any

Founded in 1997.

May 2012

● EUROPE IN 2012.

● ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES 2013 HOLIDAYS.

● BEIJING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL EXPO (BITE) 2012.

● TOURISM ON THE RISE IN SHARJAH.

● ATHENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT INTRODUCES SIGNIFICANT INCENTIVES.

● A DAY AT TONG LI, CHINA by Pamela McCourt Francescone.

. THE OUTLOOK OF THE ARABIAN GULF AIRLINES.

● THE LUTHER DECADE IS KEY THEME FOR GNTB.

● LUXURY HOTEL 'GROUNDSCRAPER' PLANNED IN CHINA.

15-17 June 2012, Beijing, China

TATW Monthly 2012 © Monastiraki Square, Athens, Greece. www.tourismaroundtheworld.co.uk

National Par l iament, Vienna, Aus tria .

Tourism Trend

EUROPE IN

2012

by Dimitri Laspas, publisher… Despite the global economic situation and the effects on various regions, recent figures for tourism still show some good news and increased figures. International tourism arrivals are still expected to increase by 3-4% taking the number of tourist arrivals to the

1 billion mark in 2012. Growth markets are of course Asia and the Pacific as well as Africa with increases expected at 4% and 6%, with Europe’s growth at 4% and the Americas at 2%.

The continued instability of the Eurozone is affecting many aspects, including a slow down overall in world trade. This is also not helped by the global increase in oil prices, which seems set to increase throughout the year. Overall the global travel and tourism industry is expected to grow by +3% in 2012, however Europe may not benefit so much with more belt tightening and continued uncertainty in some European economies like Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece.

Louvre, Par is , France

With the Olympics taking place in Europe this summer, in London, many UK residents have seemingly opted to remain at home, either to take part/attend the event or to avoid the potential chaos of trying to leave or enter the UK during that period! Global air bookings into London are expected to increase during the period of the Games accordingly to a recent study and other European cities in close proximity to London with good road and/or, rail connections are also to see increased bookings during the Olympics period.

In North America there has been a slow but steady increase in outbound travel with consumer confidence, unemployment and the stock market all helping provide a more positive mood. On the negative side, again high oil prices and the presidential campaign are not helping. In Canada, a strong currency helped promote an 8% increase in travel to Europe in 2011, which will hopefully be continued through 2012. In mainland Europe the strength of the German market is still strong with German travel agencies seeing growth of +4% to date. 2012 will yet again be a year of growth for the German

travel industry. The French see a new presidency and economic uncertainty, so growth may not be so great. Outbound travel from Spain showed an increase at the beginning of the year by 2%. The Italian market seems stagnant, while in the Netherlands, consumers are being very cautious about spending. Sweden is a positive picture with a strong Krona against the Euro and growth of 9% in 2011, a trend expected to be maintained during 2012.

T he Shard, London, UK

The Australian outbound market continues to do well with growth expected to be about 5% this year. The Indian outbound market is also doing well and is expected to continue a good expansion in 2012. In China, tour operators are seeing increased flight frequency, good aircraft numbers and low-cost options for European packages.

As always, the global tourism industry has winners and losers and everyone takes the ups and downs in turn. Overall the picture is one of slow but steady growth and with many good business opportunities for all. ■

BML International-UK

a marketing & consulting company in tourism, m.i.c.e and exhibitions.

www.bmlinternational.co.uk

BML International-UK

part of Laspas Associates

A e g e a n Ho u s e , 7 1 B l a n d f o r d R o a d , T e d d i n g t o n , T W 1 1 0 L G , UK

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Shanghai , China

Tourism

News

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS & CONVENTION ASSOCIATION 2013 IN CAPE TOWN The recent

bid win for the 2013 ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) Sector Venues International Client/Supplier

Business Workshop raises the total number of international conferences won by the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), this year to 8. CTICC said that the combined economic impact of these events is in the region of Euro€4, (UK£3.23) million and will lead to the creation of over 700 direct and indirect jobs in the country. This win follows the World Federation of Occupational Therapists conference that was awarded to Cape Town and CTICC and is expected to attract over 2,500 local and international delegates to the city. The winning of the recent bid bears testament to Cape Town’s desirability as a world class meetings and events destination. The expansion is set to further raise the global profile of Cape Town, as it will allow the centre to broaden its international focus and attract more city wide conferences of 5,000 or more delegates.

IRELAND TOURISM GROWTH 2011 saw some positive

numbers for Ireland with growth in total overseas visitors to the island increasing. The Republic of Ireland saw growth up 7% and Northern Ireland up 4%. There are still challenges to be faced, but the outlook is more positive with a strong first half marketing campaign across all markets showing good returns and with strong continued cooperation with established industry partners is predicted to deliver further growth in 2012.

Swarovski Crys tal W orld , T yrol , Aus tr ia.

SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL WORLD, A SPECIAL NEW INCENTIVE LOCATION Whether displayed as a delicate

crystalline dust or as a majestic solitaire, with subtle or striking brilliance, the versatility of crystal is without comparison. As homage to everything crystal, Swarovski Crystal World in Wattens in Tyrol/Austria offers a fascinating look at this gorgeous material. Opened in 1995 to celebrate 100 years of Swarovski, and updated twice since, the glittering crystal palace has attracted more than 10 million visitors from all over the world. Swarovski Crystal World also provides an

exciting and diverse event setting amongst luxurious, ‘sparkling’ surroundings, a perfect location for incentive programmes. Seven rooms can be booked for events, each with its own style and characteristics. The ‘Crystal Dome’ offers 50m2 of sparkling space with 590 mirrors. Another area, the ‘Cube’ offers 370m2 in area, equipped with the latest event technology and special lighting effects. Swarovski also schedules other activities to entice the senses: in special workshops under the guidance of Swarovski crystal experts, participants will uncover their own artistic talent by producing small jewellery pieces of their own.

ATHENS WELCOMES THE WORLD ASSOCIATION OF CHEFS SOCIETIES CONGRESS IN 2016 As

Athens has been selected as one of the top 3 candidate cities for organising the 37th WACS Congress in 2016, along with Istanbul and Johannesburg, the Hellenic Chefs’ Federation is feverishly preparing for a dynamic presentation at Daejeon, Korea and invites the WACS members to support the Hellenic candidacy. The time has come to Re-discover the Mediterranean Cuisine as neither Greece, nor another Mediterranean country has hosted a WACS Congress for at least the last 30 years. That is why the Hellenic Chefs’ Federation intends to organise a traditional high level congress in the most historical city of Europe, in Hellenic colours and flavours. The Hellenic Chefs’ Federation, wishing to exploit in the best possible way this unique experience to promote Greece, its cuisine, its culture and traditions to the international gastronomic community, is rallying in this effort national and local bodies, which can make a substantial contribution to a successful outcome, namely the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the City of Athens, the Athens Convention Bureau, the Greek Tourism Organisation, the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, etc. During the 35th WACS Congress in Korea, the attendants will have the opportunity to taste the ‘Greek Breakfast’, a new Breakfast Buffet consisting of traditional products and flavours selected from every corner of Greece, introduced by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels in cooperation with the Hellenic Chef’s Association and supported by the Greek National Tourism Organisation. At present, WACS consists of 87 members - official national chefs federations from around the world. It is the global professional link which upgrades the standards of international gastronomy. The WACS International Congress is the largest meeting of acclaimed professionals from this sector, organised every 2 years since 1928, in different cities of the world. Norway had a successful bid to host the Congress in 2014, Seoul (Korea) in 2012, and in the years 2008 and 2010, the congress was held in Dubai (UAE) and Santiago (Chile), respectively. 4 www.tourismaroundtheworld.co.uk

Richmond Upon T hames, UK

Tourism

News

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES 2013 HOLIDAYS Royal Caribbean

International’s Explorer of the Seas’ summer and autumn 2013 line-up will feature 30 sailings to 17 spectacular ports of call on 7

Itineraries all from the Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey, near Manhattan. Holidaymakers can combine a visit to the Big Apple with a cruise to destinations such as Bermuda, Caribbean and Canada and New England from April until October 2013. Explorer of the Seas will alternate 5-night Bermuda and 9-night Bermuda and Caribbean itineraries. The 5-night itinerary will feature an overnight at Kings Wharf, Bermuda, while the 9-night sailing calls at Kings Wharf; St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Labadee, Royal Caribbean International’s private destination on the north coast of Haiti. From September through October holidaymakers can choose a 7-night Bermuda itinerary, which uniquely features 3 days and 2 nights at Kings Wharf to enjoy more of the 181-island nation. Explorer of the Seas also will offer a special Canada and New England sailing to catch the arrival of autumn and the changing of the leaves.

Al lure of the Seas, Royal Car ibbean.

Departing 31 August 2013 guests will call at Boston, Massachusetts; Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Based year-round from New Jersey, Explorer of the Seas is one of the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ships, featuring iconic Royal Caribbean International onboard activities such as an ice-skating rink, 9-hole mini-golf course, a rock-climbing wall, full-size basketball court and the Royal Promenade, a boulevard that runs nearly the length of the ship, flanked by restaurants, lounges and boutiques. Explorers of the Seas’ summer 2013 cruises are now open for booking.

UMBRIA CONGRESSI The strategic activities of Umbria

Congressi, the consortium whose aim is the promotion of Umbria to the Italian and foreign M.I.C.E. demand, are emerging in all their richness with 3 levels of action: fam trips for selected targets, brochures and web development. They have identified 3 main targets which they will focus on in 2012 and provide targeted fam trips for. They are: corporate

prospects, belonging to various sectors; journalists specialising in tourist and meeting industry; and the bloggers, whom the consortium regard as a full contact category. All the arrangements will be coordinated by the consortiums associate PCO agencies. The website www.umbriaconventionbureau.eu is full of information on both the members and the destination. In a few months, it will be incorporated into a much larger site, cared for by the regional government, dedicated to the 5 themes set by the ‘TAC 2’ project (Tourism Art & Culture) from which the consortium was born: they are named San Francesco’s way, Umbria Culture, Umbria Tastes and Umbria Bike, and of course Umbria Congressi. For each of these targets an on line brochure will be produced containing all the information each sector needs.

MARRIOTT PLANS NEW PROPERTY IN COLOMBIA Marriott Hotels & Resorts is to open a new 170-room Marriott Hotel in Cali, Colombia, in 2014, under an agreement with Real Hotels and Resorts, S.A. and Grupo Poma. Situated on the corner of Avenida 8 Norte and Calle 9 in the heart of Colonia Granada, the Marriott Cali Hotel will be located in one of Cali’s most desirable areas filled with restaurants, bars and shops. In addition to 170 guest rooms and suites, the hotel will feature a casual dining restaurant, a sushi bar and a great room. The hotel will have 3 different meeting spaces available including the 1493sq.m. ballroom. Recreational facilities include a swimming pool and a fitness centre. Other amenities will include a concierge lounge, business centre, gift shop and parking garage.

HAITI AIMS FOR TOURISM AS EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY CONTINUES The earthquake hit island is

gradually rebuilding itself and sees the re-establishment of its tourism industry as key. A considerable construction boom is underway in Port-au-Prince, with a new Occidental luxury hotel complete with rooftop infinity pool which is set to open this summer and the island's 1st international property, the Marriott, to launch in 2014. Discussion are also underway to bring Port-au-Prince's 1st cruise ship in 25 years to the city in 2013, transporting 'Cruise with a Cause' volunteer vacations to help rebuild the capital. The Port-au-Prince International Airport, which was largely destroyed, is being rebuilt as is the Cap-Haitien International Airport ahead of an opening next year. The funding for many projects is expected to be supported by a 'tourist card', which will be mandatory for all non-Haitian visitors in addition to higher taxes on flights. Although this will make visiting the island more expensive, it will directly assist Haiti in its transition from disaster zone to tourist paradise. ■

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T ong Li , Suzhou, China (photo by Mrs . Pamela McCour t F rancescone) .

A Day at

TONG LI, CHINA

by Pamela McCourt Francescone

There is no shortage of things to enjoy in Shanghai, from dining in the elegant French Concession district or trendy XIntiandi, to visiting the old Chinatown, and from shopping in the brand stores on Nanjing Road or in the boutiques on Taikang Lu, to

picking up vintage ceramics and curios on the stalls on Dong Tai Road.

But no visit to this bustling metropolis of 20 million people would be complete without getting away from it for a day to discover one of the water villages in the area. My advice is to skip the better-known towns like Suzhou, Zhujiajiao and Zhouzhuang which are too full of day-trippers, and head for Tong Li. And, to make it even more special, don’t take a guided tour but do it the way the locals do it and the way we did it. By using public transport.

You don’t speak any Chinese? Don’t let that put you off, even though you will find very few people along the way who

speak any English. All you need are train times, (print them off from the China Railways site www.railwaysofchina.com/timetable.htm), a map of the Tong Li area (www.chinatouristmaps.com/city/Tong Li-map.html) a little patience, lots of smiles and, if you follow my suggestions, you will easily get there and back, spend less than a fifth of the cost of a guided day trip, and have a truly enriching experience.

There are regular trains to Suzhou from Shanghai’s main station which is linked to the Metro. To buy your train tickets you need to show your passport. The train to Suzhou takes less than an hour and once there do not be tempted by the local guides who will try to sell you a tour of Shuzou’s old water village. Turn left outside the station and at the bus ticket office buy a return ticket which includes a Tong Li entrance ticket. The bus leaves when it is full (it fills up fast) and, after about 40 minutes drops you at the entrance to Tong Li town.

Here you agree a price with a local cycle driver - we were asked about Euro€5.30 (UK£4.30) - but our driver, N°19, was so smiling and helpful (even without speaking the same language we communicated just fine) we gave him a generous tip at the end of the day.

Tong Li, a series of seven islets on the edge of Lake Taihu, is over 1,000 years old and famous for the 49 stone bridges spanning its rivers and canals. The Tuisi Gardens, with ponds, rockeries, bridges and waterside pavilions are a place of great beauty and tranquillity. Our cyclo took us along the waterways where we saw villagers going about their daily life, visited old houses and quaint little shopping streets where we bought ethnic fashions and silk duvets, one of the specialties of Tong Li, and we lunched in a small restaurant, away from the more touristy part of the town. All in all a truly enjoyable day, discovering China’s ancient traditional way of life which, amazingly, still exists just a couple of hours away from futuristic Shanghai. ■

APOLOGY TOURISM AROUND THE WORLD Monthly would like to formally apologise for an error in its recent publication of an article in its March edition entitled ‘Cities of a Golden Era’.

It was stated that the article was by the Editor when full credit goes to freelance writer, Mrs. Pamela McCourt-Francescone. The e-journal sincerely apologise for this error.

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Exhibitions

News

BEIJING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL EXPO (BITE) 2012 The Beijing International

Tourism Expo sees the 8th edition take place next month in Beijing from 17-19 June,

2012. This year sees it take place at a new venue, the China National Convention Centre (CNCC). During BITE 2011, 82 countries and 25 Chinese provinces took part in the show as well as 796 exhibitors and 214 hosted buyers. The Beijing Tourism Administration (BTA)

is a partner and co-organiser offering considerable state assistance to the industry making conducting business and networking hassle free! With this liberalisation, processing of travel documents for tourists and travel agencies will be streamlined. China‘s continued strong economic growth has seen the tourism industry boom with many more middle-class Chinese people travelling abroad both within Asia and internationally. BITE 2012 will yet again attract leading travel industry members from all over the world including South Africa, Kenya, Switzerland, Spain, India, South Korea, Greece, Italy, etc. BITE 2012 is the ideal platform and offers a wide variety of opportunities for

international and regional tourism and M.I.C.E. companies to gain a foothold in the Asia-Pacific markets. BITE 2012 is an enormous showcase of tourism destinations and attractions as well as travel-related goods and services. BITE 2012 is a key event in the tourism event calendar and indeed in the Asia Pacific. It is therefore not to be missed is you wish to do serious business in the region.

ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET 2012 The annual 4 day

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) finished early this month with many positive deals and announcements. The stands of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and other emirate states, like Fujairah, Ras Al-Khaimah and Sharjah tourism were very busy throughout the show. India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Morocco and Maldives also had big attractive stands and attracted many visitors. Amadeus, the travel technology provider and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry, unveiled its Amadeus Mobile Traveller at ATM. This fully integrated and complete mobile application is designed to support pre-trip, in-trip and post-trip functionalities and enable end travellers to fulfil their on-the-go travel needs. During one of many seminars at the show, it was confirmed that Saudis are frequent travellers and Qataris are top spenders abroad with daily average of Euro€3,150, (UK£2,540 followed by Saudis Euro€2,580, (UK£2,080) and Emiratis Euro€2,520, (UK£2,030). According to another survey 53% of respondents plan to travel abroad, to 2-5 countries, for leisure or pleasure within the next 12 months. The report also confirmed that travellers from the GCC most often take extended holidays of 14-56 days, a theme that is not seen elsewhere globally. In terms of holiday destination, again the key destinations are still dominantly within the Middle East region.

global news for tourism, m.i.c.e & exhibitions

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IT &CM 2012 China.

Exhibitions

News

GERMAN TRAVEL MART (GTM) 2012 The 38th GTM

Germany Travel Mart™ is in final preparations and will take place from 13-15 May 2012 by the German National Tourism

Board (GNTB) along with Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH and Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen mbH (TMGS). The GTM Germany Travel Mart™ is a high-calibre forum at which German providers can meet key buyers from the international travel industry. Providers and buyers specifically selected for the GTM, combined with highly professional organisation, make the GTM the top event of the travel year. This highly efficient platform for buying and selling also presents the latest news and trends in Germany's incoming tourism industry to selected international journalists, whose reports then generate additional impetus in the German travel market. Tourism around the World Monthly is delighted to announce they will again be present at this key annual event.

AUSTRALIAN TOURISM EXCHANGE The Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) is a tourism trade show that brings Australian tourism businesses together with airlines, tourism wholesalers and retailers from around the world. ATE provides a forum for Australian tourism Sellers to showcase their products, meet with overseas contacts and negotiate deals; international travel buyers have the opportunity to experience Australia first-hand; it gives a unique opportunity for attendees to increase their share of the inbound travel market and international buyers are selected by Tourism Australia to ensure the most influential people meet with Australian tourism businesses. Who attends ATE? Around 1,700 Australian Seller delegates from approximately 600 companies meet with approximately 700 key buyer companies from over 40 countries and approximately 40 international and 25 Australian media are in attendance. ATE is a 7 day programme and is divided into 2 separate modules, Eastern and Western, allowing Australian exhibitors to target the markets appropriate for their product. International Buyers attend the module according to where their company is based and Australian exhibitors can apply to attend one or both modules. The Eastern Module (Friday 15 - Sunday 17 June) targets Buyers from Japan, Asia and the Gulf Countries, while the Western Module (Monday 18 - Thursday 21 June) targets Buyers from UK, Europe, the Americas, South Africa, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

ASEAN TOURISM FORUM (ATF) 2013 TRAVEX GOES TO VIENTIANE, LAO PDR Laos, the host country

of ATF TRAVEX 2013, has captured the industry’s attention. Delegates around the world are excited by destination Laos and are keen to see Vientiane gearing up for the task at hand. Laos will host the 32nd instalment of ATF in Vientiane,

the capital of Lao PDR, from 17-24 January. ATF TRAVEX will take place from 22-24 January at the Lao International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre (Lao ITECC), one of

the most prestigious shopping and recreational centres in Vientiane. Situated on the Mekong River, Vientiane is the economic centre of Laos. It is celebrated for its ecotourism, Buddhist culture and food. This is the 2

nd time that

Vientiane will be hosting the event. Professor Dr. Bosengkham

Vongdara, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Laos said, “This is an exciting time for Laos’ tourism industry and we are honoured to host ATF 2013. Since we last hosted ATF 9 years ago, Laos has grown in infrastructure and facilities. Through ATF, we will do our best to contribute to strengthen and build an ASEAN community by 2015, as adopted and promoted at ASEAN summits by the region’s leaders.” Mr. Saly Phimpinith, Director-General, Tourism Marketing Department at the ministry, also spoke about the facilities in Laos and added, “We are adding about 300 rooms this year to our existing capacity of about 3,000. We also wish to give ATF TRAVEX delegates a glimpse of this simply beautiful country through the pre-show city tours and post-show tours.” ATF TRAVEX 2013, the 3-day travel trade mart component of the ASEAN Tourism Forum is a showcase for the largest contingent of ASEAN destination products and services. TRAVEX has recorded strong interest and rapid take up rate early in its registration process. With 8 months to go, the event has reported sales of more than 140 booths till date. Buyer registrations have hit a record high of 310 registrations, a whopping 40% more as compared to the same time last year. Some 70 leading international media have also registered early. This early interest is attributed to the ATF TRAVEX’ continued success in delivering quality business leads and industry information. ATF combines business appointments, an education component and numerous social functions. Held in a sprawling exhibition hall, the business appointments will encompass the majority of delegates’ schedules over the 3 days. The ASEAN Tourism Conference (ATC) – the educational component of ATF – will feature sessions by industry veterans, which will engage the audience through presentations and panel discussions on the major trends, and issues affecting ASEAN tourism today. The social and networking events at ATF will continue to offer delegates the opportunity to create new contacts within the industry in relaxed and unique settings such as the popular golf game, late night functions or the hosted luncheons and dinners. For more information, programme updates and to register for ATF 2013, visit www.atflaos.com

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AT F 2010 Brunei .

Exhibitions

News

RECORD NUMBER OF HOSTED BUYERS AT BTL At the recent 2012 edition of BTL, International Tourism Exhibition saw the presence of close to 400 hosted buyers

coming from 27 countries. This was a record number at the fair and represents an increase of more than 100% in comparison with 2011. The Hosted Buyers programme was created a few years ago by BTL – International Tourism Exhibition in collaboration with TAP and Turismo de Portugal. Since its start, the programme has gained enormous momentum and sustainability, presenting an annual growth of almost 100% since 2009 both in the number of buyers and countries participating. The 2011 edition of BTL counted on the presence of almost 150 hosted buyers coming from 23 countries (Brazil, the United States, Venezuela, Japan, China, Mozambique, Russia, Ukraine and several countries from the European Union) were some of the markets that came to BTL to learn more about the Portuguese tourism supply. Within this programme, more than 790 meetings with the exhibiting companies took place over the 5 days of the fair. The numbers for the 2012 show saw that 400 hosted buyers coming from 27 countries: the Netherlands, Venezuela, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Sweden, Russia, Poland, the United States, Canada, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Mozambique, Italy, France, Spain, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Finland and Norway. Along with these hosted buyers, there were 2,282 international visitors and 1,519 of them were buyers. This represents an increase of 11% comparing to 2011.

ITE & M.I.C.E. HONG KONG WILL OPEN IN JUNE! REGISTER NOW FOR FREE ADMISSION ITE &

M.I.C.E., Hong Kong’s only international travel expo will this year be held from June 14-17 at halls 1A to 1E of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center. The first two days open only to trade, and those related are invited to register online for free admission and priority seating in seminars in trade days. The 26th International Travel Expo (ITE) and the 7th M.I.C.E. Travel Expo (ITE M.I.C.E.) will feature over 600 exhibitors from some 50 countries and regions around the world. Some

80% of exhibitors of ITE & M.I.C.E. come from outside Hong Kong, and about half of the participating countries and regions are from outside Asia. On display are tourism boards, resorts, hotels, airlines, theme parks, attractions, travel agents etc, and trendy themes like Cruise and Wellness, and new this year are Honeymooning and Overseas Wedding, Study Tours and Travel & Photography. During the trade days, there are travel trade seminars on trendy themes such as Cruise, Medical Tourism, Honeymooning and Overseas Wedding and held in collaboration with regional trade associations are the “Asian Outbound Seminar” with speakers from Singapore, India and Malaysia. The 2

nd trade day (15

June) will again be designated as M.I.C.E./Corporate Travel Day with a series of related seminars. Further details, please visit www.itehk.com or send your inquiry to TKS, the Organiser by email: travel@tkshk.com.

LUXURY TRAVEL REACHES NEW LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY AT ILTM ASIA 2012 The increasing demand for a high-end travel product to responsible luxury travellers has prompted a surge of representation at the world’s most important event for luxury travel professionals in Asia. Taking place in Shanghai, 4-7 June ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) Asia profiles the very best the world of luxury travel can offer for the benefit of luxury travel buyers from across the diverse Asia Pacific region. Affluent travellers from across the Asia Pacific are seeking new horizons, new experiences and unforgettable memories. Increasingly, from Japan to Australia, China to India, Korea to Thailand, luxury travellers also seek a reassurance that their trips are responsible, caring for local communities and culture as well as wildlife conservation and the environment. Such high-end suppliers taking part in ILTM Asia 2012 include once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to voyage to the North Pole and the Russian Arctic with Poseidon Arctic Voyages. Poseidon also welcomes naturalists and scientists on board to conduct investigative research of this ever-changing Arctic land mass. Taking part in ILTM Asia 2012 for the 1

st time, Gayana is the only property in the world with an

on-site Marine Ecology Research Centre for guests to take part in marine ecology programmes such as re-introducing baby clams into the wild and restoring natural coral reefs. Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas have pioneered luxury travel experiences that also benefit the environment and local communities for many years. The compelling beauty of Australia attracts an ecologically sensitive traveller. Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa in New South Wales boasts a carbon neutral certificate and is committed to actively protecting its surrounding habitat and indigenous wildlife species. ■

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Dukhan, Qatar .

Middle East

& North

Africa News

QATAR A GLOBAL BUSINESS DESTINATION The newly opened Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community

Development, is fast transforming Qatar’s meetings and events industry to be a global premier business destination. Already, the Centre has hosted a number of high-profile events, and to date, 52 events with more than 30,000 visitors have been hosted at the Centre. The estimated delegate spend from overseas visitors is over Euro€8.55, (UK£7) million. The centre has just hosted the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII). The quadrennial UNCTAD XIII attracted 4,000 delegates from all over the world including high profile political figures from the Arab region and ministers and dignitaries from the European Union. This is the 1

st time the conference will have been

hosted in the region and it was preceded by a series of events. Visitor numbers grew hugely in 2011 to Qatar. The number of visitors from the Gulf region grew to 50% compared to the previous year and an increase of 12% for the international visitors. Business tourism accounted for 72% of the number of visitors arriving in Qatar last year. The country was recently voted the World’s Leading Business Travel Destination at the 2012 World Travel Awards, which affirms Qatar’s position as a major global player in the Business Tourism industry.

TOURISM ON THE RISE IN SHARJAH International travellers continue to arrive in Sharjah as the Arab and Islamic capital of culture registered a significant 11% increase in tourist numbers during the 1st quarter of Year 2012. The figures show a big increase in the hotel occupancy rate reaching 78%, compared with 75% in the same period in 2011. The number of hotel and hotel apartment guests during the 1st quarter of 2012 stood at 466,218 compared with 421,516 in 2011, an 11% increase. The total number of hotel and hotel apartment room nights in the 1st quarter of 2012 stands at 539,393 as compared to 478,456 in 2011. While the number of hotels in the emirate now stands at 47 with a total number of hotel rooms reaching 5,191, there are 53 hotel apartments with 3,825 rooms. With the emirate now boasting 100 hotels and hotel apartments with a total number of room capacities of 9,015, the 1st quarter saw an increase of 5% in accommodation capacity. Western visitors continue to dominate the tourist flow into the emirate known for its grand monuments and breathtaking landscape. With 171,600 European tourists visiting the emirate in the 1st quarter of 2012, they accounted for 37% of the number of foreign tourists 466,218 visiting Sharjah in the period. The GCC citizens were not far behind with 166,525 or 36% of them visiting Sharjah in the 1st quarter. Other Arab travellers stood at 56,698 or 12%. The Asian tourists accounted for 12% with 56,153 of them visiting the emirate. They were

followed by 8,240 Americans, 2% and 4,998 Africans, 1%. There were 2,004 visitors from the Asia Pacific region too.

INDONESIAN ROAD SHOW TO ATTRACT SAUDI TOURISTS The Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah in

coordination with the country's Ministry of Culture and Tourism organised a 2-day tourism exhibition at Aziz Mall last weekend. Indonesian traditional clothing, food, brochures and other printed materials on tourism information were distributed and 11 Indonesian travel and tourism agencies introduced their services and special offers to attract Saudi tourists. In addition, there were tourism meetings conducted where Saudi travel operators had one-to-one discussions with their Indonesian counterparts. In spite of the global financial crisis, Indonesia has been enjoying robust economic growth with a growing number of foreign tourists arriving into the country. The Middle East market has been a main market for the past 5 years. 15,114 Saudi tourists visited Indonesia during the 1st two months of 2012, compared to 11,094 visitors in 2011. In 2011, 7.65 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia, a 9% improvement over 2010 and a record for the past 10 years. The number is expected to climb to 8 million in 2012. In 2010, tourist arrivals from the Middle East, most of who were from Saudi Arabia, reached 144,661. The figure is estimated to rise significantly to 175,000 in 2012. Tourism makes a big contribution to the Indonesian economy and it is a significant source of foreign exchange. The government estimates that in 2011 foreign tourists brought Euro€6.6, (UK£5.3) billion to the country, a figure 13.16% higher than the total for 2010. With more than 17,500 islands, Indonesia has many natural tourist attractions as the world's largest archipelago country. Considering the significant contribution of tourism to the country’s economy, Indonesia has officially launched ‘Visit Indonesia 2012’, during which over 100 cultural events will take place in 33 regions across the country.

TURK-ARAB TOURISM MEETING OPENED A private meeting was held between Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Bursa, Turkey, recently. During their meeting, they discussed the prince’s investments in Turkey through KHC. Prince Alwaleed has investments in hotel management companies through Kingdom Holding Company that manage 8 hotels in different locations in Turkey. Kingdom Holding also has a presence in the financial and media sectors in Turkey. During the trip, Prince Alwaleed and Erdogan opened the 1st Turk-Arab tourism meeting. Meanwhile Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, said the tourism sector has become a productive economic sector in the Kingdom as a result of government support, attracting new investments and creating more jobs. Tourism is a good source of income for the Saudi national economy and with greater cooperation between public and private sectors to further strengthen the country’s tourism industry would allow it to make full use of its tourism potential.■

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The Outlook of the

ARABIAN

GULF

AIRLINES

Despite the Arabian Gulf Countries showing continued growth, the region’s airlines show great differences in their financial circumstances. Some airlines are some of the most profitable in the world, while others are at risk of closing completely. The recent International Air

Transportation Association (IATA) forecast has seen it revise its 2012 profit estimate for carriers in the Middle East, increasing from Euro€229 (UK£186) to Euro€382 (UK£309) million, due to improved and long-haul markets being key expansion areas. This increase is based on last year’s estimated profit being Euro€765, (UK£620) million across the carriers even with the regions unrest and increased oil prices.

The winners from 2011 were the 3 big carriers; Emirates with a record Euro€1.22 billion, (UK£990 Million) profit, Qatar Airways with Euro€157, (UK£130) million profit and Etihad Airways with a net profit of Euro€5.40, (UK£3.40) million. Other smaller carriers also did well including Air Arabia with a Euro€57, (UK£46) million profit and Jazeera Airways having its best year ever with a profit of Euro€30, (UK£24) million.

At the other end of the scale, other airlines like Royal Jordanian, saw a loss of Euro€62, (UK£50) million in 2011. As a result, the airline is considering merging with another larger airline in order to stay in operation. Gulf Air is awaiting government support of Euro€1.35, (UK£1.090) billion in order to stay in business. Bahrain Air, which started operations in 2008 saw revenues drop by 30% in 2011 and has not yet been in profit and has proposed merging with Gulf Air. Other carriers in the region include Oman Air, who saw losses of Euro€110, (UK£89) million in 2011 along with Kuwait Airways, which also finished badly last year and said that in the past 21 years, it has only had one profitable year.

The regions carriers are facing many obstacles. Oil prices are one key factor, but with so many low-cost carriers

offering such low prices, passengers are opting for saving money. In addition the high end clients do not see the wide options offered on smaller airlines that would lure them away from the 3 main carriers. Despite some airlines awaiting delivery of fuel-efficient new planes, it is still going to be a while before their impact will be felt.

Etihad Bus iness Class .

Cost cutting is therefore essential if these carriers are going to survive this rocky road. Emirates is still a state owned enterprise and makes continuous profits. The rest of the state owned regional airlines can also do the same with some effort, especially as we are talking about these oil rich nations. The Gulf is still one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Despite the challenges ahead, it is unlikely that many airlines will actually close. With most being state owned it would give a very negative message with the government opting to close their state airline. There is not yet a pan-Arab agreement on mergers, so most of the region’s airlines are looking outside of the region to find support/investment, like Qatar Airways and Etihad have done.

Despite the present global climate, the Gulf is a strong region and one that will remain strong and provide for its citizens with national airlines. At present it is a waiting game for the Gulf airlines. If any airlines did close, it would see continued benefits to the big carriers and other low-cost airlines would also absorb clientele, which would ultimately benefit passengers with better prices and more choice. ■

global news for tourism, m.i.c.e & exhibitions

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Cologne Cathedral , Germany.

Germany

News

KÖLNDÜSSELDORF - THE MEETROPOLIS: RHEIN METROPOLISES JOIN FORCES With their concept

KÖLNDÜSSELDORF - the Meetropolis, the Rhine River

metropolises have been awarded project support from the European Union and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia designed to further strengthen M.I.C.E. business. The 2 neighbouring cities will now be presenting themselves together at various events in order to further drive their joint communications concept. ‘The Meetropolis’ was jointly initiated by the Cologne Convention Bureau and convention bureau DÜSSELDORF. The 2 diverse metropolises on the Rhine have bundled their attractive offers and will market themselves even more strongly on the international market as a congress destination region. The communications campaign will run for 3 years initially. In addition to participating in trade fairs, the KÖLNDÜSSELDORF - The Meetropolis project’s agenda also includes many other activities, such as advertisement campaigns in leading international magazines and a new joint Web site (www.meetropolis.de). The concept goal of Meetropolis is to significantly increase the international visibility of the attractive congress destination KÖLNDÜSSELDORF in order to increase the number of events and therefore the number of visitors in the region. According to the 2011 ‘Meeting-und EventBarometer ranking of the attractiveness of metropolitan regions in Germany as event destinations, Düsseldorf and Cologne are the 4th most preferred German metropolitan area among European event organisers and the 3rd most favourite among German event organisers. The 2 large airports in Cologne Bonn and Düsseldorf and excellent accessibility by train or car provide an ideal infrastructure. This joint concept of two congress metropolises working together is the 1st of its kind in Germany.

THE LUTHER DECADE IS KEY THEME FOR GNTB Spiritual travel is playing an important role in the marketing campaigns of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB). The 500th anniversary of the Reformation marked by the Luther decade (2007-2017) is a key milestone in the promotion of this segment. The GNTB is using a wide range of marketing campaigns in defined key markets to promote the theme while working closely with Geschäftsstelle Luther 2017, the Evangelical Church in Germany, regional tourism organisations and the main towns and cities in Germany with historical links to Luther. Their joint activities focus on the USA, Canada, Scandinavia, Italy, the Netherlands and South Korea where there is a strong bias towards Protestantism and Lutheranism.

NEW APPOINTMENT AT GNTO LONDON OFFICE The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) has appointed Victoria Kyme as the new PR Manager for the UK & Ireland. Victoria is a highly experienced consumer, trade and B2B professional, having previously worked in-house, with PR agencies and as an independent consultant across lifestyle, travel, retail and food PR sectors, among others. Her experience will be an asset to the wide and important promotion of Germany in the UK and Irish markets.

Leipzig Opera House.

2011 WAS RECORD YEAR FOR CONGRESS CENTER LEIPZIG The Congress Center Leipzig (CCL)

saw 2011 as its best ever year. Over 77 congresses organised by external operators were held, with a total of 78,000 participants. In addition, 16 scientific and technical programmes were hosted that accompanied trade exhibitions in Leipzig and saw altogether 18,000 participants. The volume of sales amounted to €5.3 million (2010 €4.3 million). Leipzig above all scored points with a high quality of congress services and outstanding on-site conditions. The opening of new 4* and 5* hotels also had a positive effect on the acquisition of international congresses. The CCL is among the most modern congress centres of Europe. Its calendar primarily lists congresses from the fields of medicine, politics, and IT services. In 2011, the 50th ICCA World Congress with more than 1,000 participants from 70 countries beat all records. This year, the Leipzig congress calendar is again full of top-class events.

CONGRESS ALLIANZ HANDOVER The Congress

Allianz, a marketing association of 10 prominent congress centres across Germany, has a new chairperson; managing director Andreas Kuchajda of the RuhrCongress Bochum. The Congress Allianz has been a firm fixture in the industry since 2004 and permanently refines its quality standards, which are regularly audited by an independent organisation. Each member venue’s Congress Allianz quality label vouches for experienced staff, professional operation and supreme quality and service. In addition, all the members of the alliance are Green Globe-certified and remarkable for their ideal accessibility and excellent event logistics. ■ 14 www.tour ismaroundthewor ld .co.uk

ASIAN

WORLD

SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON A GREAT EXPERIENCE The 4th

Singapore Experience Awards nominations have begun. The search for the industry’s most outstanding individuals and

organisations see these awards as the most recognised and most prestigious awards platform in Singapore’s tourism sector. The Singapore Experience Awards is organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The Awards evaluates nominees on their delivery of a holistic visitor experience based on both the strength of their products and services. It honours outstanding individuals and organisations in all tourism-related industries, namely Attractions, Business Travel and M.I.C.E., Dining, Experiential Learning, Entertainment, Healthcare, Hospitality and Retail. Up from 6 weeks previously, the nomination period now spans 8 weeks from 19 April to 8 June 2012. This will give participants more time to prepare for their nomination submissions. The qualifying period for all entries is from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011. Over 30 awards will be given out at the gala awards ceremony scheduled for October this year. Award recipients will span 6 categories – Customer Service, Events, Experience, Marketing and Media, Outstanding Contribution and Special Recognition. Awards under the Special Recognition and Outstanding Contribution categories are not open for public nomination. In addition, the Best Education Experience will be renamed Best Education Experience (Tourism and Hospitality), to place greater emphasis on recognising courses and curriculums that support the grooming of talent for the tourism industry. Nominations can be submitted online via the Awards’ website at www.SingaporeExperience.com, where detailed information about the awards and criteria are available.

MEKONG TOURISM FORUM TO EVALUATE 20 YEARS OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION The

Mekong Tourism Forum 2012 will take place in Chiang Rai, Thailand, 13-14 June. The forum will address the theme, ‘20/20 Vision: Building on Two Decades of GMS Cooperation.’ The main focus will be to assess the challenges of human resources, pro-poor sustainable tourism, sub-regional product development and marketing for the next 20 years, in light of achievements in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) over the last 20 years. Speakers will deliver a candid assessment of what progress has and has not been accomplished by Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and donors such as the Asian Development Bank. The grouping united in 1992 to build the Greater Mekong Sub-region as a single tourism destination. The GMS countries are collectively targeting 52 million international tourist arrivals and Euro€41, (UK£33) billion in

sub-regional tourism revenue by 2015. There were 10 million arrivals in 1995, rising to 35 million in 2011. ‘A great deal has been achieved,’ said Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, Executive Director, Mason Florence. ‘Multi-country holidays are now common in the GMS, but we still need to reduce red tape, increase cross-border flows and boost sustainable tourism in rural areas where incomes are still too low,’. Tourists surveyed in the 6 countries say that the friendly people are one of the area's most important assets. The forum will assess how the attraction, retention, training and development of the Mekong workforce have progressed and what needs to be done. Participants will address the recent changes in Myanmar and the impact of ASEAN Economic Cooperation, due in 2015. There will be a session on how private and public sector tourism operators in the GMS can better leverage the shift to electronic distribution, social media, and mobile. The Mekong Tourism Forum 2012 will take place in northern Thailand at the Dusit Island Resort Hotel in Chiang Rai, a city which celebrates its 750th anniversary this year. For programme information visit www.MekongTourismForum.org.

CAIRNS READY TO WELCOME THE WORLD The

Cairns Convention Centre will host 13 international conventions with over 8,000 delegates in the coming 6 months as the city gets ready to welcome the world. In addition to international visitors the Centre will also welcome over 4,000 national conference delegates in what promises to be an exciting year for the region. The future also bodes well for the region as the Convention Centre Team continues to win these important international events. Some recent bid wins include: International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumours Meeting 2013; International Children’s Continence Society Meeting 2014; 25th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry 2015; International Conference on Photonic, Electronic and Atomic Collisions 2017. Ross Steele, General Manager, Cairns Convention Centre said, ‘The Centre’s long term international marketing focus along with the proven success of Cairns as a business events destination are the catalysts for hosting so many prestigious international events. We look forward to welcoming the world to Cairns not only this year but well into the future.’

global news for tourism, m.i.c.e & exhibitions

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TT Intercont inental -Shimao-Shanghai -W onderland, China .

ASIAN

WORLD

LUXURY HOTEL ‘GROUND-SCRAPER’ PLANNED IN CHINA For more than a decade,

China has been a front-runner in the world’s skyscraper race. Now the country is taking the pole position in

digging ‘groundscrapers’ enormous structures built mostly underground. Most recently, ground has been broken on construction of a high-end hotel at the foot of Shanghai’s Tianmashan, Tianma Mountain in a 100m deep pit, by 240m long and 160m wide. Developed by Shanghai Shimao Property Group and to be managed by InterContinental Hotels Group, the hotel, named InterContinental Shimao Shanghai Wonderland, is expected to extend 19 stories into the bottom of the pit. It's due to open in late 2014 or early 2015. Once completed, the deepest story of the luxury resort will be approximately 700m lower than the top floor of the world’s-highest-hotel-to-be, the Shanghai Tower J Hotel in Shanghai Tower, set for completion around the same time. Located about 45kms southwest of Shanghai's city centre, the 19-story hotel will have 3 levels above ground and 16 underground and will offer 380 rooms and an underwater restaurant. The lowest 20m are filled with stagnant rainwater, which the hotel will retain. A 60m glass curtain will be built to mimic a waterfall next to the resort’s main structure. Shimao Shanghai Wonderland will be a large-scale theme park integrating hospitality, leisure and entertainment elements. The hotel is planned as part of the wonderland complex. Designed by UK-based engineering firm Atkins, the company behind the ostentatious Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, the quarry hotel design bagged a Gold Medal at last year's commercial real estate MIPIM Asia Awards. Hotel planners are considering taking advantage of the site's surrounding cliffs by hosting activities such as rock climbing and bungee jumping. Shimao is investing a total of Euro€426, (UK£344) million in the 428,200sq.m Shimao Shanghai Wonderland, of which Euro€73, (UK£59) million will go toward the subterranean resort. The Shanghai property group has yet to reveal detailed plans for the rest of the wonderland complex.

THAILAND TO HOST THE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED 2012 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION The Royal Thai Government has

announced that it will offer its full support for the 1st time of hosting the 2012 Rotary International Convention. Over 30 public and private sectors have recently met to discuss their final preparations in welcoming over 30,000 Rotarians from over 160 countries worldwide. This major world-class event is anticipated to help take Thailand’s M.I.C.E. capabilities to new heights, and it comes at the right time as the country’s brand-new tourism-boosting campaign ‘Miracle Thailand’ is in full swing. Ms. Pensuda Priaram, Chairman of the Board of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau said “It is an esteemed honour for Thailand to be selected as the host

country for the upcoming 2012 Rotary International Convention as it helps underline the exceptional capabilities of the Thai M.I.C.E. industry in organising such a world-class event. TCEB has presented its M.I.C.E. policy to the new government, incorporating a 5-year plan to develop the M.I.C.E. industry from 2012-2016 in line with the 11th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2012-2016). Therefore, TCEB is confident that by implementing the 5-year M.I.C.E. industry development plan working together with the industry, we can establish Thailand as a M.I.C.E. hub for Asia by the year 2016. Our aim is to increase the level of awareness of Thailand among M.I.C.E. travellers. We estimate that by 2016 Thailand will be able to attract 75% more M.I.C.E. travellers, or 1.4 million visitors per year.” The event will play an important part in helping to promote Thailand economically and socially to the world, underscoring the country’s outstanding M.I.C.E. capabilities. It will also be a great platform for Thailand to impress Rotarians with the country’s great cultural and tourism values. In this regard, over 30 public and private sectors from various fields including entertainment, event organisation and security - have been assigned to work together in creating a spectacular event to remember. The 2012 Rotary International Convention is scheduled to be staged at IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani, during 6-9 May 2012.

BEIJING AND SHANGHAI TO MUTUALLY TARGET THE INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS AND INCENTIVE MARKET At the recent China (Shanghai) International

Meetings & Conferences Forum, Beijing and Shanghai municipals signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation in the meetings and incentive market. The event saw these 2 leading cities in China agree to collaborate at the highest level. Beijing and Shanghai are two important high-end meetings destinations; each reflects different characteristics and strengths in the global meetings market, complementing each other to achieve win-win cooperation. After years of exploration and practice, Beijing and Shanghai have accumulated rich experience from joint bidding of major international conferences, promotion of tourism (business) market as well as promoting the premier meeting, convention and incentive destination. With the investment in transport infrastructures and the large-scale tourism projects, it is clear that there is more room for Beijing and Shanghai to further boost the meetings industry. ICCA who was at the signing felt the agreement showed the important new evolution in China's development as a mature international meetings destination. 18 months ago saw the formation of the ICCA China Committee and the 2013 ICCA Congress will be held in Shanghai. ■

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Heathrow, London, UK

The World Of Aviation

ATHENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT INTRODUCES SIGNIFICANT INCENTIVES Athens

International Airport has

introduced 3 significant incentives aiming to support airlines and protect or increase traffic during the current adverse period for the Greek economy and within the aviation sector as a whole. Further to the introduction of the new incentives, the airport’s financial support to the airlines corresponds to approx. 20% discount on AIA’s total aeronautical charges for the summer period. The incentives, valid until October 2012 are: Sustainability Incentive 15% discount on landing & parking charges per departing flight; Transfer Incentive ranging from €5 to €15 per transfer passenger (Corresponding to a discount on AIA’s passenger charges ranging from 30% - 90%); Niche Routes Incentive ranging from €5 to €10 per passenger (Corresponding to a discount on AIA’s passenger charges ranging from 25% - 50%). At the same time, AIA continues its annual developmental incentives programme for its airline partners. These incentives come after a period of seeing many airlines reduce and withdraw their routes into Athens. The latest blow is that Delta Airlines will stop its direct flights from Athens to the USA from next autumn. Over the past 3 years 5 direct flights between Athens and the US have ceased. This summer sees only US Airways maintain its flight between Athens and Philadelphia. Olympic Airways has cut its code share with Continental Airlines too. United Airlines has withdrawn resulting in routes to the U.S. now only available through connections with other cities. The global economic crisis has mainly to blame but it remains to be seen the effect on the cruise industry these cuts backs will have as much of the passenger traffic was cruise business between the US and Athens. There is a limited service with Air Canada connecting Montreal and Toronto. THAI Airways, Gulf Air and Singapore Airlines and Czech Airlines have all withdrawn their flights from Athens International Airport. Finland's Blue1 will operate a high season service during May to September from Helsinki.

HEATHROW DELAYS The International Air Transport

Association (IATA) has said a possible increase in London Heathrow airport charges would not be necessarily welcomed by all airlines, as the global airline industry is expected to suffer this year due to continuing high fuel prices and the euro zone debt crisis. The global industry body was responding to British Airways owner IAG which said airlines using the airport would be prepared to pay higher landing fees to cut long queues at the British hub which have reached ‘crisis’ level. Heathrow, which handled 70 million passengers in 2011, is currently operating at close to full capacity.

JETSTAR IS STEPPING UP IN ASIA With huge

opportunities in the Chinese and other Asian markets for the airline industry; Jetstar the low-cost Qantas airline gets the

opportunity via Jetstar with low fares model throughout Asia and launching of JetStar Hong Kong - a joint venture with China Eastern Airlines. Target markets for the new carrier, which initially have 3 Airbus A320s, include Greater China, Japan, South Korea and South East Asia. It will be the 1st low fares airline based in Hong Kong, traditionally seen as a difficult low-cost market due to high costs. Jetstar Hong Kong’s fares will be a 50% less than existing full service carrier, which creates new travel, demand in the markets across Asia because it enables people to take more trips, more often. Jetstar’s vision is to make travel more affordable for millions of people across Asia, and the demographics of China with its booming middle class are a key part of that plan.

GULF CARRIERS EAGER TO OPEN USA SKIES Gulf airlines are increasingly looking to tap into the lucrative US market as they continue to add more long-haul aircraft to their fleets. Emirates Airline currently flies to 6 American cities, including Dallas and Seattle, both of which were added this year. And the carrier recently announced plans to add flights to Washington, DC in September. Emirates also recently signed a code share deal with US-based JetBlue Airways that will put an Emirates code and flight number onto JetBlue flights from New York's JFK airport to a dozen US destinations. Qatar Airways recently announced plans to double its route network to the US as it begins receiving Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline, which currently offers daily flights to Washington and Houston, plans to start flights to Atlanta, Chicago, Boston and Detroit within the next year. Etihad Airways also recently announced that it will launch service to Washington, DC from March 31 2013. It will mark the airline's 3rd destination in the US, along with New York and Chicago. The USA has been the key focal point for many gulf airlines giving them upwards of 50 cities that they would certainly like to fly directly to.

QATAR AIRWAYS RESUME FLIGHTS TO MYANMAR Qatar Airways has announced it is to resume

operations to Myanmar on 3 October 2012, after a 4 year absence from the route. The airline will also fly to 2 destinations in Iraq, Erbil from 23 May and Baghdad from 7 June. Qatar Airways will also launch flights to its 2nd gateway in Tanzania, Kilimanjaro, via Nairobi from 25 July and starting 15 August the airline will introduce its 3rd destination in Africa - Mombasa in Kenya.

INCREASE IN AEROFLOT’S PROFIT Aeroflot - Russian

Airlines has recorded a significant increase of its net profit in the 1st quarter of 2012. Aeroflot’s net profit in this period was Euro€28,800, (UK£38,380) million + Euro38,236 (UK£31,045) million compared to the results of the 4th quarter of 2011. The increase of Aeroflot’s net profit is the result of hard work of all the airline’s employees aimed at increasing the efficiency of the Russia’s leading airline and implementation of innovations in all the fields of its activity. ■

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