DANAT RESIDENCE OPENS IN ABU DHABI

18 APRIL 2015
ISSUE 284
ABU DHABI CRUISE TERMINAL
WELCOMES ARCADIA
DANAT RESIDENCE WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN THE
UAE CAPITAL IN A CEREMONY ATTENDED BY A NUMBER
OF PROMINENT GUESTS.
06
DAMAC EXPANDS IN
BURJ AREA
12
IN THIS ISSUE
MARKET UPDATE
02
TECHNOLOGY
03
ACCOMMODATION
11
AIR
15
RENDEZVOUS
17
INTERNATIONAL
18
AGENT CORNER
19
TRAVEL TALK
20
TRAVEL CHANNELS
21
WHO’S MOVED
22
PHOTO ALBUM
23
NEWS & EVENTS
24
DANAT RESIDENCE OPENS IN
ABU DHABI
14
MARKET UPDATE
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
MANAGING EDITOR
Mary Kammitsi
mary@traveltradeweekly.travel
OHD Reports Turnaround in 2014
Orascom Hotels and Development (OHD)’s revenues grew 20.1 percent year-onyear to EGP1.43 billion (USD183 million) in 2014.
T
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Maria Kazeli
SENIOR JOURNALIST
Rita Kasziba
CONTRIBUTORS
Dominique Christou
Ana Mladenovic
PRESS
Maria Demetriadou
Pauline Shahabian
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Elena Stylianou
WEB DEVELOPER / IT
Soteris Constantinou
DIRECTORS
Andreas Constantinides
Mary Kammitsi
HEADQUARTERS
T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD
P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus
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EMAILS
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editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel
he improvement follows strong real
estate and construction revenues,
increased hotel occupancy rates during the second half of the year and
higher land revenues resulting from
the successful third-party development agreement between OHD and El Sewedy to sub-develop a piece of land in El Gouna.
Despite the severe challenges that the
Egyptian hotel segment encountered during
the first half of 2014, with the imposed travel
bans and noticeable decrease in airlift capacities, OHD recorded a significant rebound during the second half of the year. Occupancy
rates reached 60 percent compared to 39 percent in the latter half of 2013 while total RevPAR
increased by 40 percent.
El Gouna
North African Hotel Sector Rebounds
North African hotels reported a 3.7 percent rise in occupancy to 47.1 percent for
February, leading to a 13.8 percent surge in RevPAR to USD40.71 and a 9.7
percent improvement in average daily rate (ADR) to USD86.39.
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
As of 15/4/2015
2
COUNTRY
CURRENCY 1USD=
Bahrain (BHD)
Dinar
0.37
Jordan (JOD)
Dinar
0.71
Oman (OMR)
Rial
0.39
Qatar (QAR)
Rial
3.64
Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal
3.75
UAE (AED)
Dirham
3.67
Algeria (DZD)
Dinar
98.84
Egypt (EGP)
Pound
7.63
Iran (IRR)
Rial
28,257.00
Iraq (IQD)
Dinar
1,189.00
Kuwait (KWD)
Dinar
0.30
Lebanon (LBP)
Pound
1,506.50
Libya (LYD)
Dinar
1.38
Morocco (MAD)
Dirham
10.06
Syria (SYP)
Pound
188.93
Tunisia (TND)
Dinar
1.98
Yemen (YER)
Rial
215.09
Egypt
Currencies shown in blue
are fixed against the US
Dollar
A
ccording to STR Global’s data, while North Africa continued to show signs of recovery, driven by Egypt′s mending tourism sector, the Middle East witnessed some declines with RevPAR in particular dropping 1.3 percent
to USD159.61, occupancy levels however still remained
high at 74.4 percent.
The highest ADR increase in the Middle East and Africa region
was registered in Abu Dhabi where rates climbed 27.4 percent to
USD187.63, while in Doha ADR grew 10.8 percent to USD202.47.
18 APRIL 2015
TECHNOLOGY WEEKLY NEWS
Travelport and First Class Team Up
T
ravelport has entered into a long-term
agreement with First Class, one of the largest
travel management companies in Poland.
First Class specialises in delivering comprehensive and professional business travel management
services, and in organising corporate events and
conferences.
As part of the deal, Travelport will provide the
European company with access to its extensive
travel content inventory from some of the world’s
leading airlines and low-cost carriers as well as
over 600,000 hotel properties, including 500,000
independent establishments. First Class will also
benefit from the innovative features of Travelport
Smartpoint and TripGate.
Sabre Marketplace Analytics
Launched
S
abre Corporation has
introduced Sabre Marketplace Analytics, a
new solution that enables airlines worldwide to capitalise
on travel demand within the
Sabre Travel Network marketplace.
As Daniel Naoumovitch,
CEO, Middle East, Sabre Travel
Network, pinpointed, by leveraging big data and emerging visualisation techniques,
the company is delivering
unique insights and strong
value to help customers more
quickly act on travel trends.
Until now, airlines have
had little-to-no visibility into
the shopping activity and
travel demand patterns in the
global distribution systems
and were only aware of a portion of that demand once a
booking was made. The new
product however provides
these carriers with the insights necessary to help boost
their business and amplify
the value of this distribution
channel.
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18 APRIL 2015
3
WEEKLY NEWS TECHNOLOGY
Wyndham Launches Automated Revenue
Management System
Travelport Merchandising
Platform Gains Popularity
T
W
yndham Hotel Group plans to deploy a new, automated, Software-as-a-Service revenue management system across more
than 4,500 of its franchised hotels in the US and Canada.
Announced at the company’s recent global conference in Las Vegas and
leveraging the previously signed strategic partnership with Sabre Corporation, the multiyear agreement gives Wyndham Hotel Group franchisees
direct connection to the Infor EzLITE revenue management method.
“In just the last six months, we have gone through a significant change
in how we at Wyndham Hotel Group approach deploying technology that
our franchisees need to be successful. The world of technology is evolving
at a rapid pace and we need to enable our franchisees to keep up,” said
Gabrielle Wolfson, senior vice president, Wyndham Hotel Group.
4
ravelport announced to delegates at the
Centre for Aviation (CAPA)’s Airlines in
Transition annual event that 100 carriers
have already signed up for its merchandising
solution, Travelport Rich Content and Branding.
The innovative technology, launched in
2014, is integrated into the company’s travel
commerce platform and enables airlines to retail their products more effectively to the global
travel trade. Essentially, it allows a carrier to have
full control of how its products are visually presented and described to agents, utilising images
and descriptions in order to drive sales of core
fares and ancillaries.
Some of the many benefits of the product to
travel agencies include the potential increase in
ticket sales, and the ability to book through their
preferred processes rather than having to go to
the selected airline′s website for more information.
18 APRIL 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
Investment Opportunities in
Saudi Heritage Villages Highlighted
MSC Sinfonia
Returns to Service
Saudi Arabia’s Urban Heritage Center in cooperation with the World Bank is
conducting a study on the reality of private investment in heritage villages
across the Kingdom.
F
T
Al Ghat, Jeddah
18 APRIL 2015
he research also aims to identify the
most serious obstacles and the potential of providing incentives to facilitate the process.
Through surveys and questionnaires,
World Bank’s experts look into the actual
reasons behind the local communities and
the private sector’s reluctance to invest in
urban heritage sites. The report, which is
expected to be finalised by June, will also
highlight the incentives offered by the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities
aimed at encouraging such projects.
ollowing extensive enlargement and enhancement works,
MSC Cruises’ MSC Sinfonia has
left Genoa to resume operations.
The ship, that entered drydock in
January, now offers renewed amenities and enriched boardspaces. Passengers can take advantage of even
more balcony cabins, spacious public
areas, greater choice of restaurants
and new clubs dedicated to younger
guests.
MSC Sinfonia has set sail first for
a mini cruise to Ajaccio, Barcelona
and Marseille before heading out of
Genoa for a series of western Mediterranean cruises, with calls in the
Canary Islands, Madeira, mainland
Spain and Portugal.
5
WEEKLY NEWS
Lebanon’s stand at ATM
Lebanon Banks on Regional Demand
C
olliers International forecasts an average occupancy of up to 49 percent for Beirut hotels, as
Lebanon prepares to promote its tourism product at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM).
Arrivals to the country increased for the ninth month in a row in February, with tourist
numbers for January and February jumping 20.5 percent year-on-year. Visitor volumes from Gulf
countries showed double-digit growth, with figures from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well as
Egypt and Iran showing strong increases.
“Lebanon has long been a favoured long weekend destination for GCC residents, and the added
resurgence in Egyptian, and particularly, Iraqi tourists, in recent months, has created new demand,”
said Nadege Noblet, exhibition manager, Arabian Travel Market.
Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal Welcomes
Arcadia
6
Noura Al Dhaheri presents the plaque
P
&O Cruises’ ship, Arcadia visited Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Port
for the first time.
The vessel, which stayed for a
full day, received a traditional Emirati welcome, with Ayala dancers
along the quayside, a falconer and
his falcon ready to pose with the
cruise passengers and cooks preparing traditional Emirati food for
the visitors to taste.
A delegation led by Noura
Al Dhaheri, cruise manager, Abu
Dhabi Ports, boarded the ship to
meet Trevor Robert Lane, captain,
Arcadia, and to present him with
the traditional maiden call plaque.
Arcadia is a mid-sized cruise
ship carrying around 2,000 passengers and almost 1,000 crew
members. It started her voyage in
Southampton, UK and arrived in
Abu Dhabi from Mumbai with the
next stop being Dubai.
18 APRIL 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
Dubai Airports Invests USD1.2 Billion in Upgrades
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Concourse D
ubai Airports will spend a total of USD1.2 billion on new
and existing facilities in a bid to provide the over 110 international airlines that operate from Dubai International’s Terminals 1 and 2 the best possible services.
Once it opens later this year, the USD517 million Concourse
D will become the new home to nearly 100 carriers that currently
use Concourse C. The new facility will feature 21 contact stands,
of which four will be able to accommodate Airbus A380 or Boeing
747 aircraft, and 11 remote stands.
Moreover a total of USD490 million is being allocated for a
major phased refurbishment and modernisation project in Terminal 1 and its operational areas, and Concourse D. On the northern
side of the hub, a further USD163 million has been put aside to
upgrade Terminal 2.
W
ith the race season now underway, Yas Marina
announced its berthing rates and packages
for this year’s Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu
Dhabi Grand Prix. Expressions of interest are open to the
general public and yacht owners.
Fees include allocation of Yas Marina guest passes,
which provide access to track side pontoons and the
post-race evening concerts.
Moreover, berth rates also enable yachts of 10 –
150m to station in the marina between November 22 –
29 and include Wi-Fi, shore power and water access, an
onsite Capitainerie with bathrooms and showers, catering and delivery options plus an array of onsite amenities
for yacht owners, captains and crew.
8
Yas Marina
Yas Marina Reveals Race Week Berth
Rates
18 APRIL 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
M
orocco recorded 10.2 million arrivals in 2014, marking a 2.4 percent yearon-year increase and bringing the country closer to its goal of attracting 20
million tourists by 2022.
Stephan Killinger, president, Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort, attributed the positive development to the well-thought strategy led by the country’s tourism organisation that organised a host of unique celebrations and packages throughout the year.
Reaffirming the management’s commitment to contributing the country’s ambitions, Killinger said, “Spring is the ideal season to visit Morocco. The soothing climate
and the warm hospitality of Moroccans as well as the high standards of services and
top quality attractions are what entice tourists from the region and across the globe.”
Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort
Morocco: 10.2 Million Visitors in 2014
Collective Green Initiatives in Sharjah
S
harjah is set to become the launch pad for one of
the biggest green initiatives in the region.
Green Middle East, which will run between December 16 – 19 at Expo Centre Sharjah, will see key government entities joining hands in a bid to achieve a greater
impact in the country and the region.
“Bee’ah, Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority, Sharjah
Municipality, University and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry have all come together to give the event
a new form, meaning and direction from this year onwards,” said Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, chairman,
Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
18 APRIL 2015
9
WEEKLY NEWS
Elaf President:
Exhibitions Are Pivotal
Abu Dhabi Represented in Brazil
T
10
Brazil
A
bu Dhabi’s tourism stakeholders are heading to World Travel Market Latin
America in Brazil later this month in a bid to bolster the destination’s appeal
on the continent.
Led by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and accompanied by a nine-strong delegation representing some of the emirate’s leading hotels,
destination management companies, tour operators and its flag carrier, Etihad Airways, the UAE capital will have a strong presence in São Paolo between April 22 – 24.
“[In 2014] we saw more than 10,000 Brazilians come to Abu Dhabi, an increase of
85 percent on [2013], spending 36,401 guest nights in the emirate’s hotels and apartments, a rise of 70 percent on the previous 12 months,” disclosed Mubarak Al Nuaimi,
director of promotions and overseas offices, TCA Abu Dhabi.
ravel exhibitions are crucial in effectively promoting the tourism potential of
Saudi Arabia, especially in the religious
tourism sector, according to Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, president, Elaf Group of Companies, who
also serves as a member of the Tourism Development Council of Mecca.
Underscoring Bin Mahfouz’s words, the
company recently sponsored the annual Saudi
Travel and Tourism Investment Market (STTIM)
in Riyadh to, as he said, contribute to the development of the industry as well as to explore
the market and update all target groups on the
new hospitality offerings.
“We aim at exchanging experiences, and
highlighting the challenges we face within the
industry to offer the best possible solutions. We
also seek to enhance the tourism and travel industry in the Kingdom,” concluded Bin Mahfouz.
18 APRIL 2015
ACCOMMODATION WEEKLY NEWS
Sofitel The Palm Dubai Praised for Green Initiatives
T
he French Polynesian-themed hotel was recognised for its unwavering efforts to operate in an environmentally-friendly way without compromising on the quality of services. The management picked up three trophies in the categories of environmental
performance, green and sustainable building and runner-up for food safety.
Reiterating the team’s commitment to sustainable initiatives, Christophe Schnyder, general manager, Sofitel The Palm Dubai, said, “We like to practice our philosophy of helping our
ecological society in the daily running of our hotel. This prize rewards the ongoing efforts of
Sofitel The Palm’s family to ensure that our hotel maintains the same exceptional level of sustainability and service every year.”
Sofitel The Palm Dubai
Sofitel The Palm Dubai earned three accolades at the 3rd Dubai Environment Health and Safety Awards (EHS).
Rotana Eyes British Market
B
uoyed by the past years’ sharp increase in arrivals
from the UK to the UAE, Rotana is stepping up its
marketing activities in London to tap into the British outbound market.
“The UAE continues to climb up the popularity charts
for tourists from the UK, who account for a growing share
of total visitor arrivals in the [country] and who have been
assuming greater prominence within the region’s evolving
travel and tourism landscape,” pinpointed Omer Kaddouri,
CEO, Rotana, revealing that the UK has also established
itself as the top source markets for the company, with
tourist inflow from the country making up as much as 19
percent of the total business.
In 2014, over 500,000 British travellers opted for Rotana, and the current year-long campaign in London is set
to further boost figures.
Rotana UK campaign
18 APRIL 2015
11
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
DAMAC Expands in Burj Area
NAIA Breeze
D
AMAC Properties has launched two new serviced hotel apartments projects in Dubai’s Burj Area.
DAMAC Maison The Vogue and NAIA Breeze have a joint capacity of more than 500 suites
and mark DAMAC Hotels & Resorts’ fourth and fifth developments in the past 14 months.
“After the success of DAMAC Maison, the first hospitality brand we launched, we introduced NAIA
as a second brand that represents a different positioning with the same standards of luxury and quality
services guaranteed by DAMAC,” explained Niall McLoughlin, senior vice president, DAMAC Properties,
suggesting that more projects are to follow.
Almouj Golf and The Chedi Muscat
Drive Tourism in Oman
A
lmouj Golf and The Chedi Muscat signed an
agreement to enhance their ongoing partnership and reinforce their commitment to fuelling the Sultanate’s tourism drive.
Building on an existing business relationship, the
two companies are aiming to bring one of the region’s
most celebrated golfing destinations together with the
luxury of Muscat’s five-star property.
“Our recent agreement with The Chedi Muscat
demonstrates our continued focus on positioning Almouj Golf as a world-class golfing destination and
Oman as a global tourism hub. As the most popular
domestic course in the Sultanate, we have identified
The Chedi Muscat as the right partner to generate
increased exposure for the club through branding,
events and strategic communication,” said Simon Duffield, general manager, Almouj Golf.
12
18 APRIL 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
DANAT RESIDENCE OPENS IN ABU DHABI
Danat Residence was officially launched
in the UAE capital in a ceremony attended
by a number of businessmen, hotel
executives and media representatives.
M
Danat Residence
Dubai Investments Park to Welcome New
Properties
anaged by Danat Hotels & Resorts, the 19-level
hotel apartment property comprises 186 units,
including premium rooms, executive suites and
one- and two-bedroom apartments in addition
to two restaurants.
According to Omar Al Droubi, general manager, Danat Residence, the property is of international tourism standards and
constitutes a new concept of hospitality in the capital.
As Hany Shaker, director of sales and marketing, Danat Residence, further noted, the apartments provide luxury services
to all guests, including holiday-makers, business travellers as
well as families from the UAE, the GCC and beyond.
TCA Abu Dhabi Initiates
Hoteliers’ Contribution
Dubai Investments Park
A
14
I
n response to surging demand, eight hotels and serviced apartments will be built over the next five years within Dubai Investments Park (DIP).
The new additions to the integrated commercial, industrial and
residential community will represent various star categories, significantly enhancing accommodation options for visitors and bringing
the number of rooms available in DIP to approximately 2,000.
Omar Al Mesmar, general manager, DIP, said, “Since its inception, DIP has always been the preferred destination for businesses
and residents, due to its closeness to Jebel Ali Port and other strategic developments. DIP’s proximity to both Al Maktoum International Airport and the Expo 2020 site is leading to increasing demand for quality hotel and serviced apartment projects to cater to
the anticipated tourists flow.”
bu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) launched a hotel
industry-led initiative to bolster the
growth of the emirate’s tourism sector as part
of the revised Industry Development Committees programme.
Joined by over 60 of the destination’s fourand five-star hotels, the project has been simplified and improved to spearhead the delivery of the authority’s vision towards 2030.
“This group will address the challenges we
face in delivering visitor growth to the destination, and identify opportunities which will
benefit the hotel sector,” commented Sultan
Al Dhaheri, acting executive director, tourism,
TCA Abu Dhabi.
Members of the Industry Development Committees programme
18 APRIL 2015
AIR WEEKLY NEWS
Emirates – Qantas: Over Two Million Customers
Emirates and Qantas Airways celebrated the second anniversary of their
partnership with more than two million codeshare passengers travelling
on both carriers since the cooperation’s launch.
A
s Gareth Evans, CEO, Qantas Airways, noted, the partnership has delivered significant benefits for customers who now enjoy an integrated network, countless
opportunities to earn and redeem points and new levels of travel experience.
Thierry Antinori, executive vice president, Emirates, added, “The partnership also
provides added value to our customers, with fast one-stop connectivity via our hub in
Dubai between five Australian cities and 37 European cities; as well as comprehensive
stopover products for travellers wishing to experience the dynamic city of Dubai.”
From May, the two airlines will be offering a total of seven daily A380 services from
Dubai to Australia.
Etihad’s Darwin
Airline Investment
Gets Green Light
E
tihad Airways’ 33.3 percent
investment in Darwin Airline has been approved by
Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil
Aviation (FOCA).
Since January 2014, the Lugano-based company has operated
as Etihad Regional under a brand
and partnership agreement with
the UAE flag carrier. FOCA’s approval now enables the two airlines to leverage fully the benefits
of their cooperation and codeshare on each other’s flights.
According to James Hogan,
president, Etihad Airways, the
investment was in line with the
growing trend of consolidation
in the airline industry. He, at the
same time, also expressed disappointment that some opportunities for Etihad Airways and Etihad
Regional had been diminished or
lost because of the length of the
regulatory review process.
18 APRIL 2015
Etihad and Alitalia
Back Expo Milano
Initiative
A
s the official global carriers of Expo Milano
2015, Etihad Airways
and partner airline, Alitalia
pledged their support for the
event’s Made of Italians programme by offering discounts
to Italian expatriates who are
heading to the European country for the show.
Under the promotion, the
two carriers will enable those
enrolled onto the initiative a
discount on return tickets to
Italy from a range of destinations
worldwide, including Argentina,
Brazil, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi
Arabia, Qatar, India, South Africa,
China, Japan and Australia.
The offer, which will run until October 31, also includes discounts on services within Alitalia’s domestic network, allowing
travellers to visit other regions
during their stay.
15
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
Jet Airways Adds to
Abu Dhabi Operations
J
et Airways has commenced daily services from Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad,
Pune and Mangalore.
The introduction of the new routes
further enhances travel options for Indian
and international travellers to the UAE and
beyond with partner airline, Etihad Airways.
With the addition of the three new
destinations, the airline now flies to 11 Indian cities from the UAE capital. All in all,
passengers can benefit from over 50 daily
flights between India and the Gulf countries, including several direct connections
to the UAE’s three major airports.
Mangalore
16
SAUDIA Undergoes
IATA Safety Auditing
F
or the purpose of safety auditing, a team
from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) completed the inspection of
Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA)’ facilities on the
ground and in the air.
The team included experts of operation safety, aircraft piloting, maintenance, and evaluation
of work environment. All safety measures taken
by SAUDIA were examined, including ground facilities, aircraft maintenance hangers, Prince Sultan Aviation Academy, as well as aviation services.
As Mohamed Motab, vice president, safety and
quality, SAUDIA, explained, the IATA Operational
Safety Audit was necessary in order to renew operational safety certificates for the company.
Turkish Airlines Honours
Abu Dhabi Partners
T
urkish Airlines hosted its annual travel
agency award show and gala dinner in
Abu Dhabi to recognise its esteemed
partners who have contributed to a 3.9 percent
growth in passenger numbers on the airline’s
services from the UAE capital.
As Mehmed Akalin, general manager, Abu
Dhabi, Turkish Airlines, noted, the carrier’s
strong position, improving connectivity, enhanced services and the rising popularity of
Turkey continue to attract a growing number of
travellers from Abu Dhabi, thus the airline’s decision to increase frequencies on these routes.
All in all, demand from the GCC countries
surged 6.44 percent in 2014.
Turkish Airlines’ annual award show and gala dinner
18 APRIL 2015
RENDEZVOUS
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: In 2014,
Dubai’s hotel establishments welcomed more than 11.6 million guests.
How has business been at your hotel
and in the emirate in general?
MOHAMMED IQBAL: 2014 was forecasted to be a flourishing year after
Dubai won its long-awaited bid to host
Expo 2020. The slogan the city that never
sleeps suits Dubai just right as there is
always something to explore or talk
about. Dubai is not developing day by
day, more like day and night. Dubai was,
is and will always remain the most popular tourist destination.
Business at hotels saw a steep increase in 2014. Khalidia Hotel Apartments, Dubai, managed by Mourouj
Gloria Hotels & Resorts, recorded a seven percent rise in business compared to
the previous years.
Q & A with
Mohammed Iqbal
GENERAL MANAGER, KHALIDIA HOTEL APARTMENTS
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How has
Dubai’s transformation helped effectively marketing the destination?
MOHAMMED IQBAL: Dubai is a city that
is always up to something. Dubai has
changed its image in the world with innovative ideas beyond imagination. The
visionary leadership of Dubai is the major [force behind] Dubai’s achievements.
Thinking today for tomorrow’s living is
the simple policy of Dubai. Today, Dubai
leads the way in every aspect, be it security, technology or culture.
As a destination Dubai has extensively studied each and every source
market’s needs […] and ensured that
the demand of every tourist is met in
terms of hotel rates, be it a luxury fivestar brand or a budget property.
The tourism authorities have not
left any gap in marketing all aspects
of the destination from hospitality to
shopping, excursion, entertainment, as
well as investment opportunities.
of unique attractions, upcoming projects beyond imagination, attractive investor schemes and many more reasons
have helped Dubai increase arrivals to
the emirate.
Today, tourists from all around the
world plan to visit Dubai, especially after the launch of new routes by major
low-cost carriers as [before] around 40
percent of the total trip cost of the tourists would have been eaten by air fares.
With the constant increase of services
by low-cost carriers, budget travellers
can now also visit Dubai and still spend
on excursions or shopping.
Benefitting from this trend, Khalidia Hotel Apartments, Dubai is seeing a great flow of visitors from various
markets that have previously not been
flying to Dubai. Therefore we have now
added to our marketing plans markets
such as the Philippines, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, Sudan and Kyrgyzstan
among others, in addition to long-established markets, including the GCC,
China, India and Malaysia.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What are
your most important plans for the
coming months?
MOHAMMED IQBAL: Khalidia Hotel
Apartments, Dubai has planned a major
renovation, starting in the last quarter
of the year, in a bid to meet the increasing demand for hotel rooms as well as
additional facilities and services.
IN LINE WITH DUBAI’S TOURISM VISION 2020,
THE EMIRATE IS SET TO EXPERIENCE MAJOR
DEVELOPMENTS OVER THE COMING YEARS,
WHICH AS MOHAMMED IQBAL, GENERAL
MANAGER, KHALIDIA HOTEL APARTMENTS,
DUBAI, EXPLAINES WILL EVENTUALLY BENEFIT
ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
“
DUBAI WAS, IS
AND WILL ALWAYS
REMAIN THE MOST
POPULAR TOURIST
DESTINATION
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Dubai has
long been synonymous with unique
attractions and high-end services,
attracting hundreds of thousands
of high-net-worth individuals every
year. With arrivals to the emirate increasing at a rapid pace year after
year and a number of low-cost carriers also flying here, could Dubai’s image change in the long run?
MOHAMMED IQBAL: In general we
have seen that the constant marketing
18 APRIL 2015
Khalidia Hotel Apartments, Dubai
17
WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
Hilton Worldwide
Expands in San Francisco
H
ilton Worldwide acquired Parc 55
Wyndham San Francisco and renamed it to Parc 55 San Francisco – a
Hilton Hotel. The property adds 1,024 guest
rooms and 54 suites to the hospitality company’s existing portfolio in the American city.
Situated in the Union Square area, the
newly-launched hotel is one of five landmark
properties purchased from the proceeds of
the sale of Waldorf Astoria New York.
Rob Palleschi, global head, full service
brands, Hilton Worldwide, noted, “Parc 55
San Francisco – a Hilton Hotel is a special addition to our rapidly growing global portfolio
of more than 550 Hilton properties, and the
custom furnished guest rooms, stunning
views, massive event space, and key location
will give travellers the perfect vantage point
to experience all the city has to offer.”
Parc 55 San Francisco - a Hilton Hotel
18
-
BWI Partners with
Agoda.com
Dusit Thani Krabi Beach
Resort to be Unveiled
B
D
est Western International (BWI) is connecting its network of more than 4,000
hotels worldwide to Agoda.com.
A member of The Priceline Group, Agoda.
com provides an Asia-based focus on content and
customer-friendly search functionality where travellers can look up properties, examine reviews and
book and pay for their selected accommodation in
a single mobile or desktop transaction.
BWI’s partnership with the platform will provide hotels direct distribution to some of the
fastest-growing travel markets including China,
South Korea, India, Indonesia and Thailand.
”Partnering with Agoda.com further demonstrates Best Western’s commitment to expanding our distribution in the increasingly important and rapidly-growing Asian market,” said
Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president, marketing and sales, BWI.
usit International and MBK Hotel
and Resort signed an agreement to
rebrand an existing property to a
Dusit-branded hotel in Krabi, Thailand.
Scheduled to welcome its first guests on
July 1, Dusit Thani Krabi Beach Resort will
be located on a secluded stretch of Klong
Muang Beach and will boast a fresh and
modern Thai design that is in harmony with
the lush tropical landscape. The resort will
offer 240 spacious guest rooms, three restaurants, a bar, two beachfront swimming
pools, meeting facilities, spa, gym, club
lounge and a kids’ club.
“This is an exciting new project between longstanding partners, which brings
the best of each company to the table,”
commented Khun Suvait Theeravachirakul,
CEO, MBK Group.
Dusit Thani Krabi Beach Resort
18 APRIL 2015
AGENT CORNER
Agent’s Insight
NAME:
Aghiad Corky
POSITION:
Director of business development
COMPANY:
Heysem Group
LOCATION:
Turkey
WEBSITE:
www.heysem.com
Who are you?
I am from Syria and I have been working in the industry for 17 years. I moved to
Turkey to widen my experience and joined Heysem Travel and Tourism, one of the
leading companies in the country. My philosophy in life is [summarised in] an Aristotle quote: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?
Being in contact with different people from around the world always opens my
eyes, increases my knowledge and sharpens my imagination.
When is the best time to visit Turkey?
Every time [but] it always depends on the interest of the guest. However spring
and fall months are the best seasons to come and visit the country.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?
For my next holiday I wish to […] obtain a UK travel visa and see London again.
I have been dreaming about this ever since I first visited the city in 2006. [...] I
would love to see the Buckingham Palace, The British Museum, Sherlock Holmes'
Museum, walk through Hyde Park and [do] many other things.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?
Every guest is a different experience and a new challenge [for us]. That is why we
treat each traveller with special care. [We have] 25 years of experience in serving
our guests and clients with personalised, professional and bespoke services.
18 APRIL 2015
Prakash Bang
Bet and Win with roomsXML.com
T
o encourage travel agents to make the most of the
recent ICC Cricket World Cup, roomsXML.com invited
its partners to predict the winners at various stages
of the games.
The response to the Howzattt Contest was overwhelming with thousands of entries pouring in from across the
globe and 51 lucky agents from 11 countries receiving prizes.
As Prakash Bang, managing director, roomsXML.com,
highlighted, innovation is a key differentiator for the accommodation wholesaler.
“Till date we have introduced 10 specific features that
were industry firsts. Even the Howzattt Contest is a fun innovation. We do believe that all work and no play makes Jack
a dull boy,” added Bang.
19
TRAVEL TALK
We aim to make a mark
in the Middle East’s [...]
hospitality landscape
SUMAIR
TARIQ
Managing director,
R Hotels
“We are expecting fruitful results from our first participation
in the Arabian Travel Market. As
the top travel trade exhibition
in the region, this is an excellent
platform for us to promote our
properties, highlight R Hotels
as a brand, and underline the
group’s development and expansion plans. We aim to make
a mark in the Middle East’s fastgrowing hospitality landscape
by capitalising on strategic locations in the UAE and the region
in the next couple of year.”
[The Arabian Nights Food
Festival] features our rich
culture and
heritage
AHMED
HAJAR
Vice president,
Elaf Group
We strongly believe in
the need to put ardent
attention in the necessary
steps in going green
JEROME
KANDALAFT
General manager,
Concorde Hotel
Fujairah
“We made sure that we did not
miss our participation during
the Earth Hour since we strongly
believe in the need to put ardent
attention in the necessary steps
in going green and preserving
our environment to make it a
healthy habitat for our children.”
We have decided to extend
[the Arabian Nights Food Festival] due to the strong response
that we have received during its
initial run. This highly-engaging
event not only showcases traditional Arabic cuisine from all
over the region but also features
our rich culture and heritage
as reflected in the many dishes
highlighted in the festival.”
Our hotel is renowned
for its creative and
flavourful dishes
LANA
JWAINAT
Director of marketing
and communicatios,
Oryx Rotana, Doha
“Oryx Rotana has been honoured to be a supporter of Qatar International Food Festival
since the beginning. Our hotel
is renowned for its creative and
flavourful dishes at The Cellar,
so it [was] a perfect timing to
have some of our best sellers introduced to the public. We also
[wanted] to show our swift service in preparing tasty food with
grace under pressure.”
TRAVEL TALK IS YOUR SPACE – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories.
We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel
20
18 APRIL 2015
TRAVEL CHANNELS
Alitalia and Etihad Support
Future Aviation Leaders
Alitalia launched a comprehensive new graduate management
programme in collaboration with Etihad Airways, providing the
opportunity for graduates from Italian universities to develop into
future leaders of the airline.
A
total of 400 candidates applied for the initiative this
year, out of which 24 were
selected for enrolment
and the first group has already arrived to Abu Dhabi to identify
their core strengths and career aspirations.
Upon graduation, the students
will return to Alitalia as specialists in
their respective fields.
As Ray Gammell, chief people and
performance officer, Etihad Airways,
noted, over 1,400 students are being
trained at the airline’s academy.
First participants of Alitalia’s graduate management programme in
Abu Dhabi
Michigan Tourism Campaign Pays Off
SCTA to Raise
Food and Health
Standards
T
he Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA) represented by the licensing and
quality assurance department signed
a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with the Riyadh municipality to
jointly regulate health and food activities in tourism accommodation facilities in Riyadh province.
The agreement urges to apply the
municipality’s regulations on each activity and the facility’s administration
will be obligated to train work force
on health and food safety. To ensure
high standards, the two parties will
conduct joint inspection visits.
Riyadh’s tourism industry also
benefitted from increased arrivals
during the spring break and to offer visitors unique experiences, SCTA
licensed a number of rural and agro
tourism farms in the area.
ICAO to Examine Africa and Indian
Ocean Region’s Aviation
T
Michigan
V
isitor spending in Michigan reached USD22.8 billion in 2014, setting
a new record for the US state which welcomed 113.4 million visitors.
The destination’s Pure Michigan campaign proved to be extremely successful with studies showing that each dollar spent on the initiative generated USD6.87.
During the year, Michigan allocated USD12.4 million for out-of-state
advertising, that inspired more than 4.1 million trips by visitors from other destinations. Visitor spending motivated by the campaign generated
USD1.2 billion for local businesses and USD85.4 million in tax revenues.
The total budget for this year’s national advertising campaign is USD12
million.
18 APRIL 2015
he International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will be
organising a series of open and invitation-only meetings
this May to address the main issues faced by the Africa and
Indian Ocean (AFI) region.
Dubbed AFI Aviation Week, the event will take place between
May 18 – 21 in Maputo, Mozambique and will focus on key topics
such as security, safety and human resources development.
As Raymonf Benjamin, secretary general, ICAO, pinpointed, in
Africa, aviation supports almost seven million jobs and approximately USD80 billion in GDP. In addition, as he further highlighted, for many states the industry represents an essential lifeline
that connects them to regional and global markets while enhancing travel and tourism, the movement of goods and other vital
business activities.
21
WHO’S MOVED
YOUSEF
HASAN
FADI
MHEISEN
22
Yousef Hasan has been
named human resources manager at Al Manshar Rotana Kuwait.
Hasan will oversee both the
management and non-management hiring process to
attract, select and retain a diverse workforce at the property. He will aim to select the
best candidates in a cost effective and efficient manner to
meet the business need of the
operation.
He started his career with
Egyptian Arab Bank as a human resources generalist. He
joined Jordan Valley Marriott
Resort & Spa in 2009 as human
resources officer before being
promoted to human resources
training and supervisor. Hasan
most recently worked as regional head of training and
recruitment at Capital Bank
Group in Amman, Jordan.
Fadi Mheisen is the new hotel
manager at the newly-opened
Park Inn by Radisson Dammam.
He moves to Dammam from
Radisson Blu Hotel, Jeddah,
where he worked as executive
assistant manager in charge of
rooms, engineering as well as
training.
Mheisen joined Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group 12 years ago,
serving first as assistant front
office manager at Radisson
SAS Hotel & Resort, Aqaba. He
then relocated to Saudi Arabia
to the front office of Radisson
SAS Hotel, Yanbu, before joining Park Inn by Radisson, Al
Khobar Hotel and then Radisson Blu Hotel, Jeddah.
In his position, he will focus on
the day to day management of
the hotel and will aim to drive
business and develop relationships with key partners.
NEERA
SHARMA
HAITHAM
NASSAR
Neera Sharma has been chosen as assistant director of
sales at Emirates Grand Hotel
Apartments.
She will mainly be in charge of
further strengthening business
ties with existing clients and
stakeholders, as well as generating leads for new accounts.
Sharma will also support the
cluster director of sales and
marketing in the development
of strategies and the implementation of sales activities in
order to maximise opportunities and revenues.
Sharma has more than 12 years
of experience in the field. She
previously worked as corporate
sales manager at Grand Millennium Dubai, and in a similar post
at Pullman Dubai Mall of the
Emirates. In addition, she held
key managerial positions in hotels across India as well as at Novotel Al Dana Resort in Bahrain.
Haitham Nassar has been
promoted to cluster general
manager of Ramses Hilton
and Hilton World Trade Center
Hotel Cairo.
The promotion comes after
years of hard work and great
achievements.
Nassar has more than 27 years
of experience in the hospitality industry. He joined Hilton
Worldwide in 1988 and has
since held various positions
with the company in Luxor, Al
Ain as well as Sharm El Sheikh.
His efforts have been recognised with the Hilton Worldwide
Egypt’s General Manager of the
Year award in two consecutive
years as well as with the area
president accolade in the Middle East and Africa region.
Nassar joined Hilton
Worldwide in 1988
18 APRIL 2015
PHOTO ALBUM
Take a Shot!
Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues
know what you have been up to.
Send your photos to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel
Because a picture is worth a thousand words...
Bahrain's The Domain Hotel and Spa has been recognised as a
top performing hotel based on guest reviews on Booking.com
Fire drill at Bahrain International Airport
Jannah Hotels & Resorts' team also joined the Easter celebrations
18 APRIL 2015
Easter activities at City Seasons Hotel Dubai
Easter creations at Royal Rose Hotel in Abu Dhabi
The Ajman Palace welcomed Bani Yas Football Club's team
23
NEWS & EVENTS
Energy Experts
Converge in
Abu Dhabi
T
he International Conference on
Applied Energy (ICAE) recently
made its debut in the Middle East
at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
(ADNEC).
Having attracted energy experts
from around the world, the seventh edition of the event run until 31 March under the theme Clean, Efficient and Affordable Energy for a Sustainable Future.
“ADNEC [was] pleased to welcome
international professionals in the energy
industry; a key contributor to the company’s diversified event portfolio. As we
move into a busy period with several
events [...] our robust event infrastructure will help us effectively handle the
increase in traffic across our leading
venues,” said Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri,
acting group CEO, Abu Dhabi National
Exhibitions Company.
Expo Centre Sharjah
Hosts Columbian
Delegation
A
31-strong
Columbian
group, consisting of entrepreneurs from various fields, visited Expo Centre
Sharjah (ECS) as part of a 11-day
tour in the UAE.
The team from the thirds largest Latin American economy met
the officials of ECS as well as the
Sharjah Chamber of Commerce
and Industry to explore business
opportunities in the emirate and
the rest of the Middle East.
As Saif Mohammed Al Midfa,
CEO, ECS, revealed, the delegates
showed particular interest in
shows such as the OIC Halal Middle East, which, according to Al
Midfa, could help them find new
markets for their products and
services.
24
EVENTS
KAZAKHSTAN INTERNATIONAL
TOURISM & TRAVEL FAIR
Almaty, Kazakhstan
April 22 – 24
www.kitf.kz
A major tourism forum in Central
Asia presenting resorts, upscale
hotels and convenient air
connections.
HOTEC MIDDLE EAST
Amwaj Islands, Bahrain
April 24 – 27
www.hotecme.com
The event brings together hotel
purchasing, operations and
technical directors and key
leading domestic and
international suppliers.
ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET
Dubai, UAE
May 04 – 07
www.arabiantravelmarket.com
Arabian Travel Market has
provided a place to do face-toface business with companies
from around the globe for the
past 21 years, and this year′s
edition promises to be even
larger.
CHINA GUILIN INTERNATIONAL
TOURISM EXPO (CGITE)
Guilin, China
May 29 – 31
www.cgite.com.cn
Part of Conference & Exhibition
Management Services’ travel
and tourism portfolio, CGITE
brings together Chinese and
international buyers and
exhibitors in one dynamic
marketplace.
18 APRIL 2015