very accessible and hospitable people.My first and second days were spent enjoying the fa-cilities of [Salalah Marriott Resort Hotel]. On my third day, I took a day trip to see Mirbat and the surrounding area, dubbed ‘Magical Dhofar’. I visited the great frank-incense port at Khor Rori Samhuram along the road from Taqah to Mirbat. I also visited coconut groves and banana plantations passing through Arzat springs where natural foun-tains, which flow between the rocks, come together in a pond which then flows into the sea. Along the way, I also visited Taqah and Mirbat castles and forts, and picturesque bays where fishing is the main source of income for many locals. Worth to men-tion is the 200m anti-gravity spot between Taqah and Mirbat road where one can find a lot of people stop-ping their cars and releasing their breaks; the car will start moving uphill, defying the laws of gravity.Salalah has many other attractions; gold and hand-crafted jewellery souqs as well as souqs for traditional
and modern goods. And yes for the first time ever, I tasted roasted camel meat sold on the roadside.These are just some of the many attractions that I man-aged to explore and still feel as though that was just a drop in the ocean to the vast landscape waiting to be explored.Oman displays itself as an attractive and unique tourism destination, embraces its local culture and heritage, and proudly presents them to the world. I am by far the big-gest fan of Oman; next trip to Muscat is in the horizon.”
26 TRAVEL CHANNELS
NOVEMBER 2012
One Billion Tourists by the End of the Year
“A mid the current economic uncer-tainty, tourism is one of the few eco-nomic sectors in the world growing strongly, driving economic progress in developing and developed coun-
tries alike and, most importantly, creating much-need-ed jobs,” Taleb Rifai, secretary general, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), said at the opening of the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macao.
Although a slight slowdown in growth can be ex-pected for the remaining months, international arriv-als are forecast to exceed one billion by the end of this year, with the need to ensure that the tourism sector
is supported by adequate national policies and that it works towards reducing existing barriers to the ex-pansion of the sector, this according to Rifai.
Across Asia and the Pacific region, international arrivals were up eight percent over 2011 figures while Africa, with an overall seven percent expansion, wit-nessed the return of tourist flows to Tunisia, which jumped 11 percent, and to Egypt which rose 0.7 per-cent. Meanwhile, Sub-Saharan Africa also continued to show strong results with an upsurge of six percent.
Furthermore, Europe, heralded the world’s most visited region, consolidated its record growth in 2011 with a four percent increase in international visitation
figures for the six-month period despite continuing economic volatility in the Eurozone.
Meanwhile, the Americas grew in line with the world average, with Central America and South America recording the strongest results.
In terms of outbound markets, and among the top 10 countries by expenditure on travel abroad, growth was significant in China (+30 percent), the Russian Federation (+15 percent), the US (up nine percent), Japan (up eight percent), Germany (up six percent), and Canada (up six percent).
On the other hand, growth was comparatively slow or negative in the UK, Australia, Italy, and France.
Despite concerns over the global economy, international tourism demand continues to show resilience with the number of international visitors worldwide having increased five percent between January and June, compared to the same period in 2011, as the one billion forecasted to cross international borders remains well on track.
27INVESTIGATION
NOVEMBER 2012
Stefanie Saghbini writes The Middle East is in no need of an introduction with regards to the mammoth tourism developments expected to come onboard across the region in the coming months and next few years, as highly-respected companies forge ahead with projects which will undoubtedly impose a considerable boost to the region’s tourism and economy.
Reshaping the Region
T estament to the robust number of upcom-ing and operating tourism developments across the region, Cityscape Global, Dubai, which was held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, be-
tween October 2 - 4, welcomed a 25 percent increase in exhibitor and visitor numbers, over 2011, this ac-cording to Chris Speller, group director, Informa Exhi-bitions Middle East, organisers of the event.
“By reconfirming the positive trends we have wit-nessed this year, Cityscape Global will certainly have convinced many investors that now is the right time to invest in real estate. Following the positive response to the range of projects launched at the event [...] further announcements will undoubtedly be made in the next few months,” Speller further commented.
Hitmi Ali Khalifa Al Hitmi, chairman, Barwa Real Estate Group, Qatar, described the positive responses and interest received from investors and other of-ficials as truly overwhelming, adding that Cityscape Global is an ideal platform which also opens new positive prospects for future cooperation with others.
Meanwhile, Majid Al-Futtaim recently released its financial statements for the first half (H1) of the year, showing a buoyant 15 percent year-on-year increase in gross revenue over 2011, reaching AED10.7 million (USD2.9 million).
Boasting a successful year so far, with the launch of the group’s 11th shopping mall in Fujairah this April already claiming full retail occupancy, while ten-ant sales over the six-month period also increased in Egypt by 44 percent, Bahrain by 23 percent, and both the UAE and Oman by 13 percent, Iyad Malas, CEO, Majid Al-Futtaim, revealed, “Our shopping mall strat-egy remains focused on strengthening our regional presence with developments in both Lebanon and Egypt moving forward and strategic opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Azer-baijan under review.”
In July, Nakheel announced the financial results of its operations for H1, which saw the company gener-ate a net profit of AED767 million, equivalent to an increase of 36.5 percent compared to the net profit of AED562 million earned in H1 2011. Earlier this year, Nakheel signed a contract worth AED27.5 million (USD7.5 million) for the construction of Jumeirah Park Community Centre, which recently launched its resi-dential complex, Legacy Type. Neighbourhood malls are also a key part of the business plan, according to Sanjay Manchanda, Acting CEO, Nakheel.
Meanwhile, an extension to one of the group’s shopping centres, Dragon Mart (DM), was recently announced which will see the existing complex more than double in size. Upon completion, the develop-ment will boast a 240-room Dragon Mart Hotel and
a nine-screen grand cinema complex, among others.Additional projects in Nakheel’s pipeline as such in-clude the AED25 million (USD6.8 million) The Palm Mall, slated to open in 2014, and the soon-to-open 136,000m2 restaurant, retail, and entertainment hub, Pointe, on the iconic Palm Jumeirah.
Furthermore, Aldar Properties is gearing up to launch its iconic-Emirati themed waterpark, Yas Wa-terworld Abu Dhabi. “Yas Waterworld has entered the final phase of devel-opment and is set to wel-come guests in the fourth quarter,” commented Mike Oswald, general manager, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi.
In addition, Aldar Properties’ Central Market, more commonly known as World Trade Center Abu Dhabi, is currently undergoing a few finish-ing touches on a number of phased elements in-cluding the office tower, which is on schedule to open this season, and World Trade Center Mall, which will open its doors at the start of 2013.
Concurrently, the com-pany’s Yas Island retail de-velopment, Yas Mall, which is expected to attract mil-lions of visitors to the man-made island, is also gradu-ally coming along with aims to open its doors at the end of 2013.
Another two UAE-based real estate giants,
Al-Futtaim Group and Emaar Properties, recently an-nounced a EGP5 billion (USD818 million) joint venture agreement to develop Cairo Gate, said to be the largest lifestyle and entertainment development on an Emaar Misr property, which will span some 647,500m² across prime land on the Cairo-Alexandria desert highway.
The company’s three mega and fully integrated developments consist of Uptown Cairo, Marassi, and Mivida, a development in New Cairo featuring a cen-tral park in addition to 898,402m2 of small parks and landscape, all currently under construction.
Emaar Properties also recently announced the launch of Emaar Square, a ‘city within a city’ develop-ment within Uptown Cairo.
Among major investments in the company’s retail and real estate sector is the iconic Cairo Festival City, featuring internationally-renowned hotels alongside residential communities and prime office spaces, which will pride itself in Festival Centre; Egypt’s first indoor/outdoor shopping and entertainment destination.
Jordan is also well on track with the upcoming Abdali Project, which, according to George Amireh, CEO, Abdali Investment and Development, will con-sist of a number of sub-development constructions, set to be functioning within the span of 2013, and will play a vital role in reshaping Amman into its new posi-tion as a regional hub for the Levant.
Tourism Developments
29TOUREstonia
NOVEMBER 2012
Recent statistics have illustrated the ongoing improvements in Esto-nia’s tourism sector which showed early signs of healthy figures during the first half of the year, and in line with the budding international seg-ment, the country’s tourism board is adamant to serve every traveller, without exception.
Reaching Wide and Far
F or the third consecutive year, Estonia greeted the first four months with positive figures, having welcomed some 430,000 foreign tourists through its hotel doors, recording an increase of 9.6 percent over the same period
in 2011, according to statistics revealed by Estonian Tourist Board.
During the first four months, an increase of 11 percent was recorded on foreign overnights for lei-sure purposes while overnights on business trips rose by seven percent.
These encouraging results can be attributed to the factors contributing to the substantial growth already seen in 2011, according to Eero Raun, head of desti-nation marketing, Estonian Tourist Board, who listed these starting from the increase in the number of di-rect flights to Tallinn, especially low-cost, the extensive media coverage of the European Capital of Culture as well as of the abundance of cultural events, the active promotion of Estonia by the public and private sector, and the growing inbound European segment.
inbound tourism to the Baltic country of 35 percent, Enterprise Estonia has launched a multilingual virtual travel planner with hopes to increase the number of in-coming tourists and repeat visits from foreign travellers, while directing visitors more out of Tallinn and increas-ing the interest of locals to travel within and throughout their homeland, as well as to give tourism companies a better chance to present their products and services.
Available in seven languages, the travel planner is designed to make holiday arrangements easier for travellers by allowing them to put together an itiner-ary that takes all of their interests and wishes into ac-count. In addition, it produces a detailed route map with recommendations on places to visit comple-mented by photos and videos, provides instructions on how to get from one point to the next, shares information on the latest events, active recreation opportunities, attrac-tions, and places to eat, and lists special offers available at the time.
This application al-lows for travel plans to be saved and revised for fu-ture reference, where us-ers can create their own accounts, and tools can be shared with friends.
“Not only is the idea of the travel planner it-self unique in Estonia, but so is the technology we are using for it, among similar international ap-plications,” explained Tarmo Mutso, marketing director, Estonian Tourist Board, Enterprise Estonia. “The majority of similar tools on offer are ‘book-mark-based’, meaning us-ers have to know exactly what they are looking for, do their homework in ad-vance, look up informa-tion, and put everything together themselves.
“But the travel planner
comes up with options itself based on users’ interests, opening times, and the popularity of tourism sites, and you can set preferences yourself when it comes to what you are most interested in. If you Google some-thing, you have to know what you are looking for first, but someone who is thinking of coming to Estonia will not necessarily know all there is to see and do here,” he explained.
The country’s national carrier, Estonian Air, made history this June when it announced that it served 100,000 passengers for the month, almost double the amount from June 2011. ”This is an all-time record,” commented Rauno Parras, chief com-mercial officer, Estonian Air. “Also the load factor of our flights has increased significantly at 78 percent this June whereas the same period in 2011 recorded a load factor of 66 percent,” he continued.
In spring, the airline opened new destinations such as Helsinki, Riga, Jyvaskyla, Hannover, Vienna, Joensuu, Kajaani, and Tbilisi.
Additionally, with regards to the MENA market, which is in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the process of economic growth and interests of consumers in MENA countries, ac-cording to Raun, visitors from the region can benefit on services offered by Etihad Airways, Emirates, and Royal Jordanian Airlines.
ESTONIA IN BRIEF
Capital: Tallinn
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Language: Estonian
Dominique Christou writes
Estonian Air made history this June when it announced that it served 100,000
passengers for the month
Moreover, Raun highlighted this year as one which has been focused on Estonian nature tourism while 2013 will be dedicated to wellness and health services. He further pointed out in the field of incen-tive tourism, the country has also proven itself as a fresh and positively surprising choice.
Raun also noted that the most outstanding place to visit for foreign travellers is the old town of Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, with its unique gothic architecture, as well as Saaremaa and other islands of the country’s western region.
With international visitors on the rise, particularly from Russia which recorded the biggest increase in
30 WHO'S MOVED
NOVEMBER 2012
MAZEN ABU SAKHA
WOLFGANG M. NEUMANN
Mazen Abu Sakha has been ap-pointed general manager of Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea, Jordan. Over the past 30 years, Abu Sakha has gained well-rounded experi-ence through various positions with the InterContinental Hotels Group family including financial controller of InterContinental Riyadh; regional financial controller in Saudi Arabia; regional general manager for the
guests and conference palaces in Saudi Arabia; director of finance and business support for InterContinen-tal, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental Residence Suites and Golf Club at Dubai Festival City; regional direc-tor of finance and business support in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine and Libya; general manager of Al Waddan Hotel; and head of opera-tions in Libya.
Wolfgang M. Neumann has been appointed president and CEO of The Rezidor Hotel Group, effective Janu-ary 1, 2013, succeeding Kurt Ritter.The internationally experienced hotelier will build on the company’s strengths as an industry leader, while also focusing on revenue gen-eration and profitable growth. After completing his studies at Institute of Hotel and Tourism Man-
agement in Klessheim, Austria, he attended INSEAD Management School in France, and Cornell Uni-versity in the US.During his 20-year tenure with Hil-ton Hotels & Resorts, he held various operational and corporate positions, and prior to joining The Rezidor Ho-tel Group, Neumann served as the CEO of Arabella Hospitality Group in Germany.
31RENDEZVOUS
NOVEMBER 2012
Q & A with Ken DunlapOver the past decade, maintaining the highest standards in air safety and security has become evidently and significantly more challenging, and here Ken Dunlap, director of security, International Air Transport Association (IATA), takes the wraps off only some of the things which globetrotters are set to face and ultimately applaud on their future journeys.
Ken DunlapDirector of security International Air Transport Association
Travel Trade Monthly: Billions of dollars are be-ing spent every year to keep levels of aviation security at their highest, but passengers are still being faced with inconvenience when travelling. How difficult is it to combine heightened levels of security with passenger convenience?
Ken Dunlap: There is no doubt that aviation is far more secure today than it was prior to 9/11.
However, this additional security has brought with it a huge increase in passenger inconvenience and concerns over privacy, and also at immense costs; airlines spend more than USD8 billion per year on security.
Checkpoint of the Future aims to streamline and improve the process by taking a risk-based ap-proach to security that eliminates much of the has-sle people now associate with the travel experience.
At the same time, we know that risk-based strat-egy is superior to the one-size-fits-all approach that has characterised the approach since 9/11; it is more efficient and allows governments to put their focus where it is most needed.
Furthermore, we expect more than 700 million new travellers between 2011 and 2015. But average checkpoint throughput has declined from around 350 passengers per hour, prior to 9/11, to 149 today.
Without a major change to how we handle air-port security, it is clear that we cannot handle the expected increases in traffic without greatly expand-ing the number of checkpoints, which is not possi-ble at many airports and which would raise costs even higher, or by accepting even longer lines than today; this is unacceptable from a customer service standpoint as well as from an airline operations standpoint.
Travel Trade Monthly: What are the latest devel-opments and changes regarding the Checkpoint of the Future project?
Ken Dunlap: This is a very exciting time for the Checkpoint of the Future project as it moves from concept into reality.
Among important steps that have been under-taken is the creation of a Checkpoint of the Future ad-visory group which is composed of a cross-section of stakeholder interests including airlines, airports, se-curity equipment manufacturers, and governments.
create a menu of options, and 2014 will see the first prototype checkpoint.
Travel Trade Monthly: How was the project re-ceived and what was the feedback?
Ken Dunlap: The project has been extremely well-received with support from more than 15 countries including the US, China, and the European Commis-sion, as well as Interpol. Our stakeholder community consists of more than 100 members participating on advisory and expert groups to help in the develop-ment. This is truly an industry-wide initiative.
Travel Trade Monthly: Giovanni Bisignani, direc-tor general emeritus, IATA, mentioned that major changes may be seen over the next two to three years just through repurposing what exists to-day. What are these changes?
Ken Dunlap: It is very clear that significant gains can be achieved by repurposing existing checkpoints.
For example, the introduction of ’Known Traveler’ programmes can boost checkpoint efficiency by as much as 30 percent. Under Tony Tyler, director general, IATA, the industry is taking a staged approach. IATA, the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, and Airports Council In-ternational have put forward a roadmap establishing key milestones for the evolution in checkpoints.
Additionally, expert groups have been estab-lished to make sure that those with broad experi-ence in airport processes and security equipment can provide input. The goal is to ensure that we have a broad representation so that all views are heard.
Initial tests of Checkpoint of the Future compo-nents are being conducted this year. Additional processes and technologies will be tested in 2013 to
Checkpoint of the Future
32NEWS & EVENTS
NOVEMBER 2012
EVENTS Sponsored by
Following the success of this year’s inaugural Abu Dhabi Air Expo in March, which drew more than 100 ex-hibitors and sponsors and over 10,000 international and local visitors, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) will be playing host to the show again, between March 5 - 7, 2013, at Al Bateen Executive Airport.
“Abu Dhabi is witnessing significant growth in the commercial aviation industry across all sectors includ-ing general aviation, which, in turn, supports the emir-ate’s air transport strategy in building a strong and sustainable aviation environment,” commented Yousif Hassan Al Hammadi, chairman, organising commit-tee, Abu Dhabi Air Expo, and deputy general manager, Al Bateen Executive Airport.
As Arabian Travel Market (ATM) begins preparations for its 20th edition in 2013, the region’s expanding aviation sector is once again driving the hospi-tality industry resulting in a steady rise in hotel RevPar rates across many of the GCC countries and a burgeoning hotel development pipeline.
“The predicted growth of the regional hospitality sector is linked to the continuous growth of the region’s major airlines and improved regional con-nectivity with low-cost airlines, such as Air Arabia and flydubai. Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, all continue to outpace their international coun-terparts with high passenger volume loads and ever-expanding networks, which is having a positive effect on the region’s hotel construction pipeline,” said Mark Walsh, portfolio director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, the organisers of ATM.
Parallel to Walsh’s comments, OAG, a UK-based aviation analyst, reported that in August, flight operations to and from the Middle East grew by seven percent to 64,252 while seat capacity increased by eight percent to reach 14.2 million which represents nearly 4,000 more flights and more than a mil-lion more seats offered than in August 2011.
“Air travel will be one of eight major vertical sectors at 2013’s show, along-side budget travel, careers, health and wellbeing, luxury, shopping, sports, and cruise and water-based travel. We are making it even easier for exhibitors and visitors to plan their appointment schedules by guiding visitors directly to the industry sector they are looking for using sponsored floor trails, allow-ing them to fast track their way around the show, managing their time more effectively,” concluded Walsh.
ADAC to Host Second Abu Dhabi Air Expo
ATM Gears Up for 20th Edition
World Travel Market (WTM)London, UK, November 5 – 8, 2012(www.wtmlondon.com)A must-attend business-to-business event presenting a diverse range of destina-tions and industry sectors.
PURE Life ExperiencesMarrakech, Morocco, November 12 -15, 2012(www.purelifeexperiences.com)A premier travel trade exhibition serving one of the hottest high-end travel sec-tors at the moment – experiential travel.
International Golf Travel MarketAlgarve, Portugal, November 12 -15, 2012(www.igtm.co.uk)The premier event for the golf travel industry with over 600 golf tourism suppli-ers and 350 pre-qualified buyers.
The Hotel Show – Saudi ArabiaJeddah, Saudi Arabia, November 17– 19, 2012(www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com)A full spectrum event for the region, bringing leading manufacturers and qualified buyers for the hospitality, catering, and food and beverage industries together.
EIBTMBarcelona, Spain, November 27 – 29, 2012(www.eibtm.com)A leading global event for the meetings, incentives, events and business travel industry, held in a vibrant business and tourism destination.
India International Travel Mart HyderabadHyderabad, India, November 30 – December 2, 2012(www.iitmindia.com)India’s premier exhibition for the travel, tourism, hospitality, leisure and other related sectors.
