3 october 2015 issue 308 - travel trade weekly · 2015-12-04 · 3 october 2015 . issue . 308. 10....
TRANSCRIPT
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S7 RETURNS TO DUBAI
IN THIS ISSUE
MARKET UPDATE
ACCOMMODATION
AIR
INTERNATIONAL
RENDEZVOUS
AGENT
WHO'S MOVED
TRAVEL CHANNELS
PHOTO ALBUM
NEWS & EVENTS
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3 OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE 308
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FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF FOUR HOTELS IN MEDINA AND RIYADH EARLIER THIS YEAR, MILLENNIUM & COPTHORNE
HOTELS MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA ANNOUNCED FOUR MORE PROPERTIES IN MEDINA.
MILLENNIUM & COPTHORNE ENRICHES SAUDI PORTFOLIO
NEW FOUR SEASONS HOTELS IN THE UAE AND KUWAIT
3 OCTOBER 2015
MARKET UPDATE
2
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
MANAGING EDITORMary Kammitsi
ASSISTANT EDITORMaria Kazeli
SENIOR JOURNALISTRita Kasziba
CONTRIBUTOR
Ana Mladenovic
PRESS Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian
Inna Armeanu
DESIGN & LAYOUTElena Stylianou
WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis
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]
2
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
106.01
7.83
29,959.27
1,127.78
0.30
1,500.75
1.36
9.74
188.79
1.97
214.89
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
As of 2/10/2015Currencies shown in blue are fixed against the US Dollar
COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=
QAIA: Passenger Traffic Grows 29.6 Percent
In July, Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) welcomed 749,314 travellers, noting a significant year-on-year increase of 29.6 percent.
Did you know...
Queen Alia
International Airport
was first inaugur
ated
in 1983 to become
Jordan's key
gateway to
the
world?
Que
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A dditionally, it handled 7,833 tonnes of cargo, recording a 6.07 per-cent rise compared to July 2014. Aircraft
movements also surged 9.3 per-cent, totalling 6,926.
“July’s positive year-on-year results can be largely attributed to the increase in flight activity, main-ly from across the Gulf, Egyptian, Turkish and Iraqi markets, as well as the expansion of QAIA’s network with the addition of new airlines. Another key factor for the tangible improvements in traffic was Eid Al Fitr, leisure and expat travels dur-ing the high summer season,” com-mented Kjeld Binger, CEO, Airport International Group, operator of the airfield.
WEEKLY NEWS
33 OCTOBER 2015
Dubai Maritime Agenda in NovemberAiming to turn the emirate into an advanced nautical centre, Dubai Maritime Agenda 2015 will be launched in November, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, crown prince, Dubai.
H. E. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulay-em, president, Dubai Mari-time City Authority, said that
the event will provide an opportunity for the destination to host major inter-national decision-makers, workers and stakeholders, including ship owners, operators and international legislative bodies, providing them with a platform to discuss the latest developments and learn about new trends, challenges and opportunities in the maritime industry.
D ubai Municipality announced that almost 90 percent of the new fish market located in Deira Corniche is complete.
In line with the emirate’s vision to create an environmentally sus-tainable city, the authority has applied green building methods in the con-struction phase. As Hussain Lootah, director general, Dubai Municipality,
explained, the project cost around AED269 million (USD73.2 million) to meet international standards and fulfil public health and safety requirements.
Faisal Juma Al Badawi, director of corporate marketing and relations, Dubai Municipality, commented that since markets are part of Dubai’s tour-ism, it is the country’s duty to enhance the industry.
Dubai Fish Market Nearly Ready
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Bawadi Mall: Record Summer Footfall
Bawadi Mall attracted over 2,921,860 visitors be-tween June and August, due to numerous shop-ping and edutainment activities and campaigns.
According to Bassam Saleh, marketing manager, Bawadi Mall, the period was record in terms of guests, whose numbers rose five percent year-on-year.
“Bawadi Mall played host to all new type of activi-ties and campaigns, some of which will become annual events. We even gave the mall a new online look with a revamped user-friendly website, making it easy for visi-tors to track their preferred events and follow the latest discounts across 400 outlets,” he commented.
Ajman Steps Up Awareness Campaign
After registering a 14 percent surge in hotel revenues in the second quarter of the year, Ajman Tourism
Development Department (ATDD) is deter-mined to further intensify the destination’s promotion in its promising feeder markets.
As Khulood Khaled Al Nuami, director of tourism development and marketing, ATDD, revealed at a recent meeting with hoteliers, tour operators and travel agents, despite a drop in visitor numbers from 198,000 in 2014 to 120,000, guest nights rose 40 percent during the period under review.
To exploit the emirate’s tourism poten-tial, the department will implement the second phase of its strategy and Ajman will also be present at the upcoming World Travel Market in London.
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WEEKLY NEWS
Mixed-Use Projects Dominate in MEA
A ccording to a new report by Timetric’s Construction Intelligence Center (CIC), 14 economies in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) are currently investing, or planning to invest, over USD1.82 tril-
lion in commercial and institutional projects. The top three countries are the UAE (USD687 billion), Saudi Arabia
(USD436 billion) and Kuwait (USD158 billion), and most ventures are in the mixed-use (USD1.47 trillion) and leisure and hospitality (USD134.6 billion) sectors.
“With the increase in population in the Middle East and the improv-ing prosperity of Africa, commercial and institutional buildings will be of increasing importance in providing administrative, retail, commercial and health, as well as educational facilities,” commented Neil Martin, manager, Timetric CIC.
Omani Traditions Showcased in Qatar
I n a bid to strengthen Oman’s position as a premiere travel destination in the GCC and beyond, the Sultan-ate’s Ministry of Tourism organised an interactive event
in Qatar. A special booth highlighted the Omani culture and
history with several ancient artefacts, traditional music and samples of genuine culinary treats.
“We also plan to improve our business relations with Qatar’s travel agencies in order to boost the number of Qatari visitors to Oman,” commented Salim Bin Adey Al Mamari, director general, tourism promotion, Ministry of Tourism, Oman.
T otal travel gross bookings in the Middle East are expected to soar to USD98 billion by 2017 from an
estimated USD80 billion this year. As Phocuswright’s new research pin-
points, increased Internet penetration and a young, digitally savvy population are driving the growth, yet offline gross book-ings will still continue to have the highest share despite an expected decline from 75 percent in 2014 to 64 percent in 2017.
As Jeff Strachan, research analyst, Phocuswright, explained, regional tour-ists still rely on agents, many of which are now adopting a hybrid offline/online ap-proach, and with increased smartphone usage exploding among the region’s young travellers, the online channel is poised for rapid growth.
Middle East Online Bookings to Reach USD98 Billion by 2017
Participants at the event
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Abu Dhabi on a South African Mission
Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town welcomed an Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) delegation which pro-moted the emirate’s tourism potential.
“This inaugural Abu Dhabi road show is one of the most important ini-tiatives on our annual South Africa promotional calendar as it gives us the opportunity to interact and engage our valued travel trade partners who remain highly influential in stimulating consumer bookings,” said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, director of promotions and overseas offices, TCA Abu Dhabi.
The road show venues were themed, highlighting the sights, sounds, smells and tastes the emirate.
Dubai to Appoint More Conference Ambassadors
Dubai Business Events, a division of Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) hosted its second
annual educational seminar to boost the mem-bership of the Al Safeer Congress Ambassadors Programme and empower high-profile UAE resi-dents to stage international conferences.
The event helped educate potential ambas-sadors on how to bid for and organise interna-tional conferences and highlighted the assis-tance and support available from government agencies and private industry.
According to Hamad bin Majren, senior vice president, Dubai Events and Convention Bureau, since its launch five years ago, the programme has proved highly successful.
The programme currently boasts around 300 members, who represent more than 100 global entities.
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Abu Dhabi on a South African Mission
A delegation of Abu Dhabi’s tour-ism stakeholders highlighted the emirate’s attractions at the
International French Travel Market Top Resa event in Paris.
As Mubarak Al Nuaimi, director of promotions and overseas offices, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, re-vealed, the number of French nationals checking into the emirate’s 163 hotels and hotel apartments rose five percent in the first seven months of this year to reach 34,511 guests, and with Louvre Abu Dhabi under development, the figure is set to rise sharply.
Paris
Oman Lures Kuwaiti Travellers
Geneva Continues to Pioneer UAE Tourism
With Oman witnessing a rise in visitors from the GCC, the country’s Ministry of Tourism organised an interactive event in Kuwait, offer-ing visitors an authentic Omani experience.
Salim Bin Adey Al Mamari, director general, tourism promotion, Ministry of Tourism, Oman, said, “We know for sure that the GCC is an important mar-ket for us and we aim to strengthen our partnerships with our neighbouring countries through events that celebrate the authentic experience that Oman has to offer. We also plan to improve our business relations with Kuwait’s travel agencies in order to boost the number of Kuwaiti visitors to Oman.”
The Digital Tourism Think Tank collaborated with Geneva Tourism and Conventions Bureau to bring a one-day GCC market workshop to the Swiss city.
Held under the theme Digital and Open for Business, the programme welcomed a range of industry experts who took a detailed look at the online travel segment and the specific needs of the UAE market.
Participants also discussed the ground-breaking opportunities that the European Union’s decision to exempt UAE citizens from Schengen visa has brought to the European tourism industry. Following the agreement, signed in May, the UAE became the first Arab country to receive such a welcome, giving Emiratis access to 34 European countries for up to 90-day long stays.
Abu Dhabi Courts European Visitors
Growing trade and business relations between the UAE and Italy will benefit the GCC country’s exhibi-tions and meetings industry, according to Saif Mo-
hammed Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah.Al Midfa, who recently attended The Global Association
of the Exhibition Industry’s executive committee meeting as chairman of the Middle East and Africa chapter, said, “The new mega projects announced in Sharjah are set to bring more business and investor attention to the emirate [...]”
As he further noted, Italy has been a reliable trade partner of Expo Centre Sharjah for long, with almost all the shows having considerable Italian presence and support.
UAE – Italy Ties to Boost MICE Industry
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WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
The Ritz-Carlton, Doha to Get a Facelift
The Ritz Carlton, Doha began a property-wide renovation, with plans to enhance all of its 374 rooms.
The large-scale transformation will also include the moderni-sation of the spa, the VIP Club Lounge, as well as the ballroom and meet-ing spaces.
With the two-phase re-imagination project foreseen to be complet-ed by mid-2017, Erden Kendigelen, general manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha, commented, “The Ritz-Carlton is much more than just a hotel; we are thrilled to provide our local guests as well as affluent travellers an escape to where iconic design and modern luxury set the stage for ex-clusive facilities, one-of-a-kind experiences, and memories that lasts a lifetime.”
MILLENNIUM & COPTHORNE ENRICHES SAUDI PORTFOLIO
P art of the master plan for the USD7 billion Knowledge Economic City, the projects include two Millennium hotels plus a Studio M and Millennium Executive Apartments, all of which are due to open by 2020.
Saudi Arabia is a key strategic focus country for the group, as Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, president, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East and Africa, said.
“There is currently an undersupply of branded hotels with in-ternational standards [in Medina] and we are confident that our expansion plans will help address this,” he added.
Following the signing of four hotels in Medina and Riyadh earlier this year, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East and Africa announced four more properties in Medina.
Med
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During the Khareef season, from July to September, Sala-lah Rotana Resort recorded a notable surge in guest ar-rivals.
The property welcomed over 25,000 visitors, recording a 40 percent year-on-year increase.
The majority of the guests were Omani nationals who rep-resented 66 percent of the total clientele, while guests from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain were also prominent.
Hossam Kamal, general manager, Salalah Rotana Resort, commented, “Our guests from other GCC countries love the des-tination for its cooler climate, natural beauty unrivalled scenery and the outdoor activities available during the Khareef season.”
Salalah Rotana: Over 25,000 Guests in Three Months
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Middle East to Welcome New Marriott Brand
B loom Holding will develop a five-star EDITION hotel within the Abu Dhabi Marina mixed-use cluster. Due to open in the third quarter of 2016, the property will be operated
by real estate developer Ian Schrager in partnership with Marriott International.
As the region’s first EDITION hotel, it will offer unique upscale accommodation with personalised service and matchless dining and entertainment offerings, as Sameh Muhtadi, CEO, Bloom Holding, remarked.
Built on a plot area of 41,797m2, Abu Dhabi Marina EDITION will feature 57 executive apartments, as well as two residen-tial buildings comprising 225 one- to four-bedroom units and 3,000m2 of premium waterfront retail attractions.
D ubai-based family-owned con-glomerate, Juma Al Majid Group has inaugurated its new division,
Jood Hospitality.Marking its entry into the hospital-
ity scene, the company will now man-age Jood Palace Hotel, Dubai, formerly known as Taj Palace Hotel, which it has owned for the past 14 years. The hando-ver from Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is the first step in Jood Hospitality’s expan-sion into the sector.
According to Ziad Shahrouni, senior executive officer, Juma Al Majid Group, the new company brings a distinct value and a new dimension into the sector.
Jood Palace Hotel, Dubai has been fully repurposed and has not made any changes to its operational staff.
Juma Al Majid Launches Hospitality Arm
Dusit to Launch in Omani Capital
M uscat is to welcome dusitD2 Palm Mall Muscat in 2017.
Located within the mixed-use Palm Mall devel-opment, which offers attractions such as Oman’s first snow vil-lage and what is hailed as the country’s largest aquarium, the upscale hotel will feature approximately 150 guest rooms and 100 suites.
“We are excited to add Oman to our list of international destinations, further strengthening Dusit’s presence in the GCC region,” commented Chanin Donavanik, CEO, Dusit Inter-national.
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WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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New Four Seasons Hotels in the UAE and Kuwait
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts plans to open three new properties in the Gulf region in 2016.
The first project is the 200-key Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island. Along with various dining options, the building will also house 124 private and serviced residences.
The company’s second establishment, the 106-room Four Seasons Ho-tel Dubai International Financial Centre will provide a bouquet of leisure facilities for those visiting the destination.
Finally, marking the brand’s debut in Kuwait, the 263-unit Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya will feature five food and beverage outlets, a spa and a fitness complex among others.
A ccorHotels has signed a man-agement agreement with Aria Ziggurat for its two inaugural
properties in Tehran.The almost 500-room cluster hotels,
Novotel IKIA and ibis IKIA, are connected to the main terminal of Imam Khomeini International Airport and are scheduled to open this month. The group is hailed as the first international hotelier to enter Iran.
Sébastien Bazin, CEO, AccorHotels, enthused, “We are certain that Novotel and ibis will fit perfectly into the growth momentum that Iran’s hospitality sector is enjoying. Our brands are looking at huge growth potential in this country, which is home to almost 80 million peo-ple and is expanding its economy.”
AccorHotels Celebrates Persian Debut
Bahrain to Welcome Anantara
M inor Hotel Group continues its GCC ex-pansion with the development of Anan-tara Durrat Al Bahrain Resort, slated to
open in 2018.Located on Durrat Al Bahrain, the hotel will be
the first hospitality component in the Kingdom’s second largest island development which spans a cluster of 15 islands and will include 2,000 beach-front villas, 3,600 executive apartments and offices, parks and entertainment precincts, malls and res-taurants, and a 400-berth marina.
The 220-key Anantara Durrat Al Bahrain Resort will boast lagoon view and lagoon access rooms, beach pool villas and overwater pool villas.
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AIR WEEKLY NEWS
133 OCTOBER 2015
RJ to Codeshare with Turkish Airlines
In terms of the deal, the two carriers will place their codes on each other’s flights between Amman and Istanbul and the Jordanian air-
line’s code will also appear on the Istanbul – Aqaba service, with further itineraries expected to be added at a later date.
Haitham Misto, CEO, RJ, expressed hope that the step will be the first on the way to further enhancing relations between the two companies in the future.
Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) and Turkish Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement on routes between the two countries.
Haitham Misto (left) and Temel Kotil, CEO, Turkish Airlines
Oman Air Boosts Paris Frequency
A s of October 25, Oman Air will introduce a fifth weekly route between Muscat and
Paris-Charles De Gaulle.The move will enable passen-
gers to discover Oman’s natural beauty and warm hospitality, or ex-plore the cultural and retail delights of the French city, Abdulrahaman Al Busaidy, chief operating officer, Oman Air, commented.
The national carrier first launched flights between the two capitals in 2009 and has since attracted huge demand from travellers.
E mirates, hailed as the world’s largest opera-tor of Boeing777, cel-
ebrated its fleet completing over 859,000 routes while logging over 4.72 million flight hours since the first delivery in 1996.
The airline’s Boeing 777 fleet currently serves 98 des-tinations on six continents.
“The Boeing 777 makes up the majority of our fleet, and gives us the range and flexibility to provide nonstop services to almost any city within a 16-hour flying range of our hub in Dubai,” noted Tim Clark, president, Emirates.
The carrier, which sup-ports some 400,000 jobs in the US, currently has an or-der of 196 Boeing 777s val-ued at USD93 billion at list prices.
Emirates Boeing 777 Fleet Tops 859,000 Flights
Did you know...
Both RJ and
Turkish Airlines
operate 14
weekly freque
ncies
between Istanbul
and Amman?
3 OCTOBER 2015
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
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Russian carrier S7 Airlines has re-sumed services between Novo-sibirsk and Dubai.
The oneworld member offers up to two direct flights between the des-tinations on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while from October 28, passengers will be able to travel on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Commenting on the route, which is being operated by Airbus A320 fam-ily aircraft, Igor Veretennikov, group strategy director, S7 Airlines, de-scribed Dubai as one of the most pop-ular international destinations both for businessmen and tourists. He also highlighted that travellers will be able to continue their journey from Dubai with partner airline, Emirates.
S7 Returns to DubaiEmirates Goes Double Daily to Phuket
In response to high customer demand, in particular during the peak winter season, Emirates will introduce additional services
on its Dubai – Phuket route.Starting December 1, the airline will of-
fer two daily flights to the island, increasing convenience and flexibility for visitors to the southern region of Thailand.
As Thierry Antinori, chief commercial of-ficer, Emirates, noted, the extra frequency will complement the carrier’s existing six daily flights to Bangkok and its recent code-share agreement with Bangkok Airways.
Emirates will operate the new services with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight first class, 42 business class and 310 economy class seats.
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Air Canada to Fly to North Africa
A ir Canada is to launch services between Montreal and Casablanca in July 2016, introducing the car-rier’s first route to the African continent and the
only nonstop flights to North Africa by a North American airline.
Subject to government approval, Air Canada rouge, the company’s leisure subsidiary, will operate a 280-seat Boeing 767-300ER to the Moroccan city four times a week.
According to Benjamin Smith, president, passenger airlines, Air Canada, the itinerary will appeal to tourists travelling to Casablanca and beyond, as well as to the large Moroccan community based in Montreal.
W ith annual losses having been reduced by 32.8 percent in 2014, Gulf Air witnessed its strongest
financial results in a decade.For the year in review, the airline’s loss
dropped from BHD93.3 million (USD247.2 million) in 2013 to BHD62.7 million (USD166.1 million), while passenger traffic rose 15.4 percent year-on-year.
“Gulf Air’s 2014 performance reflects a steady and continued improvement in its financial and operational business with tar-geted efforts to maintaining the airline’s stra-tegic direction that ultimately encouraged solid customer growth, enhanced global bookings and a resultant marked improve-ment in financial and operational results,” commented H.E. Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, chairman, Gulf Air.
Gulf Air: Best Performance Since 2004
Etihad Key Partners Secure International Financing
Etihad Airways, Etihad Airport Services, airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia and Jet Airways have jointly taken a new step forward in their strate-gic business development through a fundraising initiative.
At a series of road show meetings held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and London, the shared strategies of the carriers were laid out to financial institutions, resulting in the collection of USD500 million.
James Hogan, president, Etihad Airways, said that the success of this transac-tion is a major endorsement of a common vision.
“We have already been able to identify significant opportunities together, whether that be in shared IT platforms, joint fleet procurement or shared training costs. Commercial fund-raising is no different,” he added.
Casa
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Did you know...
Casablanca is
considered
the most
cosmopolitan
of Morocco's
cities?
3 OCTOBER 2015
WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
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S tarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide penned a deal to manage Sheraton Hokkaido Kiroro Resort, as part of a dual signing with The Kiroro, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Hokkaido, both of which are due to open in December.
The 140-room Sheraton Hokkaido Kiroro Resort is located in one of Japan’s leading ski destina-tions, offering easy access to the slopes of the Kiroro integrated mountain resort area which boasts 21 ski trails and a children’s snow park.
“The signing of Sheraton Hokkaido Kiroro Resort builds on the brand’s first mover advantage and Starwood’s commitment to accelerate growth in the region,” said Rajit Sukumaran, senior vice president, acquisition and development, Asia Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
P rotea Hotels’ presence in Zambia is to rise to eight prop-erties as construction works for a new hotel kicked off in Ndola, hailed as the commercial capital of the country.
The two-floor property will have 80 rooms and three con-ference spaces, among other facilities.
Situated 320km north of Lusaka, Ndola is the gateway to the destination’s mineral producing region, including the Zam-bian Copperbelt, and hosts a refinery for the processing of oil, being the end-point for the oil pipeline from Dar es Salaam.
“This means that business travel to the area is significant and, as such, we see great potential for future business in the area,” elucidated Mark Satterfield, business leader, Protea Ho-tels, Marriot International.
Work on Protea Hotels’ Ndola Hotel Begins
Kiro
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Japan Celebrates First Sheraton Ski Resort
INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY NEWS
173 OCTOBER 2015
New York Targets Indian Market Pure Michigan Gets Clicktivated
N YC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation, kicked off its first-ever media mission in India.
Members of the communications team presented a fresh new take on the city in Mumbai and New Delhi.
Some of the highlights include the One World Obser-vatory, the new Whitney Museum of American Art, lower Manhattan’s newest shopping destination Brookfield Place, the eco-luxury 1 Hotel Central Park, The New York EDITION and Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York.
T he Pure Michigan campaign has joined forces with the Michigan-based Clicktivated to offer a new way to explore the available travel opportunities in the
US state. Michigan is the first state tourism office to adopt Click-
tivated’s technology, allowing visitors to engage with 10 commercials during which they can click on specific icons and get immediate access to individual websites of fea-tured destinations and view activities, make reservations and build their personal itinerary.
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Q & A withFaisal Al Sheikh
AS ABU DHABI CONTINUES TO GAIN POPULARITY AMONG GOLF AFICIONADOS, FAISAL AL SHEIKH, DIRECTOR OF EVENTS BUREAU, ABU DHABI TOURISM & CULTURE AUTHORITY (TCA ABU DHABI), HIGHLIGHTS THE BENEFITS GOLF AND SPORTING EVENTS IN GENERAL CAN BRING TO THE EMIRATE AND THE REGION.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What makes golf tourism an increasingly important sector for the emirate and TCA Abu Dhabi?
FAISAL AL SHEIKH: As a sport and a business, golf operates on a massive scale globally with research showing an estimated 80 million golfers play-ing on close to 40,000 courses around the world. Abu Dhabi is home to six of those courses, a diverse collection ranging from a top-tier European tour venue at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, right through to a unique sand course ex-perience at Al Ghazal Golf Club.
While the emirate is admittedly at the lower end of the scale in terms of quantity, we punch well above our weight in terms of quality as a golfing destination. Our courses, carved out of the desert and along a spectacular coastline, are truly world-class. When you add in our unbeatable weather and the standard five-star service, the Golf in Abu Dhabi product is some-thing we can be truly proud of.
The challenge is to ensure we ex-pose the undoubted charms of Abu Dhabi’s golf offering to more of those 80 million golfers who contribute to an annual multibillion dollar golf tourism market globally.
The encouraging news is that we are making headway. In 2014, Abu Dhabi’s six courses hosted 139,175 rounds of golf, of which 20,757 were from international overseas guests. In 2011, this figure stood at 6,674 which highlights the growing international appetite and appreciation of the emir-ate’s exceptional golfing product.
Golfers are people who actively seek out and enjoy premium travel experiences and that is something Abu Dhabi is well positioned to offer. TCA Abu Dhabi is charged with sup-porting Abu Dhabi’s evolution into a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction while conserving, pro-moting and leveraging our emirate’s heritage, culture and traditions. The Golf in Abu Dhabi initiative is seen as a core component in this evolution. We are confident that once golfers ex-perience what Abu Dhabi has to offer, and not just the great golf, they will return again and again and become vital word of mouth ambassadors.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What types of initiatives are being implement-
unique golfing proposition to indus-try heavyweights, leading editors and tourism partners and to remind the world that Abu Dhabi is open for busi-ness in terms of growing our portfolio of world-class courses.
Looking ahead, we are working on a number of exciting initiatives designed to showcase the emirate to a wider audience. These include two special tournaments to be hosted by Golf in Abu Dhabi global ambassador and European Tour star Matteo Ma-naserro in Abu Dhabi and Germany, the latter having been identified as one of our key tier one markets alongside China, India, the UK and Ire-land as well as the wider GCC.
The provision of detailed online content and bookable golf packages is also an important element of our strategy to build awareness and stim-ulate bookings.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What initi-atives are next for industry profes-sionals looking to get involved?
FAISAL AL SHEIKH: The activation with Matteo Manaserro is a big [prior-ity] for us as we will not only be bring-ing competition winners from our key markets to Abu Dhabi to play with our Italian ambassador, but also selected media to experience and expose the emirate to their respective audiences.
We are also really excited to an-nounce that Abu Dhabi has been selected by the International As-sociation of Golf Tourism Operators (IAGTO) to host its first conference in the Middle East.
IAGTO’s membership, which con-sists of more than 2,300 accredited golf tour operators, golf resorts, ho-tels, golf courses, airlines, tourist boards, approved media and busi-ness partners in 99 countries, control 85 percent of golf holiday packages sold worldwide and turnover more than EUR2.1 billion (USD2.3 billion) annually.
The conference in January 2016 is aimed at key market tour opera-tors and specific media with the goal being to create strong partnerships with strategic global tour operators in relevant markets. A core focus of the convention is highlighting Abu Dhabi’s status on the world stage as a mid-haul, premium-product desert golf destination.
DIRECTOR OF EVENTS BUREAU, ABU DHABI TOURISM & CULTURE AUTHORITY
ed in order to reach out to a wider audience and attract more golfers to the emirate?
FAISAL AL SHEIKH: In July, we host-ed 30 of the golf industry’s foremost opinion formers and influencers at an exclusive event at Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland, during the 144th open championship. The year’s third major provided a fantastic op-portunity to showcase Abu Dhabi’s
“WE PUNCH WELL ABOVE OUR WEIGHT IN TERMS OF QUALITY AS A GOLFING DESTINATION
3 OCTOBER 2015
WHO'S MOVED
19
Persia TravelCOMPANY:
FounderPOSITION:
Rezvan GhobadiNAME:
IranLOCATION:
TripAdvisor Instant Booking Now Available
T ripAdvisor it has completed the launch of its in-stant booking solution for hotels across all US and UK platforms.
Gradually rolled out in the US since its launch in June 2014, the tool is now available to all users in both loca-tions on desktop and mobile, and will also be dispatched to other international markets in due course.
The initiative allows purchasers to not only compare prices, but also book through hotel and online travel agency partners without leaving the original site. Avail-able hotels have a prominent ‘book’ button and custom-ers who click can easily complete their reservation on the travel site, with the transaction and customer care pro-vided by the partner.
Agent’s Insight
When and how did you get involved in the tourism industry?I have worked in the tourism industry for 10 years. I started my career in a travel company as a simple employee in the outgoing tours department and continued there for a few years. I became an expert in leisure and business tours by sending groups to international fairs and exhibitions in Europe.
What are the most important attributes of a good travel agent/tour operator?To create the best tour packages for travellers’ different tastes and interests accord-ing to their destinations and plans, [is good to have] fine knowledge of their pri-orities. [Also, it is essential to] deliver services exactly according to what they have brought in their tour packages.
What is the most frequently asked question that your company receives from customers?Customers ask us about the services we [offer] in tour packages, conditions and desti-nations, prices and all the details of our tour packages. They want to know about new destinations that they have never seen before and get more information.
What are the must-visits and must-dos in Iran that no one should miss? Iran has so many different destinations and seasons. It has a variety of deserts, mountains, forests, seas, rivers and so on. [One can enjoy] adventure tours, histori-cal visits, religious, relaxing and business tours. The most important cities which are known in the world by foreigners are Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd, Tehran, Tabriz and Mashhad. [However,] there are so many other cities with many attractions and sightseeing.I am now promoting Kish Island which is almost unknown to people outside Iran. It is a small and beautiful island which is a free zone far from the mainland of Iran. For entering it, tourists do not need to get a visa and after a simple interview they can pass to the mainland.
3 OCTOBER 2015
WHO'S MOVED
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IMRAN CHANGEZI
NIAMH KEOHAN
Imran Changezi has assumed the position of hotel manager at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Changezi has over 22 years of commercial and operational experience in the hospitality industry under his belt, includ-ing nearly 15 years in high-end luxury hotels and resorts across various properties in Jumeirah Group.He joined the company in 2002, gaining expertise and moving up the career ranks within the sales, marketing, rooms division and front office departments. His recent ap-pointments include the role of hotel manager in Baku, Azer-baijan, where he managed the pre-opening of the group’s property, and hotel manager at Jumeirah Emirates Towers.
Niamh Keohan continues as Burj Al Arab Jumeirah’s direc-tor of marketing and public relations. Keohan joins the team follow-ing directorial appointments at luxury properties, such as Anantara Dubai The Palm Re-sort & Spa and InterContinen-tal Hotels Group in Abu Dhabi.She has 12 years of market-ing and communications ex-perience from working in the hotel, fast-moving consumer goods and pharmaceutical sectors. In addition, Keohan also has a strong record in both managing marketing and public relations teams and achieving targets after the opening of Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa two years ago.
LINDSAY WHITE
Lindsay White has a new role at Etihad Airways as vice president for Australia and Asia Pacific. In this post, White will as-sume responsibility for the entire Asia Pacific region, adding China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand to his current portfolio of Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Ma-laysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.White has more than 30 years of aviation industry experi-ence, having held various senior management posi-tions at British Airways be-fore joining Gulf Air in 2005 as its general manager in Malaysia and Brunei. He sub-sequently joined Etihad Air-ways as country manager in Malaysia.In 2008, White relocated to Sydney to continue as gener-al manager for Australia and New Zealand and in 2012, he was promoted to vice presi-dent of Asia Pacific South and Australasia.
3 OCTOBER 2015
TRAVEL CHANNELS
22
Malaysian Project to Attract Arab Interest
TASWEEK Real Estate Development and Marketing announced that construction works on Air villa, the third part of the luxury complex, Casabrina
Vacation Villas in Malaysia, are proceeding as scheduled and the project is open to investors.
SCTH to Launch Urban Heritage
Forum
Singapore Leads Asian MICE Boom
S ingapore is once again Asia’s top meeting and convention destination, according to the Union of International Associa-tions (UIA) and International Congress and Convention Asso-
ciation’s (ICCA) 2014 global rankings.Neeta Lachmandas, assistant CEO, business development, Sin-
gapore Tourism Board, said, “While we are humbled that Singapore remains the Asian destination of choice for event owners, we will continue to enhance our vibrant MICE ecosystem further for a more remarkable experience for business visitors.”
Kenyan President Backs Tourism Front
Uhuru Kenyatta, president, Kenya, launched Make it Kenya, a new inter-national brand campaign aimed at promoting the scale and variety of tourist and investment opportunities in the country.
Tourism is responsible for one in 10 jobs and over 12 percent of the na-tional GDP. The African country is also focussing on bolstering the business, sports, adventure and cultural aspects, which help take its diverse offering to new audiences.
So far, the initiative included the unveiling of MakeItKenya.com, a digital por-tal specifically designed as a source of rich, sharable content, which will help con-nect Kenya to the world through computers, smartphones and digital devices.
H. R.H. Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Ab-dul Aziz, president,
Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH), chaired the meeting of the organising committee of the fifth Urban Her-itage Forum, which will be held between November 30 – Decem-ber 3, in Al Qassim.
He stressed the importance of the annual event, it being a cel-ebration of national heritage, and advised that the authority should focus on investment, operation and rehabilitation of urban herit-age sites as they offer great sup-port to the economy.
The forum will feature a num-ber of activities related to tradi-tions, in addition to scientific ses-sions and workshops.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Singapore
T he development will house a gym, sauna and fish pond pool, two de-luxe suites and two mas-ter bedrooms, amongst
others. Masood Al Awar, CEO, TAS-
WEEK Real Estate Marketing and Development, said, “This is an ideal time for property investors to do business with Malaysia […]. We particularly invite Arab investors to […] benefit from Malaysia’s phe-nomenal growth as a leisure and lifestyle destination.”
Uhuru Kenyatta (centre) posts first messages to Make It Kenya’s social media platforms
3 OCTOBER 2015
PHOTO ALBUM
23
Semiramis InterContinental Cairo hosted a cooking lesson under the theme I've learned how to pasta
Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay recommends seafood by the sea
Jordan's Marriott Hotels participated in the Red Bull Soapbox Race
Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum in Qatar held fun activities for kids during
the Eid Holidays
Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage launched Saudi Arabia Airlines’ aircraft decorated with photos of the Kingdom
Qatar Airways won the Best Up in the Air honour from Future Travel Experience Awards
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!
3 OCTOBER 2015
WEEKLY NEWS XX
24
NEWS & EVENTS
24
EVENTS
INTERNATIONAL GOLF TRAVEL MARKET
Tenerife, SpainOctober 05 – 08www.igtm.co.ukA meeting place for the business-to-business golf travel community with specialised suppliers joining pre-qualified buyers and international press representatives for four days.
HQ 2015
Doha, QatarOctober 13 – 15www.hqshow.com A global exhibition featuring all aspects of the hotel, restaurant and café industry, addressing hospitality professionals, franchise investors and suppliers.
IMEX AMERICA
Las Vegas, USOctober 13 – 15www.imexamerica.comProviding an expanded wealth of options and new ideas for buyers and planners, the event boasts many new exhibitors from across various sectors.
World Travel Market
London, UKNovember 02 – 05 www.wtmlondon.comNow in its 36th year, the event generates more than USD3.9 billion of travel industry contracts.
ITB Asia
Singapore, SingaporeOctober 21 – 23www.itb-asia.comThe show will feature companies from Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel.
Large Turnout for Second CXSRITE
Some 500 exhibitors and buyers from 33 destinations attended the second edition of China Xi’an Silk Road Inter-
national Tourism Expo (CXSRITE) in Xi’an. The three-day event, which covered
an area of 20,000m2, attracted over 3,000 professionals from the industry along with 40,000 public visitors.
New exhibitors and buyers from Iceland, the US, Croatia, Estonia, Russia, Philippines, Czech Republic, the UK, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong joined the show where Korea, as a partner country, enjoyed a strong presence with various activities and performances.
To help attendees better understand the current trends, CXSRITE hosted the debut China Xi’an Silk Road International Tourism Expo Seminar Series.
ATM to Focus on Midmarket Travel
Midmarket travel has been select-ed as the official show theme for the next installment of Arabian
Travel Market (ATM). As Nadege Noblet-Segers, exhibition
manager, ATM, noted, data released by Jones Lang LaSalle suggests that up to 50 percent of the 3,600 new hotel rooms due to enter the Dubai market in the final months of the year will have a three-star or lower rating, adding much needed midscale room stock to the emirate’s hotel scene where three-star or below room supply accounted for 29 percent in the first quarter.
Among others, TIME Hotels, Louvre Ho-tels, flydubai and flynas will all be present at the show, which will take place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibi-tion Centre between April 25 – 28, 2016.
Dubai
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