Don’t miss out on our next e-book issue
Online December 5 Middle East and North Africa Edition
Tel: +35722820888 info@traveltradeweekly.travel
DUBAI WORLD Dubai World intends to ask creditors for an extension on all debt payments until May 2010 as the Government of Dubai steps in to restructure the company.
STR Global have released figures indicating a hospitality slump in October, however analysts say there is more to the story.
2 FAIRMONT PIPELINE Fairmont is rapidly expanding its destination network, pushing the brand into new territories over coming years.
In This Issue
Market Update Accommodation News MEHEC Awards International News Air Travel News DTCM Road Show Big 5 Exhibition Travel Tips Travel Talk Who’s Moved Rendezvous Events NOVEMBER 28, 2009 ISSUE 3
4 2 4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Don’t
Panic
3
www.traveltradeweekly.travel
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY Deputy Editor Laura Warne Journalist Louis Dillon Savage Design & Layout Elina Pericleous Sales & Marketing Joy Hadjivarnava Jane Davidson 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
Welcome to the latest weekly e-book issue of Travel Trade Weekly – your must-have source for the latest news and information for the Middle East and North Africa. The unique combination of our weekly news cycle and a widespread readership allow us to offer the latest news and direct exposure to tourism professionals within MENA and beyond. Travel Trade Weekly is made up of a team of experts with a wealth of experience in the industry; we’re dedicated to bringing you exclusive news every week, ensuring you are constantly up to date with the latest industry developments. Travel Trade Weekly is published in two convenient forms; a monthly hard copy edition and a weekly online e-book, published and distributed every Saturday morning. The monthly hard copy offers destination reports, feature articles, analysis of tourism trends and information to help you improve your business and increase your industry knowledge. It is distributed to travel trade professionals in Egypt, Libya, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Cyprus, Greece, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Iran, Yemen, Palestine, Algeria and Iraq. The weekly e-book is published and distributed every Saturday morning to travel agents and tour operators in Europe, and travel trade professionals in the Middle East and North Africa. Our choice to deliver the majority of our output electronically reflects our desire to bring you the latest news, as well as our commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices. Once more, welcome, and please enjoy the latest e-book issue of Travel Trade Weekly!
Laura Warne Deputy Editor
Dubai World Appeals to Creditors Amid Restructure
MENA Exchange Rates Accurate as of 25/11/2009 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 (LID)
2
CURRENCY Dirham Pound Riyal Pound Dinar Dinar Pound Dinar Riyal Rial Dinar Dirham Riyal Rial Dinar Dinar
1USD= 3.67 5.45 3.75 1501 0.37 0.7 46 0.28 3.64 0.38 1.28 7.56 9875 205.5 72.1 1.2
Dubai World intends to ask creditors for an extension on all debt payments until May 2010 as the Government of Dubai steps in to restructure the company. The Dubai Financial Support Fund (DFSF) has been authorised to restructure Dubai World, with immediate effect. Aiden Birkett, managing partner of corporate finance at Deloitte, has been appointed by the DFSF as chief restructuring officer to Dubai World; Birkett will work with Dubai World’s management team to oversee the
restructure and ensure continuing operations. According to the Department of Finance, the restructure will be designed to address financial obligations and improve business efficiency for the future. Dubai World includes urban development company Nakheel, which is responsible for projects such as the Palm Jumeirah; golf development company Leisurecorp; and a range of transport, logistics and development subsidiaries.
NOVEMBER 28, 2009
Look Behind the Figures, Industry Expert Urges STR global has released its analysis of major hotel performance indicators for October 2009, showing that the Middle East has seen larger than average declines in all major hospitality indicators.
A
dditionally, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Muscat all saw shrinkage stronger than the regional average, however Elizabeth Randall, managing director of STR, said there were mitigating factors in some cases. “The overall declining demand and in cases like Dubai, the increases in supply are reasons for these performances. Muscat had a very strong October in 2008 and therefore now sees the higher than average reduction,” she said. STR also reported that October 2008 was a particularly strong growth period for the region, seeing revPAR increases of 24.6 percent, meaning that year on year declines needed to be taken in context. The STR figures track revPAR, average daily rates (ADR) and occupancy, demonstrating negative growth worldwide compared to October 2008. The figures show a particularly difficult month for the Middle East and Africa region, compared to the other regions studied.
The Middle East and Africa saw year on year declines in all three major indicators, according to STR, as did the Americas and the Asia Pacific region. With a year on year recession of 10.2 percent, revPAR in the Middle East fell further than any region except the Americas, which declined by 13 percent. Comparatively, revPAR results for the Asia Pacific were strong (-3.1 percent), while reports from Europe were mixed, depending on market and currency of measurement. When measured against the euro, revPAR in Europe shrank by 13.6 percent against 2008. However, when measured in USD, as were the other regions, Europe fared well, with
revPAR diminishing by only 1.6 percent. Occupancy was also down across the board, with the Middle East and Africa zone performing poorly; the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Asia saw reductions of 8.5 percent, 2.3 percent, 6.2 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively. In average daily rates, Middle Eastern hotels saw strong results compared to all regions except Europe, with ADR falling by only 1.9 percent, compared with 2.5 percent in Asia and 7.3 percent in the Americas. Europe posted an 11.2 percent loss of ADR when measured in euros, but a relatively weak US dollar heralded positive growth of 0.07 percent in USD terms.
STR Global Performances of Key Countries in October (all monetary units in local currency) Country Occupancy % change ADR % change RevPAR % change Egypt 80.5% -8.2% EGP500.44 +2.6% EGP402.92 -5.8% Saudi Arabia 47.5% +4.3% SAR686.43 -0.6% SAR326.04 +3.7% South Africa 62.9% -15.5% ZAR838.82 -0.4% ZAR527.41 -15.9% UAE 74.4% -10.0% AED961.82 -24.6% AED715.35 -32.1% *percentages are increases/decreases for October 2009 vs. October 2008
Great Expectations: Sharjah Predicts Occupancy Boom Sharjah’s Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has declared high expectations for hotel occupancy during the current holiday season. The emirate is expecting occupancy rates of up to 90 percent over a period spanning both Eid al Adha and the UAE national day. Mohamed A Al Noman, director general of SCTDA, said that Sharjah’s popularity with GCC tourists, combined with seasonal NOVEMBER 28, 2009
spending patterns, had led to the high occupancy estimates. “Sharjah is considered one the region's most attractive tourism destinations, not just for residents of the emirate, but also for tourists from the rest of the UAE and GCC countries,” he said. The Etisalat-Sharjah Water Festival, including the F1 powerboat world championships, was expected to contribute to occupancy in the emirate over the projected period. 3
ACCOMMODATION NEWS
Fairmont Explores New Territory Fairmont is rapidly expanding its destination network, pushing the brand into new territories over coming years. Fairmont Dubai
T
he company has announced its upcoming developments, which include its first hotels in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Morocco, Fujairah, India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Greece and Ukraine. With existing properties in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Cairo, Fairmont will open a total of six new hotels in the MENA region by 2013. Developments include properties in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Morocco; countries previously unexplored by the brand. Scheduled to open in 2010, the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, a Fairmont Hotel, is under construction adjacent to the world’s
largest mosque in Makkah. Boasting views of the Kaaba, the focal point of Islamic prayer, the Makkah Clock Royal Tower will be among the tallest hotels in the world at 76 storeys, or 577m tall, according to the company. In Dubai, UAE, Fairmont will open the Fairmont Palm Jumeirah to accompany the Fairmont Residences Palm Jumeirah, opened in 2009. In 2011 the Fairmont Mina al Fajer will launch in the emirate of Fujairah and Fairmont Marrakech will open in Morocco. Two hotels are slated for the region between 2012 and 2013, with the Fairmont Marina City on Abu Dhabi’s corniche and Fairmont The Wave in Muscat both planned for inauguration.
Kempinski Explores Qatar Kempinski has announced a strategic alliance with Qatar’s Alfardan Group and will launch its first hotels in that country in 2010. Two new five star properties, developed by Alfardan, are to be managed by Kempinski. Representing Kempinski’s first residence property in the Middle East and first property in Doha, the Kempinski Residences and Suites is scheduled to open in March 2010. Reto Wittwer, CEO of Kempinski also announced an upcoming property on Pearl Island, though no further details were announced. Omar Alfardan, president of the Alfardan Group, attributed his company’s success to its strategic 4
(From left) Ulrich Eckhardt, Kempinski president for the Middle East and Africa; Omar Alfardan, president of Alfardan Group; Rito Wittwer, Kempinski CEO
alliances with international brands. “The alliance with Kempinski Hotels underpins Alfardan’s long-term strategy of collaborating with leading innovative companies and enjoying a sustainable
business model,” he said. Representatives of both companies said that they expected the alliance to be ongoing and indicated that more properties were to come. NOVEMBER 28, 2009
Middle East Hospitality Expansion Congress Keynote speakers were optimistic at the third annual Middle East Hospitality Expansion Congress (MEHEC), held in Abu Dhabi on November 22 and 23.
E
vent organisers said the congress was aimed at attracting investment to the emirate, as well as promoting Abu Dhabi as a tourist destination. Blair Hagkull, managing director MENA for Jones Lang LaSalle, said investor sentiments were positive about the future of MENA real estate and emphasised the positive net balance of the three richest energy economies – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Hagkull added that Dubai still showed negative net balance, but investor sentiment had improved by 35 percent. Speaker Michael P Lee, CEO of InfraCapital, focused strongly on travel and tourism as a vehicle for investment in the region, pointing out the strong growth seen in tourist arrivals, air traffic, occupancy and revPAR rates across MENA. According to Michael Scully, managing director of Seven Tides, the five key drivers of success in hospitality were: continuous innovation; product adaptability; reduced delivery schedules; people and process adaptability; and reliable results. The congress also raised the timely issues of sustainable tourism and open skies policies. MEHEC Awards Highlight Industry Leaders The 2009 MEHEC Excellence in Hospitality Awards were held on November 22 as part of the congress. A panel made up of European and Asian hospitality leaders judged nominees based on issues such as: how sales, cost control and profitability have enhanced 6
Fabien Faure (left), managing director of Naseba and Marc Dardenne, CEO of Emaar Hospitality Group.
competitive edges or responded to the global crisis; the ability to create new ideas, solutions and approaches to solve new or existing problems; and the demonstration of outstanding leadership and exemplary performance. Emaar Hospitality Group took home four of the awards, including Best Hotel Design of the Year for The Palace – Old Town; Leading Developer of the Year; Excellence in Hospitality (Organisation); and Excellence in Hospitality (Individual) for CEO Marc Dardenne. Judges commented on Dardenne and Emaar’s successful launch of Emaar’s five Address properties within Dubai, as well as international management projects in Egypt, Morocco and France. “Winning the MEHEC awards for Emaar Hospitality Group is a reiteration of our thought leadership position and the fresh thinking that we bring to the industry,” said Dardenne. “On a personal note, I am also thankful for
the Excellence in Hospitality Leadership (Individual) award, which highlights the opportunities provided by the company to identify, undertake and develop various world-class projects.” Jumeirah scooped two awards, with the Best Sustainable Project of the Year for Hilton Jumeirah and Employee of the Year for Fayez Cajee at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The recently opened Yas Hotel was awarded Most Innovative Project of the Year for its half land, half water location on the Yas marina circuit. Park Hyatt Jeddah Marina Club and Spa won the Best Innovative Concept Hospitality award. General Manager of the Year went to Moritz Klein of Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi; and Excellence in Customer Service was awarded to AKMC – Al Shohada Hotel in Makkah. Finally, Best Tourism Initiative of the Year was awarded to Jinan Hotels and Resorts. NOVEMBER 28, 2009
Jumeirah to Manage Panama City Hotel
Kanoo Travel Wins Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award
Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has been appointed by Grupo Mall to manage a luxury hotel in Panama City. The Los Faros de Panama complex will consist of three towers. The central tower will be 361m tall, making it one of the tallest towers in Latin America; and the other two towers will reach 266m. The main tower will include office space, luxury residences and the Jumeirah Los Faros de Panama hotel. The hotel will comprise 400 rooms and suites, a Talise spa and 3,000m2 of conference and meetings facilities. Julio Noval-García, president of Grupo Mall and Gerald Lawless, executive chairman of Jumeirah Group inked the management deal at Jumeirah’s Burj Al Arab hotel. Jumeirah’s Burj Al Arab
Kanoo Travel won a silver category award for travel and tourism at the 2008-9 Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Awards (SKEA) on November 23. The awards were held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayad Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. SKEA has expanded in recent years, attracting recognition from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and the British Quality Foundation (BQF). There are now 562 assessors and umpires for the SKEA programme. Kanoo Travel was assessed onsite for two days by a team of six experts who covered the company’s main offices, call centre and branches in
NOVEMBER 28, 2009
Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Sunil D’Souza, regional travel manager of Kanoo Travel said the company was honoured to receive the award and credited the win to his team’s dedication to maintaining high standards of business excellence and best practice. Kanoo Travel also received recognition in the 2004-5 SKEA programme. Assessment was based on enabler criteria including leadership; policy and strategy; people management; partnerships and resources; and process management. Results criteria were also considered, including customer results; people results; society results; and key performance results.
7
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
British Airways Wins Friends, Alienates Employees
B
ritish Airways (BA) and Spanish air transport group Iberia have cemented the terms of their merger, however BA continues to face labour disputes and the fate of a longsought alliance with American Airlines (AA) remains uncertain.
Iberia predicted that the agreement would generate synergies of EUR400 million (USD602.6 million) by the fifth year following conglomeration, which is expected to be completed by late 2010. The brands will be reorganised as
operating companies under the management of a newly formed holding company, Topco, which will be registered in Spain and will operate from London. The airlines will retain their brand identities, licenses, codes and bases of operation, but will fall under a joint board of directors comprising seven nominees from each operating company. Willy Walsh, CEO of BA, will take the reigns as group CEO, ceding his former position to chief financial officer Keith Williams. The merger remains dependent on approval by Spanish and UK Civil Aviation Authorities, as well as exemption from pertaining antitrust laws; legislation intended to prevent the formation of monopolistic cartels. The newly formed partnership is seeking similar exemption from the US Department of Trade (DOT), in the hopes of a trans-Atlantic cooperation deal
with AA. BA and AA have been pursuing a strategic alliance for seven years, according to a statement by the latter airline. Although DOT antitrust exemption has already been granted to Air France-KLM’s association with Delta and Northwest Airlines in America, the BA/AA/Iberian partnership continues to struggle. Rival UK carrier Virgin Atlantic has mounted strong opposition to the deal, with Richard Branson declaring his intention to paint protest slogans on his fleet. BA has also encountered problems closer to home; following gloomy third quarter results, the airline declared cost cutting measures including revised cabin crew compliments and working practices, as well as 3,000 redundancies. In response, BA’s air crew began voting on whether to pursue industrial action on November 16. Balloting will close on December 14.
Hunt for El Dorado; South America is Tourism’s Future City of Gold Industry insiders agree that South America is fast establishing itself as one of global tourism’s most important source markets and one of the world’s most desirable locations. According to industry analysts, strong investment in luxury infrastructure; disposable income; and a dearth of international brands are all working towards South America’s status as an upcoming travel hot spot. South American countries are seeing intensive investment in luxury developments, according to the Euromonitor global trends report, with governments in Mexico, Peru and Brazil actively targeting luxury travellers. Only eight percent of hotels in the region are represented by international chains, 8
making South America fertile ground for development by multinational brands, according to the report. Alex Kyriakidis, of consulting firm Deloitte, also pointed to South America as a bright spot in the midst of a gloomy outlook for 2010. South America is not just an emerging destination, however, as experts are pointing to the region as an important upcoming source market. Well heeled South Americans have been less affected by the downturn than any other similar demographic worldwide; high net worth individuals in the region saw losses of six percent compared to the global average of 20 percent, according to Euromonitor. This relative fiscal stability means that
South American travellers are set to be of increased importance to the luxury sector over coming years, while also providing a boost to in-region travel and helping to facilitate the development of the continent as a luxury destination. Low-cost economies make countries in the region attractive to investors, and could expedite the rapid development of infrastructure required to take advantage of an anticipated upswing in global fortunes. However, the region must overcome its reputation as a down-market destination in order to attract luxury travel, Euromonitor reported. Euromonitor also tipped South America as a future magnet for the emerging ecoluxe sector. NOVEMBER 28, 2009
AIR TRAVEL NEWS
Oman Air Offers First Class Service
O
man Air, national flag carrier for the Sultanate of Oman, is expanding into the luxury market, launching a new three class service to London, UK. The addition of first class cabins is a new development for the airline, which had previously operated only business and economy classes. Peter Hill, CEO of Oman Air, said that along with an expanding network, the new class comes as part of an ongoing initiative to improve service and The airline has recently added flights to reposition the carrier. Muscat, the Maldives, Frankfurt, Munich,
Paris and Sri Lanka and is expecting to receive nine additions to its fleet by 2014.
Flydubai to Nepal Low cost airline flydubai will fly to Nepal from December 15. The DubaiKathmandu service will operate four times a week. The new service marks 11 destinations on flydubai’s network, including recently announced flights to Bahrain, also to begin in December.
Emirates Capitalises on Close to Home Travel Emirates Airlines has reaffirmed the significance of the Middle Eastern market to the carrier and launched new flights serving the region. On November 25 the airline announced increased frequencies to Amman, Jordan, and Doha, Qatar.
NOVEMBER 28, 2009
According to Emirates, the additions represent the fourth significant increase in flight frequency within the Middle East in 2009. It is the second time the airline has added flights to Amman and Doha in 2009, with the first expansion enacted in July.
Ahmed Khoory, the airline’s regional senior vice president of commercial operations, at emirates said the Middle East remained among the airline’s most important markets. “The [200-plus] flights that we operate each week across the Middle East are a direct reflection of the region’s intense expansion and development,” he said. He pointed out that despite the downturn, the region continued to see positive growth in the aviation sector and that Emirates was well placed to capitalise on the trend. Regionally, the airline has also added flights to Damascus, Syria, Sana’a, Yemen, and Kuwait since July. 9
DTCM’s South Africa Road Shows Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing increased its marketing activities in South Africa during November, with three road shows in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
T
he events, held from November 17 to 20, were designed to promote Dubai as a year-round business and leisure destination, according to DTCM. Co-participants in the road shows included Emirates Airline; Arabian Adventures; Quality Tours; Tamani Hotels Marina; Alpha Tours; Radisson
Blu Dubai Deira Creek; ABC Tours; Tomini Tours; and Landmark Group of Hotels. The delegation was headed by Talal Al Suwaidi, head of region for India, Middle East and Southern/Eastern Africa at DTCM’s Overseas Promotions and Inward Missions Department. More than 350 travel agents and tour operators attended the road shows.
Talal Al Suwaidi, head of region India, Middle East and Southern/Eastern Africa (left), with Ismaeel Obaid Al Ali, UAE ambassador to South Africa.
Action Stations Hotels in Oman and Jordan Kuwait based Action Group, in partnership with Accor, have opened the first Ibis properties in Amman, Jordan and Muscat, Oman. The Oman property is Accor’s first venture in that country and the company claims that the Ibis hotel in Amman will be the country’s first internationally branded economy hotel. The hotels were opened in conjunction with Action Hotels group, which already operate a series of Ibis hotels around the Middle East. Accor has announced a regional strategy which will see the company manage 45 Middle Eastern hotels by 2011.
Sabre and NHI Ink Educational Partnership Sabre Travel Network Middle East (STNME) has finalised an agreement with Oman’s National Hospitality Institute (NHI) to offer Sabre Courses to NHI students, following a similar agreement with Al Manar University in Lebanon earlier this year. Sabre Travel Network will provide training to access, shop and book content from airlines, hotels, car rental companies and cruise lines. Robert MacLean, principal of NHI, said the role of the institute was to provide an extensive curriculum with a focus on vocational excellence. 10
“Through our courses, we are able to provide a service that is suited to both the employer and the employee,” said MacLean. “The employer requires training that matches the positions he is trying to fill and the employee requires certification that is recognised nationally as well as internationally.” Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO of STNME, said the partnership would ensure that the next generation of travel professionals were well educated in booking, ticketing, building customer profiles and automating repetitive tasks. NOVEMBER 28, 2009
Biggest Big 5 Ever Packs Out Dubai Convention Centre
T
he Big 5 Exhibition became the first show to occupy the entire Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre
(DICEC). Running from November 23-26, the exhibition occupied a total of 43,000m² with 3,000 exhibitors from 52 countries and 22 national pavilions. Big 5 brought together architects, engineers, contractors and developers from the public and private sectors to highlight some of the latest building and construction issues in the region. Environmental issues were high on the agenda, with the exhibition taking its first steps to become carbon neutral and offering visitors the opportunity to offset their carbon footprint for AED100 (USD27.22).
NOVEMBER 28, 2009
The exhibition also included the Gaia Awards 2009, which celebrated environmentally friendly construction products, and The Big 5 Conference, held at the Monarch Hotel on November 24 and 25.
Simon Mellor, vice president of Big 5 organisers DMG world media, said it had been a tough year for the construction industry, but the event provided an excellent platform to share thoughts and devise strategies for the future.
11
Tips and tricks from industry experts, bringing you the latest in emerging destinations, technology, marketing and travel trends. Home for the Holidays Mohamed A Al Noman, director general of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority has this festive season advice for travel professionals. “Studies have shown that many people go for low-cost vacations at this time of year, so the focus should be on local and regional markets in order to support these kind of trips."
Differentiate Luxury Hotel Offerings Guy Barnes, major account manager for EAME, IDeaS Revenue Optimisation, points out the importance in standing out in the crowd, even for luxury operators: “The choice in the luxury sector in the Middle East is huge and there can be some real differences,” said Barnes. “However, the hotels in this sector need to make sure that they offer differences that will positively impact choice. “Hotels in the luxury sector are not a commodity and a hotel must evolve their offering to ensure there are sufficient key differentiators.” Barnes added that as new hotels continued to come online, competition would remain tough, providing challenging times ahead.
Keep Watching the Skies (In Morocco) Morocco is picking up as both a destination and departure point, with Fairmont moving into the country for the first time and low cost carriers intensifying their activities in the region. Casabalanca airport already serves as the base for Air Arabia Maroc, Air Arabia’s local subsidiary, and Easyjet has recently announced a series of flights that will link the hub to various European destinations in 2010. 12
NOVEMBER 28, 2009
Talal Al Zain Chairman of Gulf Air
Martin Armitstead Senior Vice President of Development, EMEA, Wyndham Hotel Group “There are certain parts of the world that are in very difficult shape. Spain and Ireland are two of the most challenging countries to operate in right now. Yes, there are signs of green shoots, but it is a fragile situation. In the UK, for example, all we would need is a hike in interest rates or unemployment and consumer confidence would take a nosedive.”
It is a fragile situation Samer Majali, CEO of Gulf Air and Talal Al Zain, chairman of Gulf Air.
“We have a clear mandate: to build an efficient, commercially sustainable and dynamic airline that effectively serves the people and the economy of Bahrain and represents the kingdom on the world stage. To achieve this we must realign Gulf Air to deliver a product that our customers need and want. The airline will become more efficient as we align its cost base with this new strategy, maximising investment into areas of the business that will offer the best returns whilst reducing cost in those that don’t. Gulf Air currently relies on significant government support, spending far more than it earns. This is clearly unsustainable and the funds could be invested into other important areas of the national economy.”
We must realign Gulf Air to deliver a product that our customers need and want
Andy Harrison, CEO of Easyjet "Aviation needs a global solution. Government's first instinct is to tax, but this won't deliver sustainable aviation as the industry's growth is concentrated in China and India. Step change technology is in the pipeline, and we need tough legislation on emission standards for it to be delivered sooner. Wartime has led to the biggest leaps in
Wartime has led to the biggest leaps in aviation technology. Governments must ensure that the war on climate change delivers the next big leap in technology
aviation technology. Governments must ensure that the war on climate change delivers the next big leap in technology. We demand legislation for cleaner aircraft to stop the industry flying old, inefficient aircraft. If we get cleaner aircraft and ground the old smokers we can reduce the industry's overall emissions and tackle climate change head on.”
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 NOVEMBER 28, 2009
13
Cristalyn Pastrana Cristalyn Pastrana has been appointed as the new communications manager for Mövenpick Hotel Bahrain. Her previous roles included executive administration assistant and sales coordinator for the hotel. Pastrana also has experience as the public relations coordinator for Mövenpick Resort and Spa Dead Sea in Jordan.
Matthias Al-Amiry
Michael Jacobi Michael Jacobi has taken charge as the new general manager of the Radisson Blu hotel in Muscat, Oman. Jacobi studied business, hotel and catering management in Germany, where he started his career with InterContintental Hotels Group (IHG) in 1993. He held a number of positions with IHG before moving to Great Southern at Dublin airport, reaching the position of deputy general manager. Moving to the Middle East in 2005 as the resident manager of the Ramada Plaza Hotel, Qatar, Jacobi joined Rezidor as executive assistant manager of the Radisson Blu Kuwait in 2008.
Rosewood Hotels and Resorts have appointed Matthias Al-Amiry as hotel manager for the Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh. Al-Amiry has 23 years of international hospitality experience across Europe, Asia and the US and has held managerial positions with hotels such as Ritz-Carlton and Raffles.
David John Chapman The UAE-based General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has appointed senior safety veteran David John Chapman as a senior safety advisor. The appointment is designed to further develop aviation safety systems and standards across the UAE. Chapman previously worked as group director of the Safety Regulation Group (SRG) of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). He has more than 30 years of experience in the aviation industry.
14
Iftikhar Hamdani
Martin Dell
Ramada Hotels and Suites Ajman has appointed Iftikhar Hamdani as director of sales and marketing. Hamdani has more than 15 years in the hospitality industry, having worked with Pearl Continental Hotels in Pakistan and Coral Hotels UAE. Hamdani plans to focus on developing an aggressive marketing campaign to build brand awareness in the region.
Jordan Valley Marriott Resort and Spa has appointed Martin Dell as director of restaurants. Dell began his career in 1993 in the Czech Republic at the Grandhotel Pupp. He also worked at several properties in Australia, before joining Marriott in 2007 as restaurants manager at the JW Marriott, Hong Kong. Dell is a qualified sommelier and barista. NOVEMBER 28, 2009
Q&A with Wyndham Hotel Group Martin Armitstead, senior vice president of development, EMEA, Wyndham Hotel Group and Bani Haddad, vice president of development, Middle East and Africa, Wyndham Hotel Group discuss the new introduction of the Wyndham and Ramada Encore brands into the region. Travel Trade Weekly: Please discuss the decision to expand your operations in the Middle East – how long has this been under consideration? Bani Haddad: Our brand, specifically the Ramada brand, has been in the region for 15 years, so this is not a recent decision. Our expansion includes the introduction of Wyndham, our upscale brand, and Ramada Encore. We opened our Dubai office two years ago to better serve the region. Martin Armitstead: About a year ago, Eric Danziger was appointed as president and CEO of the company. He brought with him a new management team and new strategic initiatives, one of which was international growth. Notwithstanding the current global market, there is lots of opportunity for us in the Middle East going forth. Wyndham is actually the world’s largest hotel company; it may not be as recognisable as some other brands, but we are the top one or two in the world, depending on how you look at it.
Travel Trade Weekly: What response have you seen so far from investors and developers in the region? Bani Haddad: Our unique selling point, besides our great brands, is that with us developers are not adding another Hilton, Marriott or Holiday Inn to the market. Our new brands bring new clients with them, so there is added value for investors. Martin Armitstead: We had a fabulous and fascinating time recently travelling to a few destinations in the Middle East. It was evident that with the brands that we have, we are able to service the need not only for budget hotels or roadside hotels, which are quite important in the Saudi market, but we can also provide resorts, airport hotels and NOVEMBER 28, 2009
Wyndham Riyadh
other options. From the developers’ point of view, the response was that we are an alternative with great people, great brands, great distribution and a great future.
Travel Trade Weekly: How do your Middle Eastern properties differ to your hotels in other parts of the world? Bani Haddad: The major changes to our brands in this region are linked to cultural expectations. For example, the Encore brand in the Middle East differs to our other Encore properties; there are slightly larger rooms, closed wardrobes and fridges. We are catering to different cultural and service expectations. Martin Armitstead: Middle Eastern travellers have a tendency to travel with their families, so we’ve had to look at the size of our rooms and suites. There are also issues regarding the decision to make a hotel wet or dry [alcoholic or non-alcoholic]. This is an issue that we are constantly debating. It can affect the type of customers we receive, both positively and negatively. The Ramada Doha will be a dry hotel; there is no question about that. The Wyndham in Saudi Arabia
obviously has to be a dry hotel by law. Other hotels will be decided on a case by case basis; it is one of the hardest decisions to make.
Travel Trade Weekly: What are your current development plans for the Middle East region? Martin Armitstead: We are looking at Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Beirut, and the UAE for opportunities. The focus for the Wyndham brand is on key cities; for Ramada it is not just major cities, but also other cities and towns where there is interest. The Encore brand will focus on business parks, out of town areas, shopping centres and airports. That is the beauty of having so many brands in our stable. Wyndham Riyadh guestroom
15
Sustainable Practice at EIBTM EIBTM has reiterated the importance of corporate social responsibility and sustainable business in the lead-up to its 2009 event on December 1-3. The conference’s education programme will include a CSR Symposium, which will show attendees how to begin the procedure to achieve an ISO rating. The education programme will also discuss the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) and the United Nations Climate Change
Conference. Mandy Torrens, exhibition director for EIBTM, said the programme was drawn from the experience of the event itself. “Last year BS8901, the British Standard of Sustainable Event Management, was conferred on EIBTM as a formal and independent endorsement of the event’s intent and business practices,” said Torrens. “It is particularly appropriate that this year’s event is providing the first forum to harness
industry opinion and to shape the future of sustainability.”
Events Luxury Travel Expo Las Vegas, USA, Dec 1-3 (www.luxurytravelexpowest.com) Exhibition for luxury travel professionals. EIBTM Barcelona, Spain, Dec 1-3 (www.eibtm.com) Global event for the meetings and incentive industry. Sportex Middle East Exhibition Dubai, UAE, Dec 6-8 (www.sportexmiddleeast.com) International event for the sports, fitness, health and leisure industries. International Luxury Travel Market Cannes, France, Dec 7-10 (www.iltm.net) Annual business-to-business event for the global luxury travel community. Nation Branding Seminar Dubai, UAE, Dec 10 (www.nationbrandingevents.com /nationbranding/middle-east) Advising governments on ways to better manage investment, tourism, trade and talent. Travel Turkey Izmir Izmir, Turkey, Dec 10-13 (www.travelturkey-expo.com) Travel Turkey Izmir Tourism Fair and Conference.
Moroccan Travel Market Marrakech, Morocco Jan 14-17 (www.mtm.ma) International fair for tourism professionals. FITUR Madrid, Spain, Jan 28 - Feb 2 Spanish travel show targeted to business travel market. Middle East Exclusive 2010 Dubai, UAE, Feb 2-4 (www.middleeastexclusive.com) Luxury brand and travel retail exhibition. SME Expo and Conference 2010 Dubai, UAE, Feb 2-4 (www.smeexpo.com) Exhibition and conference for small and medium enterprises. EMITT Istanbul Istanbul, Turkey, Feb 11-14 (emittistanbul.com) Exhibition for travel professionals in the East Mediterranean and Eurasia. Gulfood Exhibition 2010 Dubai, UAE, Feb 21-24 (www.gulfood.com) Food and beverage exhibition.
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
NOVEMBER 28, 2009