Middle East and North Africa Edition

MaY 14, 2011 iSSUe 79 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

May 14, Issue 79

Market Update 4Weekly News 6Accommodation News 14International News 18Air Travel News 22Agents’ Corner 26Travel Talk 28Who’s Moved 29Travel Channels 30Rendezvous 31Events 32 1515

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Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Downtown OpensRadisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Downtown Opens

The Rezidor Hotel Group announced the opening of theRadisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Downtown. The openingmarks the hotel chain’s seventh property in the UAE.

In This Issue

REZIDOR Supplement

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Hilton WorldWideoPenS FiVe HotelS inMiddle eaSt and aFricaHilton Worldwide has opened five hotelsacross the Uae, egypt, Jordan, the indianocean and South africa since the start ofthis year, adhering to the company’s plan toexpand across the Middle east and africa.

the airline’s revenues totalledUSd770 million after the firstthree months of the yearcompared with USd635million following the same

period of 2010, due to strong performances inboth passenger and cargo traffic. Thecompelling figures coupled with a sound 5.9percent reduction in costs per available seatkilometer, resulted in positive eBitdar for thefirst time in Q1.With passenger numbers up 10.6 percent (toover 1.8 million), passenger revenues increasedby 15 percent. This is despite seat factor fallingnearly three percent to 72.7 percent, attributableto the robust impact of the Middle east turmoiland the Japanese earthquake. Meanwhile, cargo revenues rose 44 percentalong a capacity growth of 22 percent, leading

etihad crystal cargo to achieveits best month to date in terms ofrevenues, number of shipmentsand tonnage carried.

The promising results mark a major steptowards etihad’s goal, commented JamesHogen, ceo. “i am pleased to report more positive progresson our journey towards break-even andprofitability. our revenues continue to growfaster than our passenger numbers and, thanksto our robust cost controls, we are seeing a realbenefit in our overall performance. This marksthe first time we have delivered positiveeBitdar in Q1.”in spite of difficult times, the carrier continuedto expand and increase frequencies, highlightedHogan.“These results were achieved despite significantchallenges in our operating environment. Thisquarter saw unrest in a number of Middle eastcountries, which has clearly resulted in lowertraffic into those markets. The earthquake inJapan in early March has also had an impact.our ability to respond to these situations is areflection of the growing maturity andunderlying strength of the business.”

MaY 14, 20114

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

Managing EditorMary Kammitsi

mary@traveltradeweekly.travelJournalistsrita Kasziba

duncan MacraeMarianna Keen

Design & Layoutelina Pericleous

Sales & Marketingdimitris Thomaidis

Directorsandreas constantinides

Mary Kammitsi

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COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=Uae (aed) dirham 3.67egypt (eGP) Pound 5.94Saudi arabia (Sar) riyal 3.75lebanon (lBP) Pound 1,502.5Bahrain (BHd) dinar 0.37Jordan ( Jod) dinar 0.71Syria (SYP) Pound 47.45Kuwait (KWd) dinar 0.28Qatar (Qar) riyal 3.64oman (oMr) rial 0.38tunisia (tnd) dinar 1.39Morocco (Mad) dirham 7.96iran (irr) riyal 10,56Yemen (Yer) rial 215.25algeria (dZd) dinar 71.14libya (lYd) dinar 1.19

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 12/5/2011currencies shown in red are fixed against the US dollar

Etihad: Most Successful Quarter OneEtihad has recorded its most successful first quarter (Q1) to date, with a significantincrease of 21 percent in revenues and positive EBITDAR (earnings before interest,tax, depreciation, amortisation and rentals).

Air Arabia: Continued Profitair arabia has recorded yet another profitable quarter despite a slight dip in net profit. The low cost carrier’s net profit for the first three months ending March 31,totalled aed44.2 million (USd12.03 million), a decrease of 12 percent fromaed50 million (USd13.61 million) in the same period of 2010. The turnoveraccounted for aed513 million (USd139.67 million), representing an increase ofsix percent over quarter one 2010. Passenger volume rose by 11 percent, reaching1.2 million, while average seat load factor stood at 85 percent. Sheikh abdullah Bin Mohammad al Thani, chairman, air arabia, elaborated onthe performance. “We are satisfied with our results for the first quarter of this yearthat is in line with our expectations, given the region’s uncertainty that has adverselyaffected the sector. Though the region has clearly shown positive signs indicatingthe emergence from the more serious effects of the global financial downturn, therise in fuel costs continues to challenge regional carriers. despite this, air arabiahas shown strong resilience and remains on a path of steady growth.”The carrier has continuously enhanced its fleet and route map in accordance withits growth plan.“as we continue to build on the success of the airline’s expansion strategy into newmarkets in europe, africa and asia, air arabia remains committed to expandingthe size and capacity of its fleet, while providing its customers the best value formoney,” concluded Sheikh abdullah.

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IT’S YOUR TURNTO FEEL THE THRILL

H.e. Marwan bin Jassimal Sarkal, ceo,Shurooq, introducedthe project at thearabian travel Market

(atM) last week.“Shurooq’s participation in atM is in line

with its objective of promoting theemirate of Sharjah as a leading regionalinvestment and tourism destination. inline with this objective we are delighted toannounce the launch of the Khorfakkanresort & Spa. Situated on a naturalhillside beside a private cove with a white

sandy beach, the Khorfakkan resort &Spa is sure to become a much sought-afterretreat. inspired by the region’s traditionalarchitecture and way of life, it will featurea five-star luxury resort and amenitiescatering to a discerning audience.” The project will present two interlinked

concepts: an exclusive 170-suiteresort for guests and a fort thatwill be accessible for public andwill also serve as the primaryentry point into the resort.Besides a reception area it willalso house dining facilities, aswimming pool, a spa and gymas well as business services. Shurooq is currently innegotiations with a number ofinternational five star hoteloperators to manage the resort.The 170-suite ‘hill town’ willfeature a town square with cafesand restaurants as well as a plazathat will offer a relaxedenvironment at night. Shurooq was established in2009 with the aim of driving thesocial, cultural, environmentaland economic development ofSharjah. The authority’s scopeof work focuses on encouragingfurther investments andnourishing tourism-relatedprojects.

MaY 14, 20116

Khorfakkan Resort & Spa project

Shurooq Debuts Khorfakkan ProjectSharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) is poised to launch its Khorfakkan Resort & Spa project.

MaY 14, 20118

New Dubai Classification Scheme Launched The Dubai Government’s tourism licensing and promotional body, The Department of Tourism and CommerceMarketing (DTCM), launched a new hotel classification scheme on May 2, in line with the organisation’svision to guide the emirate’s growing tourism industry.

the Guest accommodationclassification Schemeadded a budget hotelcategory that has beenkept outside the one to

five star rating as well as new classificationcriteria for resorts, guest houses, timeshareproperties, youth hostels, self-cateringresidences and university campusaccommodations.in the new system, a new category,accolades, will communicate theexceptional level of luxury guestaccommodation available in the emirateof dubai. it will identify those five-starhotels and resorts that consistenly exceeds

expectations and reward them with goldor platinum status.to support the successful implementationof the new quality standards, dtcM has

invested in extensive training programmesfor all assessors and the ongoingdevelopment of classification software toautomate the entire process.

Dubai

Salem al Mamari, directorgeneral of tourismpromotions, Ministry oftourism, elaborated on therefocus. “The events of recent

months have brought our industrytogether and reinforced the value of the

Gcc and indian markets, with our latestdiscussions highlighting the underlyingvalue of these areas. The Ministry takesthe view that it is in the collective interestof all Gcc tourism authorities to moreaggressively promote the region in theirrespective communications to the travel

trade and consumers, and to look atcoordinated measures such as visas thatpromote intra-regional travel.”The Ministry’s altered strategy also strivesto ulitise the great potential of intra-regional tourism.“The growing transit passenger market is

relatively unaffected by recentevents in the Middle east, so in anenvironment where passengertransit growth outstrips arrivals itis in our common interest to thinkand act regionally in ourcommunications and to bringforward practical measures tostimulate intra-regional travel,”added al Mamari. as part of its initiatives to advertiseoman globally, the Ministry hasjust implemented a direct-to-consumer promotion in the UK.“We used the campaign as a softlaunch for our summer campaignwhich has three components:resorts and hotels; the cooldestinations of the HajarMountains, oman’s east coast andMasirah island and dhofar/Salalah– the destination of choice from Julyto late September. You will see theseelements showcased in the roll-outof our print and web collateral,” saidthe director general.in addition, the Ministry also plansa road show in india along withvarious promotion campaigns.“our recent work in the indianmarket had piqued our interest andwe are looking at a number ofinitiatives over summer. indigoairlines’ decision to start dailyservices between Mumbai andMuscat from next august is a positiveindicator of growing travel demandfor oman and bodes well for ourfuture tourism and hospitality links,”concluded al Mamari.

MaY 14, 201110

Oman Targets GCC and IndiaOman’s Ministry of Tourism has altered its marketing strategy to focus on attracting short-term leisure andMICE business from the GCC and India. The Ministry will also start a global awareness campaign this year.

MaY 14, 201112

Monte-Carlo to Debut in the Middle EastTourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) is planning tointroduce its Monte-Carlo brand to the Middle East in September with theopening of Saadiyat’s first beach club.

Dubai ExpertDubai Department of Tourismand Commerce Marketing(dtcM) has launched dubaiexpert, a new online travel trainingprogramme in its key overseasmarkets to further promote thedestination.The user-friendly programme,which is based on state-of-the-artsoftware and technology, providesvarious information on dubai suchas leisure and business destinationswhich are ideal for families,adventure, shopping or for cruising.dtcM, the developer and managerof the programme, expects dubaiexpert to assist travel trade partnersto sell dubai as a destination ofchoice for their customers.

the exclusive club willrepresent the values andheritage of Monte-carloSBM’s sister hotels andclubs in europe in a

distinctive arabian way. The 39,500 m2 venue will offer residentsand visitors alike a wide range of servicesand facilities, including a private beachlounge, a kids’ area, an outdoor swimmingpool and a health and fitness centre. inaddition, it will feature a selection of dining

options. after sunset, the club willtransform into an evening hotspotproviding sophisticated entertainment. The beach club, located on the renownedtourism hotspot of Saadiyat Beach, will benestled between two luxury hotel resorts, andwill provide direct access to the arabian Gulfand the Saadiyat Beach Golf club.tdic, the developer of several cultural,residential and tourism destinations inabu dhabi, scheduled the opening forSeptember.

MaY 14, 201114

- Accommodation

Hilton Worldwide Hits the Ground Running withOpenings Across Middle East and AfricaHilton Worldwide has opened five hotels across the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, the Indian Ocean and South Africasince the start of this year, adhering to the company’s plan to expand across the Middle East and Africa.

the company has alsosigned agreements forfour new properties inthe Mea across four ofits brands, which include

the Hilton Sharjah, Waldorf astoria rasal Khaimah, Hilton Garden inn doha alSadd and doubletree by Hilton, dubai alBarsha. rudi Jagersbacher, area president, Middleeast and africa, Hilton Worldwide,observed the growth and opportunitiesthat the hotel company is being faced within the region. “We’ve hit the ground running in 2011

and we’re experiencing a fantastic rate ofgrowth.”Hilton Worldwide recently opened its firsthotel in Jordan, the doubletree by Hiltonaqaba, and it also plans to debut innamibia, Qatar and equatorial Guineaduring this year.in total, Hilton Worldwide expects tohave opened 10 hotels across the Middleeast and africa by the end of the year, andit anticipates growing its presence in thearea by nearly 80 percent over the comingthree to four years. Hilton Worldwidecurrently operates 49 hotels and oneconvention centre in the Middle east and

africa, with 15,000 rooms and more than17,000 team members across 15countries.

DoubleTree by Hilton Aqaba

15MaY 14, 2011

- Accommodation

Starwood Announces Growth in UAEStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced plans toexpand its presence by opening the 220-room Four Points bySheraton Sharjah, in 2013.

Radisson Blu Hotel, DubaiDowntown OpensThe Rezidor Hotel Group announced on May8 the opening of the radisson Blu Hotel, dubaidowntown.The opening marks the hotel chain’s seventhproperty in the Uae. Kurt ritter, president andceo, rezidor, remarked on the growth in thehotel market. “The opening of this property is afurther sign for the positive and optimisticatmosphere within our industry which we alsofelt during aHic and atM last week. Themarkets are bouncing back and we see revParincreasing – fuelled by both occupancy and rate.”located on the upper floors of a mixed usebuilding, the hotel borders Business Bay, a megaproject covering an area of 6 million m2, which isdesigned to be the new centre of dubai commerce.in addition to 220 contemporary rooms and 22suites, the hotel features ample meetingfacilities including six conference rooms, twoboard rooms and a business centre.

the hotel will formpart of a mixed-useoffice, residential,retail and hoteldevelopment

situated across from the central Soukarea of the city.roeland Vos, president, StarwoodHotels & resorts, europe, africa,Middle east, commented on the hotelchain’s decision to expand its presencein Sharjah. “With the combination ofrich culture and tradition, a robusteconomy and endless sunshine, Sharjahis poised to revive its position as a majortravel destination in the region.”

The Four Points by Sheraton SharjahHotel, will feature 187 rooms and 33suites, a fitness centre, an outdoorpool, four meeting rooms and abusiness centre. Hasan ahmad ibrahim al Marzouqi,hotel owner, Four Points by SheratonSharjah, expressed his delight insigning the operating servicesagreement for the Starwood hotel.“We are very proud to contribute withthis prestigious project to the touristindustry in Sharjah and the Uae.”Starwood currently operates threeFour Points by Sheraton hotels in theUae, all located in dubai.

the hotels represent threeof the group’s four brands,serving luxury and mid-market segments, and willincrease the existing

HMH inventory of rooms in Saudi arabiaby almost 44 percent.Michel noblet, president and ceo,HMH, believes that the new hotels willgive the company greater access to theSaudi market, which is growing quickly asdemand for rooms soars. “Str Global’s February 2011 report forSaudi arabia revealed a significantincrease in occupancy and revPar in thecountry. overall, Saudi arabia sawoccupancy rates rise by more than nine

percent, adr rates increase by nearly 10percent and revPar soar by nearly 20percent. our new properties are ideallyplaced to take advantage of this growthand are an excellent representation of ourbrand’s offering of world-class businessand leisure facilities.”

“despite the recent economic and politicalturmoil, HMH’s growth remains strong inthe country as well as the region. We have

continued to execute our expansionstrategy in the region irrespective of thedifficult times,” added noblet. “The bottom line is you need to knowhow to market your hotels, and that is theonly way to be successful in today’schallenging business environment.”

MaY 14, 201116

- Accommodation

Marriott to Introduce Residence Inn Marriott International announced its plans to introduce theresidence inn brand to Bahrain later this year. The residenceinn by Marriott Juffair, will be the first residence inn-brandedproperty in the Middle east. Situated in the Juffair district of Manama, the 78-room hotelcaters for extended stay travellers, with each suite offering afully-equipped kitchen and separate living area.ed Fuller, president and managing director for internationallodging, Marriott, demonstrated his enthusiasm in the hotel chain’sexpansion. “We’re thrilled by the continued expansion of our presence inBahrain and are excited to introduce our third lodging brandin the country, givingtravellers a growingchoice in accommodationwhen they visit thecountry.”Marriott announced itwould also operate aresidence inn-brandedproperty in Jizan, Saudiarabia in 2012 andanother in algiers in2014.

Seven Saudi Arabian Hotels Due To OpenHospitality Management Holdings (HMH) has completed seven hotels in Saudi Arabia, which are due toopen in the near future.

Coral Beach Hotel - Jubail

STR Global’s February 2011 report for Saudi

Arabia revealed a significantincrease in occupancy and

RevPAR in the country

Ed Fuller (left) and Shaikh HishamAbdulrahman Al-Khalifa

17MaY 14, 2011

- Accommodation

Sol Meliá to debut in GCCSol Meliá, the Spanish resort hotel chain is poised to introduce its first property in the Middle East. The five-star ‘urban-resort’ in Dubai is scheduled to open in October.

the opening of the 164-room Melia dubai onoctober 12 will representthe company’s foray inthe Gulf coinciding with

the Spanish national day. andre Gerondeau, executive vicepresident, hotels division, Sol Meliá Hotelsand resorts, elaborated on the debut.“This is our first property in the arabianGulf and the first step to realising ourexpansion plans for the region. We arecurrently negotiating with potentialpartners in Qatar, Saudi arabia andJordan and we hope to make furtherannouncements in the near future."The new property, which will feature five

food and beverage outlets, a full servicespa, a rooftop swimming pool with Spanishtapas bar and an executive floor, is expectedto attract a wide range of travellers.Gilles longuet, general manager, Meliádubai, commented on the guest profilefor the property. “our target guest mix is 50-50 businessand leisure, targeting Gcc nationals,indians, Germans, British, Spanish,Greeks, French and Brazilians.”daniel lozano, senior vice president, Meliabrand, described the aed200 million(USd54.45 million) investment as astrategic venture.“We chose dubai because this is thecommercial hub for the region and we felt our

brand attributes would suit such acosmopolitan market. We believe that ourtraditional Spanish hospitality can offer a newdimension to customers in the region, whilestill appealing to arab guests. our brandstrength in Germany, UK, italy and elsewherein europe, will give us a competitive edgewhen we begin our marketing campaigns inthese regions for inbound business to dubai.We can also use that leverage to secureoutbound business.”a total of eight brands represent Sol Meliáaround the world, of which the luxurybrand, Gran Meliá and the lifestyle brand,Me by Meliá are expected to appeal themost to guests and investors alike in theMiddle east.

MaY 14, 201118

- International

Germany Announces Record-Breaking Visitor NumbersOvernight stays by visitors to Germany from abroad totalled 60.3 million in the period spanning from Januaryto December 2010, according to the latest figures from the German Federal Statistical Office.

the report also shows that thenumber of overnight staysby international travellerspassed the 60-million markfor the first time.

The figures represent an increase of 10percent compared with 2009, illustratingan upward trend in both holiday andbusiness travel. the arabian Gulf is one of its strongergrowth markets, with the number ofovernight stays reaching 968,336 in2010 (by visitors from this region).this is an impressive increase of 26.4percent compared with 2009, when766,089 overnight stays by Gulf arabswere registered in Germany. the

German national tourist Board(GntB) expects this number to reach2.3 million by 2020.antje roeding-Boudier, director ofmarketing and sales, Gulf countries,German national tourist office(Gnto), commented that the figuresprove that Germany is becomingincreasingly popular with foreign visitors.“i am particularly pleased about the highnumber of overnight stays by visitors fromthe arabian Gulf. With almost one millionovernight stays recorded for this group,the Gulf region is now the fourthstrongest overseas source market forGermany. “Between January and december 2010,

26.4 percent more overnight stays byGcc travellers were recorded, comparedwith the figures of 2009 when thisnumber stood at 766,089. This shows anincrease of 202,247 overnight stays.”

Lake Constance

MaY 14, 201120

- International

French Hotel Given Palace StatusHotel Le Bristol, Paris, has become the first French hotel to beofficially granted ‘palace’ status, one year after it was awarded afifth star.The luxury hotel is now the only european family-owned palace,having belonged to only two families since it opened in 1925. didier le calvez, chairman and general manager, Hotel leBristol, Paris, noted that the new distinction is bound to improvethe hotel’s reputation around the world.“in a highly competitive environment, this distinction willvalorise exceptional hotels like le Bristol on the internationalscene. This award wouldn’thave been possible without theconfidence and the regularinvestments made by theoetker Group since 1978, andle Bristol’s staff, who workhard to be the best, every day.The ‘palace’ status enhancesFrench influence abroad andconfirms le Bristol’s positionas an exceptional hotel.” Didier Le Calvez

- International

MaY 14, 201122

- Air News

Al Qasba - Travel Trade Weekly - 14 May 2011Trim: 112mm x 155mmBleed: 122mm x 165mm

flydubai Introduces New Key Flights to Saudi Arabiaflydubai announced it has inaugurated two new routes toSaudi arabia, with flights departing for riyadh and Jeddahfrom dubai.Ghaith al Ghaith, ceo, flydubai, demonstrated gratitude tothe Saudi authorities for their hand in launching the newventure, and verified his confidence in the affordability andpopularity of the new service. “i would like to thank the Saudi authorities for their assistanceand dedication in helping to get these new routes off theground. Saudi has long been a focal point for flydubai, so weare delighted to add riyadh and Jeddah to our growing list ofdestinations. and with so many people travelling between theUae and Saudi arabia every month for business and leisure,we are confident our affordable service will prove popular inthe months ahead.”in addition to thecommercial hubs ofJeddah and riyadh,flydubai destinationsin Saudi arabiainclude Gassim,Yanbu and abha.

Oman Air Resumes Flights Oman Air recommences services between Salalah and Dubai as well as Muscat and Zanzibar.

the national carrier ofoman restarted theoperation to dubai fromMay 4, just before theSalalah tourism Festival.

abdulrazaq alraisi, chief commercialofficer, oman air, elaborated on the twiceweekly flights.“The number of tourists from the Gulfstates visiting Salalah during the annualKhareef season has been steadilyincreasing. With our direct flights we aresure we can cater to more enthusiastictravellers who wish to escape the sizzlingsummer heat of much of the arabian Gulffor the cool climate and Monsoonshowers of Khareef season.”The airline will reinstate Zanzibar to its

route map from May 16. alraisicommented on the resuming services. “oman air is very happy and excited tobring back Zanzibar to our network. it isa unique destination in terms of tourism

potential as well as business andcommercial prospects. oman has friendlyrelations with Zanzibar and representsour third destination in africa and secondin tanzania”.

Rabih Saab (left)Ghaith Al Ghaith

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MaY 14, 201124

- Air News

Qatar Executive to Add Three New Aircraft to its FleetQatar Airways revealed plans for its corporate jet division,Qatar executive, to expand its fleet with the addition of threenew Bombardier aircraft.The incoming deliveries will include a Bombardier XrS inMay, followed by a challenger 605 in July, and a Global 5000in august, the latter of which is the second delivery from anorder for two Global 5000s announced at the Farnboroughair Show in July 2010.The move by Qatar airways responds to the surge in privatetravel in the Middle east and worldwide.akbar al Baker, ceo, Qatar airways, commented on therapid growth in the corporate jet travel market. “When Qatarexecutive first began, it was a successful operation right fromthe start. The travel patterns we witnessed from the onsetwere indicative of the pent-up demand for tailor-made andcompletely customised travel. it immediately became obviousthat we were filling a gap in a market which has grown rapidly,particularly in the Middle east region.”

UAE Airline Teams Up With Royal JetEtihad Airways has launched a new premium travel service portfolio, Premium Connect, and signed aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) with private charter service provider Royal Jet.

the agreement will enablepassengers to access abespoke and personalisedservice to single ormultiple destinations

beyond etihad’s extensive network.Peter Baumgartner, chief commercialofficer, etihad, revealed that Premiumconnect will consist of a portfolio ofcarefully selected luxury travelpartnerships. “if a guest’s journey continues beyondabu dhabi, etihad will be able to offerthem a number of onward private traveloptions through Premium connect.royal Jet’s wide-ranging fleet includessome of the most luxurious, sophisticated

and technologically-advanced private jetsin the world and is an ideal launch partnerfor this unique travel solution for thediscerning traveller.”

Shane o’Hare, ceo, royal Jet,commented that the service extendsetihad’s premium service through royalJet’s ability to provide high levels ofluxury, flexibility, responsiveness and

discretion to today’s sophisticatedtraveller. “This will be achieved through absoluteservice excellence supported by a diverseproduct offering and an exceptional teamof highly qualified professionals.”

If a guest’s journey continues beyond Abu Dhabi,

Etihad will be able to offerthem a number of onward

private travel options

More than 1,700seats have beenadded per week tothe existing summerflights to meet

increasing passenger demand, whileservices to Kabul, copenhagen and nairobiwill soon be launched.Karim Makhlouf, commercialofficer, Gulf air, commentedthat the airline expects demandfor its services to be high thissummer.“Summer has always been a busyseason with schools closed forvacation and people travellingabroad to spend their holidays inpopular summer destinationsvisiting friends, family andrelatives or simply to escape theheat, and we have always seen atremendous rush for tickets.

Many of Gulf air’s destinations are verypopular with customers in Bangkok,colombo, istanbul, Kathmandu and Manila.These markets are already witnessing over 80percent bookings, and come summer, thedemand will be even higher”. The airline has ensured it meets thesummer rush by increasing frequencies and

operating bigger aircraft. in addition, theintroduction of split schedules on someroutes will allow flexibility for customersincluding arrival and departure optionsaccording to their leisure needs. The splitschedule also offers better onwardconnectivity options for those travelling toother destinations via Bahrain.

25MaY 14, 2011

- Air News

Airberlin MoreDubai FlightsAirberlin has revealed plans toincrease the number of flightsto dubai from Berlin-tegel,starting with its winterschedule 2011-2012.The German carrier will now bethe only airline providingservice between the Germancapital and dubai five times aweek, with the new connectionsnow available for bookings.domestic connections offeredby the airline includedüsseldorf, cologne-Bonnand Munich. The airline alsooffers connecting flights fromairports including Barcelona,Gothenburg, copenhagen,Helsinki, Moscow, Stockholm,Vienna and Zurich.

Gulf Air Adds New Summer FlightsGulf Air has added more flights, seats and flight options to a number of its key destinations, as well as creatingthree new destinations this summer.

MaY 14, 201126

Who are you?My name is isaaf nahas andi am the general manager ofnahas travel and tourism. ilived in Germany for severalyears before returning toSyria. i really enjoy workingin the industry as i lovebeing in contact with peopleand assist them with wellorganised and planned tours.Furthermore, i am reallyinterested in art which isclosely related to tourism, which explains why i enjoy restoringancient houses in the old town.

What is your favorite thing about working in the travelindustry?tourism brings people together and it leads to personalcontact in which people are able to understand attitudes andbeliefs, which have been previously incomprehensible due tothe long distance. However, tourism builds a bridge over thesegaps and helps to make friends across countries.

When is the best time to visit Syria?Syria is a country that can be visited all year around, but thebest climate is from april to June and from october tonovember. However, booking is expected to be concluded inadvance.

Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?Mexico. as i heard people are really warm there and thecountry is full of culture which is somehow very close to theSyrian.

Why should people come to you for travel advice?as our slogan states ‘we don’t handle guests, we welcomethem’. our staff is creative in putting together programmes andis really keen on satisfying specific requests. We care for detailsand always make sure that our clients enjoy the real flavour ofSyria and its people.

Name: Isaaf NahasPosition: General ManagerCompany: Nahas Travel and TourismLocation: Syria

Agent’s InsightIndia Favours Homegrown Online Travel Agentsindian travellers prefer local online travel agencies (ota) to theirbigger, global counterparts, according to a recent report by travelindustry research company PhocusWright.PhocusWright’s indian online travel traffic report tracks thegrowth of india’s online travel population. it revealed that morethan 40 percent of internet users visited the online travel categoryin quarter four of 2010, representing a 45 percent increase inunique visitors year on year. in comparison, the total internetaudience grew only 13 percent over the same period.otas are playing a major role in driving online travel bookinggrowth, with traffic to otas growing faster than that to both theairline and hotel supplier categories, increasing 65 percent fromquarter four of 2009 to quarter four of 2010. in quarter four of2010, otas attracted more than double the unique monthlyvisitors of airlines and nearly seven times more than hotelwebsites.in many major travel markets around the globe, otas andsupplier websites wage fierce battles over online market share. inindia, however, local otas are beating not only airlines andhotels in terms of traffic, but also their own global counterparts.

Isaaf Nahas

MaY 14, 201128

Travel Talk is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hearfrom you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

Helen BeckRegional Director, International Representatives, EMEA,Royal Caribbean International“We are delighted to take home the award for the Middle east’sleading cruise line for the second year running. This award is areal testament to our dedicated employees who go above andbeyond to provide outstanding customer service every day. We arecommitted to providing our customers with a friendly and personalservice and have worked hard to perfect our Gold anchor Serviceto inspire our guests to come back again and again.”

James HoganCEO, Etihad Airways“The positive response to our services to iraq has exceededexpectations and is testament to the strong growth in relationsbetween our two countries. We are committed to buildingstrong and sustainable ties in this region and look forward toseeing continued strong demand on our services, particularlyfrom government and business travellers, as well as peoplefrom iraq visiting family and friends around the world.”

We arecommitted to buildingstrong and

sustainable tiesin this region

James Hogan

We are delighted to takehome the award for theMiddle East’s Leading

Cruise Line for the secondyear running

Helen Beck

29MaY 14, 2011

Antoine Floutyantoine Flouty has been appointed as resident manager atintercontinental (iHG) Jordan. Flouty, who has morethan 14 years of experience in the hospitality industry withiHG, has previously held several managerial positions invarious cities including Manama, abu dhabi, doha andBeirut. Most recently he worked as resident manager ofintercontinental regency, Bahrain. Besides diplomas inhospitality management and hotel and restaurantmanagement, Flouty has solid expertise in re-branding,refurbishment, openings and managing teams.

Tareq Daoudtareq daoud has beenappointed as area director ofworldwide sales – Gcc forHyatt Hotels & resorts.daoud will be in charge ofexecuting Hyatt’s growthstrategy in the Gcc, a keyregion to the global expansionof the company. daoud, whobrings solid background andsales expertise to his new role,joined Hyatt in 2002, asassociate director of sales andhas most recently held theposition of associate directorof sales and marketing atGrand Hyatt dubai. Prior tojoining Hyatt, he worked inJordan, Saudi arabia andQatar with several luxuryhotel brands.

Tareq Daoud

Antoine Flouty

Scheduled international trafficresults for March this year,showed that year-on-yeargrowth in passenger demandhad slowed to 3.8 percent

from the 5.8 percent recorded inFebruary. conversely, year-on-yeargrowth in freight markets rebounded to3.7 percent in March from the 1.8 percentrecorded in February. Global passenger demand fell by 0.3percent in March compared withFebruary, while cargo demand expandedby 4.5 percent.Giovanni Bisignani, director general andceo, iata, commented on the latest

results. “The profile of the recovery in airtransport sharply decelerated in March.The global industry lost two percentagepoints of demand as a result of theearthquake and tsunami in Japan and thepolitical unrest in the region.”

disruptions in Mena, caused by politicalunrest, cut international travel by 0.9

percent, with egypt and tunisiaexperiencing traffic levels up to 25 percentbelow the norm for March. Militaryaction in libya virtually stopped civilaviation to, from and within the country. The tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japancaused a one percent loss of globalinternational traffic in March.

MaY 14, 201130

IATA Reveals Latest International Traffic FiguresThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that growth in passenger demand hasslowed recently, while freight markets are on the top.

The profile of the recovery in air transport

sharply decelerated in March

Travel Trade Weekly: Will AIBTMoperations be different in any significantways to those of the EIBTM? Has anappointment-based meetings structureproved popular in the past withbusinesses from all nations?Steve Knight: The formula for aiBtMis similar to that of iBtM’s portfolio ofevents around the world, however, it is anevent strategically placed in the US toserve the US meetings industry. USdomestic buyers will have theopportunity to purchase from US-basedsuppliers, US buyers can purchase frominternational suppliers and internationalbuyers can purchase from US suppliers.The Hosted Buyer Programme, whichmatches exhibitors and buyers together todo business, has been a driving force inthe development of reed travelexhibition events, which include aiMe,ciBtM, GiBtM and eiBtM, theleading global events for the meetings andevents industry. The Programme is apopular format that is recognised by theinternational meetings industry. With thepre-scheduled appointment system, thereis no unnecessary wasted time in settingup meetings, as from the outset we bringtogether people who want to meet and dobusiness, delivering a strong return oninvestment.aiBtM will attract over 3,000 meetingprofessionals from all over the world,2,000 of which will be individuallyqualified Hosted Buyers. over 700 globalexhibiting companies are available at theHosted Buyers’ disposal for eight pre-scheduled one-to-one appointments perday, this means 640,000 minutes ofmeetings will take place during two days,guaranteeing that time is maximised and

their business goals achieved. no otherindustry event in north america evencomes close to delivering this manymeeting minutes over two days.

Travel Trade Weekly: Will the eventbe held in Baltimore every year or areother locations being considered?Steve Knight: We have no plans at thisstage to change the host city for aiBtM.Baltimore was chosen as the location foraiBtM for a number of reasons, nonemore important than its proximity andease of access to the vast eastern seaboardmeeting and events community.

Travel Trade Weekly: From whatmarkets has the event attracted mostdemand this year? Are there anyexhibitors from the Middle East andNorth Africa region?Steve Knight: The exhibitingcommunity at aiBtM includes regionalUS as well as international – those lookingto do business with outbound meetingsfrom the US. There are a significant number of nationaltourist organisations and conventionbureaus including Meet taiwan,Switzerland tourism, Barcelona cVB,Madrid convention Bureau, new orleansMetropolitan convention & Visitors

Bureau, Philadelphia, turespaña, Puertorico convention Bureau, costa ricatourism Board, Jamaica tourist Board,tourism australia, Malaysia convention& exhibition Bureau, Brazil, Germanconvention Bureau, china, Moscowexhibition and convention agency andargentina. Middle east and northafrican exhibitors include, egyptiantourist authority, laico Hotels & resorts(tunisia), abu dhabi tourism authority,and Government of dubai. They join hotels and venues includingbrands such as Hilton Worldwide,Marriott Hotels and Starwood Hotels andresorts, Hyatt Hotels and resorts,intercontinental Hotel Group, Fairmont-raffles-Swissôtel Hotels & resorts,Sofitel luxury Hotels, langham Hotelsinternational, carnival cruise lines,revel atlantic city and George MasonUniversity.

Travel Trade Weekly: How muchcapacity is still remaining at the eventto be held this June?Steve Knight: at the beginning of april2011, 97 percent of booth space hadalready been sold.

31MaY 14, 2011

Q & A with Steve KnightThe Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition (AIBTM), to be held in June 21-23, in Baltimore, prides itself asthe first large-scale exhibition of its kind to bring together the entire meetings and events industry of the world inone US location. Steve Knight, project director, AIBTM, talks about the events inimitable business opportunities.

Steve Knight

AIBTM will attract over 3,000 meeting

professionals from all overthe world, 2,000 of which

will be individuallyqualified Hosted Buyers

MaY 14, 201132

EventsThe Hotel ShowDubai, UAE, May 17-19, 2011(www.thehotelshow.com)a hospitality event for the Mena, Gcc and emergingmarkets.

International Pow Wow San Francisco, US, May 21-25, 2011(www.ustravel.org/events/international-pow-wow)an international marketplace and the largest generator ofVisit USa.

IMEXFrankfurt, Germany, May 24-26, 2011(www.imex-frankfurt.com)a worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events.

Asia Luxury Travel MarketShanghai, China, June 13-16, 2011(www.altm.com.cn)an event showcasing the world's most sought after destinationsand travel experiences to travel buyers from across the asia Pacific.

CITY FAIR The European Cities Travel Workshop London, UK, June 20, 2011(www.cityfair.travel)a one day event of pre-scheduled appointments dedicated to thesector of city tourism.

AIBTMBaltimore, US, June 21-23, 2011(www.aibtm.com)a US event for the business travel and meetings industry.

ADNEC Increases Exhibition SpaceThe available event space at abu dhabinational exhibitions company’s(adnec) al ain convention centre inthe Uae, has been increased with theopening of the first phase of a majordevelopment.The new halls were opened by H.H.Sheikh tahnoon Bin Mohammed alnahyan, ruler’s representative in theeastern region of abu dhabi, and booststhe event space at the venue to more than20,000m2.This includes the brand new 6,000m2 alKhabisi Hall 2, the 6,600m2 al KhabisiHall 1 and an 8,125m2 outdoor event area. H.H. Sheikh tahnoon, noted adnec’ssuccessful efforts to develop the venue toa world class standard and highlighted thesignificant impact the new facilities at theal ain convention centre would have inpromoting the city of al ain as well as the

wider eastern region of abu dhabi. adnec aims to develop al ainconvention centre into a landmarkproject that will draw an expanded rangeof events to al ain, including corporate

events and concerts, besides the currentportfolio of exhibitions and conferences. This will enable event organisers to tapfurther into the commercial potential ofal ain city.