Travel Trade Weekly Issue 139

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07 JULY 2012

ISSUE 139

Rezidor Adds Saudi Hotel The Rezidor Hotel Group is to launch Park Inn by Radisson Riyadh Al Sahafa, its 12th property in Saudi Arabia, in 2014.

Taj Palace Dubai recently concluded the refurbishment of all its apartments, providing guests a home away from home in the heart of Deira.

04 Cristal Hotels & Resorts Expands in Saudi Arabia Cristal Hotels & Resorts is to manage three new hotels in Saudi Arabia and establish a Saudi subsidiary in affiliation with a local partner.

04 IN THIS ISSUE MARKET UPDATE

02

WEEKLY NEWS

03

ACCOMMODATION

04

AIR NEWS

08

WHO'S MOVED

11

TRAVEL TALK

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AGENT'S CORNER

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TRAVEL CHANNELS

14

RENDEZVOUS

15

NEWS & EVENTS

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Taj Palace Dubai Upgrades fully-furnished apartments

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2

MARKET UPDATE

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel

ACI: Increasing Demand for Charter Flights Air Charter International (ACI) has been experiencing an increase in business volumes driven by growing demand for charter services involving complex requirements for special events, alongside a climb in charter requests from Africa.

JOURNALISTS Stefanie Saghbini Rita Kasziba Dominique Christou SALES & MARKETING

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Maria Demetriadou Brighite Ess Katerina Dalal DESIGN & LAYOUT Elena Stylianou DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi HEADQUARTERS T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia, 1308, Cyprus Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 210466 WEBSITE www.traveltradeweekly.travel

usiness is up by 20 percent compared with this time in 2011, in this particular segment of the market and we have seen charter requests from the African continent raise by 25 percent,” explained Caroline Jongma, charter sales, ACI, attributing the growth to businesses which realise that executive charters, as well as cargo charters, are valuable tools that can underpin their day to day work.

“Passengers can land conveniently close

to their destination, some of which are quite remote, at the time that they want, with the people they need to be with, which is valuable from a security perspective for the region,” she added.

Further according to Jongma, ACI is witnessing a growing trend in luxury brands using the company’s services for special events such as car launches and desert challeneges.

“Organisers recognise the benefits of private jets, helicopters, and seaplanes in creating an unforgettable experience,” Jongma concluded.

EMAILS info@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

MENA EXCHANGE RATES Accurate as of

04/07/2012 Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

COUNTRY

CURRENCY

1USD=

UAE (AED)

Dirham

3.67

Egypt (EGP)

Pound

6.05

Saudi Arabia (SAR)

Riyal

3.75

Lebanon (LBP)

Pound

1,505.50

Bahrain (BHD)

Dinar

0.37

Jordan (JOD)

Dinar

0.71

Syria (SYP)

Pound

64.08

Kuwait (KWD)

Dinar

0.28

Qatar (QAR)

Riyal

3.64

Oman (OMR)

Rial

0.38

Tunisia (TND)

Dinar

1.60

Morocco (MAD)

Dirham

8.77

Iran (IRR)

Riyal

12,275.00

Yemen (YER)

Rial

214.55

Algeria (DZD)

Dinar

79.20

Libya (LYD)

Dinar

1.26

RICEC to Expand and Add Hotel Since opening its doors three years ago, Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Centre (RICEC) has experienced a tremendous yearon-year growth, and plans to expand its indoor space and launch a new hotel.

RICEC is one of the most versatile venues of its kind in the region, offering state-of-the-art facilities and professional services, described Abdullah Al Omran, CEO, RICEC. “It is equipped with four halls, with a total pillar-free floor space of over 15,000m2, enabling RICEC to host several shows at a time or large events with its continuous high ceiling indoor space and about 5,000m2 of outdoor exhibition area,” he continued.

The team at the centre is endeavouring to further improve the services and facilities offered, to guarantee organisers the delivery of valuedriven events to the participants, which has, in turn, influenced the types of corporate shows hosted at the venue, Al Omran explained.

“Organisers are using temporary halls to accommodate the growing demand.

RICEC management is working on its expansion plans which include adding 10,000m2 of indoor space and a 200-key four-star hotel to the existing facility,” he concluded, revealing that the venue’s 2013 calendar is already full.

RICEC

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WEEKLY NEWS Etihad Airways and airberlin Remain Loyal Etihad Airways and airberlin have integrated their small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) loyalty programmes, Business Connect and Business Points, whereby SMEs which participate in either airline’s business travel loyalty scheme will be rewarded for flying on codeshare flights operated by Etihad Airways, airberlin, and NIKI. “We are delighted to be able to introduce the smartest and most rewarding loyalty scheme to the market, targeted at SME businesses who are looking for ways to optimise their business travel spend whilst adding convenience and value to their travel experience,” said Peter Baumgartner, chief commercial officer, Etihad Airways.

“This joint collaboration between airberlin and Etihad Airways is yet again another demonstration of the added value we are bringing to corporate travel.”

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Virgin Atlantic Airways Lands in Vancouver Virgin Atlantic Airways recently celebrated its first flight between London Heathrow and Vancouver, Canada, which operates four times a week.

Richard Branson, president, Virgin Atlantic Airways, who was present at the launch, said, “This route launch further cements our position as the UK’s leading long-haul leisure airline. We have had lots of customers asking us to fly to Vancouver over the years, so we’re delighted to launch this new route in response to customer demand.”

He described Vancouver’s tourism industry as thriving and believes that the airline can drive demand even higher by providing great competition with its award-winning product and service.

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WEEKLY NEWS

Accommodation

Cristal Hotels & Resorts Expands in Saudi Arabia Cristal Hotels & Resorts is to manage three new hotels in Saudi Arabia and establish a Saudi subsidiary in affiliation with a local partner.

U Cristal Himmah Hotel

nder the terms of the recently signed agreements, the hotel company will add the 150-key Cristal Siyaha Hotel, slated for launch in early 2013 in Riyadh; the 270-room Cristal Amaken Hotel, scheduled to open in 2014 in the capital city; and the 190-unit Cristal Himmah Hotel, due to be unveiled in 2015 in Dammam, to its fast expanding portfolio.

The new properties, which will collectively supply more than 600 rooms in the Kingdom’s hospitality markets, will also feature a range of business and hospitality amenities, including food and beverage

outlets, meeting rooms and health clubs.

“The demand for hospitality amenities in Saudi Arabia continues to surge and we are therefore thrilled to deliver more than 600 hotel rooms within the next two years through joint efforts with our local partner, complementing the robust market growth while establishing our own unique brand of hospitality in key destinations in Saudi Arabia,” stressed Peter Blackburn, president, Cristal Hotels & Resorts, adding that the expansion will further strengthen the company’s position in the Middle East, where it aims to become a premier hotel operator.

Rezidor Adds Saudi Hotel The Rezidor Hotel Group is to launch Park Inn by Radisson Riyadh Al Sahafa, its 12th property in Saudi Arabia, in 2014.

Designed to accommodate demand for serviced apartments in addition to the traditional hotel clientele, the property will comprise 170 rooms, studios, and apartments. The hotel and residences will also share a restaurant, a lobby-lounge, a fitness centre, and 100m2 of meeting space.

“Saudi Arabia is a key focus market for our future development in the Middle East,” stressed Kurt Ritter, president, The Rezidor Hotel Group. “The country continues to experience strong economic growth, and the capital city Riyadh is an important and promising market for us.”

Riyadh

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WEEKLY NEWS

Accommodation

Taj Palace Dubai Upgrades Look Taj Palace Dubai recently concluded the refurbishment of its fully-furnished one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, welcoming expats and families from across the world with a fresh new look.

The property’s apartments have been upgraded with world-class facilities and luxurious amenities, providing guests a home away from home in the heart of Deira, noted Mohamed Anwar, director of sales and marketing, Taj Palace Dubai, who added, “It could be a weekend shopping-cumleisure trip for residents of neighbouring emirates, or a longer stay for holidaymakers from around the world during the festival and shopping seasons that dot Dubai’s annual tourism calendar. Or it could be people seeking to relocate to the emirate who need a place to stay for a couple of months before they can arrange more permanent accommodation for themselves.”

Le Méridien Al Aqah Stronger than Ever H.H Sheikh Rashid bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, chairman, Fujairah Culture and Media Authority, has heralded the opening of Le Méridien Al Aqah, some 10 years ago, as the start of the evolution of a vibrant tourism and hospitality sector on the East coast of the UAE. Al Sharqi strongly believes that this in turn encouraged a large number of hotel chains to launch projects across Fujairah, underlining its position as an internationally competitive destination.

An AED10 million (USD2.72 million) renovation and refurbishment project has recently been completed at the resort, while finishing touches are being placed on the AED20 million (USD5.43 million) room refurbishment plan.

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WEEKLY NEWS

Seychelles Plus Fully Integrates with Etihad Guest Etihad Guest has expanded to become a multi-airline programme, with Air Seychelles’ frequent flyer programme, Seychelles Plus, having recently become fully integrated into Etihad Airways’ guest loyalty platform.

All Seychelles Plus members now automatically receive a new co-branded membership based on the UAE national carrier’s rewarding programme.

Both expressing optimism in light of this partnership, Peter Baumgartner, chief commercial office, Etihad Airways, believes that this new development marks a major milestone for Etihad Guest as it evolves from being a programme that supports one airline, to one that provides for multiple airlines, while Cramer Ball, CEO, Air Seychelles, commented, “I am thrilled to offer improved benefits, services, and flexibility for our valued and loyal guests.

“Our partnership with Etihad Guest will yield tangible benefits for our loyalty programme members, opening up accrual and redemption abilities across the globe via their acclaimed programme.”

Air News

airberlin Launches Operations to Kaliningrad airberlin has commenced services to Kaliningrad three times per week, which will increase to four times weekly as of September 15, thus establishing the only non-stop connection from Berlin and Germany to the Russian exclave.

airberlin

Hartmut Mehdorn, CEO, airberlin, commented, “The economic relations between Germany and Russia continue to grow and this means an increased demand for air travel, especially in the market sector of business travel. No other airline connects these two cities nonstop from Germany. Our new route between Berlin and Kaliningrad fills this gap in the European route network.”

Jazeera Airways Debuts Self-CheckIn Service Jazeera Airways has become the first airline in Kuwait to offer self check-in service at the international airport, encouraging travellers to manage their air travel independently.

The debut of the new service, that enables passengers to checkin, choose their seat, and print their boarding pass, further enhances travellers’ experience and comes in line with a series of technology improvements introduced by Jazeera Airways over the past months, including, an iPhone booking app, and an android booking tool. “[This] launch is another milestone in our continued investment in technology for the benefit of our travellers,” noted Marwan Boodai, chairman, Jazeera Airways. “Our customers can now book pay, check-in, and pick their seat, all independently and efficiently at their own time while using the methods that are most convenient for them. Furthermore, our customers also have the option of checking-in online from the comfort of their home or office up to 24-hours before their flight.”

Travelport and EGYPTAIR Enters into Agreement Travelport has confirmed the signing of a new global full content airline deal with EGYPTAIR that will give all of Travelport’s Galileo, Worldspan, and Apollo-connected travel agents worldwide access to the carrier’s full range of published fares and inventory.

The multi-year agreement marks the start of a new global distribution system (GDS) partnership between the leading GDS provider and Egypt’s flag carrier,

which aims to actively promote the North African country to the travel trade as one of the world’s foremost tourism destinations, whilst leveraging Travelport’s extensive worldwide travel agency network to support its projected long-term growth.

Through this deal, EGYPTAIR has enhanced its connectivity to the GDS, upgrading to the highest level of GDS

functionality and, as result, bookings between EGYPTAIR and Travelport retailers are seamless and delivered in real-time.

Hossam Kamal, CEO, EGYPTAIR Holding Company, said, “By dovetailing our long-term growth strategy with Egypt’s tourism goals, we aim to offer products and services via the global travel trade that encourage travellers to fly with us and discover a truly magical destination.”

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WEEKLY NEWS

Air News

Air Arabia Introduces New Baggage Policy

Gulf Air Partners with Railways

Passengers travelling with Air Arabia now only pay the baggage weight they need following the introduction of a new prebooked baggage policy, with no limitation on the number of pieces.

“At Air Arabia, we place great importance on using customer feedback to identify new areas where Air Arabia we can make their flying experience a better one,” stressed Adel Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia. “The newly designed and improved baggage policy offers great peace of mind for our customers. This move will enable our passengers to save even more when flying with Air Arabia, by only paying for the baggage allowance they need.”

Gulf Air has entered into codeshare agreements with Germany’s airport railway and the French National Railway SNCF, enabling passengers to discover the European countries with one single combined ticket.

After arrival to Frankfurt International Airport or Paris-Charles De Gaulle Airport, travellers can easily continue their journey to 13 destinations in Germany, and 19 cities across France.

The agreements mark another step in the airline’s continuous initiative to further enhance passenger experience, noted Karim Makhlouf, chief commercial officer, Gulf Air. “France and Germany are premium markets for Gulf Air and these codeshare agreements with SNCF and Railway Germany will further strengthen our presence in these countries and enable us to serve even more efficiently to our substantial passenger segment that travels to France and Germany.”

Makhlouf added, “As the national carrier, we are confident this will also result in further strengthening Bahrain-France-German business ties and encourage more leisure tourism traffic between the countries.”

Etihad Rolls out Sabre Technology Etihad Airways has begun utilising a new Sabre software, as part of a billion dollar technology agreement signed by the two companies in 2011.

The implementation of the catering software, which migrates all business operations including the passenger reservations programme and enables the airline to manage all meal and catering services through a single platform, kicks off the largest technology project in Etihad Airways’ history.

“This new catering software allows us to better manage, audit and analyse important processes such as meal forecasting and the procurement of equipment and resources,” noted Lee Shave, vice president, guest experience, Etihad Airways. “The enhanced control means we should make savings in excess of USD5 million per annum, while continuing to provide a world-class and award-winning guest experience onboard.”

Bahrain Air Enhances Website Bahrain Air has further enhanced its website by offering passengers travel insurance, provided by Mondial Assistance, when making their booking, and also accept payments through debit cards.

This initiative comes from the airline’ s strategy to invest in secure technological innovations for the customers’ convenience, as Abdulla Musaiger, manager, systems development, Bahrain Air, stated, “We are trying to get closer to our customers and these value-added services are some of the many initiatives that we are taking. The acceptance of debit cards is a convenient and time-saving tool to our customers and expands our payment channels. This feature of paying for tickets with Bahrain-issued debit cards will be extended to GCC countries at a later stage.”

Bahrain Air

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WHO'S MOVED

Lynn Gervais Lynn Gervais has been named director of public relations at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal.

In her new capacity, she is in charge of overseeing the property’s media relations functions, social media activities, e-marketing efforts, advertising, collateral and website content, community

programmes, as well as brand messaging.

Prior to her appointment, Gervais served as director of public relations at The RitzCarlton, Dubai International Financial Centre. Before moving to the UAE, she was in charge of public relations functions at various Fairmont branded hotels in Canada.

Juan Torres Juan Torres has been named general manager of Brazil at Etihad Airways.

He takes on the position after working as general manager of Japan for two years, where he oversaw the airline’s startup operations. Prior to that, he served as general manager in the Philippines for three years.

Torres joined the national airline of the UAE from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines where he held various managerial positions. His appointment

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follows the airlines recent announcement to commence flights between Abu Dhabi and São Paulo in June 2013.

As general manager, Torres will play an instrumental role in what he describes as a critically important and successful market for Etihad Airways.

His appointment follows the airlines recent announcement to commence flights between Abu Dhabi and São Paulo in June 2013

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Remco Althuis Remco Althuis has been named general manager of China at Etihad Airways.

The aviation specialist has over 19 years of experience in sales and revenue management, marketing, e-commerce, and ground operations with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and has, for the past six years, been stationed in Chengdu, Guang-

zhou, and Shanghai, working most recently as Air FranceKLM’s regional manager for eastern China.

Althuis brings a wealth of industry knowledge, skills, and experience, along with valuable insight into the local business culture and the dynamics of the outbound travel market to his new, Beijing-based role.

TRAVEL TALK

travel talk is your space

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Richard Haddad

Christophe Landais

General manager, Vision Hotels.

Managing director, Accor Middle East.

“Vision Hotels has always believed that partnerships with business leaders is essential for a sound and progressive business growth, and our partnership with Philippines Business Council Abu Dhabi [that allows cardholders of the PBC Privilege + Card to enjoy discounts and benefits on all hotel facilities, including rooms, restaurants, health club, and meeting facilities] is a move in the right direction.”

“Saudisation has become a major priority for Accor in Saudi Arabia. Most of our hotels have already reached this year’s objectives that were set up by the Saudi government. Our 2015 Accor Saudisation plan shows that within the next five years, Accor hotels in the Kingdom will recruit, within our existing and newly developed properties, an excess of 1,412 Saudis, making up a total of 1,757 Saudi nationals; 65 percent of the total workforce.”

Taleb Rifai Secretary general, World Tourism Organization.

“We are here [at the Rio+20], twenty years after the first Earth Summit, to renew our commitments, define shared goals, and agree on a roadmap for a better future. Amid growing economic concerns, it is now, more than ever, that we need to call for the right policies, the adequate investment, and the proper business practices that can advance us towards fairer, more people-centered, inclusive growth.”

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, and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

7 JULY 2012

AGENT'S CORNER

AGENT’S INSIGHT NAME: Maeve Nolan POSITION: Product and operations director COMPANY: Backyard Travel LOCATION: Bangkok, Thailand WEB: www.backyardtravel.com Who are you?

I am the product and operations director for Backyard Travel, based in Bangkok, Thailand, after having spent the past 13 years immersed in the travel trade in Asia.

Backyard Travel, founded by veteran travel industry professionals who have lived and worked in Asia for more than a dozen years, offers individual tailor-made tours to Southeast Asia and Japan.

What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?

I find working in the travel industry in Asia extremely dynamic as it is constantly evolving. Firstly, as a growing destination, new markets are emerging such as South America and new destinations (such as Myanmar) are now in the worldwide spotlight.

Furthermore, there are constantly new and exciting destinations and products emerging in the countries we operate, and we are constantly developing new touring options and products to stay ahead of the competition.

When is the best time to visit Bangkok?

Year round Bangkok enjoys warm to hot temperatures and the dry (high) season from December through till April. The rainy season, May to November, can be humid, however it is also a time where desirable low season rates can be found at hotels and resorts.

Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?

For my next trip, I have my eyes set on Columbia.

Why should people come to you for travel advice?

I cannot stress how beneficial enough it is for travellers to talk directly to a travel consultant based in their intended destination country. Not only will they have a local perspective, but the most up-to-date travel advice will be given from the best touring route, to the best hotel advice and hand chosen guides.

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Royal Caribbean Cruises Honours Travel Agents Royal Caribbean Cruises has demonstrated its loyalty to travel agents having held the world’s largest travel agency appreciation day, on June 6.

‘Loyal to You Always’, part of Royal Caribbean’s year-round campaign to provide support, training, and loyalty to travel agents around the world, is the company’s way of recognising the valuable role travel agents play while highlighting the ongoing support structure Royal Caribbean has in place.

Lakshmi Durai, executive director, Middle East, Royal Caribbean International, highlighted that Royal Caribbean Arabia, which provides regional services

through its hub in Dubai, had been catering to the region for over 17 years. “We have a number of initiatives and programmes that show our loyalty to travel agents, which help them not only sell more cruises and increase their profits, but build valuable relationships,” she said.

“We offer travel agents the opportunity to visit the ships when they are in Dubai, so they get to see what a cruise holiday is all about.

“Every year, we take them on board for the Seminar at Sea to give them a firsthand experience of a cruise holiday, which helps the agents sell Royal Caribbean cruise products effectively,” Durai concluded.

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TRAVEL CHANNELS

G20 Acknowledge Industry’s Role The Leaders’ Declaration from the annual meeting of the G20 in Los Cabos, Mexico, has, for the first time, included travel and tourism in its agenda.

T

aleb Rifai, secretary general, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and David Scowsill, president, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), highlighted that the major economies' leaders recognised the importance of travel and tourism as a driver of economic growth and job creation for the first time, and the two organisations stand ready to support all efforts by the G20 countries in this respect.

They further noted that this is a significant success for the industry, facilitated by the relationship between UNWTO and WTTC and widely supported throughout the industry.

WTM World Responsible Tourism Day Raising Awareness The next edition of WTM World Responsible Tourism Day is scheduled to take place on November 7 at ExCeL London, building on 20 years of pioneering work to establish responsible tourism as an essential part of the industry’s strategic approach.

WTM World Responsible Tourism Day is progressing with its aim to educate, motivate, and inspire the industry to carry out year-round responsible tourism activity, as Fiona Jeffrey, chairman, WTM, explained. “We were always in this for the long-haul and I am delighted that responsible tourism is gradually gaining ground within every quarter of the industry.”

Responsible tourism themes this year include, wildlife and conservation; catering for people with disabilities; tourism and child protection; responsible tourism progress; activity tourism; and responsible volunteering.

Travellers Opt for General Search Engines More travellers use general search engines to look for hotels than airline tickets, a new report by travel industry research authority, PhoCusWright, has revealed.

When planning and organising trips, travellers use general search engines for a range of activities.

Nearly 75 percent of them research hotels while 58 percent look for airline tickets, including those visiting Google Flight Search, which is expected to gain even bigger market share.

The report found that flight purchase decision can be made with far less information, while choosing accommodation is more complex, thus using Google is far less likely to yield a firm hotel decision.

“Hotels are an intimate purchase, especially when compared to flights,” explained Carroll Rheem, senior director, research, PhoCusWright. “They can make or break a vacation, so most consumers prefer to soak up as much information as possible before they commit to their accommodations. There is far less purchase risk involved with air tickets.”

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RENDEZVOUS

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Q & A with Ziyad Bin Mahfouz Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, president, Elaf Group of Companies tells Travel Trade Weekly, how the hotel group continuously endeavours to perfect its offerings, with a profound purpose to remain a leader in its field, particularly in the run-up to the holy season this year.

Travel Trade Weekly: During 2011, what percentage of the hotels’ occupancy rates was represented by guests visiting the Kingdom for religious purposes and how were these results different to 2010?

Ziyad Bin Mahfouz: The Saudi authorities have been exerting major efforts to develop the quality of services for Hajj and Ummrah pilgrims.

In 2010, the number of pilgrims to the Kingdom exceeded two million, both domestically and regionally, and in turn high occupancy rates were witnessed during the peak seasons of Hajj and Umrah, especially throughout our hotels in Mecca.

2011 also saw a major rise in inbound travellers as more than 1.8 million pilgrims came from outside the Kingdom. These numbers have contributed to the rise in occupancy rates by 18 percent from 2010 levels.

Travel Trade Weekly: How do you feel the hotels will perform for the remainder of the year and into 2013, and what marketing initiatives are being implemented to guarantee this?

Ziyad Bin Mahfouz: We are confident in carrying forward the excellent performance of our hotels to the second half of this year and also into 2013, leveraging our favourable market reputation and the quality of our services and facilities.

Based on this, we expect an increase in the average daily rate and RevPAR for our hotels.

Our marketing team has put together a clear cut strategy aimed at raising the profile of Elaf Hotels, which will also enable us to strengthen our presence in our target mar-

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Ziyad Bin Mahfouz President, Elaf Group of Companies

quire to complete their religious rituals during Hajj and Umrah in a hassle-free manner.

Our concierge department in particular offers guidance to our guests, while the highly efficient room service adds to their convenience and comfort. We also offer special transport services to cater to the needs of our guests across Mecca, Al Madina (Medina), and even Jeddah.

Travel Trade Weekly: To what do you attribute Elaf Group’s success over the past few years and what is your unique selling point?

kets and continue to attract a large number of guests from across the regions who are visiting the Kingdom for business or religious purposes.

Additionally, we plan to increase our direct awareness campaigns for our dealers across the MENA and GCC. We are also increasing our inventory of our total rooms and renovating a couple of properties to meet additional demand. We aim to achieve 20 to 25 percent growth this year in terms of hotel occupancy, and we are well on track to accomplish this target.

Travel Trade Weekly: How does Elaf group cater to the requirements and preferences of guests residing at the hotels for religious purposes?

Ziyad Bin Mahfouz: We make sure that our guests receive all the assistance they re-

Ziyad Bin Mahfouz: Elaf Hotels has performed consistently well over the last few years during which we have seen high occupancy rates despite the challenging market conditions across the region.

One of the main reasons for our excellent performance has been the world-class services and facilities we provide at our hotels, which enhance the overall experience of our guests during their stay. Exceeding the expectations of our guests and providing outstanding and memorable customer service has been the hallmark of Elaf’s hospitality ventures, whether during Hajj and Umrah or even other seasons.

Thousands of guests visit our hotels each year and often comment on the exceptional level of service we offer and the genuine commitment of Elaf Hotels to enhance the guest experience.

Today we are recognised as a leader in three-, four-, and five-star hotels, a specialist in travel and tourism, as well as in Hajj and Umrah services, in addition to being general sales agents for airline companies.

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NEWS & EVENTS

MATATO: Partner at WTM 2012 In 2011, there was close to 50,000 attendants at the World Travel Market (WTM), 4,947 exhibiting companies, and 189 countries represented in an area of 42,054m2 at ExCel London.

This year, the Maldives Association for Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) has been given a unique opportunity to become an association partner at the show; a first for a Maldivian institution.

The organisation has been already listed on WTM’s website as an association partner, all of which will have their own Associations Pavilion with meeting facilities, receptionist, and internet access for its members, throughout the four-day event.

MATATO remains committed to its members and stakeholders, with the objective of taking the travel and tourism industry of the Maldives forward through unity, empowerment, and cooperation.

Maldives

ITB Asia 2012 Revamps Messe Berlin, organiser of ITB Asia, has announced that it has revamped the layout for this year’s show to help visitors navigate the event with even more ease and increase exposure for exhibitors.

Now in its fifth year, ITB Asia 2012 will be held between October 17 - 19 at The Sands Expo and Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

“We increased capacity by 20 percent after a record performance in 2011 and with (a few) months to go until ITB Asia 2012, we have not only filled the venue but there’s already a waiting list of companies still interested in participating this year,” said Nino Gruettke, executive director, ITB Asia, who added that the event will also feature a new central walkway enabling visitors to navigate with more ease.

This year’s show is expected to see a strong presence from emerging markets across the world.

South America and Southern Africa are two of the regions with a growing presence at ITB Asia 2012.

EVENTS China Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (CIBTM) Beijing, China, September 12 – 14, 2012 (www.cibtm.com) A leading meetings, incentives, and business travel show providing the ultimate platform for suppliers to the MICE industry.

The 18th World Route Development Forum Abu Dhabi, UAE, September 29 – October 2, 2012 www.routesonline.com/events The largest global event of its kind, attracting over 2,750 delegates from more than 80 countries, and determining the future of air services.

International French Travel Market (IFTM Top Resa) Paris, France, September 18 – 21, 2012 (www.iftm.fr) An international fair for networking, doing business, innovating, and keeping abreast of market developments, offering a 360° panorama of the travel industry.

ITB ASIA Singapore, October 3 - 5, 2012 (www.itb-asia.com) Where exhibitors across all sectors of the travel-value chain, meet with top international buyers from the MICE, leisure, and corporate travel markets.

Africa Hotel Investment Forum Nairobi, Kenya, September 25 – 26, 2012 (www.africa-conference.com) An event showcasing the potential Kenya and other high-growth destinations across the continent have to offer.

Asia Pacific Tourism Destination Investment Conference Singapore, October 15 – 17 , 2012 (www.tdiasia.questexevents.net) Consisting of an array of networking opportunities, business meetings, and a conference programme, the event will focus on hotel investments and tourism infrastructure developments.

PATA Travel Mart Manila, Philippines, September 25 – 28, 2012 (www.pata.org/events/pata-travel-mart-2012) Asia Pacific’s premier travel trade show offering networking and contracting opportunities for hundreds of international buyers and sellers.

Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (RHIC) Moscow, Russia, October 15 – 17, 2012 (www.russia-cisconference.com) Addressing the key opportunities and challenges across the region and offering a platform to exchange ideas with fellow industry experts.

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