Travel Trade Weekly is a leading news provider for travel industry professionals in the Middle East and North Africa, delivered every Saturday electronically and monthly as a hard copy.
Middle East and North Aica Edition SePTeMbeR 3, 2011 iSSUe 95 www.traveltradeweekly.travel September 3, Issue 95 Market Update 2 Weekly News 3 Accommodation News 6 Air Travel News 7 International 10 Who’s Moved 11 Travel Talk 12 Agents’ Corner 13 Travel Channels 14 Rendezvous 15 Events 16 3 3 Mada JUMeih OPeNS iN dUbai e wide range of accommodation on offer in dubai has further enhanced, with the opening of the four-star Ramada Jumeriah. In is Issue 6 6 PReMieR iNN ReadieS fOR abU dhabi OPeNiNg Premier inn is to further enhance its Uae portfolio as abu dhabi Capital Centre is nearing completion. 6 Emirates is to ramp up equency to Japan with two additional weekly flights taking capacity up to daily between Dubai and Narita International Airport, om November 1. Emirates Flies Daily to Narita
Transcript
Middle East and North Africa Edition
sePTember 3, 2011 issue 95 www.traveltradeweekly.travel
MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 01/9/2011Currencies shown in red are fixed against the us dollar
Abu Dhabi international airport has recorded a robust growth in duty free salesin the first half of the year (h1).during the first six months of the year, the airport’s duty free sales accounted foraed293 million (usd79.77 million), representing an impressive increase of 7.5percent compared with the corresponding period of 2010. Terminal 3, in particular, witnessed a sound increase of 59 percent, driven by theperformance from its 19 luxury boutiques. beauty and fragrance shops, whichattributed six ‘first in the middle east’ product launches, also strongly contributedto the notable results. figures are expected to stay on an upward spiral, noted huraiz al mur bin huraiz,chief commercial officer, abu dhabi airports Company.“We are committed to continuously improve the duty free offerings at abu dhabiinternational airport. This year, we have witnessed an increase in sales and lookforward to even further growth in the third and fourth quarter. our renovation planensures that we keep the unique structure of Terminal 1, whilst offering our increasingnumbers of travellers the most convenient and enjoyable airport shopping experience.”The airport will soon provide passengers with broader offerings upon re-openingseveral shops in Terminal 1. “We are expecting a strong number in the next six months as a result of thecompletion of the refurbishment of Terminal 1, creating a world class shoppingenvironment,” added bin huraiz.abu dhabi international airport duty free was recently awarded the ‘best airportin Tax free shopping globally’ from the business destinations awards in the uK.
RJ: Record Passenger NumbersRoyal Jordanian (RJ) has registered the highest passenger number in a monthsince inception.
Abu Dhabi International Airport: Increased Duty Free Sales
during July, the airlinecarried 373,000 passengers,representing an increase of13.3 percent over thecorresponding period in 2010,
and marking rJ’s most successful month in termsof passenger volume since its establishment 48years ago. With a seat factor of 81 percent, up from79 percent in July 2010, the airline’s net profittotalled Jd5 million (usd7.04 million). hussein dabbas, president and Ceo, rJ, alsoannounced that with an 11.6 percent increaseover the period in comparison, the company’soperational revenues accounted for Jd78.5million (usd110.6 million).dabbas noted that despite the significantincrease in passenger number, the profit wasreduced by a remarkably higher (22.7 percent)operational cost due to the surge in fuel prices. With a massive increase of 51 percent, the
company’s fuel bill amounted to Jd30.5million (usd42.96 million), compared withJd20.2 million (usd28.5 million) in July2010, constituting around 40 percent of theoverall operational costs ( Jd76 million orusd107 million). flight frequencies and flying hours have alsoincreased, prompting rJ to project a positiveoutlook for the remainder of the year followinga challenging first six months, impacted by theongoing turmoil in some countries in theregion. The regional political unrest forced the airlineto cancel 677 round-trip flights, whileoperations to some destinations were halted ornegatively affected. in an attempt to help travel to and from Jordanto pick up in the upcoming months, rJ and theJordan Tourism board joined forces to boosttourism.
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Emirates Flies Daily to NaritaEmirates is to ramp up frequency to Japan with two additional weekly flights taking capacity up to dailybetween Dubai and Narita International Airport, from November 1.
emirates commenced flightsto narita in march 2010 andsince then, the positiveresponse from the travellingpublic, and the soaring
demand for services between the twocountries, have prompted the decision toupgrade the route.The additional flights reaffirm the level ofcommitment emirates has to the highlyimportant Japanese market, and vastlyimprove connectivity to the airline’sexpanding global network, noted richardJewsbury, senior vice president commercialoperations for far east and australia,emirates. “Japan is a vital market foremirates and being able to increase theflights to a daily operation is a greattestament to the partnership which has
existed since we began operations to Japan,through osaka, nine years ago. demand onthe route continues to remain strong sincewe launched last year, which was reflectedin emirates recently topping abroad’sairline satisfaction ranking. i am sure thatour passengers will appreciate being able tofly daily from both narita and osaka.”The airline remained confident in theroute despite the natural catastropheearlier this year. “in the aftermath of the great east Japanearthquake, emirates continued operatingflights to and from narita as normalwithout interruption and maintained aservice for those passengers who neededto travel during that difficult time.emirates has been committed to helpingJapan through this period of recovery. We
appreciate that the Japanese authoritieshave recognised this commitment andallowed us to operate this daily service,”added Jewsbury. given the fact that since 2002, emirateshas carried more than 1.3 millionpassengers and 60,000 tonnes of cargo onits flights to Japan, the airline proffers highimportance to the route and employs 200Japanese cabin crew. in a move to better serve the growingnumber of passengers to and from Japan,emirates’ and Japan airlines’ longstandingpartnership will include a code share onthe additional two dubai-Tokyo-dubaiservices. To further cement its presence inthe far eastern market, emirates has alsoextended its global sports sponsorshipinitiatives to include Japanese events.
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ATM 2012 Partners withMövenpick PropertiesReed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM),has selected three Mövenpick accommodation options as the host hotelsfor its May 2012 event in Dubai.
The properties chosen are ibn battuta gate hotel, mövenpick hoteldeira, and royal amwaj resort & spa on Palm Jumeirah, which isscheduled to open in 2012 and will feature individual water villasset around meandering lagoons and a private beach. The hotels will officially accommodate the ‘hosted buyers’
programme, which includes top decision-makers from the leisure, golf, cruise,medical and meetings sector, as well as selected international press.mövenpick hotel deira, is the latest five-star addition to dubai’s ‘old town’ skyline,while ibn battuta gate hotel is ideally located at the gateway to ‘new dubai’ closeto Jebel ali freezone and with the dedicated ibn battuta metro station just minutesaway.Lucie James, marketing manager, reed Travel exhibitions, remarked on the significanceof the decision. “The combined offering of these three distinctive and very differenthotels will allow our hosted buyers and international media guests to get a real sense ofthe diversity of the tourism product across the middle east. The mutual trade-off inattracting quality buyers and delivering a quality host hotel experience is crucial indriving interest and guaranteeing the attendance of key travel industry players.”
Indonesia Strengthens Middle East PresenceIndonesia, in an attempt to strengthen its appeal among middle eastern travellers,has appointed Visit indonesia Toursim office’s regional representative. The asian country has witnessed a notable growth in the number of visitors fromthe middle east and strives to further utilise the region, noted nour aridi, leadaccount manager, gaa marta Consulting, the dubai based toursim andhospitality company that has been appointed.
“We are very pleased to receive thisappointment as indonesia is an exciting andfascinating destination that is seeing itspopularity grow year on year from this region.”indonesia’s ministy of Culture and Tourismhas set itself the target of attracting 7.7 millionforeign tourist arrivals this year, whiledomestic tourist volume is expected to rise to237 million from 234 million in 2010.
MEA: Average Decrease, Partial IncreaseThe Middle East and africa region hasexperienced a decrease in all three keyhotel performance metrics during July,according to the market researchauthority from sTr global’s latest report. based on data provided by sTr, theregion’s occupancy dropped by 1.2 percentto 60 percent, while the average daily ratefell by one percent to usd139.89. revenueper available room (revPar) dropped tousd83.98, representing a 2.2 percentdecline over July 2010 figures. elizabeth randall, managing director,sTr global, attributed the negativeresults to the rather high figures in thecorresponding period in 2010. “The fifa World Cup, which attractedextra demand and room supply duringJune/July 2010 across south africa, madefrom a tough comparable this monththroughout the country. meanwhile, theconsequences of the arab spring continueto impact the results for northern africa.”as opposed to the region’s averageperformance, some markets recordedpositive results. dubai (+17.6 percent to77.9 percent), Jeddah (+16.1 percent to78.3 percent) and abu dhabi (+14.5percent to 59.3 percent), alike haveexperienced double digit increases inoccupancy. at the same time, Cairo,sandton, and the surrounding areasposted the largest drop in occupancy. in terms of average daily rate, dubai andJeddah rose 4.5 percent to usd162.18and four percent to usd210.63,respectively. dubai also increased 22.8percent in terms of revPar, tousd126.41, followed by Jeddah with a20.8 percent rise to usd164.95.
Indonesia
The combined offering of these three distinctive and very different hotels will allow our hosted buyers andinternational media guests to get a real sense of the
diversity of the tourism product across the Middle East
sePTember 3, 20116
- Accommodation
Premier Inn Readies for Abu Dhabi openingPremier Inn is to further enhance its uae portfolio as abudhabi Capital Centre is nearing completion. The hotel, a sister property to the company’s operating hotelsin dubai, Premier inn dubai international airport, Premierinn dubai investments Park and Premier inn dubai siliconoasis, is scheduled to welcome its first guest in october,confirmed darroch Crawford, managing director, middleeast and africa, Premier inn. “Premier inn abu dhabi Capital Centre has 242 rooms, anall day restaurant overlooking the swimming pool andwhirlpool spa, a bar and a Costa Coffee outlet. We also haveseveral meeting rooms and a gymnasium. an outstandingfeature of the hotel is its location immediately next to abudhabi national exhibition Centre, and just 15 minutes fromabu dhabi international airport. it is also only a very shortwalk from Zayed sports City.”The soon-to-open hotel will be led by amer ammar, whopreviously held the general manager position at dubaisilicon oasis, another Premier inn hotel.
Ramada Jumeirah Opens in DubaiThe wide range of accommodation on offer in Dubai has further enhanced, with the opening of the four-starRamada Jumeriah.
m anaged byabjar hotelsinternational,the hospitalityarm of almulla
group, and under a licensed franchiseagreement with ramada Worldwide,the ‘super deluxe’ hotel offers 252rooms and state-of-the-art amenities. With its prime location on dubai’s almina road, just minutes away fromthe city’s main access points andpremier business hubs, such as thedubai World Trade Centre and dubaiinternational Convention & exhi-bition Centre, as well as shoppingmalls, ramada Jumeirah is expected
to attract both business travellers andholidaymakers. alan rigazzi, general manager,ramada Jumeirah, commented on theopening. “This project marks the culminationof a thrilling journey. ramadaJumeirah offers all the comfort andrefinement of a genuine, first classestablishment, complemented bydining and leisure facilities.”The hotel features five food andbeverage outlets, a rooftop outdoorswimming pool, a health club withspa facilities, a fitness centre andmeeting facilities, including a largeonsite business centre.
An outstanding feature of the hotel is its location immediately next to Abu
Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
Ramada Jumeirah offers all the comfort and refinement
of a genuine, first classestablishment, complemented by dining and leisure facilities
Ramada Jumeirah Dubai
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- Air Travel
Qatar Airways to Land in Azerbaijanand Georgia in 2012The airline’s new flights, originally slated to start onnovember 30, will finally begin to the capital cities of baku andTbilisi on february 1, 2012. akbar al baker, Ceo, Qatar airways, explained that thepostponement is due to operational reasons. “With capacity increases planned on many routes, we faceconstraints on aircraft availability, therefore decided to revisethese two route launch dates and move them to february. We regret the inconvenience caused, but all steps are beingtaken to look after passengers already holding bookings.”Passengers with tickets or already confirmed booking to andfrom both cities will be rebooked on alternative flights to thedestinations.
UAE Initiates Open-SkyAgreement with Sierra LeoneThe UAE, represented by the General Civil AviationAuthority (GCAA) has signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) with the Government ofSierra Leone and has initialled an open Air ServicesAgreement (ASA).
following negotiations, initialled by saifmohammed al suwaidi, director general, gCaaand david Wayland banya, acting permanentsecretary, sierra Leone Civil aviation authority,the two delegations agreed that any number of
designated airlines of both parties will have the right to operatescheduled services. The uae designated etihad airways, emirates airline, RaKairways, air arabia and flydubai as national airlines under theagreement, while the west african country’s delegation willdesignate its airlines in due time.The agreement between the two countries now allowsunrestricted frequencies, capacity and types of aircraft to beoperated by the designated airlines in any type of service, whetherpassenger or cargo. The parties also agreed to allow unrestrictednon-scheduled operations between the uae and sierra Leone,as well as code sharing between their respective airlines.
With capacity increases planned on many routes, we face constraints
on aircraft availability
Sierra Leone
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- Air Travel
United Continental Holdings to Invest USD550Million in Onboard ImprovementsUnited Continental Holdings, the holding company for united airlines andContinental airlines will invest usd550 million in fleet upgrades, bringing it closerto becoming the world’s leading airline.Product improvements will include adding flat-bed seating on 62 additional long-haul aircraft this september, as well as adding economy Plus seating and Channel9 air traffic control audio to more than 300 aircraft, beginning this autumn. Workto almost double overhead storage space on more than 150 aircraft will take placebeginning in march, 2012. in addition, united Continental holdings will install advanced broadband Wi-fion more than 200 aircraft, introduce streaming wireless video onboard its 747-400aircraft and completely retrofit its p.s. fleet with flat-bed seats, economy Plus, on-demand audio and video and Wi-fi.These product changes come in addition to the 25 new aircraft - including the boeing787 dreamliner - that the airline will introduce to its fleet in 2012. united andContinental have each made significant product and service improvements over thepast several years and since the airlines closed their merger in october, 2010. Jeff smisek, president and chief executive officer, united Continental holdings, remarkedon the expansion. “We are making very good progress building the world's leading airline.When we announced our merger, we committed to building an airline that our co-workers would want to work for, our customers would want to fly, and our investors wouldwant to invest in. These product enhancements announced today, coupled with ourunbeatable route network and loyalty program, will provide an unsurpassed travelexperience for our customers. We are planning many other product enhancements, bothon the ground and in the air, which we will announce in the future.”
AirAsia Imposes Check-In FeeAirAsia, the regional airline serving Malaysia and south-east Asian destinations, is to charge passengers forconventional check-in services, effective from September 21.
Qantas and AmericanAirlines to PartnerThe Australian Competition andConsumer Commission (aCCC) hasissued a draft decision proposing to grantauthorisation for a Joint businessagreement ( Jba) between Qantas andamerican airlines. in terms of the Jba, the airlines willcoordinate operations on servicesbetween australia/new Zealand andthe us as well as on their respectiveservices to further support the trans-Pacific routes. The partnership will be of benefit to bothnations, noted rod sims, chairman,aCCC. “The aCCC considers that theJba is likely to result in new andimproved products and services,including improved schedules andconnectivity. The aCCC does notconsider that the Jba will have any anti-competitive effects, as Qantas andamerican airlines do not currentlyprovide any overlapping direct servicesbetween australia and the us.”
a mid the steep surge in oilprices, airasia strives toavoid the impact byaggressively growingrevenue through ancillary
income and services, in an attempt tospare passengers from occurringsurcharges. Check-in at the counter willbe considered as an additional service,therefore an ancillary fee will apply. The airline has recently launched a newself check-in function, which providestravellers with the ease of a quicker andmore convenient way of checking-in viaweb and mobile devices. The applicationis expected to substitute the conventional
way of checking in, noted Kathleen Tan,regional head of commercial, airasia.“The web and mobile self check-inservices are part of our on-going missionto use technology to offer better guestexperience, provide operation efficiencyand offer greater savings to all our guests.These self check-in options will furtherenhance the travel experience and free ourguests from airport congestions and longqueues at the counters. it converts toreduce waiting time and one could travelwithout worrying about tiresomeprocedures often associated with airtravel. it also helps us reduce ouroperational cost which we can give back
to our guests as savings.”airasia will continue to provide limitedconventional check-in counters at allairports where it operates, but passengersopting for this service instead of thenewly launched online method, will becharged. from september 21 onwards, acheck-in fee of mYr10 (usd3.37) perguest will apply for all flight bookings,except for departures from Tokyo, osaka,seoul and Tehran.
These self check-in optionswill further enhance the travel experience
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- International
Crowne Plaza Albuquerque to OpenAfter Renovation and Brand ChangeCrowne Plaza albuquerque will open in september,following a brand change from hilton that involvedusd14 million in renovations.The conference hotel is located in the university sectionof albuquerque, southwest new mexico, 10km from theairport. it features 2,415m2 of meeting space, an outdoorpool, a fitness centre and 261 re-decorated guest roomswith views of the city’s spectacular high-desert landscapeof mesas, volcanoes and the sandia mountains.The hotel is ideally suited to the needs of businesstravellers and companies in the area, noted gina Labarre,vice president brand management, the americas,interContinental hotel group (ihg). “We are pleased to bring the Crowne Plaza brand to thealbuquerque area, especially in such a convenientlocation for business travellers and meetings. There areseveral major employers in the area that will benefit fromthe meetings-savvy products and services that only aCrowne Plaza can provide.”The recipient of the new mexico green Ziaenvironmental excellence award also targets leisuretravellers with its proximity to the historic old Town,balloon fiesta Park, the world’s longest tramway,championship golf courses, indian gaming casinos andshopping venues. The hotel features the famousranchers Club of new mexico restaurant, the only aaa4 diamond award Winner in albuquerque, and theCrowne Plaza sleep advantage that encompasses theentire sleep experience.
DoubleTree by Hilton Debuts in IndiaDoubleTree by Hilton New Delhi-Mayur Vihar hasopened, marking the first hotel of the brand in India.
owned and operated by eros resorts & hotels. andmanaged by hilton Worldwide, the newly built hotelis situated in mayur Vihar, offering excellentconnectivity with Connaught Place in the city centreas well as south delhi business districts, nehru Place,
okhla, mohan Co-operative and Jasola. The Pragati maidan exhibitionCentre and prominent tourist attractions like the akshardham Temple,rajghat, old fort and humayun's Tomb are also nearby.new delhi-mayur Vihar offers 196 guest rooms, including four suites,which are among the most spacious in the city. every guestroomfeatures wired and wireless internet access, a LCd television, mediahub, electronic safe, refrigerated private bar, tea and coffee makingfacilities and an iPod docking station with alarm clock.
accommodating business travellers,the hotel offers a 24-hour businesscentre and a boardroom that seatsup to 16 guests, as well as a ballroomthat can accommodate up to 750people and is ideal for corporatemeetings and business events as wellas social gatherings and privatereceptions. for recreation, the hotelincludes an outdoor infinity pooland a fitness centre.
Magnolia French Country Khao Yairesort in Thailand, due to open at theend of 2012, will be managed byabsolute hotel services group (ahs).The technical services and managementcontract for the hotel offers promisingprospects, suggested Jonathan Wigley,Ceo, ahs. “This is very exciting news and a greatopportunity for us to work with magnoliaQuality development Corporation.Khao Yai is one of high potentialdestinations for tourism in Thailand,especially for domestic travellers. With
the unique design and concept ofmagnolia french Country Khao Yai, weare confident that the property will bewell accepted in the market which is inneed of quality facilities and services.”only a two and a half hour drive frombangkok, Khao Yai is one of the mostpopular destinations for local residentsand expatriates to spend their longweekends or short breaks away from thecity. The destination provides naturalsettings, vineyards and adventureactivities, while the property offerslandscaped gardens, ponds and a large
swimming pool. The design of the 78-room resort has beenstrongly influenced by the southernfrance countryside yet with a modern andeclectic interior design, offering comfortand relaxation. a french brasserie is featured on theground floor close to the swimming poolarea. other amenities include spa andwellness facilities, an outside lawn areathat is suitable for weddings andcompany team building activities, twomeeting rooms and two boardroomswith a total of 485m2.
AHS to Manage Magnolia French Country Khao Yai Resort
DoubleTree by HiltonNew Delhi-Mayur Vihar
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Sam Van Campenhoutsam Van Campenhout has beenappointed as general manager ofmarriott executive apartmentsmanama, bahrain. Van Campenhout,with a career that spans over 20 years,brings in-depth knowledge in roomoperations and sales and marketing tohis role. he started in the industry in1991 with working in night audit atscandic Crown before moving into thefront office. he took on his first sales assignment asconvention sales representative at royalCrowne hotel, followed by a salesmanager position at holiday innbrussels airport. he joined marriott in 1997 as director of sales and marketingwith the conversion of swissôtel brussels to renaissance hotel brussels. he thencontinued as director of sales and marketing at brussels marriott hotel. in 2004,he became the cluster director of sales and marketing for brussels, before takingon the role of hotel manager at brussels marriott hotel in 2006.
Slavy Ghazalslavy ghazal has joined Coral beach hotels& resort as director of sales and marketing.Prior to his current role, he led the orientQueen hotel as general manager. ghazalbrings a wealth of experience to his position,having previously worked at ramadadowntown, four Points by sheraton, savoyhotel, bella riva suites and Le bristol hotel.
Sam Van Campenhout
Slavy Ghazal
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Harry HohmeisterCEO, Swiss International Airlines.
“i am convinced that,with our stronger brandprofile, we will be betterable to survive and thrivein a competitive marketthat is growing toughereach year. i am equallycertain that we willcontinue to live up to,
and further build on, our aspiration of beingeurope’s leading airline in product quality andprofitability terms.”
Jassim HajiActing director, information technology, Gulf Air.“Cloud Computing is the new evolution in the iT world towards deliveringfaster and more efficient iT and business services than ever before, whilereducing infrastructure and service costs. internationally, this new technologyis being fast embraced by every corporate entity and we are glad to be thepioneers once again, to introduce this in the Kingdom of bahrain.Traditionally, business applications have always been very complicated andexpensive. You need a large infrastructure and applications, and a whole teamof experts to run them. however, as businesses are becoming increasinglycompetitive and customers’ needs are changing constantly, it is important thatwe proactively address their needs more efficiently through appropriatetechnological empowerment but without maximising costs. Cloud computingis the solution to achieve this: from back-end business applications, platformservices, virtual servers, storage and processing to front-end support services,it allows us to move with greater agility and respond faster to our customers.”
Knut FrostadCEO, Ocean Volvo Race (at the reviewing of the Destination Village’s model).“it is fantastic and the coolest thing is that it will leave asuperb sailing legacy on land, in the heart of the city. it willbe a magnificent stage for the city with abu dhabi’s skylinein the background and is shaping up to be one of the mostefficient stop-over locations. from the Corniche, the sightof the race village with the boats lit up on the water at nightwill make for a very stimulating picture.”
With our stronger brand profile, we will be better able
to survive and thrive in acompetitive market that isgrowing tougher each year
It will be amagnificent stage for the city with
Abu Dhabi’s skylinein the background
Internationally, this newtechnology is being fast
embraced by every corporateentity and we are glad to be the
Who are you?my name is georgia standage and i am the director ofPrestige Travel, a family run travel agency in Cyprus. ihave more than 30 years of experience in the tourismindustry, in Cyprus and in the uK. i have workedextremely hard to build my own clientele base, by wordof mouth and by providing a friendly service.
What is your favourite thing about working in thetravel industry?The variety of tasks and the great satisfaction in helpingothers to have a holiday to remember and tell theirfriends about.
When is the best time to visit Cyprus?The best time to visit Cyprus weather wise for bothswimming and sightseeing is mid-september onwards,as the island is not that crowded.
Where would you like to travel to for your nextholiday?i would like to visit australia and new Zealand, and iwould love to see sardinia as well.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?People who book with Prestige get personal and friendlyservice. We always provide our clients with a few optionsand usually we become really personal or even friendsby the end.
Amadeus on Corporate Responsibility MissionAmadeus, the travel technology partner and transaction processor forthe global travel and tourism industry, has continued to demonstratecorporate responsibility leadership with the development of a numberof key activities. The 16 projects initiated so far this year are aligned with amadeus’social commitment to foster development through tourism andtechnology and to follow cooperation agreements signed withgovernment bodies and institutions, professional associations andtourism companies. one of the main focuses of the ‘Technology Transfer Project’ is to helpsmall, emerging entrepreneurs adopt professional processes in theirbusinesses and expand their commercial reach by providing technologyand market access. With agreements signed across south america,Central america and africa, a total of 4,000 hotels are expected tobenefit from the programme.
another initiative of amadeus, the ‘global PC bank’, focuses on donatingand distributing computers which are no older than three years to helpadministration of community projects. in the first half of the year, 300computers have been delivered to Kenya, nigeria, Cuba, the Philippines,saudi arabia and nicaragua. around 1,500 students a year are expectedto benefit from the training given on these PCs. The key component of amadeus’ project is, however, the educationprogramme, which provides young people with no financial resources,with a range of professional courses. Countries reached by the trainingso far include Kenya, saudi arabia, south africa, Croatia, nicaragua,Venezuela and Colombia. as part of amadeus’ social responsibility initiatives, the companystrives to evolve and grow its environmental credentials and gain betterunderstanding and measurement of the environmental impact of itsglobal operations. Tomas Lopez fernebrand, vice president, general counsel andcorporate secretary, amadeus iT group, elaborated on the projects.“our corporate responsibility mission is to enable economic, social andenvironmental advancement in sustainable tourism and travel, through theintelligent application of technology and innovation. With this in mind webelieve that when it comes to helping people or improving the worldaround us, rather than purely making a financial contribution, actually it ismore about having a certain mindset – a positive desire to lead and improvethe world by applying the skills and resources which we use every day”.
Our corporate responsibility mission is to enableeconomic, social and environmental advancement in
sustainable tourism and travel, through theintelligent application of technology and innovation
Cyprus
The iPad can providecabin crew with details ofa customer’s previoustravel arrangements,enabling them to have
prior knowledge of customer preferencesand allowing them to offer a bespoke,customised service.The iPad is currently being trialled with100 cabin crew with the aim to roll it outto all senior crew members across theairline in the coming months. Currently, cabin crew not included in thetrial are handed a long scroll of paperlisting up to 337 customers when all thepassengers have boarded an aircraft. Withthe new iPads, cabin crew will simplyrefresh their screen through wireless 3gnetworks and they will have a completelist of passengers on board.nicola smith, regional customer servicemanager, middle east, commented thatthe technology has proven useful in theregion. “The iPad is already allowing us tooffer a more personalised onboard serviceto our middle east customers, but thepossibilities for future development areendless. We are receiving great feedbackfrom cabin crew and customers in the
region. it allows the crew to offer thethoughtful service they want to deliverand customers are treated as valuedguests.”The iPad lets crew quickly identify whereeach customer is seated, who they aretravelling with, their executive Clubstatus and any special meal requests. it
provides the latest information at thefingertips of the crew, includingtimetables, safety manuals and customerservice updates. it also means any issuescan be logged with ground-basedcolleagues around the network prior todeparture so solutions can be deliveredwhile the flight is airborne.
iPad used to Innovate British Airways Customer Service
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There has been double-digit growth insport holidays among european tourists,particularly germans, according to thelatest survey by World Travel monitor,commissioned by iTb berlin.The research suggests that the sector’spopularity has overtaken cruises,previously the number one choiceamong europeans. germans wereshown to be keenest on sports,accounting for 42 percent of the ninemillion sporting holidays taken by
europeans abroad. at 14 percent thedutch rank second, while in othereuropean markets sporting holidaysmake up only six percent or less.The most popular destination to take asporting holiday was revealed to beaustria, attracting 24 percent of theeuropean market, followed by italy andgermany, which each account for 11percent. The most popular activities amongholidaymakers are hiking (38 percent),
cycling tours (23 percent) and motorsports (14 percent). at 10 percent, golf ranks fourth in thesporting popularity stakes amongeuropeans, with nine percent of germansporting holidaymakers preferring it.The survey suggests that europeansporting holidaymakers average 43 yearsof age, and most of them live inhouseholds without children. more menthan women are attracted to sports whenthey are on holiday.
Sport Holidays Take Top Ranking in Europe
British Airways cabin crew are using the latest iPad model to bring a new dimension to customer service inthe air, via personalised service.
The iPad is already allowing us to offer a more personalised onboard service to our Middle East customers, but the possibilities
for future development are endless
Travel Trade Weekly: SheratonKhalidiya Hotel welcomed its firstguest more than a decade ago. Howhas the hotel performed since then?Gabriel Khoury: sheraton Khalidiyahas been providing excellent service tovalued guests since 1997. The propertystarted with 180 residential suites and onefood and beverage outlet. as there was aphenomenal demand for rooms duringthat period and in the succeeding years,the hotel gradually increased the numberto 225, and now operates 284 luxuriousrooms and suites. The property, alsoadded two food and beverage outlets,catering to different tastes of guests.
Travel Trade Weekly: The propertyhas undergone an extensiverenovation. Could you tell us aboutthe major elements of this?Gabriel Khoury: The hotel’s décor stillmaintains its classic ambience, withinteriors that have a refined, modernsensibility: yet, the hotel has undergone anumber of renovations and constructionchanges to have it according to sheratonstandards, and to be able to meet therequirements of guests with various needs.
Travel Trade Weekly: With newluxury properties gradually emergingon Abu Dhabi’s horizon, thecompetition for guests tends to getmore and more intense. How do youensure high occupancy rates amidst theincreasing number of hotel openings?Gabriel Khoury: With the opening ofnew hotels it is natural that competitionhas gotten tougher and hotels areimpelled to position their respectiveproperties with international standards.There is actually a demand for hotel
rooms in the city since there is an influxof guests with diverse requirements,depending on the nature of their visit.occupancy rates continuously grow asabu dhabi has become a business andleisure destination. The business district,where sheraton Khalidiya hotel isconveniently located, is frequented bycorporate travellers who opt to haveleisure activities after their businessmeetings. development of leisure areasare continuously in progress.shopping malls in the city offereverything guests may need from clothingto souvenirs, while cultural and heritageexhibitions as well as other activitiesreflecting the local traditions are beingheld to cater to visitors craving for arts.
Travel Trade Weekly: With a broadrange of happenings scheduled for theupcoming months, Abu Dhabi’s profileis on the rise. Which are the mostanticipated events and developmentsfrom your hotel’s aspect?Gabriel Khoury: The abu dhabinational exhibitions Company has anarray of events and exhibitions allthroughout the year, such as theinternational defense exhibition &Conference (ideX), the formula onerace in november, the World greenTourism in december, the World futureenergy summit in January 2012, and theWorld ophthalmology Congress 2012.The abu dhabi Tourism authority haslaid out a vision to build the city as aworld class tourism destination, which
includes developing a broad range oftourism sites and products, targetingmarket awareness, and buildingorganisational and industrial capacity andcompetence. in the city, to cater to diverse clientele,starwood hotels has five existing properties,and there are a number of starwood hotelsin the pipeline with st. regis saadiyat hoteland st. regis abu dhabi to open early nextyear and Westin hotel opening in the fourthquarter of this year.
Travel Trade Weekly: Has Abu Dhabialready reached its limits in terms ofaccommodation offerings or is there ademand for more newcomers?Gabriel Khoury: There will always be ademand for an increase in hotel rooms inthe city as there are new activities anddevelopment programmes in abu dhabi.The development of the business districtand nearby areas, the progress of Yasisland with all the activities going on, andthe continuous international exhibitions,would really measure the necessity ofmore hotel rooms in the city. The demandwill surely increase period by period.
15sePTember 3, 2011
Q&A with Gabriel KhouryWith plentiful developments and hotels gradually cropping up in Abu Dhabi, players of the emirate’shospitality industry are eager for the fray. Gabriel Khoury, general manager, Sheraton Khalidiya Hotel, talksabout the highly competitive environment.
Gabriel Khoury
There will always be a demand for an increasein hotel rooms in the city
sePTember 3, 201116
EventsPATA Travel MartNew Delhi, India, September 6-9, 2011 (www.pata.org)asia Pacific’s premier travel trade show with networking andcontracting opportunities.
Top Resa, International French Travel MarketParis, France, September 20-23, 2011 (www.iftm.fr)an international travel and tourism trade fair for networking,doing business, innovating and keeping abreast of marketdevelopments.
Cityscape DubaiDubai, UAE, September 26-29, 2011 (www.cityscape.ae)a b2b networking exhibition and conference for emerging realestate markets globally.
Kazakhstan International Tourism ExhibitionAstana, Kazakhstan, September 27-29, 2011www.leisure.kzThe eighth Kazakhstan international Tourism exhibition inastana, which caters for both the b2b and b2C markets andfeatures a vibrant mix of inbound and outbound destinations.
CIS Travel MarketSt. Petersburg, Russia, October 12-14, 2011(www.restec.ru)an event focusing on Cis countries, attended by airlines, tour operators,travel agencies, accommodation providers and tourist associations.
ITB AsiaSuntec, Singapore, October 19-21, 2011(www.itb-asia.com)an event where international exhibitors, asia Pacific’s leadingcompanies and emerging enterprises meet top buyers.
Abu Dhabi airports Company (adaC)is to host the middle east’s first and onlygeneral aviation exhibition, abu dhabiair expo, in march 2012. The event, taking place at al bateenexecutive airport, will enable exhibitorsto demonstrate and share their latestinnovations to a broader audience. innearly 70,000m2, more than 100 aircraftwill be displayed for an estimated 15,000visitors from the gCC, Levant, north
africa, south africa and asia. The remarkable improvement in theregion’s aviation industry makes the uae,and abu dhabi in particular, an ideal hostfor such an event, noted h.e. Khalifa almazrouei, chairman, adaC. “adaC isproud to host the first exhibition dedicatedto general aviation in the middle east inabu dhabi, a premium internationaldestination for business and leisuretravellers offering world class facilities andattractions. The impressive 40 percentincrease in traffic that al bateen airporthas achieved during the first half of thisyear makes it the perfect hub for aviationprofessionals and enthusiasts to share thelatest developments in the industry. The
middle east is a very dynamic region foraviation and hosting this event will allowthe aviation sector to boost its growth andcreate more business deals.”
The exhibition will be organised byadaC in conjunction with adone, thehost of the Cannes airshow. in 2010, the region’s general aviationsector experienced a notable growth of 30percent over 2009 figures and it currentlyrepresents more than 10 percent of theworld market share.
