13 JANUARY 2018 ISSUE 427

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DUBAI DUTY FREE CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY WITH SALES

AVANI HOTELS & RESORTS TO DEBUT IN OMAN02 06

13 JANUARY 2018 ISSUE 427

WEEKLY NEWS04

Miral to Develop Beachfront in Abu Dhabi

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13 JANUARY 20182

www.traveltradeweekly.travelMARKET UPDATE

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DUBAI DUTY FREE CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY WITH SALES

Dubai Duty Free marked its 34th anniversary as it welcomed passengers travelling through Dubai with a special 25 percent discount on a wide range of merchandise on December 18, 2017, and continued until the operation’s anniversary day on December 20, 2017. Total sales for the three days reached AED196 million (USD54 million).

Perfume was the highest selling category with sales of AED45.259 million (USD12.4 million) followed by cosmetics with sales of AED39.329 million (USD10.775 million) and watches with sales of AED35.064 million (USD9.606 million).

Over the three-day period, the cash registers recorded a total of 375,000 sales transactions with nearly 107,000 sales transactions alone on December 20, 2017. The Dubai Duty Free anniversary promotion is now a

highly-anticipated event with many travellers choosing to travel on the days when the 25 percent discount is offered.

AZIZI DEVELOPMENTS UNVEILS INVESTMENT BUDGET

Azizi Developments has announced that it will invest AED9.1 billion (USD2.47 billion) across its operations in the UAE in 2018, higher than its investments in 2017.

The budget announcement aims to meet the devel-oper’s commitment to further develop the Dubai real estate market by establishing unique community life-style projects in key locations across the city.

Farhad Azizi, CEO, Azizi Developments, said, “Our devel-opments will include new residential projects in upcoming locations and community-style projects in high-potential areas across the city. [...] We expect to see further business growth and development in 2018, especially as we near the commencement of Expo 2020, one of the biggest events on Dubai’s calendar for the next few years.”

Azizi Developments budget signing ceremony

Colm McLoughlin, CEO, Dubai Duty Free, and Ramesh Cidambi, chief operating officer along with other senior management joined employees in cutting the 34th anniversary cake

13 JANUARY 2018 3

www.traveltradeweekly.travel AGENTS

ABTA Launches 2018 Travel Campaign

Hotelbeds Group TAB Integrates CityPASS

Worldwide bedbank and B2B travel industry ser-vices provider Hotelbeds

Group has announced the integra-tion of CityPASS, the provider of multi-attraction ticket products, into its Transfer & Activity Bank (TAB).

The partnership adds 78 new attractions to TAB´s platform such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Space Needle, World of Coca-Cola and Blue & Gold Bay Fleet Cruise Adventure.

It also includes a real-time booking confirmation and cancel-lation service, all in 12 US markets such as New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Dallas.

Amadeus Ventures Invests in Situm

Amadeus Ventures announced that it will invest in Situm Tech-nologies, an indoor GPS startup

for travellers at airports, train stations or conference centres.

The Spanish startup provides in-door positioning, tracking and naviga-tion services for many different uses, such as guiding visitors inside a large building, tracking the location of se-curity staff in case of emergencies, or tracking moving objects inside facto-ries.

Thousands of buildings around the world have already used its tech-nology, which provides high location accuracy, up to one metre, with the lowest infrastructure investment and complexity for indoor services.

The travel association ABTA launched its 2018 Travel with Confi-dence national campaign on December 26, 2017, to coincide with the industry’s busiest sales period of the year. The campaign aims

to encourage people to book with an ABTA Member. It initially targets families and over 55s across the peak booking season, and then 18-35 year olds and business travel audiences later in the year.

ABTA will also support the campaign through a hub on its website providing holidaymakers with tips on how to travel with confidence.

Victoria Bacon, director, brand and business development, ABTA, said, “As thousands of travellers start to plan and book their holidays for this year we are reminding people of the importance of booking with an ABTA Member.”

https://airastana.com/uae/en-US/Plan/Special-Offers/Fly-to-CIS-with-best-fares

13 JANUARY 20184

www.traveltradeweekly.travelWEEKLY NEWS

Miral To Develop Beachfront in Abu Dhabi

MIRAL HAS ANNOUNCED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BEACHFRONT COMMUNITY SPACE LOCATED ON ABU DHABI’S CORNICHE. D ue to open in the first quarter of this year, the A’L BAHAR project will help to deliver on the capital’s vision of offering unique experi-ences for residents and visitors, establishing the emirate as an en-tertainment and leisure destination of distinction.Miral will develop an 80,000 m2 location into a dedicated

beachfront space for leisure and wellbeing, offering to include over 20 food and beverage outlets that cater to different tastes.

The beachfront will comprise basketball and beach volleyball courts, soc-cer pitches, an outdoor gym, kids play area, spaces for concerts and commu-nity events as well as an inflatable floating structure. A promenade, stretching over 0.5 km in length, will also be set aside for walking.

A’L BAHAR project

Dubai Safari Attracts Thousands of Visitors

Matajer Al Juraina Mall Retail Expansion on Track

Majid Al Futtaim has confirmed the AED56 million (USD15.25 million) expansion of Matajer Al Juraina com-

munity mall is on track for completion early this year.

Phase two of the expansion strategy, will add 3,000 m² of gross leasable area includ-ing 16 new brands and restaurants.

There will be a wider scope for service-based outlets such as salons and banks

while the enhancement will include a vi-brant new redesign with a shaded pergola for al fresco dining.

Ali Al Abdulla, senior director, commu-nity and neighbourhood malls, Majid Al Fut-taim Properties, said, “Matajer Al Juraina is to set to become an anchor for the community where families can come together to shop, eat and play.”

Dubai Safari announced that since opening to public dur-ing the week of December 11, 2017 the number of visi-tors to the park has crossed the 100,000 mark.

Continuing with its commitment to provide visitors of all ages a unique experience, entrance to Dubai Safari will be tick-eted, as of December 21, 2017.

Mohammed Mubarak Al Mutaiwei, assistant director gen-eral, communication and community sector, Dubai Munici-pality, said, “Conducted with approximately 50,000 visitors to Dubai Safari, the survey found that the ethnicities of the visi-tors comprised of 39 percent Arabs, 29 percent Asians, 23 per-cent Emiratis and nine percent Europeans. [...] In terms of age, a majority, 54 percent were between the ages 30-40, while 25 percent were between the ages 19-29, 13 percent were be-tween the ages 41-51, six percent were below 18 years, and two percent were 51 years or older.”

Matajer Al Juraina Mall

13 JANUARY 2018 5

www.traveltradeweekly.travel WEEKLY NEWS

Guest Behaviour Through Length of Stay Metrics

Length of stay is becoming an important vari-able in the equation of growth and evolu-tion of brand loyalty programmes.

Length of stay, or the number of actualised room nights per booking, is impacted by a vari-ety of factors, as well as economic and societal trends. For instance, a recent Forbes.com article said that 78 percent of millennials intentionally carved out personal time on their business trips.

Brand.com experienced a year-over-year decline of 4.1 percent to 1.76 nights, while on-line travel agents remained the shortest length of stay at 1.69 nights. Overall, the resulting 1.89 night length of stay from all sources of business represented a 3.3 percent year-on-year decline.

Length of stay declined in all major markets in December, with Dallas-Fort Worth dropping the most by nine percent year-on-year to 2.24 nights.

Dubai Land Department Con-cludes Global Tour

The Real Estate Investment Management and Promotion Center, the investment arm of

Dubai Land Department, has con-cluded its real estate roadshow and workshops in Baku and the UK.

The purpose of the roadshow was to promote Dubai's real estate market and attract British investors. The event attracted a large num-ber of visitors, investors, investment companies and other groups of interested parties. The developers were given the opportunity to offer promotional deals, flexible payment plans and payment facilities, high-lighting Dubai's investment environ-ment and its distinctiveness from other cities around the world.

http://www.visitmalta.com/

13 JANUARY 20186

www.traveltradeweekly.travelACCOMMODATION

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the open-ing of the InterContinental Fu-

jairah Resort in Dibba. The venue’s 190 guest rooms

and suites, including 44 Club Inter-Continental Rooms and 38 suites, feature expansive balconies offer-ing of the sea.

InterContinental Fujairah Re-sort offers a gymnasium, O Spa by L'Occitane, four meeting rooms, a boardroom and a ballroom.

The hotel boasts two gourmet dining options including Nama and Drift while guests can also en-joy cocktails at Horizon.

There is also a family pool, kids’ club and a teen’s club, as well as a babysitting service.

Aldar Properties has com-pleted the acquisition of International Tower, the of-

fice tower located in Capital Gate district of Abu Dhabi for AED658 million (USD179 million).

International Tower comprises 39,000 m2 of Grade A commercial space and will immediately con-tribute to Aldar Properties’ net operating income supported by a strong mix of existing tenants and robust occupancy.

The Capital Gate district is home to a combination of private and public sector organisations, as well as a range of hospitality out-lets and the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. International Tower is located at the heart of this business hub.Aldar Properties.

First InterConti-nental Resort in the Middle East Opens

Aldar Properties Completes In-ternational Tow-er Acquisition

AVANI Hotels & Resorts to Debut in Oman

Minor Hotels has signed a management agreement with Safari International Group for a new AVANI hotel to be developed in Muscat. S

cheduled to open in 2020, the 250-key AVANI Muscat Hotel located in Seeb to the west of the city, is set to open in two phases.

The first phase will comprise 160 guest rooms and suites, an all-day dining restau-

rant, an AVANI Pantry and a rooftop lounge. Additional facilities will include a swimming pool and health club, a 1,000 m2 ballroom and eight meeting rooms. The second phase, which will commence two years after the main hotel opens, will offer a total of 90 serviced apartments including studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments, plus two 175 m2 three-bedroom apartments.

MGallery announced the opening of three new ad-dresses; Victory House Leicester Square, London; The Retreat Palm Dubai; and Tarcin Forest Resort &

Spa, marking, with the latter two being the first of the brand in the Middle East and in Bosnia, respectively.

Victory House, Leicester Square boasts 86 stylish and contemporary bedrooms, including nine suites, and has of-ficially launched the restaurant, Petit Bistro.

The Retreat Palm Dubai is the first MGallery property as well as the first 360-degree holistic wellbeing resort in the Middle East, offers 255 rooms and suites, while also includ-ing four dining concepts.

MGallery Tarcin Forest Resort & Spa features a restau-rant, hotel cafe, business centre, executive VIP lounge, lux-ury spa and a wellness oasis with a fitness centre, organic dining, and conference and banquet facilities.

MGallery Announced Three New Openings

AVANI Hotels & Resorts, Muscat

The Retreat Palm Dubai

http://www.ifema.es/fitur_01/

13 JANUARY 20188

www.traveltradeweekly.travelAIR

EgyptAir Receives Final Boeing

As part of its continuous fleet expansion strategy, the flag carrier airline of Egypt, EgyptAir, has announced the launch of its

ninth and final Boeing 737-800NGs on a lease deal from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise which is valued at USD864 million.

Meeting the requirements of today’s chal-lenging market; the aircraft features 16 seats in business class and 137 in economy class.

Along with facilitating an improved passen-ger experience, the jet is the 69th addition to the carrier’s fleet and the 29th of this type.

Emirates Launches London Stansted Airport Service

Emirates announced that it is to launch a new daily route from Dubai International Air-

port to London Stansted Airport on June 08.

With its strategic position close to the tech and pharma hubs of Cambridge and Peterborough, Emirates is hailed to be the first Mid-dle Eastern airline to operate out of the popular London airport.

Tim Clark, president, Emirates said, “ The introduction of the new London Stansted-Dubai service un-derscores our commitment to serve London, with operations soon to three different airports in the city. There is a clear demand for this ser-vice from both business and leisure travellers and we anticipate that this news will be warmly received both across our global network, as well as by the business community based in the Stansted catchment area.”

Royal Jordanian Sees Increase in Bookings

Royal Jordanian’s 54th anniversary online sales campaign that was launched on December 15, 2017 re-

sulted an increase in the number of online and mobile app bookings.

The one day offer saw an increase of 1104 percent over the previous 24 hours online bookings, and website bookings increased by 151 percent over the regular daily visitors to the site.

Stefan Pichler, president, Royal Jor-danian, said, “Thank you, dear guests, for your trust and loyalty. You always give us another reason to keep offering super low tickets. This campaign, like all previ-ous ones, shows that RJ knows how to stir customers' interest and cares to remain the number one choice for its loyal customers, as well as to attract new ones.”

Qatar Airways Welcomes Thailand Expansion

Celebrating the launch of the airline’s fourth gateway into Thailand, Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways, welcomed the company’s expansion.

Commenting on the launch of the four times weekly flights, Al Baker, said, “We are very ex-cited to have launched our direct non-stop

service to Chiang Mai. […] Expanding our presence with a fourth gateway into Thailand has always been a priority for us. Putting the city (Chiang Mai) on our global route map also connects local travellers from Chiang Mai to our extensive network of more than 150 destinations.”

From left, Yuthasak Supasorn, governor, Tourism Authority, Thailand, Al Baker, Marwan Koleilat, senior vice president, Asia Pacific,

Qatar Airways

London Stansted Airport

13 JANUARY 2018 9

www.traveltradeweekly.travel AIR

Qatar Airways Flight to Saint Petersburg

Qatar Airways’ first non-stop flight from Doha to Saint Pe-tersburg landed at Pulkovo

Airport on December 19, 2017, mark-ing the airline’s second gateway in Russia.

In order to meet the customers’ needs, the flight was operated by Boeing B787 Dreamliner.

H.E. Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways, said, “I am delighted to touch down [...] on board our first commercial flight to St. Petersburg. Following the great success of our Moscow route, we are extremely happy to extend our reach into Rus-sia. By launching this new route, we are committing to further supporting the Russian market, and providing in-bound and outbound passengers a seamless journey through the skies.”

flydubai Touches Down in Kilimanjaro

flydubai’s inaugural flight to Kilimanjaro Interna-tional Airport touched down on December 15, 2017, increasing capacity to Tanzania and further

expanding its network in Africa to 12 destinations. flydubai offers six flights a week to Kilimanjaro,

three of which are via a stop in the capital, Dar es Salaam and will increase the total number of flights to Tanzania to 14 flights a week. In addition, as part

of the inaugural programme, flydubai showcased its new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, commented, “With our service to Kilimanjaro, we are responding to a growing demand for travel between the UAE and Tanzania. flydubai is the first UAE airline to offer direct air links to Kilimanjaro with the aim to [...] offer travel-lers more choice and flexibility.”

NAS Launches New Pearl Lounges

National Aviation Services (NAS) announced the launch of its Pearl Lounges at Marrakech-Menara Airport in Morocco reinforcing ca-pacities at the newly renovated airport.

The two lounges in arrivals and departures, covering 800 m², com-bine luxury and serenity to offer maximum comfort for all passengers, including more than 150 seats, a wide menu selection, free Wi-Fi, a smoking zone, shower facilities as well as separate designated enter-tainment areas for kids and teenagers.

Hassan El-Houry, CEO, NAS Group, said, “[…] Our Pearl Lounges are the perfect accent to the eclectic facilities offered at the airport, rated by Skyteam as the most beautiful airport in the world. All passengers, arriv-ing, departing or in transit can access the lounge to relax and rejuvenate or get work done in a comfortable environment.”

Inaugural flight celebrations

El-Houry with Youssef Jroundi, director, sales and marketing, ONDA inaugurating the NAS Pearl Lounge in Marrakech

http://wyndhamgardenmanama.com/

13 JANUARY 201810

www.traveltradeweekly.travelAIR

Air Arabia Adds Sharjah - Moscow Service

Air Arabia will begin flights to Sheremetyevo International Air-port from February 01, 2018,

initially with four flights a week, to in-crease to daily as of March 01.

The four weekly flights will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sun-days, departing from Sharjah Interna-tional Airport.

Adel Al Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia, said, “We are pleased to serve Moscow’s two busiest airports providing our cus-tomers with choice and convenience. Our flights to Moscow cater to a lively market that is made up of both leisure and business travellers. With the launch of our flights to Sheremetyevo, passen-gers can now benefit from additional travel options to connect to Russia from Sharjah and other destinations in our network.”

Gulf Air Praises Flight Safety Annual Summit

Gulf Air has praised the suc-cess of the Gulf Flight Safety Council’s annual summit

which was held in Bahrain. This year’s summit comprised

different sessions focusing on flight, ground and cabin safety and saw the attendance of key representa-tives from Gulf Air, Bahrain’s Civil Aviation Affairs, Bahrain Airport Company and Ministry of Interior.

As official carrier of the two-day event, Waleed Abdul Hameed Al Alawi, deputy CEO, Gulf Air, wel-comed all attendees and stressed Gulf Air’s commitment to support-ing and promoting the improve-ment of flight safety in the GCC region.

NCB Capital Announced Aircraft Portfolio

NCB Capital announced the acquisition of a portfolio of 21 commercial aircraft from AerCap Holdings.

The portfolio comprises a mix of narrow-body and wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft on lease to 14 airlines across the world. The acquisition of the portfolio is part-financed with a non-recourse term loan arranged by BNP Paribas, Citibank and Credit Suisse.

Sarah Al Suhaimi, CEO, NCB Capital, said, “Aircraft leasing is a fast growing industry that offers a unique and attractive diversification opportunity. We are delighted to have partnered with AerCap, the global leader in aircraft leasing, in this transaction that is the first of its kind in our market.”

https://www.sabre.com/

https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/gb/en/muscat/msccp/hoteldetail

www.traveltradeweekly.travelINTERNATIONAL AFRICA

13 JANUARY 201812

Solving the Conflict Between Humans and Elephants

Hard Rock International Expands Portfolio in Maldives

The World Animal Protection Nederland and TUI Care Foundation in collaboration with Alex Chang’a, pro-ject coordinator, RESOLVE, biodiversity and wildlife solutions, have organised a plan to solve the farmers of Tarangire National Park elephant issue; regional

elephants keep feeding and destroying the farmer’s crops lead-ing to violent attacks.

One of the solutions that were introduced was the chili rou-tine where farmers created a chili paste and tied it to the fence that surrounds the fields, something that drives elephants away due to the strong smell. Also, farmers have learned to hang beehives in the trees that line in their fields to once again scare elephants away in a more peaceful manner.

This project with World Animal Protection Nederland is cur-rently finished, but the commitment to the protection of ele-phants remains intact as the organisations are now focusing on the Asian region.

Hard Rock International an-nounced plans to expand its portfolio with Hard Rock Hotel Maldives and Hard Rock Cafe Maldives.

Set to open on October 01, 2018, the ho-tel will be one of three resorts included in the development, boasting 178 expansive gues-trooms, family suites, beach villas and one- and two-bedroom overwater villas.

The property will provide guests with

brand offerings and amenities, including The Sound of Your Stay music programme, of-fering complimentary use of Fender guitars and Crosley record players for in-room jam sessions, as well as a full-service Rock Spa, a Rock Shop selling all brand merchandise, Roxity Kids Club and Teen Spirit Club.

Guests can also enjoy on-site food and beverage options, ranging from a pool bar and all-day dining, to a Beach Grill restaurant and in-villa dining experience.

Botswana Hosts Sustainable Tourism Conference

Ascott Begins Africa Takeover

Kasane in Botswana, recently hosted tourism stakehold-ers exchanging knowledge of innovative approaches towards enhancing tourism and conservation planning, financing and marketing.

Themed Empowering Tourism Destinations’ Sustain-ability through Innovation, the 10YFP STP International Symposium and Annual Conference, the conference also discussed the tourism sector’s role in fighting climate change.

Inaugurated by Tshekedi Khama, minister, environment, natural resources conservation and tourism, Botswana, the event began with a debate on how to market sustainability to trigger consumer change.

The second day served to prepare the Kasane Call to Action for Sustainable Consumption and Production in Tourism entitled The Tourism We Want.

Ascott is boosting its record growth for 2017 with its first foray into Africa. It has secured contracts to manage two properties in the heart of Accra, one of Africa’s top cities for investment. The 220-unit Ascott 1 Oxford Street Accra will open in phases from 2019, while the 40-unit Kwarleyz

Residence will open in the fourth quarter of this year. Lee Chee Koon, CEO, Ascott, said, “[...] Ascott is set to surpass its tar-

get of 80,000 units well ahead of 2020 as we continue with this growth trajectory, expanding through strategic alliances, management contracts, franchises and investments.[...] We see huge opportunities to bring Ascott into Africa, the world’s second fastest growing economy [...].

Tarangire locals

Hard Rock Hotel Maldives

13 JANUARY 2018 13

AMERICASwww.traveltradeweekly.travel INTERNATIONAL

Andaz Brand Introduces (ANDAZ)RED Cabanas

Home2 Suites by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport Opens

Home2 Suites by Hilton announced the opening of its newest property, Home2 Suites by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport. Located two miles north of the airport, the hotel will cater the 7.5 million out of town visitors.

The hotel features 115 suites and a range of tech-focused and eco-conscious amenities. Home2 Suites by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport offers all-suite accommodations with fully equipped kitchens and modular furniture, providing guests the flexibility to customise their suite to their style and preference.

The hotel also features complimentary Internet, inviting com-munal spaces, and trademark Home2 Suites amenities such as Spin2 Cycle, a combined laundry and fitness area, Home2 MKT for grab-and-go items, and the Inspired Table, a complimentary daily breakfast that includes more than 400 potential combinations. Guests can also enjoy an indoor saline pool, fire pit and grill area.

The Andaz brand announced its latest collaboration with the AIDS organisation founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, namely (RED). Andaz is expanding its (RED) collaboration by creating new (ANDAZ)RED Cabanas that are available to book at five of the

brands’ hotel locations in the US and Latin America.The brand’s collaboration with (RED) creates a unique oppor-

tunity for guests to have inspiring experiences at new (ANDAZ)RED Cabanas, while helping to save lives with every reservation.

“We are so excited that the Andaz brand is giving guests yet another way to engage with (RED) while travelling to one of these five fabulous properties worldwide! These striking caba-nas mean guests can now enjoy the poolside action and fight AIDS,” said Deborah Dugan, CEO, (RED).

Home2 Suites by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport

ANDAZ)RED Cabanas

Opening of Cambria Hotel Westfield Indiana

Choice Hotels International, in collaboration with Ceres Enterprises and The Orlean Company, announced the opening of the Cambria Hotel Westfield in Indiana.

The 152-room newly constructed property is a short drive from downtown Indianapolis and features 353 m2 of meeting space, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and an indoor pool. The property includes contemporary onsite dining,

serving a menu comprised of area specialties, signature cocktails and local craft beers, as well as freshly prepared grab-and-go gourmet salads and sandwiches.

"The Cambria Hotel Westfield is nearby to all that Indianapolis offers, whether travel-ling on business or leisure, and we look forward to providing guests with new upscale lodging options where they can treat themselves on the road," said Janis Cannon, senior vice president, upscale brands, Choice Hotels.

Cambria Hotel Westfield

www.traveltradeweekly.travelINTERNATIONAL AMERICAS

13 JANUARY 201814

Carnival Fascination to Undergo Dry Dock

Destination Canada Signs MoU with Sina Weibo

Holland America Line Celebrates ms Nieuw Statendam

Florida Aquarium to Pro-duce Lab-made Corals

Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Fascination will undergo an exten-sive multi-million-dollar dry dock that will add a variety of food and beverage innovations.

The sadditional amenities will include Guy’s Burger Joint; the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar; Blue Iguana Can-

tina Mexican eatery, Cherry on Top sweets shop, the poolside RedFrog Rum Bar; BlueIguana Tequila Bar; and a Bonsai Sushi Express venue.

The spaces will be added during a two-week dry dock taking place Feb-ruary 04 – 17, in Freeport, The Bahamas, prior to the ship resuming its year-round schedule on February 18.

Destination Canada has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sina Weibo.

This strategic decision will allow Canada to tap into the 80 percent of

Chinese travellers who use the internet to plan their trips and raise the profile of Canadian tour-ism products among prospective Chinese travel-lers.

The partnership framework will boost Cana-da’s exposure in China, the second largest contrib-utor of tourism dollars to the Canadian economy.

"To be heard in a market as large as China, we need an always-on, digitally-based market-ing strategy,” said David Goldstein, president, Destination Canada. “Sina Weibo is a powerful tool that allows us to reach our target consum-er: hyper-connected Chinese traveller.”

On December 06, 2017, Holland America Line hosted a coin cer-emony at Fincantieri’s Margera shipyard in Italy, to celebrate its upcoming float-out ms Nieuw Statendam.

The ship's design will be similar to Koningsdam, Nieuw Sta-tendam and will have public spaces and its own style created

by Adam Tihany, designer, and Bjorn Storbraaten, architect. The ship will carry 2,660 guests and feature all of the hallmarks of pinnacle-class design; grand light-filled spaces; visual drama; and sumptuous interiors inspired by the fluid curves of musical instruments.

The Florida Aquarium and the Horniman Museum and Gar-dens, based in London, have joined forces to save coral reefs by reproducing corals in

a lab. Corals in the wild reproduce once per year making it hard for researches to observe especially as the event is becom-ing increasingly more uncertain given the changing climate.

On December 11 – 17, 2017, Keri O’Neil, nursery manager, corals, Florida Aquarium, visited the Horniman to learn their techniques of growing corals in a lab setting and gather ideas of how to trans-port future coral fragments to Florida for restoration purposes.

Canada

Crystal River Cruises’ Collection of Destination Experiences

Crystal River Cruises announced details of its new col-lection of destination experiences for voyages along Danube, Rhine and Europe’s main rivers.

Debuting this year, the newly added offerings fo-cus on authenticity and are tailored to travellers’ indi-

vidual interests, featuring smaller group sizes and unique details. Nearly 200 excursions are included, with additional pursuits also available at a cost.

With many destinations including Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Switzerland, Slovenia, Belgium, Netherlands, Hungary, Croatia and Serbia voyages include, culinary experiences, string and op-era performances, a full day exploring Salzburg from Linz; horse show and carriage ride at Lázár Equestrian Park; and Schlagkamp Winery in Cochem.

Danube

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ASIA PACIFICwww.traveltradeweekly.travel INTERNATIONAL

13 JANUARY 2018

Princess Cruises Reveal 2019 Japan Cruise

Princess Cruises announced its 2019 programme featuring Japanese-built Diamond Princess returning for its sixth season, sailing roundtrip from Tokyo and Kobe.

The March-November 2019 season features 60 departures on 40 itineraries, visiting 41 destinations in seven countries. Offerings in-

clude access to 11 UNESCO World Heritage sites and nine late night port calls."Japan is a culturally rich country with an abundance of local entertain-

ment, historical sites and culinary experiences for our guests to embrace," said Jan Swartz, president, Princess Cruises. "Cruising is the best way to explore this island nation and Princess has been recognised the number one international cruise line in Japan."

Singapore Airlines Launches Chatbot

Singapore Airlines launched a beta chat-bot, as it expands digital servicing chan-nels for customers.

The bot, named Kris, will initially be available on the airlines global Facebook

page, and will later be made available on its website.Customers who visit the Facebook page and

reach out to the airline via Messenger will be able to chat privately with Kris and receive assistance for pre-flight-related queries. As a beta bot, Kris will be in constant learning mode and its capabilities will develop over time. The bot is currently trained to address queries in English related to baggage, check-in, online booking, as well as travelling with infants and children.

Tokyo

Qantas to Operate First Bio-fuel Flight

Qantas announced that it will op-erate, what is hailed to be, the world’s first bio-fuel flight be-tween the US and Australia.

The Los Angeles to Melbourne flight will take place early this year, in collabora-tion with World Fuel Services and Altair Fuels, and will see Qantas’ Dreamliner being powered by Brassica Carinata, an industrial type of mus-tard seed which produces high quality oil, ideal for aviation biofuel for airport vehicles.

“We are constantly looking for ways to re-duce carbon emissions across our operations when it comes to using renewable jet fuel, [...]Our work with Agrisoma will enable Australian farmers to start growing today for the country’s biofuel needs of the future [...],” said Alison Web-ster, CEO, Qantas International.

Thailand Introduces Shades Concept

The tourism authority of Thailand (TAT) has intro-duced its new tourism marketing concept, Open to the New Shades, to the

French market alongside the presen-tation of Thai tastes at a press confer-ence held on December 14, 2017, at Le Cordon Bleu Paris.

The Open to the New Shades con-cept reflects TAT’s three new market-ing directions for 2018, including new markets, new segmentations and new products. It is customised to accom-modate every single target segment and market such as, luxury, weddings and honeymooners, lady travellers, families and millennials.

Volvo Ocean Race to Visit Auckland

Auckland will welcome, what are described to be the world’s toughest sailors for this year, when the Volvo Ocean Race stops over in the region in Feb-

ruary 2018. Boats competing in the world race are due to make landfall in New Zea-land around February 24, and will be in Auckland until March 18.

Amongst crew in the seven competing teams are the Kiwi sailors, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke both part of the winning US Cup team and reporter James Blake. Attractions will include interactive displays including a grinding challenge, big screens showing race coverage, a stage with a programme of live performances, shops and hospitality spaces for enjoing the sailing festival atmosphere.

13 JANUARY 201816

www.traveltradeweekly.travelRENDEZVOUS

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How successful has the first half (H1) of 2017 been and how does this compare to 2016?

KARIM BIZID: H1 2017was very encouraging for The Oberoi Business Bay. In particular, during the first quarter of 2017 we saw a very good growth of nine percent in revenue, led by the demand from the GCC and European segments. The Oberoi Busi-ness Bay was perhaps one of the very few hotels in Dubai which managed to grow its ADR during this period. Meanwhile, the second quarter of 2017 witnessed a growth in occupancy particularly from India, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, however the ADR dropped marginally due to the market dynamics during the summer period.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What are your guests’ demographics and what are their expectations?

KARIM BIZID: Our guests are a mix of discerning business and leisure travellers ranging from single travellers to couples and families wanting to be in and around Business Bay. The resort’s top nation-alities derive from the UK, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, India and Germany. They seek a luxury expe-rience which is customised to their personal taste and preferences and they expect state of the art facilities with dependable service in a caring envi-ronment […].

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Dubai Department of Tour-ism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) identified in-creasing the number of repeat visits as one of the key objectives in its Tourism vision 2020. What is the

GENERAL MANAGER, THE OBEROI BUSINESS BAY

Q&A with KARIM BIZID

MOVING AWAY FROM ITS RELIANCE ON OIL REVENUES, DUBAI HAS IDENTIFIED KEY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES TO MAXIMISE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS TOURISM INDUSTRY BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF REPEAT VISITORS. KARIM BIZID, GENERAL MANAGER, THE OBEROI BUSINESS BAY EXPLAINS HOW REPEAT TRAVELLERS WILL SUSTAIN THE EMIRATE’S HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INDUSTRY.

resort doing to support DTCM’s objective?

KARIM BIZID: Right towards the beginning of 2017, DTCM had shared its vision of supporting its initiative to position Dubai as a destination that in-spires global travellers to visit it again and again. To achieve this objective, it was important to listen to what the travellers had to share. The initiative was covered under the 2016 DTCM Digital Reputa-tion Report, managed by DTCM, which focuses on the comments and experiences posted by travel-lers in all digital mediums including social media. The Oberoi Business Bay’s objective resonates with Tourism 2020 vision and our endeavor is to delight our visitors in a manner that they only have pleas-ant memories to share. It was very encouraging to see that with a high score of 92 percent, the hotel secured a spot in the top 12 for the entire city of Dubai in the 2016 DTCM Digital Reputation Report. This report encompasses all critical area of a hotel and we were recognised by the guests especially for exceptional service, food, rooms and Wi-Fi.

Further to this, we regularly collaborate with DTCM by offering our hospitality and experiences to the key influencers such as travel planners, blog-gers and travel industry leaders who have the fol-lowing and power to influence many.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Why should travellers return for another trip to Dubai and what more can be done to promote repeat visits?

KARIM BIZID: Dubai has consistently created unique and new experiences that the global trav-ellers can always look forward to, for example the

Dubai Canal which is a new and beautiful feature in the Downtown Business Bay area which has not only changed the landscape of the area but offered a chance for visitors to admire another engineering marvel.

In order to promote repeat visits, all hospital-ity and tourist service establishments should give great importance to the quality of experience of the travellers. At The Oberoi Business Bay we go out of the way to customise the stay and experi-ences of our guests by offering personalised service such as in room check in for guests, the legendary Oberoi butler service in every room including the entry level room, a la minute customised breakfast for guests over and above a great buffet spread, mix of 32 nationalities as team members to assist the guests.

As far the physical room product experiences are concerned, the hotel offers one of the largest entry level room size at 52 m2, thus making them comparable to junior suites of most city hotels.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What are your priorities going forward?

KARIM BIZID: Our priority is to establish The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts as one of the best not just in Dubai but also in the region. In order to achieve this, we are taking certain initiatives of further developing our brand awareness and presence in the Middle East and GCC. Following the opening of our newest hotel, The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah in Ajman, the company is expecting to open more new hotels in the near future in key markets such as The Oberoi Marrakech.

13 JANUARY 2018 17

www.traveltradeweekly.travel TRAVEL TALK

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND INDIA, SWISS-BELHOTEL INTERNATIONAL

GENERAL MANAGER, DUKES DUBAI

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, CITYMAX HOTELS

SECRETARY GENERAL, UNWTO

“Swiss-Belhotel Seef Bahrain is one of our flagship hotels in the region that has established a tre-mendous reputation […] We are extremely proud of the prestig-ious industry accolades that the hotel has been consistently recog-nised with. The credit for this goes to our fantastic team led by Herve Peyre general manager who is also the area general manager for the group in Bahrain where we have extensive development in progress. […] Our objective is to deliver the most memorable ex-periences and excellent value to our guests […].”

“To receive the Middle East title of this award was a tremendous achievement, but to be recog-nised as the best new hotel on an international stage is the ul-timate accolade. Every single employee deserves enormous credit, whether front or back of house. We always knew that we were a special team, now that is no longer merely opinion, it is of-ficial.”

“It is a great honour and tremen-dous achievement to be rec-ognised as the World’s Leading Budget Hotel Brand by global travellers. This demonstrates the dedication and passion put forth by our team in providing a memorable experience and exceptional value to our guests despite the stiff competition. Our objective is to provide con-sistency in what we offer both in terms of service as well as the facilities together with value for money and we are truly glad that our guests have recognised and appreciated this. [...].”

"Tourism’s sustained growth generates immense oppor-tunities for economic welfare and development. Yet, it also brings in many challenges. Adapting our sector to the challenges of safety and secu-rity, evolving market changes, growing digitalisation and the limits of our natural re-sources should be priorities in our common action. [...], I take upon me to lead UNWTO with a strong focus on build-ing strong partnerships with public and private sector."

Our objective is to deliver the most memorable experiences”

This award was a tremendous achievement

This demonstrates the dedication and passion by our team

Our responsibility is to ensure that tourism benefits every community

LAURENT A. VOIVENEL

TRISTAN DE LA PORTE DU THEIL

RUSSEL SHARPE

ZURAB POLOLIKASHVILI

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 editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

13 JANUARY 201818

www.traveltradeweekly.travelTRAVEL CHANNELS

Americans plan to spend more money on quick trips this year, according to the Enterprise Annual Weekend Getaway Survey.

Roughly 85 percent of respondents said they were planning a weekend trip this year, up from 78 percent in 2017. Reasons such as stress led the list at 43 percent, followed by news, 39 percent, the current political climate, 38 percent and so-cial media 24 percent.

Steve Short, vice president, Enterprise, said that the company has seen a steady increase year over year in Americans seeking getaways and in how much they planned to spend on them.

“In 2017 we got more insight on what is driv-ing them to get away. In past years, respondents wanted to get away to relax,” added Short.

Hotel price comparison website Hotels-Combined.com has revealed that Dubai continues to be the top destination among GCC travellers during the festive season, followed by Abu Dhabi and Al Medina.

Internationally, London maintains its position as the most popular destination followed by Istanbul and Paris, according to the number of bookings and visitors gath-ered from December 22, 2017 to January 2.

Amer Alhalabi, regional manager, Middle East and North Africa, HotelsCom-bined.com, said, “Destinations like Dubai and London are very popular among trav-ellers during the festive season as it is easy to get visas to these countries. Dubai itself is a popular attraction for youngsters, families and couples; and is also a hub for travellers heading to other destinations outside the Middle East.”

Travellers Plan to Spend More in This Year

Dubai as Top Destination for Festive Season Travellers

Measuring the economic impact of tourism in Europe: the Tourism Satellite Account

UNWTO and EC Address TSA Significance

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Directorate-General for Internal Mar-ket, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) of the European Commission re-cently gathered national tourism policy makers and statisticians in Brussels to advance the measurement of economic impact through Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSAs.)

As part of International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development events, and within the framework of UNWTO and DG GROW cooperation, the two institutions co-organised a Measuring the economic impact of tourism in Europe: the Tourism Satellite Ac-count workshop in collaboration with Eurostat.

Bringing together over 100 policy makers, tourism statisticians and TSA compilers from European Union member states and COSME countries, the workshop helped bridge better understanding and entice collaboration amongst key stakeholders.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has witnessed a wid-ening interest in the discovery and protection of national monuments.

According to the Saudi Commission for Tour-ism & Natural Heritage (SCTH) this major achieve-ment was made in collaboration with and support of public departments and specialised organisa-tions and associations.

SCTH said it had been through these efforts that society’s negative views were transformed into respect for, acceptance of, and pride in na-tional antiquities.

While there are voices calling for the removal of the antiquities or lack any interest in them, the dominant voice of the people now demands pro-tection of and pride in past civilisations, the com-mission said. It added that support came not only from intellectuals but also public officials and re-ligious scholars.

Saudi Society Shifting Towards National Monuments

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Oman Air was awarded with World's Leading Airline, Economy Class, at the World Travel Awards

Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free supported the ExxonMobil Open Men’s 2018 Tournament

Gulf Air showcased its three weekly flights between Bahrain and Tbilisi to a number of GCC travellers with a fam trip

Over 400 contestants participated in Sharjah’s first ever female-only obstacle race entitled ‘Challenge Accepted’ and organised by Sharjah Girl Guides

13 JANUARY 2018 19

13 JANUARY 201820

www.traveltradeweekly.travelNEWS & EVENTS

EVENTS

VII EUROPE+ASIA EVENT FORUM (EFEA)

St Petersburg, RussiaJanuary 17 – 19 euras-forum.com EFEA serves as a communication site for active interaction between events industry professionals such as forums and conferences and incentive tourism.

FITUR

Madrid, SpainJanuary 17 – 21 www.ifema.esFITUR is a global meeting point for tourism professionals and the leading trade fair for inbound and outbound Ibero American markets.

HOSPITALITY INDONESIA CONFERENCE (HIC)

Jakarta, IndonesiaJanuary 30 – 31 www.hospitality-asia.comHIC focuses on delivering a sea of timely market insights that facilitate corporate strategies and growth on a regional scale.

EMITT

Istanbul, TurkeyJanuary 25 – 28www.emittistanbul.comEMITT, attracts over 46,000 industry professionals and tourists, annually, looking for new travel opportunities from destinations and travel service companies from across the globe.

Fifth SWMF to Take Place

Travel Tech Pavilion Announced

The fifth edition of popular annual music event the Sharjah World Music Festival (SWMF) will entertain the UAE from January 12 – 19.

Festival organiser, Furat Qaddouri Music Centre, has confirmed that a stellar line-up of artists and musicians from the Arab and Western worlds will be performing in this edition.

Dozens of artists, musicians and instrumental-

ists from 11 countries from Kuwait to Argentina will be performing in four different venues in Sharjah.

Furat Qaddouri, manager, SWMF, commented, “The programme has been curated in a way that will bring a world of artistic expressions to one stage.”

One of the highlights of the festival will be a trib-ute night to musician Abdel Halim Hafez, performed by the Cairo Opera House Orchestra.

World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America announced the launch of the Travel Tech Pavilion, an area that is unprecedented within the already existing Travel Tech Show event.

This will expand small and medium-sized companies’ access to technology as applied to tourism and enable them to include the tools available in their existing business.

Companies that exhibit in the pavilion will have all the rights and benefits that are guaranteed to other WTM exhibitors. In addition to the space that is already equipped to receive new exhibitors, the stand will have an illuminated back-lit panel, where their brand can be exhibited, and an entry in the official cata-logue that is delivered to all participants at the event.

RLC to Host Annual MENA Summit

Retail Leaders Circle (RLC) will host its annual MENA summit on March 27 – 28, at Dubai’s Four Seasons Resort at Jumeirah Beach.

The high-level summit is being organised in partnership with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the theme Re-imagining Retail in Middle East: Innovation and Disruption. The event is to bring together over 300 business leaders from the retail, real estate, and technology sectors, as well as investors and other key stakeholders.

The two-day summit will address themes such as, the evolving role of shopping malls, , key trends and technologies impacting the global retail sector, and the state of the e-commerce, while it will also explore how retailers are competing in a fast-changing market.

2017 SWMF

H.E. Hamad Buamim, CEO, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry