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30 AUGUST 2014 ISSUE 251
4
ACCORDING TO OMAN’S NATIONAL CENTRE FOR STATISTICS AND INFORMATION THE TOTAL
NUMBER OF KHAREEF SALALAH VISITORS, BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL, HAS GROWN BY 170 PERCENT.
VISITORS TO KHAREEF SALALAH EXCEED 203,000
STR GLOBAL REPORTS ON MEA PERFORMANCE
02
11
JUMEIRAH GROUP LAUNCHES MOBILE CAREERS SITE
IN THIS ISSUEMARKET UPDATE
TECHNOLOGY
RENDEZVOUS
ACCOMMODATION
CLASSIFIEDS
AIR
INTERNATIONAL
AGENT CORNER
TRAVEL TALK
TRAVEL CHANNELS
WHO’S MOVED
PHOTO ALBUM
NEWS & EVENTS
0203081112141819 2021222324
30 AUGUST 2014
MARKET UPDATE
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TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
MANAGING EDITOR
Mary Kammitsi [email protected]
ASSISTANT EDITOR Maria Kazeli
SENIOR JOURNALIST Rita Kasziba
PRESS
Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Elena Stylianou
WEB DEVELOPER / IT Soteris Constantinou
DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides
Mary Kammitsi
HEADQUARTERST.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD
P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 103670
WEBSITEwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
EMAILS [email protected] [email protected]
STR Global Reports on Middle East and Africa PerformanceAccording to data compiled by STR Global, the Middle East and Africa region (MEA) reported positive performance in June year-to-date figures.
The Abu Dhabi hotel market continued to grow, as strong performance elevated profitability levels in the first half of the year (H1), according to the latest Hot-Stats survey from TRI Hospitality Consulting.
T he figures showed a one percent increase in occupancy to 64.6 percent, a 3.5 percent increase in average daily rate (ADR) to USD169.22 and a 4.5 percent increase in RevPAR to USD109.24.
“We are seeing rate growth for all three sub-regions, including the Middle East (up 2.4 percent), Northern Africa (up 2.0 percent) and Southern Africa (up 7.2 percent),” said Elizabeth Winkle, managing director, STR Global. “It is nice to see some ADR growth across the region, albeit muted, in spite of instability and turbulence in many of the countries.”
UAE (AED)
Egypt (EGP)
Saudi Arabia (SAR)
Lebanon (LBP)
Bahrain (BHD)
Jordan (JOD)
Syria (SYP)
Kuwait (KWD)
Qatar (QAR)
Oman (OMR)
Tunisia (TND)
Morocco (MAD)
Iran (IRR)
Yemen (YER)
Algeria (DZD)
Libya (LYD)
Dirham
Pound
Riyal
Pound
Dinar
Dinar
Pound
Dinar
Riyal
Rial
Dinar
Dirham
Riyal
Rial
Dinar
Dinar
3.67
7.15
3.75
1,512.5
0.37
0.71
153.55
0.28
3.64
0.38
1.74
8.47
26,624.00
214.89
80.37
1.23
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
Accurate as of
29/08/2014Currencies shown in blue are fixed against the US Dollar
COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=
Abu Dhabi Hotel Profits Rise 11.8 Percent in H1
Increasing demand raised occupancy levels by 4.9 percentage points to 78.2 percent, drove RevPAR up 6.8 percent while average room rates (ARR) remained stable in the period under review.
“Occupancy growth allowed hoteliers to maintain steady average rates during the first six months of the year, as the market showed signs
of stabilisation. ARR have increased for four consecutive months while oc-cupancies have seen a consistent upward trend for nearly two years,” com-mented Peter Goddard, managing director, TRI Hospitality Consulting.
Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi
30 AUGUST 2014
TECHNOLOGY WEEKLY NEWS
3
Travelport Increases Stake in eNett International
Travelport announced an increased ownership stake in eNett International, its joint venture with PSP In-ternational, which was established to provide state-
of-the-art integrated payment solutions tailored specifically for the travel industry.
Since the joint venture’s inception in 2009, Travelport held a majority stake of 57 percent, with PSP International holding the remainder. Over the past five years, eNett Inter-national has grown to become an increasing part of Travel-port’s strategy to redefine travel commerce. Upon the new deal, Travelport acquired an additional 16 percent from its partner, raising its holding to 73 percent, in a transaction which values the venture at USD450 million.
S abre Corporation and payment services partner Conferma have introduced Sabre Virtual Payments for air travel, designed to streamline and automate settlement of air segments for travel
buyers. The system is built on the most secure payment card technology available and assigns a unique virtual credit card number to each travel segment. The service allows corporations to control the exact amount of every transaction and ensures that only airlines are able to bill these accounts, delivering even more protection against fraud.
Greg Webb, president, Sabre Travel Network, commented, “Vir-tual payment services are a huge opportunity to realise increased efficiency through automated process and better data integration.”
Sabre’s New Technology for Air Travel
Did you know...
Travelport is
providing distribu-
tion and payment
solutions for
the
USD7 trillion
tourism industry?
C arey International, a leading provider in chauf-feured services and ground transportation logistics management, has created a new application in col-
laboration with Sabre Corporation enabling travel agents to book chauffeured ground services in more than 1,000 cities worldwide directly from the Sabre Red Workspace.
Carey’s new Red App provides real-time status updates so that any changes made by passengers appear in the agent’s workflow and on the traveller’s itinerary. “Typically, when peo-ple talk about global distribution system (GDS) content they largely think of air, hotel and rental car content. That is chang-ing, and it will continue to evolve dramatically in the coming years,” said Greg Webb, president, Sabre Travel Network.
New Red App Delivers Carey Limo Content
30 AUGUST 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
4
B awadi Mall in Al Ain welcomed 829,121 visitors during Ramadan, an increase of 7.5 percent over the
same period in 2013. The increase was at-tributed to the extensive shopping cam-paign held across 400 outlets, which gave visitors the chance to win prizes every day, and an entertainment campaign entitled Around the World in 40 Days that will con-tinue until September 6.
Bassam Saleh, marketing manager, Bawadi Mall, revealed that their strategy is based on widening the options offered to visitors, explaining, “Customers in the UAE look for more than a traditional shopping experience, as competitors now consider other elements like entertainment, hospi-tality, promotions and raffle draws to attract visitors.”
Bawadi Mall Welcomes Over 800,000 Visitors
VISITORS TO KHAREEF SALALAH EXCEED 203,000
Salalah
According to Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) the total number of Khareef Salalah visitors, both local and international, has grown by 170 percent.
F or the period June 21 – August 6 the number of travellers stood at 203,171, compared to just 75,262 in 2013.
NCSI revealed that the majority of visitors within the recording period were GCC citizens, totalling 178,131, with Omanis comprising the majority of these travellers at 143,099.
In second place were UAE citizens at 25,923, followed by 5,035 visitors of other Arab nationalities.
For the first time, NCSI introduced a simple and convenient self-counting platform to be used by visitors, who could complete the electronic forms as they passed through Salalah and Muscat International Airports.
30 AUGUST 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
5
Gulf Air to Represent MENA at SITA Council
G ulf Air has recently taken on the post of MENA representative on the Société Internationale
de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA) Council, with Jassim Haji, director of information technology, Gulf Air, tak-ing the seat.
“As technology becomes an in-creasingly important part of people’s travel experience, Gulf Air’s steadfast commitment to implementing the lat-est information technology enhance-ments has reaped many benefits for both the airline and its customers. Par-ticipating in the SITA Council will give us the opportunity to embark on a wid-er spectrum of information technol-ogy innovations which can only bring about greater benefit to all,” said Haji.
Halal Market’s Value Rises
The latest research note by Dubai Cham-ber of Commerce & Industry states that the halal food and beverage market was
worth USD1.1 trillion in 2013 and is expected to grow to USD1.6 trillion by 2018. The news is sig-nificant ahead of October’s 10th World Islamic Economic Forum to be held in Dubai, where ha-lal food will be discussed as a major component of the Islamic economy.
Commenting on the report, H.E. Abdul Rah-man Saif Al Ghurair, chairman, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, confirmed his belief that Dubai has the capability to create new avenues for growth and become an international centre for the halal industry, as halal food is a key pillar in the Dubai Capital of Islamic Economy initia-tive launched in 2013. The sector is growing in a number of countries globally, mainly those of the MENA region, South and Southeast Asia.
30 AUGUST 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
6
Passenger Movement Declines in June
Passenger traffic results for June from the International global Air Transport Association (IATA) indicate a modest deceleration in growth compared to May.
Tony Tyler, director general, IATA, commented, “June traffic growth at 4.7 percent [over the same period a year ago] is encouraging, even though it is a slight weakening on May’s performance.”
International passenger demand rose 5.5 percent compared to June 2013, with airlines in all regions, except Africa, recording growth. The strongest gains were amongst Middle East carriers where demand jumped 10.8 percent in June, the largest increase for any region and re-flecting the continued strength of regional economies and solid growth in business-related premium travel.
Tyler expressed optimism that the industry will still end the year with an improvement in profitability over 2013 but also pointed out that certain regional risks will challenge some airlines more than others.
T he Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA), along with the country’s national airline Saudi Arabian Airlines and low cost flynas, will
all be exhibiting for the first time at World Travel Market (WTM) in London from November 3 – 6. Commenting on their reasons for participating at WTM, Hamad Alsheikh, vice president, marketing and programmes, SCTA, said, “We plan to highlight and introduce the existing tourism investments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in different fields, especially in the convention and exhibition sector and accommodation sector, in addition to other tourism and investment areas.”
According to a 2013 MENA tourism and hospitality re-port by research consultancy Aranca, the Saudi government plans to invest heavily in its tourism industry over the next decade to the tune of over GBP18 billion (USD30 billion).
Saudi Arabia to Exhibit at WTM for First Time
Did you know...
IATA represents
240 airlines
comprising 84
percent of g
lobal
air traffic?
Riya
dh
30 AUGUST 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
7
T he National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI) in Oman recently launched the Tour Oman application, providing visitors as well as citizens
with essential information while exploring the country. This includes information about government and private sector services, ATMs, hotels, historic and archaeological sites, and natural tourist attractions around the Sultanate such as water springs, wadis and waterfalls.
The information is backed with geographical data showing the location of the desired destination on the map and guidance on how it can be reached most efficiently by road.
Tour Oman Smartphone Application Launched by NCSI
RAK Properties Reports Strong Sales in H1
RAK Properties has reported revenues of AED149 mil-lion (USD40.6 million) on sales in excess of AED234 million (USD63.7 million), generating net profits of
AED52 million (USD14.2 million) for the first half of the year [H1], up slightly over the same period in 2013. RAK Proper-ties is one of the largest real estate developers in the GCC and is currently engaged in a massive expansion phase. Mo-hammed Sultan Al Qadi, CEO, RAK Properties, said, “We are pleased with the company’s strong performance for the first half of the year,” adding that the company is studying new projects including more residential and hospitality leisure developments.
RAK Properties' current total assets are valued at AED4.7 billion (USD1.3 billion).
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) held a work-shop to forge integration between the tram stations and residents of nearby hospitality units, and examine how
best to serve the needs of these hotels when the tram starts op-eration later this year.
Nasir Bu Shehab, director of strategic planning, RTA, encour-aged residents and tourists to use the tram, confirming that RTA can provide integrated public transport cards at hotels along with maps depicting the tram stations to facilitate use of the tram.
“During the workshop, representatives of hotels as well as in-vestors made a host of suggestions, inquiries and ideas which will be studied as they have the potential of improving the effective-ness of the Dubai Tram in the best manner,” added Bu Shehab.
RTA to Link Tram Stations with Neighbouring Hotels
Julfa
s Tow
ers,
RAK
Prop
ertie
s
30 AUGUST 2014
RENDEZVOUS
8
Q & A withMohamed Maknine
TUNISIA IS GOING THROUGH A TRANSITIONAL PHASE, BUT HOTELS SEEM TO BE ENJOYING HEALTHY RATES, AND ACCORDING TO MOHAMED MAKNINE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SALES AND MARKETING, MÖVENPICK RESORT & MARINE SPA SOUSSE, THINGS ARE MOVING QUICKLY IN THE COUNTRY.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How would you describe the first half (H1) of the year in terms of tourist arrivals? Has the hotel experienced an increase in tourist volumes?
MOHAMED MAKNINE: H1 has been on a par with our performance of H1 2013, which is a good performance all things considered. No real increase in terms of volumes but perhaps in terms of seg-ments, since golf and thalassotherapy aficionados have shown growing inter-est in our property compared to [2013].
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SALES AND MARKETING,MÖVENPICK RESORT & MARINE SPA SOUSSE
inventory satisfactory for the current demand ?
MOHAMED MAKNINE: More than the mere aspect of available room inven-tory, the essential factor is seasonality. Come summer, demand is such that it is difficult to satisfy it and having extra room capacity would be great. But fill-ing those very same rooms in the lower occupancy periods is also challenging. This is the sort of contrast that needs to be considered: building more capac-ity, or trying to use the existing one in a more efficient and profitable manner.
Another challenge lies in the change of behaviour of our custom-ers, as the recent trend shows that our guests are delaying the decision to go on holiday or not – and choice of desti-nation. The last minute bookings busi-ness is substantial, but cannot be fore-casted in an effective way.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Many in-ternational hospitality brands are planning expansion into the coun-try. What makes Tunisia an attractive destination for them do you think?
MOHAMED MAKNINE: Tunisia is at-tractive to these brands for the same reasons that made Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts one of the first international brands to believe in the destination. Tunisian hospitality is legendary, the warmth of its people unique. Educated people are easier to hire and train and quality infrastructure in and around hotels is also a major point. There is a new breed of hotels appearing in the country over the past few years, built to modern standards and offering fa-cilities and services that are in line with the expectations of the modern travel-ler. Things are moving quickly here and we are happy to be riding the winds of change in Sousse.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Which are your key feeder markets and how have these changed over the years?
MOHAMED MAKNINE: Our property enjoys an eclectic mix of nationalities, but the main feeder markets remain Germany, the UK and Russia. Perfor-mance from French-speaking markets, such as France, Benelux and Switzer-land, has been lower than in the past, and this is one of the areas we are focus-sing our efforts on.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What do you think are the main challenges Tunisia is facing with regards to the hospi-tality industry at this point? Is room
Mövenpick Resort & Marine Spa Sousse
“THE LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS BUSINESS IS SUBSTANTIAL, BUT CANNOT BE FORECASTED IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY
30 AUGUST 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
9
Jeddah hotels saw average room rates surge 15.5 percent to USD305.92 in June, reaching the highest level
amongst MENA hotels surveyed by Hot-Stats for the month under review.
Despite occupancies declining by 3.1 percentage points to 82.3 percent, average room rates (ARR) drove RevPAR growth of 11.3 percent to USD251.71.
High corporate and MICE demand caused double-digit growth in food and beverage and conferencing revenues, which elevated total RevPAR (TRevPAR) lev-els to USD386.95.
Hotels in Jeddah historically record strong revenues in June, however, perfor-mance was particularly robust this year, as corporate and conferencing segments drove double-digit growth in average rates, while the hosting of regional events also generated higher dining and conferencing revenues, as Peter Goddard, managing di-rector, TRI Hospitality Consulting, explained.
Corporate Demand Drives TRevPAR Growth in Jeddah
Dubai’s cruise sector will experience a transformation following recent regulatory changes to UAE’s visa system.
The new ruling, which took effect on August 1, will en-sure implementation of a new visa and fees system, consist-ing of amendments such as a new multiple entry tourism permit for cruise passengers, and a range of new entry per-mits for medical tourists.
Discussing the changes, Hamad Mohammed Bin Me-jren, executive director, business tourism, Dubai Depart-ment of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented, “Through our network of Dubai Tourism offices across the world we will use the ruling to further promote Dubai’s at-tractiveness as a destination for both leisure and business.”
UAE Visa Changes to Boost Dubai’s Cruise Tourism
Did you know...
With a population
of 5.1 million,
Jeddah is an
important
commercial hub in
Saudi Arabia?
Jeddah
30 AUGUST 2014
WEEKLY NEWS
10
A bu Dhabi’s Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) Stopover will open with two 90-minute per-formances of the BBC’s highly-acclaimed Blue Planet in Concert on December 12 and 13, marking the show’s Arabian premiere.
High definition footage from the BBC nature programme The Blue Planet will be shown on a 10m-wide screen on a purpose-built stage floating in the waters off Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, accompanied by a 78-piece live orchestra led by a celebrity guest conductor.
Sultan Al Dhaheri, acting executive director, tourism, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, commented, “The stopover is a tremendous international showcase which propels our winter water sports credentials and marine heritage to the fore among the global sailing community.”
Did you know...
VOR is a
round-the-world
yacht race held
every three
years?
BAC Strikes Technology Agreement with BEONTRA
A new technology agreement was announced between Bahrain Air-port Company (BAC), manager and operator of Bahrain Internation-al Airport, and BEONTRA, a Lockheed Martin company. The deal will
see the implementation of BEONTRA’s cutting edge route analysis tool, B Route Development.
The technology will allow BAC to calculate, analyse, and present route cases to airlines, while being able to re-calculate and amend on demand, ensuring that airlines are provided with the most efficient service possible through high-quality route analysis.
A ccording to Fortress Investments, a leading Middle East investment firm, there has been a significant increase in capital inflow to UAE from the BRIC countries, particularly from India. The news that BRIC inflow
to UAE surpassed that of MENA follows index compiler MSCI’s recent upgrad-ing of UAE to emerging market status, placing it within the BRIC grouping.
Hamed Mokhtar, managing director, Fortress Investments, commented that Dubai’s hosting of the annual meeting of the World Bank and the Inter-national Monetary Fund in 2003 provided the first spark to catapulting the emirate and UAE onto the global finance stage.
BRIC Capital Inflow to UAE Exceeds that of MENA
BBC Blue Planet in Concert to Open VOR Stopover in Abu Dhabi
30 AUGUST 2014
ACCOMMODATION WEEKLY NEWS
11
J umeirah Group has launched a mobile careers site making it easier for candidates to apply for jobs. The new website can adapt itself to various platforms including Android, iPhone, iPad
and Blackberry and can also be viewed on desktops. It offers users easy navigation and access, enabling them to search the interactive vacancy map, complete the application process and check its status, as well as manage interview time slots and modify personal details.
“With increasing competition for talent both in the Gulf region and internationally, at a time of unprecedented growth in the hospitality industry, having a strong employer brand together with an effective digital presence is a key prerequisite for attracting and retaining the best talent,” said Nabil Ramadhan, chief human capital officer, Jumei-rah Group.
Jumeirah Group Launches Mobile Careers Site
Al Basel Consultancy in Partnership with Mandarin Oriental
Al Basel Consultancy, a leading company in the high-end hospitality sector, has announced a partnership with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
The consultancy will promote Mandarin Oriental hotels worldwide to discerning clients in the Middle East and GCC who expect high-quality standards and luxurious accom-
modation.“We are very honoured to welcome Mandarin Oriental Ho-
tel Group as a key partner, allowing us to live up to our commit-ment of only offering the best to our customers,” said Basel Al Kasem, CEO, Al Basel Group.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group now operates, or has under development, 44 hotels representing close to 11,000 rooms in 25 countries.
x
SKAI Holdings has secured AED927 million (USD252.4 million) worth of sales for its new four-star hotel, Suites in the SKAI.
Strategically located in close proximity to three of Dubai’s arterial roads and a short drive from Dubai’s new international airport, Suites in the SKAI will comprise 234 hotel rooms, 234 one-and two-bedroom apartments and 33 penthouses.
The property’s tri-star wing structure allows for each room and apartment to incorporate a landscaped garden. The 117 one-bedroom hotel apartments will come complete with an outdoor sky garden and Jacuzzi while the 117 two-bedroom apartments include a swimming pool and floor to ceiling win-dows with cascading water. Construction is to begin in Sep-tember with operation commencing in 2017.
Suites in the SKAI Underway
30 AUGUST 2014
CLASSIFIEDS RECRUITMENTS
12
IN TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY
RECRUITMENT LISTINGS
FREE
30 AUGUST 2014
RECRUITMENTS CLASSIFIEDS
13
Must be fluent in Arabic and English, reading and writing.
Bin Majid Hotels & Resorts information:If you are looking to start a career at a fast-paced innovative company with loads of opportunities, then look no further than Bin Majid Hotels & Resorts. We are growing dynamically and are looking for motivated, talented and proactive individuals to join our team.
Must be fluent in Arabic and English, reading and writing.Please send your CV to:
Work for one of the top 10 most exclusive private member’s Clubs in the world: Capital Club Dubai.Accepting applications for Membership Managers to [email protected] have sales experience in luxury goods and/or hospitality, a strong UAE business network and a 5* professional attitude.
Newly-opening 5-star desert resort near Al Ain, UAE, is seeking for the following posts. All must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in the same position in 5-star chain hotels.
Food and beverage managerChief engineerWaitress / waitersSecurity managerFront office desk agentGuest relations officers
IN-HOUSE GRAPHIC DESIGNER (BEACH HOTEL IN RAS AL KHAIMAH)
NEWLY-OPENING 5-STAR DESERT RESORT HAS SIX OPENINGS
CAPITAL CLUB DUBAI VACANCY
Website: www.gloriahospitality.comEmail address: [email protected]
Telephone Number: +971 2 644 4739Fax Number: +971 2 644 4759
RECRUITMENT LISTINGS
30 AUGUST 2014
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
14
Tehran will be served with 18 flights a week when an addi-tional four flights to Iran’s capital city are offered from Sep-tember 1. An extra two flights per week to Islamabad will
help meet the needs of those travelling to and from the Americas, a destination popular with many passengers from Pakistan. Increased demand for the Doha-Muscat route, from local residents in particu-lar, will see an additional four flights bring the total to 35 per week.
“People from all over the world are becoming more and more interested in discovering this part of the world. With such rich his-tories and stunning, undiscovered landscapes, these destinations are hidden gems that are slowly coming into their own,” said Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways Group.
Did you know...
Valiasr Street,
Tehran, is one of
the longest streets
in the world at over
17km?
Qatar Airways Boosts Key City Operations to Meet Demand Qatar Airways has announced increased frequencies to the popular cities of Tehran, Islamabad and Muscat from September.
Tehran
Gulf Air Reaches Asian Market
Gulf Air took part in the three-day Travel Madness Expo in Pasay, Philippines, showcasing three of the airline’s newest product and service developments
to the Asian market.The airline highlighted its retrofitted Airbus A330 air-
craft, recent schedule enhancements delivering more flights across the network, and new routes. Adel Al Saleem, country manager, Philippines, Gulf Air, commented, “From our revamped A330 product which introduces fully-flat bed seats in the airline’s falcon gold class, upgraded seats in economy class and a state-of-the-art in-flight entertain-ment system, to our increased flights to select destinations in GCC and MENA that serve to facilitate travel across our network, to the launch of our newest destinations this year, we truly believe Gulf Air passengers have a lot to look for-ward to when they fly with Bahrain’s national carrier.”
Travel Madness Expo
30 AUGUST 2014
AIR WEEKLY NEWS
15
Emirates commenced a daily nonstop service to Chi-cago’s O’Hare International Airport, with the inaugural flight carrying passengers from more than 20 different
countries to the American city.“Increased connectivity with Dubai will expose more in-
ternational guests to the world-class hospitality, shopping districts, cultural attractions and architectural achievements that make Chicago one of the greatest cities in the world,” said Rahm Emanuel, mayor, Chicago.
In addition to passenger service, the Chicago - Dubai flight, which will utilise a US-built Boeing 777-200LR aircraft powered by GE90 engines, will carry up to 17 tonnes of car-go per flight and is set to increase trade links between the two cities.
Commencing November 16, Qatar Airways will be increasing its operations to Madrid, Spain, with the addition of three extra flights per
week, bringing the total number of services up from seven to 10 resulting in an overall increase of 2,010 seats.
Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways Group, con-firmed that in the short time the carrier has been fly-ing to Madrid, there has been a steady increase in the demand for flights. “I am happy to say that a direct result of that is the number of travellers that choose to fly with us has also increased, and this is why we are thrilled to be able to satisfy the demand of our passengers by offering three additional flights per week,” he added.
Emirates Touches Down in ChicagoQatar Airways Increases Operations to Madrid
Did you know...
Qatar Airway’s
direct flights to
Ma-
drid were launched
in December 2005?
Qatar Airways’ Al Mourjan Business Lounge Unveiled
Qatar Airways’ premium passengers can now enjoy one of the largest lounges in the world in the shape of the 10,000m2 Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Hamad International Airport. Spread over two levels, the lounge is able to accommodate 1,000 guests at a time and features quiet rooms
and relaxing family spaces, games rooms, prayer rooms, a nursery and shower facilities as well as a dedi-cated business centre. After sampling one of the many dining options, guests can enjoy the water feature located at the base of the spiral staircase which leads to the mezzanine level.
Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways Group, said, “We are very pleased to be able to offer our premium passengers our new premium lounge, which sets new benchmarks in airport luxury and will far exceed our passengers’ expectations.”
Al Mourjan Business Lounge
Mad
rid
Adel
Al R
edha
, exe
cutiv
e vi
ce p
resi
dent
, Em
irate
s (c
entr
e)
30 AUGUST 2014
WEEKLY NEWS AIR
16
Emirates Introduces Abuja Route
Did you know...
Qatar Airways
Cargo serves
more
than 40 freighter
destinations
worldwide?
Qatar Airways Cargo has rapidly increased ca-pacity on its freighter service to Delhi, India by already adding a second frequency after its
recent launch in May. Marking the city as a highly important market,
Ulrich Ogiermann, chief officer, cargo, Qatar Airways, commented, “Delhi has one of India's largest and fast-est growing retail industries, and on top of that, it is an important commercial capital for Asia.”
With its move to the brand new, fully automated cargo terminal at Hamad International Airport and the recent launch of two new premium services optimis-ing the transportation of time and temperature-sensi-tive goods, Qatar Airways Cargo offers the very latest technology and five-star service to customers across the globe and has further enhanced its capacity and flexibility to effectively move sensitive commodities in line with the highest world-class standards.
Emirates commenced flight operations to Abuja, the Nigerian capital, marking its second destination in the country after Lagos and its 26th in Africa.
The new daily Dubai - Abuja route provides a convenient point-to-point service for customers. In addition, the freight division of the airline, Emirates SkyCargo, offers over 180 tonnes of cargo capacity a week on the route.
Identifying Nigeria as a key target market, Adil Al Ghaith, vice president, commercial operations, Northern and Western Africa, Emirates, expressed the hope that this flight will further stimulate business and leisure travel demand, as well as trade, between the two cities.
Mahan Air Reported Growth in H1
Second Freighter Service between Doha and Delhi
Mahan Air has issued its first half (H1) passenger and cargo traffic results, registering a strong performance and steady growth during the period.
More than 2.8 million passengers were carried, a figure up nine percent on H1 in 2013.
According to the announcement, Mahan Air achieved a 79 percent load factor on its domestic and international net-work while the load factor for its domestic network only was 82 percent. Cargo operations also grew by 19 percent. During this time period the airline added its 14th international desti-nation, to Yerevan in Armenia, and also increased frequency on many of its international and domestic routes.
30 AUGUST 2014
RENDEZVOUS
17
Q & A withSami Ounalli
TUNISIA IS A HUB BETWEEN WORLDS AND CONTINENTS, CONCEALING BIG BUSINESS PO-TENTIAL. SAMI OUNALLI, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT MANAGER, RADISSON BLU ULYSSE RESORT & THALASSO AND RADISSON BLU PALACE RESORT & THALASSO, DJERBA, UNVEILS THE HIDDEN SECRET.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How would you describe the first half of the year in terms of tourist arrivals? Have you experienced an increase in tourist volumes?
SAMI OUNALLI: Although [there was] a small improvement compared to 2013, the first six months of the year were below our expectations. We are still below our level of normal activity registered in 2010 and previous years. The overall volume has been steady in the past four years. There are source markets, like Germany and Italy which are up and others, like France and Scandinavian countries which we need to set in motion for recovering.
In Tunisia, generally, every tour-ism professional is aware that winter is tough. April to October are the best months. This year, July [has been] ab-normally bad. I hope that we will have better business for the rest of the sea-son when reservations are coming, mainly, at the last minute.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Which are your key feeder markets and how have these changed over the years?
SAMI OUNALLI: France is the main market, followed by Germany, UK, Swit-zerland, Belgium, and Scandinavian countries. Since 2011 the French mar-ket has decreased by approximately 40 percent for different reasons. The UK and German markets are performing better. Other markets are stable.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What do you think are the main challenges Tunisia is facing with regards to the hospi-tality industry at this point? Is room inventory satisfactory for the current demand in your opinion?
Sami Ounalli: Tunisia counts more than 700 hotels covering all market segments
and needs. You can find budget hotels as well as luxury ones, you can find ani-mated all-inclusive clubs as well as guest-houses. The tourism offer in general is sat-isfactory. Tunisia is a serious competitor to other Mediterranean destinations and has much strength such as geographical location, temperate weather, history, cul-ture, gastronomy, nature, natural hospi-tality and quality of service.
The main challenges for the mo-ment are to maintain stability and to establish better flight connections with traditional and new markets.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Many in-ternational hospitality brands are planning expansion into the coun-try. What makes Tunisia an attractive destination for them do you think?
SAMI OUNALLI: Tunisia has always in-terested international hospitality brands. Many projects have been concluded re-
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT MANAGER, RADISSON BLU ULYSSE RESORT & THALASSO AND RADISSON BLU PALACE RESORT & THALASSO, DJERBA
Radisson Blu Palace Resort & Thalasso, Djerba
cently. By 2016, the most famous hotel chains will be operating in the country.
Because of its strategic location, Tu-nisia is a hub between north and south and between east and west. There is big business potential in the future. Tunisia also has a respectable touristic infra-structure and mainly well-trained and experienced staff able to deliver the best service.
Radisson Blu Palace Resort & Thalasso, Djerba
30 AUGUST 2014
WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
18
Element Brand to Debut in Aspen Valley
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced plans to introduce its Element brand to Basalt Aspen Valley in Colorado, US, in August 2015.
Situated near the two ski and mountain towns of Aspen and Snowmass Village, the hotel will provide easy access to the area’s ski resorts. As Allison Reid, senior vice president, North America development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, pointed out, “Element Basalt Aspen Valley will offer an entirely fresh perspective on the extended stay experience in an area celebrated for its skiing and year-round outdoor recreation.”
J W Marriott Hotels & Resorts has unveiled another luxury property in China, with the opening of the 416-key JW Marriott Hotel Zhengzhou, in Henan Province.
The new hotel is situated on the topmost storeys of the Mil-lennium Royal Plaza which, at 280m, is the highest building in central China.
“This is a significant property as it is our first hotel in Zheng-zhou which is an important transportation, business and con-vention hub in central China,” commented Simon Cooper, presi-dent, Asia, Marriott International.
The newly opened retreat boasts 2,500m2 of gathering and event space, including the 1,000m2 JW Grand Ballroom, featuring a LED wall panel, six meeting rooms and a spacious ballroom foyer. In addition, the hotel provides guests with four dining options offering Chinese, Western, Cantonese and Japa-nese specialties.
JW Marriott Hotel Zhengzhou
IHG and Sikka Set to Develop Crowne Plaza in Noida
JW Marriott Expands Chinese Portfolio
I nterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and real estate devel-oper Sikka signed an agreement to open the new 150-room Crowne Plaza Taj Expressway Noida. The newly-signed property, expected to open in 2018, will
be the second IHG hotel in the tourist destination of Noida, and will add to IHG's portfolio of seven Crowne Plaza prop-erties across the country. The new hotel will be a part of The Downtown project, a mixed-use development which also comprises corporate offices and retail spaces.
Commenting on the company’s expansion, Pascal Gauvin, chief operating officer, India, Middle East, Africa, IHG, said, “India is a key market for us. It holds our third largest devel-opment pipeline globally, behind the US and China, and over the next three to five years we will grow by nearly 300 percent there.“
Crow
ne P
laza
Taj
Exp
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Noi
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Did you know...
InterContinental
Hotels Group
currently
has 19 hotels in
India?
30 AUGUST 2014
AGENT CORNER
19
Hasnain Tayyab
Marketing manager
Travelex Travel & Tours
UAE
www.travelex.ae
Agent’s Insight
Who are you?I am a sales and marketing professional with a decade of experience in different industries. I am new to the travel industry but this is the most exciting industry that I have ever worked in so far. I work with Travelex Travels & Tours which takes pride in being one of the pioneers of sports travel industry in the UAE region. We are a team of travel experts with a passion for sports that makes my team the best place to consult when travelling for any sporting event.
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?Travel is my passion. So apart from all the perks that you get in the travel industry, working for this industry itself is my favourite thing.
When is the best time to visit UAE?We are based in Dubai, UAE which is one of the fastest growing tourist spots in the world. Despite all these attractions, this place is known for its extremely hot weather, so if you want to explore the wonders that Dubai has to offer, the best time of the year would be November to February when the weather is perfect.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?My next holiday destination is Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?As stated above, we are not only travel professionals but we are a team of sports enthusiasts who know sports very well and understand what it takes to make your sports travel experience more entertaining and memorable.
COMPANY:
POSITION:
NAME:
LOCATION:
WEBSITE:
Alpha Tours Supports DSS
During Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), Alpha Tours, the Arabian Gulf destination management company, has launched a series of special services for its customers.
The company, which offers a variety of entertainment op-tions, has extended some of its best cruise destination consul-tancy and management, air charter operations, eco-tourism programmes, tours and excursions, leisure group programmes, medical tourism, and hotel reservations services during DSS. As an added incentive, all excursions bear discounts.
Ghassan Al Aridi, founder, Alpha Tours, commented, “Our support [to the government of Dubai] is part of our commit-ment to promote Dubai as a tourist and trade destination. Such initiatives act as a major magnet for tourists into the country, which will ultimately contribute to UAE’s GDP.”
Gha
ssan
Al A
ridi
30 AUGUST 2014
TRAVEL TALK
20
KABIR MULCHANDANI
NASIR BU SHEHAB
MAHER SALMAN AL MUSALLAM
Group CEO, Skai Holdings
Director of strategic planning, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)
Acting CEO, Gulf Air
“Dubai is one of the most excit-ing markets for hospitality and real estate globally. [...]Suites in the SKAI will cater to the growing number of business and leisure tourists that are looking for value for money as well as comfort and convenience in a luxurious set-ting. SKAI Holdings’ strategy is to build high quality hotels in sever-al key locations in Dubai that will cater to the growing demand for tourism in the emirate.”
“Examples were cited such as the link between the two metro sta-tions at the Dubai Marina and the Jumeirah Lakes, and the link be-tween the tram, buses and other transport means at the Dubai Ma-rina. A briefing was also made to elucidate the efforts made by RTA to improve the neighbourhood of stations in order to ease the movement of pedestrians and cyclists.”
“It is an honour for Gulf Air to oc-cupy a seat with the foremost in-formation technology and com-munications representative body for the air transport industry, and I would like to express my deep-est gratitude to Arab Air Carriers Organization for nominating Gulf Air and to SITA’s members for ac-cepting it. [...] SITA plays a critical role in the aviation industry op-erations and it is our pleasure to support its endeavours.”
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]
SKAI Holdings sees a great deal of potential for upscale four-star concepts
Our workshop [highlighted] the integration between the Dubai Tram and [...] surrounding areas
Gulf Air is proud to be given this opportunity to participate in the SITA Council
30 AUGUST 2014
TRAVEL CHANNELS
21
Ships of the Desert Dock in Downtown Dubai
T he piece was created by Donald Greig, an avid wildlife enthusiast, and one of Af-rica’s most prolific sculptors.
It features a trio of Arabian camels including an adult and its calf and another camel resting. Weighing in at 800kg, the work took eight months to create plus another four to be cast in bronze.
Ahmad Al Matrooshi, managing director, Emaar Properties, said, “The gracious and ma-jestic Arabian camel is a reminder of our past and a cue of how significantly the city has evolved. Donald Greig’s Camels is a seamless fit into Downtown Dubai’s collection of sculp-tures and artworks from around the world by accomplished artists.”
A life-size sculpture entitled Camels has taken centre stage in Downtown Dubai, the flagship mega-development of
Emaar Properties.
HeliDubai First Air BP Customer in the
Middle East
Cathay Pacific Airways Announces Investment
in Biojet Fuel
UNWTO Signs Agreement with Tourism Research
Institution
International aviation fuel supplier Air BP continues to grow its business in the Mid-dle East with the successful inauguration of
its first off–airport site in the region, located at the HeliDubai Festival City (DFC) Heli-pad. After a successful test refuelling at the venue, HeliDubai became the first customer in the Middle East to sign up to Air BP’s Operations Manual for External General Aviation (OMEGA) programme, designed to ensure that custom-ers such as airport operators, heliport op-erators and refuelling contractors can achieve high levels of operating standards when han-dling fuel.
The Heli-pad at DFC was opened in 2013 and comprises two pads with a 15 tonne total capacity at the 520ha, premier waterfront ur-ban development.
As part of its plan to achieve a target of carbon-neutral growth from 2020, Cathay Pacific Airways has become the first air-
line investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy, a US-based sustainable aviation fuel or biojet fuel developer.
The airline has also negotiated a supply agreement with Fulcrum over 10 years, repre-senting approximately two percent of the air-line’s fuel consumption on an annual basis. This year Fulcrum plans to start the construction of large scale, waste-to-renewable jet fuel plants at multiple locations, some of them strategic to Cathay Pacific Airways’ network, primarily in North America.
A cooperation agreement has been signed between UNWTO and Australia’s Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT) in a
bid to advance tourism knowledge. GIFT is a leading tourism research institution and a UN-WTO affiliate member.
The collaboration will include research on the role of Asia and the Pacific in global tour-ism, and the creation and dissemination of knowledge on climate change and sustainable tourism development in the region, among many other areas.
Discussing the cooperation, Taleb Rifai, sec-retary general, UNWTO, noted, “This partner-ship enables us to further narrow the gap be-tween demand and supply of tourism research in a number of important areas, not least tour-ism and climate change [...].”
Camels by Donald Greig
Air BP's first fuelling at DFC Heli-pad
Fulcrum's demonstration plant
Griffith Institute for Tourism
30 AUGUST 2014
WHO’S MOVED
22
Michael Crawford has joined Four Seasons Hotels and Re-sorts executive team in the newly created position of president, Asia Pacific.Reporting directly to the com-pany’s president, Crawford as-sumes primary responsibility for all business activities in the Asia Pacific region, including implementing the company’s growth plan and delivering on financial objectives associated with the strategic plan for the region.Based in Four Seasons’ corpo-rate office in Singapore, the 24-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company with exper-ince in real estate, is relocating from Shanghai, China, where he was senior vice president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort and president of Walt Disney Hold-ing Company, Shanghai.
JOHN BURKE
ROMA ANDREWS
MICHAEL CRAWFORD
NOEL MASSOUD
John Burke has taken over as the new director of operations at Oman Convention and Ex-hibition Centre, and will also assume the joint role of tech-nical services manager at the facility.He brings extensive opera-tional experience to the venue having served most recently at the Qatar National Conven-tion Centre in Doha. Prior to that, Burke spent 15 years with the NEC Group in Birmingham, UK, which included oversee-ing business at the National Exhibition Centre, Interna-tional Convention Centre, LG Arena and the National Indoor Arena.
Roma Andrews has been pro-moted to executive director for Al Habtoor Motors, in line with the group’s cohesive strategy to continue driving growth via highly energetic and profes-sional senior management teams in all sectors of its opera-tions; hospitality, automotive, car leasing, real estate, and education.Andrews began her career in the UAE 21 years ago following 15 years’ of human resources experience at a leading foreign bank in India.She joined the automotive di-vision of the Al Habtoor Group in 1993 and has since played a key role in spearheading the human resources functions.
Noel Massoud is Swiss-Bel-hotel International’s new vice president for operations and development in the Middle East.With the company looking to operate seven hotels in the re-gion by 2015, he will oversee the opening of new proper-ties in Bahrain, Oman, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.Massoud has extensive experi-ence in hotel management hav-ing held senior management positions with InterContinental Hotels Group for more than 25 years. He was also general manager of Kempinski’s Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, developing the property into one of the top luxury hotels in the Middle East.Massoud’s most recent assign-ment was with Paramount Ho-tels and Resorts as vice presi-dent of development.
Burke takes on joint role at the Oman Con-vention and Exhibition
Centre
Andrews will oversee more than 1,500 em-
ployees across the UAE
Dubai Summer Surprises creates festive atmosphere
Emirates touches down in Chicago
Atlantis, The Palm, enriches Dubai Summer Surprises experience with range of family entertainment
Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island received the Bronze Certification for the Welcome Chinese standard from China Tourism Academy
GTA marks 30 years with charity Mount Fuji climb
30 AUGUST 2014
PHOTO ALBUM
23
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FOOD & HOSPITALITY OMAN
Muscat, OmanSeptember 9 – 11, 2014www.foodandhospitalityoman.comA business and networking platform to promote the latest products and services in the food and beverage sector.
30 AUGUST 2014
NEWS & EVENTS
24
INCENTIVE, BUSINESS, TRAVEL & MEETINGS EXPO (IBTM) INDIA
Chennai, India, September 3 – 5, 2014www.ibtmevents.com An invitation-only event for India’s inbound, outbound and domestic business travel sector.
SEATRADE LATIN AMERICA CRUISE CONVENTION
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,September 2 – 3, 2014www.latinamerica-cruise.comThe event returns to Brazil after touring the region, focussing on the development of the cruise industry in Latin America.
Responsible Tourism Pro-gramme at WTM
This year’s World Responsible Tourism Programme at World Travel Market (WTM) includes some of the biggest
names in the travel industry. Stretching across all four days of the event for the first time, the programme will tackle issues such as the im-pact of tourism on local economies, the effect on both the environment and the bottom line of reducing water and energy consumption, matters surrounding wildlife tourism and the social inclusion aspect of holidays for all, re-gardless of disability or background.
“The number of big name companies taking part in the World Responsible Tourism Programme this year demonstrates how the issue is moving up the industry’s boardroom agenda,” said Charlotte Sutton, conference and events manager, WTM.
EVENTS
Did you know...
World Travel Market
launched in 1980
at London’s Olympia
with just 350
exhibitors?
World Travel Market
ARAB AVIATION & MEDIA SUMMIT
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE,September 24www.aamsummit.comArab media and top executives gather to have insightful discussions on the current trends.
THE HOTEL SHOW
Dubai, UAESeptember 28 – 30www.thehotelshow.comNow celebrating 15 successful years, The Hotel Show presents a full view of the hotel and hospitality industry.