Middle East and North Africa Edition
August 13, Issue 92
costa cruises orders the largest italian cruise ship
Wild Guanabana, the Egypt-based alternative travel company that specialises in creating highly personalised travel experiences, has entered the GCC market after opening headquarters in Dubai.
costa crociere has placed an order with Fincantieri for the construction of a new ship, slated for delivery in october 2014.
4 First Middle eastBased travel Booking engine launched travelsheikh.com, affiliated with Jordanbased dahlan tours, has been launched as the first online travel and tourism service provider website in the Middle east.
6 In This Issue Market Update Weekly News Air Travel News International Who’s Moved Travel Talk Agents’ Corner Travel Channels Rendezvous Events august 13 2011
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Wild Guanabana Debuts in GCC
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TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY Managing Editor Mary kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel Journalists rita kasziba duncan Macrae Marianna keen
Travelport: Progress on Business Objectives Travelport, a provider of critical transaction processing, has achieved significant progress on its commercial objectives and recorded a second quarter (Q2) and first half (H1) performance in line with prior expectations.
Design & Layout elina pericleous Sales & Marketing Maria demetriadou Brighite ess dominique tennant Directors andreas constantinides Mary kammitsi Headquarters t.t.W. travel trade Weekly ltd. p.o. Box 25255 nicosia 1308 cyprus tel: +35722820888 Fax: +35722318958 Website www.traveltradeweekly.travel Emails info@traveltradeweekly.travel editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel
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he company’s net revenue for the second quarter of the year totalled usd530 million, representing an increase of usd10 million from usd520 million in the corresponding period in 2010. operating income and adjusted eBitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) have slightly dropped to usd66 million (from usd82 million in 2010) and to usd136 million (from usd153 million in 2010), respectively. in the first six months of the year, net revenue increased to usd1,061 billion from usd1,056 billion in 2010. operating income decreased to usd145 million from usd154 million, while adjusted eBitda fell to usd283 from usd295 million in h1 2010. operational highlights include the signing of a
number of supplier agreements and the enhancement of the low-cost carrier segment. travelport also improved its product and service offering and completed the sale of gullivers travel associates (gta) to kuoni travel holdings. gordon Wilson, president and ceo, travelport, commented on the company’s performance. “i am pleased to report a first half performance in line with management expectations, which was achieved despite the impact of extraneous global events in the earlier part of the year. We continue to make significant progress on our business objectives and look forward confidently to the remainder of the year, with the knowledge that we have further developments to unveil over the coming months.”
easyJet: Solid growth, Positive Outlook
MENA Exchange Rates Accurate as of 11/8/2011 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 5.96 3.75 1,515 0.37 0.71 47.4 0.27 3.64 0.38 1.38 7.94 10,576 213.25 72.87 1.21
easyJet predicts a positive outlook for the year end with gBp230 million (usd374,5 million) profit expected. The airline’s solid performance in the quarter, ended June 30, resulted in total revenue of gBp935 million (usd1,5 billion), up 23.2 percent compared with the same period in 2010. number of seats flown increased by 17.1 percent to 16.7 million, while load factors rose 0.2 percentage points to 86.3 percent. The number of passengers carried improved by 17.3 percent, or 8.8 percent excluding the effect of the volcanic ash’s impact in 2010, while the number of passengers travelling on business increased by 20 percent. as at 30 June, easyJet’s net cash accounted for gBp112 million (usd182 million). The airline is expected to continue to deliver strong results, noted carolyn Mccall, chief executive, easyJet. “The strong operational and commercial performance in the quarter reflects the continued successful implementation of the strategy we outlined last november. august is the important trading month for easyJet but with over 75 percent of summer seats now sold we expect at current fuel and exchange rates to deliver a pre-tax profit for the year ended september 30, 2011 of between gBp200 million (usd326,9 million) and gBp230 million (usd375,9 million) assuming normal conditions and a roce for the year of between 10 percent and 12 percent. against the backdrop of high fuel prices and an uncertain economic environment, the strength of easyJet’s trading demonstrates it is well placed to succeed.” august 13, 2011
Jordan Devises National Tourism Strategy Jordan has launched its National Tourism Strategy 2011-2015, aiming to increase the country’s tourism receipts to JOD4.2 billion (USD5.9 billion) by 2015.
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he strategy, built on the achievements of the previous one (20042010), will guide the continued development of Jordan’s tourism sector over the next five years. it was developed by the private sector, guided by the Ministry of tourism and antiquities (Mota) in partnership with the Jordan tourism Board ( JtB), department of antiquities, and the Federation of tourism associations with technical expertise provided by usaid Jordan tourism development. haifa abu ghazaleh, Minister of tourism and antiquities, elaborated on the project. “This strategy will direct the tourism sector in planning and implementing the
august 13, 2011
changes and actions necessary to raise the overall competitiveness of Jordan’s tourism industry, enhance the visitor experience through innovation in product development, better position and promote the tourism offering to global markets so as to attract higher yield customers throughout the year, create a regulatory and operating environment which drives better business performance, and release the full energy of the private sector as the engine of growth.” one of the main goals of the strategy is to improve the business environment in order to attract investment. in 2010, Jordan welcomed 8.2 million visitors, and tourism receipts accounted for Jod2.4 billion (usd3.4 billion). to
further improve results, the updated strategy indentifies ways to raise overall competitiveness of Jordan’s tourism industry. Marketing initiatives will be stepped up to reach the goal of 9.4 million visitors and grow domestic tourism receipts by 30 percent, while at the same time reducing seasonality in favour of a more even annual receipt distribution throughout the year. other highlights of the plan include the increasing of air capacity and ensuring that 100 percent of hotels and 80 percent of restaurants are approved and classified under the new national classification scheme. it anticipates the creation of 25,000 new direct jobs, and increasing female participation in the workforce by 15 percent.
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Costa Cruises Orders the Largest Italian Cruise Ship Costa Crociere has placed an order with Fincantieri for the construction of a new ship, slated for delivery in October 2014.
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he new addition to costa’s fleet, with a gross tonnage of 132,500; 3,700 lower berths, 4,928 total guest capacity and 1,854 cabins, will represent the largest italian cruise ship and will cost approximately eur150,000 (usd214,764) per lower berth. upon delivery in october 2014, the new ship will mark an innovative evolution of the concordia-class project, developed by integrating and improving the main features of the most recent costa ships. The order coincides with costa’s decision to sell Costa Marina, after being in service for more than 20 years. pier luigi Foschi, chairman and ceo, costa crociere, commented on the alteration of the fleet. “This new order, the 10th in 10 years, not only consolidates the link between our company and Fincantieri, but also demonstrates the leadership achieved by costa cruises in europe and its ability to drive the cruise business and tourism in general, generating wealth for the country’s economy. This innovative project will once again be a symbol of italy’s quintessential ability to create excellent products, in terms of design, technology and innovation, aimed at strengthening the best image of Made in italy products around the world. While this new order will not lead to a significant increase in costa cruises’ capacity, it is part of a plan that will make the fleet more efficient.” since 2000, costa cruises has ordered 10 ships from Fincantieri shipyards, for a total investment of more than eur5 billion (usd7.15 billion).
While this new order will not lead to a significant increase in Costa Cruises’ capacity, it is part of a plan that will make the fleet more efficient 4
IATA Enhances MENA Presence with Opening of Expanded Amman Regional Office The International air transport association (iata) inaugurated an expanded Mena regional office in amman, to celebrate 20 years of its presence in Jordan. tony tyler, director general and ceo, iata, expressed his delight at the new development. “iata is proud to call Jordan its home in Mena. king abdullah has a clear vision, in which aviation plays a key role, to make life better for all Jordanians. This is being achieved with a worldclass national carrier like royal Jordanian and the government’s progressive policies. as we inaugurate our new and expanded Mena regional office in amman, we are looking to the future. iata is strongly committed to Jordan as the base for our important work across the region.” The regional office serves iata’s 27 Mena-based members as well as governments and industry stakeholders. The office’s remit has recently been expanded to support back office management for iata’s financial systems for the whole african continent. in total, the Mena office processes over usd18 billion in annual settlements for 62 countries.
IATA is proud to call Jordan its home in MENA. King Abdullah has a clear vision, in which aviation plays a key role, to make life better for all Jordanians Mena is one of the world’s fastest growing aviation markets, according to iata. in a decade, Middle east traffic grew from five percent of the global total to 11 percent. at the inauguration, Muhannad Qudah, transport Minister, gave a dialogue on e-freight, environment, user charges and cooperation with iata, and a meeting was held between nasser lozi, chairman, royal Jordanian (rJ) and hussein dabbas, ceo, rJ. august 13, 2011
Wild Guanabana Debuts in GCC Wild Guanabana, the Egypt-based alternative travel company that specialises in creating highly personalised travel experiences, has entered the GCC market after opening headquarters in Dubai.
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ild guanabana, established in 2009, strives to transform people’s lives by providing sustainable, ethical adventures and nontraditional travel experiences, noted omar samra, founder and ceo. “Wild guanabana is not an ordinary travel company. We are daring, different and green. our fun and ethical journeys offer travellers meaningful, emotional connections with the destinations and cultures they encounter. We are highly motivated to deliver our fresh concept of travel throughout the gcc region and are confident our new markets will respond favourably.” committed to delivering sustainable practices in all aspects of its business, and ensuring all of its journeys are carbon
Peru hiking
neutral, Wild guanabana has been certified as the Mena region’s first carbonZero travel company.
Omar Samra climbing Artesonraju, Peru
Wild Guanabana is not an ordinary travel company. We are daring, different and green The company’s scope of work focuses on creating unique trips, with highly personalised attention to each traveller’s needs, whether for individual, corporate, training, incentive, educational or voluntourism journeys. “Wild guanabana’s journeys offer people an opportunity to disconnect from routine and everyday life and share an experience
Costa Rica white water rafting
of self-discovery and personal empowerment. inspiring our customers is a measure of Wild guanabana’s success and therefore every journey we design- whether for an individual, a corporate team or a student group - has the potential to be a lifetransforming experience,” added samra. The 21 trips organised by Wild guanabana so far span over seven countries, including peru, argentina, costa rica, tanzania, Morocco, nepal and turkey. The company will soon embark on a yoga and adventure retreat to Zanzibar, and also plans to run a charity expedition guided by oman samra himeself, to the summit of Mount kilimanjaro in tanzania, to raise funds for a charity in egypt.
First Middle East-Based Travel Booking Engine Launched TravelSheikh.com, affiliated with Jordanbased dahlan tours, has been launched as the first online travel and tourism service provider website in the Middle east. The website, the first of its kind in the region, offers plentiful hotels, flights, tours, car rental and other travel related options. it allows travellers to browse and book online from the comfort of their home or office whilst ensuring a wide range of choice and the most competitive prices. 6
The platform is to transform the region’s travel booking practice, noted hani dahlan, general manager and founder, travelsheikh.com. “The website was created to cater to the modern traveller’s behaviour. The future of travel bookings is through online portals and it is our goal to be the leading provider of this service.” in celebration of the launch, the first visitors of the website can win an allexpense paid trip to cairo.
“travel sheikh is meant to be fun, entertaining and interactive,” explained dahlan.
The future of travel bookings is through online portals “not only will our customers benefit from the best available prices year-round, but there is always an added value when booking with us.” august 13, 2011
- Air Travel
flydubai Extends Indian Network flydubai will operate weekly flights to Ahmedabad, India’s seventh largest city, from August 27.
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n recent years, ahmedabad has become a prominent seat of academia, attracting scholars and experts from around the globe to institutions like the indian institute of Management, national institute of design and the indian space research organisation. With the uae’s increasing focus on knowledge based industries, the new routes from dubai will support joint-ventures in areas like space, design, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and bio-technology. considered one of the world’s fastest growing cities, ahmedabad will represent
flydubai’s third indian city destination and its 44th destination worldwide. The increasing economic relationship between the uae and india has necessitated better transport links suggested ghaith al ghaith, ceo, flydubai. “ahmedabad is the former capital and largest city in gujarat and i am delighted to be able to announce today that it will become the third indian city on flydubai’s rapidly expanding network. The growing indian expatriate population in the uae and the increasing reliance our two nations have on each other for our
economic growth and development, makes the introduction of quality, affordable direct flights between the uae and india’s numerous secondary airports very important.”
I am delighted to be able to announce today that it [Ahmedabad] will become the third Indian city on flydubai’s rapidly expanding network
Gulf Air Implements Cargo Management System Gulf Air has implemented cargospot, a fully modernised cargo management system, in an effort to provide enhanced services to its customers. The fully integrated, end-to-end cargo management solution will be used to manage the carrier’s cargo business, including booking, pricing, sales and accounting. rory Black, cargo senior manager, gulf air, commented on the new system. “The introduction of cargospot is a key development at gulf air cargo as we aim to aggressively expand our cargo operations as well as deliver a august 13, 2011
consistently better customer service and improved reliability.” The new system is more user friendly than the airline’s previous one, he added.
The introduction of Cargospot is a key development at Gulf Air cargo “it will enable our customers with easier cargo bookings and planning capabilities thus allowing them to choose the most appropriate flights to fly their cargo
directly with us. as for gulf air, cargo spot enables us to respond quickly to our customer’s requirements, such as quick cargo turnaround time, faster transfer of cargo via our Bahrain hub, ‘track & trace’ and an integrated end-to-end management solution. This is particularly important for customers with high-value shipments as well as perishable cargo.” 7
- Air Travel Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways Opens Manchester Maintenance Facility Etihad Airways has launched a new line maintenance facility in Manchester and double-daily services to the city from the UAE.
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he airline now operates 14 non-stop Manchester to abu dhabi return flights, with onward connections to more than 60 global destinations across the etihad network. The opening of the new maintenance facility marks the carrier’s sixth feature outside abu dhabi, and has created seven new jobs for locally skilled workers. etihad’s existing maintenance facilities are in Mumbai, dublin, lahore, london-heathrow and sydney. Jeff Wilkinson, vice president, maintenance, etihad airways, was pleased with the company’s latest investment. “We are delighted to open this line maintenance facility in Manchester, especially on the day when we’ve started our double-daily services to abu dhabi. our investment in Manchester illustrates the remarkable growth of the airline, our ambition to bring key services in-house in markets we operate to, and also to recruit locally.” etihad has employed a team of four aircraft engineers and three aircraft mechanics, with more than 50 years of combined experience, to manage the new maintenance operations at Manchester airport. The facility is equipped with the latest technology and will perform all scheduled and non-scheduled line maintenance. services to be undertaken in Manchester include transit, daily and weekly checks, scheduled engineering services and fault repairs for aircraft systems and inside cabins.
Qatar Airways Increases Dubai Frequency Qatar Airways is to raise frequency on its doha-dubai route by launching three new daily flights, effective from august 25. The additional services will take capacity up to 11 flights a day in a move to further broaden the options available to passengers flying between the two countries and improve connection opportunities over Qatar airways’s doha hub to the airline’s growing network. The 77 services per week, the highest frequency on any of the carrier’s route, reinforce the importance Qatar airways places to the destination, noted akbar al 8
Baker, ceo, Qatar airways. “additional capacity on our most popular route demonstrates the level of confidence and commitment we have to a key neighbouring market. it also indicative that as we develop our international network with the introduction of new routes, we want to provide the travelling public greater travel options between doha and our feeder markets such as dubai.”
Air Arabia: 20 Million Passenger Carried After less than eight years of its inception, air arabia has welcomed its 20 millionth passenger. air arabia commenced its first flight from sharjah, uae, to Manama, Bahrain, on october 28, 2003, marking the introduction of the lowcost carrier concept to the Middle east. By the end of air arabia’s first 12 months of operations, the airline carried 500,000 passengers to 16 destinations. The carrier has since expanded its network to 66 destinations from three hubs in the uae, Morocco and egypt. adel ali, group chief executive officer, air arabia, expressed his delight at welcoming the 20 millionth passenger. “eight years ago, when our first flight took off from sharjah international airport, at a time when the low-cost model was just introduced to the region, few of us could have imagined the day when we would cross the 20million passenger mark. The tremendous growth of air arabia since then is testament to our singleminded focus on providing our passengers with the growing range of destinations, great service and valuefor-money fares. today, despite serving over 20 million passengers, we remain a young company, committed to further expanding our horizons.” Air Arabia
We want to provide the travelling public greater travel options august 13, 2011
- International
Utell Adds Another Windsor Hotel Utell Hotels & Resorts, part of Pegasus Solutions, has added another luxury property to its portfolio after signing an agreement with Rio de Janiero’s Windsor Atlântica Hotel for global representation and marketing.
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he landmark hotel became the fifth one to join utell from Windsor hotels group, and represents utell’s 18th property in the Brazilian city. ric leutwyler, president, utell, and commercial operating officer, pegasus solutions, commented on the partnership. “The addition of the Windsor atlântica further expands utell’s impressive Brazilian portfolio. We are delighted to welcome Windsor atlântica to the utell collection of unique and desirable hotels. our track record with Windsor’s other properties is telling of the success we can achieve for this newly renovated and historic property.”
of the property, noted paulo Marcos ribeiro, marketing manager, Windsor atlântica hotel. “given Windsor hotels group’s success with utell, it was a natural choice to tap the representation service for this new
property. With proven results, and a commitment to excellence through a dedicated local team to drive global demand, we trust that utell’s expertise will help Windsor atlântica stand out as a preferred destination in rio.”
The addition of Windsor Atlântica further expands Utell’s impressive Brazilian portfolio The hotel, located in front of the copacabana beach, was previously operated by starwood hotels & resorts under the le Meridien brand, and was acquired by Windsor prior to its renovation, completed in January. it features three restaurants, a spa, a fitness centre, two swimming pools and 24 meeting rooms. The partnership with utell is expected to broaden the reach august 13, 2011
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- International
Best Western to Expand in Malaysia Best Western is to add another hotel to its Malaysian portfolio upon opening another luxury property in the city of Melaka in 2013.
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s part of the modern business development, the Melaka trade centre, the new Best Western premier hotel will comprise of 300 rooms. The five-star property will also feature a number of entertainment outlets, corporate offices and banks as well as a large banquet facility. teoh lian hong, owner of plentifield Marketing and the property developer of the project, commented on Best Western’s arrival. “We are thrilled to announce this exciting collaboration. Best Western international is the world’s largest hotel chain with 4,000 independently owned and operated hotels around the world.” Meleka’s rising profile as a business and Mice hub holds large potential, noted glenn de souza, vice president international operations, asia and Middle east, Best Western international. “along with the well-established tourist flow Melaka already enjoys, the growing Mice sector in Malaysia will be a key focus for
the new Best Western premier. The hotel’s prime location within such a dynamic and high profile development as the Melaka trade centre positions it perfectly for this.”
Along with the well-established tourist flow Melaka already enjoys, the growing MICE sector in Malaysia will be a key focus for the new Best Western Premier YaB datuk seri haji Mohd ali Bin nohd rustam, chief minister of Melaka, expressed his delight over Best Western’s plans. “Melaka trade centre has captured the attention of foreign and local investors since it has been first announced to the public. With the offering of this latest business centre, we are proud to create opportunities for entrepreneurs, business owners and
Melaka
investors for the growth of Melaka.” With a land area of 2,880m2 and a build up area of 92,903m2, the complex offers 150 retail outlets and 500 business suites and residences over four blocks of a business tower as well as 301 guest rooms, villas and suites. as an emerging holiday destination, Melaka has significantly contributed to the development of the tourism industry, the state’s main economy. to further drive its improvement, the Melaka state government has initiated a number of projects to consolidate the state’s position in both the international and the domestic market.
Sheraton Debuts in Agoura Hills, California Sheraton Hotels & Resorts opened its first hotel in agoura hills, california, boasting an ideal venue for business meetings and social functions, located in the foothills of the santa Monica Mountains. The sheraton agoura hills hotel was acquired by an affiliate of Wheelock street capital and is managed by davidson hotels & resorts. The former renaissance property will undergo a comprehensive renovation to all guest rooms and public areas to meet sheraton’s new brand standards. less than half an hour from Malibu and 10
approximately 40 minutes from los angeles, the hotel is convenient to the 101 Business corridor as well as worldfamous Malibu beaches, pepperdine university, several upscale shopping areas and a choice of premium golf courses. The property features a full-service restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool and nearly 1,579m2 of flexible meeting space with the latest in meetings technology. The hotel's 280 guest rooms are equipped with an oversised work desk, custom-designed ergonomic chair, high-speed internet, lcd flat panel
television and Mp3 docking station. it will also feature the all-white sheraton sweet sleeper bed, designed to meet aaa’s Five diamond award criteria. hoyt harper, senior vice president, sheraton hotels & resorts, commented on the opening. “We are delighted to add agoura hills to our robust portfolio in california. sheraton is leading starwood's global market share growth and due to the success of our recent rebranding effort is one of the most sought-after brands for conversion opportunities in key markets throughout the united states.” august 13, 2011
Robbie Mehoke
Pawana Shrestha
robbie Mehoke has been appointed as vice president, eastern us, etihad airways. Mehoke, who will be based in the airline’s new York office, has a proven track record of sales success and brings a wealth of knowledge in leadership, sales, marketing and customer relationship management to her role. she began her career with united airlines as an account manager, before being promoted to global account manager. she was responsible for Robbie Mehoke developing and executing all strategic and tactical marketing initiatives in support of individual business units for united airlines. she then worked as district sales manager, north america, leading a team of 12 account managers and also led star alliance’s regional sales committee. Most recently she was with cars.com Moataz Amin
Moataz Amin Moataz amin has joined Foras tourism as director of sales and marketing. With a career spanning over 24 years, amin brings vast experience in business development and a solid background in e-tourism in different touristic establishments across the region.
Pawana Shrestha pawana shrestha has joined etihad airways as country manager of nepal. Based in kathmandu, shrestha will build on the successful work of her predecessor, John rees evans, to further develop the airline’s operations in the nepali market. With more than 11 years of experience in the industry, shrestha brings solid expertise to her new role. she began her career with gulf air in 1999, where she gained experience in various roles, incuding reservations, sales and marketing. in 2004, she joined galileo, where she doubled the market share and turned the company into the leading global distribution system provider in nepal.
Hossam Andraous
Francois Galoisy
hossam andraous has been appointed as managing director of the gcc and Mena region wholesaler, Foras tourism. his long career in the tourism and wholesale business spans over 25 years. he is also the founder and managing partner of total holiday. Based in the dubai head office, andraous will be managing and operating Foras tourism offices throughout the region.
Francois galoisy has been appointed as general manager of radisson Blu hotel, dubai Media city. galoisy has an extensive background in the hospitality industry, having previously held a number of food and beverage management positions at various renowned hotel chains, including le Meridien and shangri-la, over the past 20 years. he graduated in hotel management from lycée technique hôtelier, Bordeaux, France. he then gained experience around the globe, including in turkey, Francois Galoisy china, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. he embarked on his Middle east career in al khobar, saudi arabia, two decades ago. he joined rezidor as executive assistant manager at radisson sas hotel, dubai Media city, in 2005, before being promoted to general manager of park inn Muscat in 2008, his most recent position. galoisy takes over the position from pasquale Baiguera, who continues his career at radisson Blu conference and airport hotel, istanbul.
Hossam Andraous august 13, 2011
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Michel Noblet
Michel Noblet
President and CEO, Hospitality Management Holdings. “We have noticed a sharp rise in visitors recently, as tourists and corporate groups chose Jordan in view of the political unrest in other parts of the Middle east such as syria. it seems like a lot of people are taking the opportunity to visit the destination that they might have only dreamed of experiencing before. and one hopes that the trend will continue.”
We have noticed a sharp rise in visitors recently, as tourists and corporate groups chose Jordan in view of the political unrest in other parts of the Middle East Majed Ishaq
Victor Louis Chief Operating Officer, Ras Al Khaimah, Hotels and Tourism Investment and Development Authority. “summer and ramadan are perfect times for ras al khaimah to offer its visitors a variety of activities and accommodation packages. We position ras al khaimah as the perfect getaway for leisure and adventure, a value for money destination, where the diversity of landscapes presents to its visitors an extensive selection of exclusive outdoor adventure activities. From mountain climbing and mountain biking to kayaking and fishing, guests of ras al khaimah will enjoy a memorable experience along with the white sandy beaches and resorts offering a number of international cuisines and world-class spas.”
Summer and Ramadan are perfect time for Ras Al Khaimah to offer its visitors a variety of activities and accommodation packages Victor Louis
Majed Ishaq Marketing Director, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Palestine. “cultural celebrations are another key component of enriching the visitor experience. across palestine, there are regular cultural festivals that attract both local and international visitors. From the olive harvest and the taybeh oktoberfest to the sebastiya Festival, the artas lettuce festival and the christmas activities in Bethlehem, we are working to promote and integrate these activities and festivals into the overall visitor experience.”
Across Palestine, there are regular cultural festivals that attract both local and international visitors 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 12
august 13, 2011
Gulf Air
Agent’s Insight Name: Adnan Habbab Position: General manager Company: Nawafir Travel & Tours Location: Syria Who are you?
Gulf Air Partners with Travel Agents Gulf Air has invited local travel agents for a seminar to further boost cooperation between both parties. The event, attended by more than 20 local agents, aimed to discuss the national carrier’s new commercial initiatives and indentify ways to broaden the cooperation between the airline and local experts. karim Maklouf, chief commercial officer, gulf air, highlighted agents’ important role in the airline’s initiatives. “gulf air has had a long-standing relationship with the travel agents in Bahrain and we recognise the important role they play in our business. Their knowledge and experience of the local market and their well-established personal relationship with clients is something we value greatly. We will be able to leverage these strengths to each other’s benefit while we make sure our customers, the travellers, receive the best of both.”
Gulf Air has had a long-standing relationship with the travel agents in Bahrain and we recognise the important role they play in our business august 13, 2011
Adnan Habbab
My name is adnan habbab, and i am the general manager of nawafir travel & tours, the premier destination management company for syria, lebanon, and Jordan. spanning the larger area known as the levant, these three countries share a rich history, diverse landscapes and extraordinary cultures. nawafir offers a wide range of standard tours in the region, as well as flexible custom-designed programmess to suit both large groups and individuals. Mindful of the special interests of all our guests, our highly qualified, experienced, and creative staff is dedicated to providing clients with outstanding service, whether pilgrim tours for parish groups to sites mentioned in the Bible, or hiking and desert tours for nature enthusiasts, or train tours along historic desert railroads for train aficionados. Whoever would like to immerse into the culture a bit further, we also offer intensive arabic language and culinary courses. in addition, nawafir owns and runs a luxury boutique hotel, Beit Zafran hotel, tucked in the historical neighbourhood of Bab touma, with its churches, mosques, souks (old bazaars) and restaurants. This ottoman mansion of 1836 was meticulously restored to the highest of standards with the aim of turning it into a fine luxury boutique hotel while maintaining its original structure and soul.
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry? interaction with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
When is the best time to visit Syria? everyone is suggesting spring and fall seasons, but we also recommend low season dates as it will be less crowded.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday? My preferred holiday destination would be india.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?
Damascus gate
nawafir team answers every single request individually within 24 hours, with attention to every single detail. our creative and multilingual team shares a passion for orchestrating wonderful journeys for guests looking for a unique and memorable experience. our aim is to make guests so happy and their stay so enjoyable that they will recommend our services to their friends and will plan to return to syria and to the Middle east. 13
Germans Embrace Health Vacations Health vacations are increasingly popular amongst German holidaymakers, results of a World Travel Monitor study have shown.
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he research, commissioned by itB Berlin, found that in europe health vacations were most popular with german tourists, followed by russians. spain is the most popular destination for health vacations and hungary is the leading destination for medical tourism amongst germans. over the past five years, holidays at wellness and spa resorts have risen by 30 percent. Medical tourism, on the other hand, has declined. over the same period the number of cure, rehabilitation and hospital stays abroad has decreased by 18 percent. Martin Buck, director, competence centre travel and logistics, Messe Berlin, commented on the trends. “everywhere in europe, health vacations which help to prevent society-related illnesses, are becoming more and more popular. This is a big opportunity for organisers, hotels and destinations to expand and improve their services.” at 3.3 million vacations, equivalent to 4.6 percent of all trips abroad, the recent study found that germans are more interested in foreign health and medical tourism than their european neighbours. currently, health and medical travel accounts for a total of 9.4 million trips or 2.4 percent of all european travel abroad. across the continent, over the past five years health vacations have increased by 38 percent. Medical tourism has also risen by 24 percent.
Everywhere in Europe health vacations, which help to prevent society-related illnesses, are becoming more and more popular
Great Hotels of the World Improves Online RFP Sales and marketing alliance, great hotels of the World, has launched a new request for proposal (rFp) tool that will make it easier and quicker for meeting planners to complete the rFp process, in a user-friendly way. previously, the rFp form on the website was difficult to navigate. John clarke, director of sales and marketing, great hotels of the World, felt that buyers did not interact well with it and it was too time-consuming. “But now we have made the rFp process much smoother and quicker, making it easier for buyers to do business with us. The new rFp tool will allow us to streamline the rFp process and take away the unnecessary form filling which can be so time consuming. it allows for briefs to be uploaded so planners do not have to repeat themselves. We have had some great feedback since we launched the new tool earlier this week.”
Now we have made the RFP process much smoother and quicker, making it easier for buyers to do business with us 14
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Q & A with Khader Qasem With players in Jordan’s travel and tourism industry adapting their strategies in light of recent challenges, Khader Qasem, general manager, Golden Tulip Airport Amman, Jordan, tells travel trade Weekly about the recent transformation of the hotel and its key focuses, which aim to regain demand. Travel Trade Weekly: When is the hotel’s full renovation expected to be completed an has it included the incorporation of sustainable initiatives and technologies, such as those that help to reduce energy and water waste? Khader Qasem: The hotel renovation
provide such learning to our initiatives and to cater to our customers.
Travel Trade Weekly: Have negative effects from unrest across the Arab world persisted? Khader Qasem: The whole Middle east
was carried out in three phases, thanks to the concessioner investment opportunity and our board of directors. We have planned the renovation to be completed by the end of July, but have extended the time for initiatives and up-to-date technologies to be incorporated, with a competition date of october this year. We have added new facilities and a special counter for checking into the business class customers’ and executive floor lounge and executive rooms, especially catered to the discerning traveller transiting in amman and supporting airline servicing at Queen alia international airport, in particular the royal Jordanian passengers. some initiatives were applied to conserve energy and water. We added the reverse osmosis plant; some sensor devices to save on electricity, including led lighting; and switching our boilers from the very old technology of diesel to brand new boilers with lpg gas. a new solar system will also be installed.
region is affected, but due to the seasonality in the kingdom, we have not been affected a great deal and we are opening new markets, especially with our new product. The renovated hotel rooms and public areas are giving us better mileage than in 2010. in spite of having some international groups cancel their visits to the region, we are adapting our marketing efforts and thanks to the Jordan tourism Board and such, our last participation in itB Berlin, and those in other major trade shows, are expected to indicate future tourism patronage and earnings.
initiative to support eco-tourism throughout the country, we shall work closely with bodies promoting ecotourism in ammam and adopt such schemes. We will also ensure that we will start eco-tours that work closely to
momentum of our hotel offering, as an international brand, grants us the support of a four-star, successful and profitable hotel as we contact consortiums worldwide. We have loyalty programs with flavours, with the ambassador club
We have not been affected a great deal and we are opening new markets
Travel Trade Weekly: You mentioned that in the meantime you are targeting free independent travellers (FITs), business travellers and the Travel Trade Weekly: Will the hotel GCC market. How successful has this adopt any eco-tourism initiatives, been and has this helped to retain including offering eco-tours? profit margins? Khader Qasem: in line with our Khader Qasem: The growth
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Khader Qasem
and with the airlines, and the business generated from the system has the trust in the brand and the brand offering. We witnessed an increase in Fits in the first quarter of the year in comparison to 2010 as now we have new rooms and new facilities.
Travel Trade Weekly: Could you further elaborate on the business environment? Khader Qasem: The economy is affected by the current situation and the tourism market is the first industry to be affected. We hope to improve our earnings in tourism in the next quarter and by year end. in general terms the business environment is positive in amman and in Jordan as a whole, thanks to the leadership of the country. i would like to take this opportunity to thank the Jordan hotel association, Jordan tourism Board, and in particular the Ministry of tourism, for their forth going approach and always being proactive, targeting several markets, including new emerging markets such as china, russia and spain. We continue to promote our country and our hotel as part of the destination, particularly with the Mice facilities we offer. 15
Global Travel Leaders to Support Japan The World Travel & tourism council (Wttc) has chosen sendai to host a part of its annual conference in 2012, in an attempt to support the Japanese tourism industry’s recovery after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March this year. in June, david scowsill, president and ceo, WTTc, personally visited sendai, the north eastern area of Japan, which was most severely affected by the catastrophe. “The recovery of Japan is one of the most compelling issues facing global travel and tourism. i’m delighted that we will be able to bring the industry’s leaders to sendai during the summit week in 2012 as it sends a clear message about our commitment to
showing that Japan in general, and the tohoku region in particular, have recovered from the tragic events of March and are ready to rediscover their position among the world's premier tourism destinations,” explained scowsill.
The recovery of Japan is one of the most compelling issues facing global travel and tourism WTTc’s annual general meeting and executive committee meeting will take place in sendai on april 17. The council will also host an additional congress in
Japan
sendai, which will focus on the Japanese tourism industry’s recovery, risk management and crisis response, and is expected to be attended by some 400 delegates.
Events China Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition Beijing, China, August 30-September 1, 2011 (www.cibtm.com) a leading event for the meetings, incentives, business travel and the events industry in china and asia.
Cityscape Dubai Dubai, UAE, September 26-29, 2011 (www.cityscape.ae) a B2B networking exhibition and conference for emerging real estate markets globally.
PATA Travel Mart New Delhi, India, September 6-9, 2011 (www.pata.org) asia pacific’s premier travel trade show with networking and contracting opportunities.
Kazakhstan International Tourism Exhibition Astana, Kazakhstan, September 27-29, 2011 www.leisure.kz The eighth kazakhstan international tourism exhibition in astana, which caters for both the B2B and B2c markets and features a vibrant mix of inbound and outbound destinations.
Top Resa, International French Travel Market Paris, France, September 20-23, 2011 (www.iftm.fr) an international travel and tourism trade fair for networking, doing business, innovating and keeping abreast of market developments.
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CIS Travel Market St. Petersburg, Russia, October 12-14, 2011 (www.restec.ru) an event focusing on cis countries, attended by airlines, tour operators, travel agencies, accommodation providers and tourist associations.
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