Fusion Marketing ManagementFusion Marketing Management LLC was established in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in 2002. The company specializes in luxury lifestyle, travel and tourism communications, marketing and public relations, but also carries the experience to expand its offering to a variety of additional services. The Fusion team has collectively over 100 years of experience within the public relations, communications and travel and tourism industries at senior management level and understands the travel distribution in the Middle East region intimately. The company is proud to enjoy a dedicated team of both Arabic and English speaking staff, who are experienced in public relations, global and regional travel and tourism, brand management, media relations, marketing, advertising, event management, corporate communications, journalism and corporate social responsibility.

Fusion Mission Statement & Overview 2009

To position Fusion as the leading tourism, hospitality and business communications consultancy in the Gulf and to create awareness and demand for our clients products and services.

Fusion is a boutique communications and representation company in Dubai covering the Middle East and North Africa. We consult on tourism, hospitality and aspirational lifestyle products and services, delivered by our team of local and international communications and travel industry professionals. Integrated marketing and business development solutions are at the heart of our philosophy, and our success comes from understanding of local market dynamics, passion for our business and industry knowledge; simply, we know people!

As an extension of your team, we then become: all together…better

Fusion Case Histories

Jordan Tourism InitiativeFollowing the tragedy of 9/11, it was noted that Arab families and students re-evaluated destinations for higher education opportunities. In response to this, Jordan approached Fusion to increase its share of students from the Gulf region.

Fusion implemented an integrated communications programme including advertising, public relations, media relations, a focused roadshow and mall promotions. The venture proved to be a success, and the ministry of Jordan was pleased to announce that student intake from Gulf region had increased in line with the ministry’s internal targets.Maldives Post-Tsunami Recovery Programme

In December 2004, tragedy struck the Pacific Asia region when a set of devastating tsunami’s ravaged coastlines as well as numerous island territories. Of those that were severely affected were the Maldives. A high-yield leisure and honeymoon tourism, the Maldives was one of the worst affected countries by the tsunami and total damages reached nearly $0.5 billion, equivalent to some 62% of the GDP.

Hotel clients have included

Emirates Hotels and Resorts brand launch Depa Middle East & North Africa Hotel Awards Lebua Hotel, Bangkok Leading Hotels of the World Hotel de Paris Monaco Le Hermitage Monaco Monte Carlo bay Hotel Monaco Fullerton Hotel Singapore La Residence Mauritius Millennium Hotels and Resorts Ananda Himalayas Taj Hotels and Resorts regional office Taj Palace Dubai &Taj Exotica Maldives JW Marriott Dubai Grand Hyatt Dubai Dusit Dubai Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts: Dubai; Abu Dhabi Movenpick Hotels and Resorts Empire Hotel and Resort Brunei Langham Hotel London Stein Hotels,London, Amsterdam, Barcelona

On-property Hotel experience

Director of sales & marketing for: Marriott Hotels. UK Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts. UAE Taj Hotels and Resorts. Dubai Worldwide sales & marketing, Gulf Taj Hotels &

Resorts

Tourism clients

DTCM - Dubai Oman Ministry of Tourism Jordan Ministry of Tourism Maldives Ministry of Tourism Pacific Asia Travel Association Emirates Holidays Luxury Travel Show Nice Bahrain Ministry of Tourism Mall of the Emirates Business Travel Show Dubai – Dnata/Centaur Emirates Sunland Group Whitebay resort dev. Trident luxury real estate apartments

Fusion approach for a PR & marketing representation project for individual Chinese provincial governments

Presented by Fusion, DubaiThe destination marketing tourism advisors

Fusion was approached by the Maldives Ministry of Tourism to organise Pan-Gulf public relations & media events in an attempt to salvage tourism and real estate initiatives in the region. Fusion supported the Maldives in increasing its passenger arrivals from the gulf region through a unique project-based approach that included regional roadshows, customized presentations to the travel industry, pr and media relations support, and a reassurance programme directed at high-yield travelers, post Tsunami

Fusion’s roadshow targeted approximately 200 people per event, representing the travel trade, media, hospitality industry, high-profile government sector representatives and consumers. In addition to the roadshows, Fusion supported the public relations activities pertaining to the Maldive’s real estate sector, specifically the sale of Atholls islands.

Marketing Oman

The Oman Ministry of Tourism appointed Fusion Marketing Management as its market-based representative office in June 2004 with a remit to increase tourism from the GCC by three million arrivals over three years.

Fusion developed an integrated communications programme through which to raise awareness of the Sultanate’s many unique attributes that differentiate Oman from its GCC neighbours. A key element within the communications programme was consumer public relations, with a view to help maximise inbound tourism from the across the GCC to Oman through consumer and travel trade PR. Fusion successfully managed to open Oman up to international clients looking for luxury and authentic Arabic experiences.

World Tourism Today

When it comes to the world’s top tourism destinations, China ranks at fourth position in arrivals, and fifth in terms of receipts. Asia and Pacific Asia was the world’s second best performing region in terms of arrivals in 2007. Looking at predicted growth rates in tourism, Asia and the pacific are expected to show a five percent growth in tourism arrivals in comparison to global rates of 4.1%.

However, the face of global tourism is changing. Recent tourism statistics released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNTWO) stated in a recent report that by June, July and August 2008, growth of international tourism arrivals fell to just two percent (from over seven percent in May). The report showed, for example, that international tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific were estimated to have increased by around 3% between January and October in 2008 as compared to a 11% growth for the full of 2007. The slowdown was particularly strong since August following the spike in oil prices and the consequent cuts in airline capacity and increasing transport costs.

Further statistics showed that in the last six months of 2008, growth in both Europe (-3%) and Asia (-3%) was down. The drop is even more significant in Asia given its double digit growth in 2007 and strong showing in the first part of 2008 (+6%). On the other hand, the Americas (+1%), Africa (+4%) and the Middle East (+5%) still posted positive results in the second half of the year, although with a significant slowdown compared with the period between January and June.

2009 Outlook linked to Global Economic Performance

The slowdown in advanced economies, which are facing a contraction in gross domestic product for the first time since World War II, is already spreading to major emerging markets such as China, India, and Brazil. UNWTO expects 2009 international tourism to be in the range of 0% to a 2% decline. In Asia and the Pacific, results are expected to be positive, although growth will continue to be much slower compared with the region’s performance in recent years; the same applies to Africa and the Middle East.

In looking beyond the turmoil, Geoffrey Lipman, the UNWTO Assistant Secretary General, said that it was imperative to look at the longer term and position tourism against the global challenges like the poverty and climate imperatives. Businesses and destinations which take the right decisions now will survive in the outcome of the crisis, adopting long-term strategic measures.

Further, despite low consumer and trade confident (as stated in the January 2009 edition of UNTWO Tourism Barometer), initiatives such as the Open Skies agreement that China is considering in conjunction with low oil prices and low-cost carrier fares, there are still hopes to stimulate tourism in the region. A Glance at China’s Tourism Opportunities relevant to the Middle East

Tourist resources in China can be divided into three main groups - natural sites, historical and cultural sites, and folk customs – although the region’s tourism opportunities also expand into the following:

Cultural, historical & heritage tourism Destination Tourism Shopping Tourism Adventure Tourism

Event/Festival Tourism MICE tourism

These are the areas of tourism Fusion would suggest focusing upon and would work with the client to ensure a full product and services briefing takes place to support the research phase.

Destination & Adventure TourismThis will also include, as part of destination tourism, an eco-tourism element pertaining to the region. The region’s natural sites, which include its mountains, lakes, valleys, caves and waterfalls are key to destination and adventure tourism, and focus areas would include the Forbidden City; the Great Wall of China; and Mount Everest.

Cultural, historical & heritage tourismChina celebrates countless historical and cultural sites that draw tourist from across the globe. One of the most popular tourist attractions is the Great Wall of China, but this is by no means the only wonder of the region. Also popular are the Forbidden City in Beijing and Silk Road, the Terracotta Army in Shaanxi near Xi'an, and the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province.

Shopping TourismOf course, a trip to the Far East would not be complete without a stopover in Hong Kong ... experiencing the skyline of Hong Kong Island and the area’s shopping delights.

Event/Festival Tourism The region features a number of festival tourism events such as Shenzhen Rose Exhibition, Changdian Temple Fair and the Ice Festival ("Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival"). Cultural and folk customs such as "March Street", the Water-Sprinkling Festival and dragon boat racing are also favoured tourism highlights. Dragon boat racing is also growing in popularity in the Middle East and can be utilised as an avenue of tourism marketing platform.

MICE TourismBecause of its boombing business sector, China offers a variety of meeting, conference and exhibition opportunities.

Fusion’s Approach to the Project

The Fusion approach for increasing inbound tourism business from the Middle East and Gulf regionOn appointment, Fusion would look to deliver an integrated pr and trade representation campaign to increase inbound business from the Middle East in 2009 and beyond.

We would look to:1. Develop a travel trade campaign plan including the option for road shows in the region plus support at any planned trade show

presence;2. Ddevelop meeting schedules for senior members of the delegation to encourage and foster tourism, and trade relations with the

region;3. Develop a pr communications programme in the region to ensure coverage in the press and increased consumer awareness.