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AL QASBA ENTHRALLS WITH SPECTACULAR SHOWS
05
14
FAIRMONT TO DEBUT IN BAHRAIN
IN THIS ISSUEMARKET UPDATE
TECHNOLOGY
CRUISING
ACCOMMODATION
AIR
INTERNATIONAL
RENDEZVOUS
AGENT CORNER
TRAVEL TALK
TRAVEL CHANNELS
WHO’S MOVED
PHOTO ALBUM
NEWS & EVENTS
020304142124252728 29303132
7 MARCH 2015 ISSUE 278
18
CARLSON REZIDOR HOTEL GROUP ADDED A RECORD NUMBER OF PROJECTS TO ITS FAST-GROWING MIDDLE
EAST PORTFOLIO IN 2014.
REZIDOR: 12 HOTELS SIGNED IN THE MIDDLE EAST
7 MARCH 2015
MARKET UPDATE
2
Bahrain (BHD)
Jordan (JOD)
Oman (OMR)
Qatar (QAR)
Saudi Arabia (SAR)
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Algeria (DZD)
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Lebanon (LBP)
Libya (LYD)
Morocco (MAD)
Syria (SYP)
Tunisia (TND)
Yemen (YER)
Dinar
Dinar
Rial
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Riyal
Dirham
Dinar
Pound
Rial
Dinar
Dinar
Pound
Dinar
Dirham
Pound
Dinar
Rial
0.37
0.71
0.39
3.64
3.75
3.67
94.58
7.635
27,711.21
1,162.20
0.29
1,499.78
1.35
9.52
188.92
1.93
215.00
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
As of 25/2/2015Currencies shown in blue are fixed against the US Dollar
COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
MANAGING EDITORMary Kammitsi
ASSISTANT EDITORMaria Kazeli
SENIOR JOURNALISTRita Kasziba
CONTRIBUTORSDominique Christou
Ana Mladenovic
PRESS Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian
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Emaar’s Net Operating Profit Jumps 30 Percent
Erbil International Airport’s Figures Surge in 2014
Sharjah Adopts GDP Diversification Policy
Emaar Properties recorded its highest-ever net operating profit at AED3.35 billion (USD912 million) for the full-year 2014, up 30 percent over 2013.
T he company’s revenues reached AED9.89 billion (USD2.69 billion), with the shopping malls, retail and hospital-ity businesses contributing over 54 per-cent of the total.
As Mohamed Alabbar, chairman, Emaar Prop-erties, noted, the company recorded positive growth across each of its three core businesses – property, shopping malls and hospitality – as well as in international markets.
Erbil International Airport (EIA) reported a 31 percent increase in passenger numbers in 2014 with 1,566,000 travellers on its records, driven by a 62 percent rise in Iraqi Airways’ traffic and the expansion of Zagros Jet.
Sharjah continues to benefit from a diverse economy with no single industry representing more than 20 percent of its GDP.
T alar Faiq, airport director, EIA, elaborated, “In 2014, we saw evidence of a slowdown in traffic amongst international travellers […], but an increase in do-mestic travel, as Iraqi Airways increased services to Baghdad and other cities in the country to
make up for the closure of road links to the south.” He added that EIA was pleased to welcome back the
airlines that had earlier suspended operations and in Jan-uary, 108 passenger flights departed EIA, serving 23 cities across 14 countries.
T his was highlighted by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, chairperson, Sharjah Invest-ment and Development Authority, during the recently concluded The World Forum for For-eign Direct Investment 2015 in Sharjah.
The emirate strives to keep and improve its competi-tive edge by investing in education, research and devel-opment while at the same time, as Al Qasimi noted, it also continues to support a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. Today, Sharjah is home to almost 45,000 small and medium enterprises focussed mainly on man-ufacturing, real estate and business services.
Downtown Dubai
The World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment 2015
7 MARCH 2015
TECHNOLOGY WEEKLY NEWS
3
E gyptian online travel agency, Travelstart announced the addition of the PayFort pay@store feature to its list of payment options.
The move will make paying for bookings much easier for Travelstart Egypt’s unbanked customers.
With the new option, customers wishing to pay in cash are free from the constraints of paying during Travelstart and bank operating hours. They can now pay at one of the 50,000 points of sale, 6,200 ATMs and 1,300 post office branches that comprise the nationwide Fawry network.
Travelstart Launches PayFort pay@store
Travelport Renews Galileo Caucasus Agreement
T ravelport has renewed its distributor agreement in Azerbaijan and Georgia
with Galileo Caucasus. The multi-year deal cements the long-stand-ing relationship between the two companies and builds on Travel-port’s strategy of driving a strong presence in Eastern Europe.
The announcement follows the recent full-content agreement with Azerbaijan Airlines, which provides all Travelport-connected agencies with access to all of the airline’s content. For the first time, the full-content agreement also included Azerbaijan-based travel agencies who can now book tickets more efficiently, as part of their existing workflow.
Marcin Pilarski, managing di-rector, Eastern Europe, Travelport, commented, “This recent deal should significantly improve the effective delivery of our products and services to travel agencies and to grow our business in the countries.”
Marcin Pilarski
7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS CRUISING
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C ruise Shipping Miami’s State of the Industry session is set to at-tract the CEOs of some of the
world’s largest cruise companies to dis-cuss the state and future of the global cruise business.
“Recently, we have seen significant changes in the cruise industry, with brand consolidations and new faces at the C-suite level,” commented Christo-pher Dauer, director, cruise events port-folio, UBM Connect, saying that four well-known executives will provide a top-level overview of where the global cruise in-dustry is today and what they foresee go-ing forward.
This year’s Cruise Shipping Miami will run between March 16 – 19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Cruise CEOs Head to Miami
Uniworld to Unveil S.S. Maria TheresaUniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection is to reveal the design of its newest Super Ship, S.S. Maria Theresa at the end of the month.
R epresenting the company’s most ambitious ship to date, the floating palace has been designed to exemplify true artistry and take guests on a jour-
ney back in time with an onboard atmosphere and style seamlessly integrated with the history and architecture of the very places they will visit onshore.
Offering 64 staterooms, 10 suites, and one Royal Suite, the S.S. Maria Theresa will set sail on her inaugu-ral voyage on March 28 on the European Jewels voyage from Budapest to Amsterdam. She will also serve the line’s Tulips & Windmills, European Holiday Markets and Grand Christmas & New Year’s Cruise itineraries.
Budapest
7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
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Al Qasba’s internal and exter-nal façades hosted a number of shows as part of this year’s
Sharjah Light Festival. The emirate’s waterfront destina-
tion attracted hundreds of visitors eve-ry day, who enjoyed 10- and 20-min-ute-long light displays with dramatic sounds.
The fifth edition of the annual pro-gramme coincided with the official an-nouncement of Sharjah winning the ti-tle of Arab Tourism Capital for the year.
Organised by Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority, Shar-jah Light Festival aims to capture imagi-nation and highlight the destination’s distinguished landmarks and historic buildings.
Al Qasba Enthrals with Spectacular Shows
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha Lead in SustainabilityDubai was named the most sustainable city in the Middle East, followed by Abu Dhabi and Doha, in the inaugural Sustainable Cities Index, released by design and consultancy firm, ARCADIS.
T he report, which examined three as-pects, namely social (people), environ-mental (planet) and economic (profit),
found that cities in the Middle East have seen the highest real term population growth over the past five years, with Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi experiencing a rise of over 30 percent, putting significant strain on infrastructure.
Globally, Frankfurt topped the list, followed by London and Copenhagen, while Dubai came 33rd, Abu Dhabi 34th, Doha at 41st. The top 50 also included Jeddah and Riyadh. Dubai Miracle Garden
7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
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WEEKLY NEWS
D ubai Department of Tourism & Com-merce Marketing (DTCM) concluded the first in a series of stakeholder en-
gagement committees designed to increase communication and knowledge sharing be-tween key sectors of the emirate’s tourism industry.
The committees are the centre of a wid-er global network, established to enhance partnerships that will contribute to achiev-ing goals set out in Dubai’s Vision 2020.
At a domestic level, five sectors central to the growth of the tourism industry have been identified, including hotels, retail, aviation, land developers and travel trade. For each sector, DTCM has established a stakeholder engagement committee that will meet on a quarterly basis to discuss the status of the sector and opportunities for growth.
Dubai Encourages Dialogue between Stakeholders
Abu Dhabi Gains Welcome Chinese Certification
T wo attractions, 20 hotels and a luxury shop-ping mall across Abu Dhabi have achieved Welcome Chinese certification, setting their
sights firmly on the booming Chinese visitor market.Organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Au-
thority, in partnership with China Tourism Academy (CTA), the awarding of the Chinese travel industry’s highly sought-after certification marks the hospital-ity industry’s embrace of initiatives to further grow guest numbers and length of stay by visitors from the Asian country – now the emirate’s fifth largest overseas market.
Welcome Chinese is a certification issued by CTA accreditation partner, Select Holding, to hospitality and attraction providers in 32 countries worldwide.
Representatives of the certified institutions
7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
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R epresentatives of the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA) conducted an exploration visit to a number of urban heritage sites that were recently re-
stored in Al Khor in Dubai. The tour enabled the Saudi delegation to explore its coun-
terpart’s expertise in the development, rehabilitation, operation and investment of attractive tourism and heritages and private museums, and learn about the municipality’s role in setting up necessary plans and programmes.
Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom, the organisation set up a timetable to license already approved buildings in Mecca and Medina to accommodate pilgrims in response to the cabinet’s recent resolution with the aim to further improve safety, security and public health conditions.
SCTA Delegation Heads to Dubai
B ookings in hotel es-tablishments in Jor-dan’s Read Sea hub,
Aqaba reached around 50 percent of the total occupan-cy rate during the first week of the Aqaba tourist carnival, announced Hani Mulki, chief commissioner, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA).
The occupancy level dur-ing the corresponding period in 2014 was 15 percent, he noted, adding that the rate tripled this year thanks to the carnival, which ASEZA organ-ised in cooperation with the private sector.
Hotel Demand on a High in Aqaba
I n a bid to showcase the aviation legacy of Bahrain to an international audi-ence and enhance the passenger experience, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), launched the Flying Feathers photo exhibition at the hub’s departure lounge. The exhibition, which was inaugurated by Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah, CEO,
BAC, provides the perfect opportunity for travellers to view rare historical images of Bahrain International Airport and have a glimpse through the book titled Flying Feathers, a History of Aviation in Bahrain, which captures the story of the Kingdom’s aviation history. The exhibition will stay up for one month, giving visitors a memo-rable farewell upon departure.
Bahrain Displays Its Aviation Legacy
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SCTA delegation in Dubai
7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
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Oman Targets Saudi Tourists
Oman’s Ministry of Tourism highlighted the Sul-tanate’s natural beauty and rich cultural her-itage at the 5th Jeddah International Travel
and Tourism Exhibition (JTTX) in Saudi Arabia, as part of its efforts to attract more visitors and strengthen its industry foothold in the Kingdom.
During JTTX, the ministry’s representatives under-scored Oman’s famous holiday spots and other popu-lar activities, and took the opportunity to build new partnerships, connect with high-level executives and collaborate with industry leaders and peers to help fur-ther promote the Sultanate to regional markets.
Salem Adi Al Mamari, director general, tourism promotion, Ministry of Tourism, Oman, expressed confidence that JTTX would help bolster the country’s tourism strategy.
The Sharjah Investment and Devel-opment Authority (Shurooq) partici-pated in the second edition of the
UAE – UK Pioneers Forum in London. Held under the theme Innovation in the
UAE, the event represented a valuable plat-form for businesses operating in the UAE to engage with Emirati graduates from top British universities.
“Shurooq, which continues to act as one of the major drivers in the emirate of Sharjah’s growth, made the best use of this opportunity to showcase the many excit-ing opportunities that it has to offer, as well as to highlight its ambitious plans for our country’s business growth and prosper-ity in the 21st century and beyond,” said Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, chief operating officer, Shurooq.
Shurooq Joins UAE – UK Pioneers Forum
7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
12
SITA Helps Hurghada’s Airport Elevate the Customer Experience
TCA Abu Dhabi Launches South African Outpost
A bu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) ap-pointed a specialist travel representation agency, Develop-ment Promotions as its representative in South Africa, to be
led by Tracey Krog, country manager, TCA Abu Dhabi.“We look forward to working very closely with our trade part-
ners, including Etihad Airways and South African Airways, tour op-erators, retail travel agents, professional conference organisers and incentive houses to showcase the destination’s vast range of excit-ing new developments such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the new Abu Dhabi Cruise Port, Abu Dhabi Interna-tional Airport’s new Midfield Terminal Complex and such events as the Formula 1 Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and fantastic summer season which we will launch to the trade shortly,” enthused Krog.
Qasr Al Hosn Festival Welcomes Al Ain Zoo
Traditional South African welcome
Al Ain Zoo participated in Abu Dhabi’s third annual Qasr Al Hosn Festival in Febru-ary. The zoo’s participation came in line with its effort to educate the public on the UAE’s rich heritage and wildlife, in addition to its learning and conservation
programmes.Muna Al Dhaheri, chief of conservation and education, Al Ain Zoo, said, “Qasr Al Hosn
is a unique platform for us to reach out to the public and cultivate a knowledge culture about our conservation efforts that focus on several aspects including animal manage-ment, wildlife sustainability and protection of desert species on an international scale.”
Hurghada International Airport has transformed the passenger experience at its new terminal with inno-vative solutions from air transport IT specialist, SITA
by introducing its processing platform, baggage manage-ment and airport operations systems.
Ismail Aboulez, chairman, Aviation Information Tech-nology Company, which handles IT issues at the Egyptian hub, said, “We have made major renovations at Hurghada International Airport to better serve the growing number of leisure passengers in the region as Egypt’s tourism sector continues to recover. SITA’s airport solutions incorporate the industry’s most advanced technology and align with indus-try trends, such as self-service. So, we are creating a more enjoyable passenger experience, while at the same time cut-ting costs and improving operational efficiency.”
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7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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Fairmont to Debut in BahrainFairmont Hotels & Resorts has teamed up with Bahrain Real Estate Investment to develop a new luxury property in the Kingdom.
Slated for launch in 2018, Fairmont Bahrain Resort will be located in the Al Jazayer area, at the cen-tre of what will become a major entertainment, leisure and corporate retreat on the island.
Guest will benefit from 215 rooms and chalets; Fairmont Gold, the brand’s hotel within a ho-tel concept and over 2,000m2 of meeting and event space. Other amenities will include an expansive beachfront area with a spa and health club, and various dining concepts.
As Jennifer Fox, president, Fairmont brand, FRHI Hotels & Resorts, pinpointed, Bahrain has one of the fastest growing economies in the Middle East.
Jumeirah Creekside Hotel Pushes Green Initiatives
Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Dubai has been awarded the Green Globe Certification after se-curing a compliance score of 83 percent.
Over the past years, substantial energy-saving measures have been implemented throughout the property; solar panels are for example being utilised for heating water and currently LED bulbs are being installed. As a result, in 2014, electricity consumption was reduced by 4.3 percent, while thanks to the grey water facility, water usage was cut by 11.3 percent.
“We challenge our teams to focus on ethical and ecologically friendly practices and we will continue reducing our impact on the environment and help-ing to make the world a more sustainable place,” said Charles Clark, general manager, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel.
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ACCOMMODATION WEEKLY NEWS
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Improving Abu Dhabi’s Visitor Experience
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) has launched its Abu Dhabi Ambassadors Programme in a
special ceremony held at the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.
Abu Dhabi Ambassadors Programme, a major aspect of TCA Abu Dhabi’s Emiratisation strategy, plays a pivotal role in realising the authority’s vi-sion of improving the emirate’s visitor experience through increased interaction with locals.
The programme consists of essential train-ing workshops covering hospitality, heritage and tourism over three months, in addition to special-ised lectures on the subjects of how to deal with the media and the public, etiquette and protocol fundamentals and the principles of organising tours in cooperation with a leading company.
Jumeirah Group has signed an agreement with H.H. Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, senior member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, to operate a luxury resort on the UAE capital’s Saadiyat Island.
Located on the northeastern coast of the island, Jumeirah Sa’adiyat Island Resort is set to become the most luxurious five-star resort in Abu Dhabi. Slated for opening in 2017, the property will feature 294 rooms, spa suites, presidential suites and private high-end villas, along with various leisure facilities and dining outlets.
“Abu Dhabi’s ongoing and impressive development as a tourism destination will be further enhanced by the Saadiyat Island project,” said Gerald Lawless, CEO, Jumeirah Group.
Jumeirah to Operate Saadiyat Island Resort
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WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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Starwood Brings Aloft and Elements to Dubai
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with wasl hospitality & leisure to debut the Aloft and Elements brands in Dubai.
Scheduled to open in early 2018 near Dubai Maritime City, Aloft Dubai Raffa and Element Dubai Raffa will operate as a unique complex, offering 165 and 96 rooms respectively.
With the introduction of the tech-forward and eco-wise brands, Dubai will soon be home to all nine of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s brands and will be-come the destination with the second largest concentration of properties for the company.
“The pipeline for our mid-market brands is increasingly robust and we see many opportunities for both new-build hotels and conversions for the brands throughout the Middle East,” disclosed Bart Carnahan, senior vice president, acquisitions and de-velopment, Europe, Africa and Middle East, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
T he City University College of Ajman (CUCA) has signed a collaboration agreement with R Hotels, for its ho-
tel management and tourism (HTM) pro-gramme.
In a bid to provide better training and employment opportunities for HTM stu-dents, R Hotels will offer internship and on-site training opportunities at proper-ties owned and managed by the company, enabling aspiring hoteliers to gain valuable experience.
“R Hotels focusses on human capital as it is the core asset in the hospitality sector,” stressed Sumair Tariq, managing director, R Hotels, adding that the deal enables the company to lure future hospitality and tour-ism professionals.
R Hotels Teams Up with CUCA
Centro Capital Centre Team Visits Masdar City
Centro Capital Centre, Abu Dhabi, operated by Rotana, organised a site visit for its colleagues to Masdar City, hailed as the world’s most sustainable eco-destination.
The tour formed part of the company’s corporate social responsibility initia-tives that aim to educate and inform the team members about the usage of renewable and clean energy sources.
”Such visits are part and parcel of our constant efforts to learn more about the envi-ronmental initiatives in the country that we live in,” explained Ayman Ashor, general man-ager, Centro Capital Centre, adding that looking at the day to day operations of Masdar City is something all organisations can learn from.
Sumair Tariq (left) and Imran Khan, president, CUCA
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WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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REZIDOR: 12 HOTELS SIGNED IN THE MIDDLE EASTCarlson Rezidor Hotel Group added a record number of projects to its fast-growing Middle East portfolio in 2014.
W hile in 2012 the company had signed five properties, the figure rose to 10 in 2013 and to 12 in 2014, represent-ing 40 percent of the company’s global activities, with new openings
in Saudi Arabia comprising 25 percent worldwide. Over the next two years, at least 12 new Radisson
Blu and Park Inn by Radisson-branded properties, with a total of 2,412 rooms, will be inaugurated in locations within Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Egypt. These will include one each in Sohar, Ajman, Cairo, Dammam, Jizan and Dhahran, among others; two each in Dubai and Riyadh, and four in Jeddah.
Smart Hotel Technology at Grand Hyatt Doha
G rand Hyatt Doha has partnered with Viva In-foventures to launch Digital Hospitality Net-work (DHN), a revolutionary network of large
format touch-screens running the next generation Vivas interactive media platform and engineered to inform and engage users.
The new platform provides numerous services and the smart technology allows guests to get all the in-formation they need to know about exclusive deals, upcoming events, shopping and dining options, as well as Qatar’s main attractions, explained Christoph Franzen, general manager, Grand Hyatt Doha.
K halaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, chairman, Al Habtoor Group, re-cently visited Egypt in order to explore potential business opportunities in the country.
“It is my hope to build Al Habtoor City in a prime location in Cairo. This will be of great benefit to the country’s economy, and will also provide thousands of jobs,” he enthused.
Currently under construction in Dubai, Al Habtoor City em-ploys around 8,000 people, and is expected to provide a further 3,000 jobs once completed. It includes five-star hotels and luxury residential towers, restaurants, shops and entertainment facili-ties.
Al Habtoor added, “Thousands of families in Egypt would benefit from a project like this, as most of the jobs would be re-cruited locally.”
Al Habtoor Group Eyes Egypt
Radisson Blu Riyadh Exhibition Centre
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ACCOMMODATION WEEKLY NEWS
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Hilton Fujairah Resort Hosts Car Event
H ilton Fujairah Resort played host to the annual Porshe Road Tour’s Fujairah stop.
Driving from Dubai to Fujairah on the East Coast, more than 90 cars made up the convoy. Upon arrival, the car enthusiasts were treated to a buffet and enjoyed their time in the pool area and at the beach.
Expressing delight at welcoming the club members, Oliver Kesseler, general manager, Hil-ton Fujairah Resort, said, “We are pleased that a prestigious club such as Porsche Club UAE has selected Hilton Fujairah Resort as their favour-ite host and destination in the country over the years. We are inspired to offer our warmest hos-pitality and provide them with the highest level of service at every event.”
J umeirah Group has launched Jumeirah Restaurant Group Dubai, (JRG Dubai), a global management company that creates, oper-ates and franchises a portfolio of 60 restaurant brands.
JRG Dubai operates home-grown high-end premium casual and casual dining venues and lounges, such as Pierchic, Tortuga, Pai Thai, 360° and The Noodle House.
The launch marks a pioneering move from the Dubai-founded company to dedicate resources to the further development of its res-taurant portfolio, as it aims to help establish Dubai as a hub for culinary excellence. JRG Dubai will develop existing restaurants located within the Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts portfolio via a series of refurbishments, menu overhauls, talent acquisition and marketing excellence. In ad-dition, the division will also engage in joint ventures, franchising and white label operations.
Jumeirah Adds Restaurant Division
Golden Sands Hotel Apartments aims to capture a larger share of the lucrative Indian market, which already repre-sents close to a quarter of its total guest numbers.
In a bid to attract more visitors from the subcontinent, the man-agement headed to New Delhi in January to participate in the South Asia Travel and Tourism Expo (SATTE).
Mohammed Khoori, general manager, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, commented, “During our presence at SATTE, we met some existing clients and also were able to discuss business levels for the upcoming Indian school holidays as there is expectation of good demand for that period. We are positive that our presence there will further boost inward traffic into Dubai from India.”
Golden Sands Hotel Apartments Lures Indian Travellers
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Porsche Club UAE members at Hilton Fujairah Resort
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G loria Hotels & Resorts is poised to increase its presence in the re-gion.
As Freddy Farid, area general manager, Gloria Hotels & Resorts, revealed, over the coming months, the company will focus on renovating its properties, and at the same time the management will also be looking at opportunities to launch new projects in MENA. To support this development, fur-ther expanding its partner network is also a key priority for the organisation.
Going forward, Farid expects the cor-porate segment’s growth to dominate throughout the year as Dubai continues to strengthen its position as a business hub, attracting leading companies from across the region and beyond.
R Hotels has launched its brand-new website; an all-inclusive portal for the company and its properties.
It features a platform which conveni-ently allows users to book rooms at any establishments under R Hotels, namely Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Ramada Downtown Dubai, Ramada Hotel and Suites Ajman, and Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman. The site’s main page also features the latest promotions from the proper-ties’ restaurants and spas, as well as deals for long-stay and corporate guests.
In addition, the portal includes a com-prehensive description and image gallery of rooms and suites, restaurants, facilities and meeting rooms, and it also provides information on the latest news and career opportunities.
Rezidor’s Regional RevPAR Soars
R Hotels Reveals New Website
Gloria Hotels & Resorts Outlines Growth Plans
The Rezidor Hotel Group’s like-for-like RevPAR within the Middle East, Africa and others unit rose 7.3 per-
cent to EUR72.2 (USD82.2) in 2014, while occupancy jumped 5.8 percentage points to 68.7 percent and average room rate (ARR) increased 1.4 percent to EUR105.2 (USD119.8).
In the fourth quarter of 2014, RevPAR was up by 5.1 percent to EUR74 (USD84), driven by an occupancy increase of 8.4 percentage points to 68.3 percent which helped offset the three percent decline in ARR to EUR108.3 (USD123.4).
The positive results in the region were fuelled by double-digit growth in both Egypt and Bahrain.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh
Did you know...
The 41-storey
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ubai
features 1,000
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The company′s new website
7 MARCH 2015
AIR WEEKLY NEWS
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Oman Air Tops OTP Rankings
Recent figures pub-lished by London’s Heathrow Airport
show that Oman Air topped the hub’s punctu-ality league for November 2014.
The national carrier of the Sultanate recorded 100 percent on-time per-formance (OTP) for its de-partures and 96.7 percent OTP for arrivals over the course of the month, plac-ing the airline at the top of the list for departures and second for arrivals, giving an overall first place for combined OTP.
Oman Air’s manage-ment now looks forward to maintaining this record while continuing to deliv-er a superb passenger ex-perience for its customers.
E mirates has broken into the top 200 of the world’s biggest brands for the first
time, according to this year’s Brand Finance Global 500 report.
For the fourth consecutive year, the airline has continued to climb the ranks, now listed at the 196th position, an increase of 38 spots in just 12 months. The estimated brand value of the company, which also retains its position as the most valuable brand in the Middle East and the most valuable airline brand, jumped 21 percent from USD5.48 billion to USD6.6 billion.
“Our brand strategy does not only involve marketing and spon-sorships, but everything we do including product innovation and service delivery,” stressed Tim Clark, president, Emirates, adding that the strength of the brand also un-derscores the positive impact that the company has on the industry.
Emirates Brand Value Reaches USD6.6 billion
Air Arabia Links Ras Al Khaimah and DohaAir Arabia has launched four-weekly flights to Doha from its Ras Al Khaimah hub.The introduction of the services brings the total number of destinations operated by the carrier from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport to nine.
A del Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia, enthused, “When we launched our Ras Al Khaimah hub in 2014, we made a firm commitment to increase connectivity to and from the Northern Emir-ates. Ras Al Khaimah is one of the region’s most attractive destinations and we are confi-
dent that our newly-launched flights will provide customers with great connectivity between both cities, both for leisure and for business.”
7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
22
I n line with its strategic plan to further expand its domestic network, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) has launched
twice-weekly services between Jeddah and Al-Ula.
“We have allocated 70 percent of our flights for the domestic sector,” said Abdul-lah Al-Ajhar, executive vice president, pub-lic relations, SAUDIA.
In 2014, the airline carried 15.7 million passengers on 120,248 domestic flights, registering an increase of 987,636 passen-gers and 4,384 flights compared to 2013.
According to Al-Ajhar, the new flights, which are offered on Thursdays and Satur-days, enable a significant number of tour-ists to visits to the famous Madain Saleh archaeological sites.
SAUDIA Adds Jeddah – Al-Ula Route
Air Arabia Lands in China
A ir Arabia has commenced direct oper-ations from its Sharjah hub to its 101st destination, Urumqi, China.
The low-cost carrier offers three weekly services to the modern industrial city in a re-gion which is home to over 20 million people.
As Adel Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia, noted, the route is set to appeal to both business and leisure travellers.
“Urumqi represents an exciting first Chi-nese destination for us and we hope to add more routes over time. This is a major move for Air Arabia and an important step in strengthening connectivity between the rap-idly growing economies of the Middle East and Eastern Asia,” he said.
flynas Signs Deal with Careem
f lynas has entered into a strategic partnership with private car booking service provider, Careem, of-fering passengers up to 10 percent discount on
the company’s published fares when booking on flight.To celebrate the contract, for a period of two weeks,
flynas travellers could enjoy a free scheduled ride to the airport.
Abdulla Elyas, founding partner, Careem Saudi Ara-bia, said, “We are honoured to be aligning with such a well-known and respected company as flynas. Further-more, it is a partnership that makes total sense since we both have a strong commitment to our customers to be on time.”
Emirates to Hire over 11,000 New Staff
T o support its projected growth, Emirates Group plans to offer career opportuni-ties to more than 11,000 people, increasing its staff size by six percent by March 2016.
As Emirates, part of Emirates Group, gears up to take delivery of over 20 new air-craft, it is also actively recruiting talent in areas such as flight operations, engineering, airport services and corporate functions. dnata on the other hand is looking for experts in the fields of airport operations, engineering and commercial business development.
In 2014, Emirates received nearly 483,944 online applications for over 2,000 jobs, from 227 countries, while the group’s careers portal registers more than a million visi-tors every month.
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Did you know...
Air Arabia operates
from five international
bases, including
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7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
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I nterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has unveiled the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Pachuca, Mexico. Located in the state of Hidalgo, the
new-build Holiday Inn Express Pachuca features 118 rooms.
"Holiday Inn Express hotels offer guests a great night’s rest while helping them be productive on the go, and this hotel is the smart choice for people travelling to Pa-chuca,” said Gerardo Murray, vice president, distribution and commercial marketing, Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean, IHG.
The hotel offers an indoor swimming pool, three meeting rooms, gym and busi-ness centre.
Q antas Group is to add new ser-vices to its international and domestic network, giving cus-
tomers greater direct travel options in Australia, as well as overseas.
Internationally, the airline will increase frequency on its upcoming Brisbane – T okyo route from four to seven flights a week.
Domestically, more than 15,000 seats a year will be added to the Whitsunday Coast region as part of a dual brand revamp to Qantas Airways and Jetstar Airways’ flying.
From June 27, Qantas Airways will introduce a twice-weekly return service between Melbourne and Hamilton Island, taking over the route from Jetstar Airways. In turn, the low-cost carrier will start oper-ating a direct three-times-weekly service between Melbourne and the Whitsunday Coast Airport from June 25.
BWI Enters Petaling Jaya
Qantas Boosts Route Network
First Holiday Inn Express in Pachuca
B est Western International (BWI) has announced the latest stage of its rapid Malaysian expansion, with
the launch of a new hotel in Petaling Jaya.BEST WESTERN Petaling Jaya will boast
344 rooms and suites, the signature Kem-bali Kitchen restaurant and the SkyZ Dine & Bar, located on the rooftop level.
Additionally, the property will offer four function rooms, a business centre, a rooftop swimming pool and a fitness centre.
“Malaysia is an incredibly exciting mar-ket for BWI, and I am delighted to continue our rapid expansion with the launch of our first hotel in Petaling Jaya,” said Ron Pohl, senior vice president, brand management and development, BWI.
Did you know...
BEST WESTERN
Petaling Jay
a becomes
BWI's fifth hotel in
Malaysia, join
ing
existing properties
in Shah Alam, Ipoh,
Kota Kinabalu
and
Sandakan?
7 MARCH 2015
RENDEZVOUS
25
Q & A withSamir Arora
GROWING COMPETITION IN THE UAE IS NOT A CONCERN AS SAMIR ARORA, GENERAL MANAGER, RAMADA DOWNTOWN DUBAI, EXPLAINS. AS LONG AS YOU STICK TO THE BASICS AND KEEP YOUR GUESTS HAPPY, THEY WILL KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE, HE DECLARED.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How was business in 2014? SAMIR ARORA: Although there are many new players in the market, Ram-ada Downtown Dubai’s unique loca-tion and view from the guestrooms had its edge over the others and [managed to] maintain its fair share in the market. Ramada Downtown’s [oc-cupancy] averaged as high as 80 per-cent for the year 2014. The hotel met its target and performed exception-ally well in the first two quarters and had a fair performance in the last two. Given our unique location and offer-ings, the hotel will continue to do well in coming years.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What were the major achievements of the ho-tel’s management which you are proud of?
SAMIR ARORA: Ramada Downtown, with support from our parent compa-ny R Hotels, embarked on a refurbish-ment where our lobby, lifts, restau-rant, meeting rooms and guestrooms were given a complete makeover. The hotel also rebranded its all-day dining restaurant, which has been very well received by our local clientele. For-merly known as Orchid, the new res-taurant is called Kenza, which means ‘treasure’ in Arabic. We refurbished the interiors and improved our menu and offerings.
The makeover was well-received by our regular guests and they really appreciated the fact that their feed-back was taken into consideration.
There were many other initiatives, which led to resolving many guest issues and improved our guest satis-faction on TripAdvisor on exceptional levels. Our TripAdvisor ranking to date has improved by 100 positions and stands at number 110 out of 480 ho-tels in Dubai.
The hotel also penetrated new markets apart from our traditional GCC markets, and as a result we enjoy a good mix of nationalities.
In addition, Ramada Downtown Dubai also reinforced its corporate social responsibility, with a passion to give back to the society.
In 2014, we partnered with Friends of Cancer Patients, a UAE-based and volunteer organisation which pro-vides moral and financial aid to can-
SAMIR ARORA: There is no new man-tra in hospitality. We always need to stick to the basics. We need to ensure that our service delivery and prob-lem resolution is always a top prior-ity. One also has to keep product in top condition, so we ensure that our facilities are well-maintained to high standards.
Apart from that, technology is one aspect which one has to keep up with these days. Internet speed today is more important than breakfast for many guests, so we ensure that we do not lag behind in this aspect.
We also need to ensure that our associates and team are challenged. Today there are many opportunities in the market that are attractive for an associate to indulge in. We have to stay very close to our star performers and keep them interested. When your team is happy, it reflects on the qual-ity of service that they render.
GENERAL MANAGER, RAMADA DOWNTOWN DUBAI
“THERE IS NO NEW MANTRA IN HOSPITALITY. WE ALWAYS NEED TO STICK TO THE BASICS
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What are the management’s plans for this year?
SAMIR ARORA: Ramada Downtown is focussing on establishing relation-ships in new markets like Europe and the subcontinent which is very much in line with Emirates and Dubai De-partment of Tourism & Commerce Marketing’s strategy. The hotel will also strengthen its already existing relationship in the GCC and the busi-ness travel segment. As the supply of rooms comes online, holding on to its market share will be the key going forward with clever tactics. This will ensure that the hotel will fill rooms with the right mix and rate. The hotel will also continue to upgrade its prod-uct and services, and come up with deals that provide the best value for money.
cer patients and their loved-ones. We raised funds for the organisation by selling shirts with the Fight for Cancer message. We also provided compli-mentary stay and arranged tours for them to experience the attractions in downtown Dubai.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How would you describe the hotel’s clientele and how has it changed over the past few years?
SAMIR ARORA:: Saudi Arabia was our top nationality with 40 percent within our mix. As mentioned earlier, we have penetrated many European and Asian markets. As a result, the hotel now has a very good mix of nationali-ties.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: With Dubai’s industry booming, how do you make sure to stay ahead of the growing competition?
7 MARCH 2015
WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
26
Accor Boosts Brazilian Portfolio Hilton Garden Inn Introduced to Namibia
Louvre Hotels Expands in Indonesia
A ccor has announced three new addresses in Recife, hailed as the Brazilian Venice due to its many canals, religious build-
ings and expansive beach offering.The three new hotels include Mercure Recife
Mar Hotels Conventions, Grand Mercure Recife Atlante Plaza and Grand Mercure Summerville Resort, which will replace three properties from the Pontes Hotels & Resorts network and add a total of 432 rooms to Accor’s collection in north-east Brazil.
The company already has 24 hotels in the region in Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí and Sergipe, and 210 hotels in the country.
H ilton Worldwide signed a management agreement with Out of Africa Hospitality to open the mid-market Hilton Garden Inn
Windhoek in Namibia.Expected to welcome its first guests early 2017,
the 180-room hotel will open adjacent to the exist-ing Hilton Windhoek and form part of the Freedom Plaza development, adding significant meeting space across the two properties.
Located in the business and government heart-land of the Namibian capital, Hilton Windhoek opened in 2011, and now the newly-agreed Hilton Garden Inn Windhoek will bring hallmark brand characteristics such as complimentary Wi-Fi and the 24-hour pavilion pantry to the destination.
L ouvre Hotels Group has opened Golden Tulip Essential Pontianak, the third Golden Tulip project in Indonesia.
The newly-built property has a touch of luxury and modern style design, and it features 186 rooms, six function rooms with capacity up to 750 persons, and a ballroom.
Mark Van Ogtrop, managing director, southeast Asia, Louvre Hotels Group, said, “The hotel has a very impressive interior with a nice ambiance and ideal for busi-ness. We are also confident to launch our new food and beverage concept with a very modern and stylish design in this hotel, called The Branche and Copacabana Pool & Lounge, which will be the first hippest place to be seen in the city.”
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7 MARCH 2015
AGENT CORNER
27
Ali Dirani
MICE manager
Saudi International Travel Agency
Saudi Arabia
www.aldawleyah.travel
Agent’s Insight
Who are you?I am Ali Dirani. I am from Lebanon and I work for Saudi International Travel Agency in Saudi Arabia. We offer all kinds of services [as well as] airline tickets, cargo and visa services.
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?Now, thanks to this field I have professional and personal relations worldwide. I have also visited many new destinations and met new cultures.
When is the best time to visit Saudi Arabia?The best time is winter and spring, when the weather is amazing. It is the best time of the year.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?My next holiday is my honeymoon and I am travelling to Italy and Turkey.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?I have great experience with previous clients and I will offer customers the best prices and best services.
COMPANY:
POSITION:
NAME:
LOCATION:
WEBSITE:
Dubai and Abu Dhabi among Kuoni’s Best-selling Destinations
B oth Dubai and Abu Dhabi are increasingly popular holiday destinations among British travellers, according to a new report from
Kuoni Travel. Whilst islands in the Maldives hold onto their
best-selling spot for the 10th year running, demand is also rapidly growing for the two UAE destinations, with combined sales putting them in the travel com-pany’s top three for the first time.
Thailand finished second and the top 10 was com-pleted with Sri Lanka, US, Mauritius, Cuba, Antigua, Singapore and Barbados.
The fastest-growing long-haul destinations included the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico and Cambodia.
Dub
ai
7 MARCH 2015
TRAVEL TALK
28
SUBIN DHARMAN
SAMIR ARORA
BOUTROS BOUTROS
KEVORK DELDELIAN
Executive assistant manager, food and beverage, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
General manager, Ramada Downtown Dubai
Divisional senior vice president, corporate communications, marketing and brand, Emirates
General manager, Oryx Rotana Doha
“Fully committed to delighting guests and visitors in the hotel’s nine dining outlets, bars and lounges, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha food and beverage team con-stantly creates innovative culi-nary surprises and elevates the guest experience.”
“We [in Qatar] are the first country to have such a national [sports] day and we are very proud of it. We will make sure that every year all the members of Oryx Rotana Doha participate in it. We have to be prepared – it is not just about being able to play sports, it is about the cul-ture and philosophy of sport, and that is what H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, [emir of Qatar] is trying to do for the people, to make them feel sport, to live sport and to be ready for such a big challenge.”
“ITB Berlin is an excellent platform to showcase our latest products and offerings. We are confident that our participation in this year’s ITB Berlin will yield excellent re-sults, opening doors for new part-ners in the German and European market in general.”
“Emirates is well-known for sponsoring world-class sports clubs and properties, but our sponsorship portfolio features a good mix of arts and cultural events as well. Dubai and the UAE, being our home market, gets the lion’s share of our atten-tion when it comes to sponsored events [...]. Sports allow our brand to reach a broad audience across geographies, while music and culture tend to be slightly more niche. Sponsoring cultural events allow us to engage with a different audience, or some-times, even the same audience but in a different setting.”
TRAVEL TALK IS YOUR SPACE – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to [email protected]
Ritz-Carlton, Doha food and beverage team constantly creates innovative culinary surprises
It is not just about being able to play sports
Our participation in this year’s ITB Berlin will yield excellent results
Sports allow our brand to reach a broad audience
7 MARCH 2015
TRAVEL CHANNELS
29
Etihad Airways Organises Charity Trip to Sri Lanka
T he two-day programme included the opening of Maha Vidyalaya School in Alankuda which was fully rebuilt with funds raised by the airline. The school benefits 1,500 students who also received care packages. A new women’s clinic
was also launched at District Kalpitiya Hospital in Puttalam following significant donations from the carrier.
Reinforcing the airline’s commitment to giving back to those in need, Khaled Al Mehairbi, senior vice president, government and aero-political affairs, Etihad Airways, said that the donation represented the kindness and generos-ity of staff and partners, as well as the wider community in Abu Dhabi.
A delegation from Etihad Airways visited Sri Lanka to present some AED100,000 (USD27,225) raised through a series of charitable initiatives to
underprivileged communities.
Spanish Prime Minister Receives
UNWTO′s Open Letter
One of the highlights at this year’s Abu Dhabi Food Festival, organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, was the new Emirati Kitchen, showcasing some the country’s
best Emirati chefs and tastiest cuisine. Emirati Kitchen, which ran between February 5 – 7, provided a
forum to celebrate authentic dishes of the UAE, and encouraged the community and visitors alike to come together in apprecia-tion of fine food.
Some of the country’s most noted chefs made their appear-ance demonstrating how to make traditional dishes and offered visitors a true taste of Emirati culture.
In recognition of tourism’s ability to create jobs and drive socio-economic growth, Mariano Rajoy, prime minis-
ter, Spain, has accepted the World Tour-ism Organization (UNWTO) and World Travel & Tourism Council’s open letter on travel and tourism, which calls on heads of state to prioritise the sector.
The industry accounts for 10.9 per-cent of Spain’s GDP and generates one in nine jobs. Moreover, Spain is the third most visited country in the world, and the second destination in terms of foreign earnings from tourism. With the sector representing 25 percent of all new jobs created in the country in 2014, tourism remains firmly positioned as one of the most important economic sectors. Etihad Airways management and crew members with
students at Maha Vidyalaya School in Alankuda
Emirati Kitchen Featured at Abu Dhabi Food Festival
7 MARCH 2015
WHO’S MOVED
30
STEPHEN JOHN DANIEL
LINDA CELESTINO
MOHAMMED WAHEED AL LAWATI
Stephen John Daniel has joined The Domain Bahrain Ho-tel and Spa as assistant general manager. Being in the hospitality industry since 1987, Daniel is a hardcore professional who believes in dedication and positive atti-tude. He moved to Bahrain in 1993 and has fast risen through the ranks with the Holiday Inn brand between 1993 and 2002. He then joined Al Safir Hotel & Tower where he held various positions, including sales man-ager, rooms division manager, director of business develop-ment and director of sales and marketing. During his 13-year tenure with the property, he has gained invaluable knowledge of hotel management operations.
Linda Celestino has been ap-pointed vice president of guest services at Etihad Airways. Celestino started her career as cabin crew at Ansett Australia, progressing to become a sen-ior manager in guest services and guest experience.Over the past 25 years, Celes-tino has held various senior positions in Australia and the Middle East and was also the president of New York-based Airline Passenger Experience Association. Most recently she worked as general manager of in-flight services and product at Oman Air where she was responsible for cabin crew se-lection and training, as well as guest experience. In her capacity, Celestino will be responsible for 6,000 cabin crew to ensure safe, inspired, consistent and innovative ser-vices, both onboard and across the airline’s global lounges.
Mohammed Waheed Al La-wati has been named execu-tive assistant at Oman Con-vention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC).Al Lawati brings to the soon-to-open project a range of valuable marketing and entrepreneur-ship skills. He has previously been involved in a number of large-scale national projects and also served in a pivotal role at Injaz Oman, part of the Jun-ior Achievement Worldwide or-ganisation. His appointment comes in line with OCEC management’s ef-forts to meet demand by meet-ing organisers worldwide.
Celestino has 25 years of experience
Al Lawati has valuable marketing skills
FC Barcelona players Neymar Jr (left) and Gerard Pique board a Qatar Executive aircraft
Etihad Airways organised a charity visit to Sri Lanka to support global education and health initiatives
Gulfood′s 20th edition attracted over 4,800 companies and 80,000 visitors
Ice sculpting at the annual Gulfood show in DubaiIn-room camping at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain
InterContinental Cairo Semiramis hosted Chaine des Rotisseurs Dinner
7 MARCH 2015
PHOTO ALBUM
31
Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to.
Send your photos to [email protected] Because a picture is worth a thousand words...
Take a Shot!
7 MARCH 2015
NEWS & EVENTS
32
Reed Exhibitions Acquires ThinkGP
Business Set to Flourish at IMEX
R eed Exhibitions has complet-ed the acquisition of ThinkGP from GenesisEd. ThinkGP is
widely acknowledged as Australia’s provider of accredited online educa-tion to general practitioners and oth-er primary healthcare professionals.
In terms of the deal, the company will be integrated into the Reed Medi-cal Education division alongside the General Practitioner Conference & Exhibition (GPCE) portfolio of events held annually in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Reed Medical Education will now be able to deliver general practi-tioners (GPs) and other healthcare professionals throughout Australia the choice of the face-to-face, expe-riential opportunities available at the GPCE events or the convenience and immediacy of online learning oppor-tunities via ThinkGP.
IMEX, taking place between May 19 – 21 in Frankfurt, is on course to boost business growth, with a
substantial number of new hosted buyer groups confirmed and over 20 new stands, representing organisa-tions from all five continents, already booked.
The event will also introduce new strands to its educational programme including Creative Thursday, while two new session formats will be geared specifically towards young profession-als and senior planners. Before the show opens, there will also be two new in-depth sessions, on business net-working and building confidence.
“With many more initiatives still to be announced in the coming months, we are creating the best possible envi-ronment for business and are looking forward to welcoming everyone,” said Ray Bloom, chairman, IMEX Group.
EVENTSINTERNATIONAL LUXURY TRAVEL MARKET JAPAN
Kyoto, JapanMarch 16 – 18www.iltm.com/japanA specialist invitation-only event, where Japan’s travel agents and advisors meet the world’s most spectacular travel experiences.
MITT TRAVEL & TOURISM EXHIBITION
Moscow, RussiaMarch 18 – 21www.mitt.ruOne of Russia’s largest and longest-running travel exhibitions with over 2,056 participants and more than 200 destinations.
INTERNATIONAL SKI TRAVEL MARKET
Davos, SwitzerlandMarch 23 – 24 www.istm.co.ukAn event, bringing together resorts, tourism boards and ski travel suppliers.
AZERBAIJAN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL & TOURISM FAIR
Baku, AzerbaijanApril 02 – 04www.aitf.azA main event in Azerbaijan’s fast-growing tourism market, attracting a large number of international participants and trade visitors.
