Market Update 2Accommodation News 4Air Travel News 6International News 8Agents’ Corner 10Travel Tips 11Travel Talk 12Who’s Moved 14Rendezvous 15Events 16

Middle East and North Africa Edition

SEPtEMBER 11, 2010 iSSUE 44 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

55

1616FiRSt PULLManin a new first for dubai, accor MiddleEast has opened its inaugural Pullmanhotel for the region – Pullman dubai Mallof the Emirates (MoE).

In This Issue

doha aviationthe second doha aviation Summit willbe held at the end of october.organisers said the event had beentimed to capitalise on recentimprovements in outlook for civilaviation in the Middle East.

Commonwealth GamesCommonwealth Games

The upcoming 2010 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi, is expected to draw a host of tourists from the Middle East and around

the world, cementing India’s position as a powerful emerging destination.

33India’sIndia’s

h owever, the strongresurgence (a 20 percentimprovement, year onyear), is tempered by theexceptionally low figures

experienced by the region in the comparableperiod of 2009.ahmed al nuaimi, chairman of the Qatartourism authority, pointed out that 2009had been the worst year for tourism in thepast 60 years.“The year 2009 was the most difficult year onthe world tourism industry due to the effects ofthe global economic crisis on the tourism

industry and the subsequenttravel restrictions because of thespread of h1n1,” he said.“in that year, global rates of visitsdeclined to less than four percent,which is considered the worstrate in 60 years.”nuaimi suggested that ongoingproblems for traditional source

markets, such as high levels of debt in Europeancountries, meant that the Middle East wouldneed to focus on building its domestic andregional markets.according to UnWto, Europe in particular isstruggling to rebuild, set back to a two percentrate of growth by the Eyjafjallajökull volcanocrisis in april.“This highlights the magnitude and importanceof revitalising domestic tourism as analternative to deal with crises in the tourismsector,” nuaimi said.of 140 countries that supplied data toUnWto, 30 remain in negative growth,resulting in the overall average of a sevenpercent improvement worldwide.

SEPtEMBER 11, 20102

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UaE (aEd) dirham 3.69Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.70Saudi arabia (SaR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501Bahrain (Bhd) dinar 0.37Jordan ( Jod) dinar 0.70Syria (SYP) Pound 46.6Kuwait (KWd) dinar 0.29Qatar (QaR) Riyal 3.64oman (oMR) Rial 0.38tunisia (tnd) dinar 1.49Morocco (Mad) dirham 8.71iran (iRR) Riyal 10,003Yemen (YER) Rial 237.5algeria (dZd) dinar 75.35Libya (LYd) dinar 1.29

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 9/9/2010Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US dollar

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLYDeputy EditorLaura Warne

JournalistLouis dillon Savage

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingMarianna tsiamasEvelina hadjigeorgiou

Directorsandreas ConstantinidesMary Kammitsi

HeadquartersP.o. Box 25255nicosia 1308 Cyprustel: +35722820888Fax: +35722318958

Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

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Middle East Leads Tourism Recovery The Middle East has experienced the strongest recovery of any world region inthe first half of 2010 in terms of international visitor arrivals, World TourismOrganisation (UNWTO) figures have shown.

MEA Delays Initial Public Offering, Citing Unfavourable MarketMiddle Eastern Airlines’ (MEA) planned public share sale has been delayedin light of unfavourable market conditions, Bloomberg has reported.Riad Salameh, governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank, said the sale would wait fora more appropriate time.“We need to have the proper market momentum,” he told Bloomberg.“There is no appetite, we have to be patient.”MEa was originally scheduled to commence its initial public offering (iPo) atthe end of this year, but has now put the plan on indefinite hold.MEa was established in 1945 and has survived frequent periods of nationalupheaval since.Throughout Lebanon’s 15 year civil war (from 1975 to 1990) the airlinemaintained itself by leasing aircraft and seconding staff to foreign carriers andother aviation companies.Since an extensive restructure between 1998 and 2002, the company hasreturned consistent profits in spite of regular instability within Lebanon.

This highlights the magnitudeand importance of revitalising

domestic tourism as analternative to deal with crises

in the tourism sector

3SEPtEMBER 11, 2010

Operators Expecting Middle Eastern Guests for Indian Commonwealth GamesThe upcoming 2010 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi, is expected to draw a host of tourists fromthe Middle East and around the world, cementing India’s position as a powerful emerging destination.

New Hajj Online Portal in Beta TestingThe new HajjMabrur.net web portal, launched recently byPious technologies, has reported strong interest in its servicesdesigned to streamline hajj tourism. Founder hajj Samer osman Ramadan developed the portalwith a group of private investors from Lebanon; Pioustechnologies has spent three years in research anddevelopment for the project. The portal offers a range of services, including marketing,bookings, logistics support, asset management, reservations,documentation and reporting. during the research phase of the hajjMabrur.net project,Ramadan said his team discovered, after studying more than600 hajj and Umrah tour providers, that few were able toproduce high quality marketing and advertising campaigns,due to prohibitive costs.he added that the cost of logistical and administration issueswas also a major problem for operators. “We will never be able to remove all the problems from hajj;about 50 percent of problems are inevitable, but nearly 50percent of all problems are related to administrative issues,miscommunication, human errors and managementproblems,” he said.hajjMabrur.net is currently being beta tested by more than12 companies in a range of countries.

a irlines from the MiddleEast have been steadilyincreasing flights to indiain the lead-up to thegames; akbar al Baker,

CEo of Qatar airways, recently pointedout that his airline had increased frequencyto the country by 57 percent since 2009.hotel companies have also been rapidlyexpanding their inventory in the country,with most of the world’s major brands nowboasting several indian properties. Thierry Bertin, vice president of sales andmarketing for hyatt international in South

West asia, said hyatt’s four hotels in indiawere eagerly waiting to welcomeCommonwealth Games guests. “For the XiX Commonwealth Games 2010delhi, india will showcase its diverseheritage, culture and its state-of-the-artinfrastructure,” said Bertin.“hosting such a formidable sporting event, aswell as welcoming visitors from around theworld, will be a lasting legacy for india and willsecure its place as an economic powerhouseand a global travel and business destination.”The event is due to be held betweenoctober 3 and 14.

Hyatt Regency Delhi

SEPtEMBER 11, 20104

- Accommodation

Mövenpick Launches 396 New Rooms with Explore-Inspired Ibn Battuta Gate HotelThe first wave of Mövenpick’s upcoming influx of rooms into the Dubai hospitality industry is set to open inOctober, with the 396 room Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel.

Al Areen Palace Joins Leading Hotels Group, Following Banyan Tree Split

over the next sevenmonths, Mövenpickhotels and Resorts, inpartnership with Seventides, will open more

than 1,000 rooms across four properties indubai. ibn Battuta Gate hotel representatives saidthey planned to take advantage of visitorsto the hotel’s neighbouring industrial andprofessional zones, including Media City,internet City, Knowledge village(tECoM) and Jebel ali Free Zone. Guy Epsom, director of businessdevelopment at the hotel, was enthusiasticahead of the opening.“ibn Battuta Gate hotel is a hotel with adifference, indeed differences that areconducive to today’s mobile businesstraveller and the ever-roving inquisitivenature of the real tourist – someone who

wants to get to the core of a destination,”said Epsom.The new hotel makes up a key componentof ibn Battuta Square, which also includesibn Battuta Mall and a mixed-useresidential and office facility. Jan Kaiser, general manager of ibn BattutaGate hotel, pointed out that the propertywas designed to invoke reflection on thejourneys of its namesake, the arabexplorer ibn Battuta. “in a dance between the hotel’s interiorsand restaurants, the ibn Battuta Gatehotel offers a true design and tastejourney that spans the near East, Far East,Middle East and arab african radius ofthe journeyman’s era,” said Kaiser. Each of the hotel’s 29 suites has beendesigned according to one of 10 interiorthemes, reflecting the travels of ibnBattuta.

Bahrain’s Al Areen Palace and Spa(formerly Banyan tree al areen) hasjoined new York-based luxuryhospitality organisation The LeadingSmall hotels of the World.Khalid anib, general manager of alareen Palace and Spa, pointed out thathis hotel was currently the only memberof the organisation in Bahrain. “This affiliation is a clear recognition ofour commitment and dedicationtowards our guests and comes after theinvestment that has been made into theresort following the change ofmanagement,” he said.The hotel invested heavily in itsbanqueting and restaurant facilities after

the split with Banyan tree, with theintention of making al areen one of theregion’s gourmet, entertainment andconference destinations.The Leading Small hotels of the Worldorganisation is the boutique subsidiaryof The Leading hotels of the World,which currently represents more than450 hotels worldwide.

Jan Kaiser

Khalid Anib

This affiliation… comesafter the investment that has

been made into the resortfollowing the change of

management

5SEPtEMBER 11, 2010

- Accommodation

Accor Brings PullmanBrand to Middle EastIn a new first for Dubai, Accor Middle East hasopened the inaugural Pullman hotel for the region– Pullman Dubai Mall of the Emirates (MoE).

Hoteliers to Set Radar for Leisure GuestsIn the post recession years, leisure guests will be increasinglyimportant for upmarket hotels, according to a think tank of hotelsuppliers and operators brought together by World travelMarket (WtM). in the meeting of representatives from the global hotel industry,hoteliers said that many corporate clients were adapting theirpolicies to include a ban on five star hotels for their employees. a leading concern was that corporate budgets would remaintight even after the world economy stabilised. Mid-market operators, on the other hand, stated that they wereprofiting from business travellers downgrading from luxuryoptions. as a result, high-end hotels were actively targeting upmarketleisure travellers, with some abandoning their MiCE campaignsaltogether, in favour of the more available holiday market. however, business and leisure travellers alike have become moredemanding, according to the think tank. Several hoteliers mentioned that negotiations were becomingtougher, with guests insisting on free wi-fi and internet access,free transfers and discounts on food and beverage.

Pullman Dubai Mall of the Emirates

the 24 storey, 481 room (including 94 suites)hotel capitalises on its proximity to one ofdubai’s most popular shopping centres, aswell as the new dubai Metro link.Christophe Landais, managing director of

accor Middle East, said the hotel would target leisure andbusiness travellers, as well as the MiCE segment.The hotel features a dedicated floor for meetings andconferences, with 800m² of meeting space, nine rooms withindividual pre-function areas and several spaces for cocktailreceptions and breaks. “as our first Pullman hotel in the region, we want to give awhole new meaning to the way guests experience hotels,”said Landais.accor currently has nearly 50 Pullman properties around theworld, with plans to expand this number to a network of 150.

a ccording to reports inlocal and internationalmedia, the shutdownhas come as a result of afunding shortfall driven

by high fuel costs.arab news reported losses as high asSaR1 billion (USd266.7 million).Sama’s primary competitor is thenationalised low cost operator, nasair,which benefits from higher levels ofgovernment support.Bruce ashby, CEo of the Sama, issued astatement blaming regulatory issues forthe airline’s difficulties.“We had been awaiting a significantaviation relief package with respect to fuel

subsidies, subsidies for PSo routes, agradual lifting of domestic fare caps, andadditional funds to support the past lossesand growth of our business,” he said.

ashby noted that investors had been willingto help the airline, but had been unable toact in time to keep the company flying.“We sought for, and found, more than onepotential new equity investor willing to

inject cash into the business,” ashby said.“Unfortunately, none of these alternativescame together in the required timeframe.”according to ashby, strong traffic insummer months was not enough tocompensate for a slow winter season.“The decision to stop flying was not takenlightly, but we have spent many monthsseeking alternatives, and now this is the onlyoption remaining to us," he said.“although revenues were up sharplyduring the summer peak season, it has notbeen enough to offset the heavy losses wesuffered during the winter,” he said.although ashby initially expressedoptimism, Sama remained grounded at thetime of writing.

SEPtEMBER 11, 20106

- Air Travel

Sama Grounded by Financial TurbulenceSaudi Arabian low cost carrier Sama has suspended operations until further notice.

Air Arabia has strengthened theinterconnectivity of its regional hubs,flagging a route between Casablanca,Morocco, the base of air arabia Maroc,and alexandria, Egypt, home of airarabia Egypt.Flights will commence on october 4, 2010,initially operating three times per week.adel ali, group CEo of air arabia, saidthe new connection reflected the naturalprogression of the airline’s services fromMorocco.“in one year since the start of air arabia(Maroc) operations, we have been able to

organically grow our destination map andfleet,” he said.“We are confident the new servicesbetween Casablanca and alexandria willoffer customers a great value for money totravel between the two cities.”The link represents air arabia Maroc’sfirst direct connection to another of theair arabia group’s hubs.The subsidiary currently operates flightsto a number of European destinations, butprovides access to the rest of the airarabia network only by connecting flightsthrough istanbul, turkey.

We have been able to organically grow

our destination map and fleet

Air Arabia to Link Casablanca and Alexandria Hubs

The summer peakseason… has not been

enough to offset the heavylosses we suffered during

the winter

SEPtEMBER 11, 20108

- International

Starwood’s First European Aloft Property OpensStarwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has opened its first Aloft hotel in Europe, with Aloft Brussels Schuman.

Organisers of CIBTM 2010 haveannounced that they expect CiBtM tobecome the leading meetings event inaSEan (association of South East asiancountries) within the next three years. The recently completed 2010 eventfeatured an increased number ofexhibitors and trade visitors, plus thelargest ever hosted buyer programme. indications show that together, hostedbuyers and trade visitors rose by 16percent compared to 2009. Jeffrey Xu, exhibition manager forCiBtM said the meetings industry in

China was beginning to take shape, withexcellent feedback from local industryrepresentatives.

“in 2009 we launched China MeetingsWeek and this has clearly increased theprofile of the show dramatically, resultingin larger numbers of corporate Chinesebuyers – key to the development of the

show and its exhibitors,” said Xu.internationally, exhibitors such as ShaneJameson, director of sales for Jebel aliinternational hotels dubai, emphasisedthe importance of China.“CiBtM takes place in the mostprolifically fast moving market in theworld,” he said.“We are here for the long term – 150percent – we will not survive as adestination without business from China.”CiBtM 2011 will take place at Chinanational Convention Centre in Beijing,from august 30 to September 1.

Four Seasons hotel London at ParkLane is set to open in the next fewmonths, as the hotel company prepares tocelebrate its 50 year anniversary in 2011. John Stauss, general manager of the newhotel, said that, in many ways, London iswhere the Four Seasons philosophy wasfirst born. “This hotel represents all that Four

Seasons has learned, all we’ve observed,and all that we anticipate will be importantto our guests in the future,” Stauss. one key feature of the new hotel is itstenth floor lounge – a waiting area whereguests can have breakfast, use showerfacilities, access the internet or relaxbefore checking in. “This unique space has essentially been

created by our guests – we’ve allexperienced it, arriving after a long flightand having nowhere to go while waitingfor rooms to be ready,” said Strauss. “now there’s an oasis atop the city thatwelcomes, soothes and refreshes wearytravellers.”Four Seasons hotel London at ParkLane features 192 rooms and suites.

the 147 room hotelis located in theEuropean Uniondistrict, offering amid-market

version of Starwood’s W hotelsconcept. More than 40 aloft hotels haveopened globally since the brand’sdebut in June, 2008, with propertiescurrently operating in the US,Canada, China, the UaE and india. according to Brian McGuinness,senior vice president of specialtyselect brands at Starwood, aloft willcontinue its expansion, with new

openings planned in india, the US,UK and Thailand. “The launch of aloft in Europeunderscores the strength of theStarwood network and the power ofthe aloft Brand,” said McGuinness. “aloft’s emphasis on high design andaffordability translates globally and isattracting a growing group of loyaltravellers.”aloft Brussels Schuman is the fifthStarwood hotel in Belgium, joiningLe Méridien Brussels, SheratonBrussels hotel, Sheraton Brusselsairport hotel and Four Points bySheraton Brussels.

Four Seasons Opens New London Hotel, Ahead of Anniversary

CIBTM Plans to Become Leading ASEAN Meetings Event

The launch of Aloft in Europeunderscores the strength of

the Starwood network

Aloft Brussels Schuman

We will not survive as a destination without

business from China

SEPtEMBER 11, 201010

Agent’s InsightName: Myriam Al QassabPosition: Leisure ConsultantCompany: Bahrain International Travel AgencyLocation: Bahrain

Who travels more – expats or locals? among our clients, locals travel more than expats.

What are your biggest challenges as a travel agent? our greatest challenge is trying to meet all of our clients’expectations.

When is your quietest selling period? our two quietest selling periods are after the summerholidays and during the month of Ramadan.

Where do you expect the popular winter destinationsto be this year? For winter 2010-2011, we expect the most populardestinations to be Lebanon, turkey, Switzerland, austriaand France.

Why do people travel to/from your destination? Skiing is becoming very popular in this region and thereare more varieties of skiing options being introducedevery time.

VisitBritain Launches UAE Agent TrainingScheme in Anticipation of Olympic GamesA group of travel agencies from the UaE - 25 from dubai and15 from abu dhabi - have been selected to participate in adestination training course focusing on the UK.The scheme, Britagent Programme, was created by visitBritain,the UK’s tourism promotion body.nominated agencies will be encouraged to select staff membersto undertake a series of three online training modules.according to visitBritain, the programme has been instigated inan attempt to increase awareness of the UK as a destination in thelead up to the 2012 olympic and Paralympic Games.Carol Maddison, manager for visitBritain in the UaE, said thescheme would provide practical information for agents engagedin selling British holidays.“travel agents play a crucial role in assisting our visitors to planand book their holidays to Britain,” she said.“By launching the Britagent Specialist Programme in the UaE,we are able to provide travel agents with the necessary tools tooffer improved service to customers, consequently increasingtheir business.”Maddison added that increasing the profitability of inboundtourism for the UK was a key factor behind the promotion.“We are emphasising our total commitment to the travel tradeindustry,” she said.“it is very important in helping us achieve our objectives ofincreasing tourism traffic and increasing the spending of travellersto the UK.”The first module of the course covers practical basics such as visarequirements, language and currency.The second segment focuses on the key attractions and regions ofthe UK, while the third provides information on activities andfurther attractions.

Switzerland

Our greatest challenge is trying to meet all our clients’ expectations

h owever, despitetightened travelbudgets there aresome indicationsthat the business

travel market is in recovery.The Four Seasons hotel chain hasreported an increase in corporate groupbookings of 26 percent compared to2009; a figure which far outstrips theUnWto’s seven percent estimate ofgrowth for tourism overall.Susan helstab, executive vice president ofmarketing for Four Seasons, explained.“Companies are investing in face-to-face

meetings again because of the tangible

and significant return on investment theyhave been proven to provide,” she said.

however, there is evidence that the waycorporate travel managers are handlingmeetings is undergoing a change.a study undertaken by World travelMarket has predicted a downgradingtrend, with businesses takingadvantage of increasing numbers of

four star business hotels.Yet while that study tipped a move awayfrom five star venues for meetings, topshelf operators are still chasing thecorporate dollar. “There is no standard conference and eachhas its own unique set of needs,” helstabsaid.hilton Worldwide is also chasing themeetings market, offering discountsacross its network to discourage a movetowards downmarket rivals.With increasing competition andcrossover rivalries between the previouslydiscrete four and five star categories, thebusiness meetings sector is up for grabs.

11SEPtEMBER 11, 2010

Catch Corporate Business on the ReboundCorporate travel was profoundly affected by the recent recession and many predict that the sector has beenpermanently changed by the introduction of various cost reduction strategies.

There is no standardconference and each has its own unique

set of needs

SEPtEMBER 11, 201012

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, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

Andy WatsonActing CEO, Istithmar World"istithmar World is pleased tointroduce to the regional market theconcept of remarkable value formoney through the easyhotel brand.We believe there is a real gap in thehotel sector here for qualityaccommodation at affordable pricesand easyhotel Jebel ali fills that voidbeautifully. We are confident that ouroffer of purpose-built hotel rooms athighly attractive rates and our policyof leaving upgrade decisions solely inthe hands of our guests will findresonance in an increasingly cost-conscious market."

We believe there is a real gap in

the hotel sector here

Roddy GordonVice President of Sales and Marketing, Tamani Hotels and Resorts"We have used the summer to execute a strategy we call The heart of hospitality - thisis a focused sales campaign to invite a range of travel agents to see for themselves allthe virtues of dubai and to have the chance to experience our spacious lifestyle suitesat tamani hotel Marina. There is nothing that sells a product more than getting thechance to try it for yourself and this has been the thrust of our strategy. The feedbackto date has been very encouraging with more than 95 percent of agents endorsing thehotel, the marina and dubai as a destination.”

Nothing sells a product more than getting the chance to try it for yourself

Dubai

Ian ScottDirector UK and Ireland, Dubai Department ofTourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM)“new figures show that the UK market to dubaiis really starting to recover, and that our strategyso far this year is paying off. We of courserecognise the continuing challenges ahead, but theoutlook is positive with a range of new projects inthe pipeline that will continue to inspire first-timeas well as repeat visitors. This, combined withdtCM’s trade support and innovativepromotions such as Kids Free this summer, makesfor a very positive future for dubai.”

New figures show that the UK market to Dubai is really starting to recover

easyHotel Jebel Ali

UK

mailto:sales@traveltradeweekly.travel

SEPtEMBER 11, 201014

Michael von Siebenthalhyatt Regency dubai has appointed Michael von Siebenthal as general manager.von Siebenthal joined Bali hyatt as director of food and beverage in 1988 and hassince worked in hyatt properties in Mexico, Thailand and Japan. he is a graduateof Lausanne hotel School in Switzerland.

Dr Mohammad Ameen AhmadWataniya airways has appointed dr Mohammad ameen ahmad as director ofhuman resources. ahmad previously worked as chief human resources officer atKuwait telecommunication Company (viva). he has more than 29 years ofexperience in human resources. ahmad holds a Phd in management strategicplanning, a master’s degree in public administration and government policies, anda bachelor’s degree in geology.

Jean-Paul Herzog Retires After 40 Years at Hiltonhilton’s area president of operations for the Middle East and africa, Jean-Paulherzog, will retire at the end of this year, after 40 years with the company. RudiJagersbacher will replace herzog from January 1, 2011. Jagersbacher is currently hilton’s area vice president of operations for Benelux,nordic and italy. he joined the company in 1974, after holding senior positionsat the Savoy and Claridges in London, UK. after joining hilton, Jagersbacher worked as general manager in several flagshipproperties, before moving to vice president roles in London and dubai. he will continue in his current position until he replaces herzog in January.

Patrick BeauryFour Seasons hotel ammanhas appointed PatrickBeaury as hotel manager.Beaury has a range ofmanagement and hospitalitycertifications and hasworked across fourcontinents. he joined FourSeasons in 2003 as food andbeverage director of FourSeasons Resort Costa Rica.Following that appointment,he worked at Four Seasonsproperties in Canada andEgypt before moving toamman, Jordan.

Patrick Beaury

Sophie BlanchardEtihad airways has promoted SophieBlanchard as its first female captain.Blanchard first joined Etihad in 2007 as afirst officer and has since completed thenecessary training and checks to upgradeto captain. She began aviation trainingafter graduating high school, gaining hercommercial license at the age of 18 in theUS. Blanchard then worked throughoutafrica and Europe, joining air atlantabefore Etihad. She currently has morethan 6,500 hours of flying time accrued.

Sophie Blanchard

Ann Kanghyatt Regency dubai and Galleria hasappointed ann Kang as director of sales.Kang has a bachelor’s degree in hotelmanagement and has worked withaccor and Conrad hotels across SouthKorea, Singapore, China and Japan.

15SEPtEMBER 11, 2010

Q&A with Kevork DeldelianKevork Deldelian is general manager at the newly opened Oryx Rotana in Doha. Here, he discusses the processof opening Rotana’s first property in Qatar and offers his insight into one of the fastest growing countries inthe Middle East.

Travel Trade Weekly: Firstly, tell usa little about your personal careerhistory and why you've signed on asGM of this new property.Kevork Deldelian: i’ve worked atmultiple properties over the years – mylast spot was in Montreal, where i workedfor three years. i’ve also worked as ageneral manager in Muscat, i opened aninterContinental property in Saudiarabia, two properties in Jordan and i’veworked at Crowne Plaza and holiday innproperties in abu dhabi and dubai. i’ve been watching the Rotana brand fora while now and i became very keen tojoin the company. i see it as a very strong,successful brand with a brilliant conceptbehind it.

Travel Trade Weekly: There aremany new properties coming up inDoha - how will Oryx Rotana standout from others?Kevork Deldelian: doha is really comingup as a city and is very strongly going afterthe business and MiCE segments - thisproperty was designed for these markets.We are not a leisure hotel. our location isright next to the airport and close to themain business district. it takes two minutesfor us to pick up a client at the airport andget them to the lobby; from there, we havean express check-in system where they donot even need to go to the desk. despite our location, though, we are not atypical corporate airport hotel. We havedeveloped the hotel as a signature food andbeverage and entertainment venue that willbring a totally different concept to the cityand our guests. We plan to have sevenoutlets open by the end of december andwe expect to cater to the local expat marketas well as our in-house guests.

Travel Trade Weekly: Within thebusiness and MICE sectors, are thereparticular guests or source marketsthat you are targeting?Kevork Deldelian: While we don’thave one particular market in mind, weare very focused on the regional countries.dubai, Kuwait, Saudi arabia, Bahrain andabu dhabi are all key feeder markets. Weare also targeting the major events andconferences coming to doha. We are quiteactive on targeting citywide events andworking with organisers to make sure weare promoted to visitors. transit businessis also a small portion of our market, dueto our location. in terms of transit, wefocus mostly on business and first classpassengers.

Travel Trade Weekly: What is yourperspective on the travel industry inQatar at the moment - how has itprogressed and where is it going?’Kevork Deldelian: There is a lot ofeffort going into the industry from what isee through my interaction with hoteliers,authorities and various projects. it looksgood right now. Rotana is very excitedabout doha; we are getting anotherRotana property in mid 2011 and thereare discussions for multiple propertiescovering all the Rotana brands. Webelieve doha is set to be a big successstory. This summer was significantlybetter than last year.

Travel Trade Weekly: What changeswould you like to see in the country toimprove your business?Kevork Deldelian: one big thing thatwe would definitely all like to see – andthis is already happening – is theexpansion of the airport. This is criticallyrequired. Qatar airways is growing bigtime and we can see the numbersincreasing year on year through doha. Qatar tourism authority’s activities aregiving the country great exposure – ofcourse, more marketing is never a badthing! one thing that i think would be good forthe country, although it would probablynot benefit me directly, would be moreleisure facilities. This would be good forthe resorts and leisure hotels that arecoming up. also, major conferences are still achallenge – it’s hard to get the really bigmega-events, but we do have newconference centres coming up. Things are happening - we are neversatisfied, but as an operator i can seethings moving forward.

We are not a leisure hotel

Rotana is very excitedabout Doha

Kevork Deldelian

SEPtEMBER 11, 201016

EventsWorld Travel MarketLondon, UK, November 8-11 (www.wtmlondon.com)Global event for the travel industry – four day business tobusiness event promoting a range of destinations and industrysectors to international travel professionals.

World Green Tourism Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi, UAE, November 22-24 (www.worldgreentourism.ae)inaugural eco-tourism exhibition, featuring tourismauthorities, urban city planners, hotels and resorts, propertydevelopers, airlines, tour operators, green product suppliers,universities, museums and heritage site organisations.

EIBTMBarcelona, Spain, November 30 – December 2 (www.eibtm.com)Global event for meetings and events industry, includingnetworking opportunities, professional education seminarsand a trade show platform for exhibitors, hosted buyers andtrade visitors.

Blossom JapanTokyo, Japan, January 18-21, 2011 (www.blossomjapan.com)a new invitation-only luxury travel exhibition focusing on theJapanese market.

Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare CongressLos Angeles, US, September 22-24 (www.medicaltourismcongress.com)Forum for the global medical and wellbeing tourism industry.

International Conference on Responsible Tourism in DestinationsMuscat, Oman, October 10-12 (www.rtd4.om)organised by oman Ministry of tourism, UnWto and internationalCentre for Responsible tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University. Conferencefor government, private sector, academic institutions and decision makersto discuss new directions for the principles and practice of responsibletourism in global destinations.

Arab Tourism Bourse Travel and Tourism FairDamascus, Syria, October 19-22 (www.abtfair.com)aimed at promoting the Syrian tourism industry, attracting new visitors anddeveloping tourism in the region.

Hotex Fair SyriaDamascus, Syria, October 19-22 (www.hotexfair.com)Fair for arabic and foreign companies in tourism and travel, including hotels,restaurants and equipment suppliers.

Business Travel Show – DubaiDubai, UAE, October 25-26 (www.businesstravelshowdubai.com)dedicated event for buyers and bookers of corporate travel in the MiddleEast, focusing on small and medium sized organisations that book businesstravel.

The second doha aviation Summit willbe held at the end of next month, eventorganisers have revealed.The conference, which will be jointlyhosted by events management groupnaseba and Qatar Civil aviationauthority 9QCaa), will run fromoctober 30 to november 1, 2010.abdul aziz al noaimi, director general ofQCaa, said the event had been timed tocapitalise on recent improvements inoutlook for civil aviation in the MiddleEast.“The aviation world has changed

significantly over the past few months,” hesaid.“With the worst of economic crisis behindus, now is the perfect time to look to thefuture.“This year's summit will concentrate onopening up opportunities for growthbetween the arab states and the internationalaviation market.”nicholas Watson, global sales director fornaseba, said the conference would focuson the increasing importance of MiddleEastern aviation.“The doha aviation Summit will draw on

the wealth of the Middle East as anaviation superpower moving to theforefront of the industry.”among the topics to be discussed is theeffect, beyond Europe, of regulatory changesbrought about by the Eyjafjallajökullvolcano disruptions.also on the agenda are: routemanagement, in line with rapid airportdevelopment in the region; thedevelopment and implementation ofsustainability regulations; financial risks;human resource challenges; and theintegration of alternative fuel research.

Second Doha Aviation Summit Dates and Topics Announced