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Etihad Airways has acquired a 4.99 percent stake in Virgin Australia Holdings and has also leased a Virgin
Australia Boeing 777-300ER for use on its weekly route between Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur.
09 JUNE 2012 ISSUE 135
04
06
UAE Visa for Cruise Tourists
Swissôtel Makkah to Open in July
In light of the burgeoning cruise tourism in-dustry, a multiple entry UAE visa for passen-gers is likely to be introduced by September.
Swissôtel Makkah is set to welcome its first guests on the first day of Ramadan this summer. .
IN THIS ISSUEMARKET UPDATE
WEEKLY NEWS
ACCOMMODATION
AIR NEWS
INTERNATIONAL
WHO'S MOVED
AGENT'S CORNER
TRAVEL TALK
TRAVEL CHANNELS
RENDEZVOUS
NEWS & EVENTS
020405 0810121314161718
Block this Space
Contact us at [email protected]
Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia Strengthen Ties
2 MARKET UPDATE
9 JUNE 2012
UAE (AED)
Egypt (EGP)
Saudi Arabia (SAR)
Lebanon (LBP)
Bahrain (BHD)
Jordan (JOD)
Syria (SYP)
Kuwait (KWD)
Qatar (QAR)
Oman (OMR)
Tunisia (TND)
Morocco (MAD)
Iran (IRR)
Yemen (YER)
Algeria (DZD)
Libya (LYD)
Dirham
Pound
Riyal
Pound
Dinar
Dinar
Pound
Dinar
Riyal
Rial
Dinar
Dirham
Riyal
Rial
Dinar
Dinar
3.67
6.04
3.75
1,505.50
0.38
0.71
63.85
0.28
3.64
0.38
1.61
8.79
12,284.00
214.55
77.54
1.28
Accurate as of
07/06/2012Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
QTA: GCC Visitor Volume on the Rise
IHG: Increased RevPAR
STR: Strong Upper Upscale SegmentIn April, the Middle East and Africa’s hotel development pipeline comprised 494 hotels with a total of 126,606 rooms, according to the latest STR Global Construction Pipeline Report.
With 39,844 rooms, the upper upscale segment accounted for the largest portion of the total active pipeline at 31.5 percent. Meanwhile, three other segments also reached over 15 percent, with the luxury seg-ment at 26,102 rooms making up 20.6 percent, the upscale segment with 25,486 rooms, representing 20.1 percent, and the unaffiliated seg-ment with 20,384 rooms, at 16.1 percent, of the total development pipeline.
I nterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has posted strong performance re-sults for the first quarter of the year with revenue reaching USD409 mil-lion, up three percent over the same
period in 2011. Operating profit totalled USD118 million,
marking a year-on-year increase of five per-cent, while global RevPAR rose seven percent.
During the three-month period, 7,101 rooms have been launched bringing IHG’s total portfolio to 174,554 rooms, of which
over 40 percent is under construction. The group also introduced EVEN Hotels in the US and HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts in Greater China, in a bid to further strengthen the company’s position in the markets.
In the Asia, Middle East, and Africa region, RevPAR increased six percent, including rate growth of 1.7 percent, with Saudi Arabia up 9.5 percent and the UAE up 7.4 percent expe-riencing a robust increase. Meanwhile, Egypt recorded a decrease of 13.6 percent and Bah-rain witnessed a 13.9 percent drop.
D riven by a sharp increase from Saudi Arabia, at 161,549 tourists during the first three months of the year, Qatar received a total of 261,057 travellers from the GCC
while visitor numbers from Asia and Europe reached 36,685 and 10,456 respectively.
Based on the report, Qatar currently boasts 112 hotels with a total of 16,922 hotel rooms and serviced apartments, and for the three-month period, average hotel occupan-
During the first quarter of the year, the number of GCC visitors heading to Qatar rose 22 percent, based on data compiled by the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY
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cy rates reached 64 percent, while revenues of four- and five-star establishments stood at QAR734.4 million (USD201.6 million), mark-ing a year-on-year increase of QAR32 million (USD8.8 million).
The statistics underscore the Qatari tour-ism and hospitality sector’s continued devel-opment, noted Ahmed Al Nuaimi, chairman, QTA, who attributed these successful results to the country's growing business and sports segments.
4 WEEKLY NEWS
9 JUNE 2012
Sharjah: GCC Roadshow Ends in Qatar Hertz Boosts EV Fleet
UAE Visa for Cruise Tourists
Sharjah ended its GCC roadshow, hosted in association with Air Arabia, on a high note in Qatar, after showcasing its tourism and cultural offerings in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as well.
Over the past three years, the number of Qatari visitors to the emirate has increased 100 percent, noted H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Noman, chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism De-velopment Authority. “Qatar is not just one of the fastest growing tourism markets in the region, it is our biggest and most critical after Saudi Arabia and Oman. Nearly 100,000 Saudi tourists visited Sharjah in 2011, followed by 54,000 from Oman, and 35,000 from Qatar.”
Hertz Corporation, through its partnership with Vauxhall Motors, now offers travellers heading to the UK the option to rent revolutionary electric vehicles (EV) from Hertz On Demand EV car sharing fleet in London.
In support of London’s vi-sion of becoming an electric capital of Europe, Hertz Cor-poration is also committed to help promote Source Lon-don’s EV charging network, as part of the company’s ongo-ing dedication to sustainable motoring, which led to the in-troduction of electric cars and vans across three continents.
Giving a significant boost to the burgeoning cruise tourism indus-try, a multiple entry UAE visa for passengers is likely to be intro-duced by September.
While the current visa process imposes financial burden along with a lot of documentation proce-dures, the multiple entry visas will help remove these obstacles and create a wider marketing perspec-tive, stressed Hamad bin Mejren, executive director, business tour-ism, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). “We have re-emphasised the impor-tance of having implemented a mul-tiple entry UAE visa for the cruise tourists to the highest level and it is underway,” he further commented.
5WEEKLY NEWS
9 JUNE 2012
InterContinental Aqaba Resort Receives Blue Flag
Ascott Attracts Tech-Savvy Guests
The Ascott Limited, CapitaLand’s wholly-owned serviced residence business unit, has launched the mobile versions of its three brand websites, as well as an online chat platform available in five languag-es, further enhancing guest search and reservation experience.
The online and mobile channels enable travel-lers to easily access information or make their reser-vation in The Ascott, Citadines, or Somerset branded properties, anytime, anywhere, explained Tony Soh, chief corporate officer, The Ascott Limited. “The so-phisticated and tech-savvy travellers of today want fast and convenient access to information while on the go. In addition to leveraging social media, As-cott’s mobile-friendly websites and online chat facil-ity will enable us to better reach out to our guests.”
InterContinental Aqaba Resort was once again accoladed the Blue Flag status, a voluntary eco-label awarded to approxi-mately 3,650 beaches and marinas in 46 countries, as it was announced during a ceremony held under the patronage of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority.
Through strict criteria for water quality, environmental educations and information, environmental management and safety, alongside other services, the Blue Flag works towards
sustainable develop-ment of beaches and marinas. Interconti-nental Aqaba Resort, which also has the Green Key, is commit-ted to sustaining prin-ciples for both labels.
InterContinental Aqaba team
Accommodation
6 WEEKLY NEWS
9 JUNE 2012
Accor Eyes Saudi ExpansionAccor, which currently operates 12 hotels in Saudi Arabia representing 3,346 rooms in six different cit-ies under the brands of Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, and Mercure, is to significantly expand its presence in the country.
Both Zamzam Pullman Makkah and Pullman Al Hamra, formerly Sofitel Al Hamra, Jeddah, will undergo extensive renovation. The company also has an ob-jective to operate a network of 15 to 20 ibis hotels in Saudi Arabia, with one in Riyadh expected to open in December, and one in Yanbu in 2013.
Other Accor properties in the development pipeline include ibis Jeddah Malik Road, and Adagio Jeddah Malik Road, both slated for opening in 2014, while Novotel Jizan is due to be launched in 2015. Further-more, the company will also focus on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, where religious tourism is rapidly growing.
Riyadh
Accommodation
Swissôtel Makkah to Open in July Rotana: Five to six Hotels in Qatar
Rotana, which is set to open its second property in Doha by the end of the year, is to significantly expand is Qatari portfolio over the next decade and operate five to six ho-tels ahead of the highly anticipated 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Highlighting the country’s prosperous potential, Selim El Zyr, president, Rotana, said, “More than 140 major projects are currently underway in Qatar as the country focuses its investments on its transportation infrastruc-ture. Billions have been spent upgrading the extensive road networks connecting the coun-try to the rest of the Middle East. In addition, the USD25 billion, 2,200km Qatar National Rail Scheme will link to the six-state GCC Railway network, worth USD30 billion, from 2017.”
Swissôtel Makkah, hailed as the largest hotel in Saudi Ara-bia, is set to welcome its first guests on the first day of Rama-dan in July, marking the hotel group’s primary venture in the Middle East.
Just a few steps from the Grand Mosque, Swissôtel Mak-kah will offer 1,487 deluxe rooms and suites, along with a variety of worldwide culinary experiences and a multifunctional business centre.
“With the most convenient lo-cation in the Holy City of Makkah (Mecca), we anticipate Swissôtel Makkah to be the preferred des-tination not only for pilgrims and Umra performers but also for busi-ness travellers, who will be visiting the Holy City of Makkah,” noted Meinhard Huck, president, Swissô-tel Hotels & Resorts.
Swissôtel Makkah
7WEEKLY NEWSAccommodation
9 JUNE 2012
Hilton to Re-Brand Dubai Property
Dusit Thani Dubai Receives Upgrade
Accor: New Novotel Hotel in Saudi Arabia
Hilton Worldwide is to fur-ther strengthen its presence in the UAE and convert a Dubai property, The Royal Ascot, into a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.
Following the re-branding to DoubleTree by Hilton Bur Dubai in January 2013, the 174-room property will undergo a comprehensive two-year refurbishment and upgrading programme expected to be completed by January 2015.
“I am delighted that to-day’s announcement brings us closer to our goal of estab-lishing five of the company’s brands into the UAE local mar-ket within the next two years,” noted Rudi Jagersbacher, area president, Hilton World-wide, Middle East and Africa. “Dubai’s continued status as a main regional economic hub for the Middle East gives us confidence to launch new brands in the city and provide more options for the growing number of visitors.”
Creative cuisine, inspirational event ideas, and fast efficient MICE services from start to finish, are at the heart of the new global Meet-ings & Events programme launched by Möv-enpick Hotels & Resorts at IMEX in Frankfurt.
Intensive training to streamline every element of the MICE process at Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has already paid major divi-dends with the company achieving a number three ranking among European-branded ho-tels in this year’s German IFH Institute for Hos-
pitality Management’s annual MICE survey. The Meetings & Events programme will
be available across all key MICE properties of the hotel group’s properties, from Accra to Zurich, by the end of the year, with all employees involved in the MICE customer journey taking part in company-wide train-ing, with the aim to provide personalised, intuitive, and efficient services in addition to those working in the meetings, events, and banqueting departments.
Dusit Thani Dubai is soon set to complete refurbishment of its guest rooms, part of a major pro-ject due for completion by the end of September.
The refurbishment will see the hotel rooms take on a mod-ern appearance, creating a wel-coming and relaxed ambience, but still reflecting the hotel’s Thai cultural heritage, as James Wilson, general manager, Dusit Thani Dubai, explained, “Being a Thai hotel brand, it is impor-tant that while we embrace our location and incorporate inter-national design, we remain true to our company DNA. With the Dusit brand expanding interna-tionally we have chosen a design which will put our rooms more in line with international standards while ensuring that there are still strong elements of Thai design throughout the rooms.”
Phase two of the project, focusing on the refurbishment of the hotel’s 147 one- and two-bedroom residences, will start in summer 2013.
Accor and Sheikh Salem Saleh Babgi have signed a management contract to develop a Novotel ho-tel in the city of Jizan, Saudi Arabia, slated to open in 2015.
Located in the southwest of the country, Jizan has established itself as one of the fastest growing provincial cities of Saudi Arabia, and the hotel, which will boast 200
Accor ME signs management contract with Sheikh Salem Saleh Babgi
keys for both leisure and business guests, will be situated on the city’s corniche.
According to Christophe Landais, managing director, Accor Middle East, joining forces with reputable Sheikh Salem Saleh Babgi will cer-tainly contribute to the promotion of Jizan as a key regional destination.
MICE from Accra to Zurich
Zurich
8 WEEKLY NEWS
9 JUNE 2012
Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia Strengthen Ties
Etihad Airways has confirmed that it has acquired a 4.99 percent stake in Virgin Australia Holdings.
This equity investment in Virgin Australia’s do-mestic operations is set to significantly strengthen the 10-year strategic partnership forged by the two carriers back in August 2010 and will enrich the commercial benefits which the alliance already provides for both airlines as well as to increase the benefits to Australian consumers and visitors to the country.
Together, Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia operate 24 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and Australia and passengers have access to a com-bined network of more than 150 destinations.
Meanwhile, Etihad Airways has leased a Virgin Australia Boeing 777-300ER for use on its route be-tween Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur once week.
According to Kevin Knight, chief strategy and planning officer, Etihad Airways, working together with Virgin Australia will help Etihad Airways con-tinue to find new ways to serve its guests and cre-ate value for each of its airlines.
Air News
Emirates to Begin Daily Services to Catalonia
Air Arabia to Offer Services to Salalah
Singapore Airlines to Suspend Flights
As of July 3, Emirates is set to launch daily services to Barcelona.
According to Thierry Antinori, ex-ecutive vice president, passenger sales worldwide, Emirates, the new Barcelona flight is the culmination of a very signifi-cant increase in the airline's services to Spain. “In the space of 48 hours, we will have tripled flights to this market in a clear demonstration of our commitment to Spain,” he commented.
From Barcelona, passengers will be able to fly more conveniently to popular destinations such as Mumbai, Delhi, Sey-chelles, Mauritius, and Manila.
Air Arabia has announced the launch of a new service between Sharjah and Salalah, starting June 28, with the new route set to become the airline’s second destination in Oman.
“Salalah is a popular tourist desti-nation of Oman and we target through our new twice weekly service to devel-op the tourism traffic between Sala-lah, the UAE, and the wider region,” commented Adel Ali, CEO, Air Arabia. “Oman has rapidly established itself as a major tourist destination worldwide and introducing this attractive service is just in time for our customer to ben-efit from while planning their summer get-a-ways,” he concluded.
Singapore Airlines will be sus-pending services to Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Athens, Greece as a result of sustained weak perfor-mances on both routes. The last flights to both cities will depart Singapore on October 26. Despite these suspensions, which are in line with the airline’s policy to match capacity to prevailing market demand, Singapore Air-lines will continue to serve Dubai. In addition, connections to and from Athens are also possible on Star Alliance partner airlines via several of Singapore Airlines’ oth-er European points.
10 WEEKLY NEWS
9 JUNE 2012
International
Swiss Expansion in China
Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh, Re-opens
A Chinese name and logo, a website in Mandarin, a new Shang-hai executive team, three new hotels under development, and a record number of Chinese consumers embracing Swiss products, are paving the way for success in China for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.
In China, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will be known as Rui Xi, which means ‘brings you enjoyment and luck with Swiss quality’.
Additionally, a Mandarin website has been launched for the hotel group to further assist Chinese-speaking guests. Meanwhile, with the aim to steer further expansion in China, a number of changes have taken place within the hotel group’s China-based offices.
Three Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts properties are currently un-der development in the country with two gearing up for opening in 2013, and another to open in 2015.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced that its global powerhouse, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, continues to enhance its portfolio with the re-opening of the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh, following a full multi-million dollar renovation.
Located in the heart of the Scottish capital, the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa now offers fully refurbished guest rooms, freshly reno-vated meeting and event space, and a new restaurant and bar.
Furthermore, the hotel features 269 guest rooms along with facilities includ-ing a newly-installed Shera-ton Club Floor where Club guests can receive exclusive access to the Club Lounge.
The hotel also boasts a new dedicated meetings and events complex offer-ing 14 function rooms, and a six-storey One Spa, one of Europe’s most advanced city spas.
12 WHO'S MOVED
9 JUNE 2012
Jaffar Juma Al Lawati
Genevieve Picard
Claudia Klingbeil
Jaffar Juma Al Lawati has been named country manager for Oman at Oman Air. By optimising the sales rev-enue and seeking ways to promote the airline through various channels, Al Lawati will be responsible for achiev-ing the set targets of the hub station. Since entering the aviation
business as a management trainee with Gulf Air in 1990, Al Lawati has gained vast experi-ence across a broad range of roles in the industry. Prior to his current position he served as country manager for Oman at Etihad Airways. Al Lawati expressed gratitude for the warm welcome he re-ceived to his new role.
Genevieve Picard has been appointed director of cor-porate communications at Jumeirah Group. Prior to joining the company in 2007 as corporate com-munications manager, she worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canada as well as for the University of Ottawa. With over two decades of experience in communica-tions and public relations, she will now be in charge of the company’s international
external communications. In her capacity, she will manage the group’s network of pub-lic relations agencies in the US, Brazil, UK, Germany, and China, as well as agencies ap-pointed for tactical projects in other markets, to ensure close alignment with commercial objectives.
Claudia Klingbeil has been named marketing and com-munications manager at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City. Klingbeil started her career in the tourism and hospital-ity sector in Australia before moving to the UAE to further pursue her passion for mar-keting and public relations.
She spent the last two years in Abu Dhabi, serving as mar-keting manager for a hos-pitality, leisure, and events institution, and having also worked in Sharjah and Dubai’s tourism sector, Kling-beil has extensive market knowledge and experience in the business-to-business marketing field.
Picard will now be in charge of the com-
pany’s international external
communications
13AGENT'S CORNER
9 JUNE 2012
Travelport Teams up with dnataTravelport has announced that it has signed a groundbreaking agreement with dnata, the Mid-dle East’s leading travel man-agement provider, to utilise the industry-leading Travelport Uni-versal application programming interface (API) technology for the first time in the Middle East.
Available in selected coun-tries, Travelport Universal API is a GDS industry first offering the ability to aggregate content and travel related services from multi-ple sources through a single con-nection, leading to greater up-sell and cross-sell opportunities for travel retailers and suppliers.
Headquartered in Dubai and with over 52 years of expe-rience, dnata is the first travel re-tailer in the region to gain access
to Travelport’s Universal API, which provides a single connec-tion to additional air, hotel, and rail content not available on the core GDS. dnata has already begun leveraging Universal API to support its growing portfolio including its recently expanded online business.
As an open platform, Travelport Universal API works side-by-side with existing APIs, allowing dnata to build cus-tomised applications that will enhance its online capabili-ties. The technology will also help them maximise their IT investments by supplement-ing existing content feeds and functionality as they transition to the new content tools and resources.
AGENT'S INSIGHT
NAME: Ryan Powell
POSITION: Sales Director
COMPANY: andBeyond
LOCATION: South Africa
WEB: www.andBeyond.com
Who are you?I have spent 10 years in the tourism industry, in all sectors, in-bound and outbound, with eight and a half years specialising in selling African lodges and products.
What is your favourite thing about working in this industry?Engaging with guests after they have travelled, especially first time visitors. They come with preconceived ideas of Africa and most of the time we exceed their expectations, and you witness them falling in love with the continent. The reason I was drawn to andBeyond, is because of its reputation for exceptional prod-ucts, excellent guides, and a strong ethic of giving back, both in conservation and communities.
When is the best time to visit South Africa?The winter months, between May and September, are best for safaris, as the bush is thinner and the grass is lower, allowing excellent game viewing. The weather is also cool and moderate with less humidity. Guests can get incredible value for money by travelling during this time.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?The one thing on my bucket list is to run through the Andes up to Machu Picchu and spend time in the Amazon jungle.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?andBeyond has 20 years experience and is a leader in luxury sa-fari lodges, as well as a pioneer in conservation and community development. The travel company is renowned for having the most knowledgeable and professional guides/rangers in the industry, and we run three training schools offering extensive training programmes for every ranger. As an experiential travel company, andBeyond is a leader in offering extraordinary guest experiences. By choosing to travel with us, our guests can make a difference.
14 TRAVEL TALK
9 JUNE 2012
St. John Cooper
“This landmark anniversary [celebrating 10 years of operations in Dubai] represents both the success of Dubai and the Big Bus Tours business model. We would like to thank all those who have helped us suc-ceed, including the DTCM, the Roads and Transport Authority and the government of Dubai, all of whom have provided invaluable assistance and support, alongside of course our many agents and all of our customers.
Business develop-ment director, Big Bus Tours.
General manager, Liwa Executive Suites.
“We have had a busy start to the year and have maintained the momentum until now, with lit-tle breathing space. Our continuing success and high occupancy levels are in line with tourism developments in the capital. The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority estimates that we will receive 2.7 million hotel guests this year and appears to be on track to achieve this target.”
trav
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alk
is
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r sp
ace
Amr Hamed
Ashraf Helmy
General Manager, Iberotel Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort.
“Wadi Wurayah is one of the many tourist attrac-tions in Fujairah and we want to preserve its beau-ty and maintain its environment because it is home to hundreds of species of animals and plants. It is very depressing to see that the beauty of the place had been damaged by some people who leave large quantities of waste behind. Wadi Wurayah is a protected area so we decided to launch [the Wadi Wurayah Cleaning Campaign].
TRAVEL TALK is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and
share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, and observations to
16 TRAVEL CHANNELS
9 JUNE 2012
A Great Start for Tourism
According to the UN World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer May 2012, the first results of the year indicate that international tourism continued to show sustained growth amid of challenging economic conditions.
R eleased in Batumi, Georgia, on the occasion of the 54th UNWTO Commission for Europe, the re-port also stated that during the first two months of the year, inter-
national tourist arrivals grew by an estimated 5.7 percent compared to the same period of 2011.
In Europe, results were above expecta-tions with an increase of five percent, boosted by the strong growth in arrivals to Central and Eastern Europe, up eight percent, as well as to
destinations of Northern and Western Europe, both witnessing an increase of six percent.
At the same time, international tour-ism has been particular buoyant in many emerging economy destinations in Eastern Europe, which, according to Taleb Rifai, sec-retary general, UNWTO, have strong tourism potential provided they shape the adequate conditions. Rifai further noted that as a re-sult, arrivals have almost tripled in the past five years from just below a million in 2006 to close to three million in 2011, with inter-
national tourism receipts reaching almost USD1 billion in 2011.
Africa was the fastest-growing region with an increase of over seven percent in in-ternational tourist arrivals, attributed to con-tinued growth in sub-Saharan Africa, with a seven percent increase, and a clear rebound in North Africa witnessing an eight percent increase. Tunisia saw a 53 percent increase in the first quarter of the year while Egypt saw signs of recovery with a 32 percent growth in tourist arrivals during the first three months.
Denmark Welcomes Rising Interest
Positive Signs for Singapore’s Tourism
The Danish statistical office has published the latest numbers on overnight stays in commercial accom-modation, and the figures look good for the Danish tourism industry.
In 2011, the total number of overnights from abroad rose to 21,932,924, equivalent to an increase of 4.6 per-cent over 2010, partially accredited to a significant pick-up in the British market. British tourists spent 528,101 nights in Denmark in 2010, in comparison with 591,570 in 2011, showing an increase of 63,469 nights, up 12
percent.Henrik Kahn, director,
UK & Ireland, VisitDen-mark, commented, “As for the current year, things are looking equally posi-tive with UK clocking up 109,000 overnights stays, an increase of 7.3 percent over the same period in 2011.”
First quarter (Q1) figures from Singapore Tourism Board (STB) show that 14,280 visitors arrived in Singa-pore from the UAE, an increase of more than 18 percent over Q1 of 2011.
During this time, Singapore also saw a 36.3 percent rise in visitors from Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the coun-try witnessed general growth in visitors from the Gulf region over the same period.
According to Mohamed Hafez Marican, area direc-tor, Middle East and Africa, STB, at least a 10 percent jump is expected in the number of Gulf visitors to Sin-gapore this summer season.
The increase in regional visitors to Singapore comes as many new attractions are revealed and existing ones renewed, in addition to the latest hotspots for this year, including many hotel developments such as Marina Bay Sands. Additionally, airlines have begun to meet this increased demand through the introduction of new flights or services, such as Emirates, which now offers 29 flights a week to Singapore, while Qatar Airways flies 14 times a week.
Copenhagen, Denmark
17RENDEZVOUS
9 JUNE 2012
Q & A with Ali M. BallanSafir Heliopolitan Hotel, Beirut, located in prestigious Raouché, has long been welcoming both leisure and corporate guests. Meanwhile, Ali M. Ballan, executive manager, The United Company for Development and Tourism (BALMA), the owner company, touches upon adding focus on the hotel’s maturing MICE segment.
Travel Trade Weekly: How would you sum-marise the past 12 months with regards to performance by Safir Heliopolitan Hotel?
Ali M. Ballan: The hotel performed quite well during 2011 given the political instability in the area. We were able to achieve an average occupancy rate of 65 percent year round by enhancing our customer service in meeting and exceeding all our clients’ needs and con-tinuously investing in our property in order to stay up to date. Our major feeder markets included Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, UAE, Eqypt, and Iraq.
Travel Trade Weekly: Which markets do you target?
Ali M. Ballan: The hotel is positioned in the five-star category of full-service upper-scale lodging. We mainly target the GCC, Levant, and recently European travellers. Lebanon has much to offer to all these markets as does our property.
Travel Trade Weekly: What percentage of your business stems from the corporate and the leisure segments?
Ali M. Ballan: During the high seasons, the majority of our business comes from the lei-sure segment, while during the low seasons, we get a little over half of our bookings from the business segment.
We are proactively working to accommo-date the MICE segment in the market by intro-ducing more venues in our property. To date, we have nine meeting or conference rooms, and we are in the process of introducing a
litical movements in the region have ended im-proving our outlook on the touristic year. Given the high demand on Lebanon as a touristic des-tination and the fairly low supply of rooms, we predict the industry will perform very well.
Furthermore, the opening of Zaitunay Bay, located on the marina in downtown Beirut, with its 17 restaurants on the waterfront, is a wel-come addition to the tourism industry and will most definitely add to the demand on Lebanon as a destination.
Travel Trade Weekly: In your opinion, what kind of accommodation options are travel-lers to Lebanon looking for?
Ali M. Ballan: Lebanon has a wide range of different kinds of accommodation that meet travellers’ needs. Depending on the traveller’s budget, one can enjoy a highly luxurious stay in Lebanon or benefit from many different ‘value for money’ options. This is the beauty of the tourism industry in Lebanon; it can accommo-date any traveller at any budget.
Travel Trade Weekly: What factors do you think make Lebanon a truly unforgettable ‘must-visit’ destination?
Ali M. Ballan: We encourage all travellers, whether they are travelling for leisure or on business, to visit Lebanon and experience the country’s charm.
Lebanon offers sun, sand, ski, food, drink, nightlife, historical sites, great weather, and im-peccable service. Once in Lebanon we would like travellers to consider Safir Heliopolitan Ho-tel, Beirut, their home away from home where they can enjoy a ‘world of hospitality’.
Ali M. Ballan Executive manager, The United Company for Development and Tourism (BALMA)
further four areas through thoughtful use of space and investing in preparing this space to accommodate business meetings, confer-ences, and seminars.
In addition to abundant meeting space, we also have two outlets that can accommo-date a total of over 250 persons at a time with special business menus prepared by our head chef.
We understand that both the leisure and business segments are very important sources of business for us and therefore we continu-ously invest in our property and focus our ef-forts to best accommodate these segments.
Travel Trade Weekly: What are your expec-tations for the remainder of the year?
Ali M. Ballan: We are optimistic on our fore-casts for the coming months. Most of the po-
18 NEWS & EVENTS
9 JUNE 2012
EVENTSInternational Travel Expo (ITE) Hong Kong, June 14 – 17, 2012(www.itehk.com)A travel fair with impressive profiles of international exhibitors, buy-ers, and regional trade visitors.
Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) Beijing, China, June 15 – 17, 2012(www.bitechina.com.cn)A tourism event that showcases destinations, tourism attractions, travel packages, products, and services.
The Americas Meetings & Events Exhibitions (AIBTM)Baltimore, US, June 19 – 21, 2012(www.aibtm.com)A leading exhibition for the meetings and events industry, bringing to-gether professionals from all around the world.
China Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (CIBTM)Beijing, China, September 12 – 14, 2012 (www.cibtm.com)China’s leading meetings, incentives, and business travel show pro-viding the ultimate platform for the world’s top suppliers to the MICE industry.
Africa Hotel Investment ForumNairobi, Kenya, September 25 – 26, 2012(www.africa-conference.com)An event showcasing the potential Kenya and other high-growth destinations across the continent have to offer.
PATA Travel Mart Manila, Philippines, September 25 – 28, 2012(www.pata.org/events/pata-travel-mart-2012)Asia Pacific’s premier travel trade show offering networking and con-tracting opportunities for hundreds of international buyers and sellers.
ITB ASIASingapore, October 3 - 5, 2012(www.itb-asia.com)Where exhibitors of all sectors of the travel-value chain, meet with top international buyers from the MICE, leisure, and corporate travel markets.
Asia Pacific Tourism Destination Investment ConferenceSingapore, October 15 – 17 , 2012(www.tdiasia.questexevents.net)Consisting of an array of networking opportunities, business meetings, and a conference programme, the event will focus on hotel investments and tourism infrastructure developments.
Sharjah Leaves a Positive Impression
IMEX Closes on a High Note
Sharjah has been wowing Saudi and international visi-tors after its debut at the fourth edition of the Riyadh Travel Fair which came to a close on May 18.
More than 700 delegates from 30 countries, repre-senting governments and leaders of the tourism and hospitality industry in the region, and from around the world, took part in the event.
“Sharjah has always enjoyed a special relationship with Saudi Arabia thanks to the strong Arab and Islamic cultural identities and values that both share,” comment-ed H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Noman, chairman, Sharjah Com-merce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA).
Al Noman further pointed out that Sharjah received more than 65,000 Saudi tourists in the first quarter of this year alone. Some 381,625 tourists from the GCC countries visited the emirate during 2011, forming 24 percent of the total number of tourists to the city, with Saudis forming the bulk of visitors from the region at 99,000.
The 10th anniversary edition of IMEX, Frankfurt, the award-winning trade show for the worldwide meetings, incentive travel, and events industry, closed on a strong note on May 24, with Ray Bloom, chairman, IMEX Group, announcing a 21 percent rise in the number of individual buyer appoint-ments with exhibitors during the show.
In total over 64,000 appointments took place between buyers and exhibitors over the three-day trade show, 40,000 of which were made by indi-vidual buyers, the remainder being group appoint-ments.
Bloom also confirmed that just fewer than 4,000 hosted buyers attended the show from an overall total of nearly 9,000 visitors from around the world.
The event also succeeded in delivering its most ambitious education programme to date, with nearly 140 separate seminars, workshops, and short-session campfires taking place, as well as dis-cussions on social media, innovative event design, and sustainable meetings and events.
