Travel Trade Weekly Middle East & North Africa is the first and only weekly virtual publication of its kind in the MENA region. It is distributed online to more than 150,000 travel professionals globally, which include registered travel agents and tour operators, retail luxury agents, MICE and corporate travel retailers and agents.
Travel Trade Weekly proudly enjoys readers on average per day 12 Jumeirah Group has celebrated the soft opening of Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, the company’s first hotel in the Gulf region, outside the UAE. 10 15 Etihad Travel Mall Launches in Dubai Sofitel The Palm Dubai to Open This Summer Etihad Airways has unveiled the new Etihad Travel Mall, its flagship one-stop travel retail and check-in facility in Dubai. Sofitel Luxury Hotels continues to grow its pres- ence in the Middle East as it prepares for the launch of its five-star flagship resort. IN THIS ISSUE Jumeirah Debuts in Kuwait 11 MAY 2013 ISSUE 183 MARKET UPDATE WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION AIR WHO’S MOVED TRAVEL TALK AGENT’S CORNER RENDEZVOUS TRAVEL CHANNELS RENDEZVOUS NEWS & EVENTS 04 06 09 15 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
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Travel Trade Weekly proudly enjoys readers on average per day
12
Jumeirah Group has celebrated the soft opening of Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa,
the company’s first hotel in the Gulf region, outside the UAE.
10
15
Etihad Travel Mall Launches in Dubai
Sofitel The Palm Dubai to Open This Summer
Etihad Airways has unveiled the new Etihad Travel Mall, its flagship one-stop travel retail and check-in facility in Dubai.
Sofitel Luxury Hotels continues to grow its pres-ence in the Middle East as it prepares for the launch of its five-star flagship resort.
Jazeera Airways has retained its position as the Middle East’s most punctual airline on independent on-time performance tracker, FlightStats’ ranking, after achieving a 94.35 percent performance in February.
Based on Jazeera Airways’ monthly operational performance report, the low-cost carrier recorded notable increases in passen-ger numbers on a number of routes it serves, including Amman, Assiut, Dubai, Jeddah, Luxor, Mashad, and Sohag, and proved to be the leading Kuwaiti airline to Beirut, Bahrain, Dubai, and Amman, and the market share leader to three Egyptian destinations, Assiut (56 percent), Luxor (73 percent), and Sohag (50 percent).
O ccupancy levels in the capital shot up 18.6 percentage points to 80.8 percent and average room rate (ARR) surged 10 percent year-on-year to USD203.30, leading to a
43 percent rise in RevPAR, and a 72.9 percent growth in gross operating profit per available
N ational Air Services (NAS Holding) has appointed Saudi Fransi Capital as financial advisor for its planned Initial Public Offering (IPO).
As Ayed Al Jeaid, chairman, NAS Holding, pinpointed, since its inception in 1999, NAS Holding has managed to capture a significant and growing market share in all of its markets, mainly due to its involvement
Hotels in Abu Dhabi capitalised on a surge in demand in February as the city entered the peak leisure and MICE tourist season, TRI Hospitality Consulting’s monthly HotStats report showed.
room (GOPPAR). In Dubai, occupancy improved 5.3 per-
centage points to 90.1 percent, ARR stood at USD334.79, resulting in a 10.3 percent in-crease in RevPAR to USD301.7 and a 12.7 per-cent rise in GOPPAR to USD261.08, as the city hosted a plethora of events,
in diversified and complementary aviation businesses.
“The next phase of the business expan-sion involves a significant growth in our opera-tions, primarily through the development of the group investments and an increase in the size of the company fleet. The shareholders decided to increase the capital of the company through an IPO,” Al Jeaid further explained.
SITA Technology at Beirut AirportThe air transport IT provider, SITA, has announced the arrival of its technology systems at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, whose passengers can now enjoy faster check-in and boarding, and on-time departures.
According to Ibrahim Chehab, general manager, Lebanese Air Transport (LAT), Beirut airport has been experiencing growth and the need to update the sys-
tems was clear, thus LAT, which manages depar-ture control services for 15 airlines that use the airport, has switched to SITA’s Departure Control Services.
Chehab stated that an improvement in the air hub’s passenger pro-cessing is already being witnessed, and travel-lers are enjoying the im-provements which have been made.
A market study, titled The World Via Gulf, suggests that GCC airports will handle as much as 250 million passengers by 2020, while Dubai International is set to become the world’s busiest airport by 2015.
The report, published for The Airport Show, which took place between May 6 – 8 in Dubai, indi-cates that the Middle East will have the third fastest passenger growth rate of 6.6 percent by 2016, and by 2025, seven billion people will be within reach via a single flight, while total aircraft movements will soar to 2.3 million.
According to the International Civil Aviation Or-ganization, air traffic in the region is set to grow 5.2 percent annually until 2030, and to meet the rise in passenger traffic, Middle East airlines will increase their capacity by 12.8 percent this year, as they in-vest heavily in new aircraft, holding one-third of the global orders for the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A380.
GCC: 250 Million Passengers by 2020
The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authori-ty (Ras Al Khaimah TDA) has announced changes in its management following Victor Louis’ decision to resign from his position as chief operating officer due to his
moving to Canada with his family. His successor will be appoint-
ed within the next quarter, and until then Mohamed Ruqait Al Ali, general manager, private sector of H.H. Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, will be in charge of the organisation, who will work with the team to achieve Ras Al Khaim-ah TDA’s targets of welcoming 1.2 million visitors by year-end and in-creasing the hotel room inventory to 10,000 by 2016.
Royal Caribbean Reveals Quantum-Class ShipsRoyal Caribbean International has unveiled the first details of the next generation of cruise vacations with its Quantum class ships.
The new cruise liner series aims to take a dramatic leap forward, intro-ducing pioneer onboard facilities such as skydiving experiences, venues including the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea, and the cruise line’s largest and most advanced staterooms ever, as well as North Star, a glass capsule transporting guests 91m above the water.
“This new generation of ships gave us an opportunity to make an-other leap in vessel design. Innovation has always been part of our DNA and we have taken advantage of all that creativity to design Quantum cruising,” stated Richard Fain, chairman, Royal Caribbean Cruises.
The first Quantum-class ship will debut in fall 2014 with Quantum of the Seas, followed by her sister-ship Anthem of the Seas in spring 2015.
Emirates Holidays: New Direction in Trade Strategy
Al Habtoor Group Unveils Water-based Theatre Plans
Care by Air – A Helping Hand from the UAE
Emirates’ tour operating arm, Emirates Holidays, is set to implement changes aimed at improving operations and offer its trade and travel agent partners greater opportunities, as well as easier access to attractive holiday packages across the air-line’s network.
With this new trade strategy, the tour operator expects to strengthen its role as a major distribution channel for the affili-ate airline as well as solidify its position as a leading leisure brand in Dubai and beyond.
With year-long offers and access into new markets that the airline has launched, Emirates Holidays is targeting an increase in its operating revenue by 30 percent, and passenger numbers by 20 percent this year and double-digit compound annual growth over the next five years.
“Following in-depth research and a re-examination of our core strengths and as-sets, Emirates Holidays’ new approach will place it in the formidable position of offer-ing the industry an exciting cache of new products,” said Marc Bennett, divisional senior vice president, destination and lei-sure management, Emirates.
Al Habtoor Group has teamed up with Franco Dragone Entertainment Group to construct the UAE’s first-ever permanent water-based theatre as part of the Habtoor Island project.
Currently under construction on Sheikh Zayed Road, the development will also include three hotels under the Westin, St Regis, and W Hotel brands, while the new water-based production is expected to magnify Dubai as the hub where swarms of travellers and myriads of dreams come and go, as Franco Dragone, founder, Franco Dragone Entertainment Group, explained.
The venue of the purpose-built thea-tre, designed by Paris-based designer Jean Rabasse, is scheduled to open in 2016, and will have a capacity of 1,400 unique seats.The scenic design will have a two mil-lion litre pool and hydraulic stage which will come to life during the show. Lights, sounds, and water elements will come to-gether to create an extravagant and spec-tacular show, which will be the fourth of its type in the world after Las Vegas, Macau, and the future Han Show in Wuhan, main-land China.
Care by Air, founded in 2009 in the UAE, continues to provide in-creased levels of humanitarian re-lief by maximising the efficiency of logistics and transport resources throughout air, sea, and land trans-portation.
The non-profit organisation, led by four leading aviation and lo-gistics companies, including Etihad Airways, Maximus Air, Aramex, and Abu Dhabi Airports Company, aims to reduce the expenses of moving humanitarian aid and, in turn, reduce the levels of deprivation by simply utilising unused capacity and offer-ing cargo space, fuel, warehousing, handling and haulage ‘at cost’ to hu-manitarian organisations.
Drawing on the values of the UAE, the organisation’s mission is to establish an international logis-tics network and offer urgent help to relief organisations while main-taining profits and making full use of company resources, making a real difference in the world.
51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites & Resi-dences to Celebrate
Linked to the heart of Dubai’s main fi-nancial area by a walkway, No 5 Lounge & Bar is set to become the social hub of The Ritz-Carlton Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and a leading nightlife destination in the city. With its modern décor and lounge-style sofas, the venue provides an ideal backdrop to a business lunch or an upbeat evening.
As Lothar Quarz, general manager, The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, noted, the hotel, which offers an extensive programme of added value experiences, has been wit-nessing a significant increase in leisure guest volumes.
Ramada Plaza Jumeirah Beach Resi-dence (JBR) continues to wow guests and residents alike with its take on culinary classics and inventive dishes.
The property has already established itself as a popular spot in the Jumeirah Beach Residence district, offering savoury dishes and live entertainment in the Bra-zilian-style Fogueira Restaurant & Lounge on the 35th floor boasting striking views.
The signature Speakeasy Bar & Res-taurant, inspired by the 1920s America, is yet another popular venue offering an extensive menu of burgers, grills, cock-tails, and cigars.
51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites & Resi-dences, located in close proximity to the Buckingham Palace, London, is celebrat-ing the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation by launching special festival packages.
The four-day celebratory event will take place between July 11 - 14 in the gardens of the royal palace, and the 86-suite hotel’s special festival pack-ages include two nights in the luxurious Kings Junior Suite, two tickets to the Coronation Festival, two tickets to the Coronations Gala evening, and a three-course meal at Bistro 51.
Sofitel Luxury Hotels continues to grow its presence in the Middle East as it prepares for the launch of its five-star flag-ship resort on the iconic Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.
The Polynesian-themed resort, set to welcome its first guests this summer, will boast 361 rooms and suites along with 182 fully serviced apartments, and will be encapsulated by a private 500m stretch of beach.
Besides an array of food and beverage outlets, guests will also be able to enjoy a nightclub, a 2,500m2 spa, fitness cen-tre, as well as extended conference and events facilities.
Trumping a total of 100,000m2, the resort epit-omises understated luxury combined with the utmost comfort, explained Chris-tophe Schnyder, general manager, Sofitel The Palm Dubai, expressing his con-fidence that the property will attract both global and regional discerning travel-lers and groups.
Sofitel The Palm Dubai
Swiss-Belhotel International continues to strengthen its presence in the Middle East.
“Our network now covers 100 hotels and under-de-velopment projects in 12 countries, and the Middle East is one of the fastest-growing regions as part of our global expansion programme. Oman and Bahrain are both push-ing ahead with ambitious agendas [...], and this fits per-fectly with our own focused regional strategy,” highlight-ed Gavin Faull, president, Swiss-Belhotel International.
The pre-opening programme of Swiss-Belhotel Seef in Bahrain is currently being finalised ahead of the proper-ty’s launch in early 2014, while the introduction of the first Swiss-Belinn branded property in Muscat is scheduled for the end of this year, and the company will also soon reveal details of its management agreement to operate a 110-room property in Erbil, Northern Iraq.
Swiss-Belhotel International Outlines Regional Expansion Plans
Crowne Plaza Madinah OpensInterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has unveiled its first Crowne Plaza hotel in Medina, further strengthening the compnay’s footprint in Saudi Arabia.
Located just steps away from Masjid Nabawi, one of the largest mosques in the world, the 506-room Crowne Plaza Madinah is set to become a popular address among religious travellers as well as for events, meetings, and conferences.
Besides a multi-functional business centre and five fully-equipped meeting rooms, the hotel also presents a variety
of cuisines to suit every palate. “Our ideal location, com-
bined with fantastic facilities and the best service that the hospitality industry has to of-fer, means that we are offering guests the perfect package,” claimed Mostafa Blanco, gen-eral manager, Crowne Plaza Madinah.
Crowne Plaza Madinah
Viceroy Hotel Group revealed a game-changing new website, providing exclusive up-to-the-minute news and information on the company’s properties, including corporate and hotel contact details as well as travel industry-related special of-fers and the ability to make reservations.
Phase 1 of the site, which is already available, includes a blog-like functionality for agents to in-teract and additional elements will soon be intro-duced, such as the ability to create custom agent profiles and access for agents to produce custom fact sheets and flyers, which will thus enable them to forward to their clients all their personal infor-mation pre-populated from their profile.
“This site allows us to seamlessly interact with our travel representatives as well as post the lat-est information about our properties in real time, which elevates our service-orientated approach to the next level,” commented Cheryl Bennett, vice president, travel industry sales, Viceroy Hotel Group.
Viceroy Hotel Groups Launches Travel Consultant Website
Jumeirah Group has celebrated the soft open-ing of Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, the company’s first hotel in the Gulf region outside the UAE.
Situated close to Kuwait City’s business and financial centre, the luxury beachfront hotel fea-tures 408 units, including 80 residential suites and 12 villas, along with a spa, a kids club, six restaurants, and extensive meeting venues and events space, with the largest ever ballroom in Kuwait spanning 1,950m2.
Gerald Lawless, CEO, Jumeirah Group, be-lieves that the quality of the hotel and ser-vices delivered by the team, which is being led by Mark Griffiths, general manager, Jumei-rah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, will offer the people of Kuwait and visitors from around the world, a true taste of Jumeirah’s unique brand of hospitality.
Jumeirah Debuts in Kuwait
Saudi Arabia-based Frontel for Hospitality has out-lined plans to take its growing portfolio of properties beyond the Kingdom’s borders.
Owner-operator of the recently renovated five-star Western Alharithia Hotel in Medina, the company is keen to become the operator of choice for hotel owners and de-velopers across the region, according to Rushdi Sherwani, director of brand development, Frontel for Hospitality.
The company is already actively growing its brand presence on its home turf, where it will launch its first
Frontel-branded prop-erty; the 1,350-key Frontel Village Hotel, Medina, in 2014, while the 650-room Frontel Hotel Al Baiya is slated for opening in 2015, and Frontel Business Hotel, under the branding Frontel Eco, in Jeddah, is set to be unveiled in 2016.
Frontel for Hospitality to Expand in the Middle East
Boutique 7 Hotel & SuitesBoutique 7 Hotel & Suites, a new hotel in Tecom Dubai, aims to give its guests a real taste of boutique hospitality in the UAE.
Currently undergoing the finishing touches, the proper-ty, which is expected to soft launch by the first week of June, has been designed for those who value luxury and privacy, boasting a sports and entertainment lounge, outdoor cof-
fee shop and shisha lounge, an all-day dining restaurant, a dis-cotheque, as well as a spa and swimming pool.
As Fouad Bizri, general manager, Boutique 7 Hotel & Suites, explained, the 79-key hotel is an independently-owned property by the Aber Group, and one which has been developed to offer a perfect balance of luxury and comfort.
Grand Heritage Hotel Group plans to further strengthen its presence in Qatar with its third prop-erty in Doha scheduled to open in spring 2014.
Located in the Downtown West Bay area, the five-star Grand Heritage West Bay will fea-ture 317 luxurious guest rooms and suites fur-nished with modern amenities, high-end finish-es, and equipped with the latest in technology.
Guests will enjoy a variety of flavours with three separate restaurants, including a Leba-nese and Indian outlet, and a full complement of beverages with regional and international selections.
Located above the lobby area, the hotel’s full-service destination spa will comprise multi-ple treatment rooms, along with a sauna, Jacuz-zi, and an indoor swimming pool.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts continues its fast-paced global expansion with 30 projects under development worldwide, 10 of which will be opening within the next 12 months.
At the Arabian Travel Market, the company laid special em-phasis on the recently-opened Mövenpick Hotel Apartments The Square, and also held a press breakfast to celebrate the upcoming opening of Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Lake Towers, the group’s sixth Dubai property offering 168 rooms and 307 apartments. Meanwhile, Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Oceana will eventually become the seventh hotel when it opens on Palm Jumeirah.
The company will also soon mark a total of ten properties in Saudi Arabia with the 433-key Mövenpick Hotel Riyadh set to be unveiled in the first quarter of 2014.
In an aggressive but sustainable vision to expand with a mix of corporate and leisure properties, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts aims to be operating 100 hotels by 2015.
Grand Heritage to Add to Qatar Portfolio
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Showcases 30 New Projects
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has held a GCC-wide sales development roadshow during which the company revealed further details of its regional ex-pansion plans.
“The Middle East is one of our most active regions in terms of development, and having properties in al-most every capital city in the GCC within the next few years will serve to further consolidate our presence in the market,” asserted Christopher Norton, president, hotel operations, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, who informed that work on the 237-room Four Seasons Resort Dubai, Jumeirah Beach, is progressing rapidly.
Norton also confirmed that the development pipeline for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in other key MENA cities is also forging ahead, including Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay and Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca, both slated for launch in mid-2014. Oth-er upcoming properties include Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, Four Seasons Resort Oman, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait City, and Four Sea-sons Hotel Jeddah.
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts: Robust Middle East Pipeline
Hilton Worldwide continues to establish strong roots in Saudi Arabia after entering into an agreement with Ab-dullah Aziz Al Rajhi & Sons to open the company’s 20th property in the Kingdom and eighth in the capital city of Riyadh.
Located in the heart of the commercial district in downtown Riyadh, the 309-room DoubleTree by Hilton Riyadh – Olaya is due to welcome its first guests in mid-2015. The 20-storey property is set to appeal to both the leisure and business traveller offering services to satisfy both types of guest.
Commitment to sustainability was officially recog-nised as Hyatt Capital Gate Abu Dhabi was awarded the ISO 14001 certification, which identifies the ho-tel as an environmentally friendly business entity.
ISO 14001 sets the criteria for an environmen-tal management system and assists in reducing the cost of waste management, savings in consumption of energy and materials, lower distribution costs, and an improved corporate image.
Within the first year of operation, the prop-erty passed the final auditing stage, receiving the certification.
In a bid to satisfy corporate demand for one-bed-room accommodation, TIME Hotels Management is embarking on a configuration of TIME Oak Hotel & Suites, located in the Tecom area of Dubai, adding 59 new rooms to the property.
The hotel’s existing inventory of 161 rooms will be increased by just under 37 percent, while the design will be flexible in order to convert back into one- and two-bedroom hotel apartments, during the holiday periods.
Hilton to Open 20th Saudi Hotel
Hyatt Capital Gate Abu Dhabi Achieves Green Certification
TIME Ventures New Room Configuration
Enriching its portfolio in Egypt, Swiss Inn Hotels & Resorts unvealed two new properties, bringing the total number of hotels operated in the country to 11.
El Malikia Swiss Inn Resort in Abu Dabbab, Marsa Alam, features 358 rooms, restaurants, and a swimming pool amid gardens and landscaping, while the second property, Roha-
nou Swiss Inn Resort in El Quseir, is located 10km south o the city on a cliff overlooking the Red Sea. This boutique hotel boasts 85 guestrooms, restaurants, bars, and swimming pool, while the architecture is remi-niscent to Nubian style housing.
Etihad Airways has unveiled the new Etihad Travel Mall, its flagship one-stop travel retail and check-in facility in Dubai.
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, official-ly opened the Etihad Travel Mall during a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by James Hogan, presi-dent, Etihad Airways.
The Etihad Travel Mall offers, under one roof, everything travellers need to plan, book, and trav-el with the airline, offering them the option to pur-chase a ticket, check-in for a flight, drop off bag-gage, and board an Etihad Express luxury coach bound for Abu Dhabi International Airport.
After checking in at Etihad Travel Mall, guests may proceed directly to immigration and secu-rity upon arrival at the airport.
Etihad Travel Mall Launches in Dubai
Turkish Airlines has started services to Aqaba, Jordan, as its 221st desti-nation, connecting Middle Eastern travellers to the largest country net-work for any airline in the world.
The carrier currently operates flights from Istanbul to Aqaba three times a week, its second city in Jordan, where operations also exist to the capital, Amman.
Turkish Airlines Commences Flights to Aqaba
ADAC Partners with Cathay Pacific Airways
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has announced that Cathay Pacific Airways has launched a new weekly passenger service between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, having commenced operations on May 4.
This new route complements the airline’s existing three times weekly services between Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong and reinforces its commit-ment to the Middle East market, according to Brian Yuen, country man-ager, UAE and Oman, Cathay Pacific Airways, who further expressed, “Our world class products and services will offer passengers from UAE a new level of travelling experience between the two counties.”
Ahmad Al Haddabi, chief operations officer, ADAC, also comment-ed, “Abu Dhabi - Saudi market grew by 26 percent during 2012, both in terms of origin and destination transfer traffic. Therefore, ADAC is glad with the decision taken by Cathay Pacific to extend their world-class services to accommodate the growing demand for more routes out of Abu Dhabi. With Cathay Pacific Airways selecting Abu Dhabi as a con-nection between a key Middle East market and its global network, it illustrates the capital’s firm position as an international aviation hub.”
Aqaba
Etihad Airways has agreed to subscribe for 27,263,372 new shares in Jet Airways at a price of INR754.74 (USD13.93) per share.
The value of the equity investment, reaching USD379 million, will result in the UAE carrier hold-ing 24 percent of the enlarged share capital of the Indian carrier.
The strategic partnership, which is subject to full regulatory and shareholder approval, includes the injection of USD200 million to create and strengthen a wide-ranging partnership between the two carriers, which will gradually expand ex-isting operations and introduce new routes.
As part of the agreement, which follows In-dia’s recent decision to allow foreign direct invest-ment into the country’s civil aviation industry, Etihad Airways paid USD70 million to purchase Jet Airways’ three pairs of London Heathrow slots, while USD150 million will be invested by the Abu Dhabi-based carrier by way of a majority equity investment in the Indian airline’s frequent flyer programme.
Etihad Airways and Jet Airways Forge Strategic Alliance
Hertz and Qatar Airways Launch Arabic Language Booking Facilities
RJ and IATA Training Partnership
EGYPTAIR Adds Direct Services to Doha
Hertz and Qatar Airways have introduced an Arabic language option to their online booking platform, providing Arabic-speaking passengers worldwide with the ability to book Hertz rental vehicles in their preferred language for the first time.
The Arabic option to the fully functioning website, which launched in April 2012, is aimed at catering to the growing number of Arabic customers flying with Qatar Airways globally, who also need onward ground transport upon arrival at any one of the 125 desti-nations to which the carrier flies.
Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) and the In-ternational Air Transport Association (IATA) have signed a new partnership in the field of training, whereby RJ can now deliver IATA training courses which will help students and aviation professionals in the region en-hance their professional competencies to meet the association’s standards.
Through this partnership, RJ will be-come a major IATA-accredited training centre in the region.
“We are proud of our human resources capabilities that allowed us to become one of the professional training centres accredited by IATA, as this will enhance our educational mission,” commented Amer Hadidi, CEO, RJ.
EGYPTAIR has announced the addition of two direct flights between Cairo and Doha starting on June 1.
The new route will be operated onboard a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, set to increase the total number of weekly flights to reach 14 services in a double daily operation to the Qatari capital.
Khaled Bahgat has taken on the position of general manager at Ramada Hotel & Suites, Corniche Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia. Bahgat has over 33 years of experience with luxurious properties and joins Ramada Hotels & Suites from Algosai-bi Hotel, Al Khobar, where he worked as general manager
for five years. Having served Hyatt Interna-tional for 13 years, Steigen-berger Hotels and Resorts for four years, and Turin Hotels International for another four years, he brings a wealth of international experience to the role. He also managed five different resorts in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
Sue Wheatley has been named director of sales and marketing at Raffles Dubai and Raffles Praslin Seychelles. Having started her career in the UK, after spending two years in the US, Wheatley re-turned to London for three more years before relocating to the Middle East in 1998.Since moving to Dubai, she
has held various senior posi-tions across the city, includ-ing assistant director of sales at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, director of sales at Emirates Towers, director of business development and marketing at Burj Al Arab, before joining Raffles Dubai as director of sales and marketing in March 2010.
Oliver Hewson has been ap-pointed commercial manager for Gama Aviation with the task to further develop its sig-nificant growth throughout the MENA region.Hewson, who joined Gama Aviation’s UAE-based team in 2009 to help establish the private aviation company’s Air Operators Certificate in the country as well as set up the regional charter sales division, boasts significant experience in business development and sales.
He will be expanding his ser-vices, which currently sees him supporting not only Gama Aviation’s charter and man-agement clients, but other operators and aircraft owners using the company’s exclusive facilities in Sharjah.Hewson will be responsible for identifying further opportuni-ties within the MENA market place for Gama Aviation’s vari-ous business units, generating new contracts and sustaining high levels of customer service and support.
“GTA is already catering to additional service re-quirements that agents need with information [...], thus illustrating our desire to work hand in hand with our agents to enable them to provide quality service to their travellers. One only has to look at things like major hotel chains that have embraced that ‘boutique’ style hotel concept to see that there is a real desire for people to have that more unique experience and that is people driven.”
Vice president, sales and marketing, Middle East and Africa, Gullivers Travel Associates (GTA).
General manager, Bella Riva Suite Hotel, Beirut.
“We have managed to change a lot over the past two years and still to come is our hotel’s façade. This has always been one of our concerns and hopefully we will complete it this year. Special promotions and deals will be a constant motion throughout the year as well. […] This year is ex-pected to be better than 2012 with an approxi-mate seven to 10 percent rise in visitor arrivals. Let us hope it booms beyond our expectations.”
Sabre and NTT CollaborateSabre Travel Network Mid-dle East has signed a land-mark agreement with Nation-al Travel & Tourism (NTT), part of Omani conglomerate Saud Bahwan Group.
This deal will see NTT ex-clusively use Sabre’s innova-tive travel technology solu-tions to book travel packages for its customers across the Sultanate, including Sabre’s web booking engine, an ad-vanced internet booking tool that is set to help NTT tap into the lucrative and competitive online marketplace.
“NTT has been a loyal Sa-bre partner for many years and this new deal under-scores our level of commit-
ment to NTT,” commented Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO, Sabre Travel Network Mid-dle East. “By signing up for a complete Sabre package, NTT is well placed to improve their internal reporting struc-tures, customer interactions, efficiency and market intelli-gence,” he added.
In line with its plan of at-tracting over 12 million tour-ists by 2020, Oman has al-ready initiated a large number of tourism-related projects, including the construction of new airports, upgrading of transportation infrastructure, a special cruise-only port, and additional hotel rooms to accommodate the visitors.
Who are you?I am the CEO of T3 Group, Al Thuraya Travel & Tours; a Middle East destination management specialist, providing a wide range of travel experiences and unique services of the highest quality, at the right price. All operations are handled through our main of-fices in Jordan and Dubai. I started in the tourism business in 1998.
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?To fulfill the needs and desires of clients whilst showing them Jordan from a different perspective; living ‘different’ and special experiences that will capture their hearts and minds.
When is the best time to visit Jordan?All year around.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?Either Paris or Rome.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?Our professional multinational team is ready to bring your holi-day to its highest expectations with constant attention to details. Therefore, Al Thuraya Travel & Tours has been ranked number one tour operator for the last four years by the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities in Jordan. This is solely based on the quality of service provided and the number of customers served.
Q & A with Tarek ElsherifSince its establishment in 2012, Mourouj Hotels & Resorts has already embarked on a number of prestigious projects, and here Tarek Elsherif, managing director, Mourouj Hotels & Resorts, reveals the company’s future development plans.
Travel Trade Weekly: How would you define the company’s mission and main goals?
Tarek Elsherif: Our mission is to become the favourable hotel operator for families and business travellers seeking a home away from home by providing a healthy environment with alcohol-free hotels and offering interna-tional service standards at an affordable price.
Travel Trade Weekly: Mourouj Hotels & Re-sorts currently operates properties in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Fujairah. Tell us a little about these properties.
Tarek Elsherif: Currently, we operate four hotels, with two in Abu Dhabi, offering a combination of a four-star hotel and a ser-viced apartment, offering working space for business travellers, [further to] one serviced apartment in Dubai, and a five-star hotel in Fujairah.
This range of hotels helps achieve our mission to offer a wide range of services on different levels, targeting families, business travellers, and long-term guests, and all four properties are alcohol-free hotels.
Travel Trade Weekly: Since its establish-ment, Mourouj Hotels & Resorts has been committed to operating hotels in a healthy environment with no alcohol services. How would you describe your target market?
Tarek Elsherif: For the first glance, a lot of people would think that with alcohol-free ho-tels we would be only targeting local families or guests from the region, while we have been able to attract guests from all over the globe.
fore, we are targeting a very special niche mar-ket not only in the GCC but also from the US, South Africa, as well as Europe, and we have already received some bookings requests.
Travel Trade Weekly: Tell us about the com-pany’s expansion plans.
Tarek Elsherif: We have a very ambitious plan to develop Mourouj Hotels & Resorts’ pres-ence, and we already have a few hotels in the pipeline that are expected to be operational towards early 2014 in Egypt on the north coast and in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In addi-tion, we are also looking into some projects in Qatar.
The key factor is what we are offering in terms of services and facilities, and certainly the location of our hotel and proximity to ei-ther business areas or leisure facilities.
Travel Trade Weekly: The company plans to add another unique property to its portfolio with the opening of Barari Hunt-ing Resort. What kind of activities will be available for guests staying at the resort?
Tarek Elsherif: Barari Hunting Resort will be a very unique resort and the first of its kind in the Middle East. We are planning to open its doors in September to catch the hunting season while the weather is acceptable to be in the open desert. This resort will feature 15 top VIP villas, varying from one to three bed-rooms each, and will offer an all-day dining facility, a gym, and a swimming pool.
The prime activity will be hunting, there-
Our plan also includes expanding in the UAE and we are expecting to close a couple of deals in Dubai and Abu Dhabi soon.
We, at Mourouj Hotels & Resorts, are fo-cusing on the quality of services offered to our clients and [aim] to develop our team members to ensure the full satisfaction of our guests, investors, and staff.
22 TRAVEL CHANNELS
11 MAY 2013
IATA Announces Organisational Restructuring
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced an or-ganisational restructuring of its main divisions and regional operations.
T his move is being executed to better address the needs of its 240 mem-ber airlines, based on the key principle of ‘Global Development, Regional Delivery’, with effect as of July 1.
On a regional level, IATA’s operations will be consolidated from seven regional structures into five, based around the hubs of Amman, Beijing,
Madrid, Miami, and Singapore. Notably, Africa and the MENA region will be combined into one, and will be
known as Africa and the Middle East, with Hussein Dabbas, regional vice president, MENA, IATA, set to lead Amman’s regional office.
IATA’s four externally-focused head office divisions will be reorganised into five, name-ly airports, passenger, and cargo services; member and external relations; safety and flight operations; financial and distribution services; and marketing and commercial services.
Rosewood Corniche and Jeddah Autism Centre
Support the Community
Sharjah Focuses on Gulf Tourism Market
SMD’s Science Day Event
Rosewood Corniche was recently under the limelight, underlining its continued commitment to supporting the local Saudi community, for the second edition of the vertical marathon initiative which took place on April 10.
The event saw 32 children from the Jeddah Autism Centre and Al Anjal School, along with a host of volunteers, join with the hotel’s members of staff and guests, to take part in the challenge as teams which were divided into three different categories: children, hotel employees, and volunteers, which included a number of supporters from the Friends of Autism group as well as local teachers.
After its remarkably successful pitch at sev-eral international exhibitions and road shows in Europe over the past few months, Sharjah has now turned its attention to the ever-booming Gulf tourism market as the region gets ready for the long holiday season.
The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Devel-opment Authority (SCTDA) has embarked on a series of road shows, in cooperation with Air Arabia, across the GCC countries, which began on April 17 to woo the massive and constantly growing population of the region as well as Arab tourists.
The countries on SCTDA’s itinerary include Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait, according to H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, director general, SCTDA.
The first leg of Sharjah’s road show cam-paign, led by SCTDA, began with a presentation in Muscat, Oman, and concluded with the Ri-yadh Travel Fair and presentations in the major Saudi cities of Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al Khobar.
In line with Sharjah Museums Department (SMD)’s objectives to encourage learning and to provide a suitable platform for creativity and development, Sharjah Science Museum has launched its first ever Science Day.
The event, which ran between April 17-19, was aimed at furthering scientific knowledge and high-lighting the most prominent scientific discoveries and inventions of modern science.
Science Day featured scientific educational pro-grammes for pupils, fun-filled and educational shows, as well as a number of displays that raised awareness
about the various uses of sci-ence in all aspects of modern day life.
Several organisations sup-ported and contributed to the event such as Sharjah Police General Directorate, Dubai Police, Air Arabia, the General Civil Aviation Authority, and Hobby Centre.
Sharjah Science Museum
Hanan Al MahmoudDirector, Al Jawaher Reception & Conven-tion Centre.
23RENDEZVOUS
11 MAY 2013
Q & A with Hanan Al MahmoudAs Sharjah continues to consolidate its position as a strong contender on the regional and global stage, Hanan Al Mahmoud, director, Al Jawaher Reception & Convention Centre (JRCC), talks about the team’s endeavours to tap into the immerse potential of the region’s booming MICE sector.
Travel Trade Weekly: What makes JRCC an ideal venue for corporate and private events?
Hanan Al Mahmoud: Al Jawaher Reception & Convention Centre is an affiliate of Sharjah Ladies Club and a semi-governmental establishment founded by the wife of the ruler of Sharjah, H.H. Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, with the vision of providing an all-year impecca-ble venue for social and corporate events.
With its extravagant multi-purpose halls, and wide range of luxury services, Al Jawaher opened its doors on February 13, to welcome weddings, galas, exhibitions, meetings, con-ferences, and much more. The hall is situated opposite to Sharjah International Airport, on an area equivalent to 5,500m2, and is efficient to accommodate up to 3,000 standing guests and 2,500 in round table seating arrangement. The hall can be divided into three smaller halls, of 500 - 1,500 people range, with an optimum soundproof system so it can accommodate dif-ferent functions at the same time.
Following our mission to be acknowledged as the ultimate destination for events in Sharjah, JRCC promises to offer the finest if not the only A to Z stop for events. This means that while clients can have the freedom to arrange for all details of their event, they will also enjoy the option of availing our extended services offer, which will allow them to sit back and relax, as we take care of all the heavy lifting.
Our wide range of extended services in-clude a complete innovative colour lighting system; up-to-date audio and visual systems; a miniature showroom that displays the mini version of the banquet hall and its banqueting equipment where clients will have the freedom to arrange the tables, chairs, to produce options
Hanan Al Mahmoud: JRCC is expecting to host more than 90 events till the end of the year, most of which are weddings, some conferences, grad-uation, birthday, and cocktail parties. What more is that Al Jawaher is planning to host its own sig-nature events hopefully in the near future.
Travel Trade Weekly: What are the main chal-lenges faced by the management?
Hanan Al Mahmoud: In addition to being at an establishment stage which requires tremen-dous efforts in organising teams and systems used, currently, the major issue we face is that in most of Sharjah and its neighbouring areas, residents think that JRCC is a social project. So, here lies the biggest challenge; changing the point of view of everyone with regards to our project that despite being a semi-govern-mental organisation, Al Jawaher Reception & Convention Centre is a purely commercial ven-ture that seeks to provide the highest quality services in the region, therefore, prices offered suit the available packages.
Travel Trade Weekly: What are your long-term goals?
Hanan Al Mahmoud: We are targeting to host the major MICE events that are happening in Sharjah. Plus, JRCC is planning to host and or-ganise its own signature exhibitions and various events [such as] career fairs, fashion shows, and jewellery fairs, as well as art galleries.
In addition to that, we are also targeting meetings and conferences such as award cer-emonies and social events. We are also in the process of organising youth-orientated shows, most likely cars or electronics fairs.
of their desired layouts; a fully-equipped Ara-bic kitchen; sufficient parking lot of more than 1,000 spaces; plus widespread drop-off points, VIP valet, and security services.
In addition, we are in the process of pro-viding a comprehensive listing of professional and credible suppliers and service providers that can help our clients fulfill their vision.
As per MICE events, our philosophy when it comes to corporate functions is very simple: excellent service, commendable value, stun-ning setting, and amazing people coming together to provide exceptional luxury events, from small- to large-scale events […].
Our aim is to provide you with the best hospitality service and to become the per-fect event host and partner, guaranteeing you come back year after year.
Travel Trade Weekly: What kind of events are scheduled to take place at the centre?
24 NEWS & EVENTS
11 MAY 2013
EVENTS
INDABA 2013Durban, South Africa, May 11 – 14, 2013(www.indaba-southafrica.co.za)One of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar that showcases the widest variety of Southern Africa’s best tourism products.
Moscow International Travel FairMoscow, Russia, May 16 – 18, 2013(www.mitf.su)A unique tourist fair which allows participants to present their services and attract new clients.
IMEX 2013Frankfurt, Germany, May 21 – 23, 2013(www.imex-frankfurt.com)A show that innovates, inspires, and presents new opportunities for the global meetings industry.
International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTM Asia)Shanghai, China, June 3 – 6, 2013(www.iltm.net/asia)A leading ‘by invitation only’ event for the luxury travel community of the Asia Pacific, presenting the world’s most sought after collection of luxury experiences.
The Americas Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (AIBTM)Chicago, US, June 11 – 13, 2013(www.aibtm.com)A three-day event focusing on the Americas’ meetings and events sec-tor, where no time is wasted and where deals get done.
Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE)Beijing, China, June 21 – 23, 2013(www.bitechina.com)One of Asia’s leading travel and tourism events, which will showcase a range of destinations, tourism attractions, travel packages, and services.
Egypt Hosts FIAVET Conference
WTM Latin America Ends with Positive Results
National Conference of Tourism Held in Algiers
In the framework of the efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism to attract impor-tant events to the country, Egypt hosted the annual conference of the general assembly of the Italian Federation of Travel & Tourism Associations (FIAVET) in Luxor from March 18-20, with the opening ceremony entitled ‘Global Competition: Italy and Egypt for a Possible Challenge’.
Competing with five other foreign and Arab countries, the Egyptian tourism office in Italy achieved the privilege to organise the biggest tourism-related Italian gathering in Luxor, which is considered to be a good op-portunity to attract Italian tourism to south-ern Egypt, showcasing all its cultural treasures.
World Travel Market (WTM) Latin Amer-ica, which took place on April 23-25, end-ed on a high note with exhibitors, visitors, and buyers all toasting the success of the inaugural event, with an impressive vol-ume of business deals signed.
A turnout of 1,200 exhibitors, 20 per-cent more than expected, took part in the three-day WTM Latin America, with a large majority expressing dedication to attend the event in 2014, this accord-ing to Lawrence Reinisch, director, WTM Latin America, Reed Travel Exhibitions, who announced strong feedback from all participants.
The Algerian Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts organised the second na-tional conference of tourism which was held from April 14 - 15 at Palais des Nations, Algiers.
The event was intended to be a space evaluation, reflection, and discussion on the status and future of domestic tourism, while it aimed to bring together all stakeholders in the tourism chain, including central and local government, business and tourism stakeholders, experts and as-sociations, as well as institutions and sectors.
