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Middle East and North Africa Edition

DECEMBER 18, 2010 ISSUE 58

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NEW CLASSIFICATIONSUnder a new initiative by Abu DhabiTourism Authority (ADTA), all food andbeverage outlets and desert camps acrossAbu Dhabi will be subjected to a newclassification system. The mandatoryclassifications have been designed tofurther develop industry standards anddeliver confidence to consumers.

In This Issue

EMIRATES IN THE USDubai’s national carrier, Emirates, hasopened a new service for travellers fromthe US, offering connecting flights withVirgin America. Executives at Emiratessay the new services will make travellingto the Middle East more accessiblethroughout the US.

The UAE’s national tourism promotion body, NationalCouncil for Tourism and Antiquities (NCTA), has held

the first meeting of its board of directors. Adel Rahman BinMohammed Al Owais, UAE Minister for Culture andchairman of NCTA, described the meeting as historic,

saying it laid the foundation for unified promotion effortsof the UAE as a destination.

33www.traveltradeweekly.travel

UAE’s NationalTourism BodyUAE’s NationalTourism Body

The new capital adds KWD9million (USD31.88 million) toSahaab’s initial funds ofKWD20 million (USD70.85million).

A desire to take advantage of new marketopportunities has prompted the investment byJazeera, the airline has revealed.Sahaab was purchased by Jazeera in Februarythis year as part of a drive towards verticalintegration.Marwan Boodai, chairman of Jazeera AirwaysGroup, explained the decision to expand theleasing company’s finance.“Sahaab's acquisition brought immediate benefits

to our business as planned, such asconsistent and stable revenuestreams as well as access to globalleasing markets,” he said.“Now, less than a year since ouracquisition, we see additionalgrowth opportunities opening up

in the leasing market – thus, Jazeera AirwaysGroup committed to increasing Sahaab's capitalthrough internal resources.”Clients of the company include Jazeera itself,US-based Virgin America and SriLankanAirlines.

2010 has proven to be a record setting year forJazeera, with the company reporting its bestperforming third quarter since launching in2005.The airline has recently released a reportshowing that it has achieved the leading marketshare on a number of key routes from Kuwaitincluding flights to: Beirut, Lebanon; Amman,Jordan; Damascus, Syria; Alexandria, Egypt;and Manama, Bahrain.

DECEMBER 18, 20102

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

EditorLaura Warne

Deputy EditorLouis Dillon Savage

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingMarianna TsiamasDimitris Thomaidis

DirectorsAndreas ConstantinidesMary Kammitsi

HeadquartersP.O. Box 25255 Nicosia 1308 CyprusTel: +35722820888Fax: +35722318958

Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

Emailsinfo@traveltradeweekly.traveleditorial@traveltradeweekly.travelsales@traveltradeweekly.travel

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.69Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.79Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.70Syria (SYP) Pound 47.04Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.28Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.44Morocco (MAD) Dirham 8.43Iran (IRR) Riyal 10,470Yemen (YER) Rial 214.18Algeria (DZD) Dinar 74.46Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.25

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 16/12/2010Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

Nasair Debuts Package Holiday OfferingsNasair has stepped into the package holiday sector for the first time.The company is now offering combined airline ticket and accommodationpackages through its call centre.Dubai has been chosen as the first package destination, to complement Nasair’srecently launched routes linking that city to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.Turki Al Jawini, sales director for Nasair, said the decision to offer packageholidays would improve the carrier’s competitiveness. “Our aim is to give our valued customers one more reason to fly with Nasair byproviding a very attractive and competitive package that suits their needs,” hesaid.According to the airline, the programme will next be rolled out in Saudi Arabia,where it will focus on domestic tourism.

Jazeera Chases Leasing Market Jazeera Airways, based in Kuwait, has poured additional capital into SahaabAircraft Leasing, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the group.

We see additional growthopportunities opening up

in the leasing market

3DECEMBER 18, 2010

NCTA was legallyestablished in 2008,but has taken untilnow to assemble itsboard – the process of

defining the roles of the board, chairmanand director general of the body were onlyfinalised in the meeting itself.Adel Rahman Bin Mohammed Al Owais,UAE Minister for Culture and chairmanof NCTA, described the meeting ashistoric, saying it laid the foundation forunified promotion efforts of the UAE as adestination.The UAE’s individual emirates currentlyoperate their own tourism boards, but theUAE has so far lacked a tourismpromotion body for the country as awhole.In the meeting, the board reviewed theirbudget and discussed a strategic plan forthe next three years.Members of the council include: SheikhMohamed Bin Abdallah Bin Sultan AlNoaimi, director general of Free Zoneand Customs in Ajman; Mubarak BinMohamed Al Muhairy, director generalof Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority;Khalid Ahmed Bin Sulayem, directorgeneral of Dubai Department ofTourism and Commerce Marketing;Abdallah Bin Mohamed Al Owais,director general of the Culture andMedia Department of Sharjah;Mohamed Ahmed Al Keit, Diwanconsultant for Ras Al Khaimah; ObaidSultan Tuwairsh, director of planningand area department for Umm AlQuwain; and Saeed Bin Saeed Rashed AlHammodi, chairman of Authority forTourism and Antiquities in Al Fujairah.Mohammed Khamis Bin Hareb AlMuhairi has been named as the body’sdirector general.

Early SuccessNCTA has already met with success inpursuing its mandate for promoting theUAE.Returning from the seventh IslamicTourism Conference – which was heldrecently in Tehran, Iran – director generalAl Muhairi said interest in internationaltourism co-operation was growing.“The tourism sector in the Islamic world hasgrown significantly in stature andimportance over the past few years," he said. "There is growing realisation among theconcerned countries to escalate efforts tocreate an even more attractive environmentto attract tourists to the region.”He said improved promotion would be

vital for cementing the Middle East’srecent success in attracting tourism.“Better promotion of our touristattractions and joining hands in takingmeasures to create awareness of our pluspoints and unique destinations is essentialin today's increasingly competitive touristindustry," he said."The tourism sector has become a vitalindustry in the past few years with highergrowth levels than many other sectors ofthe economy." Among recommendations generated bythe conference were a focus on youthtravel and the streamlining of visaprocesses to better facilitate movementbetween countries in the Islamic world.

UAE’s Federal Tourism Body Commences OperationsThe UAE’s national tourism promotion body, National Council for Tourism and Antiquities (NCTA), hasheld the first meeting of its board of directors.

Betterpromotion

of ourtourist

attractions…andunique

destinationsis essentialin today's

increasinglycompetitive

touristindustry

DECEMBER 18, 20104

ADTA to Classify Desert Camps and F&B OutletsUnder a new initiative by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), all food and beverage outlets and desertcamps across Abu Dhabi will be subjected to a new classification system.

The mandatory classificationshave been designed tofurther develop industrystandards and deliverconfidence to consumers,

according to Mubarak Al Muhairi, directorgeneral of ADTA. “This classification system was, in trueAbu Dhabi style, created in consultationwith our stakeholders and will begoverned by transparent implementationsystems geared to delivering qualitythroughout the entire hospitality chain,”said Al Muhairi. The minimum standard classificationprocess for food and beverage outlets will

begin in January, 2011. Outlets will be given six months toimplement rating criteria before specificclassifications are awarded – all outletswill be rated by the end of 2011. Nasser Al Reyami, director of tourismstandards for ADTA, said theclassifications would be publicised duringthe upcoming Gourmet Abu Dhabi eventin February, 2011. Al Reyami added that classifications wouldalso be applied to the emirate’s desertcamps, taking into consideration aspectssuch as food standards, space and luxury. Similar to the restaurant classifications,minimum standards for desert camps will

be introduced early in 2011, with starratings to follow once the industry hasbeen given time to adjust. While there are currently only a smallnumber of desert camps operating in AbuDhabi, Al Reyami told Travel Trade Weeklythat several more were on their way. “There are a couple that are being builtand will be online from next year, whichis when our criteria will come in,” he said.“The ones that are being developed nowhave very big areas, but only say 20 or 30beds, so it’s a big space but also luxurious.“We don’t want to move a hotel from thecity to the desert – we want to dosomething different.”

DECEMBER 18, 20106

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UAE Gets Ancient Christian Christmas PresentThe only Christian archeological site in the UAE has been opened to the public on Sir Bani Yas Island, off thecoast of Abu Dhabi.

D iscovered in 1992, themonastery was builtin around 600AD,according to AbuDhabi’s Tourism

Development and Investment Company(TDIC).That date places its origin in the sameperiod as the founding of Islam in610 AD.Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan,Chairman of TDIC, said the monasterywould contribute to the cultural side oftourism in Abu Dhabi.“We are proud of our heritage and aretherefore focused on creating a multi-

experience tourism destination whereguests are able to enjoy a variety ofactivities, while protecting and preservingthe history and culture of our country, aswell as the natural environment of theisland,” he said.Dr Joseph Elders, the academicoverseeing excavation at the site, agreedthat opening to the public was animportant step.“Opening the site to visitors marks anexciting tourism development for theisland as we seek to discover and sharemore about the past lives and humanstories that have played their part increating its fascinating history,” he said.

Sir Bani Yas is home to a range ofarchaeological sites, including a tombthought to be 4,000 years old, but themonastery is the first Christian sitediscovered on the island or in the UAE atlarge.

Opening the site tovisitors marks anexciting tourismdevelopment for

the island

Oetker Hotel Collection istargeting the Middle East as apotential source of patronage toits medical spa in Germany.Samir Daqqaq, senior vicepresident of development in theMiddle East and Africa atOetker Hotel Collection, saidthe company was pursuing acampaign to attract MiddleEastern clients to Brenner's ParkHotel and Spa, in the valley ofBaden-Baden, Germany.The property is a dedicated

medical spa, offering treatmentsconducted by specialiseddoctors. “The Middle East is one of themost important markets for us,”Daqqaq said.“We have been activelyinvesting our time andresources in promoting thehealth benefits offered atBrenner's Park.” According to Oetker, 20 percentof medical travellers worldwideare from the Middle East.

The Middle East is one of the mostimportant markets for us

Middle East Targeted by Medical Hotel

7DECEMBER 18, 2010

- Accommodation

Hilton Signs Fourth Property in Hurghada, EgyptHilton Worldwide has signed a management deal for its fourth property in the Red Sea resort town ofHurghada, in Egypt.

The new build propertywill be called the HiltonMakadi Resort and isscheduled to open in thesecond quarter of 2012.

It will be located at Makadi Bay, 30kmsouth of Hurghada, and will supplementHilton’s existing properties in and aroundthe town: Hilton Hurghada Resort,Hilton Hurghada Plaza and HiltonHurghada Long Beach Resort.The new resort is being constructed byAfak Company for Touristic Development.Hazem Saad Zaghloul, chairman of thatcompany, said Hilton had been chosen inlight of its strong presence in the country.

“Hilton Hotels and Resorts enjoystremendous brand recognition in Egypt,which made them a natural choice for us,”he said.“As the country continues to witness agrowth in tourism and with the increasingpopularity of Makadi, we’re delightedHilton will manage our new property and

look forward to a long and fruitfulpartnership.”Dave Horton, global head of the HiltonHotels and Resorts brand, said theproperty reflected good overall growth inthe company’s leisure-focused portfolio.The resort will feature 679 rooms and400m of private beach.

Hurghada

DECEMBER 18, 20108

- Air Travel

US Opens up to Emirates with Virgin America PartnershipDubai’s national carrier, Emirates, has opened a new service for travellers from the US, offering connectingflights with Virgin America.

SAS and Egyptair to Code Share in Northern Europe and EgyptEgyptair and SAS Scandinavian Airline (SAS) haveestablished a code share agreement covering a variety of flightsin and between Europe and North Africa. Egyptair customers are now able to access SAS routes betweenCopenhagen in Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden;Copenhagen and Oslo, Norway; Copenhagen andGothenburg, Sweden; Copenhagen and Brussels, Belgium;and from Athens, Greece to Copenhagen.SAS customers now can fly on Egyptair between Cairoand Copenhagen; from Cairo to Athens; and fromBrussels to Cairo.Alaa Ashour, CEO of Egyptair, said the agreement would makeNorthern Europe easier to access for customers of his airline.According to SAS, the agreement went into effect onDecember 15, 2010.

Nigel Page, senior vicepresident of commercialoperations for theAmericas and Africa atEmirates, said the new

services would make travelling to the MiddleEast more accessible throughout the US. “Our new agreement with Virgin Americawill bring our American West Coastgateways within easier reach of dozens ofUS cities, making travel more convenientfor customers travelling to or from theMiddle East and beyond,” said Page. “This partnership is a furtherdemonstration of our commitment to theUnited States and we will continue to lookfor new opportunities to enhance our

service provision moving forwards.”Adam Green, director of networkplanning at Virgin America, praised theworld-class flying experience, as well asthe focus on upscale amenities and serviceonboard Emirates aircraft.

“We hope this new agreement will offerguests a more seamless travel experience

on two airlines known for the quality oftheir service,” said Green. Emirates currently flies twice daily fromLos Angeles, Houston and New York City,and daily from San Francisco non-stop toDubai. The airline plans to launch its first Emirateslounge at San Francisco InternationalTerminal in February of 2011.

Our new agreement with Virgin America willbring our American West

Coast gateways withineasier reach of dozens

of US cities

A vi Lugasi, managingdirector of Windows toJapan, a tour operatoroffering tailor-madepackages, said that many

guides were unable to understand guests’needs, or unwilling to adjust to them. “The guide training system in Japan is offthe mark!” said Lugasi.“A guide who finishes the training as anEnglish guide, 80 to 90 percent of the timedoes not speak sufficient English to guidetourists and his level of understanding isquite low [compared] to my and myguests’ expectations.”Lugasi said that better communication

between industry representatives and

tourism authorities could improve thesituation.“I wish I could have an open channel to thedecision makers in the Japanese tourismbusiness and government to say myopinion, give suggestions and co-operatetowards effective solutions,” said Lugasi.Language issues are set to becomeincreasingly important over the nextdecade, as Japan’s tourism agencies lookbeyond their own borders to targetinternational tourists. Kozan Hashimoto, of Japan’s 120-year-oldImperial Hotel, said the past two yearshad seen considerable growth in Chinaand other Asian countries, which wasexpected to boost tourism.

“We expect to enjoy a continued heavyincrease in patronage from European,North American, Asian and other visitorsfrom around the world during the coming10 years,” said Hashimoto.

9-DECEMBER 18, 2010

- International

Japanese Operators Call for Better Language TrainingTourism professionals in Japan say tour guide training in the country must be improved in order to meet theexpectations of international guests.

The UK’s Queen Elizabeth IIhonoured hospitality giantSol Kerzner on December 13,confirming that he wasinvested with the insignia ofKnight Commander of theMost Distinguished Order ofSt Michael and St George(KCMG). The honour was bestowed forKerzner’s contributions tobusiness and community in theBahamas, where KerznerInternational operates Atlantisand One and Only properties.It is the latest in a string ofaccolades received by Kerzner

over 2010; he was presentedwith lifetime achievementawards by ILTM in Cannes,The Variety Club Children’sCharity and Hospitality Salesand Marketing AssociationInternational.Cornell Hospitality alsocelebrated Kerzner with thetitle of hospitality innovator ofthe year. “I am truly humbled and mosthonoured by these recentaccolades,” said Kerzner.“I would not be here todaywithout the hard work anddedication of our peoplearound the world.“While I feel proud of all wehave accomplished, there isstill much more work to bedone and we look forward toreinventing the hospitalityexperience yet again in thenext decade.”

Japan

The guide training system in Japan is off the mark

Sol Kerzner Knighthood Confirmed

Sol Kerzner

DECEMBER 18, 201010

Agent’s InsightName: Naveen VatsPosition: Senior Holidays ConsultantCompany: Al Rais TravelLocation: Dubai

Who are you – tell us a little about your company.Al Rais is a 30-year-old travel company. We deal with hotels,corporate clients, we offer travel agency services and onlineservices. We service both business-to-consumer andbusiness-to-business; the consumer side is more walk-inclients, and we have online services for our business-to-business clients.

When did you first get involved in the travel industry,and how has it changed since then?I have been in the industry for 12 years and it has definitelychanged a lot. Earlier, people were still conscious of cost,but now they are looking at all of the options online andcomparing prices a lot more than they used to. However,some people still just want a hassle free holiday, or perhapsthey don’t trust online bookings, so they will opt for a travelagent. That way, we’re responsible for their bookings andthey don’t have to worry.

What is your best career memory so far?My career highlight so far was handling a group booking of300 people from around India, who were travelling toCairo, Dubai and Sri Lanka. I was working in India at thetime for Make My Trip – then I moved to Dubai in 2006.

Where would you personally like to visit next?I am planning to go to Australia – I am a destinationspecialist for Australia, but I haven’t been yet. I will bevisiting Cairns, the Gold Coast and Sydney.

Why is Dubai a strong tourism destination?Everyday there is something new coming up in Dubai –new attractions, new hotels. It is an attractive new countryand people visit to see what is new. Dubai is always alive inthe minds of travellers – it is always growing.

Al Tayer’s Disneyland Paris ContractAl Tayer Travel Agency has been named as a distributor ofDisneyland Paris in the GCC; the collaboration will take effecton April 6, 2011. Norbert Stiekema, senior vice president of sales and distributionat Disneyland Paris, confirmed the partnership with ManuMehrotra, general manager at Al Tayer Travel Agency, during arecent trip to Dubai.“The Middle East market in general, and the GCC in particular,constitutes an important segment for our business,” saidStiekema. “Disneyland Paris is one of the nest attractions for the Gulf,especially for those families that want to enjoy an atmospheretailor-made for family tourism.”

Dubai

11DECEMBER 18, 2010

Give the Green Light for Energy Efficiency in HotelsWith always-on corridor lighting , grounds illumination, hundreds of watt-hour hungry televisions and –particularly in the Middle East – huge climate control requirements, the hospitality industry ranks amongthe most voracious consumers of energy.

Tamer Abolghar, generalmanager of lighting inEast Africa for electronicscompany, Philips, saidenergy efficient lighting is

one of the most effective ways for hotels todecrease their energy use.DP Smedema, lighting chairman in Africafor Philips, revealed just how much of animpact a change in lighting technologycould make.“On average, 19 percent of worldelectricity consumption is attributed tolighting and almost USD150 billion couldbe saved annually if the world switches toenergy-efficient lighting,” said Smedema.

With low energy LEDs often fetchingmany times the price of standard bulbs,the initial layout for efficient lighting canbe discouraging.However, in the long term, the figuresspeak for themselves. Abolghar pointed out that hotels have adifferent energy profile to mostconsumers, making the value of low-

energy lights even more important forhospitality businesses.“Nearly 42 percent of electricityexpenditure in hotels is attributed tolighting,” he said.“Energy efficient technologies couldpotentially save 80 percent of that cost,which would certainly help to improvethe bottom line of every hotel.”

Nearly 42 percent ofelectricity expenditure in

hotels is attributed to lighting

DECEMBER 18, 201012

Travel Talk is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industryprofessionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want tohear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations andobservations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

Edward A ReizianGeneral Manager, Oryx Hotel Abu Dhabi“We are a four star pure business hoteland in this area we have a few hotelsboth operating and coming up. Theyare not competing with our property interms of the product, however if theyare there they can still divide the cake.What we’re trying to do to keep ourpiece as big as it is, is to open othermarkets and to attract others. We aredepending on online bookings,weekend visitors and foreigncompanies opening here or in Dubai.”

Akbar Al BakerCEO, Qatar Airways“It was imperative for the continued development of Qatar that the existing airportinfrastructure was expanded. The new Doha arrivals terminal is the latest step in theinfrastructure improvements to handle the influx of passengers through the airport.We are eagerly awaiting the opening of the New Doha International Airport in 2012,which will provide an even better facility for the people of Qatar and for internationaltravellers flying on Qatar Airways and other airlines.”

General Manager, Mafraq Hotel“For the past year supply has been more than demand and itis not as easy as it used to be. For the long term it is for thebenefit of Abu Dhabi because the more hotels you have, themore you’re developing. We will see stability at a later stage.During 2009 and 2010 everybody struggled; although for usit’s a little bit different and we’re a bit unique in that we’re inan industrial area and even though there are a few things thathave affected us, there is demand for our area.”

We are depending ononline bookings,

weekend visitors andforeign companies

It wasimperative … that the

existingairport

infrastructurewas

expanded

Ghassan Fares

We will see stability at a later stage

Akbar Al Baker

Ghassan Fares

DECEMBER 18, 201014

Dr Fahd Al-Jarboua Dr Fahd Al-Jarboua has been named as the new CEO of SaudiArabian company Al Tayyar Travel Group (ATG).Al-Jarboua holds a PhD from the University of Illinois and anMBA from the University of Denver – both in the US – as wellas a bachelor’s degree from King Fahd University of Petroleumand Minerals in Saudi Arabia.His most recent position was vice president in charge ofmarketing at the Saudi General Authority for Tourism andAntiquities.Al Tayyar is based in Riyadh and is one of the largest traveloperators in Saudi Arabia.

InterContinental Mzaar Lebanon Mountain Resort and Spahas a new director of sales and marketing. Georges Karam hasstepped into the post, bringing 11 years of experience in thehospitality industrywith him.Karam first workedfor InterContinentalHotels Group at itsInterContinentalPhoenicia Beirutproperty, where hebegan working in2000.He rose to becomedirector of sales at thePhoenicia beforetaking up his currentposition at theInterContinentalMzaar.

Vanessa Kong Vanessa Kong has taken on the role of director of sales andmarketing at the Dusit Princess City Centre in Dubai.She worked at Dusit Residences Dubai Marina for three yearsas director of sales before joining the Dust Princess CityCentre team.Kong started in sales at the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park inMalaysia, where she held the position of sales executive.She subsequently worked with Sheraton Subang Hotel andTower Malaysia, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Singapore andShangri-La in Singapore, before moving to Dubai to join theDusit Thani Dubai in 2006.

Mohammed Khamis Bin Hareb Al Muhairi Mohammed KhamisBin Hareb AlMuhairi has beenchosen as the firstdirector general ofthe UAE’s fledglingnational tourismpromotion body, theNational Council forTourism andAntiquities(NCTA).His appointmentwas approved by theMinisterial Councilfor Services, chairedby Sheikh Mansour

Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister of the UAE.Al Muhairi has more than 17 years experience in the fields oftourism and international marketing and is a member of severaltourism bodies and organisations in addition to NCTA.

Georges Karam

Mohammed Khamis Bin Hareb Al Muhairi

Georges Karam

Travel Trade Weekly: How does yourproperty fit into the tourism landscapeof Abu Dhabi?Sami Ayari: One to One Hotel – theVillage has been developed as a boutiqueproperty.In fact, it is the only four star, boutiqueurban resort in Abu Dhabi.With short distance from Abu Dhabi’scommercial centre, international airportand top attractions, it proves to becentrally located and provides easy accessfor business and leisure travellers. One to One Hotel – the Village comes fromthe family of One to One Hotels and Resorts,emphasising the approach of distinctivehospitality by catering to individuality. We are indeed distinctive by providingservice that is delivered beyond guest’sexpectations. The hotel has been developed as a villagewith a number of villas, each hosting aselection of nine rooms and suites. Eachvilla has its own private pool perched onthe rooftop.With 127 stylish rooms, seven world-classfood and beverage outlets serving aselection of cuisines and state of the arthealth club facilities, we are not just anotherhotel, but are determined on deliveringvalue through ‘audience of one’ experiences. We try to be active and competitive intoday’s evolving market conditions andhelp the brand grow stronger, which inturn makes One to One a preferred choicefor our end consumers.

Travel Trade Weekly: Are there anychallenges you face as a hotelier in AbuDhabi (and how could they be addressed)?Sami Ayari: One to One Hotels andResorts, a home-grown company, is stillrelatively new in the market. This being

said, in a very short period of time ourhotel in the capital city has made a strongname for itself. Indeed, our outlets are well patronised bythe international and local guests alikeand the hotel’s village feel is very muchappreciated by all guests.The main challenge is to ensure properyielding for the rooms. Year-to-date in 2010, we are a marketleader in RevPAR in our competitive setand have even surpassed a number of wellestablished five star properties. With the large increase in inventory in thecoming years, the room rates will naturallydilute as the influx of travellers to thedestination is not yet in a balancedproportion to the number of rooms available. It is regrettable to see that, with similarproducts as neighbouring cities, the roomrates are not as high. We are confident thiswill be rectified once the supply anddemand stabilises and Abu Dhabi furtherstrengthens its position as a fully-fledgeddestination.

Travel Trade Weekly: How do youdeal with increasing competition andgrowing hotel supply in the emirate?Sami Ayari: We were very fortunate fromthe beginning to have had owners with along term vision. They have agreed todevelop a destination-dining propertywith a coffee shop; a steakhouse; an Asianrestaurant; 2,000m2 of outdoor garden,with a pool, serving a wide variety of food;a lounge bar; and a Lebanese restaurant. As you can see, the food and beverageoffering is indeed wide and that doescontribute to the success of the property. With this selection of offerings, we areable to remain competitive as a stay at thehotel is a real experience.

Furthermore, to reward our loyal guestsand increase our patron base, we haverecently introduced the Gourmet Clubprogramme; a food and beverage loyaltyprogramme.Finally, our focus is on our associates.There is no four star and five star service–rather, there is good or bad service. With our resort atmosphere, relaxedenvironment and training and developmentprogrammes, our associates feel at homeand have the opportunity to learn and grow.

Travel Trade Weekly: Any furthercomments or updates on expanding? Sami Ayari: We planted our first flag in2007 with One to One – the Village, afour star boutique hotel in Abu Dhabi andexpanded in 2010 with One to One –Dhour Chouier, a four star luxury hotel inLebanon. In the years to come we will operate anumber of properties ranging from four tofive stars: beachfront properties in Dubai,Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Maldives and morecity hotels in the Middle and Near East.Furthermore, we are considering anumber of opportunities in Asia (Chinaand Vietnam) as well as North Africa.In the next five years we aim to add at least10 new properties to the existing portfolio.

15DECEMBER 18, 2010

Q&A with Sami Ayari Sami Ayari, the CEO of One to One Hotels and Resorts, spoke to Travel Trade Weekly about his two existingproperties in Abu Dhabi and Lebanon, as well as the company’s ambitious plans to increase its portfolio overthe next five years.

Sami Ayari

DECEMBER 18, 201016

EventsMoroccan Travel MarketMarrakech, Morocco, January 12-15, 2011 (en.mtm.ma)Exhibition for international travel professionals.

Blossom JapanTokyo, Japan, January 18-21, 2011 (www.blossomjapan.com)A new invitation-only luxury travel exhibition focusing on theJapanese market.

Fitur International Tourism Trade FairMadrid, Spain, January 19-23, 2011 (www.fitur.es)Fitur is a meeting point for tourism professionals to establishlines of action, strategies and business alliances.

HobexTripoli, Libya, January 25-27, 2011 (www.wahaexpo.com/hobex)International hotel business exhibition.

India Travel Market - Mumbai, Mumbai, India, February 4-6, 2011 (www.indiatravelmart.com)Travel trade show for inbound, outbound and domestic tourism.

Emitt IstanbulIstanbul, Turkey, February 10-13, 2011 (www.emittistanbul.com)Istanbul’s only international trade fair: focused on tourism inthe Eastern Mediterranean.

Middle East’s Economic Importance to Drive Future MICE SectorThe Middle East’s importance within theglobal economy, along with an abundanceof venues, is set to drive meetings andevents in the region, according to LloydKenyon, exhibition manager of GIBTM. “The meetings industry in the Gulf hasembraced and recognised the enormouspotential in attracting meetings andevents to the region,” Kenyon said. “The success and growth of GIBTMillustrates there is a hunger and a desire forthe meetings sector to develop at a rapidpace in the region.”GIBTM 2011 aims to attract more than2,000 industry professionals, 300 hostedbuyers and more than 250 exhibitingcompanies.

Big names such as Abu Dhabi TourismAuthority, Government of Dubai, SharjahCommerce and Tourism DevelopmentAuthority, Oman Ministry of Tourismand Qatar Tourism Authority havealready signed up as exhibitors. Silversea Cruises, Malaysia Conventionand Exhibition Bureau and SeoulConvention Bureau will also be exhibitingat the event.Business tourism remains the key driver

of arrivals for most Middle Easternnations, with MICE visitors making up asubstantial portion of this market. “The potential for growth is considerableand over the next few years there is nodoubt that the meetings industry couldreally enhance the economy of the MiddleEast,” said Kenyon. GIBTM is part of the Reed TravelExhibitions portfolio and the 2011 eventwill run between March 28 and 30.

There is a hunger and a desire for the meetings

sector to develop

GIBTM