RIYADH WELCOMES HYATT REGENCY

SHARJAH LAUNCHES THE FIRST DESERT-CLEANING VEHICLES

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HIGH-SPEED WATER TAXI ANNOUNCED FOR YAS ISLAND

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TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS

11 FEBRUARY 20172

MARKET UPDATE www.traveltradeweekly.travel

MANAGING EDITOR

Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel

JOURNALIST Ellen Petty

CONTRIBUTORS Dominique Christou Panayiotis Karanicholas Maria Sabova Anna Spyrou

SALES & SALES SUPPORT Maria Demetriadou Magda Christou Raluca Apostolescu

DESIGN & LAYOUTElena Stylianou

WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis

DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi

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Abu Dhabi Achieves Record Arrivals

In 2016, Abu Dhabi welcomed more than 4.4 million guest arrivals, a year-on-year increase of eight percent, as shown in data released by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).

Strong results were observed in a number of measures, including average length of stay, rev-enue and guest nights, which reached 12.03 million. India retained its position as the leading overseas market, followed by China and the UK.

H.E. Saif Saeed Ghobash, director general, TCA Abu Dhabi, enthused, “These exceptional results demonstrate the emirate’s growing international appeal, as well as our ongoing successes in positioning Abu Dhabi as a distinctive global destination built on unique experiences, rich cultural her-itage as well as unlimited opportunities for family leisure and MICE events.”

Robust Growth in Regional Passenger Traffic

According to Airports Council International Asia Pacific, passenger traffic in the Middle East regained strength during November 2016, with a year-on-year rise of 12.3 percent.

Hamad International Airport (HIA) led the growth, with a surge of 23.3 percent compared to the same month in 2015, making it the highest monthly increase in the first 11 months of 2016. Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport achieved a jump of 9.4 percent in passengers during the aforementioned period.

The Middle East also delivered robust results in terms of air freight which rose 9.9 percent, with the Doha and Dubai hubs both recording significant gains, up 24.6 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively.

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Hailed as the first sport event to be held at Dubai Opera, the 2017 Professional Squash Association (PSA) Dubai World Series Finals will take place on June 06 – 10, building upon

the success of the 2016 event in Burj Park.Jasper Hope, CEO, Dubai Opera, noted, “Dubai Opera’s stage has

already played host to some of the greatest artists and productions from around the world and for our first ever sporting event we are very excited to be able to welcome the world’s squash elite for the culmination of their season.”

As part of a two-year agreement between PSA and Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Opera will also host the event in 2018.

Dubai Opera to Host PSA World Series Finals

Yas IslandYAS ISLAND HAS INTRODUCED A NEW HIGH-SPEED WATER TAXI, CONNECTED TO JALBOOT MARINE NETWORK, THAT WILL SERVE VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND THE DESTINATION IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY AMONGST MAJOR ATTRACTIONS.

T he service will initially be operated as an on-demand offering around Yas Marina, Al Bandar and Al Muneera, after which all services will be implemented based on polling results.

Considering the residents and tourists alike, H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO, Aldar Properties, said, “As we seek to continually en-

hance the experience of those living and working in our prime destinations, this will be yet another milestone that improves peoples’ lives.”

High-Speed Water Taxi Announced for

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Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) held a ceremony to inaugurate the company’s floating dry dock at its loca-tion in Zayed Port.

The floating dock, which began servicing vessels in July 2016, has greatly enhanced ADSB’s commer-cial service offering, allowing the company to service larger ships and tap into new customers in industries such as oil and gas. To date, the dry dock has received 20 customers for routine drydocking, electrical and mechanical works.

Commenting on the occasion, Khaled Al Mazrouei, CEO, ADSB, said, “The floating dock facility has been a key driver in our expansion plans and greatly strengthens the local maritime industry in Abu Dhabi.”

ADSB Welcomes Floating Dry Dock

Following Bahrain’s dedicated start-up initiative branded. StartUp Bahrain, the destination an-nounced its efforts in attracting start-ups, accel-

erators, incubators and potential investors. Bahrain hosted and attended key events at home

and around the world in 2016, namely; Web Summit Lisbon, Tenmou MENA Angel Investors Summit Bah-rain, RiseUp Summit Cairo, ArabNet Riyadh and Seed-stars MENA Bahrain.

As a result of the above, Bahrain’s efforts brought deals exceeding USD4 million, investor-shared expe-riences, support and investment to the country. The Middle Eastern region was also highlighted as an ideal operational base for many start-ups, investors and en-trepreneurs.

StartUp Bahrain Continues Its Efforts

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Dubai Airport Enhances Passenger Experiences

Dubai Airports has teamed up with Dubai based design agency Ochre, and Emirati designer Aljoud Lootah to create and test air-port seating with the potential for future rollout at Dubai Interna-

tional Airport as well as Dubai World Central.Seating configurations shown in the proof of concept installation, ac-

commodate a range of passenger needs including resting, leaning and working, as well as arrangements which cater to groups or families who wish to be seated comfortably together.

“We are always looking for ways to innovate and improve the passen-ger experience. As part of an airport-wide programme, we are exploring options to upgrade seating options for passengers at our boarding gates and because we value our customers’ opinions, we have set up a dem-onstration area in Terminal 3 where we are inviting passengers to have a seat and let us know what they think,” said, Gideon Ruig, head, customer experience, Dubai Airports. D

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Middle Eastern Travellers Expected to Boost UK Tourism

UK travel professionals are due to have a strong presence at this year’s Arabian Travel Market to tap in to the key role that Middle Eastern travellers are fore-casted to play in the UK’s tourism growth.

With the region already being an important source market, Simon Press, senior ex-hibition director, Arabian Travel Market, illustrated, “The UK is a close partner of the UAE and wider Middle East region, in both tourism and trade, welcoming more than one mil-lion visitors from January – October 2016, a year-on-year increase of four percent.”

Furthermore, in the first five months of 2016, Middle Eastern visitors’ expenditure totalled 38 percent of the overall UK tax free spend, a year-on-year jump of 11 percent.

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T his year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), to be held on April 24 – 27, will focus on the lucrative sports tourism, as the GCC aims to capture a bigger share of the USD600 billion global sector.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, sport generates 25 percent of all tourism receipts globally and 76 percent of all trips are planned around a sporting event.

In particular, the UAE and Qatar have set their sights on attracting sports fans, with both countries hosting an extensive calendar of high-profile events.

Simon Press, senior exhibition director, ATM, commented, “The region boasts the very best in sporting facilities and first class accommodation with excellent air links to major cities on every continent, encouraging international and regional competitors, officials and fans to participate.”

Sports Tourism to be Highlighted at ATM

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E xpo 2020 Dubai will award 47 construction contracts worth AED11 bil-lion (USD3 billion) this year as preparations for the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia continue to gather pace.

A further 98 non-construction contracts totalling more than AED360 million (USD98 million) will also be distributed before the end of the year. These will range from legal advisory services to event management and merchandising.

The construction contracts for the year, which are open to local, regional and international businesses, include the third and final infrastructure pack-age for the event’s support areas, including car parking.

Other key awards include the construction of three Thematic Districts that will host the majority of the pavilions, as well as the public areas and the de-sign, development and delivery of all temporary architecture and infrastruc-ture required to stage the event.

Expo 2020 Dubai Releases New Contracts

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Yas Island Hosted Abu Dhabi

Pet Festival

I n a bid to celebrate pets and raise awareness of animal welfare, Yas Island held the third annual Abu

Dhabi Pet Festival, where pet-loving families enjoyed a variety of activities, entertainment and competitions.

The free event provided oppor-tunities for medical check-ups, vac-cinations and microchipping for pets, available at no cost to owners.

Speaking ahead of the event, Gerardo Llanes, executive director, Yas Island Destination Management, said, “Designed as a fully immersive pet lovers’ paradise, this highly colourful event will also raise awareness about the welfare of our furry, finned and winged friends, and function as an ed-ucational and thrilling experience [...].”

A irports Council International (ACI) has announced that the theme for the cur-rent years Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Forums is titled, Cultivating a customer experience airport community. The theme recognises that putting the passen-

ger first is a shared priority among all aviation stakeholders and ACI will give focus to the role of all members of the airport community in creating a culture of customer service excellence.

The aviation professionals will meet in China on April 26 – 28, in Europe on June 21 – 23 and in the US on October 2 – 4, where ACI will emphasise the key role that all members of the airport community play in providing an excellent customer service.

Antoine Rostworowski, director, airport customer experience and technology, ACI World, commented, “The venues for this year’s ASQ Forums are diverse, and we expect attendees at each event to take away unique, regionally informed insights into how they can develop a culture of customer experience at their airport.”

Customer Satisfaction a Top Priority Among Airliners

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B ahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) organised the GCC inaugu-ral meeting on January 25 – 26, which took place in Manama. The meeting aimed to promote the tourism industry and boost business across the GCC

countries. Key representatives participated in the meeting and subjects discussed included the Gulf’s geographical location, economic feasibilities, and future chal-lenges faced in achieving integration and interdependence.

The meeting's outcome was a general agreement on the industry’s crucial role in the sustainable development of tourism across the Arabian Gulf. Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa, CEO, BTEA, noted, “Our next step will focus on strengthening the Gulf’s identity through the launch of a joint marketing strategy, […] stimulating the net contribution of the tourism sector to the national economy, which also falls in line with the overall economic vision for the Kingdom.’’

BTEA Organised GCC Inaugural Meeting

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T he waste management company Bee’ah in collaboration with Sharjah’ s Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) inaugurated new electric desert-cleaning ve-hicles during a joint environmental protection campaign this January.

The gas-free, quiet and easily maintainable Polaris Ranger vehicles are claimed to be the first of its kind in the UAE.

Commenting on the companies’ joint efforts, Khaled Al-Huraimel, CEO, Bee’ah, said, “In-novation is central to Bee’ah’s mission for Sharjah to become the environmental capital of the Middle East. Bee’ah and EPAA have co-launched these innovative vehicles to stay ahead of the latest environmental developments in the world and to provide awareness and envi-ronmental services that combine efficiency and utility to enhance the quality of life in Shar-jah as well as the nation as a whole.”

Sharjah Launches the First Desert-Cleaning Vehicles

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Alila Jabal Akhdar Launches Novel Outings

As well as enjoying the mountain scenery with gentle hikes, guests taking part in the two-hour Via Ferrata Cave Affair Experience will cross a 20m high rope, walk over a cave mouth and traverse along the side of a canyon.

For those wanting a less adrenaline pumping excursion, Adventure Trek Experience is a 90-minute walk through the wadi, including a visit to Al Khutaymi, a hidden village within a cave and the opportunity to take a dip in a pool in the green mountains.

Thrill-seeking guests can now enjoy new experiences at Alila Jabal Akhdar, led by expert guides who will complement the adventure

with stories of the local area.

Focusing on Hospitality

Diversification

The Arabian Hotel Invest-ment Conference (AHIC), which will take place on

April 25 – 27 at Madinat Jumeriah in Dubai, will focus on diversifica-tion in the hospitality sector in re-sponse to the challenges faced by the region, according to the con-clusions of a regional briefing in Doha in the run-up to the event.

AHIC will bring together more than 700 hotel owners, investors, developers, operators, consultants and experts from professional services to debate the hospital-ity investment climate against a backdrop of global catalysts for change and the macroeconomic environment.

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I n collaboration with its official partners, Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah will transform its grounds into a glamorous setting for its Kempinski Avenues 2017.Set to commence February 11, it will showcase different

wedding and event venues, along with esteemed suppliers who will provide a variety of ideas and concepts to aid guests in creating events at the premises.

The occassion will feature live dance performances by El-egant Art and a fashion show by the international designer Walid Atallah.

Riyadh Welcomes Hyatt Regency

Kempinski Avenues 2017 Announced

H yatt Hotels has welcomed the 261-key Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya, the company's

first property to open in the Saudi capital.

Located on the 26th floor with views of the city, the hotel’s Regency Club offers guests exclusive services, including complimentary Internet access, use of the lounge meeting room, breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening beverages.

The property features a range of dinning outlets, in addition to 1,000m2 of conference and banquet space.

Moreover, visitors can enjoy the hotel’s spa with four treatment rooms, a hamam, fitness facilities, a swimming pool and a multi-purpose sports court, among other amenities.

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E mirates Central Cooling Systems Cor-poration, Empower, is due to replace all the conventional cooling systems

in Jumeirah project area with District Cool-ing Services. With this three-stage project, Empower aims to expand its network capac-ity to all districts in Dubai, including Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, noted,

‘’I believe this project is a turning point for the District Cooling Service in Dubai […] thus ultimately helping to push towards the sus-tainable development and to reduce energy consumption.’’

The second stage of the project has now been completed, and Jumeirah project area has been provided with 10,000 refrigerator tones. The third phase of the project is ex-pected to be completed in 2018.

Jumeirah Group Joins Empower Cooling Services

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Vast Growth for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

The year 2016 was a momentous period for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts with the signing of a record number of management contracts for new properties across Asia,

Africa, the Middle East and Europe.The company inked deals for more than 13 new properties

in key growth markets, enhancing its total development pipe-line by one-third to more than 33 hotels. This will add more than 9,000 extra keys to Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts’ growing inventory over the next four years, with all pipelined properties currently on track to open by the end of 2020.

“We enter this year in high confidence, building on our achievements over the past 12 months with firm plans to fur-ther grow our portfolio in line with our ambitious global ex-pansion strategy. We are well on track to operating over 100 properties by 2020,” said Olivier Chavy, CEO, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

Dubai Welcomes New Project

Kerzner International, in collab-oration with Knight Frank, has launched The Royal Atlantis

Residences in Dubai, located on the crescent of The Palm, adjacent to the existing resort.

The Royal Atlantis Residences will consist of a selection of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes, sky courts, penthouses and garden suites. When completed, The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences will boast 231 residences and 795 new guestrooms and suites in the resort.

Issam Galadari, director, The Roy-al Atlantis Resort & Residences, said, “The development will become the new landmark of Dubai and will sup-port the Dubai Plan 2021 in position-ing it as one of the best places to live in the world.”

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O n January 30, Turkish Airlines added Conakry to its African network, hailed the 51st des-

tination served in the continent.Roundtrip flights between Istan-

bul and Conakry will be operated two times per week on Mondays, and Thursdays, in both directions.

A s of July 02, Austrian Airlines’ four times weekly service to the Iranian metropolis of Shiraz will take off.

The airline will serve the Vienna-Isfahan-Shiraz, route leaving Vienna on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fri-days and Sundays and making an interim stopover in Isfahan. In addition to existing services of up to 14 weekly flights to Teheran and four weekly flights to Isfahan, Austrian Airlines is further expanding its portfolio of destinations in Iran, adding Shiraz.

Turkish Airlines Serving Conakry

Austrian Airlines to Serve Shiraz

Etihad Dreamliner Takes Over New Routes

W ith a phased delivery of nine Boeing 787-9 this year, the aircrafts will gradually be introduced on a number of routes from the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub, beginning March 01.

The 299-seat Dreamliners will be deployed on daily, year-round scheduled services to Amman, effective March 26, and Beirut as of August 01.

Moreover, the aircraft will be deployed to Beijing starting July 01, Shanghai from March 01 and Seoul, effective August 01.

Etihad Airways has unveiled plans for the deployment of its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to key Levant and Far East markets this year.

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E tihad Airways is launching a third daily flight on the Abu Dha-bi – Bengaluru route, effective March 26.

Partner carrier Jet Airways will codeshare on Etihad Air-ways’ enhanced Bengaluru services.

The triple daily schedule will provide greater choice to local pas-sengers travelling between the two cities, and improved connectiv-ity to destinations across the GCC, North America and Europe via the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub.

Peter Baumgartner, CEO, Etihad Airways, said, “Our expanded services between Abu Dhabi and Bengaluru are in line with Etihad Airways’ strategy to offer greater travel options when aircraft avail-ability and market conditions permit.”

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Enhancing Bengaluru Flights

O n January 24, flynas launched a new route linking the cities of Jeddah and Yanbu with a frequency of three direct flights per week. The

service will be operated onboard an Airbus A320 aircraft.The new route has contributed to the airline’s ex-

panding network after another recent inauguration of Riyadh – Bosha itinerary.

Currently, flynas serves nearly 1,000 weekly flights to 33 destinations within and outside of Saudi Arabia.

Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz Airport

flynas Expands Domestic Destinations

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Further expanding travel options and enhancing its network connectivity, Roy-al Jordanian (RJ) has signed a codeshare agreement with Alitalia, enabling RJ passengers to reach 16 Italian destinations through Rome.

Furthermore, Alitalia travellers departing from Italy can now experience seam-less connections to RJ destinations, such as Aqaba and Larnaca, also through the Italian capital. Both Royal Plus and MilleMiglia members can expect to earn miles when flying on codeshare services.

The initiative is expected to boost travel between Jordan and Italy, giving tour-ists, businessmen and students more options with 12 weekly flights between the two countries’ capitals.

Royal Jordanian and Alitalia Enter Codeshare

Emirates Reveals Dubai-Athens-Newark Flight

E mirates has announced the launch of a daily service from Dubai to Newark Liberty International Airport, via Athens, starting on March 12.

The new route complements Emirates’ existing four daily flights between Dubai and New York’s John F. Kennedy Inter-national Airport, by offering global travellers with another convenient access point to the popular New York Metropoli-tan area.

The new itinerary will also provide a year-round non-stop daily service between the US and Greece. The airline will operate a wide-body Boeing 777-300ER powered by General Electric GE90 engines on the route, offering eight seats in first, 42 seats in business and 304 seats in economy class, as well as 19 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity.

Düsseldorf Double Daily Route by Etihad

E tihad Airways announced that its Abu Dha-bi – Düsseldorf itinerary will be operated 14 times a week with the addition of a new

daily service, effective March 26.The double daily schedule will provide greater

choice to local passengers travelling between Abu Dhabi and Düsseldorf, and further increase con-nectivity to and from Germany over the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub.

With the additional capacity, Etihad Airways’ frequency between Abu Dhabi and its three Ger-man gateways of Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Mu-nich rises from 35 to 42 services a week, ensuring consistent double daily flights to each city. Partner carrier airberlin also operates twice-daily flights between the UAE's capital and Berlin.

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L ow-cost carrier flynas has signed an agreement with Airbus for 60 A320neo Family aircraft, and has additionally converted a previous order of 20 A320ceo to A320neo, bringing the total on order to 80.

The single-aisle aircraft, which will join the airline’s fleet of 26 A320ceos, are scheduled to be delivered during 2018 – 2026.

Bander Al Mohanna, CEO, NAS Holding Group, commented, “We have an ambitious growth vision and the new A320neo order will further support our plans to be a leading low-cost carrier with the most advanced and efficient technology and will allow us to strengthen our offerings within and outside of Saudi Arabia.”

E tihad Airways unveiled plans for the deployment of its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, to key Levant and Far East markets this year.

With a phased delivery of nine Boeing 787-9, the aircrafts will gradually be introduced on a number of routes from the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub beginning March 01.

The fleet will be deployed on daily year-round services to Amman, Bei-rut, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and on summer flights to Athens.

With an intention to purchase 61 additional aeroplanes in the coming years, B787-9 will become the airline’s flagship long-haul aircraft.

Peter Baumgartner, CEO, Etihad Airways, said, “Since introducing our first B787-9 into commercial service almost two years ago, we have enjoyed excellent feedback from customers […]. With the additional cities joining its network, we are giving more guests the opportunity to fly on our next generation aircraft.”

Gulf Air Enhances Istanbul

Schedule

G ulf Air will increase its Istanbul service to six weekly flights effective

this April. The decision is a direct re-

sponse to passenger demand, increasing the number of flight options offered by the airline and giving travellers flexibility and choice when flying to and from Istanbul.

Operating a diverse regional network, with double daily flights to more than 10 regional cities, Gulf Air provides connectivity for passengers travelling to and from Istanbul with connections to vari-ous cities in the Middle East, In-dian Subcontinent and Asia. The airline’s network currently serves 41 cities in 24 countries spanning three continents.

flynas Orders Additional Airbus A320s

Multiple Etihad Routes to Utilise Boeing 787-9 Fleet

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TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How was business in 2016?

AMMAR KRIKER: In general, 2016 was better than 2015, as the destination of-fered a variety of services for leisure visitors, with the main market coming from the surrounding Arabian Gulf countries. [Such visitors] like to shop, visit family, camp in the desert and stay in Kuwait for short stays prior transiting internation-ally, especially tourists from Saudi Arabia.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How is the tourism industry in Kuwait evolving to attract more international visitors?

AMMAR KRIKER

Q & A

with

DIRECTOR, SAFARI TRAVEL & TOURISM

WITH KUWAIT’S TOURISM INDUSTRY ON THE VERGE OF A

TRANSFORMATION, AMMAR KRIKER, DIRECTOR, SAFARI TRAVEL & TOURISM,

PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE COUNTRY’S CURRENT POSITION AND

APPEAL TO LEISURE TRAVELLERS.

of its oil reputation and the visitors whom visit the country do not know more about [...] the tourism facilities [...].

Some of these factors have changed after the oil price came down and the other income resources to the country are very limited, we also have to con-sider the strength of the Kuwaiti Dinar compared to many of other currencies. But we still have many opportunities for promotion, as the country's location is very strategic and we have the land, the sea and tourism activities in Kuwait.

Our main efforts are to attract the gulf region citizens during the holiday times, then we could target the Euro-pean markets which we could segment into several options including shopping and Halal Festivals; desert adventures; sea adventures; cultural exchanges as well as heritage visits to the old markets and Failaka Island.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What are your future plans?

AMMAR KRIKER: A lot [of work] is re-quired for more inbound tourism, but due to the political situation, the local tourism segment will be [more eas-ily] developed. [...] We have plans to get contacts within international companies and organisations that are willing to pro-mote Kuwait with us, and we are looking to establish local leisure itineraries for in-ternational markets in several languages.

We also have the ability to support international companies, and associa-tions that are willing to work in Kuwait with us.

AMMAR KRIKER: The country is very popular as a business destination due to its location and the oil business, but we have recently noticed an [increase in] leisure activities and [we are start-ing] to notice many leisure activity com-panies entering the market. We could see many more sightseeing businesses [opening].

[Additionally], the government is investing in many developments to attract international travellers to visit the country. [However, the industry growth] is becoming very slow as the geopolitics is [affecting] our area. Still, the leisure travel opportunity is becom-ing very promising. The heritage village in the north part of the country as well as other tourism infrastructure is begin-ning to attract international visitors. Kuwait has visa waiver programmes for many countries, [GCC members can easily] visit, while executive profession-als and their families could obtain a visa on arrival.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: According to World Travel & Tourism Council's 2015 report, leisure spending in Ku-wait was expected to grow 8.7 per-cent in 2016. Have you noticed an increase in leisure clients and their expenditure?

AMMAR KRIKER: Yes, it is easily no-ticeable. We can see that [there are many more international hotels] in operation, including the ultra-luxury hotels and budget hotels which could transform and translate the demand growth in the country. We are in the travel agency business, mainly focus-sing on outbound business but there are many inbound operations that have been developed. We can now see new entities that are being operated in the multinational languages [of potential] markets. We can see the government funding facilities to the local companies to work in local tourism. All of these fac-tors could explain the leisure market's slow growth in the country. Moreover, the new development for Kuwait Air-ways fleet could promote the country globally.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What are your latest efforts to promote tour-ism in Kuwait?

AMMAR KRIKER: Firstly we do find difficulties in adapting and selling the country as a leisure destination because

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A new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has replaced the Airbus A340 and A330, previously used by Royal Jor-danian Airlines (RJ), introducing a new era for Jordan’s national carrier.

The new Dreamliner landed at Queen Alia International Airport on January 24 and it is the seventh aircraft of its kind to join the fleet. This switch offers a set of features that provide higher levels of safety, comfort and luxury including LED mood lighting, larger windows, bigger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems.

Suleiman Obeidat, president, RJ, pointed that the wide-body, revolutionary aircraft is capable to fly longer distances with full load nonstop, making it a suitable choice for RJ to run it to the US, the Far East and Europe. The new aircraft offers an eco-friendly performance as it is built with carbon-fiber materials and consumes 20 percent less fuel than today’s similarly sized airplanes.

Royal Jordanian Presents New B787

Companies and individual employees regularly travelling with Gulf Air can now benefit from renewed business travel programmes.

Falcon Corporate Plus and Falcon Corporate Loyalty present enhanced rewards and benefits such as competitive flight fares, discounted rates, assistance of an account manager and support team, customisable privileges and employee incentives, to members.

Ahmed Janahi, chief commercial officer, Gulf Air, explained that the airline’ s high-frequency regional strategy gives passengers the flexibility of same day return travel, making business travel easier and the revamped programmes address the needs of the airline’s corporate customers. Janahi elaborated, “As we continue to enhance our products and services, it is equally important to reward our loyal customers with a tailored corporate incentive programme that appeals to business-men and small and medium enterprises.”

Gulf Air Rewards Corporate Travellers

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WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL www.traveltradeweekly.travel

Deutsche Hospitality, together with MBD Group, has announced the opening of the Zephyr-MBD Steigenberger Hotel and Apartments in Bengala-

ru. The five-star property will be located in the business suburb of Whitefield and it is expected to open its doors in 2020.

Guests will be able to enjoy a wide range of facili-ties and experiences including specialty restaurants, tea lounge, a club lounge, along with a private club and lounge bar. Other amenities will include a spa, a salon, pool and outdoor sports facilities like a tennis court and a jogging track.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ new white label fran-chise model, SureStay Hotel Group, has gained sig-nificant momentum only a few months after being

introduced into the marketplace. The brand has approved 30 hotels in the US and one in Bangkok and is projecting to open 100 hotels by the end of the year.

The white label approach allows Best Western to leverage its existing framework to create a new revenue stream and tap into the vast opportunities in the econ-omy space without compromising the company’s estab-lished position in its current markets.

“[…] With Best Western as its backbone and driving force, SureStay will play an integral role in shaping the future of hospitality,” said David Kong, CEO, Best Western Hotels & Resorts.

C arlson Rezidor Hotel Group is set to mark its entry into Sri Lanka with the Park Inn by Radisson Colombo, scheduled to open

in the second quarter of 2019.Strategically located at the heart of the cen-

tral business district, the 199-key hotel will fea-ture a swimming pool, fully-equipped fitness cen-tre, food and beverage outlets as well as meetings and events facilities to meet the rising needs of the MICE sector in the region.

Thorsten Kirschke, president, Asia Pacific, Carl-son Rezidor Hotel Group, said, “This is a significant milestone as Park Inn by Radisson Colombo marks our first hotel in Sri Lanka and the debut of our Park Inn by Radisson brand in the country. The nation’s pristine, natural beauty coupled with nu-merous breath-taking experiences and activities, is perfectly aligned with Park Inn by Radisson’s positioning as bright, bold, fresh and energetic.”

T he Ascott has secured contracts to manage six properties with more than 1,200 apartment units in China.

The new properties enhance Ascott’s pres-ence in Changsha, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Wuhan, while extending its footprint to two more cities, Handan and Xuzhou.

The company is also poised to boost its revenue by opening more than 30 proper-ties worldwide this year, of which 16 will be in China, stregthening its leading position in the industry.

Commenting on the company's growth, Lee Chee Koon, CEO, The Ascott, said, “As we expand across our different brands to offer more accommodation choices and tailored experiences to our customers in-ternationally, we are confident of achieving our global target of 80,000 units by 2020.”Ze

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Deutsche Hospitality Approaches the Indian Hotel Market

Positive Outlook for SureStay

Carlson Rezidor to Debut in Sri Lanka

The Ascott Expands International Portfolio

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WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONALwww.traveltradeweekly.travel

M arriott International has revealed the completion of ren-ovations held at Fairfield Inn Anaheim Resorts.

The upgrade aims to meet the needs of the mod-ern traveller while offering a more welcoming experience. The residence's public spaces have been updated from top to bottom featuring new paint, more comfortable furniture, places to read and socialise, refreshed lobby bathrooms, a business centre and a fully equipped fitness centre.

In addition, a remodelled meeting room providing state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment can accommodate up to 40 guests. The on-site market place will provide hungry travellers with Seat-tle’s Best Coffee and Pizza Hut and kids can be entertained with arcade games. Renovations to the guest rooms are underway and are due to be completed in spring.

D usit International has rolled out Total Quality Manage-ment (TQM) systems across

its entire portfolio of properties, mak-ing it one of the first Thai-owned hos-pitality companies to meet the criteria of the International Organization for Standardisation's ISO 9000 series and to commit to continuous improve-ment in all aspects of its operations.

TQM is a comprehensive and structured approach to organisational management that seeks to improve the quality of products and services through ongoing refinements. Dusit International began implementing the systems three years ago and after meeting the ISO 9000 series in Thai-land in December 2016.

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Fairfield Inn Renovates Public Spaces

Dusit International Announced TQM Across its Portfolio

K impton Hotels & Restaurants announced two new hotel openings in Los Angeles scheduled for this spring, doubling the brand’s presence in the city.

Los Angeles is home to two existing Kimpton properties , the Hotel Palomar Los Angeles Beverly Hills and Hotel Wilshire , and will soon welcome The Everly, situated at the base of the Hollywood Hills with 360-degree views, and La Peer Hotel, the first hotel in West Hollywood’s renowned Design district, which will reflect the neigh-bourhood’s incomparable harmony of art, architecture, and fashion. The group’s Southern California expansion will continue later in the year with the launch of a new property in Palm Springs.

Ed Virtue, area director of operations, Southern California, Los Angeles and Orange County, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, commented enthusiastically on the company’ s key player position in the Southern Californian mar-ketplace and its ability to offer guests an extraordinary hotel and restaurant experiences. M

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WHO’S MOVED www.traveltradeweekly.travel

NEMO ACIMOVIC has been named general manager at Millennium Plaza Dubai, a role in which he will lead the team to implement a range of strat-egies to expand its market share, increase revenues and enhance guest satisfaction.With more than 27 years of experience in the hospital-ity industry, Acimovic has a proven record of success man-aging luxury properties in the UK, Australia and the Middle East. Most recently, Acimovic held the position of general manager at Millennium Cor-niche Abu Dhabi. Prior to that, he served as director of food and beverage, followed by deputy general manager at Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi. To provide an excellent expe-rience, Acimovic will focus on product, service and guest recognition.

RICHARD RAAB has been ap-pointed as general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, his first assignment in this role.Since he first began his career in the food and beverage sec-tor of the hospitality business, Raab has gained extensive and diverse industry experi-ence throughout the world, including London, Hawaii, the Caribbean and St. Petersburg. Most recently, Raab served as acting general manager at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeriah Beach.Within his new role, Raab will continue to maintain the property’s world-class prod-uct and customised services, catering to local and interna-tional visitors alike.

OLIVIER GRANET has been promoted to managing direc-tor and chief operating officer of the Middle East and Africa at AccorHotels, an extension of his previous role where he oversaw the Middle East only.Since first joining the group in 1999 as chief financial officer for Central Europe, Granet has worked in a number of senior positions including vice presi-dent, corporate finance and senior vice president, strategy. Prior to this, Granet worked for Deloitte for 10 years.His new responsibilities will include spearheading trans-formative growth for the economy and midscale seg-ments in the region. Further-more, he will be accountable for developing and retaining staff as well as the launch of new brands, products and services.

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KEES WIERINGA has been named as director of Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, where he will be responsible for all aspects of the collection, in-cluding the growth of curatorial and conservation departments, the installation of new galleries and the development of a col-lections management system.Furthermore, Wieringa will head the launch of an extensive cal-endar of exhibitions and a vari-ety of educational programmes.Wieringa joins the organisa-tion from Kranenburgh Mu-seum, where, as director, over- saw its rennovation, super-vised research and led the re-lease of multiple high-profile exhibitions.

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Wieringa will head the launch of numerous

eventsRaab has extensive and

diverse experience

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WEEKLY NEWS AGENTSwww.traveltradeweekly.travel

Safarak Officially Inaugurated in Ras Al Khaimah

A iming to capitalise on the emirate’s rapidly growing tourism industry, Ghada Sfi-er, operations manager, RAK Hospitality Logistics, noted, “Our mission is to give guests an inspiring journey to destinations they will never forget, whether it is

between the airport and their resort, or between Ras Al Khaimah’s glistening beaches and the UAE’s tallest mountain-scape, Jebel Jais.”

I n a bid to attract more visitors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Desert Adventures Tourism, part of Kuoni’s Destination Management Specialists division, has appoint-

ed Discover The World’s German branch as its representative in the German-speaking market.

The organisations will work closely together to pitch to both existing and prospective clients at ITB Berlin in March.

Commenting on the foundation of the partnership, Fabio Prestijacopo, head, sales and marketing, Desert Adventures Tourism, said, “The places within which Desert Adventures op-erates – the UAE, Oman, Jordan and Qatar – have remained as among the most sought-after destinations for German-speak-ing guests. [...] We look forward to making [our] partnership work to the advantage and benefit of customers.”

Desert Adventures Tourism Targets German Speakers

RAK Hospitality Logistics has launched Safarak, a Ras Al Khaimah-based luxury destination management company which offers a wide range of carefully crafted sightseeing tours,

customisable journeys as well as transfer and shuttle services.

Al Tayyar Extends Partnership with Amadeus

A s part of its efforts to contribute to the development of the corporate travel sector, Al Tayyer Travel Group has ex-panded its existing agreement with Amadeus.

The upgrade from local to a MENA regional level will be in place until 2020 and will support the travel group’s delivery to a wider customer base throughout the region.

While mentioning that the region is a key hub for business travel and offers vast opportunities for the travel industry, Antoine Medawar, vice president, Amadeus MENA, said, “As Amadeus takes its strategic partnership with Al Tayyar to the regional level, the corporate travel sector in the MENA region will stand to gain sig-nificantly from the expertise of two leading players in the travel industry.”

Medawar, second from left, and Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Dawood, CEO, Al Tayyar Travel Group, second from right

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TRAVEL CHANNELS www.traveltradeweekly.travel

Cairo Marriott Hotel has joined the global com-munity efforts towards the Sustainable Devel-opment Goals set by the United Nations (UN) for the year 2030, with focus on the aim of elimi-nating world hunger and malnutrition.

During its annual meeting in Switzerland, where food security was discussed, The World Economic Forum re-cently incorporated a series of advocacy dinners, with the aim of creating awareness of the UN’s goals to combat hunger.

A total of 10 cities from around the globe were select-ed to host these dedciated dinners, among these were Cairo. Cairo Marriot hosted the dinner on January 12, in partnership with MBC Masr and MBC Al Amal, with vari-ous high-profile celebrities and humanitarian personnel in attendance, which comes perfectly in line with Cairo Marriott’s Spirite to Serve initiatives.

In an investment worth AED150 million (USD40.84 million), Nakheel is to create 105km of cy-cle paths across Dubai, under the initiative The Nakheel Communities Cycling Masterplan.

With all routes linked to the government led Dubai Bicycle Master Plan, the network will be constructed over a two year period, with works already underway. Following the phased delivery of the routes, Nakheel will plan a series of subsequent paths for cyclists.Ali Rashid Lootah, chairman, Nakheel, noted, “Cycling in Dubai has seen a huge surge in

popularity over the last few years, with the Government promoting the sport through world class events like the Dubai Tour and by building hundreds of kilometres of bike routes across the city.”

In its efforts towards urging other countries to join the falconry international file, and with the aim of promoting the international participation in the falconry inscription as global heritage, on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, UNESCO announced the joining of five additional states to the file. These included Por-tugal, Germany, Italy, Pakistan and Kazakhstan. Falconry was added to on the list in 2010

with the UAE leading the efforts of 11 Arabic and foreign states in the submission process. The joint file was open for other countries to join. UNESCO accepted Austria and Hungary in 2012 in the inscription, bringing the total number to 13 countries.

This year, TCA Abu Dhabi welcomed the registration of five more countries to the file, bringing the total members to 18 countries, and making it the largest inscription with UN-ESCO. It is anticipated, after joining these countries, that other countries will seek to partici-pate in the file.

H.E. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, minister, State for Federal National Council, and Sheikha Alia Al Qasimi, founder, Min-bart, visited the fifth edition of the Sharjah Children Biennial at Sharjah Art Museum.

On the first leg of their visit, where 376 artworks created by 785 children from all corners of the globe were viewed, Al Kaabi and Al Qasimi also planted seeds in the Smart Garden box as a symbol of hope and goodness, refelecting in the works of children participating in the biennial. The budding plants illustrate development and generosity as shown in Sharjah Children Centres’ vision, the organising body of the Sharjah Children Biennial.

Al Kaabi said, “The continuation of the Sharjah Children Biennial for the fifth consecutive edition is another example of how we are extending and expand-ing humanitarian initiatives undertaken by the UAE to advance society, with a focus on children, who are the hope of the future and the nucleus of our com-munities.”

Cairo Marriott Promotes

SustainabilityNakheel to Develop 105km

of Cycle Tracks

UNESCO Enhances Falconry International File

Sharjah Children Biennial Commended

for Excellence

Cairo Marriott Hotel

Al Kaabi and Al Qasimi visit to the Sharjah Art Museum

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Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority welcomed five new countries joining the falconry international file in UNESCO

Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor was honoured at the PMI UAE Khaleeji Chapter for his support of the UAE-based organisation by Leila Faridoon

Qatar Duty Free welcomed some of the world’s elite golfers to Doha for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters 2017

Royal Jordanian’s booth at the FITUR tourism fair attracted large numbers of visitors and press in

the presence of Samuel García

Nakheel and Centara signed a joint venture for AED500 million (USD136 million) beachfront resort with a waterpark at Dubai’s Deira Islands

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NEWS & EVENTS www.traveltradeweekly.travel

Expo Centre Sharjah

Strengthens Ties with German

Exhibitors

Gulf Air Introduces So

French Festival

Following a meeting held on the sidelines of the 13th edition of SteelFab 2017, organised at Expo

Centre Sharjah with the support of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, German delegates from DVS, one of the leading Ger-man welding and heavy equip-ment manufacturers discussed issues of mutual concern and explored ways to strengthen re-lations between both organisa-tions.

H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Mid-fa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah, stressed that the centre is willing to reinforce its relationship with the German MICE industry, and to establish joint ventures and share expertise with German major ex-hibition organisers.

Gulf Air has lauded the suc-cess of Bahrains' So French Festival which was spon-sored by the airline as part

of its Golden Jubilee celebrations of its Paris route.

The festival was a week-long se-ries of events that took place under the patronage of H.E. Shaikh Abdul-lah Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, president, Supreme Council for Environment, which took place January 18 – 23.

The airlines sponsorship of the So French cultural festival entailed the transportation, by air, of pas-senger and cargo for VIPs, perform-ers, musicians, musical instruments, foodstuffs and other items between the French Republic and Bahrain.

ITB BERLIN

Berlin, GermanyMarch 08 – 12 www.itb-berlin.deIndustry professionals from 187 countries are expected to attend one of the world’s biggest travel trade fairs.

MITT

Moscow, RussiaMarch 14 – 16 www.mitt.ruThe 24th edition of one of the leading business-to-business travel events will offer a wealth of opportunities for partnerships within Russia, CIS, and beyond.

WORLD TRAVEL MARKET AFRICA

Cape TownApril 19 – 21 www.africa.wtm.comNearly 5,000 travel industry professionals are expected to attend one of the leading business-to-business exhibitions for the inbound and outbound Africa tourism market.

EVENTS