TTME

A DDP PUBLICATION

Pages: 16

ddppl.com

travtalkmiddleeast.com

Vol. IX No. 1; January 2013

Luxury vacations for royalty ................................................................................07 The first Travelport e-volve Summit....................................................................08 RAK runs before time to meet target ..................................................................12

Positivity at its best in 2013 Traversing through downbeat and a few progressive developments, the overall tourism sector in the Middle East for the last twelve months has witnessed its share of opportunities and faced challenges and in return has survived. speaks to the eminent stakeholders of the tourism industry who discussed their achievements in 2012 and their expectations for the coming year - 2013.

S U S M I TA G H O S H

E

mirates Airlines has over 200 aircraft and has more than US$ 62 billion worth on order. In 2013, its position as the industry leading A380 operator will be reinforced with the opening of the world’s first A380 concourse in Dubai.

“During the financial year ending March 31, 2012, we have carried 34 million passengers and 1.8 million tonnes of cargo. With our recently announced partnership with Qantas, passengers travelling to and from Australia route will get an even better deal from 2013,” informed Badr Abbas, Vice President - Commercial, Emirates Airlines, UAE. In this region, more than half the carrier’s bookings come through the travel agents. “Many activities have been planned in 2013 for the travel trade. We will be organising educational trips and destination familiarisation trips that will help them sell holiday packages to their customers. Some in-house product update seminars and

Badr Abbas

Seema Srivastava

James Hogan

Vice President - Commercial Emirates Airlines, UAE

Regional Manager - Gulf Middle East & Africa, Air India

President and CEO Etihad Airways

Passengers travelling to and from Australia route will get a better deal from 2013 training sessions are in the pipeline which will help in acquiring knowledge of our products and services that can be used when dealing with customers,” added Abbas.

The last few years have been difficult for the aviation

We are also planning to operate Air India in summer 2013 to Australia industry on the whole. The year 2012 was also very difficult for Air India but overall performance on both domestic and international sectors has looked up. In spite of tough competition and high ATF charges, Air India has been making all efforts towards its

Partnerships and investments have strengthened the position of the airlines turnaround plans. This has been through focussed efforts towards improved on-time performance and better fleet utilisation resulting in enhanced load factor.

“Air India inducted the first state-of-the-art Boeing

787 Dreamliner aircraft in September 2012. The first international flight with new Dreamliner aircraft commenced between Delhi and Dubai on October 1, 2012,” explained Seema Srivastava, Regional Manager - Gulf, Middle East & Africa, Air India. “We are presently operating flights from Delhi to Frankfurt and London with the new aircraft. We are also planning to operate Air India in summer 2013 to Australia,” she added.

The Middle East is having a positive impact on the global economy and the focus is shifting from the traditional and established markets to the emerging economic powerhouses in the Middle East, Asia, South America and Africa.

James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways asserted, “The journey of Etihad Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines in the Contd. on page 13

World Travel Awards

SanJeet, Director, DDP Publications presented the World’s Leading Airline - Economy Class to Axel Hilgers, Lufthansa’s Director-South Asia at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Finale Gala Ceremony.

The event was held in Delhi NCR, India on December 12, 2012.

BULLETIN FOREIGN EXCHANGE DIRHAM VALUE

(Subject to variation) Country

Currency

(As on 20-12-2012)

CN Buy

CN Sell

USA ..........................USD ................3.653..............3.685 UK ............................GBP ................5.874..............6.100 Egypt ........................EGP ................0.605..............0.711 Euro ..........................EUR ..............4.7757............4.9701 Canada......................CAD ..............3.6675............3.7977

Qantas & Emirates await final nod The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) draft determination, released on December 20, 2012, proposes to grant authorisation for the airlines partnership for five years. A final ruling on the partnership is due in March 2013.

T T B U R E AU

Bahrain ....................BHD ..............9.5739............9.9137 Oman ........................OMR................9.405............9.6512 Kuwait ......................KWD..............12.853..........13.3142 Saudi Arabia ............SAR ..............0.9625............0.9972 Qatar ........................QAR ..............0.9944............1.0209 Australia ..................AUD ..............3.7970............3.9096 Japan ........................JPY................0.0427............0.0447 Philippines ................PHP ..............0.0879............0.0910 Singapore..................SGD ..............2.9588............3.0888 India ........................INR................0.0652............0.0683 Pakistan ....................PKR ..............0.0368............0.0385 Bangladesh ..............BDT ..............0.0444............0.0462 Sri Lanka ..................LKR ..............0.0289............0.0290 Nepal ........................NPR ..................0.05..............0.056 Morocco ....................MAD................0.405..............0.525 Switzerland ..............CHF ..............3.9516............4.1212 South Africa ..............ZAR ................0.485..............0.553

Emirates have already started initial preparations that do not require regulatory approval, including connecting their IT systems, designing frequent flyer benefits and establishing an operational base for Qantas in Dubai.

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he alliance, which was announced earlier this year, would also see Qantas and Emirates coordinate their pricing, sales and capacity, as well as aligning frequent flyer programmes.

Australian regulators have approved Qantas’ proposed alliance with Emirates – a move that would see the airline’s Kangaroo Route flights to Europe re-routed through Dubai.

Alan Joyce, Group CEO, Qantas Airways while welcoming the ACCC’s draft resolution said, “We put a strong case to the ACCC that outlined the benefits of this partnership, both for tourists and the Australian Tourism.”

He added, “Our customer research has shown very strong support for the

Subject to final ACCC approval, the partnership is scheduled to start in April 2013.

(L-R): Clark and Joyce

Qantas and Emirates partnership, particularly in terms of increasing one-stop access to Europe, cutting travel time and offering frequent flyer benefits.”

Tim Clark, President, Emirates said that his airline had also received a positive response from its customers and the local tourism sector.

“The feedback since the Emirates and Qantas partnership was announced has been

positive and reinforces what a strong match the two brands are for each other,” emphasised Clark. “The partnership with Qantas means we can add regional destinations like the Gold Coast and Hobart to the growing list of places we offer Emirates customers worldwide,” he elaborated.

Since announcing the proposed partnership in September, Qantas and

Possibilities Qantas’ Kangaroo Route flights to Europe will be re-routed through Dubai Emirates will now be able to add regional destinations like the Gold Coast and Hobart to the growing list of places offered to its customers worldwide

GUEST COLUMN EDITORIAL New hopes for 2013

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rends and figures hint at a high level of confidence in the Gulf tourism market as the New Year dawns.

Saudi Arabia is said to have earned US$ 16.5 billion from Pilgrim Tourism in 2012 showcasing a 10% increase over 2011.

A study submitted to the GCC officials found that a single Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) entry visa will help boost the number of tourists in the region. The GCC countries are expected to invest around US$ 380 billion (AED 1.395 billion) in tourism projects by 2018.

In another encouraging development, the Competitiveness Report for Travel and Tourism, released

by World Economic Forum, has highlighted that the UAE has made tremendous strides in terms of developing its travel and tourism industry and now ranks 30th in the list of 139 countries covered in the report.

As per the report, the UAE is the leading country in the Middle East region.

The total contribution of tourism and aerospace to the national economy has reached to AED 150 billion which is around 15 per cent of the total GDP. The UAE is ranked 4th in terms of tourist infrastructure in the region, particularly in terms of airport and air transport sectors. The UAE hotels have attracted over 14.5 million tourists from the GCC, Arab and other countries worldwide while generating revenue of AED 22 billion.

Such positive indications give enough credence to the fact that the Gulf travel industry is on the progress path. Interestingly, the World Travel and Tourism Council has also forecast that total investments in the travel and tourism sectors of UAE could reach AED 92.2 billion in 2013, a rise from AED 84.5 billion in 2012. The investments are expected to rise to AED 101.4 billion in 2014 and AED 137.9 billion by 2022.

Positive outlook for 2013: Bin Majid The year 2013 is full of optimism and definite increase on sales performance. To offer convenience and immediate entrance to the latest rate and availability, Bin Majid will launch a new B2B online system.

Majid Holidays, the new outbound department will also be introduced.

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e have a very positive outlook for Bin Majid Tours for 2013 because of our performance and the industry overall in 2012.

We will also introduce our new outbound department, Majid Holidays to cater the travel needs of our residents.

By 2013, we will launch our new B2B online system that will give our client convenient and immediate access to the latest rate and availability. Through this, they can view the rates anywhere at any time and can make immediate bookings with instant confirmation, making it cost and time effective.

We have also seen a demand from visitors, who are into sports like golf, fuelled by the visits of famous golf players like Tiger Woods

Our focus for 2012 was to introduce Bin Majid Tours to new and promising markets like South America, Brazil, Argentina and the GCC regions. We have noticed an increase in traffic to Dubai from these countries in the past year. So to target them, we have developed complete packages suitable for their travel needs, be it for a short holiday, a business trip or for travelling to Dubai as a stopover.

Hassan Ali General Manager, Bin Majid Tours

and Rory Mcllroy. To cater this demand, we have opened a golf department that will offer services to golf enthusiasts who visit on holiday.

Being a part of the Bin Majid Group, we will benefit from the openings of our three new properties in 2013, two in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai. Hence, we will definitely see an increase in our sales performance.

There are also lastminute bookings that we need to accommodate due to the instability of the current market. But the new properties that are opening soon, will be a great boost and support to our group, because we will be able to adjust the rates and availability of the

Durga Das Publications Private Limited Printed at System Graphics India Pvt. Ltd. A-1, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi - 28 India

Dubai is the most stable city in the region. Due to the rebounded confidence in Dubai’s tourism industry, we can see developers are encouraged to take a fresh look at the market.

Recently, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced a planned theme park that will form the backbone of a series of developments in Dubai.

Once completed, it will reportedly attract about 10 million visitors a year, which is a big boost to the industry.

We need to be prepared for this influx and support the vision of our leaders, because this will definitely benefit the industry overall and our country.

We can guarantee a satisfied customer, who will return and book their tour with us or spread the word to their friends, families and colleagues, which will reflect in increased customers.

Bin Majid Tours offers a wide variety of services like professionally trained multilingual tour guides and drivers, along with safety and first aid, who help and meet the unique travel needs of singles, families and corporate entities.

Hassan Ali General Manager Bin Majid Tours

Guinness World Records officially recognised the 5-Star JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai as the world’s tallest hotel. At a height of 355 m from ground level to the top of its mast, the hotel is only 26 metres short of the Empire State Building in New York.

Offices: TRAVTALK is published

by SanJeet on behalf of

operators and travel agencies. Thus, to be ahead of them we try to exceed the expectations of our valued customers by providing the best holiday experience and value for their money.

They plan to add more services to cater to several potential markets looking for a variety of activities whether here on a short or long stay.

Crowned as ‘World’s Tallest Hotel’

No wonder, the industry looks up to the New Year with renewed optimism.

Publisher : SanJeet Director : Sumeera Bahl Editorial Director : Rupali Narasimhan Editor : Deepa Sethi Assistant Editor (ME) : Susmita Ghosh Desk Editor : Archana Sharma Sub Editor : Raina Mandal Design : Ruchi Sinha / NN Misra Head Sales & Marketing (ME) : Akassh Kapoor Manager Advertising : Geetika Pathak Circulation Manager : Ashok Rana Manager Production : Anil Kharbanda

As the industry grows, competition also grows. In a huge industry with hundreds of companies offering the same service, everybody wants to get a share of the market, so there is tough competition among the tour

We will benefit from the openings of our three new properties in 2013, two in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai and will definitely see an increase in our sales performance

Despite the ongoing political instability in our neighbouring countries, the UAE is still a safe tourist destination hence, we are optimistic about the number of travellers visiting the country.

We are constantly upgrading our services to provide the most enjoyable holidays for our guests. 2013 is a very important year because we will now see the result of our aggressive sales effort in 2012.

rooms based on the demands of the market.

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TRAVTALK is a publication of Durga Das Publications Private Limited.

All information in TRAVTALK is derived from sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher regret that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract and/or in interviews are not necessarily shared by TRAVTALK. However, we wish to advice our readers that one or more recognised authorities may hold different views than those reported. Material used in this publication is intended for information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek specific

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NEWS

JANUARY, 2013

TRAVTALK

5

One billionth tourist arrives on Dec 13 One billion tourists have travelled the world in 2012, marking a new record for international tourism. The one-billionth tourist arrived on December 13, 2012 at the Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Source:@UNWTO:2012

Source:@UNWTO:2012

Turning one billion tourists into one billion opportunities

In 2012, a record one billion tourists crossed international borders in a single year Another five to six billion are estimated to travel in their own countries every year

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nternational tourism has continued to grow in 2012, despite global economic uncertainty, to reach over one billion international tourist arrivals. The figure cements tourism’s position as one of the world’s largest economic

sectors, accounting for 9% of global GDP (direct, indirect and induced impact), one in every 12 jobs and up to 8% of the total exports of the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

UNWTO launched the ‘One Billion Tourists: One

Billion Opportunities’ campaign to celebrate this milestone, showing tourists that respecting local culture, preserving heritage or buying local goods when travelling can make a big difference.

The public was asked to vote for the Travel Tip that would have the greatest benefit for

the people and places they visit and to pledge to follow that tip when travelling.

The winning tip, revealed on the arrival date of the one-billionth tourist, was Buy Local, encouraging tourists to buy food and souvenirs locally or hire local

guides, to ensure their spending translates into jobs and income for host communities. A close second, Respect Local Culture calls on tourists to learn more about their destination’s traditions, or some words in the local language, before leaving home.

UNWTO celebrated in Madrid, Spain by welcoming the symbolic one-billionth tourist in the Museo del Prado, Madrid’s most-visited tourism attraction, together with the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism of Spain.

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TRAVTALK

STATISTICS

JANUARY, 2013

Dubai hotels grow stronger in ME The Middle East Hotel Survey 2011 projects Dubai in top position with an impressive number of hotels and hotel rooms in the ďŹ ve-star category with Cairo ranking second followed by Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Beirut and Jeddah.

250

60 200

50

150

40 30

100

20 50

10

Some 16 hotels opened in Dubai in 2010, ranging from

0

0 1994 1995 1996 1997

5

Arrivals to the Middle East (in thousand)

50,000

30,000 20,000 10,000

2006

2007

2008

2009

Riyadh Sharjah

Mecca Medina

Manama

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2009-10

World

806,000

846,000

908,000

924,000

887,000

946,400

7%

Africa

37,300

40,300

44,900

46,900

49,200

52,200

6%

Americas

133,500

136,300

142,500

147,600

140,200

151,400

8%

Asia Pacific

155,400

167,100

185,400

188,300

184,500

208,500

13%

Europe

441,000

460,800

488,000

488,500

459,200

473,000

3%

39,200

41,000

47,500

52,900

53,900

61,400

14%

Middle East

2010

% Change

While most of these cities are expected to have additional brands in the near future, some of the destinations - like Damascus in Syria and Erbil in Iraq - will be closely monitored by operators for geographical expansion.

Sharjah

Riyadh

Ras alKhaimah

Oman

Medina

Mecca

Manama

Kuwait

Jeddah

Erbil

Dubai

Dammam

Damascus

Cairo

Beirut

Amman

Existing and proposed operator presence by market 2010 Al Khobar

6

2005

Abu Dhabi

0

Dubai is the leading destination with at least 16 international flags in operation.

Markets such as Dammam, Damascus, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Erbil have a large number of locally managed properties and present large opportunities for international operators.

Source: WTO

Source: WTO

40,000

Operator Presence

2005

70,000 60,000

Muscat Ras al-Khaimah

Dubai

Worldwide tourist arrivals

Doha

4

Jeddah Kuwait

Riyadh

Sharjah

Ras al-Khaimah

Medina

Muscat

Mecca

Kuwait Manama

Jeddah

0

Doha

Dubai Doha

Cairo

Damascus

Dammam

20

Beirut

Abu Dhabi Al Khobar Amman

40

2008 2009 2010

limited service to luxury brands. The Armani hotel, which occupies a number of floors in Burj Khalifa, opened in May 2010. Other hotels that entered the market include ibis, Pullman, Sofitel, Centro, Rotana, Movenpick, Ramada and Holiday Inn Express. Dubai accounted for around 50 per cent of the new hotel openings in 2010.

Total number of branded hotel rooms Source: HVS Research

Source: HVS Research

80

35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Dammam

3

1998 1999

Cairo

Total number of branded hotels

120

60

US$ 300

RevPAR (US$)

70

Proposed supply and new openings

100

Average Rate (US$)

Damascus

Dubai retains top position with an impressive number of hotels and hotel rooms in the five-star category justifying its position as a luxury

Occupancy(%)

%

Beirut

Distribution of international brands

80

Source: HVS Research

he Middle East bounced back sharply in 2010 with 14 per cent year-on-year gains in tourist arrivals twice the growth percentage for the entire world and the highest across all continents.

Performance of first class hotels in the Middle East

Abu Dhabi Al Khobar Amman

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2

1

destination. Cairo ranks second, followed by Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Beirut and Jeddah. In the international four-star category, Dubai once again leads the pack, followed by Manama and Abu Dhabi. More recently, several Middle Eastern markets have seen the opening of four-star hotels, which proved to be more resilient during economic downturns.

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Source: HVS Research

Accor Banyan Tree Dusit Four Seasons FRHI Hilton Hyatt IHG Jumeirah Kempinski Mandarin Oriental Marriott Millennium & Copthorne MĂśvenpick Rezidor Rotana Starwood The Address Wyndham Existing presence

Proposed properties

AVIATION

JANUARY, 2013

TRAVTALK

7

Qatar’s 1 Dreamliner story Luxury vacations for royalty st

Qatar Airways launched its first long-haul Boeing 787 service on Doha-Heathrow route on December 13. The airline is the first carrier to operate Boeing’s next generation aircraft, Dreamliner with regular scheduled flights.

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atar Airways took delivery of its first 60 Dreamliners in November 2012, with the rest following gradually. Made of composite materials, the Dreamliner is lighter and more fuel efficient than any comparable aircraft of its size and range.

Presently, the airline has orders worth over US$ 50 billion for more than 250 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and A320 family of aircraft.

Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Airways informed, “We are happy that the UK market will see its first 787 on a regular full commercial service when we fly to London Heathrow. By inaugurating 787 on the London Heathrow route, Qatar Airways has placed itself firmly on the

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global aviation map as a determined carrier that continues its expansion drive and improves an already superior in-flight product.”

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“We have already received our second 787 with three more by the end of 2012.

We look forward to 2013 for more 787s being inducted into the fleet, further route launches and our move to new international airport in Doha.

More travellers from worldwide will have an opportunity to fly Qatar Airways and our new 787s to and from our Doha hub,” he added.

Akbar Al Baker CEO Qatar Airways

A striking feature of every seat, throughout the aircraft, is the touch screen Android system in a userfriendly way, similar to the latest smartphones. The touch screen control unit has dual screen interface allowing travellers to play games on their handheld device while enjoying movies on their personal screen.

flydubai spreads its wings Since inception, flydubai has established an operational route network of more than 50 destinations across ME, Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Asia and Central & Eastern Europe, proving it’s might in a short span of time.

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arallely, flydubai has also grown its fleet to 27 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft to cater the increasing demand of business and leisure travellers.

flydubai has celebrated many route anniversaries in its Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) network in November 2012.

By adding new aircraft and destinations every year, the airline has opened up to under-served markets by bringing affordable travel to more people.

Its latest addition of flights to Malé, the capital of Maldives begins from January 19, 2013. The air-

flydubai’s pledge The airline flies to 50 destinations, its latest addition of flights to Malé, the capital of Maldives begins from January 19, 2013

line’s expanding network has proved popular particularly among Russia and CIS travellers with an increase of 15.7 per cent tourist arrivals in Q1 2012 compared to Q1 2011.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai stated,

“More than 40 per cent of our route developments in 2012 have taken place in CEE and the CIS markets.

The geographical prioritisation of these markets has been a key reason for flydubai’s continued growth and has helped in boosting tourism and trade between our regions. The airline has also increased its air traffic between the UAE and Russia by 85 per cent and the UAE and Ukraine by 112 per cent.”

It has witnessed 45 per cent year-on-year growth of annual flights to the CIS and CEE markets between October 2011 and September

Royal Jet is all set to launch a new division, Royal Jet Luxury Vacations to provide tailor-made travel experiences for the high-end, well-off travellers and royal families who look for customised travel experiences.

Ghaith Al Ghaith CEO flydubai

2012. The airline has also increased the number of flights every month to this market by 109 per cent in September 2012 compared to September 2011.

The passenger traffic in Dubai International Airport from the CIS and Russia climbed up 54.4 per cent in the first half of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. This took place largely due to flydubai’s on-going expansion in this region. With the launch of flydubai Cargo in January 2012, the carrier has also established an affordable freight network.

oyal Jet Luxury Vacations will provide travellers with custom-made travel consultancy services along with luxury private jet flights to destinations around the world. “A lot of VIP customers like the ones who can spend about £25,000-50,000 (US$ 40,000-80,000) on a holiday is looking for a better travel experience,” informed Shane O’Hare, CEO, Royal Jet at the Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) conference that was held last month in Dubai.

The Private Jet has partnered on the project, with UK travel agency Eden Luxury Group, one of a handful of companies licensed to sell seats on the upcoming Virgin Galactic space flight experience.

“The new division will cater to existing corporate jet

clients and the wealthy travellers who currently fly first class when they travel for leisure,” he added.

“There will be no online booking or payment portal on the site, due to the adapted nature of the service offered.

The customers will be assigned to a personal travel manager when they plan to make an enquiry. He will handle their booking till the trip is complete,”

Shane O’Hare CEO Royal Jet

the CEO further informed.

the company’s preferred hotel partners will match a dedicated web portal. The travellers will be able to browse selected properties and make enquiries.

To provide the travellers with expert information on the destinations, hotels and other services while travelling will be the basis of this new and unique service. A 300-page brochure featuring

“The existing customers are already booking following the announcement of the launch of the new service at the Arabian Travel Market in May 2012,” an ecstatic O’Hare informed.

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TRAVTALK

TECHNOLOGY

JANUARY, 2013

The first Travelport e-volve Summit The Travelport e-volve summit, a first-of-its-kind, is conceptualised to be a ‘travel industry master class’. The summit not only focussed on the key matters, affecting the Travel Management Companies (TMCs) but, also to find strategic solutions to key industry-related issues.

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search is all about providing the best-informed choice. A dedicated session looked at how Travelport’s high performance search already have delivered industry-leading relevancy and what the future holds.

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he event was held in Cape Town, South Africa and was subjective to extensive discussions and debates ranging from the economic outlook to the future of airline distribution. The future direction of the industry was debated by more than 100 industry experts from 17 countries.

“The e-volve TMC Summit was the first for Travelport as well as for the industry,” said Rabih Saab, President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Travelport. “For the first time, we have brought together so many experts, to explore the future of the travel industry in the Middle East and Africa,” he added.

Over the two days event, the Summit explored many topical themes and its key conclusions. More efficient distribution through GDS channels was the key

Rabih Saab President and Managing Director Middle East and Africa, Travelport

The summit was about pushing boundaries to think about future opportunities for our industry priority for regional Low Cost Carriers (LCCs). Intelligent

‘Live elegantly’ at Yassat Gloria Gloria Hotel Group launched Yassat Gloria Hotel Apartments on December 12, 2012 in Dubai. Accommodating more than 3,000 people at one go, 1,019 new suites were added to 1,010 suites to bring it to 2,029 suites.

“The summit was about pushing boundaries to think on the future opportunities of our industry. Through this event, Travelport provided the perfect platform to the industry leaders from the Middle East and Africa, to share experiences and best practises and be innovative in their views and future actions,” commented Saab.

Some of the key conclusions to emerge included the fact that point of sale technology should empower travel agents to sell more efficiently and give them the choice of how they want to sell their products.

Travelport’s next generation point of sale tools such

Abu Dhabi’s newest attraction to open The UAE’s first mega waterpark - Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi announced January 24, 2013 as its opening day. The waterpark is expected to bring together 43 rides, slides and attractions, themed restaurants, shops and activities spread over 15 hectares.

Key Conclusion Point of sale technology should empower agents with the freedom to sell their products, efficiently

Commissioned by Amadeus, a study categorises the value of using the latest technology in the distribution sector. Having adopted Amadeus’ new generation IT solutions, travel agencies saved over 20 per cent in cost and increased their agent’s productivity by 15 per cent.

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Emirates Airline has been awarded with the prestigious Centre for Aviation (CAPA) Airline of the Year 2012; the third time that the airline won the award. The CAPA Airline of the Year is awarded to the carrier that has had the greatest impact on the development of the airline industry.

“Travelport, as a key business services provider to the travel industry, is uniquely placed to understand the challenges faced by both – travel suppliers as well as providers – and it was fantastic to see both the sides coming together to debate the big issues affecting TMCs and find innovative solutions for the future of travel in our region,” he concluded.

Shaikh Abdulla Bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman, Department of Civil Aviation officially inaugurated the new branch of Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA) in Dubai.

Technology boosts agents’ profits T T B U R E AU

CAPA awards Emirates

as Travelport Smartpoint and Travelport Universal Desktop are already helping agents achieve this – as was demonstrated through a customer case study. This showed that by using Travelport Universal Desktop, business productivity has improved by 15 per cent.

SATA now in Dubai

pecialised in strategy, operations and valuation studies conducted in Saudi Arabia, Hermes Management Consulting (Hermes) reports, “How GDS can improve cost efficiency and optimise business for travel agencies?”

It reveals that in a ‘Zero Commission environment’, technology has the most essential role to play in maintaining profitability. This study offers an in-depth understanding of business and leisure travel agencies.

Comparing results with the same agencies conducted in 2006 before adopting Amadeus solutions, a positive outcome is observed. It encourages travel agencies to reach higher profitability by combining more non-air bookings in their IT platform.

In 2006, the average sales volume for the travel

agencies was €27.8 million and €2.0 million in revenue (7.1 per cent gross margin).

In 2011, the sales of the same travel agencies witnessed an increase of 42.1 per cent to €39.5 million and their revenues by 30.0 per cent to €2.6 million (6.7 per cent gross margin).

On average, leisure travel agencies increased sales by 64 per cent and revenues by 46 per cent, whereas the business growth of travel agencies in sales was 19 per cent and 18 per cent in revenues. This confirms that travel agencies focus on the fastest growing leisure international travel.

Antoine Medawar, Vice President, Amadeus Middle East and North Africa said, “The region’s travel agency market continues to transform. This is evident by the major changes that we are enduring across the entire industry. We opted

through this initiative to identify factors, and effectively add value to leisure and business travel agencies.

It highlights the fundamental methods that should be adopted, which will certainly drive the reinvention of travel agencies and enhance their profitability and efficiency.”

The average cost per ticket for Saudi Arabian leisure travel agencies has been reduced since 2006 by 19.1 per cent. Leisure travel agencies have improved productivity since 2006 increasing EBIT (Earnings before Interest and Taxes) per ticket by €5.2 to €7.5. Similarly business travel agencies have also improved profitability, increasing EBIT per ticket by €4.4 to €10.3.

Antoine Medawar Vice President Amadeus Middle East and North Africa

Introduction of more efficient reservation systems, better agent training and a more streamlined reservation process are the factors that have influenced productivity.

Average cross-sell levels in travel agencies in Saudi Arabia are one of the lowest in the world. Presently, leisure travel agency’s service fee management is simple and relies heavily on one-on-one negotiation between travel agents and clients.

CRUISES Q. A.

Q. A.

Q. A.

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What is the minimum number for a group to travel on-board Star Cruises?

We consider bookings of 15 cabins as the minimum number required for a corporate group. Our ships have the capacity to take larger groups i.e., up to 2,800 for a charter.

What dining arrangements are on-board for groups?

For main meals, the executives will be seated in one area or if desired, be given open seating. Coffee and tea breaks or cocktails can be arranged either near the meeting room or in a private function room. Private dinners are also organised for the group.

What are the shore arrangements and team building activities?

We provide a number of pre-arranged shore excursions for destinations that we cruise to. Alternatively, you may wish to make arrangements for an exclusive shore excursion, motivational exercises, beach or team building games on-board or at one of our destinations. Feel free to discuss this with our consultants who will be happy to help you plan a special programme for your participants.

JANUARY, 2013

Firming Dubai’s maritime position To gain strategic importance and promote Dubai’s leading position as a major maritime destination in the region and worldwide, the first Dubai Maritime Week 2012 was opened in November 2012.

Star Cruises was the first international cruise line that homeported in Sanya with the deployment of SuperStar Aquarius to the city in 2011.

After completing the deployment in April 2012, it has returned in Keelung (Taiwan) and currently calling at various destinations in Okinawa (Japan). The ship returned to Sanya in winter 2012 for a second homeport deployment.

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nder the collaboration of Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) and Seatrade, the inaugural event had gathered high-profile officials and professionals from the UAE and across the region to discuss latest maritime issues and challenges.

A range of awareness programmes were included to underscore the vital role of the maritime industry as an integral part

Najeeb Mithvani Second Assistant Vice President, Star Cruises

New Regulations The new regulations governed the supervision of all the vessels passing in Dubai waters and their operations by monitoring system to verify and review cer tificates of the vessels, crew documents, their credibility and history

of Dubai’s rich heritage.

Moreover, the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority conducted a series of cultural activities, in addition to several interactive workshops and specialised seminars by Dubai Municipality.

Amer Ali, Executive Director, Dubai Maritime City Authority said, “Dubai Maritime Week had strengthened Dubai’s leading position in the world’s maritime events map. It had ensured direct communication between local government authorities and key maritime players regionally and globally, shared ideas, expertise and ultimately created an integrated environment to confirm its role as an economic driver towards sustainable development. It was imperative to maintain an ideal operating environment that promoted competitiveness among maritime players in the emirate and activated the industry’s role

It ensured direct communication between local govt. authorities and key maritime players regionally and globally Amer Ali Executive Director, DMCA

William Ng

in supporting major economic segments,” he added.

The new regulations governed the supervision of all the vessels passing in Dubai waters and their operations by monitoring system to verify and review certificates of the vessels, crew documents, their credibility and history.

Costa Atlantica’s maiden call to Dubai Costa Cruises has the highest capacity of cruise lines present in the Gulf for the winter season of 2012-2013. On December 13, the maiden call of Costa Atlantica to Dubai re-established the cruise line’s commitment to the region for the seventh year consecutively.

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n increase of 15 per cent capacity was observed compared to the 2011-2012 season.

“Dubai and the emirates will continue to be a firm point for our winter deployment. We are contended to bring Costa Fortuna to the region next season, emphasising on our excellent relationship with DTCM, now aimed at developing GCC and India as two important local source markets. So, we launched new 5-day itinerary for the residents, UAE in particular and the overall region in general, providing opportunity for a short break,” commented Dario Rustico, Sales & Marketing Director - Central Europe, Africa, Middle East and India, Costa Cruises.

DTCM in collaboration with

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SuperStar Aquarius returns to Sanya

What kind of family functions are organised on-board?

We have been catering to weddings onboard our cruises, including 2-3 functions with cocktail menus.

The ship’s 5 and 7-day itineraries will start in Dubai with calls to Muscat, Khor Fakkan, Khasab and Abu Dhabi. Next season Costa Fortuna, 103,000 gross tonnage with a capacity of 3,470 passengers will sail from Dubai offering a 7-day itinerary including overnight in Muscat.

TRAVTALK

Dario Rustico, Sales & Marketing Director - Central Europe, Africa, Middle East and India, Costa Cruises

We aim at developing GCC and India as two important local source markets Costa Cruises organised a conference on-board the ship with attendees from various Government Departments.

“Expert marketing programmes in combination with infrastructure and facilities provided in the emirate have

Khalid A Bin Sulayem Director General DTCM

Marketing programmes encourage cruise operators to select Dubai for their cruise itineraries encouraged many cruise operators to select Dubai as a focal point for their cruise itinerary in the region,” said Khalid A Bin Sulayem, Director General, DTCM. “Cruise Tourism plays a pivotal role in tourism

Hamad M Bin Mejren Executive Director - Business Tourism, DTCM

DTCM has been working tirelessly to attract more cruise line operators to Dubai and UAE industry and DTCM pays special attention to this sector. The department developed its first cruise terminal in Rashid Port in 2001 and in 2010 opened a new cruise terminal with higher handling capacity,” he added.

Hamad M Bin Mejren, Executive Director - Business Tourism, DTCM commented, “The arrival of this ship to Dubai is further evidence of the Emirate’s position as a unique world-class cruise destination. DTCM has been working tirelessly to attract more cruise line operators to Dubai and the greater UAE while looking forward to a highly successful cruise season.”

DTCM is sponsoring a fam group of top 20 travel agents and corporate from Saudi Arabia to join Costa Atlantica on February 14, 2013 for a sales academy training and shore excursion.

Dubai Cruise terminals have received over 390,000 passengers from 102 ship calls last season and the present season will bring 115 cruise ship calls and over a 410,000 passengers.

Spanning over 20,000 sqm and a pier length of 1,900 metres which can accommodate up to 6 ocean going ships simultaneously, Dubai will have the largest facility in the Middle East dedicated to Cruise Tourism.

Chief Operating Officer Star Cruises

Sanya presents the best travel opportunities in the winter season due to its tropical climate and various tourism advantages among all Chinese ports.

“We have tied up with Southern China airlines to do fly-cruise packages from Sanya at AED 4,220 which includes flight, 3-night cruise and all taxes. It’s a great offer for the consumers who get a new destination to visit, especially Sanya which still has untapped market. Halong Bay, a port of call on the itinerary is an exotic destination and we provide visa for Halong Bay at US$ 25, which makes it easy for travel without rushing for the Vietnam visa,” informed William Ng, Chief Operating Officer, Star Cruises.

“Star Cruises has created many popular itineraries to Chinese ports and contributed to the growth of the cruise market in Greater China. We’re grateful that Sanya’s authorities and travel-related businesses widely support our homeport deployment in 2011,” he continued.

“We are encouraged by the measure which facilitated Hainan ID cardholders to apply for the Cross Border Pass and cruise with us to Vietnam. We hope this measure will soon be applied nation-wide, facilitating guests to enjoy our cruise holidays and visits to Sanya and Vietnam.”

The new deployment to Sanya will see SuperStar Aquarius adding more cruises to Halong Bay and shore excursion options, creating appealing cruise holidays for guests from the region and beyond.

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TRAVTALK

JANUARY, 2013

AGENTS

Kanoo offers one-stop-shop solution To offer travellers with comprehensive travel solutions under one roof, Kanoo Travel has opened its custom-made and world-class corporate service centre on December 17, 2012 at the Kanoo Group Building in Dubai.

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Explore the Wonders in partnership with Sri Lankan Airlines conducted an agent familiarisation trip to Malaysia from November 16 – 21, 2012.

The travel agents were from Dubai and Northern Emirates.

with double digit trajectory, we needed to increase our capacity along with upgrading our call centre capabilities to global standards so that we could lead ahead of the pack.

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s part of its expansion plans, the new call centre is equipped with advance technology that meets international standards.

Kanoo Travel is renowned as the first IATA agency in the Gulf and the very first travel company to receive the ISO certification in the Middle East.

Equipped with technical capabilities round-the-clock, service delivery mode with metrics to measure every element of business, array of management reports for clients to maintain travel spends, carbon offset programmes for footprints created by travellers or companies and emergency services, the new call centre looks at providing travellers safe exit in terms of any disaster along with traveller tracking and adversity.

Agents exploring Malaysia

Kanoo with senior officials from leading airlines at the inauguration of the new corporate service centre in Dubai

Mishal Kanoo, Deputy Chairman, The Kanoo Group graced the opening. The inauguration was attended by senior Kanoo executives and partners from leading carriers and hospitality industries, with other key management representatives.

Sunil D'souza, Regional Travel Director, Kanoo Travel said, “As a market leader in

the Gulf region, we have been constantly investing in our people, technology and as part of our expansion and growth strategies, we have invested heavily in this stateof-the-art contact/service centre. Our objective is to meet and exceed our consumer expectations.”

He added, “As our growth is propelling ahead

This technological move will progress our growth in the coming years, keeping all our stakeholders happy.”

‘Travel Shops’ now open flydubai was joined by Sharjah National Travel & Tourist Agency (SNTTA) to celebrate the opening of the new flydubai Travel Shops in both Sharjah and Ajman.

Kanoo Travel has been the pioneer of the Gulf’s travel industry since its inception in 1935 and boasts its largest portfolio of corporate clients in the region.

The opening of its new call centre is another example of its dedication towards its growing base of customers in the region.

30% money back on travel ‘All-in-one travel card’ To facilitatate visa credit and debit card holders while booking international flights and hotels online, Cleartrip and Visa International have entered into an agreement to offer up to 30 per cent money back on total travel cost.

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ccording to the deal, Visa credit card holders will get up to 30 per cent money back on their total travel cost right away if they book through Cleartrip’s network of hotels and airlines.

Tarique Khatri Senior Vice President Cleartrip

This agreement not only supported the growth of eCommerce in the region and drove cross-border transactions but also created a safety environment for the Visa cardholders to feel secured while making their online transactions. Tarique Khatri, Senior Vice President,

Cleartrip said, “Our alliance with Visa, the leading global payments technology company, is a sign of deeper commitment to offer value to our growing customer base in the GCC countries.

Since the launch of our various sites in UAE, coupled up with the recent launch of our Saudi Arabia site, our success has hinged upon us in being able to deliver value to our customers, which is something we will continue to move forward.”

“There is no social limit on the category of booking.

One may be on business travel or on a holiday tour, looking for Christmas or New Year vacation – all are welcome to use Cleartrip as their portal.

Cleartrip is rewarding its customers to make the booking any time by paying through

an easy and secured gateway,” he added.

The global travel market research studied that online bookings in the Middle East have grown by nearly a third this year. Online travel sales in the region have developed to almost US$ 10.4 billion in 2012 as compared to US$ 7.176 billion in 2011.

The market is expected to reach US$ 15.8 billion by 2014. In 2011, 39 per cent of all online bookings in the Middle East were made through online travel agencies and the gross booking value is set to nearly double from US$ 3.1 billion to US$ 6 billion by 2014, the report said.

Cleartrip has also developed an easy-to-use mobile site for smart phones. Smartphones represent 62 per cent of total mobile phones in the UAE. The latest reports indicate that 43 per cent of these users browse the internet for travel-related information and 54 per cent make an online purchase.

The Emirates NBD dnata World MasterCard Credit Card was launched in partnership with MasterCard and dnata in November 2012 and received a huge response from customers for applying and receiving the card.

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enlightened Rick Pudner, Group CEO, Emirates NBD.

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he qualitative feedback from the market and social media has suggested that the innovative product has been well received by the customers. Research has showed that with increased competition in the aviation industry, the consumers now have a wider choice of airlines and they are becoming increasingly spontaneous in their purchases.

“The challenge was to provide the customers the freedom to go where they want, when they want and without the limitations of choosing one loyalty programme over another.

Another challenge as well as an opportunity was, to provide this group of customers, related premium benefits that were innovative

“Customers can apply for this product through any of the dnata centers or through the direct sales agents of Emirates NBD,” he said.

Rick Pudner Group CEO Emirates NBD

with added unsurpassable value. Hence, we put together a bundle of supreme benefits which catered to the travel needs of the customer.

This included redeeming reward points with over 130 airlines, stays at thousands of luxury hotels, packages on cruise liners, 15 per cent rewards for all purchases at dnata Travel and 10 per cent rewards on duty free shopping worldwide. Moreover, this is the first of its kind credit card in the UAE that does not charge foreign currency transaction fees for overseas transactions,”

Emirates NBD always stays well-run to understand the evolving customer needs.

Introduced in 2009, the Emirates Skyward Credit card and launched in 2011, the Go4it transit card (in partnership with the Road and Transport authority) are some of the anchor products in the Emirates NBD Card.

The dnata Emirates NBD platinum Credit card introduced in 2010 was the first-of-its-kind in the UAE and the portfolio has been consistently growing since the launch of the product.

HOTELS

JANUARY, 2013

TRAVTALK

11

The Address Hotels & Resorts

India among top five markets Discerning Indian travellers have made it into the top list of The Address Hotels & Resorts, a Dubai-based five-star premium hotel brand of Emaar Hospitality Group, with an average of 3-5 nights in the hotel and have also proved to be the top spenders once convinced of value for money.

VIVEK SETHI

Europe and other parts of the world, find Dubai to be an easily accessible destination with adequate air connectivity and a welcoming visa regime,” informed Pande.

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his has set an all-new definition for global standards in luxury hospitality, says Seema Pande, Group Director - Sales and Marketing, The Address Hotels & Resorts.

“India is among the top five markets, for us. In fact, like India we have our global sales offices in China, Japan, UK and USA. India has pleasantly surprised us with a fabulous increase in the numbers of top-end business on leisure, FIT, corporate and MICE front. With the increase in the family travel from India, we

Seema Pande Group Director - Sales and Marketing The Address Hotels & Resorts

have witnessed an impressive growth in Indian weddings and engagements at our properties. The Indian families with its members spread over in USA, UK,

“The Indian visitors spend on an average of 3-5 nights and are among the top spenders. Indians are willing to spend on premium products, only when they are convinced about deriving true value for money. With our portfolio of The Address Downtown Dubai, The Address Dubai Mall, The Address Dubai Marina, The Address Montgomerie Dubai and The Palace Downtown Dubai, we expect to close our

2012 year with over 15-10 per cent growth from the Indian market.

We are also looking at expanding our presence in key destinations in the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, South Asia and Europe,” she added.

The Nijhawan Group has been taking care of the sales and marketing operations in India of The Address Hotels & Resorts for the last three years. “We have suc-

cessfully extended our strong reach in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru through our Indian partner. Going forward, we look forward to strengthening our reach in Chennai and Ahmedabad,” said Pande.

“We value all our B2B partners and are always accessible to all our, small, medium and large travel partners. We are fortunate to have an equal balance of corporate and leisure travellers and the weekdays are as good as the weekends. Recently, a travel partner complemented that big entities like us most of the times have a very high headed sales team, which is

not the case with our company. Even though, we have multiple teams taking care of high-end, corporate, leisure and MICE travellers, we remain accessible and value all our small, medium and big B2B partners,” she stated.

Company Portfolio The Nijhawan Group has been taking care of the sales and marketing operations in India of The Address Hotels & Resorts for the last three years The company has multiple teams that takes care of high-end, corporate, leisure and MICE travellers

Tapping mid-tier markets New hopes in 2013 To continue an intensive drive into mid-tier markets across the Middle East and Africa (MENA), Rotana has opened Centro Capital Centre in Abu Dhabi, its fifth Centro property in the UAE recently.

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seek to reduce their expense and that has led to a major shift in choice from five-star accommodations to value accommodations for travelling executives.

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ocated in the Capital Centre development, the hotel will cater to the capital’s Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. With the opening of Centro Capital Centre, Rotana now operates 1,464 rooms under Centro brand and the company’s total room inventory in Abu Dhabi has totaled up to 3,476.

There are plans in the pipeline to open 25 Centro hotels across the MENA region by the end of 2014.

After the opening of Centro Capital Centre, the Capital Centre district will see the opening of two properties by Rotana. Capital Centre Rotana, a 4-star 300-room hotel, set to open in 2014 and Capital Centre Arjaan by

Omer Kaddouri Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Rotana

There is a new generation of travellers who expect the comfort of a five-star hotel stay but at a lesser cost

Centro Legacy Centro Sharjah and Centro Al Manhal, Abu Dhabi in 2011 Centro Barsha, Dubai in 2010 Centro Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in 2009

Rotana, a 4-star 200-room hotel apartment property set to open in 2013.

Abu Dhabi has a booming market for mid-tier accommodation, as many guests travelling to the city are business executives. Most of the companies nowadays

“Rotana recently recognised the arrival of a new generation of travellers and guests that expect the elegance of a five-star hotel stay but at a lesser cost.

Hence, to cater such a new gen tourist, the concept of Centro brand came into being,” said Omer Kaddouri, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Rotana. “Nevertheless, this does not have to come at the expense of quality and desired facilities. Centro hotels offer a relaxing, comfortable and contemporary living space along with highly desirable facilities at very affordable prices,” he added.

The new Centro Capital Centro is the fifth Centro property to open in the UAE, following the opening of Centro Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in 2009, Centro Barsha, Dubai in 2010 and both Centro Sharjah and Centro Al Manhal, Abu Dhabi in 2011.

Golden Tulip Al Barsha participates in the major travel and tourism events like WTM, ITB, ATM. The hotel has a huge marketing plan for 2013 to maintain itself as the leading property of their category in the region.

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e expect 30 to 40 per cent increase in business in 2013 due to the demand of our client and the

reservation requests,” said Tarek Lotfy, General Manager, Golden Tulip Hotel, Al Barsha.

“The travel agency represents 60 per cent of the total value of the business that Golden Tulip Al Barsha is having.

We are expecting an increase of 10 per cent in 2013 due to the growing demand,

Tarek Lotfy General Manager Golden Tulip Hotel, Al Barsha

even though there will be an increment in the room rates that will be also recognised,” he added. The increase in supply compared to the demand is the biggest chal-

lenge that Golden Tulip Al Barsha faces. The area has become one of the most attractive places in Dubai for tourism investment in hotel which generated large number of competition with the international brand of hotels.

To maintain the hotel as a leading 4-star property in the area as one of the earliest hotel opened in Al Barsha is another meet head-on.

“What we have done is the effort that put us as the hotel of the year, this made our guests experiences enjoyable and the customers’ feedback gave us a chance to maintain our unique market place,” expressed Lotfy.

Cove Rotana lends a helping hand Twenty employees from different background and depar tments from The Cove Rotana Resort Ras Al Khaimah visited the ‘Specialised Center for Special Needs’ recently. The children happily interacted with the team and enjoyed a lavish buffet specially prepared for this event, followed by a surprise Santa Claus visit who distributed gifts and candy bags for everyone.

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TRAVTALK

JANUARY, 2013

NTO

Visa relaxation welcomed

RAK runs before time to meet target

The Government of India has decided to lift the restriction of the two-month gap on the re-entry of foreign nationals between two visits to India on a Ras Al Khaimah TDA registered 1,001,495 visitors until November Tourist Visa. The Visa-on-Arrival scheme was launched in 2010.

2012, that met its 2012 target of “The Government attractive tourism products T T B U R E AU 1mn, a month ahead of schedule. extended this scheme to the and the countless cultural,

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citizens of six more countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar in January 2011.

owever, the new law does not apply on the nationals of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan and foreigners of Pakistan and Bangladesh origins and stateless people.

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has set a target of increasing the share of India in world tourist arrivals from the current 0.6 per cent to 1 per cent by the end of the 12th plan period and a relaxation in the visa regime would contribute to a large extent in achieving this target.

K Chiranjeevi, Minister of State, Tourism (Independent incharge) said that this decision has addressed a long pending demand of the travel industry and would facilitate tourists visiting the country. With the easing of restrictions, several cities of India with centres of medical facilities are likely to see an increased flow of vis-

Vikas Rustagi Regional Director, (West Asia & Africa), India Tourism, Dubai

itors from the Gulf countries for Medical Tourism.

The Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) government scheme has become popular among the tourists. As a facilitative measure to attract more foreign tourists to India, the VoA scheme was launched in January 2010 for citizens of Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore, visiting India as tourists. The scheme registered a growth of 25 per cent during January-November 2012 over the corresponding period of 2011.

The UAE is a very important tourism generating market for India in the ME region. The Indian missions in UAE grant about 80,000 visas a year,” informed Vikas Rustagi, Regional Director, (West Asia & Africa), India Tourism, Dubai.

“The Middle East and the Gulf region are emerging as an important tourism generating market for India.

Realising the importance of this region as an important source market, the Tourism Ministry of India through their India Tourism Office, Dubai is making efforts to provide a glimpse of the

spiritual and travel experiences that India offers as a tourist destination,” he informed “As part of the forthcoming promotional activities, the India Tourism, Dubai is holding an ‘Incredible India Tourism Road Show’ on January 22-27, 2013 covering Jeddah, Dammam & Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The highlight of this roadshow will be showcasing India as a multi-faceted all year round tourist destination for Culture, Luxury, Wildlife and Medical Tourism. The India Tourism, Dubai will also participate in the East Mediterranean Travel & Tourism Exhibition (EMITT) – 2013 on January 24-27, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey,” Rustagi elucidated.

Upcoming Roadshows January 22-27, 2013 Jeddah, Dammam & Riyadh in Saudi Arabia

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his generated revenue of almost AED 582.7 million (U$ 144 million). The 2012 visitors to RAK came from Russia, UK, Italy, Ukraine and

Operating Officer, Ras Al Khaimah TDA commented, “RAK TDA was established in May 2011 and within its second year, we have exceeded our targets. In 2011 we have welcomed 835,200 exceeding 2011 target to receive 800,000 visitors. We have achieved our 2012 target by welcoming 1 million visitors, one month ahead of schedule.

It is due to the joint cooperation of our travel partners both within RAK and beyond Victor Louis Chief Operating Officer Ras Al Khaimah TDA

Czech Republic. Germany showcased to be the strongest source market with more than 283,733 visitors, followed by the UAE with 267,616 visitors and Russia with 136,430.

Based on the remarkable figures, Victor Louis, Chief

and is testimony to Ras Al Khaimah’s appeal as a tourist and tourism investment destination.”

Growth Chart The hotel occupancy from Jan-Nov 2012 showed a growth of 2.19% for the beach resorts & city hotels

10,052 visitors in 8 months Khasab’s story on ‘Zaree’ The UAE stands as Seychelles’ fifth leading market. One of the main reasons for the increase in popularity of this destination is the excellent air connections between the UAE and Seychelles.

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he Seychelles islands have lately recorded an upsurge in tourist arrivals from the UAE. According to Seychelles’ National Bureau of Statistics, since the beginning

Julie Muirhead Regional Director–Seychelles Tourism Board, Middle East

of 2012 till October 21, 2012, Seychelles has welcomed 10,052 visitors from the UAE. It reflects 58 per cent growth over 2011, which saw a total of only 6,375 UAE visitors arriving in Seychelles. More

so, it represents an increase of 142 per cent over 2010 arrival figures from UAE, which were 4,153 visitors.

The Visitor Arrivals Bulletin shows that Seychelles has recorded 5,063 visitors from other Middle East countries, with 57 per cent increase over 2011 which was 3,230. “The growth is due to the increased presence and our activities in these areas.

The UAE signifies 58 per cent increase YTD at over 10,000 visitors and the other Middle East markets a 57 per cent increase at over 5,000 visitors,” informed Julie Muirhead, Regional Director –Seychelles Tourism Board, Middle East.

“By year-end we anticipated to achieve 18,000 vis-

itors from the Middle East which will increase its position to being the fourth supply market to Seychelles,” added Muirhead.

The Seychelles Tourism Office Middle East conducted a 2-day educational seminar for the travel trade and consumers from November 1213, 2012 in Amman, Jordan in alliance with Petra Travel & Tourism.

The seminar updated the uniqueness of Seychelles comparing other Indian Ocean destinations, showcasing the diversity of its accommodation offerings, activities and how it caters to various different segments.

With increased air access to 26 flights every week and further increases planned in next few months, Seychelles is becoming a very popular Indian Ocean destination of choice for the Middle Eastern visitors.

The Oman’s Ministry of Tourism to position Wilayat Khasab as an epicenter for cultural exchange, launched a unique Corporate Social Responsibility programme at Khasab Fort.

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man’s Ministry of Tourism and Omran, the Sultanate’s tourism-related developer, hospitality manager and Investment Company joined hands and launched ‘Zaree’, a unique women-towomen Corporate Social Responsibility initiative at Khasab Fort in November.

Maitha Al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary, Ministry of Tourism said, “Every Wilayat tells a unique story and we are pleased that the first chapter of Zaree is written in Khasab. By choosing Khasab Castle as the heart of the programme’s activities, we have linked Zaree to Oman’s rich history.”

To experience Khasab, a destination for short breaks that offers authentic and cultural experiences, the programme aims to empower communities in Wilayat Khasab to become economi-

K H ASA B cally self-sufficient and self-employed. Positioning Wilayat Khasab as an epicentre for cultural exchange, a day’s familiarisation trip was hosted for regional travel trade in

Maitha Al Mahrouqi Undersecretary Ministry of Tourism

November. The destination is experiencing a surge in tourism investment with the next landmark development, a 110-room, 3-star Khasab Hotel, developed by Omran.

Khasab also is benefitted by Oman Air’s daily air services to Muscat and thrice weekly express ferry services from Muscat and Shinas.

“We have reached out to our global offices to ensure that the programme extends to a wider audience through strategic tie-ups with various cruise and tour operators,” she added.

At the launch event, Eng. Wael bin Ahmed Al Lawati, CEO, Omran informed, “Around 50 cruise ships, carrying between 400 to 4,000 travellers is each expected to arrive in Khasab this season and hence, undoubtedly the Wilayat was the perfect launch pad for Zaree.”

NTO

JANUARY, 2013

TRAVTALK

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‘City Sightseeing’ in Sharjah MTA targets MICE segment Sharjah Investment and Development Authority The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) launched a pilot (Shurooq) launched ‘City Sightseeing in Sharjah’ tour project that aimed at encouraging the European and buses to showcase the tourism potential of the Emirate. international associations to host their events in Malta.

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We also participate in local and international events and exhibitions to promote Sharjah with its tourism, cultural and natural attractions as a leading tourist investment destination in the region.”

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tatistics reveal that the tour bus company - City Sightseeing, carried more than 9 million passengers in 2011 in London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Seville, Istanbul, Singapore, Edinburgh, Brussels, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Dublin, Cape Town and Oxford.

As part of the collective efforts to encourage different projects that promote Sharjah and boost its position on the world tourism map, Mohamed Ali Al Noman, Chairman, SCTDA stressed on, “We at Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) are keen to support all the events and initiatives that hold up the tourism sector

Mohamed Ali Al Noman Chairman Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority

and help attract more international tourists. Presently, the emirate attracted more than 1.5 million tourists annually.”

He continued, “We have constantly worked and cooperated with different government and private players of the emirate.

Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) commented, “At Shurooq, we are constantly looking up to expand Sharjah’s tourism infrastructure. The addition of a tour bus service was the logical next step to further add value to Sharjah’s tourism experience. City Sightseeing has proven as one of the best tourist transporter by their huge presence across the world with its international standard of service, and this will further develop the emirate’s already flourishing tourism sector.”

The services of the buses can be availed all-yearround at AED 85 for adults and AED 45 for children, valid for 24 hours.

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minimum duration of 3 nights in Malta or Gozo with a minimum of 50 foreign participants every night,” she informed.

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eritage, Hospitality, Diversity’ are the three principal core values of Malta M ICE is the most lucrative segment in regards to income generation to the Maltese Islands. It is estimated that MICE visitors spend a treble compared to the average leisure tourists.

Depending on the outcome and success of this pilot project in the first year, the scheme may be repeated in 2014.

To qualify for support from this scheme, the same event cannot be in receipt of other financial support from other Malta Government Schemes or Authorities.

Nadine Brincat Senior Manager - MICE, Marketing Directorate, Malta Tourism Authority

There are many professional quality assured Destination Management Companies which possess a track record within the conference and incentive segment.

to be put forward by the appointed DMC on behalf of and with the written consent of the foreign Association organising the event in Malta or Gozo,” informed Nadine Brincat, Senior Manager MICE, Marketing Directorate, Malta Tourism Authority.

“The Association requesting MTA support must engage the services of a Destination Management Company (licensed by the MTA) to organise the event.

The application for financial support under this scheme is

“Confirmation of support is to be obtained from the MTA, prior to the event. To be eligible for support, events must take place between January to March and November to December 2013.

The events must have a

“The MTA financial support shall be capped at €25 per person attending the event in the Maltese Islands, with a maximum support of €10,000 towards any one event. In view of budgetary limitations, requests will be funded on a first come first serve basis,” she added.

“The MTA retains the right to decline further requests for support when budget is exhausted,” Brincat concluded.

Budget Allocation The total budget allocated towards this initiative for 2013 is of €100,000.

New plans and focussed efforts for 2013 Contd. from page 1

history of aviation. In less than 10 years, since the airline began operations in November 2003, the company has grown to 10,000 employees from 125 nationalities with 68 aircraft and 86 direct destinations and 10 million passengers.”

Hogan added, “The partnerships and investments have enabled the airlines to strengthen its competitive position. The impact is the 18 per cent of revenue that was generated at Etihad Airways in Q3 2012 by code-share partners.”

2012 was a successful year for Travelport. With the opening of a new commercial office in Beirut in January and the establishment of a regional HQ in Dubai in May, the company continues to expand business in the Middle East.

Travelport continued to grow global content with the addition of Pakistan International Airways and RAK Airways and the renewals of important contracts with Gulf Air and Egypt Air. 2013 is expected to be an important year for

Brilliance of the Seas sailing in the Gulf over the last three seasons gave the opportunities to the travel agents to see and experience one of its ships,” she added.

Travelport in the Middle East regarding delivery of key products and services.

“We will soon launch Travelport Rapid Reprice, our travel itinerary management tool for travel agents. We also have managed to grow our content with the addition of several new airlines including Low Cost Carriers, which are growing rapidly in this region,” said Rabih Saab, President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Travelport.

“In 2012, Travelport has continued to strengthen its presence in the Middle East through many significant new deals with major travel agencies in the region and the renewals with our loyal existing customers. In 2013, Travelport will continue to empower travel providers to search and sell the broadest range of travel content through four key pillars of investment,” he added.

2012 has been another successful year for Royal Caribbean with a good growth in guest volume, contributed well by all Middle East markets.

Rabih Saab

Lakshmi Durai

Jamal Abdulnazar

President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Travelport

Executive Director, Middle East Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises & Azamara Club Cruises – Middle East

General Manager Cozmo Travel

We will soon launch our travel itinerary management tool for travel agents

We are providing attractive itinerary options on-board Freedom and Voyager class ships

“With our world’s largest ships sailing in the Caribbean, we are providing attractive itinerary options on-board Freedom and Voyager class ships in Europe. Mariner of the Seas, one of the Voyager class ships is also joining Asia. A recently revitalised Serenade

of the Seas is sailing in the Gulf and with our extensive Royal advantage programme.

With all this and more, we look forward to another successful year in 2013,” confirmed Lakshmi Durai, Executive Director, Middle East Royal Caribbean International,

In 2013, we are opening offices in Dubai and 8 locations across Saudi Arabia

Celebrity Cruises & Azamara Club Cruises – Middle East.

“The travel trade community is very important for the cruise line and the majority of their business is sourced through travel agency partners. Having

Cozmo Travels is quite satisfied with its performance in 2012. The figures are at par with 2011, but there has been a significant growth in the inbound numbers except that outbound travel was affected as Ramadan this year coincided with the school summer holidays in the UAE. “In 2013, we are opening up offices in Dubai, 8 locations across Saudi Arabia and more branches in and around UAE. There will be Cozmo offices opening around other parts of GCC as well. The company’s 2013 plans for the trade and our corporate clients would be the launch of our online portal www.cozmotravel.com where agents will be given access to our B2B end and corporate clients can book through B2C channel where travel bookings would be easily done at competitive rates with a few clicks,” elaborated Jamal Abdulnazar, General Manager, Cozmo Travel.

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TRAVTALK

JANUARY, 2013

FAMILY ALBUM

WTA Grand Finale dazzles in India

India hosted the most important night of the year in travel and tourism industry, World Travel Awards (WTA) 2012 Grand Final Gala Ceremony on December 12, 2012. It was an evening of celebration in New Delhi, with the likes of Dubai, London, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro to win the blue riband.

Etihad Airways was voted as ‘World’s Leading Airline’ and ‘World’s Leading Airline First Class’. Hospitality categories included Dubai’s Burj Al Arab as ‘World’s Leading Hotel’, St. Regis Doha as ‘World’s Leading New Hotel’ and Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai as ‘World’s Leading Landmark Resort’.

MOVEMENTS Rezidor Hotel Group Brussels Elie Younes has been appointed as the new Senior Vice President, Head of Group Development for the Rezidor Hotel Group. He joined Rezidor’s regional office in Dubai in April 2010 as Vice President - Business Development, Middle East & Africa and took over the interim leadership of Rezidor’s corporate development department in October 2012. Younes is a Lebanese national and English citizen and in this new profile, he will be based at the corporate support office in Brussels, Belgium.

Bangkok

JANUARY, 2013

TRAVTALK

15

InterContinental Hotels Group Bangkok

Simon Scoot is the new Vice President, Global Brand

Phil Broad joins InterContinental Hotels Group as the new

Management for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. He had joined the hotel group in 1992 as Sales Manager at InterContinental Abu Dhabi and went on to become Director of Conference & Incentive Sales at the UK Regional Sales Office. Most recently, Scoot was the Hotel Manager at IHG-owned InterContinental London Park Lane and was part of the core team that led the successful repositioning of the hotel after a major renovation in 2006.

Vice President, Food & Beverage IHG Asia, Middle East & Africa. In this new role, he will oversee F&B concept design and development.

Previously, Broad worked as the Managing Director of Jumeirah Restaurants LLC. He also worked with renowned brands such as Starbucks Coffee Company, TGI Fridays, Teco’s and Pizza Hut. He also owned and operated his own business in UK, including the franchise for Outback Steakhouse.

Travelport Dubai

Mövenpick Hotel Deira Dubai

Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai Dubai

Stuart Laird-Smith is the new Head of Commercial

Purnima KP is appointed as the new Director of Sales &

Strategy of Travelport for the Middle East and Africa. Before joining Travelport, he spent four years with South African Airways (SAA) as Head of Commercial and Operations Finance. In his new role, LairdSmith will be working closely with Travelport partners including travel agencies, airlines, national distribution companies and operators, and help shape the commercial strategy for the region.

Marketing for The Mövenpick Hotel Deira. An Economics graduate, she comes with almost two decades of experience in the region with previous postings in Oman, Yemen and the UAE. In her new role, she will support the hotel’s highly visible presence in the local community and grow regional and international business in key market segments, as well as driving digital marketing initiatives and corporate programmes.

Chris El Khoury joins Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai as Executive Assistant Manager. He is a Lebanese national and has been with Mövenpick Hotels since 2005. He had joined the group as Director of Sales & Marketing for the Mövenpick Hotel Doha and Mövenpick Bur Dubai. El Khoury’s international experience will play be instrumental in ensuring the hotel property maintains its standing as the gateway to Dubai.

Grand Millennium Dubai Dubai Mariana Paunescu has joined the Grand Millennium Dubai as Executive Housekeeper. She is a Romanian national and in her previous stint, she was working with the Grand Excelsior Hotel as a part of the pre-opening team. She started her career as Executive Housekeeper with the Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi before taking up the challenge to work with the Concorde Hotel Fujairah. Paunescu, who moved from Romania to South Africa to expand her skills base, is fluent in English as well as Romanian language.

Dubai

Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels Dubai

Riad Haidar is the new Director of Food and Beverage at Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels. He comes with more than a decade experience in the hospitality business and in his previous role, held the position of Director of Food and Beverage at The Address Dubai Mall. In his new role, Haidar will be responsible for the F&B operation, administration and profitability of eight diverse culinary outlets within the two popular Downtown Dubai hotels.

Spencer Lee Black has been appointed as the new Executive Chef for Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels. He joins from Al Murooj Rotana Hotel where he held the position of Executive Chef. Spencer has more than two decades of experience to his role, with half the years of his professional career being spent in Dubai, at properties such as Movenpick Jumeirah Beach, Grosvenor House West Marina Beach and Le Royal Beach Resort and Spa in Dubai.

The Ajman Palace opens on 41st UAE National Day

Hospitality Management Holdings commemorated the 41st UAE National Day with the soft launch of The Ajman Palace – one of the group’s most distinctive luxury 5-star developments in the UAE. The hotel property was inaugurated

by Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman with other distinguished dignitaries and VIP guests.

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TRAVTALK

HIGHLIGHT

JANUARY, 2013

‘Green’ is the way forth for Tourism To improve the environment’s energy and water conservation, waste management and outreach programmes, it is necessary to work with the region’s communities, promote sustainability and conserve resources that are invaluable to people and businesses across the Middle East and Africa.

S U S M I TA G H O S H

I

n celebrating the 21st year of the group’s industry-leading Green Partnership programme, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts participated in the World Green Tourism Conference that took place on December

ments to glance at their travel policies, assess how they can reduce their impact on the environment,” says Raki Phillips, Area Director, Sales & Marketing - UAE, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

“As part of its ongoing climate change strategy, Fairmont announced that it

Africa. Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi’s Green Team had organised two beach cleanup events, hosted an ‘Earth Hour’ event that involved 2 energy-generating bicycles that was ridden for 24 hours by guests and staff to raise awareness. A number of impactful green initiatives

not require daily replacement of linens, towels and bathroom toiletries.

tric vehicle offerings in Rome, Paris, London, New York City and Washington D.C.

Dr Ali Kasapbashi, Group General Manager, Bin Majid Group said, “The ‘Go Green’ concept was initiated in support of sustainable hospitality industry. Our green programme has encouraged guests to join our efforts to protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for the present and future generations.”

Michel Taride, President, Hertz International said, “Hertz offers electric vehicles in more cities than any other rental company and we are committed to offer eco-friendly mobility solutions for business or holiday journeys.”

UNWTO brought together experts from United Nations agencies and Oxford

opportunities and jobs for millions worldwide, its carbon dioxide emissions are also on the up,” said Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, UNWTO. “We have a window of opportunity right now, to move away from business policies and to put the right strategies in place, to significantly reduce our emissions,” he added.

Cutting-edge alternative aircraft fuels, emissions trading schemes for aviation,

Tilal Liwa Hotel had embarked on planting more than 2,000 trees around the property and the community.

Raki Phillips

Dr Ali Kasapbashi

Area Director, Sales & Marketing UAE, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Group General Manager Bin Majid Group

The Conference played a key role in challenging businesses and governments to relook at their travel policies

2012 in Abu Dhabi. It’s the only event in the region that addresses the importance of Sustainable Tourism and confirms the commitment to the environment across the Middle East and Africa.

“As we see an intense focus towards green in this region, the Conference had played a key role in challenging businesses and govern-

Our green programme has encouraged guests to join in our efforts to protect the environment and natural resources

has cut its CO2 output by 8.4 per cent. It has pledged to reduce its operational CO2 emissions by 20 per cent below 2006 levels by 2013.

It’s the world’s first luxury hotel group to commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG),” he added.

Fairmont had implemented initiatives in hotels across the Middle East and

Ayman Ashor General Manager Tilal Liwa Hotel

Through this initiative, we hope that we would be able to increase awareness on the importance of planting trees

had distinguished Fairmont Dubai as one of the UAE’s greenest hotels.

Bin Majid Beach Hotel had launched the ‘Go Green’ campaign which was aimed at creating awareness on the importance of protecting the environment and sustaining its natural resources. The campaign rewarded the hotel guests with vouchers who do

Led by Ayman Ashor, General Manager, Tilal Liwa Hotel, the tree planting campaign had raised the community’s environmental awareness. It educated students on the importance of trees for the environment and its role to protect health for generations.

“Through this initiative, we hope that we would be able to reach the community and increase awareness on the importance of planting trees to maintain a sustainable environment and a greener United Arab Emirates,” explained Ashor.

A new green car initiative launched in Milan, Italy ensured their environmentally conscious Middle East travellers to get around the city’s streets in style while having minimal impact on the surrounding environment.

Hertz Corporation launched an ElectriCity initiative in Milan to provide Nissan LEAF electric vehicles for rent by the hour or day.

This new initiative followed by the success of Hertz’s elec-

Michel Taride President Hertz International

Hertz is committed to offer ecofriendly mobility solutions for business or holiday journeys University at UN climate change talks in Qatar. It presented the latest strategies helping to reduce tourism’s contribution to global warming.

“As tourism continues to grow, providing economic

Taleb Rifai Secretary-General UNWTO

We have the opportunity to move away from business policies and put the right strategies in place to reduce emissions water recycling systems on cruise liners and improvements in hotel insulation were among the innovations presented during the UNWTO side event, ‘The Tourism Sector Response to Climate Change in Doha, Qatar’.

4.92 million passengers in October 2012 With an increase of 14.3 per cent, Dubai International has recorded its second busiest month with 4.92mn passengers in October 2012. It is the world’s 4th busiest international aviation hub.

T T B U R E AU

A

ccording to the monthly traffic report issued in November 2012 by Dubai Airports the passenger traffic in October was 4,923,246, up by 14.3 per cent from 4,307,817 recorded during the same month in 2011.

Year to date traffic has climbed by 13.5 per cent to 47,488,586 compared to 41,855,561 during the corresponding period in 2011.

“The growth continues at an impressive clip with almost five million passengers every month and is fast becoming the norm,”

expressed Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports.

“At this rate, we expect to exceed our initial forecast of 56.5 million passengers by the end the year,” he further added. AGCC recorded the largest increase in total passenger numbers in October

(+189,991 passengers), followed by Western Europe (+148,945), the Indian subcontinent (+81,533 passengers) and Asia (+42,768 passengers). Contraction in traffic on Middle Eastern routes continued in October (7,760) as a result of unrest in certain parts of the region. The

strongest markets in terms of percentage passenger growth were South America (+93.2 per cent) driven by new Emirates airline’s operations to destinations there, followed

by AGCC (28.2 per cent), Russia and CIS (+25.7 per cent) and Eastern Europe (+24.2 per cent).

Paul Griffiths CEO Dubai Airports