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Middle East and North Africa Edition

noVEMBER 13, 2010 ISSuE 53 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

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oMAn BRAnDEDoman has officially launched a newdestination branding campaign. officialssay the promotion was designed toreconcile oman’s modern focus onsporting and other events with itsheritage and natural attractions.

In This Issue

unwto’S uPDAtEAccording to the world tourismorganisation (unwto), global tourismarrivals have reached, and surpassed, therecord highs seen in the pre-crisis year of2008. However, the organisation is callingon governments to place greater emphasison tourism as the world begins to recover.

An investment of USD368 million over the nextthree years has been committed to preserve and

protect nine of Egypt’s most iconic hotels under anew brand – Historic Hotels of Egypt.

66Egypt’sHistoric HotelsEgypt’sHistoric Hotels

Suleiman Masoud Al-Harthy, CEoof taameer Investment Company,explained:“This transformation came in timewith the sultanate’s development

and in line with the country’s fortieth nationalday celebration… and our positive expectationson the future of the national economy, which wemust tie together to achieve the expectedgrowth across various investment activities,noting the strong financial position of thecompany and the strong ambitions to achieve

the objectives of the shareholders.”taameer Investment’s real estate portfolioincludes a number of shopping malls, hotels,resorts and other tourism and hospitalityprojects. The company was established in 2006 as part ofa joint collaboration between Muscat’s GoldenGroup of Companies; Kuwait’s Shamiya RealEstate Investment of Dakheel Al Jassar and SonsGroup; and a group of strategic partners fromthe GCC, led by First Investment Company,based in Kuwait.

noVEMBER 13, 20102

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=uAE (AED) Dirham 3.69Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.75Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JoD) Dinar 0.70Syria (SYP) Pound 46.6Kuwait (KwD) Dinar 0.28Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64oman (oMR) Rial 0.38tunisia (tnD) Dinar 1.41Morocco (MAD) Dirham 8.19Iran (IRR) Riyal 10,380Yemen (YER) Rial 214.02Algeria (DZD) Dinar 73.76Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.21

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 11/11/2010Currencies shown in red are fixed against the uS Dollar

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

EditorLaura warne

Deputy EditorLouis Dillon Savage

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingMarianna tsiamasDimitris Thomaidis

DirectorsAndreas ConstantinidesMary Kammitsi

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Air Arabia’s Net Profit Down, Turnover UpThird quarter results for Air Arabia show substantial increases in passengers,turnover and seat load factors, despite a slight drop in net profit compared to 2009. net profit for the three months ending September 30, 2010 stood at AED136million (uSD37 million) – a 5.6 percent decline on last year’s performance. However, turnover rose by four percent compared to 2009, reaching AED568million (uSD154.67 million). Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani, chairman of Air Arabia, said theresults were positive and sustainable, despite continued challenging marketconditions.“Air Arabia continues to post sustained quarterly profits with a high seat loadfactor and rising passenger traffic, demonstrating the strength of Air Arabia’sbusiness model and long-term expansion strategy,” he said.Also during the third quarter of 2010, Air Arabia took delivery of the first orderof 44 A320 aircraft, ordered during 2007 and 2008. “The delivery of the first of our 44 aircraft is a milestone in the history of the region’slargest low cost carrier, allowing us to further strengthen our operations,” said AlThani.

Taameer Investment Transforms toClosed Shareholding CompanyShareholders and senior executives at Oman’s Taameer Investment Company havechosen to transform Taameer from a limited liability company to a closed shareholdingcompany, with permitted capital value of OMR40 million (USD104 million).

Taameer Investment,shareholders and executives

Mohammed Al toobi,undersecretary oftourism in oman,said the promotionwas designed to

reconcile oman’s modern focus onsporting and other events with its heritageand natural attractions.“The campaign's overriding message is todemonstrate how the sultanate sees itsunique hallmark programme of arts,sports and cultural events as a reflectionof oman's heritage, cultural and naturalattributes,” he said.“our campaign showcases theunprecedented calendar of arts, sports

and cultural events coinciding withoman's fortieth anniversary.”

The campaign will focus on oman’s keymarkets, as well as important emergingdemographics; it will run in the uK,Germany, France, The netherlands,Belgium, Russia, the GCC, India andAustralia.The promotion will be rolled out in two

overlapping phases; the first, to run fromnovember, 2010 to January, 2011, willfocus on raising awareness of oman as adestination.The second will focus on the promotionof special travel packages betweenDecember, 2010 and April, 2011.

3noVEMBER 13, 2010

Beauty Lives in Oman, Say Destination Marketers Oman has officially launched a new destination branding campaign. The campaign centres around a logothat represents Oman and the tag line: Beauty Has an Address.

Our campaign showcases[an] unprecedented

calendar of arts, sportsand cultural events

Oman

noVEMBER 13, 20104

In an attempt to stimulate support for its 2022 FIFA worldCup Bid, Qatar has launched a promotional travel packagewith the co-operation of industry players within the country.Grand Hyatt Doha, Doha Marriott Hotel, Grand Regency Dohaand Ramada Plaza Doha are participating in the packages, whichhave been arranged by Qatar tourism Authority (QtA), and areto be sold by Qatar Airways Holidays.Ahmed Al nuaimi, chairman of QtA, said the scheme wouldencourage travellers to spend 48 hours in Doha, to developawareness of the city’s attractions and build hype for its worldCup bid.

Visitors taking advantage of the packages will receivepromotional material from Qatar’s 2022 bid committee. “Combining QtA’s 48 hours campaign with the country’s bidto host the FIFA 2022 world Cup will raise the excitementaround our bid,” nuaimi said.nuaimi noted that the programme was aimed mostly atdomestic and regional travellers.“A strong culture of domestic tourism is important to our long-term strategy, as local residents essentially become ambassadorsfor Qatar to international visitors,” he said.

Middle East Sweeps World Travel AwardsOnce again the Middle Eastern travel industry, especially from the UAE, has made a strong showing in thegrand finals of the World Travel Awards.

the Middle East hasclaimed 17 awards,including the frontposition in several bigticket categories.

Abu Dhabi performed strongly, receivingrecognition for its tourism authority, AbuDhabi tourism Authority (ADtA, whichwas awarded the world’s leading tourismboard), and national airline, Etihad (world’sleading airline and world’s leading first class).Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, directorgeneral of ADtA, said his organisation’saward reflected the combined efforts ofAbu Dhabi’s tourism industry.“It is as much an award for Abu Dhabi’sexpanding tourism sector as it is for the

authority, as we now work so closelytogether that we can very much be viewedas one,” he said.Established and new hotels in the emiratewere also rewarded, with Emirates Palacechosen as the world’s leading meetingsand conference hotel, while Yas Hoteltook the gong for best new hotel.

Despite Abu Dhabi’s growing prominence,Dubai remained the uAE’s star performer

in the awards, topping the podium in 10categories.Awards claimed by the emirate includedworld’s leading: hotel and presidential suite(Burj Al Arab); serviced apartments(Grosvenor House); shopping centre hoteland leisure hotel (Kempinski Mall of theEmirates); beach resort (Le Royal MéridienBeach Resort and Spa); travel managementcompany (Dnata); tourism development(Burj Khalifa); landmark hotel (TheAddress Downtown); and cruise port.outside the uAE, Al Faisaliah Centre inSaudi Arabia was tapped as the best mixeduse development, while Regency traveland tours from Qatar was picked as theworld’s leading travel agency.

Local residents essentially become ambassadorsfor Qatar to international visitors

It is as much an awardfor Abu Dhabi’s

expanding tourism sectoras it is for the authority

Qatar Industry Gets Behind the 2022 Ball

noVEMBER 13, 20106

- Accommodation

Egypt Commits USD368m to Historic Hotels Restoration Nine of Egypt’s most iconic hotels have been drawn together under a new brand – Historic Hotels of Egypt.

A n investment ofuSD368 million overthe next three years hasbeen committed topreserve and protect the

hotels; the investment will come from theHolding Company for tourism, Hotelsand Cinema (HotAC) and its subsidiary,the Egyptian General Company fortourism and Hotels (EGotH).HotAC and EGotH will renovate1,277 existing rooms and construct 320new rooms across the nine properties,which have been chosen for theirhistorical and architectural value. The Historic Hotels of Egypt include: n Cairo Marriott Hotel and omarKhayyam Casino; a former royal palacebuilt in 1869.

n Mena House oberoi, located at the footof the great Pyramid and built in 1869.n The Shepheard Hotel; built in 1841 andto be managed by Rocco Forte LuxuryCollection following its renovation.n The nile Ritz-Carlton Cairo, which iscurrently closed for renovation and is setto re-open in 2013. n The old Cataract, Aswan, built in 1899and currently closed for total renovation,to be re-opened in mid-2011. Managed bySofitel.n The winter Palace, Luxor, built in 1886and now managed by Sofitel.n The Luxor Hotel, a boutique hotel cur-rently under renovation, set to re-open in2013. n The Palestine Hotel, Alexandria, built tohost the Arab League Summit in the1950s. n Cecil Hotel, Alexandria, built in 1929

and now managed by Sofitel.

HotAC and EGotH have already spentuSD260 million on renovations acrossthe portfolio of properties.Aly Abdel Aziz, CEo of HotAC, said theestablishment of Historic Hotels of Egyptwas important for the future of the hotelindustry in Egypt.“These historic buildings have now beenprotected by the government and willnever be sold to outside investors,” he said.“As part of this commitment, theseproperties will undergo total renovationto bring them back to their former glory,whilst conserving their original features.“we will closely manage these historicassets to ensure that sales are increasedand we are able to compete with Egypt’sgrowing private sector.”

Green Hotel Leaders Review Best PracticesDubai Department of tourism and Commerce Marketing(DtCM) joined forces with winners of the Dubai Greentourism Award 2010 this week to review best practices in thehotel sector.winners shared their experiences and suggestions with morethan 250 decision makers from the tourism industry andgovernment departments.Eyad Ali Abdul Rahman, executive director of the mediarelations division and business development for DtCM saidthe meeting was designed to promote the ideals of the award.“It was also a way to motivate non-winning hotels to workharder and make their facilities more environmentally friendly,enabling them to improve their standings in the next editionof the award,” he said.

“By honouring top performing hotels, DtCM seeks torecognise the efforts they have exerted to improve their levelof services and environmental systems.”The meeting also featured several workshops, where hotelrepresentatives presented various ways to save energy anddiscussed the role of management and employees in creating ahealthy working environment.

It was also a way to motivate non-winning hotels to work harder

t he pipeline includes anumber of newintroductions to AbuDhabi, with the St Regisand Rocco Forte

Collection brands both making their debut. Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, managingdirector of tDIC and director general ofAbu Dhabi tourism Authority (ADtA)said the new properties would contributeto ADtA’s goal of attracting more than 2.3million hotel visitors to the emirate by2012. “Abu Dhabi has strategically attracted afirst-class portfolio of unique hospitalitybrands that will cater to a variety ofinternational and domestic travellers,”

said Al Muhairi.“The first eight months of this yearwitnessed a 15 percent increase in thenumber of hotel guests compared to thesame period in 2009, and with the stagingof key events and the opening of newmuseums, arts and sports venues, alongwith the attraction of desert culture andbeach lifestyle, Abu Dhabi is anincreasingly appealing destination.”tDIC and its partners have alreadycompleted six hotels in Abu Dhabi,including Qasr Al Sarab; Desert IslandsResort and Spa; Shangri-La Hotel;traders Hotel; Park Rotana and FairmontBab Al Bahr. Lee tabler, CEo of tDIC, said Saadiyat

Island would be a cornerstone of thecompany’s future growth.“By continuing to deliver a series ofunique hotels, tDIC, along with itspartners, is building on the success of thepast four years, delivering a solidhospitality infrastructure that willsupport our flagship museum projects onSaadiyat Island as they move ahead onschedule over the coming years,” saidtabler. “together with AtDA, tDIC willleverage the positive momentum we havealready generated, and we look forward tobuilding Abu Dhabi into an internationaltourism and business destination through2011 and beyond.”

TDIC on Track to Deliver Six New Hotels in 2011Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) is set to add 1,600 hotel rooms andresidences to the emirate in 2011, with six new hotels scheduled to open.

7noVEMBER 13, 2010

- Accommodation

TDIC’s 2011 Openings St Regis Hotel and Residences: developed as part of a clusterof nine hotels on Saadiyat Beach, St Regis will feature 380hotel rooms and 292 branded residences. Eastern Mangroves: an integrated resort, marina, retail andresidential destination located alongside Abu Dhabi’sprotected mangroves habitat. The project’s resort will beoperated by Angsana Hotels and Resorts, featuring 223 hotelrooms and 220 branded residences. Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi: a joint venture betweentDIC and Al Farida Investments Company that will see theRocco Forte Collection enter the Middle East for the firsttime. This centrally located hotel will feature 281 rooms and aEuropean shopping boulevard.Westin Hotel and Spa Abu Dhabi: with 172 rooms, this hotelwill overlook the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, catering to golfingand business travellers. Al Yamm Lodge and Al Sahel Lodge: located on Sir Bani YasIsland, these two lodges will combine luxury accommodationwith wildlife tourism. Al Yamm Lodge will feature 30 villas,15 of which will be located on the beach, with the remainingoverlooking a salt water lagoon. Al Sahel Lodge will featureone and two bedroom chalets and is located within Sir BaniYas’ Arabian wildlife Park. Park Hyatt, Saadiyat Island: developed with Abu Dhabinational Hotels, this property will adjoin Saadiyat Beach GolfCourse, featuring 300 guestrooms and 13 villas.

noVEMBER 13, 20108

- Accommodation

Mövenpick Bur Dubai Unveils RefurbMövenpick Hotel and Apartments Bur Dubai has completedan extensive refurbishment, which covered the hotel’s 255guestrooms, lobby, Fountain restaurant and café lounge.Robert Barker, general manager of the hotel, said therefurbishment had significantly refreshed the hotel’s image.“our goal was to renovate the interior decoration, furniture andfittings of the guest rooms and the main public areas as well asour dining facilities in order to introduce a fresh andcontemporary lifestyle look, which will appeal to the localcommunity and international traveller,” said Barker. Martin wojnowski, principal designer of the refurbishment,said the new design was more home-like. “I think that the modern traveller is seeking the feeling ofcomfort and understated elegance,” said wojnowski.He added that the new lobby was now one of the most guest-friendly spaces in Dubai.

Strong Showing for Sharjah in Third QuarterSharjah’s overall hotel occupancy rates hit 70 percent in the third quarter of 2010, according to the Sharjah Commerceand Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), signaling a five percent increase on the same period of 2009.

Dubai’s Jumeirah Group will manage Souria Holding’s newlyplanned hotel development, Jumeirah Abraj Souria, to belocated in central Damascus, Syria. The hotel will be part of Abraj Souria, a mixed-use developmentfeaturing commercial and retail outlets, including a shopping mall.The development is expected to be completed in four to five years. Jumeirah Abraj Souria will feature 350 guestrooms and 100serviced apartments, plus a talise Spa and extensiveconference and banqueting facilities.

Jumeirah Signs on for Syria Development

SCtDA’s latest report showsan increase in guests acrossthe emirate’s hotels and hotelapartments, with 1,100,872guests – up from 1,051,212

in 2009.Hotel apartments slightly overtook hotelrooms, with 563,856 guests compared to537,016 guests in hotel rooms.Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, chairmanof SCtDA, said the statistics showed theresilience of the emirate’s tourism sector,as well as charting a strong course forfuture growth.“The SCtDA is working in line with itsambitious strategies and will continue toexert every possible effort to further

upgrade the tourism sector in keepingwith the emirate’s general policies that aimat promoting Sharjah as one of theregion’s most prominent touristdestinations,” he said.“The SCtDA has worked extremely hardand the statistics clearly demonstrate thepositive outcome of our efforts and theauthority’s success in its strategy towardsempowering the emirate to occupy theposition it deserves in the global tourismarena.”

occupancy rates and tourist arrivals areexpected to further increase over the nextthree months, due to a number of majorevents; Sharjah water Festival, the worldPowerboat Racing Championship andSharjah Lights Festival are all set to drawstrong crowds.

Sharjah

The statistics clearlydemonstrate the positive

outcome of our efforts

noVEMBER 13, 201010

- Air Travel

British Airways to Resume Flights to MoroccoBritish Airways (BA) has revealed plans to resume flights to Marrakech, Morocco in 2011, ending a two yearabsence from the market.

BA formerly operated flightsto the city under its GBAirways franchise from 2002until 2008, when thecompany was sold to Easyjet.

Flights will operate thrice weekly betweenLondon Gatwick and Marrakech Menaraairports.Hamid Addou, CEo of Morocco’snational tourism office, said his countrywould collaborate with BA to market thenorth African nation to travellers fromthe uK and wider Europe.“we’re delighted that British Airways is

returning to Morocco and Marrakech,where we know that there is a strongdemand from the uK tourist market forflagship carriers,” he said.“Marrakech is one of the key tourismdestinations in the southern Europe andAfrica regions – its brand image is very

strong and we will reinforce it in our jointmarketing programme.”Richard tams, head of sales andmarketing in the uK and Ireland for BA,said the full service airline would not havea problem competing in the Moroccanaviation market, which is heavily servicedby low cost carriers.“British Airways offers a real alternativeto discerning travellers to Morocco,” hesaid.“unlike the low cost carriers, we offerfantastic all-inclusive fares with no stealthextras.”

Saudi Arabian Airlines is undergoing afleet expansion and modernisationprogramme.The carrier has declared a uSD3.3billion order of aircraft from uSmanufacturer Boeing, covering 12 new777-300ER (in which ER stands forextended range) aircraft, with the optionfor 10 more.Khaled Al-Mulhim, director general ofSaudi Arabian Airlines, said the newaircraft would enable the carrier to realiseits aspiration to modernise its fleet.“our decision to order the 777-300ER ispart of a long-term growth strategy toexpand and modernise our fleet with

newer, more fuel-efficient airplanes, andis based on the airplane's provenefficiencies,” he said.“we see direct benefit because of the777-300ER's improved fuel efficiency,seat-mile costs and the economics ofoperating a twin-engine airplane overlong distances.”Jim Albaugh, CEo of Boeing CommercialAirlines, said the deal marked the latestphase in his company’s longest-standingrelationship in the region.“In 1961, Boeing was privileged to havewitnessed Saudi Arabia's entry into thejet age with a Boeing 707 when itbecame the first country in the Middle

East to operate a jet airplane,” he said.“today's order is yet another milestonein our relationship and is also a powerfulendorsement of 777 which is one of ourmost successful airplanes to date.”The 777-300ER is a long range, twinengine aircraft with a maximum capacityof 365 passengers and a range of14,685km.

Saudi Arabian Airlines to Add 12 Boeing Aircraft to Modernised Fleet

Boeing was privileged to have witnessed

Saudi Arabia's entry into the jet age

Marrakech is one of thekey tourism destinationsin the southern Europe

and Africa regions

11noVEMBER 13, 2010

- Air Travel

Grand Prix VIPs to Stimulate Private AviationThe Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix will provide a major boost to private aviation, according to Al BateenExecutive Airport.

Oman Air’s flights to Thailand have met with enough successto spur the carrier into opening a second distribution office inthe country.Ahmed Hazeem Al Balushi, district sales manager for omanAir, explained that Pattaya has emerged as an importantsatellite destination for passengers to Bangkok. “The new oman Air office is aimed to meet the increaseddemand and to facilitate the tourist passengers in Pattaya onreservation and ticketing,” he said.“oman Air’s flights to and from Bangkok have been doingextremely well ever since we commenced operations in 2008,and the tourists who visit Bangkok make it a point to visit thescenic white-sand beaches of Pattaya and the other attractions.” Pattaya is located 110km southeast of Bangkok, on the easternside of the Bay of Bangkok.

Oman Air’s flights to and from Bangkokhave been doing extremely well

Oman Air Reports Thailand Success

the airport, owned andoperated by Abu DhabiAirport Company, islocated within 20minutes drive from the

Yas Island location of the race and isexpected to serve as a gateway for drivers,officials and VIPs jetting in to attend.Steve Jones, general manager of Al Bateen,said the event was an opportunity for theyoung facility to showcase itself toimportant customers.“we will be accepting a range of aircraftfrom all over the world, from lighthelicopters to Boeing 757s and will behandling many high profile visitors," hesaid.

"The Etihad Airways Grand Prix is aterrific opportunity to showcase AlBateen Executive and demonstrate ourexemplary customer service.”Al Bateen is a dedicated business jetairport in Abu Dhabi, and according to

ADAC, is the first of its kind in the region.The main race of the Grand Prix falls onnovember 14.

We will be handling manyhigh profile visitors

Yas Island F1 track

noVEMBER 13, 201012

- International

Caribbean and African Travel PartnershipThe Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has signed a partnership agreement with the Africa TravelAssociation (ATA), in a move that is aimed at increasing the promotion of tourism to both regions.

Marriott Expansion to Add 89 New Indian Hotels by 2015Marriott International has launched an ambitious roadmapfor expansion in India, stating a goal of 100 hotels in thecountry by 2015.The company currently operates only 11 hotels in India andhas 23 properties in its active pipeline.Demonstrating commitment to rapid growth Marriott madea simultaneous announcement of seven new managementagreements, over and above the existing 23-hotel pipeline.According to the company, pipeline properties will all beoperating by 2013, nearly quadrupling Marriott’s existingportfolio.The newly announced hotels include: Jaipur Marriott Hotel (toopen in 2011); Courtyard by Marriott Bhopal (2011); Courtyardby Marriott Kochi/Cochin International Airport (2012);Courtyard by Marriott Chembur (2013); Courtyard by Marriottnashik (2013); Courtyard by Marriott Hyderabad Hitec City(2013); and Renaissance Raipur Hotel, opening in (2013).Though the new hotels emphasise Marriott’s business focusedCourtyard by Marriott brand, the company reported thatexpansions would cover seven of its brands.According to Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s pipeline now accountsfor approximately 10 percent of India’s development pipeline overthe next three years, which totals more than 120,000 new rooms.

The CTO and the ATAshare many common

tourism interests and challenges

Increased business opportunitiesand the development ofsustainable tourism are twocornerstones of the newmemorandum of understanding,

according to Hugh Riley, secretary generalof the Cto. “The Cto and the AtA share manycommon tourism interests and challenges- including the British air passenger duty -and this partnership agreement paves theway for us to support each other’s ideals,”said Riley. under the agreement, Cto and AtA willshare reciprocal membership and offerdiscounted services and products. The two groups will also consider a joint

tourism research project and encouragetheir members to travel to each other’sregions and participate in major events,trade shows and congresses.Edward Bergman, executive director ofAtA, said the agreement provided mutualbenefits.“Cto and AtA both understand the

value in building a strong link between theAfrican Diaspora in both the Caribbeanand Africa, and the role tourismpromotion and investment can play in thisprocess,” he said.“AtA is excited to partner with Cto andlearn from the association’s vastexperience in turning the Caribbean intoone of the world’s most populardestinations.”

Caribbean

H owever, the travellandscape has beenreshaped by theeconomic cataclysmof the past two years

and the organisation is calling ongovernments to place greater emphasison tourism as the world begins torecover.In order to help integrate tourism withthe wider policies of world governments,unwto has launched a new event, theGlobal tourism Forum, which will beheld for the first time in Andorra, Spainin 2011.According to unwto, the forum will bethe first meeting of all major players fromthe tourism sector, both public andprivate, as well as economists, academicsand representatives of civil society.this inter-sector dialogue will allow thetourism community to reach outbeyond their sector and demonstrate itsrole in sustainable recovery, climatechange and fair and inclusivedevelopment, according to theorganisation.talib Rifai, secretary general of theunwto, said stronger than expectedpost-crisis recovery of tourism shouldraise government estimations of theindustry’s place in economicmanagement.“tourism has been seriously impacted by

the global crisis, but less than other exportsectors, and is currently rebounding fasterand more robustly,” he said.“we call upon governments worldwide, aswell as multilateral forums such as the G-20, to place tourism higher on theiragendas as the sector can contribute toour common objectives of sustainingrecovery, regaining jobs and promotingsustainable development.”Rifai noted that many governments sawtourism as a source of much-neededrevenue during the crisis, institutingtaxation policies that restrained thedeveloping sector. “There has been an increased temptationto introduce and increase taxation on

travel, particularly on air transport,” hesaid.“These impediments seriously affect ourcapacity to generate jobs and stimulateeconomic growth, namely through exportearnings that are crucial to a stableeconomic recovery.”unwto’s calls for reform come in acontext of exceptional recovery.Defying early expectations, the number ofinternational tourism arrivals around theworld has breached the record levelsexperienced in 2008.However, with consumer behaviourshifting towards value for money and costcutting options, total expenditure remainsdepressed.

13noVEMBER 13, 2010

- International

Arrivals Exceed Pre-Crisis Levels: UNWTOAccording to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), global tourism arrivals have reached, andsurpassed, the record highs seen in the pre-crisis year of 2008.

The sectorcan

contributeto our

commonobjectives ofsustainingrecovery,regainingjobs and

promotingsustainable

development

noVEMBER 13, 201014

Agent’s InsightName: Ahmad KassabPosition: Travel Agent (ticketing)Company: Al Bashek Travel Location: Syria

Who are your highest spending clients?Business clients are our highest spending, and of those thebiggest percentage of our business comes from ticketing.

What are the most popular holiday activities for yourclients?Shopping is a popular activity in Aleppo, and our clientsare often interested in going to the uAE, both for businessand shopping, as well as other holiday activities.

When did you get involved in the travel industry?I have been in the travel industry for the past ten years,mainly in ticketing and I am now a senior agent in this field.

Where are you most interested in visiting next andwhy?For Eid al-Adha, I am thinking of maybe visiting Lebanon,but I still have not decided yet. our clients are interestedin Europe and the uAE.

Why do people visit Syria?we cover all bases here in Aleppo. There are many gardens,the citadel and many places to visit. There are lots oftourism attractions and things to do, however, we mainlydeal with travel, ticketing and cargo, rather than tourism.

The Address Joins GTA TravelportEmaar Hospitality Group’s The Address Hotels and Resorts brandhas signed a distribution deal with GtA by travelport. The agreement will give GtA’s travel agency and tour operatorcustomers access to the brand’s five properties across Dubai – a totalinventory portfolio of 1,500 rooms, suites and serviced residences. Marc Dardenne, CEo of Emaar, said he admired GtA’s innovativeapproach to distribution. “The agreement with GtA to expand our strategic partnershipwill enable us to further promote all our properties across theGtA distribution channels globally,” he said.Jesper with-Fogstrup, vice president of global hotel strategy andEMEA sourcing for GtA, said Dubai was an importantdestination for GtA and attracted global demand.“The Address Hotels and Resorts range of five star premium hotelbrands will allow our clients a wider choice at best-rate prices andavailability when fulfilling travel plans for their customers,” he said.

The Address Montgomerie Dubai

Aleppo

15noVEMBER 13, 2010

Tomorrow’s Hotel Guest: Emerging BehavioursIn a study commissioned by travel technology provider Amadeus, the UK’s Fast Future Research hashighlighted a series of hotel guest trends and behaviours that will shape the future of the industry.

the study includedresearch collected atinternational workshopsin Delhi and Dubai,along with a global

survey and a series of expert interviews. Among the key findings were thefollowing three tips: n Complete tailor-made experiences: by2020, Fast Future estimates hotel guestswill be able to take advantage of a totalservice model, which will enable them totailor every aspect of their experience, in-cluding technology, services, journey,pricing and communications.n Future hotels will be personal, con-nected and responsive. Expect to see in-

novations such as intelligent furniture,adaptive room environments, person-alised entertainment and individually tai-lored nutrition.n Successful hotel groups will be makinguse of horizon scanning, anticipation andrapid implementation.Rohit talwar, chief executive of FastFuture Research, said it was clear thatguests want far more say over their hotelexperience.“In response, what we see is a shift fromneatly defined customer segments to amore fragmented set of service spectrumsthat will demand hotels act in a way thatis guest-focused, personal, connected andinformed,” said talwar.

“This also opens the door for morepartnerships with luxury and high streetbrands to enter the hotel market to createhighly differentiated brand experiences.”Jérôme Destors, director of hotel It atAmadeus, added that intelligent andresponsive technology would be criticalfor hotels to make the most of emergingopportunities and anticipate changingcustomer needs.

We see a shift from neatly defined customer

segments to a morefragmented set of service

spectrums

noVEMBER 13, 201016

Travel Talk is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

Tom RowntreeVice President Commercial, MEA,InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)“The Middle East is largely a business market with a lotof regional travel required for many individuals. Regularbusiness trips and demanding schedules meanprioritising personal commitments can become quitedifficult. In addition to this, the advancement oftechnology means that even when we are not workingthere is always one eye on the smart phone. [IHG’s] Myweekend campaign seeks to raise the importance ofwork-life balance. It invites retrospective thought,challenges us to take ownership of our leisure time andopens up the possibility of taking that much neededtime out to spend with loved ones, friends and family.”

Regular business trips meanprioritising personal commitments

can become quite difficult

Mubarak Hamad Al MuhairiDirector General, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority

“Abu Dhabi’s tourism ambitions are now six years old and I am pleased toreport that the youngster is growing stronger by the day. we are on courseto achieving our aspirations but cannot go forward without solid stakeholdersupport. we have taken a major leap forward on the leisure scene with the recentopening of Ferrari world Abu Dhabi – the world’s biggest indoor themepark. More intense focus on the leisure segment is in line with our strategyof increasing overall length of stay.we are looking for a wider geographic footprint, diversifying to complementour traditional Euro-centric markets with emerging source markets, in linewith evolving industry dynamics. Promotional activities being carried out in these new markets will besupported by the work of our existing six overseas offices and supported byour increasingly dynamic international media hosting programme and theroll out of phase two of our global advertising campaign.In addition, we will participate in 18 international trade fairs during 2011with first-time participation in shows in Russia, Korea and the uS.”

We are looking for a wider geographic footprint

Betsy O’RourkeSenior Vice President of Marketing, Royal Caribbean International“The planned enhancements of five ships in 2011 will help expand someof the most successful programmes that we have launched on our incredibleoasis-class ships to deliver these new ‘wows’ to more ships in our fleet.with november 7 marking our fortieth anniversary, we are proud tocontinue to deliver more to see, do, and love than ever before to our guests.”

The planned enhancements of five ships in 2011 will help expand some of the most

successful programmes that we have launched

Royal Caribbean’s children’s programmes

Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi

noVEMBER 13, 201018

Philippe BelhaySwiss-Belhotel International has appointed Philippe Belhay as general managerof the upcoming resort winter Valley Dead Sea by Swiss-Belhotel, in Jordan.Belhay has more than 25 years of experience in hotel management. He hasworked across Europe, north Africa and the Middle East and specialises in foodand beverage operations.

Sami Asad and Mohammed Khalifa Al MubarakAldar Properties has appointed Sami Asad as the company’s next CEo,following the retirement of former CEo John Bullough. Asad first joined Aldarin 2008 as technical director, later working his way up to his most recentposition as chief operating officer. Before joining Aldar, Asad worked as deputyvice president of Dolphin Energy and also held several managerial positions atAbu Dhabi national oil Company (ADnoC). Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak will support Asad as deputy CEo, whilecontinuing in his current role as chief commercial officer. Al Mubarak has beeninstrumental in the development of several key departments at Aldar, includingsales and leasing, property and asset management and facilities management.Prior to joining Aldar, Al Mubarak worked with Barclays Capital investmentbank in London, uK.

Lothar QuarzThe Ritz-Carlton Dubai InternationalFinancial Centre (DIFC) has appointedLothar Quarz as general manager. Quarz hasmore than 27 years of senior managementexperience in the luxury hotel industry andwas most recently general manager of TheRitz-Carlton, wolfsburg in Germany. He hasalso held senior positions at The Ritz-CarltonBerlin and Berlin Marriott Hotel. Quarz beganhis career as an apprentice chef before movinginto sales and later management.

Walid Al Awatamani Hotel Marinain Dubai has appointedwalid Al Awa as hotelmanager. Al Awa hasheld several seniormanagement positionswithin the hotel industry;previous employers haveincluded Radisson, TheRitz-Carlton and FourSeasons. In his newrole, Al Awa willoversee all operationsand management oftamani Hotel Marina.

Makram NajjarSwiss-Belhotel International has appointed Makram najjar as general managerof Swiss-Belhotel Doha, in Qatar. najjar replaces previous general manager,Michel Sursok. Most recently, najjar was employed as the general manager ofHoliday Inn Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia. He brings more than 16 years of hotelmanagement experience to his new role.

Walid Al Awa

Lothar Quarz

Travel Trade Weekly: Can you tell usabout your career so far? How did youcome to your current position?Fatima Al-Huraibi: I have beenworking as the general director in theSana’a tourism office for several years andwhen there was an opening, because ofmy experience in the tourism office I wasselected for the role.Before that I was secretary general in theSana’a mayor’s office, so I was an electedofficial.

Travel Trade Weekly: Yemen is oftenassociated with very conservativegender relationships - is it unusual fora woman to succeed in the country asyou have?Fatima Al-Huraibi: It is unusual, butthe government is encouraging anyqualified woman to pursue any positionthat she wants to do.I was supported by men and women whenI ran for election, and if a woman isqualified it is definitely possible for her tosucceed.It depends on the personality of theindividual, whether they are a man or awoman.The people wanted me to run, and theywant me to run again. Hopefully I will runagain for parliament in April next year.I would like to represent women and men,to fight for justified laws that do notviolate human rights.

Travel Trade Weekly: What challengeshave you faced in becoming Yemen’sfirst female tourism director?Fatima Al-Huraibi: So far, there havebeen no real challenges. There were 10 men and myself who werebeing considered for this post as tourismdirector, and I was the most experienced,with my background and education.The board thought I was the mostqualified, so I was selected for the job.

Travel Trade Weekly: What do youplan to do now you are in the position?Fatima Al-Huraibi: My plan of actionis to introduce Yemen to the world - thebig picture of Yemen, and not just thenegative image that people often see in thewestern media.I want to show that Yemen is a peacefulcountry.Most of the acts of terrorism that happenhere are imported; they are performed bynon-Yemenis.Yemenis are peaceful people and veryhospitable. They will welcome anytourists that come to the country.Also, we want to demonstrate that Yemen isa safe country, that there are very few placesin the country that travellers cannot go.only two percent of the country is not safe.Most historical and cultural areas arecompletely safe to visit.

Travel Trade Weekly: You havecalled on the UK Foreign Office tochange its policy of advising againsttravel to Yemen. Can you tell me alittle about this?Fatima Al-Huraibi: we have called onthe Foreign office to review theirrestriction on British travellers coming toYemen, and also to let our Yemenia airlineresume flying to the uK.we have very long historical ties to Britain.we still have statues of Queen Victoria inYemen, and even a miniature Big Ben. Yemenis are very attached to the Britishpeople and it is unfair that we are treatedas a dangerous country.There are terrorist attacks in countries allaround the world, and there are no traveladvisories against these countries.The other day there was a suicide attack inIstanbul, but there are no warnings forturkey.I hope they will work with us. we justwant them to be fair.

19noVEMBER 13, 2010

Q&A with Fatima Al-HuraibiYemen is one of the most maligned countries in the world. Commonly represented in the media as a hotbed ofterrorism and conservatism, few people consider it an ideal holiday destination. Yet the country is also hometo an ancient culture and magnificent heritage attractions. It has also recently appointed its first female tourismdirector, Fatima Al-Huraibi, who told travel trade weekly that common representations of Yemen are unfair.

There are terrorist attacks in countries

all around the world, and there are no travel

advisories against these countries

Yemen is a safe country,there are very few places

in the country thattravellers cannot go

Fatima Al-Huraibi

noVEMBER 13, 201020

EventsWorld Green Tourism Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi, UAE, November 22-24 (www.worldgreentourism.ae)Inaugural eco-tourism exhibition, featuring tourismauthorities, urban city planners, hotels and resorts, propertydevelopers, airlines, tour operators, green product suppliers,universities, museums and heritage site organisations.

EIBTMBarcelona, Spain, November 30 – December 2 (www.eibtm.com)Global event for the meetings and events industry, includingnetworking opportunities, professional education seminarsand a trade show platform for exhibitors, hosted buyers andtrade visitors.

International Luxury Travel MarketCannes, France, December 6-9 (www.iltm.net)Annual business to business event for the global luxury travelindustry. Showcases destinations and travel experiences, with aprogramme of networking events and pre-scheduled meetings.

Moroccan Travel MarketMarrakech, Morocco, January 12-15 (en.mtm.ma)Exhibition for international travel professionals.

Blossom JapanTokyo, Japan, January 18-21,2011 (www.blossomjapan.com)A new invitation-only luxury travel exhibition focusing on theJapanese market.

Fitur International Tourism Trade FairMadrid, Spain, January 19-23, 2011 (www.fitur.es)Fitur is a meeting point for tourism professionals to establishlines of action, strategies and business alliances.

HobexTripoli, Libya, January 25-27 (www.wahaexpo.com/hobex)International hotel business exhibition.

Wildlife Convention Represents Al Ain’s First Major EventIn 2015, Al Ain wildlife Park and Resort(AwPR) will play host to the seventiethannual conference of the world Associationof Zoos and Aquariums (wAZA).Ghanim Al Hajeri, director general ofAwPR, said hosting the conferencewould be a leg up for the park’s ambitionto become a leading conservation centre.“Hosting this prestigious globalconference will strengthen our position asa world leading wildlife and conservationorganisation,” he said.“wAZA’s vision is aligned to ours andcomplements our ambition of reachingfull conservation potential.”According to Abu Dhabi tourism

Authority (ADtA), in addition torecognition of Al Ain’s conservationimportance, the event represents the city’sdevelopment as a meetings and incentivedestination.Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, directorgeneral of ADtA, said the event wouldfurther raise the profile of the growing city.“This is a significant step forward inbuilding awareness of Al Ain as analternative meetings destination,particularly for subjects associated withheritage, culture and sustainability,” he said.AwPR was established as Al Ain Zoomore than 40 years ago, but has recentlybegun an extensive expansion project that

will see the renamed property grow to fivetimes the size of the world’s current largestzoo: San Diego Zoo.

This is a significant step forward in building

awareness of Al Ain as an alternative

meetings destination