Travel Trade Monthly, April 2011

Middle East and North Africa Edition

April 2011, Issue 18

INVESTIGATION: ADVENTURE TOURISM Many pursuing the journey of their lifetime spurn lavish hotels and repetitive sightseeing tours.

Instead more and more step out of their comfort zone by involving exploration and travel to remote areas to discover what is more to the world.

As the smallest of the seven emirates, Ajman has promoted itself as a destination rich with natural beauty and an unspoilt coastline, offering relaxing resorts away from the bustling larger emirates.

3 EXPLORE: MOROCCO The travel industry in Morocco has experienced a boom in the past 10 years thanks to Vision 2010, a long-term plan designed to boost the development of tourism in the country.

10 In This Issue MARKET UPDATE INVESTIGATION: Adventure Tourism VISIT: Sharjah/Umm Al Quwain/Ajman EXPLORE: Morocco ONSITE: Malaysia TRAVEL TALK TRAVEL CHANNELS TOUR: Ireland EXCLUSIVE: Business Travel LONG HAUL: New York WHO’S MOVED RENDEZVOUS NEWS & EVENTS APRIL 2011

ISSUE 18

2 3 4 12 14 16 17 18 21 20 22 23 24

VISIT: Ajman

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TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY Managing Editor Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel Journalists Rita Kasziba Duncan MacRae Marianna Keen Design & Layout Elina Pericleous Sales & Marketing Dimitris Thomaidis Directors Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi Headquarters P.O. Box 25255 Nicosia 1308 Cyprus Tel: +357 22 820888 Fax: +357 22 318958 Website www.traveltradeweekly.travel Emails info@traveltradeweekly.travel editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel Printed in Cyprus Cyprint Plc P.O. Box 58300 CY-3732, Limassol, Cyprus Tel: +35725720035 Fax: +35725720123 Email: info@cyprint.com.cy

Lufthansa Records Fivefold Increase in Operating Profit Lufthansa Group has recorded strong performance, ending the 2010 business year with operating profit in all business segments.

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he group’s total revenue rose to EUR27.3 billion (USD38.9 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of 22.6 percent, while the total operating profit grew to EUR876 million (USD1.25 billion), representing more than a fivefold increase from 2009. Net profit reached EUR1.1 billion (USD1.57 billion) leading to a strong balance sheet and a successful year, Christoph Franz, chairman and CEO, Deutsche Lufthansa, commented on the results.

“We can be highly satisfied with this result; it shows that we have learned from the crisis of the past. We maintained our financial and operational flexibility as well as our usual cost discipline and convincingly mastered the past year – not least thanks to a strong team performance by all of our staff and management on the ground and in the air. And most importantly, Lufthansa has widened the gap to its competitors. That makes us proud and spurs us on to perform even better in 2011.”

The group projects further increasing in both revenues and operating figures.

“2011 will not be a walk in the park. The headwinds of competition are becoming rougher on the European routes and long-

haul routes to Asia and the Americas,” added Franz.

“The German air traffic tax hits the German and European airlines, as well as their passengers, where it hurts. The fuel prices are at record levels. And we are not immune to the consequences of political unrest, terrorist attacks and natural disasters. The Lufthansa Group will face up to these challenges and maintain its successful course in 2011; after all, the past year has shown that we possess the necessary expertise.”

We can be highly satisfied with this result; it shows that we have learned from the crisis of the past

CWT: Global Business Travel Prospers

MENA Exchange Rates Accurate as of 22/3/2011 Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar COUNTRY UAE (AED) Egypt (EGP) Saudi Arabia (SAR) Lebanon (LBP) Bahrain (BHD) Jordan ( JOD) Syria (SYP) Kuwait (KWD) Qatar (QAR) Oman (OMR) Tunisia (TND) Morocco (MAD) Iran (IRR) Yemen (YER) Algeria (DZD) Libya (LYD)

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CURRENCY Dirham Pound Riyal Pound Dinar Dinar Pound Dinar Riyal Rial Dinar Dirham Riyal Rial Dinar Dinar

1USD= 3.67 5.95 3.75 1509.5 0.37 0.71 46.65 0.28 3.64 0.38 1.38 7.96 10,333 215.05 71.59 1.22

Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), the global business travel management company has recorded strong performance in 2010, reflecting the rise of business travel.

The sales volume increased by 13.5 percent compared to 2009 and reached USD24.3 billion, while the number of transactions managed by CWT rose by 11.9 percent year on year. CWT recorded growth in each region, with Asia Pacific outperforming the other markets. EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) expericed a 6.6 percent increase, indicating a gradual economic growth in that region.

The company retained 96 percent of its clients’ business and recorded USD1.8 billion in annualised new sales, excluding renewals. Douglas Anderson, president and CEO, CWT, commented on the results. “Our growth in 2010 was driven by our success in retaining our clients, winning new business and of course, a more favourable economic environment. These excellent results were particularly significant in 2010 as there were many travel disruptions including heavy snow falls in Europe and the US and the Iceland volcano eruption. 2011 will certainly bring more challenges but our global teams are well positioned to continue to serve our clients effectively.”

CWT’s annual Travel Management Priorities survey projects that contain travel spending in the light of the current economic situation will rank as top priority among travel buyers, and it lists traveller compliance, optimising online adaption and generating both air and ground transportation saving as their main concerns.

Our growth in 2010 was driven by our success in retaining our clients, winning new business and of course, a more favourable economic environment APRIL 2011

- Adventure Travel

Pushing the Boundaries Many pursuing the journey of their lifetime spurn lavish hotels and repetitive sightseeing tours. Instead more and more step out of their comfort zone by involving exploration and travel to remote areas to discover what is more to the world.

Rita Kasziba writes

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he Middle East and North Africa has long appealed to travellers with its lure attractions and luxury properties. However, the region has gained popularity among adventure tourists willing to get off the beaten tracks and discover something different. Along with the rapidly growing popularity of adventure tourism, numerous agencies and operators have emerged in the region in response to the increasing demand on discovering scenic and untouched locations in an original way.

Balloon Adventures Emirates offers a unique experience where the balloons take off from the middle of the arid area to give a fascinating view.

Peter Kollar, managing director, elaborates more on the product. “In 2010, 4,000 visitors experienced this peerless adventure. We have been doing ballooning for over 20 years, and now we are looking at alternative locations within the UAE and possibly the wider Middle East. Adventure tourism that has mostly been the realm of western tourists becomes more and more attractive for Asian clients as those markets mature and clients look increasingly for things to do in the UAE and will no longer be satisfied with the usual desert safari, cruising and shopping,” added Kollar.

Absolute Adventure, the Dubai based adventure travel organiser, expedition management company and outdoor training course provider, also tends to offer unparalleled activities. Paul Oliver, managing director, comments on what adventure travel today includes. “I started Absolute Adventure in 2004.

And our first year consisted solely on overseas trips such as Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, Mt Toubkal in Morocco, trekking in Yemen and adventure tours to Afghanistan. In 2005, I discovered a traditional stone lodge at the back of

APRIL 2011

Dibba beach in the Musandam. This became our Adventure Centre from where we launched many short local adventures. These include rock climbing, trekking, mountain biking, sea kayaking, coasteering and canyoing.

The tiny island of Socotra, Yemen, is highly protected due to its natural aspects. The island which is recognised as a world natural heritage site by the UNESCO, is often described as the most alien-looking place on the Earth. Nagib AlAbse, general manager, Socotra Holidays Tours Agency explains as to why. “I would say that Socotra is the heaven on the globe. The island has a unique and rich wild life, nature, birds, mountains, beaches, sand dunes, fauna and flora.

In addition, Socotra has over 900 plants and trees, more than 300 of them found nowhere else but in this island.”

Due to the unparalleled appeal of the isolated island, the agency specialises on tailor-made services. “Our agency, located in Hadibo, offers unlimited world of adventures and activities for nature lovers, such as diving, fishing, surfing, windsurfing, swimming with dolphins, boat trips, bicycle, caving trekking tours and rides,” added Al-Abse.

Socotra, alongside with Yemen is not short of quality attractions that appeal for both adventure

seekers and holidaymakers, Noman Al Arasi, the owner of Yemen Trek Tours, elaborates on their services. “We are a team of skilled guides and drivers, organising both treks and classical tours.

We also offer great trips for mountain biking, climbing, paragliding in addition to memorable journeys to the wonderful island of Socotra.”

The arid deserts, boundless sand dunes and picturesque coastline of the oldest Gulf state, Oman also stands all demands of those with adventurous spirit, claims Aziza Kartoubi, sales and marketing manager of Musandam Sea Adventure Travel & Tourism.

“The majority of our clients are from Germany, Austria, Italy, England, France, furthermore, from India, GCC and other Arabic countries.

Our services include among others dhow cruise to spectacular fiords and mountain safari to Jebel Harim.”

Jordan has long been regarded as a prime destination for adventure travellers. According to Sara Noor, media and communications officer, Jordan Tourism Board, the country continues to gain popularity among adventure seekers.

“Adventure tourism is expanding at a fast rate in Jordan and promises to remain one of the most dynamic and innovative travel industry sectors for years to come,” said Noor.

“Jordan offers adventure seekers a host of unique experiences that compete on the international level; for example, rock climbing in Wadi Rum or deep sea diving in Aqaba. Adventure tourism is an extremely important part of experiences offered in Jordan, especially during the summer months.

Jordan boasts a number of suitable spots for adventure seekers, like Wadi Mujib, Wadi Rum, Petra, Dana and Aqaba.” n 3

- Sharjah Staying Strong with a Cultural and Environmental Signature Following a recorded eight percent rise in international tourist flow into Sharjah, the emirate’s position as the hub of culture and heritage in the UAE appears to be flourishing. Sharjah has excelled in endorsing itself as a safe, tradition-rich haven for travellers, far from the turbulence experienced in some parts of the Arab world. Travel Trade Monthly investigates the innovative projects recently launched in the emirate.

Marianna Keen writes

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he third largest emirate in the UAE has succeeded in displaying a mix of tradition and natural heritage with recently emerged commercial developments, and international tourist flow which has subsequently grown significantly.

Since 1997, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has promoted Sharjah as the ideal tourism destination in the Gulf for those wishing to experience the true culture, rituals and lifestyle of the Arab region in natural surroundings. With commercial and structural developments now well underway, officials appear keen for Sharjah to retain its environmental focus by lowering its carbon footprint and promoting energy efficiency.

A total of 12 locations across the emirate hosted

the Sharjah Light Festival, organised by SCTDA, in February 10-18, in which music and light shows illuminated the emirate’s Islamic architecture and culture, with a 51 percent (approximately 321 kilowatts) reduction in daily electricity consumption. Mohamad Ali Al Noman, director general, SCTDA, remarked on Sharjah’s world tourism status, aided by the first such light festival in the Middle East.

“The Sharjah Light Festival turned the spotlight on the emirate’s magnificent architectural heritage and history in a way that was never done before in the region. By using special techniques and saving energy, this unusual festival of light also tried to promote environmental awareness and energy conservation.”

Considering the UAE’s commitment to the goals of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI),

The warm response to the Sharjah stand at the ITB Berlin, and its selection for the Best Middle East Exhibitor Award this year shows that we have been successful in our [promotional]

attempts 4

Sharjah in Brief Currency: UAE Dirhams (AED) Language: Arabic announced on March 13, the region looks set to continue this sustainable trend. According to the memorandum, the UAE government will provide USD15 million in green growth funds over the next three years.

In addition to moving towards more sustainable business practices, Sharjah also endorses creativity. Among its cultural backing activities, the SCTDA has sponsored the Sharjah Forum for Emirati Talents, which promotes young local talent and creativity and was held for the first time at Al Qasba from March 2-5. The development is anticipated to have a positive impact on economic growth and partnership formation in the emirate. “This is a huge beginning,” added Al Noman.

Events Sharjah participated at ITB Berlin, which was held March 9-13, where the emirate focused on procuring networking ties and promoting tourism. The event featured Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), which is set to promote Al Qasba as a defining tourism initiative, along with other unique projects under its management. Shurooq’s involvement at ITB Berlin was focused on expanding investment in Sharjah, including endeavoring to open new investment markets and reinforce economic collaboration. The Sharjah stand at ITB Berlin included the Heritage Village, which showed off traditional activities like henna and performance by folk artists. “The warm response to the Sharjah stand at the ITB Berlin, and its selection for the Best Middle East Exhibitor Award this year shows that we have been successful in our [promotional] attempts,” said Al Noman.

Further endorsing the emirate and the Sharjah Light Festival, SCTDA, in February, planned a tour for more than 30 media representatives from several international and local audio-visual media delegations, involving a visit to the festival shows’ locations.

APRIL 2011

- Sharjah Sharjah skyline

The final destination of the tour was Al Qasba, which features the Eye of the Emirates, a 60m high observatory wheel commissioned by the Qasba Development Authority. The international media delegation of the tour in Sharjah embodied the UK, Germany, Russia and Switzerland, whereas local delegation included UAE media. The purpose of the tour lay not just in promoting the show, but also enhancing the collaboration among local and international media with a view of expanding tourism. The SCTDA has recently been associated with several events and activities that directly or indirectly promote commerce and tourism sectors in the emirate, including the Sharjah Heritage Days, the Sharjah International Show Jumping Competition, the Emirates Festival of Children’s Theatre and Classic Cars Exhibition.

According to SCTDA statistics, more than 1.55 million tourists visited Sharjah in 2010, amounting to eight percent growth since 2009.

42 percent of visitors came from Europe, with the number of German tourists coming to Sharjah having increased by 121 percent in the past six years.

In 2010, the emirate attracted 204,340 tourists from Russia, only second to the 300,000 visitors from Germany. The SCTDA took part in the 18th MITT exhibition, in Moscow, 16 - 20 March, with the hope of attracting even more international visitors. “Interestingly, 24 percent of visitors came from neighbouring Gulf countries,” added Al Noman.

Airlines Housam Raydan, corporate communications and customer relations manager, Air Arabia, commented that visitor numbers have not been affected by political protests and unrest in some parts of Africa and the Middle East. “We have not cancelled any of our flights. We continually adjust our flight schedule to better accommodate customer needs during such times.”

Highlighting the unwavering situation, Air Arabia has recently increased flights between Sharjah and Kenya to daily, and will soon increase flights to Kiev to daily. In the coming months, the low cost airline also plans to announce more routes to APRIL 2011

Sharjah. “Low cost carrier (LCC) travel has become a reality in this part of the world and is going from strength to strength,” added Raydan.

The low cost airline, NASAir, whose operations to Sharjah commenced in 2008, has noted a mix of international passengers on flights to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, with a high proportion coming from Saudi Arabia. Both leisure and business travellers are recorded to have taken advantage of the airline’s low fares and convenient online booking. Simon Stewart, CEO, NASAir commented on the planned future growth of the company. “As we have a new aircraft delivery plan we are constantly reviewing our network for further opportunities. Sharjah is a great route for us, as is Abu Dhabi and Dubai, so we may look

to expand further into the UAE over the next 12 months. It is possible that unrest in other areas has made the UAE a more attractive destination for leisure traffic compared to other routes on our network.”

Ratan Ratnakar, vice president, market development and pricing for Gulf MEA, Jet Airways, also remarked on the opportunity for growth in the region. “We have seen the growth opportunity in Sharjah as we currently operate a daily service to Kochi and have finalised new daily operations to Thiruvananthapuram (both in Kerala, India).”

Sharjah - Kochi operations with Jet Airways began in 2009, and success indicates that Indian tourists to the region may be on the increase.

We anticipate a growth in the market since Sharjah has big potential and comes up with new ideas and programs

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- Sharjah The airline has noticed no drop in passenger numbers on routes to and from Sharjah. “We see a mix of corporate, VFR (visiting friends and relatives), student and traditional peak summer and winter holiday traffic and we do not see this changing drastically,” added Ratnakar.

On the other hand, EgyptAir has been directly affected by unrest in the Middle East, specifically the 18 days of political protests that erupted in Egypt in January. Sharjah flights, as well as services to other international destinations from the national airline of Egypt. Ahmed Osama, corporate communications executive, EgyptAir, observed the improvement in business since the steady salvage of stability post President Mubarak.

“EgyptAir was not affected largely by the political situations in other African and Middle Eastern countries, as Egypt was able to regain its stability and started to improve its facilities to recover quickly. This resulted in recovering the load factor for flights between Cairo and the UAE in general. Many airlines entered in severe competition to obtain slots in Sharjah Airport, which introduced itself as one of the most important airports in the Middle East because of its huge capacity.”

Ayman Nasr, chariman and CEO, EgyptAir, suggested a strategy for expansion in the UAE, including the continually developing emirate of Sharjah. “Sharjah is one our important markets in the Middle East. It is one of the fast growing markets in the region and many Egyptians live there.”

Accommodation The environment appears positive for Sharjah’s tourism industry, which is also noted by the newest hotel in the area, Ramada Hotel Sharjah, which opened its doors January 15. Tamas Fazekas, general manager, Ramada Hotel Sharjah, suggested that although the instability throughout the Arab world is unfortunate, the situation may have two sides.

“Tourists who want to travel and were planning to head to those countries, will shift their trips to the safe UAE including Sharjah.”

The UAE has escaped the unrest so far, and although potential for unrest is considered, Sharjah, with its flourishing economy, has shown no signs of instability. Fazekas remarked that spirits are high for the future, as the Sharjah tourism industry has also adapted to the

While this beautiful emirate is renowned for its grand architecture, monuments and Arab and Islamic heritage, it is a complete holiday destination for the entire family 6

Sharjah’s Blue Souq

changing market. “We anticipate a growth in the market since Sharjah has big potential and comes up with new ideas and programs.”

The contemporary Ramada Hotel Sharjah is located on the border near to Dubai and Al Nahda area, opposite one of the largest shopping centers, Sahara Centre. It has so far attracted a mix of leisure and business visitors and has noted a considerable interest from the GCC market and Germany.

The SCTDA recorded that the number of hotels in Sharjah reached 45 in 2010, whilst the amount of hotel apartments reached 62. Hotel occupancies registered at 73 percent. In light of the stability in the emirate, chances of maintaining this level appear secure.

In addition to leisure tourism, Shurooq has marketed Sharjah’s readiness for MICE visits, hoping to further broaden its tourism reach.

“While this beautiful emirate is renowned for its grand architecture, monuments and Arab and Islamic heritage, it is a complete holiday destination for the entire family. It also has world class infrastructure and facilities for business meetings and conferences,” commented Al Noman.

The tourism industry in Sharjah, as well as the airlines flying to the emirate appear confident that the growing trend in tourists visiting the emirate will continue. In addition to a focus on principal cultural values, the emirate’s tourism industry appears to be embarking on a journey of increased environmental responsibility, offering a positive future in a world increasingly concerned with climate change. Regional conflicts, political protests and turmoil throughout Africa and the Middle East have affected Sharjah tourism minimally, and could even have strengthened operations, contingency plans, and the ability to adapt to such situations.

“The emirate stands as an inimitable place to see when you visit the UAE,” added Raydan.

APRIL 2011

- Umm Al Quwain The Small Emirate Packed with Adventure, Pushes Forward The small and relatively remote Umm Al Quwain, with its long beaches, natural hideaways and archaeological sites, has long been an attraction to tourists; yet the emirate is increasingly taking on a new form. The availability of a plethora of adrenaline filled sports and leisure facilities, with innovative developments underway, are making Umm Al Quwain a new hotspot in the Middle East.

Marianna Keen writes

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he name Umm Al Quwain is derived from Umm Al Quwatain, which means ‘mother of two powers’, a reference to the powerful seafaring tradition of this emirate. Traditions are still evident however the focus of the emirate has changed significantly.

The emirate, whose main attraction has been its small size, relatively remote location and long clean beaches, has seen a boom in adventure sports. Available activities include not just water sports, but also shooting, horse riding, sky diving, motorcycle racing and pilot training.

The Emirates Car and Motorcycle Racing Club is scheduled to develop a grand club house with gym, sauna, jacuzzi, olympic sized swimming pool, and a specialised multimedia library on motor sports racing. A marina project currently being developed also proposes to add to the sports and relaxation facilities available.

Marina The Emaar Umm Al Quwain Marina project is conceptualised around a large circular marina and is designed to offer visitors a vibrant lifestyle and world class recreational facilities.

Construction is underway at its location along the extensive coast of the lagoon of Khor Al Beidah.

The marina, easily accessed from Dubai through the Emirates Ring Road, is developed as part of an agreement between Emaar and the Umm Al Quwain Government and is estimated to cost AED12 billion (USD3.267 billion) with 2,000 acres of mixed use, the project is anticipated to bring a new era of economic prosperity to the emirate.

The total navigable water area, including marina and a set of canals is planned at 450 acres, with a central marina basin of 450m diameter that will berth over 600 boats. The master plan envisages 6,000 villas and 2,000 townhouses, and approximately 1,200 resort and hotel rooms.

The marina will cater for the high proportion of leisure tourists visiting the emirate and will also provide hotels fully equipped for business tourism, which may rise as the economy of the emirate grows.

APRIL 2011

Hotels Currently, Flamingo Beach Resort records a ratio of 1:10 of business and leisure guests, predominantly coming from Eastern Europe and Russia. Due to recent success, the hotel has some facility enhancement programmes planned for the coming year.

Palma Beach Resort and Spa also procures mostly leisure clients, with an increase noted in comparison to 2010. The majority of clients come from India, Asia, Europe and the UAE. Maria Caguete, marketing manager, Palma Beach Resort, is confident that the market remains strong. “The hotel and tourism industry is still growing despite the political issues [in Bahrain].”

Arun G. Menon, resort manager, Flamingo Beach Resort, remarked on the prevalence of Umm Al Quwain’s tourism despite political protests and

unrest across the Arab world. “The political situation in the Middle East and North Africa has indeed influenced the tourism industry in the region, but differently in different scenarios. As the UAE is a very stable country and is the economic hub in the region, the current situation may not have a sizeable effect on the tourism industry in the emirate. This once rich, pearl fishing, economic hotspot of the region has everything that a globe trotter looks forward to.”

The emirate is gradually regaining its once high status, having now become a bustling tourism destination that presents highly sought after experiences. Gradually increasing its offering to visitors to cover a spectrum of adventure sports and facilities for relaxation, Umm Al Quwain has carved out a unique image, which has proved popular to tourists.

This once rich, pearl fishing, economic hotspot of the region has everything that a globe trotter looks forward to

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- Ajman The Teetering Balance Between Expansion and Green Focus As the smallest of the seven emirates, Ajman has promoted itself as a destination rich with natural beauty and an unspoilt coastline, offering relaxing resorts away from the bustling larger emirates. Despite a development boom, many construction projects, including hotels and leisure facilities, were left uncompleted in the wake of the global crisis; however the emirate now looks set to add to its tourism focus. Travel Trade Monthly explores Ajman’s potential of becoming the next thriving travel destination in the Middle East.

Marianna Keen writes

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ith an increased focus on improving infrastructure and boosting investment and development, Ajman is being careful not to compromise its primary attraction to tourists – its natural beauty. While there have been widespread investor setbacks on many real estate projects in the area in the wake of the global crisis, prosperity, including increased investment, has meant that developments are gradually taking form.

Ajman has moulded its tourism focus to appeal to those seeking a serene getaway in natural surroundings, with long pure beaches, complete

with availability of boutique hotels and luxurious treatments. This appears now closer to including extensive commercial complexes and waterfront developments.

Projects Ajman One plans to offer shopping, leisure, residential, business and hotel facilities within a single development. Aqaar, the developer behind the Ajman One AED2.7 billion (USD735 million) real estate project, reported little disruption from the global economic downturn, although delays are being experienced.

A source from Aqaar commented on the current status of Ajman One, which was planned for

The UAE is one of the safest countries in the region and therefore we have not felt any decrease in numbers of guests 8

Ajman marina plan

completion in 2011, saying that focus is currently on the residential phase of the project. The tourism and commercial part of the project has been split and Aqaar are looking at developing a hotel and exhibition centre sometime in 2012 or 2013, with the commercial and office concept coming after that.

A four-star Novotel Ajman is proposed to be based in Aqaar’s development, comprising of 200 rooms, with 70 serviced apartments.

Further plans for the tourism part of the project include developing an extensive marina and transforming Ajman’s entire waterfront. Aqaar acknowledges that stretches of natural coastline enhance the beauty of the landscape, so it will preserve beaches.

With Ajman’s close proximity to the UAE’s other booming emirates, most notably Sharjah and Dubai, the comparatively untouched gem is attracting widespread attention, promising to become an increasingly popular tourist destination as well as a thriving business hub, attracting MICE tourism. Boosting investment over recent years, Ajman was the second emirate, after Dubai, to offer freehold real estate and became the only emirate in the UAE to offer investors of any nationality fully transparent 100 percent freehold ownership on real estate.

Although the majority of projects never got underway, Al Zorah Resorts is now paving the way towards a luxury compound for recreation and relaxation, which embraces nature.

The project, master-planned by Solidere International and developed by Al Zorah Development Company Limited, in partnership with the Ajman Government, will be located on the northern coast of Ajman.

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- Ajman

The project will have an area of 5.7 million m2, 60 percent of which will be green and open spaces.

Featured at the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) Berlin, March 9-13, Al Zorah Resorts markets itself as an ‘opportunity to rediscover nature.’ Activities for exploring and appreciating the Ajman landscape include bike riding, fishing, falconry, and a marina for canoeing and yachting.

There will also be an eco marine museum, and an environmental focus of the project means that beaches, sand dunes and natural mangrove forests will remain untouched by developers.

The project demonstrates the UAE’s move towards increased environmental awareness and sustainable business operations, also including a low pollution electric train network across the resort. Heritage as well as nature is to be encompassed in the Al Zorah resort, with offerings of cultural artisan, traditional boat building and other historically steeped practices. A golf course, retail outlets, pubs, adrenaline sports, and several boutique hotels that cater for MICE activities anticipate making this complex the ideal destination for a broad range of visitors.

In addition to Ajman One and Al Zorah Resort marina plans, Tanmiyat Investment Group also proposes development of the Ajman waterfront, namely the Ajman Marina project. The smallest emirate of the UAE appears well on its way to achieving long aspired structural expansion.

What effect this will have on tourism to the region is still to be seen, however thus far tourism to Ajman has become gradually more popular.

Hotels John Stocki, assistant marketing and public relations manager, Kempinski Hotel Ajman, indicated that tourism in Ajman is set to continue growing regardless of political protests and turmoil across the Middle East and Africa.

“Kempinski is growing fast in the region and we believe in the strength and stability of this region in the long term despite the current events that are breaking out at this stage.” The Kempinski Hotel Ajman has attracted 80 percent of its business from leisure tourism, with main markets consisting of CIS and German speaking areas, and a new interest from Scandinavian countries.

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“The UAE is one of the safest countries in the region and therefore we have not felt any decrease in numbers of guests. However, the macroeconomic factors dictated by the events are highly likely to affect many countries in the area and beyond on many levels,” added Stocki.

What affect the instability in some parts of Africa and the Middle East will have on the wider global economy and tourism to Ajman, it is too early to tell, however Iftikhar Hamdani, executive assistant manager, Ramada Hotel and Suites Ajman believes that guidance from a tourism board could help Ajman’s tourism industry. “A tourism board needs to be established to lead the hotels in Ajman in international travel exhibitions which will give the emirate more exposure and bring in more tourists.” The number of hotel guests at the Ramada Hotel and

Suites Ajman almost doubled in 2010, having reached 113,744. The tourism trend, which has led to developments across the emirate, may finally invoke the construction of Ajman International Airport, which was launched in 2007 but has yet to take form.

Planners indicate that the Ajman International Airport will be situated in the Al Manama area, however according to BNC (Building and Construction Network), the project with estimated value of USD1.5 billion is on hold. The project, led by the Spanish corporation Grupo Inmobiliario Whitelake, involves planned construction of an airport in a 5km area, including a 4000m runway.

Building in Ajman is clearly seeing steadier progress and is set to alter the tourism focus of the emirate, and an increase in focus on environmental responsibility may mean that the natural landscape of Ajman is not drastically damaged. The tax free and liberal emirate continues to hold its image as a destination with well preserved nature and stunning coastline, showing off the variance of countryside and desert that the UAE has to offer, and expectations are high for this to continue. n

We believe in the strength and stability of this region in the long term despite the current events that are breaking out 9

- Morocco

Morocco Looks Ahead With Vision 2020 The travel industry in Morocco has experienced a boom in the past 10 years thanks to Vision 2010, a long-term plan designed to boost the development of tourism in the country. Travel Trade Monthly examines how Morocco’s new vision for 2020 will maximise its tourism potential over the next decade.

Duncan MacRae writes

K

ing Mohammed introduced a new vision for the nation and its economic growth and in 2001, he launched a hugely ambitious strategic development plan for tourism in Morocco.

The strategy was to cost a staggering MAD28.6 billion (USD3.6 billion) where the target was to create 600,000 new jobs in the industry and provide 250,000 hotel beds by 2010. The country was set to attract 10 million tourists in 2010.

Following the Morocco Tourism Report 2011, which was released at the end of 2010 by a research firm, Research and Markets, the report revealed the positive results from the past decade that the tourism sector had been hoping for.

According to the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, 8.34 million tourists visited Morocco in 2009 which represented an increase of six percent from the previous year. A total of 9.21 million people had visited Morocco in 2010 where from January until July that year, 5.6 million tourists arrived, showing an increase of 10 percent year on year.

Hamid Bendahar, vice president Morocco for Sofitel, feels the country is an easy destination to sell to potential tourists. “It’s a short distance from Europe and the Middle East although offers a long-haul experience too, because it is so different from most other countries. For example, you can

Royal Palace

reach Morocco in less than three hours from Europe, and have a completely different experience, as well as very pleasant weather. Even within the country itself, there is a variety of experiences to be had. There is strong diversity and variety from city to city. Each city has different colour, cuisine, music and atmosphere.

Morocco offers terrific tours and tourists can easily mix a beach holiday with a cultural holiday.

It also combines French elegance with Moroccan refinement.”

Tour operators were recommending Morocco as an alternative destination to clients who have initially booked their holidays for Egypt or Tunisia The Morocco Tourism Report 2011 states that the figures regarding Morocco’s tourism industry over the past few years were stronger than fellow industry analysts, Business Monitor International had anticipated. They applauded Morocco for its ambitious targets, which have over the past decade done much to boost tourism.

Vision Bentahar from Sofitel is well placed to comment on the achievements and ambitions of Morocco’s tourism industry, as he is also president of the

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Morocco in Brief Capital: Rabat Currency: Moroccan Dirham (MAD) Language: Arabic regional centre for tourism in Marrakech. He beams with pride when he reflects on how far the industry has come in just a few short years. “The King put in place a strong strategy with Vision 2010. He wanted Morocco to attract 10 million tourists by 2010. It was extremely ambitious because we were really starting from scratch. By 2010 Morocco had attracted 9.4 million visitors, which was wonderful and due, in part, to the private sector and public sector working hard together to make improvements to our infrastructure.”

The country’s Vision 2020, aims to encourage further improvements, potentially transforming Morocco into one of the top 10 destinations in the world. A total of MAD178.6 billion (USD22.15 billion) is to be invested in order to double the number of tourists, increase tourism revenue and to create 147,000 new jobs in the sector by the end of the decade. The vision calls for doubling the size of the tourism sector and increasing tourism revenues from the current MAD60 billion (USD7.4 billion) to MAD150 billion (USD18.61 billion) over the next decade.

Bentahar believes the country has the capacity to vastly improve its infrastructure and reach its new Vision 2020 targets, which also include creating a further 200,000 hotels beds.

APRIL 2011

- Morocco “Major hotel groups from Europe, Asia and the USA are developing new hotels in the country.

As far as hotels are concerned, we need to produce quantity and quality,” Bentahar explains.

“I think quantity should not be too much of a problem but to achieve the high quality of infrastructure that we want will be more of a challenge, especially with strong competition from elsewhere in the world. Most of the hard work will revolve around training and motivating workers and that is something we will all have to work hard on, day by day. Moroccan people are highly skilled, though and the targets can be reached. In 2001 nobody thought we would get anywhere near the target for 2010, but Morocco achieved so much in those 10 years.

Of the numerous plans for new hotel developments in the country within the next few years, half of the deals have either been signed for, or the hotels have already begun construction,” Bentaher adds.

Sofitel itself plans to create new hotels in Morocco in the coming years, with Sofitel Fez Palais Jamai due to open in 2013 and a further two hotels under construction in Casablanca and Agadir. This will take the number of Sofitel hotels in Morocco to seven.

Enthusiasm The King has given full backing to the tourism industry, and emphasis on the crucial priority for Morocco and its continued socioeconomic growth. The recent political unrest in the country, and a smattering of other nations in Africa and the Middle East, seems to have done little to dampen the enthusiasm of those working in Moroccan tourism.

Jamal El Jaidi, tourism & events promoter, Moroccan National Tourist Office, comments that the North African uprisings have had little Rabat

12

Sofitel Rabat

impact of Morocco’s tourism, particularly from the UK and Irish markets.

“In fact, some of the UK tour operators were recommending Morocco as an alternative destination to clients who have initially booked their holidays for Egypt or Tunisia,” he says.

“The MICE sector, however, was slightly affected because there were some group cancellations to Morocco shortly after the spread of the social unrest in North Africa.”

Morocco can show other countries the way and be a positive example for other countries in Africa and the Middle East According to Bentahar, any negative impact the political problems may have had on Morocco’s tourism industry will be reversed sooner rather than later. He was especially reassured by the King’s public address in March, in which he

Hasaan Mosque, Casablanca

promised major constitutional reform, following nationwide protests. “We have a new Morocco now,” Bentahar explains. “Before the King’s speech, perhaps you could say we had some concerns about the direction of the country and our tourism industry, but since he delivered his speech we are now much more confident. I’m so very proud about what is happening in our country. Our constitution is changing and there is more emphasis on democracy and freedom.

We are taking massive steps as a country.”

El Jaidi notes that the Moroccan National Tourist Office will now help to build on the past decade’s success by reinforcing the country’s image in Europe and targeting expanding markets, such as the Middle East. “In addition, we will need to explore ways of establishing new air services to Morocco.”

Bentahar believes that the achievements and positive developments Moroccans have witnessed in their country can also give heart to other nations that are struggling financially or politically, particularly with many tourists looking to holiday elsewhere.

“I truly believe Morocco can show other countries the way, and be a positive example for other countries in Africa and the Middle East.

This will be so important for the future of us all because we all have to work together and live together.” n APRIL 2011

- Malaysia

W here History Meets Future Malaysia prides itself with its extreme contrasts, the land where skyscrapers tower upon wooden houses and where history meets current. The country aims to enhance its share of tourism amongst leisure, business and medical travellers.

Rita Kasziba writes

I

n 2010, Malaysia recorded 24.6 million tourist arrivals, compared to 23.6 million in 2009, which generated MYR56.5 billion (USD18.5 billion).

Most of the visitors came from Singapore, while Indonesia and Thailand took second and third place. In terms of growth, Malaysia’s popularity showed an increase of 16 percent in the UAE. The Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) promotes the country as an outstanding destination and aims to encourage tourism and its related industries, explained Tuan Razali Tuan Omar, director, MTPB. “The major generating markets are Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, China, India, Australia and the UK. Our culture and traditions that blended from many races make Malaysia a truly different destination.”

According to the tourism board, Malaysia is also gaining popularity in the Middle East and North Africa. “Malaysia is a very popular destination amongst the people in the MENA for family as well as a honeymoon destination,” added the director.

“The Islamic elements, natural wonders of the country, easily available halal food, good value for money destination, modern cities, shopping facilities, and the theme parks really attract them to visit Malaysia.”

The director touched upon the likely impact of the recent turmoil in the Arab countries. “We estimate an increase in the number of arrivals to Malaysia for 2011. However, the situations in the MENA region nowadays might affect the overall number of arrivals into the country.”

Malaysia is a value for money destination The country’s national carrier, Malaysia Airlines, operates services to several destinations in the MENA region, which is a major market for the carrier. Merina Abu Tahir, regional senior vice president Middle East and Africa, commented on this region. “The Middle East market is a key market for Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia is a very attractive destination for Middle Eastern travellers because it offers a wide range of attractions at affordable cost, in addition to the strong cultural links. Visitor arrivals from Middle 14

East to Malaysia have increased by 51 percent in 2010 compared to previous years.”

Furthermore Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways also offer flights to Kuala Lumpur. In addition, Qatar Airways has just introduced its second daily flight to the capital city.

Malaysia plays host to numerous high-profile events this year, including the fifth International Conference on Muslim Tourism on April 14. The event aims to increase awareness of the substantial potential of muslim tourism. Jeffri Sulaiman, vice president, Malaysian Association of Travel & Tour Agents, elaborates on the promotion. “Even in nonMuslim countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia, Muslim tourism is largely promoted.

Muslim travel is not restricted only for Muslims.

Non-Muslim travel companies can learn the Muslim way of travel and how the packages are planned.”

Yet Malaysia is not only a leading MICE event host but also one of the fastest emerging healthcare hubs in Asia. In 2010, around 400,000 foreigners arrived in Malaysia for medical purposes, generating an estimated MYR308 million (USD101.65 million) in revenue.

In response to the rapidly growing international demand on medical treatments, several organisations have emerged such as Malaysia Healthcare to offer comprehensive packages.

Vijayan Samuel, chief operating officer, Malaysia Healthcare, expands more on the packages. “We act as our clients medical and holiday consultants by helping them make informed decisions relating to their treatment and/or holiday requirements.”

The country is favoured among medical tourists worldwide including the Middle East.

“Malaysia, being a moderate Islamic country, which is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, is very appealing to the patients from the Middle East and North African countries. The number of Middle Eastern patients has steadily grown over the last three years simply because Malaysia offers excellent medical facilities. The major cities of Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Melaka usually attract most of the Arabic and North African tourists as they prefer to be near restaurants that cater to their own food, culture and hospitals that are closer in proximity to them. Also as the cost of medical treatment is skyrocketing in the US and Europe, Malaysia’s healthcare service comes as a relief to a patient,” Samuel added.

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia in Brief Capital: Kuala Lumpur Currency: Ringgit (MYR) Language: Bahasa Malaysia To accommodate the increasing influx of tourists, a range of hotels have recently cropped up across the country, such as DoubleTree by Hilton. Leo Frankel, director of business development, comments on the hotel. “Being the first of the DoubleTree by Hilton brand hotel in Southeast Asia, the property has been creating a lot of buzz in the regional and local market since our opening in August 2010.

We have set up facilities to make our Middle Eastern guests feel at home. We have Kiblah's and prayer mats in the room as well as a Surau. We have a large inventory of suites with interconnecting rooms to accommodate the families and we are also about to launch our Shisha terrace with a special Middle East menu.

Kuala Lumpur itself is a colourful mix of cultures providing an array of food and beverage options, where Halal food is easily available.”

Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur has long been favoured due to its fine location and high-level service, reinforced Dawn Lim, marketing coordinator.

“The main selling points of the Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur is its location. There were a total of 148,233 registered guests in 2010 with the majority from Asia Pacific, Middle East and Europe. Our Middle East and American market segmentation is growing strongly. Location and ease of travel for both our corporate clients and our FIT guests are a high priority.” n APRIL 2011

Akbar Al Baker

Akbar Al Baker

CEO, Qatar Airways “By 2013, Qatar Airways will have surpassed 120 destinations worldwide and will shift the goalposts even further with further expansion.

Our ultimate goal is to be widely recognised as the best airline in the world.”

Our ultimate goal is to be widely recognised as the best airline in the world

Ahmed El-Meligui

Taleb Rifai

Director of Sales and Marketing, Salalah Marriott Resort

Secretary General, UNWTO “The Silk Road is a powerful brand for leveraging continued tourism growth in Asia and the Middle East, while utilising online technologies and social media. Nevertheless, there are still many barriers to overcome as we work towards our objectives, including improved travel facilitation for tourists.”

“It fulfills me with great pleasure to celebrate the first anniversary of the Resort that is such an important milestone for us.

Ahmed To see the place El-Meligui grow and develop is truly wonderful and we can now look back on an eventful and quite successful first year.

Through the dedication of our team and the great support of the local community and authorities, the media and the owning company, Salalah Marriott Resort is now well positioned in the market and offers guests a complete holiday experience by blending Marriott’s authentic hospitality with exceptional facilities in an unmatched natural landscape. We await the second year and many more years to come with great anticipation and will certainly continue providing a new level of luxury and service to Oman."

Salalah Marriott Resort is now well positioned in the market and offers guests a complete holiday experience

There are still many barriers to be overcome as we work towards our objectives

Taleb Rifai

Mohamad Ali Al Noman Director General, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) “While this beautiful emirate is renowned for its grand architecture, monuments and Arab and Islamic heritage, it is also a complete holiday destination for the entire family. More important, it has world class infrastructure and facilities for business and business meetings and conferences.”

[The emirate]has world class infrastructure and facilities for business and business meetings and conferences Mohamad Ali Al Noman

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 16

APRIL 2011

Tourism Mobility Comes Calling in MEA Holidaymakers have been going online and getting mobile with technology in their droves in recent years.

T

oday’s travellers are demanding more from the internet and smartphones than ever before when it comes to planning and enjoying their trips abroad.

Early in 2010, a survey of Facebook users by price comparison website Hotels-Fairy, showed that the majority of people steer clear of high street travel agents in preference of planning and booking holidays online.

A total of 81 percent of those surveyed said they book trips online, as opposed to 11 percent who opt to visit high street travel agents to make arrangements and eight percent who prefer to book over the phone.

Other more recent studies back up the results of this survey, suggesting that travel agents must adapt quickly to the changing habits of their customers.

Strategy, marketing and sales consultants, Sempora Consulting, released the figures from a study on the subject regarding smartphone holiday bookings.

The study showed that almost 25 percent of those surveyed are now reserving hotel rooms and booking flights on Apple iPhones, Google Androids, BlackBerrys and Palm phones.

The company also urged travel agents and hotels to develop mobile applications in order to capture this market share.

Sempora Consulting predicts that mobile applications will heavily influence the behaviour of consumer services and buying power in the coming years.

Priceline, a hotel, flight and car rental booking website, is another to have conducted research into the use of smartphones.

Towards the end of 2010, it examined the use of its hotel and rental car negotiator app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod over a period of two weeks.

Notable results included the fact that users left booking until the last minute.

APRIL 2011

The company also noted that those who arranged holidays through smartphones, generally planned more upscale travel than those who book through websites.

This, however, should even out in the near future as the use of smartphones becomes increasingly more commonplace.

Travelport, a business services provider to the global travel industry, this month released the findings from its own research.

The survey, which polled more than 150 corporate travel buyers, agents, hospitality and travel professionals from around the world, found that more than half of business customers use mobile technology when it comes to searching for and booking hotels.

The study revealed that travellers expect mobile technology to be available to them in order to help them get the most out of their trips.

A total of 80 percent of respondents wanted mobile apps that could suggest restaurants and bars to visit near the hotel, with 67 percent stating that similar apps suggesting recreational activities were desirable.

Wi-Fi was also highlighted as being one of the most important technology solutions, with 71 percent of respondents saying this should be included as standard in hotels rooms, and 82 percent expecting the service to be available in all hotel rooms within the next five years.

New smartphone travel-related apps that can benefit travellers are constantly being developed.

These can offer travel tips, translation, cultural information, navigation and maps, flight or train information, world time zones, taxi services and tour guides. Long-gone are the days when a map

or translation dictionary were essential items.

So far, travel agencies and hotels throughout the world have been slow to adopt the mobile web, but there are technology providers developing solutions that have the power of mobile directly into hands of travel trade businesses.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts, as an example, successfully launched an app for the BlackBerry in autumn 2010, which had been developed by business solutions provider CSC. The SPG app was launched for the hotel chain’s Starwood Preferred Guest program and the company said that the app has made it easier for BlackBerry users to browse and make reservations at Starwood’s 1,000 properties across the globe.

It can also be used to manage reservations, check recent account activity, connect with customer service, get directions and maps to hotels, and check travel trends and tips.

South African-based technology and support company, Real Time Travel Connections, recently unveiled its latest mobile booking tool, designed to enable travel agents to mobilise their business. The mobile booking solution, the first on the African continent, enables the local travel trade to offer clients 24-hour access to travel content via their mobile phones.

The solution enables customers to book and pay for flights, car rental and hotel reservations 24 hours a day, as well as view travel itineraries on smartphones.

The technology that customers crave is already in place and it is clear that today’s travellers have embraced mobile technology and appreciate its ease of use. All that remains is for the African and Middle Eastern travel trade to embrace it too. n 17

- Ireland

Irish Tourism is to be Resurrected The collapse of overseas demand over the past two years has sent Irish tourism into crisis, with the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation warning that urgent action must be taken if tourism in the Republic is ever to fully recover. Travel Trade Monthly looks at what is being done to resuscitate a dying industry.

Duncan MacRae writes

I

t was not so long ago that Ireland experienced a financial boom and, with that, the country’s tourism industry flourished. New hotel developments were in full swing and tourists were plentiful. The global financial crisis, however, left Ireland’s tourism industry reeling.

Now, a string of hotels throughout the country lie empty and boarded up, nicknamed the ‘zombie hotels’. The stream of tourists has dried up and for the past two year’s the country’s tourism industry has been on a sharp downward spiral.

Annique Labuschagne, representative, Tourism Ireland, Gulf Reps, says the global economic downturn has led to fundamental changes in the tourism and travel industry around the globe.

“Competition is fierce and the holiday choice available for people everywhere is vast, with many other tourist boards also targeting consumers more aggressively than ever.”

Ireland is now planning to turn things around and Tourism Ireland, along with Ireland’s new government, have formed a plan of action in order to make the Emerald Isle one of the world’s most attractive destinations once again.

“Following some of the most difficult years for tourism in living memory, the Irish tourism industry is poised for a return to growth,” Labuschagne adds. “Overseas tourism has a critical role to play in contributing to our economic recovery. It is one of our largest indigenous industries and is recognised by both governments on the island as a vital exportoriented service industry that is set to play an important role in economic regeneration.”

Following some of the most difficult years for tourism in living memory, the Irish tourism industry is poised for a return to growth Those working in Ireland’s tourism industry will be hoping that this year will be a turning point for the sector and, with Tourism Ireland 18

Dublin

predicting growth of up to eight percent, the outlook appears to be bright.

This will require a restoration of economic growth in Ireland’s key source markets, a return of consumer confidence and a restoration of lost access, according to Labuschagne.

As far as the government is concerned, tourism remains at the heart of any potential economic growth.

Government Efforts To help with the revival of the hotel sector, the Irish government has vowed to control local and central government charges through a three-year freeze and, where feasible, lower central and local government costs, such as energy and rates, to the tourism sector.

The government says it is also committed to reducing Value Added Tax (VAT) on hotel accommodation and restaurants to 12 percent, thereby providing an important stimulus to the sector.

The possibility of setting up a Loan Guarantee Scheme for the tourism sector in the Republic of Ireland on similar lines to those available in the UK is also to be investigated, while air travel tax review charges at all airports.

Luxury hotel Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, in County Wicklow, which welcomed fewer guests in 2010 than in the previous year, feels that the newly formed government has a big part to play.

Sinead Cox, public relations manager, RitzCarlton, Powerscourt, believes that the reduced air travel tax and freezing of VAT could be particularly beneficial.

“If these two initiatives are brought in by the new

Ireland in Brief Capital: Dublin Currency: Euro (EUR) Language: English Minister for Tourism, Leo Varadkar, then it should help improve competitiveness in the industry. Price has long been identified as a reason why many tourists have stayed away and, even though prices have decreased over the past two years, there is still room for improvement so visitors have more purchasing power.”

Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, also urges the government to review its visa entry regulations in order to make it easier for travellers to visit Ireland.

“They need to ensure that airlines can keep certain routes and important gateways open too.

This is essential to make travelling here an easy option,” Cox explains.

“Transport and infrastructure is quite weak in Ireland and improving this would attract more guests further afield and out of Dublin city centre.

It is clear that much damage has been done internationally following the economic and political events of the past two years.” The new politicians need to reenergise brand Ireland, she added.

Airlines Irish tourism, as a whole, is now focusing its efforts on attracting tourists from far afield in a bid to inject this much-needed energy. Local and UK customers have dwindled significantly, so the Middle East and Africa could prove to be key markets.

APRIL 2011

- Ireland At one time, Aer Lingus operated a direct service between Dublin and Dubai, but after two years the airline shut down these flights in March 2008. Reports suggested that the service had proved to be somewhat unpopular, however Aer Lingus says it had merely opted to focus its attention elsewhere.

“The route was suspended in order to use the capacity from Dubai to increase frequencies on Aer Lingus flights from Ireland to the USA,” adds Sheila Gahan, representative, Aer Lingus. “There are no plans to create new routes to Africa or the Middle East in the future.”

Now, Etihad is the only airline to offer a direct service between Ireland and the Middle East, having launched four flights in summer 2007.

The route was created as the UAE is viewed as an important trading partner for Ireland and, therefore, made perfect commercial sense. The route proved so popular that a further two flights were added in autumn 2007 and now the airline flies 10 times per week from Abu Dhabi to Dublin, with an average of 80 percent passenger capacity.

Justin Warby, country manager for Ireland, Etihad, noted that the flights had remained popular despite Ireland’s financial problems over the past couple of years.

“Our flights to and from Ireland remain very popular with passenger numbers on this sector consistently outperforming average passenger loads across the network.”

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has been keen to market itself in Ireland in recent years and is currently the sponsor of the All-Ireland Hurling Senior Championship, one of the most popular sporting events on the island.

“The sponsorship of the GAA Hurling AllIreland Senior Championship has been the most successful and high profile marketing activity undertaken since we started serving the Irish market,” Warby explains.

“The marketing program supporting the sponsorship won the European Sponsorship of the Year award in the Business-to-Consumer category in 2008. It is, however, one element of an overall marketing strategy that has worked across all platforms, above and below the line, to promote the brand in Ireland. The reason that we have and will continue to invest in promoting the brand in Ireland is to increase the profile and awareness of Etihad, while outlining the unique selling proposition that Etihad provides to its Irish customers.”

The airline also maintains a sound relationship with the Irish travel industry, such as the tourism board, hoteliers and tour operators.

APRIL 2011

Promotion Tourism Ireland is also working with Middle Eastern and African companies in the tourism industry, as well as the travel media, in order to promote Ireland as best it can.

Numerous familiarisation and media trips have taken place over the past three years and Tourism Ireland has organised roadshows in the region, with the most recent being in February 2007, in partnership with Visit Britain.

“As access to Ireland from Britain is excellent and many travellers from here visit the UK and London in particular regularly, the objective is to encourage these visitors to take a trip to Ireland while there. We also work very closely with Etihad Airways in promoting the direct route to Dublin from Abu Dhabi. Also Turkish Airlines have excellent connections to Dublin via Istanbul from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” Labuschagne added.

An online training programme has also been created by Tourism Ireland, which travel agents in the Middle East and Africa can make use of free of charge. The website has so far enabled travel agents to become certified Ireland specialists, called Shamrock Agents.

The launch of discover Ireland’s website and its Arabic equivalent, as well as presence on social networking websites, are also helping to promote Ireland to the masses.

“The opening of the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi has greatly helped in facilitating the growth of tourism from this region to Ireland,” Labuschagne adds.

Tourism Ireland says the results have, so far, proved to be extremely positive and the ongoing message to travellers from Africa and the Middle East is that. There has never been a better time to visit, with great value and terrific things to see and do.”

That ‘value’ message will be highly visible throughout the year, as Tourism Ireland strives to promote city breaks, touring holidays, golf and business tourism across markets. Campaigns on TV, radio, online and social media should reach up to 200 million potential holiday makers around the globe.

Such commitment to promoting Ireland as a holiday hotspot could soon have Ireland’s tourism industry, along with its zombie hotels, coming back to life. n

It is clear that much damage has been done internationally

following the economic and political events of the past two years 19

- New York

The Fiery Melting Pot New York City, commonly referred to as the largest melting pot in the world, due to its high residential density and extraordinary diverse population, hosted a record number of visitors in 2010 and is expected to welcome more than 50 million travellers by 2012.

Rita Kasziba writes

N

ew York City (NYC) received 48.7 million visitors (39 million international and 9.7 million domestic) in 2010 which represents an increase of 7 percent from 2009. This figure surpasses the city’s previous 2008 record of 47 million and proves that NYC’s travel industry is back on track after the declining figures of 2009, for the first time since September 11, 2001.

The visitors spent an estimated USD31.0 billion during their stay in NYC. Despite the compelling figures, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced the plan to break the record by drawing over 50 million visitors by 2012.

With the addition of 6,600 jobs, record numbers of New Yorkers were employed in the industry which, according to the mayor, remains a key driver to the city’s economic growth.

“The strength of our tourism industry is one of the reasons New York City was less impacted by the national recession than other cities, and it continues to be one of the reasons we’re growing faster than other cities today,” said Bloomberg.

As many as 25.7 million hotel room nights were sold while Broadway attendance also rose by 3.8 percent.

According to the latest statistics of NYC & Company, the official tourism marketing organisation of the city, New York is the numberone destination in the US among travellers from the Middle East, with more than half of them visiting the city and the majority of them coming for holiday or to visit friends and relatives.

According to Chris Heywood, vice president, travel and tourism PR at NYC & Company, MENA travellers are proving to be a highly potential segment. “As a region we are estimating 388,000 for 2010, and we are still on track to achieve our 50 million annual visitor goal by 2012,” said Heywood.

Based on the Forbes’ list, New York prides itself that the most visited place in the USA is Times Square. According to Times Square Alliance, an average of more than 2,000 pedestrians traverse a block of 7th Avenue each 15 minutes. The list of the top 25 most visited tourist destinations in the US includes two other places in the city, namely the Metropolitan Museum and the American Museum of Natural History.

20

Times Square

New York City’s ever increasing popularity is also well reflected in John F. Kennedy ( JFK) airport’s passenger figures. According to Airports Council International, JFK handles more international traffic than any other airport in North America, with more than 15.5 million travellers passing through the terminals in 2010, 6.2 percent more than in 2009. In terms of passenger traffic, JFK was the 14th busiest airport in the world with nearly 46.5 million travellers in 2010.

The Middle East market has shown great growth in the last year The Plaza hotel, managed by Fairmont, appeals as a timeless landmarked property that defies the next generation of style and appeals for both European and Middle Eastern travellers, explained Nizar Adeeb, regional director of diplomatic sales.

“Europe is a strong market for New York in general, because of the strong Euro and the frequency of flights; however the Middle East market has shown great growth in the last year.

The history and iconic status of the Plaza is still our strongest feature. After the renovation, the excellent new rooms, great service and perfect location attracted new guests and helped us maintain our base of travellers seeking luxury.”

The property bears a high popularity among MENA travellers.

“The Plaza Hotel’s new room, personalised service and location offer the Middle East and

North African’s guests what they expect from luxury hotels in New York,” added Adeeb.

“Our amenities cater for these market based on the repeat feedback and experience we got over the years of being their favorite hotel in New York. For that specific market, we have a team of experts that made sure our guests have all what it takes for them to feel home, especially in some extended stay visits.

So we installed a special satellite dish that provides the specialty suites with all the TV channels (Arabic, Russian, Turkish and others). Besides, our kitchen team developed special menus for each ethnic cousin, translated in the native language. Our multi-lingual, multi-cultural team is very well equipped to service travellers from the MENA.” To accommodate the influx of the travellers, Wyndham is set to open two new properties in the city during summer, providing a greater choice of lodging options for both business and leisure travellers.

The 173-room TRYP New York City – Times Square South, located in the vicinity of the city’s top tourist attractions, will represent the brand’s first entry in North America. The soon to be open Wyndham Garden Hotel, compromising 108 rooms, bring the brand’s eco-friendly exterior and energy-efficient practices to the Big Apple.

Arab ‘Town’ According to the 2008 statistics of the Arab American Institute, more than 3.5 million residents in the US trace their roots to Arab countries, about 160,000 of them living in the state of New York, and nearly half of those located in the New York City metropolitan area. n APRIL 2011

- Business Travel

Business Travel is Booming in MEA The meetings and events industry in the Middle East is on an upward spiral. Travel Trade Monthly investigates how.

Duncan MacRae writes

T

he popularity and success of the Gulf Incentive, Business, Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM), which takes place March 28-30 in Abu Dhabi, is a key indicator of the value that tourism-related companies in the Middle East now place on business travel.

It is clearly a form of tourism that such businesses are taking more seriously as vast amounts of money have been ploughed into the region’s tourism sector.

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) is predicting a 15 percent growth in businessrelated visitors to the emirate this year, rising by 200,000 since 2010 to 1.5 million hotel guests.

Lawrence Franklin, director strategy & policy, ADTA, commented on the demand. “Business related tourism will continue to deliver the lion’s share of demand in 2011 MICE tourism which includes international and domestic visitors, estimated at 225,000 hotel guests will deliver around 15 percent of this demand.”

Lloyd Kenyon, exhibition manager, GIBTM, points out that although there is little data about the development of business travel or MICE in the region, he is aware that business tourism currently accounts for around 70 percent of Abu Dhabi’s hotel guest profile with 10 percent of this emanating from the MICE segment.

More than USD3 billion is being invested in Lebanon’s tourism sector, with 20 international hotels currently under construction in Beirut, which will add an additional 1,000 rooms.

In Syria, the number of visitors rose 63 percent in the first half of 2010 to nearly four and a half million.

“Both countries have unique offerings which many who organise incentive travel and exhibitions will

APRIL 2011

find irresistible,” explains Kenyon. “Combined with its seemingly unabated infrastructure development, the Middle East has presented itself as a premier location for holding meetings, conferences and exhibitions that are relevant.”

Tour operators and hotel chains alike, recognise the importance of corporate travel. Anooshirvan Honari, director, Gashttour Inbound Tours, notes that the Iran-based company has been dealing with less corporate travellers recently. “Up until 2009, business travellers made up 50 percent of our customers but now it is more like 30 percent.

It is still most important though, as business tours bring more financial income.”

Groups, such as Millennium Hotels, Dusit Hotels and Resorts, and Jumeirah, are keen to take advantage of the increasing influx of business travellers to the region.

Management at the recently opened Grand Millennium Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi have vowed to redouble their efforts to secure large groups.

Michael Sorgenfrey, general manager, Grand Millenium Al Wahda, says the addition of the facilities enable the hotel to offer an attractive allround package to the MICE buyer.

“We have a prime location in the heart of Abu Dhabi, near the established business districts and the newly developed business of the city.”

The Dusit Princess City Centre, which opened in Dubai in 2010, will also be focusing its efforts on attracting business travellers. The aim is to double its percentage of corporate travellers to the hotel within the next year. Nick Bauer, general manager, Dusit Princess City Centre, elaborates on the business market.

“The corporate sector has been our target market since opening. Now into our second year of

operation we have established our name in the industry and can now look forward to pursuing what we originally set out to do and operate as a largely, corporate hotel.”

Jumeirah’s Dubai hotel, Burj Al Arab, has experienced a drop of 10 percent in the level of corporate guests since last year. Reem Al Mulla, assistant manager of corporate communications, Jumeirah Group, said that the hotel will attempt to reverse that trend by focusing its attention on consortia programs, request for proposal bidding programs and local corporate agreements, along with attractive rates for business groups.

“Business groups will play a very important role as Burj Al Arab offers attractive group programs.

It offers a unique, must-do experience for any corporate incentive or conference visiting Dubai.”

Nermin Abushnaf, coordinator of corporate communications, Hilton Worldwide MEA, comments that it is important for hotels to offer business customers the right brands in the right markets.

“We need to ensure that the specific needs of business travellers are met when they stay in one of our hotels. Whether that is creating an office away from an office working environment with all the facilities and service requirements they need, or an environment where they can relax and get away from work for a while.”

Kenyon believes that the Middle East’s infrastructure is in place in order to enable business people to reach the area with ease.

“Excellent flight connections make the Middle East an ideal location for global corporate gatherings,” Kenyon added.

In Oman, the Sultanate will have a 6,000 plus, seat convention and exhibition centre constructed in Muscat, due for completion in 2013.

Abushnaf agrees that there is plenty of opportunity for business travel to grow in the Middle East.

“We currently have 34 hotels in the development pipeline, including for the first time hotels under our DoubleTree brand, which is suited to the long-staying business traveller.”

Gamal Sadek, general manager of tourism events, Oman Tourism Ministry GCC, comments that the country is experiencing strong growth in MICE business. “The new facility will compliment the MICE capability of our leading hotels and resorts, and act as a springboard for break-out groups and excursions.” n 21

Aloysius Michael

Aloysius Michael Aloysius Michael has been appointed as resident manager of Dusit Thani Pattaya.

In his new role he will assist the general manager in sustaining the resort’s service of excellence. Michael began his career in the industry more than eight years ago at Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, holding both operational and management positions. He expanded his experience in rooms, sales and marketing as well as human resources. Michael joined Dusit International as resident manager and was an inaugural member of the executive team when opening the Dusit Residence Dubai Marina, the first property of the brand outside of Thailand.

Richard Solomons

Cem Kul

Cem Kul

Cem Kul has been promoted to director of sales for Kempinksi Hotel Ajman. He started his career in the industry more than 10 years ago and expanded his wealth of experience in various operations and sales and marketing roles. Kul joined Kempinksi in 2005 as operations manager in charge of villas, Russia and CIS sales at Kempinski Hotel The Dome, Belek in Turkey. He was part of the pre-opening team at Djibouti Palace Kempinski as assistant director of sales and marketing. He then moved to Kempinksi Hotel Ajman as deputy director of sales and marketing, before taking on his current position. Kul graduated from Dokuz Eylul University in tourism and hotel management.

Geert Boven

Norbert Stiekema

Geert Boven has taken on the role of senior vice president Americas for Etihad. Based in New York, he will be responsible to lead the airline’s current operations in the US, Canada and South America. Boven takes over from Robin Middleton, and has been tasked to spearhead Etihad’s commercial interests in its partnership with the Virgin Blue Group as manager alliance sales in Australia.

Previously he held senior management and board positions with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Martinair, Oad Group and Etihad. Most recently he worked as managing director for Amadeus Gulf.

Geert Boven

Norbert Stiekema has taken on the role of executive vice president, corporate sales and marketing of Costa Crociere, a newly developed position. In his new role, Stiekema will refer directly to the president and will spearhead the company’s sales departments worldwide. He will also be in charge of the operations of the corporate marketing and world-wide sales services departments. Stiekema began his career at KLM before taking on the role at EuroDisney as senior vice president sales and distribution for Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line in EMEA. During his career he expanded his experience in distribution channels, pricing and revenue management.

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Richard Solomons Richard Solomons has been appointed as succeeding CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group. He will take on the position from Andrew Cosslett who will step down from the role on June 30. Prior to joining IHG, Solomons worked in investment banking at Hill Samuel Bank Limited. He joined IHG in 1992 and held various senior roles since then, including chief operating officer of the Americas hotels division and interim president of the Americas region. He took on the role of the finance director of IHG in 2003 and led the global finance organisation of the group in charge for strategy, corporate and regional finance, investor relations, tax, treasury, commercial development and procurement. Solomons is member of the IHG Board and Executive Committee.

Norbert Stiekema APRIL 2011

Q&A with Stefan Magiera airberlin, Germany’s second largest airline, launched its first non-stop services between Berlin and Dubai in November 2010.

Stefan Magiera, general manager, Middle East and Southeast Asia, speaks about the carrier’s operation and further plans in the region, as well as the sales agent (GSA) and entrance to the oneworld alliance.

Travel Trade Monthly: When did Oasis Travel get the representation of airberlin, and for which areas?

Stefan Magiera: Oasis Travel was appointed as airberlin’s GSA for UAE and Oman in August 2010.

Travel Trade Monthly: When did the flights start? How many flights per week do you operate and which days?

Stefan Magiera: airberlin is the exclusive operator on the Dubai-Berlin route and commenced operations on November 2, 2010 with three non-stop flights per week. We use state of the art Airbus A330 aircraft in a two-class configuration with business and economy class. Our flights are operated on a year-round basis and airberlin is very flexible in increasing frequencies if we see a demand.

Travel Trade Monthly: Tell us more about your client mix?

Stefan Magiera: airberlin offers a high quality product at a reasonable price and welcomes both holiday and business travellers on board. Longterm, solid customer loyalty and simultaneous messaging to all target audiences are central to brand image and communications. Bonus programmes are for frequent flyers and SMEs, such as a comprehensive in-flight service, free luggage and a special service for families with children. airberlin is one of the most popular airlines in Europe today.

airberlin offers a high quality product at a reasonable price and welcomes both holiday and business travellers on board Travel Trade Monthly: From where does your business come from, is it mostly direct or through agencies?

Stefan Magiera: airberlin is open for travel agencies and has always been a strong and reliable APRIL 2011

partner for the travel trade. Our flights can be booked through all important GDS. We have built up a good business relationship to the travel trade in the UAE and have received strong support from agents since we started our service. However we are of course also offering a very enhanced website with many useful functions including our own airberlin application.

airberlin is open for travel agencies and has always been a strong and reliable partner for the travel trade Travel Trade Monthly: Tell us about your fleet?

Stefan Magiera: The fleet comprises 169 planes with an average age of five years, making airberlin one of the newest fleet in Europe. Our modern jets ensure a sustainable reduction in harmful emissions in air traffic thanks to their economic fuel consumption. We operate Airbus A330 on long haul routes including our Dubai-service. Flights within Europe are operated with Boeing 737 next generation and the Airbus A320 family. Regional services are operated with Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 Turboprop aircraft. As one of the most important airlines in Europe, airberlin flies to 163 destinations in 39 countries. New markets have been developed and expanded further via the fastgrowing hubs in Berlin and Dusseldorf over the past few years.

Travel Trade Monthly: Do you plan to expand further representation in the Middle East?

Stefan Magiera: We are carefully watching markets in the region and very flexible to step into markets if we see business opportunities. We already operate flights from Dusseldorf into Iraq and serve Arbil and Sulaymaniyah.

airberlin is one of the most popular airlines in Europe today

Stefan Magiera

Travel Trade Monthly: airberlin has joined oneworld alliance. What does it mean in practice?

Stefan Magiera: airberlin has signed a declaration of membership to the global oneworld airline alliance. Full membership is planned for the start of 2012. Together with other oneworld members, airberlin is able to offer its customers more services and benefits than it could as a single carrier.

These services include an extended route network, the ability to collect and redeem frequent flyer miles in the entire oneworld network as well as more airport lounges. oneworld combines eleven of the leading international quality airlines; Quality Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Mexicana, Qantas and Royal Jordanian – as well as 20 affiliated members. airberlin's partner airline, the Russian S7, joined the alliance in 2010. India's Kingfisher Airlines is preparing its application for membership. The Austrian airline NIKI has joined the alliance as an affiliated member. n 23

WTM to Generate USD2,284 million of Travel Industry Deals The success of World Travel Market (WTM) 2010 resulted in travel and tourism industry deals of GBP1,423 million (USD2,284 million), representing a significant increase of 25 percent on 2009.

According to an independent research of WTM exhibitors and Meridian Club members, WTM 2009 generated GBP1,139 million (USD1,825 million) in deals, agreed by either at the event or during the following 12 months. The extended speed networking session on the first day of the exhibition, allows exhibitors and Meridian Club members to continue negotiations and enter agreements during the remaining three days of the event, favoring further business deals.

Due to the wide scale of business opportunities, 96 percent of exhibitors define WTM as an important event to them, more than seven out of ten stating that WTM is better than most events, compared to previous years results.

Exhibitor satisfaction increased to 94 percent compared to 59 percent in 2009, visitor satisfaction rose to 93 percent.

WTM 2010

A compelling 96 percent of exhibitors are extremely or very likely to exhibit at WTM 2011, taking place November 4-11.

Simon Press, director, WTM Exhibition, reflects on the success of the previous events.

“WTM 2010 has seen, and will lead to, a phenomenal amount of travel and tourism industry business being agreed. The expanded speed networking programme played an

China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market Beijing, China, April 13-15, 2011 (www.cottm.com) Dedicated business to business event targeting the growing market for outbound travel from China.

important role in the success of WTM for both exhibitors and Meridian Club members, offering both stakeholders increased opportunities to meet new contacts and sign contracts. The amount of business conducted and the findings from the exhibitor and visitor research shows WTM is delivering on its commitment to facilitate business in the travel and tourism industry.” n

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

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

International Pow Wow 2011 San Francisco, USA, May 21-25, 2011 (www.ustravel.org/events/international-pow-wow) U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow is an international marketplace and the largest generator of Visit USA.

Bahrain International Travel Expo Manama, Bahrain, May 12-14, 2011 (www.meembahrain.com) Travel expo for travel professionals in Bahrain and the Middle East.

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

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

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

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APRIL 2011