Middle East and North Africa Edition
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Jordan ClassifiCations Jordan has instituted a new system of hotel classifications developed by the Ministry of tourism and antiquities (Mota) and the Usaid/Jordan tourism development Project ii.
Club Méditerranée, or Club Med, has become a household name around the world for its all-inclusive holiday offerings. With a renewed focus on luxury and the recent signing of a new property at Salalah Beach, Oman, Club Med is now ready to bring its iconic brand to several key destinations in the Middle East. Greg Lanter, vice president of global development, spoke exclusively to Travel Trade Weekly about Club Med’s plans for the region.
5 KUwait taKEs off rapid growth is expected from the Kuwait air travel industry, thanks to a range of liberalisation policies and positive 2009 results from some of the country’s key airlines.
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In This Issue Market Update Accommodation News International News Air Travel News Travel Tips Travel Talk Who’s Moved Rendezvous Events fEBrUarY 6, 2010
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TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY
RAK Officials Threaten Legal Action Over La Hoya Bay Officials from Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA) and Rakeen Development plan to meet with investors of the stalled La Hoya Bay project and have threatened possible legal action against the previous developer of the project, Frank Khoie, CEO of Khoie Properties.
Deputy Editor laura warne Journalist louis dillon savage Design & Layout Elina Pericleous Sales & Marketing Jane davidson Marianna tsiamas danielle Bragg Directors andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi Headquarters 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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hoie was sentenced to three years imprisonment by RAK Court in June 2009, following a series of bounced cheques relating to the planned la Hoya Bay project. in september, RAK Court appointed rakeen as the judicial custodian of Khoie Properties until the completion of la Hoya Bay. However, according to rakeen, the company has been unable to implement this verdict, due to a lack of cooperation from Khoie Properties. furthermore, Khoie recently filed a lawsuit against RAKia, citing several counts of fraud and extortion. dr Khater Massaad, CEo of RAKia, said officials from RAKia and rakeen planned to
visit london to meet with a group of la Hoya Bay investors in early february. “our sole intention is to protect the rights of la Hoya Bay’s investors and to act in the best interest of the sustainable development of al Marjan island, ras al Khaimah and its community,” said Massaad. “The investors need and deserve full transparency and a clear understanding of the facts and of what can be done.” rakeen and RAKia have submitted an action plan to RAK Court, outlining different scenarios that may be adopted to continue developing the la Hoya Bay project. Massaad and wahid attalla, board member of rakeen, said legal action may be taken against Khoie if he continues with what they describe as false allegations.
ETOA and Travel Trade Weekly Announce Media Partnership
MENA Exchange Rates Accurate as of 2/2/2010 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 5.46 3.75 1501 0.37 0.7 46 0.28 3.64 0.38 1.34 8.07 9895 204.75 72.57 1.24
The European tour operators association (Etoa) has signed a media partnership agreement with travel trade weekly, a specialised publishing company based in Cyprus, which launched in november 2009. travel trade weekly is published in two forms. The print edition is distributed monthly, as a glossy magazine, to 6,000 travel agents/tour operators and travel trade professionals mostly located in the Middle East and north africa region. The e-book edition is distributed every saturday, electronically, to more than 100,000 readers, who are mostly located in Europe, asia Pacific and north america. Both print and online versions will carry promotions for Etoa’s news and events including the Hoteliers European Marketplace (HEM) in february, the Britain and ireland
Marketplace (BiM) in March and the Global European Marketplace (GEM) in november. tom Jenkins, executive director, Etoa, said: “i am extremely pleased to have signed this partnership agreement with travel trade weekly as it will give greater exposure of the association to a significant new audience of travel professionals in parts of the world where Etoa is not so well known.” andreas Constantinides, director of travel trade weekly, said: “i am also delighted. Etoa is one of the leading trade associations for the European inbound sector and i have long been impressed with its lobbying on behalf of the industry, its consistent growth in membership and its highly effective workshops which put together the leading tour operator buyers and sellers.” fEBrUarY 6, 2010
Travel Industry to Boost Youth Employment in Saudi Arabia According to The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), the travel sector holds the solution to a predicted youth unemployment crisis in the kingdom.
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Cta has undertaken a series of initiatives aimed at training saudi arabian youths to participate in the tourism industry in an attempt to address the problem. Prince sultan Bin salman, president of sCta, said that tourism would become one of the top three employment sectors for saudi nationals in the future. a number of projects aimed at preparing saudi youths for tourism industry employment have been announced in a
partnership between sCta and the General organisation for technical and Vocational training (GotVt). These projects include the foundation of five travel and hospitality training colleges across saudi arabia, which will impart skills relevant to employment in hotels, tour operators and travel agencies. dr sadun al sadun, member of the board of directors of sCta, said that tourism was no longer considered entertainment and had become a cornerstone of the saudi economy.
abdul aziz al amir, manager of al ahsa tourism and Entertainment Company, added that training saudi youth in tourism and hospitality would prepare them for the future economy and make saudi arabia more attractive for hospitality investment. “Undoubtedly the establishment of specialised tourism colleges will provide trained professionals for the operation and management of tourism in our country, which in turn will give a spur to mega investments in tourism projects,” he said.
Switzerland and UAE Explore Visa Exemptions Switzerland and the UAE have tabled a draft agreement for mutual visa exemptions. if finalised, the agreement would allow nationals of each country to visit the
other without prior visa screening. Holders of either private or diplomatic passports would be eligible for the proposed exemption. negotiations have been carried out
between dr abdul rahim Yousef al awadi, assistant to the UaE minister of foreign affairs and the swiss deputy director of international conventions at the swiss federal Ministry of immigration.
Abu Dhabi Targets Saudi Visitors with Yacht Show in February Organisers of the second abu dhabi Yacht show (adYs) are actively targeting saudi arabian visitors. franck dailles, group director of informa Yacht Group (iYG), organisersof adYs, said that saudi arabian yacht buyers and charterers ranked high on the prospect list of the show’s international and regional exhibitors. He added that the push for saudi visitors coincided with a report from abu dhabi tourism authority (adta) that placed
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saudi arabia in the top ten tourism markets for hotel guests. faisal al sheikh, events manager of adta, said there were 30,717 saudi arabian hotel guests in abu dhabi in 2009, making saudi arabia the ninth most productive market for the emirate. “we believe our comprehensive events portfolio, of which adYs is a key element, will assist in bringing us additional business from saudi arabia, both in our business tourism and leisure
markets,” said al sheikh. “we have the right product for the saudi arabian market – extremely high-end events, such as adYs, a growing range of accommodation options with impeccable service standards, the safety saudi visitors demand from a destination and the hospitality for which the UaE is known, all within a short flight or drive away.” adYs will be held at the new Yas Marina from february 25 to 27.
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ACCOMMODATION NEWS
STR Global Releases MEA Accommodation Figures The Middle Eastern accommodation industry reported net contractions over the course of 2009, STR Global has revealed.
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evPar, occupancy levels, and average daily rate (adr) all experienced negative growth across the Middle East and
africa in 2009. However, despite largely negative results, certain markets posted positive growth. Beirut, lebanon, reported the largest increases in all three key metrics for the year. That market’s occupancy rose by 27.5 percent to 70.9 percent, adr increased by 27.2 percent to Usd205.23, and revPar jumped 62.1 percent to Usd145.53.
Average Daily Rate Three cities in the MEa region experienced net adr decreases in 2009. rates in dubai, Cairo, and istanbul fell by rates of 23.7, 3.3, and 12.2 percent respectively. despite decreases remaining localised, the drops were sufficient for a 2.7 percent shrinkage of adr across the region. Occupancy Muscat, oman reported the greatest occupancy decreases, falling by 21.1 percent to 53.6 percent. riyadh, saudi arabia was the second most
impacted, losing 17.9 percent of occupancy, for a final average of 58.3 percent. occupancy throughout the MEa region fell by 10.9 percent to 62 percent. RevPAR dubai was hardest hit in terms of revPar, experiencing a decrease of 31.4 percent to average revenues of Usd161.31 per room. istanbul had the second highest revPar losses, falling to Usd127.47- a loss of 19.5 percent. overall, MEa revPar averaged Usd95.44, having contracted by 13.3 percent compared to 2008.
New Day & Night Budget Brand Launched In Abu Dhabi Dubai based hoel group, layia Hospitality, has launched a new hotel brand in partnership with CaPM investment. The group plans to open five new budget properties in abu dhabi, to operate under the banner of day & night Hotels. layia has declared plans to expand the brand across the Middle East, in both major and secondary cities. ahmad al Yousuf, chairman of layia Hospitality, said he expected the offering to fill a developing niche for budget accommodation in the Middle East. “Thanks to the low cost carriers, the perception of budget airlines and budget hotels is slowly but surely spreading into the minds of the travellers,” he said. “it is evolving from a curiosity factor to a serious alternative when deciding on a trip.” 4
al Yousuf said day & night would focus on quality and economy in order to attract guests. “day & night hotels will be slick properties where extreme attention to details and cost efficiency at all levels will be the raison d’être of this new brand,” he said. Khaled almass, chairman of CaPM’s board of directors, said that abu dhabi had been selected for its rapidly expanding tourism industry. “The emirate of abu dhabi has seen tremendous growth in the hospitality, travel and leisure sectors in the last few years,” he said. “we believe that the day & night product will be able to present itself as a complimentary investment opportunity to UaE investors and will result in the diversification of the range of hospitality products offered to visitors of abu dhabi.” fEBrUarY 6, 2010
ACCOMMODATION NEWS Mooting Stars: Jordan Evaluates Hotel Ratings Jordan has instituted a new system of hotel classifications. The new hotel classification system was developed by the Ministry of tourism and antiquities (Mota) and the Usaid/Jordan tourism development Project ii, with input from the public and private sectors. Updated classifications will be assigned according to services provided, rather than facilities on offer. new classification standards are split into mandatory and optional categories, with the final star rating depending on a combination of the two. Hotels are required to meet all the mandatory requirements of their desired star category, however meeting these requirements does not guarantee that classification. The optional standards use a points system whereby hotels must obtain a minimum number of points to get the definite star classification, allowing hotels to customise their services depending on target market. according to the Jordan tourism Board, a business hotel could gain points by offering high-speed internet connections, secretarial services and a business center, while a leisure hotel could accumulate the same number of points by offering spa facilities, a swimming pool, or other leisure facilities. systematic application of the new standards began on february 1 and will be carried out through a review of information posted by hotels on a dedicated website. Maha Khatib, Jordan’s Minister of tourism and antiquities said the new system would raise hospitality standards across the kingdom. “This is key to improving Jordan's competitiveness as a tourism destination,” she said “accommodation is a vital part of the visitor experience.” Jay Knott, director of Usaid’s Jordan mission, said that the changes were necessary for Jordan to remain internationally competitive as a tourist destination. “today tourists expect more and advancements in technology are setting new standards for tourism products,” he said. “This new hotel classification system will ensure that Jordan can compete on an international level and that the tourism experience meets and even exceeds visitor expectations.” fEBrUarY 6, 2010
Abu Dhabi Defies Downturn With Occupancy Growth Abu Dhabi experienced positive occupancy growth in 2009, despite diminished occupancy across the Middle East. The emirate recorded a net two percent increase in hotel occupancy and Mubarak al Muhairi, director general of the abu dhabi tourism authority (adta), said that gains had been made despite difficult circumstances. “our tourism sector is responding magnificently to the challenges and opportunities presented by the current environment,” he said. according to al Muhairi, abu dhabi had benefited from an upswing in domestic travel brought about by the global downturn and the H1n1 virus, as well as increased interest from foreign visitors. abu dhabi’s main international source markets for hotel guests were the UK (96,709 visitors), Usa (67,804), india (61,241), Germany (59,667), Egypt (43,304), france (34,776), saudi arabia (30,717) and italy (29,653). al Muhairi also said that developing markets, particularly China and russia were rapidly increasing in significance for the emirate.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Delta Air Lines to Invest USD1 Billion US based Delta Air Lines has committed to investing USD1 billion on its fleet and customer service facilities between now and mid-2013.
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he investment will include upgrading facilities in delta’s first and business classes, improving fuel efficiency, renovating and expanding delta’s los angeles sky Club lounge and introducing new sky Club locations in seattle, Philadelphia and indianapolis. richard anderson, CEo of delta, said this announcement marked the most significant investment that the airline had
World Travel Awards Extends Nominations The 2010 World Travel Awards deadline for self nomination has been extended by two weeks to february 14. according to Graham Cooke, president of the world travel awards, there has been a record number of entries for the 2010 competition, which covers 998 categories in the travel and tourism industry. “More multinational companies than ever, ranging from Etihad airways and taP Portugal to interContinental Hotels and disney, are spearheading their global marketing campaigns with their world travel awards victories, which demonstrates how our seal of excellence matters to the consumer,” said Cooke. The nominations will be announced on March 10, with the grand final to take place in november. award recipients at the 2009 world travel awards included Etihad airways, Qatar airways, Emirates Palace, Burj al arab, abu dhabi tourism authority and dubai international airport. 6
made in the customer experience in more than a decade. “our premium travellers tell us that the comfort of a flatbed seat with direct aisle access, a first class experience on regional jets and in-flight entertainment are important factors in their choice of carrier,” he said. Ed Bastian, president of delta, added that investment would be made while staying within the level of historical capital expenditures.
delta air lines currently services 368 destinations in 66 countries on six continents, with a mainline fleet of nearly 800 aircraft.
Marriott Launches New Brand for Independent Hotels Marriott International has launched the autograph Collection, a new brand that will feature independent upscale and luxury properties with distinctive personalities around the world. Properties in the collection will maintain their own brand names and personalities, but will be featured on Marriott’s website and will participate in Marriott’s guest loyalty programme, Marriott rewards. seven existing hotels from The Kessler Collection will be the first to join Marriott’s new brand. The seven Us properties are located
across new Mexico, north Carolina, Georgia and florida, according to richard Kessler, CEo of The Kessler Collection. “The autograph Collection gives us a tremendous opportunity to leverage Marriott’s industry leading global reservations system and strong customer outreach through their ecommerce and sales and marketing platforms,” said Kessler. There are plans to add a further 25 hotels around the world to the autograph Collection throughout 2010.
Travelport and Thomas Cook Partner in UK Global distribution system (GDS) provider travelport has partnered with Thomas Cook Group as its Gds provider in the UK. discussions are currently underway to extend the relationship outside the UK. as part of the new multi-year agreement, Thomas Cook will migrate all of its UK entities, including Gold Medal travel, to
the Galileo platform. Thomas Cook will also implement a number of new travelport products. Thomas Cook Group operates in 21 countries across Europe and north america. The group has a fleet of 93 aircraft, a network of 3,400 owned and franchised travel stores, and interests in 86 hotels and resort properties. fEBrUarY 6, 2010
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AIR TRAVEL NEWS
Light at the End of the Wind Tunnel for Kuwait Aviation Rapid growth should be expected from the Kuwaiti air travel industry, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has reported.
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ollowing the liberalisation of aviation in the country since the adoption of an open sky policy in 2006, Kuwaiti aviation has expanded rapidly, CaPa’s monthly Middle East report indicated. a positive 2009 for Kuwaiti aviation players has led CaPa to forecast a larger role for the country’s airlines in the future of Middle Eastern air travel. according to CaPa, Kuwait airways was badly affected by the 1990 iraq invasion and has struggled to return to profitability since. However, recent steps towards privatisation provide hope for the carrier’s future. wataniya and Jazeera, Kuwait’s premium and low cost airlines, have also posted optimisitic outlooks. CaPa reported that Jazeera anticipated a profitable 2009 and expected to improve performance in 2010, based on continued expansion of its fleet and network. further, Kuwait was expected to increase
in importance as a passenger hub; Jazeera has closed its dubai base and traffic for the carrier was expected to have reached 2.5 million in 2009. The airline was also considering a second hub outside the GCC as part of its expansion plans, the CaPa report said. wataniya has maintained its 2011 breakeven target and plans to expand its presence
at Kuwait international airport (Kia). Kia reported a 12.4 percent increase of passenger traffic in 2009, totalling 8.1 million arrivals. according to CaPa, this growth is stronger than other regional hubs such as dubai international airport (+9.2 percent year-on-year); Bahrain (+3.3 percent); and amman (+6.5 percent).
Maintenance and Repair to Overhaul Middle Eastern Aerospace Industry Allison Weller, director of f&E aerospace, said that the Middle East was gaining the attention of the maintenance, repair and overhaul (Mro) industry worldwide - a trend which positions the region as a future hub of aviation growth. “it makes sense that the world's leading Mro experts and companies are setting their sights on the Middle East, the only region in the world which continues to achieve double digit growth in passenger traffic,” she said. 8
she also said that Mro contracts provided a reliable source of income in times of economic hardship, making them important for the stability of the aviation industry. “the maintenance, repair and overhaul industry continues to thrive, even in the current economic climate, as both the civil and military aviation industries are bound to continue to maintain their fleet and equipment to the optimum operating standards,” she said.
weller pointed out that the Middle East was of growing interest as an Mro base and held good prospects for an increased share of the business. “This was evident during the recent dubai airshow, where the number of Mro deals struck was truly substantial,” she said. “Most notably, the 11-year renewal of the maintenance cooperation between Mubadala-owned sr technics and lowcost carrier EasyJet, which offers potential revenue of Usd1.6 billion.” fEBrUarY 6, 2010
Al Ain Wildlife Park to Present Revamp at ITB The Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort (AWPR) will unveil its Facility Upgrade at the International Tourist Bourse (ITB) in Berlin, Germany.
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enovations of the park include an expansion from 110 acres to 2,200 acres, a new natural history museum, a safari open range park in a savannah-style setting, a hotel and residential areas as well as a conservation and animal breeding centre. Majid ali al Mansouri, managing director of
awPr, said that although the upgrade was ongoing, developments were sufficiently advanced to present at itB. “we have 3,400 animals bred in open space enclosures, bird of prey shows, giraffe feeding activities for visitors, and two of the world’s rarest white lions among a host of extraordinary visitor experiences that set the tone of our long term plans to create a regionally and internationally attractive
tourism and resort destination,” he said. The first phase of the project is planned for completion in 2012 and will add a variety of services and facilities to resort; a move which al Mansouri said would enhance the tourism appeal of the attraction. new offerings will include overnight safaris with asian, african and arabian themes, and wildlife breeding facilities will be enlarged and improved.
Amadeus e-Service Launched in Saudi Arabia Travel technology provider amadeus has launched a new online support programme for saudi arabian travel agents. according to amadeus, the offering is the first of its kind in the saudi market and includes services such as an online training planner, online agency debit
memo, travel agent e-library and applications for producing travel agency business reports. nashat M Bukhari, general manager of amadeus saudi arabia, said the service was designed to increase the flexibility of travel agencies by making important business information available through
online channels. He said the applications would also assist airlines, hotels and car rentals to market and promote their products through the amadeus platform. amadeus has operated in saudi arabia since 1999 and expects users of its systems to double in 2010.
International Currency Service Available to UAE Operators Credit card solutions provider network international has signed a deal to introduce Planet Payment’s Pay in Your Currency service to the UaE. the system allows international travellers to pay for goods and services in their home currency at any participating vendor, including hotels, tour operators, travel agents and retail outlets. Pay in Your Currency calculates and 10
converts transactions into international currencies to allow customers to better understand the price of purchases. abdulla Qassem, chairman of network international, said Pay in Your Currency was well suited to the UaE because of the country’s high volume of international visitors. “The UaE is a global destination for business and tourism travel and now with Pay in Your Currency, our merchants have
an innovative way to service their international clientele,” he said. Phillip Beck, CEo of Planet Payment, said the tool would help businesses boost sales to international clients. “the adoption of Pay in Your Currency has increased dramatically over recent years, as more merchants around the world view the service as a powerful tool to improve sales, customer satisfaction and net profits,” he said. fEBrUarY 6, 2010
Tips and tricks from industry experts, bringing you the latest in emerging destinations, technology, marketing and travel trends.
Revenue Management Tips for 2010 Bruno Perez and Jean Francois Mourier of the Revpar Guru marketing and consultancy practice say that revenue management will be a touchstone issue for hoteliers in 2010. They offered their top four strategies for hotel managers looking to achieve the most efficient revenue management as the year unfolds.
New Systems technology is the old standby: advances in systems tech are commonplace, but are by definition, always new. in terms of revenue management, the rise of comprehensive rate optimisation systems that coordinate sales across multiple channels and use complex sets of information to optimise pricing in real time are changing the industry landscape in 2010 in a very big way. These systems are enabling hoteliers to move away from history-based, manual rate setting to squeeze every dollar possible from their sales. Multi-Channel Management online travel agencies and other online sales channels remain the key growth centres for hotel sales. online bookings represented more than 70 percent of all travel bookings last year, yet the sheer number of third-party sites can make managing rates across these platforms challenging. in 2010, hoteliers will place more emphasis on managing their inventory effectively across multiple channels, largely through the use of comprehensive revenue management systems.
The rise of comprehensive rate optimisation systems are changing the industry landscape in 2010 in a very big way 12
Jean Francois Mourier
Bruno Perez
Online travel agencies and other online sales channels remain the key growth centres for hotel sales Transparency and Trust though opaque sales techniques may seem like the clearest path to rate optimisation, a recent Cornell University study found that consumers actually prefer to know the rationale behind rate changes. it’s logical when you think about it, as transparency can lead to increased trust. the study also indicated that increased transparency - though not complete disclosure of all pricing practices - may actually lead to higher booking rates. if this consumer sentiment takes hold, increased transparency may become a viable pricing strategy for 2010.
RevPAR Resurgence 2009 was the year of salvaging occupancy, a damaging trend that manifested itself in the substantial rate cuts enacted by the major chains. in contrast, the emphasis in 2010, as occupancy slowly ticks back up, will be on revPar. This follows the logic of doing more with less; the demand in the 2010 market will be such that artificial occupancy optimisation measures (like deep discounting) will be unsustainable, making revPar the only metric that matters. Hotels must do all they can to bolster their revPar figures, from improving or updating their revenue management systems to offering new ancillary services. fEBrUarY 6, 2010
Mubarak Al Nuaimi
Mubarak Al Nuaimi
International Promotions Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) “There has been significant movement in inbound business from italy since last year’s opening of adta offices in Milan and rome, backed up by an increase in Etihad’s flights from Malpensa international to abu dhabi. italy is now our ninth largest international source market. abu dhabi has achieved substantial awareness within italy and now the industry has to work to convert this into contracted business.”
Abu Dhabi has achieved substantial awareness within Italy and now the industry has to work to convert this into contracted business London
Giovanni Bisignani CEO of IATA, Speaking at the Singapore Air Show Aviation Leadership Summit “we live in a global world – global connectivity and global threats. Governments and industry must protect the connectivity and eliminate the threats. That challenge requires industry and governments to work together for effective and efficient security measures. with the worst of the recession behind us, the time is right to look to the future. aviation is a great industry supporting 32 million jobs and Usd3.5 trillion in economic activity. it is clear that we face many challenges that can only be addressed by industry working with governments. The success of aviation as a catalyst for economic growth and integrator of regional and global economies is in everybody’s best interest.” Giovanni Bisignani
Noura Badawi Communications Manager, Al Habtoor Group “Habtoor Hotels has targets to acquire properties in london and Paris, the two cities being Europe’s most attractive tourist destinations. The expansion plans go beyond European borders. Habtoor Hotels is in continuous search for luxurious hotels in the Middle East, the Gulf area and in particular in abu dhabi.”
Habtoor Hotels is in continuous search for luxurious hotels in the Middle East
We face many challenges that can only be addressed by industry working with governments
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 fEBrUarY 6, 2010
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Ricardo Rofail
Ricardo Rofail
Accor Hospitality has appointed ricardo rofail as the general manager of ibis Muscat in oman. rofail previously managed a network of ibis hotels in the UK, including Heathrow airport, luton airport and london dockland. He has worked with accor for the past 16 years.
Loic Lesteven
Loic Lesteven
Loic Lesteven has been appointed as director of food and beverage at Mövenpick resort and spa El Gouna, Egypt. lesteven has worked for Mandarin oriental and nevskij Palace Corinthia in st Petersburg, russia. He has also worked in the hospitality industry in Canada, france and switzerland.
Vladimir Dabbah Marriott International has named Vladimir dabbah as the new vice president of global sales for the Middle East and africa. Previously, dabbah worked as director of sales and marketing for renaissance Hotel dubai. in his new role, he will lead a team of 75 sales professionals. dabbah joined Marriott in 1997 in amman, Jordan. He has since worked in the company’s global sales office in dubai and at Jw Marriott Hotel dubai. dabbah has a degree in business administration, specialising in finance and banking. Vladimir Dabbah
Kempinski Hotel Ajman Kempinski Hotel Ajman has appointed farzeen Patel as its new training manager. Patel has five years of experience in the hospitality industry and previously worked at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates. she holds a diploma in hotel management and a degree in hospitality operations management, as well as a postgraduate diploma in international hospitality operations management. Patel has also worked at taj Krishna Hotel, india and arven Hotel waldeck in switzerland. Kempinski Hotel ajman has also appointed samir Zreik as recreational manager and didier Gusching as executive chef. Zreik previously worked at the le Méridien Hotel abu dhabi and Coral Beach resort in sharjah. Gusching has worked with le Méridien, oberoi, The sheraton, Jebel ali Golf resort and Media one dubai. Farzeen Patel
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Samir Zreik
Didier Gusching
fEBrUarY 6, 2010
Q&A with Greg Lanter Club Méditerranée, or Club Med, is a household name around the world. Offering all-inclusive packages at 80 locations around the world, the brand is celebrating 60 years of operation. Greg Lanter, vice president of global development, spoke to Travel Trade Weekly about some of the major changes Club Med has undergone in the past few years, including a complete brand repositioning and the closure of several properties. With the recent signing of a new property in Oman, Club Med is now ready to bring its iconic brand to several key destinations in the Middle East. Travel Trade Weekly: Firstly, please tell us about the Club Med brand and its evolution since opening in 1950. Greg Lanter: There has been a tremendous change in Club Med over the past few years. The company began in the 1950s as a great all-inclusive holiday model. it was a pioneering concept. in the 1990s, just before 9/11, Club Med was a mass market offer. it had 120 resorts aiming at a wide range of clients from lower to upper class. Then we were hit quite badly by the crisis in the tourism industry that followed 9/11. Club Med was the most expensive of the mid-market offer, so we were in an inbetween situation; the lower end of the market chose cheaper options, while the upper end of the market wanted a more prestigious offer. as a brand, Club Med has several assets: we have a pioneering past; we are designed to be in the most beautiful places in the world; and the brand is very well known around the world. what was missing from the market, we felt, was an upscale brand that was also friendly. since 2003 we have been working on this brand repositioning. we’ve worked on our people in order to offer the best services and we’ve worked on our assets to make sure that we only keep our best assets. we closed some properties, renovated others and open several new flagships.
Club Med has made a dramatic move upscale fEBrUarY 6, 2010
We have been looking at the Middle East for quite some time now
Greg Lanter
Travel Trade Weekly: Club Med currently operates properties in Egypt and Morocco, but the proposed Oman development will be the first Club Med in the Arabian Peninsula. What led to the decision to enter this market? Greg Lanter: we have been looking at the Middle East for quite some time now. The UaE and oman are both possibilities. oman is the country that best fits the Club Med brand experience. we like to align ourselves with authentic culture and natural settings. oman has a very welcoming, warm and open population. Club Med and the Middle East were not ready for this before. Club Med has made a dramatic move upscale and the Middle East has undergone significant development and is looking for new brands. after oman, we will be looking at ras al Khaimah and abu dhabi. we are less interested in dubai; it is a superb destination, but it does not fit with the Club Med brand. we are looking for natural settings, which is why ras al Khaimah and abu dhabi interest us. However, we are still in the very early stages.
Travel Trade Weekly: Will the Oman property and other Club Med developments in the Middle East cater specifically to Middle Eastern guests in any way? Greg Lanter: There are adaptations to our properties in the Middle East. in oman, we are settling down in salalah.
Between June and september, it is monsoon period in this region of oman and lots of tourists from the arabian Peninsula are interested in travelling to salalah at this time. Therefore, throughout the year we will be targeting tourists from all around the world, but between June and september we expect to see more Middle Eastern tourists. we will adapt to this by providing specialised services, such as more connecting rooms for families.
Travel Trade Weekly: How is Club Med performing as a global company, particularly in the current economic climate? Greg Lanter: we now have 80 properties worldwide and receive 1.2 million guests annually. we have a booming client market in China; they like the Club Med concept and tourism is developing rapidly there. Thanks to our brand strategy, Club Med has resisted the 2009 crisis much better than the 9/11 crisis; this is shown in our annual results. we provide a good bargain for an upscale offer. 15
Oman Travel Mart Set for May in Muscat Oman Travel Mart (OTM) will run from May 17 to 19 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre, Muscat, organisers have announced. The exhibition focuses on promoting inbound and outbound tourism; it is open to trade, corporate and general visitors. OTM will specifically look at tourism investment, medical tourism and key destinations for Omani travellers.
Other tourism sectors involved will include adventure and sports; business and incentive; education; leisure; green and ecological; transport services and operators; travel insurance and banking services; hotels and resorts; cruise lines, ferries and boat services; and airlines, airport and cargo services. A conference on tourism development and management will run alongside the exhibition.
Events Business Travel and Meetings Show 2010 London, UK, February 9-10 (www.businesstravelshow.com) Formerly the Business Travel Show, this event caters to consumers and suppliers of corporate travel services. Travel Technology Europe London, UK, February 9-10 (www.traveltechnologyshow.com) Educational and trade event centered on sales, operational, and marketing technology. EMITT Istanbul Istanbul, Turkey, Feb 11-14 (www.emittistanbul.com) Exhibition for travel professionals in the east Mediterranean and Eurasia. ETOA Hoteliers European Marketplace London, UK, Feb 12 (www.etoa.org/hem.aspx) Workshop event for tour operators, online intermediaries, wholesalers and hoteliers. Gulfood Exhibition 2010 Dubai, UAE, Feb 21-24 (www.gulfood.com) Food and beverage exhibition.
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Jordan Travel Mart ( JTM) Dead Sea, Jordan, February 21-23 (www.jordantravelmart.com) Showcase of the Jordanian tourism industry. Meetings Africa 2010 Johannesburg, South Africa, February 24-26 (www.meetingsafrica.co.za) Business tourism exhibition showcasing meeting venues, destinations and industry support services. ITB Berlin Berlin, Germany, March 10-14 (www.itb-berlin.com) A combination of trade exhibition, public exhibition and professional convention for the travel trade industry. Britain and Ireland Marketplace 2010 London, UK, March 16 (www.bim.travel) Workshop for tour operators, wholesalers and intermediaries to meet suppliers from the UK and Ireland’s hotels, attractions, ground handlers and other tourism services GIBTM Abu Dhabi, UAE, March 29-31 (www.gibtm.com) International event for the business travel and meetings industry in the Gulf and Middle East region.
FEBRUARY 6, 2010