11 october issue 257 - travel trade weekly11 october . 2014 . issue 257. 13. dar es salaam, zanzibar...
TRANSCRIPT
11 OCTOBER 2014 ISSUE 257
13
DAR ES SALAAM, ZANZIBAR AND KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA, ARE THE NEW DESTINATIONS TO BE SERVED BY FLYDUBAI,
EXPANDING THE AIRLINE’S NETWORK IN AFRICA TO 12 DESTINATIONS.
FLYDUBAI ANNOUNCES THREE ROUTES IN TANZANIA
ROTANA EXPANDS ITS PRESENCE IN TURKEY
08IN THIS ISSUEMARKET UPDATE
TECHNOLOGY
GENERAL
ACCOMMODATION
CLASSIFIEDS
AIR
RENDEZVOUS
INTERNATIONAL
AGENT CORNER
TRAVEL TALK
TRAVEL CHANNELS
WHO’S MOVED
PHOTO ALBUM
NEWS & EVENTS
020304081213171819 2021222324
LAUNCHING TRAVEL TRADE EUROPE THIS NOVEMBER!
Let's TRADE with Europe!www.traveltradeeurope.travel
11 OCTOBER 2014
MARKET UPDATE
2
Dubai International Registers Record Passengers in August
Gulf Air Reveals Positive Summer Results
Rise in Pas-senger Move-ment at BIA
Having bounced back from a three-month slump resulting from a major runway upgrade project, Dubai International registered a record 6.6 million passengers in August.
Gulf Air recently released its August re-sults which, following record summer travel demand, reflect a major turnaround month for the airline.
According to Ebtesam Al Sham-lan, director, air transport, Civil Aviation Affairs, Bahrain Minis-try of Transportation, traffic at Bahrain International Airport (BIA) in August resulted in a total of 825,903 passengers travelling through the hub.
T he year-on-year change reached 10.8 per-cent as the hub returned to full operational capacity in August, following a runway up-grade project that reduced the airport to a single runway for 80 days and cut capacity
by 26 percent.Aircraft movements during August totalled 31,214
movements, noting a marginal increase while month-ly cargo volume also rebounded by 4.3 percent.
Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports, said that the numbers are far more indicative of the growth trend expected for the remainder of the year.
T he carrier realised an almost break-even situa-tion with operating losses of only BHD42,000 (USD111,000) and a bottom line of just BHD200,000 (USD530,000) net loss.
Alongside the enhanced financial results of Au-gust, Bahrain’s national carrier recorded a higher seat factor while also delivering a 25 percent higher revenue than in 2013.
The results follow recent positive developments imple-mented by the airline which saw its network enhanced in June with the resumption of operations to Athens and per-manent schedule increases on flights between Bahrain and Cairo, as well as Bahrain and Kuwait.
Dubai International
Bahrain (BHD)
Jordan (JOD)
Oman (OMR)
Qatar (QAR)
Saudi Arabia (SAR)
UAE (AED)
Algeria (DZD)
Egypt (EGP)
Iran (IRR)
Iraq (IQD)
Kuwait (KWD)
Lebanon (LBP)
Libya (LYD)
Morocco (MAD)
Syria (SYP)
Tunisia (TND)
Yemen (YER)
Dinar
Dinar
Rial
Rial
Riyal
Dirham
Dinar
Pound
Rial
Dinar
Dinar
Pound
Dinar
Dirham
Pound
Dinar
Rial
0.37
0.71
0.39
3.64
3.75
3.67
83.55
7.14
26,692.94
1,169.50
0.28
1,524.56
1.21
8.75
161.35
1.80
214.86
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
As of 10/10/2014Currencies shown in blue are fixed against the US Dollar
COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
MANAGING EDITORMary Kammitsi
ASSISTANT EDITORMaria Kazeli
SENIOR JOURNALISTRita Kasziba
CONTRIBUTORDominique Christou
PRESS Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Elena Stylianou
WEB DEVELOPER / ITSoteris Constantinou
DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides
Mary Kammitsi
HEADQUARTERS
T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus
Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 103670
WEBSITEwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
EMAILS
[email protected] [email protected]
“T he increase comes as a result of the ministry’s in-creased efforts to provide services and better facili-ties for passengers. In ad-
dition, national carrier Gulf Air has launched new routes with connectivity to several new destinations, such as Trivandrum in India and Sialkot in Pakistan,” she commented.
Al Shamlan stated that predictions in-dicate that the airport will witness higher growth in passenger movements until the end of the year, as a result of the ministry’s modernisation programmes that will be im-plemented in the airport in the near future.
11 OCTOBER 2014 3
TECHNOLOGY WEEKLY NEWS
GBTA Reveals Bright Future for Dynamic Pricing
The research arm of Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), GBTA Founda-tion released a study titled Dynamic Hotel Pricing – Has Its Time Come?, showing that dynamic pricing has been adopted by a quarter of all respondents.
In addition, two thirds of those sur-veyed said they expect to enter into a dynamic pricing agreement with at
least one hotel in 2015. Dynamic pricing is currently seen as
particularly beneficial for trade buyers who book lower room volumes.
“Dynamic pricing can allow corpo-rate travellers to obtain a discount on rooms, particularly in a market where companies do not have sufficient vol-ume to negotiate a set rate,” said Joseph Bates, vice president, research, GBTA Foundation, adding, however, that the concept still requires a lot of education to be done.
A madeus Gulf has revolutionised the process of rebooking airline tickets with its Amadeus Ticket Changer
(ATC) Refund. ATC Refund combines the state-of-the-art
Amadeus fares and pricing engine, since its powerful multi-channel ticketing functional-ity empowers customers and allows them to reissue their tickets quickly and accurately.
It can also upgrade a customer, re-route passengers and waive penalties in the event of operational disruptions, as well as minimise revenue leakage from manual pricing errors and non-collection of ticket change fees.
Moreover, a refund transaction can be completed in just two entries, cutting the time spent on issuing a refunded ticket.
Amadeus Gulf Allows Customers to Reissue Tickets
Joseph Bates
Did you know...
GBTA has more
than 7,000
members?
Travelport’s Collaborates with GOGO Worldwide Vacations
T ravelport announced a new deal with vaca-tion package wholesaler GOGO Worldwide Vacations which gives agents seamless ac-
cess to all GOGO Worldwide Vacation’s hotel pack-age products and destination offerings. For Ca-nadian agents, direct access to GOGO Worldwide Vacations content from Travelport’s popular Galileo Vacations product provides new sales opportunities for booking hotel packages to the world’s most de-sirable vacation locations.
“The Galileo Vacations system gives agents seamless access to GOGO’s worldwide product at very attractive pricing, helping travel agents deliver more value and service to their customers,” said Pu-nam Pathak, president, GOGO Worldwide Vacations.
Arm
an S
aran
g, h
ead
of p
rodu
cts
and
mar
ketin
g, A
mad
eus
Gul
f
11 OCTOBER 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
4
Nakheel Unveils New Project
T he newest community in Nakheel’s leasing portfolio, which is lo-cated at the entrance to Palm Jumeirah, comprises three individu-ally designed high-rise residential buildings with one-, two-, and
three-bedroom apartments available for lease. The trio of towers will be constructed on the existing Palm Monorail
Gateway terminal, where the Monorail is linked to Dubai Tram and Dubai Metro, offering convenient travel for its residents and visitors.
According to Ali Rashid Lootah, chairman, Nakheel, the project com-bines luxury beachfront living, exciting shopping, dining and entertain-ment, plus some of the best water and city views in the Middle East.
Nakheel, a Dubai developer, has unveiled its latest project, The Palm Gateway, a three-tower waterfront living and leisure complex with more than 1,300 homes, a beach club, retail, dining, and health and fitness facilities.
The Palm Gateway
Mar
riott
Exe
cutiv
e A
part
men
ts D
ubai
Cre
ek
Eastern Mangroves Reserve Introduces Eco-boat Cruises
E co-boat cruises are the latest ac-tivity to be offered at Abu Dhabi’s stunning Eastern Mangroves Na-
ture Reserve.Introduced by Belevari Marine, a ma-
rine leisure and hospitality company in the emirate, guests can hire eco-electric ves-sels for a relaxing experience in one of Abu Dhabi’s most scenic surroundings.
The small circular boats are powered by an electric engine, have fitted seating for up to six people and a central built-in table and a parasol for shade when needed.
“The donuts are easy to self-drive and after a five-minute safety and boat han-dling instruction, guests can take them out for anything from a 30-minute drive up to a three-hour journey,” said Berend Lens van Rijn, CEO, Belevari Marine.
Eco-
boat
Omran Board Meets in Al Jabal Al Akhdar
Oman Tourism Development Company (Om-ran) held its second meeting this year in Al Jabal Al Akhdar.
The board of directors discussed the company’s portfolio and investment opportunities in various projects related to the tourism sector, including joint ventures with the pension funds and other investors.
It also focussed on various topics related to re-setting the organisational structure of the company to suit the new missions it has been assigned.
Did you know...
The Palm Gateway
will join a ran
ge of
other communities
in Nakheel’s leasing
portfolio, which now
comprises around
18,500 units?
Omran Meeting
11 OCTOBER 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
5
O man Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) has teamed up with the coun-try’s Ministry of Tourism to promote
the destination to the European MICE scene during a four-city tour covering London, Paris, Geneva and Brussels.
The road show aimed to promote Oman as an international congress destination. “OCEC is being developed in a unique setting that very few convention centres in the world can match,” explained Gillian Taylor, director of business de-velopment, OCEC.
“We will be able to offer four hotels, a shop-ping mall and commercial business park in the surrounding precinct, just four kilometres from the newly-expanded Muscat International Air-port,” she added, stressing that this is a part of a two-year positioning plan to secure business for the venue before it opens in 2016.
OCEC Focusses on Europe’s MICE BusinessPromoting Egypt as a Safe Destination
As part of the many initiatives to pre-sent Egypt as a safe destination, Cai-ro Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam
Casino in collaboration with the Egyptian Tourism Authority hosted a group of 40 pro-fessionals representing media houses from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
During a press conference at the prop-erty, H.E. Hisham Zaazou, minister, tourism, Egypt, gave an update on the tourism situa-tion and the obstacles that Egypt is facing, with a special focus on promoting the clas-sical tours of Cairo and upper Egypt which house one third of the world’s most valuable monuments.
Scandinavian Media in Egypt
11 OCTOBER 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
6
WEEKLY NEWS
Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Mar-keting (DTCM) led delegations of the emirate’s tourism industry on overseas trade missions to
promote the destination in two of its key source markets; India and Russia.
Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented that the two coun-tries are among the five top source markets globally for visitor traffic into Dubai. “Our aim is to raise awareness about Dubai as a luxury as well as value-for-money des-tination, and communicate the emirate’s variety of fam-ily, leisure and entertainment offerings. These events and platforms allow us to connect not only with the travel trade, but also with our key media contacts in countries of high importance to us,” he added.
Dubai Promoted in Russia and India
Palestine Enjoyed 3.2 Million Visits in H1
On the occasion of World Tourism Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics announced that during the first half (H1) of the year, around 3.2 million visits were made to tourist and leisure sites in the West Bank.
These included 1.69 million visits by domestic and 1.47 million visits by inbound trav-ellers. The figures have grown by 26 percent and 19 percent respectively, year-on-year.
Most domestic visits were to Nablus governorate which attracted a 22 percent share, followed by Qalqilya and Tulkarm governorates with 17 percent each and Jenin gover-norate with 14 percent, while Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate had the lowest share.
Notably, in June there were 113 hotels in the West Bank comprising 6,621 available rooms with a total of 14,675 beds.
Did you know...
Palestine is
governed by a
parliamentary
democracy and
the president
is elected every
seven years
?
Palestine
DTC
M P
rese
ntat
ion
11 OCTOBER 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
7
Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Au-thority unveiled its tour-
ism statistics for the first half of the year. Those showed a sig-nificant increase in the number of visitors to the emirate, up 15 percent over the same period in 2013, and for the first time touched the one million mark.
Moreover, the data reflected a stable occupancy of nearly 74 percent in hotels, even during the normally low season sum-mer months in Sharjah. In terms of stay, hotel establishments re-corded 1,817,416 guest nights.
Additionally, European tour-ists once again came out on top, with Sharjah receiving 409,578 tourists from the region in the first half accounting for 37 per-cent of the total number of visitors. The second spot was secured by guests from the GCC.
Sharjah
Bahrain’s New Visa Policy Launched
New visa regulations in Bahrain allow nationals from over 100 countries to obtain a visa either online ahead of travel, or on arrival at the airport.
This development places Bahrain among the countries with the most flexible visa policies in the region, while the new regulation will also be
accompanied by improvements to the individual screening process.From early 2015, both business visitors and tourists can spend
longer periods of time in the Kingdom, as visas will be valid for a month and can be renewed for up to three months. Multiple entry visas will also begin to be issued.
Sharjah’s Visitors Reach One Million
11 OCTOBER 2014
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
8
Rotana Expands its Presence in TurkeyRotana has announced the launch of Tri G, its latest project in the Turkish market, in part-nership with Mar Yapi, one of the rising stars of Turkey’s vibrant real estate sector.
T he development is planned with a buildable area of 38,500m2 on a 7,000m2 land and will include
the Centro Hotels by Rotana brand with 152 rooms on eight floors, a total of 153 residences on 17 floors and 2,500m2 of commercial space, in addition to fa-cilities that will service the hotel rooms and serviced apartments separately.
“With its striking design, unique liv-ing spaces and extensive range of busi-ness and community facilities, Tri G will be a landmark project in the country,” said Nasser Al Nowais, chairman, Rotana.
Tri G
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Prepares Downtown Dubai Property
Mövenpick Hotel Apartments Downtown Dubai will become the company’s seventh Dubai property when it opens in 2017.
The 246 hotel apartments will be developed with varying sizes, ranging between 36m2 for studio apartments and 104m2 for two-bedroom units. Guests will be able to enjoy a speciality restaurant, lobby
café, swimming pool, gymnasium, spa and beauty salon. Andreas Mattmüller, chief operating officer, Middle East and Asia,
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, commented that there is a growing market for travellers to Dubai who prefer the comfort and convenience of fully-furnished, fully-serviced, branded hotel apartments.
11 OCTOBER 2014 9
ACCOMMODATION WEEKLY NEWS
First Dubai Property Announced for Jannah Hotels & Resorts
Jannah Hotels & Resorts has soft-opened its first hotel in Dubai. Jannah Place Marina Bay, which comprises 133 studio apartments and two-bedroom suites, and
several international brand restaurants, while offering views over the Marina and the emirate’s skyline.
“The preliminary opening of this hotel marks the onset of a drive by our group to invest in Dubai, which is one of the most important and fastest-growing markets in the region,” said Nehme Imad Darwiche, CEO, Jannah Hotels & Resorts.
He added that the group is currently working on launch-ing more hotels in Dubai and other emirates, and also aims to expand regionally and globally.
H ilton Al Hamra Beach & Golf Resort has launched its newest food and beverage outlet, Trader Vic’s Mai Tai
Lounge, which is the brand’s second one in the UAE and a first for Ras Al Khaimah (RAK).
Commenting on the opening, Pedro Guerra Palos, manager, Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Lounge, enthused, “Inspired by the unique and exciting concept of Trader Vic’s, our Mai Tai Lounge is a venue, ideal to sink into our comfortable sofas and sip exotic bev-erages. Our guests are tempted in by the fusion of elements which create a tropical oasis no one can or wants to resist. Being a top venue in the local dining scene, our lounge brings the spirit of the island into our everyday lives.”
Hilton Unveils a New Lounge in RAK
Did you know...
The first Trader
Vic’s Mai Tai
Lounge made its
debut in Oaklan
d,
California bac
k in
1934?
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has announced Park Inn by Radisson Residence Dubai Jumeirah Village Triangle, scheduled to open in the second quarter
of 2017, bringing the company’s portfolio in Dubai to 14 hotels with around 3,300 rooms in operation and under development.
The hotel will be a 29-storey construction comprising 261 studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Guests will benefit from a contemporary lifestyle ambiance and state-of-the-art amenities including an outdoor pool, fitness centre and a multi-purpose meeting room. Din-ing outlets will include an all-day dining venue, a lobby lounge and a gourmet pantry.
A Park Inn Hotel to Open in Jumeirah Village Triangle
Jannah Place Marina Bay
Park
Inn
by R
adis
son
Resi
denc
e D
ubai
Ju
mei
rah
Villa
ge T
riang
le
11 OCTOBER 2014
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
10
Hotel Anjum – Makkah Inaugurated in The Holy City
H. R.H. Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, president, Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities, along with H.R.H. Prince Mesh’al bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, chair-
man, Makkah Tourism Development Council, inaugurated a new pres-tigious addition to the Holy City, Hotel Anjum – Makkah.
Abdul Aziz commented that the opening of such a large project, which is worth about SAR1.2 billion (USD320 million), is a concrete evi-dence of the healthy investment environment in the Kingdom.
“Mecca sees remarkable expansions in hotel rooms, [while we are expecting] to see impressive increase in the coming years. We have about 250,000 hotel rooms in the Kingdom, in addition to other ac-commodation facilities,” he added.
In an effort to obtain an in-creased share of the Russian market, delegates from Park
Regis Kris Kin Hotel, Dubai, joined colleagues from Dubai Depart-ment of Tourism & Commerce Marketing at the OTDYKH leisure travel exhibition in Moscow.
The event is a large show-case for all sectors of the tour-ism industry, with 1,500 exhibi-tors from 100 countries and an estimated audience of more than 60,000 visitors.
Discussing the exhibition, Scott Butcher, general manager, Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel, Dubai, noted, “The Russian market is one where shopping is a ma-jor draw, as well as other urban attractions, and the package we offer at Park Regis Kris Kin, combining value pricing and strategic access to all of Dubai, is a big draw which we hope to showcase at the OTDYKH leisure exhibition.”
Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel
Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel Dubai Targets Russian Market
Hot
el A
njum
- M
akka
h
11 OCTOBER 2014
ACCOMMODATION WEEKLY NEWS
11
The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC Enhances Its MICE Offering
Known for its affinity with Dubai’s art-scene, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is bringing additional artistry to its MICE offerings, with
a range of new and creative, art-inspired menus designed to further engage guests of its facilities, as well as two new meet-ings spaces.
This month will see the opening of two new 60m2 meeting rooms which will sit alongside and complement the elegant Samaya Ballroom, located on the ground floor. They will of-fer space for a maximum of 30 - 40 people respectively, and guests have the option to connect the two rooms together.
F rankfurt-based Steigenberger Hotel Group is continuing its drive for international growth by bringing top-end German hotel facilities to two new locations in Egypt.
From July 2016, Hotel Tahrir Square in Cairo will operate un-der the Steigenberger name, and the existing Cecil Hotel in Alex-andria has been already taken over. This latest expansion means that the number of Steigenberger establishments in the country will increase to seven, plus three luxury Nile ships.
Steigenberger Hotel Tahrir Square will have a total of 295 rooms including 12 suites, as well as five conference rooms and a large banqueting hall. Steigenberger Cecil Hotel includes 86 rooms, three à la carte restaurants, three bars, meeting rooms and a gym.
Steigenberger Hotel Group Expands in Egypt
Associates of Residence Inn by Marriott Manama Juffair were given the opportunity to have their voices heard through a cultural strength survey.
The survey, which was conducted over the telephone and took approximately five minutes to complete, was conducted on a voluntary and anonymous basis in a bid to have the voices of the hotel associates heard.
More than 20 subjective questions were asked about the as-sociates’ attitude and perception regarding the strength of culture within the property which is defined by its seven core Blueprint elements that the associates live and work by.
Residence Inn by Marriott Manama Juffair Conducts Survey
The
Ritz
-Car
lton,
DIF
C
Resi
denc
e In
n by
Mar
riott
Man
ama
Juffa
ir
11 OCTOBER 2014
CLASSIFIEDS RECRUITMENTS
12
IN TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY
RECRUITMENT LISTINGSFREE
Now!Book Your Space
11 OCTOBER 2014
AIR WEEKLY NEWS
13
FLYDUBAI ANNOUNCES THREE ROUTES IN TANZANIA
“W ith the addition of these three new destinations in Tanzania we have doubled our network in North and East Africa this year, strengthen-ing our commitment to serving previously underserved markets,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai.
In a bid to conquer the African market, the carrier has also recently launched flights to Bujumbura in Burundi, Entebbe in Uganda and Kigali in Rwanda.
Tanzania is a country renowned for its natural beauty and its extraordinary wild-life. Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s economic hub and offers a picturesque seaport and a wealth of cultural and historic attractions.
Etihad Airways to Enter New Markets in 2015
Etihad Airways is to expand its global route network with the addition of Baku, Tbilisi and Dar es Salaam in the second half of 2015.
Caucasus will be a main focus for the airline as it is launching a new service to Baku, Azerbaijan four times a week from October 1, 2015, while Tbi-lisi, the capital of Georgia, will be served three times a week from October 2, 2015. A daily operation to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city, will also be offered from December 1, 2015.
“The development of Etihad Airways’ network will be accelerated in 2015, supporting a long-term vision to position Abu Dhabi as a leading international travel hub,” said James Hogan, president, Etihad Airways, at a time when the carrier has already announced nine new destinations for 2015.
Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, are the new destinations to be served by flydubai, expanding the airline’s network in Africa to 12 destinations.
Baku, Azerbaijan
11 OCTOBER 2014
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
14
Qatar Airways and Vueling Team-up
Qatar Airways and the Spanish airline, Vueling have signed an interline agreement that will enable the Arab carrier to in-crease the number of passengers to Europe, while strength-
ening Vueling’s hubs in Rome and Barcelona.The agreement, which came into effect on September 1, will also
improve trans-European traffic by providing passengers with an even greater range of options for long-haul connections.
Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways, said, “This agreement with Vueling is the first step in offering our clients seamless access to and from Europe via Rome Fiumicino and [Barcelona] El Prat [Airport]. Both airlines, as well as the teams at Fiumicino and El Prat, will work towards providing the best possible travel experience for all our pas-sengers.”
I n response to a rise in passenger demand, Gulf Air has announced the introduction of a new twice-weekly service between
Kuwait City and Larnaca, Cyprus, due to start on October 26.
Elaborating on the airline’s latest move, Maher Salman Al Musallam, acting CEO, Gulf Air, stated, “Gulf Air’s latest development sees us building upon the positive response we have already seen on our Kuwait – Istan-bul route as we strive to give our GCC pas-sengers attractive connections and direct travel options. Launching the new, direct Kuwait – Larnaca route caters to travel de-mand and is one more step towards offering our passengers simpler travel arrangements while we continue to offer convenient con-nections between Bahrain and Kuwait.”
Gulf Air Connects Larnaca and Kuwait
Moscow Welcomes First flydubai Flight
f lydubai’s inaugural service to Moscow landed recently at Vnukovo Inter-national Airport.
With the launch of direct daily flights to the Russian capital, flydubai now serves nine destinations in the country, while offering business class and cargo services on each of its Russian routes.
“Since launching flights to Russia in 2010, we have consistently seen strong demand for travel between the UAE and Russia and with daily flights to Moscow, flydubai provides passengers with another option to travel between the two countries. The new route will enhance connectivity and strengthen trade, travel and tourism,” commented Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai.
Gha
ith A
l Gha
ith A
rriv
es in
Mos
cow
11 OCTOBER 2014
AIR WEEKLY NEWS
15
RJ Welcomes a New Dreamliner Emirates’ Airbus A380 to Make One-off Trip to Manila
Emirates has taken its flagship aircraft, Airbus A380 to Manila to celebrate the airline’s move to the International Terminal at Ninoy Aquino Interna-tional Airport and reaffirm its commitment to the Philippines.
In 2013, Emirates welcomed over 820,000 passengers on its three daily Dubai – Manila services with a very high average seat factor, demonstrating the consistent strength of passenger demand.
Barry Brown, divisional senior vice president, commercial operations east, Emirates, confirmed that the Philippines is one of the carrier’s major markets where demand continues to grow.
“Since we connected the two cities 24 years ago, Emirates served over 6.6 million passengers and carried over 150,000 tonnes of cargo,” he noted.
Qatar Airways Showcases Its Acclaimed Hospitality
Qatar Airways presented its award-winning hospitality and became proud partner of the Qatari village at the Qatar Prix De L’Arc
De Triomphe in Paris, which took place from Octo-ber 4 – 5.
In collaboration with the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), Qatar Airways demon-strated its latest onboard product; the Airbus A380 first class seat and highly tailored service.
Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways, commented, “Qatar Airways has a long tradition of commitment to supporting events which gather excellence in sport and we are pleased to be her-alding the great sportsmanship displayed in this pinnacle equestrian event.”
Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) fleet has wel-comed a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the second of five to be delivered by the end
of the year.The aircraft, to be named after H.R.H. Princess
Iman bint Abdullah II, offers wider cabins, a mod-ern in-flight entertainment system and several other high-tech features for which this Dreamlin-er series is widely acclaimed. It is to be deployed on the airline’s long- and medium-haul routes, replacing the airline’s Airbus 340s and 330s.
To celebrate the occasion and show off its full grandeur, the new aircraft flew over Amman at low altitude on October 2.
Qatar Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe
11 OCTOBER 2014
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
16
Expansion of BusinessConnect Programme
Etihad Airways has extended BusinessConnect, its loyalty pro-gramme for businesses, to 12 new markets including Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, Serbia,
Singapore and Vietnam.The mileage earning scheme is targeted at the small to medium-
sized enterprise (SME) sector, offering opportunities and benefits for companies which fly with Etihad Airways.
Peter Baumgartner, chief commercial officer, Etihad Airways, said, “BusinessConnect, now available in 40 countries, is the smartest and most rewarding loyalty scheme for SMEs. It is a fantastic way for com-panies to optimise their travel spend, for staff and companies to each earn Etihad Guest Miles, whilst adding convenience and value to the business and corporate travel experience. In short, it makes business sense all round.”
Emirates Deploys Airbus A380 to Tehran
Kuwait Airways Attains ACC3 and RA3 Certification
Emirates celebrated the launch of its fourth daily nonstop passenger ser-vice to Imam Khomeini International Airport, Tehran, with the landing of a one-off Airbus A380 service.
According to Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, divisional senior vice president, com-mercial operations centre, Emirates, Iran is one of the most active aviation markets in the world and an integral part of Emirates operations.
“Air links are important enablers of trade and tourism and with our fourth daily service, Emirates is helping to contribute to the economy and meet the increased demand on this busy route, both passenger and cargo,” he said.
The Emirates A380 flight on the route offers 14 private suites in first class, 76 full-flat bed seats in business class and 429 seats in economy class.
Kuwait Airways has secured the ACC3 certificate to transport and load air cargo or mail to and from European countries. The com-pany has also attained the European Accreditation Certificate RA3
which refers to the validity of aviation security procedures towards the requirements for loading and transporting cargo to the European Union.
The European RA3 accreditation gives Kuwait Airways the ability, as an agent, to load and transport shipments to European countries as well as the ability to organise and document valid aviation security measures on flights to countries of the region.
The RA3 certification, granted by authorised notaries, gives the air-line unique capabilities not available for other providers of air transport services in the region.
Did you know...
Emirates bega
n
flights to Iran in
1990 and since
then over 6.6 mil-
lion passengers have
travelled betw
een the
two countries?
11 OCTOBER 2014
RENDEZVOUS
17
Q & A withClive Dwyer
UAE’S CENTRAL LOCATION AND OUTSTANDING FACILITIES ALREADY MAKE IT A PRIME SPOT FOR SPORTS VISITORS FROM EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA AND ASIA. CLIVE DWYER, DIREC-TOR OF DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, YAS IS-LAND, ANTICIPATES TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN TERMS OF SPORTS TOURISM.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How has business been over the past months? Did you experience a rise in visitation figures? How does Yas Island try to attract more sports tourists?
CLIVE DWYER: Yas Island has seen excellent results from its summer campaign promotion. This year, we launched the Yas Island Cool for Sum-mer campaign from May 1 - September 30. The campaign brings together Yas Island operators to offer great deals on accommodation, dining, theme parks and activities. Through effective marketing and packages, we aimed to make it easy to plan a summer vaca-tion or day out on Yas Island. Since the campaign’s launch, we have seen sig-nificant increases in summer visitation compared to previous years from local, regional and international markets. [...]
Occupancy rates in Yas Island’s ho-tels are significantly higher this year compared to 2013. Yas Island Rotana, for example, has recorded occupancy in the mid-80 percent range over the first half of the year, including a healthy rise in June and July, while Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi has welcomed 15 percent more visitors compared to the same period in 2013. Certainly, having the world’s only indoor theme park, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, really adds to our summer experience; the rides are hot but the temperature is cool. [...]
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: The Middle East has begun to gain popularity as a fast-developing sports tourism destination. Based on your opinion, what makes the UAE an attractive destination for sport enthusiasts?
CLIVE DWYER: It is wonderful to see the attention now on the Middle East, and the Gulf region in particular, for its events and opportunities for sports en-thusiasts.
There is no doubt the geographical-ly central location of the UAE is a factor, coupled with the superb airport and accommodation facilities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The safety and security of the region is also an important factor, as demonstrated by the Pakistan cricket events regularly being held in the UAE.
A strong local community interest in sports and an equally enthusiastic ex-pat community in the UAE make for in-credibly successful sporting events. [...]
Of course, venues are crucial, and
Already home to the iconic Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit provides a host of op-portunities to get into the drivers’ seat of your favourite cars or see the history and experience the thrills of a Ferrari engine at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.
For golfers, Yas Links Abu Dhabi [...] offers an exceptional 18-hole cham-pionship course, on par with the most challenging courses around the world for pros and scratch players alike. Even in the summer months, Yas Links Abu Dhabi continues to be one of the most popular courses in the UAE, with 40 new memberships since June.
A warm climate makes Yas Island a favourite for water sports, with kayak-ing, kite-surfing and stand-up paddle boarding all available at Yas Beach. Of course, you cannot miss TrainYas by Ac-tiveLife every Tuesday where you can make the famous Formula 1 track at Yas Marina Circuit your personal training ground.
Finally, Yas Marina recently an-nounced its second development phase that will include an indoor gym, physiotherapy centre, water sports centre and rejuvenating spa, set to open by year-end to enhance both mental and physical fitness. We are also excited to see rugby, football and netball facilities opening on Yas Island to further complement the sporting experience.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: With a num-ber of prestigious competitions tak-ing place, the region continues to strengthen its position as a sport hub. How can these events promote UAE and the region in general?
CLIVE DWYER: The continued rise of world-renowned sports events taking place in the UAE and the Gulf translates into greater international awareness and understanding of the region. UAE tourism bodies could never buy this sort of media exposure through main-stream advertising. [...]
This, coupled with the powerful word-of-mouth testimony of sporting event visitors, guarantees a continued growth in the international interest and subsequent visitation. It is really inter-esting to see how many people visit Yas Island during the year just to see the famous race track that they have only ever seen on television. This valuable promotion can only get better.
DIRECTOR OF DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, YAS ISLAND
we are blessed in the UAE with a range of first-rate venues, but having the tourist experience closely linked to sporting experiences is truly unique. The world-class golf, motorsports and water sports facilities on Yas Island are all literally minutes away from hotels, theme parks, and over 57 restaurants and nightlife options.
The Yas Island package is unparal-leled; with one destination boasting so many different things within a few
square kilometres, with no traffic con-cerns and seven minutes from an inter-national airport; it is truly one of a kind.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Overall, how important is sports tourism for the destination?
CLIVE DWYER: Yas Island is the ulti-mate destination for leisure and enter-tainment, and a significant and success-ful part of our offering is sports.
11 OCTOBER 2014
WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
18
Westin Debuts in Mauritius BWI Adds to Philippine Portfolio
Hotel Indigo Brand Debuts in Paris
S tarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Blue Ocean Park have announced the debut of the Westin brand in Mauritius with the opening of
The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa, Mauritius. The beachfront resort offers a variety of food and bev-
erage outlets, 190 guest rooms including 38 suites, a spa and club lounge. Additionally, the property boasts two swimming pools, a fitness studio and The Westin Kids Club.
The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa, Mauritius features nearly 340m2 of modern event space, including a ball-room, two meeting rooms and a fully-equipped business centre.
This debut hotel for the Westin brand is the third Star-wood hotel to open in Mauritius after St. Regis Mauritius Resort.
B est Western International (BWI) has signed a new management agreement to expand its collection of hotels in the Philippines.
The hotel group has penned a contract with Hilcres Consolidated Corporation to operate BEST WESTERN Ben-dix Hotel, a brand new midscale hotel in Angeles City.
Scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2015, the property will offer 60 spacious guest rooms.
“Our existing properties in Manila, Makati City, Cebu and Boracay have been extremely popular with domestic and international visitors alike. And I am confident that BEST WESTERN Bendix Hotel, with its comfortable rooms, excellent connectivity and modern amenities, will be equal-ly well-received,” said Glenn de Souza, vice president, inter-national operations, Asia and the Middle East, BWI.
I nterContinental Hotels Group has announced the debut of its boutique brand, Hotel Indigo, in France, with the opening of the 57-room Hotel Indigo Paris – Opera, marking the brands 60th Hotel Indigo property
globally.“Hotel Indigo Paris – Opera is located right at the heart of the action.
Paris is brimming with history and culture, and this neighbourhood pro-vides the perfect base for exploring our enchanting city. We look forward to welcoming guests and helping them to explore both the famous landmarks and hidden gems located on every corner,” commented Vincent Poulingue, general manager, Hotel Indigo Paris – Opera.
The
Wes
tin T
urtle
Bay
Res
ort &
Spa
Hotel Indigo Paris – Opera
BEST
WES
TERN
Ben
dix
Hot
el
Did you know...
The Hotel Indigo
brand was launched
in the US in 2004
and today there ar
e
over 100 hotels
in the
global syste
m size and
pipeline combined?
11 OCTOBER 2014
AGENT CORNER
19
Jose Torres
General manager
Journey Travel Company
Peru
www.jtc-peru.com
Agent’s Insight
Who are you?I am the general manager and founder of Journey Travel. The company is a tour op-erator already 10 years in the market. We specialise in the Eastern Europe market, offering group, private and luxury programmes.
We offer personalised itineraries and innovative tours specifically designed for this market, with the main goal of ensuring that our clientele experience the warmth of Peru with the safety and quality that they deserve.
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?Working in this industry allows me to travel abroad. I love meeting new people, learning from other cultures, other lifestyles. The most important to me is the crea-tive marketing work.
When is the best time to visit Peru?Best time to visit Peru is from April to November because it is the dry, but cool sea-son. The rainy season is from December to March.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?I am thinking about Japan, or Morroco and Egypt.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?Choosing us, people get information, advice and tips from experts to make their trip the best experience. We also offer quick and kind attention. We try to find a good balance between price and quality for our customers.
COMPANY:
POSITION:
NAME:
LOCATION:
WEBSITE:
Promoting Oman to Indian Travel Agents
O man Tourism recently conducted Discover Oman Specialist Training Program, as part of which the authority presented its largest familiarisation initiative and hosted 60 Indian travel
agents and tour operators from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Hyderabad.
The venture was intended to arm travel agents with all the infor-mation and experiences required to be true Oman specialists and pro-mote the destination effectively to leisure and MICE groups.
The group also attended business-to-business sessions and had the opportunity to network with a wide selection of suppliers.
11 OCTOBER 2014
TRAVEL TALK
20
BARTLOMIEJ MART
KHALID AL ZADJALI
HAMAD MOHAMMED BIN MEJREN
Director of rooms operation, Marriott Executive Apartments Manama, Bahrain
Director of tourism events, Oman Ministry of Tourism
Executive director, busi-ness tourism, Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing
“I am truly honoured to receive this award, [the Excellence in Delivering the Guest Experience EDGE Award, given by Marri-ott International to full-service rooms operations leaders who excel in delivering the guest ex-perience vision,] and humbled by the accolades that I have been receiving from my co-workers and Marriott International ex-ecutives. I am very proud to rep-resent Marriott Executive Apart-ments Manama, Bahrain with this prestigious award.”
“It gives us immense pleasure to join hands, once again, with the Dubai Department of Tour-ism & Commerce Marketing and the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority to promote Cruise Arabia. We are convinced that this partnership will create strong synergy in promoting cruise tourism in the UAE and Oman, enabling tourists to ex-plore the rich and ancient cul-ture of the region, blended with modernity at all levels.”
“It is a chance to enlighten this critical audience about the ex-traordinary experiences of cruise travel in our region [...]. As the home port for cruise tourism in the region, Dubai is firmly com-mitted to working with our part-ners in Oman and Abu Dhabi to promote the strengths, richness and diversity of cruise travel expe-riences in the Arabian Gulf. [...]. We expect the upcoming cruise sea-son to surpass [2013’s], especially with the new multi-entry UAE vis-it visa for cruise tourists that was announced last August [..].”
TRAVEL TALK IS YOUR SPACE – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to [email protected]
I am very proud to repre-sent Marriott Executive Apartments Manama, Bahrain
Oman is undergoing rapid tourism growth with cruise shipping be-ing a major contributing component
Seatrade Med provides an ideal opportunity to engage with the Euro-pean cruise industry
11 OCTOBER 2014
TRAVEL CHANNELS
21
First International Congress on Tourism and Pilgrimages
T he collaboration is in light of the growing impor-tance of pilgrimages and spiritual routes to tourism development around the
world as, according to UNWTO esti-mates, up to 330million tourists visit the world’s key religious sites every year.
The first International Congress on Tourism and Pilgrimages took place in Spain, in September, and it aimed to highlight the positive contributions of pilgrimages and spiritual routes to sustainable and responsible tourism.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism of Spain, and the regional government of Galicia have joined forces to
organise the first International Congress on Tourism and Pilgrimages.
JLL: Sustainability is the Key
Kuwait Airways Welcomes First Female Pilot
Rasha Abdulaziz Al-Roumi, chairperson, Kuwait Airways, intro-duced the airline’s first female pilot to H.H. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, emir of Kuwait.
Munira Mohammad Bu’erki, trainee pilot, Kuwait Airways, is the first woman to be assuming the role for the country’s national carrier, after attaining her pilot certification.
From her side, Bu'erki expressed her thankfulness for meeting Al-Sabah and receiving congratulations, while at the same time she ex-tended her thanks to Al-Roumi for providing her with the opportunity to prove her skills.
HKTB Hosts Mega GCC Fam Trip
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) hosted more than 40 trade representatives from the GCC in September, having suc-cessfully rounded up the largest GCC familiarisation trip for
the organisation.The group of GCC travel trade experts met with over 70 local
peers to discuss potential business opportunities and visit key at-tractions of the city.
Peter Hoslin, regional director, Europe and new markets, HKTB, stated, “The HKTB is delighted to have the GCC delegation in town to develop business with Hong Kong travel trade direct for the very first time and foster a closer partnership.”
Consistent with its com- mitment to best prac-tice reporting and
transparency, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has released its 2013 sustainability report, We are JLL. We take responsibility.
The report presents a summary of JLL's perfor-mance and highlights an in-creased demand from clients, employees and shareholders to integrate sustainability into real estate decisions.
Alan Robertson, CEO, JLL, Middle East and North Africa, commented, “Sustainability is gaining momentum glob-ally and areas in our region, such as the UAE, have the op-portunity to be the flagship of sustainable development.”
Kuwait Airways Delegation Visits the Emir
HKTB Familiarisation Trip
11 OCTOBER 2014
WHO’S MOVED
22
Betsy Cordova Lopez has been appointed as business develop-ment manager at Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel in Dubai, moving from Dubai Courtyard by Marriott.She is hoped to add another di-mension to the sales team at the hotel, ensuring Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel can compete in new markets and effectively commu-nicate to both the travel trade and corporate sectors.Lopez worked in Canada, UK, Spain and Peru, before moving to the UAE in 2013 as a trainee in the regional general manager’s office at The Address Downtown Dubai.Moreover, she studied at Swiss Hotel Management School where she won an outstand-ing student award, and has also worked with Cordon Bleu and Prom Perú, the national tourism organisation of promoting travel to Peru.
PAUL MCDONALD
TAREK AMMACHE
BETSY CORDOVA LOPEZ
TAREK EL SINNARY
Paul McDonald joined the team at Grand Hyatt Muscat from Abu Dhabi.Boasting over 11 years of ex-perience with Hyatt hotels, he had began his career with Grand Hyatt Dubai in the front office department in 2003, and he was later promoted to asso-ciate director of sales in 2008. Later, he moved onto becom-ing the revenue manager for Park Hyatt Dubai in 2009. Having also served at Hyatt Re-gency Auckland New Zealand for a while, McDonald moved back to Abu Dhabi in 2012 as the revenue manager of Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, before be-ing reassigned to Grand Hyatt Muscat.He has consequently acquired extensive experience in sales and revenue management, as well as in-depth understand-ing of the systems at Hyatt.
Tarek Ammache has been welcomed by Holiday Inn Bei-rut Dunes as the property’s new general manager. With many years of experi-ence in the world of hospital-ity business, Ammache is con-sidered a seasoned hotelier as during his career, he handled several top positions in Paris, France, Saudi Arabia, Beirut and lately Iraq.Upon accepting his new role as the general manager, Am-mache is hopeful for a very bright future for Lebanon.
Tarek El Sinnary joined the dynamic team of TIME Hotels as corporate director of rev-enue.With extensive market knowl-edge from the Middle East and Africa, El Sinnary will bring to the group his diverse revenue management skills to lead the growing TIME Hotels to a strong market presence. With an array of industry expe-rience between the members of the management team, TIME Hotels aims to be able to professionally evaluate a par-ticular situation, identify the optimum strategy and pro-vide a complete management solution.
El Sinnary will bring to the group his diverse rev-enue management skills
Ammache is a seasoned hotelier as he handled
several top positions
Etihad Airways cadet pilots begin specialised training programme in Ireland
Michael Steer enjoyed a comfortable win in the fourth Volvo World Golf Challenge Bahrain Qualifier at the
Royal Golf Club
Oman Air staff benefit from free health assessment campaignQatar Airways staff and children from Our Father's Kitchen Programme
spend a day of fun and festivities at Bora Amusement Park
Emirates hosts Arab Idol finalists on a VIP trip to Dubai
ICC Umpires have a successful ‘innings’ at Emirates cabin crew training
11 OCTOBER 2014
PHOTO ALBUM
23
Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to.
Send your photos to [email protected] Because a picture is worth a thousand words...
Take a Shot!
11 OCTOBER 2014
NEWS & EVENTS
24
Celebrating National Day
T o mark the 84th anniversary of the National Day, National Museum at the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center in Ri-
yadh featured a number of events and activi-ties, on September 23.
The schedule included laser shows, chil-dren's painting exhibition on the occasion of the National Day, photography studio with landscapes illustrating the cultural heritage of the Kingdom, distribution of publication material, as well as gifts and posters illus-trating the National Day, all with an aim to promote the concept of celebration and the cultural and national importance of the oc-casion.
EVENTS
8th UNWTO/PATA Forum
Guilin, ChinaOctober 13 – 15asiapacific.unwto.orgA platform for governments, industry and academics to share views and analyse global trends.
HANGZHOU INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FAIR
Hangzhou, ChinaOctober 17 - 19www.hitfchina.comThe first Hangzhou International Travel Fair is to provide the ideal business-to-business networking platform for international and domestic tourism.
SPORTS & EVENTS TOURISM EXCHANGE
Durban, South AfricaOctober 28 -30www.thebereed.co.zaA dynamic business-to-business event that is aimed at positioning South Africa as a sports and events tourism destination.
IMEX America
Las Vegas, USOctober 14 – 16www.imexamerica.comSetting the pace for incentive and MICE travel, the event is growing year-on-year.
INTERNATIONAL GOLF TRAVEL MARKET
Lake Como, ItalyOctober 27 – 30www.igtm.co.ukThe meeting place for the global business-to-business golf travel community.
National Museum RIyadh
Riyadh