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Sharjah mesmerises ITB Berlin ..............................................................................02Azerbaijan: Incredible diversity to offer ..................................................................10Aviation for socio-economic progress ....................................................................17

A DDP PUBLICATION Pages: 24Vol. XI No. 4; April 2015

H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, DirectorGeneral, Sharjah

Commerce and TourismDevelopment Authority(SCTDA), expressed,“Sharjah has emerged as aleading cultural and familytourism destination in theMiddle East. Its distinctachievement in the tourismsector has brought theEmirate accolades such asthe Arab Tourism CapitalAward for 2015, recognitionfrom the Arab TourismOrganisation. Hence, itstrengthened the Emirate’sposition on the regional andinternational tourism map.”

“This is an honour that underlines Sharjah’s success in attracting nearly 2 million visitors in 2014,”added Al Midfa.

“We, at SCTDA, areproud to be in long associa-tion with ITB Berlin. We are

delighted to present Sharjah as the Arab TourismCapital at this 18th consecu-tive year of our participation

in ITB Berlin. ITB Berlin offers the perfect internationalplatform for Sharjah to showcase the diversity of

our tourism portfolio and the vibrancy of our richheritage and culture beforethe world,” further informed Al Midfa.

The SCTDA DirectorGeneral pointed out that to celebrate the honour of the Arab Tourism Capital for 2015, the Emirate has lined up year-round activities and festivals to showcase the best of its Arab culture and heritagethat will certainly appeal theinterest of visitors fromGermany and the widerEuropean market.

Lauding Sharjah’s asso-ciation with the ITB Berlin all these years, Al Midfa feels that as a major driving force in the global travel industry, ITB Berlin has contributed to the remark-able growth story of Sharjah.“Our long association andpartnership with this exhibition has broughtSharjah closer to the

European tourism market,particularly to the visitors fromGermany,” he concluded.

This year, the Sharjahpavilion had featured live

performances and activitiescelebrating the best of UAE's culture, traditions, cuisine and arts, offering aglimpse of what tourists can experience during their visit to Sharjah. The stand also hosted a traditional Ayala band performing the ‘stick dance’.Ayala bands usually perform

at top events, national ceremonies and weddings in the UAE but the visitors to the Sharjah pavilion got an exclusive opportunityto enjoy this spectacle.

Visitors tried out ArabicHenna designs, enjoyed tra-ditional Arabic cuisine, andtook souvenirs of their namesin beautiful Arabic calligraphy.A new addition to the standthis year was an ‘edutainment’area that explained theprocess of perfume making inSharjah. Visitors got an

Sharjah Tourism marked its presence at ITB Berlin 2015 for the 18th consecutive time, by organising severalmeetings, holding special interactive activities with visitors at the emirate’s stand, highlighting Sharjah’s tourismportfolio and its rich heritage and culture to the European travellers.

Sharjah sparkles at ITB Berlin

SU S M I TA GH O S H

Contd. on page 2

During 2014, asmany as 23,637tourists fromGermany visitedSharjah, highlightingthe Emirate’sgrowing popularityin Germany as acultural destination

Our longassociation withITB Berlin hasbrought Sharjahcloser to theEuropean tourismmarket, particularlyto the visitors from Germany

H.E. Khalid Jasim Al MidfaDirector GeneralSharjah Commerce and TourismDevelopment Authority (SCTDA)

H.E. Mohamed Ali Al NomanChairmanSharjah Commerce and TourismDevelopment Authority

In early 2014, Sharjah’s hotel establishments received409,585 European guests, registering an increase of 17%During 2014, as many as 23,637 German tourists visitedSharjahEmirate is set to witness the opening of a number of newluxury hotels in 2015European tourists@ITB Berlin experienced perfume mak-ing, Arabic henna art, calligraphy, and witnessed the Ayalaband performing the ‘stick dance’

Europe looks Middle East

COVER STORY2 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

opportunity to create their ownperfumes and take away asample from the stand. Theyalso got to savour the trueflavours of traditional Arabicstyle with coffee, dates andfreshly made Luqaimat, anEmirati preparation featuringsmall dumplings.

H.E. Mohamed Ali AlNoman, Chairman, SharjahCommerce and TourismDevelopment Authority under-lined that the Authority’s keen-ness to showcase its presence at the ITB Berlin this year is all the more specialin view of the emirate beingcrowned as the Arab TourismCapital for 2015. Sharjah richly deserved the titlebecause of its historical cultural heritage and contem-porary tourism product.

Al Noman informed,“Sharjah remains a favouriteholiday destination forEuropean tourists, as revealedby the latest hotel industry sta-tistics. Our long associationand partnership has broughtSharjah closer to visitors fromGermany. During 2014, asmany as 23,637 tourists fromGermany visited Sharjah,highlighting the Emirate’s

growing popularity in Germanyas a cultural destination.”

“In the first half of 2014, Sharjah’s hotel estab-lishments received 409,585European guests against

349,670 guests in the sameperiod in 2013, registering an increase of 17 per cent,” he further stated.

The number of hotelestablishments in the Emiratehas touched 106, including 50 hotels and 56 hotel apartments. The number of hotel rooms in the Emirate has risen to 10,000,said the SCTDA Chairman,stressing that the Emirate isset to witness the opening of a number of new luxuryhotels in 2015.

Sharjah offers a distincttourism experience to theEuropean tourists that includeauthentic culture and heritage, world-class muse-ums and cultural centres. The Emirate boasts interna-

tionally acclaimed educationalcentres equipped with the lat-est technology on the onehand and world-class tourisminfrastructure and a diverse natural landscape thatincludes golden beaches and rugged mountains bordering majestic desert on the other.

More visitorsattracted fromEurope

Sharjah Commerce andTourism DevelopmentAuthority is upbeat about

attracting more visitors fromEurope to Sharjah this year fol-lowing the Emirate’s successin winning the Arab TourismCapital 2015 Award. Therecognition is significant forSharjah as it participated in ITB Berlin, 2015, showcas-ing the Emirates’ rich portfolioof traditional and contempo-rary offerings to a vast interna-tional audience.

The ITB Berlin this yearwas headed by the SCTDAthat included Sharjah AirportAuthority, Sharjah AirportTravel Agency (SATA),Shurooq (Sharjah Investmentand Development Authority),Sharjah Environment &Protected Areas Authority(EPAA), Sharjah MuseumsDepartment, Sharjah NationalHotels, Coral Beach Resort,Golden Tulip Sharjah, RamadaSharjah, Radisson Blu Resort,Sheraton Sharjah BeachResort & Spa, SharjahPremier Group, Al ShaabVillage and Spark Hotel &Deluxe Apartments and so on.

Sharjah won the presti-gious honour from the ArabTourism Organisation at the15th session of the ArabCouncil of Tourism Ministersheld in Cairo, Egypt, in 2012after meeting all the criteria for

the Arab Tourism CapitalAward in terms of tourismdiversity, culture, leisure, theenvironment, culture, family,educational activities andopportunities.

Commenting on the title,Al Midfa, said, “The recogni-tion of Sharjah as the ArabTourism Capital for 2015reflects the Emirate’s statusas a major global family

tourist destination. Thisachievement made our partic-ipation at the ITB Berlin thisyear all the more special. Asthe Arab Tourism Capital,Sharjah has lined up year-round activities and festivalsto showcase the best ofArabic culture and heritagethat will certainly appeal tothe interest of visitors fromGermany as well as the widerEuropean market.”

Sharjah offers distinct tourism experience Contd. from page 1

Sharjah mesmerises ITB Berlin

INTERVIEW A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 3

QWhat’s the role andmandate of the

SCTDA?The Sharjah Commerce and

Tourism Development Authority(SCTDA) is dedicated to promotingand showcasing Sharjah and itstourism and hospitality sector athome and around the world. With itsrelentless year-long promotionalcampaigns, participation in interna-tional tourism and trade exhibitionsand roadshows in the region andaround the world and with its world-class festivals and events, theAuthority constantly explores waysand means of attracting internationalvisitors and investors to Sharjah andsupporting the Emirate’s economy.

QWhat have been thetrends in annual visitor

numbers to Sharjah? The truly global destination that

Sharjah is, it attracts a very diversepopulation of international visitors.

Our strongest tourism markets rightnow are Middle East, Europe,Russia, CIS region and Asia. Europehappens to be very special for us interms of visitor trends and numbers.Last year, we received more than 2million hotel guests out of which649,527 came from Europe. TheGCC visitors stood at 688,973. Wereceived 502,329 guests fromRussia-CIS-Baltic nations whereasAsian guests stood at 312,518.

QWhat is thesignificance of

Sharjah’s selection asthe 2015 Arab Capital ofTourism

Sharjah’s selection as the 2015Arab Capital of Tourism is a huge andwell deserved honour for Sharjah.These titles and accolades only

underscore Sharjah’s pride ofplace as the cultural, intellec-

tual and tourism hub of theregion. We hope it will helpthe emirate attract moreinternational visitors andinvestors generating

greater opportunities for everyone.

QOpportunities forforeign investment in

Sharjah’s tourism sector Sharjah offers immense oppor-

tunities and growth potential for inter-national investors, especially in theemirate’s booming tourism and hos-pitality sectors. Already, we haveseen international investments pourin hospitality sector with several major

global hotel chains set to open Theemirate is already home to majorEuropean, American and Asian com-panies. Nearly half of the UAE’s man-ufacturing sector is based in Sharjah.

QSCTDA’s strategicinitiatives to achieve

long term growth fortourism in Sharjah?

Led by the strategic vision ofSharjah’s leadership that seeks toestablish Sharjah as a distinct globaltourism destination with authenticArab and Islamic heritage, theAuthority has been pursuing a long-term strategy to develop and strength-en the tourism sector in the emirate.

As part of its strategy, the Authority hasbeen showcasing Sharjah in local,regional and international exhibitions,focusing on the factors of distinctionand exclusivity.Thanks to these effortsof the past two decades, Sharjah hasemerged as a favourite holiday desti-nation for visitors from around theworld. In the past few years, theAuthority has been able to reach outto new and emerging tourism marketsin Asia, Europe and America. As aresult, the emirate’s share and profilein global tourism market has signifi-cantly and perceptibly grown.

QHis Excellency’s fiveyear vision for the

tourism sector in Sharjah?Five years from now, we would

like to see Sharjah emerge as themost popular and most visitedtourism and investment destinationin the region, attaining its full andimmense potential as the TourismCapital of the Arab World andCultural Capital of the Arab andIslamic world.

Led by the strategic vision of Sharjah’s leadership to establish Sharjah as a distinct global tourism destination, theSharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority has been pursuing a long-term strategy to strengthen thetourism sector in the emirate, says H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Director General, SCTDA.

‘Sharjah, the most-visited destination’

SU S M I TA GH O S H Our strongest tourismmarkets right now are Middle East, Europe,Russia, CIS region andAsia. Europe happens tobe very special for us interms of visitor trends

H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Director General Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA)

GUEST COLUMN

The travel industry has high expectations asthe 2015 travel season beckons. Despite

international crises and the risk of politicalconflict around the world, the economicprospects for the global travel industry couldbe better for the months to come.

In Germany, in particular, consumers arekeen to travel. Accordingly, this year’s ITBBerlin went very well and once again provedto be an indispensable platform for tourismprofessionals from around the world. ITBBerlin, which concluded recently, was able tocement its position as the world’s largest traveltrade show.

Trends at ITB Berlin 2015 included the risein the use of mobile devices to book trips, aphenomenon that has now become the norm.Travel apps are developing rapidly andbecoming ever more widespread with the useof latest-generation smartphones.

The share of trade visitors from abroadincreased to 43 per cent (2014: 40 per cent).These visitors also remained longer at ITBBerlin because they did good business with theaverage duration of a stay rising to 2.4 days(2014: 2.1 days). According to estimates byMesse Berlin the volume of sales at the world’sleading travel trade show increased from around6.5 billion Euros in 2014 to 6.7 billion Euros.

Now in its seventh year, the annual eventof Riyadh Travel Fair will be held from April 14to 17, 2015 with over 200 exhibitorsparticipating from 50 different countries. 2015will witness the largest Riyadh Travel Fair tilldate thereby extending the prominence as theleading travel and tourism exhibition in thekingdom. The 2014 edition of the RTF saw13,678 recorded number of visitors and 20,000visitors are targeted in 2015.

The Arabian Gulf region will have a strongpresence at the fair including stands by AbuDhabi Tourism & Cultural Authority as strategicpartner, Sharjah Commerce & TourismDevelopment Authority as gold partner andFujairah Tourism and Antiques Authority assilver partner to name a few. Turkey Tourismwill have the biggest presence and delegationattending the show.

High hopes on travel season 2015

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U74899DL1989PTC038620

Dubai offers a variety ofchoices for guests, hence

we are trying to adjust to thetrends and demands of themarket that we are targeting.What may work with someguests may not work withother guests so overall, diver-sity is the key. We brainstormon ideas and strategies toconvey the right message tothe right market but without compromising on our services, value for moneyand hospitality.

We capitalize on our 5superb F&B offerings likeFogueira, Dubai’s 1st authen-tic Brazilian Churrascariaoffering 15 different unlimitedmeat cuts served straight toyour table while enjoying thelive entertainment and theSamba dance shows. SamaLounge, the Arabic Terraceoffers Arabic mezzes, mixedgrills and delights, shishalounge with a view of the PalmJumeirah and live oud playerperformance Speakeasy Bar& Restaurant is our Americanthemed bar. It has been

awarded as the "Best NewPub 2013" with full of enter-tainment like daily themenights, DJ performance, dailyhappy hour. Not to forgetShores our all-day-diningrestaurant that offers an international buffet and a lacarte services all day long and different theme nightstwice a week for our guests experience Asian and

Mediterranean cuisines. TheLounge is the perfect venuefor your casual meetings andserves a wide selection ofsnacks and beverages.

To cater to our businesstravelers and corporateevents, we provide meetingand conference facilities in ourspacious meeting room on the35th floor. It is bathed in natu-ral light and flanked by anopen terrace with stunningviews of the Palm Jumeirah.With a capacity for 60 peopletheater style, built-in state-of-the-art audio-visual systemsand complimentary wirelessinternet, it is the venue ofchoice for larger corporateevents. We also offer fullyequipped 2 executive board-rooms with a capacity of 10-

12 people each, offer thesame advanced audio-visual and communicationssystems with complimentarywireless internet.

Our rooms offer guestsa unique experience of Dubai.Sitting within the comforts oftheir rooms, our guests canenjoy great views of the amaz-ing Palm Jumeirah or the

Dubai Marina. JBR is one ofthe hot spots in Dubai offeringa variety of shopping choices,dining outlets, the beach andfamily-friendly activities soguests staying in this areahave a wide range of choicesfor their holiday experience.

The outlook for the restof 2015 remains positive,though we will see anincrease in the supply ofrooms leading to the WorldExpo 2020. Due to high sup-ply, tourists expect better rateswith competitive costs. Gueststoo are becoming moreknowledgeable on what theyshould get at hotels, whatrates, what services to expectetc. On our part we try to listento our guests, access theirneeds and comments so that

we can adjust and meet theirdemands. Travelers havestarted to vary a lot more. The hospitality sector here has developed to cater not only to the high endtourist but it has adjusted toaccommodate a much widervariety of travelers.

Thus packages arealways updated, to keep upwith the needs of our valuedguests and present the excit-ing theme-based offers in ourrestaurants. We take thehuman and personalapproach as we are in theservice industry. So this is thekey of our success. The per-sonal touch can be felt in theservice we offer to our clients.Dubai has high standards andthe competition in the hospi-tality sector is very high. Butthe joy of the hotel industry isjust to exceed guests’ expec-tations in the best possibleway that one can.

2014 was a successful year for Ramada Plaza Jumeirah Beach Residence.Though the last part of the year showed a drop in terms of visitors from CIS,it was filled with guests from the GCC and also from upcoming markets likeIndia, China, Australia and Latin America.

‘New markets, high potential’

Alper Can BulcumCluster General Manager

Ramada Plaza JBR & Ramada Sharjah

JBR is one of the hot spots in Dubai offeringa variety of shopping choices, dining outlets,the beach and family-friendly activities soguests staying in this area have a wide rangeof choices for their holiday experience

� Additional markets ofChina, India, Australia andLatin America are beingdeveloped to ensure that high expectations for2015 are met

� JBR guests can enjoygreat views of the PalmJumeirah or Dubai Marinafrom their rooms

Ramada’s ME feast

Carlson Rezidor unveils 2 new Saudi hotelsCarlson Rezidor, has

announced the opening oftwo hotels in Saudi Arabia,increasing its presence in theKingdom to 25 hotels andmore than 4900 rooms inoperation and under develop­ment. Portfolio additions in

Saudi Arabia include,Radisson BluResort Jizan(150 rooms) and Park Inn byRadisson Hotel Dammam(90 rooms). Situated alongthe Red Sea coastline, theRadisson Blu Resort Jizan’stranquil beachfront location

is conveniently close tourban attractions. The 151room resort includes suitesdesigned for guests with spe­cific accessibility needs. The90­roomPark Inn byRadisson Hotel Damman iscentrally located on the city’s

Corniche Road and compris­es two meeting rooms, an all­day dining restaurant, alounge, as well as a wellnesscentre with spa and gym.,this conversion will be a typ­ically styled Park Inn byRadisson hotel.

AVIATION A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 5

CEBU will be the onlyPhilippines carrier flying

between these two cities, toserve more Filipino expats inthe Middle East. Its introduc-tory fares start at QAR88, forsale until March 22, 2015 oruntil seats last. These seatsale fares, which are up to95% lower than other airlines,are for travel from June 4 toDecember 31, 2015. After theseat sale, CEB’s lowest year-round fares between Manilaand Doha start at QAR688,which is approximately 50%lower than other airlines.

The non-stop servicedeparts Doha every

Tuesday andFriday at

4:15 am, arriving in Manila at6:35 pm. The return flightdeparts Manila every Mondayand Thursday at 9:35 pm,arriving in Doha at 2:45 amthe next day. “We are excited to offer Cebu Pacific’strademark low fares to trav-elers in Doha, especiallysince we are the only low-cost carrier operating thisroute. With our expandingnetwork, Qatar becomes

more accessible from thePhilippines, and the Filipinocommunity can reunite withtheir families more often,”said Alex Reyes, CEBGeneral Manager for Long-Haul Division.

The route will serve over260,000 Filipinos in Qatar,based on Philippine OverseasEmployment Administration

2009 stock estimates.

Qatar has the third-largest Filipino community inthe Middle East. CEB alreadyserves the other two key mar-kets for Filipino expats: UnitedArab Emirates via direct flightsto Dubai, and the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia via Riyadh. CEBis also the only airline flyingdirect between Manila and Kuwait.Reyes added, “It is CEB’s priority to maintain a strong presence in theregion, where we are able to reach and serve largeFilipino communities.”

The Philippines’ largest airline, Cebu Pacific Air (PSE:CEB) will start twiceweekly direct flights between Manila, Philippines and Doha, Qatar, from June4, 2015. The maiden Doha-Manila flight will take off on June 5, 2015.

Manila-Doha connected via Cebu

TT BU R E AU We are excited to offer Cebu Pacific’strademark low fares to travelers in Doha.With our expanding network, Qatar becomesmore accessible from the Philippines

Alex ReyesCEB General Manager, Long-Haul Division

� CEB’s 55-strong fleetcomprises 10 AirbusA319, 31 Airbus A320,6 Airbus A330 and 8ATR-72 500 aircraft

� Between 2015 and2021, Cebu Pacific willtake delivery of 7 morebrand-new Airbus A320and 30 Airbus A321neoaircraft

Quick Facts

Starwood pushes for‘Khibrati’ programme

Starwood Hotels & Resortsin Abu Dhabi has collaboratedwith Abu Dhabi Tourism andCulture Authority (TCA) onthe “Khibrati” programme. Itis aimed at nationalisation ofcareers in the hotel sector byproviding undergraduate stu­dents opportunities within thetourism industry through train­ing and part­time positions asthey continue their universitystudies. A Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU) wassigned between the two organ­isations in this regard.

Stuart Thomson,Regional Director of HumanResources ­ Middle East atStarwood Hotels & ResortsWorldwide, Inc., said, “Welook forward to our collabora­

tion with Abu Dhabi Tourismand Culture Authority on the“Khibrati” nationalisation pro­gramme. We will be workingalongside TCA to put togethera programme plan that wouldbest suit undergraduate stu­dents during their full­timestudies.

Specially tailored parttime jobs are being developedaimed at yielding rich experi­ences for the participants with one of the leading hospitality brands in the world,as well as motivating and edu­cating them about the hospi­tality industry.” The pro­gramme commenced onMarch 12, 2015 and will go on for a year, where it is upfor renewal.

SKYSCRAPER MULTIPLIESIt comes as a suprising fact that Dubai, which hadonly 1 skyscraper in 1990, now has over 400 ofthem illuminating the city.

FAMILY ALBUM6 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Once again, ITB Berlin: All-round successITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show closes its doors after thought-provoking discussion rounds and informative papers by familiar speakers from the international travel industry. Halls were fullybooked, with an increase in trade visitors and business.

Contd. on page 8

NTO A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 7

Professional conferenceorganisers (PCOs), des-

tination management com-panies (DMCs), conventionand visitor bureaus, venue

operators and exhibitionmanagement companieswere a part of the two dayseminar held from March 10-11, 2015. IAPCO has been providing educationand training for decades,

including 20 regional andnational seminars and 40editions of the IAPCO annualseminar in Switzerland.

"QTA hosts the IAPCORegional Seminar as it

believes the seminar will allowstakeholders from the privateand public sector to exchangeviews and discussions withdecision-makers and eventorganizers, thus providingthem with tips and information

about the latest trends andcurrent planning. That is thevital detailed organisationaland operational elements tomanage international associ-ation meetings," commentedHamad Al Abdan, Director ofExhibitions at QTA. "Theseminar is significantly usefulto all those who are involvedin the organisation of MICEevents, which eventually helps in building a successfuland sustainable tourismindustry," he added.

The event gathered pro-fessional conference organis-ers, destination managementcompanies and travel agen-cies, tourism entities, venueoperators, special venues andhotels, international associa-tions, exhibition managementcompanies, association man-agement companies, andevent management compa-

nies from the tourism andhospitality sector in Qatar.

The 2015 IAPCORegional Seminar in Qatarhighlighted the organisation'scommitment to be present indifferent regions around theworld conveying a messageon professionalism of theMICE world. The seminar was specifically structured to suit Qatari participants'desire for knowledge, trainingand best practices.

Qatar Tourism Authority recently hosted a Regional Seminar of InternationalAssociation of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) on ‘DeliveringProfessional Congress Organisation: Engaging All,’ to provide specialisedtraining for all those involved in the MICE industry.

IAPCO trains the MICE world

TT BU R E AU

QTA hosts the IAPCO Regional Seminar as itbelieves the seminar will allow stakeholdersfrom the private and public sector toexchange views and discussions withdecision-makers and event organizers

Hamad Al AbdanDirector of Exhibitions, QTA

� The seminar helped inbuilding successful andsustainable tourismindustry

� Provides stakeholderswith tips and informationabout the latest trendsand current planning

Training MICE

With the official saleslaunch at this year’sInternational TourismExchange (ITB) in Berlin,short and long­haul routes cannow be booked with newEurowings to fly fromOctober 25, 2015 onwards.Eurowings intercontinentalflights depart fromCologne/Bonn Airport. Thecheapest tickets on the long­haul routes are already onoffer from EUR 99.99 perroute. The first flight will takeoff to Dubai, the Caribbeanand Thailand. The newEurowings is building on thesuccessful German wingsconcept, which is positionedas a ‘low­cost’ brand andinnovative quality low­cost

airline in Germany andEurope. Based on this, theproduct portfolio is to expandthis successful concept, espe­cially in the segment of point­to­point connections on con­tinental and intercontinentalroutes oriented for private andbusiness travel. Under theumbrella of the Eurowingssales brand, the range ofEuropean and domestic routeswill be expanded with inter­continental city and holidaydestinations. From the winterflight plan 2015­16 onwards,the new route network willinclude Dubai, the Thai citiesof Bangkok and Phuket, aswell as the Caribbean destina­tions of Varadero, Bridgetownand Punta Cana.

New Eurowings set to takeoff to Dubai World Central

FAMILY ALBUM8 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

ITB Berlin: Indispensable podium for tourism Contd. from page 6

Members of this councilhave nominated Ahmad

Hussain Bin Essa, COO ofGlobal Village to be theExecutive Director ofMENALAC. The InternationalAssociation of AmusementParks and Attractions (IAAPA)

has agreed to provide supportfor the new council.

Leading companiesfrom the leisure, amusementand entertainment industry,which include representativesfrom Dubai Parks & Resorts ,The Global Village, Ilyas &Mustafa Galadari Group, TheAl Futtaim Group,

Amusement ServicesInternational (ASI) Group,Atlantis The Palm, UAE,Emaar Retail & Leisure LLC,Landmark Leisure, MAFLeisure & Entertainment LLC,Wild Wadi of the JumeirahGroup from the UAE, AbdulMohsen Al Hokair & SonsGroup and Al Othaim Leisure& Tourism Co., Saudi Arabia;

Seef Properties, Bahrain, andTamdeen Entertainment,Kuwait have come together toform MENALAC to promotebest practices in the amuse-ment and leisure businesswithin the MENA Region.

IAAPA held its board of directors meeting from the March 7- 11 along

with the IAAPA LeadershipConference 2015 in Dubai, toget a first-hand experience ofsome of the attractions inDubai and to learn moreabout the dramatic growthand development of the

leisure and attractions indus-try in the region.

Speaking on the occa-sion, Ahmad Hussain said,“There are many new devel-opments happening in theleisure and attractions indus-

try and therefore there is aglobal interest in how thisindustry will take shape incoming years. The potential ofthe industry depends on howthe players in the region sharetheir best practices as well as

emerging trends in the inter-est of consumers by offeringcompetitive solutions. This willallow us with an opportunity ofnot only developing newthemes but also to contribute

The leisure and attractions industry in the region has come together to form a council for the MENA region called Middle East & North Africa Leisure and Attractions Council (MENALAC) to promote best practices in the amusement and leisure business.

Now, MENA Leisure & Attractions Council

TT BU R E AU

The potential of the industry depends on howthe players in the region share their bestpractices as well as emerging trends in theinterest of consumers by offeringcompetitive solutions

Ahmad Hussain Bin EssaCOO, Global Village and nominated Executive Director MENALAC

The initiative aims topromote suchparameters bycreating awareness,education andformulating the bestpractices to befollowed

Prakash VivekanandManaging Director

ASI Group and foundermember of MENALAC

Contd. on page 14

Delegates at the launching platform of MENALAC

HOTELS A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 9

To make this project a real-ity, an agreement was

signed between Fred Durie,Chief Executive Officer ofNshama and Philippe Zuber,Chief Operating Officer ofEmaar Hospitality Group.

Vida Town SquareDubai will serve as a smarturban hub with 180 hotelrooms and serviced resi-

dences. It will be defined by itslocation overlooking the cen-tral park, the size of 16 football

fields and in easy access to aretail precinct spread over 2.5million sq ft with over 600

retail outlets and a dedicatedReel Cinemas Cineplex, edu-cational institutions, health-care facilities, cycling tracksand green walkways.

Fred Durie commented,"Vida Hotels and Resortsshares the same values asNshama in providing anunmatched lifestyle choicethat meets the requirementsof the new generation of tech-savvy youth and entrepre-

neurs. As the first hospitalityproject in Town Square, oursuburban downtown residen-tial destination Vida will bringpositive energy that comple-ments the aspirations of ourresidents to live life at theirprice. Through the partner-ship, we are focused on cre-ating a dynamic 'town square'that celebrates life and offersvalue across all touch points."

Philippe Zuber added,"In a short span of time, VidaHotels and Resorts has differ-entiated its credentials in thehospitality sector by creatinga new niche that challengesall industry norms. Vida is

approachable, the traits thatthe new generation values.Vida Town Square Dubai will

serve as a lively hub wherenew experiences are created.It also underlines the expan-sion of the brand, building its

credentials as the 'go-to' hos-pitality offering for the youngand trendy."

Going beyond traditionalhospitality, Vida Town SquareDubai will offer a remarkablefood and beverage choices.Vida Town Square Dubai willinclude a swimming pool,modern fitness facilities and adedicated spa. Vida Hotelsand Resorts has two proper-ties in its portfolio - VidaDowntown Dubai offering 156rooms and Manzil DowntownDubai, an upscale lifestyleboutique hotel.

Sprawling across 750 acres, Nshama, a private developer of lifestyle communities, has joined hands with Vida Hotels and Resorts to operate a lifestyle boutique Vida Hotel and Serviced Residences in Town Square, Dubai.

A smart urban hub@Vida Town SquareTT BU R E AU

� Vida Town Square Dubai will overlook the central park, thesize of 16 football fields and in easy access to retail precinctspread over 2.5 million sq ft with over 600 retail outlets anda dedicated Reel Cinemas Cineplex, educational institutions,healthcare facilities, cycling tracks and green walkways.

� Vida Town Square Dubai will include a swimming pool,modern fitness facilities and a dedicated spa

Luxury lifestyles

(L-R): Philippe Zuber, Chief Operating Officer of Emaar Hospitality Group andFred Durie, Chief Executive Officer of Nshama

Vida Town Square Dubai will serve as a livelyhub where new experiences are created. Italso underlines the expansion of the brand,building its credentials as the 'go-to'hospitality offering for the young and trendy

Philippe ZuberChief Operating Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group

As the first hospitality project in TownSquare, our suburban downtown residentialdestination Vida will bring positive energythat complement the aspirations of ourresidents to live life at their price

Fred DurieChief Executive Officer of Nshama

INTERVIEW1 0 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Astrategically important nation inthe Caucasus, Azerbaijan has

imbibed the cultural ethos of ancienthistorical empires including Russian,Turkish and Persian. Located on thecrossroads between Europe andAsia, Azerbaijan is a land of rich cul-tural and historical heritage.Azerbaijan has incredible diversity tooffer, as on one hand, its capital Bakuis a dynamic town with all trappingsof a cosmopolitan lifestyle, on theother, there is a picturesque country-side where one finds undisturbed,vast lands of Azeri culture and one ofEurasia's best-kept scenery secrets.

With high-end tourism infra-structure, unique tourism attractionslike Gobustan, mud volcanoes, burning mountain and proximity and flight connectivity from GCCcountries, Azerbaijan is a great des-tination for tourism.

QAzerbaijan hasbecome one of the

most importantdestinations forconferences in CentralAsia. How has this

facilitated tourism in theregion?

Azerbaijan’s unique location atthe crossroads of East and West andits rich historical and cultural heritagecombined with modern infrastructureand heartfelt hospitality all positivelycontribute to its appeal as a destina-tion. Along with excellent air acces-sibility, world class conference facili-ties and high quality hotels to accom-modate events of different size andscale, unique dining venues andauthentic on-site activities Azerbaijanhas become an ideal destination forconferences in Central Asia.

QWhat are the mostprominent

conferences and eventsorganised in Azerbaijan?What’s their annualgrowth rate?

Azerbaijan welcomes a largenumber of exhibitors every year andevent organisers have forecast 15per cent growth of their exhibitions inthe region. We are proud to host TheFirst European Olympic Games thissummer from June 12 to 28 in Baku,involving more than 6,000 athletes

from the National Olympic

Committees of Europe. This event isexpected to be the largest sportingevent in Azerbaijan’s history. Baku has also been elected as thehost city of The Islamic SolidarityGames in 2017.

QWhat are the maintourist destinations

in Azerbaijan? Pleaseshare some insightsregarding hotel, leisureand business centersoptions available in themajor cities?

The capital of Azerbaijan –Baku, is the largest city of Azerbaijan,as well as the largest city on theCaspian Sea and of the Caucasusregion. A walking tour of the OldTown 'Icheri Shekher' shows the tra-ditions of Azerbaijan. Many ancientarchitectural treasures still stand tallsuch as the Maiden Tower andPalace of the Shirvanshahs in thewalled City of Baku. Gabala, which isalso called the "AzerbaijaniSwitzerland", is considered a populartourist destination as it combinesgood climate, natural beauty andmodern infrastructure. The otherfamous cities of Azerbaijan include

Nakhchivan, Lankaran, Ganja,Naftalan, and Sheki.

QWhat is the preferredmode of transport to

Baku for the majority oftourists?

Improved connectivity givesAzerbaijani-based businessesgreater access to foreign markets,encouraging exports, and at thesame time increases competition andchoice in the home market from for-

eign-based producers. PreferredMode of transport is air travel.Travellers from GCC could arriveBaku in less than 2 hours 30 minutes.Azerbaijan Airline, flydubai and QatarAirways have direct flights to Bakufrom Dubai and Doha. EtihadAirways will be commencing theirflight to Baku from mid of this year.

QPlease share theapproximate number

of tourists who visitedAzerbaijan in 2014.

With the support ofGovernment of Azerbaijan, Ministryof Culture and Tourism andAzerbaijan Tourism Association,every year the expected number oftourists is growing by 8 per cent. Weexpect 3 million tourists in 2015.

QAre the promotionalinitiatives undertaken

by Azerbaijangovernment, to promotetourism conferences,targeted directly atbusinessmen from UAEand Gulf region?

Azerbaijan Government recent-ly started a bureau called AzerbaijanConventional Bureau which intendsto promote business related activi-ties. Azerbaijan is a country with awide range of investment opportuni-ties and is undoubtedly one of themost attractive destinations for for-eign direct investments (FDI) in theregion. Within the past 15 years,more than USD 100 billion wereinvested in the Azerbaijani economy,of which more than a half was invest-ed by foreign businesses. We believethere are a number of key positive

factors behind our success in attracting FDI including political sta-bility, rapid economic development,presence of abundant resources and a favorable location on the crossroads of Eurasia.

QDo the tourismprograms suit the

requirements of theresidents of the UAE andGulf region?

Yes, the representation office ofthe Ministry of Culture and Tourismof the Republic of Azerbaijan forGCC Countries designs packagesand campaigns to promoteAzerbaijan Tourism. AtlantisHolidays, a prominent Travel man-agement company in UAE, is theappointed representation office forthe region. We welcome and supportevery initiative to make Azerbaijandestination a preferable tourism spotfor GCC travellers.

TT BU R E AU

Sharing a few insights on the tourism potential of Azerbaijan, Dayana Persan, the representative of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan in UAE, highlighted the reasons that make the country, a great tourism destination for the Gulf region...

Azerbaijan: Incredible diversity to offer

With the support of Government ofAzerbaijan, Ministry of Culture andTourism and Azerbaijan TourismAssociation, every year the expected

number of tourists is growing by 8 percent. We expect 3 milliontourists in 2015

� Azerbaijan welcomes a largenumber of exhibitors every year

� Event organisers have forecast15 per cent growth of theirexhibitions in the region

� It is proud to host The FirstEuropean Olympic Games thissummer from June 12 to 28 inBaku, involving more than6,000 athletes from the NationalOlympic Committees of Europe

� This event is expected to be thelargest spor ting event inAzerbaijan’s history. Baku hasalso been elected as the hostcity of The Islamic SolidarityGames in 2017

Sports Destination

Dayana Persan, the representative of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republicof Azerbaijan in UAE

Old and New City Baku

Jumeirah Group hassigned a managementagreement with TargetsInvestment TurizmIsletmeleri AS to operate aluxury hotel in Bodrum onTurkey’s Aegean coast.

Following the signing ofthe agreement, the hotel,formerly known as theGolden Savoy will be oper­ated under the Jumeirahbrand as Jumeirah BodrumPalace Hotel, Turkey with

an official opening sched­uled for May 1, 2015. Thehotel is situated approxi­mately 10 minutes fromBodrum city centre, nestledin the natural beauty ofZeytinlikahve Cove, and 20

minutes from BodrumInternational Airport.Tourist arrivals in Turkeyduring 2014 exceeded 40million, of which 4.3 mil­lion visited Bodrum. Afterthe opening of this hotel,

the Jumeirah Group portfo­lio will consist of 23 hotels ranging from theflagship Burj Al Arab inDubai to iconic propertiesin London, Frankfurt,Mallorca, Rome, Istanbul,

Baku, Dubai, Abu Dhabi,Kuwait, the Maldives andShanghai. The company hasa further 26 hotels undercontract or in developmentin the Middle East, Asiaand Europe.

Jumeirah’s second hotel to open in Turkey on May 1

NTO A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 1 1

Egyptian exhibitors show-casing their products at

ATM 2015 include EgyptExpress Travel, Al-TayyarTravel Group, Dana Tours and Standard Tours Online,supported by internationalhotel chains.

“The country registereda 4.5 per cent increase ininbound tourist numbers in2014, with 10 million arrivalscompared to 9.55 million in2013. Tourism revenues alsorose year-on-year by 23.6 percent, an increase of US$7.5billion, up from US$5.9 billion in 2013,” informedHisham Zaazou, TourismMinister, Egypt.

Tourism spend is alsoon the increase with Zaazouconfirming that the averageamount spent per tourist pernight rose from US$72 to

US$80.1 during H2 2014, andthis is good news for tourismdevelopment, with MEED

Intelligence noting US$5,268million-worth of investment inthe country's current top 10list of projects.

This is led by theUS$1,653 million Emaar MisrMarassi Beach Resort project.Emaar Misr is also developingthe US$820 million Cairo GateMall Outside Cairo, Luxor willhave a US$120 million FourSeasons Hotel while MarsaAlam will be home to TabarakHolding's US$150 millionFantasia Resort. According tothe MEED data, the line-up ofprojects planned or underwayin Egypt includes a total ofnine hotels and resorts and

seven malls/shopping centres.Nevertheless the transition toonline is already happeningwith 41 per cent of Egypt'sleisure travellers booking morethan half their trips online overthe last 12 months, as perYouGov findings.

Egypt also has a well-established all-inclusiveleisure tourism product andthis is proving to have highappeal to Egyptian travellerswith 76 per cent likely to con-sider booking an all-inclusiveluxury package, a figure even higher than that ofrespondents in the UAE and Kuwait.

Egypt's resurgent tourism sector registered 23.6% increase in revenues in2014. Allied with its unrivaled heritage, ancient tombs and pyramids, Egypt will showcase its new tourism projects worth US$ 5.3 at ATM 2015.

Egypts’ new projects@ATM

SU S M I TA GH O S H

Egypt registered a4.5% increase ininbound touristnumbers in 2014,with 10 millionarrivals compared to9.55 million in 2013 � Tourism spend is also on the increase with Zaazou confirming

that the average amount spent per tourist per night rose fromUS$72 to US$80.1 during H2 2014

� This is good news for tourism development, with MEEDIntelligence noting US$5,268 million-worth of investment inthe country's current top 10 list of projects

Tourism spending increase

Hisham ZaazouTourism MinisterEgypt Destinia.com starts

Pay@Home service for ME

Hilton Worldwide hasannounced the signing of threenew Hilton Garden Inn hotelsfor Dubai and the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia (KSA) adding tothe mid­market brand's port­folio of more than ten hotels.Hilton Garden Inn Dubai AlJadaf is expected to open inearly 2017, following the sign­ing of a management agree­ment with AIG Investments.Strategically located for easeof access to Downtown Dubai,as well as Dubai InternationalAirport (DXB), Al Jadaf is

emerging as a major growtharea in the Emirate. HiltonGarden Inn Dubai Al Jadafwill feature 336 guest rooms;two F&B outlets; flexiblemeeting space; as well as busi­ness and fitness centers. HiltonGarden Inn Al Ahsa is expect­ed to open in 2016 as part of amanagement agreement withAl Jazeera Group. Featuring166 guest rooms, the hotel islocated within the downtownarea of the city, with easy connections to Riyadh and Damman.

Hilton’s Garden Inn Al Ahsa to open in 2016

Destinia.com the onlinetravel agency has announcedthat Pay@Home service, aninnovative payment makingsystem, to be available forusers in the Middle East. Theagency has introduced a homepayment collection service tothe Middle East market as partof their commitment to pro­viding bespoke services to

Middle East travellers. Thepay­at home allows users tomake their flight and hotelreservations from the comfortof their homes throughDestinia.com, after which acourier will visit their regis­tered location. This service isnow available in the UAE and KSA for payments inlocal currencies.

FAMILY ALBUM1 2 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Greece welcomes GCC residentsThe 2nd Greek Deluxe Travel Roadshow aimed at increasing the awareness of Greece as a deluxe travel destination in the UAE, by educating local trade professionals. It provided the basis for business to business cooperation between participating Greek and UAE tourism companies.

TECHNOLOGY A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 1 3

The renewal providesDadabhai Travel with con-

tinued access to Sabre’s port-folio of innovative technologyacross the region, including itsindustry-leading Sabre RedWorkspace agency solution:Sabre Red App Centre, theworld’s first B2B online travel

app market place, and the lat-est mobile, data analytics,personalisation and automa-tion capabilities.

Using this technology,Dadabhai Travel is able to dif-ferentiate its offering, competemore effectively and grow

faster in the region. It also fulfills its commitment to enrich the customer experience through unrivalledservice levels.

Daniel M. Naoumovitch,CEO, STNME informed,“Dadabhai Travel, one ofSabre’s most valued cus-tomers, is rapidly growing and

branching out frombeing a Bahrain-based travelagency to a strongregional player. Astheir long-standingtechnology partner,we understandtheir needs, oppor-tunities and chal-

lenges and we will provide the latest technology and consultation to help them scale and expand their business. It’s an excitingcollaboration and we look for-ward to helping them shapethe future of travel in theMiddle East.”

According to DadabhaiTravel, Sabre listens to theirneeds, understands chal-lenges, and designs products

that help do their job efficient-ly. Sabre is an innovative,trusted and vital supplier forDadabhai Travel and theyhave become more competi-tive in the market with theirsupport. Their leadership inemerging technologies likemobile, personalisation anddata will play a critical role inhelping Dadabhai Travel,achieve expansion plans.

Dadabhai Travel has renewed its contract with Sabre Travel Network MiddleEast (STNME). gives more details on renewed agreement…

Dadabhai Travel & Sabre together

TT BU R E AU

It’s an excitingcollaboration andwe look forwardto helping themshape the futureof travel in theMiddle East

� Sabre is an innovative,trusted and vital supplierfor Dadabhai Travel andthey have become morecompetitive in themarket with theirsupport

� Their leadership inemerging technologieslike mobile, persona-lisation and data will playa critical role in helpingDadabhai Travel, achieveexpansion plans

2 for Tango

Daniel M. NaoumovitchCEOSTNME

The 12th edition of AbuDhabi Festival, organised bythe Abu Dhabi Music & ArtsFoundation (ADMAF), com­menced on March 3, 2015.The largest cultural festivalin the Arabian Gulf brings tothe UAE a spectacularmonth­long program of con­certs, performances andworkshops. Based on thisyear’s theme “Idea: The Seedof Invention” and in celebra­tion of Italy as the 2015Country of Honor, the festi­

val is designed to create anatmosphere of enquiry,exchange and cultural appre­ciation. The festival, conclud­ing on April 2, 2015, bringstogether the largest represen­tation of Emirati artists,musicians, filmmakers, poetsand creative minds in the his­tory of the Abu DhabiFestival with over 100 partic­ipating citizens set to take tothe stages, screens, platformsand exhibition spaces across the UAE.

Abu Dhabi Festival 2015begins from March 3

Guest numbers up by5.6% in Dubai hotels

Dubai’s hotel establish­ments welcomed 11,629,578guests in 2014, registering a5.6 per cent increase on2013’s total. Figures releasedtoday by Dubai’s Departmentof Tourism and CommerceMarketing (DTCM) showsteady year­on­year growthand significant increasesacross key indicators includ­ing hotel establishment rev­

enues and guest nights. Thefigures for 2014 indicate thatDubai is continuing to main­tain growth at a sustainablelevel, while also growing itsportfolio of hotels and hotelapartment establishments,thus taking another step closerto achieving its TourismVision for 2020, which aimsto welcome 20 million visitorsa year by 2020.

NEWS1 4 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

The Airbus A320 Tehranservice, which started in

December 2006, provides136 seats each way in a twocabin configuration, with 16Business Class seats and 120Economy Class seats.Adding 1,088 new seats perweek to the route, the addi-tional Tehran flights will enableEtihad Airways to provide itsguests with more choice andgreater flexibility when travel-ling between Abu Dhabi andTehran. Daily Tehran flightoperations will allow theIranian capital to gain two-wayconnectivity to almost 50 mar-kets on Etihad Airways’ globalnetwork.

The new schedule willestablish important daily con-

nections to key mar-kets in the United

States,including

New York, Washington DC,Dallas/Fort Worth, and LosAngeles, which is home to theworld’s largest Iranian diaspo-ra. In addition to the US cities,the Tehran flights will connect

with destinations on the air-line’s network across the Gulfregion, Africa, Asia andAustralia. The increase todaily is the first step in EtihadAirways’ phased networkexpansion to Iran. KevinKnight, Etihad Airways’ ChiefStrategy and Planning Officer,said, “We have been keen toincrease the Tehran service todaily operations for some timeand we’re delighted to makethat move now ahead of thesummer season.

“The expanded sched-ule will increase travel optionsfor Iranian passengers visitingthe UAE, as well as thosewishing to access Etihad

Airways’ global flight network,particularly cities like LosAngeles and others in theUnited States.”

Passengers on allEtihad Airways flights to theUS, which includes Chicago,Dallas-Fort Worth, LosAngeles, San Francisco,New York JFK, andWashington DC, areprocessed through US pre-clearance at Abu Dhabi air-port. This means those pas-sengers flying from Tehranpass through all requiredchecks including US cus-toms, immigration and secu-rity conveniently while in AbuDhabi before they boardtheir flight, enabling them toavoid queues on arrival inthe US and arrive as domes-tic passengers.

The self-service APCkiosks expedite the US entryprocess for American,Canadian, and eligible visawaiver program internationaltravellers, by providing anautomated process throughUS pre-clearance’s primaryinspection area.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), willincrease its flights between Abu Dhabi and Tehran, the capital of Iran, fromthree flights a week to a daily service, beginning April 15, 2015.

Etihad daily to Abu Dhabi-Tehran

TT BU R E AU

Kevin KnightChief Strategy and Planning OfficerEtihad Airways’

Daily Tehran flight operations will allowthe Iranian capital to gain two-wayconnectivity to almost 50 markets onEtihad Airways’ global network

to the development of theeconomy.”

According to theThemed EntertainmentAssociation (TEA Index 2013),Asia has led the pack at 7.5per cent growth annually.Ahmad Hussain added, “Wealso feel privileged that IAAPAhas taken keen interest in pro-moting this platform for mutualbenefits of all interested par-ties and I am certain that thiscouncil will provide us tremen-dous opportunity for network-ing and in providing insights totake the industry to the nextleague of growth together.”

“With several new proj-ects due for completion in thecoming years, the Leisure &Entertainment landscape willchange phenomenally. Withsuch a growth, we have toemphasize on the need tomaintain the highest safetyand operating standards with-in these developments. TheMENALAC initiative aims topromote such parameters bycreating awareness, educationand formulating the best prac-tices to be followed. Theresponse we have received sofar towards the MENALAC ini-

tiative from various LeisureOperations across the MENAregion has been very encour-aging. I am indeed verypleased to be a foundingmember of this wonderfulindustry initiative,” said Mr.Prakash Vivekanand, theManaging Director of ASIGroup and a founder memberof MENALAC.

IAAPA President andCEO Paul Noland added,“IAAPA has provided professional training anddevelopment programs for ourmembers in the Middle Eastsince 2008. We areimpressed by what we have seen and heard here this week and we are committed to supporting the region’s leaders inMENALAC as they establishtheir organisation.”

Platform for leisure& adventure sector Contd. from page 8

Ties between China andthe UAE continue to grow,

driven partly by Dubai’s flour-ishing 200,000-strongChinese community as well asthe surge in China-Dubaitrade, which in the first ninemonths of 2014 rose 27 percent to US$ 34.3 billion, mov-ing China ahead of India tobecome the emirate’s numberone trade partner.

To be held from May 8-15, 2015, the exhibition, aFalcon and Associates initia-tive in partnership withDubai’s Department ofTourism and CommerceMarketing (DTCM) of Dubai,Dubai International FinancialCentre (DIFC), Dubai Expo2020, Emirates Airline, Jebel

Ali Free Zone (Jafza),Jumeirah Group and Dubai’s

Knowledge and HumanDevelopment Authority(KHDA), will bring to life Dubai’s remarkabletransformation from ahumble fishing village just over 40 years ago into a global city of opportunity.

Staged at TheOrange in Sanlitun Village,the event - also in cooper-ation with the ChinesePeople's Association forFriendship with ForeignCountries (CPAFFC) - willprovide Chinese govern-ment officials, andthought leaders, animmersive experience ofDubai, highlighting thepioneering spirit of the

emirate and the unprecedent-ed opportunities it presents

China across business,tourism, culture and lifestyle.

“The relationshipbetween the UAE and Chinais going from strength tostrength, our collective effortsplaying an ever-increasingrole in each nation’s economicdevelopment, illustrated inpart by China becoming the

UAE’s leading trade partner,”says Her Excellency ReemAl Hashimy, UAE Minister ofState and Honorary Presidentof Falcon and Associates.“The UAE serves as a gate-way of opportunity for Chinainto the Middle East, Africa,Europe and beyond. It is ourgoal that Dubai Week in Chinawill provide a platform to dis-

cuss new opportunities, aswell as stimulate greater lev-els of mutual understanding,and cultural and economicexchange, bringing us evencloser together.”

“It is a great pleasure forCPAFFC to work with Falconand jointly hold Dubai Week inChina this May in Beijing,”says JiYongjun, DeputyDirector-General of theDepartment of American and Oceanian Affairs, ofCPAFFC.“It will present thesplendid history and culture of Dubai to Chinese peopleand deepen mutual under-standing. We sincerely hopethat our cooperation withDubai will be sustainable and enable us to share the same goals and achievebetter success.”

Dubai Week in China from May 8-15, 2015 will celebrate growing ties and showcase the opportunities Dubai presentsChina across business, tourism, culture and lifestyle.

Building bridges with Dubai Week in Beijing

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� The MENALAC initiativeaims to promote theneed to maintain thehighest safety andoperating standards bycreating awareness,education andformulating the bestpractices to be followed

Aiming High

His Excellency Tang Weibin, Consul Generalof the People's Republic of China in Dubaiwith Hongbin Cong, MD, Invest Dubai,Falcon and Associates

FAMILY ALBUM A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 1 5

Saudi Arabia’s US$11.6 bil-lion worth of tourism proj-

ects currently underway in thecountry will underscore thestrength of the industry as the country looks to build

on domestic and religioustourism totaling an estimatedUS$ 45.3 billion at this year’s Arabian Travel Market(ATM) 2015.

Saudi Arabia’s presenceat this year’s show will bespread across more than1,400 sq m of exhibition floorspace with 15 participatingcompanies already confirmedincluding Unique Choice, Al

Khozama Management Co.,Rosewood Hotels & Resorts,E Travel Gate, SaudiCommission for Tourism &

Antiquities, Flynas, Al HokairGroup and Yrbooking.com.

“If we look just at theKingdom’s list of top 10tourism and hospitality proj-ects, almost US$11.6 billion isbeing invested into supportingthe country’s economic diver-sification plans, and our part-ners on the ground are eagerto discuss how this year’sATM can showcase sectorgrowth to more than 33,000expected participants,” saysNadege Noblet, ExhibitionManager of Arabian TravelMarket, WTM Portfolio, ReedTravel Exhibitions

According to new MEEDintelligence data, SaudiArabia is capitalising on bothnew business and leisuretourism opportunities with 55planned or under-develop-

Riyadh planned and underway projects tally rises to 55with top ten developments valued at almost US$11.6billion; Saudi businesses to showcase wares on 1,4000sq m of exhibition floor space.

Good days for Saudi Tourism

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Almost US$11.6billion is beinginvested intosupporting thekingdom's economicdiversification plans

Nadege NobletExhibition Manager Arabian Travel Market, WTM Portfolio

Amadeus Gulf hosts Technology Show 2015

Contd. on page 19

The event launched a solution “Amadeus Travel Wizard’ and the portfolio of Amadeus cutting-edge technologysolutions was also displayed during the event.

STATISTICS1 6 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Abu Dhabi's cruise business plays a crucial part in the development of the Emirate’s tourism industry. It establishesto be one of the main pillars of Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.

Abu Dhabi, world-class cruise line destination

GCC Pax till Jan 2015 from September

Nationality Breakdown Q4 2014 Cruise CapacityPassenger Capacity

Length overall/Meter

CruiseLiners

Costa Serena

MSC Orchestra

Queen Mary 2

53% Growth in passengers number January2015 on January 2014

2903,700

2953,200

2,600 345

AVIATION A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 1 7

The two events will be heldunder the patronage of

His Highness SheikhAhmed bin Saeed AlMaktoum, President of DubaiCivil Aviation Authority(DCAA), Chairman of DubaiAirports and Chairman andChief Executive of EmiratesAirline and Group.

The Middle East region isone of the foremost contribu-tors to the global passengerand cargo air traffic. ‘Aviationcan rise when governmentsfully support the industry andunderstand its potential as apowerful driver of social andeconomic progress,’ remarkedthe chief of global airportsoperators’ body. The industryveteran said the progress thatDubai has made over the yearsto become the world-class cen-tre of aviation was ‘trulyremarkable’ and ‘exemplary’.

His Highness SheikhAhmed informed, "The impor-tance of airports as globaltravel hubs has been growing.In Dubai, the massive airportexpansions are needed toaccommodate the growth inair traffic and airport develop-ment continues to play astrategic role in our futuregrowth agenda. The huge andconsistent aviation invest-ments will have a positiveimpact not just for Dubai alonebut for the UAE, Gulf regionand the world."

"Preliminary statistics for2014 indicate total worldwidepassenger traffic of 6.6 billion,so we're talking about nearlydoubling worldwide traffic overthe next decade and a half.The airports handled 100 mil-lion metric tonnes of cargoand 83 million aircraft move-ments," informed AngelaGittens, Director General ofAirports Council International

(ACI) which has 591 mem-bers operating more than1861 airports in 177 coun-tries. “The annual passenger

traffic growth globally wasexpected to average 4.1 percent annually to 2031 to reach12 billion,” she further stated.

“The Air TransportAction Group's (ATAG) latestfigures indicate that airportssupport over five million jobsworldwide, making them vitalelements of their localeconomies. When we consid-er aviation in general, this

number balloons to 58.1 million jobs worldwide. Aviation is a strong enabler ofthe global economy, repre-

senting 3.4 per cent of globalGDP,” she added.

Khalifa Al Zaffin,Executive Chairman of DubaiAviation City Corporationwhich is developing the DubaiWorld Central (DWC), said theMiddle East, particularly theGCC, enjoys a natural affinityto the aviation industry. Theregion owns some of theworld's fastest growing air-

lines and most active airports.The fact that Middle East avi-ation supported, directly andindirectly - nearly two millionjobs and contributed US$116billion in terms of GDP in2012, is a fair indicator of theindustry's forward march inour region.

The UAE airports han-dled over 101 million passen-gers in 2014 with Dubai takingthe major share of about 71million passengers followedby Abu Dhabi with 20 million passengers.

Global Airport Leaders' Forum (GALF) will be held in Dubai on May 11 and 12. The third edition of GALF will becollocated with the 15th edition of Airport Show at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).

Aviation for socio-economic progress

SU S M I TA GH O S H

� The UAE airpor tshandled over 101 millionpassengers in 2014

� Dubai takes the majorshare of about 71 millionpassengers followed byAbu Dhabi with 20million passengers

Hall of fame

In Dubai, the massiveairport expansionsare needed toaccommodate thegrowth in air trafficand airportdevelopmentcontinues to play astrategic role in ourfuture growth agenda

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al MaktoumPresident, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA)

Preliminary statistics for 2014 indicate totalworldwide passenger traffic of 6.6 billion, sowe're talking about nearly doubling worldwidetraffic over the next decade and a half

Angela GittensDirector General, Airports Council International (ACI)

With this introduction AirArabia now connects

the passengers fromAhmedabad, Bangalore,Calicut, Chennai, Coimbatore,Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad,Jaipur, Kochi, Mumbai,Nagpur and Thiruvanan-tha-puram to Tbilisi, Georgia. Air

Arabia offers bi-weekly flightsto Tbilisi. These flights willdepart Sharjah InternationalAirport every Tuesday andFriday at 1 PM and will arriveat Tbilisi (Tbilisi InternationalAirport- TBS) at 4:30 PM.Return flights will depart Tbilisiat 5:15 PM arriving at Sharjahat 8:20 PM (local time). Thisnew flight destination isundoubtedly going to add

value to all Air Arabia passen-gers traveling to and fromIndia. Situated on the swiftMtkvaririver and being thelargest city of Georgia, Tbilisibrims with culture and history.It is also a modern city that isstrategically located on important east-west traderoutes positioning itself as anintegral transit route in south-east Europe.

Air Arabia has recently introduced a new destination toits growing network, Tbilisi, at the heart of the SouthCaucasus country of Georgia from the carrier’s primaryhub in Sharjah, UAE.

South Caucasus on Air Arabia!

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� Air Arabia (PJSC), is the MENA region's leading low-cost carrier (LCC).

� Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 � Currently operates a total fleet of 40 new Airbus A320

aircraft, serving some 100 routes from four hubs inthe UAE, Morocco and Egypt.

Quick Facts

CRUISES1 8 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

The busiest week wasJanuary 25-31, 2015 with

ten ships in port. For the firsttime in its history, Mina Rashidtwice catered to five cruiseships at the same time, on Jan10 and 31 representing approx-imately 50,000 cruise tourists.

The Cruise TourismDepartment arranged for agrand ceremony to welcomethese international touristswith live band performancesas well as entertainmentevents for all ages.

Hamad bin Mejren,Executive Director, DubaiTourism, informed, “Januarywas a busy month for Dubai’s

cruise industry and we’vereached some real milestonesand made significant progresstowards our targets. In 2014,Dubai received 358,000 pas-sengers from 94 cruise shipcalls and the forecast for 2015stands at 425,000 cruisetourists from 115 ship calls.With the total figure for

January 2015 alone at150,000 visitors, we’re confi-dent that our 2015 target isachievable.” “The new ter-minal has enabled us towelcome even moreships than we’ve beenable to in the past and thiswill have a significant impacton our cruise visitor figures,”Mejren further commented.Inaugurated on Dec 11,

2014, The Hamdan binMohammed Cruise Terminal,is the world’s largest and mostmodern covered cruise facility.It enables Mina Rashid tohandle complete passengerturnaround of five cruise ves-

sels simultaneous-ly,

accounting for more than25,000 passengers.

Dubai’s cruise offeringfeatures regular sailings out ofthe emirate, including five-,seven- and 14-night itinerariesin the Gulf, while internationalcruise itineraries also set offfrom Dubai. Cruises fromDubai can be booked via thecruise line websites orthrough numerous leadingtravel agents in UAE.

The cruise terminals in Mina Rashid greeted over 30 ship calls, bringing over 150,000 cruise tourists to the Emirate in just one month, including 26 hub ship calls from four cruise lines.

Cruise tourism hits new heights

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� Inaugurated on Dec 11,2014, The Hamdan binMohammed CruiseTerminal, is the world’slargest and mostmodern covered cruise facility

� It enables Mina Rashidto handle completepassenger turnaround of five cruise vessels simultaneously,accounting for morethan 25,000 passengers

Cruising Glory

Hamad bin MejrenExecutive DirectorDubai Tourism

In 2014, Dubai received 358,000passengers from 94 cruise ship calls andthe forecast for 2015 stands at 425,000cruise tourists from 115 ship calls

Dnata has announced thatit has signed an agreement topurchase a majority stake inImagine Cruising, one of theUK's leading cruises and stayholiday distributors withexpertise in both the touroperating and retailing ofcruise. "Imagine Cruising is akey distributor of cruise prod­ucts around the world. Theaddition of the company to the dnata portfolio addsexpertise in the growingcruise sector, strengtheningour position as an internation­al leader in travel services,"said Iain Andrew, DivisionalSenior Vice President of dnata's travel business.

"The partnershipbetween Imagine Cruisingand dnata will support thedevelopment of both busi­nesses," said Robin Deller,Managing Director, ImagineCruising. "Dnata's recentinternational growth high­lights its commitment to thetravel industry around theworld. Each business and itscustomers will benefit fromenhanced products and serv­ices, and the expertise eachorganization brings." Based in

Swindon, UK, with officesalso in Cape Town, SouthAfrica, Imagine Cruising pro­vides passengers with a rangeof cruise options around theworld. Globally, the cruisesector is one of the fastestgrowing within the travelindustry. This year, more than23 million travellers world­wide will choose cruising.

Dnata to purchase majoritystake in Imagine Cruising

The new building will beofficially launched and

operational at the end of2015, in time for the next excit-ing cruise season. Abu DhabiPorts is also developinganother infrastructure projectto support the growing cruise industry. The newbeach stopover for cruisetourists on Sir Bani Yas Islandwill be the very first of its kindin the region.

"Abu Dhabi'scruise businesshas been grow-ing continu-

ously ever since the first cruisevessels called at Zayed Port.With the new cruise terminalbuilding and the new islandstopover on Sir Bani Yas Island,we will significantly enhancethe visitor experience andboost Abu Dhabi's status as aworld-class cruise line destina-

tion," informedCapt. Mohamed

Juma Al Shamisi,CEO, Abu Dhabi

Ports.

With the Costa Serena,AIDAaura, MSC Orchestraand MS Balmoral, Zayed Portsaw four new vessels visitingthe Emirate for the first time.The four "maiden callers"arrived in November,December and January andadded to the increasing

number of cruise ships visiting the Emirate as part of a tour through the Middle East, linking AbuDhabi with places like Dubai,

Bahrain, Muscat, Khorfakkanand Khasab.

The biggest cruise linersof the season in terms of pas-senger capacity were theCosta Serena which has acapacity for 3,700 passen-gers, MSC Orchestra whichcan carry up to 3,200 passen-gers and Queen Mary 2 whichcan accommodate a total of2,600 passengers.

"This is also supportedby the fact that cruise lineoperators have been sendingnewer, bigger and moreadvanced vessels to theMiddle East, including AbuDhabi, over the past years.Next season, we are expect-ing the AIDAprima, one of thenext generations of 3,250 pas-senger 'club ships' for AIDACruises. The AIDAprima is the

newest and largest ship everbuilt for the German cruiseline," added Al Shamisi.

"The response fromcruise line operators to ourenhanced service offerings isphenomenal and we look for-ward, taking Abu Dhabi'scruise business to the nextlevel. We have received poten-tial feedback from cruise pas-sengers and are very confi-dent about Abu Dhabi's futureas the next big cruise hub inthe region," further comment-ed Al Shamisi. The growingattraction of the Middle Eastto cruise tourists is especiallyvisible in Europe and theUnited Kingdom.

While the cruise season2013/2014 saw around125,000 passengers and 75vessels visiting Abu Dhabi,

the current season has beenthe busiest ever with around185,000 expected passen-gers with an increase of 48per cent and 94 confirmedvessels calls. This season, 15cruise ships from ten cruiseliners will have called at ZayedPort, most of them on a weekly basis. The list of recur-rent visits is headed by MeinSchiff 2 and AIDAdiva, fol-lowed by Costa NeoRivieraand Costa Serena.

The development of tourism in the emirate is one of the main objectives of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.Abu Dhabi's cruise business plays a crucial part in this development. To support this growth, in 2014, Abu Dhabi Ports commissioned a new permanent cruise terminal building.

Promising future for Abu Dhabi's cruise biz

SU S M I TA GH O S H

With the building and the new island stopover,we will significantly enhance the visitorexperience and boost Abu Dhabi's status as aworld-class cruise line destination

Capt. Mohamed Juma Al ShamisiCEO, Abu Dhabi Ports � With the Costa Serena,

AIDAaura, MSC Orchestraand MS Balmoral, ZayedPort saw four newvessels visiting theEmirate for the first time

� In terms of capacity theCosta Serena scored bigwith 3,700 passengers

Ports & more...

The addition ofthe company tothe dnataportfolio addsexpertise in the growingcruise sector

Iain AndrewDivisional Senior Vice Presidentdnata 's travel business

AVIATION A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 1 9

“The ‘Kids Fly Free’ pro-motion is valid from

March 15-April 15, 2015 forone month only and providesevery adult who purchases aSeawings Silver Creek or

Silver World package flightticket with one additional com-plimentary ticket for a child 11years and below to fly withthem on the same flight forfree,” informed ColinDarmanin, General Manager,Seawings. With panoramicaerial views of Burj Al Arab

hotel, the world’s tallestbuilding, The Burj Khalifa, themanmade marvels of thePalm Jebal Ali and Jumeirah,The World islands, andcharms old Dubai’s creekand surrounds, both resi-dents and visitors to Dubai

are able to experience thebest that Dubai has to offeras never before.

The Silver Creek pack-age includes round trips thattake off and land on the DubaiCreek before taking a scenicflight over iconic landmarks

like Port Rashid, Burj Khalifa,Deira Clock Tower, DowntownDubai, Palm Jumeirah, WorldIslands, Burj Al Arab and

more, costs AED 1,595 perperson.

The World Journeypackage costs AED 1,895 perperson and offers not only the most comprehensiveaerial tour of Dubai’s land-marks, but also the opportu-nity to take off or land by theWorld Islands. The packageincludes a 40-minute (dock todock) seaplane tour, 25-minute air-conditioned boatjourney and road transfer toDubai Mall or back to depar-ture location.

The luxury seaplane tour operator, Seawings in the UAE has launched aspecial ‘Kids Fly Free’ promotion where children can join their parents andexperience the inspirational aerial tours that Dubai has to offer...

Kids-Fly-Free promotion launched

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� The World Journey package costs AED 1,895 per personand offers not only the most comprehensive aerial tour ofDubai’s landmarks, but also the opportunity to take off orland by the World Islands

� The package includes a 40-minute (dock to dock) seaplanetour, 25-minute air-conditioned boat journey and road transferto Dubai Mall or back to departure location

World journey package

Colin DarmaninGeneral ManagerSeawings

The ‘Kids Fly Free’ promotion is valid fromMarch 15-April 15, 2015 for one monthonly and provides every adult whopurchases a Seawings Silver Creek orSilver World package flight ticket withone additional complimentary ticket

Commenting on the newannouncement, Ghaith

Al Ghaith, Chief ExecutiveOfficer, flydubai, expressed,"We are happy to welcomeSylhet, another previouslyunderserved point, to ourgrowing network of more than 90 destinations. Thisannouncement sees ourweekly service to Bangladesh

grow to 34 flights, hence wel-come the people of Sylhetonboard flydubai."

The Sylhet operation isin joint partnership withRegent Airways, Bangladesh.

Flights between Sylhet andDubai start on April 01, 2015with five flights a week. fly-dubai's FZ 595/596 operatesbetween Dubai InternationalTerminal 2 and Sylhet'sOsmani International Airport

on Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday, Friday andSaturday. Starting May 04,2015, flydubai will operatedaily between the two cities.

The Subcontinentremains an important marketfor flydubai. In 2014, the air-lines launched four routes inIndia, more than doubling itsnetwork in the country.Chennai will also welcome fly-dubai's first flight at the end ofMarch, 2015.

Adding 3rd destination in Bangladesh, flydubai hasannounced to commence direct flights between Dubai andSylhet from April 1. The service will begin with five flightsa week and will increase to daily starting May 4, 2015.

flydubai connects Dubai-Sylhet

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We are happy to welcome Sylhet, anotherpreviously underserved point, to our growingnetwork of more than 90 destinations

Ghaith Al GhaithChief Executive Officerflydubai

� In 2014, the airlineslaunched four routes inIndia, more thandoubling its network inthe country

� Chennai will alsowelcome flydubai's firstflight at the end ofMarch, 2015

Flying high

ment projects including fourmuseums/libraries, 39 hotelsand resorts, one mall, sevensports stadia/leisure complex-es, two theme parks and twoconvention centres.

The country’s top 10projects currently under devel-opment are valued at justunder US$ 11.6 billion, covera wide range of tourism-relat-ed activities from US$ 4400million investment by SaudiAramco into 11 stadiums tothe next three phases of theJabal Omar mega develop-ment in Makkah.

Other high profile proj-ects include the US$ 533 mil-lion MKEC Visitor complex,the US$ 450 million HiltonRiyadh Hotel & Resort andUS$500 million MillenniumJeddah. Industry experts putthe estimated value of theSaudi tourism and travel mar-ket at US$45.3 billion(SAR170 billion) in 2014, ofwhich US$18.7 billion (SAR70billion) was generated from

domestic tourism and almostUS$27 billion (SAR100 billion)from religious and othertourism.

“The country has a num-ber of important historical sitesand places of natural beautythat could be a magnet fortourists from around the world,such as the ruins of MadainSaleh, a Unesco WorldHeritage site, the stunningFarasan Islands, the mountaincity of Taif and Jeddah’srestored old quarter,” saidNoblet. New researchreleased by YouGov in TravelOracle – KSA Highlightsreport, highlights the prefer-ences of travellers from theKingdom, who list goodweather (39%), reasonablecost (38%) and family destina-tion attraction (34%) as the topthree criteria when selecting avacation destination. Populartravel destinations currentlyinclude the UAE, visited byone in five Saudi Arabian res-idents (19%) during their lastleisure trip, as well as Turkey,Egypt and Jordan.

Potential for growthof tourism sector Contd. from page 15

EXHIBITIONS2 0 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Despite international crisesand the risk of political

conflict around the world, asthe 2015 holiday seasonbegins the economicprospects for the global travelindustry could not be better forthe months to come.

As ITB Berlin, theworld’s largest travel tradeshow, closes its doors, theconclusion is as follows:boosted by falling energyprices, reduced interest rates,low inflation and positive eco-nomic forecasts for the euro-zone and North America, thetravel industry has highexpectations as the 2015 trav-el season beckons.

Dr. Christian Göke,CEO of Messe Berlininformed, “More than ever,ITB Berlin fulfils the functionof the world’s leading thinktank and a shop window forthe travel industry. This iswhere the opportunities andrisks are debated and thepotential impact of the sharingeconomy on the international travel industry is analysed.Over the past few days, ITB Berlin has provided fur-

ther evidence of how impor-tant personal exchanges andmeetings between people are for an industry that is increasingly dominated bythe digital transition.”

Trends at ITB Berlin2015 included the massiverise in the use of mobile

devices to book trips, a phe-nomenon that has nowbecome the norm. Improvedsoftware means that travelwebsites are becoming moreattractive and easier to use.Hotels are also witnessing theimpact of digital trends.Smartphone functions areincreasingly taking over fromroom keys. Travel apps aredeveloping rapidly andbecoming ever more wide-spread with the use of latest-generation smart phones.

According to MesseBerlin, all the main travel destinations will benefit

from the prevailing positivemood: big European cities,Mediterranean countries and

faraway destinations. A factparticularly worth noting isthat Germany, as a travel des-

tination, continues to break allrecords. Other popular desti-nations include Egypt and

Greece. Whereas Egypt’seconomic revival has been

slow, Greece reported double-digit growth for the third yearrunning and despite the con-troversy surrounding itsnational debt continues on thepath to recovery.

OyunkhorolDulamsuren, Minister of theEnvironment, GreenDevelopment and Tourism ofMongolia commented, “As theofficial partner country of ITBthis year, we succeeded inshowcasing Mongolia’sunique tourism products, des-tinations and nomadic lifestyleto the world. Also we showed

you that Mongolia is an enig-matic, dynamic country with

many natural and culturalresources.”

Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, UNWTO explained,“ITB Berlin is an increasinglyimportant meeting point forthe tourism sector. It is anoccasion to foster businessconnections and learn aboutthe changes shaping our sec-tor and exchange knowledge

and experiences on how toadapt to such changes. We, at UNWTO, are veryhappy to have ITB Berlin as astrong partner and trust ourcooperation will go fromstrength to strength."

Dr. Michael Frenzel,President of the Federal

Association of the GermanTourism Industry (BTW) eluci-dated, “Once again, ITB Berlinwas an all-round success andfills us with optimism for thecoming months. For Germancitizens, travel is and remainsa favourite pastime and, if thesurveys are to be believed,many will have already packedtheir bags and be waiting to go.We are therefore confident thatthe 2014 record of 1.6 billiondays of private holidays under-taken by Germans will be sur-passed this year.”

Norbert Fiebig,President of the GermanTravel Association (DRV) nar-rated, “The tourism industrygot off to a good start in 2015.Accordingly, this year’s ITBBerlin went very well and once again proved itself to be an indispensable platform for tourism profes-sionals from around the world.From the tourism industry’s

point of view ITB 2015 wentaccording to plan.”

“Everything was perfect:the exhibitors present at the show, the quality of trade visitors, and the excep-tionally high attendance byexhibitors and visitors fromabroad,” he concluded.

ITB Berlin 2015 cemented its position as the world’s leading travel trade show. Around 175,000 visitors during thefive day showed an increase in trade visitors from abroad. The convention attracted more visitors – trade visitorsand exhibitors remain longer at the show. The exhibitors report higher turnover, falling energy prices and goodeconomic prospects signified people’s keenness to travel.

ITB Berlin sets new records

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� Trends at ITB Berlin2015 included themassive rise in the use of mobile devices to book trips, aphenomenon that has now become the norm

What’s Trending

We, at UNWTO, arevery happy to haveITB Berlin as astrong partner andtrust ourcooperation willgo from strengthto strength

Taleb RifaiSecretary-GeneralUNWTO

ITB Berlin 2015 went very well and once again proved itself to be an indispensableplatform for tourism professionals from around the world

Norbert FiebigPresident, German Travel Association (DRV)

More than ever, ITB Berlin fulfils the function ofthe world’s leading think tank and a shopwindow for the travel industry. This is wherethe opportunities and risks are debated and thepotential impact of the sharing economy onthe international travel industry is analysed.

Dr. Christian GökeCEO of Messe Berlin

As the official partner country of ITB this year,we succeeded in showcasing Mongolia’sunique tourism products, destinations andnomadic lifestyle to the world

Oyunkhorol DulamsurenMinister, Environment

Green Development and Tourism, Mongolia

We are therefore confident that the 2014 recordof 1.6 billion days of private holidays undertakenby Germans will be surpassed this year

Dr. Michael FrenzelPresident, Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry

The five­star airline now pro­vides a double­daily service toFrankfurt with world’s newestaircraft. Qatar Airways, theGlobal Launch Customer of theA350 XWB commenced flightsto Frankfurt on March 7, 2015and will be flying to Frankfurtdouble­daily exclusively withthe A350 XWB. The airline’slaunch of the first commercial

A350 XWB flight took place inJanuary 2015 when the airlinebegan inaugural A350 servicesto Frankfurt. Following theintroduction of the second A350XWB, the airline is now sched­uled to accept delivery of threemore A350 XWB aircraft inJune, July and August of thisyear, all of which will bedeployed on the Doha­

Singapore route. Qatar AirwaysGroup Chief Executive, HisExcellency Akbar Al Baker,said, “We are thrilled to havetaken delivery of our secondA350 XWB less than twomonths after the historic deliv­ery of our first aircraft. TheA350 XWB has proven to be awonderful aircraft, both techno­logically and from a passenger

perspective, and we are confi­dent, that this will continue aswe introduce more and moreA350 XWBs into our fleet. Asthe A350 is setting new bench­marks in terms of both comfortand passenger experience, welook forward to welcoming ourpassengers on board our A350XWBs, to enjoy our renownedfive­star service.”

The A350 XWB servicebetween Doha and Frankfurt, amajor traffic hub in Europe, hasprovided a substantial capacityincrease on the route. The air­craft is comprised of a two­class configuration with 36Business Class seats in a 1­2­1configuration, featuring an 80”fully flat bed and 17” HD in­flight entertainment screen.

Akbar Al BakerChief ExecutiveQatar Airways Group

Qatar Airways’ A350 Xwb starts services to Frankfurt

EXHIBITIONS A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 2 1

Now in its seventh year, the annual event will be

held from April 14 - 17, 2015 with over 200 exhibitorsparticipating from 50 different countries.

The Riyadh Travel Fair will be held in the Four

Season Hotel Riyadh, open totravel and tourism profession-als and also for the general

public, keen to discover moreabout exotic travel destinations.

Bander' Algryni,General Manager ASASExhibitions informed, "2015will be the largest RiyadhTravel Fair till date therebyextending our prominence asthe leading travel and tourismexhibition in the kingdom. A

total of 200 exhibitors fromTourism Boards, Airlines, TourOperators and Hotels from 50

countries will be present in theexhibition. It's been a year ofgrowth not only for the tourismand hospitality industry in theKingdom, but for RTF as well.With Saudi Nationals increas-ingly travelling overseas at agreater number year on year,the opportunities that the RTF provides has never been more significant fordomestic and overseas destinations, hospitality serv-

ice providers and othertourism related businesses, todirectly meet with the king-dom's leading travel profes-sionals and travellers."

The 2014 edition of the Riyadh Travel Fair saw13,678 number of visitors. Totalvisitor numbers for the 2015edition are expected toincrease with a projected num-ber of 20,000 visitors targeted.

Visitors to the 2015 edi-tion will be able to interactdirectly with various tourismauthorities, hotels, airlinesand travel agents from aroundthe world. The Arabian Gulfregion will have a strong pres-ence at the fair includingstands by Abu Dhabi Tourism& Cultural Authority as strategic partner, SharjahCommerce & TourismDevelopment Authority as

gold partner and FujairahTourism and AntiquesAuthority as silver partner to name a few. Turkey Tourism will have the biggest presence and delega-tion attending the show.Exhibitors from Asia,Oceania, Europe and NorthAfrica will also be present,along with the representativesof the travel agency andonline booking site.

With an increase of 20 per cent in the number of exhibitors compared to that held in 2014 , ASAS Exhibitions, the organiser of the annual Riyadh Travel Fair (RTF), has confirmed that the 2015 edition of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's biggest travel and tourism exhibition will be the largest till date.

RTF is the biggest exhibition this year

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Bander' AlgryniGeneral Manager ASAS ExhibitionsRTF 2015 will be the largest till date

thereby extending our prominence as theleading travel and tourism exhibition inthe Kingdom. A total of 200 exhibitorsfrom tourism boards, airlines, touroperators and hotels will be present

� The 2014 edition of theRiyadh Travel Fair saw13,678 recordednumber of visitors

� Total visitor numbers forthe 2015 edition areexpected to increasewith a projected numberof 20,000 visitorstargeted.

Numbers Talk

‘Chinesearrivals to Abu Dhabi upby 300%’

A new research studyreleased by InterContinentalHotels Group, one of theworld’s leading hotel com­panies, reveals Abu Dhabiis expected to welcomemore than 177,000 Chinesetravellers by 2023, a phe­nomenal increase of morethan 300 per cent from justover 44,000 in 2013. Theresearch also highlights thatDubai, currently the mostpopular destination in theMiddle East and Africaregion amongst Chinesetravellers, is set to benefitfrom the 90 million Chinesehouseholds who will betravelling overseas by 2023.The report projects a 97 percent increase in arrivalsexpected, totalling morethan 540,000 travellers in ten years. Findings also showed that Chinesetravellers to the Middle East tend to stay longer than the average long­haul destination.

The new deluxe TowerHotel Apartment,opened in December2014 is the second

project of Bin Majid Hotels &Resorts in Abu Dhabi. It com-prises of 230 rooms andsuites, tastefully furnishedand equipped to internationalstandards, offering excellentservice and facilities,”informed Samer Alkabalan,General Manger, Nehal Hotel and Bin Majid Tower,Abu Dhabi. Presently, thebrand has six hotels under its

wings – Beach Resort, BeachHotel, Acacia and Mangrove,all located in Ras Al Khaimah,Nehal and Bin Majid Tower – Hotel Apartments are in Abu Dhabi. Santorini a 5-star Beach resort, located at Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, is scheduled to open bySeptember 2015.

“Bin Majid Hotels &Resorts are participating in all travel and tourism exhibitions and trade

shows targetingEuropeans and CISmarket. The newly-added charter flightswill beland-ing

in Abu Dhabi airport soon,hence, we are expecting more share of occupancy,with business volumeincrease in 2015-2016. Oursuccessful participation in

ITB Berlin, 2015 had given us new leads to escalate theGerman and European market share in general for the upcoming period,” he added.

Bin Majid Hotels & Resorts is a growing chain of hotels in the UAE with 26 years of experience in the tourism industry.

HOTELS2 2 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Newly-added charter flights will be landing in Abu Dhabi airport soon, hence, we are expecting more share of occupancy, with businessvolume increase in 2015-2016

Samer Alkabalan, GM, Nehal Hotel and Bin Majid Tower, Abu Dhabi

Adv

erto

rial

Bin Majid TowerNehal Hotel

Bin Majid Beach Resort

Mangrove Hotel

Santorini Hotel

Acacia Hotel

Bin Majid Beach Hotel

MOVEMENTS A P R I L 2 0 1 5 TRAVTALK 2 3

Park Inn by Radisson Dammam Dammam The Rezidor Hotel Group has appointed Fadi Mheisen as the hotelmanager of the newly opened Park Inn by Radisson Dammam.Fadi moves to this new role from the RadissonBlu Hotel, Jeddah where he was the executiveassistant manager in charge of rooms, engi-neering and training, deputising for the gen-eral manager in his absence. A 12-year vet-eran of the group, Fadi’s responsibilities willfocus on the day to day management of thePark Inn by Radisson Dammam. He will besolely responsible for driving businessto the hotel, developing rela-tionships with key industrypartners, and ensuring thesmooth operation.

Park Inn by Radisson HotelApartmentsAl Barsha The Rezidor Hotel Group has appointedMichael Kuhn as hotel manager of itsnewest Park Inn by Radisson HotelApartments, located in Dubai’s Al Barshaneighbourhood. Kuhn assumes this rolein Dubai’s first Park Inn by Radisson's 90-room residential property. Kuhn brings withhim over 15 years of experience in the hos-pitality industry. He began his career withthe Rezidor Hotel Group in Germany,and since then, he has built a strongknowledge base of sales, marketingand operations in diverse markets.

Etihad Airways Abu DhabiEtihad Airways has appointed Ulf Huttmeyer as Senior VicePresident Finance Equity Partners, effective from April 1, 2015.41-year-old Huttmeyer joins the Abu Dhabi-based airline from Air Berlin where he pre-viously held the position of Chief FinancialOfficer for nine years. In his new role,Huttmeyer will work closely with EtihadAirways’ equity partner airlines, and lead theprofitability analysis in Etihad Airwaysand build key relationships withglobal suppliers.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Hong KongAiman Roujouleh has been appointment by the Mandarin OrientalHotel Group as Regional Director of Sales for the Middle East. In

his new role, Roujouleh will oversee theMiddle East region including Turkey, wherehe will focus on building and developinga strong Sales team of six people basedin both Riyadh and Dubai. He first joinedMandarin Oriental in April 2012 as

Regional Director of Sales, Saudi Arabiaand Bahrain based in Riyadh. He has a

wealth of sales and hospitalityexperience from a number of

prior appointments at luxuryhotel groups and properties.

The Ascott Limited United Arab Emirates Shashi Shetty has been selected by The Ascott Limited (Ascott)as the Director of Sales & Marketing for the GCC region. Shashi’s

appointment stems from her qualified 15years of experience in the hospitality

industry across the GCC region. Herprevious roles include, Group Sales& Operations Manager at the RameeGroup of Hotels and Resorts Dubai,Group Director Sales & Marketing,Grand Midwest Hotel ApartmentsDubai and Sales & MarketingDirector, Fraser Suites Dubai.

Le Royal Meridien Abu DhabiAbu DhabiLe Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi has appointed Urs Solenthaler astheir new Deputy General Manager. Hailing from Switzerland,

Solenthaler spent last three years working forthe Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts Group,most recently in Manila, Philippines asResident Manager, and prior to that asExecutive Assistant Manager Food andBeverage at the Shangri-La Hotel in

Jakarta, Indonesia. Prior to his positionsas Executive Assistant Manager

F&B he was Director F&B at the Four Seasons Hotel in

Riyadh in the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia

Yamina Aoucher, Director,Tourism Licensing and

Standards, ATDD informed,"The three systems are the results of the secondstage of a major project onclassification of tourism instal-lations in Ajman."

“In the second stage ofthe project, a comprehensivesurvey was conducted withrepresentatives of the newsectors, along with local andinternational benchmarking,noting that a mechanism was followed to get the feedback from Ajman visitors,”she added.

New standards weredeveloped following review-ing, current licensing and clas-sification processes, legisla-tions and rules and regula-tions, in line with requirementsof ISO 9001/2008 Certificate,recently won by ATDD. An

action mechanism was adopt-ed for each sector. "Fieldoperations, interviews withstakeholders and surveyswere also part of the secondstage of the project, at the endof which a report of recom-mendations was submitted to

decision-makers," Aoucherfurther stated. The first stageof the project: Ajman hotelclassification was named theBest Tourism Project in theMiddle East and North Africaas part of MENA TravelAwards 2014. It was alsonamed the best governmentproject in Ajman.

According to ATDDResearch and Development,‘Ajman tourism revenuesreached nearly AED 300 mil-lion in 2014, compared toAED 220 million in 2013. Thenumber of hotel and hotelapartments’ guests in 2014increased to 850,000, com-pared to about 600,000 in2013. In 2014, average hoteloccupancy rates havereached 65%. The number ofhotel establishments inAjman reached 31 in 2014,compared to 29 in 2013 andthe total number of roomsand units became 2992 in2014, from 2610 in 2013.

The Ajman Tourism Development Department haslaunched three tourism classification systems for travelagencies, tourist restaurants and tourist transportation.

Ajman’s classification systems

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Thailand welcomed 2.65million foreign tourists in

January 2015 and generatedabout 120 billion Baht in rev-enue. It represents a year-on-year increase of 15.9 per centand 12.7 per cent, respectively.

Thailand is home to theworld’s largest Chinatown (inYaowarat, Bangkok), which is

also the location for thenation’s biggest Chinese NewYear celebrations. Travellersare also invited to enjoy a rich and diverse cultural mixof festivities that take place inkey destinations up and downthe kingdom.

H.E. KobkarnWattanavrangkul, Minister ofTourism and Sports informed,“The strong performance inJanuary can be attributed tothe significant growth in touristarrivals at international air-ports throughout the kingdom,

with China being the largestmarket. We expect to continuea steady increase in the firstquarter, especially in Februarydue to the high demand fromthe China market during theLunar New Year.”

To ensure a steadygrowth for Thailand’s tourism,the Thai government is work-ing on a number of policiesand strategies to attract inter-national visitors to visit thekingdom and to encourageThai people to take more tripswithin the country. “Thailandwill also continue to enhanceco-operation across the spec-trum of tourism to promoteintra-ASEAN tourism as wellas position the region as asingle tourist destination,” she added. In January 2015,H.E. Kobkarn led Thai tourismdelegations to attend theASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Myanmar and FITUR in Spain to invite travel partners.

Following strong growth in January owing to severalfactors, Thailand expects a steady increase ininternational visitors and revenue in Q1 of this year.

Thailand steady on growth in Q1

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We expect to continue a steady increase inthe first quarter, especially in February dueto the high demand from the China marketduring the Lunar New Year

H.E. Kobkarn WattanavrangkulMinister of Tourism and Sports Thailand

Yamina AoucherDirector, Tourism Licensing and Standards, ATDD

Ajman tourismrevenues reachednearly AED 300million in 2014

INTERVIEW2 4 TRAVTALK A P R I L 2 0 1 5

QWhat is the aim of theAmadeus e-Travel

Management?Amadeus e-Travel Manage-

ment is a comprehensive travel man-agement solution that serves everyaspect of corporations’ needsthrough a single entry point. It is aflexible, one-stop, online bookingsolution for managed corporate travelprograms of every size and scope.When employees use e-TravelManagement, they can easily plan, book and purchase completetravel itineraries within their company's guidelines.

QHow do you believe itwill assist in the daily

work management of atravel agent?

There is a clear need for man-aged travel by the travel agents toprove their added value in areas suchas travel planning (including shoppingand booking, providing relevant andselected content), offering uniquedeals and seamless customer service.

With Amadeus e-Travel Management,travel agents can integrate all the ele-ments of corporate’s global travel pro-grams, including travel policies, pre-ferred suppliers and negotiated rates,into one easy-to-use website. This willresult in quick & easy management oftravelers through simplified processgiving peace of mind to the agent.

QHow is the userinterface? Amadeus e-Travel Management

is extremely easy to use and has sin-gle interface to manage book-ing flow. All travel related

requests

can be handled from the tool without having to switch to otherscreen or website. Clearly structuredand consistent displays make for anatural and straightforward contactwith novice users, all the while allow-ing regular users to be more efficient.Amadeus e-Travel Management’sdesign, functioning and interactionwere aligned with what is commonlyseen in today’s major websites, pro-viding business travelers with an inter-face with which they are instantlyfamiliar and comfortable.

QWhat for you is thekey feature of the

tool?Key feature of

this tool is to defineand review policies

easily with thegeneration ofcomprehensivereports. It alsosimplifies overalltravel processeswith the seam-

less integra-tion between

HR, finance, expense and other travelmanagement platforms.

QWhat makes the e-Travel Management

tool stand out fromsimilar platforms?

Amadeus e-TravelManagement has some of the uniquefeatures such as rapid deployment &efficient integration with usual IT sys-tems, quick & easy management oftravelers, multi-language capabilities,ability to easily add local content,offline trip request based on rules,ability to integrate multi-proposalsfrom agency, mobile devices support-ed - iPhone, BlackBerry, WindowsPhone, Android for itinerary andapproval and iPhone and Android forbookings, and local support.

QPolicy implemen-tation appears to be a

key aspect in the tool'sfunctionability, how doesthis work?

The solution allows you to quick-ly and easily implement and managepolicies within your corporation’s travel

programme – for both individuals andgroups or departments, at a local levelor worldwide. Amadeus e-TravelManagement has different type ofpolicies like upgrade lowest fare, pre-ferred carrier etc. It works by display-ing the itineraries which only matchesthose defined by corporate policiesreducing time spent on searching forbest alternatives.

QWhat is Amadeus'vision for the future of

corporate travel manage-ment in the Middle East?

Amadeus’s vision is to providestate of the art travel technology for allstakeholders within the corporate travelindustry through dedicated local sup-port in shaping the future of travel.

Arman Sarang, Director Products & Marketing, Amadeus Gulf tells about the need for travel managementby agents and how Amadeus e-Travel Management can help in managing travellers through a simplified process.

Magic touch for travel managementTT BU R E AU

� Enforcing policy compliance allowscorporations to save up to 23% oftheir direct travel costs

� Used by over 6,600 corporationsworldwide

� AeTM is available in 13 languagesand supports 162 currencies

Key Facts

Arman Sarang, Director Products & Marketing, Amadeus Gulf