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Middle East and North Africa Edition

MAY 22 , 2010 ISSUE 28 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

11

ONLINE VISASEmirates will offer ticket holders theoption of booking tourism visas for theUAE online, as part of a partnership withVFS Global – the operator of Dubai VisaProcess Centre.

In This Issue

Pilgrimage3

EASYJET SPLITStelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder andlargest shareholder of UK based low costcarrier easyJet, has stepped down fromthe board of directors amid controversyover half yearly results from the airline.The split has caused speculation over thefuture of the brand.

Religious tourism is expected to rise by25 percent in Saudi Arabia over 2010,with pilgrims from Egypt and Morocco

leading the charge.

8

BOOM

The co-ordinating committeerepresents approximately 60percent of Dubai World’screditors. Support has beengiven to the major points of the

restructuring plan proposed by Dubai World inMarch, which was backed by a commitmentfrom the Dubai government to support thefoundering company.The government will maintain ownership of thecompany, but convert USD8.9 million of debtand claims into equity and provide an interestfacility of USD1 billion.Selling, general and administrative expenses will

also be covered by thegovernment, up to USD500million.Following the restructure, Dubai

World’s debt would be divided into twotranches of USD4.4 billion and USD10 billion,with respective maturities of five and eightyears.Aidan Birkett, chief restructuring officer ofDubai World, said in-principal support was animportant step towards revitalising thecompany. “This is an important milestone and reflects ourefforts to achieve the best possible solution forall stakeholders,” he said.“The proposal puts the company on a soundfinancial footing and reflects the continuedsupport of the government of Dubai and itslenders. “It offers the company the ability to maximisethe value of its assets over the medium to longterm.”

Dubai World Secures Support for Restructuring ProposalAccording to Dubai World, the co-ordinating committee established to review itsrestructuring scheme has given unanimous, in-principal support to the proposal.

MAY 22, 20102

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.62Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.70Syria (SYP) Pound 46.9Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.29Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.51Morocco (MAD) Dirham 9.01Iran (IRR) Riyal 9953Yemen (YER) Rial 226.4Algeria (DZD) Dinar 75.28Libya (LID) Dinar 1.33

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 19/5/2010Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLYDeputy EditorLaura Warne

JournalistLouis Dillon Savage

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingJane DavidsonMarianna TsiamasTina Georgiou

DirectorsAndreas ConstantinidesMary Kammitsi

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Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

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Emirates and DHL Partner for SecurityEmirates has signed a memorandumof understanding with DHL toestablish a strategic securitypartnership, with the aim of enhancingair cargo security and consumerconfidence in the Middle East. The two companies will work togetherin areas of security training andeducation, threat mitigation andreduction of company risk. Abdulla Al Hashimi, divisional seniorvice president for Emirates GroupSecurity said the partnership’s motivewas relevant to various areas of theaviation industry. “Whether you work for an airline,airport, civil aviation authority orother AVSEC service provider,understanding the threats and risks to

security and how to manage them iscrucial,” he said.“Sharing of best practices andexploring synergy in training andeducation among major players areimportant aspects of producingcomprehensive and practicalapproaches to combating threats in theaviation industry.”

3MAY 22, 2010

Egypt and Morocco Lead Pilgrim Surge to Saudi ArabiaReligious tourism is expected to rise by 25 percent in Saudi Arabia over 2010, with pilgrims from Egypt andMorocco leading the charge.

This ambitious projectionhas been made by ZiyadAhmed Bin Mahfouz,CEO of Elaf Group, acollection of travel,

tourism and hotel companies based inSaudi Arabia.According to Mahfouz, recent activity hasshown strong growth in Hajj and Umrahpilgrims this year. In addition to Egypt and Morocco,religious tourists have been flocking toSaudi Arabia from Algeria, Libya, Nigeria,Sudan, Turkey, Indonesia, Tajikistan andSouth Africa. As a result, Elaf Group is boosting its

services and facilities in order to meetdemand. “We have positive expectations for thisyear as we have engaged in new contractsthat will improve the delivery of ourservices and offerings to our clients andassociate travel agents,” said Mahfouz.“We are committed to exerting extraeffort to ensure that our services adhereto international quality standards andmeet expectations of Hajj and Umrahpilgrims looking for a unique experience.“Tourism for religious goals has becomea vital sector for the Kingdom of SaudiArabia and we are keen to play a key rolein its further development.”

Tourism for religious goals has become

a vital sector

Ziyad AhmedBin Mahfouz

MAY 22, 20104

ACCOMMODATION NEWS

Capital Centre to Include Three Rotana HotelsThree new Rotana properties will be included in Abu Dhabi’s Capital Centre, following an agreement betweenthe hospitality firm and the developers of the project.

City Seasons Announces Four New HotelsDubai based City Seasons Group has revealed plans for fournew hotels in the Middle East within the next three years.The first, five star City Seasons Muscat, will open in Omanin the fourth quarter of this year. Another, under the Royal City Seasons brand, will open inAbu Dhabi in 2011, followed by City Seasons Park AbuDhabi in 2012.City Seasons Bur Dubai is also scheduled to open before theend of 2012, though the exact date has not been specified.

Capital Centre Rotana, afour star, 300 roomhotel, and CentroCapital Centre, a 300room budget hotel, will

launch in 2012.The 200 key Capital Centre Arjaanapartment property will follow in 2012.According to Abu Dhabi NationalExhibition Centre (ADNEC) extrahospitality supply has been green lit tocope with the increase in visitors toADNEC, with which Capital Centre isaffiliated.Figures from ADNEC show that the

exhibition centre hosted 119 events in2009, an eight-fold increase over 2005,when 14 events took place during the yearat the previous exhibition facility.Simon Horgan, group CEO of ADNEC,said the centre was seeking to establishitself as the world’s foremost lifestyleexhibition destination.In addition to the traditional exhibitioncentre fare of meetings and tradeshows,ADNEC caters to consumer facingofferings such as concerts and weddings.Proximity to major Abu Dhabi tourismattractions such as Sheikh Zayed Mosque;Yas Island; Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Al Raha

Beach; and the Corniche has also beentipped to benefit the properties.Upon completion, ADNEC’s USD2.2billion Capital Centre will comprise 23residential, commercial and mixed usetowers, adjacent to the exhibition centre.

ADNEC

Thomas Tapken, group generalmanager of City Seasons Group

City Season Hotel

5MAY 22, 2010

ACCOMMODATION NEWS

Strong Showing at the Hotel ShowThe Hotel Show has reported strong attendance at this year’s event, despite acknowledging the difficulties facedby all exhibitions in the wake of the global financial crisis.

UAE Accounts for More Than One Quarterof Gulf Hotel Investments in 2010

Exhibitors from35 countriesattended theevent this year,according to

Ray Tinston, sales manager forThe Hotel Show.“This year has beenexceptionally tough for ourinternational exhibitors,especially those from recessionhit countries such as Portugal,Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spainand the UK,” he said.“However their commitment to

participate at The Hotel Show2010 highlights how effectivethe event is as a platform toreach out to regional buyers.”Brice Ortole, project managerof the French pavilion, said theexhibition had remained strongbecause of its importance to theregional hospitality industry.“Visitor attendance has beensteadily growing year-on-yearand no other show can drawsuch a large proportion ofvisitors from surroundingcountries,” he said. The Hotel Show

According to a study by Proleads, commissioned by TheHotel Show, USD1.17 billion will be spent on hoteldevelopment across the Middle East in 2010.The largest expenditure will occur in the UAE, which willaccount for USD463.8 million alone.Oman comes in second (USD269.2 million), followed bySaudi Arabia (USD245.5 million), Qatar (USD100.3 million),Bahrain (USD65.3 million) and Kuwait (USD31.7 million).In the longer term, Proleads’ latest study indicates that thereare USD7.8 billion worth of developments region wide thatare expected to mature by 2013.On this longer timescale, the UAE continues to lead,accounting for USD4.34 billion.However, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain will all increasetheir share, at USD1.74 billion, USD923 million andUSD463 million respectively. Oman and Kuwait trailed in terms of long term investment,at USD300 million and USD90 million each, over the nextthree years.

Dubai skyline

MAY 22, 20106

Abu Dhabi is Ideal, Say Japanese Japanese travel agents have described Abu Dhabi as anideal destination for their market, following recent promo-tions by Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority(ADTA).Rina Sakai, from Japanese Tourism Board World Vacation,said the city presented a blend of historic sites alongsideentertainment, culture and heritage attractions.“This is a clean, very well planned and beautifully landscapedcity,” said Sakai.“[Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque] is very impressive and Iexpect it to draw a large number of Japanese tourists.”There was a one percent increase in Japanese tourists to AbuDhabi in the first quarter of 2010, with 2,228 Japanesenationals staying in hotels across the emirate during that time.Despite this seemingly small increase, Japanese visitors toADTA’s Visit Abu Dhabi consumer website rose by 26 percentin the same period.Ahmed Hussein, deputy director general of ADTA, said aJapanese version of the website would soon be finalised, inorder to better reach the market. “Our research shows that Abu Dhabi has the right product forJapanese tourists who want a destination where they canengage with local culture and heritage – and of course, whichbenefits from superb golf courses,” said Hussein.

The country hasdeveloped a new tourismbrand, complete withlogo, which will be usedto promote the country

in co-operation with Oman Sail.Brand Oman Management Unit(BOMU), responsible for creating andmanaging the country’s image, has signedan agreement with the sailing team thatwill see the Omani logo displayed on thesails of their competition vessels. Alya Al Hosni, representative of BOMU,said using sports for national promotionwas a well established strategy.“Historically, countries have used eventslike the Olympic Games and the World

Cup to push business, inward investmentand tourism agendas,” she said.“What we're doing with Oman Sail isleveraging their participation on theglobal sailing circuit.“They've been tremendously successfuland this tie-up has all the ingredients of anoutstanding partnership.”Oman Sail is preparing to compete in theExtreme Sailing Series Europe 2010,which will run from May until Octoberthis year.Sayidd Faisel, chief operating officer ofBOMU, said the Omani brand had beendeveloped to reflect the country’s historyand attractions.“The new national brand mark embodies

the sultanate's maritime history, ouroutstanding topography and marine lifeand the frankincense that is so much apart of our unique cultural heritage,” hesaid.“It's a visual representation of our nationalDNA.”The new branding is part of a bid byOman to change the way it is perceived inas a destination. “This important partnership will help usreposition the sultanate,” Faisel said.“Through Oman Sail's involvement in theExtreme Sailing Series we want people tothink of the sultanate whether they'redoing business or looking for a newholiday destination."

Oman Sets Sail for New Image on World StageOman is leveraging sport in an attempt to reposition the country as a high profile business and leisure destination.

MAY 22, 20108

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Haji-Ioannou formerlyserved as the nonexecutive director ofthe company, whichhe founded in 1995.

He was accompanied in his secession byBob Rothenberg, another board member.Both men also represent easyGroup, theinvestment vehicle that owns the easyfamily of brands, putting the continueduse of the easy name by easyJet injeopardy.EasyGroup is a 26.2 percent stakeholderin easyJet plc, in addition to the 38percent stake held by Haji-Ioannou.

Haji-Ioannou said his resignation wasprompted by an ongoing policy by the airlineof expanding its fleet without increasing itsshare price, which he attributed to outgoingCEO Andrew Harrison.“The inescapable fact is that this airlineused to make a bigger absolute profit usingfar fewer aircraft,” Haji-Ioannou said.“The low cost airline model is maturing, andmanagement needs to now adopt differentpriorities to take the business forward.” Haji-Ioannou has declared his intention tocall a shareholder meeting, with thepotential for leading a revolt against theexisting board.

“I may ask shareholders to join with me indemanding that the board renegotiate thecontract with Airbus and use whateverother means possible to keep the numberof aircraft in the fleet at current levels thenext three to four years,” he said.“I am convinced this strategy will producehigher profits in absolute terms than[continuing to increase] the fleet size forthe sake of it.”The board of easyJet issued a response,claiming that fleet expansion and otherstrategies had been unanimously approvedby all members, including Rothenberg andHaji-Ioannou.

BA Strike Saga ContinuesBritish Airways’ (BA) ongoing dispute with its cabin crewhas hit renewed turbulence, with both parties in court overthe latest round of strikes.Cabin crew members, represented by the Unite union, wereset to down tools on May 24 in the second of a series of multi-day strikes.However, BA obtained an emergency court injunctionpreventing the action, which was announced by Unite onMay 17.Unite has declared its intention to appeal the ruling, but hasordered all representatives to relay the strike cancellations toall staff.Industrial action has been an ongoing threat to BA operationssince it announced an overhaul of airline staffing policies atthe end of 2009.The airline, which recorded massive losses in that year, soughtto cut costs by revising its crew quotas and rostering practices,in a move that sparked the anger of its unionised staff.Negotiations have been held sporadically throughout the

dispute period and one previous strike was also cancelledafter being ruled illegal by the courts.Following the latest injunction, Unite has called for a returnto negotiations with BA, which has claimed that it hadalready met the demands of the Union in a previous offer.

EasyJet Founder Quits Board to Lead Shareholder RevoltStelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder and largest shareholder of UK based low cost carrier easyJet, has steppeddown from the board of directors amid controversy over half yearly results from the airline.

9MAY 22, 2010

In the wake of further airport closures caused by theEyjafjallajökull volcano, civil aviation officials in the UKhave introduced a new system for regulating flight safety inash affected zones.The move has met with approval from airlines and IATA,the latter of which has been vociferous in criticising thepolicy of blanket air-space closures that prevailed throughthe initial eruptions.The UK has introduced a new flight zone category to its riskassessment framework, which will allow aircraft to flythrough more ash, provided they only do so for a shorttime.According to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), theadapted system was developed in consultation withmanufacturers of aircraft and aircraft engines.Andrew Haines, CEO of CAA, said that the changes wouldallow areas that would previously have been classified as nofly zones to open, but said the difficulties posed by thevolcano should not be underestimated.“The standard default procedure for aircraft that encounterash, to avoid it completely, doesn't work in our congestedairspace,” he said.“Secondly, the world's top scientists tell us that we must notsimply assume the effects of this volcano will be the sameas others elsewhere.”Giovanni Bisignani, CEO of IATA, welcomed the changesbut criticised regulations elsewhere that he said were basedon outdated abstractions.He pointed out that theoretical models had predicted ashin many zones which were then shown to be clear byaircraft flying through.“Numbers show that the current system is flawed,” he said.“We must back the theory with facts gathered by aircraft totest ash concentration.”Bisignani pointed to the UK model as an example, but saidEuropean governments ultimately needed to look to the USfor inspiration.“The US has well-established, safe and effective proceduresfor tracking the hazards of volcanic ash,” he said.“In recent years, the industry had no recorded safetyincidents from volcanic activity in US airspace.”The US government deals with volcanic activity bymandating a no-fly zone in heavily affected areas, thendelegating the responsibility for flying through lowerconcentrations of ash to the airlines.

Florida Tourism Impacted by Oil SpillUK Aviation Officials Reform Volcanic Ash Safety Regulations

The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, near the US coast, isalready impacting tourism in Florida.Though the slick has not yet made contact with any of the state’sbeaches, damaging perceptions of the disaster have already deterredvisitors.Kathy Torian, media spokesperson for the Florida tourism office,said she had received reports from tourism operators indicating thatholidays had been cancelled as much as three months in advance.She said that tourism was the number one industry for the coastalstate and pointed out that its 663 miles (1066km) of coastline madebeach tourism a significant draw for the state.Torian said that it was impossible to predict how the crisiswould unfold, or what impact it would have on Florida’s tourismin the long term.“Do we think all of our 80 million annual visitors will stopcoming?” she asked.“No, but how do you begin to even guess what percentage wewill lose?”The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which isresponsible for monitoring and forecasting the impact of the spill, iscurrently issuing projections with a 72 hour horizon.Torian said that for this reason, future developments were impossibleto predict.

MAY 22, 201010

AIR TRAVEL NEWS

Etihad Signs Up With MASDAR for Carbon CreditsEtihad Airways has agreed to purchase carbon credits from MASDAR, the Abu Dhabi Future EnergyCompany, for the airline’s voluntary offset programme.

Abu Dhabi AirportsNeed to Focus OnHuman CapitalAccording to Gulf Centre forAviation Studies (GCAS), Abu Dhabiairports need to invest in personneldevelopment to keep pace withgrowing demand in the emirate.Speaking at the Middle East BusinessAviation Conference (MEBAC), DrOthman Al Khouri, managingdirector of GCAS, presented AbuDhabi Airport Company’s case studyof Al Bateen airport.Al Bateen Airport, which servicesprivate aviation, recently reported a30 percent increase in traffic in thefirst quarter of 2010.Al Khouri said his organisation’sinvolvement with the airport hadprovided valuable insight into airportand aviation practices in Abu Dhabi,and concluded that training wasimperative to the sector’s future.

MASDAR will sourceEtihad’s carbon creditsfrom a range of alternativeenergy programmes and

energy efficiency initiatives. The airline is currently working onmethodologies to calculate the carbonfootprint of its operations, including thosefrom ground facilities and transportation.

James Hogan, CEO at Etihad, said theairline was committed to reducing itscarbon emissions.“There are a number of world class carbonreduction projects on offer in the MiddleEast region and the carbon credits thatEtihad purchases through MASDAR willmake a considerable contribution to theseactivities,” said Hogan.

Etihad and MASDAR have an existing co-operation agreement, which led to thelaunch of a sustainable bioenergy researchproject in January 2010. The project, which is supported by Boeingand Honeywell’s UOP, will investigate theuse of integrated saltwater agriculturalsystems to support the development andcommercialisation of biofuel for aviation.

Dr. Othman Al Khouri

11MAY 22, 2010

AIR TRAVEL NEWSEmirates Offers Online UAE Tourism VisasEmirates Airline has partnered with VFS Global, part of the Swiss company Kuoni Travel Group, to deliveran online visa purchasing option for business or leisure tourists visiting Dubai.

Air traffic in the UAE remained buoyant in the early monthsof 2010, in contrast to massive disruptions to Europeanairspace caused by Iceland’s volcanic activity.The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) hasreported that though air traffic fell globally in April, when theash cloud’s disruptive influence was at its widest, business atUAE facilities increased by 10.6 percent.GCAA indicated that positive growth had been a consistentthroughout the first four months of this year, averaging 11.5percent over that period.Dubai ranked first for number of flights in April, accountingfor 47 percent of traffic to the UAE. Transit flights were the next largest segment (22 percent),followed by Abu Dhabi (14.6 percent), Sharjah (10 percent)and intra-UAE movements (6.4 percent).Other airports, such as Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah accountedfor 1.1 percent of traffic together.Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, Director General, GCAA saidthe UAE had benefited from its position and preparednessthroughout the volcanic interruption.“[Growth] is attributed to the diverse operations with nofocus on one region, the ability to find appropriate alternativein emergencies and the advanced legislative and legalframework in relation to aviation security, air safety andregulation of air traffic in the UAE,” he said.

V FS Global operatesDubai Visa ProcessCentre (DVPC) in 11countries. The newfeature will be available

to all Emirates ticket holders, regardless ofwhether the booking is made online, at anEmirates office or via a travel agent.Visas will be available for either 96 hoursor 30 days and will be delivered to ticketholders via email within four internationalworking days.Richard Vaughan, divisional senior vicepresident of commercial operationsworldwide for Emirates said the move wasa simplification in the travel process.

“I’m delighted Emirates is advancingtravel convenience by allowing itscustomers to apply, purchase and tracktheir UAE visa online – another initiativein a series of self-service tools that offermore convenience, flexibility and controlto passengers,” said Vaughan.“The timely introduction of this featureahead of the summer rush will facilitatetravel for scores of tourists visiting theemirate during the Dubai SummerSurprises.”The new feature will also cater to groupsand families, allowing multiple requests ofup to nine people if they are on the samebooking.

The initial phase will be rolled out in 35countries in the Far East, India, MiddleEast, Africa, Europe and the Americas. A second phase, due in the coming weeks,will target offline markets that do not haveEmirates services, but connect to nearbygateways of the airline.

UAE Air Traffic Defies Global Trend

MAY 22, 201012

CRUISING NEWS

UAE Yacht Charter Group Launches Lebanese ServicesEden Yachting, a newcomer to the yacht charter business, plans to capitalise on growing tourism in Lebanonby adding Beirut to its list of charter destinations.

T he UAE basedagency was launchedin 2009 it offerschartered sailing andmotor yachts to 25

destinations throughout the world. Philippe Saad, managing director of EdenYachting, said that the yachting industrywas on its way up in Lebanon, with USD1billion already spent on marinas andseafront developments along the coast. However, he added that there was a longway to go in terms of development.

“The yacht charter industry is particularlyunderdeveloped in Lebanon, however asthe country enjoys a 220 km coastline,300 days of sunshine and borders theMediterranean, I believe there is greatpotential in this market for chartering,”said Saad.“Of course there are limitations in thesense that there are not many publicmarinas outside the Beirut area, howeverthis just means that it is currently a daycharter market.“The Lebanese like to socialise and they

love the sea, so what better way to enjoythemselves than to charter a crewed yachtfor a day and take a group of friendscruising up the coast.”Yacht sales in 2009 grew by 14.5 percentand the industry is predicting furthergrowth of 20 percent in 2010. In addition to international charterlocations, Eden Yachting also operatescharters from a range of Middle Easterndestinations, such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai,Ras Al Khaimah, Mussandam, Muscatand the Red Sea.

MAY 22, 201014

Rois Travels Opens First Dubai OfficeRois Travels, an Italian brand, has opened a branch servicing the UAE, Oman, Italy and other selecteddestinations around the world.

Bliss Takes Top Honours at First MiddleEast Spa AwardsThe winners of the inaugural MiddleEast Spa Awards have been announced,with Bliss Spa at W Hotel Dohaclaiming the Best Spa award.Other categories included Spa Personality,awarded to Dr Deepa Dharjekar, generalmanager of Thai Privilege Spa; andSignature Body Treatment, taken by TheSpa at The Palace, The Old Town for itsOne Desert Journey treatment.Sonette van Rensburg, one of thejudges of the competition, said theawards were an important developmentfor the regional spa industry.“The introduction of the Middle EastSpa Awards is very important and anexcellent way of recognising andawarding spas that are providingprofessional and exceptional services,quality products, innovative treatmentsand outstanding client care,” she said.Rensburg said Bliss had been chosen towin because of its individuality.

Corrado Chairentin,managing partner ofRois, said the travelagency would provide acollection of unique,

luxurious and different vacation ideaswith a selection of hotels and resortsaimed at individual treatment.“With a highly qualified and experienced

team of Italian professionals, Rois Travelswants to be a trendsetter in the travel andtour industry by introducing a high levelof customer interaction, bespoke tourpackages and personalised holidayplanning for personal, leisure and businesstravel,” said Chairentin.Rois Travels is actively involved in severalindustry associations, including Pacific

Asia Travel Association (PATA), UnitedFederation of Travel Agents’ Associations(UFTAA) and IATA.

Rois Travels wants to be a trendsetter in the travel

and tour industry

15MAY 22, 2010

1. Group tourism is valuable business:according to ETOA, groups areprofessionally managed and easy to handle.They often give a better return on marketingefforts and represent a large opportunityfrom emerging markets. Furthermore, grouptourism is booked in advance. 2. Group tourists should feel welcome:facilities should suit both group andindividual visitors, and poor facilities willreflect badly on the city or attraction.3. Manage capacity: provide facilities thatcope with peak visitor volume, providesufficient coach pick-up and drop-off zones, aswell as accessible parking. ETOA also suggestsdeveloping incentives for off-peak visits.

4. Ensure accessibility: provide easy accessto key sites and hotels, as well as properaccess for the elderly and travellers withdisabilities. 5. Support the professionals: providegroup entry points, create practical meetingpoints for local guides, ensure that signage isclear and multi-lingual and ensure that tourguides can communicate freely with groupsin public.6. Create intelligent systems: align bookingsystems with retail and wholesale groupbusiness patterns, minimise regionalvariation in coach permit systems, streamlineticketing processes and provide onlinesystems.

7. Plan ahead: publish significant changesto coach access, new requirements,restrictions on visitor numbers, increases incharges, or new facilities at least 18 monthsin advance. 8. Balance costs and benefits: costs shouldbe matched by services and infrastructure;increased costs without correspondingbenefits deters tourism.9. Work together: city authorities shouldwork closely with tourist boards and otherstakeholders, including cities, attractions andtour operators. 10. Secure future success: group tourismmust change as consumer behaviour andpreferences change.

Key Points for Successful Group TourismEuropean Tour Operators Association (ETOA) recently launched a charter for group tourism in cities, in co-operation with severalindustry and government representatives. While this charter was designed specifically for the European market, it has outlined 10key points that are relevant to the tourism industry across the world. Tom Jenkins, executive director of ETOA, pointed out that grouptourism is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable, but is an often misunderstood segment of the tourism industry.These 10 tips can be used to improve the quality of group tourism:

MAY 22, 201016

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

Shane O'HareCEO, Royal Jet

"If you factor in other airline cost implications for anyregional business trip involving several senior executives, aprivate jet will almost always be more cost effective thanconventional travel when taking into account the value ofwasted executive time.”

[For some customers] a private jet will almost always be more cost

effective than conventional travel

Shane O'Hare

Steven MuellerDirector of Front Office, Media One Hotel Dubai

“We wanted to establish why ourroles have changed and found thatdue to the downturn, front officepersonnel have to multi-task a lotmore. We also found that becausethere are fewer levels ofmanagement, it is easier to see whothe superstars are.”

Front office personnel have to

multi-task a lot more

Peter HillCEO, Oman Air

“Oman Air's new routes will significantlyextend the choice for customers. OmanAir is continuously working closely withthe Ministry of Tourism and hotels inMuscat to put together special packagesand marketing campaigns to boost trafficduring off-peak times - weekends and thesummer months - as well as targetingniche groups such as honeymooners,sports enthusiasts and adventure tourists.”

Special packages and marketing campaigns boost traffic during off-peak times

Peter Hill

17MAY 22, 2010

Dollar Thrifty Expands in QatarDollar Thrifty Automotive Group has opened two new car rental counters in Qatar, in a move that willcapitalise on the state’s increasing number of tourists.

The newly commissionedBarwa City was chosenas the location for thenew counters, accordingto Sam Eltibi, executive

director of Dollar Thrifty for MENA andAsia Pacific.“We hand-picked our locations so we cancater to the growing number of visitors inQatar,” he said.“Most of our rentals come from businesstravellers and visitors for the numerousevents that take place in Doha, which havesignificantly increased over the past year.“Our rapid expansion into Qatar hascaused us to embark on an intenserecruitment drive for counter staff andchauffeurs.”Eltibi added that Qatar had contributedsignificantly to the growth of Dollar

Thrifty’s regional business. “Car rentals are the preferred mode oftravel tourists and visitors to the MiddleEast, especially during the hot summermonths,” he said.“With the number of business travellerspreparing for post-summer events inQatar, we will see car rentals surge in thenext few months.”

We will see car rentals surge

in the next few months

Car rentals are thepreferred mode of traveltourists and visitors to

the Middle East,especially during the hot

summer months

Sam Eltibi

MAY 22, 201018

Khawla Salem Al BadiEtihad Airways has appointedKhawla Salem Al Badi as head ofbusiness strategy development in theinformation technology (IT)department. Al Badi will beresponsible for aligning the airline’sIT strategic work programme with itsbusiness strategy in areas relating topricing, crew planning, flightoperations, in-flight catering andbusiness intelligence. Al Badi holds amaster’s degree in business andmanagement and a bachelor’s degreein computer sciences. She has morethan 15 years of experience in the ITfield and most recently worked asassistant vice president of treasuryand capital market businessdevelopment at Mashreq Bank.

Khawla Salem Al Badi

Maher Salman Al MusallamGulf Air has appointed MaherSalman Al Musallam as deputyCEO of the airline. Al Musallamhas 35 years of experience in theRoyal Bahraini Air Force. CurrentGulf Air CEO, Samer Majali said AlMusallam would be involved in allaspects of the company, includingthe rapid implementation of GulfAir’s new operational strategy.Maher Salman Al Musallam

Ali Al BalooshiGlobal distribution system (GDS)provider, Travelport, has appointed AliAl Balooshi as regional businessdevelopment manager. Al Balooshi willcover Travelport’s distributor andoperator markets in the Middle East,Pakistan and Turkey. Al Balooshi has astrong sales and marketing backgroundwithin the GDS and hotel industries,having worked in Bahrain, SaudiArabia and Yemen. Ali Al Balooshi

Abdul Aziz Al RaisiOman Air has appointed Abdul AzizAl Raisi as chief officer ofmanagement affairs at the airline. AlRaisi has been employed with OmanAir for more than 26 years, beginningas an engineering trainee and movingon to become an aircraft engineer. Hehas since held the positions of seniorengineer, hangar supervisor, seniormanager of base maintenance andmost recently senior manager oftechnical projects. In his newposition, Al Raisi will be involved inall technical projects involving allnew aircraft acquired by Oman Air.

Thomas NorbergEmaar Hospitality Group has appointedThomas Norberg as general manager ofThe Address Dubai Mall. Norberg hasspent more than 20 years in thehospitality industry and has worked forRitz-Carlton, Fairmont and The PlazaHotel in New York.

Thomas Norberg

Abdul Aziz Al Raisi

19MAY 22, 2010

Q&A with Faisal MemonIllusions Online is a major enterprise software provider, based in Dubai. Faisal Memon, CEO of the companyspoke to Travel Trade Weekly about the importance of technology in difficult times.

Travel Trade Weekly: Please tell meabout what Illusions offers its customersand who your product is for?Faisal Memon: Our main offering issomething called Illusions Enterprise;which is essentially a complete suite oftools for tour operators and wholesalers,for managing every aspect of the business.In the Middle East region there is a verygrey area between travel agents, touroperators and wholesalers, but ourdealings are very much with the brick andmortar kind of operation.However, even though we work with real-world businesses, we allow thesebusinesses to be online and compete inthat market.

Travel Trade Weekly: Has there beena lot of interest in enterprise softwarein the Middle East?Faisal Memon: The interest has beenhuge; however, where the issue lies is thatbecause we are offering an enterpriseproduct, we focus on enterprise customers,which means the big boys in the market.The barrier is the cost of the product,which can be up in six figures. We haveobviously tried to be very creative in theway we have priced the product, throughuser licensing and other initiatives, but itcan still be difficult to convince smallerplayers to make the investment.On top of which, it has always been achallenge to get people to adopt newtechnologies.

Travel Trade Weekly: Is there aparticular resistance to new technologiesin the Middle East?Faisal Memon: Oh yeah. You are bangon there. What you have to remember isthat a lot of these travel companies,particularly the big ones like Kanoo or Al

Rais, have been around for a long time.These big players, many of them haveboomed and grown because of the boomin the region.For example, a couple of years ago in 2007and 2008, these companies did not haveto work too hard because there was somuch going on in the area and everyonejust rode the wave.At that time, we would go into offices andtry to convince managers to spend sixfigures on a new program - well, youwould see a lot of eyebrows.You would usually get shown the door,too!I think the actual understanding of thebenefits of technology has not yet becomewidespread and this is something that canbe seen in the travel industry around theworld.Sure, in the US you have companieslike Expedia and Orbitz, but this is a verydifferent business model and traditional touroperators have remained very slow on theuptake when it comes to new technology.So yes, although things are changing,there is definitely big resistance.

Travel Trade Weekly: How are thingschanging now?Faisal Memon: We have seen a shiftrecently, as the market has not been asrosy and people have to work hard forpennies these days.The biggest cost for travel enterprisesis human resources, and our product isabout automating procedures thatwould otherwise take up the time ofstaff.What this means is that in hard timescompanies can operate with feweremployees and when things get betterthey can either manage greater loads withthe same number of staff, or redirect staffto work on more complicated, highrevenue business.Another thing that is driving interest atthe moment is that we are seeing the oldschool hand over the reins to the newschool.As the fathers in the big family businessesthat are our main clients hand over themanagement to their sons, we are seeinga lot of new interest coming in.

Understanding of the benefits of technologyhas not yet become widespread

Faisal Memon

MAY 22, 201020

EventsIMEXFrankfurt, Germany, May 25-7 (www.imex-frankfurt.com)Major international exhibition for the meetings and eventsindustry.

Global Travel and Tourism SummitBeijing, China, May 25- 27 (www.globaltraveltourism.com)High level gathering of travel industry chairs and CEOs.

World Travel FairShanghai, China, May 27-29 (www.worldtravelfair.com.cn)Annual travel fair for global travel professionals.

Iran Food and HospitalityTehran, Iran, May 30 (www.iran-foodhospitality.com)Trade show for food, beverages and hospitality in Iran.

International Holiday FestivalTehran, Iran, June 10-12 (www.expokish.com)Festival showcasing local food, traditions, tour organisers,hotels and accommodation providers to extend the range offoreign and domestic travels.

International Travel Expo Hong KongHong Kong, Jun 10-13 (www.itehk.com)Travel industry event for Chinese region, supported by morethan 96 countries.

Destinations WorldBengaluru, India, June 11-13A comprehensive exhibition for the travel and tourismindustry in the Indian region.

Asia Luxury Travel Market Shanghai, China, June 14-17 (www.altm.com.cn)Sister event to ILTM, focusing on senior Asian luxury travelbuyers.

Business Travel MarketLondon, UK, June 16-17 (www.businesstravelmarket.co.uk)Conference and exhibition for meeting corporate travelbuyers, suppliers and intermediaries – expected to attract morethan 4,000 delegates and 500 of Europe’s top travel buyers.

Dubai Prepares Tourism Contingent for IMEX 2010Dubai Department of Tourism andCommerce Marketing (DTCM) willbe joined by 46 co-participants fromDubai’s tourism industry for theupcoming IMEX – WorldwideExhibition for Incentive Travel,Meetings and Events.Held in Frankfurt, Germany, fromMay 25 to 27, IMEX is expected toattract 3,500 exhibitors from 157countries. The exhibition is now in its eighthconsecutive year.

Dubai’s stand will contain 34 booths –up from 28 in 2009 – and will measure353m², according to Ali Abdul Wahab,head of east and west Europe region atDTCM’s overseas promotions andinward missions department.He added that DTCM would also behosting Dubai road shows in Frankfurtand Munich on May 27 and 28, alongwith 14 co-participants.DTCM operates a representative officein Frankfurt; Dubai hotels received283,319 German guests in 2009. Imex