Middle East and North Africa Edition

APRIL 9, 2011 ISSUE 74 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

April 9, Issue 74

Market Update 2Weekly News 3Accommodation News 5Air Travel News 7International News 10Who’s Moved 11Travel Talk 12Agents’ Corner 13Travel Channels 14Rendezvous 15Events 16

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In This Issue

OMAN AIR AND BMIOPERATION AGREEMENTOman Air and bmi have announced acode sharing agreement effective as ofApril 1, aiming to provide greaterflexibility and convenience to customers.

Middle East Gets First Two DoubleTree HotelsMiddle East Gets First Two DoubleTree Hotels

DoubleTree by Hilton has entered the Middle Eastfor the first time with the opening of two properties.

1010

JUMAIRAH GROUP OPENSFIRST HOTEL IN CHINAJumeirah Group, a Dubai based luxuryhotel company and a member of DubaiHolding, announced on March 30 theopening of its first five-star luxury hotelin China.

The assembly of the airline’sAnnual General Meeting hasalso approved the auditor’sreport for the financial yearending December 31, 2010,

alongside the balance sheet and the profit andloss accounts. Following the meeting theassembly appointed new auditors to fix theremuneration and elected new members to theBoard of Directors for the next three years. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al Thani,chairman, Air Arabia, praised the company’sresults in the light of the financial downturn. “We are very pleased to be able to share AirArabia’s success with our shareholders bydistributing an eight percent cash dividend.Despite globally difficult conditions, Air Arabia

posted strong results in 2010,including solid profitability,higher revenues, increasedpassenger numbers and higherseat load factor. While theaviation sector continues toconfront challenges such asongoing oil price volatility, we

remain positively cautious of coming monthsand focused on Air Arabia’s low cost businessphilosophy.”

The low-cost airline, which currently serves 67destinations, recorded a net profit of AED309.599 million (USD84.96 million) while thetotal turnover reached AED 2.08 billion(USD566.3 million) in 2010.

APRIL 9, 20112

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

Managing EditorMary Kammitsi

mary@traveltradeweekly.travelJournalistsRita Kasziba

Duncan MacRaeMarianna Keen

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingDimitris Thomaidis

DirectorsAndreas Constantinides

Mary Kammitsi

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Nicosia 1308 CyprusTel: +35722820888Fax: +35722318958

Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

Emailsinfo@traveltradeweekly.travel

editorial@traveltradeweekly.travelsales@traveltradeweekly.travel

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.97Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1500Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.71Syria (SYP) Pound 47.45Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.28Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.38Morocco (MAD) Dirham 7.91Iran (IRR) Riyal 10,42Yemen (YER) Rial 215.24Algeria (DZD) Dinar 73.04Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.22

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 7/4/2011Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

Air Arabia: Eight Percent Cash DividendThe Board of Directors of Air Arabia has announced that the assembly hasauthorised the distribution of a cash dividend of eight percent of the company’sshare capital.

AirTran and Southwest MergerAirTran Holdings, the parent company of AirTran Airways is to merge withSouthwest Airlines in the second quarter of the year.The stockholders of AirTran Holdings approved the merger of the wholly-ownedsubsidiary of Southwest Airlines with and into Airtran, where 98.6 percent of thevotes cast and 77.5 percent of shares outstanding were voted in favour of thetransaction. The merging companies are expected to profit from the compact, commentedBob Fornaro, chairman, president and CEO, AirTran.“We are grateful for our stockholders’ strong vote of confidence in this merger. Inapproving the transaction, our stockholders recognised the value of bringingtogether AirTran and Southwest to create a platform for increased profitabilityand sustainable long-term value.”The merger, which is currently awaiting clearance from the United StatesDepartment of Justice, is expected to close during the second quarter of the year.Till then both carriers continue to operate independently.

We remain positively cautious of coming

months and focused on Air Arabia’s low

cost business philosophy

3APRIL 9, 2011

Sheraton Hotels Drive StarwoodGrowth with Focus on ChinaStarwood Hotels & Resorts announced that 25 Sheraton hotels willopen this year, including 16 in cities across China, leading thecompany’s global growth.

The Sheraton brandrepresents 30 percentof the company’s totaldevelopment pipelineand will lead

Starwood’s future global expansion,according to the announcement.Simon Turner, President of GlobalDevelopment, Starwood, elaborated onthe plan to develop hotels in China’sprospering urban areas. “In China,which is now Starwood's second largestmarket after North America, Sheratonis expanding its presence in thecountry's biggest cities such as Beijingand Shanghai, as well as in rapidly

developing urban centres includingGuangzhou, Wanning and Hangzhou.The strength of Sheraton is also drivingmeaningful growth for sister brandFour Points by Sheraton, which is set todouble its footprint in China over thenext three years.”With the addition of 16 new hotels in2011, Sheraton will increase itsportfolio in China to 53 by year end.Plans include the opening of Sheraton’sfourth hotel in Shanghai, its second inBeijing and its first two hotels inGuangzhou. The iconic hotel brandaccounts for 50 percent of Starwoodhotels under development in China.

Planet Hollywood Hotels in Three CountriesWyndham Hotel Group announced its plans tomanage three new Planet Hollywood hotels. The proposed hotels will be situated in Doha, Qatar;Panama City, Panama; and Boao, China. Eachproperty will be managed by Wyndham HotelManagement, Inc. or one of its sister companies.The announcement marks the inauguralexpansion of Planet Hollywood Hotels followingthe signing of a license agreement, grantingWyndham Hotel Group exclusive rights tofranchise Planet Hollywood branded hotels andprovide management services globally.Eric Danziger, president and chief executiveofficer, Wyndham Hotel Group, commentedon the announcement. “To have threeproperties in the development pipeline soquickly is an incredible testament to the powerof the Planet Hollywood brand as well asWyndham Hotel Group’s ability to develophotels and grow brands globally.”

L ocated next to the QatarNational ConventionCentre in the EducationCity, Solis Doha will beadopted to the highest

environmental and sustainability standards. Saad al-Mohannadi, vicepresident capital projects andfacilities, Qatar Foundation,commented on the development.

“Qatar Foundation is pleased to partnerwith Solis Hotel & Resorts, bringing theworld-class hospitality service to theMiddle East for the first time.” The hotel, which will feature 418 roomsand suites with private entrance, will offer

guests a wide range of exclusive amenitiesand an outstanding level of personalservices. It will house a spacious ballroom andexhibit space, four fully-equipped boardrooms and six meeting venues.

5APRIL 9, 2011

- Accommodation

Solis Hotels to Debut in DohaSolis Hotels & Resorts has been selected by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and CommunityDevelopment to manage its new property, the five-star Solis Doha hotel in Qatar, scheduled to open in 2015.

Middle East Gets First Two DoubleTree HotelsDoubleTree by Hilton hasentered the Middle East forthe first time with the openingof two properties.DoubleTree by Hilton Aqabahas opened its doors to guestsin the central business districtof Jordan’s only coastal city. Thehotel consists of 173 rooms andhas been constructed in acontemporary style with a widerange of upscale amenities.The second property,DoubleTree by Hilton Ras AlKhaimah, has opened in theUAE. The opening of twoproperties in the Middle Eastwithin the space of just oneweek marks the company’scommitment to growing itsbrand in the region.

DoubleTree by HiltonRAK Suite

7APRIL 9, 2011

- Air News

Oman Air and bmi Codeshare Agreement in OperationOman Air and bmi have announced a code sharing agreement effective as of April 1, aiming to provide greaterflexibility and convenience to customers.

Gulf Air Begins Flights to Geneva and Milan Gulf Air has increased its flight schedule to Europe with flightsto Geneva and Milan.The Bahrain-based carrier described both destinationsimportant for its customers, as Samer Majali, CEO, Gulf Air,expressed his delight as the airline improves connectionsbetween the Middle East and major European cities.“It further demonstrates our commitment to connect Bahrain tothe region and the rest of the world including some of the world’sleading financial markets, to support Bahrain’s financial servicesand trade sector. I am sure our new direct route linking Genevawith Bahrain and onwards through our extensive Middle Eastnetwork will open up excellent opportunities for business andleisure travellers throughout the region and in Switzerland.”

The Bahrain to Geneva route is served three times a week,while the airline now flies four times a week to Milan.“With four flights a week arriving and departing in Milan atconvenient timings, we hope the business community as wellas leisure passengers from Bahrain will find our service perfectfor their needs,” added Majali.

The collaborative agreementenables Oman Air’spassengers to book flightsfrom Muscat to Aberdeen,Edinburgh, Belfast or

Manchester, via London Heathrow. bmi’scustomers will be able to book flights fromany of the airline’s departure points throughto Muscat.Customers will be able to book flightsthrough either Oman Air or bmi outlets.Peter Hill, CEO, Oman Air, expressed thebenefits that the agreement will bring topassengers as well as the tourism market.“We are delighted to be joining with bmito offer customers even greater choice,value and convenience. Both Oman Air

and bmi offer outstanding service and thiscodeshare partnership will not onlyextend the range of options open to eachairline’s customers, but will alsoencourage visitors to both Oman and theUK and promote tourism between thetwo countries.”

The announcement of the codeshare followsa year in which the national airline of theSultanate of Oman was transformed from aregional airline to luxury internationalcarrier. Oman Air is now the only airline tofly non-stop from the UK to Oman,departing Heathrow Terminal Three.

We hope the business community as well as leisure passengers from Bahrain will find

our service perfect for their needs

APRIL 9, 20118

- Air News

Ryanair Adds Surcharge to CoverCancellation CostsRyanair has introduced a EUR2 levy per passenger as of April4, which will fund its costs for flight cancellations, delays andits EU261 costs in ‘force majeure’ cases where the airline isnot responsible for either the delays or cancellations.The budget airline claims to have suffered costs of more thanEUR100 million arising from flight cancellations, delays andproviding right to care, compensation and legal expensesarising from more than 15,000 flight cancellations and morethan 2.4 million disrupted passengers.Stephen McNamara, head of communications, Ryanair,commented that it was unfair for airlines to be heldresponsible for delays and cancellations caused by the likesof volcanic eruptions, adverse weather conditions and ATCstrikes across Europe. “When the EU261 regulations were first introduced, airlineswere assured that they could recover the cost of thesecancellations and delays from those parties who causedthem. However, the airlines have no right of recovery fromGovernments, ATC unions, or airports.”

Royal Jordanian Partnerswith Global CollectRoyal Jordanian (RJ) has signed a service agreementwith Global Collect, a payment service provider of locale-payments, to process its online credit card payments.

The advanced facilities, which cover over 25currencies throughout the Middle East, NorthAfrica, Europe, Asia and North America, willsoon allow ticket bookings upon contacting thecarrier’s call centre and authorise agents to

access their credit card information. Furthermore, GlobalCollect’s services include strategic payments advice by airlineconsultants, online and call centre customer support andadvanced fraud screening. In addition, its Hosted Merchant Linksolution allows the airline to create its own online check outsection while Global Collect ensures processing and storingsensitive data. Hussein Dabbas, president and CEO, RJ,elaborated on the cooperation. “RJ is glad to partner with aleading payment service provider that has a global experience indifferent industries, particularly travel and ticketing. The airlinehas always been a pioneer in making travel procedures easier forpassengers, the latest being enabling travellers to pay for theirtickets online easily and securely from the comfort of theirhomes.”

Etihad: New Contact Centre in ManchesterEtihad is poised to openits European contactcentre in Manchesterand bring on board 160employees. The newcentre, due to be operational in 2012, will assist the carrier’srapidly growing non-Arabic speaking client base. James Hogen,CEO, Etihad, commented on the new announcement. “Our contact centres handle around 2.5 million calls each year,and we expect more than half of these calls to originate from non-Arabic speaking markets by 2012. As our network continues togrow, it is increasingly important for us to provide high quality,multilingual assistance for customers who choose to book directlywith the airline.”Manchester has been selected to Etihad’s European call centrefollowing a close probe. “We looked closely at a range of potential locations in the UKand Europe, and undertook extensive research to find thelocation that offered us a population base with the right mixof languages and skill sets, as well as a high quality oftelecommunications infrastructure. Manchester offeredeverything we needed”, added Hogen.

APRIL 9, 201110

- International

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong Becomes World’s Highest HotelThe Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong became the world’s highest hotel as it opened on March 29 at the top of theInternational Commerce Centre (ICC).

Jumeirah Group, a Dubai based luxury hotel company anda member of Dubai Holding, announced on March 30 theopening of its first five-star luxury hotel in China.Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai is situated at thespacious new arts and cultural hub in Pudong – theHimalayas Centre. The interior of the hotel was designed byKCA International, whose portfolio includes the Burj AlArab in Dubai, also run by Jumeirah.Capitalising on its position next to Shanghai NewInternational Expo Centre (SNIEC), Shanghai’s largestexhibitions venue, Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel features1,939m2 of premium meeting and conference venues. It alsooffers two grand ballrooms and a rooftop Infinity Garden,ideal for private functions and outdoor events. The hotelfeatures 401 contemporary Chinese-style guestrooms,including 62 suites and residences. There are also fourrestaurants and lounges, an indoor swimming pool and a 24-hour fitness centre.The Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai is set to be joinedby a further five luxury developments in China, includingJumeirah Hangzhou, Jumeirah Guangzhou, Jumeirah QingShui Bay Resort Sanya, Jumeirah Macau and JumeirahThousand Islands Lake Resort in Qiandaohu.

Jumeirah Group Opens its FirstHotel in China

The luxury hotel occupiesfloors 102 to 118 of theICC and amounts to theRitz-Carlton brand’s 16thhotel in Asia.

Herve Humler, president and chiefoperations officer, The Ritz-Carlton HotelCompany, L.L.C, highlights the significanceof the hotel opening. “The opening of thislandmark hotel in Hong Kong is theculmination of many years of hard work anddedication to delivering the very bestproduct, facilities and service in thisinternational gateway city.”The hotel’s 312 guest rooms all offer viewsof the Victoria Harbour and the iconicHong Kong skyline, and provides luxurywith state of the art technology.

The hotel’s six dining venues have beencreated by some of the biggest names inrestaurant design, including Japan’s SpinDesign Studio and Wonderwall. Ozone,located on the hotel’s 118th floor, isconsidered by Ritz-Carlton to be thehotel’s most prominent cuisine offering,which includes the world’s highest al

fresco terrace.The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong has one ofthe largest ballrooms in the city at 930m2,fit for weddings, meetings and gala events.Other features include a fully equippedfitness centre and an indoor infinity pool,and for those wishing to relax, the hotelfeatures The Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA.

Corner Suite with Harbour View

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

11APRIL 9, 2011

Shylaja PillaiShylaja Pillai has been appointed asspa manager at Softouch Spa,Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates.She brings more than nine years ofexperience in spa management andalternative medicine to her new role.Pillai has previously held managerialand consulting positions within theSoftouch spas at five-star properties in

the UAE and India. She holds a Bachelor Degree in ayurvedicmedicine and surgery from Kerala University in India andcompleted a spa management course. Pillai is an accredited generalpractitioner by the UAE Ministry of Health and licensed topractice by the Dubai Health Authority.

Mukesh SodaniMukesh Sodani has been appointed as chief financial officerat flydubai. Backed by over 15 years of experience in theairline industry, Sodani will be an integral part of the carrier’sfuture expansion strategy. Prior to joining the airline, he heldthe same position at a real estate conglomerate in Dubai,

while previously heworked for Emirateswhere he waspromoted to vicepresident aircraftfinancing. During hisperiod at Emirates hewas part of the teamwhich was tasked toraise a substantialamount throughdiversified fundingsources and negotiateaircraft acquisitionsand leasing.

Janet Abrahams has been appointed as area director of salesand marketing, Levant region at Kempinski. Abrahams hasover 20 years of experience in luxury hotel sales andmarketing in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and haspreviously worked at Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi for morethan three years. In her new role she will focus on enhancingKempinski’s recognition and success in the region,strengthening its market brand leader status and proving aworld class service to clients within the existing portfolioand new developments.

David GarnerDavid Garner has been appointed as area director of sales andmarketing for Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas’ flagship propertiesin the Middle East, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort and DesertIslands Resort & Spa. The accomplished hospitality and tourismprofessional with over 15 years of experience has been tasked withspearheading the brand’s marketing operations while enhancingrevenues from existing markets and developing new opportunities.Garner graduated withhonours in InternationalBusiness and TourismMarketing and workedpreviously for InterContinentalHotels Group in the UKfollowed by Qatar TourismAuthority. Prior to taking onhis new role, he held thecommercial director’s role atEmirates Hotels & Resorts atEmirates Airlines Group. David Garner

Shylaja Pillai

Janet Abrahams

Mukesh Sodani

APRIL 9, 201112

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

Fouad MelhemGeneral manager, Al Diar Siji hotel

“Online booking is fast becoming the biggest trend in theregion and global travel sector, and it will be the focus of AlDiar Siji hotel’s marketing strategy this year. With theburgeoning online travel market and web booking portals thatare expected to flood the market in 2011, online booking isindeed a fast growing channel of the tourism industry. Withthis, increase in internet bookings is inevitable and we wantto get a share of that.”

Mark WalshGroup exhibition director, Reed Travel Exhibitions“Despite the lingering effects of the economic downturnimpacting many industries, along with unrest in some parts ofthe region, the Gulf ’s aviation sector is displaying strong growth.”

Frederique MaurellExhibition director, The Hotel Show

“Despite macro-economic indicators, there is little doubt that theregional hospitality industry is now experiencing solid ifunspectacular growth. With over USD6 billion worth of hotelprojects, mainly in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, still due forcompletion by 2013, the industry is looking forward withrenewed confidence.”

The Gulf’s

aviation sector is

displayingstrong growth

Mark Walsh

Onlinebooking is

fast becomingthe biggesttrend in theregion and

global travelsector

Fouad Melhem

There is littledoubt that the

regionalhospitality

industry is nowexperiencing solidif unspectacular

growth

FrederiqueMaurell

13APRIL 9, 2011

Name: Hazem PonchoPosition: Director of planningCompany: National Travel ServiceLocation: Egypt

Agent’s Insight

Who are you?My name is Hazem Poncho and I have 15 years of experience inthe tourism industry. During these years I gained experience in alltourism departments in various positions. I have always enjoyedmy career and worked really hard to improve my knowledge andone of my priorities has been to improve my language skills. Egyptallowed me to create new ideas and I feel lucky that I was given theopportunity to join National Travel Service (NTS), one of the top10 destination management companies in the country. Being withthe company for 14 years, NTS gave me the hand to grow andwiden my knowledge and vision.     

What is your favourite thing about working in the travelindustry? My favorite thing about the travel industry is the creativity andguest satisfaction which both reflect the success of anyemployee or organisation.

When is the best time to visit Egypt? Egypt enjoys a gift from God which is, reasonable weather allyear. Anything you cannot do in winter you can do in summerand vice versa. But to be more precise, the most wonderfultime to visit Egypt’s classical historical sites falls betweenOctober and April, while the season between May andSeptember offers ideal weather for seaside holidays.

Where would you like to travel to for your next holidayand why? I would love to visit Mallorca, Spain and explore thewonderful beaches.  

Why should people come to you for travel advice?Our company handles over 60 different markets and over 342tour operators each according to its activity and needs. Ourphilosophy is always based on the highest quality of servicewith most competitive rates and this is the most difficultequation which we managed to achieve with all our partners.Moreover, our company owns and operates Nile cruises andresorts which allow us to control the quality of services we areoffering to our guests. And why should people come to us:Because nobody knows Egypt as we do, and because we reallycare about holiday seekers both before and after their arrival.

Amadeus Qatar Boosts Online Insurance SaleAmadeus Qatar is to encourage sale ofonline travel insurance through anintegrated platform and increasedpromotions. Amadeus, partnered with ChartisInsurance enables a fast process forcustomers booking on the Amadeusplatform. Wafiq Al-Wahidi, generalmanager, Amadeus Qatar, furtherexplains.“The integrated insurance platform is a very efficient way of givingtravellers insurance. Policies are awarded very quickly by utilisingpassenger data that is already in the system from travelinformation, so travel agencies become more efficient by beingable to issue insurance in minutes.”The newly launched initiative of the transaction processor andprovider incites agencies with increased awards and with the mosteffective agent being rewarded at the end of April. Amadeus offers a wide range of policy types, including Schengenplan insurance and for various incidents such as flightcancellation, lost luggage and delays.

Wafiq Al Wahidi, generalmanager, Amadeus Qatar

APRIL 9, 201114

Mountain Tourism Workers to Meet at SummitTourism in some parts of North Africa and the Middle East may be having a tough time at present howeveron the chilly snow-dusted mountain peaks things are just beginning to heat up.

So popular have snow andmountain destinationsbecome in the likes of Iran,Jordan and Lebanon, that theregion should be very well

represented at the upcoming WorldCongress on Snow and MountainTourism in France on April 28-29.Its representatives will meet with theircounterparts from major snow destinations,including the Alps, the Rockies and theAndes, to discuss how they can deal withthe challenges they face while remainingcompetitive and sustainable.Other issues on the agenda include thedifficulties of protecting local identitiesand natural resources while meetingvisitor needs for comfort and services.

The role of creativity and innovation inaddressing issues such as seasonality andthe opportunities of new social media formountain tourism will also be a hot topicfor discussion.Tourists have taken both natural ski slopesand man-made ones in the region to heartin recent years.The creation of indoor ski slope, SkiDubai raised a few eyebrows in 2005however, at one point, it looked like it wasmerely the first of many artificial slopesthat would be dotted around the region.There have been on-off plans over the pastfive years for two further indoor ski centres– one in Abu Dhabi and another in Dubai.Similar projects have been proposed forRas Al Khaimah, and Bahrain has also

been muted without ever materialising,much to the disappointment of skiing andsnowboarding enthusiasts.Recent news reports suggested that skierswere attracted to Shemshak, a popularresort on the Alborz range, northernTehran, as they felt it was the ideal way todistance themselves from politicalproblems, albeit for a short time.Visitors to the Mzaar InterContinentalResort in Lebanon were certainly puttingtheir worries behind them at the Ski &Fashion Festival in March, which attractedlingerie models from around the globe.As long as the mountains remain a retreatfrom politics and the hustle and bustle ofcity life, it is likely ski resorts will continueto go from strength to strength in the region.

Travel Trade Weekly: Has a date forthe opening of the Fairmont PalmJumeirah hotel been confirmed? Whatwill the hotel offer the emirate? Raki Phillips: Fairmont Palm Jumeirahwill open in 2012 and will comprise of a382-room luxury resort including 36,500square feet of meeting space, outdoorleisure facilities including a beachrestaurant and a private beach club, a poolcomplex and children's activity centre, aswell as a variety of dining facilitiesfeaturing sea, garden or pool views and aWillow Stream spa.

Travel Trade Weekly: Followingcompletion of the Makkah Complexthree-hotel project in Saudi Arabia,does Fairmont plan to open morehotels in the country? What are thedevelopment plans for these?Raki Phillips: The opening of MakkahClock Royal Tower marked a momentousopportunity to provide a new amenity toMuslim pilgrims and visitors from all overthe world and demonstrates ourcommitment to caring for ourcommunities, a hallmark for our brandand colleagues.  Today, the governmentand other key partners in Saudi Arabia areexpending tremendous energy and capitalto develop both the domestic tourismmarket as well business travel andreligious tourism, so this is certainly a veryimportant market for us. We see greatsynergies between our properties inMakkah and Riyadh as well as our otherhotels in Dubai, Cairo and Abu Dhabi.

Travel Trade Weekly: When is theFairmont Riyadh set to open? Raki Phillips: The property is set toopen late 2012. The hotel will feature 287spacious guestrooms, including Fairmont

Gold.  Guests will enjoy a selection ofdining venues as well as spa and fitnessfacilities. The convention centre comprisesof 4,000m2 of meeting and function spaceincluding two main ballrooms offering1,500m2 each.    In addition, groups willhave access to a number of smallerconference and board rooms, some withprivate break-out spaces, complementedby a conference service team

Travel Trade Weekly: When is theplanned opening of Fairmont Mina AlFajer property in Fujairah? Whatunique features will this offer to guests?Raki Phillips: Fairmont Mina Al Fajer,Fujairah will open in 2012. The projectwill consist of an 88-room hotel withdedicated meeting facilities, a WillowStream spa and a marina. The propertywill be located on the east coast of theUAE with sweeping views of the Gulf ofOman, lauded for its natural beauty setagainst the backdrop of the historic HajarMountains. 

Travel Trade Weekly: Are expansionplans under way in Qatar, Kuwait,Bahrain and Oman or any otherregions of the Middle East or Africa?Raki Phillips: The Middle East is a veryimportant area of growth with ourpartners. Now with our properties inDubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, and SaudiArabia, The Wave project in Omanmoving with full force and the new resortdevelopment Fairmont Mina Al Fajer inFujairah, the regional profile for Fairmont

Hotels & Resorts is going from strengthto strength as this continued developmentspeaks to the brand’s commitment tomaintaining and cultivating it’s footholdin the Middle East.

Travel Trade Weekly: In what furtherregions does Fairmont see opportunitiesfor further expansion of its brandedhotels?Raki Phillips: India is a very importantmarket for us. We have projects in Jaipur innorthwest India,  an area that offers richcultural heritage  and  is currently gainingprominence as a commercial and meetingsdestination set to open this year.Additionally a property in Hyderabadlocated in the growing businessdevelopment area of the city, dubbed theSilicon Valley of the East, to open in 2012.We are also currently looking into Asia,where we had the reopening of the iconicPeace hotel in 2010 and are now lookingtowards our recently announced project inNanjing, China, situated in Hexi New Town,a burgeoning, new commercial district.

15APRIL 9, 2011

Q&A with Raki PhillipsFairmont is poised to strengthen its presence in the Middle East with the opening of several new properties inthe region. Raki Phillips, area director sales and marketing UAE, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, speaks aboutthe ongoing developments and further growing opportunities.

Raki Phillips

The Middle East is a very important area of growth with

our partners

The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) attractedmore than 2,100 visitors and buyers this year, an 11 percent increase compared to 2010.The event, which was held at the Abu DhabiNational Exhibition Centre on March 28-30, alsoattracted 275 exhibiting companies, 20 percentmore than last year.GIBTM also marked the largest Middle Easteducation gathering of industry professionals asthe number of people attending its professionaleducation programme topped 300.Lloyd Kenyon, exhibition manager, GIBTM,noted that the overall standard of GIBTM 2011had been very high. “The objective for us has been to drive businessand deliver value for all those attending the event.We have seen a great deal of optimism throughoutthe show and received very positive feedback.”

APRIL 9, 201116

EventsChina Outbound Travel and Tourism MarketBeijing, China, April 13-15, 2011 (www.cottm.com)Dedicated business to business event targeting the growingmarket for outbound travel from China.

Arabian Travel MarketDubai, UAE, May 2-5, 2011 (www.arabiantravelmarket.com)The Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition.

IndabaDurban, South Africa, May 7-10, 2011(www.indaba-southafrica.co.za)Showcases the widest variety of Southern Africa's best tourismproducts.

The Hotel ShowDubai, UAE, May 17-19, 2011(www.thehotelshow.com)Hospitality event for the MENA, GCC and emerging markets.

International Pow Wow 2011San Francisco, USA, May 21-25, 2011(www.ustravel.org/events/international-pow-wow)An international marketplace and the largest generator ofVisit USA.

IMEXFrankfurt, Germany, May 24-26, 2011(www.imex-frankfurt.com)Worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events.

CITY FAIR The European Cities Travel Workshop London, UK, 20 June, 2011(www.cityfair.travel)A one day event of pre-scheduled appointments dedicated to thesector of city tourism.

AIBTMBaltimore, USA, June 21-23, 2011(www.aibtm.com)US event for the business travel and meetings industry.

GIBTM 2011 Breaks Attendance Records

Swiss-Bel hotel International has signed amanagement agreement  with SardarInvestments Pty. Ltd for a 4 star hotel inErbil, Iraq.Swiss-Belhotel Erbil, due to open early2012, will consist of 108 deluxe guestrooms and suites, a speciality restaurant,bar, pool bar, roof-top shisha lounge,300m2 meeting room space, businesscentre, boutique and travel agency.The hotel is located near the city centre, afive minute drive from Erbil InternationalAirport.The hotel will assist the city to welcome acontinuously growing number of businessand leisure visitors.

Swiss-Belhotel InternationalMoves Into Ebril, Iraq

Lloyd Kenyon