Market Update 2Accommodation News 4Air Travel News 6International News 8Agents’ Corner 10Travel Tips 11Travel Talk 12Who’s Moved 14Rendezvous 15Events 16

Middle East and North Africa Edition

JULY 17, 2010 ISSUE 36 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

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4SPANISH FEVERConnectivity between the Middle Eastand Spain, one of the world’s busiesttourism destinations, is increasing rapidly,with the country’s recent World Cup winexpected to boost visitor numbers.

In This Issue

3

SAUDI HOTELS

Saudi Commission for Tourism andAntiquities (SCTA) has created a newpricing policy for the tourismaccommodation sector in Saudi Arabia,including hotels and furnishedresidential units.

Oman’s Salalah Tourism Festival has officiallyopened this week, with tourism operators across the

sultanate gearing up for an influx of regional andinternational visitors.

Oman’sRainy Days

T he formation of thepartnership now depends onlyon approval by the USDepartment of Trade (DOT).The first two attempts by the

group to form an alliance were rebuffed as anti-competitive.This time, approval from the EuropeanCommission came only after the carriers madeconcessions to competitors, making some oftheir slots at London Heathrow Airport in theUK available to other airlines.Willie Walsh, CEO of BA, said the concessions

would guarantee that the alliancewould not diminish competitionon transatlantic routes.However, Virgin Atlantic, BA’sprimary competitor intransatlantic services, has

criticised the deal despite the concessions.According to Richard Branson, CEO of VirginAtlantic, too few slots were allotted in theconcessions, and the deal would create what hecalled a monster monopoly.“Consumers are not being put first in theEuropean Commission’s decision makingprocess,” he said.“No evidence of consumer benefits has been putforward.”According to a statement from BA, approval bythe US DOT is expected to be finalised shortly.BA and Iberia have already been given theEuropean Commission’s green light on awholesale merger, which is expected to becompleted by late 2010.The merger depends on BA resolving its ongoingindustrial relations dispute with its cabin crewstaff members.

British airways, american airlinesand Iberia Receive EU approval for Transatlantic allianceAfter years of wrangling, joint transatlantic operations by Iberia, British Airways (BA),and American Airlines (AA) have been approved by the European Commission.

JULY 17, 20102

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.69Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.70Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.70Syria (SYP) Pound 46.7Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.29Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.48Morocco (MAD) Dirham 8.71Iran (IRR) Riyal 9953Yemen (YER) Rial 225.05Algeria (DZD) Dinar 74.66Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.19

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 14/7/2010Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

Deputy EditorLaura Warne

JournalistLouis Dillon Savage

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingMarianna TsiamasEvelina Hadjigeorgiou

DirectorsAndreas ConstantinidesMary Kammitsi

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Google has made further inroads intothe travel industry, acquiring traveldistribution software provider ITASoftware for USD700 million.ITA’s products focus on searching andcomparing air fares and provide thearchitecture for a number of majorplayers’ web search functions.Google has declared its intention touse ITA to develop improved tools foronline travel pricing comparisons,encroaching on the turf of meta-searchengines and online travel agencies.However, Google has insisted that itwould not be entering intocompetition with ITA’s customers.ITA’s client list includes high profile

online travel companies such asKayak.com and Farecompare, as well asairlines Alitalia and Continental Airways.ITA also lists Google’s search enginerival, Bing as a current client.However, according to Google, theacquisition will have no immediateeffect on the share prices of the twobusinesses, as they were not currentlyin competition.Further, Google has stated that itsentrance into the travel search arenawould ultimately benefit airlines andonline travel agencies by funnellingmore consumers to their websites.Google will honour all existingagreements with current ITA customers.

Google to Enter Online Airline ComparisonArena with USD700 Million Acquisition

The Dhofar region’s coolmonsoon season, fromJune to September, istraditionally a busyperiod for tourism, as

Middle Eastern visitors escape thesummer heat.European tourists are also beautifulduring this period, which is known as theKhareef season. In 2009, Salalah saw 300,000 local andinternational guests during Khareefseason; the Oman Ministry of Tourism isset to capitalise on this year’s expectedinflux, according to Salem Al Mamari,director general of tourism promotions.“The Ministry has lined up several

initiatives, which will further boost thecity’s appeal to local, regional andinternational travellers,” said Al Mamari.

“We have commissioned a specialisedcompany to draw up a concrete strategyfor attracting more Gulf travellers into thecity, especially during the festive months.”The Ministry of Tourism recentlyappointed Al Ketbi Consultancy to boost

the country’s position within the GCCtourism market, as well as enhancing itsglobal appeal.“Aside from its numerous fascinatinglocations, Salalah also has cooler weathercompared to other parts of Oman duringthe summer, so it has strong potential as atourism hub,” explained Al Mamari.Promotional campaigns are indevelopment for targeted Omani resortdestinations, such as Swiss-Belhotel ResortMasirah Island, Salalah Marriott Resortand Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay.During Salalah Tourism Festival, whichruns from July 15 to August 31, touristscan see sporting events, concerts, playsand traditional performances.

3JULY 17, 2010

Oman set For Tourism monsoon During Khareef seasonOman’s Salalah Tourism Festival has officially opened this week, with tourism operators across the sultanategearing up for an influx of visitors.

Salalah has cooler weather compared to otherparts of Oman during thesummer, so it has strongpotential as a tourism hub

One to One Hotel –Dhour Chouierfeatures 40 rooms,including one and twobedroom suites, which

are equipped with a fireplace and Jacuzzi. Youssef Ziadeh, hotel manager at the newproperty, said the hotel’s location wasperfect for outdoor activities, as well asprivate romantic breaks.“The hotel provides an excellent basefrom which our guests can unwind and

explore the nearby forests and mountainsin the summer or seek more activepursuits during winter at the nearby skislopes,” said Ziadeh.Sami Ayari, CEO of One to One, said theinternational chain’s expansion intoLebanon was part of a strategic plan toenhance the brand within the region.“Furthermore, our property in Dhour

Chouier is an ideal platform to strengthenour social corporate responsibilitycommitment as it will contribute to thedestination’s exposure and local economy,”said Ayari.“Our association with Al Husam Group isthe latest in a series of strategicpartnerships with resort developmentsaround the world.”

JULY 17, 20104

- Accommodation

One to One Hotels Launches Lebanese mountain PropertyA new One to One hotel has opened in the mountain village of Dhour Chouier, Lebanon, overlooking the bayof Beirut.

Saudi Commission for Tourism andAntiquities (SCTA) has created a newpricing policy for the tourismaccommodation sector in Saudi Arabia,including hotels and furnishedresidential units.The policy specifies the maximum limitof prices for standard rooms, accordingto a hotel’s classification.

It also allows for special seasonal pricing. SCTA has indicated that hotels andfurnished apartments must declare theapproved price list in a prominent placefor guests to view – a move that SCTA saidwould improve transparency and enablethe authority to monitor compliance. According to SCTA, the pricing policywill be implemented, pending the

issuance of tourism regulation submittedto the government, which will provideflexible policies to deal with supply anddemand in the hotel sector. In preparing its pricing policy, SCTAconsulted with investors in theaccommodation sector and authoritiessuch as the Ministry of Trade andIndustry.

Kempinski Nile Hotel Opens in Egypt

SCTA Creates Pricing Policy for Saudi’s Tourism Accommodation Sector

Our property in Dhour Chouier is an ideal platform to strengthen our social corporate responsibility

Kempinski Nile Hotel has opened inCairo, Egypt. Situated on the banks ofthe Nile River, the hotel is a Europeanstyle property located in the Garden Citydistrict of Cairo.Reto Wittwer, CEO for Kempinski

Hotels, said the company had beeninterested in Cairo for some time.“Along with TMG, our sturdy partner,we share the same vision of offeringauthentic traditions combined withEuropean sophistication and hospitality

that will not only enhance but alsoprovide something new in Cairo,” saidWittwer. The 191 room hotel was officiallyopened by Zoheir Garaha, Egypt’sMinister of Tourism.

Kempinski Nile Hotel Kempinski Nile Hotel

JULY 17, 20106

- Air Travel

new Routes Opened Between spain and middleEast: World Cup Win Expected to Boost InterestConnectivity between the Middle East and Spain, one of the world’s busiest tourism destinations,is increasing rapidly.

Qatar Airways Receives Extra Flight Concessions from German Regulators

I beria Airways, Spain’s flagcarrier, has launched its first linkto Amman, Jordan, while lowcost carrier Vueling has alsoinaugurated a connection

between Amman and Barcelona.Emirates will launch flights to Madrid onAugust 1, with expectations of extra trafficdriven by Spain’s recent World Cupvictory.Salem Obaidalla, Emirates' senior vicepresident, commercial operations, Europeand Russian Federation, said the routehad proven popular for presales, evenbefore the World Cup.“Madrid has already turned to be a fastselling destination with very healthyforward bookings for our August 1 launch- even before FIFA,” he said.“Now, we expect interest to intensify inour next European destination.”Obaidalla pointed to Emirates’ visibilityas a sponsor of the World Cup as anadvantage for his airline in servicing theincreasingly competitive destination.“Adding Madrid to our network at a time

when Emirates' branding has been soprominent in South Africa is a winningcombination,” he said.Nayef Al Fayez, managing director ofJordan Tourism Board, emphasised thesignificance of the new links in openingthe Middle East to Spain as a sourcemarket.“The Spanish market is one of our mostimportant markets,” he said.

“We are very happy that Iberia is nowlaunching direct flights to Jordan andwelcome this new addition that willincrease the capacity of traffic to Jordanfrom Spain.”

The civil aviation authorities of Qatarand Germany have cemented a deal toexpand aviation between the twocountries.The deal amends a previousarrangement, held since 1996, and willsee an increase in the number of flightsQatar Airways will be allowed to operateto Germany.According to Qatar Civil AviationAuthority (QCAA), the agreement

represents a move by Qatar Governmenttowards a global open skies policy.Universal open skies agreements arebeing pursued in an effort to establishQatar as an attractive hub forinternational carriers. The agreement was signed by Abdul AzizMohammed Al Noaimi, chairman ofQCAA and Hartmut Spickemann, deputydirector general of the German CivilAviation Authority (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt).

The Spanish market is one of our most

important markets

7JULY 17, 2010

- Air Travel

Egyptair to Roll outIn-flight Internet andMobile Phone ServiceEgyptair will introduce in-flightinternet and mobile services inAugust, the airline has revealed.The services will be offered only onthe carrier’s new Airbus A330-300aircraft, which are expected to bedelivered in the last week of August.Alaa Ashour, CEO of Egyptair, saidthe new features were part of acontinual upgrade of the carrier’sproduct.“We are keen on the continuousdevelopment and upgrading of ourservices,” he said.“These new services will enable ourcustomers to keep in touch with theirbusinesses, families and friendsthroughout the flight.”WiFi and full mobile phone coverage,including SMS, will be included onthe A330-300s, as well as the abilityto recharge personal electronicdevices in passenger seats.

Royal Jordanian Expects Record numbers in JulyRoyal Jordanian has become the latest Middle Eastern airline to report strong recovery against the leantimes of 2009.

S eat factors for the airlinehave increased to 70percent, an increase of 10percent over last year.Hussein Dabbas, CEO of

Royal Jordanian, said the recovery hadbeen helped by the airline’s investment inmodernising its product.

According to Dabbas, improved groundhandling and in air services had made theairline more attractive to customers.He said the adoption of modern systems,such as electronic tickets and onlinecheck-in had also spurred demand.Dabbas said all routes on the RoyalJordanian network experienced a

remarkable upsurge in the first half of theyear, and he expected traffic to reachrecord highs in July.People travelling to Jordan to visitrelatives were a major factor in the airline’sgrowth, supplemented by an upsurge ofbusiness travellers connected toinvestments in Jordan.

We are keen on thecontinuous development

and upgrading of ourservices

JULY 17, 20108

- International

aegean air Joins star alliance, adding Greek Islands to Group’s networkGreek airline Aegean Air has joined the Star Alliance group of carriers, following a systems upgrade to bringthe company in line with the standards of the group.

Travelport and Sirena-Travel, Russia’slargest domestic global distributionsystem (GDS) provider, have signed astrategic partnership agreement.The alliance will give users of Travelportprogrammes greater access to Russiantravel products by integrating Sirena’sexisting network of travel agents.

Sirena-Travel has been rebrandedSirena-Travel International; theagreement will give existing Sirena

clients access to Travelport’sinternational content through theirexisting interfaces.According to Sirena, this access will allowup to 40 percent of its clients to bookinternational flights for the first time.Niklas Andreen, managing director ineastern Europe for Travelport, said hiscompany would leverage its alliancewith Sirena to improve traveldistribution in Russia, while also making

Russian content more accessible. “Our recent consumer market research inRussia has shown major frustrationsamongst Russian travellers over the lack ofinformation available and the time it takeswhen making a flight booking,” he said.“We’re therefore delighted to bepartnering with Russia’s leadingdomestic GDS to offer the local travelindustry a remedy to this challenge viaSirena-Travel International.”

Travelport Partners With Russian GDS, Sirena - Travel

oining the group gives Aegean Airaccess to crossover loyaltyprogrammes and passengerlounges across the Star Alliancenetwork.

Aegean Air will also be able to participatein group offers and crossover ticketingwith other Star Alliance members.Following the addition of Aegean Air, Star

Alliance now has 28 full members, withAir India slated as a future member.Jaan Albrecht, CEO of Star Alliance, saidgreater access to Greece would strengthenthe network and help develop the countryas a destination.“For alliance members, Greece is animportant travel market where Athens canbe built into a major hub airport with

growing connection traffic,” he said.“It has already become an importantplayer in the southeast European area andwe fully expect entry into Star Alliancewill support its further development.”According to Aegean Air, one of the majorbenefits for other alliance members willbe seamless access to the Greek islands, towhich few carriers offer direct flights.

J(L-R): Theodore Vassilakis, president of AegeanAir with Jaan Albrecht, CEO of Star Alliance

Star Alliance joining ceremony for Aegean Air

JULY 17, 201010

agent’s InsightP N Sathya NarayananHolidays Manager, Mannai Holidays, Qatar

Who is travelling to the Middle East right now?On the whole the Middle East caters to the needs of bothbusiness and leisure travellers.Excellent trade relations continue between the Gulf countriesand the rest of the world with key markets being the US, UKand Europe, followed by Asian countries for businesspurposes. Business travellers visiting Qatar often return on vacationwith their families to explore and experience the country’sunique culture and luxury lifestyle.   What makes a good travel agent?Providing suggestions and feasible travel options to customersas well as a full range of travel options to ensure hassle-freetravel and value for money.  The profile of travel agents has transformed to travelprofessional, as customers are not consulting travel agents justfor travel products but for complete travel advice.When do you think business will return to pre-downturnlevels?Though the travel business may return to pre-downturn levelsby the end of 2010, travel agencies are unlikely to enjoy thesame market share as before due to the extra options andchannels now available to travellers as vendors adopt dynamicpricing patterns based on their available inventory. Where do you take your own holidays?Within my home country India, a nation with a blend ofhistoric and modern ethnicity, famous for its vibrant culturesand widespread traditions. From the snow white mountain tops of the Himalayas to theblue waters of the peninsula to its many cuisines anddelicacies of the different regions, I still have manydestinations in India to explore.Why did you get involved in the travel industry?My ambition was to become a doctor, but my prioritieschanged and I pursued my career as a travel professional anddiscovered I really loved this career. I keep meeting new people, visiting new places and sharingmy knowledge and experience with my colleagues which givesme utmost satisfaction.

Travco Group Expands to JordanEgyptian travel provider Travco Group has establishedTravco Jordan in its latest step towards expansionthroughout the Middle East and Europe. Travco Jordan, which was officially launched in June, is afully licensed destination management company, operatingout of the Shmeisani district of Amman. Representation offices are also operating in Petra, Aqaba andthe Dead Sea district. Osama Bushra, chief operating officer of Travco for theregion, is overseeing the new Jordanian operation; PaoloNocerino has been appointed as general manager of TravcoJordan. The new branch will offer a range of services, including touroperations, personalised holidays, MICE tourism and cruisehandling. In addition to its suite of destination managementcompanies, Travco Group also operates Travco Propertiesand has partnered with Air Arabia to create Egypt’s first lowcost carrier, Air Arabia Egypt.

ADTA Tourism Youth Summer CampMore than 100 potential tourism leaders are expected tograduate on July 22, following Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority’s(ADTA) Tourism Youth Summer Camp.The 30 day training programme covered nine modules focusingon travel agencies, sport tourism in Abu Dhabi, culture andheritage, airlines and general tourism industry awareness.Nasser Al Reyami, director of tourism standards for ADTA, saidthe response from students – who are aged between 14 and 16– was better than expected.

“Originally wetargeted 80 students,but we ended up with110,” said Al Reyami.“The programmeplays a critical role ingiving nationalstudents a betterunderstanding ofAbu Dhabi’s overalltourism landscapeand encouragesthem to consider theindustry as a futurecareer path.”

Travel agencies are unlikely to enjoy the same

market share as beforeNasser Al Reyami

11JULY 17, 2010

A ccording to DouglasQuinby, director ofresearch for PhoCusWrightConnect, the uncertaintyof the social web is one

of its great marketing strengths.

ExperimentationAccording to Quinby, experimentation isperhaps the most important use of socialchannels for travel businesses.By signing on to your Twitter feed orFacebook fan page, consumers aredemonstrating an interest in or loyalty toyour brand, even if they have never

booked your services.Quinby said this loyalty, combined withthe easy communication offered by socialmedia, gives businesses an opportunity toexperiment with products beforelaunching them on the open market.“Social media give you the opportunity tointroduce new products to a test group, andto gauge the way they respond,” he said.“You also might have a new service, orweb interface, and you want to see howpeople will use it; social media give youthe chance to find that out.”Creating mirror sites and making themavailable through social networks allows

businesses to assess consumer reactionsto everything from new web applicationsto a new website design or a revampedbrand image.According to Quinby, brand imagecreation is a particular strength of socialchannels, allowing marketing directors tocreate a tangible personality for the brand.“Priceline have been very creative withthis, by giving their brand spokesperson,The Negotiator, a Twitter feed,” Quinbysaid.“Other methods include tweetingirreverent offers, to create a sense of funaround the brand.”

The post-crisis period, asmany in the tourism industryare terming the first half of2010, has seen a strong changein consumer behaviour. According to Heba AlMansoori, Middle Eastdirector of Sri LankaTourism Promotion Bureau(SLTPB), Middle Easterntourists are no exception.Al Mansoori said regionaltrends included travellingcloser and for shorter periodsof time and demanding valuefor money.“The regional outboundmarket is evolving andinescapably requires changesas we need to know andunderstand consumersbetter to be able to market tothem,” said Al Mansoori.“We have had to adapt to thechanging needs of the

consumers and capitalise ontrends such as late bookingand increasing use of theinternet to look and book.”Sri Lanka is clearly a successstory - in the first six monthsof 2010, there was a tourismupsurge of 102 percent fromthe Middle East region andan unprecedented 142percent growth in Bahrainitravellers to Sri Lanka.The figures show a positivefuture for the tourism industry,according to Al Mansoori. "Regardless of apprehensionsof an unsteady globaleconomy, Middle East'sdiscerning travellers arespending time and money ontravel and Sri Lanka has beenone of the preferreddestinations of choice with ameteoric rise in tourists duringH1 2010," said Al Mansoori.

a Little Help from Your Friends: The Business side of the social Web, Part 4Social media can be a powerful, but often difficult to understand, tool for marketing your travel business.

Adapt for Success: Regional Travel Trends

JULY 17, 201012

Travel Talk is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

Razan Khalifa Al MubarakManaging Director, Emirates Wildlife Society“We live in a travel conscious world that hasmade tourism an essential part of our dailylifestyle and business activities, and a rapidlygrowing business sector in itself. The progressof this sector has a commensurate impact onthe environment, such as the carbonemissions resulting from the use of transportfuel, high energy and water consumption inhotels and restaurants, and the environmentalfootprint caused by the construction anddevelopment of tourism establishments. Thetourism sector plays an important role in theUAE economy and so it is imperative for it toadopt effective initiatives towards sustainabledevelopment and reduced carbon footprint.We encourage and support efforts that createa sustainable UAE for future generations.”

The tourism sector plays an important role in the

UAE economy and so it isimperative for it to adopt

effective initiatives towardssustainable development

Peter HillCEO, Oman Air“Historically, Oman Air was a regional carrier for15 years but now we are reaching for the world.And right from day one, Oman Air’s aim is to bea niche player offering point-to-point services anddeveloping high frequency operations that will inturn generate high yield traffic. Our point-to-point service has delivered relatively high yieldsand historically we have relied on it to get goodreturns as we chase down every last customer.During the out of season periods, we will look atnetwork routes not operated by other carriers tosee if we can operate a nonstop service. Oman Airhas great products where other airlines are alsotalking about them and we are developing even asmany rival carriers are downsizing. We investheavily in our products and Oman Air’s productshave proven to be unique. We have managed tobuild up loyalty to the brand. Unfortunately,alliances do not allow brand loyalty, so we don’tbelieve in alliances.”

Peter Mansourian General Manager Grand Millennium Dubai “We know that the success of any hotel in Dubai depends on accessing GCCregional markets who supply both leisure and business bookings on aregular basis. The average length of stay in hotels has risen from 2.68 to 2.98days over the past year and official DTCM figures show occupancies inDubai increased 8.4 percent during the first four months of 2010 – muchof this was made possible by the rapid expansion of low cost airlines in theregion which are opening up travel potential for more families and youngpeople, as well as encouraging business travel.”

Alliances do not allow

brand loyalty, so we don’t believe

in alliances

The success of any hotel

in Dubaidepends onaccessing

GCC regionalmarketsMohamed Ahmad Al Sulaity, director of public relations in

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence with Peter Mansourian,general manager of Grand Millenium Dubai Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak

Peter Hill

JULY 17, 201014

Ashraf NaguibRezidor Hotel Group has appointed Ashraf Naguib as general manager of RadissonBlu Hotel, Cairo Heliopolis. Naguib has 25 years of experience in hospitality,including 10 years in management roles. He has worked for a range of hotelcompanies, including Sheraton, Mövenpick, Windsor Hotels International andIberotel. He first joined Rezidor in 2003 as general manager of Radisson SASResort, Taba. His most recent position was general manager of Radisson Blu,Alexandria. Naguib is a graduate of the Egyptian Hotels and Tourism Institute andhas worked as a consultant for the Institute of Management Development atAmerican University in Cario.

Marco NijhofCHI Hotels and Resorts has appointedMarco Nijhof as chief operating officer.CHI is the exclusive operator of theCorinthia, Wyndham and Ramada Plazabrands in Europe, Africa and the MiddleEast. Nijhof moves to CHI from his mostrecent appointment as senior vice presidentof Kuwaiti Commercial Real Estate CenterCompany, where he was responsible for theoperation, development and managementof the company’s five star hotelinvestments. He was also previouslyemployed as senior vice president for theMiddle East, Africa and South Asia forJumeirah Hotels and Resorts.

Afrah HamdyGrand Millennium Dubai has appointed Afrah Hamdy as spa and recreationmanager. Hamdy was most recently employed as manager at the VLCC MirdiffCentre – a Dubai outlet specialising in weight management and beauty treatments.Hamdy has qualifications in accounting and business management, as well asbeauty and health therapy. She has worked at InterContinental Sharm El Sheikhas a health club co-ordinator and Grand Rotana Red Sea as a therapist.

Ghulam Al BalooshiGlobal distribution system (GDS) providerTravelport has appointed Ghulam AlBalooshi as director for the lower Gulfregion. Al Balooshi will be responsible forleading Travelport’s commercial activity inthe UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. He willbe based in the company’s regionalheadquarters in Dubai – former UAEcountry manager Faris Azzee has departedto take on a new position with Travelport inSaudi Arabia. Al Balooshi has more than 35years of experience within the travelindustry and has held senior positions atSabre and Amadeus Gulf.

Marco Nijhof

Ghulam Al Balooshi

Afrah Hamdy

Lloyd KenyonReed Travel Exhibitions hasappointed Lloyed Kenyon asexhibition manager for GulfIncentives, Business Travel andMeetings (GIBTM). Kenyonpreviously spent five years workingfor Reed Travel Exhibitions in Dubai;his most recent role was projectmanager for Dubai World TradeCentre events and exhibitionsdepartment. He played a major rolein the development and growth ofArabian Travel Market (ATM) andhas worked in the UAE for more than10 years.

15JULY 17, 2010

Q&a with Jay martensAs a former Reed employee and a co-founder of Asia Luxury Travel Market, Jay Martens, CEO of Lucioles,boasts impeccable credentials when it comes to the business of luxury travel.

Now, in his latest venture, Martens isintroducing Blossom Japan - the firstinvitation-only event aimed at developingthe inbound and outbound luxury travelmarket of Japan.

Travel Trade Weekly: Who will beattending Blossom Japan – whichcountries and sectors are represented?Jay Martens: Blossom Japan focuses onthe inbound and outbound market ofJapan. With this in mind, invitations havebeen extended to both international andJapanese exhibitors, buyers and media toattend the event. Orient-Express Hotels Trains andCruises, Aqua Expeditions, HotelTsuruga Group and Shanti Maurice, ANira Resort are amongst the latestexhibitors that have signed up toparticipate in January 2011.Lucioles will host 200 of the top travelarrangers from around the world toparticipate in the Blossom Japan buyerprogramme. Due to the exclusivity of the programme,Lucioles has allocated limited places forluxury buyers from each region,worldwide. Qualification is based on meeting thestrict programme criteria, with wait listsalready in place for Australia, NewZealand, Taiwan, India, Canada, the USand Russia. Travel Trade Weekly: Do you expectinterest from the Middle East - if so,any specific sectors?Jay Martens: Yes, Emirates, Etihad andQatar airways are now flying directly toTokyo, creating a buzz in both directions. Japanese travellers have interest in theMiddle East and see it as a new destination,while the Middle Eastern travellers nowhave direct access to discover Japan.

Finally, Japanese travellers can now usethese new routes to travel beyond theMiddle East, making it a convenient hubbetween Japan and Europe.

Travel Trade Weekly: Japan hasemerged in recent years as a strongsource market and destination forluxury travel. Can you please give ussome insight into recent trends andkey areas of development?Jay Martens: Japan as a destination is afascinating place. The offer for luxury travellers is one of thevery best in the world and the variousexperiences from north to south make ita place not to miss on your travel radar. However, the problem is that it is not wellknown internationally. There is a need tocreate ‘Brand Japan’ and position thedestination so that it attracts the righttravellers.Japan is a well sought-after market for allthe luxury travel brands, it representsbetween 20 and 30 percent of theirrevenue and currently there is no platformthat offers key players in the industry theright access to the country. The travel industry is seeing newdevelopments in Japan, with theemergence of boutique agencies, conciergeservices and lifestyle and travel advisors. This change has led to a new dynamic inFIT luxury travel and Blossom Japan hasbeen launched to support this new trendby creating the ideal platform for keybuyers in the industry to meet with thebest luxury suppliers in the world.

Travel Trade Weekly: Whatrelationship currently exists betweenJapan and the Middle East in terms oftourism - and how can this be improved?Jay Martens: The relationship has notbeen great as there hasn't been directaccess in the past, however the MiddleEast is a very attractive market for Japanbecause of the amazing products andexperiences on offer. Now that there are direct routes betweenTokyo and the Middle East, it willimprove if the Japanese market iseducated. Japan has the largest group of high networth individuals in the world, secondonly to the US, and it is the number oneconsumer of luxury goods in the world. In terms of luxury travel, Japan should beone of the top priorities in a luxury travelproduct’s marketing budget.

Jay Martens

Japan should be one of the top priorities in

a luxury travel product’smarketing budget

The Middle East is a very attractive market for Japan

JULY 17, 201016

Events

India International Travel Market Bengaluru, India, July 10-12 (www.iitmindia.com)A showcase for tourism, leisure, hospitality and relatedindustries.

Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare ConferenceLos Angeles, US, September 22-24 (www.medicaltourismconference.com)Forum for the global medical and wellbeing tourism industry.

Outdoor Adventure DubaiDubai, UAE, October 8-10 (www.outdooradventuredubai.com)Adventure sports, outdoor clubs, equipment specialists andholiday destinations.

GITEX Technology WeekDubai, UAE, October 17-21 (www.gitex.com)Technology solutions for hotels, businesses and consumers.

Hotex Fair SyriaDamascus, Syria, October 19-22 (www.hotexfair.com)Fair for Arabic and foreign companies in tourism and travel,including hotels, restaurants and equipment suppliers.

World Travel MarketLondon, UK, November 8-11 (www.wtmlondon.com)Global event for the travel industry – four day business tobusiness event promoting a range of destinations and industrysectors to international travel professionals.

World Green Tourism Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi, UAE, November 22-24 (www.worldgreentourism.ae)Inaugural eco-tourism exhibition, featuring tourismauthorities, urban city planners, hotels and resorts, propertydevelopers, airlines, tour operators, green product suppliers,universities, museums and heritage site organisations.

Blossom JapanTokyo, Japan, January 18-21,2011 (www.blossomjapan.com)A new invitation-only luxury travel exhibition focusing on theJapanese market.

The US based Medical Tourism and GlobalHealthcare Congress has added a spa andwellness stream to the programme of its2010 event.According to the Medical TourismAssociation, the nonprofit organisationresponsible for the event, the spa andwellness industry accounts for USD2 trillionin revenue worldwide per year.Topics that will fall under the new bannerinclude integrative medicine, corporatehealth, global spa trends, special interestproducts and investment opportunities.Camille Hoheb, who will chair the spa and

wellness conference, said adding the categoryopened the congress to new sides of thehealth focused travel business.“There is an extraordinary opportunity toexplore new models with new partnershipsbetween spas, healthcare providers, insurancecompanies and employers,” she said.“Consumers now perceive their wellbeing asa need rather than a want and withcorporations understanding the importancefor a healthy workforce, wellness tourism ison the rise.”The Medical Tourism and Global HealthcareCongress will be held at the Hyatt Regency

Century Plaza, Los Angeles, US, fromSeptember 22 to 24.More than 2,000 delegates from 60 countriesare expected to attend the conference.Attendees will include internationalhospitals, healthcare providers, medicaltravel facilitators and insurance companies.

World Medical Tourism Conference Adds Spa and Wellbeing Features to Programme

With corporationsunderstanding the

importance for a healthyworkforce, wellness tourism

is on the rise