05 JULY 2014
ISSUE 243
ABDALI BOULEVARD UNVEILED BAHRAIN AIRPORT COMPANY HAS BEEN SELECTED TO PLAY HOST TO THE FIRST-EVER ROUTES MENA EVENT IN NOVEMBER 2015.
04 KEMPINSKI IN AL KHOBAR TO OPEN IN Q2 2015
10 IN THIS ISSUE MARKET UPDATE GDS WEEKLY NEWS RENDEZVOUS ACCOMMODATION CLASSIFIEDS AIR INTERNATIONAL AGENT CORNER WHO’S MOVED TRAVEL CHANNELS TRAVEL TALK PHOTO ALBUM NEWS & EVENTS
02 03 04 08 09 12 15 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
BAC TO HOST FIRST ROUTES MENA EVENT
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MARKET UPDATE TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
Accurate as of
MANAGING EDITOR
03/07/2014
Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel
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SENIOR JOURNALIST Rita Kasziba JOURNALIST Maria Kazeli
COUNTRY
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PRESS Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian
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Strong Corporate and MICE Demand in Riyadh
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
Riyadh’s hotel sector continued to benefit from strong corporate activities in the city during the month of April.
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ased on data compiled by TRI Hospitality Consulting’s HotStats report, occupancy levels in the Saudi capital rose 5.4 points to 73 percent, and despite a 4.9 percent decline in average room rates to USD251.07, RevPAR improved 2.7 percent year-on-year to USD183.29. With food revenue making up 34.3 percent of total revenues, the five percent surge witnessed in April led to a 14.3 percent jump in total RevPAR to USD333.38 and a 15.4 percent rise in profits to USD180.15. As Peter Goddard, managing director, TRI Hospitality Consulting, noted, with events, such as the Riyadh Travel Fair attracting some 15,000 - 20,000 visitors, corporate and MICE demand remained high.
Jazeera Airways: Flown Passenger Numbers Rise
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azeera Airways recorded a 76 percent increase in passenger figures on the Kuwait – Istanbul route, the carrier’s operations performance report for April revealed. Demand also showed significant, double-digit growth on services between Kuwait and other key destinations, including Jeddah, Bahrain, Alexandria, Cairo and Mashhad. In addition, the low-cost carrier also continued to lead with a 33 percent market share on the Kuwait – Amman route for the eighth month in a row against three other airlines. Jazeera Airways also maintained high on-time performance (OTP), recording a 92.59 percent rate for the month under review, as USbased OTP tracker, FlightStats, revealed.
Jazeera Airways
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05 JULY 2014
GDS WEEKLY NEWS Travelport Launches New Brand Vision now. . k u o y Did sa t ha
0 r r 17 elpo Trav e in ove imately rox enc pres ies, app yees and lo tr e coun 00 emp revenu 3,6 13 net 2.1 20 f USD o n? billio
Sabre Renews Deal with Accor Hotels
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ravelport has outlined details of its new global brand vision and strategy. The new scheme, The platform that is redefining travel commerce for our customers, was developed to more closely align with what Travelport now offers the industry, rather than over 40 years ago. Travelport’s differentiated content and product offering now includes eNett payment solutions, enhanced air, expanded hotel content and airline merchandising. As part of the brand re-launch, Travelport has taken the opportunity to more clearly define its key business activities by renaming its two main operational areas. Firstly there is Travel Commerce Platform, which includes merchandising, reservations, payments and workflow management, and secondly, Technology Services business through which it provides critical IT services to airlines for their internal and direct channel use.
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Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO, Sabre Travel Network Middle East
abre has renewed its technology agreement with Accor to continue marketing and selling the hospitality company’s room inventory and rates through the Sabre global distribution system, including all 13 Accor brands and 3,600 hotels in 92 countries. “Innovative hoteliers like Accor are constantly evaluating ways to most effectively reach travel agents and travellers. The Sabre travel marketplace is an important part of our sales and distribution strategy, and Sabre has consistently delivered value and creative ideas to help accelerate our growth,” attested Carlo Olejniczak, senior vice president, global sales, Accor.
Business Management Solutions for Non-IATA Agencies
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madeus Gulf, the commercial division responsible for the sectors of Oman, Bahrain and the UAE, recently showcased the company’s Business Management Platform (BMP) solutions to travel professionals outside the International Air Transport Association (IATA) ambit. Hailed as one of the most innovative web-based platform specifically designed to enhance automation capabilities and efficiency, BMP was presented to 50 small, medium and large travel agencies at two events in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Amadeus’ Remote Ticketing Solution (RTS) within BMP provides both consolidators, owners of ticketing offices at IATA locations, and subagents, sales outlets/booking offices at non-IATA locations with a set of business management and operational tools that ease up operations through eliminating the traditional time-consuming, multi-step workflow.
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WEEKLY NEWS
Abdali Boulevard Unveiled United Real Estate Company (URC) announced the inauguration of Abdali Boulevard, the mixed-use project within Amman’s Abdali project, developed by Abdali Boulevard Company (ABC).
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Mohammed Al Saqqaf, engineer, during his speech on behalf of URC and KIPCO
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ailed as the largest integrated, mixeduse development in the new downtown of the Jordanian capital, the 121,000m2 Abdali Boulevard incorporates leisure, residential and retail components, including international restaurant chains, cafés and high-street retail brands, while office spaces are also available. Developed at a cost of USD500 million, the project is set to significantly contribute to the Kingdom’s economic strengthening and architectural renaissance, as Faisal Al Ayyar, vice president, Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), highlighted. Abdali Mall, another major development in the new downtown area of Abdali is set to be unveiled to the public in 2015.
Bahrain Drives Regional Occupancy Growth
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uring May, occupancy levels in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region rose 1.9 percent to 63.5 percent, with Bahrain experiencing particularly strong increase at 27.8 percent. Across MEA, average daily date (ADR) jumped 3.1 percent to USD154.11, leading to a 5.1 percent rise in RevPAR to USD97.94. As Elizabeth Winkle, managing director, STR Global, explained, Bahrain is currently showing the highest growth in term of occupancy, though the Kingdom is coming from a low base in 2013 and its occupancy still stands at 57.2 percent. “Kuwait is leading the ADR increase in the region, as the country rose 12.8 percent to KWD72.12 (USD255.74),” added Winkle, noting that currently the Middle East has the fastest growing pipeline in the world with 99,199 rooms under contract as of May.
05 JULY 2014
WEEKLY NEWS Oman Airports Management Company Partners with Dublin Authority
Salalah: 100 Percent Rise in International Passengers
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n line with the Sultanate’s endeavours to enhance air services across the country, Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with airport operator Dublin Airport Authority International (DAAI), to train and develop OAMC employees who will work at the new facilities in Muscat and Salalah. The initiative will initially offer 100 OAMC members the opportunity to equip themselves with the requisite skills at Dublin and Cork’s airports over a six-month period, with more employees expected to join the programme at later stages. In addition, the MoU also allows DAAI employees to gain experience at OAMC’s Kevin O`Driscoll, senior vice president, upcoming airport projects in DAAI Training Academy (left), and Vic Allen, acting CEO, OAMC Muscat and Salalah.
05 JULY 2014
now. . k u o y Did n, letio
mp tional a n co Upo t Intern terw ca e s 2 n u s M dle 1 or t’ Airp will han ers per g al min n passen ? o . i r l l mi yea
oth Muscat International Airport and Salalah International Airport recorded increases in passenger volumes during April with Salalah experiencing an over 100 percent rise in international figures. Based on the National Centre for Statistics and Information’s data, during the month under review, 2,662 flights landed at the southern Omani city’s airport, marking a 41.6 percent year-on-year improvement and bringing total passenger numbers to 257,517, up 18.9 percent, with international travellers accounting for 82,040 passengers, an increase of 100.1 percent. Meanwhile the capital city’s airport welcomed a total of 2,957,700 travellers, marking a 8.1 percent growth with the number of flights operated to and from the hub rising 11.2 percent to 3,076 services.
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WEEKLY NEWS Dubai Launches Beach Protection Initiative
Shurooq Continues Flag Island Project
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Flag Island
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he Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has commenced the second phase of the Flag Island development with the new facilities scheduled to be unveiled to the public in the first quarter of 2015. Upon completion of the second stage, the island will offer a host of recreational facilities and amenities, including an open-air 1,000-seat amphitheatre, an art gallery and a variety of shops, restaurants and cafés, offering a vibrant and alluring destination for residents and visitors alike. Located at walking distance from the downtown, Flag Island is set to become a must-visit tourist, cultural and art destination, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, chairperson, Shurooq, explained. Home to the flagpole on which the UAE flag is flying, the Flag Island initiative is hailed as one of the fastest projects developed by Shurooq. The first phase was completed in a span of four weeks, while the second stage is slated for completion in nine to 12 months.
n AED35 million (USD9.5 million) project has been approved in Dubai for the rehabilitation of all areas of the Umm Suqeim beaches starting from the second fishing harbour to Burj Al Arab at the length of approximately 3.5km. As Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general, Dubai Municipality (DM), explained, the initiative comes as part of the responsibilities of DM for the management of public beaches in the emirate ensuring the sustainability of marine and coastal environment, and it is also in line with Dubai Vision 2020. The project, launched at the end of June, is expected to be completed by March 2015, and will consists of five groynes normal to the beach with lengths ranging between 135 – 165m and beach nourishment works only. The total volume of beach sand required to accomplish the proposed stabilisation scheme is approximately 760,000m3.
Sindbad Club Maintains Loyal Customer Base
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indbad Club, the family resort in the heart of Hurghada, Egypt, has over the years built a loyal customer base according to Rasha Sherif, director of business development, Sindbad Club. “The Sindbad Club name is synonymous with quality and reliability and that is why we are always trying to satisfy all the tastes of our clients. Being one of the frontrunners in promoting the club all inclusive concept in the Red Sea area, we gained our reputation as a family resort by providing a variety of activities, various restaurants and bars and a friendly smile by our staff,” explained Sherif, saying that over the coming months, the Asian restaurant on the beach; Bierstube, the German bar and pub offering sea views; and the Lebanese and Italian restaurants are expected to be huge hits with guests staying at Sindbad Club which brings together three properties; Sindbad Beach Resort, Sindbad Aqua Hotel and Sindbad Aqua Resort.
Sindbad Club
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05 JULY 2014
WEEKLY NEWS Dubai to Host Family Business Global Summit
Sharjah to Welcome Tourism Summit
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amily Business Network (FBN) International has chosen Dubai for this year’s global summit, which will run between October 15 – 17, under the theme of A proud past, a sustainable future. The event will mark the first time FBN International, an organisation spanning over 50 countries, will stage its annual gathering of more than 800 family businesses in the Middle East. Topics will include succession planning, governance, wealth management and social entrepreneurship. Commenting on the upcoming, 25th global summit, H.E. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, president, GCC, FBN International, said, “As hosts, we aspire to contribute and be a part of the summit’s platform [...]. The GCC economies are dynamic and evolving, and family businesses historically are at the forefront of this change.”
ringing the spotlight on the USD137 billion global Islamic tourism market, Expo Centre Sharjah (ECS) is to play host to the inaugural World Islamic Tourism Summit & Exhibition incorporating the 2nd Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Tourism Fair in 2015. A memorandum of understanding to bring the two events together was signed by Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, ECS, and El Hassane Hzaine, director general, Islamic Centre for Development of Trade, OIC’s subsidiary organ, in Casablanca.
Expo Centre Sharjah
Dubai in Top Three for High-net-worth Chinese Travellers
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ubai has been ranked as the third most popular destination amongst high-net-worth Chinese travellers, rising from the eighth place in 2013. The research study, conducted by Hurun Report in association with the International Luxury Travel Market Asia and The Chinese Luxury Traveller 2014, also revealed that 10 percent of those surveyed, named Dubai as a must-visit destination in the next three years and placed the UAE within the top 10 most popular countries for shopping. In 2013 275,675 Chinese travellers visited Dubai, marking an 11 percent year-on-year increase and placing the Asian country in the top 10 for the emirate’s source markets.
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RENDEZVOUS TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: In your opinion, what are the most important features of the city and Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg that appeal to the MENA clientele? KRISTINA BUSHUEVA: Travelling to St Petersburg is similar to travelling to a different time. It is the only city that takes you on a journey to discover architecture from the 18th-19th century, while walking through the streets and experiencing typical Russian entertainment, activities and folklore. The city itself, also known as ‘Venice of the North’, may offer MENA guests a wide choice of activities throughout the year. […] Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg is an integral part of the city’s cultural life. It combines history and modern times; the hotel’s facade dates from 1861, but the interiors represent great samples of the art deco modern. The hotel offers an excellent opportunity to learn about St Petersburg’s remarkable theatre scene in the 19th century, by visiting the fascinating Samoilov Family Museum, located on the second floor of the hotel.
Q & A with
Kristina Bushueva DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING, CORINTHIA HOTEL ST PETERSBURG
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How do you see the MENA market segment developing over the coming years? KRISTINA BUSHUEVA: We expect a larger increase of travellers from the MENA region. Additional developments of new air routes as well as the development of the destination on the governmental level are the main actions now. Russia is increasing its presence on the international level, promoting its destinations and educating about its traditions.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What makes Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg the ideal choice for MENA guests? KRISTINA BUSHUEVA: Russia is a country that needs to be discovered. The most popular destinations are St Petersburg and Moscow – it is a good combination for one trip. Usually our guests prefer to stay four nights in the northern city and then three nights in the capital. Both cities offer several stay options based on different budgets – from price sensitive three-star hotels to luxurious stay in suites. Our hotel facilities can offer both business style rooms as standard accommodation in the business wing and additional luxury amenities in the executive wing. Both options are very popular; tourists groups are staying in the business wing, but high-level delegations or royal families prefer the executive wing.
ONCE CALLED RUSSIA’S WINDOW TO THE WEST, ST PETERSBURG HAS BECOME A MELTING POT OF AUTHENTIC HERITAGE AND WORLD-FAMOUS ARTS. HERE KRISTINA BUSHUEVA, DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING, CORINTHIA HOTEL ST PETERSBURG, SHARES HER VIEWS ON THE MENA MARKET’S GROWING SIGNIFICANCE.
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TRAFFIC FROM THE MENA REGION KEEPS INCREASING ON YEARLY BASIS
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How have guest numbers from MENA grown over the past years? KRISTINA BUSHUEVA: Traffic from the MENA region keeps increasing on yearly basis and many factors are involved here. First of all, it is still quite a new and
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unusual destination. Great route possibilities are also provided by the airlines. Few years ago, Emirates has opened direct flights from Dubai to St Petersburg. Many more airlines operate direct flights to Moscow, like Qatar Airways, flydubai and Etihad Airways, just to name a few. Even local Russian airlines are increasing their presence in MENA, offering our guests additional opportunities. Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg provides different services in order to please our guests and satisfy their various preferences, mainly when selecting menus according to their tastes and traditions. We are much more flexible for special requirements and our food and beverage team is very well informed on guests’ dining preferences depending on their nationality, culture and religion.
Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: In recent times, Russia has become one of the most talked-about markets. How do you see the Russian tourism industry developing over the coming years? KRISTINA BUSHUEVA: Russia is a destination that offers tourists much more opportunities and we feel that their interest in the destination is gradually growing. The main issue at the moment is the visa entry permission process. […] In the future, the Russian government is planning to make a three-day non-visa regime for those arriving by plane. St Petersburg is adapting itself to foreign travellers, so they can smoothly access the city. […] Guides are offering excursions in different languages, including Arabic. Different restaurants are opening, offering food prepared as per national traditions of our foreign guests. Although the city is still considered as an exotic destination, its development leads to the adaptation of our guests’ needs. There is clearly an increase of travellers from the MENA and GCC region. 05 JULY 2014
ACCOMMODATION WEEKLY NEWS
Millennium Hotel Amman Gets ‘Grand’ Upgrade Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East and Africa (MEA) has upgraded Millennium Hotel Amman to the five-star deluxe-branded Grand Millennium Amman, Jordan.
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he revamp involved refurbishing the interiors, fixtures and furnishing, creating additional meeting and conference facilities, as well as enhancements to the Moroccon Hammam and spa to create a more luxurious experience.
The Travel Corporation to Re-enter Egypt
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ustralia-based The Travel Corporation family of brands has announced its intention to resume operations in Egypt for the 2014-2015 season, as a strong showing of support for the Egyptian people. Brett Tollman, CEO, The Travel Corporation, confirmed that the company has been monitoring the destination closely and after extensive consultation with its teams on the ground and speaking with travel partners in each market, it is returning to Egypt later this year. “Taking a staggered approach, our youth brands Contiki and Busabout will be the first to resume trips in September of this year, closely followed by the global leader in guided holidays, Trafalgar and premium brands Insight Vacations, African Travel and Lion World in the new year. Our six-star experience river cruise brand, Uniworld, plans to re-commence sailings on the Nile in September [2015], with a beautifully refurbished River Tosca,” Tollman added.
Grand Millennium Amman
As Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, CEO, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels MEA, noted, the ambition of Grand Millennium Amman epitomises the company’s plans to manage 50 properties across the region within the next three years with focused management, motivated staff and supportive owners.
Grand Millennium Amman
Meliá Adds Two Resorts in Egypt
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eliá Hotels International continues to expand its footprint in Egypt with the launch of two new hotels under the newly-renovated Sol Hotels & Resorts brand. Scheduled for opening later this month, Sol Taba and Sol Dahab will add 657 units to the Spanish company’s Egyptian room-count. Located on the Sinai Peninsula on the shores of the Red Sea, the properties are set to appeal to holidaymakers and diving enthusiasts. Guests staying at the 400-key Sol Taba will enjoy access to 200m of private beach, two swimming pools, tennis and volleyball courts, several restaurants and bars, and three meeting rooms. Sol Dahab is located alongside 400m of breach and offers 217 rooms, a spa, gym, kids’ club, event facilities, numerous restaurants, and various sports centres.
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WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION Kempinski Al Othman Hotel, Al Khobar to Open in Q2 2015
Radisson Blu Resort Jizan to Open in November
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empinski Al Othman Hotel, Al Khobar is set to welcome its first guests in the second quarter (Q2) of 2015, Hany Abdelmoneim, general manager, Kempinski Al Othman Hotel, Al Khobar, revealed. Located at the epicentre of the Al Khobar, Dammam, Dhahran conurbation, the property will boast 141 rooms, 57 suites and 20 serviced apartments. “Nine restaurants and cafés are sure to bring innovative cuisine experiences to the local market. The hotel’s exciting leisure facilities include a fully equipped gym, a swimming pool and Kempinski’s luxury Resense Spa brand. Corporate guests could avail themselves of various facilities including a particularly impressive suite of function rooms comprising two banquet halls of 1,080m2 each,” noted Abdelmoneim.
Kempinski Al Othman Hotel, Al Khobar
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ollowing the recent launch of Radisson Blu Hotel Dhahran, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group plans to open Radisson Blu Resort Jizan in November. “With 160 rooms, this brand new property will represent a very important addition to our Radisson Blu brand in Saudi Arabia,” explained Basel Talal, general manager, Radisson Blu Hotel Riyadh, and district director, Saudi Arabia, The Rezidor Hotel Group, noting that the company has also signed an agreement for Park Inn by Radisson Dammam, scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of the year.
Novotel Riyadh Olaya to be Unveiled in 2017
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Mutaz Hassanain, president, UYC (left), and Christoph Landais
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ccor HotelServices Middle East has signed a management agreement with United Youth Company (UYC) to develop a new Novotel hotel on Olaya street in Riyadh. Slated for completion in 2017, the company’s second property under the midscale brand in the Saudi capital will feature approximately 215 rooms with dedicated meeting spaces, a fitness centre, wellness facilities and a swimming pool with deck. Guest will also enjoy all-day dining and a lobby lounge with a café corner. As Christophe Landais, chief operating officer, Accor HotelServices Middle East, pinpointed, the new project brings the total number of hotels in operation or in development in Saudi Arabia by the group to 29, representing nearly 6,800 rooms.
05 JULY 2014
ACCOMMODATION WEEKLY NEWS Marriott: Extended Stay is a Key Area in MEA
Majestic Arjaan by Rotana: Increased Demand
M Marriott Executive Apartments Dubai Creek
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arriott International views extended stay as a key area for opportunity and major expansion in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. As Neal Jones, chief sales and marketing officer, MEA, Marriott International, pinpointed, approximately one third of business room night demand globally is extended stay driven, which is defined as five nights or more. “Extended stay is our most profitable lodging segment returning house profit margins above 65 percent and on average over 55 percent,” revealed Jones, saying that with Marriott Executive Apartments and Residence Inn by Marriott, the company is well-positioned to capitalise on the rising demand. “The select service and extended stay tier makes up 13 percent of Marriott International’s rooms in the region, but by 2020 it is expected to be almost 60 percent of the company’s room inventory in MEA.
ajestic Arjaan by Rotana in Muharraq, Bahrain, has recorded a 12 percent year-on-year growth in occupancy in the long-term stay segment. As Jamal Yousif, marketing and communications executive, Majestic Arjaan by Rotana, explained demand for extended stay accommodation is on the rise. “This type of accommodation […] is cheaper than the equivalent hotel rooms while it offers the same level of sophistication, services and modern conveniences. Another reason is the benefits that you experience in a hotel apartment; more spacious accommodation and you have the option of cooking your own meal,” commented Yousif, adding that the utmost reasons is the home away from home feeling.
Majestic Arjaan by Rotana
Delmon Hotel Apartments to Add New Facilities
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n a bid to make guests’ stay even more comfortable and memorable, the management of Delmon Hotel Apartments, Muscat, plans to introduce a number of new facilities, Fathima Remziya, business development manager, Delmon Hotel Apartments, Muscat, revealed. As Remziya explained, demand for competitively priced accommodation has significantly increased over the past years driven by Oman and the region’s infrastructural and economic development. “At Delmon Hotel Apartments, we have both leisure and corporate clients. […] Some GCC guests stay for about a week or 15 days with families to visit relatives or just to get away. European clients usually stay for about 10 nights to discover the country and experience its true culture,” elaborated Remziya.
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WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION Novotel Business Park Dammam Aims Higher
Novotel Business Park Dammam
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ovotel Business Park Dammam aims to be recognised as the leading and preferred business hotel in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. According to Parvez Ahmed, director of sales, Novotel Business Park Dammam, in order to further enhance the guest experience, the hotel’s team remains committed to adopting the brand’s famous service attitude. Ensuring the best returns to owners and the patent company, Accor, is another key component of the hotel’s strategy, while further strengthening the existing relationships with associations is also a priority. As Ahmed further noted, implementing environmental initiatives and representing the local culture are also high on the management’s agenda.
Cristal Hotels & Resorts to Expand in Saudi Arabia
Shaza Al Madina Enhances Guest Experience
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bu Dhabi-based Cristal Hotels & Resorts plans to open a number of new properties in Saudi Arabia. As Kamal Fakhoury, chief operating officer, Cristal Hotels & Resorts, revealed, the company has three properties under development in the Kingdom, two of which are scheduled to open in Riyadh within one year, while the third one in Dammam is slated for launch in 18 months. In addition, as Fakhoury disclosed, two more Saudi projects are expected to be announced shortly. “Saudi Arabia is the biggest market in the GCC and serves as a key feeder to other GCC and nonGCC markets where we plan to expand,” commented Fakhoury, adding that the Saudi tourism industry is bound to experience solid growth over the next five to 10 years.
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Shaza Al Madina
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n line with its endeavours to continuously upgrade its services to ensure high guest satisfaction, Shaza Al Madina is to introduce two new services. As Katrina Thornely, marketing coordinator, regional office, Shaza Hotels, revealed, the new Silk Floors will serve as executive floors, providing guests with luxurious and innovative service concepts and enhanced interiors. In addition, the hotel is also gearing up for the launch of the royal suite, which, according to Thornely will not only be the newest but also the largest royal suite in Medina at 450m2.
05 JULY 2014
AIR WEEKLY NEWS
Emirates Boosts Capacity to San Francisco and Houston Emirates is adding passenger and cargo capacity in San Francisco and Houston on December 1 and December 3 respectively, when it switches from operating the routes with a Boeing 777-300ER to its double-decker Airbus A380.
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he new aircraft will offer an additional 135 seats to San Francisco and 137 to Houston, representing a 38 percent increase in overall passenger capacity, and 80 percent more seats across premium cabins. Since 2007, Emirates carried over 2.3 million passengers on the two routes, and its flagship A380 will allow the carrier to connect even more people and facilitate trade between these important US cities and the Middle East, India, Africa and beyond, suggested Hubert Frach, divisional senior vice president, commercial operations, west, Emirates.
Emirates
Arik Air Adds New Commercial Flight to Dubai via Abuja
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rik Air has expanded its reach to the Middle East by becoming the first Nigerian airline to offer a commercial service between Abuja in Nigeria and Dubai, hence reinforcing its position as one of West and Central Africa’s largest commercial carriers. The first commercial flight on the new
route is slated for July 28, and the airline will subsequently operate five weekly services. The outbound flight will depart from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, arriving at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, only to then continue to its final destination of Dubai International Airport Terminal 1.
Mahan Air Expands Domestically
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ffective July 28, Iranian carrier Mahan Air will start offering a nonstop flight from Kerman to the new home destinations of Esfahan, Tabriz, Kish, Sari and Zahedan, following its goal to provide customers with greater choice to key business and leisure destination across the country. The new routes will be serviced by British Aerospace BAE146 aircraft, seating a total of 107 passengers across economy cabin. Mahan Air carried over 3.2 million domestic passengers in 2013 and this latest move is expected to increase its domestic traffic and market share for the current year.
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Mahan Air BAE-146
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WEEKLY NEWS AIR
Tokyo Haneda Receives Qatar Airways
Etihad Airways and Air Seychelles Expand Partnership
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atar Airways started serving its newest destination, Tokyo Haneda International Airport, as of June 18. The addition of the Japanese hub doubles the airline’s service to the city to two flights a day. Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways, who was joined at the press conference held after the touchdown, by Woo Yew Seong, senior vice president commercial, East Asia and South West Pacific, Qatar Airways, and Tomohiko Matsumoto, country manager, Japan, Qatar Airways, commented, “We have enjoyed a very strong relationship with Japan since we began operating flights to this culturally rich and beautiful country in 2005. Since then we have enjoyed a steady growth which allowed us to expand our operations to Tokyo Narita in 2010, and now Tokyo Haneda.”
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tihad Airways has extended its codeshare agreement with Air Seychelles to include the Indian Ocean island carrier’s recently launched new services to Paris. Operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft, the new flight links Charles de Gaulle Airport twice weekly with the Seychelles via Abu Dhabi. Commenting on the service, which complements the UAE airline’s existing, twice daily operations to the French capital, Kevin Knight, chief strategy and planning officer, Etihad Airways, said, “Our partner Air Seychelles’ return to Paris marks another milestone in its journey of growing its international operations by flying to and from more key destinations.”
Japanese Garden
Seychelles
Gulf Air Steps up Turkey and Cyprus Operations
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s part of its new summer schedule, Gulf Air has launched additional services to Istanbul and Larnaca. In order to meet the growing demand, the Bahraini carrier now offers seven weekly flights to both Istanbul Atatürk Airport and Larnaka International Airport. “As the holidays approach, we are pleased to offer our customers increased flexibility and choice in booking their summer and Eid vacations,” commented on the frequency increase Ahmed Janahi, acting chief commercial officer, Gulf Air, underlining that Istanbul and Larnaca are destinations of both year-long and seasonal popularity with both routes delivering strong two-way traffic results.
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RENDEZVOUS TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: In late 2012 VisitBritain shifted its Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa regional office from Singapore to Dubai. What were the main reasons? SUMATHI RAMANATHAN: We have established ourselves in the Asia Pacific for a very long time since we had a presence there for the past 15 years. A couple of developments necessitated the move into Dubai and the biggest one was that the Gulf markets started to show very strong growth for us. That is a market we had a small presence into so we decided to upgrade our presence and start looking at our Middle Eastern strategy from there. But a key reason is the shift in global aviation development. Middle Eastern carriers have started changing the way travel is taking place in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. The whole world is now being connected via the Middle East. Before this shift we did not have a strong partnership with Middle Eastern carriers but the last one and half year we signed deals worth GBP6 million (USD10.1 million) with Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways and that was not possible when we did not have an established presence in the Middle East. We are looking at where the global tourism flows and where aviation development is happening. These partnerships link the Middle East and Asia Pacific very strongly with Europe and the UK. What is needed is to have a very good understanding and build strong partnerships with the airlines which can only happen if you are based out there. The fact that we have signed three-year strategic deals means we need a dedicated team, a strong senior management team in Dubai to nurture those relationships. TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Dubai being a global aviation hub offers excellent links to the world. How is VisitBritain to use this in order to influence route development into Britain – from the region and internationally? SUMATHI RAMANATHAN: While our base is in Dubai, our core source markets in Asia Pacific are Australia, Japan, India and the Gulf states. We are using Dubai as a hub but we have very strong teams and invest a lot of money in these other markets as well. The Qantas – Emirates partnership means that 05 JULY 2014
Q & A with Sumathi Ramanathan
REGIONAL MANAGER, ASIA PACIFIC AND MIDDLE EAST, VISITBRITAIN
part of the world, which is an emerging economy goes into London. We are delighted for this but we would like them to spend time in London and go even beyond. Those airlines have access into regional Britain. Emirates, for example, connects six cities in Australia with six cities in the UK. [...] With increasing competition and a lot of new routes opening up we can not rely on selling the same thing to the same market. We are interested in getting people to understand what more Britain has to offer. TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Which are your office’s main responsibilities and what your main achievements one and half year later?
THE GULF IS BECOMING A PRIORITY MARKET FOR THE UK AND SUMATHI RAMANATHAN, REGIONAL MANAGER, ASIA PACIFIC AND THE MIDDLE EAST, VISITBRITAIN, EXPLAINS WHY IS THE REGION A MOST SUITABLE LAUNCH PAD FOR THE AUTHORITY’S STRATEGIC MARKETING ACTIVITIES. we are able to tap into this to develop stronger relationships in Australia. A lot of our work is in partnership with these airlines. We worked with Qatar Airways in Australia to promote the Edinburgh offering with the new launch. Whilst our hub is in Dubai, work is taking place across the region. Being in Dubai allows us to reach out there more strongly. Etihad Airways has bought into Jet Airways in India and that means that it has access to over 50 cities in India and
these are the emerging cities that Britain is interested in. Saudi Arabia is our fastest growing market in the gulf and Qatar Airways recently won the rights to fly domestically there and suddenly working with Qatar Airways allows us strong access to regional cities and enables us to extend our reach from regional Asia to regional Britain. Regional Britain is very important because most of our visitors from this
SUMATHI RAMANATHAN: For the Gulf markets the results are phenomenal. We went from just under 500,000 visitors to close to 590,000, almost a 100,000 visitors increase in a year. In terms of spend they have gone from GBP1 billion (USD1.7 billion) to GBP1.5 billion (USD2.5 billion). We are seeing very good results. In terms of our own tactical activity [...] something we have not being doing is working on strategic partnerships with the travel trade. We are identifying the top two or three players in each of the Gulf countries in order to do joint funding marketing activities. In 2013 we worked with Emirates Holidays to create interesting packages because a lot of the travel from the Gulf states happens mostly in the summer months. We started introducing winter packages and that was the first tactical approach, including the Christmas markets and shopping during the Christmas sales season. [...] We started seeing that people understand the concept of winter, they like the concept of Christmas markets. Travel trade in the Middle East is very important for us, as even though people are digitally savvy and the youngsters are into [the social media], the actual holiday booking is done mostly by a travel agency. We recognised the importance of the travel trade and we are forming strong partnerships in the region. Our strategy in the region was very UAE- and Dubai-focused. Since April we have broadened our horizons to the GCC markets so we have six gateway cities, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait City, Riyadh and Jeddah so we have started branching out actively. [...]
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WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL Third Holiday Inn Express in Thailand
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nterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has recently opened the 184-room Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sathorn in the bustling Thai city. Owned by TCC Hotels Group, the property is the brand’s third in the country and the second in the capital. “[In 2013] Thailand achieved record numbers of tourist arrivals, with over 26 million visitors from around the world, making the country an important part of our growth strategy in Southeast Asia,” said Clarence Tan, chief operating officer, Southeast Asia and Resorts, IHG. He added that opening a second Holiday Inn Express property in the centre of Thailand’s capital offers both business and leisure guests an amazing opportunity to stay in an ideal location whether visiting the city for work or to absorb the diverse and colourful culture, electric nightlife and famous cuisine.
Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sathorn
Ritz-Carlton Announces First Resort in Langkawi
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ollowing an agreement with AJ Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company will double its presence in Malaysia by opening an oceanfront Ritz-Carlton resort on Langkawi, Malaysia in 2015. The 132-room luxurious The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, which will include 42 villas, sensitively blends in with its surroundings with design elements that reflect the traditional kampong village. Moreover, the resort will offer a family-friendly escape with three swimming pools, including one specially created for children, and a specially-designed Ritz-Kids Club.
Armenia to Get a Second Hyatt Place Hotel
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Hyatt Hotels Corporation affiliate has entered into a contract with Armenian hotel developer and owner company, Jersan, to launch a new Hyatt Place-branded property in the south Armenian spa town of Jermuk. Scheduled for opening in 2015, Hyatt Place Jermuk will mark the second Hyatt Place project in the country and will offer authentic hospitality and purposeful services. The new-built hotel will feature 88 rooms, 170m2 of meeting space, open market, restaurant, fitness centre, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
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AGENT CORNER
Agent’s Insight NAME:
Hassan Bolaachoub
POSSITION:
Founder and general manager
COMPANY:
Beautiful Morocco Voyages
LOCATION:
Morocco
WEBSITE:
www.beautifulvoyages.com
Who are you? My name is Hassan Bolaachoub and I am 36 years old, from Tangier, Morocco. I am the founder and general manager of Beautiful Morocco Voyages, located in Rabat. Beautiful Morocco Voyages, founded in 2013, is a young agency with a very passionate, dynamic and creative team of tourism and travel agents. The agency’s services include incoming and outgoing, flights, hotels, cruises, golf/spa packages, guided tours and packaged vacations in Morocco and in other touristic destinations, Umrah and Hajj, as well as corporate event planning. What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry? My favourite thing about working in the travel industry is the opportunity to travel to all these new and exciting destinations and meet wonderful people from different cultures and learn and experience new things. When is the best time to visit Morocco? It is always a good time to visit Morocco. My country is blessed with beautiful weather throughout the whole year. So a visitor can enjoy the beautiful beaches in the summer, enjoy nature and the mountains in the spring, skiing in winter or enjoy sightseeing in any of the major and historic cities, and alternatively enjoy a safari in the beautiful dunes of the Sahara desert. Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday? I have so many destinations I would love to visit in my to-do list like the Fiji Islands, Nepal, Thailand, Cuba, Czech Republic, China, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, and Scandinavia. Why should people come to you for travel advice? People should come to Beautiful Morocco Voyages because we have a passion for travel. We love what we do and we love assisting and serving our clients to plan their dream vacations and offering them the best deals. 05 JULY 2014
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WHO’S MOVED
ZIAD BOUJABER
Ziad Boujaber has been named executive assistant manager in charge of sales and marketing at Marina Hotel Kuwait. An accomplished leader with over 16 years of experience under his belt, Boujaber has long been a vital member of the property’s management team. Over the past three years, as director of sales he played a key role in further strengthening the business ties with existing clients and stakeholders and generating leads for new business. In his new role, in addition to his prior duties, he will also assist in the development of strategies and carry our various sales and marketing activities in order to maximise revenue.
DEEPAK DAHIYA
Boujaber has over 16 years of experience
CHADI NICOLAS
Chadi Nicolas has been chosen to lead the team at Hala Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi as the property’s new general manager. Nicolas takes on the position after working at Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana as executive assistant manager, coordinating the hotel’s various functions and activities with the general manager, regional staff and corporate personnel. He brings almost 13 years of hospitality experience to the role, having previously served at some of Rotana Hotel Management Corporation’s leading properties in the UAE capital.
Nicolas served leading Rotana properties
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MUHAMMAD SAQIB NAWAZ
Deepak Dahiya has been appointed director of sales and marketing at The Ajman Palace Hotel & Resort. Dahiya has been tasked with driving new business to the property. He joins the hotel’s team from Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa where he served as director of sales and marketing, following a five-year stint with Gold Swiss-Belhotel Dubai where he headed sales and marking for the hotel’s launch and then took it through a rebranding to Mercure. Dahiya began his career in the industry with Sofitel Luxury Hotels in India, before joining Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts in Bangalore. He moved to Dubai in 1999, gaining a wealth of experience with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Al Habtoor Group.
Muhammad Saqib Nawaz has been named sales manager at Emirates Grand Hotel in Dubai. Besides assisting the director of sales and marketing in maximising revenue, Nawaz will be involved in the development of new sales strategies. His responsibilities will also include building new business partnerships and maintaining existing connections. Nawaz has been in the industry for eight years and has extensive experience in operations and sales from companies and properties, including Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa.
Nawaj will work on new sales strategies
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TRAVEL CHANNELS
SCTDA Launches 10th Tourist Guide Programme The Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) completed its 10th course of Tourist Guide Licensing and Training in collaboration with the University of Sharjah.
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aving run from June 8 - 19, the initiative involved lectures, workshops and field visits to all the major landmarks in the emirate. There were 11 different countries including the UAE, UK, France, Russia, Japan, China, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Tunisia represented on the course, and most of the participants were already working as professional tourist guides.
Participants of the Course
Abu Dhabi Airports Launches Training Programme
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bu Dhabi Airports has welcomed 100 UAE national students from various schools, colleges, and universities for its Summer Training Programme. The initiative which commenced in June was developed in line with Abu Dhabi Airports’ commitment to raise awareness about careers within the aviation industry. As part of the programme, students participated in a comprehensive training, with the aim of promoting aviation awareness amongst Emirati youth, hence supporting Abu Dhabi International Airport the growing need for human capital within the industry. Discussing the programme, H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori, chairman, Abu Dhabi Airports, commented, “Abu Dhabi Airports strives to educate and encourage students, as part of its corporate and social responsibility to give back to the community.”
05 JULY 2014
IATA and UNWTO Joined Forces for Innovation
U
nited Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) signed their first memorandum of understainding with the advancement of innovation and talent development in tourism and air travel being the core component of the collaboration. Both organisations have agreed to jointly advocate for innovation and talent development in the public and private sectors as a means to promote competitive and sustainable tourism development, with particular focus on the air transport industry.
Shurooq Solidifies Business Ties with China
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harjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) recently welcomed a business delegation from China, which aimed to turn market research into investment and business opportunities in the UAE. Elie Armaly, director of business development, Shurooq, said that China is a very important trade and investment partner, since bilateral trade between the Asian country and Sharjah has grown rapidly in recent years. Indicatively in the first half of 2013, combined imports and exports, grew by more than 14 percent to AED78.6 billion (USD21.4 billion), after registering close to 40 percent year-on-year rise over 2012. During the visit, Armaly delivered a presentation giving an overview of the investment opportunities in Sharjah, with a specific focus on the four investment sector that have been identified as key areas of potential growth, namely leisure and tourism, healthcare, transport and logistics, and environmental services.
Shurooq’s Delegation
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TRAVEL TALK
There is no greater seal of approval than being recognised by one’s customers
ROCHELLE LOBO General manager, Dunes Hotel Apartments – Oud Metha, Dubai.
“Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is a true source of pride for the entire team at Dunes Hotel Apartment – Oud Metha and we would like to thank all of our guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor. There is no greater seal of approval than being recognised by one’s customers.”
Miami has always been a global cityy
AKBAR AL BAKER CEO, Qatar Airways.
“Qatar Airways is looking forward to how this new route [connection Doha and Miami] will enhance our excellent offering to passengers, providing even greater flexibility in the number of US gateways to choose from, since we now fly out of six major hubs in the country. Miami has always been a global city; a crossroads of commerce, art and culture. [...] Qatar Airways looks forward to building a strong relationship between Miami and Doha.”
Oman Air will receive the first of the 20 aircraft
USAMA KARIM AL-HAREMI Head of corporate communications and media, Oman Air.
“Oman Air is pleased and proud to accept the Best Arab Air Carrier award and we would like to thank the judges and everyone else at the Arab Tourism Media Awards for this accolade. [...] Later this year, Oman Air will receive the first of the 20 aircraft we currently have on order and we look forward not only to offering even more people a superlative passenger experience, but also to enabling even more people to visit Oman and to discover for themselves the unique beauty and timeless culture of this wonderful country.”
TRAVEL TALK IS YOUR SPACE – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel
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PHOTO ALBUM
Take a Shot! Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to. Send your photos to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel Because a picture is worth a thousand words...
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, chairman, Al Habtoor Group, released his autobiography in Hungarian language.
Dubai Duty Free employees successfully conquered the High Atlas Challenge in Morocco
The first Emirates Pelé-ane – named after three times World Cup winner, Pelé
05 JULY 2014
Al Murooj Rotana Dubai hosted an Iftar for students of the Special Needs Future Development Center
Celebrating the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta - Diponegoro
Holiday Inn Bur Dubai staff celebrated InterContinental Hotels Group’s Service Week
Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways and Her Majesty The Queen at the opening of London Heathrow’s New Terminal 2
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NEWS & EVENTS
BAC TO HOST FIRST ROUTES MENA EVENT Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) has been selected to play host to the first-ever Routes MENA event in November 2015.
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he three-day show will see route development professionals from across the MENA region gather together to discuss air service development to, from and within the region. According to Mohamed Yousid Al Binfalah, CEO, BAC, the inaugural forum will highlight Bahrain’s deep-seeded aviation heritage and reiterate the Kingdom’s role as an aviation hub in the MENA region. Katie Bland, director, Routes, UBM Live, added, “The MENA region has become very important from an aviation perspective. It represents nearly 11 percent of global aviation – about double its share from a decade ago – driven by global hub strategies in the Gulf and liberal aviation access policies.”
EVENTS ROUTES SILK ROAD Tbilisi, Georgia, July 6 – 8, 2014 (www.routesonline.com) A route development forum that connects CIS, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asia.
INCENTIVE, BUSINESS, TRAVEL & MEETINGS EXPO (IBTM) INDIA Chennai, India, September 3 – 5, 2014 (www.ibtmevents.com) An invitation-only event for India’s inbound, outbound and domestic incentives, business travel and meetings industry.
SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL GOLF & TRAVEL (SIGT) Shanghai, China, September 5 – 7, 2014 (www.shanghaigolfshow.com) SIGT will be a meeting place where golf industry people and golf enthusiasts can meet.
WORLD ROUTES 2014 Chicago, US, September 20 – 23, 2014 (www.routesonline.com) An essential global gathering for aviation organisations from across all continents and countries.
CITYSCAPE GLOBAL
Bahrain International Airport
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Dubai, UAE, September 21 – 23, 2014 (www.cityscape.org) Cityscape Global’s mission is to enhance and support the vision for real estate growth worldwide to an international audience.
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