2 may 2015 issue 286 - travel trade weeklycor planning nearly 10 new hotels and intercontinental...
TRANSCRIPT
16,000 NEW UNITS IN RIYADH AND JEDDAH
08
20
ROTANA JET REVEALS AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION PLAN
IN THIS ISSUEMARKET UPDATE
TECHNOLOGY
ACCOMMODATION
AIR
RENDEZVOUS
INTERNATIONAL
AGENT CORNER
TRAVEL TALK
TRAVEL CHANNELS
WHO’S MOVED
PHOTO ALBUM
NEWS & EVENTS
02
03
12
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2 MAY 2015 ISSUE 286
16
THE RITZ-CARLTON, JEDDAH, THE COMPANY'S SECOND HOTEL IN SAUDI ARABIA,
IS SET TO WELCOME ITS FIRST GUESTS LATE SUMMER..
RITZ-CARLTON BRINGS TIMELESS LUXURY TO JEDDAH
2 MAY 2015
MARKET UPDATE
2
Supply growth continued to outpace demand in Dubai, resulting in mixed results for the destination′s hoteliers in March.
Challenging March for Dubai Hoteliers
A lthough demand rose 4.5 percent, this proved to be insufficient against the 6.9 percent increase in supply, leading to a 2.2
percent drop in occupancy to 85.7 percent, a 6.1 percent decline in av-erage daily rate (ADR) to AED978.69 (USD266.44), weighting down Rev-PAR by 8.1 percent to AED838.69 (USD228.33).
“Supply has been increasing at levels in excess of 6.2 percent for the last 15 months,” noted Elizabeth Win-kle, managing director, STR Global, stressing that new supply is crucial to the destination’s long-term success.
“Additionally, despite the 2.2 per-cent drop in occupancy, levels con-tinued to exceed 85 percent in March for the sixth consecutive month,” concluded Winkle.
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
MANAGING EDITORMary Kammitsi
ASSISTANT EDITORMaria Kazeli
SENIOR JOURNALISTRita Kasziba
CONTRIBUTORS
Ana Mladenovic Valentini Stavrou
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
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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
97.19
7.62
28,370.00
1,151.60
0.30
1,508.00
1.35
9.77
188.93
1.93
214.89
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
As of 30/4/2015Currencies shown in blue are fixed against the US Dollar
COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=
Did you know...
By 2020,
Dubai is expected
to have as many
as 160,000 hotel
rooms?
2 MAY 2015
TECHNOLOGY WEEKLY NEWS
3
Global payments technology company, Visa hosted the first Strategic Retailer Congress in the region for retailers, acquirers and industry stakeholders in late April.
The event looked at issues such as solutions to drive customer loyalty and recruitment, customer protection and growth through omni-channel conver-
gence, all of which can be enabled through new payment technologies. Ihab Ayoub, group country manager, MENA, Visa, said, “With local business-
es already converted or in the process of crossing over to tap into the growing digital customer base, payment solutions such as Visa Checkout, Tokenization and mobile point of sales are gaining relevance more than ever before.”
Visa Brings New Retail Congress to MENA
Amadeus to Outline Future of Regional Travel
T rade visitors to Amadeus’ stand at the Arabian Travel Market will gain first-hand
experience of the upgraded Sell-ing Platform Connect (SELCO), a fully online professional booking and fulfilment platform.
With customisation and per-sonalisation as its key attributes, SELCO promises to provide travel agencies with access to their cus-tomers’ bookings from anywhere in the world, from any device with Internet connection.
The company will also release its recent Middle East Online Trav-el Review, which includes insights on hybrid travel agencies that sell across both online and offline channels. The report will also offer a micro analysis for hotels looking at brand affiliation and the impact of online penetration.
2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS AGENTS
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H ertz Rent A Car has appointed dnata as its exclusive outbound general sales agent (GSA) repre-
sentative for the travel trade industry in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
The new three-year strategic partner-ship adds two more GCC countries to the travel management company’s existing representation of the car rental expert.
Outbound Hertz Rent A Car business from Saudi Arabia rose 24.8 percent year-on-year from January to December 2014, with the US, France, Germany, UAE, Swit-zerland, Italy, Spain, UK, Qatar and South Africa topping the list.
As Michel Taride, group president, Hertz International, noted, the partner-ship is set to further support the compa-ny’s five-year regional growth strategy.
Hertz Rent A Car Selects dnata
Gulf Air Flies Omani Media and Agents to AthensGulf Air transported a number of Muscat-based media members and tour operators to Greece on a familiarisation trip that was jointly hosted with Athens-based Aktina Travel Services.
The visit gave guests the opportunity to experience Gulf Air’s product offerings and services both onboard and at the airline’s hub, Bahrain International Airport.
The carrier operates four weekly flights from Muscat to Athens on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
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2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
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Shurooq Fosters UAE – UK TiesIn line with its strategy to strengthen cooperation with international economic and investment bodies, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). Fuelled by a 28 percent rise in fig-
ures from Saudi Arabia, interna-tional visitor numbers to Qatar
surged 11 percent in the first quarter (Q1) of the year.
During the three-month period, a total of 841,025 people flocked into the country, with arrivals from the Americas up 17 percent and from the GCC up 16 percent.
Consequently, occupancy rates rose eight percent to 82 percent; aver-age room rates (ARR) on the other hand dropped one percent.
As Hassan Al Ibrahim, chief tour-ism development officer, Qatar Tour-ism Authority, pinpointed, this March witnessed the largest monthly influx of arrivals in the country’s history.
Qatar: Double-digit Increase in Arrivals
Under the terms of the agreement, which was inked during Shurooq’s recent three-day UK road show,
the two entities will work together to encourage, promote and facilitate in-vestment and development cooperation among the business communities in Shar-jah and the UK. Another goal is to coor-dinate, establish and expand a business network that enables these communities to leverage the financial opportunities available in both countries.
In addition, Shurooq and ABCC also aim to assist each other in organising and participating in trade fairs, exhibitions, conferences and seminars.
The signing ceremony
2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
6
WEEKLY NEWS
Al Maryah Island Presented to Cityscape Delegation
In the framwork of the recent real estate networking event, Cityscape Abu Dhabi, a visitors’ delegation took part in an exclusive tour of Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi’s International Financial Center (IFC) and the home of Abu Dhabi
Global Market. Participants were also presented with development opportuni-ties and land plots available for sale.
Ali Eid AlMheiri, executive director, Mubadala Real Estate & Infrastructure, commented, “We are pleased to showcase Al Maryah Island and its assets to po-tential investors during Cityscape Abu Dhabi, particularly our commercial tow-ers at Abu Dhabi Global Market Square. With a significant shortage of Grade-A commercial space in the capital at present, there is a growing demand for higher quality space.”
Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Indus-try toured the Czech Republic and Slovakia seeking cooperation be-
tween the country and the European states in the fields of tourism, trade and real estate.
On the sidelines of the Czech – UAE Busi-ness Forum, a memorandum of understand-ing was signed between Lootah Group and the Czech Eden Group to partner in healthcare and medical tourism.
Commenting on the potential between the countries, H.E. Hamad Buamim, CEO, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, ex-pressed his hope to encourage stronger busi-ness cooperation and two-way investment across key economic sectors.
To promote joint economic relations a Czech Business Council was set up under the umbrella of the chamber.
UAE Pursues Czech and Slovak Partnerships
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2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
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16,000 New Units in Riyadh and Jeddah
Some 16,000 hotel rooms are ex-pected to come on line in Riyadh and Jeddah by 2018.
According to a Jones Lang LaSalle’s report, more than half of these will form part of five-star projects, as internation-al companies continue to expand their footprint across the Kingdom with Ac-cor planning nearly 10 new hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) developing nine properties. In Jeddah,
2,700 units are set to open this year alone.
As Pascal Gauvin, chief operating officer, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, noted, the Saudi domestic tourism sector is projected to grow 400 percent to some 640 million nights by 2019, hence the company’s focus on the country, which, as Gauvin said, boasts the highest number of IHG hotels in the Middle East.
Q atar Tourism Authority and Josoor Institute, a centre of excellence dedicated to the
delivery of professional training and education for the sports and events industries in MENA, hosted two devel-opment workshops on sports tourism.
Over 100 professionals attended the first event, which, under the title Sports Tourism - A Comprehensive Over-view, provided an analysis of the in-dustry. The workshop highlighted how sports tourism manifests itself in differ-ent regions of the world and examined several case studies on the subject.
The second initiative proved to be equally successful in throwing the spotlight on Implications of Mega Events for Tourism and Hospitality.
Qatar Focusses on Sports Tourism
2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
10
WEEKLY NEWS
Next Generation Prayer Calculator Launched
H alal travel specialist, HalalTrip has introduced a multifunctional next generation prayer cal-culator.
By combining science with the latest in technolo-gy, the application enables Muslim travellers to track their prayer times while on the go, whether on land, air or sea. With just a click, the calculator provides a list of all the mosques in the area along with the estimated time taken to reach them from the user’s location.
In addition, the app helps determine the time to reach the hotel, advising whether or not the guest will make it there on time for prayers.
Other advantages of HalalTrip include a Halal food spotting feature and a collection of prayers in both English and Arabic.
Morocco Becomes Popular with US Travellers
U S tourism to Morocco experienced a 19 percent in-crease over the past four years, with nearly 229,000 American travellers visiting the country in 2014, a fact
which Seattle-based Access Trips corroborates since book-ings for culinary tours to Morocco are ever-popular.
Having grown by 43 percent in the last three years, Access Trips’ culinary offering to the North African country embodies a blend of Arabic, Berber, French and Spanish influences.
Starting in vibrant Casablanca and ending in Marrakech with coastal, mountain and rural visits along the way, the tour is an immersion in the foods and traditions of Morocco, while during the trip, guests will learn to cook authentic local cui-sine from experienced chefs.
Hal
alTr
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S harjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) vis-ited Taiwan as well as Shanghai to meet with potential business partners and participate in The World’s Investment Summit in the
Chinese city. The authority was joined by Sharjah Economic Development Department and Sharjah Healthcare City.
Mohamed Al Musharrkh, head of investment promotion, Shurooq, said, “We are delighted [...] to showcase Sharjah’s unique attractions as an investment destination to the foremost business organisations.”
He stressed that the main intention was to present the emirate’s many investment opportunities and incentives, highlight key sectors and bring attention to the numerous projects that Shurooq has brought to life.
Shurooq Visits Taiwan and Shanghai
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2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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IHG Brings Hotel Indigo to the UAE
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Suites in the SKAI Rebranded as Viceroy HotelDubai-based SKAI Holdings will upgrade its Suites in the SKAI property, lo-cated in Jumeirah Village Circle, to a five-star luxury property named Viceroy Dubai Jumeirah Village.
W orks are already underway and the hotel is set to open in 2018. It will feature 247 rooms and suites, 221 one- and two-bedroom apart-ments and 33 four-bedroom units with private pools, all of which will
offer landscaped green balcony gardens thanks to a vertical microclimate design.Other facilities include 271 sky-high swimming pools, floating bathtubs, a
gym and fitness centre with outdoor yoga terrace, sauna and steam room and a boutique spa.
I nterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) revealed plans to introduce its bou-tique brand to the UAE with Hotel
Indigo Dubai scheduled to open in 2017.
Located in the Business Bay Dis-trict, the 285-room property will cater to well-travelled guests looking for a unique and individual experience com-bined with an extensive list of facilities.
Pascal Gauvin, chief operating of-ficer, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, deemed Hotel Indigo to be one of the fastest growing boutique hotel brands in the world.
The project, developed in partner-ship with Sunflower, will join Hotel Indigo Riyadh King Abdullah Financial District, which is due to open in 2016.
2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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Hilton Worldwide has partnered with wasl hospitality & leisure to introduce the mid-market Hampton by Hilton
brand to the region.Hailed as the largest Hampton project under
development anywhere in the world, the 420-key Hampton by Hilton Dubai Al Qusais will be located in close proximity to Dubai Internation-al’s Terminal 2 and will welcome its first guests in 2017; the same year as the newly-announced 166-room Hilton Garden Inn Dubai Al Garhoud.
As Hesham Al Qassim, CEO, wasl Asset Man-agement Group, noted, the new developments are in line with the government’s endeavour to further diversify the destination’s hotel scene.
T he developer of the luxurious integrated tourism complex in Oman, Saraya Bandar Jissah awarded Habtoor Leighton Group a contract to construct the second five-star hotel located on the
beachfront of Bandar Jissah bay.The property, due to open in 2017, will offer 112 rooms and will be
modelled on the traditional Omani village architecture, structured around three levels with different heights flowing down to the beach level.
Sheikh Hamood bin Sultan Al Hosni, CEO, Saraya Bandar Jissah, said, “The second five-star hotel managed by Jumeirah Group is ex-pected to add great value to the tourism industry of the Sultanate.”
Minor Hotel Group (MHG), in collaboration with Qatari Diar Real Es-tate Investment Company, is to launch two new Anantara resorts in North Africa in 2017.
The new-build Anantara Tozeur Resort will be a luxury escape in the southwest of Tunisia, offering 93 rooms and villas, a selection of restaurants, meeting and business facilities, kids’ clubs, a health centre and a spa.
The 230-key Anantara Al Houara Tangier Resort in northern Morocco will be part of the extensive Al Houara project which the Qatari company is developing along 2.5km of beach front. It will also include a signature 18-hole golf course with a golf club and residential homes for sale.
Saraya Bandar Jissah Signs Second Hotel
MHG Partners with Qatari Diar
Real estate developer, Bloom Holding has chosen Ro-tana to operate its 188-key hotel apartments project within the Park View mixed-use development in the
university neighbourhood of Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi. Slated for opening in 2017, the property will feature
studios, one- and two-bedroom units and executive apart-ments. Guests will also benefit from access to the project’s plethora of commercial and leisure facilities, including an infinity edge pool, 30m above the ground.
Reiterating the company’s commitment to the UAE capi-tal, Omer Kaddouri, CEO, Rotana, underlined that Abu Dhabi remains a focus market for the group, which aims to operate 100 hotels by 2020.
Rotana to Run Saadiyat Hotel Apartments
Hampton by Hilton to Debut in the Middle East
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2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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Dubai to Welcome Middle East’s First Delano Hotel
M organs Hotel Group has partnered with IFA Hotels & Resorts to bring the Delano brand to the region with Delano Dubai set to open in 2017. The 110-key deluxe hotel apartment property will
form part of a mixed-use resort development, The8, on Palm Jumeirah. Jason Kalisman, interim CEO, Morgans Hotel Group, deemed Dubai to
be the ideal destination to debut Delano in the region. “The location and resort concept speaks to the Delano guest experi-
ence of providing an oasis of sensuality and soul, and where sophistication and ease seamlessly blend with timeless design,” added Kalisman.
First Radisson Red to Open in EMEA
R adisson Red is set to launch its first-ever hotel in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in the capital city of South Africa. Expected to open in late 2016, the project will be a part of the Silo District V&A Waterfront.
Ideally located near Cape Town International Airport and Cape Town International Convention Centre, Radisson Red Hotel V&A Waterfront will accommodate guests in 235 rooms and it will also offer its signature bar and deli. The property’s rooftop will be hosting a bar, garden terrace and swimming pool.
With the brand’s entry into the country, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s presence will be further strengthened as the company currently operates five hotels in Cape Town.
RITZ-CARLTON BRINGS TIMELESS LUXURY TO JEDDAHThe Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company will open its second property in Saudi Arabia late summer. The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah is the latest addition to the company’s portfolio, situated over 32,000m2 of land on Al Hamra Corniche.
T he new project will feature impressive architecture across 224 guest rooms which include 30 royal suites spanning 500m2 each.
Herve Humler, president, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, commented, “This region is critical to-wards the achievement of our strategic goal of reaching 100 hotels globally and we are fortunate to have strong partners who share our vision.”
He added that the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah is a much anticipated milestone as it not only intro-duces signature standards but also emphasises the company’s commitment to the Kingdom.
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2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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T IME Hotels continues its fast-paced expansion, which has seen the company almost dou-
ble its portfolio in the past 12 months, with the announcement of a new property in Qatar.
Located in Al Khail, 10 minutes from Hamad International Airport, the 142-room TIME Plaza Hotel is sched-uled to welcome its first guests in the first quarter of 2017. The company’s second project in Qatar will feature two restaurants and a contemporary meeting space for up to 40 guests.
Currently under development, two other properties, TIME Royal Ho-tel & Spa, Dubai and TIME Rako Hotel, Qatar are slated for opening in the sec-ond quarter of 2016.
The foundation stone was laid for Samhan Hotel, hailed as the first specialised heritage
hotel in the Kingdom.The development in the historic
Dir’iya is considered the first fruit of the projects of the Saudi Heritage Hospitality Company, which was set up by the Saudi Commission for Tour-ism & Antiquities (SCTA).
As H.R.H. Prince Sultan bin Sal-man bin Abdul Aziz, president, SCTA, revealed, the initiative will soon be followed by similar projects across the Kingdom including those of Is-lamic history, in addition to a number of other archaeological landmarks and monuments relating to succes-sive historic periods.
I ndustry partners will receive first-hand information on Al Bustan Centre & Residence’s recent USD4
million renovation at the upcoming Arabian Travel Market.
The project, which kicked off in early 2014 and concluded in the last quarter of the year, included all the 640 rooms as well as various facilities to ensure high guest satisfaction and give the property a competitive edge in Dubai’s fast-expanding hotel scene.
According to Moussa El Hayek, chief operating officer, Al Bustan Cen-tre & Residence, the development has taken the hotel to new heights, secur-ing larger shares from crucial markets, such as the GCC, Far East, Eastern Eu-rope and China.
TIME to Add Second Qatari Hotel
Saudi Arabia: First Spe-cialised Heritage Hotel
Al Bustan Centre & Resi-dence Project Showcased
Millennium Hotel Fujairah Launched
A s part of its extensive regional expansion drive, Mil-lennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East and Africa (MEA) has opened Millennium Hotel Fujairah.
Set against the backdrop of the Hajjar Mountains, the 20-storey property features 221 rooms and suites and boasts direct access to Fujairah Mall. Guests of the upscale hotel can also take advantage of five dining options, a health club and spacious meeting facilities.
As Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, CEO, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels MEA, pinpointed, Fujairah’s accessibility from Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah airports, along with the country’s excellent road network, make it a popular long weekend and vacation getaway for both local UAE residents and GCC visitors.
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2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
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C elebrating yet an-other milestone in its global expansion,
Etihad Airways has launched direct nonstop flights to Ma-drid, Spain.
Speaking at the inaugu-ration of the route, James Hogan, president, Etihad Air-ways, commented, “Our new Madrid service gives Spanish business and leisure travel-lers greater access to the UAE with a total of 2,096 weekly seats on offer. It also provides convenient two-way connec-tions via our Abu Dhabi hub to important markets on Eti-had Airways’ strong global network.”
The service is operated four times per week on an Airbus A330-200 with a total of 262 seats in a two-class configuration.
S audi Arabian carrier, flynas will add two Airbus A320 airliners to its 24-strong
fleet in order to bolster its opera-tions.
Bandar Al-Muhanna, CEO, Nas Holding, revealed that the two jets will enter service in June and Oc-tober, respectively.
“We give great priority to do-mestic flights, and work hard to expand domestic routes to serve as many guests as possible,” he said.
“Seeing how much growth there is in the market and the ever-growing demand on some routes, we plan to add even more jets to our fleet in 2016. We have successfully boosted our capabili-ties to the point where we can of-fer comprehensive services to our guests and enable them to enjoy a good flying experience […],”Al-Muhanna added.
flynas Expands Fleet with New A320s
Etihad Airways Lands in Spain
The carrier’s expansion reached new heights on April 23 with the launch of flights between Abu Dhabi and Beirut, its first destination in the Levant and the 11th worldwide. Rotana Jet also intends to operate daily services to Doha and points in Egypt in the coming months.
In addition, frequencies on existing routes, including Salalah, Muscat and Kuwait have also been increased. “The already significant demand for air travel services between Abu Dhabi and other cities is expected to grow fur-
ther in tandem with the many developments in the UAE and Rotana Jet is proud to play a contributing role in connecting the capital, Abu Dhabi with other cities, be it domestic, regional and international,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, chairman, Rotana Jet.
Rotana Jet Reveals Aggressive Expansion PlanRotana Jet is introducing new destinations and increasing frequencies to its existing destinations.
2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
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R esponding to the continuous rise in passenger demand, Qatar Airways will operate additional services to
Cyprus during the busy summer months. Starting June 3, Qatar’s national airline
will offer daily flights between Doha’s state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport and Larnaca. The extra frequencies will be of-fered up until October 24, when the route will revert back to its regular schedule.
Reinforcing the carrier’s commitment to developing access to popular leisure and business destinations, Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways, said, “Our most current frequency increases in the Middle East and Europe will provide our passengers with more flexibility and choice when it comes to planning their travel for both themselves and their families.”
Qatar Airways Increases Larnaca Operations
flydubai Expands in Russia
f lydubai is to launch services to Novosibirsk and Nizhniy Novgorod, reinforcing the company’s commitment to Russia.
According to Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, the addition of the two new routes marks an important milestone in the airline’s operations in Russia and brings the total number of destinations served by the carrier in the country to 10.
“Both Russian cities are established economic hubs in the regions and we hope that our direct flights from Dubai will help to open up their tourist and business op-portunities to travellers from the Middle East,” added Al Ghaith.
The thrice-weekly service to Novosibirsk and the twice-weekly flight to Nizhniy Novgorod will commence on October 4 and October 7, respectively.
Emirates Adds Second A380 Service to Gatwick
I n response to strong demand, Emirates has introduced a second daily Airbus A380 flight to London’s Gatwick Air-port. Since the aircraft’s first deployment in March 2014, over
330,000 customers have already flown with it to and from the UK hub and the launch of the second flight will add 318 seats per day, significantly enhancing travel options between Dubai and the European capital.
“With the world’s busiest single runaway and a constant flow of passengers from London’s South East, it is important that we offer travellers the best possible connections to worldwide destinations; the new Emirates A380 service al-lows us to do just that,” explained Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gat-wick Airport.
2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
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WEEKLY NEWS AIR
UIA to Fly to Amman
A s part of its summer schedule, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) will commence nonstop scheduled ser-vices between Kiev and Amman.
Effective from June 16, the Ukrainian carrier will operate three weekly flights to the Jordanian capital onboard a Boe-ing 737 aircraft in a two-class configuration.
As Evgeniya Satska, corporate press secretary, UIA, ex-plained, the launch of the route forms part of the company’s east-bound expansion drive.
“Systematically and proactively developing the model of a transit carrier from East to West, UIA aspires to balance its route network and offer passengers comparable choice of east- and west-bound travel opportunities,” added Satska.
S audi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) has started applying its Elec-tronic Flight Bag (EFB) initiative on all its routes.
EFB is an electronic display device intended for flight deck crew use, equipped with charts, performance data and manu-als to help manage flight tasks more easily and efficiently in a paper-less environment.
The national flag carrier has already distributed 1,650 copies of EFB in the form of iPads among flight deck crew members after pro-viding them with the required information.
The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year with the provision of all the necessary information, programmes and applications in EFB devices. After authorisation from the Gener-al Authority of Civil Aviation, SAUDIA flights will have fully-paperless cockpits.
Q atar Executive continues to grow its international footprint and is looking to attract corporations and high-net-worth individuals from Asia.
As Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways, revealed, the company sees great potential in the continent.
“As Asian corporations continue to expand their busi-nesses, they are looking for the most convenient and ef-ficient means of travel to spur their international corporate growth,” said Al Baker.
To meet the requirements of the market, Qatar Execu-tive has adjusted its in-flight experience and customers can now request to be served by Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking VIP cabin attendants, who are familiar with local customs and etiquette.
Qatar Executive Targets Asian Corporate Segment
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SAUDIA Begins Implementation of EFB Project
2 MAY 2015
RENDEZVOUS
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Q & A with
WHILE GUESTS HAVE THEIR OWN INTERPRETATION OF LUXURY, ACCORDING TO TAREQ DERBAS, GENERAL MANAGER, THE ST. REGIS DOHA, WHAT THEY ALL VALUE THE MOST IS TIME.
Tareq DerbasGENERAL MANAGER, THE ST. REGIS DOHA
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How has the definition of luxury changed over the years?
TAREQ DERBAS: Today the discerning leisure traveller seeks diversity of ex-perience and excellence in service. We boast an enormous amount of enter-tainment, recreation and dining options under one roof. With 11 food and bever-age outlets […], an exclusive beach and pool, private poolside cabanas and a full-service spa, The St. Regis Doha al-lows guests to remain in one place but experience a multitude of luxury op-tions. The diversity we also offer with live music at Jazz at Lincoln Center and
the recently launched open-air lounge, The Rooftop, is unique in Doha where live entertainment is scarce.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Many be-lieve that luxury is all about tailor-made services. What is your opinion?
TAREQ DERBAS: I agree that guests require personalisation; this makes them feel special and identifies that we understand their needs. But a typi-cal luxury traveller also values time. Our signature butler service provides that support to every guest with personal-ised and bespoke service around the clock. The essence of St. Regis Butler
Service is discreet, personalised, antici-patory attention [...], allowing travellers to savour the rarest of all luxuries – time.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What is next for the regional luxury travel market?
TAREQ DERBAS: Keeping up with tech-nology is the future and being quick to respond to new tech trends should be a major focus in staying connected with the guest, both when in and after they leave a hotel. In the Middle East, we are leading the world in hospitality tech-nology development and, as a result, hotels are more able to delight guests.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: The Middle East is already home to a number of five-star establishments. Could sup-ply growth outpace demand?
TAREQ DERBAS: Europe, Africa and Middle East are the wealthiest regions in the world this year and, although there is more supply coming through, more people will be choosing Dubai,
Abu Dhabi and Doha as leisure des-tinations; especially the latter for the plethora of large sports events planned in the coming years. The turnaround of some of the more mature European feeder markets, like the UK, is providing a healthy proportion of occupancy and we expect this to continue as European economies improve.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How do you see the future of tourism in Qatar?
TAREQ DERBAS: Qatar is gearing up for a vibrant touristic future. Positioned as a world class hub with cultural roots, it is one of the fastest-growing econo-mies in the world and a number of large projects are starting to come online to help accelerate the development of Qa-tar’s tourism industry.
Qatar will continue to see growth in the number of travellers who are seek-ing a unique destination that offers memorable experiences based on an authentic exploration of local culture and heritage.
2 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
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BWI Enters Yangon’s ChinatownBest Western International (BWI) has launched a new hotel, BEST WESTERN Chinatown Hotel in Yangon’s vibrant centre.
T he property offers 91 deluxe rooms, all featuring amenities such as flat-screen TVs with satellite chan-nels and tea- and coffee-making facilities.
BEST WESTERN Chinatown Hotel also provides an array of other amenities, including an all-day dining restaurant, a bar, fitness centre and business hub, plus three function rooms capable of hosting both small and large meeting events.
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Corinthia Hotels Completes Water Projects in Africa
Two rural communities in Zambia and Tanzania have benefitted from the support of Corinthia Hotels, following the completion of clean water projects implemented by international water aid charity, Just a Drop.
This marks a total of five Corinthia-supported Just a Drop initiatives which have brought life-changing clean water to a total of 45,325 children and families over the past three years.
Fiona Jeffery, founder, Just a Drop, said, “The partnership has made a positive and real difference to people’s lives through the provision of clean water.”
Carlson Rezidor Brings Radisson Red to India
C arlson Rezidor Hotel Group will launch its new Radisson Red hotel brand in India, a key market in which the company is already well-es-tablished. The introduction of the upscale lifestyle brand is part of the
group’s aggressive expansion plans for the country.“Domestic travel is growing and international arrivals are on the increase.
This is a market that is prime for our Radisson Red brand, which is positioned to address the needs of savvy travellers, while meeting the expectations of bot-tom line-focussed owners,” said Thorsten Kirschke, president, Asia Pacific, Carl-son Rezidor Hotel Group. He added that the new product offers a differentiated guest experience, with lower construction and operating costs.
2 MAY 2015
AGENT CORNER
27
Stephen Mwasio
CEO
Inclusive Holidays Africa
Kenya
www.inclusiveholidaysafrica.com
Agent’s Insight
Who are you?I am a highly qualified leader offering more than 20 years hands-on experience in tour and travel operations within East and Southern Africa. In addition to running a successful tour business, Inclusive Holidays Africa, my long-term vision is to give form and structure to the main East and Southern Africa tourism industry and help the industry get its due recognition through conservation activities.
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?Tourism is very dynamic and every day is a new challenge. I derive great satisfac-tion when I convert what was once a dream vacation in my guests′ mind to a mem-orable holiday of a lifetime.
When is the best time to visit Kenya?East and Southern Africa is a safari destination that boasts great and unique wildlife game viewing opportunities throughout the year. We, however, experience long rains between April and June and a short rainy season in October and November. During this time most suppliers offer discounted rates that benefit the budget guest. […]
Where would you like to travel for your next holiday?As a seasoned mountain climber, I wish to visit Nepal and climb Mount Everest.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?I am very passionate about everything to do with tourism. I believe in Love what you are doing or do not do it. I am determined to set the highest standards of quality, value and integrity in travel.
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2 MAY 2015
TRAVEL TALK
28
HAWAZEN ESBER
DAVID SCOWSILL
CEO, The Wave, Muscat President, World Travel & Tourism Council
“Industry recognition in today’s increasingly competitive market is indeed a privilege. [Winning the Best Commercial Project at Construction Week Oman Awards] is a strong validation of our vision of delivering Oman’s lifestyle and leisure destination by bridging people, business and culture to create a world-class waterfront community. The award […] is particularly gratifying as The Walk is at the heart of The Wave, Muscat com-munity, catering to the needs of residents and visitors.”
“Observers over the years have prematurely announced the de-mise of charter airlines, tour op-erators, leisure travel agents, and global distribution systems – all of which have not only survived and thrived. Indeed, the disman-tling of existing business models, fueled by today’s enabling digital technologies, is cutting a disrup-tive swathe through so much of our industry, from hotels to cruising to car rental to airlines. […] The fast growth of mobile applications is rapidly changing consumer habits, and not just amongst younger travellers.”
Industry recognition […] is indeed a privilege
The traditional is being contested and disrupted by the shock of the new
2 MAY 2015
TRAVEL CHANNELS
29
Al Ain Zoo Photo Competition Adds New Categories
A mateurs and professionals have the op-portunity to showcase their creativity in six categories including At Play, Snackat-tack!, At Rest, Friendship, Poser and the zoo’s answer to selfies – Zoofies.
Muna Al Dhaheri, chief of conservation and edu-cation, Al Ain Zoo, said, “Educating all our visitors, and especially the younger generation about animals and ensuring that wildlife and nature is a source of inspi-ration for them is a core commitment of Al Ain Zoo. This year, new categories were added to the compe-tition, which gives us a great opportunity to further communicate our conservation efforts, and reward those who help us put these efforts in a picture.”
Al Ain Zoo’s annual photography and videography competition kicked off, and is to last until the end of May.
Sheikh Mohammed Enhances Aviation
Safety in Dubai
Rosewood Jeddah Marks Autism Awareness Day
I n a bid to raise awareness of autism, Rosewood Jeddah has teamed up with Jeddah Autism Center, local cycling group Darrajati and Jeddah Cyclists to organise a six kilometre cycling event.
Some 100 bikers gathered together for the Light It Up Blue initia-tive, which included a 90-minute ride along the city’s Northern Cor-niche and the release of blue balloons.
During the celebrations at the hotel, every child with autism was awarded medals and certificates, while parents received a family voucher for Rosewood Jeddah’s Habsburg restaurant.
“Autism is a condition very close to our hearts and one which has seen support from all our staff members,” said Hans Peter-Leitzke, managing director, Rosewood Jeddah.
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, has issued a law on aviation safety in
the emirate, aimed at improving safety and security measures in the city’s airspace and enhancing smooth operations in line with international standards.
Furthermore, the law organises the ac-tivities and profession in the civil aviation industry, applies best practices to ensure best usage of Dubai’s airspace and prohib-its all acts that may endanger airplanes, airports or any facility related to aviation services.
It also prescribes the penalties and fines imposed on violations and authorises the chairman of Dubai Executive Council to define those.
Participants of the Autism Awareness Day campaign
2 MAY 2015
WHO’S MOVED
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HAITHAM MISTO
RENATO MORETTO
MESHARI AL BANNAI
Haitham Misto has been of-ficially appointed by Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ)’ board of directors as the airline’s new president and CEO.Misto had been named and held the position of acting president and CEO in October 2014 after 33 years with the company.During his career, he has been in charge of various manage-rial as well as technical posts. Prior to taking the helm, he worked as head of the flight operations department.RJ’s board of directors has tasked Misto to lead the airline in the coming period and imple-ment the company’s strategic plan which was developed to help the Jordanian carrier over-come the challenges ahead.
Renato Moretto has been welcomed by Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumei-rah Living as the property’s new general manager. With 39 years’ experience in the hospitality sector, Moretto joins Jumeirah Group from Al Bandary Hotel Management in Qatar, where he was group di-rector of operations, supervis-ing the development of seven properties. Prior to that, he worked as pre-opening gen-eral manager at Nungwi Resort & Spa in Tanzania, before which he was pre-opening general manager at Regency Hotel and Convention Centre in Kuwait. Moretto’s previous experience includes senior positions at Sonesta Pharaoh Beach Resort in Egypt, Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort on St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles and the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
Meshari Al Bannai has joined Dubai Airport’s executive team as senior vice president of human resources. In his capacity, Al Bannai will be instrumental in ensuring that the company remains an employer of choice, attract-ing world-class talent and keeping the more than 3,100 employees from 54 countries united around a common goal to successfully manage the emirate’s fast-growing hubs. Al Bannai brings with him several years of experience in various human resources roles at Dubai Airports, where he most recently served as vice president of human resources.Prior to joining the company, he also held similar roles at telecommunication company, du and Emirates.
Moretto is now part of Emirates Group′s team
2 MAY 2015
PHOTO ALBUM
31
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!
A Chinese dragon visited Mubadala’s stand at City-scape Abu Dhabi to celebrate the recent opening
of Rosewood Abu Dhabi’s new restaurantCondorde Hotel Fujairah hosted the UAE Chess Championship junior competition
Four Seasons Hotel Doha celebrated 10 years in business
2 MAY 2015
NEWS & EVENTS
32
EVENTS
THE HOTEL SHOW SAUDIA ARABIA
Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaMay 03 – 05 www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.comNow in its third year, the event addresses hospitality professionals in terms of technology, supplies, interiors as well as food and beverage offerings.
ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET
Dubai, UAEMay 04 – 07www.arabiantravelmarket.comArabian Travel Market has provided a place to do face-to-face business with companies from around the globe for the past 21 years, and this year′s edition promises to be even larger.
IMEX
Frankfurt, GermanyMay 19 – 21www.imex-frankfurt.comA one-stop-shop for planners looking to book and organise worldwide meetings, events and incentive travel programmes.
CHINA GUILIN INTERNATIONAL TOURISM EXPO (CGITE)
Guilin, ChinaMay 29 – 31 www.cgite.com.cnPart of Conference & Exhibition Management Services’ travel and tourism portfolio, CGITE brings together Chinese and international buyers and exhibitors in one dynamic marketplace.
Oman Showcased at Riyadh Travel Fair
Kempinski Hotel Ajman Hosts Ajman Franchise Exhibition
Oman’s Ministry of Tourism participated in Riyadh Travel Fair to strengthen
the Sultanate’s status as one of the region’s top tourist destinations for Saudi nationals.
During its presence at the event, the ministry threw the spotlight on the diverse appeal of Omani tourist attractions, water and adventure sports, premium hotels and resorts, the southern city of Salalah and various ancient sites that are part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Oman attracted 12,908 tourists from Saudi Arabia, during the an-nual Khareef Festival hosted in Sala-lah in 2014.
A global franchise event that attract-ed visitors from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and the US, was
held at Kempinski Hotel Ajman in April.Organised by the Ajman Chamber
of Commerce, Ajman Franchising Expo aimed to provide an investment-friendly and business-oriented meeting environ-ment where visitors could focus on gener-ating sales leads, promoting brands, clos-ing deals and showcasing concepts.
With a total population of 297 million and a growth rate of three to five percent per year, the MENA region enjoys a fran-chise-friendly climate, with the industry's worth rising to over USD30 billion.
Ajman Franchising Expo