FAST RENT A CAR EXPANDS IN THE UAE

06

15

QATAR AIRWAYS: FREQUENCY INCREASES ON 12 ROUTES

IN THIS ISSUEMARKET UPDATE

AIRPORTS

ACCOMMODATION

AIR

INTERNATIONAL

RENDEZVOUS

WHO'S MOVED

TRAVEL TALK

AGENT CORNER

TRAVEL CHANNELS

PHOTO ALBUM

NEWS & EVENTS

02

04

12

13

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

18 JULY 2015 ISSUE 297

4

THE NEW SALALAH AIRPORT, WHICH COMMENCED OPERATIONS IN MID-JUNE, IS SET TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE

AIR TRAFFIC MOVEMENT, PROVIDING GREATER CONNECTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

SALALAH AIRPORT TO BOOST OMANI TOURISM

Egypt Drives MEA Hotel Performance

Abu Dhabi: Traffic up 15.5 Percent

Egypt experienced the highest increases in all three key hotel performance measurements in May within the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.

More than 1.87 million passengers used Abu Dhabi International Airport in April, registering a 15.5 percent year-on-year surge.

A ccording to STR Global, occupancy in the country rose 29.7 percent to 62.6 percent, average daily rate (ADR) jumped 14.4 percent to USD75.78 and RevPAR improved 48.3 percent to USD47.43.

On the other hand, both Jordan and Morocco reported notable de-clines in ADR and RevPAR.

All in all, occupancy in MEA grew three percent to 65.1 percent, ADR and Rev-PAR, however, dropped 5.7 percent and 2.9 percent to USD142.54 and USD92.81 respectively.

D riven by increased activity by Etihad Airways’ new partner airlines, the addition of four new routes by the Abu Dhabi-based carrier and extra services to Jeddah by Saudi Arabian Airlines, aircraft movements rose 14.4 percent to over 14,200.

As Ahmad Al Haddabi, chief operations officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, noted, with double-digit growth in passenger volumes, aircraft movements as well as cargo activity, the hub remains one of the world’s fastest growing airports.

18 JULY 2015

MARKET UPDATE

2

TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS

MANAGING EDITORMary Kammitsi

mary@traveltradeweekly.travel

ASSISTANT EDITORMaria Kazeli

SENIOR JOURNALISTRita Kasziba

CONTRIBUTORS

Ana MladenovicDominique Christou

PRESS Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian

Inna Armeanu

DESIGN & LAYOUTElena Stylianou

WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis

DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides

Mary Kammitsi

HEADQUARTERS

T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus

Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 103670

WEBSITEwww.traveltradeweekly.travel

EMAILS

info@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel

editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

Abu

Dha

bi In

tern

atio

nal A

irpor

t

2

Bahrain (BHD)

Jordan (JOD)

Oman (OMR)

Qatar (QAR)

Saudi Arabia (SAR)

UAE (AED)

Algeria (DZD)

Egypt (EGP)

Iran (IRR)

Iraq (IQD)

Kuwait (KWD)

Lebanon (LBP)

Libya (LYD)

Morocco (MAD)

Syria (SYP)

Tunisia (TND)

Yemen (YER)

Dinar

Dinar

Rial

Rial

Riyal

Dirham

Dinar

Pound

Rial

Dinar

Dinar

Pound

Dinar

Dirham

Pound

Dinar

Rial

0.37

0.71

0.39

3.64

3.75

3.67

99.31

7.83

29,437.60

1,162.03

0.30

1,503.91

1.37

9.73

188.82

1.96

214.89

MENA EXCHANGE RATES

As of 10/7/2015Currencies shown in blue are fixed against the US Dollar

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=

18 JULY 2015

TECHNOLOGY WEEKLY NEWS

3

-

Sabre released a new travel trend re-port outlining a clear path for hotel-iers to successfully retail to modern

travellers.The Future of Hotel Booking – A Guide to

Hotel Retailing explores technological in-novations within the retail, tech, media and travel industries, and offers recommenda-tions to help hotels, as it identifies 10 trends powered by technology.

Alex Alt, president, Sabre Hospitality So-lutions, underlined that technology presents the single largest untapped opportunity in the hospitality industry today and the goal of the report is to help hotel owners and opera-tors leverage the best retailing practices of other industries into successful strategies to grow revenue and cultivate loyalty.

T ravelport has signed a five-year agreement between its local distributor and IATI, a business-

to-business travel franchise in Turkey, to provide content distribution services and IT solutions to its operations worldwide.

This new deal will see the two com-panies continue to work together in Tur-key and 41 other countries around the globe.

IATI is an all-online systems integra-tor providing a reliable online shopping platform between agents and travel product suppliers.

Levent Aydın, chairman, IATI, said, “It is our goal to continue to broaden our in-dustry presence and drive our renowned customer service to new levels [...].”

Amadeus HelpsAgents

Travelport Teams Up with IATI

Sabre Assists Hoteliers in Growing Revenues

A madeus announced the launch of a travel intelligence suite for agents worldwide to help them connect to

a vast source of data, instantly reveal hidden opportunities in the marketplace, and ben-efit from rich insights for business growth and strategic decision-making.

Amadeus Agency Insight is a business intelligence suite of products and services developed by the Amadeus Travel Intel-ligence unit to help travel agencies, both online and offline, leverage Big Data tech-nologies by transforming market and travel-ler data into unique and actionable insights around, for example, new routes and mar-kets to address, travellers’ search behaviour, and performance against competitors.

This marks the global launch of the first of two modules in the Agency Insight suite: Search Analysis and Booking Analysis, fur-ther aiding agencies.

Did you know...

Makemytrip,

Despegar, Tije,

Delfos and Travelf

ast

are amongst th

e pool

of customers al

ready

using the Amadeus

Agency Insight

suite?

18 JULY 2015

WEEKLY NEWS AIRPORTS

4

A bu Dhabi Airports has launched its Beat the Heat summer aware-ness campaign, that will run until

September and aims to present a com-prehensive set of informative guidelines and training sessions on how to safely manage the high temperatures during summer.

The initiative is delivered by the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies and includes training sessions held at Abu Dhabi In-ternational Airport, Al Ain International Airport and Al Bateen Executive Airport. It will enable supervisors and workers to understand the risks associated with heat stress, to be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, and take the necessary precautions and control measures to prevent any incidents.

Abu Dhabi Airports Beats the Heat

SALALAH AIRPORT TO BOOST OMANI TOURISM

C overing over 65,000m2, the new passenger terminal is set to accommodate two million passengers in its first stage, with its capacity set to be enhanced to six million travellers per annum in the near future.

The airport will receive 28 international flights, which will be doubled during the Khareef season and 56 domestic services a week, which sums up to 84 op-erations per week.

With its state-of-the-art infrastructure and services, the new Salalah Airport, which commenced operations in mid-June, is set to significantly improve air traffic movement, providing greater connectivity throughout the area and facilitating easier access to Oman’s Dhofar region.

Sala

lah

Airp

ort

http://www.millenniumhotels.com/

18 JULY 2015

WEEKLY NEWS XX

6

WEEKLY NEWS

Seychelles Negotiates with ADAC

S eychelles is in dis-cussions with Abu Dhabi Airports

Company (ADAC) to build a new airport in its capital Victoria, consider-ing the strong relations with the UAE, accord-ing to James Alix Michel, president, Seychelles.

Michel noted that if the plans for the new airfield, to be located near the existing one, follow through, the pro-ject will largely boost air traffic and arrivals to our country.

Michel also noted that UAE-based Masdar recently launched a wind energy unit in Victoria port with a capacity of six megawatts, the first of its kind in Seychelles.

N ew figures re-leased by Abu Dhabi Tourism &

Culture Authority show that guest arrivals to Abu Dhabi during the first four months of the year increased by 20 percent when compared to 2014, with more than one million people staying in the emir-ate’s 161 hotels and hotel apartments.

The 1,370,241 guests delivered 3,899, 135 nights, a surge of 11 percent over the same period in 2014, prompting the authority to revise this year’s target from 3.5 million to 3.9 mil-lion visitors.

The January – April per-formance has been spurred by emphatic growth in de-mand from China.

Positive Arrival Numbers for Abu Dhabi

The launch of the new office, which is expected to serve residents and commercial es-tablishments in the area and Downtown Dubai, follows the inauguration of another branch at Al Reef Downtown.

“Our ability to reckon an increase in demand and thereby capitalising on the business op-portunity has proven strength to our organisation,” said Ahmed Abood Al Boasy, group CEO, Fast Rent A Car, adding that the location is set to attract commercially driven traffic as well as tourists and local visitors.

Fast Rent A Car Expands in the UAEFast Rent A Car has opened its 21st location in Park Central Tower in Dubai’s Business Bay area.

http://www.kempinski.com/en/dubai/palm-jumeirah/welcome/

18 JULY 2015

WEEKLY NEWS

8

First 3D Printed Office to Be Built in Dubai

Dubai plans to erect the world’s first fully functional 3D printed building, reaffirming the UAE’s

position as a global centre of technol-ogy in architecture construction and design.

The 186m2 facility will be pro-duced layer by layer using a 1.9m tall 3D printer, and then assembled on site in just a few weeks. Located at a busy intersection in the heart of Dubai, the office is designed to bring together different professionals, community members and experts, through a mix of public events.

As H.E. Mohamed Al Gergawi, chairman, UAE National Innovation Committee, revealed, the country aims to deploy the latest technology to improve people’s lives and to de-velop its economy in line with the Na-tional Innovation Strategy.

A new e-visa service for GCC travel-lers to Kenya has been introduced, making visits to the African coun-

try even easier. Entry visas can be attained in advance

online via a dedicated portal and GCC resi-dents also have the option to purchase it on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, in person at Kenya em-bassies in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha and Kuwait City, and Kenya Consulates in Dubai and Jeddah, as well as via the online plat-form for a two-month transitionary period.

The e-visa process will become com-pulsory from September 1.

Kenyan E-visa for GCC Travellers

S ayyid Adil Al Mardas Al Busaidi, advisor, tourism affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Oman, launched Traveller’s Oasis, a new website aimed at providing tourists to Dhofar with

information and services, as thousands of travellers from Oman and the GCC are expected to visit the green governorate during the Khareef season.

The website serves as a stress-free travel guide for tourists, listing all the attractions, services, activities, and places to discov-er in the governorate. It also lists car rental and accommodation options.

To ensure a safe and sound trip to Dhofar, the ministry has re-cently inaugurated an around-the-clock call centre based in the Traveller’s Oasis centre.

Website Launched to Facilitate Dhofar Visitors

Dho

far

Dub

ai’s

3D O

ffice

Did you know...

The 3D printing

technology can reduce

the production time

of buildings by

50

– 70 percent and

labour costs

by

50 – 80 percent?

Keny

a

18 JULY 2015

WEEKLY NEWS

9

14 FEBRUARY 2015

Improved Aeronautical Information Services for Africa

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and EUROCONTROL have signed an agreement to support African states that are part of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Africa and Indian Ocean region, and their Air Navigation

Service Providers in improving aeronautical information services and transition it to aer-onautical information management.

Over the next year and a half, the European body will assist IATA in its endeavour to develop the provision, consistency, completeness and distribution of aeronautical data in certain countries through a series of workshops and other initiatives to enhance safety, efficiency and transition.

Nearly three quarters of UAE residents plan to travel this summer with most of them dreaming about a holiday in Europe, according to research

released by Zurich Insurance Group.Around 27 percent of respondents to a YouGov sur-

vey stated that they will take at least one European vaca-tion between June and August, with the continent prov-ing especially popular with Westerners (56 percent) and Emiratis (42 percent). The Asia Pacific region came sec-ond with 26 percent of Emiratis and 20 percent of Indian expats considering travelling there.

As Zahir Sharif, general manager, UAE, Zurich Insur-ance Middle East, noted, UAE residents are among the most well-travelled people in the world with the summer heat heralding a foreign holiday for nearly three quarters of the population.

UAE Residents Head to Europe

Paris

18 JULY 2015

WEEKLY NEWS

10

WEEKLY NEWS

GCC Urged to Relax Sea Travel Restrictions

A sea travel expert called on Middle East governments to consider easing restrictions on travelling be-tween states in order to fuel the growth of the regional tourism industry and support the fast-devel-oping yachting and cruise market.

As Mohammed Hussein Al Shaali, chairman, Gulf Craft, noted, the yachting and cruising tourism market is highly profitable and beneficial to the wider economy.

“At the moment the procedures for moving across the region are very complicated and this is a significant challenge for growing the industry,” highlighted Al Shaali. “To develop the yachting industry, you need to de-velop the wider industrial base. Other factors like real estate availability and facilities play their part, but the main issue is having the industry and technology in place to support development.“

14 FEBRUARY 2015

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced the distribution of interactive touch screens (ITS) in all four- and

five-star hotels as well as luxury hotel apartments in the emirate, activating its Innovative Tourism Approach, one of the key pillars of the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 that aims to attract 10 million tourists by 2021.

The supply of ITS will eventually cover all hotels, tour-ist attractions, airport, shopping malls, museums and government departments in the emirate. In addition, the initiative will help achieve sustainability standards by re-ducing the consumption of paper required for printing brochures, replacing them with interactive screens.

SCTDA Introduces Touch Screens

Did you know...

Dubai receive

d

more than

500,000 cruise

visitors in 2014

compared with

just 10,000 in

1998?

18 JULY 2015

WEEKLY NEWS

11

N shama, a private developer of integrated life-style communities for aspiring home owners, has announced a new partnership with UNEC

to build the first two apartment blocks at Town Square, Dubai.

The agreement marks the first stage of construc-tion, ahead of schedule, of the Zahra Apartments and Safi Apartments within the project.

In addition to over 600 stores and food and bever-age outlets, Town Square also features daycare facilities, playgrounds, play zones for all ages, swimming pools, fitness centre, a cinema, and much more.

First Stage of Construction Agreed for Dubai’s Town Square

D AMAC Properties, in collaboration with Par-amount Hotels & Re-

sorts, launched Paramount Res-idences at Paramount Tower Hotel & Residences on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road.

The 64-storey property features 826 luxury units, a sky lobby, a private Paramount Pic-tures screening room, a rooftop infinity swimming pool, fitness and wellness centre and a spa.

Meanwhile, construction on Paramount Tower Hotel & Residences is already under-way, with completion sched-uled for the third quarter of 2019.

DAMAC Unveils Paramount Residences

Boosting Tourism to Jordan

Erik Huyer, general manager, Corp Amman Hotel, has ap-plauded the raft of measures aimed at boosting visitor numbers to Jordan.

Timed to coincide with the recent World Economic Forum held at King Hussein bin Talal Convention Centre managed by Hilton at the Dead Sea, the new regulations not only ease visa restrictions and fees to make entry to Jordan a simpler process, but also help hotels financially, indicated Huyer.

An additional initiative is the implementation of a unified ticket enabling tourists to travel around the Kingdom and visit up to 35 different attractions for a single fee, starting in September.

Other measures, which include reducing visa fees for tourists entering through Jordan land borders and waiving departure tax for travellers, also have a minimum stay precondition.

Nsh

ama

proj

ect

Am

man

18 JULY 2015

WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION

12

T he five-star hotel now offers 40-inch and 48-inch HD TVs with higher picture and sound quality and a wide range of channels to choose from. This new and im-proved upgrade is expected to satisfy guests’ expectations and provide a com-

petitive advantage to the property.

Salalah Marriott Resort Installs HD TV SetsIn line with Marriott Hotels’ vision to target the next generation travellers, Salalah Marriott Resort has upgraded its in-room TV sets to high definition (HD) units.

Dur Hospitality to Introduce First Heritage Hotel

Dur Hospitality and Saudi Hospitality Heritage Company signed a mutual cooperation agreement, by which the hotelier will develop the company’s first project; Samhan

Heritage Hotel. Bad Al Badr, CEO, Dur Hospitality, commented that his firm will

employ its capabilities and expertise in hotel development to de-sign and build the property and will also provide the Saudi Hos-pitality Heritage Company with the necessary support to achieve its destined purpose of preserving the national cultural heritage through the development of traditional buildings.

Dur Hospitality was one of the entities that contributed to the establishment of the Saudi Hospitality Heritage Company, a closed joint stock under establishment, which aims to preserve, develop and raise awareness of the cultural heritage of the Kingdom.

Sala

lah

Mar

riott

Res

ort

Signing of the deal

AIR WEEKLY NEWS

1318 JULY 2015

Emirates Adds More A380 DestinationsEmirates has expanded the network of destinations served by its A380 aircraft with the launch of the first A380 service to Düsseldorf.

D üsseldorf is the third German city to welcome a regular Emirates Airbus A380 service. The revolutionary dou-ble-decker aircraft will transport up to 982 passengers

between the European hub and Emirates’ hub in Dubai.Additionally, the airline will launch two new A380 destina-

tions in Europe, including Madrid on August 1 and Copenha-gen on December 1.

Emirates currently operates scheduled A380 services to 12 destinations across Europe, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Milan, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Munich, Barcelona and Zurich.

14 FEBRUARY 2015

E tihad Airways has increased its flights between Abu Dhabi and Seychelles from four services per week to daily.

With the move, the total number of return flights op-erated by the UAE carrier and Air Seychelles between Abu Dhabi and the Indian Ocean destination has increased to 14 per week.

Kevin Knight, chief strategy and planning officer, Eti-had Airways, said, “The change in Etihad Airways’ flight schedule means that our guests now have the choice and flexibility of a consistent double-daily service between Abu Dhabi and Seychelles and better onward flight con-nections across our global network.”

Etihad Airways Boosts Seychelles Services

Did you know...

Düsseldorf w

as

granted its town

charter in the

year 1288?

Düs

seld

orf

18 JULY 2015

WEEKLY NEWS AIR

14

RJ and Oasis 500 Team Up

R oyal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) and Oasis 500, an early-stage seed investment and busi-ness accelerator, signed a partnership

agreement whereby RJ will generate innovative business ideas across its entire value chain, and Oasis 500 will invest and accelerate its growth as startup companies.

Haitham Misto, president, RJ, inked the part-nership with Yousef Hamidaddin, CEO, Oasis 500, at RJ’s headquarters.

“RJ is pleased to be the first airline in the Arab region that signs such an agreement with Oasis 500,” said Misto.

flydubai Extends Order for In-flight Entertainment System

f lydubai will continue to use Lumexis’ Fiber-To-The-Screen (FTTS) in-flight entertainment system for its follow-on order of 11 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft, on order for 2016 and 2017.

Since 2010, when the low-cost carrier became Lumexis’ launch customer, passengers have been enjoying 1,300 hours of TV shows, audio, games and movie titles in Arabic, English, Hindi and Russian.

Selected for its light weight and cutting-edge technology, the efficient system with the FTTS fibre optic network, is half the cost and weight of earlier generation, copper-based systems, and as a result, the airline could achieve lower fuel burn while generating ancillary revenue.

Did you know...

flydubai has

launched 17 new

routes since the

start of the year

?

18 JULY 2015

AIR WEEKLY NEWS

15

Q atar Airways is adding services to the popular destinations of Dubai, Jeddah, Najaf, Luxor, Sala-

lah, Peshawar, Kuala Lumpur, Belgrade, So-fia, Asmara, Djibouti and Zanzibar.

Following increased operations to Jeddah due to Ramadan, the airline also boosted its offering on the Dubai route with one additional daily flight, as of July 16.

Moreover, Najaf is now served with two more weekly takeoffs and from Sep-tember 18, four extra flights a week will make the route a double-daily operation. In addition, Qatar Airways will expand fre-quencies to Salalah and Luxor, as of Octo-ber 6 and November 1, respectively.

O man Air offers its premium passen-gers in Muscat an even greater com-fort and convenience, as a result of

the airline’s new partnership with Mercedes-Benz Oman.

First class travellers are now able to take advantage of brand-new, chauffeur-driven Mercedes-Benz S400L AMG limousines be-tween their dedicated lounge at Muscat International Airport and the aircraft. Upon landing in the capital city, customers will also be met with the cars right after embarking the plane, whisking them away in style and elegance.

As Paul Gregorowitsch, CEO, Oman Air, noted, the new offering reiterates the carrier’s commitment to very high quality services.

Emirates Upgrades Airport Shuttle Buses

Oman Air Teams up with Mercedes-Benz

Qatar Airways: Frequency Increases on 12 Routes

E mirates customers can now enjoy an en-hanced travel experience following the introduction of new, bespoke transfer

shuttles designed in the airline’s Airbus A380 livery.

The complimentary bus service for econ-omy class passengers is being operated be-tween Dubai International and Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, around the clock.

Provided by VDL Bus & Coach, the shuttle offers a more convenient as well as environ-mentally-friendly option for travellers.

Dubai

Emirates’ new shuttle bus

Clive Hammond, CEO, Mercedes-Benz Oman (left) and Paul Gregorowitsch

18 JULY 2015

WEEKLY NEWS AIR

16

Etihad Airways and PIA Join Forces

Etihad Airways and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) signed a codeshare agree-ment which will provide travellers with enhanced connections between the UAE, Pakistan and beyond.

Etihad Airways will place its EY code on PIA flights between Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Abu Dhabi.

In return, PIA’s PK code will appear on Etihad Airways’ services between Abu Dha-bi and Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, and the PK code will also be added to the UAE carrier’s flights from Abu Dhabi to many of the global destinations operated by the airline.

B ritish Airways has moved all flights to and from Cairo to the more

spacious and modern Terminal 5 at London’s Heathrow Airport.

The step forms part of the European carrier’s plan to consolidate all its services into Heathrow Airport from three into two terminals, Terminal 3 and Terminal 5, by the end of the year.

As Mervat Alfy, commercial manager, North Africa, British Airways, noted, Egyptian pas-sengers and those heading to the destination will now ben-efit from new services, and the move will also increase opera-tional efficiency, while the shift between terminals will ensure improved connection timings.

British Airways Upgrades Terminal for Egyptian Passengers

New Freighter Service between Shanghai and New Delhi

Saudi Airlines Cargo has launched a new twice-weekly direct freighter service between Shanghai and New Delhi as part of the airline’s continued expansion strategy.

“Our focus is to improve connectivity and provide a growing network of destinations and quality operations to our customers and the direct service between Shanghai and New Delhi, has been specifically designed for customers in both cities in order to fulfil their needs and requirements,” said Vikram Vohra, regional director, Far East, Saudi Airlines Cargo.

Shan

ghai

18 JULY 2015

INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY NEWS

17

Cuba Welcomes Warwick Hotel

The resort offers 800 rooms, including 16 Suites, eight restaurants and six bars. Additionally it boasts a kids club, a 2,300m2 swimming pool,

two tennis courts and a basketball court.“We are proud that Grupo Gaviota, leader in the

tourism sector in Cuba, put its trust in Warwick Interna-tional Hotels to operate this new resort located in one of the most idyllic areas in Cuba, the Cayo Santa Maria,” said Jean-Marie Pébrel, chief sales and marketing officer, Warwick International Hotels.

War

wic

k Ca

yo S

anta

Mar

ia R

esor

t

Warwick Cayo Santa Maria Resort, located on Santa Maria key in Cuba, is a brand new all-inclusive property spread over 26ha of gardens with views of the Caribbean Sea.

M eliá Hotels International has announced a partnership with UNI-CEO, the international association for senior corporate event or-ganisers, to enhance its recognition as a leading company in the

MICE segment.Meliá Hotels International will now begin to actively assist in UNICEO

projects which aim to promote the exchange of professional experiences and know-how among members. The hotel company will also become a global sponsor and provide support for the activities of the Geneva-based non-profit association.

Meliá Focusses on MICE Segment

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts announced the development of a new hotel in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province in eastern China. Joining the brand's growing collection of

properties open and under construction in China, Swissôtel Jinan is scheduled to debut in 2020.

The property will feature 248 guestrooms, five dining outlets and approximately 2,900m2 of event and banquet space. Part of a larger mixed-use development featuring residential, retail and office buildings, the hotel will be located in the Han Yu District, the new financial centre and research and development hub of the city.

Jinan to Welcome New Hotel in 2020

Jina

n

18 JULY 2015

RENDEZVOUS

18

Q & A withMohamed Soussan

AS THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO CARVE A NICHE FOR ITSELF IN THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE UAE MARKET, MOHAMED SOUSSAN, GROUP GENERAL MANAGER, AYLA HOTELS & RESORTS MANAGEMENT COMPANY, TALKS ABOUT VALUES AND BRAND ATTRIBUTES.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How has business been at Ayla Bawadi Hotel since its recent launch?

MOHAMED SOUSSAN: The hotel opened in December 2014 and since then we have managed to achieve im-pressive results in terms of occupancy and guest feedback.

Ayla Bawadi is particularly interesting for the Omani markets due to its proxim-ity to the Sultanate’s border and to one of the last camel markets in UAE. Surely the fact that the hotel is directly connected to Bawadi Mall, the biggest mall in Al Ain, provides a clear added value for our guests. They may enjoy endless shopping sprees and entertainment junkets for the entire family. We are currently focussed on maintaining our patented culture of excellent guest service in order to suc-cessfully sustain a substantially large number of return guests.

This in turn builds a solid base of loyal customers. Simultaneously, we are also keenly in pursuit of increasing market share by coming up with vari-ous creative packages which provide unique added value for our guests.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Ayla Bawadi Hotel marks the company’s second pro-ject in the ‘Garden City’. What makes the Ayla brand, and what it stands for, the perfect fit for Al Ain and its clientele?

MOHAMED SOUSSAN: Ayla Hotel first opened in 2011 and we have been grow-ing in every single way ever since. Our personalised service, value for money and elegant settings are our trademarks; as we promise five-star service at four-star star rates. With the successful opera-tion of Ayla Hotels, we applied the same formula to our second property, Ayla Bawadi Hotel. Ayla Hotels and Resorts now offers two family-friendly hotels at two different locations in Al Ain city.

Ayla Hotel is centrally located close to the downtown area, while Ayla Bawadi is connected to Bawadi Mall. All Ayla Hotels properties are alcohol-free, which is par-ticularly important for our GCC guests.

Since the company was first set up, Al Ain has grown as a destination. We have noticed an increasing number of events, conferences and sports activi-ties. In general, demand for Al Ain has undeniably grown. It is important to note at this juncture that, since 2010, there have been four new hotel proper-ties that opened in Al Ain city, including

cent of our guests are from the MENA region. Certainly, our alcohol-free con-cept is well-accepted among the local community. Our hotels are recognised for their undeniable value, unique hos-pitality and the extraordinary care we provide to our guests. Hence, we do not experience any loss of business because we do not serve alcohol. Many interna-tional travellers recognise us as their pre-ferred destination as our highly conveni-ent locations and distinctive product compensate for the absence of alcohol.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: The com-pany plans to expand its portfolio of hotels to 10 properties. Please tell us about your future development plans.

MOHAMED SOUSSAN: The first hotel in the pipeline is our third Al Ain property, Ayla Grand Hotel. This property is due to open at the beginning of 2016. Ayla Grand will have 220 rooms and suites to-gether with fully furnished and serviced one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three- bedroom apartments. This five-star prop-erty will as well feature five food and bev-erage outlets, a state-of-the-art health club and spa centre, rooftop swimming pools and hi-tech meeting facilities. The hotel is within walking distance from Al Ain Mall, a 20-minute drive from Al Ain In-ternational Airport and a 90-minute drive from either Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

Our first international expansion is directed toward the African continent; Djibouti to be precise, where we are cur-rently building a beach resort attached to a shopping mall. The hotel will offer 228 rooms and suites, four food and beverage outlets, outdoor swimming pool facilities, and a large ballroom. It is a beachfront property located along a scenic shoreline. This will be our first exposure to a market outside of the UAE. Ayla Djibouti is ex-pected to open in mid-2016.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What are the company’s main priorities for the coming months?

MOHAMED SOUSSAN: We are highly focussed on the next season. We al-ready have a few events, packages and community activities lined up. The main focus is on increasing awareness of the Ayla brand, as well as Al Ain as a des-tination for the wider GCC market. We will be attending a few major interna-tional exhibitions, while gearing up for new projects and further expansion.

GROUP GENERAL MANAGER, AYLA HOTELS & RESORTS MANAGEMENT COMPANY

two Ayla properties. Concurrently, Al Ain is gaining popu-

larity as a weekend destination for UAE travellers, partly due to the fact that the city has maintained an authentic aura of its true Arabic heritage and traditions.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Being an al-cohol-free brand, what percentage of your clientele is from the MENA region?

MOHAMED SOUSSAN: Around 35 per-

“OUR PERSONALISED SERVICE, VALUE FOR MONEY AND ELEGANT SETTINGS ARE OUR TRADEMARKS

18 JULY 2015

WHO'S MOVED

19

Damien Retureau has been appointed managing direc-tor for the European division of travel-specific advertising technology, ClickTripz.Based in London, Retureau will be responsible for developing the company’s European client base in line with its ambitious expansion strategy. Having worked in the online travel industry for more than 15 years, Retureau has built an international career, with roles at Orbitz, lastminute.com, Kelkoo and HouseTrip.

DENNIS MUILENBURG

HOUSSINE EL QUAROUI

DAMIEN RETUREAU

MIHAELA TAYAR

Dennis Muilenburg has been elected to succeed James Mc-Nerney as Boeing’s CEO.Muilenburg, who has served as president and chief operating officer since 2013, brings a rich combination of management skills, customer focus, business and engineering acumen, and a can-do spirit to the role. A 30-year veteran of the compa-ny, Muilenburg joined Boeing’s engineering ranks as an intern in Seattle in 1985. He holds a bachelor degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s in aeronautics and astronautics. He held numerous programme management and engineering positions of increasing respon-sibility early in his career, before starting at Boeing.

Houssine El Quaroui has been selected to lead the team at the soon-to-open Jan-nah Palace Abu Dhabi.A graduate of Ibn Tofail Uni-versity, Morocco, El Quaroui has devoted himself to the hospitality industry and is fully committed to take the prop-erty and the brand to the top levels of the hotel sector. Preserving and innovating the heritage of his experience, El Quaroui has always been us-ing his skills and expertise to improve services and come up with inspirational ideas that can help further strengthen his hotel’s presence in the market.

Mihaela Tayar continues as marketing communications manager at Abu Dhabi Na-tional Hotels (ADNH).Tayar has 15 years of experi-ence in the industry, having ex-tensively worked in a number of GCC countries, including Ku-wait and Qatar where she en-joyed exposure to a number of renowned hospitality brands. During her previous assign-ment with Katara Hospitality, she also had the chance to de-velop specific expertise related to ADNH’s business model.In the UAE capital, Tayar will be responsible for setting up, developing and managing the implementation of strategi-cally targeted communication programmes aimed at further strengthening the group’s re-lationship with its stakehold-ers, as well as fostering exist-ing media relations.

El Quaroui aims to take the hotel and

brand to the top

Muilenburg has been with Boeing for 30 years

Retureau has been in the online travel

industry for 15 years

18 JULY 2015

TRAVEL TALK

20

ZIYAD BIN MAHFOUZ

WAEL EL BEHI

MOHAMED MUBARAK AL MAZROUEI

President, Elaf Group of Companies

General manager, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Dubai

CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports

“The creation of [local travel and tourism organisations and associations] complements the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage’s move to im-plement newer regulations and legislation aimed at enhancing tourism. [...] These associations will assume a number of tasks. We [...] affirm our promise of working closely with them in reinforcing the Kingdom’s posi-tion as a premiere tourism des-tination.”

“Ramadan is the season of giv-ing and sharing, and we are happy and privileged to as-sist the hardworking cab driv-ers who are breaking their fast while on the road [by handing out Iftar boxes]. We hope that simple acts of generosity and solidarity with the community can be practiced not just during the Holy Month but throughout the year.”

We [...] affirm our promise of working closely with them in reinforcing the Kingdom’s position

Simple acts of generosity and solidarity can be practiced [...] throughout the year

The UAE capital is a perfectly located transit destination

KARIM NAHASGeneral manager, Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, Dubai

“Hosting our children from [Senses Residential and Day Care Centre] became our an-nual event that we are looking forward to hold not only during Ramadan but on other occa-sions throughout the year. We are very pleased to have this opportunity to support the con-tinuous wonderful work done by Senses Center led by Dr. Lina Owies who dedicated her life to these children and it always gives us immense pleasure to be contributing to this noble cause in our own small way.”

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 editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

It always gives us […] pleasure to be contributing to this noble cause

“Abu Dhabi International Airport remains a target for airline opera-tors when it comes to expanding their network to include new destinations or increasing the frequency of existing flights. Travellers are increasingly choos-ing to make Abu Dhabi their final destination or stopping point, whether for business or for pleasure. Moreover, the UAE cap-ital is a perfectly located transit destination, with 100 capital cit-ies and two thirds of the world’s population within a six-hour flight from Abu Dhabi.“

18 JULY 2015

AGENT CORNER

21

George Trivizas

Owner

Kentavros Travel Network

Greece

www.kentavrostravel.com

Agent’s Insight

Who are you?Kentavros Travel Network is a full-service destination management company. Since 1959, we are owners and operators of one of the largest luxurious motor coach companies serving the whole of Europe and a four-star resort property on the is-land of Corfu.

What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?Interacting with people, discovering the world and especially trying to find new and updated ways to satisfy our clients. It is a challenge. When is the best time to visit Greece?Although everyone would expect it to be in the summer, Greece is ideal for an all-year vacation. For example, Arachova and other ski resorts are ideal in the winter and beautiful, picturesque islands such as Santorini or Mykonos are unique desti-nations for the summer.

Where would you like to travel for your next holiday?I would love to travel to Brazil. I think it is an upcoming tourist destination, some-thing adventurous and exotic and the window to Latin America. Why should people come to you for travel advice?The answer is simple. We are experts in the area of tourism. We offer honesty, qual-ity and we adjust to clients’ demands; and of course [we take pride in our] profes-sionalism coming from our 56 years of experience.

COMPANY:

POSITION:

NAME:

LOCATION:

WEBSITE:

Dubai Hosts German Travel Agents

Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) recently hosted its largest familiarisation trip to date for travel agents

from Germany. A total of 438 professionals were in-vited to the emirate between June 19 – 23 and the three carefully planned itineraries focussed on luxu-ry, family travel and activities. Organised in partner-ship with Emirates, the initiative was part of DTCM’s targeted promotion of the destination’s wealth of summer leisure programmes to key source markets.

The main objective of the trip was to offer partici-pating agents a first-hand experience of Dubai and its offerings during the summer, ultimately resulting in increased sales.

Dub

ai

18 JULY 2015

TRAVEL CHANNELS

22

Thai Tourism Authority Aiding Muslim Visitors

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched its first mobile application designed specifically for the growing number of Muslim

visitors in order to help them find their way around the country.

SCTDA Continues with Marhabtin

Initiative

Boosting Tourism Capabilities in Sharjah

S harjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) organised its 11th Tourist Guide Licensing and Training Course, as part of the authority’s efforts to en-

hance tourism capabilities under Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021. The first course in the sessions planned this year was held

from June 7 – 21, with the participation of 18 guides capable of offering tourist guide services in diverse languages.

The event offered participants insights on the unique iden-tity and diversity of Sharjah as a tourism destination, including its history, heritage, urban and economic development.

Enhancing Tourism along the Silk Road

The 7th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism agreed to advance travel facilita-

tion, promote a Visit the Silk Road Pro-gramme and step up efforts to develop tourism routes and enhance human resources.

Jointly organised by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the People's Government of the Shaanxi Province, the meeting addressed key topics such as capacity building, marketing and promotion, heritage management and travel facili-tation as a means to building an inte-grated tourism market along the land and maritime Silk Roads.

“Closer tourism cooperation is of great significance to the economic and social development of the countries along the Silk Road,” said Taleb Rifai, secretary general, UNWTO.

S harjah Commerce and Tour-ism Development Authority (SCTDA) recently launched

the second training programme un-der its Marhabtin initiative, aimed at developing human resource capaci-ties in the hotel sector.

The programme specifically tar-gets front office staff, covering sever-al important topics such as etiquette, anger management and communica-tion skills, as well as a tour of Sharjah’s main tourism landmarks.

H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, direc-tor general, SCTDA, commented, “The second training programme un-der our Marhabtin initiative aims to improve the communication skills of the staff and enable them to provide outstanding tourism service in ac-cordance with highest international standards.”

Taleb Rifai

Sharjah

T he app, for iOS and Android, is both an online and offline guidebook that will help Mus-lim tourists find mosques, Halal restaurants and hotels, shop-

ping centres with prayer rooms, and other facilities of cultural importance to Muslim travellers.

A critical component of Thailand's newly-launched strategy to position itself as a Muslim-friendly destination, the app is initially in English and Thai but will be expanded to include Arabic and Ba-hasa Indonesia later on. It also has a very important search and navigation feature to help locate specific places quickly.

18 JULY 2015

PHOTO ALBUM

23

University Hospital Sharjah hosted a traditional Iftar evening for its employees and business partners

Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, Dubai held a a fun-filled event for the Senses Residential and Day Care Centre for special needs children

Semiramis InterContinental Cairo has been selected for InterContinental Hotels Group's fourth quarter 2014 Front Runner Award

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Dubai gives out Iftar boxes to cab drivers

Al Murooj Rotana Dubai honoured the spirit of Ramadan with a special Iftar with SNF Development Center

First Hawksbill turtle nest of the year hatched successfully on Saadiyat Island

Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to.

Send your photos to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel Because a picture is worth a thousand words...

Take a Shot!

18 JULY 2015

NEWS & EVENTS

24

EVENTS

IBTM CHINA

Beijing, ChinaAugust 05 – 06 www.cibtm.comA place for meetings, events and incentives industry decision-makers to meet for global business adventures.

ICOMEX

Mexico City, MexicoAugust 25 – 26 www.icomex-mexico.comPart of ibtm events, the show focusses on incentives, congresses and conventions in Latin America.

ONLINE TRAVEL MARKET HURGHADA

Hurghada, EgyptSeptember 04 – 05www.otmhurghada.comA specialised event for travel technology and online travel solutions in Egypt and the Middle East.

MICE ASIA PACIFIC EXHIBITION

Singapore, SingaporeSeptember 10 – 11www.miceasiaexhibition.comOver two days, the event aims to connect Asia’s leading meetings, conference, exhibition and events organisers and network with Asia Pacific’s leading venues.

Jordan Backs Silk Road Initiatives

T ourism ministers from the Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road countries vowed to build

an integrated tourism market by linking sites in separate countries and pushing for new visa policies.

Nayef Al Fayez, tourism and antiqui-ties minister, Jordan, suggested that Silk Road countries should market under the same brand, logo and website.

“Each country should identify its spe-cial character and recommend one place, so we can develop tourism routes with multiple stops on one trip,” he commented.

ISO for Abu Dhabi Airports IT

A bu Dhabi Airports has achieved the ISO 27001:2013 standard of in-formation security across all of its

IT systems, becoming the first UAE airport to earn the accreditation. In addition, the company also re-certified its broader suite of IT services to the ISO/IEC 20000 level.

The achievement, as Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, CEO, Abu Dhabi Air-ports, said, exemplified the organisation’s focus on innovation and commitment to embed best practices.