World Travel Awards Supplement - ABTA WTM 2010 Day 2

tuesday

the travel industry essential • 9 NOVEMBER 2010

middle east, africa & indian ocean

YOUR GATEWAY TO A $600 BILLION INDUSTRY

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An unmissable opportunityto take part in the first andonly global exhibitiondevoted to Sport Tourism –the fastest growing sectorin the travel industry.”

‘‘

VISIT US AT WTM – SOUTH GALLERY ROOM 33 OR THAILAND STAND AS500

CONTACT: info@worldsportdestinationexpo.comwww.worldsportdestinationexpo.com • THE GLOBAL MARKET PLACE FOR SPORT TOURISM

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World Travel AwardsGrand Tour 2011

Caribbean & Central America Gala CeremonyMontego Bay, Jamaica • 15 January 2011

Middle East Gala CeremonyArmani Hotel

Dubai, UAE • 2 May 2011

North America Gala CeremonySan Francisco, USA • 21 May 2011

Africa & Indian Ocean Gala CeremonySharm el Sheikh, Egypt • 23 June 2011

Europe Gala CeremonyCornelia Diamond Golf Resort & SpaAntalya, Turkey • 2 September 2011

Asia & Australasia Gala CeremonyBangkok, Thailand • 29 September 2011

South America Gala CeremonyRio de Janeiro, Brazil • 20 October 2011

Grand Final Gala CeremonyLondon, United Kingdom • 6 November 2011

worldtravelawards.comemail: [email protected]

Visit our VIP Lounge at WTM, South Gallery Level 2, Suite 33

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Winners

worldtravelawards.com

The Future of Travel

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HistoryWorld Travel AwardsHonouring excellence in travel & tourismworldwide since 1994

1994 Hollywood 1995 New York 1996 Las Vegas 1997 New York 1998 Bahamas

1999 London 2000 Jamaica 2001 Malaysia 2002 St Lucia 2003 New York

2004 Barbados 2005 London 2006 Turks and Caicos

2007Abu DhabiNew YorkNewcastleBangalore

Turks & Caicos

2008DurbanSydney

ShanghaiOrlandoPoprad

Rio de JaneiroDubai

Turks & Caicos

2009Dubai

DurbanRiviera Maya

ObidosLondon

2010Dubai

JohannesburgAntalya

DelhiJamaicaLondon

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The World Travel Awards acknowledges and celebrates those organisationsthat have made the greatest contribution to the global tourism and travelindustry. It also recognises those brands that are driving the industry togreater heights and innovation in travel.

Celebrating its 17th anniversary this year, theawards has grown into a truly global search forthe very best travel and tourism brands, with thewinners from the five regional ceremonies pro-gressing to the World Travel Awards Grand Finalin London on 7 November.

Last year, 183,000 travel professionals registeredto vote and participate in the prestigious WorldTravel Awards programme – a phenomenal 10%rise in registrations compared to the year before.

This record number is conclusive evidence thatWorld Travel Awards has become the “Oscars” ofthe global travel industry.

Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President, WorldTravel Awards, said: “World Travel Awards is aunique benchmark for industry quality and busi-ness excellence in every region and sector.”

“The increase in registered voters, despite aglobal recession, demonstrates the vital role ofperformance delivery in a challenging and highlycompetitive marketplace,” he added.

This level of accountability makes the WorldTravel Awards one of the highest accolades inthe travel business and is why the award cere-mony is broadcast by BBC World News and othernetworks to over 254 million households world-wide and attended by the industry’s global deci-sion makers.

For the tourism trade, winning a World TravelAward is more than an award – it is an endorse-ment from the thousands of professionals fromaround the globe, as well as a gold seal to theconsumer of travel excellence guaranteed.

The World Travel Awards has continuouslyevolved, expanding the number of awards as theindustry has grown. There are now over 1,000different categories – an understandable numberseeing how the industry has diversified and giventhe fact that there were over 3,600 differentnominees last year.

And as confidence returns to the global econ-omy, the World Travel Awards will be there to re-ward those travel and tourism players thatspearhead the recovery.

The Oscars of theTravel Industry”

Wall Street Journal

“About UsWorld Travel Awards

Visit our VIP Lounge at WTM, South Gallery Level 2, Suite 33 • worldtravelawards.com

Page 7







Johannesburg, South Africa

If the 2010 FIFA World Cup will beremembered for one thing, it will be SouthAfrica coming of age as a tourist destination,with Joburg – “The City of Gold” – serving asits economic and sporting heart.

Football fever in the build up to thetournament helped South Africa, and Joburgin particular, helped mitigate the effects of theglobal downturn. More importantly it is thelasting legacy that is expected to sustain themomentum beyond 2010.

Joburg’s personal legacy includes a diverserange of graded accommodation stock, world-class sporting and conferencing facilities,improving infrastructure including the newGautrain. But more than its state-of-the-artfacilities it was the warmth and hospitality ofthe locals than won the hearts of the fans andthe players; and that in travel and tourism ispriceless.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Even a sharp global downturn has failed todampen Brazil’s booming economy, and itstourism industry in particular has emergedtougher than ever.

After years of heavy investment but perennialunderachievement, Brazil is finally cominggood and is now seeing a new middle classrising up from poverty, just as in China andIndia. This is fuelling a surge in domestictourism as Brazilians set about exploring theirvast nation.

International tourism too is on a roll, withforeign spending 15 percent higher in the firsthalf of the year, and 165 percent up comparedto 2003.

The country’s biggest tourist draw, Rio deJaneiro, is currently riding the quest of asporting wave, having bagged the rights tohost the world’s two biggest tournaments

back to back – the 2014 FIFA World Cup andthe 2016 Olympics.

The infrastructure upgrades in preparation forthe sporting mega-events will undoubtedlymake Cidade Maravilhosa (the MarvellousCity) even more accessible to all.

And there’s even more outside of the sportingarenas – the carnival in Rio, Sugar LoafMountain, Christ Redeemer, Tijuca NationalPark, as well as the beautiful beaches ofIpanema and Copacabana.

Besides the millions of visitors attracted to itsvast array of natural and cultural attractions, adifferent type of tourist has been increasinglyattracted to Rio in the last few years: thebusiness traveller. The city is emerging as oneof the great business centres in Brazil, beingconstantly chosen to host local andinternational conferences and meetings.

Antalya, Turkey

Whilst the global downturn hit Europe’straditional beach destinations hard, Turkey hasemerged stronger than ever. The tourism jewelof Antalya epitomises what Turkey does best –by combining a rich, welcoming local culturewith superb hospitality facilities, sun-kissedbeaches and value for money outside theEurozone, it has created a winning formulathat now attracts visitors from the world over,come boom or bust.

Meanwhile Istanbul – with its sublimearchitecture and waterside setting – has allthe ingredients for an unrivalled city breakexperience, and offers a unique fusion ofEuropean and Asian cultures. This year the city

It’s been a couple of very fast andfurious years for travel and tourism. Butit has also been a period for travel’s trueleaders to demonstrate their strength inthe face of adversity. Here’s our pick ofthe biggest winners of the downturn…and also the biggest casualties.

Biggest winnersand losers ofthe downturn

Biggest Winners Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Johannesburg, South Africa

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is also revelling in the spotlight as theEuropean Capital of Culture.

Etihad Airways

The downturn has been particularly harsh onaviation. The legacy carriers have been eatingheavily into their cash reserves, whilst thosewith less have bitten the dust.

But one particular airline has managed to riseabove the parapet by offering unparalleledservice and a raft of new launches, based at ahub in arguably the world’s most exciting newtourism hotspot, Abu Dhabi.

Led by James Hogan, Etihad Airways recordedits best first half performance in its seven-yearhistory, with double-digit increases in bothpassenger and cargo traffic. It also becamethe first Middle Eastern airline to operate aservice to Tokyo, with the launch of a fiveweekly non-stop flights to the Japanesecapital. It also launched non-stop services toBaghdad and Erbil, and unveiled plans to startflying to the South Korean capital Seoul inDecember.

Sandals Resorts International

Jamaica has proved the rock of Caribbeantourism. Whilst many islands across the region

have suffered a slump in arrivals, the luxurydestination continues to raise market share. Inthe first six months of the year, it posted a 3.6percent rise in international arrivals, andcomes despite the civil disturbances in spring.

Leading the surge is Jamaica’s largesthospitality brand, Sandals Resorts. From itshumble beginnings in Montego Bay, thegroup’s mission to redefine all-inclusive luxuryhas seen it flourish into a multibillion-dollarbusiness, with 14 resorts spanning theCaribbean.

Whilst others have reined in their budgets,Sandals boldly goes onwards and upwards.New projects include the first ever over-the-water suites in St Lucia. Whilst in February itraised the luxury stake in the Bahamas withthe opening of the Sandals Emerald Bay, GreatExuma.

Sandals also works tirelessly to get the travelagents on side. Chairman Butch Stewart says:“We are the travel agents best friend. We havea love affair with the travel agents, it’s beengoing on for 30 years out there.”

In association with the Jamaica Tourist Board,Sandals has hosted over 2,000 from the UKover the last 12 months, and 500 from the USduring September and October alone.

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abu Dhabi’s rise to tourism superstardomover the past decade has been nothing shortof phenomenal, and despite the slowdownvirtually everywhere in the world, the emirateremains on target to attract 2.3 million hotelguests a year by 2012.

The foundation strategy of Abu Dhabi TourismAuthority has been to utilise the power ofsport to spread its name globally. Last year’sinaugural F1 Grand Prix catapulted Abu Dhabionto the international stage, and was televisedin more than 180 countries and reached 600million viewers. This year’s race is expected tobe even bigger.

Grand Prix visitors this year also have anadded attraction, with the opening of theFerrari World Abu Dhabi – the largest indoortheme park on the planet, featuring theworld’s fastest rollercoaster, Formula Rossa,which emulates the feel of an F1 ride, travellingat speeds of up to 150 mph in under fiveseconds.

In May, Abu Dhabi became the OfficialDestination Partner of English Premier Leagueside Manchester City Football Club, reaching aTV viewership of over two billion.

In July ADTA exhibited at the inaugural WorldSport Destination Expo in Johannesburg. Thelandmark event took place alongside the finalweek of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and saw keybuyers, influencers and media met face to facewith the destinations leading the field thedynamic $600 billion a year sport tourismindustry.

Continued onpage 18

Antalya, Turkey Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas

Etihad Airways


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Page 18

Silverjet

Launched in 2007, Silverjet set out with boldand noble intention of rending good all thatappeared wrong with the flying experience –most notably doing away with the cattleherding of economy class, and offsetting thecarbon footprint.

For under a grand, passengers could rock up totheir own private terminal at London LutonAirport, fly in an all-business class jet to NewYork, and enjoy all the same frills over again onthe return leg. The price even included amandatory carbon offsetting contribution, aspart of Silverjet’s remit to being “the world’sfirst carbon neutral airline”.

The New York service was following by aLondon to Dubai launch in November 2007, theheight of the emirate’s gold rush days. Otherlong-haul routes were lined up as bothbusiness and leisure travellers alike couldn’tget enough of BA premium service for Ryanair prices.

But launching airlines is about as risky andcash-hungry as business ventures get, andsoon the fledging carrier was calling oninvestors for more.

Despite desperate attempts by its charismaticCEO Lawrence Hunt to secure funding fromthe Middle East and Ireland, Silverjet wentunder in May 2008, with the loss of 420 jobsand a handful of businessmen strandedabroad.

British Airways

As every CEO will know, but few will ever admit,the biggest asset you can have in a downturn isnot a smart business brain but a very largepiggy bank.

British Airways in particular has been leaningrather heavily on its reserves as it navigatesthrough the current downturn, racking upnearly £1 billion of pre-tax losses over the pasttwo years.

The biggest drain has been collapse of itspremium market – the up-the-front seatstraditionally shored up the rest of the companycome boom or bust. Add to that a bitterdispute with trade unions over cabin crewworking conditions, severe market erosionfrom Ryanair and easyJet, as well as theclosure of airspace in May due to the Icelandicash cloud.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for everyone atthe world’s favourite airline. Chief ExecutiveWillie Walsh landed a £1million-plus sharebonus to top up his £743,000 annual salary.Nice work if you can land it.

XL Leisure

On the surface, XL Leisure appeared to be oneof the travel success stories of the Noughties.Born out of Excel Airways, it rapidly grew intothe UK’s third largest tour operator on the backof cheap funding from Iceland and a booming

travel economy in Europe. But as the banksbegan to feel the first recessionary squeeze,the plug was soon pulled on the group’s creditfacilities.

Speculation of strife began spreading when XLwas forced to scrap its winter Caribbeanholidays. Bookmaker Paddy Power took somany bets on XL Airways going bust that itclosed the book. Even when the odds weredown to 4/6, punters were scrambling to placebets of hundreds of pounds.

The prophecy became self-fulfilling on 12September 2008 – known as the “Black Fridayof Travel” – when some 60,000 customerswere left high and dry abroad, plus another25,000 back home had their holiday planswiped.

Mexicana

Recessions can be harsh, but throw in apandemic and trying to stay in businessborders on the impossible. That was the casefor Mexicana Airways, Mexico’s nationalcarrier, which ceased operations in August2010 after crumbling with debts in excess of$800 million.

Mexicana – or Compañía Mexicana de Aviaciónto give its full title – was the world’s third oldestairline. It prided itself on its flawless service,flying 220 routes to 65 destinations includingLondon, Madrid, Chicago and cities in Centraland South America. It also joined the oneworld

Compañía Mexicana de Avación

Biggest Losers

Biggest winners and losersof the downturnContinued from page 13


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alliance in November 2009.

However Mexicana suffered from a dramaticfall in the number of holidaymakers visitingMexico following last year’s swine flu outbreak.

Despite implementing savings of some £500million, its operating costs continued to run toohigh. Mexicana claimed that its pilots wereearning up to 50 per cent more than theaverage wage paid by airlines in the US and itsflight attendants 32 percent more than the USaverage.

Meanwhile plans to sack about 1,000 flightattendants to enable a takeover by a Mexicaninvestment group were blocked by thegovernment, and a new management teamconceded that the airline’s financial troubleswere too dire to continue operating. Its low-cost subsidiaries Click and Link also ceasedoperations.

However executives are bidding to returnMexicana to the skies by shedding half theworkforce. The slimmed down carrier wouldoperate 30 aircraft on 23 routes, six of themdomestic and 17 international, mostly to theUS and Canada.

Clarence Hotel, Dublin

When it comes to charity mugging, there is noone more skilled than rock god Bono – his ONEcharity, for example, recently gave only£118,000 to good causes despite receivingnearly £10 million in donations.

But in the brutal world of luxury hospitality, theU2 frontman is discovering that raising revPARcan be somewhat tougher than strong-armingglobal leaders and little old ladies.

At Dublin’s Clarence Hotel, which he co-ownswith bandmate The Edge, pre-tax losses roseby more than 50 percent in 2009 to €1.64million, following a €1 million loss in 2008.

The accounts, which are personally signed offby Bono and The Edge, show that last year itsturnover slumped 34 percent to €3.3 million.

The directors’ report states that Bono and TheEdge, who bought the 48-room hotel in 1992,“plan to take the necessary measures toimprove operating performance through costefficiencies as well as continued focus onmarketing”.

Two years ago, Bono and The Edge securedplanning permission for a €150 millionextension to the hotel. However this is now “onhold”.

The Clarence has attracted many celebritiesover the years. Earlier this year, singer Rihanna,who was in Dublin to perform, posed forphotos with fans outside the hotel where shewas staying.

British Airways

Clarence Hotel, Dublin







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After its hugely successful hosting of the FIFA2010 World Cup, the city of Johannesburg issetting up the pace yet again.

The City of Gold’s ambitious plans forsustaining the goodwill and momentum of thetournament include focussing on its fast-growing reputation as the business capital ofAfrica.

In the past 24 months alone, it has opened 19

new hotels, adding to a host of infrastructureupgrades that are helping to transform Joburginto a model of urban living. Lindiwe Kwele, Chief Executive, JohannesburgTourism Company, sees business tourism asfundamental to the city’s future.

She says: “Business tourism is the key driverfor our tourism growth and development.Joburg has made huge strides over the pasttwo years and offers excellent potential for

investment.”

Joburg is also ridingthe crest of a leisuretourism wave,following its role asthe epicentre of theFIFA 2010 World Cup,which has given itsindustry not onlysomething tocelebrate but also astrong legacy to buildupon.

This sentiment issupported by apreliminary GrantThornton study,

which points out that Johannesburg is likely tohave had the highest impact from the WorldCup. While hosting the lion’s share (some 32percent) of World Cup fixtures and activities,Joburg certainly pulled out all the stops to givevisitors the experience of a lifetime.

With consumer spending by overseas visitorsreaching record highs, the local hospitalityindustry has reaped the benefits of its hardwork and investments over the past few years,with extraordinary occupancies and patronageduring the World Cup period.

Grant Thornton statistics indicate occupanciesranging from 86.8 percent in the Sandton CBD,to 83.5 percent in the Greater Johannesburgarea, and 79.0 percent at ORT.

The data still needs to be fully analysed inorder to attain accurate figures (as per the CoJ2010 Economic Impact Assessment results),but early indications point to one millionvisitors to Joburg during this time –comprising domestic, continental andinternational guests.

One of the chief architects of the World Cupsuccess has been the Johannesburg TourismCompany (JTC), which is dedicated to

As the epicentre of the FIFA 2010 World Cup, Johannesburgproved its world-class sporting capabilities. But the City ofGold is far from resting on its laurels, as it continues toestablish itself as the business capital of Africa.

Joburg – Africa’sbusiness capital

French soccer legend Patrick Viera with the Miss World finalists at a reception at the newSAS Radisson Blu Gauteng during the FIFA 2010 World Cup.



promoting tourism growth in Johannesburg. During the tournament, the JTC served as thecrucial link between sport and tourism, andpromoted Johannesburg as a business, sports,events, lifestyle and leisure destination bothlocally and internationally. Its main vehicle wasits “Joburg Rocks” campaign, whichhighlighted the city’s many tourism attractionsbeyond the 90-minute football matches.

The inclusion of youth in tours of their owntownship promises to leave a lasting legacythat will improve pride and perceptions aboutAlexandra Township as a tourist destination,not only to outsiders, but to them as residentsas well.

The Grant Thornton presentation includes theAfrican Response Survey, which indicates that96 percent of World Cup visitors to SouthAfrica said that they would possibly return tothe country, while 92 percent wouldrecommend the country to friends and familyas a holiday destination.

While supporting and leveraging SAT initiativesto ensure the return of visitors, as well asattracting new visitors (diversifying overseassource markets), Johannesburg TourismCompany has consolidated Joburg’s positionas trading hub of the region and continent.This will increase opportunities for investmentin budget hotel accommodation, as well asincreasing leisure expenditure/share of wallet.

Joburg’s World Cup readiness and legacyinitiatives included youth development,enhancing tourism service standards,information dissemination, signage andworkforce skills.

On a broader macroeconomic scale, the Citynow boasts increased hospitality and tourismproducts, an integrated public transportnetwork, world-class transport infrastructureupgrades, better connectivity – as well asextensive positive media attention.

The location of two major stadia in the Citypositions Joburg favourably as a pre-eminentdestination for sports tourism and mega-events.

One of the great success stories to emergefrom the 2010 FIFA World Cup has been theRea Vaya – Johannesburg’s new rapid bussystem that whisks fans from points acrossthe city to games at two host stadiums, SoccerCity and Ellis Park.

Meanwhile the launch of the Gautrain hasexceeded expectations – initial estimates forusage were between 3,000-6,000 people aday, but current figures indicate approximately13,000 on weekdays and 20,000 at weekends.

Aside from youth development, and fosteringan unprecedented interest in the country, oneof the most valuable and precious legacies iscertainly the unifying effect this mega-eventhas had on the nation and the individual spirit.

The nation is aiming to build on this renewedsense of pride and patriotism, as well as thesense of anticipation for tackling all thechallenges which lie ahead – and which willlead to even greater heights for South Africaand its cities as major global players. Sport is integral to making new opportunities.The nation has been bold in creatingopportunities in the hosting of global mega-

events. But now the challenge is to ensure thatits superb stadiums are utilized to their fullpotential, so South Africa is positioning itselfas a hub of sport tourism.

During this year’s World Cup, Johannesburgtook a lead by hosting the first exhibitiondedicated to showcasing the $600 billion ayear sport tourism industry.

Staged at the Sandton Convention Centre,World Sport Destination Expo featured 400exhibitors from 22 locations worldwide andsome 50,000 visitors. From Abu Dhabi to Riode Janeiro the world’s leading destinationsengaged in five days of top-level debate,interaction and the tabling of lucrative futurebusiness deals.

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The tour guides with JTC chief Lindiwe Kwele and her team at the inaugural World Sport Destination Expo.


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Fares and schedules correct at time of going to press (25 October 2010), and subject to availability and change without notice.





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Although some major projects have been puton hold – Four Seasons’ Barbadosdevelopment and Six Senses’ in North EastBrazil, for example – for many hotels it hasbeen business as usual.

Most of the top brands are targeting China asthe big new area of expansion in the next fewyears, with a number of openings planned incities across the country.

The big news in the UK has been the re-openingof the Four Seasons Park Lane, which opens onDecember 15th.

The Park Lane property has been closed for twoyears as an estimated £100m refurbishmentsees a 10th floor and a rooftop spa put in place.

All 192 rooms and suites have been completelyrefurbished and the hotel will have a new barand a new Italian restaurant, Amaranto.

December 15 is a significant day for the groupwith two further openings also planned: one inVail, Colorado and one in Nevis.

The Four Seasons Resort Vail is located in theheart of Vail village, and includes a spa, outdoorheated pool, and a number of fine restaurants.It also has an emphasis on family, with dogsledding, ice skating and horse-drawn carriagerides.

Four Seasons Resort Nevis is another re-opening, closed for two years following thedevastating impact of Hurricane Omar.

The 196-room resort is also aimed at families,with kids receiving a welcome pack on arrivaland numerous family activities on offer. It is

attached to a golf course and has spa andtennis facilities, as well as 40 villas and estatehomes.

“We wish to thank the community and our stafffor their patience during this challenging periodfor the Resort and the island,” said AndrewHumphries, regional vice president and generalmanager.

Earlier this year the group opened a property inBeirut, and has plans to open more hotels in theMiddle East.

Jane Burnell, Four Seasons’ regional vicepresident of sales for Europe, the Middle Eastand Africa, said the main growth for the groupwould come from this region, and pinpointedAmman and Damascus.

The group’s Marrakech hotel is due to openearly next year; Abu Dhabi in 2013 and Luxorthe same year.

Doha, Qatar, will get a second Four Seasonsproperty and even Kuwait City is on the drawing board.

Russia is also a key expansion area.

Burnell said: “The Russian traveller loves FourSeasons resorts, so we thought it important toopen in their source market too and are ontrack to open hotels in Moscow and StPetersburg soon.”

Two new hotels will open in China, in Hangzhouand Guangzhou, later this year, followed by afurther nine properties.

Ritz-Carlton has had two exciting hotel

openings this year, The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai,Pudong (its second hotel in Pudong) and TheRitz-Carlton, Los Angeles.

It also launched a new concept this year, Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi, Thailand. "Reserve" isa brand extension and those properties arefocusing exclusively on the ultra luxury travellerwho prefers just villas and suites in secluded, exotic destinations.

Future properties are planned in Costa Rica,Oman, Thailand and Phuket, Thailand.

The group launched its first guest loyaltyprogram - Ritz-Carlton Rewards - onSeptember 15, and appointed Hervé Humler asnew president and chief operating officer onSeptember 1.

Ritz-Carlton will be opening the world's tallesthotel in Hong Kong in March 2011, following twoearlier openings in Toronto (January 2011) andat the Dubai International Financial Centre (December 2011).

Marriott’s other luxury brand, Renaissance,opened the 128-room Malmo Hotel, in Sweden,in January.

The brand features cutting-edge design and toprestaurants, including the Malmo’s Rosen Bar & Dining which fuses local cuisine with Spanishcooking.

“This is an exciting time for the Renaissancebrand and for our guests who are discoveringfabulous new design, local flavors in beverageand food, and discoveries around every corner,”said Tina Edmundson, senior vice presidentlifestyle brands and Renaissance operations.

The luxury hotel sector – like its guests – has been lessaffected by the global economic downturn than expected.

Luxury sector shinesas recession recedes

St Regis Osaka St Regis Bahia Beach Puerto Rico Four Seasons Resort Vail



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“We are thrilled to be in Scandinavia which hasalways been known for cutting-edge design andwarm hospitality.”

Starwood debuted its luxury St Regis brand inJapan on October 1, in Osaka.

The hotel also marks the 20th property for thebrand and is the first luxury hotel to open inOsaka in more than 13 years.

The 27-storey, 160-room hotel is located in theheart of Midosuji Avenue, and has two finedining restaurants, a bar, meeting and functionspace for up to 160 guests, a business centre,beauty salon, exercise room and shop.

November will see St Regis open in BahiaBeach, Puerto Rico – its first resort in theCaribbean.

Situated on a former coconut plantationbetween the El Yunque rainforest and EspirituSanto River, the 483-acre resort will featurechef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurantFern, a 10,000 square foot Remède Spa and agolf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

The 139 rooms include 35 suites with privateterraces and 25 private St. Regis Estate Homes.

The St. Regis Lhasa Resort also opens inNovember. It will be the first international luxuryresort in Tibet.

Located 3,680 metres above sea level, andsituated in the famous ancient Barkhor area,the resort is a few minutes away from the holyPotala Palace.

It has 150 rooms and villas and 12 suitesincluding the Presidential Suite, as well asworld-class restaurants, bars, an exclusiveIridium Spa, ballroom and state-of-the-artmeeting space.

The group will open three new hotels next year,in Bangkok, in January, Doha, in May andMauritius in June.

The Doha Hotel will be located on thebeachfront in the West Bay area of the city, andwill be comprised of two reflecting towers and18 bungalows. The two “reflecting” towers, each

consisting of 14 floors, will have 328 ocean frontguest rooms comprised 246 rooms and 82suites, a 1,200 square metre spa and a fitnesscentre.

The 174-room Mauritius property will be on the south-western side of the island, on Le Morne Beach.

Conrad Hotels has a large number of propertiesplanned over the next few years, includingSanya Haitang Bay, in China, which opens inDecember and four next year, in Koh Samui,Thailand, Palacio Da Quinta, in Portugal, its firstproperty in New York in the heart of the financialdistrict at Vesey Street; and in Dubai.

Two Conrads are due to open in China in 2012;one in Seoul and another in Fiji. The ConradBimini Resort & Casino opens in The Bahamasin 2013, along with Bangalore, Ubud, inIndonesia and two in China, in Beijing andGuangzhou; and Mumbai in 2014.

Banyan Tree has had a busy year this year withnew resorts opening in the Middle East, KohSamui and Bali, and also new villas and a kidsclub in Phuket.

The Bali property opened in January and hasthe largest infinity pools in Bali as well as a spa.

It is situated 70 metres above sea level on thecliff-top of the island’s southernmost peninsula,and has 73 pool villas set in their ownlandscaped garden with a private infinity pool,marble bathroom with sunken baths, and aBalinese balé (outdoor pavilion).

Banyan Tree Al Wadi opened the same month,in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, and is the first luxurydesert resort in the emirates to have an all-poolvilla concept. Asian-inspired hydrotherapy spafacilities, an 18-hole golf course, a private beachclub, as well as a dedicated nature reservewithin the resort grounds are also on offer.

The Koh Samui property is the group’s third inThailand and opened in July. It has 78 spaciouspool villas, a number of top restaurants and KohSamui’s first hydrotherapy Spa, The Rainforest.

The group is also opening new beach villas at AlWadi, in the United Arab Emirates and a new

Riad in its Angsana Riads Collection, Marrakechin January next year.

Boutique

Meanwhile, boutique chain Amanresorts alsocontinues its worldwide expansion with theopening of a new resort in Sveti Stefan, a tinyisland off the coast of Montenegro.

The resort will have just 50 cottages and suites,a spa and three new restaurants along the twokilometres of coastline including the pink sandybeaches of Sveti Stefan, Milocer Beach and therenowned Queen's Beach.

Adrian Zecha, founder of Amanresorts, said: "Ihave always been attracted to the naturalbeauty and elegant coastline of Montenegroand it is a privilege to breathe new life into suchstoried properties as Villa Milocer and the islandof Sveti Stefan."

Three of the group's recent launches haveinvolved the sensitive restoration of historicproperties. These include Aman at SummerPalace, located adjacent to the famed UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in Beijing; Amantaka,situated in the heart of Luang Prabang, aUNESCO World Heritage Site in Laos; andAmanfayun, Amanresorts' second Chinaproperty on the outskirts of Hangzhou in atraditional village setting.

"All the work was constantly monitored andinspected by the relevant historicaldepartments in each country and the utmostrespect and faithfulness was shown in keepingwith the original elements," explains Zecha.

Aman is also opening a new 500 square footspa with five treatment rooms at theConnaught Hotel in Mayfair, London.

Banyan Tree Al Wadi Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, Pudong Four Seasons Resort Nevis




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With the impact of the financial crisis still echoing aroundthe global aviation industry, Air India has been one of therare success stories. While former competitors – includingMexicana and Japan Airlines – have battled bankruptcy ininternational courts, the airline has emerged a flyingambassador for its burgeoning homeland.

The Jewel of Asia:

Air India


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As India continues to emerge as a worldsuperpower, so Air India is growing into its placeas a global aviation leader. Based in New Delhi,the airline is now a truly global enterpriseoffering a network of 52 internationaldestinations stretching from North America toEurope, Asia and the Gulf. Passengers can flyanywhere from Singapore, to Nairobi,Amsterdam and Washington. At home thenetwork covers 64 destinations, including far-flung areas of the north-east, Ladakh, Andamanand the Nicobar Islands.

But, while its unrivalled catalogue ofdestinations has allowed the airline to developan ever increasing global presence, Air India isperhaps best known for its ceaselesscommitment to self-improvement.

The recent introduction of B777-200LR, B777-300ER, and B737-800 aircraft from Boeing andA320, A321 and A319s from Airbus into thefleet is a case in point, enabling Air India to offerits discerning passengers an ever superiorproduct.

New Departures

Firstly, following the introduction of state-of-the-art B777-200LRs, Air India took theopportunity to offer a new non-stop daily flightto New York.

Departing from either Delhi or Mumbai, theflights offer passengers convenient departureand arrival times, seamless connectivity frommajor metros, comfortable seats, spaciouscabins, mood lighting and a variety of food andbeverages.

All onward westbound flights – to Chicago,Newark, Frankfurt, London, Toronto and Paris -are then operated with new B777s, while AirIndia also uses the aircraft for services to Tokyo,Osaka, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and Dubai.

The new winter schedule will also see two morenon-stop flights added, with travellers now ableto head uninterrupted from Delhi to Chicagoand Toronto. The departures will also beoperated with B777 aircraft.

The First Class on the B777s is the epitome ofluxury and exclusivity, where each seat can betransformed into a fully horizontal 77-inch flatbed. The Executive Class cabin, too, is spaciousand has comfortable seats. In turn, theEconomy Class seat is ergonomically designedfor comfort during a long-haul flight.

The new generation Airbus A320 aircraft –comprising the A321, A320 and A319 – have allalso been introduced into Air India’s fleet,enabling the airline upgraded its services toneighbouring countries. Short-haul flights toKatmandu, Kabul and Istanbul are now evenmore comfortable.

Air India’s low cost subsidiary, Air India Expresshas a single aircraft fleet of the new generationB737-800 aircraft. Offering passengerscomfortable aircraft, convenient departuretimes and low cost travel, Express servicesencompass 14 international destinations in theGulf and south-east Asia from 13 Indian cities.

A wide variety of in-flight entertainmentcovering different genres of audio-visualcontent in a number of languages – includingEnglish and Hindi – has also been included in allflight plans. Regional language films, musicvideos and popular television sitcoms are allincluded to make travel as relaxing andenjoyable on Air India flights, both domesticand international, as possible.

The arrival of these new planes takes thepresent operational fleet of the airline to 135aircraft, with the carrier becoming more thanjust an airline. Today Air India is a multi-facetedaviation company with state-of-the-art in-

house infrastructure for maintenance, repair,operations, ground handling and cargo.

Air India as a Trusted Brand

It is also being recognised as such by industryinsiders. Over the years, consumers have votedfor Air India across various consumer surveysand helped it win several prestigious awards,with this success now being repeated in theprofessional environment.

The most recent – and indeed most prestigious– of these awards was recognition from theprestigious World Travel Awards, where theairline scooped the prize for India’s LeadingAirline at the 2010 Asia & Australasia galaceremony.

Holiday Package Experience

But with all these new domestic andinternational opportunities on offer, where arepassengers choosing to fly?

With their wealth and international standingincreasing over the last few years urban Indianstravelling like never before, with Air Indiaoffering of a wide choice of attractive holidaypackages to destinations in India and abroad tomeet the growing demand.

Be it the beaches, hill resorts, national parks,historical places or places of pilgrimage, AirIndia Holidays covers them all. Over 500package options covering over 120 cities in 23Indian states and nine internationaldestinations are on offer, making it one of themost comprehensive holiday packages on offer in India.

There are package options to suit every budget,ranging from three-star to five-star deluxeaccommodation. In many cases, the packagecost is within the normal published full airfare,



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thus making it a very attractive deal especiallyfor the budget traveller.

These holiday packages are on sale at Air Indiabooking offices, approved travel agents andalso through a dedicated website. As such theyare accessible to a variety of internationalconsumers, boosting demand.

The new state-of-the-art Terminal 3 at IndiraGandhi International Airport, Delhi, was alsointroduced in July this year – offering Air Indiatravellers a further incentive to fly. Air Indiabecame the first airline to start operatinginternational flights out of the new terminalafter the launch, with domestic operationsfollowing in late October.

Furthermore, Air India plans to make Delhi itshub in the near future, taking advantage of thebenefits that the new integrated terminal willoffer passengers.

Attractive Schemes

But what of those who already fly with theairline?

Air India has repeatedly stated rewarding theloyalty of its passengers has become a priority,with a number of attractive schemes offeredaround the year – including the current LUCKY7. This promotion will see any individualtravelling seven times from Delhi on Air India’sdomestic or international services beforeNovember 14th receive an economy classreturn ticket to any destination on Air India’sdomestic network out of Delhi.

It is incentives like this which have bolstered theairline’s position in India. As new routes and theintroduction of new aircraft woo new travellers,

rewarding those who already fly with the airlineensures passengers return time-and-again.

More conventional, but no less rewarding is Flying Returns.

The frequent flyer Programme of Air India isrecognised as one of the best in the industryhaving recently been restructured to make itmore attractive. Mileage accruals andredemptions have been recast to align withindustry norms and offer a better earn-burnratio. Members also have the advantage ofavailing the benefits of the frequent fliersprogramme with Singapore Airlines, with whomAir India has a partnership.

Air India and Sports

Popularity among the Indian public as alsobeen boosted in recent years as Air India playeda stellar role in the promotion of sportspersonsacross the country, with some of the finestathletes in various disciplines on its rolls.

Today it is a matter of pride for the airline thatsome of India’s best sportsmen and women indisciplines across the spectrum of sportingexcellent – including hockey, cricket, chess,shooting, carrom, kabaddi, badminton andswimming – are Air Indian ambassadors.

Perhaps most important to Air India is thenational sport of hockey. Nearly half the Indianmen’s hockey team for the recentCommonwealth Games in Delhi was made upof Air India players, with Prabodh Tirkey, ArjunHalappa, Shivendra Singh, Gurbaj Singh,Vikram Pillay, Adrian D’Souza, and V.S.Vinayaamong those offered support.

Star Alliance

Back in the skies and the national carrier hasbeen invited to join Star Alliance, the leadingglobal alliance of 23 top international carriers.Air India will take its seat at the top table ofglobal aviation during March 2011, joiningUnited Airlines, Continental Airlines, Air Canadaand Air China in the largest aviation alliance.

Once the airline becomes a member, Air Indiapassengers will enjoy enormous benefits,including seamless transfers while travellingacross the world, more frequent flyer mileagepoints, code sharing leading to a wider choiceof flights and access to lounge facilitiesworldwide.

The Star Alliance network offers 21,200 dailyflights to 1172 destinations in 181 countries.

As India takes its place on the world stage –challenging the established order alongsideChina, Brazil and Russia – it will need an airlineof global repute. Luckily for its leaders, Air Indiais already one step ahead.






Staying connected with travellers on the move has become one ofthe industry’s key objectives as the mobile web goes mass market.As mobile web becomes key to the marketing mix, Nick Salter fromWorld Mobi outlines the key elements for developing a solid strategy.

Why you must havea mobile strategy inplace for 2011…

Over the past 15 years most businesses haveswitched their marketing budgets from paperbased brochures to desktop websites. Themove to mobile is now set to become thebiggest shift in the way information is ac-cessed since the Internet revolution com-menced.

The rapid growth in web-enabled mobilephone ownership means that mobile searchwill soon become the primary way in which weaccess information on the Internet. Desktopsearch will remain important, but the majorityof searches will be performed by users-on-the-go via a mobile device.

There are nearly five times as many mobiledevices as there are desktop and laptop PC’sand by 2011 around 85% of these will be ableto access the mobile web.

So, you’ve recognised that sooner or later youare going to have to develop a mobile webstrategy. How then, should you go about it?

1 Start by taking a look at your own desktopwebsite on a mobile phone. How long doesit take to load? How easy is it to navigate?How quickly can you find the informationyou need? What does the user experiencesay about your brand?

2 Don’t assume that because your websitelooks OK on one make of phone it’ll be fineon all types. Check the iPhone, iPad, Nokia,Android, Blackberry…and the latest Win-dows Phone. You need the site to look goodand work smoothly across all types of mo-bile device.

3 Don’t spend all your money on flashyiPhone apps. You’ll look great to the smallpercentage of iPhone users but you’ll beexcluding all the other handset users. Ofcourse you could also build apps for all theother platforms…but that could get expen-sive and complex to maintain. Find out howyou can leverage the mobile web acrossevery device.

4 A mobile web site is not just a smaller ver-sion of your desktop site. Too many pic-tures and your site will take forever to load.And touch screen mobiles are navigated ina very different way to mouse driven PC’s.Think of the user experience and what sortof information a user-on-the-go might needto get quickly.

5 Remember the mobile is also a communi-cations tool. Leverage its power by addingin functionality - such as click to call - sousers can jump seamlessly from readingabout you on your mobile site to talking toyou on the phone.

6 Build your site with users-on-the–go inmind. Ensure you have content on yourmobile site that will attract visitors afterthey’ve arrived, not just at the trip planningstage. Sticky content that is useful to thetraveller on the move means your brandstays front-of-mind for longer.

7 Ensure you have a strategy that worksacross both desktop and mobile channels.Do you want to update them separately ortogether? Do you have a content manage-ment solution that you can adapt in houseor do you need a partner that can do all theupdating for you?

8 Don’t do nothing. Your future customersare already searching out your brand ontheir mobile phones whether you like it ornot and they’re making judgements basedon what they find. Don’t give them the op-portunity to search out a more mobile-friendly option. Make sure they’re gettingan experience that’ll keep them comingback.

World Mobi are the leaders in travel andtourism mobile strategy and mobile web de-velopment. For more information, [email protected].


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2012Caribbean & Central America Gala CeremonyNassau, Bahamas • 14 January 2012

Europe Gala CeremonyBerlin, Germany • 6 March 2012

North America Gala CeremonyLos Angeles, USA • 21 April 2012

Middle East Gala CeremonyDubai, UAE • 30 April 2012

Africa & Indian Ocean Gala CeremonyDurban, South Africa • 8 May 2012


Asia & Australasia Gala CeremonyNew Delhi, India • 28 October 2012

Grand Final Gala CeremonyLondon, United Kingdom • 4 November 2012

2013 (20th Anniversary Year)

Caribbean & Central America Gala CeremonyMontego Bay, Jamaica • 15 January 2013

Europe Gala CeremonyBerlin, Germany • March 2013

Middle East Gala CeremonyDubai, UAE • May 2013

Africa & Indian Ocean Gala CeremonySharm el Sheikh, Egypt • May 2013

North America Gala CeremonyLas Vegas, USA • 8 June 2013

Asia & Australasia Gala CeremonyShanghai, China • 13 June 2013


Grand Final Gala CeremonyLondon, United Kingdom • November 2013

2014Caribbean & Central America Gala CeremonySan Juan, Puerto Rico • January 2014

Europe Gala CeremonyBerlin, Germany • March 2014

Middle East Gala CeremonyDubai, UAE • May 2014

North America Gala CeremonyOrlando, USA • May 2014

Africa & Indian Ocean Gala CeremonyDurban, South Africa • May 2014

Asia & Australasia Gala CeremonySingapore • October 2014

South America Gala CeremonyRio de Janeiro, Brazil • October 2014

Grand Final Gala CeremonyLondon, United Kingdom • November 2014

World Travel AwardsGrand Tours 2012-2014

W

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