A DDP PUBLICATION Pages: 16Vol. VIII No. 7; July 2012

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Majestic Hotel Toweris offering anunbeatable deal for

luxurious suites in this ‘HolyMonth of Ramadan’, essen-tially one bedroom apart-ments that is perfect for fam-ilies and extended staysfavourable for the SaudiArabian guests. “This 76m2suite starts from AED 550with one child stay entirelyfree along with complimen-tary early check-in and latecheck-out, free transfers tothe malls and the beach, 20per cent discount in Tirquazrestaurant, featuring interna-tional cuisine, enrichevenings with heart-warm-ing ambience and services,”informed Khan NaheedMasarrat, EAM & Head ofSales & Marketing, MajesticHotel Tower Dubai. “By thetime of Eid 2012, the hotelwill complete its refurbish-ment of its 252 rooms with a fresh modern look,” he further stated.

“To enhance the experi-ence of our guests, we will beoffering a sumptuous Iftarbuffet like every year atCinnamon with traditionalRamadan beverages every

night after sunset for AED139 per person. Guests can also relax at BreezeTerrace, which will be keptopen till 1:45 am throughoutthe Holy Month offering tra-ditional Ramadan drinks andShisha,” explained AndreasMueller, General Manager,Cove Rotana, Ras AlKhaimah. “We will also offerspecial rates for group of 10 or more on the pur-chase of Ramadan gift vouch-ers,” he added.

Grand MillenniumDubai is also getting ready fora sumptuous Iftar and Sohouroffer this Ramadan. “Thisyear we are coming up withoffers for corporate andgroups like family stay atAED 770 per day for twoadults and two children indeluxe rooms with ArabicIftars or dinner and Sohour or breakfast buffet, with children aged below 8 years dining for free and subject to a maximum of two children per family.While children aged 8 to 12 years can dine for a supplementary charge of AED 80 per child,” uttered Peter Mansourian,General Manager, GrandMillennium Dubai.

Banyan Tree Al Wadiand Banyan Tree Ras AlKhaimah Beach will presenttwo very attractive Ramadan

promotions during the HolyMonth. “The first promotionwill be a combination ofaccommodation stay and an

attractive Iftar for two adultsin the pool villas and atguests’ choice between thebeach and the desert resorts

starting from AED 1,560 only.The second promotion willtarget ‘Private Iftar Events’for corporates and familygroups, offering a selection offamily style set menus at cus-tomer’s choice and will offera complimentary gift voucherto experience one of our sig-nature activities for every 10person booked,” mentionedShamel Droubi, Director ofSales & Marketing, BanyanTree Al Wadi.

“The private Iftargroups will start from AED150 per person and ourawarded activities willinclude private beach access,archery, camel and horsebackriding and the signature rain-forest and hydrotherapyexperience,” he added.

Kris Restaurant at ParkRegis Kris Kin Hotel Dubaipromises to make thisRamadan a truly memorableevent with live cooking sta-tions, henna painting andsoothing music for dinerswith beautiful setting andsuperb cuisine. ScottButcher, General Manager,Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel,Dubai said, “Corporate com-panies and groups can take

Highly anticipated and a very special time of the year is round the corner. It’s the ‘Holy Month of Ramadan’, whenmost of the hotels are coming up with special prices and value-added benefits with luxurious Iftar and Sohour offers.More so, this year, Dubai Summer Surprises, Ramadan and Eid - all fall on the same time for an enjoyable hotel stay.

Offers for familystay starts atAED 770 per dayfor two adultsand two childrenin deluxe roomswith Arabic Iftarsor Sohour withchildren below 8 years diningfor free

Guests canrelax at BreezeTerrace, that willbe open till 1:45am throughoutthe Holy MonthofferingtraditionalRamadan drinksand Shisha

The suite starts from AED 550 withone child stayentirely free along withcomplimentaryearly check-inand late check-out

Khan Naheed MasarratEAM & Head of Sales & MarketingMajestic Hotel Tower Dubai

Andreas MuellerGeneral ManagerCove Rotana, Ras Al Khaimah

Peter MansourianGeneral ManagerGrand Millennium Dubai

SU S M I TA GH O S H

Contd. on page 2

True spirit of the Holy Month

Dubai tops the chart in ME and Africa ................................................................06‘I Know Europe’ ..................................................................................................09ME scores highest in inbound ............................................................................14

COVER STORY

FOREIGN EXCHANGEDIRHAM VALUE

(Subject to variation) (As on 21-06-2012)

Country Currency CN Buy CN Sell

USA ..........................USD ................3.653..............3.685

UK ............................GBP ..............5.7183............5.9396

Egypt ........................EGP ................0.605..............0.711

Euro ..........................EUR ................4.568............4.7566

Canada......................CAD ..............3.5529..............3.677

Bahrain ....................BHD ..............9.5739............9.9137

Oman ........................OMR................9.405............9.6512

Kuwait ......................KWD..............12.939..........13.4043

Saudi Arabia ............SAR ..............0.9625............0.9972

Qatar ........................QAR ..............0.9944............1.0209

Australia ..................AUD ..............3.6748............3.7855

Japan ........................JPY................0.0456............0.0479

Philippines ................PHP ..............0.0856............0.0887

Singapore..................SGD ..............2.8427............2.9668

India ........................INR................0.0640..............0.067

Pakistan ....................PKR ..............0.0383............0.0401

Bangladesh ..............BDT ..............0.0438............0.0456

Sri Lanka ..................LKR ..............0.0271............0.0281

Nepal ........................NPR ..................0.05..............0.056

Morocco ....................MAD................0.405..............0.525

Switzerland ..............CHF ..............3.8014............3.9650

South Africa ..............ZAR ................0.485..............0.553

advantage of special pack-ages that have been createdto offer greater value. The

restaurant has created anarray of value-added pack-ages for corporate meetings

and group Iftars, including anearly bird rate. Every personwill be served daily from sun-set to 11 pm at AED 130 andkids below 6 years can dine

free and those between 6 and12 years can enjoy 50 percent discount. The group Iftar

package will be at AED 100per person for minimum 30people while early bird rateat AED 75 per people.

Coral Hotel Dhahran,the ultimate address for trav-ellers seeking a unique stay

in the Eastern Province ofSaudi Arabia, offers a specialRamadan package for fami-lies, leisure and business vis-itors to come together andexperience the true spirit ofthe Holy Month.

“Ramadan is a time oftogetherness, sharing andgiving. Our chefs have craft-ed a special menu of tradi-tional Ramadan Arabic dishes for Iftar and Sohourbuffets. In addition, we willbe conducting daily raffledraws with exciting prizes onoffer,” expressed Rushdi AlAshkar, General Manager,Coral Hotel Dhahran.

The Iftar buffet is pricedat SAR 140 per person while the Sohour buffetcosts SAR 75 per person. In addition to these dining promotions, there is a fabulous Ramadan room package offering a special room of SAR 425 per night during the Holy Month. With Sohour the room costs SAR 500 and with Iftar it costs SAR 550.

Coral Hotel Dhahran isknown for pampering itsguests with its personalisedservice and exclusive luxury,a unique feature being its‘ladies only’ floor thatensures privacy for women guests.

Time for Iftar and SohourContd. from page 2

Our chefs havecrafted a specialmenu oftraditionalRamadan Arabicdishes for Iftarand Sohourbuffets. Inaddition, we willconduct dailyraffle draws

Corporatecompanies andgroups can takeadvantage of specialpackages thathave beencreated to offergreater value

The private Iftargroups will startfrom AED 150per person andour activities willinclude privatebeach access,archery, cameland horsebackriding, etc

Shamel DroubiDirector of Sales & MarketingBanyan Tree Al Wadi

Scott ButcherGeneral ManagerPark Regis Kris Kin Hotel, Dubai

Rushdi Al AshkaGeneral ManagerCoral Hotel Dhahran

TIME Hotels Management(TIME) is setting the

information technologyexample in the Middle Easthospitality industry, bylaunching a technology-ledinitiative to streamline thecompany’s communicationsprocesses and improve theiroperational efficacy.

Thomas Huber,Corporate Director - IT, TI’MEsaid, “TIME is the first hotelgroup in the region to begin installing Microsoft’s cloud software across all theirIT platforms. ‘Office 365 cloud’ collaboration softwareis the latest and best IT solution for hotel chains and it will inevitably revolutionise the way hotel communications and operations are conducted.”

Basically, ‘cloud com-puting’ refers to computingthat is used as a service

rather than a product. For businesses, this means that all companyinformation – from databasesto email and from monitoringto finances – can be accessedfrom any point at any time, negating the need to use local infrastructure and saving substantial quantities of time and money.

“In the hospitalityindustry, there are severalspecific applications for property management, catering, finance, point ofsales, yield, and so on. Rather than purchase those applications from a variety of different manufacturers and need tosupport them with spe-cialised personnel, they arestreamlined under theMicrosoft cloud software,allowing immediate access todatabases from any of TIME’smodcoms – computers,smartphones, servers, etc.,”added Huber.

While talking about thecompany’s strong-mindedexpansion plans, Huberinformed, “TIME needed asolution that would supportscalability when new proper-ties are added to its portfolio,reduce energy consumptionand increase collaborationamong staff, which is precise-ly what Microsoft’s cloudsoftware provides.”

The new Dubai-based hospitality company TI’ME Hotels Managementbecame the first ME-based hotel group to partner with Microsoft for theexclusive use of ‘Office 365 cloud’ software across its IT platform.

TI’ME on Microsoft’s ‘Cloud’

TT BU R E AU

Thomas HuberCorporate Director - ITTI’ME

A recent MotorolaSolutions study showed ITspending will continuallyincrease year-on-year, withover half of hospitalityorganisations planning toraise investment levels tobetter equip theirworkforces and improveoperational efficiency

‘Cloud computing’ refers to computing that is used as a service ratherthan a product

Study

‘Office 365 cloud’collaborationsoftware is the latest and best IT solution forhotel chains

Air Arabia has intro-duced a new online pre-booked baggage policy,enabling passengers to payfor only the baggage weightthey need. The new policy,effective for all tickets pur-chased on or after July 1,2012, allows passengerswhen booking a flight withAir Arabia to pre-book achecked baggage weightallowance (20 kg, 30 kg or40 kg), with no limitationon the number of pieces.

Passengers who pre-book a 20 kg checked bag-gage allowance will pay

just AED 10, while passen-gers booking 30 kg will payjust AED 20. Subject toavailability, a 40 kgchecked baggage allowancecan also be pre-booked forAED 100. The airline alsoannounced that it hasraised its cabin baggageallowance from 7 kg to 10kg. Pre-booked baggagecan be availed through all sales channels: airara-bia.com, Air Arabia ticket-ing offices, call centres andtravel agents. Any bookingmade prior to July 1, 2012,will be unaffected.

Now book your luggage in advance

Torch Doha opens doors

The Torch announces its entrance on the luxury hotels market, asthe flagship project situated at the hear t of Doha’s Spor t City. At300m high and with 360° panoramic views across the whole ofDoha, the hotel is formerly shaped to represent a colossal torch.

BULLETIN J U LY, 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 3

Commemorating Voyagerof the Seas, maiden call

to Dubai on May 15, at apress conference organisedonboard, Hamad bin Mejren,Executive Director - BusinessTourism, DTCM, remarked,

“We have re-emphasised the importance of having multipleentry UAE visa for the cruise tourists tothe highest leveland is underway.

Hopefully, we will havea positive feedback before thenext cruise season commenc-ing October 2012.”

The present visaprocess is a burden financial-ly and requires lots of documentation proceduresfor the tourists of nationali-ties who are not on the list of 32 countries whose citizens’ gets Visa-on-Arrival.

Accomplishment of sucha visa will be of great supportto the cruiselines in sellingtheir holiday cruise packagesin the region. It will create awider market to bring touristsfrom key source markets likeRussia, China, India, SouthAfrica, Brazil and otheremerging markets.

Managed and operatedby DTCM, Dubai CruiseTerminals has catered to3,96,500 cruise touristsarrived from 108 ship calls in2011. In 2012, Dubai isexpected to see 4,20,000cruise tourists to the emirate.The projections for 2013 are125 cruise ships and4,50,000 passengers and in2014 the number of cruiseships and passengers will be135 and 4,75,000, respec-tively. In 2015, this number

will go up to 145 cruise shipsand 5,00,000 passengers.

Plans are in place tobuild additional terminals to meet the forecastedgrowth. Upon completion ofthe planned expansion the Dubai Cruise terminalswill have the capacity to han-dle six mega cruise ships simultaneously.

Dubai has been serving as a home port for leading cruiselines and is termed as the ‘cruise hub’ of the region. Under discussion for almost three years, the plan for multiple entry UAE visa for cruise passengers is expected to be in place by September 2012.

Waiting for multiple entry visa

Hamad bin MejrenExecutive Director - Business TourismDTCM

TT BU R E AU

The present visa process isa burden financially andrequires lots ofdocumentation proceduresfor the tourists ofnationalities who are not onthe list of 32 countrieswhose citizens’ gets Visa-on-Arrival

Visa Woes

Designed to boost thenumber of tourists in Egypt,visa conditions has beenlifted on tourists from coun-tries like Tunisia, Algeriaand Morocco. Visa exemp-tions will also be extendedto China, India, Jordan,Turkey and Azerbaijan.Now, tourists can obtain aVisa-on-Arrival and do not

need to apply at Egyptianembassies in their respec-tive home countries.

The number of touristsreached 4 million duringthe first four months of2012 and the total number of Middle Easterntourists visiting Egypt during 2010-2011 reached1.6 million. The destinationis planning to attract 41

million tourists in the fiscalyear 2011-12.

“The Country’stourism accountedfor more than tenth of Egypt’sGross DomesticProduct (GDP)before the uprisingin January 2011and employed an estimated one in eightworkers in thecountry,”

informed Hesham Zaazou, First AssistantMinister, Egypt TourismAuthority.

In 2010, around 14.7million tourists visitedEgypt generating aroundUS$ 12.5 billion, but theirnumbers slumped to a 9.8million visitors in 2011generating US$ 8.8 billion.

One positive aspect isthat Egypt has a healthynumbers of Russian andEastern European tourists,who have not beendeterred by instability inthe region.

Egypt lifts visa conditions

Hesham ZaazouFirst Assistant MinisterEgypt Tourism Authority

Cruise

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EDITORIALBack on track

The ‘Holy Month of Ramadan’coincides with the summer months

this year and airlines operating acrossthe Gulf have slashed fares as they lookforward to boost their capacity. Hotelsare also aggressively competing forbusiness by flooding the market withspecial Ramadan packages. Manyhoteliers have reported that theirforward bookings indicate occupancylevels could go up to 80% in August.

MasterCard Worldwide’s annualGlobal Destination Cities Index saidthat the number of people travellingabroad continues to increase aroundthe world despite challenging economicenvironment. Dubai was the top rankedcity in the Middle East that outrankedNew York, Amsterdam, Rome andBeijing. Abu Dhabi also emerged as theworld’s fourth fastest growingdestination city by visitor numbers, theindex said.

The Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS),now in its 15th edition, showcasing anarray of shops with packedentertainment and exciting prizes willlure visitors and residents. Anestimated four million people visitedthe emirate during DSS 2011.

The Dubai’s Department of Tourismand Commerce Marketing (DTCM) hasnoted that since January 2012, theemirate registered a 27% increase inhotel guests from China, recording atotal of 1,93,000 stays.

The International Air TransportAssociation (IATA) has indicated thatoutlook is brighter for carriers in theME, as long haul markets have beenrelatively robust and load factors haverisen in recent months thanks to aslowdown in the introduction of newcapacity. Hence the industry body hasraised its profit forecast for the regionto US$ 500m, up from the previouslyforecast US$ 300m.

To facilitate the rise indemand, Ras Al Khaimah

TDA introduced two charterflights in 2011 with aGerman tour operator and aSwedish tour operator, whichbrought an additional 60,000visitors to the emirate byJune 2012. These directflights to RAK have provenextremely successful and it’sa model that we look forwardto continue with.

The ability for RAK toprovide quality luxury expe-rience with value is also astrong draw card. Also, weare located mere 45 minutesaway from DubaiInternational Airport whichis convenient for travellers.Following these factors, arethe natural varied land-scapes, mountain, desert,beach and sea activities andexperiences that make itquite unique.

The opening of newtourism attractions haveincluded the Pearl Museumand Pearl Farm which openedin October 2011 and January2012 respectively. The muse-um and farm offer visitors aunique opportunity to discoverthe ancient process of cultivat-ing natural pearls with theadded attraction of being ableto take a pearl home.

The travel trade pro-vides a positive and vitalservice during the process ofpromotion of any destination.Hence, we have introducededucational and marketingprogramnmes for the traveltrade partners throughoutUAE to gain greater knowl-edge of the attractions avail-able. We are also workingclosely with major Europeantour operators to establishdirect charter flights to Ras Al Khaimah.

RAK Airways is a natu-ral partner for us. With their direct flight access itprovides various opportuni-ties to work together todevelop these markets andpromote tourism attractionsof Ras Al Khaimah.

Furthermore, researchand resources are beinginvested into developing Ras Al Khaimah’s Wildlifeand Cruise Tourism.Regarding Cruise Tourism,upgraded projects havebeen launched including theenhancement of the Al

Hamra Marina and YachtClub and the Ras AlKhaimah Corniche.

A further exclusivefacility to add to the high-lights of Ras Al Khaimah isthe 100-feet sailing boat‘Prince of Sea’, offering sail-ing trips along the beach ofRas Al Khaimah.

With regards to devel-oping and further protectingRas Al Khaimah’s wildlife,the Banyan Tree Al Wadi,owned by the Ras AlKhaimah Government, is alsocurrently undergoing anupgrade. The reconstruction

includes the extending of the villa complex, building a new equestrian club andexpanding the selection ofwildlife at the resort.

In addition to the devel-opment of new quality hoteland resort accommodation,the Ras Al KhaimahHospitality Group is also busydeveloping the emirate as anew gourmet destination.

Modern and authenticItalian restaurant ‘Pesto’,owned by the Ras AlKhaimah Government andmanaged by the Ras AlKhaimah Hospitality Group,opened in February 2012, presents a new concept for food and bever-age stand-alone restaurant inthe emirate.

By October 2012, wewill establish the ultimateDesert experience ‘BassataCamp’. The main aim behind building this camp is to introduce an Arabianexperience with Bedouinshows and entertainment tothe visitors.

Additionally, many newhospitality projects and hotelshave also been initiated,including the Ras Al KhaimahWaldorf Astoria, which willmark the entry of Hilton’sworldwide luxury brand intothe UAE and the Bab Al Bahrfamily luxury resort on AlMarjan Island, scheduled toopen in Q1 2013.

The development ofupscale accommodation is animportant element of ouractivities in reaching our stat-ed objectives of increasingthe emirate’s total hotel andresort room inventory to10,000 keys by 2016, andthese developments willoccur in our various locations

of beach, mountain anddesert terrains.

During Q1 2012, thevisitor numbers reached3,06,750, marking a 47 percent increase over the same period last year. Beach hotels, resorts and city properties both wit-nessed an occupancy rise of3 and 11.5 per cent respec-tively during this time. Beachand resort hotels have wit-nessed an occupancy increaseof 16.28 per cent while cityhotels reported a growth of2.08 per cent in May 2012over May 2011.

For the month of May 2012, visitor numbertopped 1,02,966, with keyfeeder markets comprisingGermany (40 per cent), the UAE (26 per cent), Russia (10 per cent), Austria(3.4 per cent) and CzechRepublic (2.6 per cent).

Year-to-date (YTD),total hotel visitor numbershave reached 5,23,568, rep-resenting half of the targetfor 2012. We expect to main-tain this strong momentumfrom key feeder marketsthroughout 2012.

(Victor Louis, COO,Tourism Development

Authority, Ras Al Khaimah)

The tagline for Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAK TDA) is ‘A Rising Emirate’ and we will be sure to live up to this motto by making further announcements throughout the year of various new tourism developments and projects.

RAK TDA: A Rising Emirate

RAK Airways is anatural partner forus. With theirdirect flight accessit provides variousopportunities towork together todevelop thesemarkets andpromote tourismattractions of RAK

Emirates Airline andMaster Card to jointly offertop-notch packages for theairline’s First Class andBusiness Class passengerswho use their Master Cardcards to purchase flights on

www.emirates.com beforeSeptember 30, 2012. Forevery Emirates top classround-trip ticket, MasterCard holders visiting Dubaiwill receive complimentarystays at Dubai’s top hotels,

in addition to complimentaryvisas and tickets to ‘At TheTop’ in the Burj Khalifa.

Cardholders purchasingEmirates First Class ticketswill receive a complimentarytwo-night stay, including

breakfast, at The ArmaniHotel, located in Burj Khalifa,while cardholders choosingBusiness Class tickets willbenefit from a one-night staywith breakfast at TheAddress Dubai Marina.

Emirates and Master Card join hands

AVIATION

The flight marks DFW’sfirst non-stop passenger

flight to the Middle Eastwhile opening key regions ofthe world for the citizens of

Dallas-Fort Worth. To takeadvantage of every opportu-nity and expand the global business and tourismpresence, DFW also partici-pated in Arabian TravelMarket 2012.

“Creating a bridgebetween two cultures andopening up infinite economicprospects for our region andthe cities within it,

This direct dailyflight is a big pactfor both North Texasand our partners inthe UAE,” said Kenneth Buchanan,Executive Vice President,Dallas-Fort WorthInternational Airport.

“More so it came at a perfect time, as oureconomy rebounds, moretravellers arriving at Dallasand exports climb upwards.Exceeding everybody’sexpectation, Emirates withan excellent load factor has ahuge potential for businesstravellers besides VFRs,” hefurther confirmed.

With various marketingstrategies and co-brandingwith the Emirates, DFWAirport expects around 57 million passengers in2012 out of which interna-tional travellers will consistof 11 million.

With 7 runaways andmore than 100 million pas-senger handling capacity,expansion plans are there to

add more terminals on this18,000 acres land airport.

The Emirates flights areexpected to produce US$ 227million in economic impactannually for the DFW regionin terms of additional visitors,business ties and invest-ments, according to DFWAirport estimates.

Connecting two of the world’s top airport hubs Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)International Airport and Dubai International Airport, Emirates Airline’s daily, non-stop Dubai-DFW service will give a boost to the DFW Airport.

Emirates connects DFW to Dubai

Kenneth BuchananExecutive Vice PresidentDallas-Fort Worth International Airport

TT BU R E AU

DFW Airport expectsaround 57 millionpassengers in 2012 out ofwhich international travellerswill consist of 11 million

The Emirates flights areexpected to produce US$227 million in economicimpact annually for theDFW region

Expectations

The Airline has signed acontract with Airbus to

equip 17 of its future A320son order with Airbus’ fuelsaving Sharklets. The newwingtip device is 2.5 mt tall,replacing the aircraft’s cur-rent wingtip fence and willreduce fuel-burn particularlyover longer sectors.Deliveries of the Sharklet-equipped A320s to EtihadAirways will begin in thethird quarter of 2013.

Etihad Airways havestarted taking delivery of its20 A320s on order in the lastquarter of 2011. Once inservice, the A320s equippedwith Sharklets will make theairlines single-aisle fleet, oneof the most modern and fuelefficient in the Middle East.

James Hogan, Presidentand Chief Executive Officer,Etihad Airways, said,

“Today, EtihadAirways’ fleet ofAirbus aircraftcomprises of 50Airbus passengeraircraft and two A330-200Freighter aircraft.Another 43 aircraftwill be deliveredfrom the existingorders, including 10 A380s. It will grow EtihadAirways’ totalAirbus fleet to 95 aircraft.”

Offered on new aircraftfrom the end of 2012,Sharklets increase payload-range and improve take-offperformance. The new wingtip device will result inaround 3.5 per cent reducedfuel-burn over longer sectors,corresponding to an annual

CO2 reduction of around1,000 tonnes per aircraft.

The A320 already hasthe highest reliability of anysingle-aisle aircraft today, soto further boost the aircraft’sproductivity, adding theSharklet makes it a goodbusiness decision.

Etihad Airways is entirely determined on maximising the environmentalefficiency of the entire fleet. Growing the fleet with the modern, fuel efficient Sharklet-equipped A320, the airline can reduce fuel-burn.

Fuel saving sharklets for A320s

James HoganPresident and Chief Executive OfficerEtihad Airways

TT BU R E AU

Offered on new aircraftfrom the end of 2012,Sharklets increasepayload-range and improvetake-off performance

The new wing tip devicewill result in around 3.5 percent reduced fuel-burn over longer sectors,corresponding to an annualCO2 reduction of around1,000 tonnes per aircraft

New Technology

Boeing 787 Dreamliner lands in Abu DhabiEtihad Airways has wel-comed Boeing’s 787Dreamliner to AbuDhabi InternationalAirpor t. The historicBOE787 flight wasgreeted by a traditionalwater canon salute onarrival. The flight tookoff from Casablanca,Morocco covering adistance of 6,000 km.

STATISTICS6 TRAVTALK J U LY, 2 0 1 2

Table 1 shows the rankingof destination cities

by growth rates of their visitor arrivals. From this perspective, the really interesting feature of theMiddle East and Africa region

is that the same set of desti-nation cities is in the top 10in both visitor arrivals andtheir growth rates. Only theirindividual ranking is alteredsomewhat. In other words,these destination cities havethe highest numbers of visi-tors, and their visitor arrival

numbers are also the fastest-growing in the region. Dubaiis also the top-ranked desti-nation city by visitor expen-ditures. From the point ofview of growth in expendi-tures, Riyadh is in the toprank with an impressivegrowth rate of 35.5%.

The data analytics of theGlobal Destination CitiesIndex can support the analy-sis of where visitors are com-ing from and how much theyspend in each of the destina-tion cities. Dubai, Cairo, andJohannesburg are three topdestination cities in the

Middle East and Africa regionunder this category.

The top five cities of origin for travellers coming to Dubai (Table 3) are London, Kuwait, Beijing,Frankfurt and Paris. Whilethere is no surprise that vis-

itors from London and Kuwaitare both the biggest in num-ber and the highest in theirexpenditures in Dubai, it isinteresting to note thatBeijing now ranks third inboth number of visitors toDubai and how much theyspend there.

According to the MasterCard Worldwide Insights 2011, Dubai ranks first among the top 10 Destination Cities inMiddle East and Africa. It is followed by Cairo, Johannesburg and Tel Aviv in second, third and fourth ranks, respectively.

Dubai tops the chart in ME and Africa

Global Top 20 Destination Cities by International visitors (2011)

Top 10 Destination Cities in Middle East and Africa by International Visitors (2011)

1

2

1 London 20.1m 11 Seoul 7.9m2 Paris 18.1m 12 New York 7.6m3 Bangkok 11.5m 13 Amsterdam 7.4m4 Singapore 11.4m 14 Kuala Lumpur 6.9m5 Hong Kong 10.9m 1 5 Milan 6.7m6 Madrid 10.1m 16 Barcelona 6.7m7 Istanbul 9.4m 17 Vienna 6.2m8 Frankfurt 8.4m 18 Shanghai 5.5m9 Dubai 7.9m 19 Taipei 5.4m10 Rome 7.9m 20 Tokyo 5.0m

1 Dubai 7.9m 6 Abu Dhabi 2.0m

2 Cairo 3.7m 7 Nairobi 1.8m

3 Johannesburg 3.0m 8 Amman 1.8m

4 Tel Aviv 2.7m 9 Beirut 1.7m

5 Casablanca 2.5m 10 Tunis 1.7m

Source: MasterCard Index of Global Destination Cities: Cross-Border Travel and Expenditure

Destination 2011 2010 toRank 2011

Growth Rate

Cairo 2 21.6%Tunis 10 19.9%Dubai 1 17.3%Abu Dhabi 6 15.5%Nairobi 7 14.1%Amman 8 14.1%Beirut 9 13.9%Tel Aviv 4 13.8%Johannesburg 3 9.9%Casablanca 5 5.5%

Growth Rates of Visitor Arrivals in Top 10Destination Cities in ME and Africa in 2011 2Top 5 Cities of Origin in 2011

for Dubai

Origin Cities Visitor Visitor Arrivals Expenditures(,000) (US$ Million)

London 926 $876

Kuwait 343 $373

Beijing 300 $334

Frankfurt 278 $245

Paris 262 $221

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3Growth Rates of Visitor Arrivals for the Top 20 Destination Cities in 20111

Destination 2011 2010 toRank 2011

Growth Rate

Barcelona 16 24.3%Kuala Lumpur 14 21.8%Istanbul 7 20.4%Shanghai 18 18.6%Hong Kong 5 17.4%Dubai 9 17.3%Taipei 19 16.9%Singapore 4 14.5%Tokyo 20 13.5%New York 12 11.7%

New York

London

BarcelonaMadrid

AmsterdamFrankfurt

ViennaMilan

Rome Istanbul

Dubai

SingaporeKuala Lumpur

Bangkok

Hong Kong Taipei

Paris

Shanghai

Seoul

Tokyo

Casablanca TunisBeirut

AmmanTel AvivCairo

DubaiAbu Dhabi

Nairobi

Johannesburg

HOTELS J U LY, 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 7

The Sensational SummerCamp will include two

camps, each will run for about a month. The children will enjoy new outdoor activities which will focus more on beach and water sports, enhancetheir creativity with severalindoor activities. As being handled by the Bay Club team, all Bay Clubmembers’ children will beentitled to 25 per cent dis-count per entity.

“Radisson Blu ResortSharjah has also preparedspecial discount for the HolyMonth of Ramadan. IftarBuffet everyday will beoffered for the whole monthat the Falls Restaurant andprivate Iftar can also bearranged in the hotel’sevents room or can becatered for outdoor venues,”informed Basel Talal,General Manager RadissonBlu Resort Sharjah.

In addition, theResort is alsooffering valuablediscount for bulk purchase of Iftar vouchersranging from 5 to15% for companieswho would prefer togive a gift of Iftar toits clients andpartners.

Moreover, special room& suites rate have beenslashed down for the entiresummer season and is almosthalf the price of the normalrates (during the rest of the

year). 10 per cent off theretail rates has been offeredfor guests who would preferto stay for minimum of 3nights or weekend with minimum of 2 nights on a room only basis.

About 65-70 per cent ofbusiness has been receivedfrom the travel trade whoplays the major source of theproperty’s turnover. Being ahotel with an excellent mix of leisure, corporate, govern-ment and group, Radissonblu, Sharjah attained 8 to 10 per cent growth in2011 over 2010 and around96.45 per cent since October2011 till date.

Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah receives about 65-70% of business from the travel trade who alsoplays the major source for the property’s turnover.

Agents bring 70% business

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Basel TalalGeneral Manager Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah

About 65-70 per cent ofbusiness has beenreceived from the traveltrade who plays the majorsource of the property’sturnover

Being a hotel with anexcellent mix of leisure,corporate, government andgroup, Radisson blu,Sharjah attained 8 to 10 percent growth in 2011 over2010 and around 96.45per cent since October2011 till date

Growth Chart

Located in Port Rashid, this 164 rooms and

suites boutique hotel,equipped with every state-of-the-art technology, featuresa variety of restaurants. Itincludes two signaturerestaurants, ‘Titanic’ byBritish Master Chef - MarcoPierre White, serving contemporary European cui-sine and ‘Signature’ byCelebrity Chef - Sanjeev

Kapoor’ offering elegantIndian delectables.

“Designed for bothbusiness and leisure trav-ellers, Melia Dubai expects tohave around 75 per centoccupancy throughout 2012. Besides, all other properties like Royal Ascot,Royal Ascot Apartments,Seaview, all are functioningon 90 per cent occupancy.

An overall growthof 10 per cent isseen in 2012 over2011 whereas theleisure marketoccupies around 45per cent,” informed Pawan Kachroo,Managing Director, KhamasHospitality.

“Being the most impor-tant distribution arm, various

promotional attractions andfamiliarisation trips aredesigned for the travel trade along with one-o-one incentive programmedepending on their individualproductivity,” Kachroo fur-ther informed.

To meet the need of a celebrity property with high profile facilities andservices in the central part of the Emirate, the new Meliá Dubai, the 5-star luxury boutique hotel had its soft launch under Khamas HospitalityGroup, managed by Melia Hotels International.

First Spanish 5-star hotel in Dubai

SU S M I TA GH O S H

Khamas Hospitality Grouphas been in the industry formore than a decade now,initiated by a budget hotel,Sea View. Experiencingadequate growth, it startedspreading its wings andlaunched Royal Ascot,Ascot Hotel, Ascot HotelApartment and RoyalAscot Apartment and nowMelia. Expansion persistsand the plan to move topremium lifestyle luxurybrand is in the pipeline tobegin in 2012-end andcomplete in 2014

Company Profile

Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement to trans-form The Royal Ascot into new DoubleTree Hilton, the sec-ond DoubleTree branded property planned for the city andthe third for the UAE. With the re-branding of DoubleTreeby Hilton Bur Dubai in January 2013, the 174-room prop-erty will undergo refurbishment and upgrading programmeand would prove to be a major attraction for bulk leisureand commercial travellers.

Rebranding

Pawan KachrooManaging DirectorKhamas Hospitality

Cristal Hotels & Resortsrecently signed agree-

ments to manage threehotels in the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia (KSA). CristalKSA will be managing theCristal Amaken Hotel, which

will open in 2014 in the 2nd

Industrial City, Riyadh;Cristal Himmah Hotel, whichwill open in 2015 inDammam and Cristal Siyaha

Hotel, which will open early2013 in Riyadh. The newhotels will collectively supplymore than 600 hotel roomsin KSA’s burgeoning hospital-ity market.

Peter Blackburn,President & CEO, CristalHotels & Resorts, said, “Thedemand for hospitalityamenities in Saudi Arabiacontinues to surge.

We are, therefore,thrilled to delivermore than 600 hotelrooms within thenext two yearsthrough joint effortswith our localpartner.

Moreover, the success-ful launch of these hotels willfurther boost our ongoingexpansion programme across key markets in the Middle East.”

The Cristal Group signs anagreement to manage CristalAmaken and Cristal Siyaha in Riyadhand Cristal Himmah in Dammam.

Cristal for hat-trick

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Peter BlackburnPresident & CEOCristal Hotels & Resorts

CRUISE8 TRAVTALK J U LY, 2 0 1 2

Q. What are the exceptional features of MSCCruises?

A. Numerous itineraries of MSC Cruises coverexotic destinations and offer exclusive on-board entertainment facilities anddelectable’s making it an exceptionalproduct while the ‘Yacht Club’ provides aroyal feeling.

Q. What is the extent of awareness among theME cruise lovers? Do you feel it’s stillneeded more?

A. MSC Cruise has an organic growth in thisregion and we are optimistic about the future.Loyal and repeated clients always make usfeel good yet the cruise segment needs moreattention and efforts to be put in.

Q. How does MSC Cruises handle MICEtravellers?

A. All kind of facilities are available on-boardall MSC Cruises, even the services whichare available on land to cater to the MICEsegment. Hosting a MICE event in the shipprovides a better feeling of togetherness asis expectated from any MICE event.

Q. Are there any special plans and offers forRamadan and Eid?

A. We have tour operating fares which can beused by agents to form their own packages.

Q. Is Halal food available on any cruise as thisis a requirement for certain travellers inthe region?

A. Every ship caters to Halal meals and Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals with prior intimation and availablefor FITs and groups.

Alok Dey, Holidays Manager, Sharaf Travel, The GSAresponsible for marketing MSC Cruise in the GCC region

The campaign is the compa-ny’s way of recognising the

valuable role travel agents play,highlighting the ongoing sup-port Royal Caribbean has inplace. It provides regional sup-port through its hub in Dubaiin the Middle East. ‘Loyal toYou Always’ is built on fourprinciples - personal interac-tion and support, valuableresources that get results,increasing profits for theagents and award-winningtravel agents’ education anddevelopment programmes.

The campaign offers thetravel trade up to US$ 100 inbonus commission per state-room for cruises aboard RoyalCaribbean International,Celebrity Cruises and AzamaraClub Cruises.

“Royal Caribbean Arabiahad been providing support,training and assistance in the region for more than 17 years.

We have manyinitiatives andprogrammes toexpress our loyalty tothe travel agents,which help them, notonly sell more cruisesand increase theirprofits, but buildvaluablerelationships,”

explained Lakshmi Durai,Executive Director, RoyalCaribbean International,Celebrity Cruises and AzamaraClub Cruises Middle East.

“We offer them the oppor-tunity to visit the ships whenthey are in Dubai, to get an ideawhat a cruise holiday is allabout. Every year, we take themon-board for the ‘Seminar atSea’ and provide a first-handexperience of a cruise holiday. Ithelps the agents to sell RoyalCaribbean Cruise products effec-tively. We also have an interac-tive online training programme,‘Cruising for Excellence’, helpsour travel partners to learn moreabout our cruises and what we

offer,” she further informed.Royal Caribbean is investingmore than US$ 100 million over the next five years on its internal reservation systemand automation tools to helptravel agents sell cruises moreeasily and service their clientsmore effectively by leveragingthe latest technologies.

To offer support, training and loyalty to the travel agents worldwide, RoyalCaribbean International celebrated the ‘world’s largest travel agency appreciationday’ on June 6 as part of its ‘Loyal to You Always’ year-round campaign.

An ode to travel agents worldwide

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Lakshmi DuraiExecutive Director, Royal CaribbeanInternational, Celebrity Cruises andAzamara Club Cruises Middle East

The campaign offers the traveltrade up to US$ 100 in bonuscommission per stateroom forcruises aboard RoyalCaribbean International,Celebrity Cruises and AzamaraClub Cruises

On Offer

It is the 12th ship added to the MSC Cruises fleet

and showcases theMediterranean heritage ofwhich the company is so

proud of. Every detail of theon-board experience andthe christening itself was considered to reflectthe colours, the history and culture of the area,offering the guests, anopportunity to enjoy the region’s celebrated values of authenticity andwarm hospitality.

The christening cere-mony was attended bynumerous international stars and celebrated classicalperformer.

“MSC Divina has home-port from Venice, Italy for the2012 summer season, callingat many of the most famoussites in the Mediterranean.

MSC Divina had afull schedule of 228-day/7-nightcruises startingfrom June 2, 2012through November3, 2012, whichexplores the North-EasternMediterranean,calling at Bari, Italy,Katakolon, Greece,Izmir and Istanbul,Turkey andDubrovnik,Croatia,” explained Aloke Dey,Holidays Manager, SharafTravel, the GSA responsible

for marketing MSC Cruise inthe GCC region.

MSC Yacht Club, atrend-setting conceptdesigned as a distinguishedsanctuary for guests seeking peace, privacy andexclusivity but with entrée tothat entire large cruise shipsoffer, has been taken to evengreater heights on-boardMSC Divina.

MSC Divina was recently christened in France, in an elegant style by international screen legend Sophia Loren.The event was themed as ‘Med with Passion’ and MSC Divina represented the Mediterranean heritage.

MSC Divina christened

Aloke DeyHolidays Manager, Sharaf TravelGSA – Marketing, MSC Cruise - GCC region

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Lucky guests staying in‘Yacht Club Sophia LorenSuite 16007’ can take thisVIP treatment further andrevel in the glamour of asuite designed for and with the help of Loren,international screen iconand godmother to the MSCCruises’ fleet. Rich, deepreds, designed lamps anda wild heather and redcarpet have been chosenby Loren for a personaltouch of glamour, whilestunning black and whitephotographs of her mostmemorable roles decoratethe walls of the suite

The VIP Treatment

Silversea will soon detailmore on the plans for the

ship after it is renovated andrenamed, ensuring consisten-cy with the standards of theSilversea fleet. Till then

Galapagos Explorer II willcontinue on its plannedschedule of cruises and to beoperated by Canodros, whichis based in Guayaquil,Ecuador. Canodros will alsocontinue handling reserva-tions for Galapagos ExplorerII and sales and marketingthrough its established net-

work of travel companies andtour operators.

“Galapagos ExplorerII offers the stylishelegance of a mega-yacht, attentive on-board service andan enrichingnaturalist educationprogramme. All ofits 50 spacioussuites feature oceanviews and 24include privatebalconies,”

said Mike Bonner, GeneralManager, UK, Ireland andMiddle East.

Its existing expeditionship, Silver Explorer, is regu-larly deployed in the polarregions and the addition of asecond vessel, offering year-round unique luxury expedi-tion cruises in the Galapagosarchipelago. In other words, Silversea will have theopportunity to offer theadventure traveller a broaderportfolio of itineraries,

encompassing some of theworld’s most desired andleast explored regions.

Guests currently bookedon Galapagos Explorer II andtravel agents or tour opera-tors with clients booked onthe ship, should continue toliaise through their normalchannels with Canodros forany needed assistance withtheir reservation.

Guests sailing aboardGalapagos Explorer II willcontinue to enjoy the same exciting itineraries, lux-ury accommodation, ship-board amenities, informativelectures and sustainabletourism for which Canodrosis known for.

The Silversea Group plans to add upmarket expeditionship, Galapagos Explorer II to its fleet of six ships in2013 after the 100-guest vessel goes through a majorrefurbishment in September 2013.

Adding more to its fleet

Mike BonnerGeneral ManagerUK, Ireland and Middle East

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The Group recentlypurchased Canodros SA,the premier EcuadorianTourism Company andtheir ship, GalapagosExplorer IIGalapagos Explorer II willcontinue on its plannedschedule of cruises and tobe operated by Canodros

New Purchase

Royal Caribbean International recently celebrated its ‘world’slargest travel agent appreciation day’. More than 7,000 travel pro-fessionals were called on worldwide by the cruiselines’ executivesand employess to appreciate the travel agents. They also showcasednew agent support programmes as part of the ‘loyal to you always’commitment campaign.

RCI celebrates travel agents

AGENTS J U LY, 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 9

It helps travellers to findqualified travel agents to

enhance their European travel experiences.

The first and only comprehensive Europe certification sets the standardamong the travel agents and consultants in the MiddleEast, selling Europe withskills, knowledge base andtools. It showcases Europe asa complete destination andparts of the continent asstand-alone destinations.

Supporting the Globusfamily of brands in this certi-fication are various EuropeanNational Tourism Boards. Theagents are put through anextensive training scheduleof over 30 study hours whereeach specialist will appear forand clear a comprehensiveexamination as an endorse-ment of their knowledge toprove their specialisation.

“To provide a stress-freeand memorable vacation, the

travel agent helps the trav-ellers to get the best value formoney with their recommen-dations and expertise.

It’s impossible toexpect a travelagent to visit everyplace to know the details of adestination.Therefore, anexhaustive training is the next best thing,” says Gauri Jayaram, RegionalDirector, South Asia & Middle East, Globus family of brands.

“We have been operat-ing vacations to Europe for over 80 years. This clearly puts us in the position of leadership whenit comes to giving travelagents such detailed certifi-cation,” added Jayaram.

Introducing the certificate training programme ‘I KnowEurope’ in ME, the Globus Family of Brands brings inexperts from Europe to Dubai to train the travel agents.

‘I Know Europe’

Gauri JayaramRegional Director, South Asia & MiddleEast, Globus Family of Brands

SU S M I TA GH O S H

Headquartered inSwitzerland for more than80 years, the regionaloffice of Globus family ofbrands is in Bengaluru,India, responsible for theSouth Asian and MiddleEast market.

Regional Office

As part of the ForasInternational

Investment, the investmentarm of the Organisation ofthe Islamic Conference (OIC),Foras Tourism is a one-stoptravel shop, catering to thetraveller’s needs under thebanner: ‘Travel Made Easy’.

The travellers, travelagents, DMCs, tour opera-tors, insurance companiesand service providers are allpart of the Foras Tourism ini-tiative and are working

together towards globaltourism sector productivity.

The company recentlyannounced the launch of itsB2C platform, which isscheduled to be operationalsoon. Foras Tourism will beone of the few travel conceptsin the world to sell both B2Band B2C. Negotiating ratesand the services of the sup-pliers on wholesale basis, thecompany is termed as one ofthe renowned travel whole-

salers from the business pointof view.

“Our website is not only abooking engine but also acts as a portal,containinginteractive andcompleteinformation fortravel agents acrossthe world tobrowse, access and book as it offersconfirmationsimultaneously,”

informed Hossam Andraous,Managing Director, ForasTourism. “We are gettinginvolved as a major player forthe Umrah and Hajj businesswhich is starting soonthroughout OIC countries,”he further stated.

Unlike most of the B2B players in the market, ForasTourism provides information to travel agents acrossthe world along with every aspect of travel bookings.

Browse & book globally

Hossam AndraousManaging DirectorForas Tourism

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Foras Tourism organisedseries of first-of-its-kind workshops in Dubai during April 2012, which were attendedby ministry representativesfrom top ten OIC countries in the tourism field

Workshop

NTO1 0 TRAVTALK J U LY, 2 0 1 2

The event was attended bysenior environmental

advisors from Abu DhabiTourism & Culture Authority(TCA Abu Dhabi) and its sub-sidiary Tourism Development& Investment Company(TDIC) among other officialUAE delegation.

Organised by theUnited Nations, in partner-ship with the Brazilian gov-ernment, the Rio+20 EarthSummit is the most impor-tant global environmentsummit in 20 years.

Dr Shahrazad Roohi,Environmental Advisor, TCAAbu Dhabi presented AbuDhabi’s credentials at the‘Responsible Tourism inDestinations’ conference(RTD6) in São Paulo on June18 and addressed the UnitedNations’ World TourismOrganisation official ‘Tourismfor a Sustainable Future’ sideconference in Rio de Janeiroon June 20.

“We have been blessed in Abu Dhabi with an abundance of natural

resources with 400 km of coastline, over 200 natural islands, deserts and oasis.

While developingtourism, we were conscious, to protect ourheritage andenvironment for the people of Abu Dhabi andgenerations tocome, whilesensitively opening them up to visitors,”Roohi further said.

Keeping a traveller’sneed in mind, Abu Dhabi Tourism & CultureAuthority (TCA Abu Dhabi)has launched an upgradedversion of its official destination website www.vis-itabudhabi.ae, supported by social media channels.

Abu Dhabi’s growing identity as a Sustainable Tourismdestination was highlighted at the Rio+20 UnitedNations Conference on Sustainable Development heldin Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from June 13 to 22.

Pledging for sustainability

Dr Shahrazad RoohiEnvironmental AdvisorTCA Abu Dhabi

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The website is designed asa one-stop-shop fortourists giving them easyaccess to interact in any ofthe eight languages, withextensive information onAbu Dhabi’s attractionsand experiences, culture,heritage and events

Visit Abu Dhabi

With an aim to improvethe service standards

and excellence in the emi-rate’s tourism industry, thenew initiative is designed topromote the concept of agreen economy in the emirate.

Under the initiative, thedepartment conducted threeactivities. It hosted the sec-ond session of its TourismEnvironmental Trainingunder the Think GreenInitiative titled, ‘18-Challenges of the GreenJourney’. The sessionaddressed 18 challenges and

recommended solutionsraised by the participantsduring the first session heldin February 2012.

More than 175 partici-pants including hotels owners, directors, generalmanagers and staff from allthe hotel establishments andtour operators attended this training. The participantswere divided in groups and each group dealt with the challenges and rec-ommended solutions.

In the second pro-gramme, a group of selectedexperts from the governmentand private entities, high-lighted their thoughts aboutthe environmental day andshared their recommenda-tions with others accordingly.

“The initiative aimsto highlight Dubai’srole in developingSustainable Tourism,motivating people in general andtourism industryprofessionals to payattention toenvironmentprotection,”

explained Khalid binSulayem, Director General,DTCM. Dubai now has over576 Green Teams in hotels and more than 1,500tourism industry profession-als have been trained underthis programme.

In conjunction with the World Environment Day, theDubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing(DTCM) launched a new environmental initiative as part of its Green Tourism Award programme.

DTCM goes ‘Green’

Khalid bin SulayemDirector GeneralDTCM

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The department reduced20% CO2 in tourismindustry and expects toreduce 30% in 2012

One of the events was aweek-long collection ofrecyclable items by thestaff handed over to the Dubai Municipality

Eco-Moves

Comparing January toNovember in 2011 over

2010, Kenya observed a 15.6per cent increase in trafficarrival. With airlines like KenyaAirways, Air Arabia, Emirates,Qatar Airways, easy accessi-bility and direct air connectiv-ity almost twice daily fromDubai, Sharjah, Doha, Bahrain,Muscat and Jeddah with an average of four-and-a-halfhours flight and trouble-freeVisa-on-Arrival, Kenya is vigorously gaining focus as a vital tourist hub.

Marketing strategies are in full swing with new products and new activ-ities introduced in countrieswith packages, FITs and

group travel. Among many others, presently Indiaand Japan are the mostpotential markets.

Nairobi has become themajor hub supporting otherdestinations. Kenya is com-paratively cooler than theMiddle East, perfect for fam-ilies and friends to visit.

Incidentally Kenya proves to be an excellent alternativeas a close-by ‘new’ destina-tion offering relaxation in exotic landscapes and environments.

Kenya’s popularity forthe residents in the regionhas grown with visitorarrivals doubling from UAE inthe last 4 years.

“In 2010 a total of 14,874travellers from UAE visited Kenya with anincrease of 26%compared to 2009.Besides, in 2011,the maximumgrowth occurredfrom KSA, Qatarand Oman,” informed John Chirchir,Regional Marketing Manager,Emerging Markets, KenyaTourist Board.

By introducing various new products and promotions,Kenya Tourism Board is making efforts to train, meet andwork directly with the ME travel trade. Near 55% of trafficpours in to Kenya from UAE and the rest from the GCC.

ME grows big in Kenya

John ChirchirRegional Marketing ManagerEmerging Markets, Kenya Tourist Board

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Around 55 per cent oftraffic pours in to Kenyafrom the UAE and the restfrom the GCC

Nairobi has become themajor hub supporting otherdestinations

Kenya’s popularity hasgrown with visitor arrivalsdoubling from UAE in thelast 4 years

Increasing Traffic

The Portuguese capitalbecomes Emirates’

31st European destination.Tourists flown to Portugal each day fromaround the vast route net-work will provide vitaltourism revenue. Importers,exporters and business peo-ple are expected to benefitwith the flow of commerceand trade between Lisbon,Dubai and beyond.

“Portugal is a tourist’sdelight with its history andcultural elements.

It is also fullyequipped to meet therequirements ofvisitors, be it retail, transport oraccommodation.Lisbon is also one of its main touristdestinations. With the start of the direct flight,we are expecting a massive increasein visitor numbersto Portugal fromthis region,” said Frederico Costa,President - Tourism, Portugal.

Portugal is a well-known tourist destinationwhich attracted 7.4 milliontourists in 2011, up from 6.8million in 2010. Tourism con-tributes 9.2 per cent of thecountry’s GDP and 8.2 percent of total employment.

While the five main marketsproviding visitors to Portugalare Spain, the UK, Germany,France and Brazil, the MiddleEast and mainly India, too aregenerating tourist traffic tothe country.

In the Gulf, the UAE andQatar were the main driverswith the UAE providing 1,142tourists to Portugal in 2009and 2,045 in 2010. With thelaunch of the new flight, thenumber of tourists is expect-ed to go up significantly tomore than 1,00,000.

The distance between Portugal and the UAE is set tobecome much shorter when Emirates Airline launchesdirect flights from Dubai to Lisbon from July 9. It willbe the only ME based carrier to fly into Portugal.

Direct from Dubai to Lisbon

Frederico CostaPresident - Tourism, Portugal

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Portugal is a well-knowntourist destination whichattracted 7.4 milliontourists in 2011, up from6.8 million in 2010

Tourism contributes 9.2 percent of the country’s GDPand 8.2 per cent of totalemployment

Number On The Rise

TECHNOLOGY J U LY, 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 1 1

Relocating from its formeroffices in Al Barsha and

Dubai Silicon Oasis,Travelport’s move to ConcordTower in Dubai Media Cityunderscores the company’scontinued expansion drivesince it established directGalileo global distributionsystem (GDS) operations inthe Middle East in 2009. TheGDS provider has hired morethan 100 staff members sincethen to support its growingtravel agency network acrossthe region. Travelport is nowfully equipped to serve localWorldspan-connected travelagents along with providingcontinued support to Galileotravel agents.

“The company’snew MEAheadquarters will be a thrivinghub for customersupport andinnovation,”explained Rabih Saab,President and ManagingDirector, Middle East andAfrica, Travelport.

“By bringing togetherour local resources and capa-bilities, Travelport will be able to better serve our valued travel agency customers and welcomethem into an environmentthat unifies our talent, energy and innovation intoone purposeful space,” hefurther stated.

All the Travelport’sDubai-based employees havetransferred to the company’snew Media City office as partof the successful relocationeffort. Previously housed inAl Barsha, the move alsobrought the company’s training facilities and its full-service helpdesk, former-

ly located at Silicon Oasis –all under one roof.

In addition,Travelport’s corporate huboffice in Dubai will act as anextension of its operationsin Africa, where the GDSprovider recently set-up adirect distribution networkfor travel agents in SouthAfrica. Several key seniorexecutives involved indeveloping the company’sgrowth strategy and sup-porting the Galileo networkin Africa are also based atthe Travelport offices inDubai Media City.

Combining its operations in the UAE, Travelport hasestablished a new regional hub office in Dubai on May31, 2012. It has started functioning as the company’scorporate headquarters for the ME and Africa region.

Travelport’s new hub

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Rabih SaabPresident and Managing DirectorMiddle East and Africa, Travelport

Travelport’s corporate huboffice in Dubai will act asan extension of itsoperations in Africa, wherethe GDS provider recentlyset-up a direct distributionnetwork for travel agents inSouth Africa

Base in Dubai

The Airline adopted its oldname ‘Saudia’, after join-

ing SkyTeam alliance on May29, 2012.

Daniel Naoumovitch,CEO, Sabre Travel NetworkMiddle East (STNME)explained, “Saudia joins many global airlines in iden-tifying Sabre as an importantsource of revenue andgrowth. As host to SkyTeamcarriers including Aeroflot,Aero Mexico and VietnamAirlines, Sabre has the experience to power Saudia’s successful entry intothe alliance.”

Offering traditional andonline travel agenciesimproved access to fares andinventory, help drive its international expansion,Saudia has chosen to developits level of connectivity

with Sabre. In addition,Sabre has also signed multi-year distribution agree-ment with EgyptAir.

“With our strategicoffices in Cairo andAlexandria, we are confidentthat this partnership will grow and prosper further,” Naoumovitch further informed.

Sabre signs distribution agreementwith Saudia Airlines and EgyptAir,where more than 3,50,000 travelagents connected to Sabre, will getaccess to a range of air fares.

Sabre grows

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Daniel NaoumovitchCEOSabre Travel Network Middle East

The report highlights thecompany’s performance

on Corporate Responsibility(CR) issues across theAmadeus Group in 195 coun-tries over the past year.

Amadeus subscribed to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, thuspledging to uphold, promoteand implement the values of responsible and sustain-able tourism development.

“At Amadeus we believe our expertise in the travel industry combinedwith our staff ’s motivation to make a difference. We provide a perfect platform to improve our envi-ronmental performance and support the communitiesin which we operate,” says Tomás LópezFernebrand, Senior Vice

President, General Counseland Corporate Secretary,Amadeus.

Crisis relief has alsoreceived increased supportfrom Amadeus. The initia-tives developed during 2011include CorporateResponsibility activitiesaimed at reducing the effects on the population

of natural disasters such asthe earthquake in Haiti floodsin Bangkok and Australia, theJapanese Tsunami and

Sendai earthquake, thetyphoon in the Philippinesand the crisis in the Horn of Africa.

TT BU R E AU Highlights of the CR Report:

Tomás López FernebrandSenior Vice PresidentGeneral Counsel and CorporateSecretary, Amadeus

• There are Corporate Responsibility initiatives in 45countries (nearly twice as many as in 2009)

• There are close to 800 Amadeus corporate volunteers(four times as many as in the previous year)

• More than 17,470 working hours were granted byAmadeus volunteers to support community initiatives

• A network of 90 Amadeus Corporate Responsibilityspecialists leads local, regional and global projects worldwide.

• On environmental matters, Amadeus continued itscommitment to optimise operational performance andimproved the energy efficiency per transaction processedby 8%. In addition, electricity consumption per employeewas reduced for the second consecutive year

• Despite increased business operations, Amadeus reducedits overall CO2 emissions by more than 5% in 2011, dueto both improved energy efficiency and increased use ofrenewable energy in the company’s larger sites

Corporate Responsibility Report

Amadeus published its Corporate Responsibility Report on June 10. The latest Amadeus Corporate Responsibility Report highlights the company’s activities with 165 projects in 45 countries.

Amadeus 165 projects, 45 nations

DESTINATION1 2 TRAVTALK J U LY, 2 0 1 2

“We are quite delight-ed to work with the

Empire Hotel and CountryClub and Brunei TourismBoard to promote Brunei asan ideal tourism destination.We believe in Brunei’spotential to attract holidaymakers from this regionbecause it is interestinglysmall and yet has a lot tooffer in terms of culture, foodand nature. The Bruneiansare very friendly and hos-pitable and such character-istics always help in attract-ing the travellers. Mostimportantly, Brunei is alsoknown as one of the safestcountries, the main factornowadays, influencing GCCtravellers to plan their holi-days,” informed FrancescaMonfero, Account Manager,Gulf Reps, Royal BruneiAirlines’ PR & Marketingrepresentative in the UAE.

“With our jointefforts, we are

hopeful to continue to buildawareness on the destina-tion and entice people tovisit Brunei for a shortstopover before heading offto another destination.

Operating daily flights fromDubai to Bandar SeriBegawan, Royal BruneiAirlines has excellent con-nections to Melbourne,Manila, Jakarta, Singapore,Bangkok and Kota Kinabalu,providing travellers fromthe GCC, a convenient and hassle-free travel experience.”

The travellers visitingBrunei will have more

places to explore and moreactivities with new infrastruc-ture and attractions planned.Brunei Tourism will spendaround BND 8,00,000 on 69tourist related projects till2015 to enhance the naturalbeauty of the destination.

Situated on top of a hilloverlooking the capital

and the Brunei River, theRoyal Palace ‘Istana NurulImam’ is the largest residen-tial palace in the world. MalayTechnology Museum has thegalleries on the Malays, eth-nic tribes and their lifestyles.Jame Asr Hassanil BolkiahMosque is one of the mostmagnificent mosques in Asiawith 29 golden domes.

Loaded with pictures of theCrown Prince, Royal RegaliaBuilding is used during theCoronation, the Crown, thereplica of the throne roomand numerous gifts from thestate dignitaries.

To catch the sight ofBorneo’s own Proboscis

Monkey, the unusual one,with unique swollen noses,long thick white tails andorange coats with greytrousers is an excellent tour.

Lying at the confluence ofthe Temburong and

Belalong rivers, the NationalPark is situated within theBatu Apoi Forest reserves.The journey to the NationalPark itself is an adventurewhere one can go past thewinding river tributarieslined up with nipah palmsand mature mangrove trees.

No visit to BruneiDarussalam is complete

without the visit to EmpireHotel and Country Club, thepalatial resort where bothtourists and locals regularlyflock to this luxurious retreatwith varied cuisine, simplymaking the stay amazing.

Facilities expected as asix-star establishment, a

variety of restaurants serv-ing Asian and Internationalcuisines, Empire Hotel is adestination all by itself witha retail arcade, world-classsporting complex, leisureand recreational facilities.

“Previously, we didn’thave large number

of visitors from the MiddleEast. Realising this, wegradually started organis-ing more travel trade andmedia familiarisation trips,tapping the ME market andattracting fair number of

visitors with families fromthe region especially in the hottest months of July to September,”informed DesmondAcheson, General Manager,The Empire Hotel &Country Club Hotel.

“The much awaited‘Holy Month

of Ramadan and Eid’ is fast approaching and The Empire Hotel & Country Club is pleased toinvite everyone to celebrateEid Al Fitr 2012 with a royaltouch. We offer special EidAl Fitr packages (with sub-ject to confirmation fromBrunei’s Istana Nurul ImanPalace). It also includes arare visit to the Sultan ofBrunei’s official residenceand the possibility to meetand greet the Sultan, as partof the yearly Eid Al Fitr cel-ebrations,” he furtherinformed.

With the rise of newmarkets like Middle

East, China, Asia Pacific and Hongkong, the establishment looks aheadto capture more tourists. Toentice these well-heeledtravellers to its six-star seaside resort, the hotel is currently refurbishingrooms, investing over BND 8 million to upgrade 196 rooms to becompleted by the end of 2012.

We graduallystartedorganisingmore traveltrade andmediafamiliarisationtrips, tappingME market

Brunei isinterestinglysmall and yet has a lot to offer interms ofculture, foodand nature

Francesca MonferoAccount Manager, Gulf RepsRoyal Brunei Airlines, PR &Marketing Representative - the UAE

Desmond AchesonGeneral ManagerThe Empire Hotel & Country Club Hotel

Accessibility toBrunei is evidently

increasing andgetting easier with

matchless services ofits national carrier,

Royal Brunei Airlines.Exploring this one of

the smallest non-island countries on

earth, the EmpireHotel and Country

Club is distinctamong Brunei’s finesttreasure, the relaxing

ambiance ofhospitality industry.

SU M E E RA BA H L I N BR U N E I

Besides more flights disembarking at Bandar Seri Begawan, many luxury cruise-liners are also choosing to stopover in Brunei for day trips. This increasedaccess is making Brunei a popular tourist stop while helping the Sultanateto double its visitor arrival numbers from 2011 to 2016.

Explore and Enjoy in

FAMILY ALBUM J U LY, 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 1 3

Hilton’s thanking noteHilton Worldwide National Sales Office based in Dubai held a Corporate Party in Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa. The Sales team came to host, thank and celebrate all their corporate clients fromRas Al Khaimah. The event was organised in the outdoorgarden in the evening.

Partying with Olympics in mindThe Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi held its annual corporate party with more than 300 guests. The theme of the party this year came on time with thepreparations of the Olympics. It projected the decorations of the Grand Ballroom, the entertainment and even the uniform worn by both managementand staff. Ruprecht Schmitz, the General Manager of the Hotel and his team were all there to welcome the guests. Lots of prizes and raffle draws grantedfrom the sponsors Etihad Airways, Grand Stores, Yogoday and Crystal Gallery turned the evening into a special and exciting one.

Customers who utiliseEmirates popular Visit Visaproduct will get an addedbonus. Two lucky winnerseach day will receive 25,000Skywards miles and one per-son will win two free

Business Class tickets to theirhome country, each week.

The promotion, runningfrom June 10 to July 31,2012, aims to highlight thecore benefits of EmiratesVisit Visa product, which

helps streamline theprocess of bringing theirfamilies to Dubai for a hol-iday. Emirates’ Visit Visasare available for familymembers and near relativesof UAE Residents who have

booked flights withEmirates for their familiesthrough local EmiratesOffices in the UAE and UAE-based Travel Agents.The offer is not applicableto tickets purchased online.

Free tickets with ‘Visit Visa’Airport check through mobilesToulouse-Blagnac Airport in France is the world’sfirst airport to trial SIM-based Near FieldCommunication (NFC) to allow passengers to passthrough the airport’s checks, controls and gatesusing only their mobile phones.

NEWS1 4 TRAVTALK J U LY, 2 0 1 2

In 2011, the tourism indus-try (globally) accounted for

nine per cent of GDP, a totalof six trillion dollars. Theindustry supported 255 mil-lion jobs. This means one in12 jobs on the planet.UNWTO forecasts reportsthat by the end of 2012,tourism will reach one billion international arrivingtourists. One seventh of theworld population will havecrossed international bordersas tourists in a single year.

“I believe tourism is amain pillar for economicgrowth. During a turbulenteconomic period, tourism willhelp find the solution. In thelast 10 years political changesespecially in the Middle Eastand North Africa have affectedthe region, but again tourismwill help redevelop theeconomies. The industry is aresilient and flexible one butit’s time we come out stronger.

Greece, last year, saw an 11per cent growth in tourism,”says Taleb Rifai, Secretary -General, World TourismOrganisation (UNWTO).

An unprecedentedexample of tourism growth isthe Middle East. “The MiddleEast has had the highestgrowth rate for inboundworld tourism for the pasttwo decades despite securityrisks, natural disasters and ahigh oil price. The region hasshown remarkable resilienceduring the 2008 global finan-cial crises. But political tur-moil has brought matters to

a halt. It is therefore that we,with a united voice, call forstability in the region and forcountries to seize the oppor-tunities that travel andtourism have to offer”, saysDavid Scowsill, Presidentand CEO, World Travel &Tourism Council.

By 2020, travel andtourism will account for 10 percent of the global GDP, 10 tril-lion dollars and one in ten jobs.“At present our industry is thethird largest in the world. It islarger than automotive man-ufacturing, mining and chem-ical manufacturing. It is worthnoting that with 98 millionpeople directly employed in2011. The industry’s leadingorganisations have committedto work in a coalition for thecommon good, through co-ordination communication,open sharing of informationand coalescing around those key global issues whereeffecting change is priority,”adds Scowsill.

Addressing the key issues that the travel and tourism industry is facing, the industry leadersdiscuss the Arab springs and how the Middle East is increasing its tourism potential.

DE V I KA JE E T

ME has had thehighest growthrate for inboundworld tourism forthe past twodecades despitesecurity risks,natural disastersand a high oil price

Tourism is amain pillar foreconomicgrowth. Duringa turbulenteconomicperiod, tourismwill help findthe solution

Taleb RifaiSecretary - GeneralWorld Tourism Organisation

David ScowsillPresident and CEOWorld Travel & Tourism Council

Year No. ofArrivals

(in million)

2000 24.12005 36.32009 52.82010 60.52011 55.5

FTAs for ME

Source: World Tourism Organisation

Ateam of RAK Airwaysground staff thereafter

will ensure a seamless assistance escorted throughimmigration and passportcontrol, dedicated RAKPremier counters, prior to relaxed experience in the Business Class lounge followed by personalised service and‘restaurant in air’, even on a short flight.

Passengers’ interest isalready high following theRAK Premier roadshow at thefour prominent shoppingmalls in Ras Al Khaimah.

John Brayford, ActingCEO, RAK Airways said,‘‘RAK Airways offers a product, delivered with excellent service standards ata competitive rate.

RAK Premier is notonly an on-boardproduct but it alsoinvolves a lot ofoffers likepersonalised serviceto our BusinessClass customers.”

He further comments,“RAK Premier is one of sev-eral initiatives designed todrive our customer base andit will form the springboardfor the airline’s expansion.The market is very competi-tive as everybody seeks bestservice and best value.”

The airline has selectedHorizon, the passenger service solution from SITA, the IT provider for theair transport industry.

“The SITA solution isvery comprehensive and isbacked by an investment pro-gramme at RAK Airways.SITA has the state-of-the-art technology, depth ofindustry expertise and localpresence to work in partner-ship with us on this very sig-nificant implementation,”explained Brayford.

RAK Airways, theyoungest airline of UAE, has carried over 2,50,000passengers in 2011.The company focusses more on the development of RAK Tourism and devel-ops various tour packageswith huge marketing poten-tial. The travel trade beingthe most important distribu-tion arm brings in 75 percent of the business. TheEmirate is also coming upwith a unique property atthe year-end.

RAK Airways launches a quality premier product ‘RAK Premier’ to providea stress-free travel experience on the ground and in air. Those travellingon RAK Premier will experience chauffeured driven pick up from home,anywhere in the UAE to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.

SU S M I TA GH O S H

John Brayford, Acting CEO, RAK Airways

A team of RAK Airwaysground staff thereafter willensure a seamlessassistance escortedthrough immigration andpassport control, dedicatedRAK Premier counters,prior to relaxed experiencein the Business Classlounge followed bypersonalised service and‘restaurant in air’, even ona short flight

RAK Premier Offers

‘RAK Premier’, a superior quality premier product was launched on June 5, 2012. RAK Airways has provided a stress-free travelexperience on the ground and in air.

RAK Airways launches‘RAK Premier’

Emirates Holidays, thetour-operating arm ofEmirates Airline unveiledits latest ‘A World ofChoice 2012-2013’brochure, with the intro-duction of eight brandnew destinations, span-ning six continents and featuring over 100destinations.

Adding to the newexciting destinations likeArgentina, Denmark,Ireland, Zambia,Zimbabwe, Dallas, Seattleand Vancouver, EmiratesHolidays also reintro-duced destinations like,Russia, Morocco, Maltaand South Korea into thebrochure in response tocustomer demand.

Offerings in popularcountries such as China,Thailand, South Africaand Germany have alsobeen expanded to providemore travel options witha wider choice of cruises,safaris, palace hotels anddedicated wellnessretreats. The brochureprovides details on hoteland apartment accommo-dation, transfers, excur-sions, car hire and more.

‘A World of Choice2012-2013’

UNWTO WTTC

ME scores highest in inbound

‘Pick and drop’ by RAK Airways

MOVEMENTS J U LY, 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 1 5

Showcasing Sharjah in Turkey

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, Chairman, Sharjah Media Corporation attended a conference on ‘Turkey: The World's Trade Bridge 2012’, upon the invitation of the organisers – the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen andIndustrialists (TUSCON). The delegation’s participation came on the sidelines of its visit to Turkey for examining the country’s media landscape. During the visit, the delegation met with the Turkish President Abdullah Gul and presentedthe English translation of the book ‘Taking the Reins’ authored by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

Holiday Inn Dubai – Al BarshaDubaiJS Anand joins the Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha as the newGeneral Manager for the property. Hailing from India and havingCanadian citizenship, he holds a diplomain Hotel Management as well as Bachelorof Ar ts and Bachelor of Commercecertification before starting his careerin hospitality as par t of the openingteam at the Goa Marriott, India, wherehe was appointed as Director of Sales& Marketing and also worked with brandslike The Oberoi & The Leela.

Etihad Airways South AfricaXenia Adamou has been promoted as the new GeneralManager for Etihad Airways in South Africa. Previously, she

held the position of Sales Manager forthe past four years. She also spentover 30 years with South AfricanAirways where she built anextensive career in a number ofsenior manager positions in salesand marketing. Adamou alsospeaks Afrikaans and Greek. In her

present profile, she will beresponsible to continuebusiness for the airline in South Africa.

Cove Rotana Resort Ras Al KhaimahAndreas Mueller has been appointed as the new GeneralManager for the Cove Rotana Resort in Ras Al Khaimah. He has

worked with some leading brands in thehospitality industry in South Africa,Thailand, United Kingdom, India,Mauritius and the Middle East. In thispresent role, Mueller is responsiblefor directing the overall managementand operations for The Cove Rotana

to meet the stringentRotana standards.

Hilton Ras Al Khaimah and DoubleTreeby Hilton Ras Al KhaimahRas Al KhaimahMohammad Sawaf is appointed as the new Executive Sous

Chef for both Hilton Ras Al Khaimah andDoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah.Sawaf’s stint with Hilton Ras Al Khaimahdates back to 2001 and from the start hehas been a key player in the success ofthe Hotel. In 2011, he was a part of the

successful opening team for the newDoubleTree Hotel. He will

continue to take full control of both Hotel & Doubletreekitchen operations.

Banyan Tree Hotels and ResortsSingaporeAbid Butt has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officerof Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts. He has a legacy of experience

with Banyan Tree, having served as the AreaGeneral Manager for the Group’s flagshipresor t, Banyan Tree Phuket, over tenyears ago, followed by his appointmentas the first Vice President ofOperations from 2000 – 2002. In hismost recent position, he was the Vice

President for Asset Management ofHost Hotels & Resorts in the

United States.

IATASydneyAlan Joyce is the new Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors.He is also the CEO and Managing Director of Qantas Airways. A

24-year veteran of the airline industry,Joyce has led Qantas since November2008. He was the CEO of Jetstar from2003 to 2008. Prior to that, he spentover 15 years in leadership positionsat Qantas, Ansett and Aer Lingus. He

is the third Qantas CEO to serve asthe Chairman of IATA’s Boardof Governors.

BrazilJuan Torres is appointed as the new General Manager forEtihad Airways in Brazil. Torres takes up the position in SaoPaulo following two years as General Manager in Japan. Priorto this, he worked for the airline in the Philippines where he

was based for three years as theGeneral Manager. Before joiningEtihad Airways, he was with KLMRoyal Dutch Airlines where heheld a number of positions asGeneral Manager and Regional

General Manager in different partsof the world.

ibis Amman JordanEric Seso is the new General Manager for ibis Amman in Jordan.He is a 41-year old Belgian national, who has held variousmanagerial positions within AccorMiddle East. Seso will be responsiblefor managing all aspects of the 158-room ibis Amman’s operations. Priorto this, he was the General Managerfor ibis Madrid Aeropuer to Barajassince 2006. He has an extensiveexperience in managing ibis hotelsacross Europe for over 20 years.

ChinaRemco Althuis has been appointed as the new GeneralManager for Etihad Airways in China. He is an aviationspecialist with more than 19 years of experience in sales andrevenue management, marketing, e-commerce and groundoperations for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.For the past six years, he has beenstationed in Chengdu, Guangzhou andShanghai. Most recently he held theposition of Regional Manager for AirFrance-KLM in eastern China.