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Market Update 2 Accommodation News 4 Air Travel News 6 International News 8 Agents’ Corner 10 Travel Tips 11 Travel Talk 12 Who’s Moved 14 Rendezvous 15 Events 16 Middle East and North Aica Edition JULY 24, 2010 ISSUE 37 www.traveltradeweekly.travel 6 4 QATAR CORPOTE Qatar Airways is seeking to corner the nascent corporate jet rental industry in the Middle East, adding long range capability to its fleet of private jets. In is Issue 3 DISSON RENOVATES Radisson Blu Hotel Muscat has unveiled details of its major renovation plan, while remaining tight lipped on a secret new facility for the hotel. With less than 100 days to go before its opening date, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has revealed its full range of facilities. e Yas Island theme park will feature 20 rides and aractions, including the world’s fastest roller coaster. Inside, Travel Trade Weekly brings you full details of the park. Ferrari World ABU DHABI
JULY 24, 2010 ISSUE 37 www.traveltradeweekly.travel
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4QATAR CORPORATEQatar Airways is seeking to corner thenascent corporate jet rental industry inthe Middle East, adding long rangecapability to its fleet of private jets.
In This Issue
3
RADISSON RENOVATES
Radisson Blu Hotel Muscat has unveileddetails of its major renovation plan, whileremaining tight lipped on a secret newfacility for the hotel.
With less than 100 days to go before its openingdate, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has revealed its full
range of facilities. The Yas Island theme park willfeature 20 rides and attractions, including the
world’s fastest roller coaster. Inside, Travel TradeWeekly brings you full details of the park.
Financing Deal with Jordan CommercialBank Signals Expansion for Rum Group
British Airways, American Airlinesand Iberia have cleared the finaladministrative hurdle to jointtransatlantic operations.The three airlines have receivedapproval from the US Department ofTransportation (DOT) to form analliance that, once instituted, will allow
operational synergies and sharedroutes.Under the joint business agreement,the three airlines will co-operatecommercially on flights between theUnited States, Mexico and Canada, andthe European Union, Switzerland andNorway.
Travelport Expands ME Presence, Takes over Distribution Operations in Bahrain
U nder the terms of theagreement, JCB will act asRum’s financial advisorand underwrite capitalexpansion up to JOD14
million (USD19.8 million).Rum will use the capital to generate 5.3 millionnew shares, which will be distributed throughprivate placement to existing shareholders.JBC will issue five million bonds to increasethe company’s investment exposure in theair cargo industry and for its subsidiary,
Petra Airline.Petra Airline has announced plans to expand itsoperations in the Jordanian tourism sector.Rum stated that the expansion has beenplanned to take advantage of recentdevelopments in aviation regulation inJordan.According to Rum, a new open skies policy onthe part of the Jordanian government is set toincrease the number of tourists and tourservices, which will stimulate growthopportunities for the company.
Travel technology providerTravelport has taken over distributionof its products in Bahrain, followingthe lapse of its prior agreement withMiddle East Computer Services.A new wholly owned base ofoperations has been established inManama, the country’s capital, offeringfull sales and support services.The changeover is being managedby Ghulam Saleh Al Balooshi,director in the lower Gulf regionfor Travelport. According to Al Balooshi, the new
operation will bring Travelport closerto the users of its products.“As a result of this new distributionstructure, we are well positioned torespond to the growing needs of thetravel trade and nurture our long-termpresence in Bahrain,” he said“We look forward to having a directrelationship with local travel agentsand injecting innovation, competitionand value to the local landscape.”Travelport already has direct distributionoperations in place in Egypt, SaudiArabia and the UAE.
Rum Group, a major Jordanian tourism and travel group, has signed a financingdeal with the Jordan Commercial Bank (JCB).
More than 20attractions will bespread beneath thepark’s 200,000m²roof on Yas Island.
Mohammad Al Mubarak, chairman of thepark’s operating company, Farah LeisureParks Management, said the park wouldappeal to a wide range of visitors.“The opening of Ferrari World Abu Dhabiwill revolutionise the way visitors andpeople in the region spend their leisuretime,” said Al Mubarak.“It is a great testament of Abu Dhabi’scapacity and the region’s potential as a worldclass tourist destination.”Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will open onOctober 28, 2010.The full range of rides and attractionsincludes: n Formula Rossa: The world’s fastest rollercoaster, reaching speeds of 240 kmph.n Speed of Magic: A fantasy 4D journey.nMade in Maranello: A virtual trip behind
the walls of the famous Ferrari factory inMaranello. n V12: A flume ride to the heart of a 12cylinder engine. n G-Force: A tower ride that will shootthrill-seekers through the red roof and 62min the air. n Scuderia Challenge: Racing simulatorssimilar to those used by the drivers of theScuderia Ferrari in training.n Viaggio in Italia: A virtual aerial voyageover Italy’s cities and their mainmonuments, mountains and coasts.n Fiorano GT Challenge: A duelingrollercoaster with Ferrari F430 Spiders. n Bell’Italia: A miniature recreation ofItaly’s most famous locations.n Paddock: A re-creation of the Ferrarimotor home including garages, transportersand hospitality suites.n The Pit Wall: An interactive theatre thatallows guests to test their judgment in racingscenarios. n Galleria Ferrari: The world’s largest
Ferrari gallery outside Maranell.n Junior GT: A driving school for childrenfeaturing reduced scale F430 GT Spiders. nJunior Grand Prix: A race track for scaleddown Ferrari F1 racers.n The Racing Legends: A ride throughFerrari’s greatest racing moments. nDriving with Champions: an interactive3D show.n Cinema Maranello: Ferrari World’sown theatre showing Coppa di Sicilia, ashort film that tells a story from the life ofEnzo Ferrari. n Junior Training Camp: An interactiveplay area for children where they canengage with a waterless car wash, becomecustom constructors, climb up thegrandstand, pilot remote cars, paddletheir own miniature Ferrari and play withan F1 car made of soft foam.n Carousel: Featuring never-before-seenFerrari prototypes. n Dining and Shopping: Including Italianconcept restaurants and cafes.
3JULY 24, 2010
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Unveils Attractions With less than 100 days until opening, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has revealed its range of rides and attractions.
Jordan’s Queen Rania Al Abdullah haslaunched the country’s new TwisitJordan campaign, using social media siteTwitter’s video application, TwitVid. The tourist swap promotion will swaptwo people from Jordan with twointernational tourists for one week. As part of the entry process, tourists
from around the world have been askedto submit videos, stating what theywould like to experience in Jordan.Similarly, Jordanians have been asked tosubmit videos showing how specialJordan is as a tourism destination.The campaign is a continuation of QueenRania Al Abdullah’s work in cross
cultural dialogue, which includes aYouTube project and her book, TheSandwich Swap. According to the campaign’s organisers,tourists are a country’s bestambassadors; this project hopes to showthe beauty and culture of Jordan throughthe eyes of its own people.
The opening of Ferrari World Abu
Dhabi will revolutionisethe way visitors
and people in the region spend their
leisure time
Jordan Targets Social Media Users to Promote Tourist Swap Campaign
Junior GT Formula Rossa
The growing demand hasaffected all sectors, frombudget and mid-range toluxury hotels, and isbeing attributed to a
boost in domestic tourism, fuelled byholiday packages and promotions.Hoteliers across the emirate have alsopointed to Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS)as a strong drawcard for hotel guests. Moin Sarhaan, general manager of TamaniMarina, and Daniel Hajjar, generalmanager of Layia Hospitality, both saidthat while the FIFA World Cup hadhampered early summer figures, trade hasnow picked up considerably.“The demand for rooms has been veryvisible since the start of DSS, with anincrease of 10 to 15 percent compared to
other periods,” said Sarhaan.“A notable factor was the high number ofguests from other emirates.
“The FIFA World Cup did have a negativeimpact on occupancy rates, but we expect theremaining part of DSS to be much better.”Occupancy rates are widely estimated at 75percent currently, with many hoteliersexpecting that figure to rise to 80 and 90percent over the remaining summer months. Midhat Barsoom, general manager of
Capitol Hotel, pointed out that familytourism could be expected to continue theupward trend.“A majority of hotel guests are from otheremirates and this is a welcome factor fordomestic tourism,” he said.“We have seen large groups of guests,especially families that take advantage ofcombined offers and packages.“We expect a positive outcome during therest of the summer as schools have closed andthis in turn will encourage families to travel.”
JULY 24, 20104
- Accommodation
Domestic Tourism Boosts Dubai’s Hotel DemandHotels and hotel apartments across Dubai have noted increased demand for rooms following the end of theFIFA World Cup, with many recording increases of up to 15 percent.
Gloria Hotel, a serviced apartmentproperty featuring one and two bedroomsuites, has opened in Dubai Media City.Apartments are available in four different
styles – Classic, Californian, Modernand Mediterranean. The hotel is targeting long stay travellersby offering yearly and monthly rates.
Apartments are serviced three timesweekly and bonus features include freelocal calls and unlimited internetaccess.
Radisson Blu Muscat Targets New Level of Growth with Renovation
Gloria Hotel Opens in Dubai Media City
Radisson Blu Hotel Muscat has unveileddetails of its major renovation plan,while remaining tight lipped on a secretnew facility for the hotel.Work on all 156 guestrooms andcorridors will be carried out in twophases, completely renovating the roomsand public spaces. The hotel, including all food andbeverage outlets and other facilities, willbe in full operation during therenovation.Michael Kuhn, director of sales andmarketing for Radisson Blu HotelMuscat, said the renovation would
reflect the brand’s identity of beingdifferent and innovative. “The hotel has earned the loyalty andlove of guests over the past 10 years,”said Kuhn.“Now it is time to bring the property tothe next level; a modern business hotelfully focused on serving and hosting ourguests.“Being the leading first class businesshotel in the city is our aim; offering thebest product, at a great location with ouroutstanding service is what our clientsexpect from Radisson Blu.”Kuhn added that there would be an
additional development at the hotel,but would not give away any details atthis time.“Apart from upgrading our rooms a newfacility will be introduced,” he said.“Further details about this new facilityare still kept a secret.”
We have seen large groups of guests, especially
families that takeadvantage of combined
offers and packages
Radisson Blu Hotel Muscat
Dubai
JULY 24, 20106
- Air Travel
While low cost carriers in the region are
pushing budget travel,we are doing the
opposite and targetinghigh end travellers
Emirates has laid the groundwork forfurther fleet expansion, placing an orderwith Boeing for 30 new 777-300ERaircraft.Jim Albaugh, president and CEO ofBoeing Commercial Airplanes saidEmirates and the 777 had eachcontributed to the other’s commercialsuccess.“Emirates is today one of the world’sleading airlines thanks in part to the 777.Its ambitious expansion plans haveestablished itself as a global force in theaviation sector,” he said.
“Emirates has played an important rolein the 777’s success with its significantsupport of the programme and valuablefeedback over the years.”Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum,CEO of Emirates Group, said the newadditions would contribute to thecarrier’s ambitions for globalleadership.“Emirates is the world’s largest operatorof 777s and this latest order, adding to71 777-300ERs previously ordered,affirms Emirates’ strategy to become aworld leading carrier and to further
establish Dubai as a central gateway toworldwide air travel,” he said “Our latest deal signals Emirates’confidence in the growth of the thrivingaviation sector and our commitment tobuilding a modern, environmentallyefficient fleet for tomorrow.”The latest purchase adds to Emirates’substantial list of standing orders, whichinclude 79 Airbus A380s, 70 AirbusA350s and seven Boeing freighters.The orders are worth more than USD67billion, on top of USD9.1 billion for the777-300ER fleet.
Qatar Grows Corporate Fleet with New JetsQatar Airways is seeking to corner the nascent corporate jet rental industry in the Middle East, adding longrange capability to its fleet of private jets.
Boeing Adds 30 Aircraft to Orderbook Following Deal with Emirates
A ccording to QatarAirways, the corporatejet market in the MiddleEast has grown at anaverage of 13 percent a
year since 2000 and is now worth betweenUSD500 million and USD700 million peryear.As part of a strategy to capitalise on thegrowing sector, Qatar Airways hasexpanded its fleet with the order of twonew Bombadier Global 5,000 jets at theFarnborough Airshow.The Bombadier 5,000 is a large long rangebusiness jet, commonly configured toinclude a conference room and office. The jets will allow non-stop flights fromthe airline’s base in Doha to all of Europeand most destinations in Africa or Asia.According to Akbar Al Baker, CEO of theairline, as legacy airlines trend towardscompeting with low cost carriers, a nichehas opened in to the high spend segment.“While low cost carriers in the region arepushing budget travel, we are doing theopposite and targeting high endtravellers,” he said.
“We launched Qatar Executive last yearbecause we had identified a huge gap inthe market and are now well on the way tofilling that void.”Qatar Airways has released figuresshowing that individual wealth in the Gulfregion is expected to increase by morethan 50 percent by 2012, when comparedwith 2008 levels.This would raise the level of private fundsfrom USD2.1 trillion to around USD3.8trillion, according to the managementconsultancy firm Oliver Wyman, whoprovided the data to Qatar Airways.Al Baker said that private jets were anattractive option for corporations to
whom time was a critical factor.“Despite the current global economicclimate, there remains a strong need forcorporations to conduct face to facebusiness meetings in the shortest possibletime and with a hassle-free travelexperience,” he said.
Akbar Al Baker
7JULY 24, 2010
- Air Travel
Air Arabia Launches Shuttle Bus Service between RAK and SharjahAir Arabia has begun operating shuttlebuses between Ras Al Khaimah (RAK)and Sharjah International Airport.Transport will be charged for and can bebooked directly through Air Arabia orvia specified travel agents.The service will operate twice daily,with one shuttle departing at 9am andanother 6pm, with pick up points at AlHamra Mall and the Air Arabia salesoffice on Oman Street.The morning service is timed to connectwith flights between Sharjah andChittagong, Bangaldesh; Alexandria,Egypt; Kathmandu, Nepal; Jeddah,Saudi Arabia; Kochi, India; and Sana’a,Yemen.The second is timed for flights toBangalore, Calicut, Chennai, Delhi,Goa, Jaipur, Kochi, Mumbai andHyderabad in India; Colombo, SriLanka; Istanbul, Turkey; Assiut, Egypt;and Damascus, Syria.AK Nizar, head of commercialoperations at Air Arabia’s Sharjah hub,said the service was intended to increaseconvenience for passengers from RAK,who make up a significant number ofthe carrier’s customers.
Etihad Announces Flights to South Korea
A ccording to JamesHogan, CEO of Etihad,Korea and the UAE havebeen increasinglyengaged in recent times,
improving the viability of a directconnection.He pointed to the contract awarded to aSouth Korean consortium for theconstruction of four nuclear power plants
in the UAE as an example of increasingcommerce between the two nations.“South Korea is emerging as a key partnerfor the UAE and the decision tocommence services to Seoul reflects thisstrengthening partnership,” he said.“Over the past two years, Korean businesshas been building a strong presence in theUAE, particularly in the clean energysector, construction, technology and
small to medium enterprises.”Hogan also predicted that increasedbusiness ties would begin to establishmore organic connections between theUAE and Korea.“We expect the increasing trade relationsbetween the two countries will lead togrowing numbers of business travellers, aswell as people from both regions visitingfriends and relatives,” he said.
Etihad will commence flights to South Korea in December, pinning its hopes for the route on growing economicties between that country and the UAE.
JULY 24, 20108
- International
Indian Ocean Destinations Target Shared TourismTourism authorities in the Indian Ocean say they are keen to pursue joint tourism opportunities, rather thanfocusing solely on their individual destinations.
Amara Holdings Enters Thai Market with New Bangkok City Hotel
Hiroshi Mizohata, commissioner ofJapan Tourism Agency, has added hissupport to the upcoming Blossom Japanehibition, which will be the first traveltrade event for the luxury tourismmarket in Japan. The event will host 200 travelprofessionals from around the world,with strong emphasis on networkingwith Japanese luxury travel providers.
The government of Japan has renewed itsfocus on tourism policy and adopted anew economic growth strategy, whichactively targets tourism growth. In response, Japan Tourism Agency hasrevised its target numbers of foreignvisitors to 15 million in 2013, 20 millionin 2015 and 25 million in 2019. Mizohata said the high end tourismmarket and international high net worth
individuals had been identified as highpriorities.“I strongly hope that this event [BlossomJapan] will be successfully held and willprovide Japan with a preciousopportunity to drastically improve itsrecognition among the global luxurytravel experts,” he said.Blossom Japan will take place in Tokyobetween January 18 and 21, 2011.
Japan Tourism Agency Backs Inaugural Luxury Travel Trade Event
A lain St Ange, CEO ofSeychelles TourismBoard, said acomplementary groupapproach could be
more effective than competitive marketbehaviour among the popular IndianOcean destinations of Seychelles,Mauritius and the Maldives.“Yes, there is a certain amount ofcompetition for a certain slice of themarket, but beyond that, we havesomewhat different products,” said StAnge. “At the moment we are exploring a
number of twin-hub holiday possibilitieswith other destinations. “Seychelles also believes that the IndianOcean islands complement each otherand this will become more apparent whenwe all work together to push the IndianOcean tropical islands as a destination initself.”A spokesperson for Mauritius TourismPromotion Authority said joint tourismwas already underway in the country,taking in the African continent as well asthe Indian Ocean islands.“The country is developing an IndianOcean product with Mauritius as the
regional tourism hub and it is looking atpossible avenues to collaborate withneighbouring islands to translate ideasinto tourism products,” said thespokesperson.“Some tour operators offer Mauritius as atwin destination with East African safarisand, more recently, with the cruise linecircuit.” Travel agents in the Middle East saytourism to all three Indian Oceandestinations has remained stablethroughout 2010, with Seychellesenjoying strong tourism growth in thefirst half of the year.
Amara Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiaryof Amara Holdings Limited, has signed anagreement to develop its first hotel inThailand.The company already operates severalsuccessful hotels in Singapore; the newproperty in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok,will feature 272 rooms. Amara Hotels has also signed anagreement with Thailand Crown PropertyBureau, a quasi-government agency. Albert Teo, CEO of Amara HoldingsLimited, said the location of the newhotel, on Surawong Road, was a strong
selling point for the property.“With all of the amazing activities andattractions and brisk commercial traffic inthe area, we see a need for the qualityaccommodation that Amara provides,”said Teo.
“The central location of our new hotel inBangkok, and its proximity to the otherparts of the city, coupled with easy access
to the airport expressway will offermaximum convenience to tourists andbusiness travellers alike.”The hotel is scheduled to open in 2012,targeting both business and leisuremarkets, as well as MICE events. “Customers are more discerning and welltravelled and as such are looking for anemotional aesthetic experience withattentive service, individual style and apersonal touch,” said Teo. “We aim to capture the imagination of ourguests and offer them all of these in a greatlocation.”
Who is coming to Lebanon at the moment?This is not really my department, so I can’t tellyou for sure. We do a lot of business in cruises however, andunfortunately this year there has not been a lot ofcruise business for the inbound market.It has been fair, but not good.
What makes a good travel agent?The service; but if a travel agent wants to besuccessful in Lebanon, they should focus onpackages with hotels and tours not just airlinetickets.
When will business return to pre-downturnlevels?I don’t know. Who can say? When the situationbecomes more stable.I can say that this year has been very good foroutbound travel; we have done very good workselling trips for Lebanese people and there havebeen a lot taking cruises, but from Europeanports.
Where do you take your own holidays?I would like to go to Hong Kong or Singapore; Ihave been to Australia and would also like to seeMexico.
Why did you become involved in the travelindustry?Because I like it! When I studied for my MBA thetitle of my thesis was Touristic Marketing, and Ihave worked for KLM and Swissair.
Mannai Holidays Signs Exclusivity Deal withEuropean River Cruise OperatorMannai Holidays has been appointed the exclusive sales agent for BrilliantCruises in Qatar.Brilliant Cruises operates river cruises throughout Europe, with stopsincluding Vienna, Prague, Budapest and Amsterdam.The company includes guest speakers and lecturers on all its tours, to providehistorical insight into the countries that they pass.Brilliant’s fleet currently comprises six vessels, with a seventh due for deliveryin 2011; cruises range from eight to 21 days in length.According to Mannai, the deal has been struck in response to growingdemand for cruise holidays in the Qatari outbound market.
Jordan’s Green Arrow Tours Becomes General Sales Agent for Hoojoozat.comJordan’s Green Arrow Tours has been chosen by Hoojoozat.com as thegeneral sales agent (GSA) for the company’s online reservations system.Ala'a Abu Dayyeh, sales manager in Jordan for Hoojoozat, described theagreement.“Green Arrow is to address all sales and marketing matters for the sitereservations, offering the best prices, especially in Lebanon, Cyprus, Syriaand the Gulf States as well as Europe and the Maldives,” he said.Firas Dakkak, managing director of Green Arrow Tours, said his companyhad been selected as GSA for Hoojoozat based on their forward lookingapproach. “Green arrow was assigned exclusively as the sales general agent due toits vision in enhancing services bookings and deliver to a wider customerbase, a role we are elusively keen to meet as part of our everlasting workin hope of proving the most suitable ways to create a unique tourismexperience for our clients,” he said.Hoojoozat, whose name means ‘booking’ in Arabic was launched in 2007,offering online bookings for both businesses and consumers, focusing onthe Arab market.
If a travel agent wants to be successful
in Lebanon, they shouldfocus on packages with
hotels and tours, not justairline tickets
Brilliant Cruises: MS Amadeus Classic
11JULY 24, 2010
There’s No Place like (Someone Else’s) HomeWith travellers becoming more adventurous and independent, experiential tourism is growing.
Online social networksare one of the mostpopular tools forconnecting people toplaces and for many,
the personal touch is the attraction ofthese media.However, this can make them difficult tocompete with in a commercial setting.Keeping track of the trends is the best wayto keep up with the rapidly developingmarket for products with a social element.One development that is gaining steamwithin the travel sector is the popularity ofpeer-to-peer hotels and accommodationproviders.These are specialised social networks,
built to connect guests with hospitablehouseholds across the world.Couchsurfing.com, HomeExchange, andUN sanctioned Servas are all examples ofpeer-to-peer accommodation providers.Methods range from the micro bed andbreakfast, for profit applications; toentirely free hospitality driven byreciprocity.The peer-to-peer accommodationmovement provides unrivalled access tolocal life; allowing travellers to experiencea destination from the perspective of aresident.Although the segment remains largely non-commercial, peer-to-peer accommodationoffers fertile ground for businesses
interested in integrating social experiencewith traditional travel packages.
JULY 24, 201012
Travel Talk is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to [email protected]
Curtis Grad
CEO, Airport International Group (AIG)"The mid-year results show that Queen Alia InternationalAirport (QAIA) is indeed making substantial stridestowards its objective: developing a robust and sustainableregional hub. QAIA is steadily emerging as the airport ofchoice in the Levant region and these results demonstratethe resilience of the Jordanian market and the effectivenessof the strategies implemented by AIG and its partners."
Stefan SimkovicsGeneral Manager, Four Seasons Hotel Beirut“Our concierge team doesn’t just understandthe Lebanese scene, but is also a part of it.From the latest restaurants to the greatestclubs, chic shops to tickets to the mostexciting cultural shows, you can bet that if it’srecommended by the concierge, then it’s aguaranteed hit.”
Obeid Al MazroueiDirector, Liwa Date Festival"The overwhelming number of visitors to the festival is an evidence for the greatsuccess of the event; despite the hot weather and rising temperature people arestill coming to the middle of the desert to witness the lovely authentic Emiratiheritage. This is evidence that the festival has become an important tourist event."
QAIA is steadily emerging as theairport of choice in the Levant region
If it’s recommended by the concierge, then it’s a guaranteed hit
Despite the hot weather and rising temperaturepeople are still coming to the middle of the desert to witness the lovely authentic Emirati heritage
Wissam SuleimanKempinski Hotel Mall of theEmirates, Dubai, has appointedWissam Suleiman as executiveassistant manager. Suleiman hasspent more than 15 years in the hotelindustry, including six years withinKempinski Hotels’ managerial team.During his time with the brand, hehas worked at Kempinski HotelAmman, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar –Dead Sea and Kempinski HotelAqaba. Prior to joining Kempinski,he worked with the Mövenpickbrand in Jordan.
Beach Rotana Abu DhabiBeach Rotana Abu Dhabi has appointed Wissam Abou Jaoude as director of frontoffice. Abou Jaoude previously spent eight years working with the Hilton chain in Paris.He holds an MBA in hospitality management. The hotel has also appointed Ayman Fathy as director of business development. Fathyholds a bachelor’s degree in tourism and hotel management and has previously workedfor Hilton at several hotels in Egypt, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Technology provider Sabre AirlineSolutions has made a number of newappointments to its global seniormanagement team, following thecompany’s recent growth. Sanjay Nanda has been appointed assenior vice president of consulting andsolutions delivery. He will oversee theimplementation and delivery of all airlinesolution projects, including the migrationfor LAN, AeroMexico and Volaris ontothe Sabresonic Customer Sales andService (CSS) reservation suite. Mark Silagy has been appointed assenior vice president of customer careand support. His most recent role waswith Sabre Travel Network, where heworked as senior vice president ofservices and operations solutions.Previously, Silagy spent 12 years withAmerican Airlines. Peter Morowski joins the team as senior
vice president of airline productsdevelopment. He previously held seniorpositions at Borland SoftwareCorporation, Dell, Tivoli Systems andNovell.Ellen Ehrlich, a 28 year Sabre veteran,has taken over the role of senior vicepresident of SabreSonic CSS. The role was previously held by JimBarlow, who has moved on to becomesenior consulting partner for airlinesolutions. Finally, Chris Serafin has beenappointed as senior vice president andprogramme executive, responsible forleading and executing key businessinitiatives for Sabre Airline Solutions.Serafin was previously senior vicepresident for product and solutionsdevelopment, supporting both SabreTravel Network and Sabre AirlineSolutions.
Wissam Abou JaoudeAyman Fathy
Nancy JindyRadisson Blu Martinez Hotel, Beirut,has appointed Nancy Jindy to theposition of sales and marketingmanager. Jindy has been promotedfrom her previous roles with the hotel– duty manager and guest relationsmanager. She began her career in 2001in the front office department, whilestudying for her degree in hospitalitymanagement. Jindy has since workedin several hotels and resorts in Beirut.
Wissam Suleiman
Sabre Airline Solutions
15JULY 24, 2010
Q&A with Albert TjoengSecurity is a leading concern for the aviation industry today, representing a major cost for many businesses. Travel Trade Weekly spoke to IATA spokesperson Albert Tjoeng about initiatives to make the skies safer forpassengers and more profitable for airlines.
Travel Trade Weekly: How is securityhandled in the aviation industry? Is itthe responsibility of local lawenforcement, the airlines, the airport,or a combination of these?Albert Tjoeng: Aviation security is astate responsibility. Regulators set the policies which airlinesand airports have to adhere to. But thelack of global standards has led to anunco-ordinated mess. Airlines payUSD5.9 billion a year, and yet passengersare still being hassled.Governments can enhance the effectivenessof aviation security regulations by ensuringthat they are compatible with infrastructureand business processes, and adapting toemerging threats, expected passengernumbers and cargo volumes. Better security can only be achieved byworking collaboratively with governments,airlines, and manufacturers. IATA and other industry stakeholders areworking to define risk managementstandards for security and facilitation.
Travel Trade Weekly: Do securityrequirements change depending onthe destination and/or country oforigin?Albert Tjoeng: Yes, securityrequirements can vary from state to state. Take carry-on liquids as an example.Despite the global approach on liquidsand gels, mutual recognition of standardsis very limited. Millions of bottles of liquids are stillconfiscated from international passengerscrossing jurisdictions even though thosebottles have been screened and carried onboard.Many governments are also requiring accessto Passenger Name Record (PNR) data.
This can contain personal sensitive data,leading to data protection and privacyconcerns. Some bilateral agreements have beenreached between the EU, US and othercountries on the provision of PNR data toaddress privacy issues, but this does notaddress all requirements globally. IATA isdeveloping a standard format for PNRdata to encourage harmonisation andreduce costs
Travel Trade Weekly: Are thereinternational standards for airlinesecurity? If so, how are they decided,and what happens if a country isunable to comply?Albert Tjoeng: The International CivilAviation Organisation (ICAO) sets thestandards and recommended practices foraviation security for states to comply with. IATA is also advocating theimplementation of Security ManagementSystems (SeMS), which provides airlineswith a risk based framework to create asecurity culture. Already, 225 airlines have implementedSeMS, and it is included as part of theIATA Operational Safety Audit. Regulators are also increasingly makingSeMS part of their national aviationsecurity policy.
Travel Trade Weekly: Are there evermismatches between the flight securityrequirements of different countries? Ifso, how are they usually handled?Albert Tjoeng: Despite the existence of
global ICAO standards for aviationsecurity, often states choose to go beyondICAO standards and develop enhanced ordifferent security measures from theICAO baseline. Such situations can be problematic forairlines and cause confusion amongpassengers. This is why IATA recommends that statescompare each other’s security measuresand, where they are deemed to beequivalent, conclude recognitionagreements that can lead to facilitationprocesses such as one-stop security.One-stop security is the process wherebypassengers and bags that have beenscreened adequately at departure, are notre-screened again at airports where theyhave a connecting flight. One out of four passengers at the world’stop 120 airports are connecting traffic, yetmany states still insist that they should bere-screened. In many cases, re-screeningpassengers and bags is an unnecessarystrain on resources. The introduction of one-stop security inFrance in 2009, for instance, will saveUSD 30 million per year.
Better security can only be achieved by
working collaborativelyAlbert Tjoeng
JULY 24, 201016
EventsMedical Tourism and Global Healthcare ConferenceLos Angeles, US, September 22-24 (www.medicaltourismconference.com)Forum for the global medical and wellbeing tourism industry.
GITEX Technology WeekDubai, UAE, October 17-21 (www.gitex.com)Technology solutions for hotels, businesses and consumers.
Hotex Fair SyriaDamascus, Syria, October 19-22 (www.hotexfair.com)Fair for Arabic and foreign companies in tourism and travel,including hotels, restaurants and equipment suppliers.
World Travel MarketLondon, UK, November 8-11 (www.wtmlondon.com)Global event for the travel industry – four day business tobusiness event promoting a range of destinations and industrysectors to international travel professionals.
World Green Tourism Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi, UAE, November 22-24 (www.worldgreentourism.ae)Inaugural eco-tourism exhibition, featuring tourismauthorities, urban city planners, hotels and resorts, propertydevelopers, airlines, tour operators, green product suppliers,universities, museums and heritage site organisations.
Blossom JapanTokyo, Japan, January 18-21,2011 (www.blossomjapan.com)A new invitation-only luxury travel exhibition focusing on theJapanese market.
The rising number of designer shops,high end hotels and shopping malls in theUAE is stimulating travel by high networth individuals from the Middle Eastand internationally, according to BijuJayaraaj, CEO of Artaaj Events.“With a wave of new malls and hotfashion brands set to hit Abu Dhabi, thecapital is making a big splash into theluxury retail market, which will continueto fuel its tourism and retail revenues,”said Jayaraaj.Artaaj plans to target these high net worthindividuals at its upcoming event, BigBoys Toys, which will be held in February2011. The exhibition will bring luxury sectorexhibitors together to display their goods
to the consumer market. The expanded 2011 edition of the showwill comprise seven existing zones: Drive,Ride, Off Road, Marine, Aviation, Digitaland Lifestyle, as well as three new zones:Fitness, Fashion and Adventure. “As [Abu Dhabi] carries on with its fastascent towards becoming one of thelargest luxury retail capitals of the world,Big Boys Toys will bring the world’s topluxury brands to the emirates, in line withour aims to satiate the desire for local highnet worth individuals for only the bestproducts and services,” said Jayaraaj.He added that recent estimates by bankersand industry players had predicted amarked increase in spending patterns andoverall market confidence.
“With indicators underlining theoptimism of GCC based high net worthindividuals on their own economies aswell as on the global market, luxury goodsare poised for growth,” he said.Big Boys Toys will be held in Abu Dhabiat ADNEC from February 2 to 5, 2011.
Boys Toys Event to Target Growing Luxury Market in Abu Dhabi
With a wave of new malls and hot fashion brands set
to hit Abu Dhabi, the capital is making a big splash into the luxury retail market,
which will continue to fuel itstourism and retail revenues
