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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Majid Al Futtaim Properties have celebrated
the launch of Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel.
04
10
Rotana Debuts in Bahrain
HIA to Operate as of April 1
Majestic Arjaan by Rotana has opened its doors, marking the hotel company’s debut in Bahrain.
Effective April 1, Hamad International Airport (HIA), Qatar’s brand new iconic airport, will begin soft opening operations for 10 passen-ger airlines.
IN THIS ISSUE
Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel Opens
30 MARCH 2013 ISSUE 177
MARKET UPDATE
WEEKLY NEWS
ACCOMMODATION
AIR
INTERNATIONAL
WHO’S MOVED
TRAVEL TALK
AGENT’S CORNER
TRAVEL CHANNELS
RENDEZVOUS
NEWS & EVENTS
02 04081314151617181920
2 MARKET UPDATE
30 MARCH 2013
Riyadh: 7,990 Rooms in the Pipeline
QAIA’s Passenger Traffic Soars
Dubai: DSF Boost Occupancy LevelsHotels in Dubai continued to surpass 2012 performances as tourists flocked to the city for the 18th Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), which took place from January 3 to February 3.
This data, compiled by TRI Hospitality Consulting and illustrated in the latest HotStats survey of full-serviced four- and five-star hotels fur-ther states that the success of the month-long event lifted occupancy levels to 89.6 percent, up 4.2 percentage points, while average room rate (ARR) rose five percent to USD359.39, and RevPAR increased 10.2 percent to USD321.85.
Hotels in Abu Dhabi also benefitted from the overflow demand from DSF, boosting occupancy levels by 10.8 percentage points to 71.7 per-cent. ARR on the other hand dropped 10.7 percent to USD167.77, drag-ging RevPAR down by 5.3 percent to USD113.05.
A mong the markets under re-view, Riyadh reported the larg-est expected supply growth with 7,990 rooms in the pipeline, equivalent to 103.2 percent. In
addition, four other destinations registered
Q ueen Alia International Airport (QAIA) has experienced continued growth in year-to-date passenger volume and aircraft movement (ACM) for January.
Based on figures released by Airport In-ternational Group (AIG) during the month under review the Jordanian airport welcomed 475,069 travellers, a year-on-year increase of 2.6 percent, while ACM rose over three per-cent to 5,269, and cargo traffic grew to 6,931 tonnes, up by a marginal 0.03 tonnes.
“QAIA’s continued traffic growth is a posi-
The Middle East and Africa region’s hotel development pipeline comprises 491 hotels with 120,524 rooms, according to the February STR Global Construction Pipeline Report.
expected room growth of more than 20 per-cent, including Jeddah with 3,798 rooms or 63.6 percent, Muscat with 1,992 rooms or 42 percent, Abu Dhabi with 7,189 rooms or 38 percent, and Dubai with 16,588 rooms or 26.3 percent.
tive indicator of the airport’s expected per-formance this year, and underscores the ne-cessity of the new state-of-the-art terminal in accommodating the projected increase in passenger and flight numbers,” highlighted Kjeld Binger, CEO, AIG.
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MANAGING EDITOR
Mary Kammitsi [email protected]
JOURNALISTS
Stefanie Saghbini Rita Kasziba
Dominique Christou Maria Kazeli
SALES & MARKETING
Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Elena Stylianou
DIRECTORS
Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi
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QAIA’s continued traf-fic growth is a positive indicator of the airport’s expected performance this year
4 MARKET UPDATE
30 MARCH 2013
Effective April 1, Hamad International Airport (HIA), Qatar’s brand new iconic airport, will be-gin soft opening operations for the following 10 passenger airlines: Air Arabia; Air India Express; Biman Bangladesh Airlines; flydubai; Iran Air; Ne-pal Airlines; Pakistan International Airlines; RAK Airways; Syrian Air; and Yemen Airways.
Qatar Airways’ flights will not be affected, and will move its entire operations from the cur-rent Doha International Airport (DIA) to HIA by the end of the year, while the specified remain-ing 10 airlines will no longer have a presence at DIA and will operate exclusively from HIA.
Along with the concourse B opening on April 1, the eastern runway and the uniquely designed air traffic control tower, will also be in operation.
Additionally there will be a shuttle bus be-tween the two airports.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the con-clusion of an agreement with the government of the UAE for the estab-lishment of its Gulf area office in Abu Dhabi, which will come into effect on June 1.
The Abu Dhabi office will report to the association’s MENA regional of-fice in Amman, Jordan, and together they will make available the full range of IATA’s services and member benefits to airlines operating in the region.
This includes managing the local operations of the IATA Industry Settle-ment Systems, the IATA Operational Safety Audit, and delivering leadership as the industry establishes and implements global standards to support the flagship ‘Simplifying the Business’ programme, among other activities.
“This agreement reflects the recognition by the government of the UAE of the importance that aviation plays in driving economic growth and development,” said Tony Tyler, director general, IATA, who signed the agreement with Sheikh Abdullah Mohammad Bin Butti Al Hamed, under-secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE, in the presence of Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, foreign minister, UAE.
HIA to Operate as of April 1 IATA to Open an Area Office in Abu Dhabi
VingCard Elsafe Offers NFC-compatible Mobile Access Solution
Visitor numbers to Dubai increased 9.3 percent in 2012, with the city welcoming more than 10 million travellers over a period of a year for the first time in its history.
Based on the Dubai Department of Tourism & Com-merce Marketing (DTCM)’s figures, hotel guest and cruise passenger numbers reached 10.16 million, while guest nights rose 14 percent to over 37.4 million, and hotel revenues increased 17.9 percent to AED18.82 bil-lion (USD5.12 billion). In response to the growing de-mand, the number of hotel establishments changed from 575 to 599.
The coordinated city-wide destination manage-ment strategy, Dubai’s world-class infrastructure, its location at the crossroads of East and West, and the un-relenting efforts to enhance its already diverse tourism offers have all been key to the continued year-on-year growth, according to H.E. Helal Almarri, director gen-eral, DTCM, who further commented, “The increasing average length of stay and the rising number of hotel apartments is evidence of a growing trend in people and families visiting Dubai for longer periods.”
Dubai: 10 million Visitors for the First Time
The global leader in hospitality security, part of the ASSA ABLOY Group, VingCard Elsafe, has showcased its new in-tegrated solution enabling event staff to use their Xperia T near field communication (NFC)-enabled handsets to ac-cess their hotel rooms during this year's Mobile World Con-gress, which took place on February 25-28 in Barcelona.
Using the Seos application, trial participants checked in at Hotel Porta Fira Santos, using their Sony handset by simply touching it with the NFC-compatible Signature RFID by VingCard electronic door lock reader to access
their hotel room. The Seos ecosystem
consists of integrated elements which support issuing, delivering, and revoking digital keys on NFC-enabled mobile devices that are used to open doors to homes, hotels, offices, universi-ties, hospitals, and com-mercial buildings.
6 WEEKLY NEWS
30 MARCH 2013
The recently launched Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, the dedicated, one-stop-support entity within Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), has partnered with the UAE embassy in Washington, D.C. to roll out a roadshow in a bid to highlight Abu Dhabi’s business tourism offerings to US associations.
The roadshow culminated with an educational lunch-eon in the US capital, which attracted top executives from the associations sector, and enabled participants to discuss a wide range of topics from opportunities for the sector, the safety of groups visiting the region, women’s rights, infra-structure, as well as the existing strong US - UAE ties.
In addition, tourism from the US to the UAE, as well as the huge potential of the US MICE market, were also highlighted during the event, as visitors from the country are among Abu Dhabi’s longest-staying hotel guests, spending an average of 5.5 days.
Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau Conducts US Roadshow
Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) plans to turn Shahama Port into a commercial, leisure, and tourism hub, with the first phase of the project slated for completion in 2014.
ADPC has revealed plans to redevelop the Shahama Port with the addition of new facilities and recreational amenities that both support the community and the ac-tivities in the port. These include slipways, boat lifts, ramps, water and electrical connections for boats, services centres, a marina clubhouse, restaurants and cafés, a shopping and retail complex, and picnic areas, among others.
“We see Shahama Port becoming one of the largest one-stop-shops for all leisure boat users in Abu Dhabi,” said Waleed Al Tamimi, vice president, Project Development, ADPC.
ADPC to Develop New Tourism Hub
Middle Eastern Hoteliers Remain Upbeat
Accommodation owners in the Middle East remain optimistic about the current year, with 71 percent of them expecting profit-ability well above the global average of 68 percent, as TripBarom-eter by TripAdvisor, hailed as the world’s largest accommodation and traveller survey, revealed.
The report, which was based on the responses of more than 35,000 travellers and hoteliers around the world, also shows that in the Middle East 39 percent of accommodation providers are planning to increase rates this year, close to the global average of 40 percent, while African and Middle Eastern consumers are the most likely to grow their travel budget with 76 percent and 75 per-cent respectively versus 49 percent globally.
Reflecting the online channels’ growing importance, respond-ents listed travel review websites, web-based travel agencies, and travel operator websites among the top three sources of informa-tion, and 56 percent of businesses from the Middle East are ex-pected to prioritise social media within their marketing plans.
Shahama Port
8 WEEKLY NEWS
30 MARCH 2013
Tulip Inn Royal Suites Ajman, situated along the Corniche Road, overlooking the sea, aims to further improve its business levels by tapping new markets.
Arun Kumar, group general manager, Tulip Inn Royal Suites Ajman, who described 2012 as a successful year, expects a 20 percent rise in business volumes in the coming months, as the management looks to extend its reach.
“We are planning to focus on the CIS, Russia and the GCC markets. We have a strong feeling that we can bring more tourists from the CIS market this year,” revealed Kumar, adding that in order to reach out to potential customers and further strengthen relations with existing cli-ents, the hotel will have a strong presence in all the major travel exhibitions.
Tulip Inn Royal Suites Ajman to Tap CIS Market
Art comes alive at Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara with the hotel company’s recently-launched Anantara Art Series.
Celebrating the cultural diversity that Abu Dhabi is famous for, each month the work of both local and international artists grace the halls of this urban sanctu-ary’s dedicated art space.
The initiative kicked off on March 14 with a unique photography exhibition from renowned British photog-rapher, David Dunn.
The aptly named collection, ‘Passport Photos’ fea-tures inspiring and creative travel images collected along his journey from around the world, presented on large floating frame canvases and in framed print for-mat. The following months will feature a range of col-lections such as Green Abu Dhabi, ‘A taste of travel’, as well as a workshop for Islamic Pattern Design hosted by Bayt al Qindeel.
“Central to Anantara’s core philosophy and vision is embracing experiences that are indigenous to the regions we call home,” asserted Mortiz Klein, general manager, Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara, who described the initiative as a new and creative way to connect with the cultural face of Abu Dhabi.
Anantara Art Series Launched
Expo Centre Sharjah to Add a HotelHailed as the first established trade fair venue in the UAE and a pioneer in its field, Expo Centre Sharjah, is to further enhance its facilities and services.
“This year, we are building a new car park for 1,500 vehicles, and a mosque that can accommodate over 300 people. We are also planning a hotel with 213 rooms, work for which will start this year,” revealed Saif Al Midfa, director general, Expo Centre Shar-jah, adding that a good example of the quality and prestige of
the events that the venue hosts is the recently held Government Communica-tion Forum 2013, which was attended by over 2,500 delegrates, includ-ing a number of high-profile guests such as Kofi Annan, former secretary general, UN, and national and regional ministers.
Expo Centre Sharjah
Accommodation
10 WEEKLY NEWS Accommodation
30 MARCH 2013
Shurooq to Commence Work on Al Bait Hotel
The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) is planning to start work on the luxurious Al Bait hotel in the ’Heart of Sharjah’ development.
Hailed as the first traditional Emirati five-star hotel in the emirate, the AED100 million (USD27.2 million) pro-ject is set for completion between December 2014 and January 2015, and spreads over 10,000m2, comprising 54 guest rooms with five heritage houses.
According to H.E. Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Shurooq, the development of the property forms part of the authority’s and emirate’s vision to preserve and re-store heritage and historical sites.
Similarly, H.E. Sheika Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, chairperson, Shurooq, expressed her delight in shining the spotlight on Sharjah’s history through what she de-scribed as a luxurious hotel.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Majid Al Futtaim Properties have celebrated the launch of Shera-ton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel.
Directly connected to Dubai’s leading shopping destination, the hotel features 481 rooms, including 94 suites, close to 836m2 of ultra-modern meeting and event space, further to four restaurants, a club lounge, an executive business centre, a fitness centre, and a spa.
With this opening, the hotel company now operates 14 hotels in Dubai, representing the highest concentra-tion of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide properties in any individual city outside New York, and it also marks the 16th Sheraton hotel in the region.
“Our brand portfolio in the region is stronger than ever and globally, we are anticipating record-breaking growth with plans to open our 500th Sheraton hotel by 2015,” explained Hoyt Harper, global brand leader, Sher-aton Hotels & Resorts.
Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel Opens
Majestic Arjaan by Rotana has opened its doors, marking the hotel company’s debut in Bahrain.
Conveniently located on the island of Muharraq, only a few minutes from Manama, the property is Rotana’s 11th hotel under the Arjaan Hotel Apart-ments by Rotana brand and offers 128 suites, fully-equipped meeting rooms, a number of leisure facili-ties, including an outdoor temperature-controlled swimming pool, a fully-fledged fitness centre with steam and sauna rooms, and three food and bever-age venues.
Omer Kaddouri, chief operating officer, Rotana, described the launch of the hotel as a major mile-stone in the company’s strategy to expand further in the Middle East and Africa region. “This is our first property in Bahrain, a fascinating city with an at-tractive liberal lifestyle, a rich history and culture, with a strong demand for luxury hotels that offer world-class hospitality,” he said.
Rotana Debuts in Bahrain
Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel
12 WEEKLY NEWS Accommodation
30 MARCH 2013
Mövenpick Hotel Qassim Col-laborates with Qatar Airways
Emaar Unveils The Address Residence Sky View
Amari Doha Unveils the Breeze Spa
The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh Introduces Chinese Cuisine
Amari Doha has launched the first Breeze Spa in the re-gion, offering guests an extensive array of treatments and massages.
“It is a key milestone for our property to launch the first Breeze Spa in the Middle East, and an additional privilege that Breeze Spa has chosen Amari Doha for its worldwide launch of its signature men’s treatments,” commented Da-mian Ball, general manager, Amari Doha.
To coincide with the opening Amari Doha Breeze Spa has also internationally premiered its first menu of spa treat-ments dedicated exclusively to men, which following the launch in Qatar will be rolled out at Breeze Spa establish-ments across the company's Thai properties later in the year.
A new Asian dining destination has opened in the heart of Ri-yadh, with the official debut of Hong fine dining restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh.
The sixth and latest addition to the hotel’s collection of world-class restaurants, Hong offers a contemporary take on traditional Chinese cuisine, with a menu that celebrates The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh’s commitment to quality and innovation.
Led by Danny Khoo Teng Jin, chef de cuisine and Asian culi-nary specialist, Hong’s menu draws on classic Chinese flavours and ingredients, but gives them a modern twist with artistic presentation and flavour combinations, as Mickael Chevalier, executive assistant manager, food and beverage, The Ritz-Carl-ton, Riyadh, explained. “It is all about delivering an authentic flavour of the Orient […]. Hong elevates Chinese dining to an entirely new level.”
Al Ain Rotana Nears Launch of New Wing
Al Ain Rotana is moving closer to the completion of its expan-sion project which will add a new wing to the five-star hotel.
The soon-to-be-launched Falaj wing will feature 48 cha-lets, a swimming pool, a Zen the spa at Rotana, and various terrace facilities with each building comprising four one-bed-room apartments and eight studios.
Designed to meet the needs of the most discerning guests, the new wing is set to complement the property’s existing rooms, suites, poolside chalets, and villas.
According to Ayman Gharib, general manager, Al Ain Ro-tana, the project has been designed to accommodate a mix of guests, and precisely meet their needs.
”Al Ain Rotana expansion will not only strengthen the proper-ty’s leading role in Al Ain but will also uplift Al Ain as a destination that is ideal for MICE, leisure, and corporate business,” he added.
Breeze SpaEmaar Properties has further strengthened its portfolio of premium hotels, residences, and serviced apartments in Downtown Dubai with the launch of The Address Resi-dence Sky View, the latest addition to The Address Hotel + Resorts’ network.
The striking 50-storey hotel, residence, and serviced apartment twin-tower complex, atop a grand podium, features a Sky Bridge, spanning the entire establishment, which boasts a signature restaurant, ballroom, infinity pool, and amenity deck, which offers 360-degree vistas of the destination.
The property will also serve as a business hotel of ap-proximately 180 keys, and 532 fully-furnished serviced apartments, appealing to visitors to the neighbouring Emaar Square and Dubai International Financial Centre.
According to Mohamed Alabbar, chairman, Emaar Properties, the project builds on the growth of the proper-ty market and tourism sectors of Dubai, offering investors a premium choice of home in the most prestigious km2 on Earth, and will become a referral point for all future pro-jects from design and architecture to its host of services.
After recording online traffic from more than 75 coun-tries, the developer closed online registration for the pro-ject in less than an hour.
13WEEKLY NEWSAir
30 MARCH 2013
flydubai has announced that it will double its network in Russia with the launch of flights to Mineralnye Vody, on April 16, followed by Rostov-on-Don and Volgograd on September 13, and Krasnod-ar on September 20.
Meanwhile, the route map in Ukraine will also expand to add capacity to the capital, Kiev, on September 15, to which the car-rier will fly double daily, while it will introduce direct services from Dubai to Odessa, on the same day. Direct services will also be launched between Dubai and Dnepropetrovsk on September 18.
flydubai to Increase Russia and Ukraine Services
Royal Jet has officially launched its bespoke travel division Royal Jet Luxury Vacations (RJLV) on Seychelles at an event attended by travel experts, top travel-media representatives, and VIP guests.
The division is a new partnership with one of the UK’s largest independent luxury travel providers, Eden Luxury Group, which has developed a portfolio of travel experience with the vacation pro-gramme, that is in tune with the market, this according to Paul Bea-call, managing director, Eden Luxury Group, who praised Royal Jet’s strong brand presence in the region and across the globe.
Shane O’Hare, president, Royal Jet, expressed confidence for the company’s partnership with Eden Luxury Group, and de-scribed these vacation offerings as a solution for today’s high-end travellers who demand comfort, intuitive personalised service, and unparalleled expertise.
Turkish Airlines is to add Aqaba to its fast-expanding network, starting April 3, with three weekly flights.
Turkish Airlines’ expansion comes after closing 2012 with a sales revenue increase of 26 percent, and an operating profit im-provement of 192 percent, with net profit surging from TRY19 million (USD10.46 million) in 2011, to TRY1.133 billion (USD624 million) in 2012, as passenger numbers for the full year of 2012 jumped 20 percent to 39 million.
Building on the success of the direct services from Alexandria, Assiut, and Sohag to Jeddah and Kuwait, Air Cairo now operates direct flights from Alexandria and Assiut to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which launched on March 25.
Yasser El Ramly, CEO, Air Cairo, commented, “We have an ambitious plan to expand and develop the network, and will continue to provide new destina-tions and increase frequencies in order to provide more options to our customers in all Egyptian gover-norates, as well as prices to suit everyone.
“With the operation to Riyadh we will have 45 scheduled weekly flights. This expansion of the net-work in the Middle East comes under the strategy of the Ministry of Aviation to grow investments and provide more services for residents of Egyptian gov-ernorates located far from Cairo.”
Royal Jet Launches Luxury Travel Company
Turkish Airlines to Offer Flights to Aqaba
Air Cairo Introduces New Flights to Riyadh
14 WEEKLY NEWS International
30 MARCH 2013
Best Western International (BWI) recently an-nounced the launch of a luxury island property on Hon Tam island near the town of Nha Trang, Vietnam.
BEST WESTERN PREMIER Hon Tam Resort & Resi-dences offers 49 bungalows, ranging from 52m2 de-luxe bungalows, to 64m2 family suite bungalows, all designed in a traditional Vietnamese architectural style and all boasting balconies.
Amongst its luxury amenities are flat screen TVs, complimentary Wi-Fi, large bathrooms with bathtubs and separate showers, while its facilities include a fitness centre, sauna, steam room, game room, and karaoke room, to mention a few.
“Vietnam is one of Asia’s hottest new destina-tions and the Nha Trang coast is now drawing large numbers of domestic and international visitors,” said Glenn de Souza, vice president, international operations, Asia and Middle East, BWI.
One to One Hotels has added another property to its growing portfolio after signing a management agreement with Sunset Hill Boutique Resort in Thailand.
Situated on Koh Phangan, the first boutique apartment hotel on this fast developing tropical island boasts spacious suites, stu-dios, and two- and three-bedroom apartments. Located on a hill, the resort offers a home away from home for couples as well as families who can participate in a host of activities while maintain-ing a healthy lifestyle with the help of certified health coaches and a healthy menu.
Besides various water sports, guest can also enjoy yoga cours-es and massage treatments, as well as Muay Thai training and events, beauty treatments, scooter and speedboat tours, fishing trips, safaris, hiking, elephant riding, or visit a monkey farm or a snake show.
After enjoying the infinity pool or the Jacuzzi, guests can learn more about wellbeing at the resort’s workshops and self develop-ment courses.
BWI Adds Luxury Resort to Vietnam
One to One Hotels Takes Over Thai Property
15WHO'S MOVED
Bourdon brings more than 33 years of experience to
the role
Clark has been appointed hotel manager at Mina
A’Salam Hotel at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
Andreas Bourdon
Chris Fourment
Gisele Clark
Andreas Bourdon has been appointed pre-opening gen-eral manager of Steigenberger Aqua Magic in Egypt. Having worked in 15 countries all over the world, Bourdon brings more than 33 years of experience to the role, eight of which he spent in various as-signments in Egypt. Apart from his extensive exper-
tise, Bourdon also has substan-tial pre-opening experience, having worked for a number of internationally renowned hotel groups, including The Leading Hotels of the World, as well as Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Chris Fourment has become the hotel manager of TIME Grand Plaza Hotel, Dubai. Fourment, who has several years of marketing and operational experience under his belt, joins TI’ME Hotels Management from Accor. During his years with the hotel company, Fourment held general manager roles in both the Czech Republic and the UK,
gaining extensive international experience. In his new capacity, he will over-see the hotel operations and work closely with the sales, and marketing, and corporate team to drive rooms business and strategic marketing activity as the group gains momentum and follows through with ambi-tious goals.
Gisele Clark has been ap-pointed hotel manager at Mina A’Salam Hotel at Madi-nat Jumeirah, Dubai. Prior to joining Jumeirah Group in 2010, Clark served a number of well-known groups such as Firmdale Hotels and Thistle Ho-tels in London, further to Swiss Grand Resort & Spa in Australia and Marriott International. Clark, whose career spans over 22 years across eight countries, spent the past three years as general manager of operations support, providing key support
to the group’s properties in the Maldives, Azerbaijan, and Istan-bul during their pre-opening phase, as well as to new open-ings worldwide. In her role as interim general manager at Jumeirah Maldives in 2012, she inspired the teams to deliver the company’s hall-marks, and developed cultur-ally connected experiences.
30 MARCH 2013
16 TRAVEL TALK
30 MARCH 2013
H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori
Tassos Diavatis
Managing director, Net Tours and Travels.
“ADAC is thrilled to be named ‘the Best Airport in the Middle East’ from the industry-leading Airport Coun-cil International. It is an honour to have achieved this ranking through the opinions of millions of visitors to Abu Dhabi International Airport, as their testaments to the quality of service is an accolade that ADAC has been striving to achieve. […] [This] comes as a result of the team’s relentless com-mitment to achieve excellence in quality service.”
“Conventions and corporate meetings are on the rise as the pace which international business accelerates. Attracting such major events requires marketing to meeting and convention planners, as well as to major trade fair organisers. There is a tremendous oppor-tunity for developing and transition economies to attract meeting and convention traffic through the promotion of [...] locations, high-quality services, and cost-effective options.”
Chairman, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC).
General manager, Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman.
“We are experiencing a very good occupancy at Ramada Beach Ajman. […] Ramada Ajman also won the charity award of Wyndham in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region and [was] nomi-nated as best Green Hotel in the region. This year we are going to donate AED100,000 (USD27,226) charity for African children to provide them safe water, and we are going to host a painting com-petition among all the Northern Emirates schools.”
Wayne Pearce
CEO, Oman Air.
“We are delighted to be offering this addition-al freighter capacity to our cargo customers around Oman Air’s network [after signing an exclusive block space agreement with DHL for utilising DHL’s capacity in both directions of its operation between Muscat and Dubai]. Moreo-ver, our new partnership with DHL is adding further synergies for both organisations and the ultimate winner will be our customers.”
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
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Iftikhar Hamdani
17AGENT'S CORNER
30 MARCH 2013
AGENT’S INSIGHTAl Bustan Centre & Residence Promoting Dubai to Indian Market
Al Bustan Centre & Residence, Dubai, recently organised a famil-iarisation tour for Air Arabia gen-eral sales agent (GSA) managers from 14 major cities of India.
The group of managers, who were in the emirate at-tending the annual meeting of GSA Air Arabia in order to position Dubai in the Indian market as a year-round desti-nation, came from Delhi, Mum-bai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Goa, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Calicut, Kochi, Trivandrum, and Pune. They were brought to Dubai by White Sands, the local destina-tion management company of
Air Arabia which plays a major role in promoting Dubai to the Indian market.
Moussa El Hayek, chief op-erating officer, Al Bustan Centre & Residence, said, “A large seg-ment of Indian visitors utilise hotels and hotel apartments in the emirate making India the top source market. We hope this familiarisation tour gave them first-hand experience of the ex-tensive services and facilities we offer thus helping them in promoting Al Bustan Centre and Residence to their customers. It is our pleasure to host them and look forward to more visitors from their country.”
Who are you?I am the marketing manager of al rais travel and the GSA's we rep-resent. I also head the department’s activities of al rais travel & ship-ping agencies; a well-organised and established company in the UAE for almost four decades, which also includes cargo and car rent-als. I have been with al rais for the past few years and have seen it evolve according to the market changes, and be a leader at all times.
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?I love the travel industry. There is always something happening and I am fortunate to be a part of this trade. I am a people-loving person so being in this industry always gives me the opportu-nity to meet with new people across the world. Travelling is my passion and the travel industry gives me lots of opportunities to explore the world.
When is the best time to visit Dubai?Dubai has become a round-the-year city to visit. October to March, the weather is pleasant with lots of activities happening, such as shopping festivals, sports events, and much more. For beach-go-ers, I suggest April to June when it is warm, though not too hot, and where they can enjoy the sun and beaches. Let me reinstate that all year there is something for Dubai to offer all visitors.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?I would like to visit Brazil especially during the carnival. It is a lovely country, with lovely people and beaches.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?al rais travel is a pioneer in this part of the world. Our vision is to continue to be known as a preeminent service-orientated travel management company, which puts the customer first and cares about people. Our professional consultants will strive to exceed expectation of every corporate client and individual traveller, providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
NAME: Rajesh Krishnan
POSITION: Marketing manager
COMPANY: al rais travel
LOCATION: Dubai
WEB: www.alrais.com
Wayne Pearce
Iftikhar Hamdani
18 TRAVEL CHANNELS
30 MARCH 2013
GCC to Invest in Airport Technology
As they brace themselves to take on the world competition by strongly emerging as the new global travel hubs, the six GCC states are investing
millions of dollars in airports technology and system upgrades.
W ith Middle East airports expected to be handling nearly 400 million passen-gers per year by 2020, constant development and upgrades to the security system are needed to deliver a better travellers experience, as Mohammed Ahli, director general, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), explained.
“Safety of passengers, freight, and infrastructure security is not, and should not be, of a transit nature, but a constantly evolving requirement. The authorities face the challenges of adopting effective safety measures whilst limiting the inconvenience to the passengers. An airport is always judged by its security and service standards. It is crucial to adopt innovative technology, improve security, and streamline efficiencies [...],” he stressed.
A report by Frost & Sullivan shows that USD86 billion will be spent by Middle East airports in expansion plans until the year 2025, and as a result, spending on regional aviation security is expected to increase sharply.
Tourism Ireland’s Focus on the GCC
Positive Number of Overseas Golf Rounds Played
Tourism Ireland has launched a UAE sales mission to boost visitor numbers to Ireland, as part of its continued focus on the GCC.
The mission is providing Irish com-panies with a chance to meet with more than 60 agents from across the UAE and will focus on promoting Ireland’s two major tourism campaigns for this year, namely The Gathering Ireland 2013 and Derry-Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013.
It will also highlight the country’s continually popular golf and luxury products, as well as opportunities to learn English as a foreign language.
New figures released by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Cul-ture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) show the emirate’s trio of championship-ready golf courses, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, and Yas Links, recorded 94.5 percent growth in the number of over-seas rounds played in 2012 compared to 2011.
The authority partially attributes the huge surge in overseas bookings to the runaway success of ‘Golf in Abu Dhabi’, an umbrella marketing, communica-tions, product packaging and distribution platform designed to increase the emirate’s penetration of the lucrative golf tourism segment.
Some 13,171 overseas rounds were played at Abu Dhabi’s triumvirate of world-class in 2012, a near two-fold increase on the 6,769 overseas rounds tallied at the same facilities in 2011. The number of overseas rounds played reached 5,664, or 43 per-cent of the total number played in 2012, which were booked via international tour operators, with 5,795, or 44 percent, coming through hotel reservations, and the remaining 1,712, 13 percent, generated through ‘walk-ins’.
Saeed Al DashtiChief information officer, Jumeirah Group
19RENDEZVOUS
30 MARCH 2013
Q & A with Saeed Al DashtiAdvancing technology and new media are inevitably shaping the hospitality segment’s future, and here, Saeed Al Dashti, chief information officer, Jumeirah Group, explains what role the industry’s suppliers play in all of this.
Travel Trade Weekly: Which are the main cri-teria for choosing a technology service sup-plier and which for a product supplier?
Saeed Al Dashti: Jumeirah Group has a thor-ough selection process for our technology partners. When we go out for tender, we usually look for a combination of technical, functional, and commercial aspects. It is also important that we do business with companies that are like-minded and are willing to invest in a mutu-ally beneficial partnership. We value innovation, team work, and integrity.
Travel Trade Weekly: How important is sus-tainability and energy saving for the group and its guests and how does this reflect in your collaboration with specific suppliers?
Saeed Al Dashti: Helping Jumeirah’s guests to reduce their carbon footprint is important to us and we want to do this in a way that does not compromise the luxury experience that we are known for. We implement sophisticated energy management systems in our hotel rooms. Those systems use a combination of interfaces and sensors to determine the occupancy status in the room, and to adjust lights, air condition, and heating accordingly. This is seamless to the guest and results in significant environmental savings.
Another initiative is our STAY DIFFERENT app, which we started to roll out in 2012. The app can be downloaded on a guest’s device and gives instant access to any information an in-house guest might need. Services on the app include restaurant and spa information and bookings, room service orders, access to our loyalty programme and magazine, housekeep-ing requests, and a lot more. With the app we
been very positive, both in terms of the reliability of the Wi-Fi service and the fact that it is offered as a complimentary part of the service at all Jumei-rah Group hotels internationally.
Travel Trade Weekly: How important is the use of online software technology, either booking engines or revenue management systems, for the hotel industry, when referring to it to pre-dict or increase occupancy and profitability?
Saeed Al Dashti: Revenue management is ex-tremely important to our industry and we put a lot of effort in systems that help us to reach our customers and optimise our revenue. We are about to go live with a fully revamped version of our company website, jumeirah.com.
Our customers have been engaged throughout the redevelopment process and the result is an extremely user-friendly book-ing experience. We also launched a best price guarantee programme, which means that the best available rates for our hotel rooms are always available across all platforms a guest might use to make a booking.
Travel Trade Weekly: What should service pro-viders and suppliers do to serve the Middle East hospitality industry more effectively?
Saeed Al Dashti: The vendors that have been successful in this region have always been the ones that were willing to make an investment. It is important that vendors have a local presence and understand the specifics of our market, our culture, and language. We are looking for long-term strategic partners and we encourage inter-national players to establish themselves here and work with us to achieve our vision for the region.
need less paper-based collateral in the rooms and we can update information on the fly.
Travel Trade Weekly: To what extent are the Internet, communications, and in-room entertainment an integral of the hotels’ offerings, how is this achieved through your service providers, and what is your guests’ feedback?
Saeed Al Dashti: Wi-Fi is one of the most im-portant guest amenities for both business and leisure travellers. Guests need to be able to stay in touch or use their digital services anytime and from anywhere, and we therefore offer 100 percent wireless coverage in our hotels, even on the beaches. Part of our STAY DIFFERENT prom-ise is to be thoughtful and generous and that is why we have decided to provide high qual-ity wireless Internet access at no extra charge to our guests. The response from our guests has
20 NEWS & EVENTS
30 MARCH 2013
EVENTS
Saudi Travel & Tourism Investment Market (STTIM)Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 31 – April 4, 2013(www.sttim.com.sa)This event covers all travel and tourism investments aspects in the Kingdom through a combined conference and exhibition.
International Destination Expo (IDE)Dubai, UAE, April 4 – 7, 2013(www.asta.org/events)A destination training programme where participants can meet local suppliers and build profitable long-lasting relationships.
World Travel Market Latin America (WTM Latin America)São Paulo, Brazil, April 23 – 25, 2013(www.wtmlatinamerica.com)A leading global event which brings the world to Latin America and promotes Latin America to the world.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM)Dubai, UAE, May 6 – 9, 2013(www.arabiantravelmarket.com)The travel and tourism event unlocking business potential within the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals.
IMEX 2013Frankfurt, Germany, May 21 – 23, 2013(www.imex-frankfurt.com)A show that innovates, inspires and presents new opportunities for the global meetings industry.
International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTM Asia)Shanghai, China, June 3 – 6, 2013(www.iltm.net/asia)A leading ‘by invitation only’ event for the luxury travel community of the Asia Pacific, presenting the world’s most sought after collection of luxury experiences.
The Americas Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (AIBTM)Chicago, US, June 11 – 13, 2013(www.aibtm.com)A three-day event focusing on the Americas’ meetings and events sec-tor, where no time is wasted and where deals get done.
Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE)Beijing, China, June 21 – 23, 2013(www.bitechina.com)One of Asia’s leading travel and tourism events, which will showcase a range of destinations, tourism attractions, travel packages, and services.
ITB Berlin 2013 Closed on a High-note
Sharjah: More than 300,000 Russian Visitors
ITB Berlin 2013 welcomed 10,086 exhibitors from 188 countries who gathered to showcase and present their products and services to over 110,000 visitors during the five-day event.
Overall, some 43 percent of the total visitation figures hailed from abroad with an increase in buyers originiating from the US and Middle East.
In addition, a total of 21,000 people took part in the 200 lectures, discussions, and workshops, 25 percent more than in 2012, and social media and mobile travel services proved to be major visitor attractions.
“Once again, ITB Berlin has kicked off the travel season around the globe. No other place in the world gathers so many leading representatives from the private and public sector. This is where the tone is set for the future of travel for a billion people. The increase in international buyers is proof that ITB Berlin continues to be the most important marketplace for the global travel industry,“ commented Christian Göke, chief operating officer, Messe Berlin.
Sharjah has experienced a sharp surge in arrivals from Russia in recent years with visitor numbers in 2012 reaching 304,978 tour-ists, marking a 47 percent increase over 2011 figures, H.E. Mo-hamed Ali Al Noman, chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), revealed.
Describing the recent 20th Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (MITT 2013) as one of the key items on SCT-DA’s itinerary for the current year, aimed at boosting the emirate’s presence in global tourism markets especially the Russian seg-ment, Al Noman noted that Sharjah’s emphasis on culture and heritage, its natural landscape, moderate climate, and endless leisure options make it an ideal destination for Russian tourists, who contributed to a significant 18 percent of the emirate’s total number of tourists during the year 2012.
As Al Noman further highlighted, Sharjah occupies a promi-nent place on the list of favourite tourist destinations for Russian tourists, also because of its busy calendar of global festivals and cultural events and plenty of opportunities for shopping and lei-sure throughout the year.
