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Expanding travel experience ..................................................................................05e-Permit, e-Ticketing for smart cities ......................................................................07Easing travel into Jordan ........................................................................................09

A DDP PUBLICATION Pages: 16Vol. XI No. 6; June 2015

For the fourth consecutive year,Ajman Tourism DevelopmentDepartment took part in the

Arabian Travel Market 2015, held inDubai recently. Sheikh AbdulazizBin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman,ATDD, inaugurated its stand, gotposted on the activities and followedup the promotional campaign withthe ATDD team.

QHow was the revenuegraph for the tourism

board in Q1 2015 ascompared to 2014?

The number of visitors toAjman in Q1 2015 reached 120,000.The hotel occupancy rate increasedto 70 per cent, compared to only 56per cent in the same period in 2014.Around 1.1 million visitors areexpected in Ajman in 2015. Thenumber of hotel establishments(hotels and hotel apartments) inAjman reached 35 in the first quarterof 2015, compared to 30 in the sameperiod in 2014.

Revenues of Q1 were AED 90million, compared to AED 77 million

in the same period in 2014. The num-ber of hotel nights was doubled to

440,000 nights in Q1 of 2015, com-pared to only 240,000 nights in Q1of 2014. The Asian and Africannationalities were high on the list ofguest nights, followed by GCCnationals and then other Arab citizens.

QAre there any newlaunches/ schemes

during summer? First roadshow will be conduct-

ed by Ajman Tourism in three citiesin China: Beijing, Shanghai, andGuangzhou. Our aim is to recoverthe industry from lossand for that reasonChina will be ourchoice of destination.We will have almosteight companies com-ing with us likeKempinski, Fairmont,Ajman Saray, AjmanPalace, and RamadaAjman in addition to anumber of travel agen-cies. The TourismBoard will meetaround 240 tour oper-ators, DMCs of eachcity in China.

QWhen will AjmanAirport come up? The developmental process of

the project that started six monthsnow is expected to be operational byend of 2017 aiming to target 2. 5 million travellers.

QDo you think ATM2015 will bring good

business? We expect to see the number

of deals and the awareness ofAjman as destination worldwideand not only in GCC or Middle East.

We have been able to promoteAjman as a destination since 2012and still continuing and such aware-ness is highly valued by our clientshere as we are aiming to increasethe awareness by 15 per cent. 1.1million visitors we are expecting bythe end of 2015.

QYour plans for therest of the year?This year we have other road-

shows in Central Europe by the mid-dle of September and WTM Londonby November, besides China.

Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) recorded AED 90 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2015, and unveiled the results during Arabian Travel Market 2015 in Dubai. Faisal Al Nuaimi, General Manager,ATDD, shares some of his views with .

Ajman Tourism sees robust growth

SU S M I TA GH O S H

Faisal Al NuaimiGeneral ManagerAjman Tourism Development Department

The number of visitorsto Ajman in Q1 2015reached 120,000. Thehotel occupancy rateincreased to 70%.Around 1.1 millionvisitors are expectedin Ajman in 2015

Zayed Mosque

FAMILY ALBUM2 TRAVTALK J U N E 2 0 1 5

Showcasing Ajman@ATM 2015ATDD Chairman inaugurated ATDD stand at ATM 2015, its participation for the 4th year. The delegationincluded representatives of the hospitality and travel trade sectors in Ajman and Ajman Stud. The tourismstatistics’ of Q1 2015 was announced along with the Emirate’s tourism classification project.

NTO J U N E 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 3

During a meeting withmembers of ATDD’s rep-

resentation committee,Sheikh Abdulaziz BinHumaid highlighted theimportance of opening andexploring new markets withthe aim of achieving the targetof five million visitors to Ajmanannually by 2021, in accor-dance with Ajman Vision 2021and ATDD’s strategic plan.

“Not all markets are the same, that’s why you have to adopt the proper promotional tool for each mar-ket,” Bin Humaid said, highlighting the necessity to establish new contact chan-nels with stakeholders inevery market

For his part, Faisal AlNuaimi, General Manager,ATDD, said China’s roadshowplan would include trips to

Guangzhou, Shanghai andBeijing, while the delegationwould include representativesfor a number of hotels, includ-ing Ajman Saray, KempinskiAjman, the Ajman Palace,Fairmont Ajman, RamadaBeach, Ramada Hotel andSuites and the Crown Palace,in addition to a number of travel agencies.

At the meeting, Bin Humaid also reviewedresults of Ajman TourismDevelopment Department’srecent participation in ATM2015 exhibition in Dubai, andissued directives for thedepartment to seek new mar-kets in India and CentralEurope, according to theATDD general manager.

By the end of the meet-ing, the ATDD chairman host-ed an open session with rep-resentatives of hotel and hotelapartment establishments,travel agencies and tourismrestaurants in Ajman to followup their work progress and lis-ten to their suggestionsregarding the development ofevery tourism-related sector.

Ajman Tourism Develop-ment Department (ATDD)hosted the 13th meeting ofAjman Executive Council’sEconomic Committee, led by Abdullah Al Muweij’ie,Chairman of Ajman Chamber and Head of theEconomic Committee.

During the meeting, alsoattended by the EconomicCommittee members and anumber of senior AjmanGovernment officials, AlNuaimi reviewed a number of issues, including the results of Ajman tourism statistics for the first quarter of 2015, results of ATDD’s participation in theArabian Travel Market 2015 exhibition in Dubai and the outcome of a memorandum of under-standing earlier signed by ATDD and SharjahInvestment and DevelopmentAuthority (Shorooq).

ATDD received manytourism investment offers dur-ing its participation in ATM2015, according to Al Nuaimi.The Economic Committeediscussed ways to deal withthese offers in accordancewith rules and regulationsadopted in Ajman, he clarified.

The meeting also fea-tured ATDD’s MoU withShurooq, Al Nuaimi said,adding that it would helpincrease the number of visi-tors to Ajman via allowingSharjah’s tourist Big Bus totour a number of tourismattractions in Ajman.

Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman, Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD), approvedthe department’s plan for a roadshow promoting tourism in the Emirate of Ajman to a number of Chinese cities.

New markets to explore, target to achieve

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ATDD’s representation committee during a meeting

� The number ofvisitors to Ajman in2014 was 850,000visitors and ATDDaims to achieve thetarget of five millionvisitors by 2021

Numbers in Sight

GUEST COLUMN

Summer invariably turns out to be anexciting time for the tourism industry in the

Gulf and going by the enthusiastic trends, thisyear too is not expected to be different.

With packed stands and enthusiasticparticipants, the largest travel trade event inthe Middle East, Arabian Travel Market (ATM)2015 kept its promise to be bigger and better,welcoming an estimated 23,000 visitors.

YouGov unveiled the results of its FamilyTravel study at the mega event. The findingsshow that 64% of the 2,000-plus MENA basedsurvey respondents travelled with their childrenin the last 12 months, and almost two-thirds(62%) preferred online booking channels.

Already, excitement is in the air at the UAEcapital where the Abu Dhabi Tourism & CultureAuthority has lined up a series of events as partof the Summer Season Program for 2015.

This three-month-long event will have akeen focus on families and will feature headlinetheatre shows, an illusionist, live internationalchildren’s shows, Arab and European comedyacts and live concerts. The season will run fromJune 11 to Sept 5 2015. It may be recalled that2014’s summer saw 786,376 guest arrivals, anincrease of 20% during June, July and Augustwith the corresponding period the previousyear. A huge marketing and promotionalcampaign to promote the summer season isalready under way across GCC and India.

The Al Maktoum International at DubaiWorld Central has been making news too.Cargo volumes at the airport continued to risesharply in the first three months of 2015,propelling the airport into the world's 20 busiestinternational cargo hubs for the first time.

Adding another feather to the UAE’s cap isthe declaration by the World EconomicForum’s (WEF) 2015 Travel and TourismCompetitiveness Index report that the UAE isthe most tourism-friendly destination in theMiddle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

It is not just that. The WEF study hasforecast that the sector will be generatingapproximately 1.8 per cent or 5,250 new jobs.

Way to go, UAE!

Summer tourismpoised for take-off

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U74899DL1989PTC038620

Air Arabia soars through 2015 Q1

Today, TravTips is one ofthe fastest growing travel

and tourism company inDubai in the leisure segmentwhere Suraj Mainat, itsManaging Director, has usedmarket expertise, innovativetactics and leadership skills tostay ahead in the competitivemarket place.

Escorted Group Tours isa niche segment marketwhich is popular among theAsian community living in theGulf. TCI, a hassle free guidedgroup tour, includes accom-modation, meals, transfers,sightseeing in one price. Theunique offering is choice ofvegetarian meal in all sched-uled group tours.

Escorted Group Toursmarket is growing year onyear and the travellers preferto travel with internationallyrecognised brands likeThomas Cook India which hasexpertise in handling the busi-ness. Today, travel partnersand customers started relat-ing TravTips Travel in Dubaiwhere they could reach thededicated team.

TravTips have won agood share of the wallet ingroup tour market segments.Soon entering into B2B onlinespace, it will allow the travel

agents to search, compareand book flights and hotels inone platform.

Ensuring the packagescommissionable to the travelpartners, TravTips hadlaunched ‘All Inclusive BudgetMini Europe’ packages forSummer 2015 within the pricebracket of AED 7000.

As the market is boom-ing and the market share is

also increasing, we have been able to put across product like AED 6999 forParis and Switzerland andalso the requirement of thecommon people have takeninto account.

Our products are loadedwith value for money. Lots ofresearch has been done forthe itineraries so that we coulddraft in such a way which con-sumes minimal time andcover must-to-see sights ofthe places. Dubai as a market

is very productive and pro-gressive and ever since forlast two or three years it’sbooming. In 2014, we haddone good number of busi-ness and in 2015 we are see-ing increased, encouraginggraph by now.

Our partner TravTipshas brought creativity to prod-uct by offering All Inclusivedepartures to Europe and FarEast Ex – Dubai/Abu Dhabi

which includes flights, landarrangements and valueadded offerings like child trav-el free or optional excursionfree. Our customers arehappy as they have all inclu-sive honest prices before thestart of their travel.

We operate out of thismarket for ethnic Indian mar-ket and we are catering to thenationals over a period oftime. We have started Emamtours which largely attracts thelocal population where we

provide Halal food and giveopportunities of performingfive times Namaz. The sight-seeing itinerary is picked upkeeping their taste in mind. Sofar we have seen hugedemand in this aspect andnow we are looking beyondIndian markets.

We have been operatingas group city departureswhere Europe is the biggesttaker and after Europe wehave seen people picking up destinations like the US, China and Asia. The best facet which we have seen in this market is that it’s not a seasonal mar-ket but a year-round. Peoplekeep travelling as honey-mooners or on customisedtravel or city departures.

Our operations were launched in December 2013, with TravTips, the traveland tourism Management Company, which is the Gold Circle Partner ofThomas Cook India (TCI). The partnership is on its way to complete two yearsof operation in the UAE market.

Thomas Cook, TravTips ties strong

Jatinder Paul SinghSr. Vice President & Head leisure Travel

(Outbound) Thomas Cook India

TravTips have won a good share of the walletin group tour market segments. Soonentering into B2B online space, it will allowthe travel agents to search, compare andbook flights and hotels on one platform

Air Arabia’s financialresults for the first quarter of2015, for the three monthsending March 31, 2015,show a net profit of AED 85million, an increase of 13 percent on the corresponding2014 figure of AED 75 mil-lion. During the same period,the airline’s turnoverreached AED 886 million, anincrease of 7 per cent com-pared to AED 827 million inthe first quarter of last year.

1.8 million passen-gers flew with Air Arabiabetween January andMarch 2015, which is 10per cent higher than thenumber of 1.6 million forthe corresponding periodof 2014. The airline’s aver-age seat load factor dur-ing the first three monthsof 2015 stood at an 81 percent. In January, 2015 theairline announced theopening of its fifth global

fixed-based operation,located at Amman QueenAlia International Airportin Jordan, reinforcing itsmarket leading positionwithin the Levant region.Later in the quarter, AirArabia became the firstlow-cost airline from theMiddle East and Africa toenter the Chinese marketwith regular non-stopservices to Urumqi inWestern China.

Another industrymilestone was achievedby Air Arabia in March2015 with the launch ofthe first loyalty programfrom a regional low-cost carrier. Airewardsoffers simple, transparentand value-packed experi-ence that customersassociate with Air Arabia,with points based onmoney spent rather thandistance flown.

AVIATION J U N E 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 5

With daily flights fromZurich to Dubai, UAE,

and onwards to Muscat inOman, the airline is on withonline services for severalyears now.

Mark Pey, Head of Gulfand Pakistan, SWISSInternational Airlines,informs, “We have had littledrop from transferring pas-sengers in the first quarter of2015 when compared withthe same tenure in 2014, butwe continued to increase ouryields maintaining very goodmarket share especially inBusiness and First Class. Wehave seen a huge number ofloyal customers travellingwith us since many yearsincluding the local Europeansand Indians, mainly focused on travel to Switzerland and Europe.”

To ensure highresponse and rigorous pro-motion with the approachingsummer, SWISS InternationalAirlines is in continuous con-

tact with travel agents on B2Bchannels. “We don’t have thefinancial power to incentiviseas the Gulf carriers, but weare trying in every possiblepersonalised way. We alsofocus on having more interac-tion with the travel trade offer-ing unique events as we arelaunching throughout the yearto maintain stronger relations,”Pey further states. The airlinehas launched its entire farerestructured and published ona very competitive and promo-tional level. This is their strat-egy for targeting next couple of months as regardsto summer travels.

Looking at customers’demands and to get hold ofthe complete target audience,they have extended theirEuropean network by adding22 destinations in March thisyear: especially catering to thedestinations where the Gulfcarriers do not operate, which

is a competitive advantage forSWISS International Airlines.

Taking part in ArabianTravel Market 2015, Peyshares his experience as avery happy and fruitful one.“Being our strategic partnersand having our colleagueshere from Switzerland, it’s afantastic exposure again. Wehave seen very good interestfrom the customers, and itcontinued throughout theevent,” he says.

Serving in the Gulf region for many years now and growing with anexceptional customer loyalty, SWISS International Airlines is causing rapidshifts in the tourism industry.

Expanding travel experience

SU S M I TA GH O S H

We don’t have thefinancial power toincentivise as theGulf carriers, butwe are trying inevery possible way

� SWISS Intl Airlines hasextended its Europeannetwork by adding 22destinations in Marchthis year

� The Airline has floated a restructuredfare which is both competitive andpromotional

European Import

Mark PeyHead of Gulf and PakistanSWISS International Airlines

Reed Travel Exhibitions,the organiser of ArabianTravel Market (ATM) 2015,which took place May 4-7,2015, has shared initialpost-event numbers for the

22nd edition of the annualtravel trade showcase, within excess of 26,000 influen-tial visitors recorded, repre-senting a 15 per centincrease on 2014 figures.

The record-breakingshow, which is the largesttravel trade exhibitor show-case in the Middle East,also welcomed several newinitiatives this year includingthe Captains of Industrylunch, the Travel Tech Showat ATM with over 50 traveltech-specific exhibitors (up24 per cent on 2014 floorspace), the RateGain TravelTechnology Theatre andVisa Exhibitor ShowcaseTheatre; as well as thereturn of the high profileUNWTO Ministerial ForumHosted by National Council

of Tourism & Antiquities andthe all-new ATM Best StandAwards. Exhibitor numbersacross the nine hallstotalled 412 confirmed par-ticipants including 113 first-timers, with over 2,800exhibiting companies repre-senting 86 countries, 64national pavilions and over50 seminar and tech theatre sessions.

“The preliminary figuresfor this year’s show yet againunderscore Arabian TravelMarket’s relevance to theregional travel and tourismsector, and reflect generalindustry confidence,” saidNadege Noblet-Segers,Exhibition Manager, ATM.“The mood on the showfloor across the four dayswas incredibly dynamic andbuoyant, we have alreadyhad 68% of ATM 2015exhibitors rebook space fornext year – such was theenthusiasm on the showfloor, 20% of 2015 exhibitorsare already contracted for2016, a great achievementgiven that this is the first timethat contracting has evertaken place at the event.”

ATM 2015 sees 15% visitor growth

AVIATION6 TRAVTALK J U N E 2 0 1 5

This first-of-its-kind serviceflying between the two

cities brings a number ofenhanced services that willreduce overall travel time andincrease convenience for pas-sengers. The shuttle service,along with its many perks, will be offered on each of the 18 daily flights betweenthe two cities, with 14 flights to and from DubaiInternational Airport and fourto and from Al MaktoumInternational Airport.

Passengers on theDoha-Dubai Shuttle will alsoenjoy the newly unveiled

Qatar Airways in-flight enter-tainment system. The newbrand "Oryx One - Explore.Play. Share." embraces QatarAirways' corporate colours.

His Excellency AkbarAl Baker, Group ChiefExecutive, Qatar Airways,announced the launch of theDoha-Dubai Shuttle andunveiled the airline's new in-flight entertainment during apress conference on theopening day of Arabian TravelMarket 2015. Al Baker com-mented, “The Doha-DubaiShuttle caters to the needs ofboth business and leisuretravellers, and provides themwith a more convenient and

time-saving option when trav-elling between the two cities."

Especially dedicatedcheck-in counters located atRow 5 at Hamad InternationalAirport will be available for allpassengers travelling fromDoha to Dubai on the Doha-Dubai Shuttle. Passengerswho plan on checking in bag-gage must check in no laterthan one hour before theirscheduled departure time.Return flights from Dubai toDoha also require check-in of

a minimum of one hour beforethe scheduled departure timefor all passengers, includingthose with only hand baggage.

Travellers flying on theQatar Airways Doha-DubaiShuttle will also be able toenjoy fast-track immigration inDoha, allowing them to clearpassport control in minimumamount of time. Passengersbuying the Doha-DubaiShuttle tickets will have theopportunity to amend theirticket once free of charge.

Emphasizing on QatarAirways’ commitment to theUAE market, Al Bakerannounced the daily flights toRas Al Khaimah, starting Oct1, 2015. He said, "We havehad a well-established opera-tion in the UAE for many years and with the launch offlights to Ras Al Khaimah,travellers will have evengreater options with 196weekly flights to the UAE."

Qatar Airways' newest offering, the Doha-Dubai Shuttle, will offer flights fromDoha's Hamad International Airport to Dubai International Airport and AlMaktoum International Airport in Dubai.

Shuttle service by Qatar Airways

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With an online inventory ofover 125,000+ hotel and

apartment rooms worldwide,45,000+ sightseeing items andover 500 tours in 500 cities and5,000+ transfer options in over900 airport and city locations,the company plans to reachabove $1.2 billion sales (TotalTransaction Value) in this fiscalyear surpassing their previousyear figures. The companyadditionally expects to deliverdouble-digit growth across allits regions in 2015.

RezLive.com presentedsixth year in a row at theArabian Travel Market. Thetrade show was held in Dubaifrom May 4-7, 2015.

The company has beenstrengthening its proposition inthe Middle East with a new andbigger office in Dubai (JLT) andwith a large team of dedicatedmultilingual professionals to

ensure that it delivers a cus-tomized service to the MiddleEast market clients.

Jaal Shah, Group MD,RezLive.com, commented,“These figures clearly showthat our efforts towards inno-vation and diversified invento-ry, are allowing us to maintainsolid growth in all our regionsand penetrate emerging mar-kets. Our aim is to continue toconsolidate our expansion into

international markets, espe-cially in Africa and Europe,while maintaining growth in ourhome markets of Middle Eastand Asia. We will also continueworking to give our valuedpartners extra ordinary sup-port service and diversifiedinventory.” The wonderfullycrafted Designer IndyaBrochure was launched duringATM by Manas RanjanPattanaik, Director – IndiaTourism (Ministry of Tourism

Govt. Of India) and IRV Rao,Assistant Director – IndiaTourism. Both the dignitariesapplauded the team on theconcept of the brochure.

Shah further highlighted,“The key importance of productlike Designer Indya in UAEmarket and how the local travelagents can utilize the servicesoffered. At Designer Indya, wepromote Luxury Inbound IndianHolidays to the internationalmarkets. With a dedicatedteam, Designer Indya is cater-ing to the needs of travel partners all across the globeand also empowersRezLive.com with 1600+ Indian hotel allocations and extends the facility to book Indian hotels online. Our detailed itineraries andpackage module allowsInternational travel partners to send their booking requestsonline and customise theirpackages and inclusionsthrough ‘book your own tour.”

RezLive.com, the global B2B travel wholesaler, has anticipated growth inexcess of 40 per cent on its Global Sales for the fiscal year 2015.

Double digit growth for RezLive

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Akbar Al BakerGroup Chief ExecutiveQatar Airways

The Doha-Dubai Shuttle caters to theneeds of both business and leisuretravellers, and provides them with a moreconvenient and time-saving option whentravelling between the two cities

Concourse D, expected toopen later this year, will

become the new $517 million(AED 1.9 billion) home tonearly 100 airlines that cur-rently occupy Concourse C. It will feature 21 contact

stands, four of which willaccommodate Airbus A380 or Boeing 747 aircraft and 11remote stands.

The importance inConcourse D, designedaround a central atrium, is tocreate a more efficient and

intuitive customer experiencewith short walks to connectpassengers with their aircraft.

“With traffic growth con-tinuing at a rapid pace, we areinvesting heavily to ensurethat the 110 plus internationalpassenger airlines that fly toand from Dubai and their cus-tomers who use our airportfacilities, experience anenhanced product, reflectiveof the high service standardsDubai has set,” informs Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports.

A total of $490 million(AED 1.8 billion) is beinginvested in a phased refurbish-ment and modernisationprocess of Terminal 1 and

operational areas surroundingit and Concourse D. On thenorthern side of the airport, afurther $163 million (AED 600million) has been invested toupgrade Terminal 2.

On the expansion of AlMaktoum International atDubai World Central’s existingpassenger terminal, DubaiAirports confirms that con-struction is expected to begin later 2015. It will boost the present capacity of 6 million passengers a yearto 26 million.

Dubai Internationalexperienced solid growthacross all major markets inMarch 2015, lifting passengertraffic 7.2 per cent from March2014, according to the latesttraffic report issued by opera-tor Dubai Airports.

Passenger traffic inMarch 2015 totalled6,736,932 compared to the6,285,868 passengers record-ed in March 2014, up 7.2 percent. This boosted traffic in the

first three months of the yearto 19,606,327, up 6.8 per centfrom the 18,361,820 achievedin Q1 of 2014. The growth inpassengers continued mainlyby Emirates Airline and flydubai, particularly to Eastern European destina-tions. India remained DubaiInternational’s biggest market,with passenger traffic growing14.9 per cent to 863,046 pas-sengers in March 2015.

“The growth in the firstquarter puts us on track tomeet our forecast of morethan 79 million passengers in2015 and cement our position as the world’sbusiest airport for interna-tional passengers,” con-cludes Griffiths.

$1.2 bn investmentto revamp airportDubai Airports is investing $1.2 billionin upgraded facilities for over 110international airlines that operate fromits international Terminals 1 and 2.

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Paul GriffithsCEODubai Airports

We are investing heavily to ensure that the110 plus international airlines that fly toand from Dubai and their customers whouse our airport facilities, experience anenhanced product, reflective of the highservice standards Dubai has set

Manas Ranjan Pattanaik, Director – India Tourism (Ministry of Tourism Govt.of India) with Jaal Shah, Group MD, RezLive.com, and IRV Rao, AssistantDirector – India Tourism, Dubai

NTO J U N E 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 7

DTCM’s e-Permit and e-Ticketing platforms were

first introduced in September2013, with DTCM takingresponsibility for the develop-ment and management ofboth the facilities. The e-

Permit facility is an online sys-tem through which all proce-dures related to the applica-tion, processing and licensingof event permits are operated.

e-Ticketing is a centralisedplatform for the sale and dis-tribution of tickets for all eventsin Dubai. Implementation ofboth the systems aims atdeveloping Dubai’s growingevents sector, a key pillar ofthe strategy behind theEmirate’s Tourism Vision for

2020 to welcome 20 millionvisitors every year. The sys-tems speed up and simplify the events applica-tion, licensing and ticketing

process, providing an elec-tronic ticket distribution sys-tem that is more convenientfor those attending events.

Other benefits includethe ability to collect big data for city planning andcrowd management, statisticsthat allow DTCM to optimisethe events calendar and inbroader terms, improve

Dubai’s events and destina-tion offering.

Ahmad Khalifa Al-Falasi, CEO, SupportServices, DTCM, says,“DTCM is committed to theSmart City strategy. The e-Permit and e-Ticketing plat-forms are just two examplesof our efforts to deliver target-ed initiatives across the city to

provide streamlined servicesto our partners and stakehold-ers, which ultimately enhancethe visitor experience. WithDubai’s events sector growing

at an impressive rate, playing such a vital role in growing our tourism numbers, the new e-Permit system was introduced to streamlinethe management and co-ordination of event licens-ing activities, provide greateroperational efficiency.”

“The e-Ticketing systemallows us to issue tickets moreefficiently, enabling us to buildan information database thatbenefits not only Department

of Tourism and CommerceMarketing but also eventorganisers and venues. We have already seen posi-tive results since both the systems’ implementation.We look forward to announcefurther developments in the near future,” he adds.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has introduced e-Permit and e-Ticketing platformsin line with the objectives of Dubai Smart City initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin RashidAl Maktoum in early March 2014.

e-Permit, e-Ticketing for smart cities

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The e-Ticketing system allows to issue tickets more effi-ciently, enabling to build a information database that ben-efits not only DTCM but also event organisers and venuesIt speeds up and simplifies the entire events application,licensing and ticketing process by using an electronic ticketdistribution system It collects big data and statistics that allow DTCM to optimise the events calendar and improve its events and destination offering

Smart Moves

The e-Permit and e-Ticketing platforms are justtwo examples of our efforts to deliver targetedinitiatives across the city to provide streamlinedservices to our partners and stakeholders,which ultimately enhance the visitor experience

Ahmad Khalifa Al-FalasiCEO, Support Services, DTCM

FAMILY ALBUM8 TRAVTALK J U N E 2 0 1 5

Record-breaking show@ATM 2015 The largest travel trade event in Middle East showcased 2,700 exhibitors, 64 national pavilions, over 35 seminar and technology theatre sessions. The show has grown by seven per cent since 2014, a total of 113 new exhibitors set to make their ATM debut.

Contd. on page 10

NTO J U N E 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 9

While recent politicalinstability in the region

left its mark on the tourismand hospitality industry,Jordan is ready to bounceback with an assortment ofnew schemes.

With a plethora of worldheritage sites, Jordan hasmuch to offer to those on alookout for historical tourism.“This comes in the light of anow approved proposal whichis aimed at easing visa regu-lation and making travel toJordan easier and moreaffordable. The approval willwaive taxes for clientele mak-ing use of Jordanian and affil-iated tour operators. Thosevisiting via land routes wouldpay a reduced tax of 10Jordanian dinar [down from40] on the condition that theyspend a minimum of threeconsecutive nights in the king-

dom. In addition, low cost andeconomy flights leaving KingHussein International Airportwill see a waiving of departureand entry visa tax,” informs

His Excellency NayefHmeidi Al-Fayez, Minister ofTourism and Antiquities,Kingdom of Jordan. “Themeasures approved by thegovernment aim to encouragetravellers to add Jordan totheir next itinerary.”

Elucidating on Jordan’splan to capitalize on summertourism in regard to neigh-bouring GCC nations, HisExcellency explains, “We havea lot of opportunities for theGCC market. Jordan is within2½ flight from most of theGCC countries with a big dif-ference in climate.” A new andconvenient mobile App intro-duced by Royal JordanianAirlines is available on bothApple Store and Google PlayStore. It allows potential trav-ellers the convenience ofimportant travel informationand guidelines alongside air-line services like flight bookingstatus and online check in.

Jordan is run on what may be termed as an ‘upper middleeconomy,’ much of which thrives on the up and comingtourism industry in the Arab Kingdom.

Easing travel into Jordan

SU S M I TA GH O S H

The announcement wasmade at a press confer-

ence by HE Mohammed AliAl Noman, Chairman ofSCTDA, and HE Khalid JasimAl Midfa, Director General,SCTDA. The Authority statedon the occasion that it studiedthe factors that affect tourismat the local, regional and inter-national levels.

Al Noman says, “Thereis no doubt that Sharjah hasestablished a leading positionon the global tourism map asone of the favourite destina-tions for millions of visitorsfrom all over the world. Hence,we are focused on maintain-ing the uniqueness of ourtourism sector and expand itsmarket share in the economy.”

Al Noman clarified thatthe main goal of the vision is tobuild a platform to unite all the

efforts, initiatives and tourismprograms under one umbrella.“This is a goal that cannot beachieved by any particular sec-tor on its own. To achieve this,

we need the active partnershipof all public and private sectorcompanies and institutions inthe aviation, tourism and hos-pitality sectors. Everyone mustsupport this vision in a collab-orative framework to achievethe Sharjah Tourism Vision2021,” he states. Al Midfa gavea presentation on the plans toachieve Sharjah Tourism Vision2021, during which heexplained that SCTDA willadopt, in collaboration withpartners in the tourism sector,four strategic pillars working inparallel to achieve the aim.

Guided by the wisdomand skills of H.H. Sheikh Dr.Sultan bin Mohammad AlQasimi, Member of theSupreme Council and Ruler ofSharjah, the Emirate ofSharjah has not only emergedas the Cultural Capital of theUAE but has also beencrowned as the CulturalCapital of the Arab World..

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority(SCTDA) unveils Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, on theevent of the UAE’s 50th anniversary.

SCTDA unveils Vision 2021

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An approvedproposal aims ateasing visa regulationand making travel toJordan easier andmore affordable

Nayef Hmeidi Al-FayezMinister of Tourism and Antiquities,Kingdom of Jordan

We are focused onmaintaining theuniqueness of ourtourism sector andexpand the share oftourism in the economy

HE Mohammed Ali Al NomanChairman SCTDA

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22 successful years of ATM

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TECHNOLOGY J U N E 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 1 1

In addition, Nile Air has com-mitted to Travelport Rich

Content and Branding, a keycomponent of the TravelportTravel Commerce Platform. Itallows airlines to market andretail their products more effec-tively by controlling how theirproduct is visually presentedand described to travel agents.

Will Owen Hughes,Senior Director AirlineServices, Travelport Africa,Middle East and South Asia,says, “We are thrilled toannounce this new global fullcontent agreement with NileAir. By utilizing Travelport’sinnovative merchandisingsolution, Nile Air can presentits products in a more visualway and deliver additionalcustomized content to travelagencies globally.”

The solution is designedto enable travel content suppli-

ers to drive sales of core prod-ucts and ancillaries. Travelagents using the TravelportSmartpoint sale solution canaccess unrivalled airline con-

tent in addition to comprehen-sive descriptions, enablingthem to increase revenue andspeed up the booking process.According to Nile Air, by distrib-uting flights via Travelport, itaims to increase customerchoice to both travel agentsand its guest passengers.

As part of the newagreement with Air Go Egypt,it will now offer 67,000Travelport-connected agen-cies worldwide access to itsfares and inventory, includingweb fares and ancillary offer-ings. The carrier has commit-ted to Travelport Rich Contentand Branding. “We arepleased that Air Go Egypt has recognized Travelport’scommitment to delivering unrivalled service to its customers. We are fully dedicated to support Air GoEgypt in generating morebookings via our industry-leading merchandising solu-tion,” Hughes adds.

Travelport and Nile Air announced the signing of a multi-year, global full-content agreement. Travelport alsoannounced a similar agreement with Air Go Egypt.

Global full content deal

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By utilizingTravelport’s innovativemerchandisingsolution, Nile Air candeliver additionalcustomized content toagencies globally

Will Owen HughesSenior Director Airline Services, TravelportAfrica, Middle East and South Asia

There is now a wider rangeof consumer choices in

the Middle East, as more low-cost carriers operate to varieddestinations. Hence, CebuPacific launched four out offive long-haul routes in 2014.

“We have seen steadilyimproving loads and lookahead, launching Doha andother new routes to serve theexpatriate community in theregion. The Middle Eastremains a key part of our long-haul network, given the large traffic flows to and from the Philippines,”comments Alex Reyes,General Manager- Long HaulDivision, CEB.

Cebu Pacific has report-ed core net income of P3.3 bil-lion, up by 77 per cent com-pared to 2014, on the back ofnotable improvement in bothrevenues and operating

expenses. Total revenuesgrew 27 per cent to P52 bil-lion, driven by sustaineddemand for air travel and entry into new marketslike Japan, the Middle Eastand Australia. CEB carried16.9 million passengers in2014, 17.5 per cent more thanthe 14.4 million passengersflown in 2013. Ancillary rev-enue likewise grew 29 percent to P8.7 billion, whilecargo revenues grew 20 percent to P3.1 billion.

“We will continueexploring the growth of thenetwork, so we can providemore passengers with safe,affordable flights. We havelong wanted to add the US and more Australiaroutes to the list of destina-tions we fly to. We will alsowork towards building aninternationally recognizedairline brand and empowermore travelers to use Manilaas a hub to get their onward destinations,” informs Reyes.“We expect the arrival of 30Airbus A321neo aircraft from2017 to 2021, and that willallow us to expand our shortto mid-haul range.”

In 2014, Cebu Pacifichas launched flights to Narita, Nagoya, Sydney,Riyadh and Kuwait. This year, it has already launchedHong Kong-Kalibo (Boracay)and Cebu-Narita, and willlaunch Manila-Doha on June 4, 2015.

Cebu Pacific participated in ATM 2015 along with thePhilippines Department of Tourism. The PDOT activelypromotes its culture, tropical islands and family destinations.

Surge in core net income

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Alex ReyesGeneral Manager- Long Haul DivisionCEB

Carfare and Lama Tours at Arabian Travel MarketCarfare and Lama Tours attended ATM held from May 4-7, 2015 at WTC,Dubai and exhibited insights and knowledge about the range of productsand services they offer. As a complete mobility solution group, theirproducts range includes: Worldwide Hotel Reservations, Airline Ticketingand Outbound Tours, Meet and Assist, UAE Visa Arrangements, IncentiveTours, Desert Safaris, City Tours, Dhow Cruises, Transfers, Conferences,Tailor made packages, Special Interest Groups, range of car rental services,chauffer driven cars, lasted range of technical and mechanical workshop.

Kulwant Singh, MD/CEO, Lama Tours, in conversation with H.H SheikhMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Rulerof Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairmanand Chief Executive Emirates Airline & Group

H.E. Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General - Directorate ofResidency & Foreigners Affairs, Dubai with Kulwant Singh, MD/CEO, Lama Tours

Using the Amadeus tech-nology, HTM has trans-

formed and up-scaled theirbusiness processes fromfront-office to mid and backoffice. It empowered its travel consultants to workefficiently to deliver superiorcustomer service and attain higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Graham Nichols,Managing Director, AmadeusGulf, says, “We are pleasedwith the long and fruitful col-laboration with HTM. Theychose to implement our widerange of innovative solutionsfor the front-office, as well as our renowned back-office solution, Traacs, which is now interfaced with their Oracle ERP system.This will help transform theirbusiness processes and drive efficiencies.”

“HTM has also becomea reseller of our corporatesuite, Amadeus e-TravelManager [AeTM]. This will cre-ate opportunities to scale upby winning new corporatebusiness, demonstrating com-petitive advantage in the mar-ket. In fact they have alreadywon two significant newaccounts who will adoptAeTM,” he adds.

Brian Murphy,Managing Director, HTM,mentions, “We are strivingand seeking to build the best Travel ManagementCompany in the Middle East. What it would means is to provide customers with cutting-edge technologyto drive outstanding services coupled with signifi-cant savings.

“Our strategic partner-ship with Amadeus hashelped us move a step aheadin this direction.

“We have also workedhard to overlay our globalexperience to offer somethingthat is truly unique in relationto our back office. This hasproved a decisive element inseveral of HTM’s recent pres-tigious new business wins ascustomers can clearly seelines of differentiationbetween HTM and competi-tors and the benefits it willrealize for them.”

Amadeus Gulf presented HTM, an independent UAE-based travelmanagement company, a technology Innovation Award for implementing arange of best-in-class products.

Amadeus upgrades businesses

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� HTM has implementedAmadeus’ back-officesolution, Traacs

� HTM also resellsAmadeus e-TravelManager corporate suite

Upgrade Tools

Graham Nichols, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf and Brian Murphy,Managing Director, HTM

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Looking closely at businessfrom the GCC countries

there is an increase of 20 percent, mainly from SaudiArabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. There is also a rise from parts of NorthAfrica like Morocco and

Algeria and stopover going toand from Saudi Arabia.

“With summersapproaching and Dubai beinga hot spot for tourism, greatpromotional offers are beingintroduced. These offers arefocusing on families, for CIS market and India, most promi-nently Asians coming in

from the UK,” mentionsNishchay Dheer, GroupGeneral Manager, XclusiveGroup of Hotels, also co-founder of Xclusives since 2008.

Travel trade plays amajor role in bringing in busi-ness to Xclusive Group of

Hotels. “We, at Xclusive, havedeveloped a portfolio in termsof our clients. People whohave been supporting andbringing in business especial-ly the travel agents havealways played a major role. Ihave seen a growth in themand many new agenciesemerged and working withus,” informs Dheer.

On the businessprospects and participation atArabian Travel Market, thegroup general managerinferred that there has been again a growth this year as a lot of hotels have emerged and exhibited.“So far as us, it has been aprominent and fruitful busi-ness coming through. ATM2015 saw a lot of growth interms of visitors to our standand new participants, in com-parison to ATM 2014.”

Being a young group actively looking for expansions,Xclusive Group of Hotels, based in Dubai, have seengrowth and are looking to surpass guests’ expectations.

An Xclusive growth story

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Nishchay DheerGroup General ManagerXclusive Group of Hotels

Commenting on the newfranchise acquisition,

Sumair Tariq, ManagingDirector, R Hotels, informs,“The group is delighted to signup with an esteemed grouplike Accor, and we are positivethat this partnership will bearfruitful results for both the par-ties. This is an exciting time forthe UAE hospitality industryand R Hotels is poised toestablish our mark by teamingup with notable brands,expanding our portfolio in keylocations and offering suitableproducts to the right market.”

Furthermore, the hotelchain has released its ownschemes to capitalise on sum-mer tourism with offers for afree night stay to top off a twonight stay or tie-ups with sev-eral tourist locations and facil-itators for sightseeing toursorganised by the R Hotels.

Now with the develop-ment periods for the proper-ties near the end and theWorld Expo 2020 drawingcloser, Tariq explicates on the

hotel chain’s experience withArabian Travel Market andplans for the summer andmoving forward.

It’s the inaugural partic-ipation of the R Hotels in ATM2015. The hotel chain show-cased 4 of its regional proper-ties, Ramada Hotel andSuites Ajman, Ramada BeachHotel Ajman, RamadaDowntown Dubai andHawthorn Suites byWyndham in Jumeirah BeachResidence.

ATM aside 2015 hasbeen a fruitful year for thegroup even with a drop in theCIS market, occupancy rateshave been on the rise as com-pared to 2014 albeit a moremellow rise than previouslyexpected though the hotelchain expects Q2 to post better occupancy rates withthe opening of their 3rd

property in Dubai.

R Hotels’ recent tie and franchise agreement with AccorHotel Services Middle East to open an ibis Styles hotel inJumeirah will expand past its niche of luxury brand.

R Hotels and Accor ink deal

SU S M I TA GH O S H

Great promotional offers are beingintroduced, which focuses on families, forCIS market and India, most prominentlyAsians coming in from the UK

R Hotels is delightedto sign up with a grouplike Accor and we arepositive that thispartnership will bearfruitful results

Sumair TariqManaging DirectorR Hotels

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“To promote MICE is ourfirst priority, to provide

exceptional customer service,going above and beyond inmeeting clients' demands.Our MICE team works inDubai and across otherEmirates. We arrange VIPdelegation receptions, inter-national conferences, large-scale incentive events andmany others,” informsAksana Mashera, AssistantManaging Director, DuskTours, Dubai.

The UAE is one of thefive most popular businesstourism destinations in theworld and is the first choice inthe Middle East, ranking veryhighly across all criteria. TheUAE draws much attentionfrom corporate tourism as thepossibilities for businessesand individuals are unlimited.The UAE's geographical loca-tion is almost the same dis-

tance from all the majorEuropean economic capitals,which contributes to the expo-nential business tourismdevelopment. Dubai Airport isthe most frequented interna-tional hub welcoming passen-

gers from 160 destinationsand its service is beyondcompare.

“Dubai has lot of oppor-tunities to grow in and prefer-ably from any as far as MICEgroups are concerned be itconferences, incentive groupevents or any events of yourlife. Dubai is perfect to pro-vide any kind of opportunities

which is related to MICEindustry,” she adds.

The organisers thatarrange corporate events,leading exhibitions, congress-es and summits in the UAE,

benefit not only from an opti-mal working environment, butalso have opportunities forrecreational activities. DuskTours’ main concern was CISmarket, but since last twoyears it has been trying fornew markets like EasternEurope or other Europeancountries and some Asianmarkets like India, Pakistan toget new opportunities.

For Dusk Tourism, Dubai, a soon-to-launch online systemand plans to participate in all travel exhibitions in EasternEurope related to MICE sectors are on the cards.

Dusk ramps up presence

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With the closing of yetanother edition of

Arabian Travel Market, theinevitable question for eachtour operator was what hasbeen different in 2015.

Ishrat Ali Khan, GroupManaging Director, AsiaPacific Travels and Tourism,asserts that this particular edi-tion of the world renownedtravel market has boughtmore competition to the Gulfregion particularly from sea-soned European playerseager to invest in a fast grow-ing market.

The competition has inno way dulled the excitementin preparation for the WorldExpo with occupancy ratesclimbing steadily each year inapproach to 2020. Business forthe Asia Pacific group hasseen a rise of 80 to 85 per centparticularly for beach-front

properties which are verymuch in season even with aslight decline in the CIS marketwhich has been well compen-sated by a rise in the Indianand Chinese market.

As for their customerbase, expected to rise evenmore during the remaining of2015, Khan says, “We pro-mote our products to travelagents, corporate and to theexpatriates. Around 35 percent of our clientele are repeat customersthrough referral businessfrom the corporates and local markets.”

Just in time for summeris a rise in demand for yachtcruises and charters of vari-ous capacities. Besides thelatest addition to the growingfleet, 42-foot luxury yacht Al Shujaat 2 houses up to 14 guests, there is a demandwell covered by the groups’ various holdingsboasting nine luxury yachtswith plans to add three more by 2016. In Octobernext the group is planning tolaunch the largest dhowcruise in Dubai with a seatingcapacity of 160.

Asia Pacific Travels and Tourism embraces the growingcompetition in the region after the entry of Europeanplayers as seen at Arabian Travel Market 2015.

Opportune access offered

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Around 35% of ourclientele are repeatcustomers throughreferral businessfrom the corporatesand local markets

Ishrat Ali KhanGroup Managing DirectorAsia Pacific Travels and Tourism

Cozmo Travel: GSA for Royal Brunei AirlinesTo celebrate 40 years of flying, Royal Brunei Airlines launched its rebranded office in Dubai, introducingCozmo Travel as their new GSA for entire UAE.

To promote MICE is our first priority, to provide exceptional customer service, going above and beyond inmeeting clients' demands

Aksana MasheraAssistant Managing Director, Dusk Tours, Dubai

MOVEMENTS J U N E 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 1 5Hyatt HotelsDubaiShaji Thomas has been appointed as Area Director, Sales &Marketing by Hyatt Hotels Dubai. In his new role, Thomas will bemanaging the Dubai Sales andMarketing portfolio of Hyatt Hotelsincluding Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency,Park Hyatt and Hyatt Place. He joinsGrand Hyatt Dubai from his mostrecent post as the Director, Sales andMarketing, Grand Hyatt Mumbai and Area Director, Sales and Marketing,Mumbai, Pune and Goa (total of 6 operational Hyatt Hotels inWestern India).

Viceroy Hotel GroupDubaiMikael Svensson has been appointed as General Manager byViceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah, ahead of the property’s opening in2016. Svensson will oversee the launch ofthe $1 billion property, Viceroy HotelGroup’s first venture into Dubai. In his role as GM, Svensson will utilize his experience and background in modern luxury hospitality to oversee operations of Viceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah. Swedish-born Svensson joins Viceroy Hotel Group from his current role as General Manager, ParkHyatt Canberra.

Air SeychellesAbu DhabiAbdulmohsen Al Sayegh has been appointed as Air Seychelles’Chief Financial Officer. Al Sayegh, who holds a Bachelor’s Degreein Business Administration and FinancialServices from the UAE’s HigherColleges of Technology (HCT),has extensive experience work-ing for Etihad Airways in theUAE and across the world. Hejoined Etihad Airways as SeniorFinancial Controller in 2008 andmoved to the Sydney officethree years later, following a promotion to Senior FinanceManager, Australia.

Al Raha Beach HotelAbu DhabiLydia Palisok takes up the role of Training Manager at Al RahaBeach Hotel. Palisok has over seven years of experience in hos-

pitality field from rooms division to quality,human resources and training depart-

ment. Palisok was a member of the pre-opening team of Sofitel The Palacewhich is now under The AddressHotels and Resort. Before joining AlRaha Beach Resort, Palisok workedboth local and international brands

such as Movenpick Hotels andResort and Meydan Hotels and Hospitality.

Radisson Blu Resort, JizanSaudi ArabiaJohn Fanous has been appointed as the General Manager for thenewly opened Radisson Blu Resort, Jizan. Fanous has over 36

years of experience in the hospitality indus-try. He began his hospitality career in theUS with Holiday Inn Bedford Texas work-ing in the front office. He then went onto manage properties in different desti-

nations including the US, Dubai, SaudiArabia, Qatar and Iraq. In his new role,

Fanous will be responsible for the overall operation ofthe hotel leading the management team.

Etihad AirwaysSydneyThe airline has appointed Sarah Built as its new General Managerfor Australia and New Zealand. Built has 25 years of aviation expe-

rience which includes sales and seniormanagement roles for KLM Royal DutchAirlines, American Airlines, Swiss,

Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways.She joined Etihad Airways in August2011 as its London-based ManagerGlobal Industry Sales, responsible for some of the airline’s major commercial partnerships.

1st Air Arabia Jordan flighttakes off for Kuwait The first Air Arabia Jordan flight depar ted its base at Queen Alia International Airportin Amman on May 18. The airline’s flightto Kuwait City was marked by a ceremony attended by senior executivesfrom the airline, the Jordanian aviation industry and member of the press.Air Arabia Jordan also launched its services to Jeddah, Erbil and SharmEl Sheikh on May 19, 20 and 21 respectively. The new airline will offercustomers comfort, reliability, and value for money air travel from andinto the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Mohamed Soussan,Group General Manager,

Ayla Hotels and Resorts,says, “It is not easy to achievegreat success that we did inthe initial operating years, butit is even harder to maintain itand raise the bar higher.”

For the second year inthe row, Ayla Hotel in Al Ain

has managed to achieve highest performance in thecity. Amongst tough competi-tion in Al Ain, Ayla Hotel succeeded all budgets andtargeted plans.

When asked about theexperience and aftermath atArabian Travel Market 2015,Soussan shares, “AylaHotels and Resorts partici-pated in the ATM as part of

the Abu Dhabi TourismAuthority stand, in the sepa-rate Al Ain section. We hadan opportunity to showcasenot only our properties but Al Ain as a destination aswell, which was very appeal-ing to the visitors. This yearwas the first time for us toattend as a chain.”

“We have grown fromone property to two, and themain focus was promoting ourlatest project, Ayla BawadiHotel. Opened in December2014 we have managed toachieve impressing results interms of occupancy andguests’ feedback. We man-aged to promote Al Ain as adestination with various activ-ities for the entire family,” hefurther informs.

Looking at their develop-mental plans undertakenrecently and the ones in thepipeline, Soussan says that AlAin has been added as anadditional destination for the

UAE and a stopover for UAE-Oman tours. Ayla Bawadi isparticularly interesting forOman market due to its prox-imity to the Oman border andvicinity to one of the lastcamel markets in the UAE:Bawadi Camel Market.

Ayla Hotels and Resortshave come up with two newattractive packages that waspresented and distributed dur-ing the ATM.

• Camel MarketPackages, a uniquelyArabian experience in the cityof Al-Ain, a journey startingfrom the traditional camelmarket through to the Majlisand Souk, ending with a lunchbuffet at Ayla Bawadi Hotel.

• Shop and StayPackages offer a uniqueopportunity to combine aquick getaway at Ayla Bawadi Hotel and enjoy retail therapy at the largestmall in Al-Ain.

Ayla Hotels and Resorts Management Company is gearing up for its thirdproperty in Al Ain – the Ayla Grand Hotel, to open by Q1 2016. In addition,international expansion planning is in process for the years to come.

Growing from a group to a chain

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Mohamed SoussanGroup General ManagerAyla Hotels and Resorts

We have grown from one property to two,and the main focus [at ATM] waspromoting our latest project, Ayla BawadiHotel. Opened in December 2014 we havemanaged to achieve impressing results interms of occupancy and guests’ feedback