Middle East and North Africa Edition
EXPANSION DELAYED Originally slated to begin in April, The Ritz-Carlton Dubai’s planned two-year expansion project is now expected to begin in October this year.
The Egyptian Tourist Authority plans to push Egypt as a year-round destination on the world stage, partnering with Germany’s leading travel trade fair, ITB Berlin, in 2012.
4 FLYDUBAI TO ERBIL Flydubai has become the latest Gulf carrier to announce services to Iraq, with flights to Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan region, set to commence on July 16.
6 In This Issue Market Update Accommodation News Air Travel News International News Agents’ Corner Travel Tips Travel Talk Who’s Moved Rendezvous Events JULY 10, 2010
ISSUE 35
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Egypt’s ITB PARTNERSHIP
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TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY Deputy Editor Laura Warne Journalist Louis Dillon Savage
Luxury Real Estate Market Depressed, Egypt Maintains Potential Emad Azmy, president of Al Shafar General Contracting (ASGC) highlighted a range of challenges for the Middle Eastern real estate market at the company’s recent general assembly meeting.
Design & Layout Elina Pericleous Sales & Marketing Marianna Tsiamas Evelina Hadjigeorgiou 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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SCG has a portfolio of major hotel industry clients that include Nakheel, Emaar, IFA Hotels and Resorts and Aldar. “There is little stimulus to real estate development in Dubai, while the Abu Dhabi market remains slow, although work is available there,” Azmy said. “Egypt continues to exhibit potential given the lack of competition, but every market remains price sensitive.” Amzy said cash flow remained a key issue, as regional markets continued to experience difficulties.
“Luxury real estate development will remain depressed and where we see real opportunities is in the shift to government investment in social infrastructure,” he said. According to market research, Amzy added that Abu Dhabi, Egypt and Saudi Arabia would remain the primary markets for ASGC. However, he said opportunities would arise in new areas such as Libya, and flagged a resurgence in Dubai development in the future.
Egypt continues to exhibit potential given the lack of competition
MENA Exchange Rates Accurate as of 7/7/2010 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 5.69 3.75 1501 0.37 0.70 46.85 0.29 3.64 0.38 1.49 8.81 10,003 226.3 74.17 1.31
(L-R) Abdal Aziz bin Al Shafar, vice president of ASGC with Emad Azmy, president of ASGC
Accor Demerger Approved By Shareholders: Division of Company Made Official Following a vote by shareholders, Accor has overcome the final hurdle for its plan to demerge the service and hospitality arms of the company. The vote was undertaken by shareholders representing 76 percent of voting rights in the company, and all submitted resolutions were approved. The hospitality arm will keep the Accor name, while the services division will continue under the name of Edenred. Shares in both companies will be divided between holders of shares in the previously united Accor business. Shareholders approved a dividend payment of EUR1.05 (USD1.32) per share. JULY 10, 2010
Egypt Signs on as Partner Country for ITB Berlin 2012 The Egyptian Tourist Authority plans to push Egypt as a year-round destination on the world stage, partnering with Germany’s leading travel trade fair, ITB Berlin, in 2012.
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s the event’s country partner, Egypt will organise the opening ceremonies of ITB Berlin 2012 and will present various cultural and culinary events during the fair. In preparation for the 2012 event, Egypt will triple its floor space at ITB Berlin 2011, making the country one of ITB’s largest exhibitors. Tamer Marzouk, managing director of Egyptian Tourist Authority, said the increased exposure would cement Egypt’s place in the global tourism market.
JULY 10, 2010
“ITB Berlin provides the ideal platform for presenting Egypt to the German and international markets as a holiday destination with a wide choice of tourism attractions,” he said. “Egypt is also becoming more firmly established as a MICE destination, another sector in which ITB Berlin provides the ideal setting in which to strengthen contacts with representatives of the international meetings and events industry.” David Ruetz, senior manager of ITB Berlin, said Egypt was among the countries reporting the highest growth rates among German travellers.
“Egypt is one of the world’s oldest travel destinations and nowadays it combines modernity and tradition,” said Ruetz. “Its diversity of tourism attractions ranges from high quality hotels in every price range to excellent value for money offers in areas such as golf, diving, desert tours, health tourism and wellness, as well as cultural trips and city tours.”
Egypt is becoming more firmly established as a MICE destination
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- Accommodation
The Ritz-Carlton Dubai’s Expansion Plan Delayed Originally slated to begin in April, The Ritz-Carlton Dubai’s planned two-year expansion project is now expected to begin in October this year.
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he project, scheduled for completion in 2012, will increase the hotel’s 163 guestrooms to 301 and will introduce a range of new restaurant concepts and MICE facilities. Representatives have not commented on the reason for the delay. During the expansion, guestroom technology will be updated to include wireless internet access, iPod docking stations, flat screen televisions and DVD players. A new club lounge will offer complimentary food and beverage, as well as a dedicated multi-lingual concierge service. Andrew Nasskau, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Dubai, said the expansion would position the hotel to meet future
guest requirements over the coming years. “Since the resort’s opening 11 years ago, our number of guests have increased annually and with the development of The Walk and Dubai Marina, we are predicting even higher visitors’ interest in The Ritz-Carlton at the completion of this
We are mindful of the effect that the expansion programme will have on our guests
guestrooms and recreational facilities. “We are mindful of the effect that the expansion programme will have on our guests and we will make every effort to ensure that their comfort and enjoyment will not be compromised,” he said. “All our rooms and suites will still be occupied for the next two years, and the only areas that will be closed are La Baie, the spa pool and garden in front of the new wing.” The Ritz-Carlton Dubai
expansion programme,” said Nasskau. Nassakau added that the project’s impact on guests would be minimal, as the new hotel wing is located away from current
Wafi Group Takes Over Second Hotel, Targeting High-End Guests UAE based Wafi Group is set to manage its second hotel property, taking over the management of Somerset Residences in Jadaf, Dubai. Wafi will rebrand the property as Park Hotel Apartments; the property is located adjacent to Wafi’s existing hotel,
Arabian Park Hotel. Mark Lee, general manager of Arabian Park Hotel and the new Park Hotel Apartments, said the fully serviced apartments would cater to the mid-range and high-end markets. “We feel that the new property will allow
us to tap into a higher-end market that we were not able to cater to in the past, and our aim will be to operate the new apartments like a five star hotel,” he said. Park Hotel Apartments features studios as well as one and two bedroom apartments, with 84 apartments in total.
Sharjah Hotel Occupancy Boost Shows Emirate on the Recovery Path Tourist flow in Sharjah increased by seven percent during the first five months of 2010, with Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) reporting 70 percent hotel occupancy rates. A total of 637,390 guests stayed in the emirate’s hotels and hotel apartments during the period, compared to 594,105 during the same five months of 2009. The total number of room nights also increased significantly compared to last year. European visitors accounted for 46 percent of total arrivals. GCC tourists followed at 25 4
percent of arrivals, while Asian tourists made up 14 percent and tourists from other Arab countries made up 10 percent. The remaining five percent of tourists arrived from the Commonwealth, US, Africa and Pacific region. Mohamed A Al Noman, director general of SCTDA, said the boost in numbers was a direct result of new tourist offerings and promotions. "The SCTDA is focusing on a clear strategy based on targeting leading markets that are important for parties concerned with the
tourism industry, as well as on organising activities and events that would contribute directly to the promotion of tourism by taking part in the world's largest tourism and trade exhibitions and organising promotional tours all over the world," Al Noman said.
The SCTDA is focusing on a clear strategy based on targeting leading markets JULY 10, 2010
- Air Travel
Flydubai Targets Leisure Tourists with Erbil Flights Flydubai has become the latest Gulf carrier to announce services to Iraq, with flights to Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan region, set to commence on July 16.
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owever, where most operations to Iraq have focused on industrial and government visitors to the country, flydubai is promoting Erbil as a leisure destination. Ghaith al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, said Erbil was undergoing a period of rapid growth, particularly in the tourism sector. “Erbil is reinventing itself and undergoing
an economic boom with new hotels, leisure and healthcare facilities, commercial towers and trade centres,” he said. “The city’s rapid development has been compared with that of Dubai and it is a beacon of progress for the rest of the country.” According to the Kurdistan Regional Government, Kurdistan has remained relatively untouched by the ongoing instability in Iraq, and has attracted
investment from a range of foreign companies in recent times. Flydubai will operate flights to Erbil from Dubai twice per week, on Fridays and Mondays.
[Erbil’s] rapid development has been compared with that of Dubai
Erbil’s Citadel
The roof of the Grand Mosque in Erbil
Air Arabia, Etihad Compete on Abu Dhabi-Alexandria Route Air Arabia has launched the fifth flight from its Alexandria hub, strengthening its short-haul network with a connection to Abu Dhabi. The UAE’s national airline, Etihad has also declared plans to service the route, but is awaiting approval from government regulators. If approved, Etihad flights will operate four times weekly on Monday,
Etihad Airways 6
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Air Arabia flights will operate four times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Adel Ali, CEO of Air Arabia, said the route had been chosen according to market forces. “We have received incredible demand from both our Abu Dhabi and Alexandria residents for low-cost travel solutions
Air Arabia
between the two countries,” he said. “In line with the increasing demand, we are pleased to announce that our fifth destination from Alexandria will connect North Africa to the UAE.” James Hogan, CEO of Etihad, said adding Alexandria to the carrier’s network was a strategic move and would strengthen the airline’s other routes from its Abu Dhabi hub.
We have received incredible demand... for low-cost travel solutions between the two countries JULY 10, 2010
- Air Travel Emirates Reports Unexpectedly Strong Demand for Temporary Madinah Link Emirates launched its first flights to the holy city of Madinah, Saudi Arabia on July 3, and has already reported strong demand for the services. The flights were initially scheduled to run twice per week, until September 24, but strong forward demand has already prompted Emirates to double its frequency on the route. According to Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ senior vice president of commercial operations for the Gulf, Middle East and Iran, the carrier is considering making the flights to Madinah permanent. “Forward bookings over summer for Medinah Al Munawarah are extremely strong, particularly from key markets including the UAE, the Indian subcontinent, Far East and parts of Africa,” he said. “We are extremely pleased with how this short term destination looks set to perform and all going well we may look to make this a more permanent route.” Emirates’ currently operates three permanent flights to Saudi Arabia, including Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.
Gulf Air Extends Call Centre Operations to 24 Hour Service Gulf Air has launched a 24 hour call centre, in a move that its sales executives say will strengthen the carrier’s customer relations. Although Gulf Air has operated a call centre since 2003, the service will now be open around the clock, every day of the year. Services offered include bookings, loyalty mile redemption, flight status tracking and general information. Lars Denlew, director of sales and distribution for the airline, said the move would strengthen the carrier’s direct sales channel.
“This is just one more step to getting closer to our customers," he said. "At Gulf Air's worldwide contact centre our trained and knowledgeable staff are dedicated to make the whole process of travel a seamless experience and, should problems arise, they are just a telephone call away to solve them. “
This is just one more step to getting closer to our customers
Ahmed Khoory
All going well we may look to make this a more permanent route JULY 10, 2010
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- International
Ryanair’s Bid for Aer Lingus Blocked in EU Court Ireland based low cost carrier Ryanair’s buyout bid for Aer Lingus has been blocked by the European Commission’s General Court.
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er Lingus, also based in Ireland, is already 29.8 percent owned by Ryanair and has repeatedly attempted to force Ryanair to sell its stake in the company. The court ruled that although Ryanair would be blocked from acquiring a controlling stake in Aer Lingus, it would not be forced to divest its holdings in the carrier. Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, said he welcomed the ruling that the company would not have to sell its shares. “This will not prevent Ryanair making a future offer for Aer Lingus, but obviously any such offer will have to take account of
the court’s detailed ruling,” he said. “Ryanair has no immediate plans to make a third offer for Aer Lingus, which in any event would be unlikely to succeed unless the Irish government decides to sell its 25 percent stake.”
A takeover of Aer Lingus by Ryanair would harm consumers and lead to higher prices on Irish routes Colm Barrington, chairman of Aer Lingus, said the decision was to the benefit of consumers.
“Today’s rejection by the European Court of Ryanair’s appeal confirms that a takeover of Aer Lingus by Ryanair would harm consumers and lead to higher prices on Irish routes,” he said. “It is regrettable that the court has not taken this opportunity to take the further step necessary to address the anticompetitive effects of Ryanair’s minority shareholding in Aer Lingus which is contrary to the interests of the majority of our shareholders.” The European Commission found that the amalgamation of the two carriers would establish a dominant position on more than 50 routes and that no new competitors were likely to alleviate the situation by entering the market
Greek Government Promises to Insure Travellers Against Strikes, Volcanoes The Greek government has issued assurances that the government will pay compensation to any passengers stranded in the country. Pavlos Yeroulanos, minister for tourism and culture, unveiled the policy in a speech to the media at the Christian and Byzantine Museum in Athens. He noted the negative publicity Greece
had received in the media and implored foreign correspondents to help rebuild the country’s image as a tourism destination. He said that his ministry had collaborated with the Ministry of the Economy to insure visitors against extra costs. “We have worked … to guarantee any extra cost any visitor incurs in Greece
whether because of a strike or a natural disaster,” he said. The minister named the Eyjafjallajökull ash cloud as an example of an event that would be covered by the new scheme. A representative of the ministry confirmed that the promise to insure travellers had been adopted as official policy.
European Commission Further Restricts Iran Air’s Fleet in EU Airspace Iran Air faces greater restrictions in European Union (EU) airspace, following the European Commission’s latest update of its airline blacklist. Following a visit to the country to inspect facilities and practices, the European Air Safety Committee voted unanimously to tighten the operational regulations faced by the airline. Iran Air was banned from operating its Airbus A320 and Boeing B727 and B747 8
aircraft in EU airspace. Iran Air operates 48 aircraft, including eight 747, four 727 and three A320 aircraft. Siim Kallas, vice president of the European Commission, said assessment criteria were uncompromising, but that Iran would be assisted in raising its standards to the necessary level. “Where we have evidence that air carriers are not performing safe operations or where regulators fail in their obligation to
enforce safety standards, we must act to guarantee safe skies for our citizens when they travel,” he said. “We are ready to support those countries which need and want to build up their technical and administrative capacity to guarantee the highest standards of safety of civil aviation.” The EU currently maintains outright bans on 282 carriers, including all airlines from a group of 17, mostly African, nations. JULY 10, 2010
SkyTeam Alliance Celebrates UAE Agents The SkyTeam global airline alliance recently held a travel agency awards evening at Raffles Dubai to celebrate 10 years of operation. Leading travel agents from Dubai, Sharjah and the northern emirates joined sales managers and alliance members from airlines that included Aeroflot, Air France-KLM, Alitalia, China Southern, Delta and Korean Air. The alliance’s latest partner, Vietnam Airlines, was also highlighted at the event. Awards were given to a range of local agencies with high yield sales, including Dnata, Airlink International, OTTA, Kanoo Travel, Al Rais Travel, SNTTA, Al Shamel Travel, Al Tayer Travel Agency, Al Rostamani Travel, Sharaf Travel, Al Naboodah Travel, Satguru Travel, Uranus Travel, Al Faisal Travel and ITS/Continental Travel.
Agent’s Insight Mohammad Hamzeh Product and Contracting Manager, Althuraya Travel and Tours, Jordan Who is travelling to the Middle East right now? At this time of year, it is the GCC market coming to Jordan. Because it is school holidays in the GCC and we share a border with Saudi Arabia, so many people do not even need to fly. The European market comes from mid March to mid June, and from mid September to December, but in between it is the GCC market.
What makes a good travel agent? Providing the best services, having a good marketing strategy, providing competitive rates and qualified staff.
When do you think business will return to predownturn levels? Here, we have not been affected at all. In 2008, we had only 16,000 customers and then in 2009 we had around 62,000. According to my statistics so far we have had another 27 percent increase in customers to date, compared to 2009. Two years ago, we had half the number of staff and we now have 62 because we have been growing the business and things are going very well.
Where do you take your own holidays? Around the Middle East area and in Europe
Why did you get involved in the travel industry? Sky Team award winners
Kanoo Travel Partners with Amadeus Kanoo Travel has announced a three year partnership with travel technology provider Amadeus. Under the agreement, Kanoo will use Amadeus’ e-Travel Management tool for its corporate travel services in the Middle East. Abdulla Abo Khamseen, executive general manager of Kanoo Travel, said the partnership would boost the company’s online travel services 10
for customers. “The solution integrates with our existing applications, allowing our clients to enjoy the benefits of working with a harmonised global infrastructure,” he said. Antoine Medawar, vice president of Amadeus for the Middle East and North Africa, added that Kanoo had been an early adopter of online booking technology and that Amadeus was committed to supporting the company’s growth in the region.
I am originally Palestinian and my father was a refugee here in Jordan. The only investment he could make was in me and my brothers, so he did his level best to educate us. So I went to Italy when I was 17 to study the Italian language and then to Spain where my brother was and I studied this [travel and tourism] business. This is life. You do not know where God is sending you, or what country you will drink your water from.
In 2008, we had only 16,000 customers and then in 2009 we had around 62,000. According to my statistics so far we have had another 27 percent increase in customers to date, compared to 2009 JULY 10, 2010
A Little Help from Your Friends: The Business Side of the Social Web Part 3 Social media provides access to customers rivalled only by the face-to-face contact of actually providing your service.
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ccording to Douglas Quinby, of PhoCusWright Connect, there is no reason that the service element and personal touches need to be absent from your online selling platform. He identified customer service and brand identity as two ways the social web could be used to generate customer interest, loyalty and ultimately sales. As consumers increasingly research their travel choices online, offering them the opportunity to engage without shifting communication methods is a valuable strategy. The more steps a potential customer has to take in order to buy, the less likely they are to do so. So, Quinby said allowing your website, Facebook page or Twitter account to serve
as a customer service point, as well as an information source, can boost your relationship with your clients. For example, Quinby said businesses had achieved success by using Facebook as a
Say I am staying at the MGM Grand and I feel like a burger, I could tweet that to the virtual concierge and get an immediate answer
immediate answer,” he said. “This creates a connection and can be a great way of generating incremental revenue; if you have a burger joint on property, the customer can be directed there instead of taking his money elsewhere.” For more social media tips, read next week’s issue of Travel Trade Weekly.
forum for product queries and booking inquiries. Quinby also suggested that the concept of the virtual concierge was particularly relevant to the travel industry. “Say I am staying at the MGM Grand and I feel like a burger, I could tweet that to the virtual concierge and get an
Playing it Safe During the Summer Season: Beat the Heat It’s one of the busiest holiday periods of the year, but summer is also a dangerous time for outdoor workers, including airport staff, tour operators and hotel employees. First time visitors to the Middle East can also be caught off guard by the high temperatures, so it is important for tourism providers to take care of both their staff and guests. Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has launched a series of heat awareness seminars to advise all personnel on health and safety during the summer season. Captain Salem Mohammad Al Khazraji, head of learning and development at ADAC, pointed out that heat exhaustion is a serious issue both for JULY 10, 2010
tourism employees and travellers to the Middle East. “While the summer season means soaring temperatures and intense sunshine, it is also a busy time for the airport as passenger traffic increases around the holidays,” he said. “We are committed to safe operations at the airport and to the safety of our staff, and these seminars highlight the health risks of being out in the summer heat, whether for work or leisure, and the measures to take to reduce it.” As part of the awareness campaign, ADAC will provide refillable water bottles, extra water coolers outdoors and cooling neck bandanas, as well as distributing heat safety advice posters throughout the airport. 11
Majid Al Mualla
Michel Noblet
Senior Vice President, West Asia and Indian Ocean, Emirates Airline “Emirates has been flying to Delhi since our first day of operations in 1985. Twenty five years on, 10 destinations and 184 weekly flights certainly represent the efforts and investment that have gone into building a strong relationship with India. The fact that we are bringing the A380 here is a reiteration of the potential that we see in the Indian market and our intent to partner with the nation in its growth. Over the years, Emirates has evolved to become a company that is global in its operations but firmly connected with the Indian mindset and the consumer.”
CEO, HMH International “As the gateway city to Makkah, Jeddah benefits from pilgrims whose numbers are expected to reach eight million by next year. A 20-year redevelopment programme is underway that aims to revitalise the old city centre as well as take in mega projects such as the King Abdullah Economic City and Jeddah Hills and the expansion of Jeddah International Airport to handle 30 million passengers annually. All of this means there will be a sustained requirement for all levels of hotel accommodation from the deluxe to the value brands.”
Over the years, Emirates has evolved to become a company that is global in its operations but firmly connected with the Indian mindset
Majid Al Mualla
Pavlos Yeroulanos
As the gateway city to Makkah, Jeddah benefits from pilgrims whose numbers are expected to reach eight million by next year
Minister of Culture and Tourism, Greece “The social unrest came to paint us not only as lazy but also dangerous. News channels and newspapers ran the fire on Marfin and the ‘attack’ on the parliament for days. The harm done to Greece in the past few months seems irreparable, since no advertising budget can reverse the value of news. We feel that Greece has turned a page and what would seem discouraging a few months ago, today is a new beginning. Actually, we are not trying to turn a page. We hope to change books.”
We are not trying to turn a page. We hope to change books Athens, Greece
Michel Noblet
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
JULY 10, 2010
Fuat Koroglu
Ulrike Adroff
Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo has appointed Fuat Koroglu as general manager. Koroglu moves from his previous position as executive assistant manager at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. He has a master’s degree in business administration and qualifications in tourism management. Koroglu began his career at Swissotel The Bosphorus in Turkey as a management trainee, before joining the pre-opening team at Ciragan Palace, Istanbul, in 1992. He moved through various positions, including convention services manager, director of banquet operations and director of food and beverage, before moving to Dubai in 2009.
One to One Hotel - The Village in Abu Dhabi has appointed Ulrike Androff as hotel manager. Androff has more than 26 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has held senior positions with Hilton, Kempinski, Omni and Constance hotels across the UK, Switzerland, Germany, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Mauritius. In the Middle East, Androff has worked as complex director of rooms at Le Méridien Mina Seyahi and The Westin Dubai. Her most recent position was general manager at Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH), the Dubai based holding company for Coral Hotels and Resorts.
Rezidor Hotel Group Rezidor has reshuffled the sales team at its global sales office in Dubai – Ersin Manaz has been promoted to director of sales for leisure and crew, while Guru Prashanth joins the company as regional sales manager. Manaz has 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He began his career at Hilton ParkSA in Turkey, where he spent nine years, before joining Rezidor in 2005 as night manager for Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel Residence and Spa, Manama. He later moved to Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek in 2007 as group sales manager, followed by a move to the Rezidor global sales office in 2009 as regional sales manager. Guru Prashanth began his hospitality career in 2004 at Mövenpick Hotel Zurich Airport, before moving to Ye Olde Bell Hotel in the UK and later Danat Resort in the UAE. He joined Rezidor in 2007 as a conference and banquet sales coordinator for Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek and was promoted to sales executive, corporate, in 2009. In his new role, Prashanth will work closely with the director of sales for MICE, as well as driving cross sales within the region.
Fuat Koroglu
Christopher McFall Accor’s Novotel and Ibis World Trade Centre hotels have appointed Christopher McFall as director of sales and marketing. McFall will be in charge of sales, marketing, public relations and reservation functions for both hotels, leading a team of 20 employees. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international hospitality management and most recently worked for Guoman Hotels in the UK. He also has experience with InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton and Le Méridien, in hotels across South Africa, Thailand and the US. 14
Ersin Manaz
Guru Prashanth JULY 10, 2010
Q&A with Nabil Barakat The new O Beach Dead Sea development in Jordan is a luxury day beach concept – offering private beach cabanas, restaurants, bars and day spa facilities. General manager Nabil Barakat talks to Travel Trade Weekly about pre-opening challenges, group tourism and partnerships with the region’s hotels and resorts. Travel Trade Weekly: What attracted you to the role of general manager at O Beach? Nabil Barakat: It is the aspiration of every general manager in the hospitality industry to lead the flagship project of a new chain. This is considered to be the culmination of satisfaction where the manager congregates his previous experience into steering the project to success and set the pathway for the projects to follow. For over 15 years I have held the position of general manager and other senior executive positions in the hospitality industry in various countries and I believe that O Beach is the flagship that I have been looking for.
Travel Trade Weekly: How much preopening activity have you been involved in? What has the pre-opening focus been for the property? Nabil Barakat: For a property the size of
details to avoid untimely obstacles. We were eventually faced with certain challenges that were mainly human resources and post construction related. We have handled most challenges through dedicated management strategies.
Nabil Barakat
Travel Trade Weekly: Will O Beach focus more on individual travellers or private events and the MICE industry? Nabil Barakat: O Beach targets a variety of market segments subdivided mainly into the local market (about 80 percent) and the inbound tourists market (about 20 percent). Without fail, individual travellers are our primary targets. However, we will target certain tourist groups to cover the lean days of business. O Beach is not equipped with MICE business services, nevertheless, we have and we will entertain the incentives parts of MICE functions.
and a wide variety of international menus we could definitely cater those posh tourists without jeopardising our individuality.
O Beach and with the number of services that we provide, we have had a very short pre-opening period that concentrated mainly on logistical preparations along with a few media activities. During this period, we were able to fine tune the customisation of our services according to the market and our staff was able to [adjust] their service skills accordingly.
It is not necessary to avoid group tourism packages in order to maintain exclusivity
Travel Trade Weekly: What relationship, if any, do you expect O Beach to have with other tourism attractions in the area? Do you anticipate cross-over business from other establishments?
substantial project with the magnitude of O Beach, challenges are inevitable. However, a well planned and executed project usually has fewer obstacles, and this is the case of O Beach. From conceptualisation to completion, we have made sure to pay a lot of attention to the
maintain the exclusivity of O Beach. There exist many international tour operators nowadays that develop sophisticated and elaborate packages for upmarket tourists. We believe that with our exclusive indulging packages including cabanas, spa treatments
Amman to entertain groups of their guests on regular basis. We also seek the services of neighbouring hotels and resorts to lodge our clients who hold their banquets and events at O Beach and require rooms to stay in the Dead Sea area.
Nabil Barakat: Being a part of a cluster of Travel Trade Weekly: Will group hotels and resorts and having services that tourism packages be encouraged, or is complement theirs in an area being this a market you would rather avoid in developed to become a touristic destination, Travel Trade Weekly: Were there any order to maintain the exclusive, private it is only normal to engage in cross-over business with them. challenges to be overcome during the atmosphere of O Beach? pre-opening period? Nabil Barakat: It is not necessary to avoid We have already made many deals with Nabil Barakat: When developing a the group tourism packages in order to different properties in the area and in
JULY 10, 2010
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Abu Dhabi Conference Snags Founder of World’s Largest Adventure Travel Company The founder of Gap Adventures, Bruce Poon Tip, has signed on as a keynote speaker at the upcoming World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi conference. The inaugural conference will take place in November at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Gap Adventures, founded in 1990, now has more than 850 employees and offers more than 1,000 small group experiences across all seven continents, catering to more than 100,000 travellers per year. "I launched Gap Adventures with the belief that other travellers would share my desire to experience authentic adventures in a responsible and sustainable manner and I
hope that by learning about our journey and success at the Abu Dhabi congress, other industry leaders will also recognise why putting in place measures to make tourism more environmentally and culturally aware can also create growth opportunities,” said Poon Tip. “I am looking forward to engaging with the audience in Abu Dhabi given the investment being made in the region's tourism sector and the particular challenges the industry faces in the Middle East and North Africa.” Ahmed Hussein, deputy director general of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, said securing Poon Tip as a speaker was a coup for the event.
He will join other high profile speakers, including: Gopinath Parayil, CEO of Indian responsible travel company Blue Yonder; Arnfinn Oines, social and environmental conscience officer at Six Senses Resorts and Spas; and Faith Taylor, vice president for sustainability and innovation for Wyndham World.
Putting in place measures to make tourism more environmentally and culturally aware can also create growth opportunities
Events Summer in Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, UAE, June 24 – August 4 (www.summerinabudhabi.com) Festival of family entertainment events covering eight venues across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, featuring performers from more than 15 countries. India International Travel Market Bengaluru, India, July 10-12 (www.iitmindia.com) A showcase for tourism, leisure, hospitality and related industries.
Hotex Fair Syria Damascus, Syria, October 19-22 (www.hotexfair.com) Fair for Arabic and foreign companies in tourism and travel, including hotels, restaurants and equipment suppliers. World Travel Market London, UK, November 8-11 (www.wtmlondon.com) Global event for the travel industry – four day business to business event promoting a range of destinations and industry sectors to international travel professionals.
Outdoor Adventure Dubai Dubai, UAE, October 8-10 (www.outdooradventuredubai.com) Adventure sports, outdoor clubs, equipment specialists and holiday destinations.
World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 22-24 (www.worldgreentourism.ae) Inaugural eco-tourism exhibition, featuring tourism authorities, urban city planners, hotels and resorts, property developers, airlines, tour operators, green product suppliers, universities, museums and heritage site organisations.
GITEX Technology Week Dubai, UAE, October 17-21 (www.gitex.com) Technology solutions for hotels, businesses and consumers.
Blossom Japan Tokyo, Japan, January 18-21,2011 (www.blossomjapan.com) A new invitation-only luxury travel exhibition focusing on the Japanese market.
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JULY 10, 2010