PASSENGER TRAFFIC AT DWC SURGES 79.8 PERCENT

9 JULY 2016 ISSUE 348

DUBAI: 10,000 NEW HOTEL ROOMS THIS YEAR

MARKET UPDATE02

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THE WESTIN DUBAI TO ARRIVE IN AUGUST

NONSTOP EMIRATES AUCKLAND SERVICE UPGRADED

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MARKET UPDATE www.traveltradeweekly.travel

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

110.39

8.88

30,791.25

1,169.35

0.30

1,507.96

1.38

9.80

216.25

2.20

250.15

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=

8.7.2016as ofMENA EXCHANGE RATES

MANAGING EDITOR

Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel

ASSISTANT EDITORRita Kasziba

JOURNALIST

Pauline Shahabian CONTRIBUTORS

Ana Mladenovic Dominique Christou

PRESS Maria Demetriadou

DESIGN & LAYOUTElena Stylianou

WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis

DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi

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MECCA HOTELS THRIVE DURING RAMADAN

Accommodation establishments in Mecca reported a 9.9 percent increase in RevPAR during the first two weeks of Ramadan, propelled by a 1.3 percent rise in occupancy and an 8.5 percent surge in average daily date (ADR).

According to STR Global’s data, in Dubai too, occupancy levels rose 2.9 percent between June 06 – 20, ADR, however, dropped nine percent, leading to a 6.4 percent decline in RevPAR. Yet, even with consistent supply growth, Dubai’s ADR remains among the highest for major global markets.

On the other hand, the two-week period had a negative impact on Muscat’s hotel sector with Rev-PAR plummeting 23.4 percent due to an 11.4 percent decrease in occupancy and a 13.8 percent fall in ADR.

This YearSOME 10,000 NEW HOTEL UNITS ARE EXPECTED TO COME ONLINE THIS YEAR IN DUBAI, WITH A NUMBER OF WORLD-FAMOUS BRANDS ENTERING THE MARKET IN THE COMING MONTHS.

A ccording to Jones Lang LaSalle’s The Dubai Hotel Market Overview, during the first quarter of the year, 621 keys were launched with 9,400 extra rooms set to be added by year-end. The upcoming projects include Lapita Hotel Dubai at Dubai Parks and Resorts, Hard Rock Hotel Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Al Naseem at Madinat Jumeirah and Nikki Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai.

As Gary Williams, event director, dmg events, the organisers of the upcoming The Hotel Show Dubai, noted, besides new hotels, two major theme parks, including MG Worlds of Adventure and Dubai Parks and Resorts are also gearing up for their debut.

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Muscat to Welcome Game-changing Waterpark

The six-strong team, consisting of executives from the country’s financial sector, oil and gas, aviation, telecom and tourism industries, prepared a detailed business plan which highlights profitable returns for potential shareholders.

James Wilson, CEO, Omran, said, “Based on extensive market research carried out by the NCP team, it is clear that there is significant interest from the younger generation in Oman and as is the case at other successful waterparks in our neighbouring countries it is a signifi-cant driver of family based hotel occupancy.”

Oman is poised to receive its first world-class waterpark – a project developed by graduates of the National CEO

Programme (NCP) and facilitated by Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran).

Luxor Tombs Re-emerge

After being closed for several years, Egyptian antiquities officials have taken the decision to reopen the

tombs of Queen Nefertari and King Seti I to the general public by the end of July.

Located in the popular touristic destina-tion of Luxor, the historical monuments are hailed to be top attractions among travel-lers to the country, and are expected to wel-come around 100-150 visitors per day.

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Sabre to Revolutionise the Industry

The software solution will harness the developments in the in-dustry and provide both retailers and suppliers with a content-rich marketplace, intelligent decision support tools and pre-

dictive data insights that enable agents and suppliers to more easily create personalised experiences for travellers.

The company will begin upgrading travel agency customers across Europe, Middle East and Africa to the new solution in early 2017, after a pilot test later this year.

Sabre has given travel consultants and suppliers across the airline, hotel, rail, cruise and car rental industries a sneak peek of its game-changing Sabre Red Workspace.

Nile Air Deepens Amadeus

Partnership

Amadeus Supports

Air Cairo’s Growth

Egypt’s private scheduled air-line Nile Air, became the first in the Middle East to use Ama-

deus’ complete Airline IT portfolio by extending and expanding its con-tract with the technology provider.

Apart from Amadeus’ com-plete Altéa Suite and the Amadeus Digital Solutions, the carrier has now gained access to four new key features: Altéa Segment Revenue Management, Amadeus Revenue Accounting, Amadeus Loyalty Management and Amadeus Mo-bile Web.

“Successful airlines need to be top-of-mind for passengers and travel agents at the time of book-ing. With the Amadeus Airline IT portfolio, we are able to improve our operational efficiency and of-fer a differentiated experience to all of our customers,” said Ahmed Aly, CEO, Nile Air.

A ir Cairo successfully completed its cutover to Amadeus’ Altéa Res-

ervation and Inventory and Am-adeus e-Commerce modules, whilst also signing up for a full content distribution agreement with the information technol-ogy solution provider.

The move will enable Am-adeus-connected travel agen-cies to access the airline’s com-plete range of fares and prices.

“Partnering with Amadeus is a major milestone as we tran-sition to become a full service carrier,” said Yasser El Ramly, CEO, Air Cairo, adding that mi-grating to a modern system will help the carrier effectively codeshare with partner air-lines and issue interline tickets, creatings new growth oppor-tunities.

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Dubai Maintains Occupancy but Drops Rates

Costa Cruises Sails to Sir Bani Yas Island

Passengers will also have the chance to enjoy two nights in Dubai, one in Muscat and a call in Abu Dhabi. Following the arrival at one of the finest islands in the Arabian Gulf, guests will have a whole day to

immerse themselves in the natural wonders of the area and recharge at the special VIP sections of the beach. From a jeep safari to a visit to the wildlife park and from kayaking to snorkelling, Sir Bani Yas Island awaits holiday-makers with a variety of programmes.

Costa neoRiviera is part of the cruise line’s neoCollection, featuring slow-cruising and extended time in ports.

Costa Cruises is further enhancing Costa neoRiviera’s seven-night winter cruises from Dubai with an addition call at Sir Bani Yas Island.

Savoir Vivre Secures Top Butlers for UAE Clients

In a bid to better cater to the staffing needs of VIP households, royal palaces, yachts and private jet owners as well as key hospitality figures across the UAE, re-cruitment firm Savoir Vivre has joined forces with International Butler Academy.

“The butlers we will now be able to offer to UAE clients are the most specialised when it comes to housekeeping, serving and servicing. When it comes to manners and etiquette, these staff will be able to provide the ultimate high-end service,” said Katarina Janev, communications director, Savoir Vivre.

Dollar Rent A Car Teams Up

With du

Dollar Rent A Car signed a partnership agreement with telecommunications service

provider du, to offer special discounts on car rentals to travellers to the UAE.

Upon the purchase of a Tourist SIM card from du, visitors can choose a vehicle from Dollar Rent A Car’s fleet and receive special prices.

Marwan Al Mulla, general man-ager, UAE and Oman, Dollar Rent A Car, commented, “We are thrilled to partner with an innovative service provider such as du to offer fantastic deals to travellers looking for great savings during their visit to the UAE. Whether you are here for business or leisure, you can start your journey with us through our wide range of ve-hicles that are great for individual or group travel.”

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The Westin Dubai to Arrive in August

“The three hotels within the Collection complement each other, and provide endless choices to business and leisure travellers as well as to residents of Dubai. Al Habtoor City is a leisure destination unlike

any other,” noted Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, chairman, Al Habtoor Group.

Following the June opening of W Dubai – Al Habtoor City and the 2015 launch of The St. Regis Dubai, the emirate’s hotel collection at Al Habtoor City is poised to receive its final property in August, The

Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City.

Ramadan Boosts Saudi Hotel Occupancy

With more than five million Um-rah pilgrims having already entered Saudi Arabia this year,

hospitality experts and local travel op-erators are witnessing a notable surge in demand for Mecca and Medina, with a particular increase having been recorded towards the end of Ramadan.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah antici-pates the total number of Umrah pilgrims for this year to reach seven million, with over 1.2 million of those coming from Egypt. The five percent rise in the figure for Umrah visitors is in line with the 30 percent growth that is expected by 2020.

“The [...] volume of Umrah pilgrims rush-ing to book visits to the Kingdom has con-tinued to swell over the past months,” com-mented Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, CEO, Elaf Group. A

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Aloft Readies for Riyadh and Dhahran Launches

Kempinski Palm Jumeirah Launches Exclusive

Membership

UAE residents who wish to take advantage of the recreational facilities of Kempinski Hotel & Resi-dences Palm Jumeirah, are now able to sign up

for exclusive membership. The luxurious Dubai hotel boasts an expansive range

of leisure activities and those joining the scheme can also benefit from complimentary access to the Kids’ Club. The membership also includes unlimited access to the private beach, the outdoor pool, gym and an additional 30 minutes for all rental activities when one-hour rental is purchased, along with other perks.

Aloft Hotels is preparing for its Saudi debut with the 281-room Aloft Riyadh and 262-key Aloft Dhahran scheduled to open in July and August, respectively.

Both properties will feature loft-inspired guestrooms, as well as an all-day dining restaurant, a 24-hour grab-and-go outlet for light meals, the brand’s signature w xyz lounge, a rooftop terrace pool and café, and a well-equipped gym.

Guests will also be able to make requests via the hotels’ SPG Lets-chat text messaging service, and use SPG Keyless entry system to un-lock their rooms via their smartphones or Apple watches.

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Swiss International Debuts in Bahrain

Swiss International Palace has wel-comed its first guests, marking the hotelier’s entry into Bahrain.

Formerly run by Ramada Hotels & Re-sorts, the property offers 84 rooms and suites, a selection of restaurants, event spaces to accommodate up to 2,000 peo-ple, a gym and a spa.

According to Henri Kennedie, chair-man, Swiss International, the new address is a prime example of an upscale hotel, representing the Swiss values, which the company is famous for.

The European hotelier is already pre-sent in Saudi Arabia with nine hotels and is looking to further expand in the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.

The rebranding is expected to be com-pleted by September 01.

Villas at Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah

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G uests and residents living in the area can now take advantage of the offering of the newly-launched Bodylines Fit-ness & Wellness Club of Amwaj Rotana, Jumeirah Beach Residence.

Spa-goers will also enjoy complimentary use of the Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and shower facilities. As Jacques Reynders, director, recreation, Amwaj Rotan, Jumeirah Beach Residence, noted, spa services were previously

reserved to guests of the five-star property, however, following continuous requests, particularly from residents of Dubai, the management decided to further enhance the offering and launch to the general public.

Apartment seekers in Abu Dhabi can now also opt for Jannah Place Abu Dhabi,

which offers tranquil living in the heart of the fast-paced emirate.

The property provides signa-ture personal services along with housekeeping, engineering and Wi-Fi Internet. The hotel comprises 15 floors, each housing four two-bedroom apartments with con-temporary interiors, including the signature Jannah Spa beds.

Costa Coffee is located on the ground floor, and the Italian res-taurant, Pizzaro, is just a few steps away from the building.

Nehme Imad Darwiche, CEO, Jannah Hotels & Resorts, com-mented, “We have seen a high demand for five-star service apart-ments in the city for residents looking for comfort and hassle-free stay.”

Abu Dhabi Welcomes

Jannah Place

Amwaj Rotana Adds New Spa

Jannah Place Abu Dhabi

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WEEKLY NEWS AIRPORTS www.traveltradeweekly.travel

MTB Works Underway

S ulaiman Al Siksek, chief programmes officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, commented, “The construction team has started clearing the 50 support towers under the roof, which will take them another four to five weeks. Meantime, the work can now start on the exterior enveloping of the front façade and on the

preparation necessary for the interior work on the central processor.”During the next few months, Abu Dhabi Airports will begin building the stand-alone retails units in the

duty free area of the building.

K uwait International Airport welcomed around one million travellers in May, up seven percent compared to May 2015.

Yousef Sulaiman Al Fouzan, director general, civil aviation, Kuwait International Airport, explained that the total number of visitors arriving to Kuwait in May reached 487,220 compared to the 449,250 during the same month in 2015, while the volume of depart-ing travellers rose to 516,250 this year compared to 487,820.

Furthermore, total incoming and outbound flights through Kuwait International Airport stood at 8,832, signaling a slight rise compared to May 2015.

Increased Traffic at Kuwait Airport

Abu Dhabi Airports have announced the completion of the final de-propping of the last arch in the roof of the new Midfield Terminal Building (MTB), meaning that the structure is now completely

self-supporting.

Abu Dhabi Airport Welcomes More Arrivals

A bu Dhabi International Airport handled some 1.98 million passengers in May,

indicating a 5.6 percent increase over the same month in 2015.

A number of destinations wit-nessed noteworthy year-on-year growth, including the UK with an 18.4 percent surge and Egypt with a 24.3 percent rise.

A total of 355,457 passengers chose Abu Dhabi as their final des-tination, up 4.6 percent.

Moreover, arrival and de-parture transfers both showed increases of 7.5 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively, compared to May 2015.

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Nonstop Emirates Auckland Service

Upgraded

T he airline has been flying the route since March 01, complementing the three daily Airbus A380 voyages from the New Zealand destination to the emirate and beyond via Australia, and a daily Boeing 777-300ER service from Christchurch.

Hailed as the largest A380 operator in the world, Emirates now has 80 planes of this kind in its fleet, and has also recently placed a new order for an additional two new aircraft, to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Effective from October 30, Emirates will operate its daily nonstop flights between Dubai and Auckland with an Airbus A380 aircraft.

Turkish Airlines Spreads Wings to

Hanoi

T urkish Airlines has added another Far East service to its global network with the launch of the Istanbul – Ha-

noi route, bringing the total number of desti-nations it serves in that region to 35.

The two cities are connected with round-trip flights five times per week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Satur-days.

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I ranian carrier Mahan Air has com-menced flights to Paris, adding its 10th destination in Europe.The inaugural service touched down

at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on June 20, marking the start of a direct thrice weekly service to and from the French capital, to be operated on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays.

f lydubai began daily operations to Prague, bringing the airline’s frequencies from Dubai to 11 points in Central and Eastern Europe to 49 flights per week.

Commenting the three additional services, Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, said, “Prague remains a popular destination for our passengers in the GCC. We also look forward to providing those in Europe with more choice and more opportuni-ties to visit Dubai and beyond on our network. Our strategic base in Dubai allows passengers to benefit from flydubai's interline agreements with other carriers, pro-viding opportunities for onward travel to more than 200 destinations.”

Mahan Air Reaches the

French Capital

flydubai Flies Daily to Prague

T unisair has launched its first flight across the Atlantic Ocean by inaugurating its new route to the Canadian city of Montreal.

The airline will operate the Tunis – Montreal route twice per week utilising an Airbus A330-200 aircraft with a capacity of 24 seats in business and 236 spaces in economy class.

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Etihad Airways entered into a new codeshare partnership with Avianca Brasil, which will incorporate the UAE flag carrier’s Abu Dhabi – São Paulo route and the Latin American airline’s domestic flights.

“Avianca is an important strategic partner for Etihad Airways in South America,” said Martin Drew, senior vice president, Americas, Etihad Airways. “In addition to the codeshare agreement recently signed with Avianca Colombia, we are further strengthening our presence in Brazil by offering our guests more convenience and connections with a single combined ticket.”

Etihad Covers Brazil with New Codeshare Deal

As of September 02, Emirates will enhance its Dubai – Dakar route by replacing the currently used

Airbus A340-300 aircraft with a Boeing 777-300ER.

The plane boasts a three-class con-figuration with eight private suites in first class, 42 lie flat seats in business and 310 spaces in economy class, as well as an updated digital widescreen with more than 2,500 channels of on-demand au-dio and visual entertainment.

The move will increase passenger capacity on the route by 372 seats per week, while total cargo capacity will grow by 80 tonnes.

Emirates Increases Senegal Capacity

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T hai AirAsia X has begun serving Bangkok from Muscat with three weekly flights.Commenting on the importance of the itinerary, Skh Samer bin Ahmed Al-Nab-

hani, acting general manager, Muscat International Airport, said, “The new route will contribute to increasing the flow of tourism between the two countries in addition to attract-ing investors from Thailand to discover investment opportunities in Oman.”

Furthermore, Al-Nabhani noted that the route will result in many benefits, including the promotion of Oman as one of the most attractive tourism destinations in the region.

Muscat Welcomes AirAsia X

Saudia Lands in Munich

S audia launched its all-new five-times-per-week service from Riyadh to Munich. As a direct response to the increasing demand for flights between the Saudi and Ger-

man cities, it was decided to replace the aircraft initially assigned for the route with a wide-body Airbus A330.

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Etihad Cargo has introduced a new offer for guests who wish to travel with their luxury cars over the summer period.

Apart from benefitting from special rates in first and business class, the cargo section of Etihad Airways also helps to arrange hotel accommodation and delivers the vehicle straight to the driver’s doorstep.

Those travelling from Abu Dhabi can take advan-tage of the service at a number of destinations, includ-ing Amsterdam, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris as well as Zürich.

The number of cars transported has been steadily rising over the last few years and Etihad Cargo carried hundreds of automobiles in 2015 alone.

Luxury Car Service at Etihad Cargo

Emirates: 33 Aircraft Makeovers in 12 Months

The Emirates Aircraft Appearance Centre, hailed as the world’s largest painting facility of its kind, completely stripped and repainted 33 airliners in 2015, equal to 13 per-

cent of the carrier’s fleet. Among others, three Airbus A380s and 22 Boeing 777s re-

ceived a fresh coat of paint, and the centre also installed decals on 72 aircraft and executed a total of over 105,000 paining projects, including cabin touch-ups across what is said to be the world’s largest fleet of wide-body aircraft, in 2015.

Etihad Teams Up with Financial

Expert

Etihad Airways has signed an agree-ment with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), becoming the official air-

line partner of the international financial centre.

The partnership establishes in-depth cooperation in commercial development and destination marketing that will drive business for both organisations, and pro-vide ADGM members with privileged ac-cess to the network of the UAE carrier and its partner airlines.

As Peter Baumgartner, CEO, Etihad Air-ways, disclosed, Hala Travel Management and Hala Abu Dhabi will also be key players in the partnership, providing professional travel management services to ADGM’s growing business community and promot-ing the emirate and all it has to offer.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Towers Rotana Dubai recently unveiled 40 new luxury apartments. Please tell us about this offering.

KARIM NAHAS: Everyone knows that the hotel industry has become highly competitive, and in light of this fact [...], the decision of completing comprehen-sive renovation and reconstruction of 40 new luxurious apartments was care-fully taken to increase our business mix to provide long-term guests with a new residential address in the heart of the financial centre.

A new trend was recognised where guests choose to stay longer in Dubai, and therefore, the project now accommodates this desire with our exhilarating and chic furnished hotel apartments [boasting] all the advantages of hotel living.

KARIM NAHAS

Q & A

with

GENERAL MANAGER, TOWERS ROTANA DUBAI

WORKING IN DUBAI’S HOSPITALITY SCENE IS A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE AND HERE KARIM NAHAS, GENERAL MANAGER,

TOWERS ROTANA DUBAI, REVEALS SOME EXCITING PLANS FOR THE PROPERTY.

ous industry awards every year.Loyalty is another way we [promote]

ourselves with the award-winning loy-alty programme Rotana Rewards, where members enjoy countless benefits and privileges […].

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Which recent achievements is the management most proud of?

KARIM NAHAS: The latest achieve-ments we have celebrated are the new-ly-launched luxury hotel apartments and their performance along with the positive guest satisfaction in response to them by our new resident guests.

The positive guest satisfaction has also led Towers Rotana to be rewarded once again with the Certificate of Excel-lence from TripAdvisor […]. Aside from this, a quality assurance assessment on operations was recently completed at Towers Rotana which is being conduct-ed annually by a mystery guest. The col-leagues tested above expectations on their interactions with guests [...].

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: Which are your priorities for the remainder of the year?

KARIM NAHAS: Our plans will see the hotel, built in 2001, upgraded to meet the requirements of today’s modern travellers. The refurbishment, sched-uled to begin in the summer months, will see minor enhancements to the existing range of dining and entertain-ment outlets […].

The fusion fine dining restaurant, Teatro, will see a full renovation of its Eastern and Western kitchens [...].

Plans to enhance Long’s Bar also in-clude an uplift to the existing outdoor side entrance with a fresh new look, an enhancement to the hardwood floors, an upholstering of all the existing furni-ture, and the full renovation of the male and female bathrooms.

The all-day dining restaurant Fla-vours on Two will also unveil a new look from the moment guests enter its existing entrance on the second floor. The uplifting will include replacing its existing floors, new window coverings, brand new seating, and the full renova-tion of the male and female bathrooms.

Parts of the leisure facilities at Body-lines Leisure and Fitness Club will also be renovated, including the steam and sauna rooms, male and female chang-ing rooms and restrooms.

The advantages of hotel living ex-tend to all guests staying over a one-month period in the new hotel apart-ments and include daily housekeeping services, complimentary access to the vast facilities of the hotel that include a Bodylines Leisure and Fitness Club. The hotel also provides guests with access to a 24-hour in-room dining service and four dining outlets […].

The highly sought-after trend of ho-tel living coupled with its advantages allowed us to generously proportion the apartments in various configura-tions from 53m2 to 180m2, including studios, one-bedroom, one-bedroom premium, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. The various con-figurations also allow larger families to stay together, providing contemporary relaxed furniture, en-suite bathrooms and spacious wardrobes in each room.

Guests staying in the new hotel apartments will also benefit from the hotel’s contemporary business facili-ties that include eight meeting rooms, a business centre and a Club Rotana lounge positioned on the 24th floor, providing lavish personalised hospitali-ty, harmony and all the extras that make a stay memorable.

In line with Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2020 to welcome 20 million visitors per year by 2020, Towers Rotana follows Dubai’s feeder markets and in parallel, we have happily welcomed the growth in visitors from the UK and the US, fol-lowed by visitors from Germany, Egypt and travellers from Saudi Arabia.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How are the current market conditions, in terms of supply and demand in Dubai, af-fecting the hotel’s business plans?

KARIM NAHAS: Being located in a prime location in the heart of the finan-cial centre on Sheikh Zayed Road, Tow-ers Rotana is no stranger to the pressure of having to constantly find ways to in-novate and market itself. We are proud to say that despite the introduction of new hotels in the vicinity, we were still able to successfully launch our 40 new luxury hotel apartments and perform very well.

The hotel is also home to three of the area’s most popular outlets, includ-ing the multi-award-winning fusion fine dining restaurant, Teatro, the all-day din-ing restaurant Flavours on Two and the longest bar in the Middle East, Long’s Bar all of which are also nominated for vari-

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A s part of a networking session, a group of 30 Malay-sian tourism stakeholders were hosted for dinner by Unique Seafood PJ23, a growing seafood restaurant

franchise. Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, director general,

Tourism Malaysia, stressed that cuisine is a way for Malaysia

to boost tourist spending and the sector’s contribution to the local economy, and that food and beverage is among the top three areas travellers spend the most money on in the country, alongside shopping and accommodation.

He further noted that the tourism body is always on the lookout to promote new and interesting restaurants to visitors.

London to Welcome Hard

Rock Hotel

H ard Rock International, in collaboration with glh Hotels, has unveiled

plans for Hard Rock Hotel Lon-don. A conversion of the existing Cumberland Hotel, the upcoming 900-room property is scheduled for completion in summer 2018.

The new address will feature a lobby lounge an on-site Hard Rock Cafe and a Rock Shop, a full-service Rock Spa, a signature restaurant and a sophisticated speakeasy.

“With Hard Rock’s proven track record of world-class service and hospitality, combined with glh Hotels’ extensive operating skills and expertise in the region as the largest hotel owner-oper-ator in London, we are confident the future Hard Rock Hotel will be a success […],” said Mike DeNoma, CEO, glh Hotels.

F&B to Boost Tourist Spending in Malaysia

Unique Seafood PJ23 outlet

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D isney celebrated the launch of Shanghai Disney Resort, the company’s first resort in Mainland China and its sixth address worldwide. A three-day grand opening celebra-

tion commemorated the culmination of one of the company’s largest investments to date outside the US.

Aside from the theme park, which hosts world-class attrac-tions, guests can enjoy a vibrant shopping, dining and enter-tainment district, and they can also unwind at two imaginatively themed accommodation establishments, namely Shanghai Dis-neyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel.

Shanghai Disney Resort broke ground in 2011 and in April 2014, shareholders had announced an accelerated expansion plan to capitalise on the Chinese tourism sector’s growth – adding more attractions, entertainment and other offerings.

S ingapore is poised to welcome two new luxu-rious gems by Mariott International – the 634-room JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach

and the eight-storey 190-key The Singapore EDITION. The former will emerge in place of The South Beach

adjacent to Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibi-tion Centre, while the latter will be located on Orchard Boulevard and Cuscaden Road.

“Singapore is one of the most important business and travel hubs in Asia Pacific and the world. We are very excited to enhance our luxury hotel portfolio and bring more options to this vibrant city,” Craig Smith, president, Asia Pacific, Marriott International.

R ixos Hotels has penned a deal with internationally re-nowned creative company Dragone to create Rixos World Parks & Entertainment and develop The Land of Legends

theme park in the city of Belek.The new destination will boast multisensory attractions with

original concepts, themes, design and characters, as well as a five-star hotel and a water park with over 70 rides and slides. Visitors will also have the chance to get familiar with dolphins, penguins and other animals and experience an underwater restaurant and a beach area.

For those with a penchant for finer things, a massive shopping avenue, a luxury plaza and a galleria will be available, while kids will be entertained in a mystery castle and a dedicated village park.

F ollowing the groundbreaking deals signed by Star-wood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in Cuba earlier this year, the company has debuted Four Points by

Sheraton Havana.Located in the city’s bustling business and diplomatic

hub of Miramar, the 186-key property boasts extensive meeting facilities, two dining outlets plus a poolside bar, a 24-hour fitness center and a fully equipped spa.

Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of specialty select brands, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, com-mented, “With its uncomplicated comfort and reinvented travel experience, Four Points Havana will be the ideal choice for global travelers as they experience Havana’s colorful history, rich architecture and unparalleled culture.”

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Disney Opens Shanghai Resort

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Massive Theme Park Signed for Belek

Havana Welcomes First Four Points by Sheraton

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9 JULY 2016

HOTEL MANAGER, CORAL BEACH RESORT, SHARJAH

“During school vacations, at-tending a camp is a great way for children to learn new skills and enjoy fun activities in a safe environment. All our pro-grammes [at Coral Beach Re-sort, Sharjah] are adequately supervised and have been tailored to stimulate children’s minds while making sure they have a good time. It is also a wonderful opportunity for kids to make new friends and interact with others.”

All our programmes […] have been tailored to stimulate children’s minds

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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

GENERAL MANAGER, ANANTARA AL JABAL AL AKHDAR

CEO, AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL GROUP

“Perched 2,000m above sea level on the curving rim of a great canyon, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar is the highest five-star resort in the Middle East and amongst the high-est in the world. […] The re-sort puts travellers in touch with the local culture, history and landscape with person-alised experiences, including mountaintop sunrise yoga and stargazing beneath the blanket of a remote night sky. Other diversions include archery, quad biking and ex-cursions to nearby heritage attractions.”

“As part of our ongoing ef-forts to achieve environmen-tal sustainability on all levels, Queen Alia International Air-port has made it a priority to prevent pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions re-sulting from airport activities, thereby not only maintaining our commitment toward the local community, but also contributing to the shrinking of Jordan’s overall ecological footprint.”

The resort puts travellers in touch with the local culture

[We have] made it a priority to prevent pollution

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9 JULY 2016

MOHAMMAD LABBAN has been welcomed by Hyatt Re-gency Sharm El Sheikh as the new general manager of the 432-unit resort hotel.Immediately after the comple-tion of a bachelor degree in hotel management in March 1998, Labban took on a relat-ed career path with Hyatt. His road led him to various positions across the Middle East at a number of properties, such as Hyatt Regency Jed-dah, Grand Hyatt Amman, Park Hyatt Dubai, Hyatt Regency Dubai. Most recently he served as general manager at Hyatt Re-gency Pune in India.His main goal at the Egyptian establishment is to create an environment that ensures that guests leave saying that they had a memorable and unique experience in Sharm El Sheikh.

FADY ATWAN has been named area director of sales and marketing at Crowne Pla-za Abu Dhabi Yas Island and Staybridge Suites Abu Dhabi Yas Island. Joining from InterContinental Abu Dhabi where he served as director of sales and market-ing, Fady brings with him 14 years of industry experience. He started his career in finance and gradually shifted to sales and marketing. Over the past 10 years, he has gained invalu-able expertise in the field. Building on his extensive back-ground in commercial sales and marketing, Atwan will focus on assisting and leading the Abu Dhabi-based properties.

SHAHZAD BUTT has taken over at Ramada Downtown Dubai as general manager. Butt, who has been in the industry for 25 years, will oversee the day-to-day op-eration of the property while also strengthening partner-ships with key affiliates. Prior to joining the team, Butt served as cluster general man-ager at Chelsea Tower Hotel Apartments and Chelsea Gar-dens Hotel Apartments, and as group director of business de-velopment for Chelsea Group of Hotel and Hotel Apart-ments in Dubai. He started his career with Hilton Worldwide, and later worked with Renais-sance Hotels and Avari Hotels International, both in Pakistan and the UAE, serving as assis-tant manager, regional sales manager, as well as sales and marketing manager.

RAMESH KUMAR Singh has been selected as assistant di-rector of sales at Millennium Airport Hotel, Dubai.Having worked in various ca-pacities throughout his career, Singh brings more than 17 years of hospitality experience to the team.After successful periods with Carlton Tower, Dubai; Dhow Palace Hotel, Dubai and Radis-son Blu Residence, Dubai, he most recently worked at Da-man Hotels & Resorts, Abu Dhabi as director of sales. Returning to Dubai, Singh’s main responsibility will be to establish new business rela-tionships by exploring new cli-ents for the property in order to maximise revenue.

Singh will establish new business relationships

Fady brings 14 years of industry experience

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When and how did you get involved in the tourism industry?My name is Sona Kurghinyan. I am an incoming travel consultant at VA & Partners travel company in Armenia. I got involved in the tourism industry in 2005, and [have been] working in this sphere [ever since].

What are the most important attrib-utes of a good travel agent/tour op-erator? The most important attributes of a

AGENT’S INSIGHT

Sona Kurghinyan

Incoming travel consultant

VA & Partners travel company

Yerevan, Armenia

www.vapartners.am

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9 JULY 2016

good travel agent or tour operator is [correct] marketing, and the balance between quality and price of the pro-vided travel services.

What is the most frequently asked question that your company re-ceives from customers? The most frequently asked question that our company receives is "What is the nearest point to view mount Ararat?"

What are the must-visits and must-dos in Armenia that noone should miss? Armenia has a lot of places one must visit, but the most popular are Garni temple, Geghard monastery, Ta-tev monastery, Echmiadzin Cathedral, Zvartnoc temple, Jermuk, Qarahunj (Zoratc karer), History museum of Ar-menia, Sevan lake and many others.

W orking towards enhancing its operations in the Middle East, Al Basel Consultancy has opened its new office in Saudi Arabia.

The move falls in line with the company’s expansion ini-tiative, which strategically aims to offer more premiere ser-vices to clients in the region.

Located in the heart of Riyadh, the office will be leverag-ing its real estate, travel and rental services across potential and existing clients in the Kingdom, particularly promoting the company’s rent-a-car business and real estate unit.

Al Basel Consultancy Expands in the Middle East

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In line with its efforts to enhance the intellectual development of children between the ages of eight to 12, Emirates Park Zoo and Resort in Abu Dhabi will host Camp Emirates Park between July 17 – August 28.

Through a variety of fun-filled activities and learn-ing experiences, the programme aims to instigate cre-ative thinking and educate youngsters about animals, wild life and the environment. Campers will also get the chance to interact with exotic animals and partici-pate in drum and dance classes.

“Here at Emirates Park Zoo we encourage children to seek knowledge about the outdoors and the wild-life in an environment filled with fun,” commented Aaliyah Hana, CEO, Emirates Park Zoo and Resort.

On the occasion of the Holy Month of Ramadan, Etihad Airways hosted a charity Iftar for 5,000 labourers at the Workers Village in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi.

The airline’s employees contributed generously, purchasing thousands of vouchers for the labourers’ meals, and more than 300 staff volunteered

to distribute these. Workers also received water, packets of nuts, socks and eye shades.“Our Sports and Social Committee conducts initiatives throughout the year to sup-

port humanitarian and charitable causes,” said Khaled Almehairbi, senior vice presi-dent, Abu Dhabi airport operations, Etihad Airways, adding that this fosters an environ-ment of engagement and inclusion among the carrier’s staff, partner airlines and the local community.

Over 90 attendees from travel agencies and media companies joined the team of Seychelles Tourism Board’s Dubai office for an Iftar.

The informal gathering, that offered an opportune time to network and share ideas, came in line with the organisation’s efforts to further en-hance ties with its Middle Eastern partners.

“We are truly elated on the response for Seychelles from this region. The growing interest and knowledge of the people from this region for the destination will not be possible without the help of our trade and media partners,” stated Ahmed Fathallah, regional manager, Middle East, Seychelles Tourism Board.

As part of its ongoing sup-port for the local com-munity, Sheraton Bahrain Hotel partnered with Feed the Need Bahrain for a

month-long campaign, Brunch for Rice. The property donated a total 859

packets, each containing 2kgs of rice. “We are delighted to provide over

1.7 tonnes of rice to the needy this Ram-adan. We believe that it is very important to give back to the local community and we always try to find more ideas to help”, said Thomas Flindt, general manager, Sheraton Bahrain Hotel.

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Millennium Corniche Hotel, Abu Dhabi won the Best Newcomer International

category at the Investors In People awards

Dubai Duty Free’s team took home the trophy from al Noor-Bank of Sharjah’s

football tournament which raised funds for students with special needs

School holiday in style at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi

Al Bustan Centre & Residences organised its annual donation campaign

Al Manshar Rotana Kuwait in collaboration with WSP l Parsons Brinckerhoff organised a charity

campaign for labourers Eid at Emirates Park Zoo and Resort in Abu Dhabi

9 JULY 2016 23

PHOTO ALBUMwww.traveltradeweekly.travel

9 JULY 201624

NEWS & EVENTS www.traveltradeweekly.travel

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW

Farnborough, UKJuly 11 – 15 www.farnborough.comOne of the world’s largest aviation events for the global aerospace community.

IBTM LATIN AMERICA

Mexico City, MexicoSeptember 07 – 08www.ibtmlatinamerica.comLeaders, organisers and specialised suppliers for events will convene for business adventures.

SEATRADE CRUISE MED

Tenerife, SpainSeptember 21 – 23www.seatradecruiseevents.comA major biennial event focussed on the world’s second largest cruise destination, the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas.

IMEX AMERICA

Las Vegas, USOctober 18 - 20 www.imexamerica.comThe hosted buyer programme qualifies and brings key buyers to the show, with IMEX America covering travel and accommodations.

EVENTSibtm china to Deliver Meeting

Tools and Insights

World Tourism Day Focusses on

Accessibility

Sustainability, best practices, social me-dia strategy, tools and insights in the delivery

of successful events will be in the spotlight at this year’s ibtm china.

As Cici Chen, senior project manager, ibtm china, noted, the knowledge programme will form an integral part of the show, providing an essential platform where valuable edu-cation can be delivered specifi-cally for the meetings industry.

“We have also got a great networking programme lined up for the show,” added Chen.

The event will take place between September 07 – 08 at the China National Convention Centre.

Tourism for All has been se-lected as the theme of this year’s World Tourism Day.

Celebrated on Sep-tember 27 all over the globe, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s initiative throws the spotlight on the right of every in-dividual to enjoy barrier-free travel around the world.

The tagline highlights the importance of creating products and services that can be equally suitable for those with disabilities, tourists and locals, families with small children, seniors and every-one else.

UNWTO is preparing a range of programmes to mark the occasion and spread the word.