THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY ESSENTIAL • 9 NOVEMBER 2009
THE AMERICAS & CARIBBEAN EDITION
MONDAY
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World Winners 2009
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About Us
The World Travel Awards acknowledges and celebrates those organisations that have made the greatest contribution to the global tourism and travel industry. It also recognises those brands that are driving the industry to greater heights and innovation in travel. Now celebrating its 16th anniversary, the awards has grown into a truly global search for the very best travel and tourism brands, with winners from seven regional ceremonies then progressing to the World Travel Awards Grand Final. This year, 183,000 travel professionals registered to vote and participate in the prestigious World Travel Awards programme – a phenomenal 10% rise in registrations this year compared to last year. This record number is conclusive evidence that World Travel Awards has become the “Oscars” of the global travel industry. Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President, World Travel Awards, said: “World Travel Awards is a
unique benchmark for industry quality and business excellence in every region and sector.” “The increase in registered voters, despite a global recession, demonstrates the vital role of performance delivery in a challenging and highly competitive marketplace,” he added. This level of accountability makes the World Travel Awards one of the highest accolades in the travel business and is why the award ceremony is broadcast by BBC World News and other networks to over 254 million households worldwide and attended by the industry’s global decision makers. For the tourism trade, winning a World Travel Award is more than an award – it is an
endorsement from the thousands of professionals from around the globe, as well as gold seal to the consumer of travel excellence guaranteed. The World Travel Awards has continuously evolved, expanding the number of awards as the industry has grown. There are now over 1,000 different categories – an understandable number seeing how the industry has diversified and given the fact that there were over 3,600 different nominees this year. And as confidence returns to the global economy, the World Travel Awards will be there to reward those travel and tourism players that spearhead the recovery.
“Oscars of the Travel Industry Wall Street Journal
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Meet the World’s Best Travel Brands
The Winners James Hogan, Chief Executive, Etihad Airways, World’s Leading Airline, World’s Leading Airline First Class
His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority World’s Leading Tourist Board
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Three years ago Etihad set itself one clear and simple goal – to be the best airline in the world. I am proud of the way Etihad people all over the world have embraced that vision, backing our investment in state of the art product with the highest levels of service. We regard this award as a great honour, and a testament to the commitment of our staff. We are delighted, also, that our continued attention to the needs of our premium travellers has been rewarded with the top award for first class for the second consecutive year. As we move into 2010, we have no intention of resting on our laurels. We will continue to reinvent premium air travel as we cement our place as the world’s best airline, opening up new routes, taking delivery of new aircraft, investing in new products in the air and on the ground, and rolling out an exciting range of online initiatives.
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The World Travel Award is most valued by the authority as it comes from peers within the industry we serve, manage and promote. It is also very timely as this year marks the fifth anniversary of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the award, if you like, represents our ‘coming of age.’ We plan to significantly build upon it and to live up to the confidence our valued trade partners have placed in us by voting for us. This year has been one of numerous milestones for the authority. We have implemented an accommodation classification system which is acknowledged as world-class. We have also rolled out our first generation stakeholder programme to form a more unified approach to destination development and promotion. Abu Dhabi has pushed the boundaries – with the opening of many significant resorts, the Qasr Al Sarab desert retreat and seven hotels on Yas Island. The staging of the 2009 Etihad Airways’ Formula 1™ Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was obviously a high point. In the coming year we will welcome additional attractions to Abu Dhabi including the planned Ferrari World indoor theme park on Yas Island. We are also targeting 10% additional hotel guest arrivals during 2010.
Jehan de Thé, Global Marketing Director, Europcar World’s Leading Car Hire Company, World’s Leading Leisure Car Rental Company
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I would like to thank those among the 187,000 travel professionals who voted for Europcar. It is an honour for us to win this prestigious award once again. At Europcar, our priority is to offer business and leisure customers a consistently good experience and a broad range of services spanning five continents. In keeping with that, we have progressed in three main areas: our geographic reach, innovations to benefit customers, and partnerships with other leading travel industry players. We are established in all European markets, but have also continued to pursue our strategy of expanding around the world, especially in North America, Australia and New Zealand. We are deploying our “click4Wheels” B2B site. We have also recently launched a new mobile phone service for consumers (http://mobile.europcar.com). We have renewed agreements with easyJet and TUI, launched a new service in the context of our relationship with Accor, and have renewed our partnership agreement with Swiss.
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James Hogan
Jehan de Thé His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi
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Tareq Abdullatif Taha, Chief Executive Officer, Regency Travel and Tours
Pamela C. Conover, President & CEO, The Yachts of Seabourn
Steve Ridgway, Chief Executive, Virgin Atlantic
World’s Leading Travel Agency
World’s Leading Luxury Cruise Line
World’s Leading Travel Commercial
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Winning a world travel award is a great achievement and an appreciation for the excellence of service provided. And that makes our responsibility bigger in maintaining being the world’s leading travel agency. It is so important to be recognized as the leader because reaching the top is much easier than staying on the top. This year we have expanded our operation and our network to 30 branches and implants in the State of Qatar. In our state-of the-art head office, we have innovated a unique concept – housing airlines, hotel, car rental, banks, courier and cargo services, plus a host of other services all under one roof.
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Seabourn Odyssey is the first new vessel to enter the luxury segment in over six years, and she has brought a new excitement to the market. Along with Seabourn Sojourn next year and a third new sister in 2011, she represents Seabourn's commitment to the small-ship, ultra luxury cruising style for guests who prefer sailing with fewer than 500 others. These new Seabourn yachts provide us with the opportunity to introduce more and more people to the intimate, personalised style that has earned Seabourn this award, and a loyal following among discerning travellers.
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“We are still red
hot after 25 years and we are all over the moon that we have scooped this World Travel Award. Thank you to everyone who’s backed us since 1984.
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Tareq Abdullatif Taha
Pamela C. Conover
Steve Ridgway
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Meet the World’s Best Travel Brands
The Winners Hanlie Kotze, Acting Executive Manager, The Blue Train Lounge
Charlie Dang, Area Managing Director, Northern China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and GM, Westin Beijing Financial Street
World’s Leading Luxury Train
World’s Leading Financial District Hotel
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It is indeed a great honour to receive an award that recognizes us not only in China but globally. The World Travel Award is one of the most esteemed accolades one can receive in the global travel and tourism industry and we thank it for its continuous support. What separates us from the competition is our unwavering commitment to excellence and the willingness to always seek ways in which to improve ourselves. In 2010 and beyond, we promise to continue this commitment in providing outstanding service and quality to all our guests.
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Charlie Dang
Everyone would like to be associated with winning! Winning in whatever form, always brings with it a sense of gratification. But when you get chosen as a winner by your peers – in this case over 180,000 learned professionals, in the travel and tourism, now that is very special! Winning this accolade is the embodiment of all the hard work and initiatives that have gone into making our brand accessible and “a brand of choice”, especially in the past 18 months. Oh, it will be displayed especially at our Pre-departure Lounges for all to see! After all what good is a “diamond” that nobody can see?!
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Hanlie Kotze The Blue Train
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Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai International Airport
Randy Powell, President & CEO, Rocky Mountaineer
World’s Leading Airport
World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train
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This award recognizes Dubai International’s consistent delivery of quality customer service over the years. Service excellence is the single most important priority for any airport after safety and security and this award acknowledges our customer – centric approach. The opening of Dubai International’s Terminal 3 was acknowledged the world over as the most successful launch of a terminal its size and has definitely made us stand out from competition. The expansion and refurbishment of Terminal 2 has not only doubled operational capacity but has helped in considerably enhancing the customer service experience at the Airport.
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“Our organization is delighted to
be the recipient of this distinguished award for the fourth time. For 20 years we have been providing the most spectacular travel experiences in the world and it is truly an honour to be recognized amongst so many internationally renowned and iconic trains. The Rocky Mountaineer
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Paul Griffiths
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Meet the World’s Best Travel Brands
The Winners Brian Richardson, Vice President, Brand Marketing & Communications, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Michael Blunt, Vice-President Corporate Communications, OneWorld
World’s Leading Hotel Brand Website
World’s Leading Airline Alliance
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Receiving awards and accolades is always a great honour, but to have our brand and so many of our hotels recognised by respected industry professionals is truly an outstanding achievement. The World Travel Awards is an excellent mark of distinction and serve as another independent testament to Fairmont’s unyielding commitment to quality and service.
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The year ahead promises to be very exciting for oneworld and its member airlines. Mexicana, voted Mexico and Central America’s Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards, joins us on 10 November, adding another quality carrier to our line-up and extending our leadership in Latin America. Next year, we bring on board Russia’s leading domestic airline, S7, expanding our network considerably throughout the CIS. We will continue to focus on delivering quality service to our customers – with the aim of ensuring that the title of World Travel Awards’ “Leading Airline Alliance” stays in the hands of oneworld – a title it has held ever since the award was first presented seven years ago.
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Michael Blunt
Brian Richardson
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golfoeste PORTU G AL
Praia d’El Rey Golf & Beach Resort (Marriott Hotel) | Óbidos www.praia-del-rey.com Tel. +351 262 905 005 The Westin CampoReal Golf Resort & Spa (Westin Hotel) | Torres Vedras www.westin.com/camporeal Tel. +351 261 960 900
t s a o c r e lv i s c i t s a u A fa nt o y r o f wa it i n g
Golden Eagle, Residence & Golf Resort Rio Maior www.goldeneagle-golfresort.com Tel. +351 243 940 040 Bom Sucesso Design, Leisure & Golf Resort Óbidos www.bomsucesso.net Tel. +351 262 965 310 Vimeiro Golf Resort (Golf Mar Hotel) | Torres Vedras www.hotelgolfmar.com Tel. +351 261 980 800 Botado Golf Club (Atlântico Golfe Hotel) | Peniche www.atlanticogolfehotel.com Tel. +351 262 757 700 Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort (open 2011) | Óbidos www.royalobidos.com Tel. +351 262 960 241
GOLFOESTE Rua Direita, n.º 87 – Apartado 42 – 2510-914 Óbidos – Portugal Tel. +351 262 955 060 – Fax +351 262 955 061 golf@turismodooeste.pt | www.turismodooeste.pt
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World Winners 2009 What does it take to be a world class brand? London London has secured the World’s Leading Destination in this year’s awards. Visit London has been instrumental in ensuring that despite the tough economic conditions, the capital continued to attract visitors. The tourist board has been running a campaign across the key markets of the UK, Europe and North America, to highlight all the unique places, attractions and experiences that you can only find in London. Its aim has been to keep London front of mind and a must-visit destination for both domestic and international visitors.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
RCCL’s new Oasis of the Sea
Etihad Airways Etihad Airways has scooped the World’s Leading Airline Award for a number of reasons. The airline has continued to expand, invest and innovate despite the global recession. At the start of this year chief executive James Hogan pledged to have a fleet of 50 aircraft by year end – Etihad will have 52 aircraft by December. The airline also continues to add routes, setting a target of 55 by the end of 2009, which it has already surpassed. This year alone, it launched Chicago, Melbourne, Cape Town and Hyderabad. The airline also invested heavily in a new premium lounge at its home airport in Abu Dhabi, and continues to open dedicated premium lounges including one at Heathrow’s Terminal 4. Etihad also won the World’s Leading First Class for its new Diamond Class cabin, which it started rolling out across the fleet in August. The cabin is in a 1-2-1 configuration, with each seat transforming into a 6ft flat bed, complete with adjustable headrest, footrest, lumbar support, inbuilt massage and 23-inch TV with a choice of more than 600 movies. The seat also turns into a private cabin, with a sliding screen door. Diamond Class includes a dedicated limousine service, a premium lounge and on-board Food & Beverage Manager.
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Tui Travel Tui Travel secured two awards this year, the World’s Leading Tour Operator and the Reponsible Tourism Award. The group is a consistently high performer in an extremely challenging environment and appeared to shrug off the economic downturn by posting an astonishing 57% increase in profits to £102m in the six months to June this year. Europe’s largest travel group cited receding fears of swine flu, including a flurry of last-minute bookings to Mexico, contributing to figures that remain on target for the financial year ending 30 September. The group has also been instrumental in the Tourism 2023 Campaign which pledges the travel industry to a sustainable future, and this year reaffirmed its pledge to create 500 new apprenticeship places for young people in 2010. Tui has an established Apprenticeship programme, and has trained more than 3,500 apprentices in the last five years.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has been awarded the World’s Leading Cruise Brand. The line has continued to invest through a tough year and will be launching the world’s biggest cruise ship, the 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas this month. The world’s second largest cruise line also won for innovation, in particular the success of Azamara, the informal luxury line which goes to off the beaten track destinations. RCCL also launched a family-friendly programme which allows kids to complete meals in the main dining room in 45 minutes and then be escorted back to the Adventure Ocean activity facilities whilst parents finish dinner.
InterContinental Hotel Group InterContinental Hotel Group secured the World’s Leading Hotel Brand. The world’s biggest hotel group counts seven brands – Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites – more than 180m stays per year, 630,000 rooms and more than 4,300 hotels in nearly 100 countries. The group was praised particularly for its generous loyalty scheme, Priority Club Rewards, which has 42m members and is now the world’s largest.
Jumeirah Group Jumeirah Group’s iconic landmark hotel, Burj al Arab has secured the World’s Leading Hotel for consistently pushing the luxury bar higher and higher. In 2009, the hotel took delivery of four bespoke Rolls Royce Phantoms, with hotel logo embroidered into the upholstered leather seats. The Rolls-Royce chauffeur service is just one of many luxury services, which include in-suite check in, a private reception desk on every floor and highly trained butlers.
Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic was the clear winner of the World’s Leading Travel Commercial for its Virgin – 25 Years Still Red Hot advertisement. The £6m campaign, which launched in January, uses a mixture of 80’s nostalgia and iconic images of huge mobile phones and Rubik’s Cubes, a classic song (Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood) and some extremely glamorous cabin crew to mark the airline’s 25th anniversary of its first flight to Newark on June 22, 1984.
Other winners...
Etihad Airways
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority secured the World’s Leading Tourist Board trophy for its key role in securing the Formula 1 Grand Prix, as well as a number of other high-profile achievements. This includes the introduction of a hotel and hotel apartments classification system which has led to a number of accommodation upgrades. The authority has also stepped up its training of tourist guides, introduced a number of new events, such as the Gourmet Abu Dhabi festival and expanded its marketing outreach with the opening of overseas offices in Italy and the opening of new visitor centres with additional facilities now being planned for Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi International Airport
The other winners are Sandals Resort International for the World’s Leading AllInclusive Company; American Express for the World’s Leading Business Travel Agency; Adam & Eve for the World’s Leading Design Hotel; India for its Incredible India campaign, which secured the World’s Leading Destination Marketing Campaign; Holland America for the World’s Leading Green Cruise Line; Tobago Main Ridge Rain Forest for World’s Leading Green Destination; and Adventures by Disney for World’s Leading Luxury Travel Operator.
Royal Jet Group Royal Jet Group won World’s Leading Private Jet Charter. The company bucked worldwide trends and reported a 15% increase in VIP charter business during the summer period. It also revamped its VIP Terminal facilities ahead of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix and becoming the only private jet charter which has personal chefs on board.
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Virgin Atlantic Airways, 25 Years Still Red Hot campaign
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www.rcvb.com.br
Winner’s Showcase
Abu Dhabi the world’s leading tourism authority Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority was established in 2004 with the goal of positioning the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as an outstanding, globally recognized, sustainable tourism destination. Just five years on and it has been voted “World’s Leading Tourism Authority” at the World Travel Awards Grand Final in London.
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We met the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, to find out his thoughts on how the rapidly burgeoning emirate has risen so quickly to tourism stardom, and its plans to keep the momentum rolling. Abu Dhabi won a record 10 awards at the World Travel Awards Middle East Ceremony in May, and progressed to the Grand Final in London on Sunday where it was voted “World’s Leading Tourist Board”. What has it been doing to gain such recognition from the travel and tourism industry? SSBT: This was very much a reflection of superb efforts by the entire tourism sector in upgrading the destination’s product offering, its accommodation inventory and first-class travel links. From the tourism authority’s side, we have introduced a hotel and hotel apartments classification system which has led to a number of accommodation upgrades and which brings added integrity to the destination. The authority has also stepped up its training of tourist guides, introduced a whole host of new events for the destination, such as the highly successful Gourmet Abu Dhabi festival and expanded its marketing outreach with the opening of overseas offices in Italy and the opening of new visitor centres with additional facilities now being planned for Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi International Airport. Much of the acclaim though also belongs to the private sector which is consistently expanding with new golf courses in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, new hotels, an increase in the number of cruise stop-overs, new destinations launched by Etihad, new attractions, such as the Ferrari World planned for Yas Island, and the arrival of new carriers into Abu Dhabi International Airport – Ukraine International Airlines, for instance, commenced a twice-weekly flight to the UAE capital in September. Together with the wider industry we have built considerable momentum and we intend to keep this going. How are the cultural projects progressing, in particular the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum and the Guggenheim? SSBT: Again we are making significant progress. Foundation work commenced recently on the Louvre Abu Dhabi and all design and engineering work for the other assets on the Cultural District of Saadiyat Island is progressing according to plan.
In what way do you think it will create a blueprint for the modern Arabia? SSBT: The Cultural District will be a hub for crosscultural knowledge transfer building greater understanding of our own indigenous culture, particularly through the planned Sheikh Zayed National Museum, but also the understanding in this part of the world of the many cultures the region now engages with. The Cultural District in many ways is a visual manifestation of the emergence of a new dialogue of civilisations. How is the global downturn influencing your planning? SSBT: The global financial crisis is having an obvious impact on international tourism however, the impact and its severity differs from destination to destination. Our first step has been to review the nature of the downturn and Abu Dhabi’s relative strengths as a destination. Our initial conclusion is that we are still well placed to ride out some of the worst effects. We have reached this conclusion because of our visitor base, which is largely from within the region, the fact that our international visitor profile is largely dominated by the business tourism sector, Abu Dhabi’s emerging status as a global aviation hub with an expanding Etihad network, the emirate’s strong economic fundamentals. We are fortunate in having access to the 30 million plus consumers in the GCC who have a tendency to travel locally in times of uncertainty gives and we have solid government’s support and resource commitment to the development of a strong tourism sector. We are also expanding our geographic outreach so that we are not at risk from any single market – hence the recent opening of offices in Australia, China and Italy which could be growth areas for us. We have no intention of taking our eyes off the longer term vision and commitment to the realisation of major development projects such as Saadiyat Island is unwavering. That being said we
realise that Abu Dhabi’s tourism is not immune from the impact, it is just well inoculated. To date, most of our demand has been businessbased tourism – both from the MICE segment and from people visiting to conduct business here. Leisure tourism is an emerging sector and we are specifically working on a longer term 50/50 split of business and leisure visitors. Importantly, as the UAE’s and Abu Dhabi’s economy widens, business tourism will continue – it is proven to be the most resilient segment of the wider visitor panorama. Our main markets are the Middle East, UK and Germany with other European, Asian and the Australian market also expanding as destination awareness grows. ADTA currently operates overseas offices in the UK, Germany, France, Australia, China and Italy and others are under feasibility study. Access to the destination is also improving as Etihad continues to expand its route network. Given the healthy prognosis for business tourism, we believe the demand will continue. Abu Dhabi does not intend to become a mass market leisure dominant destination. We will continue to develop at the premium end of the spectrum in a sustainable and culturally appropriate manner. Our hotels are currently running at occupancy around 80% and hoteliers remain bullish about prospects for 2009. The public and private sector is creating a more expansive product range of visitor attractions, the latest of which is the ADACH initiative of the renovation of Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain and the creation of the highly educational and informative visitor centre there. We have, of course, reviewed our forecasts, as we do regularly and found that there was little adjustment needed. We expect this year to maintain our hotel guest levels achieved last year when we received 1.5 million guests. We anticipate this rising by 10% next year and then 15% each in 2011 and 2012 to reach our target of 2.3 million hotels guests by 2012 end.
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How to Enter 2010 The World Travel Awards serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate the achievements of the brightest players in the global travel and tourism industry. If you think your organisation stands in a class of its own then visit worldtravelawards.com for an online entry form. Self nomination for 2010 opens 11 January.
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Winner’s Showcase Mission Hills Asia’s Leading Golf Resort, China’s Leading Golf Resort
Picture caption of we need one
Mission Hills is a luxury resort featuring twelve 18-hole champion golf courses, three golf academies (featuring world renowned instructors David Leadbetter and Cindy Reid), 51 tennis courts with a professional tennis academy, a five-star hotel, four clubhouses, three spas, pro shops, an international conference and exhibition center, and a number of fine dining options serving cuisines from around the world. Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest golf club in the world, Mission Hills spearheads the golf development in China, and has witnessed more
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than 50 international events in the past few years. It is also the host venue of the World Cup of Golf from 2007 to 2018.
Clubhouses Mission Hills Golf Club has four district clubhouses located across the 20 square-kilometer premises. Mission Hill’s clubhouses are among the most highly acclaimed in the world offering a wide range of popular amenities such as saps, pro shops, restaurants and function halls.
Pro Shops Mission Hills has one of Asia’s largest collections of golf and sports equipments, apparel, accessories, literature and instruction materials, available at its various pro shop locations throughout the resort. Pro shops also offer a range of professional personal and professional services, including discounted bulk purchases with free delivery options, club testing and consignment, personalized embroidery services, and more. In addition to the Mission Hills’ very own branded retail collection, Mission Hills’ pro shops also carry an essential selection of international sports brands.
Spa The award-winning Mission Hills Spa are in three convenient locations, offering spa and wellness treatments developed based on both traditional and Western healing philosophies. An extensive array of world-class treatments and services is not only suitable for those seeking for a quick refresh, but also those who have the luxury to indulge in a rejuvenating program to achieve ultimate wellness.
Dining Mission Hills offers some of the finest culinary experiences from around the world - discover the tastes of local Cantonese cuisine, or indulge in a variety of Eastern and Western cooking traditions at any one of our restaurants, cafes and lounges.
Hotel The Mission Hills Resort & Spa is one of finest 5star hotels in Southern China and an ideal retreat for leisure holiday goers, business travelers and golfers. Recognized as the “Best Holiday Resort” by the China Hotel Golden Pillow Award, Mission Hills Resort & Spa features over 300 rooms spread across two wings with distinct styles.
Properties Mission Hills’ real estate development has gained the fame as the “Beverly Hills” of the Pearl River Delta Region with its breathtaking views of lakes and greenery,. Situated at the center of the economic triangle between Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, Mission Hills is the most soughtafter residential address in China especially among the rich and famous. With 12 legendary designer courses as the backdrop of the residential properties, Mission Hills offers its residents an unparalleled quality of life, privacy and security within the expansive, natural sanctuary of the world’s largest, premium golf club.
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A Year in Hospitality
The big trend in hotels this year was the move away from full-service five-star properties to budget hotels. So which players are reaping the rewards in this new age of austerity? This was predicted back in February at the Business Travel Show with the release of a report commissioned by travel technology company Amadeus and conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The report predicted that a “new age of austerity” in terms of business travel was dawning with travellers taking fewer, shorter and cheaper business trips and opting for basic efficiency and good service over ancillary services. As corporate budgets were frozen or slashed, more and more travellers opted to do this. The net effect was that many five star properties found themselves taken off corporate travel policies, forcing them to try and get themselves recategorised as four star hotels. The trend was not solely confined to business travel, however, with many luxury properties
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forced to close floors to save money as occupancy levels sunk to new lows. This was most acute in Mexico, where at the height of the swine flu panic occupancy rates dipped to single figures. The capital also led the world’s cities with the lowest average room rates for five years in the first half of this year, of just £49. However, according to the head of the Mexican Tourist Board in the UK, Manual Diaz Cerebran, the country is now past the worst and there were a number of campaigns in place to stimulate tourism to the country. These include a Mexican Season which started with the official opening of Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler at the British Museum, and is followed by Revolution on Paper: Mexican prints 1910 - 1960.
However, he added: “Despite the fact that consumers might be expecting lower prices, we must stress that Mexico is not about to become a cheap destination.” Construction around the world, most notably Dubai, ground to a halt in the first few months of this year. A number of big-name brands including Six Senses in North East Brazil and Four Seasons in Barbados were forced to delay projects or scale them back considerably while the recession continued to bite. However, it was not all bad news as a number of properties and destinations managed to buck the worldwide trend. In September, the Langham Hotels Group announced a US$1bn expansion to its portfolio of luxury hotels by 13 over the next few years.
The group will focus on Asia Pacific, with properties planned for Tokyo, Singapore, Thailand and Thailand, and the Middle East. It also plans a conference spa facility in France, and a hotel in Liverpool and a 224-bedroom Langham Place, Resort & Spa, Port St George, Bahamas. Relais & Chateaux reported a 39% increase in bed nights in the third quarter of this year, reservations up 35% and average length of stay up 3%. Starwood also continued to open hotels worldwide throughout 2009, with plans to have 100 hotels in China alone by 2012. And the world’s largest hotel group, IHG, announced that it would be spending US$175 million in combined totals for new property announcements throughout Latin America. Meanwhile, there was no let up in the number of new luxury hotels openings in the Maldives, including a Shangri La Resort & Spa. British Airways also reported strong forward bookings on its newly-launched route to the capital Male. Abu Dhabi was one of the few cities which continued to build hotels and, due to an acute lack of supply, was also able to up its rates. In fact, a survey at the start of the year of more than 92,000 room night bookings across the world during the first quarter of 2009 showed Abu Dhabi led the way with the largest increase in hotel room rates. On average, its year-on-year rates rose by more than 33 percent to become the most expensive in the world at £173. This is in stark contrast to Dubai which recorded a room rate decrease of 25 percent over the same period. Meanwhile, the budget hotels upped their game in terms of facilities and slashed their costs, tempting many road-warriors to use brands such as Express by Holiday Inn, Travel Lodge and Premier Inn for the first time. Premier Inn announced it will be opening four new hotels at London’s main airports from Autumn 2011, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick and one at Stansted, creating a total of 1,570 new rooms. It is spending more than £125 million on the developments. It also opened its first property in Dubai, one of the few budget hotels to operate in the emirate. This trend to downgrade was backed up by a second report, released in September, which confirmed the predictions by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The report, by Samsung and OnePoll, found
almost 40% of those polled said they were becoming “less convinced” about the added value of premium properties. And almost a third said they considered staying in a budget hotel to be “a great experience”. The research also found that 87% of travellers pay on average less than 120 euros per night for their stay. September marked a flattening out for many UK hotels in terms of rates, occupancy levels and yields. A report by Deloitte predicted there will be a slowdown in the rate of decline with a pick up in the last three months of next year. Marvin Rust, hospitality managing Partner at Deloitte said: “The revised forecasts show that for hotels in London and across the UK, the worst falls in revPAR [revenue per available room] are probably behind us now. “However, both sectors still face further falls in revenue before recovery takes place. He did not predict a return to growth in the capital before Q4 2010. Rust predicted that the rest of this year and the beginning of next would be tough for hoteliers, but less so for London – if the pound stays weak. The capital recorded 80% occupancy rates in the
first three quarters of this year, a performance described by Rust as “very impressive”, and partly down to strong leisure demand at weekends. Hotel group Accor saw better results in London than the regions, with a fall of 6% in revPAR in the capital, compared to 16% elsewhere. The group continued to expand, opening 18,700 rooms to the end of September, and aims to make a profit of E400m-E450m by the end of the year. In the regions, occupancy rates are starting to creep back up. Edinburgh saw a 3% increase in occupancy rates in August compared to last year, to 91%. However, rates were down by 7%. Leeds and Liverpool also saw their occupancy levels increase, by 3% and 7.6% respectively. However, both cities saw sharp falls in yields. Robert Barnard, partner for Hotel Consultancy Services at PKF, said: “This year was always going to be a tough one for hoteliers and therefore these figures are not hugely surprising. “It is heartening to see that occupancy rates are creeping back up in many of the cities. “But, ultimately, if hoteliers can continue to draw in visitors, they will be in a better position to slowly increase room rate as soon as the economic situation allows them to.”
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World Sport Destination Expo is the world’s first exhibition and conference dedicated to showcasing the $600 billion a year sport tourism industry. The world’s leading sporting destinations, bidding nations and cities, resorts and hotels, sporting bid committees, tour and event organisers, international media and elite buyers will for the very first time convene to conduct future business, source new contacts and markets and gain invaluable insights from the advanced knowledge of industry leaders and figure-heads. Fully endorsed by the leading authorities in sport and travel and tourism and uniquely co-located alongside the final week of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the landmark 5 day exhibition and conference programme will showcase the most rapidly growing sector in the global travel and tourism industry. At a time when some traditional tourism trends are in decline, sport tourism continues to flourish and is set to grow exponentially in the next decade. 50,000 visitors are expected to attend this ground-breaking event on the 5-9 July 2010 as the sport tourism industry congregates in Johannesburg ahead of the final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Participation in World Sport Destination Expo is critical to those companies involved in the sport tourism market-place, and those serious in assuming a market share of the industr y’s fastest growing and most dynamic sector.
To exhibit go to www.worldsportdestinationexpo.com/exhibiting To visit go to www.worldsportdestinationexpo.com/visiting For more information contact info@worldsportdestinationexpo.com
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If you represent a destination eager to win the rights to host major sporting events, if you are a region or resort offering sporting facilities, if you are a purchaser of sport tourism, or a member of the international sports media, I urge you to participate in this must attend global event.” Gianni Merlo, President, International Sports Press Association
We are looking forward to attending WSDE to conduct new business, to add to our growing portfolio and to forge new long-term business relationships with all the destinations exhibiting.This unique ground breaking event will allow us to do this all under one roof!” Nathan Wilson, Managing Director,Thomson Sport
It was vital that Rio de Janeiro secured a large presence at WSDE. We are hugely looking forward to the unrivalled promotional platform that WSDE will provide our great city and the opportunity to show to the world that Rio means business.” Paulo Senise, Executive Director, Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau
As host of the up-coming Winter Olympics, we appreciate the value of sport tourism and event hosting, which has been identified by World Sport Destination Expo. Hosting major sporting events shine the global spotlight on your country and will provide invaluable legacies in terms of economic, tourism, community and sport development. As well, the tremendous spirit of volunteerism and crosscultural understanding that comes with hosting the world is incalculable and will benefit your country for years to come. British Columbia has certainly experienced the benefits of hosting major events. In 2008 Vancouver was declared the top Sport City for event hosting in North America and 5th best in the World.” Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia
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Sport, hosting nations and cities and travel and tourism have come together very powerfully in recent years. You only have to look at the coverage of Brazil’s 2016 Olympic win to see that interest is at an all time high. WSDE will be the first dedicated business forum for destinations to secure the tourism benefits of hosting sporting events and to maximise the potential of future hosting bids.” Phil Savage, Publishing Director, SportBusiness Group
WSDE will change the landscape of the sport tourism industry. By bringing together all the key stake-holders of sport tourism products and services around the world, WSDE is set to become one of the most important international events in the travel and tourism calendar and we are privileged to be the inaugural hosts.” Lindiwe Mahlangu, CEO, Johannesburg 2010 FIFA World Cup Host City
Do not miss out on the sport tourism event of the decade
www.worldsportdestinationexpo.com Partners
In Search of Excellence in Sport Tourism Sport tourism powers South Africa through global downturn As anticipation reaches fever pitch ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the success of three mega sporting events hosted in South Africa over the past twelve months has given the country’s tourism sector a significant boost 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup match
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Despite the global downturn, South Africa remains cautiously optimistic it is on track to hit its target of 10 million visitors next year. The FIFA World Cup 2010 will help boost visitor numbers from just over 9.5m in 2008 to top the 10 million mark by year end, according to tourism officials. Visitors from regional markets helped the country record a 5.5% increase in arrivals last year compared to the year before. However, there was a 2.5% fall in foreign visitor numbers in the second half of the year. Numbers fell from almost half a million to 485,000 in the last six months of 2007 compared to the same period in 2008. Three sporting events this year – the Indian Premier League (IPL), British Lions tour to South Africa and the Confederations Cup – have boosted arrivals figures and will be a boon to the South African industry during a time when the global industry is feeling the squeeze of continuing economic turbulence. 2009 was the year when South Africa cemented its reputation as one of the world’s leading sporting events destinations. The last-minute relocation of the IPL due to the Indian national election was a considerable coup for the African nation, and its runaway success silenced the critics who had voiced concern over South Africa’s readiness to host events of this stature. The tournament injected almost R2-billion ($258-million) into the South African economy with over 40,000 hotel rooms and 10,000 domestic flights booked. The British and Irish Lions tour in June and July contributed R1-billion ($128-million) to the South African economy, with R250-million ($32.2million) in direct foreign exchange. June’s 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the next opportunity to showcase South Africa’s
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup spectacular closing ceremony
readiness as well as rigorously testing, much of the 2010 FIFA World Cup infrastructure. Almost 600,000 fans attended the two-week tournament which took place in four of the nine 2010 FIFA World Cup Host Cities. According to Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the success of the IPL, the Lions tour and the Confederations Cup, unlocked the potential for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to return South Africa to its pre-recession tourism high. He said construction linked to the World Cup would contribute R50bn to the economy, while tourism would generate a further R15bn, with 3.5 million fans expected to attend the tournament. Foreign arrivals would also receive a huge boost with 450,000 fans expected in the country next year. He said: “The World Cup affords us a once-in-alifetime chance to showcase the best we have as a tourism destination.” “Together with exposure to billions of television viewers, 2010 provides an unparalleled opportunity to enhance the brand awareness of SA as a premier tourist destination.” Lebohang Mokhesi, country manager UK for South African Tourism, said there had been “unprecedented demand” for World Cup tickets and predicted that many South Africans would choose to holiday domestically this year. Held concurrently with the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa will play host to World Sport Destination Expo (WSDE) – the first ever exhibition dedicated to the $600 billion a year sport tourism industry. As well as being the prime opportunity for the travel industry to cement future business with the industry’s top buyers, WSDE will act as a platform for South Africa to create a lasting legacy and capitalise on the world-wide exposure that the
event will provide. South Africa’s travel and tourism industry is expected to present a show of force at the international exhibition. Citing the success of the 2006 FIFA World Cup to the German tourism industry, WSDE is positioned to generate years of follow-on tourists and deliver South Africa with future tourism growth.
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WSDE will change the landscape of the sport tourism industry. We are privileged and honoured to be the inaugural hosts and to be part of creating a lasting legacy for South Africa and sport tourism worldwide. Lindiwe Mahlangu, CEO, Johannesburg Tourism Company.
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British and Irish Lions Tour 2009
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Grand Tour 2009 - Africa Africa glitters in travel triumph The World Travel Awards Africa Ceremony took place at a star-studded event on 11 May held at the Durban ICC. More than 200 organisations were nominated in 75 categories for the Africa region, including airlines, airports, hotels, car hire, destinations, resorts, spas and travel agencies.
Wessel Witthuhn, President of IFA, Zimbali Lodge & Country Club Africa's Leading Sports Resort
South African Airways won “Africa’s Leading Airline”, Starwood Hotels picked up “Africa’s Leading Hotel Brand” and The Mount Nelson Hotel scooped Africa’s Leading Hotel. World Travel Awards, established 16 years ago and described by the Wall Street Journal as the ‘Oscars’ of the global travel industry, encourages greater quality, value and, above all, exceptional customer experience spanning every sector and
region worldwide. Votes were received from thousands of agents and travel professionals throughout the world. Some of Africas’ top senior industry management attended the ceremony including Miller Mathola, CEO ICC Durban; Wessel Witthuhn, President, IFA Hotels & Resorts; Wayne Duvenage, CEO, AVIS Southern Africa; Cllr Grant Haskin, Acting Executive Mayor of the City of
Visit us at WTM, South Gallery Level 2, Suite 33
Cape Town’ Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, CEO, Cape Town Tourism; Ian Bartes, Chairman, Cape Town Tourism; Nomasonto Ndlovu, Global Manager Business Tourism, INDABA; Friedrich Schaefer, COO, ArabellabStarwood Hotels & Resorts South Africa. Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President, World Travel Awards said; “Winners of the World Travel Awards Africa Ceremony are very special brands,
Lindiwe Mahlangu, CEO, Johannesburg Tourism Company Africa's Leading City Tourist Board
Christoph Leinberge, General Manager, Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa; Friedrich Schaefer, COO, Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel Cape Town, South Africa; Graham Cooke, President & Founder, World Travel Awards Africa's Leading Luxury Hotel
Adrian Gardiner, Chairman, Shamwari Game Reserve Africa's Leading Conservation Company, Africa's Leading Safari Lodge
Wayne Duvenage, CEO, AVIS Southern Africa; Thulan Nzima, Avis Africa's Leading Business Car Rental Company
dedicated to being the absolute best in all aspects of ‘customer experience’. Their success here at a country-wide and global level means they will further improve their international profile as well as reach out to new customers.” “It was a wonderful evening for African tourism and hopefully an inspiration for all those nominated,” continued Cooke. “The winners have set a supreme standard of professionalism in
Africa with excellent examples of creativity and business acumen, and we hope that they can stimulate others to also raise their performance and their profile, not only within Africa but worldwide.” Guests enjoyed international entertainment from the world renowned pop group Boney M and virtuoso violin quartet Sterling EQ, plus South Africa’s pop sensations Kwel Tebza.
The evening host was the inspirational speaker Gerry Rantseli-Elsdon MC for Face of Africa for four years as well as announcer and anchor for international broadcaster M-Net. This premium event formed the second leg of the World Travel Awards Grand Tour, culminating with the last night’s Grand Final in London. For more information on the World Travel Awards visit www.worldtravelawards.com
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World Sport Destination Expo is the world’s first global exhibition and congress dedicated to showcasing the $600 billion a year sport tourism industry. At a time when traditional tourism trends are in decline, sport tourism continues to flourish and is set to grow dramatically in the next decade. Participation in World Sport Destination Expo is vital to those companies involved in the sport tourism market-place, and those serious in assuming a market share of the industry’s fastest growing sector. Over 5 dynamic business-focussed days you will be in pole position to: • • • • • • •
Conduct lucrative business deals with the leading international tour operators Meet face to face with the key corporate buyers and event organisers Educate the industry about your capabilities to host major events Explore and enter new international markets Gain deep insights in to the latest developments in the sport tourism industry Meet all the key industry players in a focused business environment Showcase your brand credentials on a global stage
Do not miss out on the travel and tourism event of the year. To exhibit go to www.worldsportdestinationexpo.com/exhibiting To visit go to www.worldsportdestinationexpo.com/visiting For more information contact info@worldsportdestinationexpo.com Partners
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oscars of the Travel Industryâ&#x20AC;? Wall Street Journal
World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2010 Our events are attended by the top level decision makers - more than 70 percent of our attendees are Director level or above. Our events are the perfect platform to gain your brand top-level exposure. Our events are famed for the great networking opportunities. For more information and to book tickets please email: booking@worldtravelawards.com
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www.europcar.com In the car rental business, it never pays to stand still. So here’s a little taste of what we’re offering now and over the coming months. As you see, it’s as much about the environment as renters and cars. Happier customers, after all, go hand in hand with a healthier planet.
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