A DDP PUBLICATION Pages: 28Vol. VI No. 5; May 2010

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The ‘Kids Go Free’ cam-paign, introduced lastyear by Dubai’s

Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing(DTCM), was a sellout as iteased the job of the inboundtour operators to drawtourists to Dubai.

The campaign, beingsupported by the emirate’stourism industry stakehold-ers, including hotels, tour operators, airlines anddestination managementcompanies (DMCs) offersfamilies the privilege of paying for two persons and travelling with two children below 16 years free of cost.

“The ‘Kids GoFree’ programmeis not simply justa cut-price pro-motion. It under-lines our strategyof further estab-

lishing Dubai asa year-rounddestination and appealing to all targetgroups with our extensiveoffer. We are particularlydelighted with the activeparticipation of 80 hotel

partners in this pro-motion,” said SalehMohammed AlGeziry, director –overseas promo-tions & inward missions, DTCM.

To figure outhow popular is thecampaign amongstthe travel trade,TRAVTALK also spoke to acouple of playersfrom the market.The campaign’spopularity becamevery apparent whenJoseph Lancy D’Souza, manager –leisure travel,Uranus Travels, said“It is a very impor-

tant campaign for theinbound tour operators andallows promoting the otheravenues, apart from the tra-ditional ones, in Dubai.Traditionally, all tour pack-ages to Dubai include DesertSafari, Dhow Cruise and city

tour. In this campaign, theother aspects of Dubai are also explored be it the Dubai Aquarium, under water zoo or WildWadi. With promotionaloffers, the travellers get tosee and explore Dubai inmuch wider terms. DTCMsets such amazing bench-marks and supports theinbound tour operator tomake some business in thesetimes of crisis where the tra-ditional sources and moduleshave reduced drastically.”

“Last year’s campaignbrought a large number oftourists from the internation-al market. Hence, Emiratesairline and the other tradepartners in Dubai agreed tocontinue the campaign thisyear as well. This campaignnot only resulted in a hugeinflow of tourists but alsobrought Dubai’s travel tradetogether,” Geziry stated.

Eighty hotel establishments have signed up for the four-and-a-half-month-long ‘Kids Go Free’ promotion planned by Dubai’s Department of Tourismand Commerce Marketing. The campaign will commence on May 14 andrun until September 30, covering the Ramadan period as well. SalehMohammed Al Geziry, director – overseas promotions & inward missions, DTCM and leading travel agents speak to TRAVTALK.

KAV YA CH AW LA

DTCM packages freebies in ‘Kids Go Free’ drive

Contd. on page 2 u

Saleh Mohammed Al Geziry,director – overseas promotions & inwardmissions, DTCM

The number of foreignvisitors travelling tothe region has been on

a rise along with internaldemand and local govern-ments investing in the indus-try, which is now the fastestgrowing economic sector inthe Middle East, providingsignificant foreign exchangeearnings and job creationthroughout the region.

According to the WorldTravel Organisation,

the Middle Eastcan expect toreceive 68.5 million visitors a year within the next 15years. The regioncurrently draws5 per cent of the world’stourists. It is also estimatedthat businesstravel in the

Middle East willreach $28.4 billion by 2016.

Meanwhile, the world'sleading consumer marketanalyst, Euromonitor Inter-national report says that theUnited Arab Emirates’ incom-ing tourism spend willincrease by AED4.9 billion toAED32.4 billion by 2014, upfrom AED27.5 billion in2009, as the country seeks toincrease overall visitor num-ber from 8.7 million to 10.4million in the same period.

According to the com-pany’s Middle East report -which will be fully unveiledduring the Arabian TravelMarket 2010 in Dubai, SaudiArabia, the United Kingdomand India will make up the top three nations forincoming tourist receipts in the UAE. Saudi Arabiantourism spend is forecast to grow from AED4.3 billionin 2009 to AED5.4 billion by 2014.

Middle East tourism is witnessing arapid growth throughout all aspectsof the sector, especially tourism.TRAVTALK brings to light travel-relatedgrowth forecast in the region.

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Business travelwill reach $28.4billion by 2016

ddpp

l.com ATM Speci

al Issue

HOTELS

Foreign exchangeDIRHAM VALUE

(Subject to variation) (As on 23-04-2010)

Major Currencies ........CN Buy ..........CN Sell

US Dollar ............................3.653 ..................3.685

Sterling Pound ..................5.5495 ................5.7646

Euro ..................................4.8382 ................5.0350

Canadian Dollar ................3.6311 ................3.7597

Bahraini Dinar ..................9.6063 ................9.8567

Kuwaiti Dinar ..................12.5678 ................12.979

Saudi Riyal ........................0.9657 ................0.9909

Omani Riyal ......................9.4077 ................9.6512

Qatari Riyal ......................0.9947 ................1.0209

Jordanian Dinar ................5.1242 ................5.2491

Syrian Pound ....................0.9657 ................0.9909

Egyptian Pounds................0.6300 ................0.6900

Australian Dollar ..............3.3629 ................3.5376

Hong Kong Dollar..............0.4660 ................0.4803

Japanese Yen................... 0.0386 ................0.0404

Malayasian Ringgit............1.1383 ................1.1605

Singapore Dollar ..............2.6262 ................2.7414

Thai Baht ..........................0.1005 ................0.1150

Indian Rupee ....................0.0805 ................0.0843

Pakistan Rupee..................0.0428 ................0.0448

Sri Lankan Rupee ..............0.0316 ................0.0328

DUBAI: Khalid Bin Walid Road, P.O.Box. 2095, Bur Dubai,

Dubai UAE

Sharing a similar opin-ion Kaveeta Punjabi, director– sales, marketing & opera-tions, Rolla Residence, said,“We were a part of DTCM’scampaign last year as welland would continue in future.

This campaign is a big success in the Saudi market. Most of the GCCnationals travelto Europe viaDubai and since they have many children travelling withthem, they make the most of this offer, and travel in large numbers,which generates a good vol-ume of business for us aswell. The campaign is equal-ly popular with the AsianCommunity, especiallyIndians, and Europeans.

“Such campaignsenhance mutual benefits forthe entire region (Gulf region)not just one city or country.

For instance, if anyone visits Dubai today, they will definitely visit neighbouring places, such asOman or Qatar either duringthe same visit or would planit in the next visit. There are many packages that are designed cross-city,”added Geziry.

Like last year, on buyingtickets for two adults, chil-dren below 16 years can trav-el free, be it economy or busi-ness class.

With the support of the Naturalization and Residency Department,children get free visas.Furthermore, the childrenalso stay for free and enjoycomplimentary food and bev-erages in hotels.

An added attraction inthe campaign package is freeentry for children to allamusement parks and free golf classes. That is not enough.

The Roads andTransport Authority (RTA)will also issue free cards to children for travelling in buses, taxis and Dubai

Metro. The travel card will also allow children to enjoy a free ride on the ‘Big Tour’ bus and dhowcruises. This campaign isapplicable to all the interna-tional markets serviced byEmirates airline.

The campaign is notonly popular amongst the travel agents and hoteliers; it is equally well-liked amongst the excursion specialists.

This became moreobvious when R M Ibrahim,manager – operations, DTTS (Dubai Travel a Tourist Services) said, “We specialise in exertions,which depend on the num-ber of increased numbers of travellers. With the campaign ‘Kids go free’, Dubai will get large numberof tourist arrivals, who in turn, will definitely go for ‘desert safaris’. This generates business not only for us but also for thetour operators who buysafari packages from us. It isall about turnover businesswhere the volumes will generate business.”

Travel industry shows optimism for ‘Kids Go Free’t Contd. from page 1

Majestic Hotel is the onlyhotel in UAE which is

managed by a Greek compa-ny (owned by the GreekFamily). At the ATM 2009,the hotel was given away theprestigious 2009 Middle Eastand North Africa (MENA)award as the Best Four StarLeisure Hotel in Silver cate-gory in the Middle East andNorth Africa Region.

Talking about the asso-ciation with trade, Khan said,“We share a good relationshipwith our long-term partneragents. For those agents pro-ducing guaranteed number ofrooms on daily basis, we haveloyalty programmes, overrid-ing & retroactive commissionstructures. Generally, travelagents do not work with thecommission because theyhave their own margins andpackages and accordinglythey market their rates.”

Elucidating on thestrategies followed to pro-mote the property amongstthe travel trade, Khanexplained, “The best strate-gy is not to make any com-promise with the quality andservice standards and we arefollowing it diligently.

We offer 5-startreatments at 4-star value and for

this reason, wewere voted bythe travel agentsas the bestleisure hotel in 4-star categoryin 2009 MENAawards ceremo-ny. We are work-ing with thesame philosophyin 2010 as welland giving ourbest to theleisure bookersand travelagents.

We are offering freeupgrades during summer2010 and have also joinedpartnership with EmiratesAirlines as well as DTCM for“Kids Go Free” promotion.Majestic Hotel’s presence can be felt in the GlobalTrade Shows.”

Further revealing thesource markets for the hotel,

Khan said, “Our top produc-ing markets are Germany,UK, USA, Greece, India, GCCand the Far East. In the Gulf,we receive guests from SaudiArabia, Qatar, Bahrain,Kuwait and Oman as per theshare sequence mentioned indescending order. Out of 252rooms, we also have 42 fam-ily suites (one bed room+

living room) with fullyequipped kitchenette to suite the requirement of fam-ilies visiting from MiddleEastern countries.”

In the last ATM, Majestic Hotel was adjudged the best leisure hotel in theMENA region. Having started its operations in August 2006, MajesticHotels enjoys a strong position in the UAE market. TRAVTALK speaks to KhanNaheed Masarrat, director- sales and marketing, Majestic Hotel.

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Majestic Hotel making a mark in hospitality

The hotel was established in2006

It is owned by a Greek family

The hotel has 252 roomsout of which 42 are familysuites

The hotel is a par t ofDTCM’s ‘Kids go free’campaign

Majestic’s profile

Khan Naheed Masarrat, director-sales and marketing, Majestic Hotel

EDITORIAL

GUEST COLUMN

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TRAVTALK is published by SanJeet on behalf of

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TRAVTALK is a publication of Durga Das Publications Private Limited. All information in TRAVTALK is derived from sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher regret that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publi-cation, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed bythird parties in abstract and/or in interviews are not necessarily shared by TRAVTALK. However, we wish to advice our readers that one or more recognised authorities may hold different views than those reported. Material used in this publication is intended for information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek specific

advice before acting on information contained in this publicationwhich is provided for general use, and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. Contents of this publication are copyright. No part of TRAVTALK or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system ortransmitted in any form without the permission of the publicationin writing. The same rule applies when there is a copyright or thearticle is taken from another publication. An exemption is herebygranted for the extracts used for the purpose of fair review, provided two copies of the same publication are sent to us for ourrecords. Publications reproducing material either in part or inwhole, without permission could face legal action.

The publisher assumes no responsibility for returning any material solicited or unsolicited nor is he responsible for material lost or damaged.

This publication is not meant to be an endorsement of any specific product or services offered. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation.

All advertisements must comply with the Indian and InternationalAdvertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any damage or loss caused by delayed publication, error or failure of an advertisement to appear.

Maktoum Airport toease cargo transfer

Transfer of cargo from sea to airtransport is expected to get

speedier once the cargo terminal atthe upcoming Al MaktoumInternational Airport at Jebel Ali goesonstream by June-end. The terminalwill have an initial handling capacityof 250,000 tonnes a year.

Given the rapid developmentalong Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road andproximity to the Business Bay area,observers feel that the Al MaktoumInternational Airport at Jebel Ali willbecome the most preferred choice oftravellers, especially the businesscommunity, intending to visit Dubai.

Sources in the aviation industryfeel that the new airport will becomethe new hub for Emirates airline inthe next 10 years.

The government of Dubai isspending US$ 33 billion on the newairport project in an attempt to meet the burgeoning tourist andcargo traffic.

Ideally located next to the Jebel Aliport, the new airport will have fiverunways, four passenger terminalsand will be equipped to accommodate160 million arrivals a year. The airport’s 18 cargo terminals, onceoperational, will have the capacity ofhandling 12 million tonne of cargo.

The existing Dubai InternationalAirport, yet another popular choice oftravellers, received 40.9 million pas-sengers last year and is being expand-ed to accommodate 75 million by2012. Dubai expects arrivals to touch140 million a year by 2025.

The marketplace isplagued by challenges.

Economic instability, pressureon commissions, politicalunrest and the influence ofMother Nature on top ofincreased competition, allcombine to form a cocktailthat leaves a bitter taste formany travel agencies. Thetravel industry may behurting, but it’s nottime to throw in thetowel – rather, it is anopportune moment tore-assess and putsome new strategiesinto action. Below arefive key strategicmoves that can helptravel agencies to sur-vive in the current cli-mate and build a sus-tainable business forthe long term.

Marketing them-selves as a serviceprovider

When customersvisit a travel agency,they are generallylooking for a servicethat a website cannotpossibly provide. Theyneed advice, expert opinion,and a guarantee that theirholiday or business trip willgo without a hitch. Travelagencies can corner this seg-ment of the market by offer-ing personalised service andmarketing themselves asexpert consultants.

As with all service indus-tries, travelagencies need todifferentiatethemselves from

the competitionby showing a better understanding of customerneeds and theability to deliver superior service.

Forming alliances withbudget and small air-lines

Low-cost carrier (LCC)travel is fast becoming thefirst choice for many trav-ellers around the world today.Travel agents have tradition-ally partnered with nationaland major full-service carri-ers and this has worked wellfor them in the past. Now isthe time to start relationshipswith the smaller, but equallysuccessful cousins. By work-

ing with LCCs and secondarycarriers to package uniquedestinations with attractivedeals, travel agents not onlyopen up new sales opportu-nities, but also drive travel inthe Middle East and grow thepopularity of regional desti-nations that many LCCs spe-cialise in.

Working with theright partners tocontrol costs andefficiency

In today’s econo-my, cost control is cru-cial. Many travel agen-cies in the Middle Eastrecognise the need topartner with the righttechnology specialiststo help them achievethis. Travel IT partnerslike Amadeus providethe expertise andknow-how to helpagencies gain a thor-ough understanding ofthe various factors thataffect their profit andloss margins, and pro-vide solutions toimprove efficiency andcut costs.

Establishing an onlinepresence

Airlines are drivingmore business to their web-sites in an effort to cut costs,and consumers are lookingfor lower prices by bookingdirectly on the internet.

Many travel agenciesare concerned about thistrend, seeing it as a signifi-cant business hurdle andregarding the internet as athreat. But as they say, “If

you can’t beat them, jointhem!” Travel agenciesshould focus on the opportu-nity that the internet offersfor their own businessgrowth, and establish theirown online presence.

Joining hands with theindustry

Airline consolidation isincreasingly common inEurope and the USA as carriers recognise that ‘going it alone’ may not be the right strategy for survival. Travel agentsshould take a leaf out of this book and forge partner-ships that will benefit theirbusiness and the industry as a whole.

We are certainlyliving and working involatile times.But rather than take adefeatist view of the situation,travel agenciesonly need toembrace changein order toensure they don’t become a casualty.

We may be down, butwe are not out, and new busi-ness strategies will help trav-el agencies to not only sur-vive, but also ensure they areahead of the pack and readyto prosper when businessbounces back.

(By Ghislaine Merhabi,sales and marketing director-

Abu Dhabi and Al AinAmadeus Gulf )

Airlines are driving more business to their websites in an effort to cutcosts, and consumers are looking for lower prices by booking directly on the internet.

Travel agencies are here to stay

Ghislaine Merhabi, sales and marketing director-Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Amadeus Gulf

Glimpses

A high-level Kuwaiti delegation, led byBader Bou Taiban, director-general andacting president of Kuwait CivilAviation, welcomed flydubai’s inau-gural flight to Kuwait City on March 30,2010. (From left) Jamal Al Hai, seniorvice-president, Dubai Airpor ts andmember of UAE’s Federal NationalCouncil (FNC), Bader Bou Taiban,Ghaith al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, HasanSalem Al Khayyal, UAE Ambassadorto Kuwait (centre), Hussain Al Shafar,FNC Member and Dr. Sultan AlMoadhen, FNC Member (far right).

flydubai receives VIP reception in Kuwait

Members of the rulingfamily of Ras Al

Khaimah, stakeholders andbusiness partners were treat-ed to a feast of traditionalmusic, dance and a variety ofcuisines at the grand openingof the exclusive desert resort Banyan Tree Al Wadion April 17, 2010.

The highlight of theevent was a falconry demonstration.

“We are targeting trav-ellers worldwide and aren’tfocussed on any particulardestination. Banyan Tree AlWadi will be the best respitefor nature lovers, adventureseekers and also the luxurysector,” said Ho Kwon Ping,executive chairman ofSingapore-based BanyanTree Holdings.

“Being close to nature amidst the naturalred brown sand, naturelovers can explore the beauty of the desert while the adventure seekers can witness falconry hunting demon-strations. People wanting toindulge in luxury can pam-per themselves with thevarious cuisines and thespa,” he added.

According to Stefan vander Kruyf, director, sales andmarketing, Banyan Tree AlWadi, “The resort will be acentral attraction forEuropeans and weekend trav-ellers from the GCC. Our resort has tented andblock villas, amidst the natural desert.”

“The travellers can getup close with the desert’s

wildlife, including Arabianoryx, gazelle and trained fal-cons,” he pointed out.

To popularise thepropertyamongst thetravel trade, we are partici-pating in theArabian TravelMarket andwould also bedoing agencyvisits. Travelagents, who book BanyanTree, will enjoyflat 10 per centcommission. Theemirate’stourism boardhas been verysupportive andwe expect a hugetourist,” said van der Kryuf.

HOTELS

Banyan Tree Al Wadi in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, is a desert resort with a difference. Spread over 100 acres amid brownish red sands, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, the property has tented and block luxury villas that are equipped with modern facilities.

Banyan Tree Al Wadi opens in Ras Al Khaimah

The 51-storey Hotel JALTower is strategically

located on Dubai’s SheikhZayed Road and is in closeproximity to business, exhi-bition and shopping areas.

“This modern architec-tural masterpiece will caterto all business travellers andvisitors and families from theGCC countries. It will offerauthentic culinary experi-ences. The Tower will be theultimate choice for businessand leisure travellers and vis-itors,” said Olivier Pollard,general manager, Hotel JALTower Dubai.

“The hotel will feature471 rooms, suites and luxu-ry apartments, an exclusivefloor for VIP executive treat-ment, a conference andmeeting centre, seven mod-ular meeting rooms, sevenF&B outlets, a dedicated spaand a fitness center, roof-topswimming pools and muchmore,” he added.

Talking about the mar-keting of the property, VanessaWaldow, cluster director, salesand marketing, Hotel JALFujairah Resort & Spa andHotel JAL Tower Dubai, said,“We are promoting both prop-erties in the major feeder mar-kets for the UAE, which aremainly the GCC countries,Germany, the United Kingdomand the CIS market.”

“Of course, we are alsotrying to tap into new mar-kets like China and India and

are part of every majortourism exhibition that isbeing held in various countries. In addition to that, we are actively partici-pating in roadshows and further activities concerningthe travel trade, most of all, by further strengtheningour excellent relationshipswith the local DMCs and overseas tour operators,”she added.

Seeing immense poten-tial for business in the MiddleEast, JAL Hotels’ third prop-erty is coming up in Bahrain.Hotel JAL Bahrain Resort &Spa in Bahrain is expected toopen in 2011.

“The Middle Eastregion is one of the key mar-kets for brand expansion andfurther developments. Withthe positive expansion of JALHotels in the UAE (in differ-ent emirates) and more tocome throughout the region,the brand will be well knownand will offer its guests a big-

ger choice and a larger pres-ence,” Waldow pointed out.

“We will offertravel agentsbetween threeand five per cent,and we will bemore than happyto deal with allthe tour compa-nies and inboundtravel special-ists,” she added.

The group’s first prop-erty in the UAE, Hotel JALFujairah Resort & Spa islocated between the ruggedHajjar mountain range andthe serene ocean.

“The hotel has 257direct ocean-view rooms andsuites, seven swimmingpools, a 500-metre privatebeach, a variety of restau-rants and bars, a dedicatedspa and fitness centre, a div-ing centre and much more,”Christian Rainalter, generalmanager, Hotel JAL FujairahResort & Spa.

After the success of Hotel JAL Fujairah Resort & Spa, which opened in2008, JAL Hotels is set to expand in the Middle East region, specificallyin the UAE. The group is set to open a luxurious five-star business property, Hotel JAL Tower Dubai, later this year.

TT BU R E AU

Another JAL property set to open in United Arab Emirates

Olivier Pollard, general manager,Hotel JAL Tower Dubai

Crown prince of Ras Al Khaimah and dignitaries from Banyan Tree group at the official openingof ‘Banyan Tree - Al Wadi’ in Ras Al Khaimah

KAV YA CH AW LA I N RAS AL KH A I M A H

CRS6 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0

Talking about what all AVIcan offer to travel agents,

Arvind Mehta, managingdirector, AVI Infosys said,“Travel agents/tour organis-ers can make the most of theLoyalty Program by giving aprivilege card to their cus-tomers who are actually mak-ing the bookings with them& then giving them the ben-efits accordingly. They canrun a very strong lifetimecampaign with the help of‘point system’. They cancarry it by allotting bonuspoints to the customers onmaterialised bookings andthen setting milestones forthem to achieve in order toredeem their accumulatedbonus points over the time.”

In this way, the travellerswill give repetitive business to

travel agent or operators & ondoing that he/she enjoys cer-tain privileges defined by thetravel agent.

“Through ‘eREWARDS’,which is a web-based report-ing tool, there will be rolebased access into the system.Reports for marketing manag-er includes daily sales, aver-age days, from last visit byaccumulated spending, pur-chase frequency by accumu-lated spending, customer’sdetails, transaction details,yearly sales, hourly sales,number of transactionsmonthly, number of transac-tion whose amount is within aspecified range etc” he added.

AVI has some veryunique features that can be enjoyed by the hoteliers. Elucidating them,Mehta explained

“The hotel industry hasmany benefits ofhaving a well-structured loyal-ty program thanin any otherindustry. This isthe industrywhere the

guests’ satisfac-tion & recogni-tion are ofutmost importance.

People who are associat-ed with this industry always goout of way to make the guestfeel special and privileged.What can be a better way to dothat than inviting him/her foryour own privilege club/LoyaltyProgram and taking him/herthrough the endless bene-fits/privileges associated withthe program. For sure, he/shewill be delighted and feel spe-cial. That too, if ‘point system’is introduced, where the bonuspoints are actually stored intheir smartcards itself, they willlove to come to thehotel/restaurant again so thatthey can get some more pointsto meet the eligibility forredemption & feel happy &

special after getting comple-mentary benefits. It gives thema reason to come back.”

“AVI Infosys can helpthe hotel chains to designmembership tiers/levels suchas silver/gold/platinum keep-ing in mind perspectivespend patterns & frequencyof the stay. We can help thehotels in co-branding withother brands focusing on sim-ilar target audience such asprominent international air-lines, luxury retail chains etc”added Mehta.

Today advances in technology, refinement in service delivery processes and emphasis on asuperlative guest experience has permeated to such an extent in the hospitality industrythat hospitality chains across the globe have started to offer product offerings which arevery similar to each other. In such a scenario, there has to be something different which canonly be offered by a well-defined technological strategy. TRAVTALK explains.

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‘Technology can help in retaining yourtravellers’, says AVI director

IN BRIEFSaudi firmoffers specialtours formedicaleventsn The Elaf Group, aleading provider of travel,tourism and hospitalityproducts and services in theKingdom of Saudi Arabia(KSA), is organising grouptours for par ticipants ofinternational conferencesfocusing on key global issuesthat are of interest to theSaudi community, mostnotably medical conferencesto be held in Bahrain, Parisand Barcelona.

“By organising thesespecialised tours forinternational medicalconferences and forums, weaim to contribute towards theenhancement of know-howand exper tise of thespecialists in the area ofmedicine and thepharmaceutical industry inthe Kingdom. We also aim tohelp spread awareness aboutbest practices and the latesttechnological advances inthese fields of expertise.

Arvind Mehta, managing director, AVI Infosys

AVI offers loyalty programs tothe travel agents AVI Infosys can help the Hotel Chains to designmembership tiers/levels It also helps the hotels in co - branding

Technology

Glimpses

International Capital Trading, a private investment com-pany in Abu Dhabi, has announced that its luxury devel-opment on the Corniche, Nation Towers, will have a StRegis Hotel. The news comes as the construction of thetwo towers is gathering pace. The St. Regis Abu Dhabiwill be located on the Corniche in downtown Abu Dhabias part of the Nation Towers mixed-use development.Located at the top of one of the towers beginning at the33rd floor, the hotel will feature 281 luxurious guestrooms, including 56 suites, signature restaurants, a con-necting bridge restaurant, more than 4,800 squaremeters of ultra modern meeting and event space andover 3,000 square meters of dedicated health club with an outdoor swimming pool. Guests will also enjoya beach club adjacent to the hotel which will also beoperated by Starwood.

National Towersto house St Regis Hotel

HE Hoda Al Khamis Kanoo, founder and artistic director of the Abu Dhabi Festival 2010, receives the prestigious Puccini

International Award from Massimiliano Simoni, president of the Puccini Festival Foundation at the opening night of the

Puccini Festival Opera's production of La Bohème, at the Emirates Palace.

Kanoo receives the prestigiousPuccini International Award

AIRLINES8 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0

Royal Brunei is resumingits services to Shanghai

in China after a gap of morethan two years.

“Shanghai has beenadded to our destinationsafter being suspended in2008. This destination has come at a perfect time when it is hosting ‘Expo 2010 Shanghai’ in October this year,” said Hussain Khaja Moin,country manager, UAE, Royal Brunei.

“With competitiveShanghai fares, we hope toreconnect ourselves to themarket on this O&D withgood connections and attractive fares.”

Talking about the air-line’s yield and revenue, hesaid there was an improve-ment in comparison to 2009financial year.

“We hope to enter ourcurrent financial year from

April 2010 till March 2011with better expectations inyield and revenue achieve-ments,” he pointed out.

The year 2009 sawmassive fluctuations in pric-ing and incentives due to softdemand, excess capacity andgreater competition. Withincrease in demand expectedin 2010, it is likely to settledown with sustainable yieldand price, he added.

“The market share isimproving with more agentsbeing enlisted for variousschemes of incentives, linkedto productivity,” Moin stated.

“The distributionchannel throughagency sales isstill strong with

around 70 percent. However,like other air-lines, RoyalBrunei also triesto shift balancewith internetbookingsenhancement. Ina small way, ourUK market hasshown growth of20 per cent.”

Having only two classconfigurations, business and economy, there isn’tmuch change in the travel patterns for the airlines’ leisure and VFR traffic. The airline mainlyhandles leisure and VRF with MICE and business travel being pursued as a

shift from retail to corporatesale. However, there is a shift observed from businessclass travel to economy classin comparison to past years.The load factor in 2009 andfirst quarter of 2010 wasabove 70 per cent.

Connecting destinations across Asia, Middle East, Australasia and Europe, Royal Brunei hasplanned an attractive range of fares under the ‘ATM Bonanza’ programme. The airline is alsoprojecting the twin destinations concept of Brunei and Brunei Darussalam - Gateway toBorneo Packages.

TT BU R E AU

Royal Brunei plans ATM Bonanza fares

Hussain Khaja Moin, country manager, UAE, Royal Brunei

The airline mainly handlesleisure and VFR with MICEand business travel beingpursued as a shift from retailto corporate sale

The load factor in 2009 andfirst quar ter of 2010 wasabove 70 per cent

The airline also tries to shiftbalance with internetbookings enhancement.

Specialities

The airline commencedA330-300 services from

Singapore to Jeddah andKuwait as well as to Malefrom March 28-29 via AbuDhabi. From April 28, A330-300s was deployed toFukuoka and Taipei and fromMay 1, it will serve Colombo.

"The introduction ofnew aircraft on the route pro-vides us the opportunity toenhance our product offer-ings for the travellers fromthe region. This also reaffirmsour commitment to constantinnovation to offer the finestproducts and services," saidRichard Lee, general manag-er Gulf, Singapore Airlines.

“With the intro-duction of thenew aircraft,there would bean overall capaci-ty reduction ofabout 6 per centthough the num-ber of flights onthe Abu Dhabi-Singapore routeremains thesame,” he added.

The airline has reducedits services to Dubai fromthree flights to two a day,nevertheless the demand inDubai has begun to recover.With a rise of 10 per cent inyield since past six months,the airline is optimistic about

its growth in the comingmonths. "We have no plan todeploy A380 neither onSingapore-Dubai route, norin any of the Middle Eastroutes. We may build up fre-quencies on ad-hoc basis dur-ing busy summer months andon more permanent basis by2010-end, if conditionsimprove,” added Lee.

The flights to the UAEcapital had a load factor ofabout 70-80 per cent in 2009.“Keeping the fare reasonable,we receive around 30 per centtraffic from business, 30 percent from leisure and theremaining from VFR. We arecautiously optimistic thatimprovement by April, 2010.”

The A330-300 is con-figured in a two-class layoutwith 30 business class and255 economy class seats. Allthe travellers will have anaccess to a personal iPod andiPhone connection on theirseats. The airline presentlyoperates A330-300 servicesto and from three Australiancities like Adelaide, Brisbaneand Perth and two Japanesecities, Nagoya and Osaka.

Starting from March 29, Singapore Airlines will introduce daily A330-300 instead of Boeing 777 fromAbu Dhabi to Singapore featuring its latest productand service offerings including cabin facilities.

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Singapore Airlines to launchcabin facilities from Abu Dhabi

Richard Lee, general manager Gulf, Singapore Airlines

The airline commencedA330-300 services fromSingapore to Jeddah andKuwait as well as to Malefrom March 28-29 via Abu Dhabi

From April 28, A330-300swill be deployed to Fukuokaand Taipei and from May 1,it will serve Colombo.

Flying high

Flying on the wings of suc-cess with more than

500,000 travellers in lessthan a year, Dubai’s low-cost

carrier, flydubai, has drawnup an ambitious expansionplan, which entails increasein the number of routes andstaff strength in 2010.

“We target to doubleour size by 2010 and treble by 2012, influencingstrong competitive advan-tage. We will take delivery of

six Boeing 737-800 aircraftin 2010 and eight planes willbe added each year through2016,” said Gaith Al Gaith,

CEO, flydubai, at a press con-ference in Oman after the air-line’s maiden flight to Muscaton March 28, 2010.

“Presently serving 12destinations, flydubai willreceive another seven aircraftwith deliveries acceleratingto one a month starting fromOctober 2010, making a part

of $4 billion, 50-aircraft orderin 2008. All 50 aircraft arescheduled for delivery by theend of 2015,” Gaith added.

The airline’s strategy isto offer basement fares topopular destinations in theregion like Levant and theGulf Cooperation Council(GCC) region.

Out of Middle East, Indiais flydubai’s immediate target.“We are exploring the possi-bility of venturing into thatvast market. We are also look-ing to launch services toPakistan, Sri Lanka,Bangladesh and Iran,” he said.The airline flies from Dubaito Muscat twice daily andone-way ticket costs AED 230(inclusive of all taxes).

According to latest sur-veys by various organisa-tions, there was 17.5 per centyear-on-year rise in touristarrivals in Oman during thefirst five months of 2009.While visitor numbers arerecorded at just over two mil-lion per year, the Sultanate ofOman hopes to increase thatto 12 million by 2020.Flydubai has also put Kuwaiton its network by launchingthe inaugural flight on March30, 2010.

Strengthening relations between the two prominenteconomic powers of the Gulf region, flydubai makesOman, its third destination after Doha and Bahrain.

SU S M I TA GH O S H I N OM A N

Muscat joins flydubai network

IN BRIEFConstruction of Al Ain ConventionCentre beginsn In a significantdevelopment for Al Ain (UAE)and a move that underlines itscommitment to the city, theAbu Dhabi NationalExhibitions Company(ADNEC) has announced thecommencement ofconstruction of phase one ofthe AED3.5 billion Al AinConvention Centre district,located near the popular AlJimi area of the city. “Al AinConvention Centre district isa pioneering and highlystrategic initiative for Al Aincity and its people.

ADNEC is very pleasedto commence developmenton this landmark projectwhich aims to create a vibrantbusiness and lifestyledestination in Al Ain whichwill further boost the allure ofthe city by drawing thespotlight on to Al Ain’stremendous potential,” saidAli Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri,Managing Director of ADNEC.

(L-R): Mohammed bin Sakhar Al-Amri, undersecretary of Civil Aviation Affairs,Oman, Mohammed A. Ahli, director general, Dubai civil aivation authority, Ghaithal Ghaith, CEO, flydubai and Sheikh Salim Said Al Fanna Al Araimi, chairman,Galfar Group of Companies, at the official cake cutting ceremony to celebratethe inaugural flight of flydubai to the Sultanate of Oman

CAR RENTAL M A Y, 2 0 1 0 TRAVTALK 9

Launches

n Completed in a recordsix months, Rixos Al NasrTripoli welcomed its firstguests on March 12, 2010.The hotel, the 12th Rixosproperty to open, will offerparamount levels ofTurkish hospitality andexcellent customer service,for which Rixos Hotels

have become internation-ally acclaimed. Conve-niently located only 10 kmaway from Tripoli airport,yet set in beautiful park-land amongst Libya’snative eucalyptus trees,ultra-modern Rixos Al NasrTripoli is spread over20,000 square metres.

Rixos Al Nasr Tripoli has120 luxury rooms, includ-ing two King Suites, 32Executive Suites, eightJunior Suites, fiveConnected Family Rooms,63 Standard Rooms, and aHandicapped Room.

All rooms are exquis-itely laid out and feature

plasma TVs, wireless soundsystems, jacuzzis, and bal-conies. The hotel featuresdeluxe food and beverageoutlets, an exquisite and a very spacious Spa & Wellness Centre andan indoor swimming pool,as well as high-end shopping centre.

12th property of RixosHotels opens in Tripoli

“Dollar ThriftyAutomobile Group

has been participating atATM for the past 16 years.This has provided us an idealplatform to create new rela-tionships and to strengthenexisting client relationships,which is vital in today’sdiverse market,” said Sam Eltibi, regional director,Dollar Thrifty rent a car.

“During ATM, Dollarand Thrifty franchisees from

all over the MENA region, aswell as from popular destina-tions from Europe and theAsia Pacific region will bepresent to build strongerlinks with trade and corpo-rate buyers, wholesalers, andtour operators,” he added.

Talking about the com-pany’s expansion plans Eltibisaid, “We are always keen onexpanding in the region, andwe have plans to expand intostrategic locations such asTurkey and Saudi Arabia.”

On relationship with thetravel trade, he said, “Weoffer net rates to the agentsand they can mark up and sellaccording their travellersneeds and budget. About 40to 50 per cent of the businesscomes from travel agents,thus they are indeed a veryessential requirement for ourbusiness. Further segregat-ing the business generated,

we find that 60 per cent ofbusiness comes from corpo-rate and 40 per cent fromleisure segments.”

“We have very compet-itive rates, which makes iteasier for the travel agent tosell. We offer rates which areall inclusive, these includeinsurance premiums. Ourdealings with the travelagents depend on the lengthof relationship and they also matter in our decision ofbank security and credit,” he pointed out.

Eltibi further added,“We are very transparent inour dealings and mentioneverything in the agreement.This makes it easier for thetravel agent to trust us, as hedoes not have to pay any hid-den costs. We follow all thelaws of land, making it a fairlegal affair for both us andour trade partners.”

Dollar Thrifty is among the most renowned names in the car rental sector in the region. With the recent tie-up with Golden Sands group, the rent a car company plans to strike more deals at the Arabian Travel Market. TRAVTALK has details.

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ATM ideal for Dollar Thrifty’s networking

Sam Eltibi, regional director, Dollar Thrifty rent a car

During ATM, Dollar and Thriftyfranchisees from MENA region, aswell as from popular destinations fromEurope and the Asia Pacific region willbe present to build stronger links

HOTELS1 0 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0

“ATM is a very importantplatform to run aware-

ness programmes for Marriott.We will be announcing twonew hotels in Algeria andKigali, Rwanda. We will also beannouncing summer specialoffers that will run untilSeptember 13,” said JeffStrachan, area director of sales& marketing – Middle East andAfrica, Marriott Hotels.

The group’s 11-dayannual roadshow in the Gulfwill commence on May 2.Starting from Dubai and AbuDhabi, the road show will goto Kuwait, Riyadh, Jeddah, AlKhobar, Doha and Bahrain. Itwill have participants fromLondon, Paris and Viennaalong with Gulf countries

(basically all the hotel properties that are interest-ed in doing business fromthis region).

Throwing light on thechain’s ‘Hotel Excellence’campaign, which began earlythis year, Strachan said, “The Hotel Excellence cam-paign is going at a great pace.Eighty per cent of the IATAagents are registered with usin this campaign.”

Talking about theadvantages which the hoteloffers to travel agents, hesaid that offering live inven-tory and a real-time bookingnumber form the MarriottHotel’s USP.

“We do notinvolve any third

party, thus thescope of errors is minimal ornegligible. Wefollow a CTACstrategy(Centralised

Travel AgentsCommissions),under which thecommissions aredistributed toagents within 10 days througha centralisedcommissioncheque.

Marriott Hotels accu-mulate the commissions forbookings through the agentsand gives a single chequewith collective amount. Thissaves the agents from bear-ing the bank currency con-version charges. Eventually,he ends up making moreprofits in the entire deal,”Strachan explained.

Speaking about theimproving market, Strachan

said, “The sales have been upby 5 per cent in the first quar-ter of 2010. The strongsource markets in the firstquarter of 2010 have beenEgypt, Europe, America,Saudi Arabia and intra-Gulf regions.”

“We are also participat-ing in the DTCM’s ‘Kids GoFree’ campaign, which willdefinitely pool in more trav-ellers,” he added.

Marriott Hotels plans to announce at the Arabian Travel Market the opening of two hotels in Algeria and Rwanda as part of the chain’s expansion in Middle East and Africa. TRAVTALK reports.

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Marriott to open hotels in Algeria and Rwanda

Jeff Strachan, area director of sales & marketing –Middle East and Africa, Marriott Hotels

Sales went up by 5 per centin the first quarter of 2010.

Eighty per cent of the IATAagents are registered withthe group in the HotelExcellence campaign.

Escalating figures

The Al Raya Suites inDubai, which was so far

handling walk-in guests, willnow be known as BavariaExecutive Apartments, withaccess to the group’s mar-keting network.

“Till now we were sur-viving on direct walk-inclients. But now we are work-ing on building relationshipwith travel agents. We wouldgive either net rates or com-missions (10 per cent)depending on the volume of

work generated by the travelagents,” said Thomas H.F.Gertz, chief executive officer,Bavaria Hotels International.In collaboration with Dubai’sDepartment of Tourism andMarketing, the hotel is partic-ipating in a road show in SaudiArabia (Riyadh and Jeddah),Qatar and Kuwait.

The group recentlyannounced that it had set up acentral reservation desk in theUnited Arab Emirates to meetthe growing demand for 24/7response. An online reserva-tion system, too, was alsolaunched on April 15, 2010.

“The decision toimplement thecentralised reser-vation servicewas fuelled bythe growingdemand in themarket and thelarge number ofhotels that willopen in the next24 months,”Gertz said.

The group presently hasa three-star property in the AlQusais area in Dubai and a

four-star property in BurDubai. By October this year,it will have another 400-roomproperty opposite Safeer Mallin Sharjah.

During the course of2010, the group will open340-room Bavaria BayviewSuites in Ajman, 1000-roomBavaria Executive Suites inDubai (partial opening), and145-room Bavaria City Suitesin Doha, Qatar.

Also in various stages ofdevelopment in the UAE areBavaria Corniche Hotel inSharjah, Bavaria City Suitesand Bavaria Hotel and Suitesin Dubai and Bavaria BayviewSuites in Fujairah.”

Munich-based Bavaria Hotels International Group hastaken over the management of Dubai-based Al Raya Suites.This move is expected to build the image of the propertywith revamped marketing and management strategies.

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‘Bavaria Hotels International’takes over Al Raya Suites

The group presently has athree-star property in the AlQusais area in Dubai and afour-star proper ty in BurDubai.

By October this year, it willhave another 400-roomproper ty opposite SafeerMall in Sharjah

Growing withleaps and bounds

The much anticipatedopening of Four Seasons

Hotel in Marrakech is due totake place in early 2011 andamong the projects in thepipeline are a property in AbuDhabi’s Sowwah Island (due2013), Oman (due 2012-13),Luxor, Egypt (due 2013), andthe second Four Seasons prop-erty in Doha (due 2013-14).

Over the next five years,Four Seasons properties willalso open in Bahrain andKuwait.

To tackle the growth inthe number of properties, thegroup is focussed on beefingup its dedicated sales arm aswell as an integrated MiddleEast and international saleseffort.

Heading the sales oper-ations is Jane Burnell, thenew regional vice-presidentof sales for Europe, MiddleEast and Africa, Four SeasonsHotels and Resorts.

“This is an inspiringtime for Four Seasons Hotelsand Resorts. The businesstravel demand is increasing

along with an evolvingleisure sector seeking a sophisticated and refined travel experience,”said Burnell.

She says, “I thrive onnew prospects that are pre-sented, and I relish theopportunity to work with David Crowl, ourregional vice-president ofsales & marketing of thegroup and our sales teams inthese three regions.

“I will be sup-porting theirefforts to explore

new markets andfurther penetrateexisting areas ofoperation andwork closelywith valued key partners toselectivelyexploit our tar-getted opportuni-ties,” she added.

“As a market with mas-sive potential for regional andoutbound sales, we look for-ward to communicating tothe region our core values ofperfecting the travel and din-ing experience that is per-sonified by our employees.”

The Four Seasons entered the Middle East region adecade ago with a property in Cairo. Today, the grouphas nine properties in the region, the most recent beingthe group’s hotel in Beirut.

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Four Seasons boosts presence in the Middle East

Jane Burnell, the new regional vice-pres-ident of sales for Europe, Middle East andAfrica, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Over the next five years, FourSeasons properties will alsoopen in Bahrain and Kuwait

To tackle the growth in thenumber of proper ties, thegroup is focussed onbeefing up its dedicatedsales arm as well as anintegrated Middle East andinternational sales effort

Expanding itspresence

IN BRIEFTravelport renewsStargate dealn Travelpor t, operator ofthe Galileo and Worldspanglobal distribution systems(GDS), has renewed itsWorldspan distributionagreement in the United ArabEmirates and Saudi Arabiawith travel technology serviceprovider Stargate CyberActive. Under the multi-yearagreement, Stargate willretain exclusive rights todistribute Worldspantechnology and services totravel agencies in bothcountries, extending itsexisting par tnership with the GDS provider from April 2010.

“By uniting the strengthof Worldspan technology withTravelport’s extensive globalnetwork, we are wellpositioned to build ourpresence in the Middle Eastand offer travel suppliers a tangible, competitiveadvantage,” said Sean Vanden Haute, President & CEO,Stargate Cyber Active.

We are workingon buildingrelationship withtravel agents. Wewould give eithernet rates orcommissionsdepending on thevolume of workgenerated

GUEST COLUMN M A Y, 2 0 1 0 TRAVTALK 1 1

There is no way I’m goingto give up my 4x4.

Modernisation has broughtunbelievable things to us, alhamdullah, but as our ances-tors knew all too well,resources don’t last forever,and we must plan for a daywhen our oil wells run dry.What I find interesting is thatone of the growing industrieshere, tourism and hospitali-ty, not only helps diversifyour economy, but alsoencourages us to look to ourheritage for inspiration.

I believe the UAE only gainsfrom growingtourism. Byinviting moreWesterners tolive with us, wereceive valuableadvice. The visi-tors becomeambassadors for

our country,telling peopleback in theirhomelandabout howrespectful weare towardother culturesand how dedi-cated we are toour heritageand faith.

This positive wordof mouth encouragesmore people to come tothe UAE to experience our culture and so on and so on.

Some people do notshare my optimism. Theythink that tourism is not asustainable industry, becausewesternisation will surelythreaten our way of life.Certainly, there is an igno-rance of the Gulf region,which you can witness just bygoing to a mall in Dubai or

Abu Dhabi. There some peo-ple dress immodestly and useoffensive language, behav-iour that runs contrary to theteachings of Islam. This iswhere the lack of culturalawareness shows. We shouldmake it clear, that while the

UAE is a very opencountry, we are stillan Islamic country.Embrace Arabiamade this its mis-sion – we passion-ately train and guidenewcomers to theGulf by immersingthem in Arabianculture and buildingfriendly bridgeswith its people toenhance inter-cul-tural understanding.We look forward toproviding our clientswith a lifetime cul-tural visa to Arabianhearts, minds andlifestyles.

We need to invite morelocal people to get involvedin the tourism and culturetourism industries, provideand equip them with inter-cultural awareness skillsand tools so that theybecome more ready to becultural ambassadors,tourist guides, DMCs own-ers and so on. Who could bea better representative ofthe UAE than an Emirati - arole model to show, thatmodernisation and traditionare not contradicting eachother? We need to embracethe positive aspects of west-ernisation, and stop exag-gerating its effects.

Again, part of the solu-tion is to look to our past.When the late Sheikh Zayedfounded this country, heinvited a lot of expat Arabs tolive here. No one complainedwhen we started eating hum-mous or tabbouleh! We loveBollywood movies and sellPersian rugs. We take whatwe like from other cultures.So, now there are Englishspeakers. And what do youthink Emiratis scream whenone of our beloved footballersscores? That’s right,“Gooooooal!”

I hope we viewthe future as an opportunity to strengthen our values. We should beconfident thatwe are capable of handling ourculture.

Each family will stillraise its children themselvesso that no matter how west-ernised they become, thosekids will be Muslim and speakArabic. In other words, if weteach Emirati youngsters tolook to the camel, we willeasily overcome any humpsin the future.

Ali Alsaloom is founder ofand cultural consultant ofEmbrace Arabia. His TV show‘Ask Ali’ has a worldwide audience.

The United Arab Emirates has moved from the camel to the Cadillac in a very short periodof time. While our Bedouin forefathers once lived just to survive another day in the punish-ing desert climes, we drive air-conditioned cars and frequent air-conditioned malls. It mightseem strange to suggest a return to the camel, but that is exactly what the next generationof Emiratis must do to allow our country to flourish.

It’s back-to-roots time, folks!

AL I AL SA L O O M

Ali Alsaloom, founder, Embrace Arabia

We need to invite more local peopleto get involved in the tourism, provideand equip them with inter-culturalawareness skills and tools

NTO1 2 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0

Catching up with the trends in travel

industry worldwide, Ireland,at the GIBTM, showcaseditself as a perfect MICE des-tination for Gulf visitors.

“Ireland has so much tooffer to tourists and businesstravellers alike -with firstclass conference facilities,excellent destination man-agement solutions, andthoughtful service fromhotels for travellers from theGulf Cooperation Council(GCC) region,” said AiveenRyan, key account manager,Tourism Ireland.

“We are often aston-ished by our green countryand the warm hospitality. Aswe enter the summermonths, businesses wishingto escape the heat of the Gulfcan take advantage of thetemperate climate of theEmerald Isle,” Ryan suggest-ed, pointing out that Ireland has become moreaccessible with EtihadAirways increasing its fre-quency to 10 flights a week.

The ‘DublinConvention Bureau andAdvantage’, which sharedthe Tourism Ireland’s standat GIBTM, provided adviceand expertise to eager buy-ers from the Gulf and theMiddle East region on MICEtravel to Ireland.

The Westin Dublinapprised the GCC clientele ofthe range of facilities designedspecifically for Arab travellers,which included Arabic-speak-ing staff. The strategy paiddividends as the hotel chainwitnessed an increase in thenumber of visitors from theGulf the last year.

It was three years agothat a complete representa-tion office was opened forTourism Ireland, followed bythe launching of Shamrock,an online training module forthe travel trade last year.

“Our focus forthis year is tofurther strength-en our onlinetraining module,Shamrock, and topromote theMICE features,with the openingof Dublin con-vention centre inSeptember thisyear, in Ireland,”concluded Ryan.

Picturesque Ireland, which is popular among luxuryand honeymoon travellers, is now pursuing the MICEmarket aggressively. Tourism Ireland officials at theGIBTM in Abu Dhabi focussed on the state-of-the-artconvention centre in Dublin, which is scheduled toopen in Dublin in September 2010.

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Ireland targets MICE traffic from Gulf

Ireland showcases itself asa perfect MICE destinationfor Gulf visitors at the GIBTM

There are first classconference facilities, excellentdestination managementsolutions, and thoughtfulservice from hotels fortravellers from the GCC

About Ireland

Munich, considered byArab travellers as an

attractive German city, alonegenerates 35 per cent ofnight stays by Middle Easttraffic. The city received77,949 travellers from theMiddle East, who generated270,891 night stays in 2009.

The trend of greaternumber of travellers withfewer overnights occurredmainly because of Ramadan,when Arab travellers short-ened the period of their stayin Munich. However, the firsttwo months in 2010 provedto be very successful forMunich and it hosted 7,608Arab travellers. Seeing anincrease in the number oftravellers from the MiddleEast, Ralf Zednik, director-sales, City of Munich,Department of Labour andEconomic Development,Tourist Office Marketing,Munich Tourism Board said,

“Furthermore,we will offer programme suggestions for

long weekendstays in Munichfor Arab trav-ellers... easy todo with lots ofdirect flightsfrom the Gulfregion.”

He added, “In 2010, wewill celebrate 2000 years ofOktoberfest the world'sbiggest folk festival, knownand copied all over the world.During the whole summerand autumn, a lot of festivalsand events will take place asthe people of Munich like to

celebrate and all travellersare heartily invited to attend(tool wood summer festival,opera festival, a traditionalfair and city founding days).In winter, our Christmasmarkets and winter festivalsattract lots of tourists tospend romantic times inMunich.... to sum up in a fewwords - Munich offers a lotthe whole year round!” Since a lot of business is gen-erated by the travel agents,Zednick said,

“We try to supportevery agent who sells Munichwith our services and thespecial thing is that we han-dle all inquiries from our business partners individually.”

The increase in the number of tourists from the Gulfand Middle Eastern countries this year is an indicatorof how successful Munich’s ‘Premium Cars of Germany’marketing campaign is, with BMW attractions, includ-ing BMW Driver Training and BMW World & Museum,drawing a large number of visitors.

Munich popularity on therise in Middle East

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Ralf Zednik, director-sales, City ofMunich, Department of Labour andEconomic Development, Tourist OfficeMarketing, Munich Tourism Board

Aiveen Ryan, key account manager, Tourism Ireland

Glimpses

Emirates has appointed Dnata Travel as its off-line general sales agent in Kabul, Afghanistan. Dnata Travel is located in the Central Hotel building in Kabul. Par ticipating in the agreement signing ceremony on April 12 at the Emirates Group Headquarters.

(picture 1 from left): Richard Vaughan, divisional senior vice-president, commercialoperations worldwide, Emirates, and Majid Al Mulla, vice-president, Dnata World Travel.

(picture 2): Participating in the agreement signing ceremony on April 12 at the EmiratesGroup Headquarters are (from left) Abdulla Tawakul, senior vice-president, corporate& regional network, Dnata Travel Services; Richard Vaughan, divisional senior vice-president, commercial operations worldwide, Emirates; Majid Al Mulla, vice-president,Dnata World Travel; Majid Al Mualla, senior vice-president, commercial operations, WestAsia & Indian Ocean, Emirates; and S. R. Kumar, manager, Dnata Travel Services.

Dnata Travel is Emirates’GSA in Kabul

Munich received 77,949travellers from the MiddleEast, who generated270,891 night stays in 2009

The first two months in2010 proved to be verysuccessful for Munich andit hosted 7,608 Arabtravellers

Attracting travellers

1 2

CRUISES1 4 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0

Cunard’s flagship QueenMary 2 will continue to

offer extended TransatlanticCrossings between New Yorkand Southampton via Far East and Middle East and Queen Victoria will jour-ney across the Atlantic for asecond Americas season inearly 2012.

Said Ashok Kumar,director, business develop-ment, Cruise Master Middle East, which repre-sents Cunard Line in the Middle East,

"The launching ofthree new ocean

liners in just six years demon-strate the in-depth quality ofthe Cunard brandto travellers whoare looking forthe best in luxury cruising.Also, it revealsthe brand’s abili-ty to experiencea unique sense ofheritage and tradition."

For over a century andhalf, the iconic ships ofCunard have been definingclassic ocean travel. "Withthe addition of Queen

Elizabeth, we can now offermore legendary voyageoptions to travellers, featur-ing the signature Cunard

ocean travel experience,”said Kumar.

With increasing popu-larity, several new andupcoming trends are emerg-ing in cruise segment. Based on double occupanciesand reasonable charges, the capacities also vary from one ship to another. Forexample, Queen Mary 2 hascapacity of 2620, whileQueen Victoria has a capacity of 2014.

Further, there are dif-ferent dates for ships to reachtheir final destination. QueenMary 2 has touched Dubai inJanuary 2010; Queen Victoriareached there on April 4,

2010 while Queen Elizabethplans to be in Dubai in 2011.

Meanwhile, the NewQueen Elizabeth’s maidenseason will run from October2010 to January 2011. Itincludes voyages to the west-ern, central Mediterraneanand the Caribbean.

Cunard is thrilled to announce its most extensive range of voyages promising a greater choiceof itineraries, departure dates and overnight stays. The travellers will have opportunities toexperience the new age of ocean travel with classic traditions and legendary White StarService, which has been adding more credibility to Cunard Line.

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Cunard to offer more options to cruisers

Ashok Kumar, director, business development,Cruise Master Middle East

With the addition of QueenElizabeth, Cunard we cannow offer the travellers morelegendary voyage optionsThe New Queen Elizabeth’smaiden season will run from October 2010 toJanuary 2011

Testing waters

Though cruise lovers prefer three-to-five-

night trips, Star Cruise offers even two-night trips. These trips sail fromSingapore-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore on Wednesdaysand on alternate week toSingapore-Redang Island-Singapore route combiningwith the same itinerary on Fridays forUS$450 to $500 for three-night trip per person.

“We have come up with various promotionalplans since 2009 such as providing 50 per cent concession for the companionto our destinations onWednesdays and 2 to 3 nights hotel accommodationfree in Singapore if one books the cruise. DuringMay-June 2010, we are com-ing up with special sailing toHo Chi Minh city in Vietnamas well to Bangkok, againwith a concession of 50 percent for the companion,”said Najeeb Mithvani, sec-ond assistant vice-president,sales and marketing, Middle East & East Africa,Star Cruise.

“ATM is the only tradefair that we participate in the Middle East and hence we have seen growth.

Since 2009, we have been moving out withSingapore Tourism Board asour flagship sails out ofSingapore,” he added.

Star Cruise is planningto launch a lot of family travels and promotions like one child free in summer.Far East is the best destina-tion for passengers as it has true value for money.Singapore, Malaysia andThailand are the highest selling destinations. It also

has cruise from Hong Kong,high sea and back andTaiwan.

Focussing on marketingplans to draw an increasingnumber of travellers within Middle East, Mithvani stated,

“We are lookingahead to appointa PSA in Oman.We have onenight cruise outof Penang whichsails to the deepsea in theevening andreturns nextmorning. We alsohandle a steadyflow of 5 to 7MICE groups ayear from theregion.”

Norwegian Cruise Line(NCL), the sister company of Star Cruise sailing through Europe and the United States, will launch a bigger ship,Norwegian Epic in June2010. In July, the ship willoperate out of Miami, cover-ing the Caribbean, and thenext ship comes intoMediterranean.

Cruise travel has long been perceived as a luxury prod-uct. The trend, however, is changing. With an excel-lent marketing strategy and aggressive promotions,Star Cruise is broadening its parameters by introduc-ing short trips to attract greater number of travellers.

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Star Cruise cashing in on short trips

“Brilliance of the Seashas been well received

in her first season, with fulloccupancy on every sailing,”said Lakshmi Durai, execu-tive director, Royal CaribbeanInternational, Middle East.

“Presently, a majority ofthem (travellers) have arrivedfrom traditional Westernmarkets on fly-and-cruisepackages, with nearly halffrom the United Kingdom,Germany, United States,Spain and Canada.”

Travellers from 79countries have travelled onboard Brilliance of the Seas since January 2010,marking Royal CaribbeanInternational’s official entryinto the Middle East.

“We have been market-ing the itinerary locally in theUAE and regionally with ourunique marketing message‘Gulf Getaway’.

The interest showed bythe Middle East travellers hasbeen very encouraging withan equal amount of bookingsfrom nationals and expatri-ates,” Durai said.

She added that thepresence of a RoyalCaribbean in the region hadprovided plenty of opportu-

nities to showcase the ship to different market segments, further enhancingoutbound business.

“We can see the resultsof our various activities withover 35 per cent growth inour sales for the first quarterof 2010,” she pointed out.

New for the 2011 sea-son are two 12-night Dubai-India round-trip sailings -departing on March 28 andApril 9 – which will include

the vessel’s maiden port callsat Mumbai, Goa and Cochin.

Travellers can also optfor a four-night cruise tourextension for an 11-nightArabian adventure.

Arrival of new ships likeBrilliance of the Seas plays avital role in the growth ofregional cruise tourismgrowth in 2009. Dubai host-ed up to 100 cruise ships’calls, bringing 260,000tourists and expects to call120 times in Dubai with over325,000 travellers in 2010.The new terminal anticipates135 ship calls with 375,000travellers in 2011.

Following the first season in the Middle East, Royal CaribbeanInternational’s Brilliance of the Seas departed for theMediterranean in mid-April. With longer itineraries in thesecond season beginning in January 2011, its last two sail-ings are scheduled to touch India on the way back to Dubai.

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‘Brilliance of the Seas’makes waves in Middle East

Najeeb Mithvani, second assistantvice-president, sales and marketing,Middle East & East Africa, Star Cruise

New for the 2011 season aretwo 12-night Dubai-Indiaround-trip sailings - departingon March 28 and April 9 –which will include thevessel’s maiden port calls atMumbai, Goa and Cochin

‘We can see the results ofour various activities withover 35 per cent growth in our sales for the firstquarter of 2010’

Cruising ahead

Lakshmi Durai, executive director, Royal CaribbeanInternational, Middle East

IN BRIEFInvestment conference tofocus on Saudihotel industryn More than 500 topprofessionals from the hotelinvestment industry will takepar t in the Arabian HotelInvestment Conference(AHIC) 2010 at MadinatJumeirah in Dubai. The focusof the conference will be on‘Unlocking InvestmentOpportunities in the MiddleEast and North Africa’,especially opportunities forhotel investment in SaudiArabia.

The kingdom is placingan increasing focus ondeveloping its tourismmarket, in a targetted andstructured manner, as it seeksto diversify away from oil. There is significantinvestment being undertakenin tourism infrastructure.

RENT-A-CAR M A Y, 2 0 1 0 TRAVTALK 1 5

“Fast Rent a Car is in theprocess of installing a

new car rental software thatwill ensure highest possiblelevels of support to enhanceprovision of services to itstravel agents globally,” saidRania Kakos Yazbeck.

“To outreach the inter-national market, the compa-ny has partnered withHoliday Autos, a leadingleisure car hire brokers in theUnited Kingdom, and a num-ber of other car rental bro-kers,” she pointed out.

Yazbeck added that Fast Rent A Car has aninstant international reservation facility via a tie-up with Holiday Autos, as well as partner-ships with a number of international car rental brokers geared to capturingthe tourist segment of therental market.

“Our achievement, as aservice provider in the UAE,stems from this balance ofglobal and local expertise,and has earned us some pres-tigious honours,” she stated.

“In 2009, Fast Rent ACar won the Silver award inthe service category ofSheikh Khalifa ExcellenceAwards, making us the UAE’sfirst vehicle rental agency toachieve such an accolade,”said Yazbeck with pride.

“This accomplishmentreflects how we are alwayslooking to improve the quality of our service to

customers and the efficien-cy of our dealings withstakeholders.”

Fast Rent A Car offers awide range of services from providing short-termrentals to long-term leasingand fleet management.

“Eighty per centof the business is generatedthrough corporate and the (remaining) 20 per cent ofour business consists of daily hire, mainly cateringto business andleisure travellers,as well as UAEresidents. Hotelsand travel agentsfall within thiscategory,” shestated.

Abu Dhabi-based award-winning ‘Fast Rent A Car’ is among the fastestgrowing car rental companies in the UAE. TravTalk meets up with RaniaKakos Yazbeck, marketing manager, Fast Rent A Car to know more abouthow the company has fared since its inception in 1996.

TT BU R E AU

Excellence Award puts Fast Rent A Car in fast lane

Rania Kakos Yazbeck, marketing manager, Fast Rent A Car

Sheikh KhalifaExcellence Award

Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award is designed to provideorganisations a road map to help them improve their performance to support a healthy economy and to unify their management practice in a balanced holistic model.

Glimpses

Premier Inn, the UnitedKingdom’s one of thebiggest value-for-moneyhotel brand, has begunbuilding its first hotel inAbu Dhabi and four th inthe United Arab Emirates,at a prime location withinAbu Dhabi NationalExhibitions Company’s(ADNEC) Capital Centre,marking further progressin the rollout of PremierInn’s aggressive regionalexpansion. The newAED120 million hotel,expected to be ready bySeptember 2011, will have 242 rooms. Capital Centre, master-plannedby ADNEC is a micro-city of 23 mixed-use towers, including sevenhotels. The development is adjacent to the gravity-defying Capital Gatetower, and the Gulf’s largest exhibition centre, the Abu Dhabi NationalExhibition Centre, which staged over one hundred events last year.

Work begins on AED120 mPremier Inn in Abu Dhabi

On May 17, flydubai will extend its network to Kabul in Afghanistan,followed two days later by the launch of flights to the ancient Egyptiancity of Luxor. Flights to the Afghan capital will start from AED725 andwill be five times per week, whereas flights to Luxor will be priced atAED350 and will be thrice weekly.

Kabul, Luxor to join flydubainetwork

EXHIBITIONS1 6 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0

According to trends notedin FutureWatch 2010, a

comparative outlook on theglobal business of meetingsand events, some economicconfidence has returned,however, budget cuts are stillthe core issue.

The study, produced byMeeting ProfessionalsInternational (MPI) in part-nership with AmericanExpress, drew responsesfrom 1,832 MPI members,representing 39 countriesand 70 chapters and clubs,including 967 meeting andevent planners and suppliers.

The survey found initialsigns of cautious optimismabout the industry’sprospects for 2010, combinedwith a sense of realisation ofthe new realities that meet-ings and events are facedwith. The majority of plan-ners apprehend budget cuts,more stringent budget con-trols, improved operatingefficiencies, slight staffreductions, and closer atten-tion to value and return oninvestment (ROI).

A broad range ofrespondents to FutureWatch2010 survey agreedthat industry conditions willbegin to improve in the sec-ond half of 2010, or early2011. Over 40 per cent ofsuppliers and nearly 30 per

cent of planners expect grad-ual industry growth this year.

Compared to the pastyear, planners indicated thatthey were less likely toinclude international or

trans-oceanic travel in theplans for 2010.

In the United States,planners expect to locate 80per cent of their meetingswithin the country (andanother 4 per cent across theborder in Canada), comparedto 61% in 2009.

However, planners in theEMEA (Europe, Middle East &Asia), consistently the mostlikely group of FutureWatchrespondents, to anticipateinternational travel, will locate63 per cent of their meetingsin Europe, compared to 36 percent in 2009. Meanwhile, TheGulf Incentives, BusinessTravel and MeetingsExhibition attracted thelargest annual gathering ofmeeting professionals in theregion.

A total of around 7,500meetings took place with 220exhibitors. During the 2009event, 6,390 meetings hadtaken place.

Commenting on theshow Graeme Barnett, exhi-

bition director, GIBTM, said:“In what has been a particu-larly challenging time for theindustry in the last year, theevent has proven that thereare clear, optimistic signs thatmeeting and event plannersare recognising the enormouspotential the region has, to dobusiness. One only has to see

the new hotel and venue developments openingor being planned for Abu Dhabi alone.”

He added, “In what wasmy last year as exhibitiondirector of GIBTM, beforetaking the reins of EIBTM,the show is in excellent shapeto grow and expand fromboth a regional and interna-tional exhibitors’ perspective,and attract even more region-al trade visitors.”

According to C.Gangadhar, assistant direc-tor (West Asia), Indiatourism– Dubai, “GIBTM is a verygood platform to promote acountry as a MICE destina-tion. The mere presence getsyou in contact with interna-tional tour operators that pro-mote the MICE accomplish-ments of the country. Thisyear was even better than thelast year and we receivedvery good publicity and promotion for IncredibleIndia from ME.”

Prasad Shirke, sales andmarketing manager, Cyprus

Tourism Organisation, MiddleEast and Arabian Gulf Office,expressed a similar opinion.“The agenda of this event isdifferent from other interna-tional shows in the MiddleEast. GIBTM focusses on MICE traffic which is oneof our developing segmentsand hence helps us to evaluate the demand for our destination from the var-ious prospects of ME vis-a-visour competitors.”

Kumudu Hennedige,assistant manager, market-

ing, Sri Lanka ConventionBureau, said, “We have beenexhibiting here every yearand have always been satis-fied with the response. Thisyear the quantity has defi-

nitely reduced, but the qual-ity is much better. This year,we are not focussing on anyparticular destination of SriLanka but selling it as a MICEdestination on the whole. Wehave generated some leads inthese three days fromGermany, Russia and India.”

Apart from the tourismboards, TRAVTALK also spoke to hoteliers to get their views on the event. Amonghoteliers who were presentat the show was Kamal

Rijhwani, director, sales,Radisson Blu Sharjah.

“Though, we did notparticipate in this GIBTM,however we did visit the

show. The event was well dis-tributed, though a couple ofmore major destinationsshould have been there. As avisitor we met some hostedbuyers who work with ourarea and destination andthere seems to be positiveattitude in the MICE businessonce again.”

The travel agencies areindeed the backbone of thetravel industry and their par-ticipation and presence makesthe cracking of deals moremeticulous. That was moreapparent when MohammedAl Rais, deputy managingdirector, Al Rais Travels, said,“It is our second year of par-ticipation in the show and it isdefinitely better than last year.There were 47 participants atDTCM’s stall last year whichhave grown to 52 this year,which clearly shows that wereceived a good response lastyear and decided to partici-pate this year as well. Here atthe show, we get to meet our

trade partners with whom wecan associate to sell our MICEpackages. Our offers are notlimited to Dubai, but cover theGulf region as a whole.”

The wheels of the meetings and events industry are turning faster as professional plannersare burning the proverbial midnight oil on developing methods, markets and best practicesto meet tough challenges amid tougher economic scenario worldwide.

Meetings & events industry grapples with realities

RA JKA M A L A S I LVA N O A N D KAV YA CH AW LA

Prasad Shirke,sales and marketing manager,Cyprus Tourism Organisation,Middle East and Arabian Gulf Office

GIBTMfocusses onMICE trafficwhich is one ofour developingsegments andhence helps usto evaluate thedemand for ourdestination

Graeme Barnett, exhibition director, GIBTM

The event hasproven that thereare clear signsthat meeting andevent plannersare recognisingthe enormouspotential theregion has, to do business

C. Gangadhar, assistant director (West Asia), Indiatourism – Dubai

India hasvarious suchfeatures, be itthe newHyderabadconventioncentre or otherdestinations tobe given as anincentive

Mohammed Al Rais,deputy managing director, Al Rais Travels

Here at theshow, we getto meet ourtradepartners withwhom wecanassociate tosell our MICEpackages

Kamal Rijhwani, director, sales, Radisson Blu Sharjah

Internationalshows such asthese are veryvital to the MEmarket as theycontinuouslyshowcase thedestinationand itsdevelopments

Kumudu Hennedige, assistant manager, marketing,Sri Lanka Convention Bureau

This year, weare notfocussing onany particulardestination ofSri Lanka butselling it as aMICEdestination onthe whole

Launches

n India’s leading B2B trav-el portal, Travel BoutiqueOnline (TBO), over andabove the cost effective airfares, hotel reservations,holidays, insurance, anddestination packages,extends its technology andsupply portfolio throughbusiness-to-business travelofferings to its businesspartners.

Its systems facilitatereal time bookings and pro-vide both front-end userinterface as well as back-endadministration features,which are customised as perthe requirements of theagents. The complete host-ing solutions, enable theagent to generate incremen-tal revenue, increase loyaltyof existing clientele and

acquire new customers. The customer service

agents provide superb service and telesales at no additional cost. The benefit of the Agency Livesolution makes it the topchoice for custom bookingsolution for travel agents, online retailers,Destination ManagementCompanies, etc.

Travel Boutique Online’s solutionsenables agents earn incremental revenues

The fourth edition of GulfIncentives, Business Travel &Meetings Exhibition in AbuDhabi attracted large participa-tion despite the dull economicsituation. Industry professionalsfrom all over the world, espe-cially Gulf and Middle East, Asia and Africa, exhibited a sense of optimism amid hecticnegotiations at the event.Satisfied with the response theygot from buyers and sellers, theexhibitors promised to returnnext year.

GIBTM witnesses a hugegathering of the travel trade

TECHNOLOGY M A Y, 2 0 1 0 TRAVTALK 1 9

Sabre is also the first GDSto announce Attribute-

Based-Shopping, a new toolallowing agencies to compareshopping by ‘airline attribute’like baggage fees and seatselection, giving the travellera total value for their fare.

The new service is themost popular choice of GDS,with more than 40 per centof the world’s global air book-ing share. It also offers arange of mobile solutionswhich provides travellerswith itinerary details,updates and notificationsthroughout the journey.

“Our emphasis is con-stantly on innovation andquality products, whether weare partnering with a travelagency, airline or other trav-el related businesses. We tryto improve our service initia-tives by investing in multi-tiered support and help deskexpansion across the differ-ent countries,” said DanielNaoumovitch, CEO, Sabre.

Sabre already providesonline booking engines forboth agencies and airlinedirect websites. These toolswere recently enhanced withthe acquisition of EB2, aLondon-based, leading inde-pendent supplier of e-com-

merce enabling softwareproducts, solutions, infra-structure and services toglobal airlines.

To make more hotelierscome on board, Sabre pro-vides almost 90,000 hotels inthe GDS, in addition to thecar and cruise suppliers,already available.

Sabre HospitalitySolutions leverages thestrength of Sabre’s GDS mar-keting and distribution toolSynXis.

The global economicdownturn has certainlyaffected the travel andtourism industry.

“We have beenseeing trendsemerge in bothleisure and busi-

ness travel sec-tors. The leisuretravellers holdtheir booking tillthe last minutefor the bestvalue-for-moneyas opposed toplanning andmaking theirreservations farin advance fortheir holidaytravel,”Naoumovitch explained.

However, recovery hasstarted and Sabre expects air-lines and agencies to contin-ue seeking cost savings andalso look for opportunities todifferentiate and grow.

The introduction of new airline ancillary services is therapidly growing trend and today, Sabre is the only GDSto support the airline bundling and unbundling activities in the GDS, providing agencies, the abilityto shop and book new airline ancillary services.

TT BU R E AU

Sabre offers new airlineancillary services

“Both of our GDS sys-tems enjoy a long his-

tory in the region and are dis-tinguished in their own right.Galileo is known for its ease-of-use and familiarity, whileWorldspan is renowned for its

strength in e-commerce andInternet-based technologies.Together, we are well positioned to build theTravelport brand in theMiddle East and offer travelsuppliers a tangible, compet-itive advantage,” said RabihSaab, vice-president, MiddleEast, Travelport, GDS.

Developments in tech-nology mean that the GDSoffers quicker data processingcapabilities than ever before,maximising search results inorder to provide travellers withinformed choice.

The new generationGDS has evolved from a distribution vehicle to anintegrated platform that is expanding into new levels of customisation. Itnow provides targetted merchandising and advertis-ing opportunities for airlinesand other travel suppliers atthe point of sale as travelagents search for air, hoteland car information.

“The focus needsto be on raisingawareness aboutthe non-air con-tent available, aswell as the easeof booking thesesegmentsthrough theGDS. We havealso introducednew commissionprocessing solu-tions to facilitatehotel and carbookings andwill soon belaunchingTravelportLeisure, a web-site of richleisure travelcontent that willprovide travelagents with evenmore choice,” heinformed.

To get even closer to thetravel trade, the GDSprovider has also recentlylaunched two innovative pro-fessional networking plat-

forms for travel agents,TravelChat and TravelportOpinions, which facilitateknowledge sharing amongstthe travel trade.

In addition to its offer-ing for travel agents,Travelport is focussed on pro-viding cutting-edge solutionsto its airline partners. “Wehave a few exciting productsfor airlines that are helpingthem expand their businessthrough our extensive globaltravel agency network. Forfast-growing low-cost carri-ers (LCCs), who have tradi-tionally relied on their ownbooking channels to fill seats,we are offering an innovativedirect-connect solution thatgives travel agents GDSaccess to their fares,” Saabexplained.

Travelport, operator of the Galileo and Worldspan platforms, is leveraging the latest GDS technologiesto empower travel agents in the region.

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Travelport gets closer to theMiddle East travel trade

Sabre is also the first GDS toannounce Attribute-Based-Shopping, a new toolallowing agencies tocompare shopping by‘airline attribute’ likebaggage fees and seatselection

To raise more hotelierscome onboard, Sabreprovides almost 90,000hotels in the GDS, in additionto the car and cruisesuppliers, already available

Innovation

Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO, Sabre

The new generation GDShas evolved from adistribution vehicle to anintegrated platform that isexpanding into new levels ofcustomization.

TravelChat and Travelpor tOpinions are new, innovativenetworking platformsdesigned to improveknowledge sharing amongsttravel agents and is nowavailable in the Middle East

Hotel and car content hasalways been available on theGDS, however it is not fullyleveraged by travel agents

Facts

Rabih Saab, vice-president, Middle East,Travelport, GDS

Glimpses

Luxury travel trends dominated by a greater focus onunique experiences and one-of-a-kind destinations arekeeping the hospitality business buoyant in the GCC, saysleading luxury hotel brand Kempinski Hotels, as it con-cluded its annual regional road show aimed at strength-ening its business ties with travel trade par tners in the

region. From Amman to Andalucia, a Kempinski Hotelsteam representing 16 of the luxury operator’s most dis-tinctive properties from across the region and the worldvisited trade par tners across the GCC. The road showkicked off in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 3, followedby Riyadh (April 4) and Dammam (April 5), before head-ing to Bahrain on April 6, then Doha, Qatar, on April 7 andwinding up in Kuwait on April 8.

Kempinski stages roadshows in GCC countries

NTO2 0 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0

Opening of new hotels atMasirah (Swiss Bell)

and Salalah (Marriott at Mirbat), promotion of Salalah Tourism Festivaland Oman Air’s services to Lahore, Kathmandu, Ras Al Khaimah, KualaLumpur and Milan are but a

few of the recent accom-plishments of the Sultanateof Oman.

However, Zighy Bay(near Dibba) plans toannounce more products atthe Arabian Travel Market(ATM). After 15 per centincrease in 'business done' atGIBTM, the expectation of

Oman tourism industry isprofusely higher for ATM.

“ATM 2010 is a valuableopportunity to exhibit Oman’snew Brand Mark with the

launch of several initiativesin concert with our partners.This Brand Mark reflects the ministry’s marketingactivities while its designreflects its style and tourismaspirations. We expect manyto visit our ATM stand and enjoy the core values of our tourism strategy: culture, heritage and the environment (wadis, mountains and coast),” saidSalem Al Mamari, director-general of TourismPromotions, Oman’s Ministryof Tourism.

“Strategically, we see ATM as the place torenew trade relations that will be made easier bythe active participation of

Oman’s key trade partners,”he added.

The Ministry of Tourismis cautiously optimistic about2010 following last year’sstrong surge of arrivals inMuscat, especially during thelast quarter. While some markets and segments arestill recovering from theeffects of global crisis, thecruise industry is showingremarkable resilience.

“Our approach is toseize opportunities withinexisting markets/segments,increase our representationinternationally and work in acoordinated way with keypartners including Oman Airand major tourism compa-

nies,” Al Mamari said, addingthat in terms of increasedrepresentation, 2010 will seeOman Tourism offices beingestablished in India, China,Russia and Italy.

Realising the impor-tance of the MICE activitiesin the region, Oman hasplanned a state-of-the-artconvention and exhibitioncentre, which is due for completion in 2013.

The Gulf and the Middle East region is well positioned to influence global travel patternsand Oman has its sights set on becoming a favourite destination of travellers seeking authentic Arabian experience with a fair share of culture, heritage, nature and adventure.The growth ‘driver’ of tourism continues to be domestic travel, stimulated by low-cost carriers and discounted hotels rates.

SU S M I TA GH O S H

Oman to project ‘Brand Mark’ at ATM

Salem Al Mamari, director-general of Tourism Promotions,Oman’s Ministry of Tourism

The Ministry of Tourism iscautiously optimistic about2010, following last year’sstrong surge of arrivals inMuscat, especially duringthe last quarter

In terms of increasedrepresentation, 2010 willsee Oman Tourism officesbeing established in India,China, Russia and Italy

Realising the importance ofthe MICE activities in theregion, Oman has planneda state-of-the-art conventionand exhibition centre, which is due for completionin 2013

Oman optimisticof year 2010

It is no surprise then thatthe number of travellers to

Jordan remains unaffected as the kingdom, which is an ideal ‘value-for money’destination, looks for green-er pastures in markets inIndia, China, Scandinavia andSouth America.

“Our target for theforthcoming years is to main-tain and develop currentmature markets of GCC,Austria, Italy, France,Ukraine, the United Kingdom,Germany, Spain, Russia,Benelux and North America,”said Nayef Al Fayez, managing director, JordanTourism Board.

“Our mainbranding strate-gy is to promotesix experiences -history and cul-ture, leisure andwellness, fun andadventure, reli-gion and faith,eco and nature,and MICE (meet-

ings, incentive,conferences andexhibitions),” he added.

“Besides Petra, one ofthe New Seven Wonders ofthe World and the Dead Sea,the lowest point on earthneeds no introduction, inaddition to other touristicsites,” he pointed out.

After participating inIMEX in Frankfurt (May 25-27) and EIBTM (Nov 30-Dec2) in Barcelona, JordanTourism Board is optimisticabout Dead Sea’s MICE

prospects and a soon-to-be-launched convention centrein Amman.

The tourist arrivalsrelated to MICE is 60 per centand the remainder consists ofVFR (Visiting Friends andRelatives) from NorthAmerica and Europe. Of this,12-13 per cent are leisureand business tourists.

Closely associated with “Friends of Jordan” com-munity traders, JordanTourism Board is growingworldwide.

Travel trends have changed drastically due to the economic slowdown. Travellers have become price-sensitive and indications are there that they arenow opting for destinations that give value for money.

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Jordan a value-for-moneydestination

Though Fujairah has had aconstant stream of visi-

tors in the past, the emiratehas embarked on hecticdevelopmental activitiesaimed at attracting a greaternumber of tourists.

An estimated 120,000cruise travellers are expect-ed in Summer 2010 fromEuropean destinations and Australia.

The emirate is focussingon setting up new museums,hotels, water parks, etc.Preservation and restorationof old forts and promotion oflocal heritage, too, are on thepriority list.

“The FujairahTourism &AntiquitiesAuthority is anew departmentthat has been setup to coordinateefforts to fulfillour dream of anoverall develop-

ment of Fujairahwith more budg-et and compe-tence,” said Saeed Abdullah AlSamahi, general manager,Fujairah Tourism &Antiquities Authority (FTAA).

“The FujairahInternational MonodramaFestival (FIMF) is a tributaryto cultural tourism that takesplace every two years at itsDibba theatre stage. TheMonodrama Festival seeks to

raise the artistic sensibilitiesof the selected Arab and inter-national artists and audi-ences,” he added. By mergingthe established values of theEast with modern technolo-gies of the West, Fujairahoffers a standard of livingcomparable to that of world'smost developed nations.

With plans of participat-ing in various MICE eventsworldwide, the overall strategic objectives of thetourism authorities is tobecome all-inclusive andserve the tourism sectoreffectively and rapidly.

Located on the eastern coast of the UAE, Fujairah’s pic-turesque landscape is a blend of rugged mountainrange and pristine beaches. Fujairah Tourism andAntiquities Authority will project the emirate as anexceptional tourist destination at the ATM 2010.

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Fujairah move to attractmore tourists

The tourist arrivals related toMICE is 60 per cent and theremainder consists of VFR(Visiting Friends andRelatives) from NorthAmerica and Europe. Of this,12-13 per cent are leisureand business tourists

Since starting operations inIndia in April 2009, JordanTourism Board has attendedmajor exhibitions in Delhi,Mumbai, Hyderabad, andChennai

Attracting traffic

Nayef Al Fayez, managing director,Jordan Tourism Board

The Fujairah InternationalMonodrama Festival (FIMF)is a tributary to culturaltourism that takes placeevery two years at its Dibbatheatre stage.

An estimated 120,000cruise travellers areexpected in Summer 2010from European countriesand Australia

Coming up

Saeed Abdullah Al Samahi,general manager, Fujairah Tourism &Antiquities Authority (FTAA)

ATM 2010 is a valuable opportunity to exhibit Oman’s new Brand Mark with the launch of several initiatives in concert with our partners.

SNAPSHOTS M A Y, 2 0 1 0 TRAVTALK 2 1

Senior representativesof Dubai’s Departmentof Tourism andCommerce Marketing(DTCM) and top profes-sionals from the hospi-tality sector and desti-nation managementcompanies attended agala reception on theoccasion of the launch ofThe Vision DestinationManagement at theiconic Burj Al Arab inDubai on April 15.

The Vision with a difference

Air Arabia hosted the Travel Agents Award Night on March 22,2010 at Millennium Hotel, Sharjah, to honour top performing trav-el agents. Air Arabia thanked the travel agents community for theirsupport in helping the airline to reach high levels in a short spanof seven years. Staring its operations from Sharjah, the airline nowhas a new hub in Morocco and flies to 57 destinations.

Air Arabia honours topperforming travel agents

AIRLINES2 2 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0

Since 2002, both the air-lines have been offering

code share services on Osaka(Kansai) - Dubai route. Byfurther strengthening theirpartnership through the newconnection between Tokyoand Dubai, both airlines canbuild more extensive networkto increase travellers’ con-venience and better businessfacilities to and from MiddleEast and Japan.

Said Biju Antony, busi-ness development manager,Al Futtaim Travel, generalsales agent of Japan Airlines,“Around 70 per cent of ourbusiness comes from travelagents and they are one of

the most important distribu-tion channels for us. Hence,our aim is to enhance and maintain a strong relationship with our traveltrade partners recognisingtheir strong contribution for

success of Japan Airlines inthe region.”

“The main marketingstrategy is to increase the Japan Airlines sales andmarket share in the UAE by creating better aware-ness among our travel tradepartners regarding the fareopportunities in premiumclasses on JAL from Dubaito Japan and onward withthe value-add offers. Itincludes complimentarychauffeur driven limousineservice for premium class travellers in the UAE to and from DubaiInternational Airport and tomeet and assist services atthe airport at special rates,”he added.

Further, the marketshare of airlines in the UAEhas also witnessed an

increase. The introduction ofthe strategic route fromDubai to Tokyo will furtherprovide a positive picture forbetter sales figure and anaddition to the bottom-line.

Japan Airlines andBritish Airways have reachedan agreement to expand theircode share partnership.Beginning March 28, 2010,JAL will code share with BAon nine new routes and fromApril 28, 2010 to four newroutes, all in the Europeanregion. Including currentcode share flights within theUnited Kingdom and Europe,the total number of codeshare flights between the two airlines will be 23, broadening JAL’s Europe net-

work to cover 36 cities with54 routes.

The airlines will expandits code share agreementwith Jet star Airways (JQ)from April 1, 2010, when JALwill place its ‘JL’ indicator on JQ-operated flightsbetween Osaka (Kansai) andCairns - a service with four-weekly flights commencingthe same day.

Operating code share flights with Emirates Airlines, Japan Airlines (JAL) signed an agreement marking the first-ever direct flight from Dubai to Tokyo, effective March 28, 2010.Japan Airlines has an allocation of seats on Emirates Airlines operating daily to Osaka andfive times a week to Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

TT BU R E AU

Japan Airlines, Emirates to launch Dubai-Tokyo non-stop code share flights

Biju Antony, business developmentmanager, Al Futtaim Travel, general salesagent of Japan Airlines

Around 70 per cent of ourbusiness comes from travelagents

The market share of airlinesin the UAE has witnessed anincrease of 12 per cent incomparison to 2009

Japan Airlines and BritishAirways have reached anagreement to expand theircode share partnership.

Beginning March 28, 2010,JAL will code share with BAon nine new routes and fromApril 28, 2010 to four newroutes, all in the Europeanregion

The airlines will expand itscode share agreement withJet star Airways (JQ) fromApril 1, 2010

Tapping business

The mainmarketing strategyis to increase theJapan Airlinessales and marketshare in the UAEby creating betterawareness amongour travel tradepartners

"Most of the travellersprefer to travel dur-

ing night so that they canwork during day hours onthe next day. From India,travellers generally take JetAirways evening departureand arrive into UAE at nightto resume work the next day.This way, they optimise theirvacation time, and get tospend more time at home with their family,” said Shakir Kantawala, general manager, Dubai &Northern Emirates.

With the recent timescheduling, Jet Airways isenhancing its popularity anddemand in traffic comparedto March 2009. Also, greaterconfidence in resurgence ofthe economic situation is giv-ing more popularity to theairline. “The year 2010 willbe a recovery year. Most ofthe inhabitants haven’t takentheir vacations in 2009 dueto slowdown. However, now,looking at the economicalrevival, they will opt to trav-el. Hence, Jet Airways

will offer the best packagewhere time can be utilised in a right way.”

Presently, it operates 18flights a day between Indiaand the GCC nations. It func-tions twice, daily, to Mumbai

and to New Delhi from Dubaiand also flies daily to Mumbaiand New Delhi from AbuDhabi. The travellers can flyonwards to sixty-one desti-nations across the network inIndia and beyond.

Speaking on economicrevival, he said, "Financial cri-

sis is a passing phase. I’mvery optimistic for the year2010,” he said.

Meanwhile, the mar-keting plans of Jet Airwaysand its new arrival of thenight flights mainly focus onthe traveller’s satisfactionand leisure. Besides emphasising on their con-venience, it will also helpthem to make the vacationmore peaceful with theextraordinary fare and otherpackage deals.

With an average fleetage of 4.66 years, the airlineis one of the youngest aircraftin the world. From this junc-tion, Jet Airways is growingtowards the best of the lot.

Jet Airways offers convenient night departures from Dubai to Hyderabad and Chennai and from Sharjah to Kochi to enable travellers to optimisetheir schedules.

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Night departures boostJet Airways’ demand

Shakir Kantawala, general manager, Dubai & Northern Emirates

The daily new night flightsdepar t from Hyderabad at1840 hrs, arriving in Dubaiat 2110 hrs

The flight departs Dubai at2210 hrs, arriving inHyderabad at 0310 hrs, themorning next

Travel comfort

“We continued to oper-ate a full schedule

on the Dubai route, reducingcapacity by approximately 13per cent where necessary bydowngrading our A340-600aircraft (308 seats) to A340-300 aircraft (240 seats),” saidAndrew Fyfe, regional man-ager - Middle East and Indiansubcontinent.

“Our sister companyVirgin Holidays has shownstrong support on the Dubairoute and to Dubai itself as 99 per cent of our inbound travellers terminatethe journey in Dubai. Our daily10am service to LondonHeathrow attracts those whoprefer to arrive in London dur-ing the day and enjoy after-noon and evening at theirleisure,” he said.

Originating from theUnited Kingdom, the 9pmdeparture from LondonHeathrow is one of thefavourites for the majority of the business travellers, he added.

A drop in business trav-el is noticed in 2009, but notnecessarily downgrading ofclass, he said and added thatthe Premium Economy prod-uct remains the best in itsclass with leather seats, ded-

icated crew and priorityboarding and the load factorsare testament to this.

“Sales fares are route-specific and sometimes‘event-related’ like our 25thanniversary in 2009. We areabout to conclude a specialEconomy Class sale fare run-ning to London and New York

in recognition of our fourthanniversary on the Dubairoute,” Fyfe stated.

As a fundamental partof the distribution base,

Virgin Atlantichas alwaysstressed theimportance of the travelagents fromwhom around 75 per cent business isachieved.

“We have announcedthrice weekly schedule from London, Heathrow to Accra in Ghana from May 2010 and twice weeklyservice linking Manchesterand Las Vegas, which is due to commence in April2011,” he added.

Destinations likeCancun, Beijing andVancouver are to be consid-ered with the development ofroute network and purchaseof 10 A330-300 aircraft, sixto join in 2011 and theremaining in 2012.

With sheer determination, Virgin Atlantic managed tosteer its way through the challenges faced in 2009. Itintroduced a range of initiatives to maintain its cashinflow, preserve its image and the morale of its staff.

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Virgin Atlantic weathersslowdown

Andrew Fyfe, regional manager - Middle East andIndian subcontinent, Virgin Atlantic

AGENTS M A Y, 2 0 1 0 TRAVTALK 2 3

‘Train Tours of Europe’ isa new package which

has made travelling by railthrough Europe convenientand enjoyable. It has beendeveloped to ensure the com-fort, financial independenceand flexibility to the travellers.

“European cities arewell-planned and most ofthem have their train stationsright in the city centre witheasy access to airports, hotelaccommodation, sight-seeingattractions, shopping, diningand relaxation areas,” he saidand added, “a seamless trav-el system all around Europegave us the insight to create‘Train Tours of Europe’.”

“Agents who book ourpackages (rail tours) canenjoy a seven per cent com-mission. Under this, all thecomponents of selling Europeare solved. Product develop-ment and operational efforts

are taken care of by us andthe agents rather enjoy commissions and a marketreputation with the trav-ellers,” said Asif Hussain,manager, outbound tours, Al Tayer Travels.

“Agents shouldbook rail tours toEurope becauseit makes sellingEurope mucheasier. In this,

the agents canfeature the vari-ous highlightsEuropean coun-tries can offer.The packages arepre-scheduledand also tailor-made to suit thetravellers’requirements,”he pointed out.

“Among the key fea-tures of ‘Train Tours ofEurope’ are transportation,which reduces the cost of travelling from airport to accommodations and to sightseeing attractions,dining and shopping areas,”he said.

The travellers canchoose accommodation froma variety of handpicked hotels in the three-, four- andfive-star categories.

For sightseeing, oneimportant tour in each city is

offered and additional attractions are suggested for the travellers to choose from.

“The packages are flexible, they can be tailor-made to one’s needs.They provide freedom toavoid regimentation. Thedecision is yours to choosewhen and where to travel,”he added.

Dubai-based Al Tayer Travels has been awarded by Disneyland Paris asthe highest producer of sales from the UAE. Apart from the packages toDisney, the group also specialises in selling ‘Train Tours of Europe’.

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Al Tayer Travels highest seller inUAE for Disneyland Paris

Asif Hussain,manager, outbound tours, Al Tayer Travels

Among the key features of‘Train Tours of Europe’ aretransportation

It which reduces the cost oftravelling from airpor t toaccommodations and tosightseeing attractions,dining and shopping areas

The travellers can chooseaccommodation from avariety of handpicked hotelsin the three, four and five-star categories.

Key features

The business model fordestination management

companies in the current eraought to change in the back-drop of the global slowdown,feels Ali Abu Monassar,chairman of The VisionDestination Management.

“The (global) crisis haschanged the market. It’schanged the perception of themarket…how to work withpeople and how to find newbusiness,” he pointed out.

“At The Vision, we arecreating the touch which none else has got. People now prefer a local experience.They would like to eat withEmiratis and visit theirhomes,” explained Monassar.“These are things which other people are not able toprovide. It’s a matter of acces-sibility. We try to combine theleisure and comfort of the des-tination with some heritageand local experience.”

In just about fourmonths of existence, TheVision has sold nearly 25,000room nights. “But it is notabout the number of roombookings,” said Monassar.“We advise our clients onhow to package heritage andculture activities into theirbusiness itineraries.”

Instead of the individualleisure traveller, his company

would focus on what hedescribed as the ‘booming’MICE (meetings, incentives,conference and exhibitions)sector. “It’s not masstourism. Though the MICE market is tough, thecompetition is less and themargin (of profit) higher,” hepointed out.

“Our company has comeup at a very good time,” hesaid. “A lot of the infrastruc-ture in Dubai is now ready,prices have gone down, and it’s become more afford-able. Today we have morehotels, more facilities andmore options.”

Talking of competition,Monassar said The Vision willbe distinguishing itself fromothers by offering tailor-madeincentives to its prospectiveclients. With more than 25years of experience in thefield, backed by a strong and experienced team,Monassar surely seems to bein the fast track.

Still in its infancy, The Vision Destination Managementhas already bagged two major ground handling proj-ects - the Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & MeetingsExhibition (GIBTM), Abu Dhabi, and the ATM Dubai.

BY RA J KA M A L A. S I LVA N O

Adding local flavour tointernational experience

Ali Abu Monassar, chairman, Vision DestinationManagement

The brochure features anew section titled

‘Recommended Multi-cityTrips’ in which various desti-nations in a particular regionare packaged, for instance,Asian countries like Malaysia,Singapore and Thailand.Similarly, some Europeancountries, too, have beenpackaged together.

Besides English, thebrochure has been publishedin Arabic language for distribution in the Middle East and Arabic-speaking parts of Africa.

“The highlight of thisyear’s event was the increasedtime for the presentationsgiven by the tourism boards tothe travel agents,” said Bruno Hivon, regional man-ager, destination development,MEA & Indian Ocean.

“The 2010 brochure hasproducts that are more

refined and tailor madeaccording to the needs anddemand of this region. Wehave kept in mind that‘Ramadan’ is scheduled earlyin summer this year. We haveemphasised more on Durbanthis year since Emirates start-ed its operation to Durban inOctober last year. The WorldCup in South Africa will helpus to increase the country’sprofile in the coming future,”added Hivon.

“EmiratesHolidays gets 85per cent of thebusiness fromtravel agents. Wegive 10 percenton an average tothe travel agentand 7 per cent insome cases,where the coun-tries that do notpay commissions.

When it comes to sellinga holiday the work involved ismore and the client needs apersonal touch which what thetrade gives,” explained Hivon.

The Emirates Holidays annual features 32 countriesand five other participants, including hotels, car rentaland cruises. The brochure launched witnessed the participation of over 375 travel agents from the UAE.

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Emirates Holidays offersmulti-city trips

Bruno Hivon, regional manager, destination development, MEA & Indian Ocean

Any airline which has tied upwith Emirates Airlines or theinter-linking airline is a partof the packages.

The agents have directaccess to the website wherethey can register and makebookings directly

Attractions

Launches

n After opening four newproperties in 2009,Fairmont is re-launching

two iconic properties thisyear – The Savoy in Londonand The Peace Hotel inShanghai. It is also aimingat opening five new desti-nations in 2010. One of themost eagerly anticipateddevelopments for Fairmontin 2010 is the opening ofthe Makkah Clock RoyalTower, for which more than

more than 2,600 Muslimstaff members are current-ly being hired to service the

monumental hospitalitycomplex in Saudi Arabia’smost sacred destination. Inaddition to pilgrimagebookings, Fairmont antici-pates that the region’sgrowing meetings, incen-tives and conferences busi-ness will be a major drawfor the Makkah Clock RoyalTower property.

Fairmont relaunching twoproperties in London andShanghai

(L-R): Mohammed Al Arkobi, vice-president and general manager,Makkah Clock Royal and Kent Cooper, vice president, regional hotelsales, MEA

2 4 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0 AIRPORT

As many as 70 flights toQatar and 61 to Bahrain

will operate each week to andfrom Abu Dhabi InternationalAirport (ADIA) as part of theairport’s Summer 2010schedule. Also high on thepriority list are Muscat,Kuwait, London and Amman.

Airlines operating fromADIA will be operating 835weekly scheduled flights con-necting the airport to 80 des-tinations in 45 countries.

“With travellersalone expected to

reach 20 millionper annum by2015 throughADIA, the commitment to meet thecapacity demandis a natural priority forADAC. Hencelarge-scale developmentprogramme hasbeen set to transform AbuDhabi’s airportsinto world-classfacilities,”

said Khalifa Mohammed AlMazrouei, chairman, ADAC.

“ADAC also operates AlAin International Airport, AlBateen Executive Airport,first dedicated private jet airport, and Sir Bani YasIsland and Delma Island air-ports, both in ‘Al Gharbia’,(which is the Western Regionof the emirate of AbuDhabi),” he added.

Under a 10-year leaseagreement with Al JaberAviation (AJA) signed inFebruary 2010, ADACbecame the latest leadingprovider of VIP aviation serv-ice based at Al BateenExecutive Airport.

Cargo airline operationsfrom Abu Dhabi and Al Ain,too, have been successful.

The Tourism Develop-ment & Investment Company(TDIC) and ADAC have part-nered to upgrade the Sir BaniYas Island airport to make ita fully-certified airport capa-ble of receiving domestic and short-haul internationalcommercial flights. The air-port is due for completion bythe end of 2010.

With 7.3 per cent trafficgrowth in 2009 reaching 9.7million in 2010 and anincrease of 7 per cent in cargo

traffic, the total number offlights serviced by Abu DhabiInternational Airport was102,118, up by 9.6 per centin 2009.

Headquartered at Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA), Abu Dhabi Airports Company(ADAC) was established with the objective of restructuring and expansion of the emirate’saviation infrastructure so that it could be a partner in Abu Dhabi’s Strategic Plan 2030.

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New airlines and destinations, moreflights perk up ADIA summer schedule

Khalifa Mohammed AlMazrouei, chairman, ADAC

ADAC also operates Al AinInternational Airpor t, AlBateen Executive Airpor t,first dedicated private jetairpor t and Sir Bani YasIsland and Delma IslandAirpor ts, both in the ‘AlGharbia’, the western regionof the emirate of Abu Dhabi

ADAC is a leading providerof VIP aviation service,based at Al Bateen ExecutiveAirpor t, under a 10-yearlease agreement with AlJaber Aviation (AJA)

With 7.3 per cent trafficgrowth in 2009 reaching 9.7million in 2010 and anincrease of 7 per cent incargo traffic, the totalnumber of flights servicedby Abu Dhabi InternationalAirport was 102,118

Growth taking off:

Over the past year and a half, Dubai

International Airport has woneight international awards,including Best WorldwideAirport from the BusinessTravel Awards 2010 and 2009 World’s LeadingAirport at the World Travel Awards.

“Our vision is to be the bestin terms of traffic and services. Beyond the facility improve-ments, we have launched an airport-wideservice strategyin 2009. Itinvolves closercoordinationwith all theorganisationsthat influencesthe travellers’experience at the airport, airlines, retailers,ground handlerand governmentagencies,”

said Lorne Riley, head,Corporate Communication,Dubai Airport.

Nevertheless, airportdevelopment and modernisa-tion are critical elements inDubai airport’s 10-year strate-gic plan, yet its strategy is toensure capacity and accom-modate growth and servicesto the highest priority.

“The reason is that theaviation generates about 25per cent of Dubai’s GDP and we are committed toensure top-notch infrastruc-ture in place to maintain andgrow aviation’s contribu-tions,” he added.

The expansion planincludes the opening ofConcourse 3 in 2012 to boostpassenger handling capacityto 75 million. In order to han-dle the growth, Dubai WorldCentral – Al MaktoumInternational Airport isscheduled to open in 2010summer for cargo operations.

“The first phase willhave a capacity of 5 milliontravellers and 250,000tonnes of cargo. When com-pleted, it will feature 5 run-ways, 4 passenger terminalswith a capacity of handling160 million travellers and 12million tonnes of freight”,said Riley.

Dubai International Airport is ranked as the 6th busiestand the fastest growing airport. It is anticipatinggrowth of 13.6 per cent in 2010 and the number oftravellers is expected to go up to 100 million by 2020from the present capacity of 60 million per annum.

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Dubai Airport expects13.6 per cent growth

The new hangar will becapable of receiving the

capacity of four A 320 or twoA340 size aircraft at onetime. Khaled Al Mazroui,general manager, FujairahInternational Airport, chair-man of GASA (Gulf AirportServices Association) saidthat the strategy was to“establish Fujairah as aregional and internationalhub for aviation, cargo andMaintenance Repair andOverhaul (MRO). Handlingtwo flights every week earli-er, to the average of 60 flightsper day now, mainly cargoflights though, the Airportwill offer all forms of logisti-cal support to EuropeAviation to carry out itsfuture expansion projects inthe region and the Indiansub-continent.”

The airports of ME arethe only region that has notbeen affected by recession.The sector enjoys robustgrowth of 7% when recessionhit hard worldwide experi-encing zero or minus growthin passenger traffic. Being theninth operational base of theEurope Aviation, Fujairah

project will be estimated totalcost of AED 50 million, whichwill cover the entire ME andFar East Asia.

Fujairah makes an idealdestination for business jetsand charters looking for ashort rest and refueling halt.Saving time and cost theparking and handling chargesoffer quick turnaround for VIPtravelers. “We have designeda new apron for maintenancewith capacity for 21 aircraft.By the end of 2010, the newhighway between Dubai andFujairah will open reducingthe distance from 135km to77 km. This will increase

cargo movement from theUAE’s west coast to the eastdecreasing service charges,”said Mazroui. The 20 yearexpansion plan includes anew cargo village is beingconsidered in place of theexisting facility and a highwayconnecting Dubai withFujairah.

The airport also has astrategy to attract up to 10 percent of the UAE’s thrivingbusiness jet market. By 2010end, the airport will finish thismodern building to be respon-sible to handle business jet inUAE. A flying school, academyand to create free zone arealso the future targets.Besides charter flights, otherairlines will also fly fromFujairah by 2011 or 2012 oncethis highway opens.

Fujairah International Airport (FIA) plays an important rolein UAE’s aviation industry with varied business and mar-keting strategies. The airport signed a US$ 25 million con-tract in 2009 with the French company Europe Aviation toprovide maintenance facilities for Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

SU S M I TA GH O S H

Fujairah Airport chartsgreater ascent

The expansion plan includesthe opening of Concourse 3in 2012 to boost passengerhandling capacity to 75million. To handle the growth,Al Maktoum InternationalAirport, has been planned toopen in 2010 summer forcargo operations.

Airpor t development andmodernisation are criticalelements in Dubai airport’s10-year strategic plan

Future plans

Lorne Riley, head, CorporateCommunication, Dubai Airport

The new hangar will receivethe capacity of four A 320 ortwo A340 size aircraft at one time

Being the ninth operationalbase of the Europe Aviation, Fujairah project will be estimated total cost of AED 50 million

Facts

Khaled Al Mazroui, general manager, FujairahInternational Airport, chairman of GASA

CRUISES M A Y, 2 0 1 0 TRAVTALK 2 5

Celebrity Cruises hasintroduced ‘Celebrity

iLounge’ aboard ‘CelebrityEclipse’, the third in a seriesof five Solstice Class shipsthat emerged from MeyerWerft shipyard in Papenburg,Germany, in April 2010.

“Our new CelebrityiLounge is the direct conse-quence of our ‘Designed ForYou’ brand platform and ourcommitment to listen to ourtravellers, and to offer expe-riences and programmesexpressly designed for them,”said Dan Hanrahan, president& CEO, Celebrity Cruises.

The Celebrity iLounge is composed of three main areas: series of 26 con-temporary work stations tocheck e-mail, retain socialmedia connections or print

boarding passes, a retailspace offering cruisers to try out the latest accessoriesand an enrichment centrewhere certified staff will offer traveller tips on Mac oriPod usage.

Located on deck six ofCelebrity Eclipse, theCelebrity iLounge houses 26MacBook Pro’s, classroomand retail area, in addition to display pods, a 56-inch flat-screen TV and an accessiblework station.

The Celebrity iLoungewill also be presented onCelebrity Silhouette, sched-uled for launch in 2011, thefifth ship in the Solstice Classfleet to set sail in 2012.

The Celebrity’s fleetconsists of nine ships. Its$3.7-billion investment inbuilding five stylish SolsticeClass ships between 2008and 2012 represents thelargest new build commit-ment for a single brand in thehistory of the industry.

Celebrity Cruises has taken another step toward pampering its travellers by not only introducing variouscuisines and programmes, but also attending to theirneed for constant communication through various media.The latest offering is ‘Designed For You’ platform, whichis the result of an extensive, six-month study on understanding the needs of discerning cruisers.

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Celebrity Cruises introduces iLounge

Dan Hanrahan, president & CEO, Celebrity Cruises

Since UAE and the Gulfregion have become pop-

ular cruise destinations,Costa Cruises has beenincreasing its regional capac-ity each year. A strong sales network in the UAE,Qatar and Kuwait has buoyedthe number of cruise trav-ellers from these countriesand even Iran.

Costa Cruises wasrecognised for its outstanding performance and contribution to theMiddle East cruise industryin 2009, as travel industryprofessionals at the WorldTravel Awards 2009, namedit as the region’s LeadingCruise Line.

“This recognition gaveus further motivation to con-tinue our activities and multi-ply our efforts to grow this market and hencedeployed two new jewels ofthe Costa fleet, the CostaLuminosa and the Costa

Deliziosa in Dubai,” saidFrancesca Mugnari, salesmanager, Costa Cruises, UAE& GCC, Alpha Holidays.“Certainly our network of trav-el agencies is strength for us.We continue our support to thetravel agents with seminars onboard, fam trips, online train-ings, regular visits, incentiveprogrammes, sponsorship oftravel trade events. Cruisepackages are in a way moreprofitable for travel agenciesthan flight tickets sales with commissions up to 10 percent,” Mugnari said.

Costa Cruises haslaunched online training pro-gramme ‘Discover Costa’ for travel agents that will help them in the Asia-Pacific to become CostaCruises experts.

Cruising has become an affordable option for holidayersin the Middle East region. First to offer regular cruisesfrom Dubai, Costa Cruises was named the region’s LeadingCruise Line at the World Travel Awards in 2009.

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Costa Cruises strong salesnetwork draws more travellers

Francesca Mugnari, sales manager, Costa Cruises, UAE &GCC, Alpha Holidays

IN BRIEFThree cruise lines to air FIFAmatches n Azamara Club Cruises,Celebrity Cruises and RoyalCaribbean Internationalhave obtained rights to air all games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa while at sea in international waters on every ship across thethree fleets.

Guests sailing with anyof the three cruise linesduring the entire series from June 11 to July 11,2010 – can watch thematches in the comfor t of their staterooms, and in designated onboardlounges.

FIFA World Cup fanscan combine a memorableAzamara Club Cruises,Celebrity Cruises, and RoyalCaribbean Internationalvacation and still cheer on their team with fellow likeminded guests in special onboardprogrammes that includethemed activities, food andbeverages.

Continuing with our series, CruiseTalk exclusively addresses your queries on cruise industry.

For further information on cruises, please do send in your queries torakesh@ddppl.com

Q. What sort of facilities are available onboard cruise ships?

A. Consider the ship a floating resort, with nightclubs, movies,live music, themed parties, etc. to keep everyoneentertained. The scope of entertainment varies with eachcruise line and even the size of a particular ship. Facilitieson board the ship may include a spa, gym, multiple pools,theatres, cinemas, mini-golf courses and bowling alleys.Of course, children have their own spaces onboard mannedby trained youth counsellors who offer activities gearedtoward specific age groups. If your clients are looking forsomething quieter, they can relax in one of the many cozylounges and enjoy piano music and some quietconversation. There is no pressure to join in any organisedactivities or social events during your cruise. It's completelyyour choice to do as much or as little as you please on yourcruise vacation.Fahad Al Salamah, Director Tours, Fursan Travel, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Q. Apart from Mediterranean and the Caribbeans, whichother regions are popular for cruises?

A. Popular cruise regions other than Mediterranean andCaribbean out of the Middle East are Alaska, Asia and Baltic.Of late, we are seeing a healthy demand for Australia &New Zealand, Panama Canal and cruises in South America.Abdul Rahman, Tours Consultant, Omeir Holidays, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Q. Is cruising as a holiday option expensive?

A. Most cruises are in fact cruise packages which include allmeals, entertainment and onboard activities in addition tothe stateroom. Compare this with a land-based vacation,add cost of meals and entertainment and discover yourselfwhich package offers affordable option.

Ehab Kouki, Holidays Organiser, Baz Tours, Kuwait

Q. Are cruise ships safe?

A. When talking about cruises, your clients may invariablythink of Titanic which sank over a century ago. Rememberthe Titanic incident was nearly a century ago and modernships are very safe. Unlike flying, there have not been manyaccidents in marine industry involving loss of human life.Carol Gomes, Holiday Consultant, Zahara Holidays, Muscat, Oman.

The queries are answered by Ashok Kumar, director, business development,Cruise Master Middle East, one of the leading cruise agencies in the Arabian

Gulf that provides complete solution to all cruising needs.

MOVEMENTS2 6 TRAVTALK M A Y, 2 0 1 0

Amwaj Rotana Jumeirah Beach DubaiTimur Ilgaz has been appointed general manager of AmwajRotana Jumeirah Beach Dubai. Ilgaz has 25 years ofexperience in the hospitality industry. During his assignmentsin Turkey, Canada, Czech Republic and Kazakhstan, he excelledin managing resorts, leisure and city hotels. He was appointedgeneral manager for Jumeirah Rotana in 2007 and has beenheading the pre-opening

team of Amwaj RotanaJumeirah Beach Dubai.He will be responsiblefor the overall operationof the new landmarkproperty, which is partof Jumeirah Beach

Residence Complex.

Abu Dhabi Airports CompanyJames E. Bennett has been appointed chief executive officer(CEO) of Abu Dhabi Airports Company. Formerly president andchief executive officer of the Metropolitan Washington AirportsAuthority (MWAA), he brings with him a broad range of aviationbusiness experience to his new role. At MWAA, Bennett led amulti-disciplinary organisation consisting of over 1,400employees operating RonaldReagan WashingtonNational, WashingtonDulles InternationalAirpor t and the DullesToll Road. In May, he isdue to becomechairman of theAmerican Association ofAirport Executives.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira CreekJanet Fitzner is the new general manager of Rezidor Hotel Group’sRadisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek. Having started her career in1988 at the Inter-Continental Cologne, Fitzner joined Rezidor in 1992as director of sales and marketing at the Radisson SAS Hotel inDusseldorf. Since then, she has held positions as director of sales andmarketing and revenue manager at the Radisson SAS St. Helen’s Hotel

in Dublin, Ireland, and executiveassistant manager at the Radisson

SAS Hotel in Hannover,Germany. In mid-2007, whilemaintaining the generalmanager role at theRadisson Blu CentrumHotel, Warsaw, she waspromoted to DistrictDirector of Poland,

overseeing sixhotels – hermost recentposition.

Elie Younes has been appointed Rezidor Hotel Group’svice-president, business development, Middle East & Africa.Based in Dubai, he will work with the Rezidor Middle Eastteam to drive the group’s growth strategy in the region,focussing on new and emerging markets. He will furtherstrengthen and support Rezidor’s ambitious and rapidbusiness development in Africa.Younes began his career inmanagerial roles inLebanon beforejoining HVSInternational inLondon in 2001. Apublished writer andexperienced publicspeaker, Younesspeaks Arabic, Englishand French fluently.

Yigit Sezgin has been appointed Rezidor Hotel Group’s globaldirector, sales and marketing. A Turkish national, Sezgin takeson the new responsibilities in addition to his current role asregional director of sales and marketing for Rezidor’s portfolioof 40 hotels that are open or are under development in the MiddleEast, Egypt and Libya. In his new role, he will be responsible forall outbound sales and marketing actvities to generate business

for Rezidor hotels locatedthroughout Europe, theMiddle East and Africa ontop of his current regionalresponsibilities. In addition,he will oversee Rezidor’steam of global sales

representatives inQatar, Kuwait,Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Radisson BLU Resort SharjahKosta Kourotsidis has been appointed as executive assistantmanager for Radisson BLU Resort Sharjah. In his 16 years in thefield of hospitality, Kourotsidis has held several F&B positions inGermany, Ireland, Egypt and Jordan. He joined Rezidor HotelGroup 10 years ago and was involved in several launches,including Radisson BLU Hanover, Radisson BLU Hotel Galway,

Radisson BLU Resort ElQuseir and theRadisson BLUAlexandria. In his newassignment, hewill boost the Food& Beverageoperations of the

hotel.

Anna Villanueva has been promoted to deputydirector of sales, Four Points by Sheraton Complex,Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. Anna Villanueva has beenwith Four Points by Sheraton Complex since 2007.Beginning her Four Points career as sales manager, she

has been promoted from thepost of senior salesmanager.

Etihad AirwaysAli Abdulla Al Shamsi, an Emirati national, has beenappointed Etihad Airways assistant head of hub at Abu DhabiInternational Airport. He will assist the head of hub in overseeingthe Etihad Airways airport operations in Abu Dhabi. Al Shamsihas worked in the airline industry for over 23 years. He joinsEtihad from Emirates airline where he held the position ofregional manager ofcommercial operationsfor Emirates Holidays.Prior to his eight yearswith Emirates, heworked for over sixyears with Gulf Air.

Tamer Saleh has been appointed acting deputy director ofsales for the GCC Market and Downtown at Four Points bySheraton Complex, Dubai. Saleh’s previous assignment wasat Rotana in Saudi Arabia, where he worked as acting directorof sales in the outbound sales office. With a Bachelor’s in

Tourism and Hotel Managementfrom the Suez CanalUniversity, Saleh brings withhim enriched experiencefrom Movenpick Hotel &Resorts Al Bidaa andMarriott International in Kuwait, and JW Marriott and ConradHotels in Cairo.

Four Points by Sheraton Complex

Rezidor Hotel Group