16 may 2015 issue 288 · 16. may 2015. market update. 2. the rezidor hotel group continued its...
TRANSCRIPT
EGYPTIAN TOURISM SETS CAMP IN ABU DHABI
04
20
RAS AL KHAIMAH TO WELCOME QATAR AIRWAYS
IN THIS ISSUEMARKET UPDATE
GENERAL
ACCOMMODATION
AIR
RENDEZVOUS
INTERNATIONAL
AGENT CORNER
TRAVEL TALK
TRAVEL CHANNELS
WHO’S MOVED
PHOTO ALBUM
NEWS & EVENTS
02
04
08
20
25
26
27
28
29
30
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32
16 MAY 2015 ISSUE 288
16
RAS AL KHAIMAH IS TO WELCOME ANOTHER GLOBAL BRAND AS MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL PLANS TO LAUNCH ITS FIRST
PROPERTY IN THE EMIRATE IN 2019.
MARRIOTT TO DEBUT IN RAS AL KHAIMAH
16 MAY 2015
MARKET UPDATE
2
The Rezidor Hotel Group continued its fast-paced expansion in the first quarter of the year with 10 new hotel signings that span some 2,300 rooms and two new countries, Armenia and Togo.
Rezidor: 10 New Hotels, Two New Countries
D uring the three-month period, three proper-ties with 330 units were launched, bring-ing the company’s total
portfolio to 337 hotels with almost 76,000 rooms in operation and 97 properties with 20,500 keys un-der development in 75 countries across Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Two hotels opened in Saudi Arabia and one in the UAE, and four other projects were signed in the Kingdom, reinforcing the two countries’ standing as the compa-ny’s core growth markets, as Wolf-gang Neumann, president, The Rezidor Hotel Group, noted.
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ASSISTANT EDITORMaria Kazeli
SENIOR JOURNALISTRita Kasziba
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Ana Mladenovic Valentine Stavrou
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Bahrain (BHD)
Jordan (JOD)
Oman (OMR)
Qatar (QAR)
Saudi Arabia (SAR)
UAE (AED)
Algeria (DZD)
Egypt (EGP)
Iran (IRR)
Iraq (IQD)
Kuwait (KWD)
Lebanon (LBP)
Libya (LYD)
Morocco (MAD)
Syria (SYP)
Tunisia (TND)
Yemen (YER)
Dinar
Dinar
Rial
Rial
Riyal
Dirham
Dinar
Pound
Rial
Dinar
Dinar
Pound
Dinar
Dirham
Pound
Dinar
Rial
0.37
0.71
0.39
3.64
3.75
3.67
98.05
7.62
28,498.00
1,167.93
0.30
1,510.98
1.37
9.62
188.93
1.91
214.89
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
As of 15/5/2015Currencies shown in blue are fixed against the US Dollar
COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=
Did you know...
The Rezidor Hotel
Group and Al Hokair
Group plan to have
30 Radisson Blu and
Park Inn by R
adis-
son hotels in Saudi
Arabia?
Radisson Blu Resort Jizan
16 MAY 2015
MARKET UPDATE
3
The net loss of Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) went down by 64 percent in the first quarter of the year, compared to the corresponding period in 2014.
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) posted its best-ever first quarter (Q1) performance figures.
RJ Reduces Losses in First Quarter
ADNEC: Record Q1 Results
T he results are largely attrib-uted to the hosting of 14 exhibitions and five confer-ences that attracted more than 270,000 visitors to Abu
Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and Al Ain Convention Centre.
For the three-month period, the company registered a 400 percent rise in conferences, generating some AED842 million (USD229 million) for Abu Dhabi’s economy and bringing the company closer to its aims to, as Ali Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, managing director, ADNEC, said, achieve the performance goals and position Abu Dhabi as the capital of business tourism in the Mid-dle East.
T he figure reached JOD8.3 million (USD11.7 million), against the JOD23 mil-lion (USD32.4 million) incurred by the company in 2014.
Suleiman Al Hafez, chairman, board of directors, RJ, attributed the sig-nificant drop in losses to lower oil prices and effective airline operations that are part of a strategy that aims to increase revenues and cut costs
wherever possible, without affecting the level of safety or the services offered to pas-sengers.
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
4
S harjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) unveiled Sharjah Tourism Vision
2021, which focusses on bringing in more than 10 million tourists by 2021, when the UAE celebrates its 50th anniversary.
The main goal of the vision is to build a platform to unite all the efforts, ini-tiatives and tourism programmes under one umbrella.
H.E. Mohammed Ali Al Noman, chair-man, SCTDA, commented, “We believe that developing tourism capacity and launching strategic projects are essen-tial to ensure sustained growth and ex-cellence. We are, therefore, focussed on maintaining the uniqueness of our tour-ism sector and expand the market share of tourism in the economy.”
Sharjah to Attract 10 Million by 2021
Egyptian Tourism Authority Sets Camp in Abu DhabiKhaled Ramy, tourism minister, Egypt, announced the launch of Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA)’s new GCC headquarters in Abu Dhabi, in line with the new Masr Qariba campaign which targets Arab audiences.
T he new outpost will become opera-tional in July to oversee activities in the Arabian Gulf, Lebanon and Jordan.
Masr Qariba builds on 2014’s Wahastouna campaign, which led to significant year-on-year increases in the number of tourists visit-ing Egypt from the UAE (74.2 percent), Saudi Arabia (68.6 percent) and Kuwait (48 percent).
Ramy said, “We will continue to focus our efforts on Arab markets in the coming period, which are a key component of our strategic vi-sion to increase the number of tourists to 20 million in 2020.”
Sphi
nx, E
gypt
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
5
T he Wave, Muscat and Muriya Tourism Devel-opment have jointly in-
troduced a water taxi service between Almouj Marina and the Jebel Sifah Marina, stop-ping at the Marina Bandar Rowdha. A one-way trip lasts approximately one hour and 45 minutes.
“We look forward to being joined by other developers so we can provide more stops and frequency for what is definitely a fun, scenic and convenient ride to our Jebel Sifah destination,” said Ahmed Dabbous, CEO, Muriya Tourism Development.
S ome 13.2 million international travellers visited Dubai in 2014, up 8.2 percent year-on-year.
According to H.E. Helal Saeed Almar-ri, director general, Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing, the figure demonstrates Dubai’s broaden-ing appeal as a tourism destination among multiple geographies and au-diences, highlighting both the success achieved to date and the opportunity for continual growth. As he further high-lighted, the results, that are especially promising in the light of the 80-day par-tial closure of Dubai International, have been supported by the new visa policies for 13 European Union member states and Dubai International’s transforma-tion into an international hub.
Dubai: 13.2 Million Visitors in 2014
USD22 Million Al Noor Island Launched in Sharjah
The Wave, Muscat and Muriya Launch Water Taxi Service
S harjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) unveiled its latest project, the AED80 million (USD21.8 million) Al Noor Island in Khalid
Lagoon, due to launch in the fourth quarter of the year.Spanning 45,470m2, the destination will boast a range
of entertainment and leisure options including a butterfly house, literature pavilion and a pontoon, bringing the emir-ate closer to its goal to attract 10 million travellers by 2021.
According to H.E. Mohammed Ali Al Noman, chairman, Shurooq, Sharjah presents an excellent model of using cul-tural heritage to advance the modern tourism development.
Al Noor Island
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
6
WEEKLY NEWS
Gourmet Bus Announced in Dubai
D ubai will soon welcome Gourmet Bus, a first of its kind tourist service that offers visitors to the city the chance to tour its attractions while in-dulging in five-star international cuisine aboard a moving vehicle. The
concept will be launched by Alpha Destination Management.According to Samir Hamadeh, general manager, Alpha Destination Man-
agement, Dubai will be the first city in the world to have this kind of unique service for tourists.
The tour will include sightseeing of Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, Zabeel Pal-ace, Sheikh Zayed Road and Burj Al Arab.
C apacity at Al Maktoum Interna-tional at Dubai World Central (DWC) will rise from six million
to 26 million by early 2017, with con-struction on the airport’s passenger terminal due to begin later this year.
The development is a precursor to the USD32 billion expansion project poised to create the world’s biggest airport with a capacity in excess of 200 million travellers per annum.
The announcement comes as Dubai International nears its capacity limit and continues to record signifi-cant rises in traffic. In March, over 6.7 million passengers passed through the hub’s terminals, marking a 7.2 percent surge and bringing quarterly figures to 19.6 million travellers.
DWC to Accommodate 26 Million Passengers
Gou
rmet
Bus
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
8
D ubai is to become home to the 170-key Hotel Indigo Dubai The Sustainable City in
the first half of 2017. The property is envisioned to run
entirely on solar power while waste water and other materials will be re-cycled.
“Hotel Indigo Dubai The Sustain-able City will set us apart. It will be a truly unique hotel, perfect for guests looking for boutique style and de-sign with the story of its exciting new location woven into the very fabric of the property,” commented Pascal Gauvin, chief operating officer, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG.
Dubai to Welcome Second Hotel Indigo Property
Carlson Rezidor: Four New Gulf Hotels Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and Saudi-based Al Hokair Group further strengthened their strategic partnership by announcing one new hotel in Dubai and three in Saudi Arabia. I n light of soaring visitor numbers to
the Middle East, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts plans to open more than
10 hotels by 2020 across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Qatar.
“Our timing could not be better as the Middle East looks set to embark on an unprecedented growth phase, fuelled by a combination of renewed consumer confidence and increased re-gional public and private infrastructure investment, in addition to upcoming mega events such as the World Expo 2020 in Dubai and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” enthused Andreas Mattmüller, chief operating officer, Middle East and Asia, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.
Middle East Expansion for Mövenpick
T he 102-room Park Inn by Radisson Al Barsha First, which will be offering easy
access to attractions such as Mall of the Emirates, is scheduled to open in 2017.
Moreover, Park Inn by Radis-son Jubail Corniche will launch in early 2016; the 156-unit Park Inn by Radisson Jubail Industrial City will debut early 2018; and Radisson Blu Hotel, Al Khobar Al Rakkah will be also unveiled in 2018.
Did you know...
Park Inn by
Radisson has most
recently be
en
relaunched as a
vibrant offe
r for the
growing clientele o
f
generation X and Y?
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS
10
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH) plans to further expand its halal-friendly and midmarket and budget segments by 30 percent over the next five
years.According to Laurent Voivenel, CEO, HMH, the most sig-
nificant development in halal tourism is being witnessed in the midmarket segment, and the company is keen on capi-talising on this trend.
“This will include having a hotel in every GCC country while doubling our portfolio in the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” he revealed, adding that interest is also strong in Asian markets, such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia and China.
HMH Sees Growth in Midmarket Halal Tourism
HM
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Emaar Reveals Global Expansion Plans
Emaar Hospitality Group announced its aggressive international expansion strategy focussed on branching out to
Bahrain and Nigeria. In Bahrain, the brand will be represented
by The Address Marassi Al Bahrain and The Address Residences Marassi Al Bahrain. The Kingdom will also welcome Vida Hotels and Resorts, marking the brand’s first exposure outside the UAE.
The group’s flagship hotel brand will be introduced to Nigeria with the opening of The Address Centenary City Abuja and The Address Residences Centenary City Abuja. both forming part of Centenary City, Abuja, a project developed by UAE-based company, Eagle Hills.
Cristal Group to Debut in Dubai
DAMAC’s NAIA Breeze Opens for Business
Cristal Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Aber Group for Boutique 7 Hotel that will be rebranded to the four-star Cristal Media Hotel.
Centrally located in TECOM area, the hotel will feature 79 rooms and suites, a range of on-site food and beverage outlets as well as leisure and recreational facilities.
“Cristal Media Hotel is truly a world-class property [...]. One of its unique selling propositions is the luxurious duplex three-bedroom suites that only one other hotel offers in Dubai,” said Kamal Fakhoury, chief operations of-ficer, Cristal Group.
The first NAIA Hotels and Hotel Apartments project was officially unveiled in the heart of Dubai’s Burj Area.
Overlooking the canal to one side and Burj Khalifa to the oth-er, the 342-key NAIA Breeze offers five-star service standards.
In the coming years, two further hotels will be completed under DA-MAC Hotels & Resorts’ NAIA brand, namely the 10-storey NAIA Tanora at the site of Expo 2020 with 270 units and NAIA Celestia in the centre of Dubai World Central, with luxury hotel apartment studios and one and two-bedroom apartments.
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
12
S wissôtel Hotels & Resorts penned a deal to manage Swis-sôtel KozaPark Istanbul in the
city’s fast-growing Esenyurt district. Slated for a 2019 opening, the 160-key hotel will be a part of the KozaPark res-idential, retail and entertainment des-tination, and will introduce the city’s first branded Swissôtel Residences with 450 luxury units.
Lilian Rotan, vice president, Swis-sôtel brand, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, described Istanbul as a very important market for the company.
“With the addition of a spectacular new hotel in the city and our planned opening in Bodrum later this summer, Turkey offers great potential for our hotel group,” said Rotan.
A l Rayyan Hospitality, the de-velopment company behind Qatar’s Souq Waqif Boutique
Hotels and Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, is preparing to launch two more projects this year.
The ambitious waterfront desti-nation, Salwa Beach Resort features a 362-room Hilton hotel, two beach-front villages, a massive destination water park, marina with yacht club, dive centre, cinemas, shopping mall, health club and spa, 14 restaurants and much more.
Al Rayyan Hospitality is also devel-oping Al Messila Resort & VIP Spa with an ultra-luxurious 122-key hotel, 30 lux-ury villas and one of the largest ladies’ spas and wellness centres in the region.
Swissôtel Expands in Turkey
Shaza Hotels to Open in Bahrain
Al Rayyan Hospitality Gears for More Ventures
Rotana to Debut in Turkey in June
R otana is soon to launch its first two properties in Turkey with both Burgu Arjaan by Rotana and Tango Arjaan by Rotana due to welcome their
first guests on June 1. The two hotels will share vital facilities including the
lobby, lounge cafe, business centre, restaurant, fitness and wellness club, indoor and outdoor pools as well as a number of meeting and conference rooms.
“A breakthrough into Turkey is a significant achieve-ment for Rotana as it is a crucial territory to penetrate for us to solidify our standing as the leading hotel manage-ment company in the region,” said Omer Kaddouri, CEO, Rotana.
S haza Hotels signed a man-agement agreement with Hani Group to operate a
156-room hotel in Bahrain’s Seef district, set to launch in 2017.
Shaza Seef Bahrain will be centrally located in a fast-devel-oping shopping and business area, close to the city’s largest malls and the Bahrain Interna-tional Exhibition and Convention Centre.
The hotel, which will also of-fer a variety of world-class restau-rants, a spacious ballroom and extensive meeting facilities, is in the design phase and construc-tion is expected to begin in the next few months.
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16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
14
DWC Signs Three New Hotels
Art- and Culture-themed Resort to Open in Sharjah
Dubai World Central (DWC) signed deals with three inter-national hospitality brands, Aloft, Studio M and Millen-nium, to be developed on its grounds between 2018
and 2019. Aloft Dubai World Central will feature 150 rooms and ex-
pansive meeting spaces; the three-star budget Studio M Dubai World Central will offer a chic, minimalist design across its 750 units; and the 400-key Millennium Dubai World Central will ca-ter to the upper midscale and upscale corporate traveller.
Sharjah’s hotel scene is to welcome the emirate’s first art- and cul-ture-themed five-star deluxe property, the 234-key Majlis Grand Mercure Sharjah Resort & Spa.
A joint project of Basma Group and Accor, the resort will be op-erated under the hotel company’s Majlis Grand Mercure brand, spe-cifically designed for the Middle East. Spanning an area of 12,000m2, the property will have all sea-facing units, each with a private balcony. Other facilities will include two restaurants, Hammam spa with six treatment rooms, a pool, fitness centre and state-of-the-art meeting and function spaces.
DAMAC Launches Nova Hotel Villas Concept
DAMAC Properties introduced its first hotel villa model, Nova Hotel Villas, within the AKOYA Oxygen community in Dubai. The development is set in a private enclave within green surroundings of 510ha, offering three- to six-bedroom
units with spacious open plan living.“The process of making the villas personal starts before owners move in, by in-
structing our team of experienced interior designers and decorators on your personal taste, resulting in a fully furnished home which is truly aligned to your personal tastes,” commented Niall McLoughlin, senior vice president, DAMAC Properties.
J ust months after the open-ing of the company’s first property in Dubai, Four
Seasons Hotels and Resorts is preparing for the launch of its second project in the emirate. Due to be unveiled in 2016, Four Seasons Hotel Dubai at DIFC will boast 106 rooms, several food and beverage outlets, a spa and fitness centre and four meeting rooms.
As Shabab Lutfi, CEO, Bright Start, the owner of the property, disclosed, the strategic location within Dubai International Fi-nancial Centre was carefully se-lected to cater to high-end busi-ness travellers.
Four Seasons to Add Second Dubai Hotel
Nov
a H
otel
Vill
as
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
16
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ latest project in the UAE, Fairmont Ajman has opened its doors.
The 14-floor hotel boasts 252 rooms and two-storey penthouses along with a wide range of facilities and amenities, such as a spa and fit-ness centre, children’s club, infinity pool, seven meeting spaces with a ballroom and an innovative dining portfolio.
“Ajman has its own charm with a strong maritime, trade and fishing heritage and is perfect for travellers who want cultural tourism, as well as a relaxed and an unhurried experi-ence,” commented on the location Henny Schaeffer, general manager, Fairmont Ajman.
Fairmont Ajman Unveiled
Rixos Hotels is to further ex-pand its UAE portfolio with Rixos The Walk scheduled to
welcome its first guests in the sec-ond quarter of 2016.
Housed within the Crystal Tow-ers along Dubai’s shoreline, the new urban retreat will offer a range of first of its kind experiences.
Bugra Berberoglu, CEO, Rixos Hotels, enthused, “What we are creating here is something differ-ent. The market for luxury hospital-ity is substantially over saturated in Dubai, so we will offer something that goes beyond the traditional lux-ury five-star experiences and open a destination within a destination that everybody will be talking about.”
Rixos The Walk to Open in 2016
Rixos The Walk Fairmont Ajman
MARRIOTT TO DEBUT IN RAS AL KHAIMAH
Ras Al Khaimah is to welcome another global brand as Marriott International plans to launch its first property in the emirate in 2019.
The recently launched Lily & Peach Spa, with its two branches in Deira Dubai,
introduced a series of treatments for face and body using Pevonia, an international cosmetics brand made of the purest natural ingre-dients.
The new therapies range from express facials to deeper, longer and relaxing procedures that use Vitamin C and dried seaweed. Pevonia’s green skin-care products and treatments blend the finest natural botanical and marine ingredients with ad-vanced technology and delivery systems for bespoke results.
New Treatments Unveiled at Lily & Peach Spa
L ocated in the northern part of the desti-nation, the five-star Ras Al Khaimah Marri-ott Resort will feature 300 keys, extensive meeting, health and leisure facilities and six food and beverage outlets.
It will be the first of two projects to be built within the RAK Free Trade Zone, bringing the emir-ate closer to its goal to add 1,000 rooms by 2017.
Ras
Al K
haim
ah
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
18
Jumeirah Group Debuts in Bodrum
Overlooking the Aegean Sea, Jumeirah Bod-rum Palace is now open for business, offer-ing 135 sea-view rooms including suites,
villas with private pools and a six-bedroom palace. The 110,000m2 resort also hosts a selection of
bars and restaurants along with eight family pools, a spa, treatment rooms, Hammams, fitness centre and children’s playground.
“Jumeirah Bodrum Palace is a truly spectacu-lar luxury resort. We have worked closely with the owner to ensure that the full Jumeirah experience is delivered through the hotel and I am delighted to say that the improvements to the hotel have ex-ceeded our expectations,” commented Gerald Law-less, CEO, Jumeirah Group.
Jum
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Symphony Style Hotel Kuwait announced a series of upgrades aimed at further accommodating the needs of its guests.
A total of 18 new meeting rooms are now available and trav-ellers can also opt for a longer stay in one of the three luxury apart-ments, whereas children are catered to at the newly-created 500m2 kids′ club.
Symphony Style Hotel Kuwait’s meeting area includes an addi-tional 1,584m2 of sea-facing space spread across six floors, with three meeting rooms on each floor and a common breakout area.
Moreover, the 17th floor accommodates three brand-new spacious apartments that can be converted into one- or two-bedroom flats.
Symphony Style Hotel Kuwait Upgrades Facilities
Sym
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FRHI Signs Two Hotels in Egypt
Gloria Hotel to Undergo Renovations
FRHI Hotels & Resorts announced two new projects in Egypt, with both scheduled to open before 2020.
Fairmont Soma Bay, part of a 10 million square metre integrat-ed mixed-use master development, will feature 300 rooms and suites in-cluding Fairmont Gold, the brand’s hotel within a hotel concept, and 150 Fairmont-branded Residences for sale.
Swissôtel Katameyah will comprise 250 rooms and suites and 50 luxury residential apartments under the Swissôtel Living concept. The hotel will also boast 38 Swiss Executive Club rooms and 1,700m2 of meeting space.
The all-suite Gloria Hotel, Dubai revealed that the 1,000-key prop-erty will renovate its one- and two-bedroom units this summer as part of a massive AED16 million (USD4.3 million) project.
A total of 150 suites covering five floors will receive an interior makeo-ver and the end result will see modern fixtures and fittings, as well as custom-made soft furnishings.
“Gloria Hotel attracts a variety of guests from around the world so we need to make sure that their experience with us is always unique and long-lasting,” said Freddy Farid, area general manager, Gloria Hotels & Resorts.
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
20
JW Marriott Bodrum
Ras Al Khaimah to Welcome Qatar AirwaysQatar Airways is expanding its UAE services with the launch of direct daily flights to Ras Al Khaimah, commencing October 1.
“Today, Qatar Airways enjoys a robust operation in the UAE with 98 flights a week to Dubai [International], 28 flights a week to Dubai World Central, 42 flights a week to Abu Dhabi and 21
flights a week to Sharjah. Now with the addition of seven weekly flights to Ras Al Khaimah, Qatar Airways will have a total of 196 weekly flights from Doha to the UAE,” said Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways.
Akbar Al Baker (second from left) with H.E. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, chairman, Ras Al Khaimah
International Airport
Etihad Goes to Entebbe
E tihad Airways has further strengthened its presence in East Af-rica with the launch of new services between Abu Dhabi and Entebbe, in central Uganda.
Operated by a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft with 16 business and 120 economy class seats, the new itinerary provides business and lei-sure travellers with a direct four-times-per-week service between the two cities.
James Hogan, president, Etihad Airways, said, “Uganda is one of the continent’s fastest-growing business and tourism destinations, and the launch of services to Uganda is consistent with our strategy of target-ing areas of strong growth in emerging markets.”
Three New US Routes for Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways announced the next phase of its US expansion with the introduction of three new daily passenger routes to Los Angeles, Bos-ton and Atlanta.
On January 1, 2016, the carrier will commence flights to Los Angeles with its flagship Boeing 777 aircraft, while on March 16, 2016, it will launch services to Boston onboard an Airbus A350 XWB. Lastly, July 1, 2016 will see the inaugu-ration of operations to Atlanta.
Moreover, increasing passenger demand to New York has prompted Qatar Airways to add a second daily service to the city from March 1, 2016.
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
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Etihad Dreamliner to Fly to Singapore
Qatar Airways showcased its latest first and business class offerings at the recent-
ly-held Arabian Travel Market (ATM), welcoming visitors to its stand to explore a replica of the Airbus A350 XWB entrance dome; experience the Airbus A380 seats; and discover the exclusive onboard offerings of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, A350 XWB, and the A380.
“As one of the most important travel trade shows in the Middle East, ATM is the perfect platform for Qatar Airways to communicate its world-wide expansion plans and to connect with travel industry suppliers, part-ners and key officials,” said Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways Delights Audiences
T urkish flag carrier, Turkish Airlines is to open up new links to Kuwait with flights from Trabzon, Bursa and İzmir.
The return services from Trabzon will be inaugurated on July 16 and will run three times a week. On July 17, Turkish Airlines will launch the Bursa itinerary which will be offered twice-weekly.
Lastly, operations from İzmir to Kuwait are planned to start on July 22, flying out every Wednesday.
Turkish Airlines Launches New Routes to Kuwait
Trabzon
Sing
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E mirates has further expanded the network of destinations served by its Airbus A380 air-
craft with the launch of A380 services to Perth.
The Western Australian city is the fourth location in the country to wel-come a regular Emirates A380 flight, a fact that, according to Barry Brown, divisional senior vice president, com-mercial operations, East, Emirates, is a testament to the strong global de-mand for travel into Australia.
The double-decker aircraft will transport up to 982 passengers in a three-class configuration daily and together with partner airline Qantas, a total of seven daily A380 services will operate from Australia to the UAE.
Emirates to Deploy A380 on Perth Route
E tihad Airways plans to deploy a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner between Abu Dhabi and Singa-pore, further widening travel options be-
tween the destinations. The new B787 operation, which will commence
on August 1, will follow a major upgrade on June 1, which includes the introduction of first class seats and a change in schedule timings with evening de-partures.
According to James Hogan, president, Etihad Airways, onboard the Dreamliner, passengers will experience levels of comfort and attention to de-tail not enjoyed previously by today’s air traveller or offered by any of the company’s competitors on the route.
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
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WEEKLY NEWS AIR
flynas Connects Riyadh and Cairo
f lynas has further expanded its presence in Egypt by com-mencing daily nonstop services between Riyadh and Cairo.
According to Bandar Al Mohanna, CEO, NAS Holding, the new route is a true affirmation of the Saudi carrier’s vision to strengthen its network in Egypt and the wider region.
“Given the huge demand, the daily flights will add capacity to a busy sector servicing the capitals of these two key MENA economies,” added Al Mohanna.
Etihad to Operate Second A380 to Heathrow
E tihad Airways has taken delivery of its second Air-bus A380 which will first fly between Abu Dhabi and London’s Heathrow Airport.
As Peter Baumgartner, chief commercial officer, Etihad Airways, noted, the introduction of the second aircraft of its kind on the route will give passengers more opportunities to experience the airline’s new cabins, including The Resi-dence by Etihad and First Apartments.
“By August, all three daily flights on this flagship route will be operated by the A380, offering our guests unparal-leled luxury and superior in-flight technology,” revealed Baumgartner.
CairoA ir Arabia Jordan will commence operations from its
Queen Alia International Airport base in Amman this month, beginning with direct flights to four countries
in the region. Starting May 18, the low-cost carrier’s inaugural service will
take off to Kuwait City as the first destination, followed by the launch of regular scheduled operations to Jeddah, Erbil and Sharm El Sheikh on May 19, 20 and 21 respectively, with more destinations to be added later in the year.
Air Arabia Jordan′s fleet consists of new Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with a spacious economy seat pitch.
Air Arabia Jordan to Launch Soon
Etih
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Did you know...
flynas operates
flights to six Egyptian
destinations: Cairo,
Alexandria, Sohag,
Luxor, Sharm El
Sheikh and
Aswan?
16 MAY 2015
RENDEZVOUS
25
Q & A with
WAEL SOUEID, AREA GENERAL MANAGER, ANANTARA HOTELS, RESORTS & SPAS, INTRODUCES THE COMPANY’S FIVE PROPERTIES IN ABU DHABI AND COMMENTS ON THE CURRENT HOSPITALITY TRENDS.
Wael SoueidAREA GENERAL MANAGER, ANANTARA HOTELS, RESORTS & SPAS
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How has performance been at your Abu Dha-bi properties and what are your ex-pectations for the rest of the year?
WAEL SOUEID: The performance of our properties has so far exceeded our expectations with strong occupancy levels across all five properties, which we expect to continue into the [rest] of the year.
Of course, we have been consider-ate of travel trends due to political in-stability in some of the UAE’s core mar-kets such as Russia, and have adapted our sales strategies and expectations
in line with this, however our growth across all properties overall has been strong as travel within the UAE and travel originating from neighbour-ing countries continues to grow at a steady pace.
With properties in the city, by the beach and in the desert, Anantara has a diverse offering in Abu Dhabi and so the target audiences are also diverse. As well as a steady mix of leisure trav-ellers from the UK and Germany for all five hotels, there has been significant MICE travel to our city property Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara.
[Moreover] there is increased de-
mand for incentives at Qasr Al Sarab which follows on the heels of a push of a new product designed to reward top 10 achievers with a three-night stay. We have also seen renewed interest in the Desert Islands Conference Centre facilities teamed with team building activities taking full advantage of the extensive leisure pursuits on offer.
Generally speaking, we have also noticed an increase in young affluent travellers, as well as a renewed interest in eco-travel [...].
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How im-portant is cultural tourism to your Abu Dhabi-based hotels and resorts′ business?
WAEL SOUEID: It is incredibly impor-tant to us, as our resorts are indige-nous to the UAE and so embrace and celebrate the local culture and herit-age of the country.
To support Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA)’s initiative to promote Abu Dhabi’s history and cul-
ture, we have a variety of activities that help our guests leave with remarkable memories to last a lifetime. Located on an island that has so much of its own history and culture, our Sir Bani Yas Is-land properties, Desert Islands, Al Yamm Villas and Al Sahel Villas, offer guests a chance to visit a pre-Islamic monastery, as well as a culture and history tour hosted by Emirati nationals. Addition-ally, guests at our Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara in Liwa desert can enjoy the majestic Arabic architecture, as well as horse riding in the dunes, fal-conry and a saluki show – all designed to embrace the heritage and culture of the UAE. Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa on the other hand, is a natural habi-tat, closely linked to the heritage of the UAE as it has been carefully designed to protect and enhance the unique Man-groves setting around the city.
For [this year] we have also de-veloped larger scale annual events to showcase the Anantara brand and the scope of Abu Dhabi as a leisure desti-nation […].
16 MAY 2015
WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
26
New arrival in the Caribbean by Courtyard by Marriott
The 177-room property will be located near the ship terminal and the guest experience will be enhanced with the available retail space, entertainment area, restaurants and a casino.
Klaus Moser, one of the shareholders of Courtyard by Marriott Curaçao, expressed his confidence in the success of the brand.
F our Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti and Four Seasons Resort Seychelles are now offer-
ing the opportunity to enjoy the very best of the bush and the beach with its new Safari Unplugged package, made available after the launch of a direct Air Seychelles flight between Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania and Mahé in Seychelles.
The new package allows guests to book any combination of back-to-back stays with both properties to benefit from a monetary credit which may be redeemed at either Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts property.
Combination Staysfor Tanzania and Seychelles
Cour
tyar
d by
Mar
riott
Cur
açao
Already present in Curacao’s capital city Willemstad with Curaçao Marriott Resort & Emerald Casino and Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino, Marriott International will be expanding in the Caribbean island country with the first Courtyard by Marriott scheduled to open in 2017.
Starwood Launches Tribute Portfolio
Starwood Hotels & Re-sorts Worldwide intro-duced its 10th brand
and second collection of in-dependent hotels under the name Tribute Portfolio.
With plans to expand to up to 100 properties within the next five years, Tribute Portfo-lio debuted with Royal Palm South Beach Miami. Initially, the brand’s growth will be fo-cused on North America and Europe and new openings are planned for Asheville, North Carolina, Nashville, Tennes-see, Savannah, Georgia and Charleston.
“We believe Tribute Portfo-lio will be an exciting solution for hotel owners of distinct properties who wish to main-tain their independent spirit,” said Adam Aron, CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
Did you know...
Four Season
s Safari
Lodge Serengeti is
located within
Serengeti National
Park which is vis
ited
by 90,000 tourists
each year?
16 MAY 2015
AGENT CORNER
27
Hussain Firunaas Shareef
Sales and marketing manager
100 Percent Maldives
Maldives
www.100percentmaldives.com
Agent’s Insight
Who are you?I am Hussain Firunaas Shareef, born and raised in the Maldives. I am the sales and marketing manager of 100 Percent Maldives […]. We are a member of Maldives As-sociation of Travel Agents & Tour Operators [and] are able to compete with major travel agents in the country and get relatively cheap rates.
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?I am able to provide vacationers all around the world with a tropical holiday in the Maldives. The best thing about this is the remarks we get from the said vacationers.
When is the best time to visit the Maldives?The Maldives is a tropical country located near the Equator. It is a place you can visit throughout the year and enjoy what it has to offer at its best.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?I am honest in giving my opinions and have a piqued interest in travelling, so I would be very much suitable for customers who wish to get the best holiday des-tination, despite a high price. Also, if the customers are on a budget I would give them the cheapest rates available with ongoing special offers and discounts.
COMPANY:
POSITION:
NAME:
LOCATION:
WEBSITE:
16 MAY 2015
TRAVEL TALK
28
TIM CORDON
HASSAN HASSANEIN
General manager, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek
General manager, Mövenpick Kuwait Hotel
“Recognising how precious our water resources are has never been more important, especial-ly in our highly water-stressed part of the world. Raising aware-ness through our hotels [with the Walk for Water programme on Earth Day] is a great initiative and cements our brand as being one of the world’s most ethical companies.”
“We are delighted to organise cooking classes and to launch our Power Bites menu with so many children present, featur-ing nutritious meals that are presented in a fun, engaging way. And we are pleased that our dishes appeal to all the par-ents as well. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is looking forward to providing new and innovative options for all families.”
Raising awareness through our hotels is a great initiative
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is looking forward to providing new and innovative options
DANIEL RUFFPresident, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean (EMEAI), Wyndham Hotel Group
“Alper [Can Bulcum, general manager, Ramada Sharjah, win-ner of the General Manager of the Year EMEAI award] is a great leader because of his ability to provide strategic direction, drive revenue and create mean-ingful relationships with guests and the local community. Alper is an asset to our brand and I of-fer my sincere congratulations to him. I look forward to seeing his enthusiasm for hospitality fuel the hotel’s success moving forward.”
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 [email protected]
Alper [Can Bulcum] is an asset to our brand
16 MAY 2015
TRAVEL CHANNELS
29
Charity Markets at Sheraton Abu Dhabi Raise USD19,000
W hen combined with the money collected during 2014’s flea markets, the total sum for this project reached AED70,000 (USD19,000).
The event showcased 90 private exhibitors selling pre-loved items from their homes and welcomed hundreds of visitors looking for the best bargains.
The hotel’s current fundraising efforts are supporting a children’s home, called Kalamusu Kedella in Sri Lanka.
The flea market held at Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort proved to be a success raising an additional AED22,000 (USD6,000) for the
hotel’s charity fund.
Accor to Plant 100,000 Trees
in the UAE
Park Inn Muscat HACCP Certificated
P ark Inn by Radisson Muscat announced the renewal of its HAC-CP certification, first accredited to the property in 2013.
The hotel has secured the coveted Hazard Analysis and Crit-ical Control Point document for its efforts in providing safe and whole-some food to customers.
“We would like to be known for our own food safety standards and culinary world – to be known for healthy cuisine and good service at the same time remain to high standards of safety and hygiene while act in accordance with the local laws,” commented Ajay Dhoundiyal, executive chef, Park Inn by Radisson Muscat.
Accor HotelServices Middle East aims to plant 100,000 trees in the UAE over the
next decade, as the company an-nounced at an eco-event held at Sofitel The Palm Dubai, in addi-tion to sharing its regional 2014 environmental performance re-sults.
Highlights of these include a newly installed system for moni-toring and analysing utilities in all hotels; the Plant for the Planet towel and linen reuse initiative; new water regulators in rooms and public areas; and LED lights and heat pumps across its prop-erties.
Kalamusu Kedella Children’s Home
The hotel’s team following the certification
16 MAY 2015
WHO’S MOVED
30
JANET ABRAHAMS
SAMIH BARBIR
DINO GELMETTI
Janet Abrahams has joined the soon-to-open Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Residences Emirates Pearl as area director of sales and marketing. Abrahams’ career in the in-ternational luxury hospital-ity sector spans 20 years and includes roles in the UAE, the Levant, Europe and Asia. She started in London and soon took on international roles with responsibilities for multiple properties and brands before accepting country and regional director positions, successfully build-ing a career with renowned flagship properties, opening new hotels, and rebranding and developing destinations for discerning luxury travellers from all over the world.
Samih Barbir has been ap-pointed chairman of Abdali Investment & Development. Barbir brings a wealth of expe-rience to the company, having previously served in manage-rial positions in the marketing, finance and real estate sectors throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Prior to joining the group, Bar-bir acted as managing director at Quilvest Private Equity in Europe and the Middle East. He was also the general man-ager of Saraya Sochi in Russia and served as chairman and CEO of the Investment Devel-opment Authority in Lebanon. Barbir is replacing Joseph Helou, who held the position since 2011.Abdali is hailed as the larg-est mixed-use project in Am-man, Jordan spanning over 384,000m2.
Dino Gelmetti has been named vice president of air-line solutions in Europe, Mid-dle East and Africa (EMEA) at Sabre.In his role, Gelmetti will lead the company’s business in EMEA with the main goal to further grow revenue and customer base and maintain successful and trusted partnerships with existing airline customers. The industry veteran brings almost 20 years’ experience to Sabre, having previously worked as global sales direc-tor for technology services provider, Xchanging. Prior to that, he held senior positions at IT solutions pro-vider EMC Corporation and IT software and services organi-sation Unisys.
Barbir has experience in marketing, finance and
real estate
Annual staff party at Al Bustan Centre & Residence, Dubai
Khamis Kazzaz, general manager, Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah (middle), accepts the Sharjah’s Leading Hotel ac-
colade at the World Travel Awards
Coral Beirut Al Hamra Hotel′s team shines at the inter-hotel cooking competition at HORECA
Frasers Hospitality won four awards at the recent World Travel AwardsLegoland unveiled the layout of the upcoming Dubai theme park using 150,000 Lego bricks at the Arabian Travel Market
Bahrain Junior Open 2015 at Royal Golf Club, Bahrain
16 MAY 2015
PHOTO ALBUM
31
Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to.
Send your photos to [email protected] Because a picture is worth a thousand words...
Take a Shot!
16 MAY 2015
NEWS & EVENTS
32
EVENTS
IMEX
Frankfurt, GermanyMay 19 – 21www.imex-frankfurt.comA one-stop-shop for planners looking to book and organise worldwide meetings, events and incentive travel programmes.
CHINA GUILIN INTERNATIONAL TOURISM EXPO (CGITE)
Guilin, ChinaMay 29 – 31 www.cgite.com.cnPart of Conference & Exhibition Management Services’ travel and tourism portfolio, CGITE brings together Chinese and international buyers and exhibitors in one dynamic marketplace.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL EXPO HONG KONG
Wanchai, Hong KongJune 11 – 14www.itehk.comAmongst others, the event also highlights trendy travel themes such as overseas weddings and honeymoons, as well as sports tourism.
KOREA WORLD TRAVEL FAIR
Seoul, South Korea June 11 – 15www.kotfa.co.krWith a 30-year history, the event sees the participation of 60 countries which promote their tourism resources and cultures.
Event Expert Urges Exhibitors to Focus on Pre-event Preparations
WTM Success in Latin America
Ahead of the China Xi’an Silk Road International Tourism Expo that will take place in September, Ed-
ward Liu, group managing director, Con-ference and Exhibitions Management Services, Singapore, shared his insight on how exhibitors can excel at this kind of events. He suggested that concrete back-ground research on forthcoming events helps participators prepare adequately while he sees careful budgeting as being extremely important too. Vendors should create a well-planned promotional mix based on their four Ps; product, price, place and promotion, while attendees were also encouraged to smartly design their booth.
Latin America is now firmly estab-lished as a leading region for World Travel Market (WTM) as this year’s
event attracted 21 percent more visitors and press, while a large volume of deals were also signed.
The three-day show hosted 1,300 ex-hibitors at Expo Centre Norte, São Paulo, a much larger and central venue compared to previous years.
Visitors and vendors alike expressed their satisfaction and highlighted WTM’s importance.
“We fulfilled our mission to transform the event into a catalyst for business and we will continue maintaining this line in order to grow,” said Lawrence Reinisch, di-rector, WTM Latin America.
Edward Liu