Don’t miss out on our next e-book issue
Online December 26 Middle East and North Africa Edition
Tel: +35722820888 info@traveltradeweekly.travel
ADTA TRAINING Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has announced a programme of training initiatives for tourism professionals, which will run across the first quarter of 2010.
Strike plans by British Airways cabin crew have been stalled by a court injunction, however union representatives say a new action will be forthcoming.
3 KEMPINSKI WAITS Kempinski Hotels and Resorts has delayed opening its Emerald Palace property on the Palm Jumeirah, announcing that it will review the performance of Atlantis The Palm before proceeding.
4 In This Issue Market Update Accommodation News International News Air Travel News Travel Tips Travel Talk Who’s Moved Rendezvous Events DECEMBER 19, 2009
ISSUE 6
2 4 6 8 12 13 14 15 16
STRIKE
STALLED 6 www.traveltradeweekly.travel
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY Deputy Editor Laura Warne
Dubai World Bailout Labelled a Tactical Move The Government of Abu Dhabi has agreed to provide USD10 billion to the Dubai Financial Support Fund, to be used to satisfy Dubai World’s upcoming obligations.
Journalist Louis Dillon Savage Design & Layout Elina Pericleous
T
he Government of Dubai authorised USD4.1 billion of Sales & Marketing this amount to be used to pay Joy Hadjivarnava Jane Davidson sukuk obligations on Danielle Bragg December 14. Directors The remaining funds will be used for interest Andreas Constantinides expenses and working capital until April 30, Mary Kammitsi 2010, on the condition that Dubai World is Headquarters P.O. Box 25255 successful in negotiating a previously Nicosia 1308 Cyprus announced standstill on debts. Tel: +35722820888 Trade creditors and contractors will also receive Fax: +35722318958 a portion of the USD10 billion. Website Sheikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, www.traveltradeweekly.travel chairman of the Dubai Supreme Fiscal Emails info@traveltradeweekly.travel Committee (DSFC), announced a editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel comprehensive reorganisation law, based on sales@traveltradeweekly.travel internationally accepted standards for transparency and creditor protection. “This law will be available should Dubai World and its subsidiaries be unable to achieve an acceptable restructuring of its remaining obligations,” said Maktoum. He added that the government’s actions demonstrated a strong MENA Exchange Rates commitment to transparency, good Accurate as of 15/12/2009 governance and market principals. Currencies shown in red “We are here to reassure are fixed against the US Dollar investors, financial and trade COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD= creditors, employees, and our UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67 Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.48 citizens that our government will Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75 act at all times in accordance with Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501 market principles and Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37 Jordan ( JOD) Syria (SYP) Kuwait (KWD) Qatar (QAR) Oman (OMR) Tunisia (TND) Morocco (MAD) Iran (IRR) Yemen (YER) Algeria (DZD) Libya (LYD)
2
Dinar Pound Dinar Riyal Rial Dinar Dirham Riyal Rial Dinar Dinar
internationally accepted business practices,” said Maktoum. Dubai World welcomed the announcement, reaffirming its intention to negotiate a standstill with financial creditors and ensure the continuity of key projects. Global ratings agency Fitch Ratings announced that the government’s move was a tactical step. The agency said the reorganisation law announced by the DSFC was clearly aimed at facilitating easier corporate restructuring in the future.
Our government will act at all times in accordance with market principles and internationally accepted business practices According to the agency, the law “has the obvious ancillary benefit of making it simpler for future corporate debt obligations to be addressed through court-based restructurings, rather than through a sovereign bailout, reducing the pressure on Dubai to continue offering financial support to corporate entities, and on Abu Dhabi to accede to further financial pressures in the neighbouring emirate”. However, Fitch Ratings said questions remained on how the move would practically affect creditors.
0.7 45.5 0.28 3.64 0.38 1.27 7.76 9960 205.76 73 1.21 DECEMBER 19, 2009
ADTA Unveils Training Initiatives for Industry in 2010 Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has announced a programme of training initiatives for tourism professionals, which will run across the first quarter of 2010.
A
DTA has partnered with several academic institutions, including the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The curriculum will include a marketing management course for hospitality executives and entrepreneurs; a travel agency seminar focusing on engaging with Asian and Chinese outbound markets; and a course on effective tourism planning. ADTA’s existing Enhancing the Guest Experience workshops will also continue throughout 2010, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute. Paul Ram Prakash, industry professional development manager at ADTA, said more than 500 industry partners had already attended these workshops. “We’ve got at least 10 more workshops during January and February alone; the response to this training has been
overwhelming,” said Prakash. Nasser Al Reyami, tourism standards director at ADTA, said the ongoing workshops were part of ADTA’s professional development and training strategy. The strategy has three main strands; the first
Visitor engagement with Emiratis will be critical to the sustainability of our destination brand is the implementation of mandatory shortterm training programmes, particularly for customer-facing professionals. Secondly, ADTA plans greater Emiratisation of Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector. Less than one percent of Abu Dhabi’s tourism workforce is Emirati; ATDA plans to increase this number to five percent by 2012. “We are therefore identifying educational and training opportunities that will enable
nationals to gain a better insight into the diverse career opportunities within the wide tourism sector – and we believe business tourism is one area in which they could succeed,” said Al Reyami. “We are solid in our belief that visitor engagement with Emiratis will be critical to the sustainability of our destination brand.” Finally, ADTA also plans to position Abu Dhabi as the Middle East’s regional centre for tourism and hospitality education and training. Al Reyami said ADTA was currently in exploratory talks with tourism and hospitality institutions to introduce shortterm and permanent programmes for local and regional students. “Our professional development and training initiatives for the tourism sector are being taken to build long-term destination competitiveness which we believe depends on consistent delivery of world class service standards by a human resource pool of welltrained, committed and dedicated professionals,” said Al Reyami.
India’s MakeMyTrip Enters UAE Market Online travel company MakeMyTrip.com has launched its complete range of travel solutions in the UAE market. Products available include flights, hotels and holiday packages to India and other international destinations. Keyur Joshi, co-founder of MakeMyTrip, said Indian expats living in the UAE were a key target market for the company. “As the pioneering and most successful online travel agency in India, we see a clear opportunity for our offerings in the Emirates market,” said Joshi. “With over 61 percent internet penetration, citizens are waiting for an DECEMBER 19, 2009
online travel services provider.” Mohit Gupta, chief marketing officer for MakeMyTrip, said there were compelling statistics that supported the company’s entrance into the new market. “The UAE is the second largest hub of non resident Indians (NRIs) in the world after the United States,” said Gupta. “The market has also seen healthy trends in inbound travel, especially from India into the UAE. “ Gupta added that the company expected to sell almost 25,000 tickets online within the next six months.
Keyur Joshi 3
ACCOMMODATION NEWS Kempinski Palm Development Waits For Atlantis to Show its Hand
K
empinski Hotels and Kempinski Palm Emerald Palace Resorts has delayed opening its Emerald Palace property on the Palm Jumeirah, announcing that it will review the performance of Atlantis The Palm before proceeding. Ulrich Eckhardt, president for the Middle East and Africa at Kempinski, said that although the Emerald Palace had been delayed by the global economic downturn, large scale development on the Palm Jumeirah, including Atlantis, had also offered an opportunity to assess the market before opening. such as Atlantis had on the Palm and how “We thought it was wise to watch the it progresses in terms of operation, effect the entry of a large-format hotel staffing, training, resource management
and most importantly demand, before we went ahead with our development and opening schedules,” Eckhardt said.
Low Occupancy, High Rates Leave MEA with Room to Maneuver Despite recent high profile rate cuts, such as Premier Inn’s 40 percent decrease, average daily rates (ADR) in the Middle East and Africa remained buoyant compared to those in other regions in 2009. According to ITB’s annual World Travel Trends Report, ADR in the Middle East and Africa sank by 3.2 percent compared
to 2008. Comparatively, price cuts in Europe, Asia and the Americas averaged 20.9 percent, 17.5 percent, and 9.7 percent respectively. ITB’s figures also showed that despite experiencing the largest drop in occupancy of all regions, MEA had recorded the smallest reduction in
revPAR worldwide. Occupancy in MEA dropped by 12.4 percent; in Europe by 7.8 percent; in the Americas by 9.8 percent; and Asia by 10.5 percent. MEA revPAR was down by 15.2 percent, whereas Europe, Asia and the Americas saw revPAR shrink by 27.1 percent, 26.2 percent, and 18.6 percent respectively.
Gullivers Travel in Hilton’s Garden Hilton Worldwide has signed a global distribution agreement with Travelport’s Gullivers Travel Associates (GTA) subsidiary. Travelport, which operates as a travel industry wholesaler in more than 130 countries, reported that the addition of Hilton Garden Inn strengthened the alliance between itself and Hilton Worldwide. Mark Nogal, vice president of brand performance at Hilton Garden Inn, said 4
the move would boost business for both companies. “With hotels in locations such as India, Saudi Arabia, Italy and Canada, as well as the United States, and with preferred amenities suited to all types of travellers, we feel our strengthened relationship with GTA is mutually beneficial," he said. Hilton Garden Inn operates nearly 500 properties worldwide; all properties were made available via GTA on December 16. DECEMBER 19, 2009
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
BA Strike Stricken by Court Ruling On December 14 British Airways (BA) cabin crew voted to pursue a 12 day strike over the Christmas period, however industrial action has been stalled by an injunction from the UK High Court.
T
he strike was scheduled to run from December 22, 2009 to January 2, 2010, but has been ruled unlawful due to aberrations in the balloting process. Unite, the union responsible for organising the strike has announced that court action would slow but not stop
further disruption to BA’s schedule. In a joint statement, Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, general secretaries of Unite, said that cabin crew will be reballoted. “This dispute is not settled. Passing the buck to the courts to do management’s job for them was never going to be the answer,” they said.
Accor Reaches Demerger Accord Accor’s board of directors has voted to decouple the brand’s prepaid services and hotel operations. Gilles Pélisson, chairman of the board, said that splitting the company would be beneficial to both sides. “The demerger would create a new, solid, sustainable growth dynamic for both businesses, each of which is a global leader in its respective business,” he said. The demerger proposal followed disparate performance by Accor’s businesses over the course of 2009. Q3 results showed that while the brand’s services division continued to both profit and grow, the hotel business had 6
contracted by 10.7 percent compared to 2008. Reviews tendered to the board predicted several benefits for a divided business model. According to the reviews, joint operations failed to generate real synergies for the company and the businesses would become more competitive if separated. As individual companies, the services and hotel components are expected to become more attractive to investors. Employee representatives will be consulted on the demerger plan, which will be submitted to shareholders before the end of 2010.
“Given the clear mood of cabin crew about management’s imposition of changes on their working lives, this means that the spectre of further disruption to the company’s operations cannot be removed. Only a negotiated agreement can do that.” The strike was organised in response to BA’s proposed changes to cabin crew quotas and operating procedures. According to Willy Walsh, BA CEO, the airline does not plan to revise its position, and the changes will be both inevitable and permanent. “We will not be reversing our changes to onboard crew numbers” he said."Unite must understand that there can be no return to the old, inefficient ways if we want to ensure long-term survival in the interests of our customers, shareholders and all our staff.”
New Luxury Expo Announced for Japan Blossom Japan, a new luxury travel exhibition focusing on the Japanese market, will be held in Tokyo from January 18-21, 2011. The event has been organised by Jay Martens, co-founder of the Asia Luxury Travel Market (ALTM). According to Martens, as the second largest global economy, Japan is one of the most important luxury markets in the world. Buyers and exhibitors will be fully hosted at the invitation only event, which comprises a full day conference and a three day exhibition. DECEMBER 19, 2009
Alshamel Expands on the Back of 2009 Success Kuwait-based travel management company, Alshamel International, will expand into Saudi Arabia and Oman in 2010.
T
Derin Cameron
DECEMBER 19, 2009
he announcement followed news that the company surpassed its expected success levels for 2009, according to Derin Cameron, CEO of Alshamel International. “We are delighted to host this event and we are very pleased to announce such positive trends during a difficult time for the travel and tourism industry,” said Cameron. “Our results continue to exceed expectations, demonstrating our positive performance amidst extremely challenging conditions.” Alshamel partnered with technology suppliers HP, Microsoft and Cisco in
2009 to streamline communication between its offices in Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan. The company also introduced a new management team and a programme management structure, designed to create a single contact for regional customers. Cameron said she expected the company’s successful performance to continue in 2010. “There is a very strong potential for us to further expand our operations and provide significant value to our suppliers and shareholders,” she said. “We are confident to continue demonstrating strong financial performance, meeting our own internal forecasts and consistently outperforming the market.”
7
AIR TRAVEL NEWS
Plane Sailing for Emirates Finances, Says CEO Tim Clark, CEO of Emirates Airline has declared that the carrier remains on strong financial footing and will continue to pursue expansion plans.
C
lark said that despite the global downturn, Emirates had been able to able to secure USD 1.13 billion to finance six new Airbus A380 superjumbos, to be delivered by the end of 2010. The first of these aircraft was delivered on December 12, with another to follow later in the month. “We have never encountered difficulties in obtaining finance for our aircraft acquisition programme, with both international and regional banks comfortable with our financial stability,” Clark said. “As one of the world’s most profitable airlines, Emirates has always honoured its financial commitments and we continue
Tim Clark
to progress with our rigorous fleet and network expansion plans.” According to Adel Ad Redha, vice president of engineering and operations for Emirates, the airline had also taken delivery of two new Boeing 777-300
aircraft, opened a new passenger lounge in Johannesburg, South Africa and launched flights to Seoul, South Korea on December 13. Emirates will also open new routes to Tokyo and Amsterdam in 2010.
Etihad to Help Turn Skies Green with Sustainable Aviation Group Etihad has become the second Middle Eastern airline, following Gulf Air, to join the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG). James Hogan, CEO of Etihad, said the move would help facilitate an improvement in aviation sustainability. SAFUG is an organisation focused on the ethical development of aviation biofuels. The group imposes stringent parameters
on the development of alternative fuels. Participants are required to minimise the impact of fuel crops on biodiversity, avoid clearing high value conservation zones, and develop fuel sources so as not to compete with food crops or affect sources of drinking water. Greenhouse gas emissions of any alternative fuel are also required to be significantly less than fossil fuels
throughout the production cycle. “Etihad recognises the need for stepchanges in aviation to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and meet our industry’s carbon reduction goal,” said Hogan. “We also recognise that any fuel alternatives must be morally, socially and environmentally acceptable, while not compromising the future sustainability of the aviation industry.”
Air Arabia Boosts Holiday Flights to Goa, India Low cost carrier, Air Arabia, will operate an additional eight flights to Goa, India over the holiday season. The airline currently runs three roundtrip flights per week between Goa and Sharjah, UAE. The extra flights will run on December 17, 8
23, 24 and 30, as well as January 4-7, 2010. AK Nizar, head of commercial department at Air Arabia, said the additional flights represented the high level of demand for Goa and added that seating remained limited, despite the increased services. DECEMBER 19, 2009
AIR TRAVEL NEWS
Oman Air’s USD10m Promotion Strategy Oman Air launched a USD10 million international advertising campaign in December, targeting key European and Asian markets.
T
Barry Brown
DECEMBER 19, 2009
he campaign is designed to draw attention to a range of new developments over the past five weeks, including: new routes to Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Male and Columbo; two new Airbus A330 aircraft and a new Boeing 737; new economy, business and first class cabins; new menus; and the announcement of an upcoming three class daily non-stop service between London Heathrow and Muscat, Oman. Barry Brown, chief commercial officer of Oman Air, said that as the country’s national airline, the company was hoping
to increase tourism to Oman. The advertising campaign will cover print, online, outdoor and trade and consumer publications. In addition to Oman Air’s new products, the campaign will also focus on promoting the country’s cultural, historical and sporting activities.
As the country’s national airline, the company is hoping to increase tourism to Oman.
9
Cairo Hospitality Investment Strong for 2010 Professional services firm Jones Lang LaSalle will open a full service real estate operation in Cairo, Egypt during the first quarter of 2010, following a report predicting an increase in tourism and hospitality investment.
T
he firm’s latest report, Cairo – Open for Global Business, pointed out the arrival of new luxury brands to the city, including Kempinski, Dusit Thani and St Regis. In the short to medium term, more than 1,500 branded rooms are expected to come online, including the recently completed Fairmont Nile City. Existing hotels such as Ritz Carlton and Rocco Forte are strengthening their offerings in Cairo with renovations and rebranding. The report states that international tourist arrivals are expected to increase in 2010, due to improving economic situations in source markets. Government efforts in promoting new leisure tourism destinations, including Marsa Alam, North Coast and Ain Soukhna are expected to drive domestic tourism. Within Cairo, the city centre market has consistently outperformed the local market in terms of average daily rates and revPAR. In 2010, Jones Lang LaSalle predicts short
term improvement in revPAR, driven by occupancy growth. The report states that there is still significant opportunity to continue the refurbishment and redevelopment of existing landmark hotels in the city. Thierry Loué, CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle MENA, said the Cairo market was largely cash driven and had lower levels of debt than other cities in the region. For this reason, he said it was more sustainable, with greater prospects for
growth than many of its peer cities. “Cairo is becoming an international real estate market and is emerging on the radar screen of an increasing number of regional and global developers, investors and occupiers,” said Loué. According to the Egyptian Hotel Association, Cairo has a total inventory of 153 hotels, totaling 24,000 rooms. Only 20 percent of the existing hotels are affiliated with international hotel management companies.
Ritz-Carlton Partners with Bahrain Airshow in January, 2010 The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa has been selected as catering partner for the upcoming Bahrain International Airshow, to be held from January 21-23, 2010. Captain Abdulrahman Mohamed Al Gaoud, deputy chairman of the organisation committee for the Bahrain 10
International Airshow said the business to business event was highly anticipated in the region. “We are very much looking forward to a successful airshow that will bring the global aerospace community together for a unique showcase in Bahrain,” he said.
Bernard N Viola, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa said the hotel would manage catering for the media centre and all business chalets at the event. The event, hosted at Sakhir Airbase, is designed to promote products and corporate hospitality in Bahrain. DECEMBER 19, 2009
Tips and tricks from industry experts, bringing you the latest in emerging destinations, technology, marketing and travel trends. Winter Holiday Tips Spas and fashion are in high demand with ski travellers this winter, according to Dina Al Herais, vice president commercial operations, Emirates Holidays. “People’s expectations for winter breaks are changing and have definitely become more sophisticated,” said Al Herais. “The fashion crowd expects designer shopping to be close at hand, in addition to being able to pamper themselves with some unique spa treatments.” Some of Al Herais’ tips for chic ski destinations that offer great shopping experiences include Kitzbühel in Austria and St Moritz in Switzerland. For excellent spa facilities, Emirates Holidays suggests top European hotels that include Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, St Moritz; Astoria Relax and Spa Resort, Seefeld; and Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa, Interlaken.
Badrutt's Palace in St Moritz, Switzerland Kitzbühel in Austria
Don’t Strike Out - Be Prepared How the British Airways (BA) labour dispute will play out is yet to be seen, and in a climate of uncertainty it can be difficult to guide customers confidently. Francesca Ecsery, global sales director of Cheapflights had some valuable advice to offer BA passengers in the event of a strike. If cabin crew pursue industrial action, travellers who have booked directly through BA will be notified of changes by SMS or email. Ecsery recommended that customers ensure that their account contained up to date contact information. BA will attempt to move passengers from affected flights onto new itineraries, but according to Ecsery, alternative flights may not be available on the same 12
dates. “This is a big challenge for BA and they will do what they can to reroute passengers, but it may not be possible on the dates you had in mind,” she said. “Travellers booked to fly either 48 hours before or after a strike can change their tickets to another date that falls anytime over the next 12 months without penalty.” Ecsery said that short and mid haul flights would be most affected, so passengers on these routes should be extra diligent about researching alternatives; however, travellers should not jump in to booking with other carriers. “Other airlines may not refund unused tickets purchased as a back-up” Ecsery advised.
Francesca Ecsery
“While awaiting further information from BA, create a back-up plan can be put into action if and as soon as BA gives word that your flight is cancelled.” DECEMBER 19, 2009
Pascal Eppink
Thomas van Opstal
General Manager, Banyan Tree Al Wadi
General Manager, Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort
“Travellers today are more knowledgeable and aware of what they are looking for while on holiday, meaning more specific demands and requirements. Being service providers, we have to ensure that we become more creative and innovative in our offerings, staying one step ahead of our competitors, anticipating their needs in advance and placing a higher emphasis on service standards.”
“We are extremely proud of our longterm employees, especially when they have been with us for decades. They are a great asset to the hotel and we are committed to continuously investing in them to make their workplace as enjoyable as possible.”
Pascal Eppink
We have to ensure that we become more creative and innovative in our offerings
Chris Russo President, American Society of Travel Agents “Travelling during and around an airline strike, especially one during the holidays, adds one more level of frustration for today’s travellers. One of the best ways to make the trip a little easier is to prepare carefully and arm yourself with the information you need to make good decisions. That’s one of the reasons to use a travel agent—they are there for their clients before, during and after a trip.”
Chris Russo
Travel agents are there for their clients before, during and after a trip
Thomas van Opstal (right) with long service employee Abdul Hossain
We are extremely proud of our long-term employees
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 DECEMBER 19, 2009
13
Abdul Karim Al Atiq Shihan Suhood
Abdul Karim Al Atiq has been appointed as the new general manager of Coral International Hotel, Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia. He has 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has worked for Sheraton Riyadh Hotel and Towers, InterContinental Hotels Group and Saudi Hotels and Resorts Co. With an educational specialisation in business administration and human resource management, he also holds a number of certificates in management training, development and leadership.
Arabian Park Hotel Dubai has appointed Shihan Suhood as a sales manager in its extended sales and marketing team. Suhood has worked in the hospitality industry for more than nine years. He has worked at several hotels in the Middle East region, including Jebel Ali Hotels and Resorts and Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa, both in Dubai. Shihan Suhood
Yuliya Anipchanka
Abdul Karim Al Atiq
Yuliya Anipchanka has been appointed as a sales manager at the Arabian Park Hotel Dubai. Anipchanka has worked in the Middle East region since 2007. She held positions at Play Land in Doha, Qatar and Quality Tours in Dubai, UAE.
Yuliya Anipchanka
Troon Golf Troon Golf has made several additions and promotions to its Europe, Middle East and Africa team. Saeed Elgazar has been appointed general manager at The Allegria, Egypt. Saeed has moved from his previous role as assistant general manager at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. 14
Lil Strika has taken the position of sales and marketing manager at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi. Kurtis Clement has been appointed as assistant professional at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Clement has strong experience in the management of golf operations and spent many years living in Saudi Arabia.
Cesar Burguiere has taken the position of oďŹƒce manager, Troon Golf EMEA. Burguiere is a PGA professional with multi lingual skills and experience in golf resort operations at many levels. Burguiere is a graduate in business administration from the University of Valencia, specialising in tourism. DECEMBER 19, 2009
Q&A with Art Pedersen The UAE’s chances of inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List are better than ever, with the country recently elected to the World Heritage Council.
T
ravel Trade Weekly spoke to Art Pedersen, the World Heritage Council’s tourism programme specialist, about the ramifications of World Heritage listing for the tourism industry.
Travel Trade Weekly: What is the significance of World Heritage listing for tourism in a region? Art Pedersen: It is a matter of some debate and there is an argument that you will hear, which is that as we add more sites to the list, what happens is that the brand is diluted. But there was study done recently and it showed that what seems to happen is that as the list grows, so too does a kind of World Heritage literacy. What you see is that the value and status of sites increases and expectations of the way the sites are managed are also raised. The study also showed that listing generated an increase in the number of heritage tourists to the site.
Heritage tourists usually come from higher income brackets and form a higher spend demographic heritage tourists usually come from higher income brackets and form a higher spend demographic. There is the potential that attracting this higher spend market segment will make it easier for site managers to cap visitation at certain sites and reduce strain on the location.
solemnity are an important part of the atmosphere of the site, perhaps customer experience would ultimately be enhanced by limiting the number of people allowed at one time.
Travel Trade Weekly: How can tourism and conservation be made to complement each other better? Art Pedersen: There is always going to
Travel Trade Weekly: What kind of person is interested in heritage Travel Trade Weekly: Is there a tourism? tension between conservation and be tourism and there is always going to Art Pedersen: This is an area that could commercial interests? Why would be the need to manage World Heritage definitely do with more research. What I tour operators and governments not better. like to do is look at market segments and simply take the extra money without Developing countries often depend on tourism to heritage sites to meet their investigate the kinds of activities that reducing numbers? people are engaging in at the sites; Art Pedersen: I think you’ll see that conservation expenses, so there is a real whether they are interested in archeology or bird watching for instance. Visitor profiles vary from site to site and the availability of this information also changes from country to country; in general, the available information on visitor profiles needs to improve. One thing that has been observed is that DECEMBER 19, 2009
there is much more crossover within the two groups than you might think. A colleague of mine who recently returned from Petra told me about a tour operator there who said that perhaps a cap on visitors was a good idea. I can understand that: with certain sites, such as Petra, where solitude and
need for a dialogue between public and private in order to better facilitate conservation. When it comes to managing a site I can only recommend starting with clear goals and objectives, and making sure that you have good monitoring systems in place to see that things are as you have planned. 15
Gourmet Travellers Get a Taste of Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) is expecting an influx of foodie travellers for the upcoming Gourmet Abu Dhabi event, to be held in February 2010. With a lineup of master chefs who boast 22 Michelin stars between them, the event has been extended to 15 days, following its success in 2009. Ahmed Hussein, deputy director general of ADTA said new hotels, including
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr and Yas Hotel would be included in the venue list. “We have received strong international media, travel trade and visitor interest in the event, which has gone a long way to reinforce our renowned reputation for refined hospitality,” said Hussein. “We are convinced that our goal of becoming the Arabian Gulf’s gastronomic destination of choice is now well within our grasp.”
Events Food and Hospitality Expo Manama, Bahrain, January 12-14 (www.foodexpbh.com) Hospitality technology, systems and equipment, along with exhibitors from international food companies.
Travel Technology Europe London, UK, February 9-10 (www.traveltechnologyshow.com) Educational and trade event centered on sales, operational, and marketing technology.
Moroccan Travel Market Marrakech, Morocco Jan 14-17 (www.mtm.ma) International fair for tourism professionals.
EMITT Istanbul Istanbul, Turkey, Feb 11-14 (www.emittistanbul.com) Exhibition for travel professionals in the east Mediterranean and Eurasia.
FITUR Madrid, Spain, Jan 28 - Feb 2 Spanish travel show targeted to the business travel market.
Gulfood Exhibition 2010 Dubai, UAE, Feb 21-24 (www.gulfood.com) Food and beverage exhibition.
Middle East Exclusive 2010 Dubai, UAE, Feb 2-4 (www.middleeastexclusive.com) Luxury brand and travel retail exhibition.
Jordan Travel Mart ( JTM) Dead Sea, Jordan, February 21-23 (www.jordantravelmart.com) Showcase of the Jordanian tourism industry.
SME Expo and Conference 2010 Dubai, UAE, Feb 2-4 (www.smeexpo.com) Exhibition and conference for small and medium enterprises.
Meetings Africa 2010 Johannesburg, South Africa, February 24-26 (www.meetingsafrica.co.za) Business tourism exhibition showcasing meeting venues, destinations and industry support services.
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.
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.
Not a member yet? Visit our website for your FREE online subscription
www.traveltradeweekly.travel P.O. Box 25255 Nicosia 1308 Cyprus Tel: +35722820888 Email: info@traveltradeweekly.travel
16
DECEMBER 19, 2009