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Middle East and North Africa Edition

APRIL 24, 2010 ISSUE 24 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

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BAHRAIN BOOSTCavotec Middle East has signed a EUR30million (USD40.33 million) contractwith Bahrain Airport Company tooverhaul ground support equipment atBahrain International Airport.

The first Citymax hotel is scheduled toopen in Al Barsha, Dubai on May 3,marking retail conglomerate LandmarkGroup’s entrance into the hotel industry.

In This Issue

VolcanoCOSTS 8

CITYMAX OPENS

While limited flights have resumed to and from Europe,airlines are still adding up the losses accumulated in thewake of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in Iceland.

Emirates Airline estimates that it lost USD10 millionper day during the no-fly period, while other industry

figures have claimed the eruption was more financiallydamaging than the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

2

APRIL 24, 20102

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.53Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.70Syria (SYP) Pound 46Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.28Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.39Morocco (MAD) Dirham 8.32Iran (IRR) Riyal 10055Yemen (YER) Rial 206.27Algeria (DZD) Dinar 72.83Libya (LID) Dinar 1.27

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 21/4/2010Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

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Accor SA’s board of directors hasapproved the asset contribution-demerger agreement that will split thegroup’s hotels and services businesses.Under the agreement, Accor SA willcontribute all of its services businessassets a group – owned holdingcompany that will announce its newname in early June.Delivery of shares for the newcompany will coincide with

payment of the fiscal 2009 Accor SAdividend in cash on July 2; theshares will simultaneously begintrading on the NYSE Euronext Parisstock exchange.The terms and conditions of thedemerger process will be submitted toshareholders for approval on June 29. Accor posted its first quarter results onApril 20; revenue was up 3.1 percent asreported and 0.6 percent like-for-like.

Cavotec Inks USD40 million Dealwith Bahrain Airport CompanyEngineering company Cavotec Middle East has signed a EUR30 million(USD40.33 million) collaboration contact with Bahrain Airport Company (BAC).

U nder the agreement,Cavotec and BAC willdevelop and integrate arange of ground supportequipment for Bahrain

International Airport; the project is expected tobe completed in February 2011. Juergen Strommer, managing director atCavotec Middle East, said the project would beone of the largest that Cavotec had undertakenin its 40-year history.“To be able to contribute to Bahrain Airport’sUSD4.7 billion expansion is a monumentalachievement for our company,” he said.

“This is the first time that we are delivering anend-to-end solution of such magnitude in theregion and we hope to give it our signature ofdedication to cutting edge technology andenvironmental responsibility.”Osama Al Ali, CEO of BAC, said that thedevelopment would allow the company toacheive a higher level of efficiency and furtherstreamline operations at Bahrain InternationalAirport.“The agreement is a demonstration of ourcommitment to strengthening the kingdom’spioneering position in the aviation industry,”he said.

Accor Demerger Terms Approved by Board of Directors

(L-R) Lim Ser Hian, BAC advisor; Juergen Strommer, Cavotec Middle East managing director;Osama Al Ali, BAC CEO; Ottonel Popesco, Cavotec Group CEO; Abdullah Janahi, BAC head ofengineering and maintenance; and Ulrich Moritz, Cavotec project director

3APRIL 24, 2010

Corniche El Nil, P.O. Box: 60, 11511 Cairo, Egypt. Tel: +20(2) 2795-7171 Fax: +20(2) 2796-3020e-mail: administration@semiramisinterconti.comor visit www.intercontinental.com

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RAISING THE STANDARDS...

C A I RO

S E M I R A M I S

Abu Dhabi to HostFrench Travel AgentConventionAbu Dhabi will host the annualconvention of the Paris division of theNational Union of French TravelAgents in May. The convention will draw 180influential French travel professionalsto the emirate, according to AhmedHussein, deputy director general ofAbu Dhabi Tourism Authority(ADTA).“This is an excellent opportunity todemonstrate, first hand, Abu Dhabi’sexpanding and highly diverse tourismproposition,” he said.Delegates include 100 agencydirectors, the presidents of six travelretail agency networks and severalFrench travel trade mediarepresentatives. The convention will be held at Qasr AlSarab Desert Resort by Anantara andwill include excursions to attractionssuch as Yas Island and Saadiyat Island.“We hope the experience translates infurther recommendations from whichwe can build on the improving hotelguest stays being recorded by Frenchnationals,” said Hussein.

Sharjah Launches Tourism Excellence Award

T he annual award will begiven to the tourismestablishment that bestapplies internationalprinciples and

standards on par with the capabilties ofthe tourism sector in Sharjah.Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qassimi,

chairman of SCTDA, said the awardwould ultimately raise the bar for Sharjah’stourism industry.“The Sharjah Tourism Excellence Awardaims to encourage all tourismestablishments to follow internationalstandards, to contribute to the developmentof the tourism sector in Sharjah, and to

spread leadership standards that could helpestablishments and authorities in theSharjah business community to evaluatetheir performance,” he said.The award will cover various categories,including hotels, hotel apartments, touroperators, travel agencies, airlines,shopping facilities and SCTDA partners.

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) will launch its new award for the tourismindustry on April 28.

APRIL 24, 20104

ACCOMMODATION NEWS

The Al Barsha property is thefirst of three Citymax brandedproperties expected to openin the UAE before the end of2010; the two following

hotels will be located in Bur Dubai and Sharjah. Michael Weyland, general manager of CitymaxHotels, said the properties would target the mid-market section, appealing to both business andleisure travellers. “The luxury end of the hospitality industry issaturated in Dubai, but the options for topquality, yet affordable mid-market hotels arelimited,” said Weyland.“Due to the economic downturn, mid-market hotels are gaining increasing

importance and popularity.“We strongly believe Citymax Hotels is wellpositioned to offer a more cost-effective option,without compromising on comfort andcustomer satisfaction.”Citymax Hotel in Al Barsha will feature 378rooms, as well as a lounge bar, all day buffetrestaurant, music bar and grill and a 24 hourcoffee shop with convenience store.Landmark Group currently operates HomeCentre, Babyshop, Splash, Emax andCentrepoint. The group, which is overseen by chairmanMicky Jagtiani, has announced a USD150million expansion plan to be rolled out over thenext three years.

Citymax Opening Launches Landmark Group into Hotel IndustryThe first Citymax hotel is scheduled to open in Dubai on May 3, marking retail conglomerate LandmarkGroup’s entrance into the hotel industry.

Louis Vuitton Plans Hotels in Egypt, OmanLVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the French luxurygoods retailer, has unveiled plans to develop two exclusivehotels in Egypt and Oman. The projects, costing a combined USD100 million, will bedeveloped in collaboration with Orascom Hotels andDevelopment.Early reports state that the Maison Cheval Blanc property inOman will feature 32 private villas, while the Egyptdevelopment will feature 40 suites overlooking the Nile Riverin Aswan. The hotels are expected to open in 2012.

Micky Jagtiani

Armani Hotel Dubai Delayed The upcoming Armani Hotel, located in Dubai’s BurjKhalifa building, has been delayed for the second time. The latest delay has been attributed to the volcanic eruptionin Iceland, which prevented many of the hotel’s expectedguests from travelling to Dubai. Armani Hotel Dubai was originally scheduled to open onMarch 18, but was initially delayed until April 21. It is now expected to open on April 27. The 160 room hotel has been developed as a collaborativeproject between Giorgio Armani and Emaar Properties.

5APRIL 24, 2010

ACCOMMODATION NEWSStarwood Sends Second St Regis Property into Abu Dhabi

Emirates Springs Opens Executive Suites in Fujairah

Emirates Springs Hotel Apartmentshas unveiled its new executive floor,following a year of renovations. The Fujairah property is targeting Gulffamilies, as well as expats andinternational tourists, with its newoffering. The executive floor features one andtwo bedroom suites, with living rooms,dining areas and separate kitchens. The property has also renovated itstemperature controlled rooftopswimming pool area in time for thesummer holiday period.

Emirates SpringsHotel Apartments

A second St Regis hotel has been announcedfor Abu Dhabi, expanding Starwood Hotels’development pipeline in the Gulf.To be owned by International Capital Trading(ICT), St Regis Abu Dhabi will be located onthe waterfront in downtown Abu Dhabi as partof the Nation Towers mixed-use development. The hotel will feature 281 guest rooms; it willbecome Starwood’s fifth St Regis project underdevelopment in the Middle East. St Regis Abu Dhabi

APRIL 24, 20106

AIR TRAVEL NEWS

Volcano Costs Emirates10 Million Per Day

The new route will mark theairline’s third UAE destination,with services already operatingout of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.Peter Hill, CEO of Oman Air,

explained that RAK was a growing leisuredestination with strong demand. “Oman Air’s foray into this new destination issure to open a new market both for inbound and

outbound travellers,” he said.“Currently, Oman Air flies to 32 destinations,with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia joining thenetwork from May 1.“Going forward, Oman Air will commenceflights to Al Ain, Lahore, Islamabad, Dar EsSalaam and Kathmandu.”Hill added that Milan would also join OmanAir’s network in the airline’s winter schedule.

Oman Air to Launch RAK - Muscat Services in MayOman’s national carrier, Oman Air, will begin flights between Muscat and Ras Al Khaimah on May 2.

Travel bans to European destinationscaused by the volcanic eruption ofIceland’s Eyjafjallajökull glacier costEmirates approximately 10 million inrevenue per day, according to TimClark, president of the airline.Clark revealed that Emirates was losingrevenue from 18,000 passengers per dayacross the no-fly zone, and that morethan 80,000 customers of the airlinehad been affected by the situation.“The scale of this crisis is unlikeanything I have experienced in mycareer,” he said.“Like every carrier operating to Europe,Emirates is facing huge losses.”Compounding revenue losses, Emiratesalso faces care expenses for around6,000 passengers who becamestranded by the event – costsamounting to approximately USD1million per day.Emirates Group was further impactedby the volcano, with John Felix, seniorvice president of Emirates Holidaysstranded in Hamburg, Germany, by thetravel ban.Speaking remotely, Felix emphasisedthat Emirates would strive to assist anypassengers affected by the eruption.“For those customers due to travel to

Europe, all cancellation fees will bewaived while the disruption isongoing,” he said.

Peter Hill

APRIL 24, 20108

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Volcano Worse Than 9/11, Say Airline ExecutivesThe eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano has had a greater impact on aviation businesses than the terroristattacks of September 11, 2001, prominent figures of the international airline industry have said.

Asia Pacific hotel group Shangri-LaHotels and Resorts has signed anagreement with Tanriverdi HoldingCompany to launch the Shangri-La brandin Istanbul, Turkey.The upcoming hotel, which will be built onthe site of a former 1930s tobacco factory

and warehouse, is expected to open inApril 2012.The hotel will feature 14 storeys, seven ofwhich will be built underground to protectthe building’s original exterior facade. Recep Tanriverdi, chairman of TanriverdiHolding Company, said he expected

strong demand for the new property.“The travel and tourism industry continuesto grow in Turkey and with our passion forthe hotel business, alongside Shangri-La’scommitment to excellence, we hope tocontribute to that growth by creating thebest hotel in the region,” he said.

Giovanni Bisignanni, CEOof International AirTransport Association(IATA), and WillieWalsh, CEO of British

Airways, have both made the claim, and thelatter has demanded compensation from theEuropean Commission for the cost of flightrestrictions.“European airlines have asked the EU andnational governments for financialcompensation for the closure of airspace,”Walsh said.“There is a precedent for this to happen ascompensation was paid after the closure ofUS airspace following the terrorist events of9/11 and clearly the impact of the currentsituation is more considerable.”IATA estimated combined revenue losses forairlines came to approximately USD200million per day of the total flight ban, withBA alone claiming daily losses of betweenGBP15 million and GBP21 million(USD23.1 million to USD31 million).Revenue losses were exacerbated by theEuropean Commission’s requirement forairlines to accommodate certain mandatorypassenger rights.According to the World TourismOrganisation (UNWTO), these rightsinclude: the right to current information ontheir rights, cancellations and the

development of the situation; the right tocare (food and accommodation); and theright to choose reimbursement of costs as analternative to postponed travel.Bisignanni said the blanket approach to bansby the European Commission was to blamefor massive losses, slamming the slowresponse of member governments inorganising a review of procedures.“This crisis is costing airlines at least USD200million a day in lost revenues and theEuropean economy is suffering billions ofdollars in lost business,” he said during theflight ban.“In the face of such dire economicconsequences, it is incredible that Europe’stransport ministers have taken five days toorganise a teleconference.”UNWTO figures indicate that Europereceives an estimated 700,000 arrivals per day.

Limited flights resumed from the UK, thefirst country affected by the dust cloud, onTuesday, however, reports of further dustclouds and possible future eruptions havecontinued to proliferate.

Expensive AlternativesFerry, bus and train operators experienceda boom time throughout the Europeanflight ban, making hay while the sun shoneweakly through a cloud of airborne glass.According to Jonathan Breeze, managingdirector of Whiteconcierge, a UK basedbusiness to business travel service provider,the crisis generated a spike of interest in non-air travel, and a spike in prices to match.Research by Whiteconcierge showed trainand ferry tickets to and from UK hubs hadrisen by an average of 41 percent, andsometimes as much as 77 percent.

Shangri-La Launches First Hotel in Turkey

9APRIL 24, 2010

Dubailand Will Showcase Confirmed Projects at ATMDubailand developers will take Arabian Travel Market (ATM) as an opportunity to affirm future projectsand showcase existing attractions.

S ince its inception, theproject has claimed a longpipeline of attractions andATM will be used as aplatform to update the

travel industry on the progress that hasbeen made, Mohammed Al Habbai,CEO of Dubailand, said.“ATM represents a remarkable opportunityto update visiting industry professionals onthe future of this compelling destinationand the status of attractions coming soon toDubailand,” he enthused.Although the project has been fraughtwith rumours of delays and attractioncancellations, Khalid Al Malik, Group

CEO of Dubai Properties Group, saidthe company remained committed to thecompletion of Dubailand.Already operational attractions thatwill be showcased at ATM includeDubai Autodrome in MotorCity;Dubai Outlet Mall in Outlet City;Global Village; and Dubai Sports City,featuring The Els Club, and the ButchHarmon School of Golf.According to Dubai Properties Group,these attractions drew more than eightmillion visitors in 2009.In addition, the following upcomingprojects have been confirmed and will alsobe displayed at the exhibition: Al Sahra

Desert Resort; Dubai Lifestyle City; Cityof Arabia; Dubai Golf City; Palmarosa;Universal Studios Dubailand; Six FlagsDubailand; Legoland Dubailand; Bawadi;and The Tiger Woods Dubai.However, no mention was made ofseveral other attractions listed on theproject map of Dubailand, including:Islamic Culture and Science World;Legends mixed-use development; AquaDunya theme park; The PlantationsEquestrian and Polo Club; AstrolabResort; Al Barari; Sahara Kingdom;Falcon City of Wonders; Riverside;Beautyland; Great Dubai Wheel; andTaalem Beacon Education.

APRIL 24, 201010

Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and SpaRitz-Carlton Bahrain has made two senior appointments, with the introduction of a newgeneral manager and director of sales. Mark Neukomm has been named as the hotel’s newgeneral manager. Neukomm was previously the general manager of the first Ritz-Carltonhotel in Japan. He has 30 years of experience in the hotel industry, having worked withbrands such as InterContinental and Hilton, as well as Zurich’s Hotel Baur au Lac.Neukomm holds a chef ’s diploma as well as qualifications in hotel management. Ritz-Carlton Bahrain has also named a new director of sales; Hassaan Abdoh. Abdohwas previously director of business development with the pre-opening team at TheFairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi. He has also worked with InterContinental HotelGroup across the UAE, and was part of Ritz-Carlton Dubai’s pre-opening team in 1998.Abdoh has 15 years of experience with hospitality companies in Syria, Saudi Arabia andthe UAE. He has a diploma in hotel and tourism management.

Oussama MassoudInterContinental Hotels Group(IHG) has appointed OussamaMassoud as director of operations forJordan and Palestine. Massoud willtake on this new role in addition tohis current position as generalmanager of Crowne Plaza Amman.Massoud has 26 years of experiencewith IHG, having worked across theInterContinental, Crowne Plaza andHoliday Inn brands in severalmanagement roles. In his newoperational position, he will beresponsible for a range of existingIHG properties across Jordan andPalestine, as well as the upcomingCrowne Plaza Resort Dead Sea.

OussamaMassoud

Amit AroraAmit Arora has been promoted to vicepresident of sales and marketing for EmaarHospitality Group. Arora will oversee allsales and marketing initiatives for thegroup, as well as driving the launch ofArmani Hotel Dubai. He has more than 14years of sales and marketing experience,including a key role in the creation andlaunch of The Address Hotels and Resortsbrand. Arora has also led the developmentof a central reservations office for thebrand, as well as setting up and managingcluster sales teams for Dubai and theMiddle East region. Amit Arora

James E BennettJames E Bennett has been appointedCEO of Abu Dhabi AirportsCompany (ADAC). Bennettpreviously held the position ofpresident and CEO at theMetropolitan Washington AirportsAuthority, where he led a team ofmore than 1,400 employees. Inaddition to his new role with ADAC,Bennett will also become chairman ofthe American Association of AirportExecutives, as of May 1. Mark Neukomm Hassaan Abdoh

APRIL 24, 201012

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Co-operation between the privateand the government sectors becomes

a significant strategic option

Our maingoal is to

achieve zerofootprintand zero

trash

Mark WalshGroup Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions“With Europe almost being a no-fly zone dueto the volcanic activity, we have seen railnetworks, cruise and ferry operators and carrental companies absorb the significant rise indemand, which has provided a short-termsolution for stranded travellers. However, it hasdone little to counteract the huge losses beingsustained by grounded airlines. This opens the door for airlines to considerinvesting in other transport profit centres,which can be utilised in both terms of crisis andin the general day-to-day running of thebusiness. By creating transferable tickets overvarious transport mediums, all operating underone brand, airlines have an opportunity toincrease revenue and provide customers with afull turn-key travel solution, a factor which canonly strengthen their positioning in anincreasingly competitive market.I think this also gives Middle East airlines animportant opportunity to increase market share.Whilst EU-based airlines are obliged to providecompensation to stranded passengers, they arenot. By proactively looking after their passengers,the region’s legacy carriers have the prospect offostering enhanced relationship with currentcustomers and creating new ones bydemonstrating professionalism.”

Wael FaroukChairman, Marriott Business Council Green Hotels sub-committee in Dubai“The sub-committee is planning to reduce energy consumption, wateruse and trash, but our main goal is to achieve zero footprint and zerotrash; for everything to be recycled. With constant training onenvironmental awareness and incentive programmes for the associates,we should be able to achieve our main goal in a few years. Marriott hotelshave done a tremendous task in terms of recycling and reusing. We areable to increase our recycling to 100 percent this year. We have recycledover 200 tonnes of material, mainly paper, cardboard, plastic, cans andwaste. Our volume of trash has been reduced to cutoff.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al QassimiChairman, Sharjah Commerce andTourism Development Authority “As the tourism sector in the emirate ofSharjah grows more important, and as theneed for more effective principles andstandards arise to support this vital sector,co-operation between the private and thegovernment sectors becomes a significantstrategic option to support thedevelopment and growth process of thetourism sector.” Sheikh Sultan Al Qassimi

Wael Farouk Mark Walsh

APRIL 24, 2010 13

Future Destination: Libya

Travel operators can no longer take luxurytravellers for granted, an ITB study hasshown, and the high spend segment willtake advantage of increased competition in2010.The luxury travel segment will be hotlycontested this year, the ITB Travel TrendsReport 2010 has predicted, and keyresearchers have warned that traveloperators must stay on their toes to attractthe lucrative segment.The report, compiled by IPK International,found that despite a drop in luxury travelin 2009, the segment continued to accountfor a significant share of the tourism sector. According to IPK, the number ofEuropean travellers with the wherewithalfor luxury travel – defined as trips costingEUR2,500 (USD3,358) or more –represented only five percent of that

market in 2009.However, in terms of travel spending thegroup accounted for 27 percent of alltourism revenue.IPK found that this disproportionate spendcame despite a greater impact on wealthierdemographics by the global downturn,with luxury travel declining by 18 percent- more than any other market segment.Travel from the mid-spend sector, forinstance, shrank by only nine percent in thesame period.Dr Martin Buck, director of the travel andLogistics Competence Centre at ITBorganiser, Messe Berlin, said thatdestinations and tourism businesses couldno longer take a share of the luxury marketfor granted, and would have to work harder.“The findings are clear on one thing:

despite its decline, the luxury travel

market is due to become even more hotlycontested,” he said.Buck emphasised the importance ofmeeting the specific needs of high spendtravellers.“The winners will be destinations, airlines,and travel operators who are capable oftailoring their products accordingly.”Buck also pointed out the importance ofthe outlying bracket of extremely wealthytourists, capable of spending more than500 times the average traveller’s budget.He said that the degree of personalisationrequired for this audience would furtherincrease, and that greater competition fortheir attention would make attracting themincreasingly difficult.“The travel industry will come under hugepressure to satisfy this market segment,”he said.

Despite being flanked by tourism mainstays Egypt andMorocco, Libya has long been overlooked as a destination.However, interest is growing in the country, as ever moreoperators enter the market and development continues onTripoli’s upcoming 20 million passenger capacity airport,due in 2011.Car rental company Sixt recently opened its first office iTripoli, claiming that the move was motivated by a desire fora first-mover advantage in the nascent Libyan market.Cruise ships that once passed the nation by have increased theirshore excursions to the country, according to the governmentand local operators, while air links also continue to grow.Local airline, Afriqiyah, has just announced that it will boostfrequencies on its Dubai-Tripoli route to meet rising demand.The airline has also declared intentions to operate a secondhub in Dubai, linking Libya to planned destinations in theIndian subcontinent.

Don’t Get Complacent with High Spend Luxury Travellers This Year

Libya

APRIL 24, 201014

Q&A with Tony Williams Tony Williams is the vice president for Emirates Hotels and Resorts at Emirates Group. Travel Trade Weeklycaught up with him to talk about the brand’s eco resort concept.

Travel Trade Weekly: Emirates Hotelsand Resorts has a conspicuous focuson the environment: what do you do tomaintain your eco-friendly status?Tony Williams: Within the hotels andresorts division there is obviously a verybig conservation focus, but in Emirates asan airline and as a whole company thereis a very large environmental focus.We have a dedicated environmentaldepartment and that is not at all aboutPR, but about doing the hard work oflooking at our the way our operationswork and ensuring that our impact isminimised.This means that we consider the effectthat every aspect of our company has onthe environment, and we have initiativesin place at every level: we recycle our oilfrom the cooking of our inflight catering,as we do at the hotels also; every office hasa recycling bin; and we have installedmassive grey-water recycling systems in allof our buildings.

Travel Trade Weekly: Where did theenvironmental focus come from?Tony Williams: No one in business canbe blind: people in business are invariablyexposed to situations, to media and to themassive growth in attention paid toenvironmental issues.The climate change debate startedblowing hard in the early 2000s, but theissue has been going on a lot longer thanthat.The management here are very awarepeople, very well travelled and obviouslyhighly motivated and exposed to globalissues, and the reaction really is logical. All businesses must do something if theyare to flourish, and when the tradingschemes that are being talked about comein, and I believe they will, there will be a

direct bottom line impact on thecompany.But is the motivation purely profit driven?I don’t think so.The people awareness is there and we arein the hospitality industry: we have to careabout our customers, about what theycare about, and that we are doing the rightthings.We also have an important commitmentto our destinations: we fly to many placesthat are highly sensitive leisureenvironments and we need to do right bythem also.

Travel Trade Weekly: What are themain challenges for an environmentallyfriendly operator?Tony Williams: There are three mainareas that you are faced with.Number one is controlling emissions andconsumption, which is very dry and itcomes down to the engineering.Whether it is reusing the heat from an airconditioning unit to power refrigeration,or making sure your solar panels and grey-water recycling are efficient.The technology is advancing rapidly andthere are increasingly more systemsavailable in this area.The second area of focus is operations,looking at what you do, and we arecontinually reviewing this.For instance, when we opened Al Maha in1999, there was no recycling in Dubai.Now, you can recycle nearly anything inDubai, so we recycle steel, plastic,aluminium, cardboard and paper amongstothers.

As well as recycling, it is important tominimise the amount of waste in the firstplace, so we work with our suppliers tomake sure everything we use comes in thesimplest usable packaging available.But these kind of operational decisionsare taken on a case by case basis.For instance, at our Wolgan Valleyproperty in Australia, all food is mandatedto have been sourced within a hundredmiles.However, at Al Maha we do not have thisrequirement, as the most efficientlyaccessible food is not necessarily fromwithin that area.The third area of concern, which is themost hardcore, is biodiversitypreservation.This is where you look at theenvironment, for example here in the AlMaha desert, and you try to work outwhat that environment is abouthistorically. We ask, what was it like before humaninterference? And then we work torecreate, maintain and preserve thatenvironment.

All businesses must do something

if they are to flourish

Tony Williams

15APRIL 24, 2010

UAE Incoming Tourism Spend to Rise by USD 1.33 BillionIncoming tourism spend will rise by AED4.9 billion (USD1.33 billion) by 2014, according to Euromonitor International.

T he company’s MiddleEast report states thatincoming tourism spendwill reach a total ofAED32.4 billion

(USD8.82 billion) by 2014, up fromAED27.5 billion (USD7.49 billion).Saudi Arabia, the UK and India are

expected to be the top three countries forincoming tourist receipts in the UAE. Following India, there will also be stronginterest from Russia, Iran, Germany,Oman and Pakistan.Caroline Bremner, global travel and tourismmanager for Euromonitor, said that theMiddle East had suffered a slowdown in

tourism demand from key source markets.“With continued investment ininfrastructure and strategic vision in place,the Middle East continues to offer growthopportunities, however, greatercommitment to diversification would bewise to ensure the region can meet its fullpotential,” said Bremner.

Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) signedup for SAR212 million (USD56.53 million) worth of projects inthe first quarter of 2010. The 28 new contracts were made with a number of nationalcompanies and establishments, according to Ahmed binAbdullah Al Shehri, director general of procurement and contractfor SCTA.“These contracts include establishment of five provincialmuseums in each of Dammam, Asir, Hail, Tabouk and Al Baha,in addition to five other executive contracts to repair, fence,rehabilitate and document some heritage and antiquities sitesthroughout different provinces in the kingdom,” he said.“They also include a contract for the preparation of SaudiTourism Bulletin.”SCTA has also launched its new training programme, How toStart Your Small Tourism Enterprise, to trainees in Riyadh, in thehopes of further stimulating investment in tourism. Theprogramme is run in co-ordination with King Saud Universityand Saudi Credit and Saving Bank.Participants will receive one month of intensive training onappropriate ways to prepare feasibility studies for small projects;preparing work plans; and financial, accounting, marketing, legaland administrative aspects. Trainees will also have the chance tomeet with SCTA officials to discuss licensing and investmentunder authorisation of SCTA.

Saudi Spends Up Big on Tourism

The Vision Destination Management,a newcomer to the tourism market in theUAE, was officially launched in Dubaithis week.The company has been operating since itssoft opening in January and has alreadyscored lucrative contracts with GIBTM inAbu Dhabi and ATM in Dubai.The company is currently made up of

three departments: leisure destinationmanagement; MICE destinationmanagement; and representation andconsultancy. Ali Abu Monassar, chairman of The VisionDestination Management, said the companywas backed by 20 years of experience in thetravel and tourism industry.“We shall continue our personal journey to

promote the destination and its attractionswith an innovative, professional, pro-activeand customer-dedicated approach,” he said.The opening ceremony was attended byrepresentatives from Dubai Departmentof Tourism and Commerce Marketingand Dubai Convention Bureau, as wellas members of the local hotel andtourism industry.

Official Launch of The Vision Destination Management Company

APRIL 24, 201016

EventsAirport Show 2010 Dubai, UAE, April 25-27 (www.theairportshow.com)Dedicated to airport design, construction, operations, technologyand services. Offers networking and business development viadiscussions, seminars and hosted buyer programme.

China Outbound Travel and Tourism MarketBeijing, PRC, April 28-30 (www.cottm.com)A business to business platform for international destinationsand companies to introduce their products to the Chineseoutbound travel industry.

Arabian Hotel Investment ConferenceDubai, UAE, May 1-3 (www.arabianconference.com)Interviews with hoteliers, forecasts from economists, paneldiscussions on the latest developments, trends and bestpractice in the hotel and investment industry.

Arabian Travel MarketDubai, UAE, May 4-7 (www.arabiantravelmarket.com)Travel and tourism event for inbound and outbound tourismprofessionals, featuring destinations, accommodation, tourismattractions and airlines.

HOTEC Middle EastMuscat, Oman, May 7-10 (www.mcleaneventsinternational.com/events/HotecMiddleEast2010)Business to business meetings forum for hotel owners,developers and operators to meet with suppliers.

Destination Britain and Ireland Dubai, UAE, May 10-13Business to business event showcasing tourism offerings fromthe UK and Ireland to buyers from around the world.

Middle East Events Industry Prepares for Awards NightThe third annual Middle East EventAwards will be held on May 26,celebrating the leading players in theMICE industry across the region.The presentation will take place atMadinat Jumeirah in Dubai, featuringmore than 450 members of the industry.Event professionals across the MiddleEast have already submitted a range offlagship projects and services to theaward panel.William O’Toole, manager of eventmanagement company EPMS Pty Ltd,said there had been an explosion ofevent service providers and suppliers inDubai over the seven years that he hadbeen working in the industry.He added that Abu Dhabi and Qatar were

also key players in the market, with Qatarfocusing on business events and AbuDhabi seeking high profile global events. “More quietly, countries like Oman andSaudi Arabia have been developingtheir event industry across the board,”said O’Toole.“The most noteworthy development isthe strategic approach of the countriesof the region to their events portfolio.“The governments and the developmentand tourism departments now realisethat events are a long term business thatbenefit the country and its people.”The Middle East Event Awards is aninitiative of IIR Middle East, a regionalconferences, exhibitions and trainingcompany.

Madinat JumeirahDubai