Travel Trade Weekly Issue 136
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Travel Trade Weekly is a leading news provider for travel industry professionals in the Middle East and North Africa, delivered every Saturday electronically and monthly as a hard copy.
Transcript of Travel Trade Weekly Issue 136
6
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced the debut of the first Le Méridien hotel
in Algeria with the opening of Le Méridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre.
16 JUNE 2012 ISSUE 136
04
10
Rotana to Expand in Turkey
Emirates Flies to Ho Chi Minh City
After signing its first management agreement in Turkey, Rotana aims to introduce a new di-mension of hospitality in the country.
Emirates has commenced daily service between Dubai and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
IN THIS ISSUEMARKET UPDATE
WEEKLY NEWS
ACCOMMODATION
AIR NEWS
WHO'S MOVED
TRAVEL TALK
AGENT'S CORNER
TRAVEL CHANNELS
RENDEZVOUS
NEWS & EVENTS
02
04
06
08
11
12
13
14
15
16
Block this Space
Contact us at [email protected]
Algeria Opens its First Le Méridien Hotel
2 MARKET UPDATE
16 JUNE 2012
UAE (AED)
Egypt (EGP)
Saudi Arabia (SAR)
Lebanon (LBP)
Bahrain (BHD)
Jordan (JOD)
Syria (SYP)
Kuwait (KWD)
Qatar (QAR)
Oman (OMR)
Tunisia (TND)
Morocco (MAD)
Iran (IRR)
Yemen (YER)
Algeria (DZD)
Libya (LYD)
Dirham
Pound
Riyal
Pound
Dinar
Dinar
Pound
Dinar
Riyal
Rial
Dinar
Dirham
Riyal
Rial
Dinar
Dinar
3.67
6.05
3.75
1,505.50
0.37
0.71
63.78
0.28
3.64
0.38
1.60
8.77
12,283.00
214.55
77.59
1.27
Accurate as of
15/06/2012Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
Abu Dhabi: On the Way to 2.3 Million Hotel Guests
IATA: Soaring Passenger DemandGlobal air travel volume remained on the growth path, with passenger demand in April increasing 6.1 percent, based on data compiled by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Strong demand with limited capacity improvement pushed load fac-tors to 79.3 percent, a record high for the month, and although freight markets experienced a contraction of 4.2 percent, cargo levels still stood two percent higher than in November 2011, with about 80 percent of this surge coming from the Middle East.
“It is a volatile and risky world,” warned Tony Tyler, CEO, IATA. “Air-lines are being cautious, managing through the uncertainty. There are signs that cargo has bottomed out. Amid the many distortions that have marked the first four months of the year, it is possible to identify the start of a growth trend in cargo for some parts of the world. But economic uncertainty in Europe makes it very difficult to be optimistic in the near to medium term.”
Middle East airlines experienced 16 percent improvement in passen-ger demand, and with a capacity expansion of 12.7 percent, load factors stood at 78.3 percent.
B esides a seven percent year-on-year increase in guest volume, guest nights rose three percent to reach 567,243, while hotel revenue climbed four percent to
AED397 million (USD108 million). Meanwhile, hotel occupancy dropped 11 percent to 64 percent, and average length of stay slipped three percent.
Abu Dhabi has so far received some 792,000 hotel guests this year, and the UK remains the emirate’s leading overseas source market, fol-lowed by India, and significant gains have been reported from Saudi Arabia, Germany, China, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland.
“Certainly if we can maintain guest growth we will reach our annual target of 2.3 million this year, with some important projects com-
Abu Dhabi’s hotel sector continues its steady improvement having welcomed 196,753 guests through its hotels’ doors in April alone, based on data compiled by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY
MANAGING EDITOR
Mary Kammitsi [email protected]
JOURNALISTS
Stefanie Saghbini Rita Kasziba
Dominique Christou
SALES & MARKETING
Maria Demetriadou Brighite Ess
Katerina Dalal
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Elena Stylianou
DIRECTORS
Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi
HEADQUARTERS
T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia, 1308, Cyprus
Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 210466
WEBSITE
www.traveltradeweekly.travel
EMAILS
[email protected] [email protected]
COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=
ing up later this year to benefit from,” said H.E. Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general, TCA Abu Dhabi, adding that the authority aims to drive up domestic and regional tourism dur-ing the summer months with the help of an extensive summer campaign in conjunction with Etihad Airways, and will greatly focus on its important US and Saudi Arabian markets.
Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi
4 WEEKLY NEWS
16 JUNE 2012
Rotana Eyes Turkish Expansion Al Waleed Group Launches Hospitality Arm
American Express ME Partners with Delta Air Lines
After signing its first management agreement in Turkey, Rotana aims to introduce a new dimen-sion of hospitality in the country, as Selim El Zyr, president, Rotana, explained.
Turkey has long been on the radar of the hotel management company which aims to manage hotels in key locations within the country, marking its entry with the landmark Rhossos Rotana Iskenderun, this according to El Zyr. ”The property in Iskenderun, expected to open in 2014, will be the first for Rotana in Turkey, but we are in serious negotiations with three or four different develop-ers in different parts of Turkey, one of which is in Istanbul,” he concluded.
Al Waleed Investment Group has established a new investment arm in the hospitality industry for the local market in Dubai.
The company’s aim, through Al Waleed Hospitality, is to offer the best levels of luxury services, expressed Mohammed Abdul Razak Al Mutawa, chairman, Al Waleed Investment Group. The new arm has already acquired its first project, the Splendid Hotel, which will be renamed Alwaleed Palace Hotel Apartments. Further-more, the company seeks to raise its assets in Dubai to more than 500 rooms by the end of 2014.
American Express Middle East has launched a new partner-ship with Delta Air Lines, which will enable its card members to redeem membership rewards points for free flights and up-grades across the airline’s net-work of 340 destinations in nearly 60 countries, including an extensive range of cities in the US and Canada.
Every two membership re-wards points can now be ex-changed for one mile in the Del-ta SkyMiles programme, which can then be redeemed for quali-fying Delta, Delta Connection, and Delta Shuttle flights.
6 WEEKLY NEWS
16 JUNE 2012
Accommodation
Algeria Opens its First Le Méridien Hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has an-nounced the debut of the first Le Méridien hotel in Algeria with the opening of Le Méridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre.
Owned by Sonatrach, the hotel is part of a mixed-use development, which includes an adjacent con-ference and exhibition centre, an esplanade, and an oceanfront promenade, located on Algeria’s north-western Mediterranean coast.
The property features 254 guest rooms and 42 suites, spa facilities, an outdoor pool, and fitness centre, just to name a few. It also houses meeting facilities, said to be the largest in North Africa, with nearly 9,000m2 of event space including two ballrooms, a pre-function area, and 23 meeting rooms. The hotel further boasts an auditorium that can seat up to 3,000 guests.
Barwa Real Estate, a leading Real Estate and In-vestment company in Qatar, has signed a memo-randum of understanding with Katara Hospitality, Qatar’s leading hotel and resort owner, manager, and developer, previously known as Qatar Na-tional Hotels Company, in a bid to become one of the leading hospitality organisations in the world.
The cooperation comes as part of Barwa Real Estate's efforts to expand its partnership platform and provide better services to its clients. Under this QAR1.1 billion (USD302 million) transac-tion, Katara Hospitality purchases Barwa Al Sadd Hotel and Recreational Building, in addition to Somerset West Bay Serviced Residencies, one of the most popular serviced apartments in West Bay, Doha.
Barwa Real Estate and Katara Hospitality Collaborate
8 WEEKLY NEWS
16 JUNE 2012
Emirates Adds Flights to Glasgow
Emirates has underlined its commitment to Scotland with the introduction of a second daily non-stop service to Glasgow, which commenced on June 1.
The additional flight, coupled with an aircraft upgrade on the existing service, will increase the airlines capacity to Glasgow by 47 percent, an ex-tra 199 seats each way per day, with an additional 13 tonnes of daily cargo capacity.
First class cabins will be available on both daily services, the first time this has been offered by a commercial airline operating into Scotland.
“This announcement illustrates our com-mitment to Scotland and to our wider UK route network in difficult economic times. Our Glasgow route has been a real success story, and we are confident that there is demand for additional services flying to and from Dubai and beyond to our global network of over 100 destinations,” said Salem Obaidalla, senior vice president, commer-cial operations, Europe and Russian Federation, Emirates.
Air News
Lufthansa Begins Flights to Beirut
Sabre and Saudia Extends Agreement
Oman Air to Launch New Flights to Tehran
Lufthansa has introduced three weekly non-stop services between Beirut and Berlin.
With these additional flights between the two capitals, the airline will now offer a total of 15 weekly non-stop services connecting Beirut to Frankfurt and Berlin providing easy connectivity to other des-tinations in Europe and North America.
“Lufthansa is proud to make the cap-ital to capital connection between Bei-rut and Berlin. Both exciting cities with a lot to offer in terms of culture, art, enter-tainment and night life – both great des-tinations now connected,” commented Colette Acra, general manager, Lebanon, Lufthansa.
Sabre Travel Network Middle East has extended its distribution agreement with Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), providing 350,000 travel agents with improved access to the airline’s fares and inventory.
According to Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO, Sabre Travel Network, the agree-ment also includes the future use of electronic miscellaneous document and improved connectivity.
In addition, Abdul Mohsen Jonaid, vice president, passenger sales, Saudi Arabian Airlines, highlighted the vital part the extended agreement plays in the airline's global growth strategy as it nears completion of its entry to the SkyTeam alliance.
Oman Air will commence daily ser-vices between Muscat and the Iranian capital, Tehran, from September 1.
Announcing the new service, Wayne Pearce, CEO, Oman Air, said, “We are extremely pleased to be launching our new service between Muscat and Tehran and to be offering customers the opportunity to travel aboard our outstanding Embraer 175 regional jets. Tehran offers visitors the opportu-nity to gain insights into not only Iran’s unique culture, but also its rich and an-cient history. Furthermore, Tehran is a major business hub and we anticipate strong demand from both business and leisure passengers.”
10 WEEKLY NEWS
16 JUNE 2012
Air News
Air Arabia Steps Up Nagpur Flights Emirates Flies to Ho Chi Minh City
Etihad Airways to be Host Airline at WPS
Jet Airways Boosts Services to Kuwait
Air Arabia has increased the frequency of services on its Nagpur route, which came into effect on June 15.
The low-cost carrier now offers four weekly ser-vices between the Indian city and its Sharjah hub. According to Adel Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia, this step underscores the airline’s commitment to the burgeon-ing Indian market.
Emirates has commenced daily service between Dubai and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
“Through Emirates’ non-stop, daily service, Vietnam is now con-nected via one-stop in our Dubai hub to our global network,” com-mented Thierry Antinori, executive vice president, passenger sales worldwide, Emirates, adding that the airline looks forward to opening up a wealth of opportunities for both business and leisure travellers.
Etihad Airways, for the first time, will be the host airline of the Inter-national Air Transport Association World Passenger Symposium 2012, to be held in Abu Dhabi on October 16 – 18, at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.
This event provides a platform for all industry bodies and organi-sations within the aviation indus-try to come together with the goal of finding solutions to industry challenges.
Jet Airways has introduced a sec-ond frequency four times a week between Kuwait and Mumbai, bringing the total number of flights between the two cities to 11 a week.
According to Sudheer Ra-ghavan, chief commercial officer, Jet Airways, the new flight will provide seamless connectivity to guests fly-ing onwards on the airline’s exten-sive network.
11WHO'S MOVED
16 JUNE 2012
Markus Oberlin
Wissam Suleiman
Mohammed AbuKaraki
Markus Oberlin has been named CEO of Farnek Avireal. Oberlin, who has over 20 years of international experience, including seven in the Middle East, has previously served as general manager of the prop-erty and facilities manage-ment outsource company. As CEO, he takes on broader strategic responsibilities with a
mandate to take the company forward as regional market leader through both its facili-ties management and sustain-ability programme capabilities.
Wissam Suleiman has been appointed general manager of Kempinksi Residences & Suites, Doha. Suleiman began his career in the hospitality industry of Amman 16 years ago, and has since then worked at some of the hotel group’s most high-profile properties in the re-gion, including Kempinski Ho-
tel Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, and Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea, and Kempinski Ho-tel Aqaba, both in Jordan. His wealth of experience will be key in further strength-ening the position of the property as one of the most prestigious fully-serviced resi-dential hotels in the Qatari capital.
Mohammed AbuKaraki has been appointed assistant director of sales at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City. AbuKaraki, who has more than eight years of experi-ence under his belt, moves to Dubai from Abu Dhabi where he held the senior sales manager position at an international business hotel. He started his career in his home country, Jordan, in the guest services depart-ment of a five-star property and quickly progressed into
sales. In his new position, AbuKaraki will be in charge of developing and coach-ing the sales executives and managers, and assist-ing the director of sales and marketing.
AbuKaraki began his career eight years
ago in Jordan start-ing from the guest
services department in the hotel sector
before quickly moving into sales
Oberlin will lead the team through the property’s fa-cilities management and
sustainability programme capabilities
12 TRAVEL TALK
16 JUNE 2012
Hussein Dabbas
“As the national carrier partner in Jordan for the Fast Travel programme, RJ is proud of its contribution in this latest milestone to Jordanian aviation [after be-ing awarded certificates for achievement in this pro-gramme]. We have worked closely with Airport Inter-national Group to implement the International Air Transport Association’s best practice guidelines for every stage of the traveller experience at the Queen Alia International Airport. The hard work has paid off.”
President, Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ).
General manager, Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Beirut.
“We are proud and privileged to receive the [Lebanon’s Leading Resort] award [in the World Travel Awards 2012 ceremony held in Dubai], which recognises the service excel-lence and performance of the entire team. We are truly committed to exceed customer ex-pectations over and over again. Our aim is to create rejuvenating experiences that result in everlasting memories”.
trav
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alk
is
you
r sp
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Jan Bundgaard
H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Noman
Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Develop-ment Authority.
“Kalba [a serene tourist spot on Sharjah’s East coast] has a great deal to offer international tourists, from its mangroves and soft water sports to Emirati herit-age. This needs to be adequately promoted by the tourism industry. Sustainable and eco tourism has been around for nearly 20 years yet its potential has not been fully exploited by the industry in the UAE. With this fam trip, we aim to increase visitor numbers to contribute to the local economy in a sustainable manner.”
TRAVEL TALK is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and
share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, and observations to
13AGENT'S CORNER
16 JUNE 2012
Sabre Introduces First Eco-Certified Hotel ProgrammeSabre Holdings has launched the Sabre Eco-Certified Hotel Program, a scheme that provides clear-and-easy access to sustain-able properties.
The initiative addresses the growing demand for environ-mentally-responsible accommo-dation and includes more than 4,700 hotels certified by globally-recognised schemes. These ho-tels will be clearly distinguished in Sabre Travel Network’s global distribution system and reflected in other Sabre Holdings’ products.
More than 180,000 Sabre Red Workspace users can shop and book eco-certified hotels using the current ‘hotel search’ tool, and nearly 2,000 corporate and agen-
cy customers are able to specify eco-certified hotels during the re-quest for proposal (RFP) process by using Sabre Hotel RFP tool.
Furthermore, for suppliers, the programme provides hotels with a new and innovative way to differentiate themselves, rein-force their brand, and tap into the growing number of travellers and travel planners looking for sus-tainable hotel options.
The Sabre Eco-Certified Hotel Program will continue to hold the line against ‘greenwashing’ by only accepting hotels that have under-gone a third-party audit and are certified by a programme aligning with criteria set by sustainable, en-vironmental, and social bodies.
AGENT'S INSIGHT
NAME: Dimitri Deschamps
POSITION: Director of sales &
marketing
COMPANY: Adam Travel & Tourism
LOCATION: Jordan
WEB: www.adamtraveljordan.com
Who are you?I am a French citizen living and working in Jordan. Af-ter getting my master’s degree in France, I decided to visit the Middle East. I therefore enrolled as a student at the University of Jordan, where I studied Arabic. After a year at the university, I felt that I had to stay longer in the country and this is how I started to work with Adam Travel & Tourism.
What is your favourite thing about working in the travel industry?It is always a magical moment to assist people in discov-ering something new and in spending a nice time with their family and friends. By working in the travel industry, I have the chance to be a part of this incredible moment, when they finally take the time to enjoy, relax, and es-cape from all their worries and problems.
When is the best time to visit Jordan?From March to May and from September to November. Hence, our guests can enjoy the great weather of Jordan, while avoiding the very hot summer and the rainy winter.
Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?I would like to discover Asia and Malaysia seems to be the perfect destination to do so.
Why should people come to you for travel advice?Contrary to other agencies in the country, it is very im-portant for us not to limit ourselves to the markets we are already working with, but to always look for an innova-tive way to satisfy new guests. We are not prisoners of the past but definitively pioneers of what will be the features of the future. If you are looking for quality and authentic-ity in your travel, you are at the right place.
Jan Bundgaard
H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Noman
14 TRAVEL CHANNELS
16 JUNE 2012
Uncovering Sharjah's Needs of Tourism
Al Shaab Village, Sharjah’s newest entertainment and shopping attraction, has placed the finishing touches
as it gears up to welcome visitors.
T his undertaking, which is a joint venture between Al Shaab Club and Al Zajil Fair Management, is the culmination of in-tensive studies to uncover the needs of the tourism market in the emirate in particular, and the UAE in general.
The ambition of the project is mirrored in its cost of over AED150 million (USD40.8 million) which embodies world-class quality standards and facilities, including numerous restaurants and cafés, leisure and retail amenities, a health centre equipped with state-of-the-art sporting equipment, an exhibition hall with a capac-ity of some 240 people, and a 530m2 ice rink, all spread over an area of some 13,000m2.
DTCM launches ‘Do More in Dubai’
Qatar Airways Becomes ICCA Member
Sharjah Museums: Accessible For All
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has embarked on a new initiative in a bid to further boost domestic and inbound tourism vol-umes during the summer months.
“Our aim is to increase the tourist growth by 25-30 percent through the attractive promotional pro-grammes for both the nationals and expatriates in the UAE and overseas visitors,” Eyad Ali Abdul Rahman, ex-ecutive director, business development and media rela-tions, DTCM, said.
The initiative, which runs for both overseas and do-mestic visitors until September 30, aims to bring average occupancy rates above 85 percent.
As part of the programme, visitors will receive dis-counts at a number of hotels and hotel apartments as well as at the Dubai Mall, and other touristic attractions.
Qatar Airways has become a member of International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the leading global industry body promoting the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhi-bitions (MICE) sector, a move which is set to benefit the airline in promoting its business in Qatar and as a global carrier flying MICE traffic to destinations worldwide.
The Community and Accessibility Service at Sharjah Museums Department’s (SMD) Department of Interpretation and Education, recently conducted workshops for the elderly and children with spe-cial needs under the theme ‘Sharjah Museums Are Accessible For All’.
According to Alya Burhaima, director, Department of Inter-pretation and Education, SMD, the department’s interest in or-ganising special events for the elderly aims to teach younger generations about the importance of respecting older people.
15RENDEZVOUS
16 JUNE 2012
Q & A with Samer Majali Samer Majali, CEO, Gulf Air, tells Travel Trade Weekly how Bahrain has promptly picked up the pieces from the unfortunate events of 2011, with signs of growth on the horizon, in terms of passenger and overall visita-tion figures, thanks to the country’s well-developed tourism offerings.
Travel Trade Weekly: How was business overall in 2011 amid the unfortunate events across the region throughout the year and how is this progressing?
Samer Majali: We were on track throughout 2010 and in link with our 2009 business strat-egy, however 2011 was a challenge to the organisation for a number of factors. The geo-political developments in the region, and in Bahrain, coupled with the dramatic fuel prices increase had an impact on our traffic resulting in a drop in passenger numbers. That said, the situation is improving and we see an encour-aging trend as passengers return.
Travel Trade Weekly: What are the latest developments regarding increased and im-proved services for travellers using Gulf Air?
Samer Majali: Gulf Air launched the world’s first live TV on-board our aircrafts with full connectivity in October 2011 in partnership with Panasonic. For the first time in the world, passengers are able to enjoy an avant-garde experience on-board in a fully integrated broadband connectivity that offers high speed internet, 3G-4G mobile data speed connectiv-ity, voice over the internet, streaming videos, and the world's first in-flight live TV satellite stream across continents.
In addition, the airline recently retrofitted its Airbus A319 aircrafts enhancing the entire interior’s look and feel, and also retrofitted six of its A320 aircraft with Audio and Video on Demand seats. Future plans include fur-ther retrofits to seven A320s and six A330s. As modifications are being completed on the rest of the Gulf Air fleet throughout the
a large number of loyalty points and miles when members fly, which can be exchanged for free flights, upgrades, lounge access, and excess baggage in addition to membership upgrades.
Travel Trade Weekly: What are your expec-tations regarding inbound tourism overall to Bahrain this year?
Samer Majali: Bahrain is recognised as one of the leading financial hubs of the Middle East, specialising in offshore banking and attract-ing international corporate houses and busi-ness establishments to set up their ventures in the kingdom.
In the coming months, one can see many significant developments that will serve to positively impact our tourism industry. Im-portantly, Manama, which currently holds the status of Capital of Arab Culture, is renowned for its heritage sites, man-made develop-ments, stunning marinas, world calibre sport-ing facilities including the well-known Bah-rain International Circuit, all of which serve to draw crowds throughout the year.
The increasing arrivals to the country in the past months, and the return of several prestigious sports and other events such as Formula 1 prove that Bahrain is coming back to its past glory.
Bahrain also sees many leisure travellers particularly from neighboring GCC coun-tries on weekends or public holidays and, of course, religious travellers en route to Saudi Arabia who find Bahrain a convenient transit point along their journey.
As the year unfolds, it is evident that it is fast becoming normal as inbound passengers have shown, and we hope to have a good year.
Samer Majali CEO , Gulf Air
year, customers will increasingly see the up-graded aircraft on various routes across its network.
Travel Trade Weekly: As for your popular business market, what are the plans this year to market and promote Gulf Air's product to these passengers?
Samer Majali: We are continuing with our 2009 business strategy of operating the largest Middle East and regional network. We target double daily flights to all our re-gional capitals so that our business travellers now have more options to travel to these cit-ies and return the same day.
Furthermore, Gulf Air has one of the most generous frequent flyer programmes called ‘FalconFlyer’, with more than one mil-lion members worldwide. The new loyalty programme is packed with privileges and
16 NEWS & EVENTS
16 JUNE 2012
EVENTSThe Americas Meetings & Events Exhibitions (AIBTM)Baltimore, US, June 19 – 21, 2012(www.aibtm.com)A leading exhibition for the meetings and events industry, bringing to-gether professionals from all around the world.
China Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (CIBTM)Beijing, China, September 12 – 14, 2012 (www.cibtm.com)A leading meetings, incentives, and business travel show providing the ultimate platform for suppliers to the MICE industry.
International French Travel Market (IFTM Top Resa)Paris, France, September 18 – 21, 2012(www.iftm.fr)An international fair for networking, doing business, innovating and keeping abreast of market developments, offering a 360° panorama of the travel industry. Africa Hotel Investment ForumNairobi, Kenya, September 25 – 26, 2012(www.africa-conference.com)An event showcasing the potential Kenya and other high-growth destinations across the continent have to offer.
PATA Travel Mart Manila, Philippines, September 25 – 28, 2012(www.pata.org/events/pata-travel-mart-2012)Asia Pacific’s premier travel trade show offering networking and con-tracting opportunities for hundreds of international buyers and sellers.
ITB ASIASingapore, October 3 - 5, 2012(www.itb-asia.com)Where exhibitors of all sectors of the travel-value chain, meet with top international buyers from the MICE, leisure, and corporate travel markets.
Asia Pacific Tourism Destination Investment ConferenceSingapore, October 15 – 17 , 2012(www.tdiasia.questexevents.net)Consisting of an array of networking opportunities, business meetings, and a conference programme, the event will focus on hotel investments and tourism infrastructure developments.
Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (RHIC)Moscow, Russia, October 15 – 17, 2012(www.russia-cisconference.com)Addressing the key opportunities and challenges across the region and offering a platform to exchange ideas with fellow industry experts.
STB: First Corporate Event in Saudi Arabia
Royal Caribbean Upgrades Grandeur of the Seas
Airport Show 2012: Vast Growth Potential
The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Middle East office, in conjunction with Etihad Airways, recently held a series of corporate educational seminars to 90 key corporate clients in Dammam, Ri-yadh, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in a bid to increase visitor volume from the King-dom ahead of summer and Ramadan.
Each seminar included a hosted dinner and hotel prizes were given away sponsored by Banyan Tree Sey-chelles, Kempinski Seychelles Resort, Raffles Praslin, and flight tickets from Etihad Airways to the island.
The event was considered to be the start of a series of joint activity plans in Saudi Arabia, according to Ahmed Fathallah, regional manager, STB Mid-dle East.
Royal Caribbean International has completed the bow-to-stern revitalisa-tion of its Grandeur of the Seas.
The USD48 million project included the addition of five new dining venues, technological upgrades, a poolside LED screen, the refreshment of furniture, and the addition of new entertainment offer-ings including an aerial entertainment in its six-deck centrum.
Moreover, new, dedicated lounges have been introduced such as the new Diamond Lounge for Crown & Anchor Society loyalty guests, a concierge lounge for suite and top-tier guests, a Royal Babies and Tots nursery, as well as a transformed Viking Crown Lounge.
The Middle East’s aviation sector is expected to continue its fast paced development unabated, key indus-try players at the Airport Show 2012 in Dubai agreed.
The three-day event, which took place from May 22 - 24 and attracted over 210 exhibitors from 32 countries, provided the global aviation industry with the opportunity to tap into the promising potential of the region, where an estimated USD400 billion is expected to be invested in the airlines’ and airports’ future improvement, Mohamed Bader-Eddin, show direc-tor, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the organiser of the event, expressed.
