Middle East and North Africa Edition

JulY 30 2011 ISSue 90 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

July 30, Issue 90

Market Update 2Weekly News 3Accommodation News 5Air Travel News 7International 10Who’s Moved 11Travel Talk 12Agents’ Corner 13Travel Channels 14Rendezvous 15Events 16

22

new route launcHeD Between DoHa anD MeDInaQatar airways has launched its fourth routeto Saudi arabia, with four flights per weekto the holy city of Medina.

In This Issue77

Four SeaSonS Hotel MarrakecH openS ItS DoorSFour Seasons Hotel Marrakech has swungits doors wide open to welcome travellerskeen on indulging in Moroccan culture.

55

Al Bateen Executive Airport saw significant growth inbusiness aviation, according to figures for the first half of theyear, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has reported.

Al Bateen Executive Airport Sees Rise in Private Jet ActivityAl Bateen Executive Airport Sees Rise in Private Jet Activity

JulY 30, 20112

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

Managing EditorMary kammitsi

mary@traveltradeweekly.travelJournalistsrita kasziba

Duncan MacraeMarianna keen

Design & Layoutelina pericleous

Sales & MarketingDimitris ThomaidisMaria Demetriadou

Directorsandreas constantinides

Mary kammitsi

Headquartersp.o. Box 25255

nicosia 1308 cyprustel: +35722820888Fax: +35722318958

Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

Emailsinfo@traveltradeweekly.travel

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COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=uae (aeD) Dirham 3.67egypt (eGp) pound 5.96Saudi arabia (Sar) riyal 3.75lebanon (lBp) pound 1,514.5Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JoD) Dinar 0.71Syria (SYp) pound 47.45kuwait (kwD) Dinar 0.27Qatar (Qar) riyal 3.64oman (oMr) rial 0.38tunisia (tnD) Dinar 1.37Morocco (MaD) Dirham 7.88Iran (Irr) riyal 10,603Yemen (Yer) rial 213.25algeria (DZD) Dinar 73.47libya (lYD) Dinar 1.21

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 28/7/2011currencies shown in red are fixed against the uS Dollar

Al Bateen Executive Airport Sees 40 Percent Rise in Private Jet ActivityAl Bateen Executive Airport saw significant growth in business aviation,according to figures for the first half of the year, abu Dhabi airports company(aDac) has reported.compared with the same period in 2010, the airport recorded a 40 percentincrease in private jet movements. recent success is accredited in part to theaddition of al Bateen’s fifth operator, rotana Jet, which launched services with aGulfstream G450 jet early this year.commercial activity from the airport saw 12 percent growth for the period, reachinga total of more than 4,500 commercial movements for the first half of the year.Stephen Jones, general manager, al Bateen executive airport, attributes the good newsin large part to a step change in service levels, including the airport’s recently unveilednew fixed base operator (FBo), DhabiJet. “The changes that aDac has implementedrecently, such as the professional team that has been put in place at DhabiJet, theexclusive FBo product with a range of exclusive new services, are all being very wellreceived by the market and the traffic results are solid evidence of that”.

SWISS Reports Rise in H1 Passenger NumbersSWISS carried 7,367,099 passengers in the first six months of this year, a 10.9percent increase on the same period last year.

the positive results are reportedto be attributable partly toimproved industry conditionsthis year; whereas in 2010numerous flight cancellations

had to be made due to the Icelandic volcanic ashcloud, which affected international airspace. Thecompany posted year-on-year increases in all itsmonthly passenger numbers to date for thecurrent year.while the 79.1 percent seat load factor recordedon SwISS’s european network from January toJune saw a 1.1 percent increase from the sameperiod in 2010, the 83.7 percent seat load factorfor intercontinental services experienced a 1.3percent decline. SwISS performed 74,613flights in the six month period, some 8.4 percent

more than in the same period of 2010.total capacity (in available seat-km) wasincreased by 11.4 percent in europe and by 12.3percent on intercontinental routes. Meanwhile,the airfreight business, Swiss worldcargo,suffered a 2.5 percent decline in its cargo loadfactor (by volume) for the period, falling to 79.3percent.

The changes that ADAC has implemented recently are all being very well received by the market and the

traffic results are solid evidence of that

3JulY 30, 2011

British Airways Set to Begin Daily Flights from Saudi ArabiaBritish Airways has revised its winter schedule to include daily flights from Riyadh, amounting to a total of12 flights between Saudi Arabia and London Heathrow.

the increase from six toseven weekly flights fromlondon to riyadh willbe operated by the end ofoctober. In addition to

this route, the airline operates five servicesa week from Jeddah.paolo De renzis, regional commercialmanager Middle east, British airways,elaborated on the decision to extendservices in the kingdom. “we areabsolutely delighted with the demandfrom the Saudi arabian market since weresumed flights two years ago. our twokingdoms share a great affinity and

passengers are travelling for a wide varietyof reasons from tourism to business toeducation. In response to thiscontinuously growing demand, wequickly realised that the additional oneflight a week from riyadh, announced justover a month ago, wasn’t going to besufficient. So, instead of adding one flight,we’ve decided to increase it to two,resulting in a daily service throughout theweek from riyadh.”The riyadh route will be served using aBoeing 777 offering a choice of four cabins,including the award winning club worldand the airline’s flagship first class cabin.

Our two Kingdoms share a great affinity and passengers are

travelling for a widevariety of reasons

British Airways

JulY 30, 20114

Grand Hyatt San Francisco Gets a FaceliftThe iconic Grand Hyatt San Francisco has embarked on an extensivetransformation to become a world-class property upon re-opening in autumn2012. Due to the increasing number of flights operated between the Middle eastthe uS, San Francisco has fast gained ground among arab travellers, notedkapil aggarwal, director of sales and marketing for South west asia, HyattInternational. “Middle eastern travellers are increasingly exploring widerareas of california beyond los angeles and San Diego and are being luredby the charms of San Francisco, including more than 200 parks, a coolerclimate, a magnificent Golden Gate Bridge, nearby beaches, a wide range ofworld-class museums and multi-cultural dining options.”The landmark hotel, located in the heart of San Francisco, will re-open itsdoors in autumn 2012 as a world-class property, following an extensiveuSD70 million, multi-phase transformation. The facelift includes theredesign of the hotel’s 659 units, the Grand club and the lobby, as well as theupgrade of the meeting facilities, the restaurant and the lounge. upon completion, Grand Hyatt San Francisco will set new standards, notedDavid nadelman, general manager.“with our unparalleled location in the heart of vibrant union Square, GrandHyatt San Francisco has been a time-honoured favorite for visitors to the ‘cityby the Bay’ for more than 42 years, offering limitless access to world-classshopping, historic landmarks and attractions, and premier dining andentertainment. our exciting renovation will reveal a sophisticated and luxuriousnew product, providing guests the very best in style, comfort and technology.”

Drop in Abu Dhabi, Rise in MeccaAbu Dhabi has witnessed significant decline in gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR), whilstMecca’s hospitality industry has been flourishing, according to STR Global’s Annual Profitability Survey 2011.

Based on the market dataprovider’s analysis, whileasia pacific, europe andlatin america experienced afruitful period with

increasing Goppar, some Middle easternresults have been flagging. one of the highlights of the report is theimpressive 75 percent Goppar growth inShanghai, as a result of the successfulhosting of the world expo. In contrast tothe asian results, parts of the Middle east

suffered from the oversupply of hotelrooms, with abu Dhabi leading thenegative ranking with a 40 percent decreasein Goppar. other parts of the region, however,experienced a successful period, with Meccarecording the highest proportion of revenuefrom gross operating profit with 68.5 percent. The lowest payroll to revenue ratio wasfound in Sharm el Sheikh with 11.8 percentwhilst the highest is in athens with 46.4percent.

Mecca

Ascott to Open its FirstServiced Residence in IndiaThe Ascott Limited will open citadinesrichmond Bangalore, its first servicedresidence in India, on august 1.ascott secured the 96-unit property inBangalore through a lease agreement andplans to begin operations in the coming week.lim Ming Yan, ceo, ascott, commented onthe hotel chain’s expansion throughout thedeveloping country. “India is a key market forascott as it has significant demand forserviced residences arising from the fastgrowing economy. Many local as well asmultinational companies have grown theiroperations in the country.”citadines richmond Bangalore is ascott’sseventh property under development inIndia, amounting to a total of 1,300apartment units. The company has propertiesin ahmadabad and Hyderabad as well as twoproperties in both Bangalore and chennai.Somerset Greenways chennai is scheduled toopen this year while the remaining fiveproperties are expected to welcome their firstguests within the next three years. “The six properties will cost uSD300 millionwhen fully developed over the next threeyears,” added Yan.

Middle Eastern travellers are increasingly exploring wider areas of California beyond Los Angeles and San Diego

and are being lured by the charms of San Francisco

5JulY 30, 2011

- Accommodation

Cristal Group Targets PakistanCristal Group Holding is to embark on itsfirst venture out of the Middle East aftersigning a memorandum of understanding(MoU) with real estate company Rufi Groupfor a joint venture to open at least 10properties in Pakistan.

the Group, which currently operatescristal abu Dhabi and will opencristal Salam Hotel in September,aims to increase its portfolio to 25properties within the next five to 10

years throughout the Middle east, africa and asia.Marking its debut out of the Middle east, thecompany plans to open at least 10 contemporaryproperties in the forthcoming five years in pakistanranging from budget to luxury hotels. taking into consideration its hidden potential, pakistanholds bright prospects, noted peter Blackburn,president and ceo, cristal Group Holdings.“This is cristal’s first venture out of the Mena regioncomposing an essential part of our aggressiveexpansion plan. pakistan is a very promising marketfor us and definitely a key to the rest of the asianmarkets. Having known rufi Group for a long time;I am convinced that it is the best possible marriagebetween the two groups, each representing anenormous wealth of experiences in their own field.”rufi Group, with four decades of experience indeveloping properties in pakistan, Dubai and canada,strives to set new standards in the pakistanihospitality industry, commented Mehroz Manzoor,group director of business development, rafi Group. “Building on the success of our core business we areexcited about the prospect of diversifying thehospitality industry with cristal Group Holdings,which offers a logical synergy to rufi Group’spresence in pakistan.”

Peter Blackburn (left)

Four Seasons Hotel Marrakech Opens Its DoorsFour Seasons Hotel Marrakech has swung its doors wide open towelcome travellers keen on indulging in Moroccan culture. The 16-hectare walled resort in the heart of the city comprises of 141rooms and suites, and offers an array of options for relaxation andexploration, noted Jean claude wietzel, general manager.“ensuring that every guest gets the most out of their time with us is ourpriority.”with its peerless design the resort evokes Moroccan traditions, and offerspicturesque views of the atlas Mountains and Menara Gardens. to best cater to families travelling with children, the resort features a fully-supervised facility dedicated to kids, a young adult centre with babysittingservices and two pools. The current three dining options of the resort will soon be enhanced uponopening a new restaurant and rooftop lounge in September.Guests can unwind in one of the two pavilions of the spa, or take part intrue Moroccan adventures offered within proximity of the resort. “In celebration of our grand opening, Four Seasons Hotel is offeringseveral value packages designed to introduce travellers to the city in a waythey’ve never experienced before. our event specialists are receiving alot of inquiries for weddings, galas and corporate meetings in the adgalBallroom, and with five additional spaces plus the garden, spa and diningoptions, Four Seasons Hotel Marrakech is ready to welcome them all,”added wietzel.

Ensuring that every guest gets the most out of their time with us

is our priority

7JulY 30, 2011

- Air Travel

Etihad: Five Years, Five Flights in SudanOn the fifth anniversary of non-stop services between Abu Dhabi and Khartoum, Etihad Airways has launcheda fifth weekly flight to the capital city of Sudan.

the airline commenced itsoperations to khartoumin July 2006, and theroute has since deliveredsound results with more

than 200,000 travellers and nearly 6.5million tons of cargo carried during thelast five years. James Hogan, ceo, etihad, commentedon the additional service. “etihad is experiencing a period of rapidexpansion with the launch of manyexciting new destinations and the arrivalof new aircraft. our services to khartoumhave exceeded our expectations over thepast five years, and we are pleased to beable to build on this success with anadditional flight. khartoum is a specialdestination for us due to the establishedcultural and commercial ties betweenSudan and the uae.”etihad, which operates a two cabin airbusa320-200 aircraft on the route, providesSudanese passengers with seamless

connectivity to the airline’s expandingnetwork, noted Mohamed elnoman,country manager for Sudan, etihad. “etihad has enjoyed consistently high loadfactors across all cabins since the launchof services between khartoum and abuDhabi in 2006 and we are very proud ofthat success. The additional weekly flightwill open new horizons for ourcommercial activities in Sudan and willoffer our customers more flexibility intheir travel to abu Dhabi and onto theairline’s worldwide network. The recently

announced operations to chengdu andShanghai in china will also add extravalue for our clients from Sudan.”

Qatar Airways has launched its fourthroute to Saudi arabia, with four flightsper week to the holy city of Medina.The new flights, non-stop from Doha,take Qatar airways’ capacity to Saudiarabia up to 60 services per week.The carrier recently boosted capacity toSaudi arabia with 14 weekly flights to

the capital, riyadh, 14 weekly flights tothe red Sea port city of Jeddah, and 28weekly flights to the key commercial hubof Dammam. akbar al Baker, ceo, Qatar airways,expressed his delight at the airline’saddition of Medina to its global routenetwork.

“This further strengthens our presencein the kingdom of Saudi arabia andclearly proves how important thisdynamic market is for Qatar airways.we will now be able to fulfil the long-feltneed of our customers, especially as wewelcome the Holy month of ramadan ina few weeks from now. as the route toMedina develops, we will also look toadd frequency and capacity to improveconnectivity even further.”Qatar airways’ expansion this monthalso includes extending its reach inSouth asia, with the launch of flights tokolkata, India, on July 27. kolkata is the12th destination served by Qatarairways across India.

New Route Launched Between Doha and Medina

Qatar Airways

Our services to Khartoumhave exceeded our

expectations over the pastfive years, and we are

pleased to be able to buildon this success with an

additional flight

Etihad Airways

JulY 30, 20118

- Air News

Transfers at airberlin’s Hub in Berlin Hit New PeakThis summer, airberlin has been able to offer passengers more options than ever before, with 9,000 connectingflights per week from Berlin.

Eritrean Airlines Returns to DubaiEritrean Airlines, the national carrier of eritrea, resumedits services to Dubai.The airline, which re-launched its international operation onJuly 16, returns to the emirate with four weekly flights. Theresumed route provides passengers with greater options andfurther strengthens the existing relationship between theafrican country and the uae, noted arif uddin Qadri,country manager, eritrean airlines.“It’s a significant development for the airline as well as forthe thousands of passengers whose travel for business andleisure will now be more comfortable, quicker andeconomical. The resumption of flights to Dubai will furtherbolster bilateral relations between the two countries andbring immense benefit to the economies.”The carrier, whose fleet consists of two aircrafts, alsooperates flights from the eritrean capital city of asmara torome, lahore, Jeddah, khartoum and cairo.

transfers at airberlin’s hubhave hit the new peakone year before the newBerlin Brandenburgwilly Brandit airport

(Ber) is due to open. Joachim Hunold,ceo, airberlin, suggested that expansionconsiders Berlin’s air operations as awhole. “The hub in Berlin is alreadyoperating successfully and we aredeveloping it with Ber airport in mind.” The hub structure, which has constantlybeen expanded, is based on six waves offlights between east and west as well asnorth and south. During peak times, up to24 airberlin planes arrive at the airportfrom other parts of Germany, europe and

intercontinental routes. passengers can connect smoothly toanother wave of flights after arrival, andreports suggest that in light of the steadygrowth, passengers in transit in Juneamounted to 17 percent, while 23 percent

was the maximum recorded on any singleday so far.This summer airberlin is offering a total of70 destinations from Berlin via non-stopflights, and 12 connecting flights at leastthree times a day during the week.

The resumption of flights to Dubaiwill further bolster bilateral relationsbetween the two countries and bring

immense benefit to the economies

airberlin

Four points by SheratonBarcelona Diagonal willmark the brand’s entry intothe Spanish market, whereStarwood has already built

up strong presence with 15 hotels undersix of its nine brands. roeland Vos,president, Starwood Hotels & resorts,europe, africa and the Middle east,commented on the annoucment. “we are delighted to further strengthenour partnership with amrey as we debutour Four points brand in Spain. Thissuccessful relationship goes back morethan five years with our le Meridien raBeach Hotel & Spa just outside ofBarcelona. Barcelona has always been atop destination for international travellersand a perfect market for our unique andcompelling lifestyle brands. Thisagreement further underlines Starwood'scommitment to continued growth andinvestment in the city of Barcelona and

throughout Spain.”Four points by Sheraton BarcelonaDiagonal is slated to welcome its firstguests, following the renovation and re-branding process of the existing amreyDiagonal Hotel, this fall.

located within the 22@, Barcelona’sinnovations district with majordevelopments underway, and adjacent tothe Mediterranean Sea, the hotel willfeature 154 rooms, an all-day dining

restaurant, a café, bar, fitness centre, pre-function area, business centre, andmeeting room spaces.

JulY 30, 201110

- International

Best Western has expanded itsaustralasian portfolio with the additionof three properties on the islands of Fiji. Best western’s debut in the favouredtourist hotspots of Fiji will furtherconsolidate the hotel chain’s presence inthe region, noted rob anderson, chiefexecutive, Best western australasia. “Fiji is a key destination for australiansand new Zealanders, for both businessand pleasure. we are excited to bring theBest western brand, known for itsconsistent high standards, friendlyservice and terrific value, into Fiji.”Situated in Martintar nadi, only fiveminutes away from nadi Internationalairport, Best western HexagonInternational boasts a central location.

nestled among a tropical garden, the 114-room hotel features a poolside restaurant,bar, lounge, three swimming pools, tourdesk and conference rooms.

Built on expansive tropical grounds, Bestwestern Grand west’s Villas, located in

nadi Bay, comprises of 20 self-containedunits, an outdoor swimming pool withwater slide, tennis courts, tour desk, arestaurant and a bar. The 47-room Best western Suva MotorInn, located within proximity to theheart of the capital city and governmentbuildings, offers an ideal base for bothbusiness and leisure travellers.

Starwood to Debut Four Points in SpainStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to debut another brand in Spain, after signing an agreement withAmrey Hotels to operate a Four Points hotel in Barcelona.

Best Western Expands in Fiji

We are excited to bring the Best Western

brand, known for its consistent high

standards, friendly serviceand terrific

value, into Fiji

Best Western Hexagon International

Four Points SheratonBarcelona Diagonal

Barcelona has alwaysbeen a top destination

for international travellers and a perfectmarket for our unique

and compelling lifestyle brands

11JulY 30, 2011

Ahmad Arajahmad araj has been appointed as cluster director of sales andmarketing at cristal Hotels and resorts, abu Dhabi. In his newposition, araj will be in charge of the implementation anddevelopment of the luxury hospitality company’s overall sales andmarketing strategy, including advertising, media and publicrelations for cristal Hotel, abu Dhabi and cristal Salam, slated foropening in the third quarter of the year. previously, he held the roleof director of sales at Grand Millenium al wahda Hotel abu. araj,

who has more than 15 yearsof hospitality managementexperience, began his careeras marketing manager atSport Ghurnatah in riyadh.previous experienceinclude positions at al ainrotana Hotel, Beachrotana Hotel and towers,rotana Hotels outboundSales office andIntercontinental al ainresort.

Angela Bravangela Brav has beenchosen to take on the roleof chief executive foreurope at IntercontinentalHotels Group (IHG)following the promotion ofkirk kinsell, formerpresident europe, Middleeast and africa, topresident of the americas.Brav joined IHG in 1988,and has since held anumber of senior roles inIHG’s uS and europeanbusinesses. Most recentlyshe worked as chiefoperating officer for the americas with responsibility for theoperation of over 3,000 franchised and managed hotels in northamerica. prior to joining IHG, she held various operationalpositions with a number of hotel management companies.Besides her solid industry background in the uS, she alsogained experience in Belgium and Mexico. with her new role,Brav has also assumed a seat on the company’s executivecommittee.

Jan SmitsJan Smits has beenappointed as chiefexecutive for asia,Middle east andafrica atIntercontinentalHotels Group (IHG).Smits, who has beenwith IHG since 2002,adds the company’soperations in theMiddle east andafrica to his existingresponsibilities in theasia-australasiaregion. Smits, who has had a successful 30-year career in theindustry, earlier held the position of director of operations withrydges Hotels & resorts. prior to that, he was with Southernpacific Hotel corporation (SpHc), which was acquired by IHGin 2000.

Jan Smits

Angela Brav

Ahmad Araj

JulY 30, 201112

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

Justin FrancisCo-Founder, responsibletravel.com“[al ain] as the first uae site to beincluded on the uneSco worldHeritage list, a great responsibilitycomes with having what is nowrecognised as one of the world’sgreatest and most important culturaltreasures. It will be thrust into thespotlight as a remarkable place to visit,and all eyes will be watching to see how it is being conserved forfuture generations. I encourage the uae to embrace thisresponsibility and benefit from a huge opportunity for responsibletourism in the country to flourish, with al ain at the forefront”.

I encourage the UAE to embrace thisresponsibility and benefit from a hugeopportunity for responsible tourism

Justin Francis Khalid bel JaflahVice President Commercial UAE, Emirates

“For many, ramadan is an important time to be togetheras a family unit. The uae is largely an expatriatecommunity with family networks often spread around theglobe. to help bring families together during the holymonth, emirates has established these special fares.”

The UAE islargely anexpatriate

community withfamily networks

often spreadaround the globe

Khalid bel Jaflah

13JulY 30, 2011

Name: Shazia Poona-Haq Position: Director of SalesCompany: HTT Global Holidays & Incentives Location: UAE

Agent’s Insight

Who are you?My name is Shazia poona-Haq and I work as director of sales of HTT GlobalHolidays & Incentives. HTT is a 25 year old travel specialist originating inkenya and now with offices in Dubai, london and Moscow. we specialisein creating memorable and unique holidays and incentives to exoticdestinations within africa, asia, Middle east and europe. with a team ofexperienced and passionate travel specialists, we take pride in creatingbespoke programs, sourcing innovative activities and constantly adding toour product offerings. we have worked on programmes for two persons upto 2,000 persons, with attention to detail and personalisation. as a companywe are committed to sharing more of the world and its endless possibilitieswith our guests, and go out of our way to ensure their journey gives themmemories of a lifetime. whether it’s renewing your wedding vows in thebush with the Masai in kenya, rewarding your top performers withexperiences in Ferraris and private yachts in Dubai, or quiet getaways toworld class spas in the Himalayas - we can create it for you!

What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry? Interacting with diverse people with a flair for hospitality makes this industry anexciting one to be part of; in addition to engaging actively with travel, exploringand marketing destinations and developing an appreciation for various cultures.The audience in the travel industry provides a platform for specialists to remaincreative, specialised and constantly challenged to remain innovative.

When is the best time to visit the UAE? From october until May when the weather is pleasant and enjoyable.Summer months experience very high temperatures that may not be idealfor travel. It is also ideal to visit the uae during its various festivals andevents such as the shopping festivals, international sporting events or art andfilm festivals among others. These are opportunities to enjoy world classevents, international talent and entertainment as well as great offers and dealsat hotels, venues and retail outlets.

Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday? Ideally my next destination for holiday travel would be australia - a continenton its own with vast terrain, mixed cultures and some of the world’s uniquewildlife species.

Why should people come to you for travel advice?HTT is a specialised travel provider with years of industry experience. ourteam includes extensively travelled specialists who source, experience andput together the product based on personal experiences and empathy forwhat our clients expect and require. This is proven via the varioustestimonials from our clients who attest to having had memories of a lifetimeon their journeys with us. our ultimate goal is always guest satisfaction. ourteam goes to every length to ensure our guests get what they expect andbeyond from journey planning to final delivery.

Rotana Makes Booking HolidaysEasier for its Abu Dhabi StaffThe human resources department of Beachrotana abu Dhabi has opened two counters in theemployee area of the hotel for flight ticket andvacation bookings.this is in order to provide easier access and moreconvenience to the employees wanting to go ona trip. The human resource team has also negotiateddiscounted rates with selected travel agencies thatare used for vacation bookings and keep up to datewith special offers to different destinations whichare promoted to the staff on a regular basis. The flight reservation team is also available 24hours a day, seven days a week, in case ofemergency flight requirements. Ziad Makhlouf, director of human resources,Beach rotana abu Dhabi, commented on thelaunch. “This initiative is one of many we have beenimplementing to make the lives of our employeesmore convenient. we listen to their comments,suggestions and concerns, and this initiative cameup as a proactive suggestion during one of ourteam meetings. I am very happy to see it working.”

This initiative is one of many we have beenimplementing to make

the lives of our employees more convenient

Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi

JulY 30, 201114

the Zhangjiajie observatory,in Hunan province, willgather and report data onthe environmental, socialand economic impacts of

tourism in the area, based on unwtosustainable tourism indictors. It will formpart of a network of observatories thathelp policy makers encourage sustainabletourism growth.In recent years, tourism has boomed in theregion, generating economic wealth, jobsand development opportunities for local

residents. Zhangjiajie receives up to 40,000tourists every day during its peak season. taleb rifai, secretary general, unwto,noted that the observatory will helpimprove the local economy.“tourism authorities in Zhangjiajie arewell aware of the importance of tourism tothe local economy, but more importantly,of the need to manage this growthsustainably. The observatory represents avital tool for doing so, providing tourismorganisations with the information theyneed to move forward sustainably.”

The Zhangjiajie observatory is part of theGlobal observatory on Sustainabletourism (GoSt) initiative, establishedby unwto to support sustainabletourism policies. The two otherobservatories currently in operation arelocated in Yangshuo and Huangshan.

Europe’s over 50s market is anexpanding group, the holidaypreferences of which are changing, a newreport has revealed.analysis commissioned by Messe Berlinand carried out by the world travelMonitor, have indicated that the over 50sare more mobile and more active thanever before. Between 2005 and 2010 vacation travelby europeans aged 55 and overexpanded by 17 percent and this agegroup, as a whole, accounted for morethan a quarter (27 percent) of all tripsabroad. This corresponds to 78 millionholiday trips.

as far as holiday preferences areconcerned, beach holidays are the mostpopular and continue to grow inpopularity.

city tours, cruises and excursions haveexperienced a significant boost amongthe over 55s.

Martin Buck, director of the competencecentre travel and logistics, Messe Berlin,noted that it is important to monitorchanges within age groups.“Socio-demographic change in europepresents a major challenge as well asoffering enormous opportunities. as thenumber of older vacationers rises, so thistarget group acquires growingimportance for the travel industry as awhole. That is why it is so important forthe world’s travel industry to beinformed about the requirements,demands and wishes of the over fiftieswith regard to their travel plans.”

Sustainable Tourism Observatory Opened in ChinaChina and the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) have opened a third Sustainable TourismObservatory to monitor the environmental and socio-economic impacts of tourism.

Holiday Preferences of Over 50s Changing

Zhangjiajie Observatory

Zhangjiajie national park

Socio-demographicchange in Europe presentsa major challenge as well

as offering enormousopportunities

Tourism authorities in Zhangjiajie are well

aware of the importance of tourism

Travel Trade Weekly: How successfuldo you feel the recent road showpromoting Ramada Hotel & SuitesAjman in the GCC was? Iftikhar Hamdani: This is the third Gcctrip on behalf of ramada ajman and we arenow very established in this market, makingstrong relationships with travel agentsdealing with the uae market. we arecontinuously creating awareness for ajmanas a destination during our visits becausemany tourists from Gcc are currentlyfocused solely on Dubai in the uae. wehave gathered positive responses fromeastern Saudi arabia, especially from travelagents dealing with corporate bookings.

Travel Trade Weekly: From whichcountries do you think the two hotelswere able to generate most business?Iftikhar Hamdani: our major share isfrom Saudi arabia. riyadh is playing avital role in the rise in occupancy in ourhotels but we have tremendous supportfrom visitors from Jeddah, eastern Saudiarabia, kuwait and Doha.Wael El Behi: For ramada DowntownDubai our top five feeder markets in termsof room nights are Saudi arabia, uae,kuwait, uk and Qatar.

Travel Trade Weekly: Why do youthink that travellers from the GCCregion are visiting the UAE morenowadays?Iftikhar Hamdani: This is mainlybecause of this year’s crises in egypt, Syriaand tunisia. These contributed to the flowof tourists to the uae. Hotels are wellprepared this time and are offering verygood, value for money deals. emirates alsooffers good packages thus attracting a goodnumber of passengers with transit flights.

Wael El Behi: The key criteria areflexible rates, availability of rooms and awonderful and great shopping destinationwith lots of activities for kids.

Travel Trade Weekly: What othernational visitor markets to the hotels haveseen a significant increase so far this year?Iftikhar Hamdani: ajman is reaping agood number of bookings from Germany,while Dubai is on top with Gcc visits anda mix of other nationalities as well asdemand from other leisure segments,primarily due to its location.Wael El Behi: compared with 2010, wehave seen a significant increase of 10-15percent from the domestic market interms of room nights.

Travel Trade Weekly: What occupancyare the two hotels currently enjoying andhow do you expect this to change over theremainder of the year?Iftikhar Hamdani: ajman isexperiencing 90 percent occupancy year-to-date (YtD), which is a record,especially as our hotel has the biggestinventory in the northern emirates. Wael El Behi: we are so far performingbetter than last year and in line with thisyear’s forecast in terms of revenue andoccupancy level.

Travel Trade Weekly: From whichsectors do you think that visitornumbers have risen most? Business,FIT, leisure, family?Iftikhar Hamdani: ajman still enjoysvisitors from the corporate segment whilewe maintain the leisure segment at thesame time. while Dubai occupancy hasseen a rise from the leisure segment dueto its location, it has also seen a significantrise in corporate travellers due to thefacilities that we offer to that segment. Wael El Behi: we are enjoying a healthybusiness mix at ramada Downtown Dubai.There are always preferred periods and adifferent seasonality for each segment.

Travel Trade Weekly: The hotels havebeen present at numerous trade fairsthis year, including ITB Berlin. Whatfurther international travel and tourismtrade events will representatives fromthe two hotels be attending this year?Iftikhar Hamdani: we will attend theleisure Moscow exhibition, the worldtravel Market (wtM) this year and willtake a few more trips to the Gcc.Wael El Behi: our plan is to continue ourGcc road show campaign into the lastquarter of the year as well as to participatein leisure Moscow exhibition in Septemberand the wtM in london, in november.

15JulY 30, 2011

IftikharHamdani Wael El Behi

Q & A with Iftikhar Hamdani and Wael El BehiWith political turmoil throughout the Middle East having had an effect on travel trends, hotels in the UAEare reaping the rewards. Iftikhar Hamdani, executive assistant manager, Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman andWael EL Behi, executive assistant manager, Ramada Downtown Dubai tell travel trade weekly about thehotels’ success and market changes.

JulY 30, 201116

EventsChina Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings ExhibitionBeijing, China, August 30-September 1, 2011 (www.cibtm.com)a leading event for the meetings, incentives, business traveland the events industry in china and asia.

PATA Travel MartNew Delhi, India, September 6-9, 2011 (www.pata.org)asia pacific’s premier travel trade show with networking andcontracting opportunities.

Top Resa, International French Travel MarketParis, France, September 20-23, 2011 (www.iftm.fr)an international travel and tourism trade fair for networking,doing business, innovating and keeping abreast of marketdevelopments.

Great Hotels of the World’s MICE Business Roses

london-based global hotelsales and marketingalliance, Great Hotels ofthe world, has experiencedsolid growth in its

meetings and incentives business. The alliance has recorded a sound 89percent year-on-year increase in meetingsand incentives enquiries through itsMIce desk in June, further contributingto the healthy 31 percent growthwitnessed between January and June. armand Guillemot, director of MIcesales, Great Hotels of the world,commented on the flourishing business. “enquiries for meeting and incentivebookings have been increasing steadily

since october 2010 and have risendramatically in the first half of 2011,signalling a healthy growth in the MIcemarket. our enquiries are from a mix ofagency and direct corporate buyers,mainly from France, uk, Ireland andGermany. The most requesteddestinations for meetings and incentivesare Spain and the uk but we do also getdemand for other emerging destinationssuch as Seoul, Montenegro and India.”other highlights of the alliance’s reportfeature various MIce trends, including asshort as an average six-week lead time forenquiries, and a significant rise in thevalue of enquiries. However, the studyalso indicates, that destinations requested

are usually closer to their base.“Businesses nowadays are much morereturn-on-investment focused. Budgetsare cautiously growing but price is still abig deciding factor. above all buyers arelooking for flexibility and added valuewhilst remaining cost-effective,”concluded Guillemot.

Cityscape DubaiDubai, UAE, September 26-29, 2011 (www.cityscape.ae)a B2B networking exhibition and conference for emerging realestate markets globally.

Kazakhstan International Tourism ExhibitionAstana, Kazakhstan, September 27-29, 2011www.leisure.kzThe eighth kazakhstan International tourism exhibition inastana, which caters for both the B2B and B2c markets andfeatures a vibrant mix of inbound and outbound destinations.

CIS Travel MarketSt. Petersburg, Russia, October 12-14, 2011(www.restec.ru)an event focusing on cIS countries, attended by airlines, tour operators,travel agencies, accommodation providers and tourist associations.

Businesses nowadays are much more return-on-

investment focused. Budgets are cautiously

growing but price is still a big deciding factor