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Editor’s Note

Every year people are counting down the days until they escape their familiar environments and jet off to somewhere across the globe for some much-needed rest and relaxation. Therefore, the tourism and leisure industry is constantly thriving as it provides a range of essential servicesincluding hospitality, accommodation, excursions, shopping, and entertainment – to name just a few!

As a crucial sector in the global economy, it was severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting how significant of a role it plays in the development of many countries, as well as the personal impacts of not being able to travel. Therefore, now over a year since the majority of travel restrictions have been lifted, the industry is again booming and continues to play a vital role in many aspects of our lives.

In this magazine, we look at a range of companies and organisations which are developing tourism and leisure across the globe. We focus on companies which are providing services such as luxury accommodation, safari excursions and hospitality services, as well as a range of airline associations and tourism development boards. All of these companies and organisations are working to develop the industry towards a future of both local and global economic development. We look forward to seeing how they all continue to develop the industry and their operations towards global success.

Springbok Atlas

Carnival Corporation and PLC

Providing travellers from around the world with life-changing vacations, Carnival Corporation and PLC is one of the largest cruise line groups in the world. With huge brands such as Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P+O Cruises (Australia and UK), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and Cunard under the corporation’s umbrella, the company offers a wide variety of cruise options to suit any customer. Therefore, it is no surprise that every year nearly 13 million customers cruise with Carnival Corporation.

The corporation began operation in 1972 with just one second-hand ship, called the Mardi Gras, set on making a single trip from Miami to San Juan. The ship featured many innovative elements along with a thematic ambience that established the level of high-quality travel experience that many of the corporations’ brands focus on today. The success of this first initial voyage highlights the pioneering spirit and passion for travel which forms the basis of the corporation’s daily operations today.

Since the company was first founded, it has spent the last 50 years acquiring key cruise liners from across the world and now has representation in almost every market segment in the cruise industry. In 2004, Carnival Corporation combined with P+O Princess Cruises which created one of the first global cruise operators encompassing 12 highly recognisable brands. At the time this was one of the largest leisure travel companies in the world, which began to establish the corporation’s reputation as a leading cruise line provider.

With the continued acquisition of brands, the company now has 9 reputable and giant cruise line providers from across the globe under its umbrella. However, with all of these key cruise line brands, Carnival Corporation remains firm that each one keeps its own defined brand identity. This brand autonomy is what the company attributes a large amount of its success to because each one can focus its individual sales, marketing and reservation offers to specifically cater to its audience and geographical reach. This focus on brand autonomy is why the corporation is now a global leader in the cruise industry. Looking towards the future, Carnival Corporation aims to continue to innovate its fleets and deliver memorable vacations and borderless connections across the globe.

Throughout every single cruise operation under Carnival Corporation, the ports in which the vessels stop at are essential to keeping the industry running. Cruise ships under Carnival Corporation stop at over 700 ports around the world, where they receive vital reserves and maintenance via a range of ship-to-shore services. These include refuelling, handling, essential supplies replenishment, and facilitating excursions/security checks- to name just a few.

Los Cristianos Santa Cruz de Tenerife

La Estaca

Santa Cruz de la Palma

San Sebastian de la Gomera

Carnival Corporation and PLC

Ports of Tenerife:

Top cruise destination during wintertime.

The volcanic Canary Islands are one of the most well-known holiday destinations for Europeans, with a temperature fluctuating between 16 and 21oC all year round. But that is just one of the many reasons that make the Canary Islands one of the most popular destinations for cruise traffic during the colder months of the year.

Tenerife island has two cruise ports: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the ideal port for homeport operations and Los Cristianos, located in the most touristic area of the island. On the other hand, the rest of the islands offer a wide variety of exotic destinations: La Palma island or “la Isla Bonita” -the Beautiful Island-; La Gomera island, last Columbus call before the America’s Discovery and El Hierro island, known as the end of the world by the ancient conquerors.

The islands are highly connected to Europe and the Spanish mainland through daily and direct flights to Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Finland, Belgium and more recently even to the vibrant city of New York in the US. And the list goes on.

Due to these connections, Santa Cruz de Tenerife provides an experienced homeport where guests can also enjoy among other excursions, the visit to El Teide – UNESCO World Heritage Site and the highest peak in Spain-, in the top of this volcano, they will find the most spectacular views of the Canary Islands.

But Tenerife is not the only island that offers unique excursions, in the rest of the islands you will be amazed, for example, under the clear sky of La Palma, chosen by the International Scientific Community as the headquarters of one of the most important Astrophysics Observatories from the Northern Hemisphere. La Gomera, the history of the New World and its quaternary Laurisilva forest should not be missed, but also the “gomero whistle”, the hissing language to communicate through ravines. Finally El Hierro, an example of sustainability where the trade winds are the main source of energy and where you will be thrilled with an undiscovered newborn volcano rising under the ocean and next to the island and ancient lizards.

www.puertosdetenerife.org

The vital role ports play in keeping all cruise lines under Carnival Corporation running smoothly cannot be understated. Therefore, the company has partnered and established agreements with a range of ports and port authorities across the globe. A significant existing agreement is with The Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is one of the busiest cruise ports in the Canary Islands, which is visited by AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Lines, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and P+O Cruises UK under the Carnival Corporation umbrella alone. Therefore, Carnival Corporation maintains strong ties to the port authority and its port services as it continues to be a vital stop for many of its cruise ships and so allows the company to continue to offer great holiday excursions in the Canary Islands.

Under Carnival Corporation is its own Carnival Cruise Line which is the leading provider of yearround cruises to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico from America, with seasonal cruises to Canada, New England, Alaska, Hawaii, Bermuda, and Europe. Carnival Cruise Line is a leader in

Cruising With The Best

contemporary cruising focusing its 23-ship fleet on providing fun and memorable vacation experiences designed for all the family at a great price. With over 180 rooms with 11 different categories of suite options, you are sure to find a restful night’s sleep to suit your vacation needs and price point. Its vessel line includes the Mardi Gras, which was introduced in 2021 and is the first cruise ship in North America to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG). This ship represents the gradual move by Carnival Corporation towards a more sustainable future for the leisure and tourism industry.

A key cruise line under Carnival Corporation is Princess Cruises which began operations in 1965. The company is now a world-leading international cruise liner and tour company with a fleet of 15 modern cruise ships. Travelling to 330 destinations around the globe including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada, New England, Antarctica, and world cruises. This expansive offering includes over 170 different itineraries with options ranging

from 3 to 11-day trips. Each ship is designed with the culture, colours, and flavours in mind of the countries the voyage will be visiting to provide its customers with an immersive quality experience.

The Holland America Line has been in operation for over 145 years and today under Carnival Corporation has 10 spacious, mid-sized ships visiting more than 425 ports of call across over 100 countries around the world on all 7 continents. The ships are known for their immersive culinary experiences and extensive wine selections along with highly acclaimed brand partnerships across the ship’s entertainment. In recent news, Holland America Line’s cruise offers will be extended to 11 countries between September 2025 and April 2026, with a strong focus on Japan where it will visit 24 different ports. The development will offer visits to Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, and will further expand Carnival Corporation’s offerings across the globe.

The luxury brand behind Carnival Corporation is Seabourn which is known as a luxury resort

Carnival Corporation and PLC

at sea. Seabourn has only 3 vessels in its fleet, however, the reduced passenger size ensures an intuitive personalised service for every guest. It is the youngest company in the luxury segment of the cruise industry but prides itself on having an industry-leading crew which are known for its experience and excellence in expedition travel. Customers on board the Seabourn vessel can make the most of spacious all-suite accommodations with oceanfront views, and experience awardwinning gourmet dining and premium food and drink every night. The ships travel to every continent on the globe, making more than 400 port visits to top cities as well as off-the-beaten-track gems which are handpicked by its expert travel itinerary teams, across Europe, Asia, the South Pacific Island, Australia, New Zealand, the Americas and Antarctica.

Costa Cruise Lines represents Europe’s leading cruise liner under the Carnival Corporation which visits more than 260 ports worldwide. The 12

contemporary ships across its fleet are deployed throughout the Mediterranean Sea, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Brazil, Argentina, the Arabian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean. Trips with Costa Cruise lines cover anywhere between 7 to 20-day trips, with exotic sailing trips from 20-30 days. The company is also the leading cruise line in China and also has a world voyage itinerary option. Throughout Costa Cruise Line’s voyages pampering on board and top voyage destinations has made them a leading cruise liner for many across Europe to experience the finest of what the continent has to offer. In 2019, Cost Cruise Lines added the Costa Smeralda to its fleet which is the first vessel to use LNG both at port and at sea. This again highlights the innovative approach that is fostered across Carnival Corporation’s sphere to make the cruising industry more sustainable.

A final vital cruise line operator under Carnival Cruises is P+O Cruises. Under the Carnival Corporation is P+O Cruises UK and Australia. P+O Cruises UK is Britain’s cruise liner of choice. The brand is known

for discovery, choice and relaxation offering every visitor a restful stay catered to British tastes. The ships are great for all the family with activities for kids, as well as adults-only lounges. P+O Cruises UK offers voyages to 200 destinations worldwide with 2-to-3-month options. In recent years, P+O Cruise UK added the Arvia vessel which is focused on the future of ship travel. The ship is the latest innovation for P+O and is designed to focus on the newest trends in travel, dining, and entertainment. Offering contemporary holidays, the Arvia has a SkyDome, 16 guest decks, the first altitude skywalk at sea experience, as well as a plethora of food and dining experiences.

Overall, Carnival Corporation and Plc is such a vast cruise line company which continues to expand its offerings to bring once-in-a-lifetime holiday offerings to customers all over the globe.

Cruising With The Best

The company remains focused on the vital role that the individual brands under its umbrella play in diversifying the tourism industry and innovating holiday options to suit every customer’s needs. However, Carnival Corporation is also highly focused on respecting and maintaining the relationships the company has with ports across the world as they help to keep cruise lines running smoothly. Furthermore, we have seen that many of the companies under Carnival Corporation are starting to shift towards using LNG to fuel their vessels, which is hoping to move the tourism and leisure industry towards a more sustainable future. However, one thing is for sure, no matter which brand you travel with under Carnival Corporation, you are sure to have the adventure of a lifetime supported by teams of people passionate about travel.

GATEWAYS TO OPPORTUNITY

Airports are more than a logistical option for travelling from A to B; they are an experience that bookends holidays and business trips, and the success and smooth delivery of this experience can make or break our memories of the entire venture. The professionalism of an airport equals peace of mind for the businesses using them. Airports juggle and navigate a complex network of logistics, but aim to always deliver these with an ease and calm for their passengers and clients; with so many outcomes reliant on this happening successfully, companies like Oman Airports Management Company (OA) carry a heavy responsibility.

WRITTEN BY AMY BUXTON

OMAN AIRPORTS MANAGEMENT COMPANY

A government-owned operation, OA has been charged with the management and operation of all civil airports within the Sultanate of Oman. It falls to OA to ensure the seamless operation of Oman’s airports, from marketing and communications through to commercial real estate management and coordinating security, as well as overseeing the infrastructure of the airport itself, including terminal buildings, cargo buildings, runway, apron and car parking.

Not content to simply operate a reliable airport, OA wants to make theirs one of the top 20 airports in the world by 2020. Overseeing what they describe as the “gateways to Oman”, the company states its purpose as “growing gateways to beauty and opportunity”.

Oman’s first airport, Bait Al Falaj Airport, no longer exists, but the company now oversees four main locations: Sohar Airport, Duqm Airport, Salalah Airport, and Muscat International Airport né Seeb International Airport. Under OA, Muscat International Airport has changed more than its name; both it and Salalah have had numerous recent investments and expansions made to their facilities. In fact, the first anniversary of Muscat’s expansion falls this month; we took this opportunity to speak with David Wilson, Chief Operations Officer of OA, to take us through the various ways the company is working towards its 2020 goal, and in particular, to tell us more about the fruits of this expansion.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have been able to work in partnership with the Government of the Sultanate of Oman to open new airports for the nation,” David tells us. “The scale of the projects to build and open the new airports were unprecedented in Oman in terms of investment, profile and prestige.” He isn’t exaggerating; the new Muscat airport took ten years of planning and delivery with US$4.4bn of investment, and on top of this effort, Salalah’s modernisation cost a further US$0.95bn. These figures only account for work on the airports themselves, but

further investments have also been committed to develop ancillary infrastructure such as roads to and from the locations. David broke down what this level of investment and effort has been able to deliver:

“There is no comparison between the old-world airports and the new; every single part of the service offering for customers and the systems behind our operations is different. In Muscat, a 44-yearold 52,000 sqm building has been replaced with a new 360,000 sqm construction, with a capacity of 20 million, and the airports have already been developed to allow for future expansion in line with the airports’ master plans. All airports now have boarding bridges, improved retail space and fully integrated systems and control centres, allowing us to provide a much higher quality of service to airlines and passengers. Indeed, the new infrastructure is absolutely essential to be able to deliver the level of service that our customers expect.”

The new Muscat International Airport opened a year ago, on March 20th 2018, and this first year has already seen positive results for OA’s revenue, as well as the happiness of their clients. As David shared, “Our new retail and duty free offer a wonderful product portfolio which can compete with the best airports globally. Passenger experience has also improved significantly since opening the new airport and our satisfaction scores have improved across multiple indicators.” Especially excitingly, the new airport seems to have turned OA’s 2020 goal into something of a reality: “Quarter 4

Your Path Towards a Digital Future

By Havier Haddad, General Manager for Gulf at Dell EMC

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To this end, Dell Technologies as a unique family of 7 businesses (Dell, Dell EMC, VMware, Virtustream, Pivotal, RSA, SecureWorks), brings together strong capabilities in the fastest-growing areas of the industry, including hybrid cloud, software-defined data center, converged infrastructure, platform-as-a-service, data analytics, mobility and cybersecurity, provides the essential infrastructure for organizations to build their digital future, transform IT and protect their most important asset, information!

OMAN AIRPORTS MANAGEMENT COMPANY

scores in the ACI-ASQ survey (an airport benchmark quality survey) have ranked Muscat Airport 18th Best Airport in the world for overall satisfaction in the 5-15 million passengers airport category.”

The new Salalah Airport terminal building, which was opened in 2015, is also performing very well. It experienced a record-breaking Khareef season (Oman’s monsoon season) in 2018, processing over 630,000 tourists who were visiting the region, compared to around 470,000 in 2017. Salalah Airport has been ranked 6th Best airport for passenger overall satisfaction in the world in under 2 million passengers per year category. The airport also holds the number one ranking when compared to airports in the Middle East for overall satisfaction. This admirable achievement is reflected by their overall success throughout the region:

“Our performance is very positive. We are performing better than many other airports in the Middle East, especially during these challenging times in the region. We’ve seen a 7% increase on our passenger numbers in the last year across all our airports, including a 15% increase in transfer passengers in Muscat, which has been made possible through forging and nurturing strong relationships with our airlines and other partners.”

OA has also expanded Muscat through the cargo market, which has grown steadily for them for the past 12 months. This growth was partially facilitated by the opening of a new cargo facility as part of the airport’s remodelling, which has a capacity of 380k tonnes. “This is definitely a targeted growth area for Oman Airports over the coming years, and we will be working closely with our national stakeholders and international partners to continue to improve and manage the cargo market in Oman.”

These ambitious developments were supported by many bodies throughout Oman: support from Oman’s government through the Ministry of Transport & Communication has been key, but on top of this, OA also benefits from strong bonds that it has built with a variety of other partners, including the Public Authority for Civil Aviation, Oman Aviation Group, Royal Oman Police, Oman Air and Oman Aviation Services. However, it is not only these prestigious external partners, but the excellence of OA’s own team that has led to its success. To date, OA employs a team of over 1,200 staff, 93% of whom hail from Oman. As well as supporting the country through this local employment, OA also provides training and additional learning opportunities to its staff through its Learning & Development Centre. 75% of OA’s total staff made use of these programs last year.

To support good people, a truly competitive company in any industry needs to stay up to date with the latest technology. David is well aware of the importance of this advantage within a sector as complex as aviation: “We work in a fast-paced industry;

new technologies are being brought into the aviation sector regularly. Don’t ever think you know best. Market research and listening to passenger feedback can help shape your future plans. Benchmarking industry is very important too, so as we learn from others in the industry.”

Whilst the new airports have only been recently completed, OA is already looking into improvements and new technologies to introduce to them. For example, they are introducing selfservice check-ins and self-bag drops to speed up and streamline passengers’ first experiences at the airport, and they are also implementing technologies such as passenger flow management systems. These systems highlight hot spots throughout the entire passenger journey to allow the airport to predict ‘pinch points’ and areas that will slow down their progress smoothly through the airport process.

David joined Oman Airports in June 2017, having previously spent a year as COO at Mumbai International, India, following a lengthy career with several UK airports. This career has a slightly unusual origin, evolving from his decision to join the Rescue & Firefighting Service at Edinburgh Airport in February 1993, following several years in the British Army. “During my time in the

RFFS, I was given a number of opportunities by the then operator (BAA) to experience many other parts of the airport’s operation, and also attended many courses to improve my technical knowledge, leadership and interpersonal skills.”

This rise through the aviation industry combined with David’s time in the army allowed him to develop a broad knowledge and efficient approach to airport management. We asked David about his approach to leadership, and his answer…… invest time with your staff and stakeholders and always putting safety and customer satisfaction first: “Never compromise on safety and compliance, focus on delivering an excellent customer experience every day and always look for opportunities to operate at optimal cost.”

With this sort of approach, safeguarding efficiency, service, standards and security, combined with OA’s constant search for the latest and most up-to-date facilities and technology they can offer, it seems that OA are on their way to achieving their 2020 goal. The difference between Oman’s old airports and the new facilities is staggering, and future success seems certain for David and the OA team. However, it’s the passengers who will really feel the benefit.

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CELEBRATING A NATION

The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi

chevron-square-right www.tcaabudhabi.ae phone-square 00971 2 444 0444

For many countries, the tourism industry is an economic backbone that provides essential income and employment; but more than this, it can also push a country to preserve and invest in its culture and heritage. By protecting historic buildings, maximising modern infrastructure and directing more funds and attention to the arts, tourism can inspire and enable a country to be the best version of itself. We spoke with Waleed Al Saeedi, Director of Procurement about his role and responsibilities at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

When the ‘tourism industry’ is responsibly managed, it can support an area in flourishing, allowing it to not only create jobs but protect and contribute to the history, art and innovation that exists. This is the case for the UAE’s Abu Dhabi, which is overseen by DCT Abu Dhabi to not only be profitable in terms of income for the city, but also to be enriching in other ways: DCT Abu Dhabi’s mandate from the Abu Dhabi Government is to build and grow a tourism industry in Abu Dhabi and ensure the preservation and exposition of the emirate’s heritage, whether it be physical sites or trades and traditions such as poetry and dance. However, DCT Abu Dhabi’s role goes even further, as one of its core objectives is establishing Abu Dhabi as a cultural centre in the region.

Written by Alice

To develop the tourism industry for the capital, DCT Abu Dhabi must oversee two key areas: firstly, Abu Dhabi must be able to run this industry in an efficient, operational manner; and secondly, it must be a culturally rich city that is appealing to visit and explore. Waleed explained these two aspects down for us: “First, consider the tourism mandate: creating, or supporting the creation of infrastructure, developing people who can

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM - ABU DHABI

work in the industry, and cooperating with other government agencies and the private sector to achieve the mandate. On the cultural side, the Abu Dhabi Government’s agenda is just as ambitious but less quantifiable. DCT Abu Dhabi exists in part to preserve and communicate Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage, and to support artistic and cultural education, because these cultural centres and programmes become tourist attractions. For example, New York University Abu Dhabi has a programme for training museum curators and art restoration experts. We are looking here at radically new competencies and careers for people.”

Abu Dhabi has many cultural points of appeal that make it stand out as a tourist destination, and it is DCT Abu Dhabi’s job to support the operation, preservation and promotion of these sites. These sites include the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum, Qasr Al Hosn, the Al Ain Museum, and others,

not to mention a range of local sites from the famous dates market right through to the Qasr Al Watan Library, located in the Presidential Palace. There aren’t just man-made sites to be seen, either; “The desert outside Abu Dhabi and Al Ain is beautiful – where else in the world can you stay in a luxury hotel right next to sand dunes that are several hundred metres high?”

As a country, the UAE also has other sources of appeal when it comes to attracting holiday makers. In terms of its location, it is a convenient destination from many directions; you can reach Abu Dhabi within six hours from Europe, Russia, East Africa and India, and from China the journey is not much further. The country’s biggest sources of overseas visitors are India and China, which Waleed credits partly to their proximity and, in both cases, a relaxation of visa laws that makes travel between the UAE and these two countries far easier. Abu Dhabi also receives many visitors

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM -

Olio is so proud to have been able to play such a key role in assisting the Department of Culture and Tourism in achieving its CIPS Platinum status, and in record time. Further to these efforts, Olio has been instrumental in partnering with the DCT since 2017 and impacting and strengthening the organization on numerous levels.

from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, and cruise ships pulling into Abu Dhabi Port seems on track to become a growing source of holiday-makers. As destinations go, it is probably one of the safest the world has to offer, with security standards extremely high throughout the UAE, particularly in the capital.

A key element in achieving DCT Abu Dhabi’s goals is through the procurement of complex services and products to build, preserve, maintain and run all of these locations, and as this is Waleed’s department, he was able to go into detail with us about this crucial aspect of the organisation: “Procurement is a strategic player in achieving DCT Abu Dhabi’s goals. Our role goes in two directions: out, into the market, where we capture cost trends, understand the demographics of the supply base locally and internationally and leverage that for our internal customers; and inwards where we work proactively with the tourism and cultural

Partnering for performance.

We provide our clients a range of management consulting services across our Strategy, Operations, People, Portfolio and Technology streams.

sectors to obtain best value on the use of their budgets.”

The organisation focusses on Abu Dhabi, but it also looks beyond its walls, both towards its potential tourist market, and also to the wider organisations and individuals it can work with, be these airlines, architects or artists. By working with talent both within the UAE and beyond, it can bring out the very best that Abu Dhabi’s potential has to offer. “For instance, we worked closely with Agence France Museum for Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi as well as the British Museum for the Sheikh Zayed Museum. Partnerships of this kind have helped us to deliver outstanding, world renowned achievements to Abu Dhabi.”

As well as these grand overseas partnerships, DCT Abu Dhabi has set up a host of local and international partnerships that provide niche, essential services. “For example, we have formed a long-term relationship with a supplier

who specialises in transporting and handling antiques and art works, to supply Louvre Abu Dhabi and other exhibitions. We also work with specialised design and building firms to restore forts and houses of great cultural and historical significance, and we have associations with the Bayreuth Festival and other musical groups, symphonies and ballets around the world, allowing us to bring incredible art and performances to the Emirate.

“However, international partnerships can be challenging for several reasons. First, different laws can apply in each jurisdiction. Second, overseas firms may have strategic reasons for focusing on one area or another, potentially reducing their commitment to business in Abu Dhabi. Finally, the purpose of the partnership may expose us to depending on the partner’s expertise. This last point is especially relevant as we look to avoid developing a dependency on a global supply chain, in order to grow local business and expertise.”

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM - ABU DHABI

DCT Abu Dhabi’s mandate from the Abu Dhabi Government is not focused purely on the success of its tourism industry, but on how this industry then impacts Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a whole; this wider look therefore puts great emphasis on the development of local businesses. DCT Abu Dhabi is therefore tasked by the government to “engage with and develop a sustainable, local supplier base”, as Waleed tells us – a task which falls firmly with the procurement department. On top of this, Waleed is one of the founding members and chair of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Procurement Group - a group dedicated to initiating sustainable procurement policies and working on methods to support local firms.

This is a worthy goal and one Waleed is personally committed to:

“Fundamentally, I believe we need to keep in mind that although we, the Emiratis, are an ancient people, the UAE is a young country in terms of its infrastructure and business

community. There are gaps in the local supply base and so DCT Abu Dhabi, like other Abu Dhabi Government entities, has been tasked with creating a market for firms that can support the tourism and culture sectors. It is a long-term goal, because we are talking about transforming part of Abu Dhabi’s economy from that of largely being a consumer of foreign products and services to being able to compete on our own. DCT Abu Dhabi is an important part of this transformation, given the significance of the tourism and culture sectors to Abu Dhabi’s plans, so I am extremely proud and privileged to be a leader in this transformative time for the Emirate.”

As well as DCT Abu Dhabi’s responsibility to the workers of Abu Dhabi as a whole, it also has a responsibility to its own staff. Currently, the organisation employs around 1200 people, and is proud to state that it has been its policy to have gender-equal hiring and pay practices since before this became compulsory for all

Whether individual transports or complex movements, national and international – our trained and certified employees worldwide manage new and demanding tasks with their long-term experience and the greatest deal of engagement. Paintings, sculptures, installations or cultural assets of all kinds – each object is handled individually as hasenkamp provides both the development of innovative and customized packaging solutions and special transportation vehicles and handling equipment. We make each transport unique and extraordinary.

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DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM - ABU DHABI

government entities within the country. The organisation works closely with its staff to make sure they are developing and are well looked after; this input ranges from access to education and further training, to a Wellness Program designed by DCT Abu Dhabi’s HR team to offer workshops and seminars on healthy living.

As for Waleed, he has been DCT Abu Dhabi’s Director of Procurement since 2013. His current role has involved building a professional, highperforming, globally-recognised procurement team, and supporting DCT Abu Dhabi’s business units in achieving their mandates. Prior to 2013, he also played a part in guiding the merger of three distinct organisations into DCT Abu Dhabi as it exists today, and reprised this role during an organisational restructuring in 2018. It is the former duty that he sees as his foremost responsibility, however; not only the formation of his team, but the ongoing leadership of them. “It is my job to enable

people to do their part; this starts by helping them to see what is possible and what they are capable of, and looking for new and effective tools that will empower them to do that.”

When it comes to nurturing a team, an industry or an area, Waleed has learnt that the key, once you have pulled all of the elements DCT Abu Dhabi monitors together, is patience:

“One thing that I have learned in my career is that instant changes or quick results are usually not achievable. No director has the luxury of starting from scratch; one has to develop their team, recruit carefully, motivate and recognise potential. So, what is my philosophy or strategy for achieving that? Well, it requires patience, because people are not easily moulded and, unlike systems, they cannot be designed to perfection. Changing and achieving great levels of performance requires time, patience and steady, unwavering commitment from management.”

This is true of not only people, but an industry as a whole, and it is this patient dedication that DCT Abu Dhabi applies to the continued celebration and growth of Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry and the businesses supporting it. The organisation has the fortunate task of promoting a city that is already striking and filled with reasons to visit, but with this comes layers of responsibility that it carries out with a dedication and passion worthy of Abu Dhabi.

ALLWIN LIMITED is an international events production company with offices in the UAE, specializing in the creation of global music festivals and concerts, private parties and cooperate events. Through entertainment, our aim is to help connect businesses and entrepreneurs with growth opportunities in the Middle East.

THE TAJ WELCOME

Taj Dubai

When an opulent Indian hotel brand meets the high standards of Dubai, you know you’re in for something special. Taj Hotels, known for its Indian palaces and international excellence, is expanding its footprint through the Middle East. We spoke with Ranjit Phillipose, Taj Hotel’s Area Director in the region, to learn more.

CWritten by Alice

urrently, Ranjit Phillipose is not only responsible for the operations of the striking Taj Dubai, but he is also overseeing Taj Hotels’ planned rapid expansion across the Middle East. With 27 years of experience with the company and front-line involvement with these expansion plans, Ranjit was able to give us first-hand insight into Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) as a company, and what to expect from it in the coming years. Having operated as a reputed hotel brand in India for 117 years, the well-known company has now spread to a wide international success, with properties not only in India, but in Sri Lanka, USA, England, Zambia, South Africa, Maldives, Bhutan, Andaman Islands and Dubai, UAE. When it comes to Dubai, however, competition is high and success is no guarantee – not even for a company with this much experience. When Ranjit stepped into his role at Taj Dubai, he found that he had every other major hotel brand close by: “Now, one of the biggest challenges in the market has been that there is a lot more supply than demand,” he explained, “So how do you differentiate yourself from the other brands? ” To make its place in this market, Taj had to come in strong, and this was a challenge that Ranjit embraced:

TAJ DUBAI

“One of the things that makes us stand out is our philosophy of ‘Tajness’. Tajness is something you should be able to feel with your eyes closed. It’s all about the service that we bring; our engagement with our guests.” Ranjit explained that it is these high levels of customer service, as well as an attentive, personal customisation of guest experiences, that Taj Dubai prides itself on. It is a brand standard throughout the company, and it is one that has placed Taj Dubai in good stead despite a saturated market:

“Over the past three years, we’ve been able to eat into the market share of our competition. When we started out in 2015, we were ranked 5/6. Last year we closed the year at 1/6.”

Dubai is well known for its luxurious real estate and hotels, so a high level of competition was to be expected, however given that the city is such a vibrant hub in the Middle East, we were surprised to hear that supply was now higher than demand. We asked Ranjit whether this was caused by an actual drop in demand,

or whether it was simply that companies’ eagerness to move into the city had gone too far: “Reports are showing that there’s a degrowth of about 15%. There has been this slowdown because of various factors. Instability in the Middle East and aggressive marketing by countries like Saudi Arabia to grow their own economy has affected travel into Dubai. Now with the coronavirus, the industry has again taken a hit.” However, being a well-known entity in many countries, Taj Dubai has clientele coming from other countries so the hit is not too serious: Australia, Europe, the UK, South America and of course India are all large sources of guests for the hotel.

2020 is also shaping up to be a positive year for Dubai’s tourism industry; Expo 2020 Dubai is set to transform the city from October 2020 to April 2021, drawing people to Dubai from all across the globe. The event will be huge, with countries designing and investing in whole pavilions in which to display, demonstrate and show off their major industries and areas of development. The Dubai Tourism Department expects the event to raise Dubai’s footfall from 20 to 25 million, and Taj Dubai plans to see a slice of that action. Rather than simply leaving the catchment of this business to chance, the company and the hotel actually have gears in motion to corner it.

“One of the biggest things that works in our favour is that, at the Expo, the India stand is going to be one of the biggest. The Indian government is investing a lot of money into creating that stand, and The Tata Group, our parent company, is going to have a major part of it.” The Indian government itself is working to promote this stand and the businesses involved, and Taj’s link to this means that its hotels will be promoted to those working on the stand itself, as well as visiting the Expo. The company is even in discussions over doing the Indian Pavilion’s catering.

Looking beyond the Expo, Taj plans to expand its Middle Eastern presence. Last year, it opened its second property in Dubai - Taj Jumeirah Lakes Towers – and by Q4, 2020, they are looking to open a third property, this one a beach resort on the famous Palm Jumeirah. If

TAJ DUBAI

you haven’t seen the striking construction that is The Palm, look it up – there are few things quite like it in the world. “The Palm is where all the big brands are, so our presence there is absolutely critical.”

However, the company’s focus on the Middle East does not stop at Dubai. Other potential areas of expansion include Oman and Abu Dhabi, and excitingly, there are already solid plans in place to operate a location in Mecca. “It’s an exciting place to be in. It’s the holiest place in the Islamic world, and I think a great way to come into this region.” The Mecca property should be in operation by 2023. Like with most of Taj’s hotels, the company will manage and operate the property, but not own it; however, they are already working closely with its developers to make sure it is finished to the brand’s standard and ready to do justice to Taj’s vision for its Mecca presence.

The aesthetic design for Taj Mecca will, no doubt, be as striking as Taj’s other hotels. Taj

Dubai, for example, is a truly beautiful mix of Indian and Arabic styles: “When I walked into this building for the first time, I immediately got that sense that there is a great vibe to this hotel. One of the reasons I got that sense was that it has a beautiful blend of Indian and Arabic design, but it isn’t ‘flashy’ – it’s luxuriously appointed. The furnishings, the fittings, the artefacts – we’ve got a great mix from India and across the world. The hotel isn’t overbearingly Indian, but it has subtle touches that capitalize on Indian heritage.” In the food and beverage offerings, Taj Dubai also features the brand’s iconic Bombay Brasserie – a wellregarded restaurant with only three locations in the world: London Kensington, Cape Town, and now Dubai. These restaurants celebrate everything culinary that India has to offer, blending Goan, Bengali, Gujarati, Mughal and Portuguese dishes and flavours.

If you want to see how far Taj Hotels can push tastefully breathtaking design, one need

only look at another property that Ranjit has managed – Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, India. The palace, which was built in 1894, is the former palace of the Nizam of Hyderabad. However, it had been lying unused for 60 years before Taj undertook a ten-year restoration project to convert it into a hotel. By accepting his first General Manager position at this hotel, Ranjit was in a rare and privileged position of being able to influence how the hotel would be designed and run. For example, he was able to design the ‘music philosophy’ – what sort of ambient music would play across the hotel. He also discovered the broken remnants of carriages, and after going through the archives to research their original designs, his team had one reconstructed using these parts, to give guests a spectacular feel of a bygone era when they arrive via the hotel’s magnificent entranceway by a horse-drawn carriage and are greeted by a scattering of rose petals. “That was a fantastic experience because I was interacting

directly with royalty who were directly involved in the restoration. All those things we put into place, even today after ten years, are still being followed.”

Ranjit has had a varied career that has taken him to many of Taj’s most prestigious hotels, often to oversee the opening of a new property before moving on to the next challenge a few years later, leaving a wellestablished hotel behind him. “I joined Taj as a youngster back in India 27 years ago. I left college in April ‘93, and in May ‘93 I joined Taj. I’m very fortunate: I’ve been to some beautiful cities and locations, and each experience has been outstanding.” After working his way up the ranks in India and England, Ranjit was sent to various new locations for the company to help in establishing their brand and presence. These locations included Mauritius, USA (New York, San Francisco and Boston) and India once more, at Taj Falaknuma Palace. After this Ranjit managed several other properties for

TAJ DUBAI

Taj Hotels, including Taj Exotica Maldives, Taj Exotica Goa, and now Taj Dubai.

Moving from place to place like this might be challenging for some people, but Ranjit thrives on it, embracing the opportunity to travel and take on new challenges. He explained that he grew up on the move with his father in the air force, so he is accustomed to moving location every two or three years. In fact, he prefers it. “The biggest thing I like when you move countries is that you need to adapt. You must assimilate into the culture; you meet new people – and I think my strength is in people. One General Manager early into my career said, ‘Surround yourself with people better than you are. That has helped me in my journey. It challenges you, and that is what’s very exciting for me.’”

People are of high importance to Ranjit, and this emphasis is shared by the company at large. Most, if not all, companies claim this, but Taj proves successful at supporting and

retaining its employees. At Taj Dubai, there are almost 400 employees, and many them of them have been with the company for over five years. Additionally, the company is achieving in terms of lower turnover rates: the average annual turnover of staff in the Middle Eastern hospitality industry is 37%, but Taj Dubai is at 24%. “Especially in markets like London, Dubai, New York, you don’t expect people to stay on for so long,” Ranjit pointed out to us. “So, I feel that’s a sign that we’re doing something right.” So, how is Taj Hotels seeking to support, retain and get the most out of its staff? One way in which it differentiates itself is the ‘Taj Welcome’ - a unique experience on any employee’s first day of work. “All of our associates who are joining us walk in through the front door of the hotel on their first day. They arrive in the lobby and experience the entire ritual we conduct for our guests. For example, at check in, all our guests are greeted with a little prayer and a garland of beads, so our associates also go

through that. Then they dine in our restaurants, so they feel like a guest. That ‘wow’ moment on their faces is the moment we want to translate for our guests: if they’ve experienced that, then they’re ready to deliver it.”

This initiative enables members of staff to deliver the very best experience to guests, and also helps them to feel involved and valued within the brand, as well as offering them a unique insight into why the brand’s standards matter and what these achieve. Another system the company uses to maintain morale is called ‘V Connect’: rather than taking a survey once a year to check on its staff’s wellbeing, the company seeks feedback every day by presenting each employee with a random question when they clock in. For example, they may be asked how they are feeling, or their opinion on the employee restaurant. This daily survey allows the hotel and the company to have an up-to-date, accurate view of how staff feel, so issues can be resolved as soon as

they occur, and any seasonal problems can be identified and resolved.

On top of these initiatives, Taj also provides more traditional and extremely important support such as developmental training, scholarships, health checks and comprehensive medical insurance. All of this allows its team to feel listened to, welcomed, valued, provided for, and like they have a future within the company.

As Ranjit told us, “Excellence is a journey, and you are constantly on that journey. The only thing you can do is get better and better.” Taj repeatedly hits the mark of excellence, and yet its work is not done, continuing to expand and improve with every year. This is how a brand stays on top, and as it grows in the Middle East, we have no doubt that it will continue to distinguish itself from the crowd through its attention to detail, care for its guests and, just as importantly, care for its staff.

Starting as a dream of providing quality family entertainment for the people of Trinidad and Tobago, Chairman Derek A Chin and his fellow co-founders have now brought the cinema experience nationwide through the privately owned cinema chain MovieTowne. The multiplex chain has revolutionized the cinema and entertainment industry of Trinidad and Tobago and is now known as the premier cinema and entertainment complex across the Caribbean.

Opened in 2002, the first MovieTowne location is a state-of-the-art multi-screen cineplex which has elevated the tastes and expectations of people across the region. The MovieTowne brand has now expanded across three locations, with 2 in Trinidad and 1 in Tobago. The three multiplex cinemas collectively have 22 screens which celebrate all that cinema has to offer through their elaborately themed décor, latest 2D and 3D technology, Dolby Digital surround sound, and comfortable stadium-style seating amphitheatres. The cinemas boast international cinema standards, whilst also promoting comfort and family fun through its top-quality cinema experiences.

The flagship MovieTowne location is in Port of Spain and promises something for everyone as a one-stop destination for quality entertainment. The MovieTowne complex was designed to be a popular hotspot for dining, shopping, entertainment, and a place to enjoy time with family and friends. In this mission, MovieTowne is successful, as the complex is known for being a multi-faceted complex facility which is home to many amenities and attractions great for family entertainment. Therefore, MovieTown continues to lead the way in the entertainment arena as its foundation is built on a desire to never cease developing new and spectacular offerings to give the best possible entertainment offerings to its citizens every day.

At the heart of every development by MovieTown is a real desire to bring the highest standard of entertainment to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Derek Chin outlines this as “My vision has always been to bring the highest standard of an international movie-going experience to Trinibagonians and to open their eyes and imaginations to fun, healthy family entertainment. After three years of constant research and determination – and with the support of my investors and directors, we preserved and overcame all obstacles. Finally, my dream of MovieTowne became a reality in November 2002”. Consequently, we can see that there is a real passion behind MovieTowne and all its franchises that constantly want to improve and develop their operations to be the most popular entertainment hubs across the Caribbean.

Significant developments came when MovieTowne expanded its operations outside of Trinidad and Tobago, opening a MovieTown location in Guyana. The three founders behind MovieTowne, Derek Chin, Winfield Scott and Pierpont Scott all have strong ties to Guyana so developments here were an obvious choice. The company opened a MovieTowne franchise in Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, located near the popular Sea Wall and The University of Guyana in 2016. The complex is located on 10 acres of land and offers an array of attractions and leisure amenities for families and entertainment seekers alike.

As MovieTowne moves towards the future, Derek Chin is looking to his next venture which is set to bring ‘Streets of the World’ to Trinidad and Tobago. Currently, there are more than 11 acres of prime real estate near the existing MovieTowne flagship complex in Port of Spain, which Chin is looking to transform into the region’s latest entertainment experience called ‘Streets of the World’. This experience will feature iconic themes from each of the major countries which catalysed the culture of Trinidad and Tobago. These include influences from East India to the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia, and so all these will be represented and celebrated

in eight connecting streets. In this way, Chin is moving away from solely cinema experiences and looking at the future of entertainment for Trinidad and Tobago.

Streets of the World will portray a carnival street with a modern carnival museum, as an avenue will be dedicated to showcasing the colourful inspiration, music, art, and designs which are a key part of everyday Trinidad and Tobago culture. Along with the streets, will be a modern housing development with views to the water and the city. As part of this massive development, a local theatre will be installed to attract and promote local artists for locals and tourists alike. To aid with the increase in tourism the marine, cruise ship dock, and a local water transport hub are envisioned. The programme is hoped that soon it will bring masses of international travellers and citizens across Trinidad and Tobago to walk the Streets of the World development.

Overall, we can see that MovieTowne is a company that truly loves to bring the joy of cinema and entertainment to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Started as just a dream by the Chairman, the company has massively expanded to offer a range of cinema experiences, leisure activities and business ventures which are hoping to bring top-quality leisure time to the Caribbean. We look forward to seeing how the MoveTowne enterprise continues to expand across the tourism and leisure market, and as it continues to bring top films from around the world into its ever-expanding cinema chains.

TRANSFORMING SÃO PAULO

GRU Airport

First opened in 1985, São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (also known as GRU Airport or GRU) is Brazil’s leading international airport.

We spoke with Gustavo Figueiredo, CEO of GRU to catch up on the multitude of expansive changes that have occurred for the airport in the past few years, and where it is looking for the future.

Recent news for GRU reads like a list of successes. Firstly, 2018 was an impressive year for one of GRU’s terminals, the São Paulo International Airport Cargo Terminal (TECA), which strengthened its position as the country’s main airport logistics park by reaching 42% of the market share. This huge figure represents 305,904 tonnes of goods processed that year, a clear 8% increase from 2017. Breaking the figure down, 161,366 tonnes of imported goods and 144,538 tonnes exported goods passed through the terminal. 2019 is already well on its way to keeping pace or even excelling this record again, with 68,533 tonnes of transported goods already processed after only the first quarter.

In part, 2018’s cargo volume figures were due to a dramatic 35% increase in full-cargo flights amongst the flights processed by the terminal. This large change was largely due to the launching of new freighter routes to Brazil from Europe, the United States and Asia operated by Qatar, LATAM Cargo, Avianca Cargo, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and Ethiopian Cargo. These launches gave importers and exporters more options for shipments that require freighter capabilities.

GRU AIRPORT

However, as is the way with any truly successful business, there are multiple factors that interplay with each other to put this terminal so far ahead in the market. At a size of around 100,000, with close proximity to São Paulo’s main highways, as well as the main cities of the state, GRU Airport is situated in the right spot, at the right scale, to be the main airport to 46% Brazilian importers and exporters.

The connectively that TECA has developed is as beneficial as its location: as well as all of the large cities of Brazil, TECA also connects 31 countries. On average, the terminal processes 750 flights a day, to 100 airports. These flights represent the activity of the 40 national and international airlines that pass over TECA’s runways. These numbers don’t just put GRU Airport at the forefront within Brazil – they set it apart as the largest hub, with the greatest capacity for cargo on international flights, throughout all of South America.

To maximise on its good position within the market, São Paulo International Airport has invested in a number of improvements to its infrastructure and operations, including investments into increased automation, for example, in January 2018, the terminal digitilased its process for receiving documents of release for its imported cargo, which reduced the average time to release cargo by 20% (from 84 hours to 64). The terminal also invested in a vast 76% increase in its storage capacity, as well as improving its storage technology. Now, the terminal has the largest refrigerated storage capacity of any Brazilian airport. The area has 37,000 cubic metres of storage for pharmaceuticals and perishable commodities, with 3,120 spaces for these products, and 21 separate cold rooms that can be adjusted to the correct temperature for storing any kind of cargo. The area also holds 360 spaces for refrigerated shipping containers.

In addition to this fantastic facility, later this year, GRU is also expecting the delivery of an antechamber that will be used to pre-cool the cargo. This 800 m² antechamber will have 360 pallet-loading spaces with a room temperature between 16-22°C. Finally, in yet another upgrade to its storage facilities, the airport is also set to take delivery of a new 5,000 m² warehouse dedicated to hazardous export goods. After the receipt of all of these facilities and capabilities, GRU Airport aims to earn the ATA CEIV PHARMA certification by the end of the year.

As well as these developments, Gustavo told us that 2019 brought good news to civil aviation groups throughout Brazil when the São Paulo government announced a reduction of the Tax on Circulation of Goods that is charged on aviation kerosene. The rate dropped from 25% to 12%, which brought the state in line with the rest of Brazil. This was particularly good news for São Paulo-based GRU Airport. When fuel accounts for over 40% of an airline’s total spend, this reduction is highly significant news for the 40 airlines that move through GRU Airport.

São Paulo is Brazil’s most popular tourist destination, as the most urbanised and built-up city. It currently receives 30% of Brazil’s tourism,

GRU AIRPORT

and Brazil as a whole is itself a popular holiday location. Given this, and the airport’s status as the largest airline hub in South America, it is fair to assume that many airlines shall respond to this reduction in fuel charges to seize the chance to visit this airport more frequently. However,this fruitful reduction came as a cost; in return for making this cut, the government of São Paulo asked airlines to create a fund to support the promotion of tourism in the area, to the value of R$ 40 million. They were also asked to provide the availability of 490 new flights to 21 states beyond São Paulo, which they predict should be beneficial for both the state and wider Brazil as commuting and travel increase in all directions. The State Department of Tourism also plans to make the most of this opportunity through the introduction of a ‘stopover program’ which allows passengers with a stopover in São Paulo to choose to stay up to three days in any city of the State without

any additional costs. This incentive aims to help boost tourism and spending around the region.

According to the Brazilian Association of Airline Companies, the tax reduction is expected to contribute to the creation of almost 60,000 jobs in the sector, with a positive impact of over R$ 316 million in 2019 alone. The State Government of São Paulo, in turn, expects the measure to represent an increase of R$ 6.9 billion in the São Paulo economy over the next 18 months.

“In short,” Gustavo concluded, “it is possible to expect cheaper flights, punctuality improvement, better comfort to passengers, promotions and the expansion of the airline network, thus reviving a sector which is fundamental to the economy and to the integration of a continental country like Brazil.”

If you are a frequent reader of Endeavour, the name Nomad Tours will be familiar; we have been covering the success of the African tour company for many years. As a company that brings people together to experience the breathtakingly beautiful sights of the African landscape, they remain a leading force for safari tourism across the continent. Following the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Nomad Tours faced some heart-breaking losses, forcing the company to move forward in a more streamlined way. Now almost three years later, we return to Nomad Tours to remind ourselves why the company is a first choice for customers globally to see the beauty that Africa has to offer.

To those unfamiliar, Nomad Tours is a tourist and travel company specialising in bringing you into the heart and beauty of the African landscape. After a year of travelling across Africa, owner and founder Alex Rutherford noticed a gap in the market between the budget tours and the higher-end packages. It was on this trip that Nomad Tours and its sentiment of “do it better and do it for less” was founded to bring tour packages that put you right in the middle of nature for an affordable price. Spanning 12 countries with 100 tour options, Nomad Tours is the first choice for really seeing Africa in all its glory. We have seen the business grow over the years towards acquiring hotel locations and a large fleet of expedition trucks, however, the sentiment of Nomad stays the same: adventure and travelling where the passion for Africa is never lost.

Nomad Tours dedicates its success to the highstandard tours they deliver, as every single one is filled with magic and a keen love for the African landscape. The tour guides are a key force behind the superior customer service that is delivered, as they aim to give a unique and personal experience of Sub-Saharan Africa. The desire to foster relationships between people is something that goes back to the humble roots of Nomad Tours. Starting largely as a company taking travellers to see the wonders that Africa has to offer on a camping basis; the tours promoted finding new friends and creating new relationships with those you’d be experiencing Africa alongside. Their tour guides take great joy in showing the beauty that Africa has to offer, and consequently, it is this desire to bring people together, whilst delivering informative, high quality and passionate tours which makes Nomad Tours so special.

Furthermore, Nomad Tours is proud to remain wholly independent, with the owner Alex remaining in the managerial position, and with 100% of its staff being African. Therefore, Nomad Tours creates job opportunities within Africa and then reinforces its communities economically through this employment. Across the company, Nomad Tours boasts 150 combined years of experience which comes together to deliver top-quality tour services, therefore, there is no doubt why Nomad Tours already notes 130,000 happy clients over the past 25 years of operation.

After beginning with a single truck and very few employees, the company now has a fleet of around 40 vehicles, 150 staff and roughly 40 scheduled departures a month all over Africa. As of 2023, Nomad Tours celebrates 25 years since their first touring truck, and the continuous effort since then to keep their vehicles updated to ensure the best experience for their customers.

WELCOME TO SUN TOURS - ZANZBAR

In 1997, the first truck featured a rear kitchen, small sliding windows, a roof rack and a roof box, however, the capacity for passengers was limited so a year later they upgraded to a second truck with the ability to carry 27 clients. Unfortunately, this truck was lost to the flash floods of Namibia in 2002, but the company strove forward, and by 1999 they had introduced 20 new trucks all with the ability to carry a much larger number of passengers. By 2000 they had acquired their first truck to travel and tour in East Africa which further extended the business operations of Nomad Tours across the continent.

Over the following years, Nomad Tours developed their touring truck fleet to accommodate the increasing customer base and with that the vehicles which would accommodate both the desire for small and intimate tours that had become increasingly popular, as well as the larger tours they began with. 2019 marked a crucial year for the Nomad Tours truck fleet with the introduction of water purification systems across all vehicles. This came as a successful initiative to reduce the

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Nomad Africa: Tours & Safari

amount of plastic being produced from their tours from guest plastic water bottle waste.

However, following the effects of the global pandemic later that year, Nomad Tours suffered great losses to their fleet resulting in the necessity to sell many vehicles chassis (keeping the customized truck bodies) until travel could resume to a semi-normal capacity along with the rest of the tourism industry a lengthy 18 months later. As we saw when we last spoke to founder and owner Alex, he remained in positive spirits and saw the company’s ability to still retain significant numbers of staff and remained effectively still open online, to ensure refunds or rescheduling of travel plans could be completed, as a testament to the legacy of success they had already built.

Nomad retained a valuable connection with its staff, suppliers, and customer base by ensuring their desire to allow people to live out their bucket list travel plans was never lost. It is Nomad Tours’ resilience to the pandemic that reinforces their place as the leader in the African safari tour

industry, as throughout every challenge they put their people and their passion for travel into every decision they made.

Overall, Nomad Tours exemplifies a clear desire for allowing people to adventure and experience Africa just as Alex did all those years ago, but in an affordable but quality-driven way. As a company, they are crucially focused on giving back and supporting people, places, and animals. Nomad Tours set up The Nomad African Trust in 2008, which remains focused on supporting and uplifting communities, protecting areas in desperate need of conservation, and promoting breeding programmes to reinstate species to their natural habitats across Africa.

Consequently, Nomad Tours is so much more than a company operating in the tourism industry, they are a voice for discovering the world whilst fostering social and environmental change. We look forward to seeing what Nomad Tours gets up to in the future, and to see where their nomadic tendencies take them and the future of African safari.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

Rwanda Hospitality Association

The Republic of Rwanda is a nation with a rich culture, beautiful land and a growing tourism trade. The sector started out small but is growing at an impressive rate, and is now the country’s biggest earner of outside capital. This makes it a sector of extreme importance to Rwanda, and thus, the efforts of the Rwanda Hospitality Association are critical. We took a look at this association to see how it is supporting its members and, through them, boosting the country and its growing economy.

Rwanda is still regarded as a developing economy. Whilst the country has much to recommend itself, it has not been without its troubles, and both its economy and global image, not to mention its people, have suffered some major setbacks – particularly following the tragic events of 1994. However, refusing to let this tragedy in its history define it, the country has since grown and thrived, and its recovery and now rising tourism industry is a part of this turn-around. This sector shares the weight of Rwanda’s economic success along with its agriculture, which mostly consists of subsistence farming rather than overseas trade (with some exceptions, such as coffee and tea). This keeps the wheels turning internally, but it is tourism that brings in the external. It has also been pegged as an emerging tech hub within the continent of Africa, but for now, it is the growth to tourism that is snowballing and bringing in that overseas trade.

Rwanda is well-connected with its global neighbours: it is a member of the United Nations, as well as the African Union, COMESA and the East African Community. It also has much in the way of culture and incredible local sights to make it an appealing tourism location: for one thing, and possibly its most exciting, it is possible to view mountain gorillas in the wild. Whilst many countries in Africa offer different safari possibilities, Rwanda is notably one of only two countries that allow travelers the chance to view these incredible creatures. Gorilla tracking permits are available at a high cost, to make sure that these animals are not over-visited, but with such a rare opportunity on the cards, holidaymakers are willing to pay the price.

In addition to this, there is the stunning wildlife and its views, a vibrant culture of music and dance – particularly percussive – and there is also a strong tradition of arts and crafts, with the vibrant and striking imigongo art the most recognizable and iconic. The country has a young population, which has its downs as well as its ups, but one understandable ‘up’ is that sports are extremely popular throughout the country. Most popular are football, volleyball, basketball, cricket, cycling and athletics. As for food, the local cuisine includes a range of delicious meals using bananas, sweet potatoes, pulses, cassava and fish. The local drinks

include ikivuguto, a fermented milk or yoghurt that is commonly drunk, and particularly fortifying when at work or on the move. Whilst ‘fermented milk’ might sound odd to some ears, this writer was able to try an extremely similar drink in Mongolia and can verify that it is surprisingly tasty and undoubtedly more-ish. There is also a traditional local banana beer called ikigage.

Overall, there are many reasons to visit Rwanda, and it is the job of the country’s Chamber of Tourism both to promote this fact to the world, and to assist and guide the companies seeking to participate in and further this industry sector. The Rwanda Hospitality Association (RHA) is one of the six associations that make up this Chamber, which itself is one of the ten chambers that currently make up the Rwanda Private Sector Federation (previously the Rwanda Chamber of Commerce).

Other related associations include the Rwanda Tours and Travel Association, the Rwanda Safari Guides Association, the Rwanda Association of Travel Agencies and the Rwanda Hospitality & Tourism Educators Association.

All this puts RHA in context. Its story began in 2001: this was the year that the Chamber of Commerce (as it was known then) came together to form the general framework through which Rwanda’s private sector could have a back and forth with the government, particularly with a view to aligning with the government’s 2020 vision for the country. In response to this, members of the tourism industry came together to for the RHA, and by the following year, it had a modest membership of 10-20 members. From there, it grew. By 2012, it was granted the ability to represent members as a full national trade association: originally, it could only represent hotels, restaurants and bars, but not, this list was added to by resorts, holiday apartments, guest houses, eco lodges, game lodges, nightclubs and even coffee shops, and this is what it continues to do today. Many categories on that list are of great importance to Rwandan tourism – especially resorts and game lodges. Now, it can cover them all.

Currently chaired by Mr Nsengiyumva Barakabuye, the RHA describes its vision as being “to position as the advocate of all operators in Hospitality related

Rwanda Hospitality Association

businesses by being a key resource for reliable information and capacity building for the Hospitality & Tourism Industry in Rwanda.” Its mission, as it describes it, is to “represent the common interest of members in the Hospitality Industry through lobby for industry friendly legislation, promotion of quality products and services, offering value added member services, and to be the resource for industry information and education to our members, their employees, government, media, and all other interested parties.”

So what do members actually receive? As described, the RHA provides support for its members in the form of advocacy, and they can have their voice heard when it is being decided how and when the association will lobby for industry friendly legislation. It also boosts its members’ visibility by providing marketing for their business, both locally and internationally, and it provides platforms through which their members can interact with each other and other associated companies and groups.

This networking aspect can prove to be extremely beneficial in terms of building bonds and opening up new opportunities, as well as making companies more aware of the general market that they are a part of. Entry fees are staggered, so that businesses that offering higher-star services are charged more than those who offer cheaper services, to take their earnings and level of activity into account. These criteria change from category type to type: for example, for coffee shops, the pricing is instead determined by location and capacity. This is a fair way to make the RHA’s services available to all, from all levels of the industry: after all, it is the industry as a whole that needs support, and moving their interests forward together will help to better every element of the sector.

It is exciting to see the tourism industry on the rise for Rwanda. A stunning country with a vibrant and brilliant culture, a growing tourism trade will both bring more money into the country from overseas, which is always a great boon to an economy, and will also improve global awareness of this country and its unique qualities. Come for the gorillas, stay for the surprisingly tasty alcoholic milk!

www.mantiscollection.com/hotel/akagera-national-park-mantis-eco-lodge

For the last 77 years, Springbok Atlas has brought the wonder of Southern African landscapes, animals, and wildlife to travellers from across the globe. As a leader in the world of African tourism, Springbok delivers a variety of guided tours across South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Swaziland, Lesotho, and Mozambique. The tours are vast and bring you close to the beauty that these countries have to offer. However, throughout their operations, their focus remains the same; to ensure their guest have fun and can explore knowing they are in the safe hands of Springbok.

Based in South Africa, Springbok takes care of all aspects of African safari from the transport, accommodation, catering, and trip planning. With over 100 employees who are passionate about travel, including a dedicated team of travel experts who plan and organize the thousands of trips Springbok departs on every year, Springbok focuses on ensuring that its guests know they are in the safe hands of safari experts. The history of Springbok extends back to 1946 when Springbok was responsible for facilitating some of the earliest tour groups to South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Over the years, the tour company has developed into one of the largest and most renowned tour operators in Africa. Springbok does not believe in a mission statement but instead in ensuring that fairness, honesty, creativity, and positivity are ensured throughout their tour operations.

Springbok facilitates a variety of tour options whether that be for solo tours, small groups, and large groups, across a variety of locations and countries in the southern part of the continent. These tours can be anywhere from a day trip to a 2-week exploration of places such as Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Mpumalanga, Victoria Falls, The Kruger National Park, and Fish Canyon River. Alternatively, for even longer trips they have pre-planned tours such as the Garden Route taking you across the coast of South Africa, the Classic Namibia tour, or even the Zimbabwe highlights tour - to name just a few.

Whilst travelling across these picturesque landscapes you are accompanied by specialised tour guides who speak a multitude of languages to ensure every visitor gets to experience their tour and safari explorations with key insight from someone who cares and is knowledgeable about the land and its inhabitants. A crucial part of Springbok’s service, alongside providing a carefully planned schedule of experiences and sights, is the ensure that accommodation and catering is provided to a high quality. Therefore, to go on a trip with Springbok you know you are getting quality service 24/7 throughout your trip, with guides and travel experts on hand to help with every aspect.

Springbok Atlas Tours and Safari

Springbok now also facilitates cruise excursions offered to passengers arriving at any of the Southern African ports. They offer groups of up to 14 people the chance to expand their cruise experience with top-quality services, which ensures that tourists are guaranteed to be returned to the ship before it leaves the port. This is yet another way that Springbok makes sure that its customers can travel without worry, as there are no queues or impersonal bus tours. Instead, their world-class team of travel experts facilitates every single tour excursion to bring you top-quality and personalised tours even for short cruise ship excursions.

Springbok is now a division of Cullinan Holdings, an overarching top tourism and leisure group which works with a variety of companies across South Africa to facilitate coach charter, tour operations, retail services, travel agents and event planners. Employing roughly 120 staff in offices across Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, Cullinan Holdings works with Springbok to show tourists the beauty that Africa has to offer.

For over 70 years, Springbok Atlas Charter, the transport division of Springbok, has been transporting millions of people across South Africa and Nambia with their own fleet of vehicles – an asset that many of its competitors do not have. Since Springbok become part of Cullinan Holdings, Springboks charter division is now under the Cullinan Transport Division. Both companies are committed to providing reliable and safe journeys that ensure their customers are receiving the best transport services. Collectively the companies have over 120 years of experience and are committed to continually upgrading their coach fleets and replacement programmes to ensure guest can enjoy their trips knowing their transport is sorted and facilitated by reputable high-quality drivers across its variety of transport options.

Springbok Atlas plays a crucial role in the world of African tourism, as it works constantly to ensure that the industry is working towards improving and promoting the tourism infrastructure in southern Africa. Therefore, Springbok are a member of several tourism associations, to ensure the continued development of the region and its communities. However, Springbok is not only interested in providing

high-quality tours for its customers, but, as part of its ethos, they are critically concerned with leaving a positive impact on the planet as its focus through the company is on the planet, its people, and the wildlife. Too often we see safari tours that damage the land that the tours are showing, and even worse often are causing great distress to these animals in their natural habitat.

One of the projects Springbok has set up is the Tread Right Foundation, which along with the Make Travel Matter® project, has already helped fund over 60 projects towards more conservation and more sustainable tourism. Therefore, when customers choose to tour with Springbok Atlas Tours and Safaris, they can have the added peace of mind that they are choosing a travel company which puts sustainability and conservation at the heart of everything they do.

Overall, Springbok is leading the way across southern Africa’s Tourism sector, bringing tourists from across the globe to experience the beauty that this part of the world has to offer. You can’t

Over 75 Years as African Safari Experts

help but notice that there is a clear personal touch throughout every aspect of Springbok’s operations. They believe in bringing you right into the beauty of the landscape, and its cultural and historical significance while showing the incredible wildlife that lives there. More than anything else, when you travel with Springbok you can travel with confidence that every aspect of your tour has been carefully planned out and will be facilitated by a company with a wealth of experience and passion for providing tours in this part of the world.

Rwandan Development Board

The landlocked country of Rwanda is home to a variety of services and exports that position it as a leader in the global markets for both business and travel. Bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda is home to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a government institution, which plans to accelerate the country’s economic development by aiding in private sector growth. The RDB, established in 2008, provides support through several services to ensure that Rwanda remains one of the most competitive places to do business in both Africa and the world.

RDB’s mission is to transform Rwanda into a global hub for business, investment, and innovation, which they plan on achieving by fast-tracking the county’s economic development through the continual support of private sector growth. The development board began as a merger of 8 government institutions, which came together to become a One Stop Shop for business and investments. Since then, they have expanded their global expertise and shown on an international level the quality practices which position Rwanda as a leading economy open for international business. As a result, the value of investments registered has tripled from USD 400 million in 2010, to US 2.006 billion in 2018. Services offered by RDB under their One-Stop Center include business and investment registration, visa facilitation, environmental impact assessment (EIA), tax incentives management, investment promotion, investment deals negotiation, export and special economic zones (SEZ) development, tourism and conservation, and private sector skills development.

RDB also offers a variety of exports that continue to play a crucial role in the economic expansion of the country by contributing greatly to gross domestic product (GDP) figures. One of the key products produced and exported in Rwanda under RBD is coffee. Coffee plays a significant role in the economy of the country, as 20,00-22,00 metric tons of coffee is produced every year. Supplying major markets in the US, Europe and Asia, Rwandan coffee has grown to be a massive online export for Rwanda, particularly through its partnership with the e-commerce giant Alibaba.

This partnership has seen the sales volumes of Rwandan coffee grow 700% on Tmall, Alibaba’s crossborder B2B platform. Furthermore, the country is also a key exporter of tea. Since 1952, Rwanda has been growing tea and has now come to be a major contributor towards the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Producing 30,00 metric tons annually, tea growing has allowed Rwanda to claim a major stake in the African Tea Trade Association with its record prices, whilst accessing international markets in the Middle East, Pakistan, United Kingdom, and Kazakhstan.

The RDB also oversee the mining, horticulture and handcraft goods and services going out of the

country which all play key roles in the development of Rwanda. However, it is the manufacturing and agriculture processing that play some of the most crucial roles in the country’s development. Agriculture processing contributes up to a third of Rwanda’s GDP and is a major source of employment and income in Rwanda. Rwanda’s location makes it a great climate for agriculture, so can produce a diverse range of agricultural commodities suitable for processing both within and outside of the country. Within Rwanda, agriculture processing provides food and other necessities to its people through their advancing technologies which reinforce the high-quality standard of their products. Outside of Rwanda, pyrethrum is exported worldwide as its flowers are used as a natural insecticide for pests and plant diseases.

Manufacturing is also a growing industry in Rwanda, and as of 2019, accounted for 17% of the country’s GDP. Through their gradual diversification from basic manufacturing, RDB has helped develop the manufacturing sector towards the growing production of fast-moving consumer goods,

Strategic Investment in Rwanda

Rwandan Development Board

construction materials, furniture laboratory equipment, electronic goods, and automotive manufactured goods. The economy of Rwanda depends heavily on this sector and therefore is a crucial pillar of RDB’s focus on its exports due to the big markets that can be accessed in the East African Community (EAC). Therefore, the importing and exporting of manufactured goods has placed Rwanda in a key strategic position for the development of the country’s economy due to its high-quality processing and production of goods.

To continue to develop the Rwandan economy, the Government of Rwanda announced the launch of the Manufacture and Build to Recover Program aimed to attract more private sector investments to the country. The project was first introduced in 2020, to boost economic recovery efforts by attracting private sector investments with specific incentives for the manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and real estate development sectors.

Since the programme began it has brought in over USD 1.7 billion and created over 36,000 jobs. Therefore, in line with the announcement of the extension of the project in March 2023, the RDB has ensured that members of the private sector

continue to benefit from the specialised incentives that the program offers, and shows its continuing commitment to the economic development of Rwanda.

There is clear evidence that the RDB has had a significant impact on the economy of Rwanda, as it has grown expansively since its establishment with a current annual GDP average rate of 8% for the past decade. Furthermore, the GDP per capita grew to USD 787 in 2018, from USD 774 in 2017. The target per capita set by the RDB is USD 1,382, which they aim to achieve by 2024. As a country, Rwanda consistently emerges as the top global reformer in the annual World Bank Doing Business Reports, and so with the data to support them, RDB continues to strive for greatness to put Rwanda’s economy in first position. Rwanda is a growing force in global markets for a variety of services and exports, and with the help of the RDB, it is smashing GDP targets. Consequently, Rwanda remains among the most competitive African countries to do business in due to the efficient goods and labour markets in which they facilitate, which when combined with the country’s stable political situation, sees Rwanda as a hub for steady and reliable economic growth.

Hilton Foods Australia

Amongst all the food groups, protein is by far the most abundant in our everyday diet. In fact, some would go as far as to say that protein makes up the building blocks of life, let alone our regular consumption. Nobody understands this more than Hilton Foods! Over in Australia, Hilton Foods champions this powerful food group by supplying ready-to-go protein from coast to coast, facilitated by a strong partnership with Aussie retailer giant, Woolworths Group.

In Australia specifically, Hilton Foods operates three powerhouse facilities in Western Australia, Victoria and Queensland, to diligently supply case-ready protein across the country. Their predominant focus can be found in supplying over 1000 stores nationally for the Woolworth’s Group. This is an impressive venture, since Woolworth’s is one of the biggest supermarket retailers in the country, feeding millions every day. Therefore, Hilton Foods is very proud to supply the best quality protein for customers and families across Australia.

Hilton Foods APAC jumped at the opportunity in March 2013 to join the Woolworths Group. This was a major step for the company as it enabled them to break through the borders of the UK and Europe, to enter the APAC market. Since then, the unique partnership between the two global entities has shown great success in driving a significant change in the quality of cased meat in Australia. Such achievements opened doors to further opportunities with the commission of a new food park in Auckland in July 2021, which services Countdown Stores in the neighbouring country of New Zealand, demonstrating a serious expansion of their repertoire.

As protein is such a large part of people’s diet, ensuring the best taste and texture is crucial. Although protein has been a major food group since practically the dawn of time, the market and taste for protein is now changing, and subsequently influences international consumption. Accordingly, alongside developing solutions in the supplying of protein, Hilton Foods has a huge influence in the creating, processing and packaging of protein. Such dedications mean that Hilton Foods has developed an unbeatable reputation in processing operations on a global scale. As such, retailers and consumers alike have returned to Hilton Foods time and time again for trusted quality and added value in protein products.

Currently, APAC operations of Hilton Foods possess over 1500 team members, that are spread across three highly advanced facilities. However, despite the global operations that take place today, Hilton Foods began as a humble slaughter and deboning facility in the 1960s. It was first founded by two aspirational businessmen, who were breaking through the boundary of entrepreneurship. From

Unlock the Power of Protein

here, Hilton Foods has partnered with countless food retail giants across the world. Namely, in 1994, a partnership was formed with Tesco UK as a supplier of pre-packed beef and lamb, followed by a partnership between Hilton Foods Holland and Albert Hein, and ICA Gruppen in Sweden. These are just a few of the fantastic partnerships they have obtained over the last twenty years.

Alongside the building of partnerships, is also the development of the business internally. For example, in 2017 Hilton Foods acquired UK seafood experts, Seachill, expanding their expertise on all things protein. Furthermore, in the same year, they revolutionised the digital supply chain through the software company Food Connected. Additionally, in 2019 Hilton Foods broke further ground by branching into the vegetarian and vegan market, via an investment that brought 40 years of expertise in vegetarian and vegan alternatives. Therefore, through such an expansionist attitude, Hilton Foods have amassed 24 facilities across the world, with an annual turnover of £3bn, a highly respectable number.

Evidently, Hilton Foods lives and breathe innovation and keeps up-to-date with global market trends in the food industry. Consequently, Hilton Foods consistently checks what sparks consumers’ interests by monitoring the market using five macro global trends. When researching household finances, Hilton Foods discovered that 51% of European and 49% of Australian consumers are concerned about their personal finances, with many consumers looking for helpful cheats to reduce cooking time and cost. In response to the findings, Hilton Foods promote convenience and accessibility across their numerous food products, to not only match, but exceed consumer expectations.

Through collaborative work with partners in the food industry the delivery of quality food groups, such as pre-packed protein meats in Australia, runs deep at the core of Hilton Foods. Thus, with such an insight-led approach, the notion of constant improvement and innovation is a crucial part of

Hilton Foods Australia

the organisation’s success, working through a ‘pull model’ in which they concentrate on customers and consumer needs, so they are prepared for the supply and demand needs of tomorrow. A noteworthy case is a recent expansion into the meat alternatives market. Through the culinary creativity of their team, they have been able to improve the taste and texture of meat alternatives through specialist butchery and culinary inspiration. Subsequently, as a subsector of their protein expertise, it is quickly becoming one of their most prosperous fields of business.

The meat and wider protein industry greatly permeate the global concern for climate change and sustainability. To ensure that Hilton Foods is doing its part, they have created a 2025 Sustainable Protein Plan, to work towards a regenerative food system. Such responsibility means that they produce all their products within planetary boundaries that help save Earth’s land and oceans. As such a big corporation, they have the power and influence to have a transformative change in the food industry, which is responsible for 30% of global emissions. By incorporating specialist infrastructure and emission strategies, they are working hard to reach their environmental targets. To name just a few, they are committing to the following:

• Reduce emission intensity caused by cattle by 15% in Europe in the next five years.

• Utilise 100% renewable electricity across all their operations in Europe by 2025, and globally by 2027.

• Remain committed to active net zero emissions across global supply chains internationally by 2050, in correlation with UN Race to Zero initiative.

• Continuing to develop fresh ways to incorporate carbon emission considerations into new product development.

Hilton Foods has a great responsibility in the overall global food industry. Not only do they support numerous food retail titans, they also actively respond to the customer’s needs and expectations, as the protein sector continues to develop in a world where meat alternatives are becoming mainstream. Thus, Hilton Foods have their finger on the protein pulse, by pushing the boundaries in food processing and supply.

Established in 2001, Ecowize is a leading provider of Cleaning and Australia and

New Zealand’s

Since then, we have rapidly grown to the forefront, becoming the market leader in outsourced cleaning and sanitation services.

Our market leading cleaning and sanitation services and solution ensures compliance with food standards required by regulators, retailers, and within specific supply chains.

We understand in-depth, the process of food safety by preventing the spread of harmful bacteria and other contaminants and how to remediate and actively manage your facility.

We are part of the Ecowize Group, which operates in key markets around the globe, namely Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and North America.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE:

• Cleaning & Sanitation

• Cleaning & Sanitation Audits

• Commercial Cleaning Equipment & Supplies

• Cleaning/Hygiene Training and Consulting

• Critical Response and Hazardous Cleaning

• Onsite Commercial Laundry Service

• Office & Amenities Cleaning

• One-Off Periodic Cleaning

• Commercial Property Maintenance

• Commercial Hygiene Services

Java House Africa

Coffee is a part of most people’s daily life, from that quick fix in the morning to wake you up or the one you enjoy throughout your day as an enjoyable treat. For Java House, coffee is at the centre of everything they do. From opening their first coffee shop in Nairobi, Kenya in 1999, Java House aims to bring gourmet coffee-drinking culture to Kenya and build an empire that now extends throughout the East of Africa.

As one of the leading coffee brands in Africa, Java House has grown to now span 14 outlets across cities such as Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda and currently reaches 20,000 customers a day. Java House aims to deliver gourmet coffeedrinking culture with its carefully roasted Kenyan AA coffee beans. Kenya is renowned for its aromatic arabica coffee, which is grown on the foothills of Mount Kenya, and so the resulting coffee is a source of pride for the Kenyan-originated company, due to its unique and powerful flavour. Java House was founded in 1999 by friends Kevin Ashley and Jon Wagner, and since its origins has continued to deliver top-quality coffee experiences and begun an expansive franchising programme to meet the increasing customer demands across Africa.

In the next 5 years, the owners plan to evolve Java House to span 200 stores across all its current countries of operation, with the potential to expand into Nigeria and Ethiopia. As part of Java House’s plan to scale up, it plans to relocate its current factory location to expand its footprint from 4,000 square meters to 6,500 square meters. This grand expansion both in location and franchising brings the luxury of gourmet coffee-drinking culture to new audiences to make Java House an international name.

However, Java House does not end their franchising at their coffee outlets; in 2011 they introduced a frozen yoghurt shop called Planet Yoghurt, as well as 360 Degrees Artisan Pizza, a casual dining restaurant; both of which they are continuing to expand in line with the Java House coffee brand expansion across the continent. Their latest venture is KuKito, a uniquely Kenyan modern fast-food brand. Java House itself now boasts a range of delicious menus across its outlets to be enjoyed alongside its coffee.

Friends Kevin and Jon have massively scaled up their coffee business, to allow the expansion into other food venues. Java House has now been extended to form the Java group that contains all the above eateries and coffee shops under the Java Group umbrella. Therefore, Java House now belongs to the wider Java Group, showing how much the brand has expanded from its single-store origins in Nairobi. Now Java House is a leading brand in the world of food and beverage markets, and through

Java House Africa

their overarching Java Group, they have the support and knowledge to continue to expand each of their businesses and franchises across Africa.

Java House wants to ensure that its local communities are supported, which we see in their establishment of the Java Foundation. The foundation has partnered with Food for Education, in Java Foundation’s hope to feed 1000 school children daily. Food for Education has already served up to 6,000,000 meals to date through their programmes. One programme is Tap2Eat, which uses a digital mobile platform with FinTech to enable public primary school children to access nutritious food throughout their education.

The scheme works by allowing parents to pay for the subsidised lunches using mobile money. This money is then credited to the child’s virtual wallet, which then can be linked to NFC smart wristbands for students to scan for their food. The technology allows children to access food whilst at school, whilst keeping it affordable for parents. Java House’s choice in partnering with Food for

Education exemplifies its mission to remain an active member of their communities to ensure that children are being given the best chance for education and their future.

Overall, Java House is a leading coffee brand that has continued to extend its hand across Africa to deliver high-quality and delicious gourmet coffee experiences to its growing customer base. Java House plays a key role through its foundation to support the local community and education projects to ensure that its business always remains focused on giving back. Whilst doing so the owners have been able to expand into other food and beverage services beyond coffee and tackle the world of the food industry using the same methodology to develop and expand their business from its origins into an international brand like Java House.

Middle East and African Duty Free Association

When you go on holiday or on a business trip, one of the best parts is walking through the duty-free section in the airport and having a look at all the companies’ offerings at a favourable duty-free price. The role that dutyfree companies play in the financial development of the tourism and travel industry is therefore expansive, as they play a crucial role in the economic success of the industry. The impact was particularly noticed in the Middle East and Africa, and so the Middle East and Africa Duty Free Association (MEADFA) was established in 2001 to create unity among the region’s duty-free industry and promote its continued success towards national and global markets.

Located in the Dubai Airport Free Zone, MEADFA is a non-profit organisation which aims to bring recognition to the region’s duty-free industry, whilst raising awareness of the region’s contribution to the travel and tourism industry. As an association, it provides its member companies with representation to encourage strong and profitable relationships between these companies, government organisations and key tourism/travel shareholders. Consequently, MEADFA is continually working to bring members and key figures of the industry together, whilst establishing a set of quality standards which it has implemented throughout the association to ensure a level of high-quality consistency for every member company.

One way that MEADFA is ensuring the continued success of the industry across the Middle East and Africa region is through training programs. The Association has established a Training and Development programme which is available and encouraged among MEADFA’s members. The programme, which to date has had more than 600 delegates attend, offers a range of courses including leadership, negotiation skills, sales, and marketing – to name just a few. These programs are designed to develop each member’s company, whilst working to progress the industry towards a standardised level of quality and consistent growth.

Furthermore, as part of its continued work to foster success, MEADFA announced just last year that it is launching a range of awards to recognise the great work members are doing towards being recognised as world-class travel and retail specialists in the Middle East and Africa region. President of MEADFA, Mr Sherif Toulan said in a press release on the awards that “Our objective is to focus on the dynamics of the region and acknowledge those who have made significant contributions to the development of the travel retail industry in the Middle East and Africa”. He continues “The award committee encourages companies to nominate themselves and to highlight their outstanding contributions in a variety of business areas”.

The awards cover a variety of categories including the Best Retailer Award, Best Marketing Strategy of the Year Award, Sustainability and CSR Award, and Customer and Supplier Award. All these awards allow the member companies to put

Middle East and African Duty Free Association

themselves forward, however, the final award is the Lifetime Achievement Award in which MEADFA honours an outstanding member who has made a remarkable contribution to the overall travel retail environment. The nominated member will have shown strong leadership whilst supporting its people and the overall industry, whilst also making efforts towards sustainability, strategy, and culture. The results are announced at the annual MEADFA conference to recognise their work and advocate for the continued growth and development of the industry towards excellence.

The MEADFA conference is held once a year and welcomes over 500 delegates from across the multinational and regional companies under the association. Attendees come from more than 32 different countries, which allows for the venue to be moved every year to highlight a new region annually.

By continually moving the conference venue, it allows for a unique opportunity to showcase the MEADFA network to celebrate and acknowledge issues facing the travel and tourism duty-free

industry in specific regions. The next conference is set to be hosted in Ghana, which serves as a gateway to Africa and is home to one of the world’s fastestemerging economies. The conference will provide key opportunities to develop and learn from the culture and traditions of this part of the continent to better understand the travel and tourism industry. Consequently, the conference allows for crucial networking, advocacy, and recognition by providing a space where critical players in the industry can work together for its continued development.

MEADFA has been working for the last 20 years to bring unity to the region’s duty-free industry and is leading the way in providing training and networking opportunities to ensure that the industry continues to develop. As an Association it works to foster an environment of improvement, to encourage every member to continue to strive for greatness and bring the Middle East and African duty-free industry to the global stage. Therefore, MEADFA leads the way in uniting the duty-free industry, with an infrastructure that is built towards continued success and achievement.

Loacker was founded in 1925 and went from being a local patisserie to a global brand. An international company which even after three generations still maintains a family-run business model. Values and beliefs such as high-quality and genuine products, sustainability, and a people-centric approach are at the heart of its constant growth.

Packaging is at the heart of Loacker’s sustainability policy. It pursues two main goals: recycling packaging and eliminating unnecessary packaging. Since 2022, the company has focused on increasing single-material, recycling ready, plastic packaging and eliminating unnecessary packaging along the entire value chain, maximising sustainability without compromising product quality and freshness.

The South Tyrolean company has launched five Loacker specialty selections in the Duty Free channel in outer pouch made of FSC®-certified paper: Minis Mix, Best of Moments, Gardena Minis Mix, Patisserie Selection and Tortina Selection. The paper pouch reduced the plastic packaging content of the entire packages between 56% and 63%, compared to the previous packages with plastic-only outer pouch.

The total weight of the packs was reduced between 20 percent and 7 percent compared to the previous all-plastic packs.

Last year, the paper pouch line generated about 60 percent of duty-free channel sales, suggesting a growing consumer focus on environmentally friendly packaging.

With air traffic set to double in the next 20 years, African Airlines Association (AFFRA) is on a mission to promote, serve and champion Africa’s aviation industry. By facilitating the cooperation between airlines, AFFRA aims to enhance the visibility, reputation, and influence of African airlines in the global aviation industry, all whilst remaining crucially conscious of the environmental impacts of air transport on the world.

Founded in Ghana in 1968, AFFRA sought to support and improve the aviation industry of Africa. At the present day, they boast 46 airline members across the continent who are supporting and developing the African economy. As a trade organisation for African airlines, AFFRA focuses on every aspect of aviation from its cost, reliability, sustainability, and partnerships, so it is no doubt that AFFRA is a leading organisation in the airline industry. AFFRA has not only established itself as a leading voice for African aviation but critically as a voice for environmental and sustainable change in the air transport industry internationally.

AFFRA is keenly concerned with sustainability throughout its work in the aviation industry. They are committed to reducing aviation’s net carbon dioxide emissions to half of what it was in 2005, by 2050. AFFRA specifically aims to aid in this by implementing resolutions focusing on technological improvements, operational efficiencies, infrastructure development and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Flying Above and Beyond with African Airlines

Notably, they work closely with their airline members to foster the implementation of fuel conservation programmes, where they champion the use of biofuel in place of A1 refined jet fuel from crude oil. This comes as the positive impacts have already been seen in the use of biofuel in South African airline operations between Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Furthermore, AFFRA has access to a new fleet of aircraft which burns less fuel during flights. These planes meet stricter environmental standards and recommended practices (SARPs) which ultimately reduces their environmental impact. AFFRA reinforces this by ensuring flexible routings for its members to exploit the high altitudes and winds, which reduces flight times and decreases the fuel burnt. All of this is to encourage the airlines under AFFRA to remain consciously aware of the environment by significantly limiting the amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted by their air travel.

A crucial pillar of AFFRA’s strategy is on ensuring safety is a top priority for all their members. AFFRA have adopted the safety targets of Abuja Aviation to champion a cohesive high level of safety which is

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consistent throughout their member airlines. AFFRA has set up a 5-pillar approach to regulating safety throughout its members by adopting the Abuja Safety Targets, having operational compliance of African carriers with international standards, focusing on data-driven safety management, infrastructure safety and fleet modernization. All of this is in an effort to ensure that all AFFRA airlines are contributing towards creating a positive perception of safety across air transport in Africa, which ultimately is hoped to contribute greatly towards increasing the use of African airlines and consequently aid in the economic development of the region.

AFFRA’s key concern is supporting the African economy, by reinforcing a reduction in costs of air transport services in Africa with reduced taxes, fees, and charges. They believe that by improving the public reception of aviation as constantly developing and being the most affordable it can be, they can tackle the disparity between experience and the fees or taxes from air travel. By tackling this gap AFFRA aims to reinforce the economic stance of African air travel. As it stands, air transport is not

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profitable in Africa, especially when it is compared to air travel in Europe or the Middle East, as prices to travel via African airlines are often double the price of their counterparts. Therefore, this gap is something AFFRA are keen to address throughout their association.

However, like the rest of the tourism industry, airlines suffered a massive knock following the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Therefore, at the 52nd Annual General Assembly hosted by AFFRA, it was called for airlines to take specific measures to build resilience and emerge stronger after the pandemic. Specifically, there was a calling at the assembly for a multi-sectional approach by government and stakeholders to support the recovery of the air transport industry and its interrelated sectors such as tourism.

Currently, African aviation only accounts for less than 3% of the world market, and so AFFRA is seeking to improve this statistic and bring African air transport into a leading role in the aviation sector. However, in line with the desired increase

in African aviation, issues are raised regarding the potential environmental impacts this may have on the continent. To combat this AFFRA has put strategies in place with local environmental targets and deliverables to ensure a sustainable industry. Furthermore, AFFRA, along with Ethiopian Airlines has scheduled a convention for May 2023 to begin focusing on changing the future of the African airline industry.

Ultimately, AFFRA spearheads the way for African aviation and its growing role in economic development across Africa. Alongside their striving for sustainable practices in the coming years, AFFRA will continue to focus on promoting and developing the growth of the airline industry both in Africa and globally, through advocacy, partnerships for development, and data intelligence.

Ethiopian Airlines

Having featured Ethiopian Airlines in the past, it is nice to see how they are continuing to grow from strength to strength. In 2019, the African airline giant was unfortunately involved in a fatal plane crash, however, as we shall discuss, Ethiopian Airlines has worked hard to restore itself to its former glory. This is achieved by continuing to pursue its glowing Vision 25 plan that it set itself in 2010. Thus, we shall see how they are yet to be defeated, by continually demonstrating their reliability and efficiency as an airline company.

Having been awarded the World’s Best Airline Alliance at the Skytrax 2022 World Airline Awards, Ethiopian Airlines is a highly regarded African Airline company and continues to be the fastest growing in the African Airline sector. The company has been in operation for over 70 years, and in this time has greatly established itself as the

continent’s leading aviation company, completely unrivalled in its efficiency and operational success. The Ethiopian Airlines Group is one of the largest aviation groups in Africa, acting as a SKYTRAXcertified four-star global airline. This means that despite the events of their past, they are slowly but surely becoming internationally recognised for productivity, coherence, and above all else, safety.

The pan-African carrier works in close collaboration with several organisations, offering passenger and cargo services across the globe to more than 127 destinations. Ethiopian Airlines’ collaborations do not only involve other airlines and businesses, as their influence also extends to governments and NGOs. Such connections are a clear testament to the high regard that the airline is held in. It is also telling of how far the airline has come since the accident, acting as the flag carrier of Ethiopia. So much so, that it has been voted the best airline in Africa for three years in a row.

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Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines operates at the forefront of technology, and it is for this reason that the Airline has become one of Ethiopia’s major industries and a veritable institution in Africa. This is reflected in its commanding of a lion’s share of the pan-African network including the daily and double daily east to west flight across the continent. Regarding its vast fleet, it is by far the best that Africa has to offer, boasting an aircraft network that is “ultra-modern and environmentally friendly”. This includes the Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, and the Bombardier Q-400 double fleet. This incredibly modern fleet is kept fresh and revitalised, with the average age of the aircraft coming in at five years. Not only is the fleet young, but it was also the first of its kind, as Ethiopian was the first airline in Africa to operate any of these aircrafts.

Despite its already resounding success, Ethiopian airlines continue to grow. Over the past ten years, the airline has averaged a growth of 25% a year. It is therefore fitting that they have a clear vision for their future. The key focus of their mission is safety, and is at top of their priorities, alongside reliability and a market-driven customer focus. To obtain this, Ethiopian Airlines continuously seek to improve its operations and strive for innovation and knowledge sharing. This is further aided by its wellestablished assets and capabilities that are kept in

place to repeatedly deliver optimum performance, which can be showcased by its expanding list of destinations that they operate to.

Ethiopian airlines as a group are working towards its Vision 2025 plan, a 15-year strategy that began in 2010. The forethought of the company is emphasised by the plan, as they seek to promote Ethiopian Airlines as the African leader in not only the airline sector but also within all six of its business centres: Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian ADD Hub Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. Many of these sectors are already enjoying continent-wide success.

For example, Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services is Africa’s latest cargo operator that has been awarded ‘African Cargo Airline of the Year’ and ‘Air Cargo Brand of the Year in Africa’, an award that it has continuously achieved over the last decade. Most recently, they also won the ‘Air Cargo Industry Customer Care Award 2022’, demonstrating their unrelenting successes.

Perhaps it can be said that such awards are earnt by the organisation’s biggest asset, the staff.

Its Human Resources Development Plan is one of the four major pillars of Vision 2025. Currently, the workplace comprises of over 16,000 employees. Each individual member of staff requires training in order to perform their roles to a standard of expertise. Much of the training takes place at the Ethiopian Aviation Academy.

This Academy has operated since the 1960s and continues to be one of Ethiopia’s key business centres. This is primarily due to the Aviation Group’s key funding, as they have continuously invested in the growth and efficiency of the academy. Its broad size facilitates the processing of over 4,000 trainees a year, covering all of the essential skill areas in aviation.

Over the last ten years, the Group has invested over $100 million in the Academy and continues to witness successful development. The Ethiopian Aviation Group state: “We aim to multiply trained aviation professionals across the African continent. Our state-ofthe-art aviation academy has been built to produce the best African aviators. We invite

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all to come, learn and become aviation an expert.”

In addition to training newly qualified members and developing personnel, the Academy also places great importance on training its staff for managerial positions and promotes from within wherever possible. The highly motivated and expertly trained team at Ethiopian Airline does however face many challenges. Operating an aviation group contains a vast range of logistical issues, but on top of this, the industry is coming out of a difficult period as many airlines across Africa are losing key funding. However, Ethiopian Airlines’ efficiency, longstanding partnerships and experienced approach mean that it is rising above the rest and continuing to thrive despite adversity.

With 70 years of experience behind it and a team of “avid and experienced industry experts” running the airline, there is little that could diminish Ethiopian Airlines’ success. They continue to be as dedicated to their high standards as ever and are moving forwards with ambition and confidence earned by seven decades of dedication and perseverance.

At over 54 airports across Africa and Reunion