January 2010 Issue 1 Vol. 5
An ITP Business Publication
SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP IN LONDON Retail therapy breaks yo your clients should know about
DUBAI RISING THE TOP TOURISM PROJECTS SET TO KEEP THE GULF DESTINATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN 2010
EXPERIENTIAL TRAVEL TREND ATN N reports from the PURE Life exhibition
ATN AWARDS 2010 UNVEILED Inaugural naugural awards for travel trade’s unsung heroes
Licenced by International Media Production Zone
TRAVEL TRENDS | VIRGIN INTERVIEW | ADDRESS REVIEW | MYSTERY SHOPPER | AGENT BOWLING NIGHT
Contents News
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03 Regional news
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TRS in EmQuest tie up; Kuoni expansion; and new web agent.
04 ATN awards Find out how to enter the inaugural Arabian Travel News Awards 2010, which will take place during Arabian Travel Market in May.
06 News analysis ATN attends the first ever PURE Life show dedicated to experiential travel and finds there are opportunities galore to exploit this sector.
08 Airlines IATA’s emissions goal championed at Copenhagen; Gulf Air ditches routes; and Oman Air splashes the cash.
10 Tools
12 Tourism boards
Pegasus reveals some uplifting travel booking trends for 2008 and Travelport migrates Oman’s Bahwan Travel to Galileo.
Kenya forges closer links with UAE travel market; Hong Kong gets ready to embark on trade mission; and African Odyssey to represent Cape Town.
11 Tour operators Emirates Holidays boosts its winter brochure offering to cater to skiers and non-skiers alike.
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13 Accommodation Jordan’s resorts react fast to new Indian tourist visa regulations a dC sta Hotels ote s & Resorts eso and Cristal plans. announces expansion pla
14 Cruise Costa Cruises reinforces its it support for Dubai as a burgeoning burgeo cruise hub and GCC mark market gets booking on Oasis of the Seas. Se
Q&A
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18 Still red hot Virgin Atlantic sales and m marketing director Paul Dicki Dickinson reveals how it pays to spen spend your way through a recession
Skillset 23 Tried and tested The Address Dubai Mall gets put through its paces this month.
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24 Mystery shopper This month ATN’s mystery shopper gives the travel agents a break and puts car rental companies in the spotlight.
How to sell 28 Top Dubai projects ATN provides a list of the top Dubai tourism-related projects set to come to fruition in 2010.
33 Shopping in London From tax-free spending to aprèsshopping spa treatments and tea treats, ATN gives you the top tips to sell this retail heaven.
Agent action 38 Burning issue ATN asks students studying travel and tourism with TRS Consulting in Knowledge Village why they want to work in the travel industry
40 Agents strike lucky Travelport’s bowling extravaganza.
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
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Morocco, a place of fun for the entire family.
MOSAIK
Welcome to Morocco, the land of contrasts. Vibrant and enchanting, where shadows meld with sunlight, and sky and sea kiss at the horizon. A land that for centuries has been romanticized by storytellers in their books. Weaving tales about its natural beauty, the warm hearts of its people and the elegance of its architecture. Not to mention its lazy beaches crawling on the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, its snow-covered peaks, water springs and thick forests, as well as the stunning beauty of its old cities. Come, discover Morocco today. £ä£]Ê Àii Ê/ ÜiÀ]Ê > Þ>ÃÊ-ÌÀiiÌÊUÊ*"Ê ÝÊ\ÊÈ{Ê£ä ]Ê i À>]Ê ÕL> ÊUÊ À>ÌiÃÊ À>LiÃÊ1 ÃÊUÊ/i Ê\Êä{ÓÓ ÓÎ { travel for real
www.visitmorocco.com
REGIONAL NEWS
News
News
MakeMyTrip enters Middle East market Improved internet connectivity inspires Indian firm to launch online travel portal ONLINE AGENCIES
Joshi: Middle East is one of the world’s fastest growing markets.
India’s leading travel booking portal, MakeMyTrip.com, is launching in the Middle East. Keyur Joshi, co-founder and COO of MakeMyTrip, told ATN the online opportunities that exist in the Middle East right now are similar to those the company exploited in India in 2005. “Many airlines are popping up — especially lowcost carriers — and in terms of online there is
a gap in the market in this region,” commented Joshi. “We believe we have to be here because it is one of the fastest growing travel markets in the world.” Joshi said the internet gave the company the chance to serve tens of thousands of people in one go and that
Kuoni’s DXB business robust INBOUND Inbound business to Dubai has remained robust in 2009 according to tour operator giant Kuoni. The Switzerland-headquartered firm, which runs inbound operations in Dubai, said European business to the emirate performed well last year despite a sight decline from the CIS market. “The number of passengers travelling to Dubai hasn’t dropped, but travel behaviour has shifted towards last-minute deals,” said Kuoni head of sales for India and the Middle East Yasser Noman. He said demand for last-minute bookings had increased by
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38% compared to last year and that now hotel capacity had increased, Dubai was more affordable. Business leading up to the festive period also performed well noted Noman, who said the number of inbound passengers to the region was similar to recent years. Noman, who heads Kuoni’s Destination Asia unit, recently took over responsibility for Destination Africa and told ATN the company planned to expand into Jordan in 2010. “This should take place in the second quarter and this hub (in Jordan) will look after 11 countries, where the main bulk of business will come from Europe and CIS countries,” he said.
Kuoni’s year-on-year increase in lastminute bookings in 2009 compared to 2008.
%
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
the Middle East was one of the last regions to embrace online travel booking sites. “For some reason there hasn’t been one online travel agency in the region, despite high internet usage and credit card penetration,” he remarked. “Many people are coming to the region and despite real estate and financial problems in Dubai the market will continue to grow for the next 15 to 20 years.” The company has been operating in the US for some
time and is the largest online travel company in India, taking on average 15,000 airline bookings daily. The firm will also be accepting online payments in Dirhams to help customers avoid additional conversion charges. While the initial operation will be based in India, the firm plans to have a Dubai office set up by February and is set to spend a significant figure on its online marketing operation, claimed Joshi.
ATM is 70% contracted, according to organiser More than 70% of exhibition space for Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2010 had been contracted at time of press. A new feature for the show, which this year runs from May 4-7 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, is ‘Zone 8’, which provides a relaxed area for informal networking. Returning to ATM in an enhanced for-
mat will be Careers Day on Thursday May 6, which will aim to facilitate meetings between exhibitors and people with a keen interest to work in the industry or to further their career. This will coincide with Travel Agents’ Day, which will involve live industry expert debates, an educational programme, as well as ATN’s Travel Agent Passport Scheme.
Training centre signs up for Sabre TRAINING EmQuest has enhanced its strategic alliance with TRS Consulting after signing an agreement giving the training specialist extra educational tools, including computer sets and Sabre software. TRS Consulting’s training centre in Dubai’s Knowledge Village will also receive a dedicated trainer who will tutor CTA students on Sabre’s Basic Reservation and Ticketing Course on a gratis basis. “This would allow the
TRS Consulting’s Sundar Vasudaven with EmQuest customer solutions manager Tricia Escucha, training officer Syed Ghousuddin Imad and senior vice president Naz Nizari.
travel trade to benefit by creating professionally-trained individuals who are ready to ‘play’ the moment they join the trade,” said TRS Consulting principal consultant Sundar Vasudaven. “We realise how pushed for time travel agencies are so we are ensuring students have all the necessary professional skills.” The professional equipment means the training centre now offers full technical tutoring, as well as the sales and general travel knowledge it currently provides.
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
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REGIONAL NEWS
ATN awards
ATN launches first awards programme Region’s travel agents to be recognised at glittering awards ceremony during ATM 2010 AGENT AWARDS Arabian Travel News will launch its inaugural awards programme this year in a bid to recognise the unsung heroes of the Middle East’s travel agency community. The first awards of their kind, the Arabian Travel News Awards 2010, are designed to recognise the efforts of a wide range of travel industry professionals, from frontline staff and agency managers to those who work behind the scenes such as accountants and IT gurus. The programme kicks of in the next few months, with either agents or their colleagues or managers invited to make their nominations online at www.hoteliermiddleast.com/atnawards where they will be required to provide information relating to a strict set of criteria. Nominations will close on April 4, 2010, in time for the shortlist in each of the 12 categories to be created. The shortlisted candidates will then be judged
SPONSORSHIP
The awards ceremony will take place on May 6, 2010.
AWARDS CATEGORIES * Branch manager of the year * Leisure travel agency manager of the year * Leisure sales agent of the year * Corporate travel agency manager of the year * Corporate sales agent of the year * Travel management company * CEO/MD C of the year * HR/training manager of the year HR * IT manager m of the year * Finance manager of the year * Marketing Marke person of the year * Agent Agen newcomer of the year * Lifetime achievement award Lifet
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Arabian Travel News – January 2010
by an expert panel of professionals from a broad spectrum of travel-related industries. The names of the panelists will be announced at a later date. ATN senior group editor Gemma Greenwood said the awards celebrated excellence in the Middle East’s travel agency community: “These awards recognise the efforts of true professionals who are passionate about the industry and the service they provide to both customers and their fellow colleagues,” she said. “From the frontline staff
who constantly strive to improve their product knowledge and upgrade their customer service skills to the agency manager who has to ensure he hits his targets while keeping his workforce up-to-speed, motivated and inspired, these awards will leave no stone unturned. “We will also reward the back-office staff who keep the travel agency business running smoothly — the IT gurus who know their GDS from their CRM; the HR and training managers who keep agent careers on track, not to mention the number crunchers who chase up client accounts and commission payments.”
ARABIAN TRAVEL NEWS AWARDS 2010 When: Thursday May 6, 2010 Where: Dubai — venue TBC Who can apply: any travel agency staff member working in the Middle East How to enter: visit www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/ atnawards For more information: email annie.chinoy@itp.com
The Arabian Travel News Awards brings together the cream of the region’s travel agency community. As such, it is an ideal place for suppliers and service providers to promote their brand, meet potential customers and entertain existing clients. To ensure sponsors get the maximum return from their investment, sponsorship opportunities are limited. For more details on sponsorship packages visit the awards website at www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/ atnawards or email diarmuid.omalley@ itp.com
Greenwood said the winners would be those who had demonstrated a willingness to go that extra mile, whether they were staying late to complete a complicated client holiday package, or lobbying suppliers in a bid to improve travel agency terms for the benefit of all. The awards programme will culminate in a gala dinner to be staged on May 6 in Dubai at a venue to be confirmed. This date purposely coincides with the last trade day of Arabian Travel Market, which is also the event’s Travel Agents’ Day where ATN runs a passport scheme and other agent initiatives.
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
Life enriching moments 2010 will be a year of celebration in Jukkasj채rvi, as it marks the 20th anniversay of ICEHOTEL, a celebration we invite all our guest to participate in. www.icehotel.com
REGIONAL NEWS
News analysis
The next horizon? With consumers looking beyond luxury to ‘experiential travel’, proactive agents should tap into this lucrative new sector, which covers a multitude of options from safari to space travel. Kathi Everden investigates ith outbound travellers in the Middle East plumping for the same destinations time and time again, there is little incentive to source new and exciting travel options. However, the financial earthquake that struck last year has decimated all pundits’ predictions for the future of travel. Luxury travel, at least for the leisure sector, seems to continue on a growth curve but the demand is for more than just marbled lobbies and Bose technology, with actual content of the ‘holiday’ becoming as important as its star rating — at least according to international travel trends. Debbie Joslin, group exhibitions director for Reed Travel Exhibitions’ ILTM show, said the luxury event delivered an upbeat year-end for the industry, reflecting industry trends for more product. “The luxury travel market has changed, with authenticity and the quality of the experience becoming increasingly important to group and individual travellers,” she said. The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) too reports a boom in business, much of which can be attributed to the healthy bank balance and fitness levels of the baby boomer generation of 50+ travellers. “Adventure travel is definitely on the rise with a desire and willingness to pursue more authentic travel,” said ATTA president, Shannon Stowell. But he stressed that adventure or experiential travel did not necessarily mean sky diving in Hawaii or white water rafting in Colorado: “There’s always something new; from snorkelling with killer whales off the coast of Norway to luxury camping in Patagonia,” he said. Taking this further, ‘expe-
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Arabian Travel News – January 2010
Adventure travel is definitely on the rise with a desire and willingness to pursue more authentic travel ” riential travel’ has crept into the travel lexicon, defined as a leisure journey that can be active but also have cultural, natural, social or spiritual aspects. According to Serge Dive, co-founder of the new PURE Life Experiences exhibition, which is devoted to the ‘experiential travel’ sector, the aim is to appeal to those who aspire to be travellers rather than tourists. “The travel market is splitting again, moving from selling destinations to selling journeys,” he said. “In the 1990s, the destination was the country and after the millennium, the destination became the hotel — now people don’t only want a destination or a resort — their holiday has become a gateway to an experience.” Hand in glove with this aspiration, there is also a move towards more responsible travel,
For some, ‘experiential travel’ means wildlife encounters.
he said, with inquisitive rather than acquisitive travel becoming the buzz word.
PURE EXPERIENCE For all the theory, the PURE launch event in Marrakech in November underscored the demand for a dedicated event to capitalise on the demand for a world beyond luxury. “It is clearly focused and cost efficient, aimed at lodges, retreats and unique hotels, discovery journeys, wilderness experiences, soft and extreme adventure, gastronomic and cultural escapes and events and festival,” explained Dive. Some 700 participants attended from around the globe, with hosted buyers and set appointments guaranteeing a business environment. There were only two Middle East exhibitors but those that did show up discovered an entirely new audience for the Arabian experience. Dubai-based Gulf Ventures, promoting the wider UAE and Oman in particular, reported an excellent response, with the outstanding calibre of attendees generating good quality business. “We had scheduled appointments throughout the event and in fact, were oversubscribed,” said operations manager Deborah Bevan. “People wanted the Middle East region as they know they can sell it, given the right product — and the main focus has been on Abu Dhabi and Oman. “Previously the focus was on Dubai and we were not able to sell the UAE as such, but
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
REGIONAL NEWS
News analysis
with more resorts such as Banyan Tree in Ras Al Khaimah, Al Maha, Qasr Al Sarab and Desert Palm, we are getting the right credentials and touring has become the thing, taking in Oman too and with perhaps our camel polo as a gimmick.” With buyers “pleasantly surprised” at the scope of Arabian tours — and Gulf Ventures already notching up bookings from PURE show buyers for multi-centre itineraries — it emphasised the potential both to sell the UAE as one destination and also to package the Gulf product differently to woo new business. Nicholas Mantheakis, the owner of Omanbased off-road specialist 53 Degrees East — the other Middle East exhibitor at the show — stressed that demand for travel to the region and its potential for soft adventure was strong at the event. “I will definitely return — the show was geared to travel experiences rather than just luxury and it worked very well for me with more than 65 set meetings as well as passing traffic,” he said. “Most buyers were from Europe, but there was a great interest from South American visi-
Key selling tips • Know your client, their prefer ences, budgets, sense of ad venture, love of comfort/luxury • Start with a few ‘shop win dow’ products that can be marketed and talked up — even just alternative Indian Ocean destinations or safaris • Research the market — exhibi tions such as PURE, organisations like ATTA (www. ATTA.travel), the African trade association, or the Adventure Travel Trade Association (www.adventuretravel.biz) • Think regional — Oman, Jor dan and Egypt operators are targeting experiential travel and could offer short-break trips that would appeal to the expat market in particular • Emphasise the tailor-made aspect of this travel — service elements are vital • Consider selling family experi ences as an alternative to the Disneyworld-style holiday
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
Expedition cruises are becoming increasingly popular with adventurous jet setters.
Diving can be classed as ‘experiential travel’.
tors as the market there seems willing to travel and experience new things. “We offer four-day desert initiation teaching 4WD skills mixing camping with a stay at The Chedi, but the potential is to expand this to longer trips and even twinned with the Liwa dunes in Abu Dhabi.”
OUTWARD BOUND So, if experiential travel could become another USP for inbound travel to the region, what of the potential for outbound? In some ways, the travel industry in the Gulf is only just moving towards ‘packaging’ at a time when the rest of the world is going for independent travel, but in contrast, the trade has always catered to individual arrangements and could perhaps now shift to adding ‘experiences’ to the air/hotel combo. A pioneer of this concept is Paul Clabburn at Bahrain International Travel, who launched The Signature Collection “to stimulate the thought process about travel in terms of products available”. He acknowledged that the majority of bookings were for mainstream luxury products but said bookings had been received for gorilla watching and Galapagos cruises. “You need an angle to make this a success
— whether you are a big or niche operator,” he said. “We aim to broaden the horizons of our clients and offer suggestions to enable them to get more from their holiday than they might otherwise have expected.” Clabburn stressed that those agents looking to sell experiential travel needed to be passionate, invest in sourcing product and offer quality service. The PURE event helped agents look at new product offerings by showcasing global suppliers and prompting new ways of thinking about traditional destinations. The show opened up a whole new world — one where clients could be set aloft in a space balloon; venture across the canopy in the South American jungle; indulge in the lap of luxury on an ‘expedition’ cruise; ride the rapids on the Yukon in Canada’s wilderness; go heli-trekking in the Himalayas; discover gourmet Japan; retreat to a wellness spa in the South African bush; find alternative beach luxury in Mozambique, Pemba, Bangaram or Fiji; test out a wine tour of New Zealand or Chile; or opt for yet another safari — this time on horseback, on elephant, on foot, or even by yak in Mongolia.
The travel market is splitting again, moving from selling destinations to selling journeys ” January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
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REGIONAL NEWS
Airlines News
IATA declares its aims at Copenhagen Global airline body promises the convention it will halve airline emissions by 2050 CARBON EMISSIONS The International Air Transport Association (IATA) declared the aviation industry’s goal to achieve a net reduction in carbon emission of 50% by 2050 compared to 2005 at last month’s climate change convention in Copenhagen. This involves improving fuel efficiency by an average of 1.5% per year to 2020 and stabilising carbon emissions from 2020 with carbonneutral growth, IATA director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani told the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), which was staged in the Danish capital. “We are the only global industry coming to Copenhagen with a strong track record and a commitment to cut our emissions in half by 2050,” Bisignani called on governments to help the aviation industry meet its emissions targets.
Gulf Air to scrap 15 routes STRATEGY Gulf Air will suspend up to 15 loss-making routes and expand its regional operations as it aims to become a profitable carrier. The airline will add more A320s to its fleet while selling its five A340s as it reduces the size of its widebody fleet. Majali: Gulf Air will focus on serving Bahrain.
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Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali said: “For the first time, Gulf Air will focus specifically on Bahrain, serving the kingdom with higher frequency non-stop services to more destinations across three continents. “We will also provide better services to some of the world’s leading financial markets, helping to support Bahrain’s significant financial services sector.” Unprofitable routes earmarked for the chop include Shanghai, Hyderabad and Bangalore — all decisions which form part of a three-year realignment programme announced last month. The programme will aim to make the unprofitable business commercially sustainable by 2012.
Arabian Travel News – January 2010
he said. “These goals show the aviation industry is even ahead of its regulators in its approach to climate change. Bisignani’s presentation was part of an official side meeting hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN’s specialised agency for aviation. The Kyoto protocol gives ICAO the responsibility for aviation’s international emissions. Bisignani said the only way to meet IATA’s targets was to work
in cooperation with governments through ICAO. ‘I call on governments in Copenhagen to give ICAO a clear mandate to report back to COP-16 with a Global Sectoral Approach that will enable the aviation industry to deliver real results against concrete targets,” he said. A Global Sectoral Approach through ICAO comprises three main elements — the full accounting for aviation’s emissions as a global industrial sector; the global coordination of economic measures to ensure that aviation will not pay more than once for its emissions; plus access to global carbon markets.
FAST FACTS • Today air transport is 75% quieter than four decades ago. • Last year aviation’s carbon footprint was just under 670 million tonnes of CO2. • That will shrink by 7% in 2009 — 5% as a result of the recession and 2% as a direct result of IATA’s emissions strategy. • Biofuels can reduce aviation’s carbon footprint by up to 80%
Oman Air spends millions on ads ADVERTISING A Oman Air has shelled out US Om $10 million on an international advertising campaign. tio IIt will run across broadcast, print, online and outcas door media and promote do Oman’s culture history and Om its sporting opportunities, inviting travellers to ‘Find inv Oman’, ‘Bike Oman’, ‘Dive Om
Oman’, ‘Climb Oman’, ‘Taste Oman’, ‘Smell Oman’ and ‘Walk Oman’. The campaign will be rolled out in the UK, France and Germany following Oman Air’s recently launched new routes to Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Male in the Maldives and Colombo in Sri Lanka while using new A330 aircraft on the London route.
EK lounges around Jo’burg
Emirates’ Jo’burg lounge opened last month.
US $10 million The value of Oman Air’s new ad campaign
Emirates Airline has opened a new “luxury lounge” at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport. Leather armchairs, complimentary gourmet food and shower facilities now await premium passengers. This represents Emirates’ first exclusive lounge in Africa and the sixth to be opened this year across its route network.
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
Direct flights to Scandinavia
COMPETITION WINNER
Scando competition winner announced Agent ‘chuffed’ about winning ATN comp with Norwegian and Ice Hotel Lucky Oman-based agent Raji DeMonte will be leaving the desert and heading to a much cooler climate having won ATN’s competition with low-cost airline Norwegian and Norway’s Ice Hotel. DeMonte, divisional manager for United Travel LLC, who entered the competition in the October issue of ATN, will be flying with Norwegian from Dubai to Kiruna via Stockholm for a two-night stay at the world famous hotel. “I’m absolutely chuffed,” DeMonte told ATN. “I really wanted to go to Scandinavia. “I am quite well travelled, but have never had the chance to go there and I am a competition freak as well.”
United Travel’s Raji DeMonte is an avid reader of Arabian Travel News.
DeMonte, an avid ATN reader, answered all the competition questions correctly, pointing out that Norwegian flies from Dubai to the Scandinavian capitals Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen. The clued-up agent was also on the mark when she guessed correctly that the ice used to construct the Ice Hotel was taken from the Torne River. DeMonte said Scandinavia was piquing the interest of Omanbased travellers. “There’s lots of intrigue about Scandinavia in Oman,” she noted. “The Omanis are rather discerning travellers.”
142€
from
one way incl. taxes
COMPET
YOU CAN WIN! Kiruna via Stockholm Fly with Norwegian to and stay at ICEHOTEL* Norwegian,
Book on www.norwegian.com
with tickets for two persons (package includes return breakfast and transfers) two nights at ICEHOTEL,
Subject to availabilty, conditions apply er these two questions competition, simply answ : To participate in the by October 30th 2009 a.greenwood@itp.com and submit to gemm Dubai? Norwegian fly from does als capit ian 1. To which Scandinav from? in ICEHOTEL taken 2. Where is the ice *Conditions apply
*Conditions apply
www.icehotel.com
gian and the Ice Hotel
n with Norwe ATN’s exciting competitio
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
in the October edition.
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January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
09
REGIONAL NEWS
Tools MIME NEWS
Pegasus reveals uplifting booking trends The technology firm’s October report shows 2009 figures starting to hit 2008 levels STATISTICS Travel bookings and net revenues were climbing back to 2008 levels towards the end of last year, the October 2009 edition of The Pegasus View has revealed. The most positive movement was reported in North America where corporate bookings volumes jumped +3.5% in October 2009 compared to October 2008 and leisure bookings volumes by +21%, the travel technology provider revealed. The average daily rate (ADR) for GDS transactions
reached its highest point in 2009 at $163 in October, but the report revealed booking lead-in times remained short for both corporate-driven GDS bookings and leisuredriven ADS transactions. Pegasus CEO Mike Kistner said: “While there are many factors involved in these trends, the Pegasus data globally and more specifically for North America indicates that we’re seeing a classic case where the first countries to bear the brunt of the downturn are the first to see signs of recovery, therefore we could expect to see
$163 The average daily rate in October 2009 (highest point of the year) Source: The Pegasus View
VITAL STATISTICS • $163 — the average daily rate (ADR) in October 2009 compared to $162.65 in September 2009 and $166.97 in October 2008. • 3.5% — the increase in GDS net reservations in North America in October 2009 compared to Oc tober 2008. • 15.89% — the increase in ADS net reservations in October 2009 compared to October 2008. • 2.16 days — the average length of stay for GDS bookings in October 2009. • -2.28% — the decrease in total revenue gener ated through the GDS in October 2009 compared to October 2008. Source: The Pegasus View
other global regions producing similar encouraging results in early 2010.” GDS bookings had a comparatively strong month with a slight increase in bookings and ADR ($163) over September 2009 ($162.65). However, this was lower than the $166.97 reported
in October 2008 and $182 in September 2008. “This indicates that the impact of the recession on rates really started to take hold in October 2008,” said the report. “We still have a significant gap to close before rates are back to pre-recession levels.”
While corporate travel GDS bookings in North America showed growth in October, the picture elsewhere is tamer, yet reservations were getting closer to 2008 levels, the report added. Other key trends noted include a “significant shift” of volume from the GDS to the ADS. While GDS volume is still down year-on-year by 6.42%, the ADS channel has seen significant year-onyear growth in net reservations of 3.27%. This trend is emphasised by the October 2009 versus 2008 results that revealed a 15.89% increase in ADS net reservations. However, a positive trend for the GDS was that length of stay increased slightly in October to 2.16 days and total revenue generated through the GDS was nearly back to October 2008 levels (although down 2.28% year on year).
Travelport migrates Oman’s Bahwan Travel to Galileo MIGRATION Travelport has completed the migration of Oman’s Bahwan Travel Consortium to its Galileo platform in what it has claimed is the single-largest migration for the GDS provider this year. The company said it was a “major feat” for both Travelport and Bahwan ensuring that all of the group’s ticketing systems were switched seamlessly from the previous GDS provider to Galileo in less than 24 hours. In addition, more than 80
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of Bahwan’s front-end users were successfully trained on the system within a limited time frame. “We made the conversion to Travelport for several reasons, but mainly because they invested considerable time consulting with us to ensure they understood our goals and challenges,” explained Bahwan Travel Consortium general manager Shankar Bose. “We are very pleased with how Travelport handled the conversion — they’ve been very responsive and the whole
Arabian Travel News – January 2010
process has been an amazing success.” As the GSA for 16 major air carriers, Bahwan Travel Consortium has developed a strong foothold in Oman over the last 35 years, with a network driving approximately 25 % of travel and tourism business in the Sultanate. The group is also a leader in corporate travel with 850 corporate clients including government business. The conversion follows Travelport’s multi-year agreement with Bahwan earlier this year.
The Bahwan team said Travelport understood the travel firm’s goals.
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
Tour Operators Emirates Hols offers winter experiences Tour operator’s new winter brochure caters to skiers and non-skiers alike with its offering BROCHURES Emirates Holidays has broadened the appeal of its ski brochure by introducing winter experiences to the offering. The tour operator’s Ski Holidays 2009-2010 brochure, which is out on the shelves now, has included experiences to appeal to travellers who are not necessarily skiers, but would like a winter holiday or a festive break. “The team at Emirates Holidays has worked hard to create a product that meets the needs of every type of traveller and budget,” explained
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com
ucts fresh and this year we have added winter experiences, from shopping for traditional handicrafts in the famous Christmas markets, to simply soaking up the culture in beautiful Innsbruck where the atmosphere is guaranteed to enchant.” Innsbruck in Austria is featured in the brochure for the first time. The city re. is renowned for its cultural 0 winter brochu The 2009-201 events, architecture and cobbled-stone streets and is also Emirates Holidays vice pres- famous for having played ident commercial operations host to the Winter Olympics. Dina Al Herais. For the more adventurous “We always keep our prod- winter sports enthusiasts, the
new brochure offers a wide range of slopes for all skill levels, as well as activities such as snowboarding, ice skating, tobogganing, dog sledding and sleigh rides. The brochure comprises18 ski resorts and 72 hotels in
seven countries including Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Lebanon, the US and Canada and offers “flexible and tailor-made packages designed specifically to help travellers make the most out of their winter holiday”.
Emirates Holidays’ winter packages Innsbruck: From AED 3927 per person on a twin-share basis, travellers can enjoy a winter experience at the Hilton Innsbruck. This includes economy-class airfare Dubai/Munich/ Dubai, three nights’ accommodation with American breakfast, room tax and service charges.
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
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NEWS XXXXXXXX
Tourism Boards Kenya targets lucrative Gulf markets Destination reveals future plans following the conclusion of first Kenya Week in UAE MARKETING Kenya is stepping up its efforts to attract travellers from the UAE by working closer with the country’s travel agents and strengthening relations between the two countries’ governments. “We are committed to promoting Kenya [in the UAE] through participation at Arabian Travel Market, stalls at Global Village and through local business forums,” explained Kenya Minister for Tourism Najib Balala speaking to ATN at the inaugural ‘Kenya Week’ in the UAE last month — a promo-
tion designed to “strengthen the bones of confidence” between the two o nations. “As a government ment we will be [in the UAE] almost twice a year; we want to tell the world that Kenya is safe.” e.” The minister’s r’s message follows concerns ns that Kenya has yet to fully recover from the violence thatt followed the 2007 general election. ction. Balala conceded ded the country’s image e took a beating following owing world-wide interest terest in events, but said the government ent was predicting g 100% recovery.
Dubai firm’s Cape Town win REPRESENTATION Dubai-based African Odyssey has been appointed Middle East marketing representative by Cape Town and Western Cape’s tourism organisation Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU). African Odyssey will be charged with the task of promoting South Africa’s western province in the GCC as the country gears up to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Dubai firm plans to target the local travel trade and press, focusing on leisure tourism, events, conferences and business tourism, with the aim of increasing visitor numbers from the region, said founder and chief execu-
tive Mary Stephania Paul. Fams, presentations, seminars and workshops would be used to educate agents about the destination, she added. “There is not much knowledge around about how to sell Africa,” she commented. “European markets are much easier to sell for agents in this region, but when it comes to Africa they can be a bit hesitant.”
Paul: Africa knowledge is limited.
VISIT www.tourismcapetown.co.za
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Arabian Travel News – January 2010
Balala: Kenya offers value for money.
He said the East African country had invested heavily in its tourism inf infrastructure by building new roads and upgrading existing existin ones, as well as pumping U US $120 million into upgrading upgradi Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatt Kenyatta International Airport.
The government is also planning to build a new port in Lamu and will be reclassifying four- and five-star hotels next year. Balala said the current focus in the UAE was to “tell the consumer that Kenya offers value for money”.
11,103 The number of UAE ttourists who travelled to Kenya in 2008 Source: Kenya Tourist Board
HKTB confident of 2010 growth STRATEGY ST Th Hong Kong Tourism The Board (HKTB) is hoping for Bo high single-digit growth in hig Middle East visitors to the Mi destination in 2010 having de witnessed a pick-up in busiwit ness at the end of 2009. ne HKTB Northern Europe H and Middle East director an Simon Mills said although Sim arrivals from the region were arr down around 2% for the Jando uary to October 2009 period, ua the tourism board had seen a sstrong resurgence in business in November and ne December and expected to De be up 1-2% year on year for the full 12 months. “Based on what we have seen in 2009, we expect see another good year,” he said. an “I would predict a 6-8% increase next year; the capacinc ity is there to achieve that.” Mills said the main reason M
HKTB is hoping for arrivals growth.
for the boost in arrivals for the last two months in 2009 was additional flights to Hong Kong out of the Middle East with Cathay Pacific operating flights to Riyadh daily and to Jeddah four times weekly. “The increase [in arriv-
als from the Middle East] will come from Saudi Arabia — a market that has real potential,” he said. HKTB’s Middle East marketing plan for 2010, he revealed, was to target Arab families and the youth market. The tourism board will also embark on a Middle East travel trade mission involving 20 travel partners from Hong Kong hotels and attractions later this month. It starts in Riyadh on January 24 with further stops in Dammam, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Putting on the Ritz The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, will open later this year occupying floors 102 to 118 of the new International Commerce Centre (ICC) in Kowloon. It will feature 312 guest rooms, each boasting harbour views.
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REGIONAL NEWS
Accommodation XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
Visa rule boost for Jordan hotel
HOTEL BRIEFS
Six Senses resort says relaxation of regulations will open new doors NEW MARKETS New rules regarding tourist visas for Indians visiting Jordan will allow the destination and its many hotels to profit from this growing source market, the general manager of one of those resorts has claimed. Evason Ma’in Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa general manager Manish Puri said the removal of visa restrictions blocking Indian nationals from visiting Jordan as tourists would be a huge stimulus to Jordan, which was looking to “burgeoning economies” such as India where the middle classes could “yield profits for the tourism industry”. “We will use our various distribution and sales channels to net business from
Six Senses’ Jordan property is gearing up to receive Indian tourists.
this market,” Puri told ATN. “As Six Senses is very active in India securing business for its other properties we have a well established sales network that we’re currently looking to tap into. Also, being an Indian National myself, I am personally planning to hit the pavement and
Race to build McLaren hotel?
The developer of the Dubai Pearl is in talks with the Formula One racing group McLaren to brand a hotel and homes on the site. The firm’s chairman Abdul Majeed Ismail al Fahim, responsible for developing the AED 15 billion (US $4.08 billion) project, said the initial terms of the deal had been agreed, although a contract had not been signed. Pearl Dubai is already set to finance and build two hotels known for their Las Vegas roots — the 250-room Bellagio and the 350-room MGM Grand hotel. A Skylofts hotel is also planned.
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drum up as much business as I can.” He noted that the Indian MICE market was “quite substantial” and “always looking for exotic destinations” and that up until now, Jordan had not been an option. “By early next year I foresee an average of 50 to 60
Indian passport holders per month coming in either from India or the Gulf to our resort alone,” he declared. Two months ago, Jordan’s Interior Minister, Nayef alQadi, made the decision to change the visa rules for India in order to promote and support the economic growth of the country. As a result, individual Indian tourists will now be given a two-week entry visa stamped with ‘not allowed to work in Jordan’ upon entry to the kingdom. The Jordan Tourism Board has already opened an office in India to promote the destination to this market. Puri said Indian tourists would be attracted to the history, religion, adventure and wellness tourism Jordan had to offer.
Cristal set to expand globally EXPANSION Abu Dhabi-based hotel management group, Cristal Hotels & Resorts, has announced international expansion plans for the group following the opening of its first UAE hotel earlier this year. Group chairman Mohamed Abdul Baki said the intention was to “position Abu Dhabi as a global hospitality leader and support its tourism growth plans”. “Cristal is proud to be a home-grown brand. We view ourselves as the hospitality ambassadors for Abu Dhabi and our plans are to go global,” he added. With pipeline plans including several properties in Abu
Room at the inn UK hotel group Premier Inn has slashed room rates at its two properties in Dubai by 40%. Daily rates at the Dubai Investments Park and Dubai Silicon Oasis properties have been cut from AED 495 to AED 295. The price is guaranteed for every Premier Inn room at the two hotels said a company statement.
Beirut on the up Occupancy rates inBeirut hit 71% for the first nine months of the year, representing a growth of 48% compared to the same period in 2008, according to an Ernst & Young’s benchmark survey, proving the city has been recession resilient.
Heavy petting
Cristal Hotel in Abu Dhabi is business traveller focused.
Dhabi, Dubai and outside of the Middle East, the group said it aimed to ensure that demand for quality business travel accommodation was “well catered to”. The Cristal Hotel in Abu Dhabi is located in the business district and a short drive from Abu Dhabi airport.
The Trump Hotel Collection is targeting the animal-lovers market by launching pooch pampering services at its luxury properties in Chicago, New York and Las Vegas. Special extras for visiting pets will include such treats as a plush mini-beds, gourmet treats, a water bowl with fresh bottled water to fill it, chew toys and a special in-room dining menu featuring various doggie delights.
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
13
Cruise GLOBAL UPDATE
Costa puts faith in Dubai’s hub Cruise operator to deploy its ‘top-of-the-range’ fleet in the emirate
Disney Magic Disney Cruise Line will reposition one of its ships, Disney Magic, to Europe for a fivemonth season of Northern European and Mediterranean cruises this year. For the first time, the cruise Line will offer a 12-night Northern European Capitals cruise taking in the fjords and Scandinavian ports such as Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The ship will also sail to Warnemunde, Germany and to St. Petersburg, Russia
Carnival time Carnival Corporation is to build a new 130,000-tonne vessel, which is scheduled to enter service under the Carnival Cruise Lines brand in spring 2012. The new 3690passenger ship will offer many of the same innovations featured on the recently-launched Carnival Dream, including a WaterWorks aqua park, as well as a Cloud 9 Spa and The Lanai — an outdoor promenade featuring whirlpools that extend over the ship’s sides.
STRATEGY Costa Cruises has opened its fourth winter season in Dubai, which the operator has claimed reinforces its belief in the emirate as a burgeoning cruise destination. For the 2009/2010 programme, the cruise line will homeport Costa Luminosa, “the most elegant” of its cruise ships, in Dubai for the first time until April 2010, operating seven-day itineraries in the Gulf. And from February she will be joined by sister ship Costa Deliziosa, a new “top-of-therange” Costa vessel that during its inaugural cruise, will become the first ship to be christened in Dubai.
Costa Crociere Pacific Asia operations sales and marketing director Dario Rustico said the estimated impact of the cruise line’s forthcoming winter season in Dubai with the presence of three ships (Costa Europa will also sail from Dubai) was 14 million euros, comprising some 140,000 Costa guests spend-
Hurtigruten climate cruise ITINERARY Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten has introduced a one-off ‘climate’ themed cruise to Svalbard and the Arctic Ocean on board the new MS Fram. The 12-day, 11-night ‘Climate Cruise’ sails from Tromsø in Norway and stops in Honningsvåg, Norway, before visiting several destinations in Svalbard and the
Polar bears are a common sight.
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Costa Luminosa will homeport in Dubai for the 2009/2010 season.
Arabian Travel News – January 2010
areas around Spitsbergen, which have become essential to scientific research into climate research. Guests on board this Climate Pilgrimage visit the isolated Bear Island, one of the most important breeding places for Guillemot, Brunnich’s Guillemot and Aucks on the northern hemisphere. The vessel then heads to the Spitsbergen branch of the Gulf Stream north until it reaches the marginal ice zone. During the cruise, biologists, geologists, explorers and experienced ‘Svalbardians’ invite guests to participate in field landings at places of significance. Prices start from EUR 2800 for an outside cabin.
140,000 The number of Costa Cruises guests visiting Dubai this winter season.
ing on shore excursions, transfers, cruise operation expenditures and other general spending. He said the appreciation of Dubai as a cruise hub was increasing and that Costa’s sales for 2009/2010 were 40% over last winter. Europe and Asia were key source markets, he said, but the percentage of Gulf residents hopping on board was on the up. Agent training, in partnership with Dubai-based PSA Alpha Tours, would be a focus for 2010, he continued. “We will [also] promote flycruise options and increase the awareness of Costa Cruises as an attractive holiday option,” he added.
GCC cruisers book big-ship suites
Middle East cruisers are booking suites on the new mega ship.
Middle East bookings for Royal Caribbean’s new mega-ship, Oasis of the Seas, are coming in thick and fast with demand primarily for the suites and premium balcony staterooms. “We also see interest for our new stateroom categories like loft suites and balcony staterooms overlooking the Central Park and Boardwalk,” Royal Carribean’s Middle East executive director, Lakshmi Durai, told ATN. She also revealed that the highest category on board — the Royal Loft Suite — had been booked by a Middle East based honeymoon couple for the ship’s inaugural sailing, which took place on December 5.
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Royal Caribbean in DUBAILAND tie-up Cruise line to offer DUBAILAND shore excursion options to Brilliance of the Seas cruisers PARTNERSHIP DUBAILAND and Royal Caribbean International have joined forces to create a joint product offering for the cruise line’s guests. The US cruise firm, which will offer seven-night sailings on the Brilliance of the Seas in the Gulf from January 18 to April 2010, will boost its shore excursion offering for pre- and postcruise with a DUBAILAND option. Several elements of DUBAILAND — designed as a tourism, leisure and entertainment destination and a member of Dubai Properties Group — are now operational. These include Dubai Autodrome in MotorCity, Dubai Outlet Mall in
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Outlet City, Global Village and Dubai Sports City, which features the Ernie Els Golf Club, the Butch Harmon School of Golf and the Cricket Stadium, which collectively receive more than eight million visits annually. “Combining some of DUBAILAND’s exciting destinations with the excellent Royal Caribbean product will provide a wealth of entertainment options that will attract repeat visits from tourists and residents alike,” said Dubai Properties Group CEO Khalid Al Malik. “We look forward to welcoming this world-class vessel to [our] shores and we are confident this development will contribute to the growth of regional and international tourism.”
Global Village: one of the many attractions DUBAILAND has to offer cruise tourists.
Key features of Brilliance of the Seas include an open Centrum with 10-deck high windows and oceanfacing glass elevators, both of which offer spectacular views of the passing
shoreline and sea. Activities offered include mini-golf; a rock-climbing wall and the Adventure Beach waterslide. For the Gulf itineraries the ship’s ports of call after departing Dubai will include Muscat, Fujairah and Bahrain. RCI regional vice president Rama Rebbapragada said the cruise line had received an “excellent response” for Brilliance of the Seas’ first ever Gulf sailings with key global source markets including the UK, North America and Germany. “We are also seeing strong interest from the Middle East,” he said. “Together with DUBAILAND, we look forward to offering great shore excursions and an overall outstanding vacation experience for our guests.”
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
15
REGIONAL NEWS
Travel trends: METMS 2009
UAE travel trends revealed Some insightful UAE 2009 outbound leisure travel trends were unveiled by YouGov at the inaugural METMS tourism marketing summit in November ore UAE residents were travelling short haul in 2009 according to the results of the latest YouGov Travel Tracker unveiled at last month’s inaugural Middle East Tourism Marketing Summit (METMS). Director of travel and tourism research, Jane Wilson, unveiled the research firm’s latest findings at the event, which took place at Shangri-La Hotel Dubai on November 5.
21
%
of respondents said the fare was the most important factor when booking flights
BUDGET AIRLINES Not only were long-haul trips down year on year versus an increase in short haul, but an increasing number of respondents said they were using low-cost carriers (LCCs) with the top reasons cited being ‘to get the best value for money’ and ‘to get the best price’. The propensity for respondents to book a flight with an LCC peaked in August although the results for June show a similar willingness. The reasons travellers had not flown on a budget airline in the past were primarily the belief that they were not really that much lower in price or they had not had the opportunity to try them.
The survey found India had decreased in popularity.
Which of the following has the most influence on the choice of company you use for leisure travel? Special promotion/deal/advertised offer
40%
Friend/family at destination
12%
Partner/spouse
10%
Friends (locally)
YOUR TRAVELLING COMPANIONS
38% of travellers book their holiday one to two months before they depart.
When asked how many people travelled with them on a leisure trip, the largest percentage of respondents (28%) said two, followed by 25% who said one. In addition, 26% of respondents said they travelled with their spouse and very young children (those aged up to five) followed by 21% who said just their spouse.
TYPES OF LEISURE TRIPS The most popular type of leisure trips
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Arabian Travel News – January 2010
No one/nothing
8% 7%
Newspaper or magazine article
4%
Travel agent recommendation
4%
Colleague
3%
Travel programme on TV
3%
Company travel organizer
3%
Other
3%
Other family members (locally)
2%
Associate at destination
1%
Boss
0%
KEY FINDINGS • Travel volume remains stable despite a predicted increase and is expected to increase further in the next year • Class of travel has remained stable and will continue to do so • Most travel in a small party size of up to three people with spouse and young children or friends • Visiting friends and relations is the main reason for a leisure trip • MENA countries and India remain top destinations despite travellers predicting otherwise • Destinations such as Malaysia, Italy, UK and USA that were expected to be major destinations are again predicted to become important • Quality of airline or hotel is considered more important than price for leisure travellers • Special offers and promotions are most influential in terms of travel company selection • Flights and tours are most likely to be booked via a travel agent • Ground transport and accommodation is most likely to be booked directly by clients • Online booking has seen a rise in the last year and is expected to increase further in the next year
Base: All Leisure Travelers (n:714) - October 2009
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REGIONAL NEWS
Travel trends: METMS 2009
About YouGov’s Travel Tracker • YouGov’s ‘Travel Tracker’ was launched in October 2007 to enable clients to track travellers’ attitudes and habits over time • For October 2009 findings, 547 business and 714 leisure travellers residing in the UAE were interviewed via YouGov’s online research panel (180,000+ members across the region), from October 4-21 • Leisure travellers are those who travelled at least once for leisure in the past 12 months and did not travel for business • Short-haul trips are defined as those that take four hours or less of air travel while long-haul trips are those that take more than four hours • 55% of respondents were male, 45% female • The largest percentage (27%) were aged 25-29 • The biggest income bracket (31%) of those surveyed was below $2133 per month • 55% of all respondents were of Asian origin
37
%
of all lleisure airline bookings are made online taken in the last 12 months were home leave (52% of respondents in October 2009 compared to 56% in October 2008) with visiting friends and relatives in second place (50% in 2009 compared to 48% in 2008). Interestingly, more religious holidays or pilgrimages had been taken in the last 12 months (12%) compared to the 12 months leading up to October 2008 (11%). Resort holidays were way down from 18% to 13%. However, this is expected to change over the next 12 months with 21% saying a resort holiday was the type of trip they most expected to take in the next 12 months.
DESTINATIONS YouGov research revealed that while India remained the top leisure destination, demand for holidays to the country continued to drop, while Egypt had increased in popularity when respondents were asked which country they travelled to on their last leisure trip. When asked where they were most likely to travel to on their next holiday, fewer respon-
Are you more or less likely to fly with a low-cost carrier in the next year? JUNE 09
AUG 09
OCT 09
10
10
6 7
7 3
8
15
A little less likely
9
15
DECISION MAKING Promotions and deals proved influential when it came to making decisions as to where to go on holiday and who to book with. The majority of respondents (40%) said a special deal or advertised offer had the most influence on the choice of company they used to book leisure travel (see figure 2). Only 4% said travel agent recommendation. In addition, 38% of travellers surveyed book holidays one to two months before departure and 35% within one month. Internet search engines proved the top choice for travellers researching hotel, airline and tour bookings.
LEISURE BOOKINGS The internet was top choice for making airline bookings (37%) followed by travel agents (26%). For hotel bookings, the web was again the top choice (24%) followed by booking direct (18%) and then with a travel agent (18%). However, agents were top choice (21%) when making tour bookings.
AIRLINE SELECTION The most important factor when booking an airline for leisure travel was the fare (21%) followed by value for money (19%). Flight connections and route network were low on the agenda (2% and 3% respectively). The usual class of travel was economy and 56% expected this to stay the same over the next year.
HOTEL SELECTION Don’t know
Much less likely
7
dents chose India, but Turkey, Malaysia, UK, Thailand, Australia, Singapore, the US, Canada, Italy, Switzerland and France all proved more popular than.
Just as likely
The most important influencing factor when booking a hotel was value for money (29%) followed by quality of service (15%). Availability of internet booking was low on the agenda (3%). The most popular type of accommodation was budget hotels (28%) followed by the homes of friends and families (24%) with luxury hotels in third place (13%).
15 19
17
A little more likely
18 Much more likely
44
47
40
Base: All Leisure Travellers June 2009 (n:709); August 2009 (n:602); Octo-
Jane Wilson is Director Travel & Tourism Research at YouGovSiraj, a full-service research agency based in Dubai. She is the author of the travel tracker survey, a study of the habits and travel needs of more than 2000 business travellers and leisure travellers resident in the UAE and KSA.
ber 2009 (n:714)
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January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
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REGIONAL NEWS
Q&A
Q&A CELEBRITY CRUISES
Creating ads with wow factor proved a recessionbusting move for Virgin Atlantic explains the upbeat airline’s sales and marketing director, Paul Dickinson here are few, if any airlines that can say they have immune to the global economic crisis and Virgin Atlantic is no exception. The UK long-haul carrier took quick steps to address the issue early last year — reducing capacity by 13% by dropping unprofitable routes and cutting staffing levels by 13% to mirror that strategic move. But unlike many travel firms, whether airlines, hotels or tour operators, Virgin, which is renowned for its ‘out-there’ cheeky and influential ad campaigns, did not cut back on sales and marketing spend. In fact, it embarked on a 25th anniversary advertising extravaganza that involved creating a TV advert that set the airline back £800,000 to produce. This ’25 years and still red hot’ initiative was a roaring success, picked up by websites, bloggers and cyber geeks worldwide, while it was parodied and posted online by avid fans, from groups of bus drivers to Essex girls. The result of this investment was a brand presence stronger than ever, the airline’s Paul Dickinson tells Gemma Greenwood
ATN: What was your strategy towards sales and marketing during the recession? We didn’t cut resources and we didn’t cut spend and it has really paid back for us when others were cutting back. The UK is our
Our rating as an airline for business and leisure is the highest it’s ever been ”
Still
red
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Arabian Travel News – January 2010
hot www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
REGIONAL NEWS
CELEBRITY CRUISES Q&A
number one market and so we always invest the most in that market. But with no new routes or aircraft, the question was what to market, so the story was to make more of our 25th birthday and decided to run the campaign all year. We challenged the agency to come up with a good concept and it came back with the ‘25 years and still red hot’ campaign. We produced a TV advert at the cost of £800,000 involving 200 extras, a massive crew and turned Ascot into an airport terminal. The ad was based in 1984 and the day or our first flight. It ran three times throughout 2009. We took a big risk in spending that money. ATN: So how did you measure its success? We did ad tracking and used econometrics — a special agency tracks data and calculates the effect of adverts on your revenue and tell you your return on investment. We discovered that our ROI was £15 for every £1 spent on this campaign. By using this system we also found that our very glamourous adverts for Premium Economy didn’t work as well — the ROI was just £5 for every for every £1 spent — and that’s mainly because of the limited size of the Premium Economy cabin. With the ‘still red hot’ campaign we recorded more than 700,000 searches on Google and more than 100,000 hits on our website. When the TV campaign was aired the number of people searching for the Virgin name increased by 500% and as a result, our rating as an airline for business and leisure is the highest it’s ever been. ATN: How does this now position you against your competitors coming into 2010? Coming out of 2009 into 2010, both in the UK and US, our brand has never been stronger. Virgin Atlantic is perceived in the best light ever, particularly as some of our competitors haven’t maybe had the most effective advertising and marketing this year and others haven’t had the best press relations. At the same time, the on-board experiences of some have been disappointing. During the past 12 months our crew have carried on professionally and have not lowered their standards or become grumpy. ATN: What’s your sales and marketing strategy for next year? The challenge for 2010 is to maintain and grow. The big news is we are changing the way we do our marketing — we are globalising the
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Virgin Atlantic’s ‘Still red hot’ TVC wowed the crowds.
Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson proves he’s still red hot too.
During the past 12 months our crew have carried on professionally and have not lowered their standards or become grumpy ” creative work whereas in the past, each territory had its own budget and agency. From now on, all creative work will be done out of the UK with our ad agency (Y&R) and each marketing team will have access to an online system where they can adapt the creative to the local market. From March 1 we will have consistent ads around the world. ATN:What’s your advertising theme for 2010? The theme is a secret, but it’s going to be very confident — we are never pessimistic and never shy and try to be amusing. We think it will work in all of our markets.
ATN: Your marketing in Dubai has been lowkey in 2009 so what’s the plan for 2010? We always invest proportionately to the scale of opportunity so smaller markets like Dubai get a relative percentage of spend. For 2010 it will depend on how big we see the potential — if we think the biggest opportunity will be inbound to Dubai then we will spend less in Dubai and more in the UK and vice versa. Dubai does have potential however, if we did go to double daily flights (currently daily) — and this probably won’t happen for the next two years — it would probably be on the back of inbound to Dubai. We are seeing an increase in the number of hotel rooms and average rates are coming down so suddenly we can offer fantastic packages for affordable prices. This opens up massive new markets. ATN:What is your distribution strategy? About 30% of business is direct, which has increased from around 18% five years ago. Bookings on the phone remain unchanged and that’s about 10-12% of our business. What’s changed is the number of people booking on the website, however, our strategy is to work with all channels to market. We are not so big that we can dictate how people book. We work closely with the big agents and TMCs plus there are some big leisure players out there — Expedia, Trailfinders, Thomas Cook, TUI etc. Web penetration is low in Dubai and our strategy is to work with all agents to support their growth and objectives, but at the same time, ensure our website is up to date. We don’t pay commission in many markets anymore, but of course, we have overrides and marketing agreements.
To view virgin’s ’25 years still red hot’ campaign visit www.Virginatlanticstillredhot.com
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
19
REGIONAL NEWS
Comment Comment
How to combat the internet threat Cruise Master Middle East director of business development Ashok Kumar It is beginning of another year and time to reflect on our achievements. It is also time to reflect on the challenges we have faced and to learn from them so we move forward with renewed positive energy. Allow me to be a little bit nostalgic — before the GDS entered the market, airline bookings were a manual process. Complicated multi-sector RTW itineraries were prepared using AT, bookings were sent to airlines using an AIRIMP form, fares were calculated manually using APT and airline tickets were handwritten. Hotel or cruise bookings were processed via telex, which would often take more than 48 hours to process! Today, flights, hotels and
Technology has simplified the business and now the same technology is seen as competition ” cruises are confirmed with just a few clicks. Technology has simplified business and now the same technology is seen as competition. Travel agents often comment that the internet offers lower prices. There is no doubt the internet has aided and speeded up the dissemination of product updates and pricing information and is here to stay. At the same time, like a
or the agents who have online presence? Back to the cruise business and cruise line websites display prices applicable to specific markets. Owing to market conditions, these fares are adjusted to have a reasonable bal-
global village, it offers competition from all over the world that was earlier restricted to the agency next door. So who is the real competition — the internet
ance between demand, supply and yields and such discounted or promotional fares are also offered via their appointed agents. There are agents who specialise in group business and cruise lines offer them good prices so these fares are offered by an agent who is real competition and not the cruise lines themselves. Furthermore, these agents do not pay commission compared to cruise lines that pay you healthy commissions. You too can work smart and work with a cruise line to explore the possibility of group business and then watch your bottom line grow. So here’s wishing you a $uccessful, $elling and $ailing year ahead!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LEBANON’S PRICE WAR I read with interest your comment Think value before price (posted online at www. hoteliermiddleeast.com and on www.arabianbusiness.com in November) and thought I’d grab this opportunity to share my thoughts and insights on this crucial subject. The trend in Lebanon is to enter into price wars in order to survive in the travel market. Hotels are selling at prices lower to walk-in customers than they are to the agencies and corporates plus online fares are continuously changing according to occupancy. Some airlines in Lebanon are selling ‘under the table’
20
fares offering consolidators additional discounts and there are some agencies that are selling to individuals at corporate deal prices, which is absolutely illegal. Oman Air’s new aircraft is the To top it off, there is a new “icing on the cake” for Oman. trend in Lebanon, by both corporates and individuals, to not pay on time. In response to your article Oman Air ups the stakes (in At our travel agency we are the November edition of ATN trying a different approach and posted online at www. by avoiding a price war and hoteliermiddleeast.com), I am abiding by payment terms, a great fan of Oman as a deseven when customers don’t pay up on time. As a result [of tination and with aircraft like this [new A330-300] added abiding by the rules] we are to the Oman Air fleet, this is losing customers. Roxanne Nassar the icing on the cake. Oman as a destination is incomparable to any other in the OMAN HERE WE COME
Arabian Travel News – January 2010
Middle East due to its natural beauty, which is absolutely stunning, plus the Omani people are the most hospitable you will come across. Good job Oman Air! Please keep it coming slowly, but surely. CJ THE SOUR SACHER I read the recent ‘What the customer said’ review of The Sacher Hotel (in Vienna, Austria) online at www.hoteliermiddleeast.com and in the October edition of ATN and agree that The Sacher is, indeed, a beautiful hotel that is steeped in historical grandeur. A few years ago, while staying at an alternative ho-
tel in the city, I decided that the Sacher restaurant was a must-visit-for-dinner location and arrived there full of anticipation. The food was good (although I have had much better) but the biggest disappointment was the attitude of the staff who were somewhat aloof and gave the impression of “looking down their noses” at all the guests. To be honest, they spoiled what would otherwise have been a very pleasant evening. So, replace the restaurant staff en masse with a team that’s more human, respectful and customer friendly and I might return. Paul Tunbridge
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ArabianTravel News and analysis for Middle East travel agents and tour operators
REGIONAL NEWS
Comment
NEWS
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A fond farewell It’s time to head to pastures new
EDITORIAL Senior Group Editor Gemma Greenwood Tel: +971 4 435 6262 email: gemma.greenwood@itp.com Contributors Kathi Everden and Ben Watts ADVERTISING Sales Director Alexandra Knight Tel: +971 4 435 6143 email: alexandra.knight@itp.com Key Account Manager Natalie Sabel Tel: +971 4 435 6342 email: natalie.sabel@itp.com STUDIO Group Art Editor Dan Prescott Designer Angela Ravi PHOTOGRAPHY Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Senior Photographer Efraim Evidor, Khatuna Khutsishvili Staff Photographers Khaled Termanini, Thanos Lazopoulos, Jovana Obradovic, Rajesh Raghav, Ruel Pableo, Lyubov Galushko PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Production Manager Eleanor Zwanepoel Production Coordinator Sophia White Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami CIRCULATION Head of Operations & Database Gaurav Gulati MARKETING Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP DIGITAL Director Peter Conmy ITP GROUP Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K.M. Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 435 6000 Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit www.itpimages.com.
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For those of you that are parents, you will no doubt have experienced the anguish of leaving your child at the school gates on their first day of school, or shed a tear when as a teenager, your ‘baby’ flocked from the nest, moving out of the family home as they entered adulthood. I am yet to embark on parenthood in this sense, yet it is time for me to say farewell to my ‘baby’ — Arabian Travel News — a magazine that I have nurtured since its birth in March 2006, as I leave for pastures new. Since its inception, Arabian Travel News has mirrored the fast-paced growth of the region’s travel industry and has gone from strength to strength. It has become the must-read travel trade publication in not only the Middle East, but globally, due to its willingness to address issues that impact the lives of travel trade professionals. Arabian Travel News has always been proud to tell it how it is and for that I have to thank you, the readers, for your honesty, openness and enthusiasm for both the industry and the publication. I do hope this will continue in the future as the magazine looks to grow and develop new products and services. In fact, 2010 looks set to be an exciting year for Arabian Travel News with many new initiatives in the pipeline. The publication will continue its focus on developing custom-made ‘how to sell’ destination supplements, which have proved immensely popular over the past few years. But perhaps more exciting is the plan to launch a brand new awards programme designed to reward the unsung heroes of the travel trade. The Arabian Travel News Awards 2010 will recognise the region’s travel agency community, which, in the past few years in particular, has been faced with many challenges, from commission cuts to recession and the direct-sell tactics of suppliers. From the frontline consultants who strive to improve their product knowledge and upgrade their customer service skills, to the agency manager who has to ensure he hits his targets while keeping his workforce up-to-speed, motivated and inspired, the awards will reward passionate people who go that extra mile. See page 4 for more details. And last but not least, 2010 will see the launch of ATN’s own dedicated website, bringing you breaking industry news as well as vital services such as training to help you keep your selling skills up to scratch. Despite my departure this month, you might well see my name crop up from time to time in ATN as a mother can never really leave her child totally abandoned! I have crossed paths with some truly wonderful people during my past four years overseeing the travel and hospitality group here at ITP and I will endeavour to stay in touch with you all. I thank you again for your support of ATN and its sister publications ons and hope that 2010 is a happy and prosperous year for you all.
"53).%33
Gemma Greenwood Senior Group Editor
To subscribe, visit www.itp.com/subscriptions Published by and Copyright © 2010 ITP Business Publishing, a division of ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company Registration number 1402846.
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
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In its capacity as mouthpiece of the Middle East travel trade, ATN is eager to hear your news and views. Email gemma.greenwood@itp.com
January 2009 – Arabian Travel News
21
REGIONAL NEWS
Skillset Tried and tested
The Address Dubai Mall DUBAI BACKGROUND: The Address Dubai Mall opened on September 9, the third property in the portfolio of The Address Hotels + Resorts — the hotel brand owned by Emaar Hospitality Group. The property is categorised as a “five-star premium” and its key selling point is that it’s directly linked to the world’s largest shopping malls.
The very funky Amatista bar.
THE ARRIVAL: A chauffeur service is optional, but well worth the money. The ride in the 7 Series BMW, driven by a very polite and friendly smartly-dressed chauffeur, was comfortable and relaxing. The door staff and porters were also friendly and efficient although check-in was a little hectic as the property was very busy. There was no formal queuing system, which not only made the lobby area appear untidy and disorganised, but could cause arguments amongst waiting guests. A colleague of mine waited 30 minutes to check in.
tures and fittings were up to the same standard. In addition, the curtains were made from an awful tacky plastic material, reminiscent of a shower curtain! One bonus, however, was complimentary WiFi.
MICE: There is a 576m² ballroom that can be divided into three sections and host up to 650 guests as well as six meeting rooms accommodating between 15 and 40 guests.
THE THE ARRIVAL: The hotel has 244 rooms and suites. We stayed in a Club Suite, which was very roomy comprising a living room with en-suite and a bedroom with semi open-plan bathroom featuring a bath with a window view overlooking Downtown Burj Dubai. The colour palette was neutral — dark woods complemented with tones of beige and brown, offset with whites and creams. The room featured two flat-screen TVs, an iPod docking station, “gourmet” tea and coffee station and good quality food and beverages and in-room amenities. However, having stayed at The Address Downtown Burj Dubai, I did not think the quality of the fix-
F&B: All-day dining restaurant Na3Na3 specialises in Arabic home-style cooking offering both à la carte and buffet service with live cooking stations. The dinner and breakfast service at this restaurant, which boasts views of the 20-metre waterfall (that drops into the mall below), was of a very high standard. Additional outlets include lobby lounge Karat; the very funky Amatista bar where innovative cocktails are served downstairs and cigars upstairs in the dedicated cigar room; and poolside bar Cabana featuring daybeds, loungers and DJ.
desirable sunbathing area with plenty of private shady spots. The current gym is temporary and will house the QIX Kids Club, opening soon, while a new fitness centre offering personal trainers is u under construction. There is also The Spa, with nine treatment rooms, as well as separate male and female hair salons. However, the most impressive leisure facility is the adjoining mall, boasting 1200 retail outlets including 70 world-leading haute couture labels (in Fashion Avenue), as well as leisure attractions spanning Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo; the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink; SEGA Republic; and Reel Cinemas.
LEISURE FACILITIES: The property boasts a massive outdoor pool and a very
PRICES: Packages and special deals are posted on the website (www.theaddress. com). The property is currently offering a deal where guests book three nights and get a 20% discount. Club Suite rates start from AED 2759 per night, which includes use of the Club Lounge services, pick up and drop off, two hours of complimentary usage of meeting room and free WiFi. BOOKING IT: The property suggests agents book through the GDS or a DMC. Alternatively call +971 4 438 8888, fax + 971 4 438 7888, email dubaimall@theaddress. com or visit www.theaddress.com
The suites are tastefully decorated — apart from the curtains.
EDITOR’S VERDICT The Address Hotels + Resorts carries the slogan ‘Where Life Happens’ and The Address Dubai Mall was certainly lively and bustling when we stayed there. The hotel was packed with GCC shoppers and corporate groups and it is a convenientlylocated property that suits all types of guests. However, for those seeking a more upscale leisure experience, I would recommend sister property, The Address Downtown Burj Dubai. The Address Dubai Mall is also perfect for a girly shopping weekend — the mall is a two-minute walk from the lobby.
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
23
REGIONAL NEWS
Skillset SKILLSET REVIEW
Car rental firms uncovered A reveals the findings from this month’s mystery ATN shopper survey of car rental firms in Dubai s
Mystery shopping explained Each month ATN and Ethos chooses four UAE-based travel-related companies to mystery shop and find out how satisfied your customers are. The purpose of this exercise is to find out the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to customer service and sales execution performance.
Scenarios Mystery shoppers asked for car rental information.
Scenario 2: Say that you are inquiring on behalf of your friends who will be visiting Dubai on a tourist visa. Say you would like to find out more information about the types of vehicles from which to choose and how much they cost. Make sure you ask about insurance options and if the company has any special promotions on offer.
What are the mystery shoppers looking for? 1 AGENCY/OUTLET APPEARANCE
• Outlet easy to find? • Opening/closing hours displayed? • Outlet clean and tidy? • Brochures and related literature placed in a good orderly manner? • Comfortable temperature? 2 TRAVEL ADVISOR
• Were the employees well groomed? • Were employee name tags clearly visible? • Enough employees available to serve? • Did the advisor make eye contact to acknowledge your presence at the desk? • Did the outlet you visited have a formal customer queuing system in place? • How long did it take for you to be served? • If you waited, did an employee apologise? • How were you greeted by the agent? • Did the agent provide relevant info? • Was the agent friendly? • Did they give you their full attention? • Were they knowledgeable? • Did the agent provide you with information in an easily-understood format? • Were you satisfied with the information you received from the advisor? 3 THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE
• Overall, based on your experience at this outlet, would you recommend it to your family and friends? • How satified were you with the outcome of your visit to this particular travel agency?
24
Arabian Travel News – January 2010
Scenario 1: You are visiting Dubai and arrived just a few days ago. You have planned a three-week holiday in Dubai and although you decided not to rent a car from the airport, you have since changed your mind and would like to find out more information about the types of vehicles you can choose from and how much they cost. Make sure you ask about insurance options and if there are any special promotions.
Shoppers asked for car rental on behalf of visiting friends.
Star advisor St Well done Vince from Hertz, Radisson Hotel,West Tower, Media City, who provided detailed, structured information to his customer leaving them completely satisfied. Vince asked the right questions to estab-
lish his customer’s needs, provided a brochure including pricing, as well as promotion details. It was fantastic to see his name tag clearly visible and that he provided the shopper with his business card.
About Ethos Consultancy Originating in the UK 1995, Ethos Consultancy relocated to Dubai in early 2003. The firm’s consultants have been handpicked from some of the most mature customer service markets in the world to ensure experience and best practice is built into the mystery shopping process. Based on its years of expertise in the mystery shopping field, Ethos has developed a combination of products and services to help organisations of all shapes and sizes understand exactly how their business is performing through the eyes of both their customers and employees. Contact: +971 4 332 6315, visit www.ethos.ae or email info@ethos.ae
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REGIONAL NEWS
MYSTERY SHOPPER SKILLSET
Mystery shopper
Hertz
Budget
Thrifty
Avis
Radisson Hotel Dubai Media City
Movenpick Hotel Bur Dubai
Four Points Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road
Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates
91%
87%
85%
12%
Summary: The counter was easy to find and well signposted. Opening/closing hours were clearly displayed and the premises were clean and tidy, but brochures were not clearly displayed. Advisors were well groomed and wearing name tags and made good eye contact, were friendly and displayed a good standard of product knowledge. Both shoppers were given a business card and asked to return. Advice: Customers notice if your brochures are not organised and easily accessible, even if your advisors provide a good service.
Summary: The counter was not easy to find and opening/closing hours were not clearly displayed, but the premises were clean and tidy and brochures were clearly displayed. Advisors were well groomed, but not wearing nametags. Both advisors made good eye contact, were friendly and had good product knowledge. Advice: Wear a name tag and apologise for keeping customers waiting. One shopper had to wait around 10 minutes and was not offered an apology. Make your location and opening hours clear.
Summary: The counter was not easy to find and opening/closing hours were not clearly displayed, but the premises were clean and tidy and brochures were neat. Advisors were well groomed, but not wearing name tags. Both advisors made good eye contact, were friendly and had a good standard of product knowledge. Advice: Always wear a name tag and apologise for keeping customers waiting. One shopper said a Thrifty staff member read a magazine all the way through his discussion with his colleague.
Summary: The counter was not easy to find and opening hours were not clearly displayed. The premises were clean and tidy and brochures were clearly displayed. Advisors were not present and no notice of a return time was given. Advice: If no one is available to serve your customers, a sign must be erected apologising for the inconvenience and detailing the time when an attendant will be back, as well as a name and contact number. Leaving your customer with no information damages the reputation of your business.
HERTZ
BUDGET
THRIFTY
AVIS
90% 90.70% 90% 90.70%
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80% 86.70% 100% 87%
90%
70% .70%
85% 90% 90%
5% 5%
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
25
REGIONAL NEWS
Skillset
What’s new... Arabian Travel News provides a round-up of the latest hotel and resort openings, new airline routes and all other travel-related announcements... IN ACCOMMODATION: The renovated living room of an executive suite at Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai.
• Bur Dubai hotel refurbishment complete: Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai recently completed major renovation work. The US $6 million facelift incorporated all 125 guest rooms and is intended to complement the 10-year old hotel’s facilities and service culture.
• Mumbai Trident hotel opens: The Oberoi Group has opened its Trident-branded hotel within Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex. The North Mumbai Trident features 436 guestrooms, including 77 Trident Club Rooms and 24 suites. The property is located in the heart of the new financial and commercial district of North Mumbai. • Name change for Istanbul Hyatt: Hyatt Regency Istanbul has been rebranded Grand Hyatt Istanbul. The name change follows enhancements to guestrooms, suites, meeting space and public areas. There are also plans to expand the hotel and the property’s restaurants will be renovated in 2011. A suite at the newly branded Grand Hyatt Istanbul.
Etihad is increasing its services to Nepal.
• Rotana opens Abu Dhabi property: Rotana has opened the five-star Park Rotana Abu Dhabi. It is one of the key elements of the Park Rotana Complex — a multi-use business and residential development. The hotel is adjacent to Park Arjaan by Rotana, which is set to open soon.
Arabian Travel News – January 2010
• Melbourne-Doha-London: Qatar Airways has launched daily flights to Melbourne now the airline has taken delivery of its second Boeing 777-200LR. The non-stop flight from Doha offers one of the fastest services between London and Melbourne via the airline’s Qatar hub. The flight crew onboard Qatar’s Doha-Melbourne service.
• Increase in flights between Abu Dhabi and Kathmandu: Etihad Airways is increasing its service between Abu Dhabi and Kathmandu from four to seven flights a week. It is one of the airline’s busiest routes.
WHAT’S COMING SOON: • Holiday Inn’s Saudi Arabian invasion: The first three locations of Holiday Inn Express hotels to become operational in Saudi Arabia have been announced. The three new hotels will be located in Madinah Road, Jeddah; Knowledge Economic City, Madinah; and King
The Park Rotana Complex in Abu Dhabi.
26
IN TRANSIT:
Abdullah Economic City under a master franchise agreement between InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Saudi-based investment holding company, Siraj Capital. The deal will see 12 Holiday Inn Express hotels open in Saudi Arabia over the next five years.
IHG brand Holiday Inn Express is set for rapid expansion in Saudi Arabia.
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REGIONAL NEWS
Dubai projects 2010
The Burj Dubai, apart from being the tallest building in the world, will house the first Armani Hotel and Residences when it opens this month.
ATN showcases the ‘wow’ developments set to rise from the sand in an emirate that continues to push the boundaries and hit the record books No matter how much the international knocks — and mocks — Dubai, you have to admire the emirate’s ability to cast these aspersions aside and focus on its core objectives — developing the destination to world-class standards. At World Travel Market (WTM) in London in November, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) came out with a series of bold press releases promoting the emirate’s many tourism-related projects that are due to come online in 2010 with headlines reading ‘flagship developments defy the global economic downturn and open in Dubai’. “Dubai has pioneered some of the world’s
The Armani Residences.
most exciting and extraordinary developments and 2010 will be no exception,” said a DTCM statement. “Standing head and shoulders above other destinations, Dubai’s offering will reach new heights when the world’s tallest building opens in December 2009 (ed: now January 2010), along with a number of new hotels, sporting facilities and epic ground breaking developments opening in the coming months. “These high profile new developments are a clear sign that the emirate is moving into a period of recovery from the global econmic downturn while also providing many new employment opportunities.” Here we profile the many projects that the DTCM has said will open in 2010.
BURJ DUBAI The world’s tallest building, Burj Dubai, is scheduled to unlock its doors in early 2010 as the centrepiece of the Downtown Burj Dubai area. This will include the world’s first Armani Hotel, designed, featuring 160 guestrooms and suites, an Armani Spa, a private members’ club, two gourmet restaurants and a nightclub. It will also boast 144 exquisite Armani Residences all furnished in the designer’s ‘homes’ brand, Armani Casa.
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Arabian Travel News – January 2010
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REGIONAL NEWS
Dubai projects 2010
DUBAI WORLD CENTRAL AL MAKTOUM INTERNATIONAL (DWC-AMI) Dubai World Central, located in the vicinity of the Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone in ‘New Dubai’ is a multi-phase development of six clustered zones: Dubai Logistics City (DLC), Commercial City, Residential City, Aviation City and Golf City, with the world’s largest airport — Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International (DWCAMI) at its heart. The 140km² development will also be home to the region’s first integrated, multi-modal transportation platform connecting air, sea and land. The costs for the entire DWC development (including all clusters) has been estimated in excess of US $32 billion and work is in progress on the $820 million phase one of DWC-AMI. Here ATN speaks to DWC-AMI vice president Andrew Walsh about the opening of phase one — which will take place in June 2010 — and the plan for years ahead. ATN: Which airlines are likely to move into DWC-AMI when phase one is open? We are still talking to a range of carriers — commercial, cargo, government aviation, low-cost, freighters etc — but the level of attractiveness is going to be down to each airline’s own personal product. We are talking to a combination of existing airlines and new entrants, but nothing is confirmed yet. ATN: What are the benefits of airlines moving to Al Maktoum Inernational? The real benefit is that we will be a multimodal hub in that we can take advantage
Walsh: DWC-AMI will be a “multi-modal hub”.
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of the nearby seaport (at Jebel Ali) plus we have the road network into Dubai, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and into Saudi Arabia. This is very attractive for the cargo industry. The benefits for the passenger airlines is certainly a less-congested airport [than Dubai International], plus the close proximity to new Dubai. We do recognise the current difficulties for Dubai International and the concentrated land mass around it, whereas AMI will be far less congested. There is better access to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and the by-pass road [that is being extended to the airport] will make it much easier to travel to Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. ATN: What will be the total capacity of the two airports when phase one is opened? We reached 40.5 million passengers at Dubai International in 2009 and will have 46 million by the end of 2010. At DWC-AMI we will have one million passengers by the end of 2010 so that’s 47 million across the two airports in total by the end of the year. What’s actually available is five million at DWC-AMI [for phase one] and 65 million at Dubai International. With expansion [at the latter], that will increase to 75 million by the end of 2012 with the opening of concourse three. Of course, when it’s completed, DWC-AMI will have the capacity for 160 million.
Al MAKTOUM INTERNATIONAL PHASE ONE (JUNE 2010): • A single A380 compatible runway • Passenger terminal with capacity of five million passengers per annum (expandable to seven million) at a cost of $275 million • A cargo terminal building with a capacity of 250,000 tonnes per annum (expandable to 600,000 tonnes) at a cost of $76 million • A 92-metre air traffic control tower WHEN COMPLETED: • Up to four passenger terminals • 160 million passengers per annum (compared to 90 million at Atlanta) • A final cargo capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum • Five parallel runways, 4.5km long, each separated by a minimum of 800-metres
ATN: When will phase two open? We are not sure but there will be a series of developments opening in between phases one and two, but it could be another 10 years before the passenger terminals are open. ATN: Will the two airports both be operational when DWC-AMI is completed? DWC-AMI is always the long-term solution for Dubai because capacity constraints at Dubai International are recognised. The absolute capacity at Dubai International is 90 million, but in order for the UAE and Emirates Airline to expand, we need more capacity than that. The decision about how they might work together is still underway. ATN: From what sources will demand for DWC-AMI be generated? It’s important that we look at the passenger side. We have said for some time that we would exceed 40 million passengers at Dubai International in 2009 and we had already done that before the end of the year. Unlike many airports globally, we continue to report
Phase one of DWC-AMI will open in June 2010.
growth. Over the last few months we have seen double-digit growth (year on year in terms of passenger numbers). Of course, the growth is not as strong as we witnessed from 2007 to 2008, but never-the-less, it is positive. It’s the same on the cargo side where we have seen marginal growth this year. In the list of top 10 airports in the world (where we are number five) the other nine airports have lost volume, but we are growing. DWC-AMI is located in a place that brings the airport and seaport together, plus we are a global hub that brings three continents — Europe, Africa and Asia — together. We are a multimodal hub and it’s important to have an airport that can grow and expand.
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
29
REGIONAL NEWS
Dubai projects 2010
KIDZANIA Children are in for a treat in 2010 with the opening of Kidzania at Dubai Mall, a city made for and run by children, where they can drive buses, fly aeroplanes and work in restaurants. It is an initiative of Emaar Retail, which has already opened attractions such as Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, SEGA Republic, Reel Cinemas and Dubai Ice Rink at the mall. KidZania will feature offices, schools, a fire station, race track, radio station, pizzeria, hospitals, a bank, ATM machines, theatre and fashion ramps, all scaled down to a smaller, child-friendly size. Kids can choose a preferred ‘role’ — from teachers and doctors to construction workers and mechanics — and are provided with costumes to complete the experience. But perhaps the piece de resistance is the Emirates Airline component of this edutainment centre. The airline is creating a real-life airport and airline environment with features including aircraft bodies and cockpits and check-in counters. Kids can even dress up in Emirates Airline pilot and cabin crew uniforms.
JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES Dubai’s goal to position itself as one of the world’s leading sporting destinations is already underway with the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates already opening at the end of 2009 for the inaugural Dubai World Championship, which culminated with the Race To Dubai. The resort will also house three other courses, Wind, Fire and Water, designed by Greg Norman, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and Pete Dye. Members are already playing the Earth course and the Fire course is set to open early this year.
Jumeirah Golf Estates is already up and running with the Earth course open. Emirates Airline has set up a real-life airline and airport experience.
TIGER WOODS AL RUWAYA RESORT Continuing the golf theme, despite the recent controversy surrounding international golf star — and now play boy — Tiger Woods, the Tiger Woods Dubai and Al Ruwaya Golf Club is also set to open in 2010. It will boast an 18-hole championship course with “dramatic elevation changes, lush landscaping, stunning water features and an overall design that will challenge and entertain golfers of all playing abilities”. Residential and hospitality components will include 197 residences, a boutique hotel, a spa, a fine dining restaurant, a professionally staffed golf academy and the Al Ruwaya clubhouse.
30
Arabian Travel News – January 2010
The 6th hole at the Tiger Woods Dubai.
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REGIONAL NEWS
Dubai projects 2010
THE MEYDAN RACECOURSE Meydan Racecourse will open its doors this month playing host to a number of high-profile events including Dubai International Racing Carnival and the Dubai World Cup.The new racecourse will be able to accommodate 60,000 spectators in the 1.2-km long grandstand. A horse racing museum and gallery, hotels, restaurants and an IMAX theatre are also planned. Hotel operator Banyan Tree has also been appointed to manage a hotel complex and all-pool villa resort at Meydan. The racecourse is part of Meydan City, which will also include Horizons — a mixeduse development comprising commercial, residential and retail space, as well as an 80-berth marina; Godolphin Parks — a residential complex and shopping mall; and Metropolis — a commercial, retail and residential development.
Meydan Racecourse — one component of Meydan City — will open in 2010.
Dubai Metro’s Green Line will open in June.
DUBAI METRO Following the opening of the Dubai Metro in 2009, the next stage — the Green Line — is scheduled to open in June 2010 with the completion rate in constructing several stations ranging from 50% to 80%. The project comprises eight underground stations, 12 elevated stations, 8km of underground track and 15km of above ground track to be served by 17 trains in 2010, increasing to 42 in 2015 and 50 in 2010. The route covers the area between Al Nahda Street to Healthcare City and the estimated journey time from start to finish of the Line is approximately 26 minutes. Dubai Metro is the world’s longest fully-automated rail transport system and when completed, it will have 70km (43 miles) of lines and 47 stations. There are three classes of travel — ‘Women & Children’ (a special car for women and children with more space to allow strollers and bags); ‘Gold’ (more spacious, higher level of privacy, luggage space and leather seating; and ‘Silver’ (standard class with 25 to 27 seats).
www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel
Work will begin on 20 of the islands on The World this year.
THE WORLD Development on Nakheel’s The World project will continue in 2010. Work will begin on as many as 20 of the planned 300 luxury manmade islands and with two more islands selling in October last year; only four islands remain on the market in the current schedule.
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
31
How to sell
REGIONAL NEWS
How to sell Shopping breaks to London Shopping breaks to London
Retail therapy London shopping breaks are an n easy sel sell ell given the capital city’s unrivalled ed re retail opportunities geared to the GCC CC market ondon is arguably the best place to shop in the world due to the diversity of its retail offering. From the mouthwatering array of top-end brands available at stores in Knightsbridge and Kensington where a serious bashing of the wallet is the order of the day, to the more affordable High Street brands that line Oxford Street or the quirky village-style shopping offered in surburbian pockets of the city such as Notting Hill or Hampstead, there’s plenty to suit consumers of all types.There are also new city shopping centres emerging such as Westfield London in Shep-
herd’s Bush where GCC CC Nationals cravin craving the mall environment can feel at home and sh shop for designer names, s, get their t ei nails ai s done do e and a d have a quick bite to eat, all under one roof. What’s more, London’s ndon’s shopping and hospitality scene is geared ared up to catering to the GCC market with many o of the city’s topend hotels negotiating special ting speci ecial deals, discounts and personal shopping sonal shopp pping arrangements with h the largerr department store retailers such as Harrods, Harvey Har Nichols and Liberty. y. Importantly, they also provide some muchmu needed post-shopping shopping hoppi respite with sumptuous ptuous o afte afternoon teas and relaxing axing g spa treattrea ments high on the agen agenda. With such appealing ealing packages on offer and airlines currently ntly competing ng to beat o one another on price for flights to the UK, there is no time like the present to sell a shoppi shopping pping break to London.
London offers arguably some of the best shopping opportunities in the world.
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January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
33
REGIONAL NEWS
How to sell Shopping breaks to London
A taste of the Orient iconic department store Harrods, which has long been a favourite haunt of Middle East shoppers, plus the boutiques of Sloane Street are only a stone’s throw away.
HEAD TO HARRODS
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is close to Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
MANDARIN ORIENTAL For clients seeking the ultimate Knightsbridge shopping experience, there is only one place to stay — Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. It couldn’t be better located — it’s slap bang opposite one of London’s top department stores, Harvey Nichols — in fact, if your client’s room is facing Brompton Road, there is a good chance they’ll get a good glance of the store’s top floor champagne bar from their window or terrace. Not far down the road there’s the
Mandarin Oriental guests not only have the shopping advice of the hotel’s expert concierge team at their fingertips but until the end of January, are offered the chance to possess their very own Harrods loyalty card plus shopping vouchers under the hotel’s ‘Best of British’ programme. Once signed up, cardholders are also eligible for discounts at certain times of the year when promotions apply, with discounts on top-end brands also up for grabs. The Best of British programme also includes complimentary entry to the prestigious Aspinalls club in nearby Mayfair, ordinarily priced at £1000 per person. Mandarin Oriental guests also enjoy shopping and family experience privileges in the run up to Christmas. n 2009, for example, the hotel’s ‘Christmas Extravaganza’ programme included a Golden Pass to the Harrods Christmas Grotto. Harrods is astute to the requirements of Arab Nationals who tend to shop ‘til they drop in the department store during the summer months in particular. The store has extended trading hours during the summer period when Arabic-speaking sales assistants and personal shoppers are on hand. Shopping at Harrods is tax free and traditional Arabic cuisine is offered at the Ishbilia restaurant. Harrods’ international marketing manager Fiona Armitage says there has been a 13%
Selling Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Location: Sandwiched between Brompton Road and Hyde Park, opposite Harvey Nichols. Accommodation: 198 guestrooms and suites, all individually furnished and decorated in true Victorian style. Don’t miss: The award-winning spa, offering eight private treatment rooms, expert therapists and ESPA products. What’s new: The Knightsbridge property has joined forces with The Fat Duck Group to create the first London restaurant with Chef
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Heston Blumenthal (to open this autumn) and will also introduce the award-winning cuisine of Lyon-born chef Daniel Boulud to the UK for the first time when Bar Boulud opens in the hotel this spring. This year will also see Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group manage the 85 luxurious residences — known as One Hyde Park — that are being developed next to the Knightsbridge hotel. These apartments will make ideal longer term residences for Middle East shoppers.
increase in Middle East visitors year-to-date and a 14% hike in sales against a “very strong” 2007-2008. “It was apparent this summer that we had fewer high value jewellery sales, but we saw an increase in fashion accessories purchasing,” she reveals.
TIME FOR TEA Post-shopping, there’s nowhere better to refuel than The Park restaurant where traditional English afternoon tea is served, complete with mouth-watering cakes and sweets created by head pastry chef Graham Hornigold, voted ‘Pastry Chef of theYear’ by the Craft Guild of Chefs. For something a little stronger, the Mandarin Bar serves cocktails and exotic nibbles in über-trendy surroundings.
POST-RETAIL THERAPY Mandarin Oriental guests weary of shopping should head straight to The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, which has consistently been voted one of the best urban spas in the UK. The facility has eight private treatment rooms plus an Amethyst Crystal Steam Room, Vitality Pool, Sanarium and the “deeply calming” Zen Colour Therapy Relaxation room. There are a range of signature treatments offered and therapists conduct very thorough consultations before therapies are applied.
Mandarin Oriental’s best of British programme Prices from £525 including: • One night’s accommodation • Full English Breakfast in The Park restaurant • A Harrods Gift Certificate: £25 or £50 depending on room category and access to the Harrods Rewards Scheme • Lunch at Foliage • Complimentary membership to Aspinalls club (worth £1000) Rates are based on two guests sharing one room for a one night stay exclusive of VAT and 5% discretionary service charge. The programme is valid until January 31, 2010 and subject to availability.
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REGIONAL NEWS
How to sell Shopping breaks to London
All pink and Brown’s THE LANGHAM How often have you or your clients walked along Oxford Street after a hard day’s shopping and thought how wonderful it would be to step into a hotel room and rest your weary feet? Well, with The Langham Hotel conveniently located just minutes by foot from Oxford Circus, you can do just that. This property was just made for shopaholics and having re-opened its doors last year following an £80 million restoration, there is no excuse for your top-end clients not to stay here when hitting one of the world’s most impressive shopping districts. The new Langham Hotel London, which dates back toVictorian London (1865), has 380 luxurious guestrooms and suites, all exquisitely fitted out in a contemporary design in neutral tones with hints of an Asian influence. Guests will also note touches of the property’s new signature pale pink motif — the colour of the bathroom amenities and stationary. The property also boasts 15 function rooms and a fitness centre, while the centrepiece, located behind the lobby, is Palm Court, famed as the place where the tradition of afternoon tea was born.
Selling the Langham
The Langham is located in the busiest shopping district.
Additional F&B outlets include The Landau, serving contemporary European dishes, and the Artesian cocktail bar. As is the case with many London hotels, the concierge can help arrange shopping experiences and when ATN stayed at the property, discount cards for Liberty on Regent Street, were distributed in guest rooms with the famous store’s dedicated glossy magazine.
Location: Portland Place, just a few minutes on foot from Oxford Circus, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street. Accommodation: 380 luxurious guestrooms and suites. Don’t miss: taking a deep breath when you step into the lobby and enjoying the Langham’s signature ginger and lily scent. Taking afternoon tea in the hotel’s Palm Court is also an imperative. What’s new: a brand new spa is due to open its doors at the property this summer. Packages: an ‘Enchanted Weekends’ package is priced from £219 per night and includes English breakfast and late checkout (3pm), meaning there’s more time to shop. Information: visit www.london. langhamhotels.co.uk
Bespoke stays at Brown’s Brown’s Hotel, located in the heart of Mayfair close to Bond Street, Regent Street and Oxford Street, is offering a ‘Bespoke Brown’s Experience’ allowing guests to create their own stay by selecting one of the following services or activities: • Three hours with either a personal shopper or a private guided tour of London and a copy of the limited edition Rocco Forte’s A Hedonist’s Guide to London
• Round-trip chauffeur driven car transfers from Heathrow, Gatwick or City Airport • Two theatre tickets to a leading West End show with set two-course pre-theatre dinner in The Albemarle • Two tickets to The Royal Academy of Arts and three-course lunch in The Albemarle • Three-course dinner for two, including bottle of wine, in The Albemarle • Two one-hour spa treatment in The Spa
The stay also includes: • Overnight accommodation • Welcome amenity on arrival • Full English breakfast in The Albemarle Package prices start from £800 for two nights for two people sharing a Classic King room. Packages are available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout 2010, subject to availability. The hotel also offers special after-hours appointments with and private tours of London’s finest Savile Row establishments and even the chance to create your very own personalised scent, ensuring a truly tailormade trip.
Brown’s Hotel is offering bespoke stays including shopping options.
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Call: +44 800 988 4040, +44 (0)20 7493 6020 or email reservations.browns@ roccofortecollection.com
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
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REGIONAL NEWS
How to sell Shopping breaks to London
Malls and money back
Westfield London is Europe’s biggest urban shopping complex.
tronic tagging system for lost children, taxi lounge, tax-free shopping for tourists and valet parking. Hosted tours are available. There are 50 eateries plus restaurants and open cooking counters line Southern Terrace, a pedestrian dining street where fresh food, including Halal options, is available. Opening hours also suit the Middle East market — 10am-9pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am-10pm Thursday and Friday, 9am-9pm Saturday and 12 noon to 6pm Sunday. Since the centre opened its doors in October 2008, the shopping centre has reported a footfall of more than 20 million, with tourism comprising around 30% of visitors. In this respect, the top visiting nationalities, according to Global Tax Returns reported by Westfield, are Nigerians, Kuwaitis, followed by Chinese and Indians. The mall’s marketing manager Jacquie Craig says feedback reveals that high-profile visitors from the Gulf are choosing to shop at Westfield because they can be anonymous there whereas at Harrods, they bump into everyone they know.
HOLIDAY PACKAGES DNATA HOLIDAYS Dukes Hotel: prices start from AED 5785 per person. The Milestone Hotel: prices start from AED 6000 per person. Both packages include flights with Emirates; three nights’ accommodation; daily English breakfast; taxes and service charges. Packages valid until March 31, 2010, based on a weekend stay for two. EMIRATES HOLIDAYS Hyatt Regency London: a six-night package is priced from AED 6525, valid until January 31. Thistle Marble Arch: a six-night package is priced from AED 5015 (stay six nights for the price of five, valid until March 31).
WESTFIELD LONDON Westfield London is Europe’s biggest urban shopping complex, boasting 265 premium and high street retailers, including 80 fashion and 40 luxury brands. Easily accessible by tube, train, bus and car, the mall has multilingual staff, offers personal shoppers, style advice, a concierge, intelligent parking facilities, a home and hotel delivery service for shopping goods, a chauffeur service, an elec-
Getting to London UK airline Virgin Atlantic flies daily from Dubai to London Heathrow. The carrier operates a three-class aircraft on the route featuring Upper Class, Premium Economy and Economy cabins.
The Milestone Hotel, London.
Westfield VIP card
Essential information and top tips
The Westfield VIP card provides discounts of up to 20% in more than 80 stores and restaurants in the shopping centre. Mall marketers are currently working closely with airlines and hotels to offer these passes to their clients. For example, passengers traveling with Virgin Atlantic from Dubai to London Heathrow can keep their boarding pass stub and hand this in at the concierge in the main atrium in exchange for a VIP card. The Mandarin Oriental also runs a ‘Luxe for less’ promotion for its guests whereby they receive a Westfield VIP card and an Armani gift. Visit www.uk.westfield.com
Popular Westfield stores with Middle fund system following three steps: 1 REFUND CHEQUE — ask the shop East market: for a Refund Cheque when making • Marks & Spencer — for everything a purchase. • Next — for kids clothes 2 CUSTOMS STAMP — show your • Myla — for top-end lingerie purchases, receipt and passport to • Luxury brands such as Prada, Gu the Customs office when leaving cci and Miu Miu the country and get your Refund Cheque stamped. Money back guarantee Visitors to the UK are offered a 15% 3 REFUND OFFICE — show the stamped Refund Cheque, passport tax rebate on purchases of £30 or and credit card at a nearby refund more when the goods are exported office and ask for an immediate out of the country. When selling a refund on your credit card. The shopping break to London, make sure refund can also be paid in cash. you clients are aware of this tax re-
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REGIONAL NEWS
Agent action
Burning issue
ATN spoke to students studying travel and tourism with TRS Consulting in Knowledge Village
Why do you want to work in the travel industry and what are your views on the future of the industry?
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I believe I am in the right place to develop my career
”
I decided to do a travel agent training course to bolster my travel knowledge and credentials and to improve my opportunities to work in the UAE. I enjoy helping people find the perfect tailor-made holiday and also organising corporate travel. In respect to the economic situation, I am quite positive about the industry and I am sure it will all be fine as people still want to
travel regardless. It is a leading industry in the world and one of the biggest in the UAE. I believe I am in the right place to develop my career.
Yulia Horvath, TRS Consulting student, tourism management graduate and qualified English-Russian translator, Dubai
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“Tourism in this region is big business” I decided to take this c o u r s e because I am interested in travel and I want to know more about it. I enjoy travelling, meeting new people and talking to them about their travel experiences. The course I am currently studying will help me gather a lot of information on how to talk to customers and how to use the systems used by travel agents. It’s a good time to get into the industry as it is heading in the right direction and tourism in this region is big business.
Sahar Ahmed, TRS Consulting student, Dubai
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Arabian Travel News – January 2010
It is time to get educated and to think about how we as an industry can be better at what we do
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Looking at the current market conditions, all travel agents seem to be selling the same thing so I want to do something different. In my mind 2010 is not looking to be a good year — therefore it is time to get educated and to think about how we as an industry can be better at what we do. I am doing the course because I want to offer something better and it is about quality over quantity. I am looking to get extra knowledge and I want to give the customer something different; I don’t want to stagnate and I need to be inventive.
Raid Ahmed, TRS Consulting student and branch manager, Al Rais Travel, Dubai
I have always wanted to communicate with people who have visited other countries. I like to travel and want to pass on my knowledge to customers. I’m on a four-month course, which is great because I will be able to find out quickly if I like the job as everything is covered on the syllabus. The course helps us to understand the industry and I believe we are good enough and experienced enough to now work in a travel agency, and this gives us a good starting point. The travel industry is developed in Dubai It is an exciting time to and it is an exciting become a travel agent time to become a travel agent.
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Sabrine Ahmed, TRS Consulting student, Dubai
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REGIONAL NEWS
Agent action
NEWS MIME
New recruit ATN talks to Ralph Melis, the new contracts manager — GCC, for wholesaler Destinations of the World (DOTW) ATN: What is your travel industry background? I’ve worked in hotel operations in Holland and in the UAE with most of my time spent in the front office, reservations and revenue. After completing some time in a sales role, I decided to move to an online travel agency in Dubai as an account manager for Oman, Qatar and the the UAE. ATN: What are your responsibilities in this new role? My main responsibilities will be dealing with rates contracts for existing and new
hotels in the GCC. I will also meet hotel sales and revenue representatives to discuss potential promotions and strategies. ATN: What do you hope to bring to the role? My background helps me understand the needs and ideas of hotels and travel agents alike. ATN: What will be the biggest challenges? It will probably be the spinoff of how hotels have reacted to the credit crisis. Most hotels were and
My background helps me understand the needs and ideas of hotels and agents alike ” are facing the challenge of declining RevPAR and are frequently looking for new avenues to help them improve it. This has led to a lack of control over rate distribution. We need to work closely
with our key partners to allow them to maximise their yield, but in a more controlled environment. ATN: What is the key to developing business during the economic downturn?
For us it’s now all about improving seamless distribution using technology. We have a strong focus on XML connectivity to our customers and direct connect to our suppliers. The company plans to increase its global customer distribution to more than 450,000 points of sale and increase its direct connectivity to more than 50,000 hotels in the next 12 months. Next year we will see massive expansion on this, so this should help improve our results and increase our market strength.
Checkin’ in/checkin’ out NOMAN HEADS TO AFRICA
A MOVE FOR MASTERSON
Yasser Noman, Kuoni’s current head of sales India and Middle East and head of Destination Arabia, has taken on the added challenge of heading Kuoni’s Destination Africa. Noman takes on the added responsibility from Thomas Goosmann who returns to the Kuoni Group’ss Zurich headquarters to take on a senior position within the rement cently established procurement g and production unit. Having han been with Kuoni for more than 11 years, Noman has held various positions and has nd been head of sales India and Middle East since 2006.
The Rocco Forte Collection has announced the appointment of Jodi Masterson as director of sales and marketing at recently opened The Augustine in Prague. Masterson has more than 17 years of experience within the hospitality industry and has been with The Rocco Forte Collection for seven years. leav her She leaves previous role as directo of sales director ma of marketing a Manat chester’s The Lowry Hotel where she oversaw the dev velopment
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of core hotel strategy, sales, conferences, marketing, PR, revenue, groups and VIPs. On her new position, Masterson commented: “I am delighted to be in Prague, ready to begin my next chapter with the company. The Augustine is a very special property in a magical city.”
SHERATON SEES TRIPLE Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel and Towers has appointed three new members Director of sales and marketing Deeksha Trivedi has welcomed to the team Anna Kandaryan, who becomes sales manager for the leisure segment, while Olga Garaschenko and SimSim Salaria join as sales executives.
Anna Kandaryan has previously worked for hotel chains and global travel agencies both in Dubai and her native Armenia. The business management Masters graduate will lead the leisure segment for the Dubai Creek hotel. Russian-born Olga Garaschenko joins the property with a wide-ranging career spanning steel and grain trading, real estate investment and hospitality. SimSim Salaria has a background in restaurant management and joined the hotel chain in Dubai as a corporate trainee, before taking the step up to sales executive.
MARSHALL’S MOUNTAIN UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways has appointed Ken Marshall as its country manager in Nepal. Marshall will be based in the capital, Kathmandu, where he will oversee the airline’s operations in the Himalayan republic. With a plethora of airline sales experience already under his belt, Marshall, who has worked for the Abu Dhabi-based airline for five years, has also held senior management positions at UK carrier British Airways, as well as Emirates Airline and Swiss International Airlines. His most recent role was as sales manager — Pakistan, for Etihad Airways. In this role he was part of the team that set up the airline’s operations in four cities within the vast country.
January 2010 – Arabian Travel News
39
REGIONAL NEWS
Agent action
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1. The Costa Cruises team ready for action. 2. Travel agents competing in the bowling alley.
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Agents, airlines, tour operators, car rental firms, hotels and many more gathered for a night of ten-pin bowling in Dubai last month, courtesy of Travelport GDS 3. Al Faisal Travel collecting the grand prize from Travelport UAE country manager Faris Azzee and Greg D’Souza, director of E-Commerce and Intermediaries at Marriott International.
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4. The mean team. 5. Trave agents hoping to to strike it lucky.
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Arabian Travel News – January 2010
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