05 JANUARY 2013 ISSUE 165

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6

JA Resorts & Hotels has added another property to its portfolio with the opening of the four-star, beach

front, 338-unit Ocean View Hotel.

06

08

Emirates Touches Down in Lyon

ibis Debuts in Saudi Arabia

Emirates has launched direct flights to Lyon, the airline’s third route in France and fourth new European destination since the begin-ning of 2012.

Accor Middle East has opened ibis Riyadh Olaya Street, marking the brand’s debut in Saudi Arabia.

IN THIS ISSUERENDEZVOUS

WEEKLY NEWS

MARKET UPDATE

ACCOMMODATION

AIR NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

WHO’S MOVED

TRAVEL TALK

AGENT’S CORNER

TRAVEL CHANNELS

RENDEZVOUS

NEWS & EVENTS

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Ocean View Hotel Opens

05 JANUARY 2013 ISSUE 165

2 RENDEZVOUS

5 JANUARY 2013

Q & A with Soha ZaharThe spa segment across the MENA region is undoubtedly on the rise, with establishments, old and new, rapidly grounding a solid presence within and throughout the tourism industry, as Soha Zahar, cluster director of sales and marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group, Jordan Cluster Office, proudly reveals to Travel Trade Weekly.

Travel Trade Weekly: Tell us a little about the recently-launched spa at Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort & Spa?

Soha Zahar: The famous French spa, Thalgo Spa, opened at Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort & Spa in October 2012, along with the soft opening of the resort itself. The grand opening is taking place this year.

Thalgo Spa is a calming space that cov-ers 6,000m2. Facilities include 30 treatment rooms with an adjacent changing room, a private shower and a bathroom, an indi-vidual music system and access to steam rooms. There are two indoor hydrotherapy pools, as well as a Dead Sea saltwater pool, a fitness centre, which is open daily from 6:30am until 11:00pm, and a beauty salon that offers professional makeup, manicure, and pedicure.

Thalgo Spa offers many treatments, fa-cials, and massages, including anti-ageing, anti-cellulite treatments, and weight loss treatments. There are also the famous Thai, Shiatsu, and hot stone massages that are not to be missed, and scrubs and mud wraps that use the famous Dead Sea products.

Thalgo Spa also has a specialised restau-rant, Cuisine de Sante, that offers healthy choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Travel Trade Weekly: How has the spa been received so far by the property’s existing and potential guests?

Soha Zahar: It has already become quite a popular choice for many residents of Jordan as well as tourists and Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort & Spa guests.

Travel Trade Weekly: What are your target markets for the spa this year and what do you offer to cater to them?

Soha Zahar: Our target markets are the al-ready established ones; GCC, Near East, and European markets, and we are planning on penetrating new markets as well. These are the most important markets from which busi-ness can be generated, and whose residents are known to come to Jordan for both busi-ness and leisure, so catering to them is of great importance.

Our approach is advertising in targeted international magazines, billboards, social media, as well as travel agent brochures.

And there are many treatments, facials, and massages that are guaranteed to please and satisfy our guests.

Travel Trade Weekly: What are your opin-ions regarding the future of the spa sector in Jordan and across the MENA region?

Soha Zahar: Spas are a popular concept and will definitely continue to be in the coming years. Things have changed, and the de-mands of life have increased, as well as the workload that is getting heavier and heavier, so people need to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and enjoy the idea of relaxing and unwinding, and hotel spas are the perfect place that can offer this. After such a stress-free experience, guests can leave feeling happy, relaxed, and reju-venated. Therefore, the spa sector in Jordan, as well as in the MENA region, will witness growth for sure.

Soha ZaharCluster director of sales and marketing InterContinental Hotels Group, Jordan Cluster Office

Things have changed and the demands of life have increased, […] so people need to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and enjoy the idea of relaxing and unwind-ing; hotel spas are the perfect place that can offer this

3WEEKLY NEWS

5 JANUARY 2013

Egypt’s hotel sector continues to show signs of recovery, according to the latest HotStats survey by TRI Hospitality Consultancy.

During October 2012, occupancy levels in Sharm El Sheikh’s four- and five-star hotels surged 16.3 percentage points to 79.4 percent, the highest in two years, while av-erage room rate (ARR) rose 5.4 percent to USD59.29, the best result since January 2011. Total revenue per avail-able room improved 30.3 percent to USD81.58, driven by strong demand during the Eid holidays.

Likewise, hotels in Cairo recorded an average occupan-cy of 54.1 percent, up 4.8 percentage points over October 2011. ARR grew 2.1 percent to USD119.29, leading to a Rev-PAR of USD64.59, a year-on-year increase of 12.2 percent.

“The data shows that the recovery in Cairo hotel per-formance was primarily helped by a growth in leisure segments, pointing to a recovery in confidence among tourists,” said Rashid Aboobacker, senior consultant, TRI Hospitality Consultancy.

The Ptolemaic chapel temple Qasr Al Agouz on Luxor’s west bank, which dates back to the reign of King Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II, has relaunched following seven years of restoration work.

The Marc Bloch Institute of Egyptology of the Univer-sity of Strasbourg, solicited by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, in collaboration with the French Institute of Oriental Archeology in Cairo, carried out comprehensive restoration work since 2002, during which cracks in the walls were repaired, paintings consolidated, the floor covered with bubbles to absorb subterranean water, and a new lighting system installed in order to make the tem-ple accessible at night.

Open-top sightseeing tour operator, Big Bus Tours, and Travel Point, Oman’s single largest travel company, have launched Big Bus Tours in Muscat.

The hop-on, hop-off tours have been designed to take visitors past the major landmarks and historic sites of the Omani capital city and will cover 12 stops on the two-hour route. Commenting on the company’s debut in the Sultanate, St. John Cooper, director, business devel-opment, Big Bus Tours, said, “Big Bus Tours has redefined the tourism industry of every city that it has gone to, and we are looking forward to see Oman receive the same highlight on the global map, with Big Bus Tours.”

Expressing equally high expectations, H.E. Maitha Saif Majid Al Mahrouqi, un-dersecretary, Ministry of Tourism, added, “The objective of introduc-ing the Big Bus Tours in Oman is to endorse the beauty of this country to the people of the world.”

Al Zorah Development Company’s board of direc-tors has approved the offering of the first tender dedi-cated to implement a world-class five-star hotel at the Al Zorah Resorts project in the emirate of Ajman, UAE.

Stretching over an area of over 100,000m2, the re-sort will have a waterfront frontage of 290m, and over 154 individual rooms, private suites, and villas along with four restaurants and a spa.

Extended on a total area of 5.4 million m2, Al Zorah Resorts is set to become a unique tourism destination on Ajman’s northern coast, only 15 minutes from Shar-jah International Airport.

The road linking the project with Emirates Road has already been completed, as well as four tourist ports with a capacity of 200 boats.

Slated for completion in summer of 2015, the first phase of the project will feature a five-star luxury re-sort with 230 rooms, while other components will in-clude a board walk surrounded by restaurants, cafés, and shops all the way to the waterfront tourist marina, and a beach club offering a spa, several swimming pools, restaurants, and amusement and entertain-ment centres.

The Mangrove of the World Theme Park is expect-ed to become another highlight of the first phase, as well as the Golf Course & Club House, which will com-prise an 18-hole golf course, apartments and villas, and a visitors pavilion.

Sharm El Sheikh: Double-digit Occupancy Growth

Qasr Al Agouz Temple Reopens

Big Bus Tours Arrives in Muscat

Al Zorah Resorts: Further Details Revealed

Big Bus Tours

4 MARKET UPDATE

5 JANUARY 2013

UAE (AED)

Egypt (EGP)

Saudi Arabia (SAR)

Lebanon (LBP)

Bahrain (BHD)

Jordan (JOD)

Syria (SYP)

Kuwait (KWD)

Qatar (QAR)

Oman (OMR)

Tunisia (TND)

Morocco (MAD)

Iran (IRR)

Yemen (YER)

Algeria (DZD)

Libya (LYD)

Dirham

Pound

Riyal

Pound

Dinar

Dinar

Pound

Dinar

Riyal

Rial

Dinar

Dirham

Riyal

Rial

Dinar

Dinar

3.67

6.42

3.75

1,505.50

0.37

0.71

71.00

0.28

3.64

0.38

1.57

8.54

12,285.00

214.11

78.50

1.26

Accurate as of

04/01/2013Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

MENA EXCHANGE RATES

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide: Restoring Luxury Hotels

NasJet Sees Revenue IncreaseOne of the largest and fastest growing private jet companies in the Middle East, NasJet, witnessed a rise in revenue during 2012, despite regional politi-cal instability and high fuel prices.

The 13-year-old, 65-fleet Saudi Arabia-based company announced rev-enues exceeding SAR500 million (USD133 million) for 2012, marking an im-provement of six percent, while it is expecting to record an increase of 20 percent for current year.

Sulaiman Al Hamdan, group CEO, Nas Holding, congratulated the NasJet team for driving growth in a sector which continues to remain challenging, compounded by escalating operating costs. At the same time, he highlighted

the positive financial impact NasJet services were having in the region, suc-cessfully meeting the exact demands of leading private and institutional clients.

In addition, Hardy Sohanpal, head of marketing, NasJet, said, “We are strategically positioned to operate a significant proportion of new aircraft to be delivered into the Middle East over the next five years and to rival the large international operators.”

F ollowing an extensive restoration pro-ject of 10 months, Hotel Alfonso XIII, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Seville, re-opened its doors in March 2012, while Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collec-

tion Hotel, San Sebastian, was re-launched in July 2012.

This month will see the debut of the re-stored The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice, while Prince de Galles, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Paris, is set to come onboard

The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Ho-tels & Resorts Worldwide, and the owners of the company are investing USD200 million to renovate and restore some of the collection’s most prestigious hotels in Europe.

in the second quarter of the year. “The Luxury Collection has an intimate un-

derstanding of today’s luxury travellers who, more and more, aim to stay with a brand that offers a consistent level of impeccable service, while celebrating each hotel's heritage and unique character,” noted Paul James, global brand leader, The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis, and W Hotels Worldwide.

The Luxury Collection is an ensemble of more than 80 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts, spanning 30 countries.

NasJet

5WEEKLY NEWS

5 JANUARY 2013

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide: Restoring Luxury Hotels With the soft launch of Abidos Hotel Apartments in

Dubailand having recently taken place, Abidos Hotels has become the latest hospitality brand to start operations in the emriate of Dubai.

The upscale tower has been built by Al Shafar General Contracting (ASGC) and has a total built up area of 27,50m2. Making the announcement, Emad Azmy, president ASGC, said, “We are pleased to declare Abidos Hotel Apartments open for business and this marks the beginning of a new brand; Abidos Hotels, […] which has been conceptualised to provide quality lifestyle at affordable rates.”

The hotel features 132 apartments, offering a choice of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units each with a private balcony and fully-fitted kitchens, as well as an all-day-dining restaurant, gym, rooftop swimming pool, spa facilities, and a kids’ play area, as well as a mobile business centre.

Launching of Abidos Hotel Apartments

Crowne Plaza Duqm Gears Up for Soft Opening

Crowne Plaza Duqm is to open its new hotel nestled in the very heart of Duqm city, 600km for the Omani capital city of Muscat.

Commenting on the upcoming soft-launch of the property, Ali Salih, general manger, Crowne Plaza Duqm, said, “We are very excited for the opening of the first luxury hotel in the Al Wusta region which is an integral part of economic development for Duqm. The team at Crowne Plaza Duqm is looking forward to welcoming guests to our first class facilities.”

Featuring unique and elegant décor inspired by Omani architecture, the hotel will feature 213 rooms, a wealth of fine dining options, comprehensive first-class business facilities, a fully equipped fitness centre, and adults’ and kids’ pools.

Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with ex-isting owning company, Abdulmohsen Al-Hokair for Tourism and Development, to develop a second Gar-den Inn-branded property in Riyadh, following the successful opening of Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya.

Located close to the commercial, diplomatic, and residential districts of the Saudi capital city, Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Andalusia will boast 130 rooms, a health club, outdoor swimming pool, all-day dining restaurant, lobby lounge, four board-rooms, and a business centre.

Commenting on the deal, Rudi Jagersbacher, presi-dent, Middle East and Africa, Hilton Worldwide, said, “Riyadh continues to attract large numbers of interna-

tional companies seek-ing a Middle East base which, in turn, is fuel-ling demand across a number of sectors, in-cluding hospitality. The capital is buoyant and I am delighted to sign this great new hotel, which becomes our 16th pipeline prop-erty in Saudi Arabia.”

Hilton Adds to its Saudi Pipeline

Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya

Accommodation

6 WEEKLY NEWS

5 JANUARY 2013

Accommodation

Starwood Reflags Mall of the Emirates Hotel

The Address Dubai Marina Pays Homage to Spa Indulgence

ibis Debuts in Saudi Arabia

The Spa at The Address Dubai Marina witnessed impres-sive growth in 2012, compared to 2011, featuring a healthy mix of hotel guests from numerous nationalities, as well as residents of Dubai, thus reflecting the cosmopolitan nature and tourist demographics of the city, according to Antony Treston, general manager, The Address Dubai Marina.

The Spa, which recently scooped a number of accolades in the global awards circuit, is currently devising a pro-gramme called ‘Spaholic Club’ which Treston explained will provide enthusiasts and regular visitors with a spa mem-bership, offering discounts on treatments, access to the in-finity pool, and fitness centre among others. “Additionally, we are in the process of launching the VIP Spa Indulgence Card for loyal guests that provide them with significant re-wards upon their visit to the spa,” Treston concluded.

Accor Middle East has opened ibis Riyadh Olaya Street, marking the brand’s debut in Saudi Arabia.

Hailed as the first internationally-branded three-star economy hotel in the kingdom, ibis Riyadh Olaya Street is expected to pave the way for a spread-out de-velopment of the brand throughout the country.

Conventionally located right in the centre of the city’s business district, close to many local landmarks, ibis Riyadh Olaya Street features 176 units, including rooms dedicated to families, and four rooms for indi-viduals with special needs.

“ibis has always been a pioneer in the region in the economy segment,” noted Christophe Landais, manag-ing director, Accor Middle East, who added that the re-gional network has grown to a total of 11 ibis hotels.

Ocean View Hotel OpensJA Resorts & Hotels has added another hotel to its portfolio with the opening of the four-star, beach front, 338-unit Ocean View Hotel.

Originally planned to debut on January 1, the ho-tel already opened its doors 10 days prior to the sched-uled date, on December 22, 2012, offering visitors as well as local residents a new venue to enjoy during the holiday season right in the heart of Dubai, as William

Harley-Fleming, general manager, Ocean View Ho-tel, explained.

With six very different restaurants and bars, the hotel offers a variety of culinary experiences, and also boasts a Calm Spa and Salon, welcoming both men and ladies with various treatments.

The Spa at The Address Dubai MarinaStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with Majid Al Futtaim Properties to open a Sheraton-branded hotel at Mall of the Emirates.

Scheduled to debut in the first quarter of the year, Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates will feature 481 rooms and suites, four restaurants and lounges, and 836m2 of state-of-the-art meeting and event space.

Commenting on the rebranding of the property, which was previously operated under Accor’s Pullman brand, Peter Walichnowski, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Proper-ties, said, “As the regional pioneers of the shopping resort concept, which combines malls and hotels, we realise the importance of creating the right pairing of our hotel and retail assets. When looking for a new partner for our hotel at the Mall of the Emirates, it was clear that Starwood and its Sheraton brand were the perfect fit for our distinctive mix of luxury retailers and unique entertainment and lei-sure offerings.”

Guido de Wilde, senior vice president, Middle East, Star-wood Hotels & Resorts, described the deal as part of the ho-tel company’s strategic growth plan to open more than 60 Sheraton hotels around the world over the next three years.

Ocean View Hotel

http://www.changiairport.com/

8 WEEKLY NEWS Air News

5 JANUARY 2013

RAK Airways Boosts Calicut Services

Emirates has launched direct flights to Lyon, the airline’s third route in France and fourth new European destination since the beginning of 2012.

Operated by an Airbus 340-500 offering a total of 258 seats, the new service increases Emirate’s overall capacity in France by 12 percent.

“The south east of France has been on our radar for some time,” claimed Thierry Antinori, executive vice president, pas-senger sales worldwide, Emirates, noting that Lyon, as the second largest metropolitan area in France, is a strategically important market that is incredibly viable in terms of poten-tial traffic flows through to the airline’s vast network.

“Our commercial footprint in France has increased steadily since our first service to Paris in 1992. Since day one we have invested significantly in France. […] Today, Emirates operates 31 flights per week between France and Dubai up from three weekly flights in 1992, further underpinning our long-term commitment to France,” concluded Antinori.

With the addition of the route, Emirates became the first in-ternational carrier to provide direct services from Lyon to Dubai.

RAK Airways has increased its flights to Calicut, India, from Ras Al Khaimah, and as of December 15, 2012, it has been operating daily services to the city.

John Brayford, CEO, RAK Airways, explained that Cali-cut is one of the carrier’s key destinations and passenger demand on flights to the city has always been very good. “I believe stepping up the frequency will satisfy our pas-senger mix of tourists as well as the significant number of Indian expatriates from the southern state of Kerala, working in the UAE and GCC,” he continued, adding that the new flight schedule will also serve travellers who are working in other GCC states within RAK Airways’ network, Doha and Jeddah, by providing excellent connections.

Air Arabia Introduces Third Pakistani Destination

Air Arabia has added its third destination in Paki-stan with the launch of services to Sialkot, and be-comes the first UAE carrier to operate scheduled flights to the city, offering daily services as of Janu-ary 10, 2013.

The launch of operations to Sialkot will com-plement Air Arabia’s existing flights to Karachi and Peshawar, and follows the recent announcement of the airline’s increasing operations to the two cities to daily, serving three destinations in Pakistan with 21 weekly non-stop flights.

“The launch of our regular Sialkot service is a continuation of Air Arabia’s promise to offer value for money fares to multiple destinations in Pakistan. Since launching operations to Pakistan five years ago, we have been committed to offering our cus-tomers a unique option for affordable air travel and a great connectivity between both nations,” com-mented said Adel Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia.

EGYPTAIR Increases Flights to Istanbul

Emirates Touches Down in Lyon

EGYPTAIR has announced that it will step up services between Cairo and Istanbul as of January 15, when it will add an extra three weekly flights to Turkey’s largest city.

This will bring the operational route network to a total of 17 weekly services until the end of the existing timetable on March 30.

The three new flights will be operated onboard a Boeing 737-800 and Airbus 321 which will provide 185 seats.

RAK Airways

Istanbul

9WEEKLY NEWSAir News

5 JANUARY 2013

Qatar Airways Flies into Poland

flydubai Features Movies from All Hollywood Studios

Gama Aviation Sees Growth in Aviation Movements

flydubai has become the first airline to show high defini-tion movies from all six major Hollywood studios.

The carrier introduced its in-flight entertainment (IFE) system in December 2010 featuring movies from two stu-dios, Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Today, it can air films by NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, and Sony Pictures Entertainment as well.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, said, “From day one, we have aimed to offer our passengers the best in-flight experience and the IFE is a significant part of this.”

At the recently concluded Middle East Business Aviation show in Dubai, Gama Aviation announced a rise of 40 percent year-on-year in business and gen-eral aviation movements.

The increase comes nine months after the com-pany signed an agreement for fixed-base opera-tion (FBO) services at Sharjah International Airport, with which it is working closely alongside Sharjah Department of Civil Aviation, aimed to add further investment to ensure the latest FBO facilities for its passengers and crews. “With our significant invest-ment in personnel and infrastructure, together with the shared vision we have with the airport authority, Sharjah International Airport is rapidly becoming a perfect fit for operators seeking a fast and efficient service in Dubai and the Northern Emirates,” ex-plained Dave Edwards, managing director, Middle East and Asia, Gama Aviation.

Hainan Airlines Shifts Gulf HubHainan Airlines has transferred its Gulf flight operations from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, now offering its twice weekly service between Beijing and Luanda, Angola, through Eti-had Airways’ hub in the UAE capital.

The move to Abu Dhabi expands the cooperation between the Chinese airline and its codeshare partner, Etihad Airways, and was welcomed by James Hogan, president, Etihad Airways, who further noted that Hainan Airlines is the second partner from Asia Pacific to relocate its Gulf operations, after Garuda Indonesia.

“This is a huge vote of confidence for the operators of Abu Dhabi International Airport and its suppliers. We ex-pect there will be significant flow-on opportunities and benefits for the myriad stakeholders in the emirate, includ-ing those in the tourism industry,” he stressed.

flydubai’s in-flight entertainment system

Qatar Airways launched its 12th new route of 2012 with scheduled flights to Warsaw, Poland, operating from its hub in Doha.

The official delegation on the inaugural flight onboard an Airbus A320, which included H.E Hadi Bin Nasser Al-Hajri, ambassador of Qatar to Poland, was greeted by Michał Marzec, director, Warsaw Chopin Airport, followed by a traditional Polish folk dance.

Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways, expressed confidence that the Polish capital will attract many passengers, especially since Poles are keen to travel to distant destinations, which Qatar Airways can provide with new flights via its Doha hub.

The Doha-Warsaw route will be operated four times a week with an Airbus A320, featuring 144 seats in a two-class configuration of 12 in business class and 132 in economy.

Warsaw marks the latest point in the airline’s expanding global route map, now totalling 122 des-tinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pa-cific, North America, and South America. In Europe alone, the carrier now flies to 32 cities.

10 WEEKLY NEWS

5 JANUARY 2013

International

The First BEST WESTERN PLUS Opens in the Philippines

StayWell Hospitality Group to Launch in Bali

Four Seasons Arrives in Tanzania

The Ritz-Carlton Plans First Hotel in Kazakhstan

Best Western International (BWI) and Makati City’s Antel Hotel have celebrated the launch of the brand new Serenity Tower and the hotel’s rebranding as BEST WESTERN PLUS Antel Hotel, the first of the brand in the Philippines.

The twin events were marked with a ceremony on November 19, 2012, attended by a number of leading company professionals. This was followed immediately by the main event at the AQUA function room of Serenity Tower, where guests from the travel trade, corporate partners and members of the media were present to join the celebrations.

At her welcome speech, Jen Wong, vice president, operations, Antel Land Holdings, said, “Being awarded the ‘PLUS’ status entails a lot of responsibility. Hand-in-hand with Best Western International, we are committed to giving much more in all aspects of the hospitality business; [...].”

In addition, Yvonne Villacorte, general manager, BEST WESTERN PLUS Antel Hotel, remarked, “What truly sets us apart from the rest is our peo-ple; what has kept me strong and what has kept our business strong, is our hardworking, sincere, and warm staff who shares such genuine hospitality with all our guests.”

The hotel now offers three towers with a total of 210 furnished suites and features two restaurants, three lounges, eight function rooms, two business centres, two children’s playgrounds, and a spa, among others.

StayWell Hospitality Group, owner and operator of the Park Regis and Lei-sure Inn brands, has announced a new agreement to operate a four-star hotel in Bali, Indonesia, following the signing of a long term management deal between the group and PT Rudy Indopratama Se-jahtera, owner of the property.

Park Regis Kuta is expected to open early this year and will be StayWell Hos-pitality Group’s first hotel in Indonesia. The property will be located in the vicin-ity of the popular Kuta area and a short distance from a main beach, shopping districts, and local attractions.

Simon Wan, CEO, StayWell Hospital-ity Group, said that the destination is a strategic step in the company’s expan-sion plan.

Following a rebrand and an extensive upgrade, Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzania officially opened its doors on December 3, 2012.

The property is the first Four Seasons in sub-Saharan Africa with two additional hotels soon to follow.

The lodge offers guests 77 rooms, including12 suites with plunge pools and five free-standing villas with private swimming pools. Each room has an ele-vated open-air sundeck, which provides views over the Serengeti region.

It is suitable for guests of eight years of age and above and further features its own Discovery Centre with museum qual-ity exhibits and a lecture hall for guests to learn about the local wildlife, environment, and culture.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has announced the expansion of its port-folio in the CIS with the addition of The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty, the company’s first hotel in Kazakhstan set to open late this year.

The 145-room property is located in the 37-storey Esentai Tower, within the mixed-use Esentai Park development project in the city centre, which features an extensive shopping mall, fitness club, and residential com-plexes. In addition, the property will offer club and suite accommodation together with over 930m2 of meeting space and facilities.

Almaty, Kazakhstan’s former capital, is the country’s largest city, and an important cultural and commercial centre as well as business destination, as Herve Humler, president, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, noted, further expressing his delight for partnering with Capital Partners to manage this property and for being able to offer The Ritz-Carlton experience to global busi-ness travellers visiting the city.

Almaty, Kazakhstan.

WHO'S MOVED

5 JANUARY 2013

11

Alexander Schlaubitz

Purnima KP

Peter Nilsson

Alexander Schlaubitz has been appointed head of mar-keting at Lufthansa Passenger Airlines, effective January 7. In his role, he will be responsible for the airline’s entire market-ing activities, including classic advertising and brand manage-ment, as well as direct market-ing and marketing analysis. Schlaubitz gained his first pro-

fessional experience at market-ing companies in the US, after which he continued to broaden his expertise at advertising and communications agencies. He also worked for Facebook as director of customer marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and as marketing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Intel Corporation.

Purnima KP has been ap-pointed director of sales and marketing at Mövenpick Hotel Deira, Dubai, UAE. Having previously worked in Oman, Yemen, and the UAE, she will draw on her experi-ence and yield and revenue management expertise to sup-port the hotel’s highly visible presence in the community,

and grow regional and interna-tional business in key market segments, and drive marketing and corporate programmes.She brings a thorough first-hand understanding of hotel operations to the role, where she will be responsible for overseeing the full spectrum of sales, marketing, and com-munications activities.

Peter Nilsson has been ap-pointed general manager of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. In his new role, he will be in charge of overseeing all ho-tel operations and will lead the team in maintaining the resort’s standing as a pre-mier luxury destination in the Indian Ocean. Nilsson joins Hilton World-wide from Six Senses Re-sorts, Residences and Spas where he served as man-aging director of the Gulf

of Thailand. Over the past 26 years, he has worked in a number of coun-tries around the globe, includ-ing Sweden, Russia, Vietnem, Thailand, and East Timor. No stranger to the Mal-dives, he previously spent two years at Soneva Gili by Six Senses as general manager where he was re-sponsible for the re-open-ing of the property fol-lowing the tsunami which hit the cluster of islands in 2004.

12 TRAVEL TALK

5 JANUARY 2013

Doris Greif

General manager, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.

“The last couple of months have been an exciting time for Jumeirah at Etihad Towers. November 2012 saw the opening of the luxury shopping experi-ence Avenue at Etihad Towers. […] This was further aided with the opening of our Observation Deck at 300 […] offering 360 degree spectacular panorama views. Additionally, December 2012 saw the open-ing of our two newest gourmet experiences.”

Amr Badr

Managing director, Egypt and Middle East, Abercrombie & Kent.

“Egypt is proactive in terms of tourism strategy. The Egyptian people believe in the industry and we follow a clear strategy of pulling people to Egypt and pushing Egypt to the people. This helps us to maintain a strong flow of travellers to our country. Our plan for this year is to continue to promote tourism to Egypt from around the world.”

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13AGENT'S CORNER

5 JANUARY 2013

AGENT’S INSIGHTSharaf Travel Receives RecognitionSharaf Travel, a leading travel management company in the UAE, was recently awarded the ‘statement of assessment’ by DNV Business Assurance, based on its customer satisfaction levels.

Sharaf Travel was part of a pilot initiative in collaboration with DNV Group and is the first company to receive the DNV statement of assessment, which is part of the ISO 10004:2012 whereby a company is given a set of guidelines and best prac-tices that, once adopted, leads to greater levels of customer satis-faction and loyalty.

According to Salah Sharaf, chairman, Sharaf Travel, this

achievement will greatly contrib-ute to the enhancement of the quality and content of the port-folio of services offered by the Sharaf Travel Group.

Who are you? I started in the company in 2008 as part of the operation team. STI Travel International is an affiliate of Sakkara Group Interna-tional, established in 2007 in London, with sister companies in France, the US, and India. With over 40 years experience in the travel industry and highly experienced staff, it is our great pleas-ure to assist travellers in organising their leisure or business trav-el arrangements throughout the following destinations; Egypt, UAE, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Turkey. Within the next couple of months we will have the pleasure to announce that we are expanding our business into the US.

What is your favourite thing about working in the travel indus-try? Using my creativity when working in the tailor-made depart-ment, in addition to learning a great deal about different cultures.

When is the best time to visit the UK? Mid-June to late August to enjoy the sunny weather and explore the countryside, and during the festive season of Christmas to en-joy all the festive decorations and livelihood of the British cities.

Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday? South Africa.

Why should people come to you for travel advice ? We have over 40 years of experience in the travel industry par-ticularly in the Middle East and North Africa, with an excellent reputation among many hoteliers and airlines within the region. Having offices and sister companies throughout the destinations we specialise in, gives us the advantages of prompt, accurate, and the most updated information and offers, without the need of thinking of the time difference or making long international calls. We have a reputable incentive and corporate portfolio par-ticularly when organising medical conferences.

Amr Badr

NAME: Sherif Abdel Hady

POSITION: Sales and marketing manager

COMPANY: STI Travel International

LOCATION: UK

Salah Sharaf (right) receiving the award

14 TRAVEL CHANNELS

DTCM Celebrates in Africa

Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) Southern Africa joined in the celebrations for the 41st UAE

National Day on December 2, 2012,at CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria.

T o mark the occassion, the UAE Embassy in South Africa hosted an event on Monday, December 3, 2012, where vari-ous South African dignitaries were pre-sent, as well as representatives of Emir-

ates, Etihad Airways, and DTCM Southern Africa.“We were honoured, as Dubai Department

of Tourism & Commerce Marketing Southern Africa, to be a part of the 41st UAE National Day celebrations,” commented Wendie White, director, DTCM Southern Africa.

Eurostar Trials New Service

‘I Know Europe’ Proves Successful

BA Lists Top Destinations for the Year

Eurostar, the rail passenger service that links London and mainland Europe, will launch a new direct service from the UK capital to three destinations in the south of France; Lyon, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence, aimed at travellers looking for early summer vacations.

The service will go on trial during May and June and tickets are already available.

“Our direct Avignon summer services grow in popularity year-on-year and our cus-tomers tell us they would like to see it extend-ed to offer even more choice of holiday des-tinations,” explained Nick Mercer, commercial director, Eurostar, adding that the three desti-nations are the most popular in the south of France.

In a bid to help travellers find qualified travel agents who have the knowledge and experience to ensure the utmost holiday experi-ence, the Globus Family of brands concluded a 30-hour ‘I Know Eu-rope’ certification programme, dedicated to travel agents working across the Middle East. The initiative helped 30 professionals gain comprehensive skills which are to enable them to showcase Europe as a complete destination as well as parts of the continent as stand-alone destinations.

British Airways has compiled a list of the top 13 destinations to visit this year, with the leading three hotspots being Sri Lanka, Rio de Janeiro, and Seoul. Richard Tams, head of sales, UK and Ireland, British Airways said, “Undoubtedly consumers will continue to be driven by value for money this year with routes such as Dubai, Cape Town, and Bang-kok already proving popular. We are also […] responding to demand with a number of new routes, including Seoul and Sri Lanka.”

5 JANUARY 2013

CSIR International Convention Centre

Taleb Rifai Secretary-general, World Tourism Organization

15RENDEZVOUS

5 JANUARY 2013

Q & A with Taleb RifaiWith international visitor arrivals having exceeding the one billion mark in 2012, travel and tourism remains one of the fastest-growing sectors, which has both the potential and the responsibility to drive socio-economic development globally, as Taleb Rifai, secretary-general, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), explains.

Travel Trade Weekly: In 2012, UNWTO adopt-ed a new theme to celebrate World Tourism Day (WTD), namely Tourism & Sustainable En-ergy: Powering Sustainable Development. How was this theme received by the industry?

Taleb Rifai: The theme was extremely well received. […] There has been a clear recog-nition by all those involved that tourism can only continue to grow by tying itself to a clean energy agenda.

At the same time, WTD has been an op-portunity to raise awareness of tourism as a positive force for a more sustainable future. Many people are only slowly becoming aware of tourism’s role at the forefront of some of the world’s most ambitious and innovative clean energy solutions: the aviation industry is implementing cutting-edge technologies to make aircraft lighter than ever before; com-mercial flights are beginning to use biofuels in their fuel mix; key card systems and energy saving light bulbs are increasingly being im-plemented in hotel rooms worldwide; and tour operators are asking for energy efficiency throughout their supply chains.

Travel Trade Weekly: What kind of role does UNWTO play in encouraging others to adopt sustainable principles?

Taleb Rifai: One of the main priorities of UN-WTO is to promote sustainable tourism devel-opment: supporting sustainable tourism poli-cies and practices which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, and provide socio-economic benefits for all.

In particular, UNWTO encourages the im-

stimulate job creation, especially in poorer communities, with increased local hiring and sourcing and a positive spill-over effect on other areas of the economy. The direct eco-nomic contribution of tourism to local com-munities would also be increased, maximis-ing the amount of tourist spending retained by the local economy. Finally, a green tourism economy would ensure significant environ-mental benefits, including reductions in water consumption, energy use and CO2 emissions.

Travel Trade Weekly: How important is it to raise awareness of sustainable practices in the MENA region?

Taleb Rifai: Despite recent difficulties in the Middle East, the region has actually been one of the world’s fastest growing tourism regions.

The Middle East has more than doubled its number of international tourist arriv-als in just 10 years, with 58 million tourists in 2011, up from 24 million tourists in 2000. Income from tourism has grown even faster, from USD17 billion in 2000 to USD46 billion in 2011. Tourism has thus been identified by many governments in the region as a key fac-tor in their efforts to diversify their economies.

As tourism to the Middle East continues to grow (the region is expected to reach a total of 195 million international arrivals by 2030), UN-WTO maintains its close contacts with the tour-ism authorities of destinations in the region to ensure that growth is as sustainable as possible.

This support comes in many forms, but is essentially delivered by building-up policy and technical capacities through workshops, training, market intelligence and guidance on sustainable and competitive tourism practices.

plementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism; a set of 10 principles designed to guide stakeholders, such as governments, local communities, tourism professionals, as well as visitors, in the responsible and sustainable development of tourism. In Sep-tember 2011, UNWTO launched a campaign geared specifically towards the private sec-tor to encourage its adherence to the prin-ciples of the Code. Since that time, some of the world’s leading tourism companies have signed commitments to adopt these princi-ples in all their business operations.

UNWTO also engages in research to sup-port its mandate of promoting sustainable tourism development. The Tourism Chapter of the Green Economy Report, for example, prepared jointly by UNWTO and the UN Environment Programme, and launched in 2011, shows that investing in the greening of tourism over the coming decades would

16 NEWS & EVENTS

5 JANUARY 2013

EVENTSEast Mediterranean Tourism & Travel Exhibition (EMITT)Istanbul, Turkey, January 24 – 27, 2013(www.emittistanbul.com)Considered the fifth largest travel exhibition in the world, EMITT brings together 4,500 exhibitors and over 128,000 visitors.

HOREXPO Cyprus 2013Nicosia, Cyprus, January 25 – 27, 2013(www.horexpo.com)The second edition of the event covering a wide range of travel industry sectors, including hotels and catering.

Business Travel Show London, UK, February 5 – 6, 2013(www.businesstravelshow.com)One of Europe’s main exhibition and conference for corporate travel buyers, managers, and bookers to source, learn, and network.

Hoteliers European MarketplaceBrussels, Belgium, February 11, 2013(www.cvent.com/events/hoteliers-european-marketplace-2013)A one-day business-to-business workshop where European hotels and hotel chains meet contractors from all around the world.

Asia Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME)Melbourne, Australia, February 26 – 27, 2013(www.aime.com.au)A must-attend, five-star event in the Asia Pacific region for the meeting and events industry.

The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) Abu Dhabi, UAE, March 25 – 27, 2013(www.gibtm.com)A leading event for the meetings, incentives and business travel industry in the GCC region, which can truly unlock all participants’ business potential.

World Travel Market (WTM) Latin AmericaSão Paulo, Brazil, April 23 – 25, 2013(www.wtmlatinamerica.com)The leading global event for the region’s travel industry, which brings the world to Latin America and promotes Latin America to the world.

Arabian Travel Market (ATM)Dubai, UAE, May 6 – 9, 2013(www.arabiantravelmarket.com)The travel and tourism event unlocking business potential within the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals.

Shurooq at HKTDC World SME ExpoILTM 2012 Improved from 2011 Edition

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) concluded its participation at the HKTDC World SME Expo, organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), which took place in early December 2012 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

At the event Shurooq showcased the high level of support that Sharjah provides to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the wide range of business opportunities the emirate has on offer for SMEs.

Ahmed Al Khaja, UAE consul general in Hong Kong, visited Shurooq’s stand lauding the authority’s efforts made to promote the UAE and Sharjah and emphasising the consulate’s support for all Emirati bodies that want to communicate with investors in Hong Kong.

During the expo, Shurooq’s delegation stressed Sharjah’s strategic location between Europe and the Far East, which, in combination to its position as the only GCC hub with direct access to both the Gulf and the Indian Ocean, makes it an ideal investment destination for foreign companies who wish to expand into the GCC and greater Middle East.

The invitation-only International Luxury Travel Mar-ket (ILTM) came to a close after various events being held during December 3 - 6, 2012, to provide insights based on the first-hand experience of the new gen-eration of travellers and their knowledge of the trav-el marketplace.

Some of the programmes that were organised at ILTM were ‘travel and leisure rising-star agents’, ‘the role of children in the family travel planning process’, and ‘gastronomy driving travel decision making’. ILTM

hosted 1,350 VIP buyers who met with 1,350 high-end travel suppliers, indi-cating an increase of over 10 percent compared to ILTM 2011.

ILTM 2013 is scheduled to take place in Cannes from December 2 - 5.

ILTM 2012

http://www.qatartourism.gov.qa/