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Middle East and North Africa Edition

FEBRUARY 26, 2011 ISSUE 68

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66MEYDAN HOTELSMeydan Hotels & Hospitality hasintroduced its own brand, MeydanHotels. The management will assume theoperation of Bab Al Shams and MeydanHotel which were formerly managed bythe Jumeirah Group.

In This Issue

BAHRAIN WITHDRAWSThe Bahrain International Circuit (BIC)has withdrawn from hosting the openinground of this year’s FIA Formula OneWorld Championship due to thecountry’s current political situation.

www.traveltradeweekly.travel

RITZ-CARLTONToronto OpensRITZ-CARLTONToronto Opens

In the centre of Toronto, Ritz-Carlton has openedits latest hotel. The company also announced a

future property in Los Cabos, Mexico.

February 26, Issue 68

A ir Arabia recorded a totalturnover of AED2.08 billion(USD566.37 million) in the 12months ending December 31,2010, which represents an

increase of 5.5 percent over AED2 billion(USD544.59 million) reported in 2009. Incontrast, Air Arabia’s net profit dropped 31.5percent after announcing AED309.599 million(USD84.29 million) compared to AED452million (USD123.07 million) in the previous year.The carrier, which currently operates services to67 destinations from three regional hubs,registered 4.45 million passengers in 2010, a riseof 10 percent over 2009. The airline alsowitnessed an increase in its seat load factor,which reached 83 percent compared to 80

percent in 2009. Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al Thani, chairmanof Air Arabia, attributed the airline’s success toits expansion strategy. “Our ability to continue to report sustainedprofitability, as well as increasing revenues andpassenger traffic, is a testament to the strengthof our management and underlying businessmodel,” remarked the chairman. “By providing our customers with a growingrange of destinations and value-for-money fares,Air Arabia has demonstrated its ability to thrivein even the most challenging conditions.” In addition to a range of newly introduceddestinations in 2010, the group has alsolaunched Air Arabia Egypt, and plans to doublethe size of its current fleet by 2016.

FEBRUARY 26, 20112

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

Managing EditorMary Kammitsi

JournalistRita Kasziba

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingDimitris Thomaidis

DirectorsAndreas Constantinides

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Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

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editorial@traveltradeweekly.travelsales@traveltradeweekly.travel

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.89Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1502.5Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.71Syria (SYP) Pound 46.75Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.28Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.41Morocco (MAD) Dirham 8.15Iran (IRR) Riyal 10,317Yemen (YER) Rial 215.25Algeria (DZD) Dinar 72.69Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.24

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 24/2/2011Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

Air Arabia: Sustained ProfitabilityAir Arabia has reported sustained profitability for its financial year results endingDecember 31, 2010. The low-cost carrier recorded a decline of 31.5 percent in netprofit and a rise in total turnover by 5.5 percent.

Jazeera Airways Group has registered anoperating profit for the full-year of 2010after recording another profitable quarterin Q4 2010.The company closed the fourth quarterof 2010 with a net profit of KD2million (USD7.18 million) due to theimplementation of the group’s Turn-Around Plan, introduced in May 2010.Jazeera Airways Group has alsoincreased its FY2010 earnings byKD5.4 million (USD19.38 million)over FY2009 figures, after recording anet loss of KD2.8 million (USD10.05million) compared to KD8.2 million(USD29.43 million) in 2009. The Kuwait Stock Exchange-listedcompany announced an operatingprofit of KD5.3 million (USD19.02million) for FY2010, in comparison toKD5.4 million (USD19.38 million)operating loss in the previous year. Therevenue reached KD42.6 million(USD152.88 million) in FY2010. Marwan Boodai, chairman of JazeeraAirways, highlighted the group’s

continued profitability.“We’ve had our best second half (H2) inour history,” claimed Boodai. “The H2 earnings, and the drasticshrinking of our losses compared to2009’s results, are a direct result of themeasures we implemented in mid-2010as part of our business Turn-Around Plan.Jazeera Airways today versus JazeeraAirways Group last year is a muchhealthier business that has taken the turnto profitability. We are definitely on theright track.”The carrier recorded the largest marketshares on most of its routes due to 1.3million recorded passengers in FY2010. “In addition to closing a profitable Q3 andQ4, we are happy to report that we nowenjoy a lead in market share on the routeswe serve,” added the chairman. “Jazeera Airways Group today is the largestregional operator in Kuwait, market leaderon the overwhelming majority of itsroutes. Looking forward we are optimisticabout 2011 and working hard onsustaining profitability for the year.”

Jazeera Airways: Registered Operating Profit

FEBRUARY 26, 20114

Insignia Presents Media Buying Service Insignia Travel Media Group, the brand-marketing firm focusing on luxury, lifestyle and travel has intro-duced the region’s first media buying service specialising in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Ryanair Introduces New Routes from DoncasterRyanair has added two new destinations, Tenerife and Faro toits route map from Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield.The low-fare carrier will also restart its service to Alicante.Ryanair is about to offer 90,000 seats from Sheffield airport,three times more than last years, with relaunching its popularflight to Alicante from March and with debuting two newdestinations. The airline has already inaugurated its new flight to Tenerife,and is due to introduce the other one to Faro in March.

TUI Cruises, the joint venture of TUI AG and RoyalCaribbean Cruises Ltd. is set to offer cruise services in the Gulffor the first time from Dubai, starting in November 2012.Dubai Cruise Terminal will serve TUI Cruises new home forits Gulf operations and will offer cruises with its Mein Schiff2 (My Ship 2) liner to Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Bahrain. Hamad Bin Majren, executive director for business tourismof Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing(DTCM), as the operator of the port welcomed TUI Cruisesto Dubai.“It will be the fourth cruise operator to use Dubai as a regionalhub for cruise tourism in the Gulf which is becoming a populardestination for international cruise tourists,” said Bin Majren.Starting on November 4, 2012, TUI Cruises will operate atotal of 20 one-week cruises until the spring of 2013. RichardJ. Vogel, CEO of the company, believes that the new serviceswill appeal for travellers. “With these cruises running out of Dubai, we are quite proudthat we can for the first time offer our passengers such anattractive routing,” said Vogel.“Dubai is a fascinating city and as a cruise home port deliversthe benefits of experience and top-notch service quality. Modernterminals in the port, many direct flights from Germany and astrategic, favourable location in the Persian Gulf add up to makeDubai the perfect hub for TUI Cruises,” he added.

The new initiative fromInsignia aims to providecomprehensive multi-channel media andmarketing campaigns to

airlines, hotels, leisure facilities andtourism parties in the Middle East andacross the world based on the client’s geo-target and particular requirements. Gaurav Sinha, founder and managingdirector of Insignia, highlighted the newchallenges the travel industry needs toface due to the rapidly enhancing mediachannels and marketing tools. “The pace of change in the medialandscape has reached an unprecedentedhigh; media consumption and travel

dynamics continue to evolve rapidly andsuch factors presents many challenges toour clients looking to boost visibility andreturn on investment,” explained Sihna.

“We have formed Insignia Travel MediaGroup to meet these challenges head on,creating targeted media strategiesspecifically crafted to deliver impact byoptimising media channels that are uniqueand relevant to the travel industry.  As theonly agency in the Middle East

specialising in travel and luxury we offer aunique insight into the travel industry andextend a strong competitive advantage.”The media buying service offers complexpromotion campaigns including a diverserange of on and offline media, such as in-flight TV, airport billboards and socialmedia in addition to the traditionalprinted publications and broadcast. “The travel marketing landscape is one ofthe most complex in the world, anddeserves a specialist travel media buyingservice of this nature. Our ability to matchthe message, the media and the market, ourexperience and network of on-the-groundmanagers makes us best placed to bring thisvalue to our clients,” added Sinha.

TUI Cruises Debuts in Dubai

The pace of change in themedia landscape has reached

an unprecedented high

FEBRUARY 26, 20116

Bahrain’s Formula One Race Withdrawal The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) has withdrawn from hosting the opening round of this year’s FIAFormula One World Championship due to the country’s current political situation.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)and Croatia have joined forces to uplift the country’s tourismindustry through innovation and promotion. To mark the initiation, Taleb Rifai, secretary-general ofUNWTO, and Damir Bajs, minister of Tourism in Croatia,signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthencooperation. The collaboration will be to improve major issuessuch as governance, sustainability, competitiveness, innovationand promotion. To favor the cooperation, UNWTO willorganise its first international conference on tourism and mediain Zagreb, focusing on the media`s role and responsibility forthe country image, promotion and global positioning. The minister of tourism appraised the organisation’s efforts. “This is a new quality in the already existing partnershiprelation between Croatia and UNWTO,” said Bajs. “I am especially glad that Croatia will be hosting the first everinternational conference on tourism and the media. Thisconference will deal with the influence of the media andtourism on various segments of the economy and the overallimage of a tourism oriented country”. According to UNWTO, Croatia welcomed more than ninemillion international tourists in 2009, while the figures of 2010show a further increase of five percent. “Croatia is a true tourism success story and we look forward tocontinuing in this spirit of collaboration,” added Rifai.

Croatia partners with UNWTO

The Kingdom’s CrownPrince, HRH PrinceSalman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, informed FormulaOne’s Bernie Ecclestone of

the BIC’s decision to withdraw, as he hasinitiated a new national dialogue involving allsections of Bahraini society to resolve thecurrent political situation in the Kingdom.“At the present time the country’s entireattention is focused on building a newnational dialogue for Bahrain,” stressedHRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. “Although Bernie Ecclestone hadgraciously made clear that a decision onthe race was entirely Bahrain’s to makeand was not yet required, we felt it was

important for the country to focus onimmediate issues of national interest andleave the hosting of Bahrain’s FormulaOne race to a later date. After the eventsof the past week, our nation’s priority is onovercoming tragedy, healing divisions andrediscovering the fabric that draws thiscountry together; reminding the world ofthe very best that Bahrain is capable of asa nation once again united.”Bernie Ecclestone accepted theKingdom’s decision to withdraw fromBahrain’s Grand Prix, which was due totake place between March 11 and 13, andexpressed his empathy to the nation.“It is sad that Bahrain has had to withdrawfrom the race, we wish the whole nation

well as they begin to heal their country.The hospitality and warmth of the peopleof Bahrain is a hallmark of the race there,as anyone who has been at a BahrainGrand Prix will testify. We look forward tobeing back in Bahrain soon,” commentedEcclestone.

Bahrain International Circuit

FEBRUARY 26, 20118

- Accommodation

Coral Hotels & Resorts Opens inAbu DhabiLocated in the centre of Abu Dhabi, Coral Hotels & Resortssoft-opened its eighth property in the UAE. Liwa ExecutiveSuites welcomed its first guest on February 19, marking itsentry in the capital. The hotel is situated in the downtown of Abu Dhabi, next to thecity terminal and in the neighbourhood of numerous offices,government departments, shopping malls and tourist attractions.It features 18 Coral Club and 36 Deluxe suites, a fitness centre,saunas, a rooftop pool and a business centre with meeting rooms. The property’s Liwa Executive Suites welcome their guestswith additional offers such as convenient dining options,exclusive restaurant and café and 24-hour room service menu. Amr Hamed, hotel manager, said that the hotel aims to fill theneed of competitively priced boutique accommodations asAbu Dhabi becomes a world-class destination.“Our key advantage is the superb location in the heart of thecity, appealing to both business visitors and leisure guests whowish to discover the cultural, shopping and sightseeing appealof Abu Dhabi,” said Hamed.“With the government’s commitment to a two million visitortarget this year, and renewed efforts to tap in to emergingmarkets such as India and China, as well as our biggest singlesource market, Saudi Arabia, the future for the hotel sector inthe capital is looking bright.”

Accor Expands in Saudi ArabiaAccor is preparing to expand in Saudi Arabia with the opening of its second ibis hotel in Yanbu planned forcompletion in 2012.

A ccor is rapidlyexpanding in the regionand currently operatesnine ibis hotels in theMiddle East, including

one in the capital city of Saudi Arabia,Riyadh. After signing a managementcontract with Al Ahlam Marine TourismGroup, Christophe Landais, managingdirector, Accor Middle East, described thenew development as a major step in thegroup’s expansion.“Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s travel andtourism market is currently maturing andwe see the time is right to bring a secondibis hotel in the Kingdom, ibis Yanbu. Ourfast-paced development platform for ibis

in Saudi Arabia shows our seriousness inexpanding Accor’s internationallybranded economy hotel,” he said. Abdullah Bin Saud Bin Mohammed AlSaud, owner of Al Ahlam Marine, claimsto develop a market leader property. “We are happy to partner with Accor, theworld's leading hotel operator and marketleader in Europe,” he said. “In them we find a trusted and globally-recognised partner. With their presence in90 countries with 4,100 hotelsrepresenting more than 500,000 rooms,we are confident that they have theexpertise and capability to expand theirservices in this market. Together we canmake ibis number one in the Kingdom’s

economy lodging segment,” he added.Yanbu is situated three hours north fromJeddah, and due to its location it is a keygateway for both European and Africanmarkets. The new property is expected towelcome its first guests in 2012, and willfeature 196 rooms, three meeting rooms,a restaurant, a lounge, a pool, a divingcentre and several shops.

Christophe Landais (left) and Abdullah Bin Saud BinMohammed Al Saud

A bdin Nasralla, vicepresident of MeydanHotels & Hospitality,described the progression asa milestone for the division.

“We are very pleased to welcome Bab AlShams and The Meydan Hotel tothe group,” he said. “With this important transition wehave officially established our hotelbrand, and we look forward tocontinue serving our guests fromaround the world who have cometo know our hotels over the years.”Meydan Hotel is located in the heartof Dubai, in the neighbourhood ofthe city’s financial and business hub

9FEBRUARY 26, 2011

- Accommodation

Meydan to Manage HotelsMeydan Hotels &Hospitality, a division of Meydan City Corporation has introduced its own brand, MeydanHotels. The new management will assume the operation of two of its already owned properties, Bab Al Shamsand Meydan Hotel, which were formerly managed by the Jumeirah Group.

and the world’s largest shopping mall. Inaddition to the property’s luxurious designand services, it offers an unparalleledexperience for horse and race fans andhosts the pronounced event, the DubaiWorld Cup.

Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Sparepresents an exceptional landscape andthe heritage of the Arabic culture. Theproperty is situated in the centre of thedesert, about 40 minutes away fromDubai’s downtown.

Aphrodite HillsKids ClubAphrodite Hills has commencedthe works for its new PiratesVillage Kids Club to enhance itsfamily-friend services and is dueto welcome its youngest guestsfrom April.The fully integrated PiratesVillage will be situated in thecentre of the resort and willfeature various areas fordifferent ages, such as anoutdoor playground, a multi-purpose ground court and aswimming pool with activewater slide. Andreas Christodoulides,general manager of the resort,highlighted. “Here at AphroditeHills, children have always beenlooked after with tender loveand care and with theintroduction of this newchildren’s paradise they will feeleven more special,” he said.

The Doha-based airline ispreparing to enhance itsGerman operation from24 to 33 flights a week withtwo additional services to

Frankfurt, four new flights to Munich andwith the introduction of its new destination,Stuttgart. The southern German city willrepresent Qatar Airways’ fourth route in thecountry, as the carrier offers daily flights alsoto the capital city Berlin.Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways,highlighted that the airline gears up itsGerman capacity in a three-week period. “This is by far our largest frequencyincrease being introduced in the Germanmarket within a short time frame,” he said.

“By adding these extra flights, we areresponding to strong demand for additionalcapacity on the Munich and Frankfurtroutes. The strengthened services will fosternew business and tourism links with thelargest economy in the European Union.”Qatar Airways is due to debut in Stuttgarton March 6, and will serve the route threetimes a week. The airline’s Doha-Berlin service remainsdaily, while its Munich frequency will risefrom daily to 11 services a week fromMarch 9, and the Frankfurt route up from10 flights a week from March 27. Qatar Airways continues its Europeanexpansion with Venice, its third gatewayin Italy following Milan and Rome.

With the daily services to the famous citybuilt on water, the airline’s Italian frequencywill rise to 21 flights a week from June 15. The carrier is also preparing to increase itscapacity in the UK with the introductionof a second daily flight to Manchester fromJune 1. The additional service will allowthe large ethnic community from SouthAsia living in Manchester’s metropolitanareas to choose from wider travel options. The airline enhances its operations also inIran with the launch of its third route tothe country, to one of the biggest cities,Shiraz. The famous tourist destination willjoin Tehran and Mashed in Qatar AirwaysIranian routmap, effective June 5. Akbar Al Baker explained the expansionwith the growing demand. “The potential is significant and we arelooking forward to developing our marketprospects with the launch of these newflights,” he said.“Iranian expatriates number between fourand five million people, with many livingin Europe and North America. We havegood connections from these continentsto Shiraz through our Doha hub, sofacilitating travel for this expatriatecommunity would soon be much easier.”

FEBRUARY 26, 201110

- Air Travel

Qatar Airways Boosts European and Iranian ServicesQatar Airways is increasing its presence in Europe by introducing two new destinations, Stuttgart and Venice,and growing its capacity to Germany and the UK. The airline is also set to introduce its third destination in Iran.

Wataniya Airways has joined this year’s East MediterraneanInternational Tourism and Travel Exhibition (EMITT) inTurkey and represented its services and accomplishment. The Kuwaiti airline operates three scheduled flights a week toIstanbul and also offers short holiday packages for competitiveprices to the city. John Morgan, chief commercial officer of Wataniya Airways hasstressed to the great importance of the carrier’s Istanbul route. “Last May, we added Istanbul to our schedule, with three weeklyflights. Since then it has become one of Wataniya Airways’ mostpopular destinations, attracting large numbers of travellers forboth business and leisure,” he said.

Wataniya Airways Praises Istanbul Route

By addingthese extra

flights, we are

respondingto strongdemand

Prestige British Airways Barclaycardholders in the UAE benefit more now bycollecting more BA miles for theirpurchases and bookings. The special offer, to collect more BA milesfor specific amounts used on everydayspending, is valid for both new andexisting cardholders in the UAE. Inaddition, new applications for the cardwill be presented with 40,000 bonus BAmiles. Paolo DeRenzis, regional commercialmanager Middle East highlighted thegreat opportunity for UAE customers.“With this promotion the Prestige British

Airways Barclaycard has new and bettercollection rates for BA miles giving ourcustomers in the UAE an even faster routeto a reward flight to London,” he said.Mike Elliott, director of sales, BarclaysUAE pointed out that the promotionaims to reward the loyal passengers andattract new cardholders. “The Prestige British Airways Barclaycardwas successfully launched in November2008 and this latest promotion isdesigned to reward our loyal customerswith double rewards and encourage newapplicants to sign up for the card with theadditional benefit of bonus BA Miles,”

remarked Elliott. Cardholders also automatically becomemembers of the British AirwaysExecutive Club.  

British Airways Appreciates UAE Client’s Loyalty

Measured in hulllosses per millionflights of western-built jet aircraft,IATA recorded a

global accident rate of 0.61 percent, whichmeans one accident for every 1.6 millionflights. The ratio reflects a notableimprovement compared to the 0.71 rateannounced in 2009, and represents the bestresult ever recorded in aviation history. Giovanni Bisignani, CEO of theassociation, attributed the developmentto the recent efforts of the industry. “Safety is the number one priority,”stressed Bisignani.“Achieving the lowest accident rate in thehistory of aviation shows that thiscommitment is bearing results. Flying issafe. But every fatality is a human tragedythat reminds us of the ultimate goal ofzero accidents and zero fatalities. We mustremain focused and determined to movecloser to this goal year by year.”According to the report 2.4 billionpassengers flew on 36.8 million flights, 17

hull loss accidents involving western-builtjet aircraft, 94 accidents, 23 fatal accidentsand 786 fatalities were recorded.IATA member carriers exceeded theoverall rate with a ratio of 0.25 (oneaccident for every 4 million flights). TheCEO explains the improvement with theadditional criteria of the IATA OperationalSafety Audit (IOSA) for members.

“The numbers tell the story. In the first fullyear after the IOSA became a condition ofIATA membership, the accident rate forIATA carriers has never been so low. Thedata confirms that IOSA is helping todrive safety improvements around theworld. It is an important part of acomprehensive safety strategy involvinggovernments and industry working

together to further reduce the number ofaccidents and fatalities,” added Bisignani. The rates show significant differencesamong the regions: North America,Europe, North Asia and theCommonwealth of Independent Statesoutperformed the global overall average.Asia-Pacific recorded a 0.86, LatinAmerica and the Caribbean a 1.87 andAfrica a 7.41 rate, while the ration of theMiddle East and North Africa declinedfrom 3.32 in 2009 to 0.72. As part of IATA`s efforts to improve thesafety in the African continent, theassociation launched the IATA Programfor Safe Operations in Africa (IPSOA). “Flying must be equally safe in all parts ofthe world,” stressed Bisignani. “An accident rate in Africa that is over 12times the global average is not acceptable.Improvements can happen. IATA’sAfrican carriers performed significantlybetter than non-IATA airlines in theregion. I encourage all governments in theregion to make use of the IOSA tool toboost the region’s performance.”

11FEBRUARY 26, 2011

- Air Travel

IATA: Flying is Safer Than EverThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released the aviation safety performance for 2010.According to the report the global accident rate reached its lowest ratio in aviation history.

Achieving the lowestaccident rate in the

history of aviation showsthat this commitment is

bearing results

T he company ispreparing to enlarge itstimeshare operationsand developmentbusiness through a new,

independent body. Upon completion, thenew company will focus on the timesharebusiness as the exclusive developer andoperator of timeshare, fractional andrelated products (under the Marriottbrand) and the exclusive developer offractional and related products under theRitz-Carlton brand. Marriott Internationalwill focus on the management andfranchise business. J.W. Marriott, Jr., CEO of MarriottInternational, explained the separation.

"Marriott took a bold step when weintroduced our Marriott brand to thetimeshare industry in 1984. In thistransaction, we take another innovative stepforward as we combine the power of theMarriott and Ritz-Carlton brands with theflexibility and focus of a new independenttimeshare company,” said Marriott. "The transaction will permit both companiesto tailor their business strategies to bestaddress market opportunities in theirrespective industries. With two publiccompanies, shareholders will be able topursue investment goals in either or bothcompanies rather than one combinedorganisation,” added the CEO. Marriott International has also announced

its fourth quarter result for 2010. Thecompany registered an increase of 14percent in its total fee revenue over the sameperiod of 2009, while the total incentivemanagement fees rose 27 percent. Onestriking feature in the figures is theworldwide RevPAR, which showed agrowth of 8.1 percent, while the averagedaily rate climbed 2.3 percent using constantdollars. Furthermore, the company addedover 8,500 new rooms to its portfolio duringQ4 2010 and became the second largesthotel company in the world based on thenumber of rooms. The list remains toppedby InterContinental Hotel Group, whileMarriott threw Wyndham Worldwide to thethird position.

FEBRUARY 26, 201112

- International

Great Hotels of the World WelcomesNew MembersEight new members have joined the UK-based alliance GreatHotels of the World. The alliance, which gathers the mostluxurious properties in the world, delightedly welcomes DomPedro Laguna, Beach Villas & Golf Resort, the unique leisurecomplex of Northern Brazil, which - in addition to its exclusiveservices - provides its room services to the villas by boat. HotelSavoy, Moscow became a member of the collection as well.The property, located in the heart of the Russian capital,welcomes its guests with an unusual design, a blend ofelegance and traditional art. The Great Hotels of the World Premium Collection,accumulating upscale superior hotels offering a unique experiencewas joined by two Spanish properties: Hotel 1898, from the heartof Barcelona beside several famous sights and NH Eurobuilding,the popular destination hosting various events in Madrid. Blue Water Wadduwa in Sri Lanka, situated on the coastlineof the Indian Ocean, hasalso become a member,and in addition three hotelsfrom the UK: Olde Bell InnBerkshire, and Crown Innand Stoke Place fromBuckinghamshire.

Marriott Jumps Ahead of Wyndham and Plans a SplitMarriott International, the second largest hotel company based on the number of rooms, plans to separate itslodging (franchise business) and the timeshare company into two publicly traded bodies.

Hotel 1898

13FEBRUARY 26, 2011

- International

Ritz-Carlton: Opening AnnouncementsIn the downtown centre and beside the commercial and performing art hub, Ritz-Carlton Toronto has openedits doors, marking the luxury brand’s entry to Canada. The company also announces a future property in LosCabos, Mexico.

T he new Ritz-CarltonToronto comprises 267guestrooms, including 56corner suites, two deluxesuites and the Ritz-

Carlton suite offering an uncoupling view.Herve Humler, president and COO of Ritz-Carlton explained the brand’s expansionwith the city’s great importance.“Toronto is a cosmopolitan city with trueinternational appeal, attracting visitors fromall over the world, whether they are visitingfor business or pleasure. The opening of TheRitz-Carlton Toronto helps to put thisvibrant destination on the map for discerningluxury travelers,” explained Humler.

Ritz-Carlton will continue its globalexpansion in Mexico after signing anagreement with the joint venture of GrupoQuestro and Trinity Investments to developand operate a Ritz-Carlton Reserve inPuerto Los Cabos. The Ritz-Carlton’s firstMexican property situated at the oceanfrontalong Baja Penensula, will include 124private, single-storey villas and is scheduledto open in 2014. Herve Humler revealed some detailsabout the upcoming property.“The concept of the resort is simple andyet exudes style and luxurious levels ofcomfort,” said the president.“It will provide a complete escape to the

unexpected; a private, exclusive leisureexperience that blends unique elements ofthe local culture, history, and heritagewith intuitive individual service, exquisiteindigenous design, casual ambiance, andrespect for the surrounding environment.”For the above mentioned service Ritz-Carlton has been just awarded at the J.D.Power and Associates Customer ServiceRoundtable in Las Vegas, where thecompany was recognised as a J.D. 2011Customer Service Champion.Ritz-Carlton was chosen as one of the 40honoured brands based on five customer“touch points”, such as people,presentation, process, product and price.

FEBRUARY 26, 201114

Name: Hashim Al BurdimiPosition: OwnerCompany: Aqaba Sky Travel AgencyLocation: Jordan

Who are you?I am Hashim Al Burdimi, the owner of Aqaba Sky Travelagency in Jordan. The company was established in 2005 andduring the last five years we have mainly focused on theincoming tourism by welcoming tourists from very differentpoints of the world and showing them the fascinatingbeauty of the country and the coastal town, Aqaba. What is your favorite thing about working in thetravel industry?Six years ago, when I decided to establish my own agency,my main intention was to promote the country I love.Jordan is blessed with outstanding natural beauty, alongwith historical and archaeological sites, which wellrepresents the Middle Eastern culture. I truly believe thatit’s a country which must be seen by everyone and I feelfortunate that as a travel agent I have the opportunity togive these experiences to people from all around the world. When is the best time to visit Jordan?The unparalleled historical sites, like the Roman Site atJerash or the fascinating rose red city of Petra are terrificdestinations to see during the whole year. However wealready welcome a lot of tourists also in Aqaba as the mildwinter allows them to enjoy the beach and various activitiesalready at this time of the year. Where would you like to travel to for your nextholiday?With all its advantages, working in the tourism industry alsomeans that you must surrender your holidays. Sometimes Iwish I could go somewhere and just walk down on thestreets like any other tourist, but finally whenever I decideto travel I end up participating in meeting and conferences.So as for this year I just would like to spend some days inmy own area, in Aqaba and relax. Why should people come to you for travel advice?Instead of advertising my own company I prefer to stressthe importance of choosing a trusted operator. In myopinion when it comes to travelling and committing to anagency the key word is reliability. We always pay fullattention to each client, to their needs and wishes andprovide them with all the information, as we believe thehonest way is the shortest way.

Agent’s Insight

Dedicated Self-Booking Tool from AmadeusAmadeus, the travel technology partner and transaction processorhas launched the latest version of its e-Travel Managementsolution, the self-booking tool for corporations. Version 14.0, which is available globally, offers a wide-range of new,more enhanced features. Amongst the numerous improvedfunctions, the updated version includes a Travel Arranger Workplace,which displays all the booking, profile management, trip modifyingand review related options. In addition, the dedicated screencomprises more advanced search facilities; a shopping basket, aperspicuous calendar and frequent trip templates. The updated Single View option eases the fare-driven availabilitysearch and allows for functions to determine certain rules toaccelerate the process. In addition, besides Windows-enabled andBlackBerry devices, trip management and confirmation functionsare now also available for iPhones.Antoine Medawar, vice president, Middle East and North Africa,Amadeus, introduced the new version as a more dedicated tool.“The new version maintains Amadeus’ vision of supportingcorporations anywhere in the world, while locally customisingsolutions according to customer needs in specific markets,” he said.

“Amadeus’ online booking tool – currently used by over 4,500corporations worldwide - provides travel arrangers with unparalleledchoice, content and control over their trips while complying withtheir company’s travel policies.”

The new version maintains Amadeus’vision of supporting corporations

anywhere in the world

15FEBRUARY 26, 2011

Mohamed Fekry Ashour has been promoted tohotel manager at City Seasons Suites Dubai withthe responsibility to maintain high occupancyrates and increase the hotel`s revenue. Fekry isalso keen on the development of hotel employeesand preparing personnel plans for departmentheads. In his new role he has already introduced

the new La Veranda Café and renovated the NewSeasons Restaurant. Fekry joined the group in2009 as director of food and beverage. Prior tothat he held the executive assistant manager offood and beverage title at Majestic Hotel TowerDubai, and also spent several years at RotanaGroup’s Abu Dhabi Grand Hotel.

Marwa MustafaMarwa Mustafa has joined TajPalace Hotel Dubai as directorof sales. Mustafa will be incharge for handling keyaccounts in the hotel`s majorcontributing market segmentsas well as developingrelationships to strengthenmarket share. She will also be responsible for establishing acomprehensive client base of various organisations, socialand corporate businesses to achieve sales targets. Prior tojoining Taj Palace, she worked at Cairo Nile Hilton in Egyptas group coordinator, before moving to Dubai where sheheld the assistant production manager`s position at CapacityWorld, and thereafter as the reservation supervisor atRadisson SAS Dubai Creek.

Tim Van VeenTim Van Veen has been appointed as executive assistant managerin charge of food and beverage at City Seasons Hotel Muscat.Shortly after graduating from Maastricht School for HotelManagement, Van Veen was appointed as assistant and acting foodand beverage manager in Rezidor Hotel Group`s Dariush GrandHotel in Iran. Thereafter, he joined Radisson Blu Resort inSharjah, UAE, before moving to Radisson Blu Hotel in Muscat,Oman. Following further experiences in Egypt and Jordan, VanVeen was promoted to executive assistant manager in charge offood and beverage at Radisson Blu Hotels and Resorts in AbuDhabi, UAE, before heading back to Muscat to take over his newposition.

Mohamed HusseinMohamed Hussein has been appointed as director of sales andmarketing at Taj Palace Hotel Dubai. In his new role Hussein willbe directing and coordinating all the activities of the sales,catering, meeting services, reservations and communicationdepartments to increase revenues and market share. He has beentasked with supervising the hotel’s marketing strategy andorganising trade events. Hussein began his carreer as reservationsagent at Ritz Carlton in Dubai and continued in the same role atInterContinental Hotel Group’s Middle East and Africa central

reservations office before beingpromoted to sales manager atInterContinental Resort AlAin. He then joined Holiday Inn AlBarsha, where he was incharge for the implementationof the marketing policies andspearheaded 15 sales,marketing and reservationsteams.

Mohamed Fekry Ashour

Mohamed Fekry Ashour

MarwaMustafa

Mohamed Hussein

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

FEBRUARY 26, 201116

Tim ClarkPresident of EmiratesEmirates awarded Airline of the Year by Air Transport World.“The last few years have been among the most demanding in our industry’s historybut despite the challenges, we have kept our focus on delivering the very higheststandards of product, passenger comfort and operational efficiency”. “This recognition is testament to our commitment to innovation and serviceexcellence as we continue to grow our global network and offer customers moreopportunities to discover the world from Dubai.”

Ken KosakTroon Golf name Ken Kosak of Abu Dhabi Golf Club“General Manager of the Year”“It is an honour to receive this award, ahead of a number of otheresteemed colleagues at Troon Golf.” “To be associated with Abu Dhabi Golf Club, which representsone of the Middle-East’s most luxurious and dynamic leisurefacilities is an absolute pleasure. Blessed with some of the fineststaff in golf, I accept this award with gratitude to all of those whohave aided my work here over the years.”

Brian Nair General Manager, ETA StarHospitality "The Chinese are taking Dubai by storm!They have always been a key sourcemarket waiting for the right time to enterand with rates presently being verycompetitive, the Chinese are overtakingthe Iranian and CIS Markets".

The Chinese are takingDubai by storm!

Brian Nair

Tim Clark

We have kept our focus on delivering the very highest standards of product

Travel Trade Weekly: Has yourappointment got anything to do withthe recent addition of all Afghanairlines to the EU no fly list?M. McTighe: Not directly. There was asenior management team that was herebefore who have since left. I came in andwe sat down and looked at how to take theairline forward in light of the EU ban.We were obviously hit hard by it, as wehave been operating the Kabul toFrankfurt route and had recently acquiredan aircraft just for that route. So now wehave an aircraft and nowhere to fly it.

Travel Trade Weekly: What are yourplans for Safi?M. McTighe: One thing I am looking atis improving the consistency of operations;when I came in we had four differentaircraft types and three different liveries.What I want is to improve the consistencyand to base our fleet going forward on theAirbus A320.We currently have two old Boeing 737swhich I want to get rid of and a 767 whichis in very good condition, which I wouldlike to lease out. So 2011 is going to be ayear of consolidation for us and then in2012 we are going to look at going back tolong haul, in Europe.With one fleet we get the economy ofcosts by having commonality betweenpilots and maintenance etc.Hopefully by the end of the year we willbe back in profit. At the moment we needto tidy up and really focus on what wewant to do. We’re a regional airline andwe’re the best carrier on the Kabul-Dubairoute. But just because we are the bestdoesn’t mean I am happy to sit back.We have a major drive on baggage andpunctuality; getting the customer there on

time, and their bags as well.We want to improve our onboard service,look at the inflight menus and improve ourbusiness class. We’re going to introduce newcabin crew uniforms and include all the cabincrew in enhanced customer care training.If we don’t look after our customer,someone else will.We’re on a very competitive route, withthree other Afghan airlines and flydubainow; and from Sharjah there is Air Arabia.Most of the traffic is expatriates; we haveagreements with all the NGO’s inAfghanistan and interline agreementswith United and even Emirates.

Travel Trade Weekly: How did yourcustomer base react to the EU ban?They were pretty disappointed. Now theyfly into Dubai and we meet them there tofly them on to Kabul. We want to startexpanding at the end of this year, as there isobviously a very strong market in Europe.

Travel Trade Weekly: How longbefore the EU lets you back in?M. McTighe: About five years probably.The problem is, the EU has said is the CivilAviation Authority in Afghanistan is notregulating as it is supposed to. So they needto bring people in, and look at employingAfghanis and training them up. Then therewill need to be a trial period where they canbe seen to be regulating properly and theEU would have to see records of ongoingregulation as well.We regulate ourselves to a degree, but theEU needs to see that the regulator canassess whether we are doing that properly.

What we are doing is looking at getting anew airline operators certificate (AOC)here in the Gulf which will allow us to goback in to Europe.We have just started that process in Dubaiand we know the regulator here is a firstclass regulator, so we are looking atbetween six and eight months.

Travel Trade Weekly: What challengesdo you anticipate in your new role?M. McTighe: The main challenges I see isfirstly protecting ourselves as a business bysetting up the new AOC, then looking at newroutes from Kabul. We are looking at flightsmaybe to India, Turkey and Pakistan. Maybeeven to China as there is large demand forboth passengers and cargo there.Then I want to go through theInternational Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO) safety audit to demonstrate thatwe are fully compliant and equal to anyairline in the world.We are also going onto Amadeus, whichshould be a big boost. We are currently inthe testing phase and on March 18 we willbe live on Amadeus.

FEBRUARY 26, 201118

Q&A with Michael McTigheAs the new chief operating officer, Safi Airways, Michael McTighe needs to face large challenges due to theEuropean Union’s ban on Afghanistani airlines flying to Europe. The experienced professional speaks aboutthe impact of the prohibition and about his plans to return the airline to profitability.

This year we are reallytrying to get in shape

Michael McTighe

19FEBRUARY 26, 2011

Online Booking to Conquer by 2012PhoCusWright, the travel industry research on how travellers, suppliers and intermediaries connect, forecasta significant, double-digit increase in online travel activity bookings by 2012.

Local search, social media andmobile devices are creating

unprecedented opportunities

A ccording to the latestfigures, travellers inthe US already spendmore for their leisuretime than for cruises

or car rental. Based on a recent research, the UStravel activities market aggregatedUSD27 billion in 2009, almost twice asmuch as the car rental segment. Thereport revealed that only the one thirdof these leisure activities were bookedonline. However, the researcherforesees a compelling growth, andenvisage double-digit increase inonline bookings by 2012.

Douglas Quinby, senior director,research for ProCusWright, explainedthe optimistic forecasts, with theadvanced technology and its globalspread.“The challenge of connecting to myriadsmall providers with limited technicalcapability and a low average transactionvalue have inhibited online distributionof travel-related activities,” he said.“But while the market remains highlyfragmented, key activity aggregatorsand a flood of innovation related tolocal search, social media and mobiledevices are creating unprecedentedopportunities.”

FEBRUARY 26, 201120

EventsGulfood Exhibition 2011Dubai, UAE, February 27-March 2, 2011 (www.gulfood.com)International exhibition for the food, drink and hospitality markets.

ITBBerlin, Germany, March 9-13, 2011(www.messe-berlin.de)One of the world’s major travel and tourism exhibitions for allaspects of the travel industry.

GIBTMAbu Dhabi, UAE, March 28-30, 2011 (www.gibtm.com)International event for the business travel and meetingsindustry in the Gulf and Middle East region.

China Outbound Travel and Tourism MarketBeijing, China, April 13-15, 2011 (www.cottm.com)Dedicated business to business event targeting the growingmarket for outbound travel from China.

Arabian Travel MarketDubai, UAE, May 2-5, 2011 (www.arabiantravelmarket.com)The Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition.

Bahrain International Travel ExpoManama, Bahrain, May 12-14, 2011 (www.meembahrain.com)Travel expo for travel professionals in Bahrain and the MiddleEast.

IndabaDurban, South Africa, May 7-10, 2011(www.indaba-southafrica.co.za)Showcases the widest variety of Southern Africa's best tourismproducts.

International Pow Wow 2011San Francisco, California, May 21-25, 2011(www.ustravel.org/events/international-pow-wow)U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow is aninternational marketplace and the largest generator of Visit USA

Based on the success of the last eventand the already confirmed participationsfor this year, Global Meetings and EventsExhibition (EIBTM) 2011, taking placebetween November 29 and December 1in Barcelona, is predicted to attract moreexhibitors and hosted buyers than ever.EIBTM 2010 received positive responsesfrom both exhibitors and hosted buyers,who praised the event’s dynamic businessatmosphere. Many of them have alreadyconfirmed their participations for thisyear in addition to numerous newcomers.The list of the pre-bookings includesamong others NH Hotels, Kingdom ofBahrain, Hong Kong Tourism Board,

Malaysia Convention & ExhibitionBureau and Visit Scotland.Amanda Henderson, marketing managerEurope, business tourism unit for VisitScotland, is a returning guest at the event.“EIBTM continues to go from strength tostrength,” she said.“At last year’s show, in spite of the weather,the value of enquiry levels for VisitScotland was up 50 percent. It’s a key showfor us and we fully intend to return in 2011with a strong party of Scottish suppliers.”Graeme Barnett, exhibition director,EIBTM, confirmed an increased interestin the event.“EIBTM 2010 was a great success with a

2.5 percent increase in total visitorattendance from the previous year,” statedBarnett.“We’re thrilled with the response we’ve hadso far from the industry – it’s a clear reflectionof how positively the industry views EIBTMand further endorsement of the importanceof face-to-face communication.”“We really value the strong industryrelationships we have built as they play afundamental role in the success of ourIBTM portfolio. Our primary aim is toensure high levels of return oninvestment for all attendees as it is a vitalfactor in the development of our shows,”added Barnett.

EIBTM Aims Further Growth