Middle East and North Africa Edition

APril 16, 2011 issUe 75 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

April 16, Issue 75

Market Update 2Weekly News 3Accommodation News 5Air Travel News 7Weekly News 10Who’s Moved 11Travel Talk 12Agents’ Corner 13Travel Channels 14Rendezvous 15Events 16

55

In This Issue

hyATT hotels & resortsto oPen six ProPertieshyatt hotels & resorts has announcedthe 2011 opening of six properties acrossthe UAe, india and the Maldives, in linewith the group’s commitment to provideguests with unique accommodation inkey destinations.

Kempinski’s GCC Expansion Plans Kempinski’s GCC Expansion Plans

Kempinski’s plans to add five new luxury properties to itsGCC collection by 2012, which will span across Bahrain,

Saudi Arabia and the UAE and are set to bring innovativegreen and intelligent technology to the region.

1010

1010BA codeshAres withroyAl JordAniAnBritish Airways (BA) and its oneworldpartner, royal Jordanian (rJ), havecemented closer ties by signing acodeshare agreement.

travel solutions, whichcurrently distributes thebusiness service provider’sGalileo Gds in Pakistan andAfghanistan as well as the

Galileo and worldspan technology and servicesin Uzbekistan, will possess exclusive rights todistribute the worldspan platform to Pakistaniagencies. travel agents will obtain full access toall content and applications available throughthe reservation system with on-going technicalinfrastructure and support. The agreement builds on a well establishedpartnership, reinforced rahib saab, presidentand managing director, Middle east and Africa,travelport. “expanding our relationship withtravel solutions will allow us to strengthen ourpresence in Pakistan and extend what is a highly-

efficient distributor system in thecountry. They have a great trackrecord of distributing travelportproducts both in and outside of

Pakistan and understand the technology andsupport requirements of the local travel trade.”The software, which is renowned for its advancede-commerce and web-based solutions as well aseffective shopping and pricing tools, will allowagencies to gain great benefits, elaborated Alinaqi taqi, ceo, travel solutions.

“we are excited to extend our footprint andunite the respective strengths of Galileo andworldspan to offer travel agents a complete Gdsoffering that meets all of their travel technologyneeds. we see great potential for worldspan inPakistan and look forward to building the brandover the coming years with the help of ourprofessionalism and dedication to the trade.”

APril 16, 20112

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

Managing EditorMary Kammitsi

mary@traveltradeweekly.travelJournalistsrita Kasziba

duncan MacraeMarianna Keen

Design & Layoutelina Pericleous

Sales & Marketingdimitris Thomaidis

DirectorsAndreas constantinides

Mary Kammitsi

HeadquartersP.o. Box 25255

nicosia 1308 cyprustel: +35722820888Fax: +35722318958

Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

Emailsinfo@traveltradeweekly.travel

editorial@traveltradeweekly.travelsales@traveltradeweekly.travel

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAe (Aed) dirham 3.67egypt (eGP) Pound 5.96saudi Arabia (sAr) riyal 3.75lebanon (lBP) Pound 1,502.5Bahrain (Bhd) dinar 0.37Jordan ( Jod) dinar 0.71syria (syP) Pound 47.45Kuwait (Kwd) dinar 0.28Qatar (QAr) riyal 3.64oman (oMr) rial 0.38tunisia (tnd) dinar 1.37Morocco (MAd) dirham 7.82iran (irr) riyal 10,42yemen (yer) rial 215.25Algeria (dZd) dinar 71.67libya (lyd) dinar 1.21

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 14/4/2011currencies shown in red are fixed against the Us dollar

Travelport Brings Worldspan to PakistanTravelport has entered into a multi-year contract with Travel Solutions to provideits Worldspan global distribution system (GDS) to travel agencies in Pakistan.

IHG: Sale of Two US PropertiesInterContinental Hotels Group (ihG) has sold staybridge suites denver cherrycreek and holiday inn Atlanta-Gwinnett Place to summit hotel Properties inc.The Us-based real estate investment trust purchased the hotels for a total ofUsd17 million. Under a long term management agreement, ihG will continueto manage the 143-room holiday inn, while the 121-room staybridge suites willremain to be operated by ihG under a long term license contract. customaryclosing requirements and conditions are due to be completed by early May. The two properties generated gross revenues of Usd6.9 million with eBitdAof 2.2 million and eBit of Usd1.5 million, while net book value reachedUsd13.4 million. richard solomons, chief financial officer and head of commercial development,ihG, emphasised how the sale of the hotels is in line with ihG’s long termplanning.“The sale of the hotels to summit is a further example of our asset strategy inaction. we have sold the hotels above net book value, giving us capital we can re-invest to develop our brands.”The strategic relationship between ihG and summit, formed in February, focuseson premium-branded select service hotels in the upscale and midscale withoutfood and beverage sectors.

Expanding our relationshipwith Travel Solutions

will allow us to strengthen our presence in Pakistan

3APril 16, 2011

Oman Allies with Australia Oman and Australia have signed amemorandum of understanding (MoU)to operate air services between the twocountries. The MoU provides four flights a week thatwill be operated between the sultanate andthe cities of sidney, Melbourne, Brisbaneand Perth, in addition to an undefinednumber of services from oman to otherAustralian destinations. The two partieshave finalised a draft for an air transportpact, which took effect on a temporarybasis, April 6. on behalf of the sultanate, Abdulrazzaqbin said Mantheri, director of airtransport at the omani Aviation Affairsdepartment, signed the MoU whichappoints the national carrier, oman Air toutilise the air transport rights, while VirginBlue Airlines and Qantas Airlines will berepresenting the Australian element.

Mövenpick Hotels & ResortsEnters the PhilippinesMövenpick Hotels & Resorts has added to its Asian network byundertaking management of the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Cebu,effective as of April 5.

M övenpick’s 15thhotel in Asia, isequipped forboth business andleisure visits,

offering three executive floors and anexecutive lounge in addition to a range ofluxury facilities.Guests can make use of a fully equippedhealth club, professional gym, steamroom and garden spa as well as choosingfrom five restaurants and bars. A selectionof rooms is available including one andtwo-bedroom executive spa suitesdesigned in Art deco style. set on its own

beach on Mactan island, the hotel’ssurroundings offer diving, snorkelling andwhite beaches, while nearby cebu offersshops and a vibrant lifestyle. Manuel osmeña, group chairman ofproperty owner oikonomos internationalresources corporation, commented onthe agreement. “we are delighted to havejoined hands with Mövenpick hotels &resorts, a highly regarded internationalhotel management company. we lookforward to a successful collaboration andto further positioning our resort as apreferred leisure destination within thePhilippines and Asia.”

this year alone, 20international Kempinskihotels toured the Gccto showcase the luxurygroup’s growing portfolio

of properties and to strengthen businessties with travel trade partners in the region.Avsar Koc, regional director ofsales Middle east, Kempinskihotels, suggested that the movefollows trends within the travelindustry. “There has been asignificant rebound at thehigher-end of the travel industryin the past year. while people

are becoming more adventurous in theirdestination choices, they still desire andappreciate all the comfort and assurancethat staying at a well-established globalhotel brand offers.”The five properties to open by 2012 andbring new intelligent and clean

technology to the region are, Kempinskihotel & residences Palm Jumeirahdubai; Kempinski hotel Bahrain citycentre, Manama; Kempinski hotel,Jeddah; Kempinski hotel, riyadh andKempinski Al othman hotel, Al Khobarin saudi Arabia.

5APril 16, 2011

- Accommodation

Kempinski’s GCC Expansion Plans Kempinski’s plans to add five new luxury properties to its GCC collection by 2012, which will span acrossBahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and are set to bring innovative green and intelligent technology to the region.

Mövenpick HotelJumeirah BeachGets Five StarsMövenpick hotel JumeirahBeach dubai, has been officiallyclassified as a five star hotel a yearafter its opening in April 2010.horst walther-Jones, generalmanager, Mövenpick hotelJumeirah Beach, spoke of hispride at receiving an official fivestar classification certificate andplaque from the hotelclassification department andthe department of tourism andcommerce Marketing. “we aretruly honoured to receive thisfive star rating plaque andespecially happy to be presentedwith it, within one year ofopening. This recognition is agreat reward for our multiculturalteam, which continuouslyprovides personalised andmemorable experiences for ourguests. it is their commitment toquality of service that makes ourhotel a great place to stay, dineand socialise.”

7APril 16, 2011

- Air News

Iberia Expands in the Middle EastUnder code shares with British Airways (BA), Iberia has addedfive new Middle Eastern destinations to its route map.

Dubai Airline Begins Flights to Sohag, EgyptLow-cost airline flydubai has launched flightsto sohag, one of egypt’s emerging cultural hubs.sohag is the airline’s third destination in egypt,following Alexandria and luxor, and replaces itsAssiut route in response to consumer demand.Ghaith Al Ghaith, ceo, flydubai, commentedthat dubai and egypt have forged a strongrelationship over the years. “we remain committed to strengthening ourcultural and trade links. with its treasure-trove ofreligious, cultural and historic attractions, sohag isan undiscovered cultural gem and we hope thenew route will raise sohag’s profile in the UAe andthe wider Gcc.”  sohag holds a special place in egypt’s culturalhistory as the birth-place of a number of literaryand cultural icons and the surrounding area boastsof a number of important archaeological sites.

the spanish airlinehas launchedscheduled flights toAbu dhabi, Bahrain,doha, Kuwait and

Muscat in the Middle east as well ascape town, south Africa. As a resultof the agreement, iberia alsoincreased capacity to itsJohannesburg route to daily flights. The merger of iberia and BA, signedin January, enables passengers of the

spanish airline to reach BAdestinations in Asia and the Middleeast and will give them even greaterchoice in the upcoming months,while the British carrier enjoys accessto iberia’s latin Americandestinations. Passengers also benefit from themerger with seamless connectionsand favourable timetables in additionto numerous additional advantages,including combined fares.

APril 16, 20118

- Air News

Air Seychelles announced that it willcease weekly flights to chennai, india,and will resume direct flights tosingapore, effective from June 1.singapore flights were previously operatingat a loss, so chennai was added to the routein an attempt to make this the hub of itsoperations in Asia and to also expand

further into india and other Asiandestinations. however, the stop in chennairesulted in an additional two hours flyingtime and significant extra costs.Maurice loustau-lalanne, executivechairman, Air seychelles, commented onthe changes. “our decision to suspendthese flights has not been taken lightly as

we had invested money and time to makethis route profitable. Unfortunately thisis not the case and in the absence of 5thFreedom traffic rights to upliftpassengers between chennai andsingapore, we had no other option but tosuspend our weekly chennai operationsas of June.”

Air Seychelles to Resume Direct Singapore Flights

Qatar Airways to Service Budapest Route DailyQatar has taken a step to further expand operations in Eastern Europe by increasing flights on its recentlyintroduced Doha – Bahrain route, to daily.

the change will beeffective from september14 and will add threeadditional flights to thecurrent four flights a

week. Bucharest will be de-linked fromthe service, allowing for a direct flight.Akbar Al Baker, ceo, Qatar Airways,commented on the decision. “we have

seen very strong inbound and outbounddemand for our hungarian service sinceour launch just over two months ago.Forecasts look extremely positive, so wecouldn’t really hold back but to increasecapacity pending aircraft availability todaily non-stop from september, offeringmore choice and greater convenience toour valued customers.”

The Budapest route had created newconnections between the Middle east,Africa and Asia Pacific for passenger trafficin and out of hungary via the airline’s dohahub. The move by Qatar adheres to itsexpansion plans in eastern europe, whichwill also include four weekly flights toBulgaria’s capital city of sofia via Bucharest,effective from september 14.

APril 16, 201110

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts Openings British Airways Codeshareswith Royal JordanianBritish Airways (BA) and its oneworldpartner, royal Jordanian (rJ), havecemented closer ties by signing acodeshare agreement.The agreement allows customers to buya BA ticket between heathrow andAmman on a flight that will be operatedby rJ. The codeshare goes on sale fromApril 12 for travel from April 19. Jamie cassidy, area general manager,Asia Pacific, BA, commented on theagreement. “This new codeshare with rJis a real bonus for our customerswanting to fly to Amman. it’s a strongaddition to the destinations BA servesand will prove popular with both directcustomers and those connecting fromaround our global network.”

hyatt hotels & resortshas announced the2011 opening of sixproperties across theUAe, india and the

Maldives.Thierry Bertin, vice president worldwidesales – south west Asia, hyatt international,commented on the significance of the move.“travellers from the Gcc region look forconvenient access to luxurious retreatswhich provide authentic hospitality. our2011 property openings offer theseelements and are within five hours traveltime from key airports in the region.”The 189 room hyatt capital Gateproperty, conveniently linked to the Abudhabi national exhibition centre(Adnec), will have a contemporarydesign, with the hotel’s ‘sky lobby’

suspended 80m above the ground, offeringpanoramic views of the city. Another hotelproposed in Abu dhabi is the Park hyattAbu dhabi hotel and Villas, located on thenorthern part of saadiyat island. Bothproperties are scheduled to open in the lastquarter of this year.The scheme also involves the first hyatthotel in the Maldives, where the propertycommenced operating as the Park hyattMaldives hadahaa on April 1, as well asthree hotels in india. hyatt regencychennai will be the chain’s first foray intosouth india planned to open in May,while the Park hyatt hyderabad, will lateropen in the upscale Banjara hills area ofhyderabad. Grand hyatt Goa will be seton 28 acres of lush tropical gardens and isscheduled to open in the last quarter ofthis year .

11APril 16, 2011

Melanie SmithMelanie smith has beenappointed as general managerat the recently openedAnantara Bangkok sathorn.smith joins Anantara fromeaton hotel hong Kongwhere she worked as hotelmanager. Prior to that, sheheld the same position atlangham Place eco resortand spa in Koh lanta, Krabias well as managerial roles atcrowne Plaza and star cityhotel in Australia.

Ian Rydinian rydin has been appointed as general manager at radissonBlu hotel, dubai downtown. rydin began his career withvarious food and beverage positions in sweden, Malaysia,

london and cyprus, beforetaking on the position of assistantmanager at Montcalm hotel,london. he joined rezidor in2002 as operations manager incharge for conversions, pre-openings and takeover’s,followed by the role of director offuture openings. he took on hisfirst general manager position in2007 at radisson Blu Bosphorushotel, istanbul.

Simon Cassonsimon casson has been promoted to regional vice president,Four seasons hotels and resorts. casson, who continues towork as general manager at Four seasons hotel doha, willalso oversee the operations of the Four seasons properties inAmman, Jordan; damascus, syria; Beirut, lebanon and cairoat the First residence, egypt. Also included, is the new Fourseasons hotel doha at the Pearl, scheduled to open in 2014.he gained experience of22 years with Fourseasons across northAmerica, europe andthe past seven years indoha. in his new role,casson will provideguidance to theproperties in his regionand strategic support onfurther consolidatingtheir presence inindividual markets.

Wolfgang M. Neumannwolfgang M. neumann has been appointed as executive vicepresident and chief operating officer at rezidor, effective May9. neumann, who succeeds Jacques dubois, brings vastinternational experience and professional knowledge to hisnew role. Most recently he held the chief executive officerposition at Arabella hospitality Group in Munich, Germany.Prior to that, he served hilton international for over 20 yearsin several roles, including vice president western andnorthern europe, senior vice president scandic and nordicregion, president UK and ireland as well as president, hiltoneurope and Africa. Based at rezidor’s head office in Brussels,neumann will report directly to the president and ceo andwill be a member of the executive committee.

Melanie Smith

Simon Casson

Ian Rydin

APril 16, 201112

Travel Talk is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industryprofessionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want tohear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations andobservations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

Tom NutleyChairman,  ITTFA "Growth markets are an integral part of the future developmentand success of travel exhibitions. encouraging new and improvedrelationships in the international tourism trade fair industry is akey objective for the association which will further enable all ofour members to obtain maximum benefit from opportunitiesworldwide".

Taleb RifaiUNWTO secretary-general “in the new tunisia and egypt,the younger generations areraring to see their economiesboom and their livesimproved. This energy andpotential, channelled intotourism development, willprovide the sustainedmomentum for future tourismsuccess. Moreover, this newenvironment will itself becomean added attraction fortourists.”

Nigel JohnsonManaging Director, Hertz UAE“road accidents in the UAe fell 21 percent from 2009 to 2010and we want to play our part in making sure that trend continues.Bringing in more vehicles with the most technologicallyadvanced safety features can only help, and this is part of ourongoing policy to support moves to reduce the number ofaccidents."

Road accidents in the UAE fell 21 percent from2009 to 2010

and we want to play our part

in making sure thattrend continues

Encouraging newand improved

relationships in theinternational

tourism trade fairindustry is a keyobjective for the

association

In the new Tunisia and Egypt, theyounger generations are raring to see theireconomies boom and their lives improved

Tom Nutley

Taleb Rifai

Nigel Johnson

13APril 16, 2011

Name: Maher AziziaPosition: ManagerCompany: Sharjah Airport Travel AgencyLocation: UAE

Agent’s Insight

Who are you?i have been working in the travel andtourism industry for 17 years, havingmy area of work spread out in threedifferent countries in the region. ihave been working as a holidaysmanager in sharjah Airport travelAgency (sAtA) for three years whichhas contributed to my experience and abilities in the field.sAtA is a full service oriented travel and tourism agencyspecialised in providing a wide range of services to travellersaround the world.

What is your favourite thing about working in the travelindustry?in our business we meet with different kinds of customers whohail from different nations, have various customs andtraditions, who give you opportunities to learn something newall the time. of course, i enjoy the spirit of teamwork withcolleagues from several countries.

When is the best time to visit the UAE?From september, all the way until April, however i alsosuggest the summer. There are many events in the UAe duringthe summer months, especially cultural and entertainment,that are really worth participating.

Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?caribbean and south America. i feel that in that region thereis more to explore and discover and also believe that we donot give that region the required promotion and advertisingin our markets. i believe that we should do more, which iswhat that area really deserves.

Why should people come to you for travel advice?long experience and dealing privately with each customer.taking into account the tiniest details when booking, andproviding whatever the client's requirements are as fast aspossible. it is a sensitive profession, where you provide theservice for those who wish to go on holiday, and everythingmust gain the clients approbation.

Tunisair Partners with FRAMtunisair has entered into a three-year partnership agreement withthe French tour operator, FRAM, which is due to be effectivefrom this winter. The deal builds on a successful collaboration between the airlineand the tour operator on regular and charter services of morethan 30 years. FRAM recorded a turnover of around eUr18.8million (Usd27.1 million) with the national carrier, whichrepresents an increase of five percent in passenger traffic on itsroutes to France in 2010. during the summer and winter months,the airline served over one million passengers, achieving asignificant 4.7 percent increase due to a consolidationprogramme.

APril 16, 201114

Major Players for Future MICE Travel RevealedMeetings and incentive travel is certainly on the rise as Great Hotels of the World indicates that within Europe,Montenegro, Croatia, Turkey, Iceland, the Greek islands and Sardinia will be the destinations to look out for.

M ontenegro hasexperienced adramatic growthin the leisuresector over the

past few years and is now beginning toemerge as a popular destination formeeting and incentive planners. Also onthe Adriatic, croatia is well connectedthrough international airports and touristsare becoming increasingly attracted to thelikes of dubrovnik, Zagreb, split and hvar. Boasting luxury resorts, boutique hotels,fully-equipped congress centres and state-of-the-art meeting facilities, are a coupleof reasons why Great hotels of the worldnamed turkey an ideal destination for

meetings and incentives. despite its recent financial woes, icelandis getting firmly back onto the tourismmap where the country has some top-classmeeting and conference facilities, as wellas incentive offerings including visits tohot springs, volcanoes, glaciers, canyons,jeep safaris, camping, dog-sledding andcultural, historical and geological tours.According to Great hotels of the world,enquiries for incentive trips to icelandhave doubled in the past six months asmeeting planners look for unique andunforgettable destinations.hotels with meetings and conferencefacilities are in abundance in Greece and withcontinuous improvements to their

infrastructure and frequent flights, the Greekislands in particular, are a popular choice. crete, rhodes and Mykonos are in highdemand right now, with a 20 percentincrease in enquiries year-on-year formeetings and incentives in 2011 incomparison to 2010. sardinia, the second-largest island in theMediterranean sea, has a close proximityand frequent flights to most europeancities, as well as an abundance of highquality accommodation and facilities.Beyond europe, Great hotels of theworld has marked india, south Africa andseoul, south Korea as the destinationslikely to experience the most growth inMice visitors.

Travel Trade Weekly: Does Le BristolBeirut attract broad internationalclientele through its offering ofexclusive weddings and otherimportant personal events? What isyour main market for such events?Nazira El Atrache: yes, indeed. Themere fact that we are a well knownculinary destination in lebanon and thishas been projected to most of thelebanese diasporas living abroad, solicitsus as the place where wedding receptionshappen. As far as other events areconcerned, we also cater to thepharmaceutical sector since we have theappropriate venues and facilities for therelated needs. large and mid sizeinternational conferences take place alsoat le Bristol due to the high-tech audiovisual equipment, as well as adequate,tailor made facilities. 

Travel Trade Weekly: What do youthink makes your wedding andpersonal events offering distinctive?Nazira El Atrache: in addition to theexquisite culinary aspect, we have twomajor reasons. First of all, we have a teamof experts who dress a table at the parents’house of the newlywed couple, where thegroom goes to pick up his bride. secondly,le Bristol is a landmark for most of thelebanese wedding receptions and hasbeen for generations. This indicates thatwhen couples get married at le Bristol,they generally bring their children to havetheir wedding at the property too.

Travel Trade Weekly: What ratio ofleisure and business clientele does thehotel attract?Nazira El Atrache: in 2010, businesstravellers made up 60 percent and leisuretravellers 40 percent of our guest

numbers. our target for this year is tohave 70 percent business and 30 percentleisure, however due to the currentsituation in the Middle east, we may geta 60/40 ratio again.

Travel Trade Weekly: Have visitornumbers so far in 2011 been affectedby the unrest in the country?Nazira El Atrache: we do not have anytrouble in the country, it is peaceful, andthe unrest is overwhelming other vacationdestinations. we in lebanon are attractingmore of the european markets. so,definitely because of the troubles in theMiddle east, Arab tourists are less willingto go on vacation.  in terms of visitornumbers, there has been 26 percent lessin January, 50 percent less in February and26 percent less in March. however Aprilis appearing more positive.

Travel Trade Weekly: Le BristolBeirut is famous for hostingconferences between national andinternational dignitaries. Why do youthink they choose to host their eventsat your hotel?Nazira El Atrache: le Bristol is aheritage, a welcoming platform for allthose who want to have an impact on whatlebanon is about. This meaning a safe, freespeech, authentic destination, and most ofall it represents continuity.

Travel Trade Weekly: What eventsare scheduled to take place in LeBristol Beirut in the coming months?Nazira El Atrache: several art andmusic events as well as press conferences.Just to mention some names, chrisnorman, the famous singer and therenowned comedy theater, cham Gate.

Travel Trade Weekly: What VIPguests have attended the hotel so farin 2011?Nazira El Atrache: As far as the musicfestivals’ season is concerned, it has notstarted yet for this year, however we doreceive all the main performers inBaalbeck, Beiteddine and Byblos festivals.we have hosted previously  MichaelBolton, roch Voisine  and many others.

15APril 16, 2011

Q & A with Nazira El AtracheLe Bristol Beirut has long been regarded as one of the major venues for private and corporate events inLebanon. Nazira El Atrache, general manager, talks about the hotel’s appeal and touches upon the impact ofthe recent unrest in the Arab world.

Nazira El Atrache

Since we have peace, and the unrest is

overwhelming othervacation destinations,

we are attracting more ofthe European market

Because of the troubles in the Middle East, Arab

tourists are less willing to go on vacation

APril 16, 201116

EventsArabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC)Dubai, UAE, April 30 - May 2, 2011 (www.arabianconference.com)industry’s investors, owners and operators discuss and explorethe investment opportunities in the region.

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

IndabaDurban, South Africa, May 7-10, 2011(www.indaba-southafrica.co.za)showcases the widest variety of southern Africa's best tourismproducts.

The Hotel ShowDubai, UAE, May 17-19, 2011(www.thehotelshow.com)hospitality event for the MenA, Gcc and emerging markets.

International Pow Wow 2011San Francisco, USA, May 21-25, 2011(www.ustravel.org/events/international-pow-wow)An international marketplace and the largest generator ofVisit UsA.

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

CITY FAIR The European Cities Travel Workshop London, UK, 20 June, 2011(www.cityfair.travel)A one day event of pre-scheduled appointments dedicated to thesector of city tourism.

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

Hotel Apprenticeships Offered inConjunction with ATMArabian Travel Market (AtM) and hotel groupMillennium & copthorne Middle east are offering threeapprenticeships to aspiring hotel professionals.Prospective candidates can apply for one of threeseparate positions in human resources, sales andmarketing and trainee management, with each positioncarrying its own series of tasks to complete. chris watson, regional head of human resources Middle east& Africa, Millennium & copthorne Middle east holdings,explained what kind of people they were looking for.“The winning candidate for each position will be chosenbased on flair, competency and above all commitment tolive up to the Millennium & copthorne brand values.”candidates must submit their cV through a dedicatedsection on the Arabian travel Market website to begintheir applications.

New Check-In Service Opens inAbu Dhabi Exhibition Centre The Abu Dhabi international Airport expo check-in has opened at theAbu dhabi national exhibition centre (Adnec), capable of handlingpassenger and full baggage check-in for Abu dhabi national Airport.The facility is the only fully operational airport check-in facility in aMiddle eastern exhibition centre, and replaces the hand-baggage onlycounter that has existed at Adnec since 2008.The expo check-in will initially serve passengers of etihad Airways,Gulf Air, egypt Air, Air india, Air india express, Pakistan internationalAirlines, sudan Airways and Jet Airways.Passengers will be able to book their Golden class services from thisnew facility and will be offered a left-luggage service that will beavailable to all visitors at Adnec.humaid Al dhaheri, chief sales & marketing officer, Adnec,commented that the new check-in facilities further augments thecentre’s status as a location that is growing in significance with eachpassing year.