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25 FEBRUARY 2012 ISSUE 120
IN THIS ISSUEMARKET UPDATE
WEEKLY NEWS
ACCOMMODATION
AIR NEWS
INTERNATIONAL
WHO'S MOVED
TRAVEL TALK
AGENT'S CORNER
TRAVEL CHANNELS
RENDEZVOUS
NEWS & EVENTS
0204050810111213141516
04
05
Abu Dhabi Establishes New Tourism AuthorityAbu Dhabi has set up the Abu Dhabi Author-ity for Tourism and Culture (ADATC), merging two previously independent entities.
ADAC and Premier Inn sign an agreement to open a Premier Inn Hotel at the capital's airport.
Premier Inn Hotel at Abu Dhabi International Airport
Desert Palm Introduces New Suites 6
Per AQUUM has added five new Polo Suites to its Desert Palm boutique retreat, bringing the total
complement of rooms and villas to 38.
2 MARKET UPDATE
25 FEBRUARY 2012
UAE (AED)
Egypt (EGP)
Saudi Arabia (SAR)
Lebanon (LBP)
Bahrain (BHD)
Jordan (JOD)
Syria (SYP)
Kuwait (KWD)
Qatar (QAR)
Oman (OMR)
Tunisia (TND)
Morocco (MAD)
Iran (IRR)
Yemen (YER)
Algeria (DZD)
Libya (LYD)
Dirham
Pound
Riyal
Pound
Dinar
Dinar
Pound
Dinar
Riyal
Rial
Dinar
Dirham
Riyal
Rial
Dinar
Dinar
3.67
6.04
3.75
1,505.50
0.37
0.71
57.45
0.28
3.64
0.38
1.51
8.43
12,275.00
219.26
74.91
1.25
COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=
Accurate as of
22/02/2012Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
Jumeirah: Record-breaking Festive Season
Wyndham Records Revenue IncreaseWyndham Worldwide ended 2011 with a healthy increase in revenues despite the unfavourable financial environment.
With a strong growth of 10 percent over 2010 levels, the company’s revenues for the full year of 2011 totalled USD4.3 billion. Adjusted net income was USD414 million or USD2.49 per diluted share, compared with USD368 million or USD2 per diluted share in 2010, while reported net income amounted to USD417 million, or USD2.51 per diluted share, versus USD379 million, or USD2.05 per diluted share in 2010.
Commenting on the figures, Stephan Holmes, chairman, Wyndham Worldwide, said, “2011 was another excellent year for our company. In an environment of ongoing economic uncertainty, our businesses con-tinued to execute at a high level. As expected, we generated robust free cash flow and effectively deployed that cash flow. We remain well positioned for growth, and that confidence is reflected in the 53 percent dividend increase authorised by our Board of Directors.”
The company also repurchased approximately 6.7 million shares of common stock for USD225 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, and an additional 1.5 million shares for USD60 million so far this year.
R eflecting the destination’s continu-ing development as a holiday hot-spot, and its constant popularity with travellers from traditional mar-kets as well as a surge in interest
from new areas, particularly Asia, the Dubai-based properties witnessed an exceptional pe-riod of success. Between December 20, 2011, and January 10, this year, Jumeirah’s beach-front resorts, including Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, recorded an average occupancy of 90 percent. Meanwhile, RevPAR stood at AED2,600 (USD712), whereas the renowned Burj Al Arab’s occupancy averaged at 80.7 percent with Rev-PAR reaching AED7,284 (USD1,983).
Commenting on the achievements, Gerald Lawless, executive chairman, Jumeirah Group, said, “This exceptional performance under-
Jumeirah Group experienced a record festive season in the hospitality company’s Dubai-based hotels.
scores the reputation of Jumeirah as one of the leading luxury hospitality brands. Jumeirah started 2010 with 10 hotels and has now 17 hotels in operation. It also confirms that Dubai continues to be one of the world’s most sought after and popular tourism destinations.”
RevPAR levels increased six percent, with the main source markets remaining to be the UK, Russia, UAE, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, with growth from China, India, Russia and the CIS.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY
MANAGING EDITOR
Mary Kammitsi [email protected]
JOURNALISTS
Stefanie Saghbini Rita Kasziba
Dominique Christou Melanthia Avgousti
SALES & MARKETING
Maria Demetriadou Brighite Ess
Dominique Tennant
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Elena Stylianou
DIRECTORS
Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi
HEADQUARTERS
T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia, 1308, Cyprus
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EMAILS
4 WEEKLY NEWS
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Nakheel has debuted its latest attraction in Dubai with the launch of the highly anticipated Heritage Island.
Located within the Palm Jebel Ali project at Dubai waterfront, the development presents the destination’s latest heritage and tourist attraction that accommodates a host of traditional arts and crafts, all of them going more than two centuries back, including over 16 traditional manufactured handcrafts.
According to the developer, people of the UAE have long cherished a set of deep-rooted virtues and attributes like generosity, bravery and courte-sy. The project is aimed to showcase the traditions of Dubai, in a bid to pass these treasures to future generations.
“We are delighted and happy with the new project coming up soon, and the Heritage Island, a family oriented project which includes many fa-cilities of entertainment and culture, aims at bring-ing together family members at cultural, social and heritage related activities, instilling social values and inherited customs,” Ali Rashid Lootah, chair-man, Nakheel, said.
Ali Saqer Al Suwaidi, chairman, Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), added, “Developing traditional tourist destinations would promote and sustain our touristic assets.”
The new island that spans nearly 93,000m2 and overlooks EMEG’s Ghantoot Reserve, welcomes visitors all year round.
Heritage Island Launched in Dubai
Abu Dhabi has set up the Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism and Culture (ADATC), merging two previously independent entities; the Abu Dhabi Tourism Author-ity (ADTA) and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), into one single body.
The new authority, established under a law issued by H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president, UAE, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, replaces ADTA and ADACH, and retains all their assets, liabilities, mandates, and staff. The newly formed entity is set to preserve, promote, and manage the cultural heritage of the emirate and leverage it as the core driver of Abu Dhabi’s tourism development and promotion.
Abu Dhabi Establishes New Tourism Authority
ADATC Board meets for the first time
The authority is also mandated with regulating and monitoring the tourism sector by developing policies, standards and plans for tourism facilities such as hotels and exhibitions, as well as tour guides, with the objec-tive of attracting more investment to the emirate. Be-sides organising and licensing conferences, exhibitions, and festivals, and establishing a new Abu Dhabi Tourist Information Centre, the entity will also focus on the herit-age and cultural assets of the emirate by establishing and developing museums, sponsoring intellectual and art programmes and activities, organising cultural events, as well as providing support and assistance for institutions involved in the preservation, management and promo-tion of cultural heritage and archaeological sites.
At its inaugural meeting, the Board of ADATC named Mubarak Al Muhairi as director general, who takes on the position after seven years at ADTA.
Commenting on the appointment, H.E. Sheikh Sul-tan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman, ADTCA, said, “The Board agreed that in Mubarak Al Muhairi, the new au-thority has a proven leader who sets the tone of an or-ganisation by example and has a wealth of experience in both the tourism and culture sectors.”
5WEEKLY NEWS
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Accommodation
Al Rawdatain Residences Underway
Premier Inn Hotel at Abu Dhabi International Airport Breaks GroundAbu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Premier Inn, the UK-based hotel operator, have signed an agreement on a 2013 opening of a Premier Inn Hotel at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
T he AED120 million (USD32.67 mil-lion) project’s commencement fol-lows an agreement, signed in 2011, between ADAC and Premier Inn as part of the company’s initiative to
promote Public Private Partnership (PPP) pro-jects in the UAE.
The fifth Premier Inn branded property in the UAE, scheduled to open by mid March 2013, will provide quality lodgings, at a value for money proposition, to travellers flying from or to the airport. Conveniently linked to Terminals 1 and 3 by a retail corridor, with a host of shopping outlets, lounges, and restau-
The 12-storey hotel in Karbala, Iraq, was designed by Dewan Architects and Engineers and is expected to finish by the end of 2013.
The future largest five-star hotel and residences in the country will be operated by Shaza Hotels and is set to be laid across 65,000m2.
Munaf Ali, CEO, Range Hospitality, commented on the new hotel opening, which will consist of 624 luxu-rious apartments, “The fully furnished and serviced Al Rawdatain Residences suites will offer 24-hour security, crèche services, a business centre, in-suite dining, four restaurants offering a large variety of cuisines and child care facilities. As the religious tourism market was ripe for development, we took the lead and are confident that people will appreciate Range Hospitality’s offering”.
rants, the three-star hotel will extend a vari-ety of service offerings and amenities, such as food and beverage outlets, meeting rooms, a swimming pool with a spa, and a gym.
“The Premier Inn Hotel at Abu Dhabi In-ternational Airport is thoughtfully designed to reflect the individuality, authenticity, and unique attributes of its location, that appeals to travellers using the airport and nearby resi-dents,” commented, Abdul Majeed Al Khoori, chief financial officer, ADAC. “The hotel will allow ADAC to offer yet another set of con-venient products to its airport customers from travellers and airlines, providing quality
services for their comfort and convenience at very reasonable prices, which Premier Inn is known for worldwide.”
The new hotel is set to consolidate the brand’s presence in the region, noted Darroch Crawford, managing director, Middle East, Premier Inn, “We are delighted to be open-ing the first major hotel at Abu Dhabi Inter-national Airport where we are able to present our offerings in a prominent location at value for money prices. The Abu Dhabi International Airport Premier Inn is in line with our strategy to expand our customer base of business and leisure travellers in the region.”
Al Rawdatain Residences
6 WEEKLY NEWS
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Desert Palm Adds New Suites
Per AQUUM has added five new Polo Suites to its Desert Palm boutique retreat, bringing the to-tal complement of rooms and villas at the luxury property to 38.
Set on a private polo estate within Desert Palm polo club, a green oasis 20 minutes from downtown Dubai, the spacious new suites offer an ideal base for avid polo fans and visitors look-ing for ultimate tranquility.
Jumeirah Group Offers Pearl Diving Experience
Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hospital-ity company and a member of Dubai Holding, is to extend its offerings of unique experiences, with the introduction of traditional pearl diving.
Starting March 2, guests staying at Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, as well as visitors and residents of the UAE, will have a chance to indulge in the ancient pearling traditions that were once the main source of income for inhabitants of the region.
Run by the Pavilion Dive Centre at Jumeirah Beach Hotel in partnership with the Emirates Marina Environmental Group (EMEG), participants will take part in a range of exciting activities. Dressed in tra-ditional clothing, they will board an authentic dhow boat off the shores of Jebel Ali and learn to dive to depths of around three to five metres to collect oys-ters while discovering original Emirati flavours.
Polo Suites
Accommodation
The spacious new suites offer an ideal base for avid polo fans and visi-
tors looking for ultimate tranquility
Displaying a distinct and sophisticated sense of style, the newly introduced suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows with outdoor terrace areas and views of the Desert Palm’s Championship Polo Fields. Guests arrive to the entrance of each Polo Suite guided by a private path, and are offered the option of interconnecting rooms as well as a choice of ground floor access.
A range of state-of-the-art facilities and enter-tainment options ensure guests’ comfort, while a spa, an international grill restaurant, and a shisha terrace also add to the suites’ offering.
7WEEKLY NEWSAccommodation
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Kerzner to operate a new One&Only resort
W hile the incentive market wit-nessed a slight dip in the last few years, demand for meet-ings remained on an upward curve, noted Syed Mehdi,
director of sales and marketing, City Seasons Hotels and City Seasons Suites Dubai.
“Many of our meeting rooms are now sold on an almost contract basis, to organisations running training courses” said Mehdi. “Take a look at our meeting room boards on any given day and you will surely see at least one training organisation running a workshop.”
As a result of the downturn, organisations tend to favour properties that offer more flex-ibility on pricing, according to Mehdi.
City Seasons’ Meetings Market Set to GrowAs demand for meetings space in Dubai is expected to further increase, the meeting market remains a key growth area for City Seasons Hotels' properties.
Kerzner International Holdings teams up with Hain-an Gezhouba Industrial Company to operate a new One&Only resort in Sanya, Hainan, China. This will be the company’s first resort in the Asian country and it is scheduled to open in early 2014. The property will be lo-cated on Tufu Bay and it will comprise 180 guest rooms and villas, laid on 160,000m2 of land and over a 500m of private coastline. The resort will provide restaurants, a spa, and sporting and entertaining facilities. Sol Ker-zner, chairman, Kerzner International, commented on the upcoming resort, “Tufu Bay is ideally suited for creat-ing the first One&Only experience in China. The setting
is just spectacular and I am very confident the resort will be well received by our many loyal One&Only guests and new guests alike. It feels terrif-ic to be able to make this an-nouncement and get back to doing what we do best – de-signing and managing world-class luxury resorts.”
“As well as attractive rates we also provide equipment such as LCD projec-tors and screens as part of the package instead of charging extra as some luxury properties do,” Mehdi, further explained, adding that despite the challenges, the meetings segment is expected to further develop.
“Currently the percentage of business we get from the MICE market is four percent but we are looking to double that this year. The meetings business is a relatively small segment of our overall mix, but it will be a key growth area for us this year.”
The hotels are also set to increase their ex-posure to the vast Chinese and Indian markets. City Seasons Hotel Dubai
Sanya beach
8 WEEKLY NEWS
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Air News
flydubai’s Rapid Expansion
f lydubai has cemented its posi-tion as the world’s fastest grow-ing start-up airline in history, with the commencements of flights to its 50th destination
since its inception three years ago.Marking its entry into the Kyrgyz
Republic, flydubai’s inaugural flight to Bishkek landed at Bishkek Interna-tional Airport on February 8, expand-ing its operational route network to 28 countries.
H.E. Khalid Al Ghaith, assistant minister, economic affairs, UAE, com-mented, “On behalf of the UAE gov-ernment, I would like to congratulate
flydubai and the Kyrgyz authorities on the start of this new direct ser-vice. Not only will it help establish and strengthen ties between the two countries, but it will also help increase accessibility to the UAE. I hope people from both nations take advantage of these flights to experi-ence our respective nations and that we will enjoy a closer relationship for many years to come.”
Further commenting on the new route, Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, noted, “This inaugural flight repre-sents an important moment in fly-dubai’s illustrious growth. When we
started operations in June 2009, we made a conscious decision to expand as quickly as possible, adding aircraft and destinations at a rapid pace in or-der to offer more choice and attract more passengers, thereby creating a sustainable and profitable business model for the future. Our strategy has clearly paid off as today we have 21 aircraft and an international route network that spans 28 countries across the GCC, Middle East, North Africa, Indian subcontinent, Asia and Central and Eastern Europe, making us the fastest growing start up airline in the world ever.”
Air Arabia is to expand its Kuwait services by introducing an addi-tional flight from its Sharjah hub.
Starting March 25, the car-rier will offer three daily flights between Sharjah International Airport and Kuwait Internation-al Airport.
Since inception in 2003, the carrier has been committed to
using its infrastructure to improve intra-regional con-nectivity with daily or double-daily flights to major des-tinations in the Gulf. Kuwait, being an important gate-way in the GCC, has been proven highly popular with travellers, noted Adel Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia.
“Kuwait was amongst the first destinations we started serving when Air Arabia took to the skies. Today, we are proud to see services increased to three daily frequencies, thus connecting our customers in UAE and Kuwait with a great frequency and unbeatable fares. As economic and social ties between the GCC countries grow ever closer, Air Arabia will continue to offer enormous choice for cus-tomers seeking to travel within the six countries, where air travel is a preferred mode of transport.”
In eight years of operation, Air Arabia’s network has continuously expanded to serve more than 70 destina-tions from three hubs in the UAE, Morocco, and Egypt.
Air Arabia Boosts Kuwait FlightsEmirates to Increase Italy FlightsIn its drive forward into the European market, Emirates has announced a third daily service to Milan, to com-mence on June 1, taking the number of weekly flights offered to Italy to 49.
The new service will leave Dubai at 03.40 and arrive in Milan Malpensa Airport at 08.25, with the return flight to depart the Italian city at 11.10 and arrive in the UAE at 19.20, and will be operated by a 237-seat Airbus A330-200 in a three-class configuration.
The latest expansion in Italy comes after news that the airline’s Venice flight would serve twice daily from March 25.
Air Arabia
9WEEKLY NEWSAir News
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Air Arabia Boosts Kuwait Flights
Gulf Air is to cease operations to four destina-tions in its network due to commercial reasons.
Following the announcement of the closure of its Entebbe and Geneva routes earlier this year, the national carrier of Bahrain plans to cancel its operations to Damascus, Athens, Milan, and Kuala Lumpur.
Services to the Syrian capital city will be stopped from March 2, while flights to Athens and Milan will be cancelled as of March 12 and to Kuala Lumpur from March 25.
Citing the local and regional political situa-tion, the soaring fuel prices, and low passenger numbers as deciding factors, the airline aims to use its fleet and resources in the most efficient way and concentrate on high-demand, high-yield routes, by closing underperforming routes.
“It is currently a challenging business envi-ronment for airlines around the world,” explained
Samer Majali, CEO, Gulf Air. “These closures are pragmatic commercial decisions aimed at focus-ing services on routes with higher passenger traf-fic. Our commercial strategy, developed in 2009, delivered significant gains in 2010 but 2011 has been challenging. Therefore, we are now adapt-ing our approach to address the challenges on an urgent basis,” he concluded.
Gulf Air Discontinues Four Routes
Gulf Air
10 WEEKLY NEWS International
25 FEBRUARY 2012
ONYX Hospitality Group, a Thailand-based hotel man-agement company, has been appointed by Apna Pun-jab Resorts to operate a 127-suite hotel in Ludhiana, the business capital of Punjab, under its cornerstone mid to upscale Amari brand.
The hotel, expected to open in the second half of this year, will be known as Amari Ludhiana. Peter Hen-ley, CEO, ONYX Hospitality Group, commented on the development, “This project will mark the entry of the Amari brand into India and it is therefore a very signifi-cant milestone for us. Ludhiana is a thriving city and we look forward to working with Apna Punjab Resorts to make Amari Ludhiana the city’s leading hotel both in terms of its accommodation as well as its extensive ca-tering facilities.”
The property will feature 127 spacious guestrooms along with banquet spaces accommodating events of up to 2,000 people. Other facilities will include a large multi-cuisine all-day dining restaurant, a spa, a gym, and retail spaces.
ONYX Hospitality Group Takes Lead in India
Building on a year of record growth and deal activity in 2011, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans to add another 80 properties to its extensive global portfolio.
2011 marked a record year for the hotel giant with the launch of 81 new hotels and 21,000 rooms around the globe, the largest organic growth in its history. Moreover, the com-pany signed 112 new hotel deals, securing its further expan-sion targets for the current year.
“Our global multi-brand growth continues unabated and Starwood is particularly well positioned to take full ad-vantage of growth anywhere in the world, whether in estab-lished markets or in fast growing economies,” highlighted Simon Turner, president, global development, Starwood Ho-tels & Resorts Worldwide. “This year, markets like Brazil, Afri-ca, the Middle East, and Indonesia will be the ones to watch. In developed markets, conversions continue to drive growth. In Europe, while financing for new builds is scarce, there is a large landscape of independent hotels ripe for flags, and we are also keenly focused on an expected uptick in portfolio transaction activity in North America which should lead to heightened conversion opportunities.”
Starwood to Open 80 New Hotels Jumeirah to Debut in BaliJumeirah Group has signed a management agreement with PT Asia Pasifik Properti to oper-ate a luxury resort on the island of Bali, Indonesia.
Slated for opening in 2015, Jumeirah Bali will be located on the southern tip of the ex-clusive Jimbaran District, adjacent to the is-land’s New Kuta Golf Course. Set amidst lush, tropical gardens, the luxury property will fea-ture architectural designs embodying the rich cultural heritage of Bali.
“Our guests will enjoy the exclusive and pristine beachfront location as well as the traditional Balinese ambiance of the resort,” Gerald Lawless, executive chairman, Jumeirah Group, commented. “This reaffirms our com-mitment to celebrating the cultural unique-ness of every destination, while offering our award winning service in the most luxurious settings.”
Besides a variety of fine international and local cuisines, guests can benefit from the brand’s signature spa, a fitness centre, a busi-ness centre complete with meeting rooms, along with an exclusive cliff-top wedding venue.
Sukowati Sosrodjojo, CEO, PT Asia Pasifik Properti, added, “Jumeirah sets a new stand-ard of luxury hotels and resorts that reaches far beyond the industry. From its superb ser-vice and personalised attention towards its guests to the unique blends of architectural concepts and designs, Jumeirah has raised the bar of luxury travel and living.”
Jumeirah currently operates one hotel in Asia, Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel, Shanghai, and has five further properties in the develop-ment pipeline in China, and one in Thailand.
Guy Crawford, CEO and Gerald Lawless, executive chairman, Jumeirah Group; Sukowati Sosrodjojo, commissioner and Kuntjoro Widodo,
director, PT Asia Pacifik Properti (from left to right).
11WHO'S MOVED
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Sherifa Issa
Rouxshin Vajifdar
Islam Abd El Samad
Michael Marshall
Sherifa Issa has been named director of sales and market-ing at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano. Issa, who gradu-ated from the American Uni-versity in Cairo with a major in Business Administration, has spent more than 13 years in the industry, starting off with the pre-opening team of Four Seasons Hotel Cairo as
sales manager, before being promoted to director of sales. During her three-year tenure in the position, she developed extensive leadership skills and managerial insight, lead-ing her to the role of director of sales and marketing. Her commitment and outstand-ing work was recognised by a prestigious Four Seasons award for Marketing Hotel of the Year in 2006.
Rouxshin Vajifdar has been promoted to director of sales at Holiday Inn Dubai, Al Barsha. Vajifdar, who most recently worked as assistant director of sales, joined the hotel in March 2010. During the past two years, she has gained experi-ence in various fields, including sales, revenue, reservations, as well as food and beverage pro-motions. Prior to joining the property’s team, she worked
for Habtoor Hospitality, The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Vajifdar boasts experience in sales, revenues, reservations, as well as food and beverage promotions.
Islam Abd El Samad has been promoted to executive assistant manager at Stay-bridge Suites Cairo Citystars. With over 10 years of experi-ence under his belt, El Samad joins the team from Holiday Inn Cairo Citystars, where he most recently served as di-rector of rooms. He joined InterContinen-tal Hotels Group in 2002, at Semiramis InterContinental
Cairo before moving to City- stars in 2007 as assistant front office manager at Holiday Inn. He was later promoted to quality manager and then to director of rooms division to gain extensive know- ledge in different fields of the industry. His outstanding leadership skills, hard work, and dedica-tion have paved the way for a successful career.
Michael Marshall has been appointed senior vice presi-dent, commercial operations, at Minor Hotel Group (MHG). In his capacity, he will lead the disciplines of sales and marketing, as well as revenue and distribution for the com-pany, whose portfolio includes brands such as Anantara and AVANI. Marshall joins MHG from Millennium Hotels & Re-sorts where he held the posi-
tion of vice president, sales and marketing, and was based in Abu Dhabi, with responsi-bilities for the Middle East and Africa. Boasting a proven track record in hospitality sales and marketing, Marshall spent 16 years with InterContinental Hotels Group, having held var-ious regional marketing and sales positions, and will now be based in MHG’s Bangkok office.
Vajifdar boasts experi-ence in sales, revenues,
reservations, as well as food and beverage
promotions
12 TRAVEL TALK
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Manu Madan
Ghaith Al Ghaith
CEO, flydubai.
“Oman is a very peaceful country so it was unfor-tunate that we were ready to open when we did during this difficult period. The summer was tough for the hospitality industry, however we saw busi-ness levels return to normal from October, which is normally high season for us, and we ended the year with an average occupancy of 50 percent.
“It is initiatives such as [flydubai Cargo] that set us apart and ensure we continue to lead the way in low cost aviation, while also supporting Dubai’s position as a logistics hub thanks to its strategic locations at the cross roads of major trade routes linking the east and west. We are pleased with data so far and are confident that the division will contribute to flydubai’s continued growth throughout the year.”
General manager, City Seasons Hotel Muscat.
General manager, Kingsgate Hotel Abu Dhabi.
“Our aim as a hotel is to make our guests happy. Typically we do this through a combination of great rates, friendly service, and helpful staff. Now we are looking forward to helping people find other ways to improve their overall wellbe-ing as the [critically acclaimed feature-length documentary] film ‘Happy’, will help us under-stand how to be happy.
Akbar Al Baker
CEO, Qatar Airways.
“The Asian market continues to be at the fore-front of wealth creation, minting millionaires at a faster pace than any other region in the world. And we are confident that the exclusive travel experience we provide onboard our luxurious jets, will exceed the expectations of the most dis-cerned clientele also in this part of the world.
TRAVEL TALK is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, and observations to
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Mashhour Al Refai
13AGENT'S CORNER
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Akbar Al Baker
AGENT'S INSIGHT
Who are you?My name is Khaled Saleh, and since 2002 I have been the tours manager for Al Amoudi Travel Agency. I began work-ing in the tourism industry in 1994 in Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt. My company, Al Amoudi Travel Agency, started 25 years ago in Jeddah and has a very good reputation in the Saudi market. It is a travel agency which specialises in out-bound tourism and we have a very good relationship with our partners around the world.
What is your favourite thing about working in this in-dustry?My favourite thing about this career is that it allows you to discover many different and interesting things. In addition, it gives you the opportunity to travel to many countries around the world through fam trips, road shows and exhi-bitions.
When is the best time to visit Saudi Arabia?I believe the best time to visit the Kingdom is in the winter up until April maximum, as the summer is very hot.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday? For my next holiday, I would like to go to Italy. I think I will visit Italy in March as I have a leisure group going to visit and I will be their leader.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?Clients like to get a good offer with a good rate, and our company offers this. Our clients trust us as we always rec-ommend them the best hotels and destinations. I believe to be the top is not difficult, although it is hard to maintain, but we are doing a very good job at it. We say, you have to go to Al Amoudi Travel Agency, a company you can trust for your holidays.
Emirates and Travelport CollaborateTravelport has announced that Emirates has deployed Travelport Rapid Reprice technology on its website, giving the carrier’s on-line travel buyers all-new ticket re-pricing capabilities.
Emirates joins other global carriers in implementing the new Rapid Reprice Rebooking Mod-ule, making it quick and easy for customers to maintain control of their journey when changing travel plans. The rebooking mod-ule has a user friendly graphical user interface (GUI) that is inte-grated with Emirates’ ‘manage an existing booking’ feature which allows passengers to change or cancel their itinerary all around the clock from any device that has internet connection.
It also includes a self-service administration tool that allows Emirates to create, update, and manage their unique business rules at any time.
Travelport Rapid Reprice Select enhances Emirates' cus-tomer satisfaction and loyalty by allowing travelers to make more informed decisions. When the airline's website customers need to change or cancel itineraries, Rapid Reprice Select, eliminates the need to conduct separate shopping requests to find more than one alternate low-fare itiner-ary. In a single request, a selection of instantly bookable alternates is presented with complete pricing, including accurate fares, taxes,
additional collections, refunds, penalties or fees.
Rapid Reprice was the first so-lution to automate the complex airline itinerary re-pricing pro-cess, and the first tool of its kind to be deployed worldwide by ma-jor airlines.
“Travelport’s guidance, sup-port, and commitment to con-stant innovation in e-commerce repricing technologies, have played a significant role in grow-ing our revenues. Emirates is devoted to providing unique customer experiences, and Travel-port provides solutions that sup-port our strategy, enable us to compete more effectively, and raise the bar on customer ser-vice and satisfaction,” explained
Bob Kabli, vice president, e-com-merce, Emirates.
Further commenting on the announcement, Rabih Saab, president, Middle East and Africa, Travelport, noted, “Emirates is tak-ing an important step forward with the launch of Travelport Rap-id Reprice and we look forward to helping our partner sustain solid e-commerce growth and perfor-mance in the years ahead. Emir-ates is among a growing number of carriers dedicated to enhancing their websites by giving customers advanced, shopping, and rebook-ing tools. We are pleased to part-ner with Emirates and see them implement two game-changing e-commerce re-booking solutions.”
Mashhour Al Refai
NAME: Khaled Saleh
POSITION: Tours manager
COMPANY: Al Amoudi Travel Agency
LOCATION: Saudi Arabia
WEB: www.alamouditravel.com
Travelport’s guidance, support and commitment to constant innovation in e-commerce repricing technologies have played a significant role in growing our revenues
14 TRAVEL CHANNELS
25 FEBRUARY 2012
ATM: Saudi Tourism to Further Improve
Saudi Arabia is expected to witness a healthy rise in visitor numbers and robust improvements in its hospitality sector, further fuelling both the Saudi and international interest in this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM).
P re-event visitor registrations for the four-day event, which opens on April 30 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, have already increased by 132 per-
cent, while the number of visitors interested in buying travel products and services from the Kingdom has risen 116 percent to 1,168 compared with the same period in 2011.
Furthermore, Saudi online registrations for the event are already up 118 percent, underscoring the anticipated growth in the Kingdom’s tourism industry over the next
few years. Based on Business Monitor International’s
(BMI) report, the number of tourists heading to Saudi Arabia is expected to reach 15.8 mil-lion by 2014, up from around 13 million in 2010, sprouting further developments in the Kingdom’s hospitality sector. With the addi-tion of some 381,000 new hotel rooms, Saudi Arabia’s room stock is set to improve 63 per-cent by 2015 against 2010 inventories, driven by business, religious and domestic tourism, according to BMI.
“Saudi Arabia continues to focus on its
tourism industry as it looks to diversify away from its dependence on oil, with revenues from tourism accounting for around 3.6 per-cent of GDP,” explained Mark Walsh, portfolio director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. “The tourism authority has announced its aims to attract 88 million tourists by 2020 as the kingdom focuses on developing religious tourism and business travel in particular.”
Religious tourism remains the Kingdom's the most popular segment with more than half of inbound visitors travelling to Mecca and Medina.
Doha 2020 Reveals Slogan and Logo Meet and Fly
The Doha 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Bid Committee premiered the official logo, slogan, and website for the upcoming sport event.
Leading the effort to bring the Olympic torch to the Middle East for the first time in the history, the logo was inspired by the Arabic world for Doha ‘ad-dawha’ (the nurturing tree), and captures the es-sence of modern Doha, while the slogan, ‘Inspiring Change’, demon-strates the impact the games could have in the region.
“Our logo and slogan reflect the uniqueness of Doha as a city and the legacies that would be achieved if the Games were to come to the Arab world for the first time,” emphasised H.E. Sheika Al Ma-
yassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, vice chairperson, Doha 2020.
“We want to inspire more people across the region to play sport, in par-ticular girls and women, and to embrace the values of Olympism. Doha 2020 is a historic opportunity to grow the Olympic Movement in a new region at a crucial moment in its history.”
Doha is competing against Baku, Is-tanbul, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo.
Doha
KLM has launched Meet & Seat, whereby passengers with a reservation can link their Facebook or LinkedIn profiles to the flight they will be on, in order to see who else will be on board.
The new service makes KLM the first airline to in-tegrate social networking in its regular flight process. Erik Varwijk, managing director, KLM, commented on the launch, “With Meet & Seat, KLM takes social net-working a step forward. This new service connects passengers and aims to give them a more inspirational journey.”
Meet & Seat facilitates passengers to contact with fellow travellers who have the same background or in-terests, making air travel even more stimulating for KLM customers. They can find out whether someone they know will be travelling on the same flight, or discover who else will be attending the same conference as them.
Meet & Seat is available using Manage My Booking on intercontinental flights from Amsterdam to San Fran-cisco, New York, and São Paulo, and at a later date will also apply to further flights.
15RENDEZVOUS
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Q & A with Joseph AboudibFujairah is well-recognised for serving the leisure, family, and adventure traveller, mainly from the European seg-ment, and Joseph Aboudib, general manager, Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort, draws attention to the hotel’s wide range of activities including a journey underwater which promises a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Joseph AboudibGeneral manager, Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort
Travel Trade Weekly: How did Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort perform in 2011 in terms of occupancy rates?
Joseph Aboudib: Sandy Beach Hotel & Re-sort did well during the first quarter of 2011; we reached our normal expectations for occu-pancy rates due to a new tour operator’s con-tract. During summer time, occupancy levels were lower compared with 2010. It rose again when the winter season started at the end of the year.
Travel Trade Weekly: What were the hotel’s main feeder markets in 2011?
Joseph Aboudib: The most popular mar-kets for our property are leisure, families, and tourists. Based on our figures, the Eu-ropean market reached 85 percent of occu-pancy while other markets accounted for 15 percent.
Travel Trade Weekly: What are the latest news, updates, and improvements at the property, and what are the reasons behind these changes? Any plans for the near fu-ture?
Joseph Aboudib: The hotel has completely refurbished 40 standard rooms in order to have a new look. Furthermore, we also add-ed modern children equipment on the beach for them. Moreover, the hotel has a proposed plan to add 60 new rooms, a gym, spa, and swimming pool in the near future.
Travel Trade Weekly: Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort surely attracts a large number of
Joseph Aboudib: Sandy Beach Diving Cen-tre, as usual, welcomed many divers from all around the world, especially people who look to learn diving and enjoy its experience. It has got access to the ‘snoopy island’ which is an amazing place to snorkel. We offer diving in nearby spots which are 10 to 15 minutes away by boat.
Our divers enjoy the amazing views un-der the water where the sea life is coloured with many marine creatures and turtles, which give our divers the pure feeling of the sea wonders. Travel Trade Weekly: Could you tell us a little bit about the boating, fishing, and sight-seeing tours you offer. Which is the hotel’s most popular activity?
Joseph Aboudib: Sandy Beach Hotel & Re-sort also offers sight seeing tours by boat to nearby places. Fishing trips are organised from Khorfakkan city. In addition, there is a dhow cruise trip which is arranged by local tour operators on a daily basis from Dibba to Musandam. Of course, city tours are the first preference by the tourist.
Travel Trade Weekly: What tourism and hospitality packages are you offering guests this year, who wish to experience the treasures of the emirates?
Joseph Aboudib: Sandy Beach Hotel & Re-sorts will always have the pleasure to organ-ise a trip to nearby locations such as Wadi Wurrayah water falls, Bidya mosque, dates farm, old village, hot springs, and many other attractions.
guests for an exceptional diving experi-ence. What does the hotel’s popular div-ing centre offer and how popular was it during 2011?
Sandy Beach Hotel & Resorts
16 NEWS & EVENTS
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Enhanced Educational Programme at GIBTM 2012The sixth Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) that will be held on March 26 – 28, under the patronage of chairman H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, will embrace a wealth of education-al sessions and events.
A few of the world’s leading industry associations such as the International Congress and Convention As-sociation (ICCA), Association of Corporate Travel Execu-tives (ACTE) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) among others, will participate at GIBTM’s sessions sharing there expertise.
The IBTM Middle East Meeting Industry Report pres-entation is a highly anticipated moment of the show, which is undertaken by Reed Travel Exhibitions, and will be presented by Sally Greenhill, The Right Solution, and Rob Nicholas, meetme.
Moreover, GIBTM will feature some events for the first time, such as the commence of daily seminars held by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE),
and the very first Arabic session presented by Ali Al Sa-loom, Ask Ali.com.
The sessions will introduce additional speakers, including Edith Szivas, director of research and consul-tancy, Jumeirah Group, Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management; John Quinn, presentologist, Satellite Visu-al Communication; Camil El Khoury, chief vision officer, the ideas group; Bicky Carlra, global president, TraVision and founder, 7Deals Travel; and Lee Mancini, manager, Sekari, Dubai.
Lois Hall, travel exhibitions manager, REED, GIBTM, commented on the sessions, “As the largest gathering of meetings and events industry professionals in the Mid-dle East, we must encourage learning and development not only to enhance participants’ knowledge and devel-opment but so that meetings professionals can apply what they learn to grow the industry. Education is one of the show’s core elements that will drive the develop-ment of the meetings industry forward.”
EVENTSThe International Hotel Investment ForumBerlin, Germany, March 2 – 5, 2012(www.berlinconference.com)The conference programme includes interviews with leading hoteliers, forecasts from top economists, panel discussions on the latest develop-ments, trends, and best practice in the industry.
ITB BerlinBerlin, Germany, March 7 – 11, 2012(www.itb-berlin.de)The world’s leading travel trade show, offering trade visitors the opportu-nity to meet business partners and do business with them.
MITTMoscow, Russia, March 21 – 24, 2012 (www.mitt.ru)Russia’s leading travel exhibition, with over 3,000 participating compa-nies and 185 destinations, serving as a key meeting place.
GIBTMAbu Dhabi, UAE, March 26 – 28, 2012 (www.gibtm.com)A leading event for business travel in the GCC region, unlocking business potential within the Middle East for all professionals.
China Outbound Travel & Tourism MarketBeijing, China, April 18 – 20, 2012(www.cottm.com)A business-to-business exhibition, which provides a platform for international tourism boards and travel services to meet with China’s key outbound tour operators.
Arabian Hotel Investment ConferenceDubai, UAE, April 28 – 30, 2012(www.arabianconference.com)An event that brings together regional leaders to discuss the key topics and challenges of the coming months.
