Travel Trade Weekly Issue 123

17 MARCH 2012 ISSUE 123

17 MARCH 2012 ISSUE 123

IN THIS ISSUERENDEZVOUS

MARKET UPDATE

WEEKLY NEWS

ACCOMMODATION

AIR NEWS

WHO'S MOVED

TRAVEL TALK

AGENT'S CORNER

TRAVEL CHANNELS

RENDEZVOUS

NEWS & EVENTS

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Bidding Farewell to Metropolitan HotelAfter over three decades of successful opera-tion, Al Habtoor Group has bid farewell to the iconic Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai.

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is to launch Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara.

Eastern Mangroves to Debut in Abu Dhabi

Rixos Debuts in Dubai 10

Rixos The Palm Dubai has officially opened its doors marking the luxury hotel chain’s foray into

the Middle East.

2 RENDEZVOUS

17 MARCH 2012

Q & A with Sanjiv MalhotraShaza Hotels prides itself in being a hotel chain capable of offering guests a truly authentic experience of the East within a contemporary setting, and Sanjiv Malhotra, vice president, operations, Shaza Hotels, shares details on the group’s operating properties and development pipeline.

Travel Trade Weekly: What makes your properties stand out?

Sanjiv Malhotra: Shaza Hotels is a refresh-ing and unique hotel chain. We are a new and contemporary interpretation of Eastern culture and hospitality that challenges stereo-typed beliefs and expectations of what an ori-ental aesthetic should be. Shaza prides itself on its 21st century Eastern concept, but does not live in it.

Travel Trade Weekly: Shaza Hotels has out-lined ambitious expansion plans and aims to manage hotels in key destinations, from the MENA region to the broader Indian subcontinent. When will the next proper-ties welcome their first guests?

Sanjiv Malhotra: Shaza Hotels has a number of projects such as Palais Chergui Fez, Shaza Cairo Nile, and Shaza Marrakech, that will be launching over the next three years.

Travel Trade Weekly: Did the political un-certainty affect the proposed projects?

Sanjiv Malhotra: Although the ongoing un-rest in the region slightly affected projects such as Shaza Cairo Nile with construction slowing down, we believe that the destina-tion holds greater potential than the present predicament. Saudi Arabia on the other hand was not affected at all. In fact, Shaza plans to continue expanding its portfolio in the king-dom, in Jeddah first and then in Riyadh as well.

Travel Trade Weekly: Shaza Al Madina is of-

and guests enjoy living unique or ethnic ex-periences. The Saudi market has responded to this experience very positively as Shaza Al Ma-dina has been [excellently-rated]. In addition, in the short period of one year, it is amongst the top three average room rate producers.

Travel Trade Weekly: The company is to add another property to its Middle East portfolio with the opening of Shaza Karbala. Could you tell us about the development and when the property will be opening?

Sanjiv Malhotra: Construction has com-menced at the site of Shaza Karbala, which is conveniently located 15 minutes walking dis-tance from the two Holy Shrines. This mixed-use property, which will hold 144 hotel keys and 400 plus timeshare apartment keys, will open its doors in 2013.

Travel Trade Weekly: Shaza Hotels continu-ously scouts key MENA and international destinations. Which countries/regions do you think presently boast the most prom-ising potential? Is there any plan outlined to further expand the company’s presence in the Middle East?

Sanjiv Malhotra: There is an extensive list of projects committed over the next three years such as Fez, Marrakech, Sarajevo, Istanbul, Cairo, Jeddah, Salalah, and Karbala. Shaza is also developing interesting opportuni-ties in Dakar, Senegal; as well as in Doha, Ri-yadh, Jeddah and Mecca. It also has city and resort opportunities in Oman, Istanbul and other key destinations in Turkey, UAE, Kuala Lumpur, Durban, and Cape Town.

Sanjiv MalhotraVice president, operations, Shaza Hotels

ten referred to as the ‘first lifestyle hotel proudly declaring its Eastern heritage’. How has the Saudi market responded to his new concept so far? How did the hotel perform in 2011?

Sanjiv Malhotra: Shaza boasts its Eastern heritage because East is a cultural space

Shaza boasts its Eastern heritage because East is a cultural space and guests enjoy living unique or ethnic experiences

4 WEEKLY NEWS

17 MARCH 2012

UAE (AED)

Egypt (EGP)

Saudi Arabia (SAR)

Lebanon (LBP)

Bahrain (BHD)

Jordan (JOD)

Syria (SYP)

Kuwait (KWD)

Qatar (QAR)

Oman (OMR)

Tunisia (TND)

Morocco (MAD)

Iran (IRR)

Yemen (YER)

Algeria (DZD)

Libya (LYD)

Dirham

Pound

Riyal

Pound

Dinar

Dinar

Pound

Dinar

Riyal

Rial

Dinar

Dirham

Riyal

Rial

Dinar

Dinar

3.67

6.03

3.75

1,505.50

0.37

0.71

57.45

0.28

3.64

0.38

1.52

8.53

12,275.00

216.01

74.68

1.26

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=

Accurate as of

15/03/2012Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

MENA EXCHANGE RATES

Queen Alia Welcomes Approxi-mately 5.5 Million Passengers

Royal Jet: Soaring Net ProfitRoyal Jet, the international luxury flight ser-vices company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, recorded a net profit increase of 226 percent out of total revenues which rose by 31.2 per-cent in 2011; a result of organisational realign-ment that propelled the company to its best-ever performance in its eight-year history. Commenting on the company’s sixth con-secutive year of profitability, Shane O’Hare,

president, Royal Jet, said, “I am delighted to report that 2011 was the most successful year ever for Royal Jet and by a considerable margin, both opera-tionally and financially. As we examined every aspect of our operations and made changes where we felt improvement was possible, we were able to align, our commercial, operational, and corporate activities more closely to become more agile in line with market needs. We implemented an aggres-sive and well-segmented sales plan featuring a new and sophisticated yield management programme to provide our highest ever return on revenue block hours. That plan, allied to the operational streamlining process, led to a significant gain in productivity and a reduction in costs. Simultaneously, we were able to focus on delivering better VIP customer service, further rais-ing the benchmark for which we have been recognised worldwide.”

A ccording to the report, some 5,467,000 passengers passed through the airport’s terminals in 2011, marking an increase of 0.7 percent over 2010. Meanwhile air-

craft movements rose 0.9 percent to 63,000. Keeping up the momentum into the new

year, the airport handled over 463,000 passen-gers in January, representing a robust increase of 19.08 percent. Aircraft movements rose 2.7 percent, to over 5,000, while cargo traffic wit-nessed a slight decline of 1.6 percent.

Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) reported positive trends in passenger traffic and aircraft movements for 2011, based on data released by Airport International Group (AIG), the Jordanian consortium responsible for the rehabilitation, expansion, and operation of the airport.

With the completion of a new terminal by the end of the year, AIG is looking to fur-ther escalate the growth of the airport. The USD750 million new facility is now estimated to be some 80 percent complete, and AIG has also invested approximately USD100 million on improving existing facilities at QAIA.

Since 2007, when AIG took over respon-sibility for the operation and development of the airport, passenger traffic increased 40 percent, while flights to and from QAIA rose over 40 percent.

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

MANAGING EDITOR

Mary Kammitsi [email protected]

JOURNALISTS

Stefanie Saghbini Rita Kasziba

Dominique Christou Melanthia Avgousti

SALES & MARKETING

Maria Demetriadou Brighite Ess

DESIGN & LAYOUT

Elena Stylianou

DIRECTORS

Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi

HEADQUARTERS

T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia, 1308, Cyprus

Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 210466

WEBSITE

www.traveltradeweekly.travel

EMAILS

[email protected] [email protected]

[email protected]

Ahmed Al Mamari, chief operations officer, Shane O'Hare, president, Fahad Wali, vice

president, commercial

6 WEEKLY NEWS

17 MARCH 2012

Sharjah Investment and Devel-opment Authority (Shurooq) is to embark on a tour bus and sea-plane initiative.

Announcing the new activi-ties at ITB Berlin, H.E. Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Shurooq, said, “We signed a cooperation agreement with the City Sight-seeing Worldwide company to equip tour buses in line with the latest world-class specifications so as to provide a distinguished product that would offer a com-fortable means of transport and help boost the tourism industry in the emirate introducing Sharjah’s tourism, culture, and heritage.”

Flying from Dubai to Shar-jah, the seaplane tours will offer a 40-minute 'dock to dock' excur-sion to residents and tourists alike, according to Al Sarkal, who added, “The initiative involves operating seaplane tours in cooperation with Seawings, which will offer tourists the opportunity to take an aerial sightseeing tour from Dubai, land in Sharjah, and subsequently take a tour of the various heritage areas in Sharjah to view iconic landmarks.”

H.M. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, instructed that Al Saqqaf Palace, Mecca, should be brought under full responsibility of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), in order to be restored and perpetuated.

The announcement was made by H.R.H. Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, president, SCTA, who expressed the historic importance of the palace, and SCTA’s aim to revitalise it within the project of ‘Rehabilita-tion of Saudi State Palaces in the reign of King Abdul Aziz and King Saud.’

Al Saqqaf Palace to be Handed to SCTA

Shurooq to Launch Tour Bus and Seaplane Projects

Mecca

8 WEEKLY NEWS

17 MARCH 2012

Onity, one of the world's leading providers of electronic lock-ing solutions, is to supply the HT24 locking solution to more than 290 Extended Stay Hotels across the US, set to provide convenience and security for hotel employees and guests.

This is part of the hotel chain’s larger renovation plans and will result in the installation of up to 40,000 locks. The HT24 locking system is Onity's flagship product and is based on mag-stripe technology, which uses an Onity encoder to pro-gramme the security band on the back of the keycard.

The information encoded includes the room num-ber, along with other doors the keycard can unlock, and provides tracking details on the arrival and departure of guests. Encoded cards inserted into the electronic HT24, are read by the lock to ensure that keycard has access to the door. When new guests arrive, the lock access plan is updated to prevent re-entry of expired keys.

Onity Provides for Extended Stay Hotels

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, in partnership with Dubai Properties Group (DPG), has initiated an innovative cultural venture called ‘Outdoor Art Project’.

The new project, which was built on the success of the previous initiative launched two years ago, will commission artworks by UAE-based artists, which will later be show-cased on various prominent hoardings, with the aim of pro-moting locally-based talents and the concept of outdoor art.

“In a world where walls are considered barriers that create divisions between people, the ‘Outdoor Art Project,’ emerges as a grassroots initiative that challenges these divides, using art as the platform, for experimentation and communication, giving artists the opportunity to work and exhibit their works on a larger scale,” said Khalil Abdulwahid, manager of visual arts, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, adding that these hoard-ings aim to create a constantly developing façade.

Dubai Launches ‘Outdoor Art Project’

9WEEKLY NEWSAccommodation

17 MARCH 2012

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has underlined its commit-ment to Egypt’s tourism indus-try by adding three Mövenpick resorts to its already existing portfolio of four properties on the country’s Red Sea coast-line, as well as strengthening its presence on the Nile with four new cruisers and one sail boat including the ‘Misr’.

Mövenpick Resort Hurgha-da, which opened on March 5, is conveniently located in Hurghada Bay, only 8km from the city's international airport, offering 252 rooms and suites, all with a direct view over the Red Sea, while just 45km south of Hurghada, the hotel group is set to, later this year, welcome the 424-room Mövenpick Re-sort Abu Soma.

Furthermore, Mövenpick Resort Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay, is slated to open its doors on April 8, boasting a prime lo-cation and featuring 298 rooms as well as four villas with private pools.

Mövenpick Hotels & Re-sorts Expands in Egypt

After over three decades of successful operation, Al Habtoor Group has bid farewell to the iconic Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai.

The property, which officially closed its doors on March 15, will soon be demolished to make room for a new 1,616-key hotel complex slated to open in 2016, with construction works set to commence in April this year.

“Though I am sad to part with the Metropolitan, because it is

full of fond memories, and I am sure it is the same for all our guests here tonight, I am very excited to witness the completion of Hab-toor Palace, and to see what it will add to our country’s landmarks,” Khalaf Al Habtoor, chairman, Al Habtoor Group, commented.

“It is true that we are demolishing one of Dubai’s historic land-marks, but it will be replaced by another bigger landmark for the future,” he concluded.

Bidding Farewell to Metropolitan Hotel

10 WEEKLY NEWS Accommodation

17 MARCH 2012

Rixos Debuts in DubaiRixos The Palm Dubai has officially opened its doors marking the luxury hotel chain’s foray into the Middle East.

Situated on the tip of the Palm Islands with dedicated land-scaped gardens stretching along 70 percent of its land, the property offers a refreshing location, 233 guestrooms, and 28 residences. Alongside a beach promenade featuring a number of venues, guests are also offered an authentic Turkish restau-rant, the hotel chain’s signature spa, and a kids’ club.

The launch of the hotel is of strategic importance to the Antalya-based company’s development in the region, which already enjoys an established presence in Turkey, Southeast Europe, North Africa, and the CIS countries, according to Fettah Tamince, chairman, Rixos Hotels. “The opening of our first hotel in the UAE illustrates the strategic importance, we, as Rixos, at-tach to the GCC and the greater Middle Eastern area. We fervent-ly believe that the combination of Dubai’s unrivalled reputation being the ‘vacation of the world’ together with the strength of the Rixos brand will crown the hotel with unmatched success,” Tamince concluded.

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Achieves Major Milestones

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has implemented a number of significant initiatives as part of its Ambition 2015 Strat-egy, which focuses on the rejuvenation and expansion of its core Radisson brand, the growth of the Club Carlson loyalty programme, and the development of its global portfolio to more than 1,300 properties.

“Two years after launching our Ambition 2015 strategy, our team is well on its way towards achieving our key objec-tives,” highlighted Hubert Joly, president, Carlson. “Our mo-mentum continues this year with more exciting news across our key priorities.”

By the end of 2011, the company’s global portfolio com-prised 1,319 hotels in operation and under development, with the number of rooms reaching 208,500, representing a robust increase versus 2009 when the number of rooms totalled 197,000. The group’s sales and marketing initiatives have increased by 68 percent over the past two years.

11WEEKLY NEWSAccommodation

17 MARCH 2012

InterContinental Doha The City is Now Open

Eastern Mangroves to Debut in Abu Dhabi

InterContinental Hotel Group’s second property in Qatar, InterContinental Doha The City, has now opened its doors to guests, supplying 360 rooms and 76 residents suites.

The hotel offers six restaurants and two loung-es, and an events centre with four meeting rooms, a business centre, and a 1,015m2 ballroom accom-modating up to 950 guests.

“Qatar is leading the way in cultural and sport-ing events as well as hosting numerous global conferences. Visitors to Doha are looking for an ex-perience that blends the familiar with the innova-tive, comfort with luxury, and modernity with the traditions of the region. We are delighted to bring InterContinental Doha The City to the heart of the capital,” indicated H.E. Mohamed bin Ajaj Al Kubai-si, owner, InterContinental Doha The City.

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is to launch its third property in the UAE with the opening of Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara in Abu Dhabi.

Wholly-owned by Tourism Develop-ment & Investment Company (TDIC), the property will occupy a prime position

along a 1.2km stretch of the protected Eastern Mangroves District, comprising 222 rooms and suites, three food and beverage outlets, and a luxury spa with a large hammam, and VIP suites. Furthermore, the hotel will feature a fitness facility, terrace and infinity pool, a ballroom and state-of-the-art conference facilities.

According to Michel Koopman, general manager, Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara, the hotel is set to provide for the growing number of corporate travellers visiting the emirate, as well as leisure-seekers and Abu Dhabi residents.

Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara

12 WEEKLY NEWS Accommodation

17 MARCH 2012

Bavaria Hotels International to Open Second Hotel in Djibouti

The German hotel company Bavaria Hotels International (BHI) is to open the new Bavaria Mountain Resort Day this April, making it the hotel group’s second property in Djibouti.

The hotel will comprise 48 chalets boasting private ter-races, while guests will also be able to enjoy the Panorama restaurant, the Spa Treatment Centre, an Internet station, and a library. Overlooking the Tajoura Coastline, the hotel will be located close to the Salt Lake and the Volcano Ardoukoba.

Thomas Gertz, CEO, Bavaria Hotels International, com-mented, “Naturally, we are again delighted to be awarded with a new hotel opening in the region, which follows the successful launch of the Bavaria Les Acacias Hotel in 2011. Bavaria Moun-tain Resort will further strengthen our foothold in the region, which we, at Bavaria Hotels, believe has a great potential for further hotel projects. Bavaria is unlike any other international or regional branded hotel management company, as it exem-plifies German traditional values of quality and reliability.”

Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa has signed an agreement with Watercooled Watersports to add a watersports centre to the Dubai property.

Under the terms of the agreement, Watercooled Wa-tersports will bring high-tech, high-spec equipment along with instructions and training centres to the favoured beach destination, considered the ‘World’s Leading Family Resort’.

The company’s new watersports beach 'Club House', which embraces style, quality, and functionality, will provide a wide range of activities to guests staying at the property as well as day visitors to the resort and its Club Joumana.

Watersports on offer will include dinghy sailing, stand up paddle boards, windsurfers, kayaks, kite-surfing, water-skiing, wake boarding, and more. In addition, the new cen-tre will also provide kit hire for free-sailing, as well as organ-ised individual, group, or school lessons, while corporate programmes and events can also be accommodated.

Jebel Ali to Launch Watersport Centre

13WEEKLY NEWSAir News

17 MARCH 2012

flydubai has announced Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, as the latest addition to its expanding route network, as of April 22, with four weekly flights.

Commenting on the new route, Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, said, “flydubai’s low-cost direct connection will provide travellers with an easy link to Sana’a, in turn driving tourism and investment to this historically-rich and cultur-ally-vibrant city.”

The UAE recorded AED500 million worth of exports an-nually to Yemen between 2007 and 2010, according to Dubai Chamber of Commerce, and in recent years the two coun-tries have developed trade and collaborations, particularly in the areas of medical services, agriculture, infrastructure, and real estate.

With four flights scheduled per week, flydubai’s low-cost route will allow the UAE strong access to business and investment opportunities in Yemen, while at the same time strengthening Yemen’s links to the wider international community.

flydubai Extends to Sana’a

Discussing Etihad Airways’ operations and growth plans in Thailand, James Hogan, CEO, Etihad Airways, re-cently met with officials, business partners, media, and the airline's Bangkok team, in the country's capital.

“I am delighted to be in Bangkok, and to see for my-self the continuing growth in the Thai market in spite of the challenges of last year, which is enabling us to launch our third daily service on the Abu Dhabi – Bangkok route with a Boeing 777-300ER from April 15. 2011 has been a hugely successful year for Etihad Airways, with excel-lent financial results, and the announcement of game-changing investments in airberlin and Air Seychelles marking a major step forward in our partnership strat-egy. We have already seen strong interest in airberlin's Abu Dhabi – Phuket flight, and are pleased with the posi-tive contribution these flights will make to tourist arriv-als,” Hogan commented.

Etihad Airways Celebrates Bangkok Expansion

14 WEEKLY NEWS Air News

17 MARCH 2012

Etihad Airways is to substantially boost its Middle East-ern operations with the addition of new flights to both Kuwait and Dammam, as of April 1.

Frequency to Kuwait will increase from 21 to 25 flights per week, and to Dammam from 13 to 16 services per week, subject to regulatory approval. The additional flights will be operated by an Airbus A320, and will increase capacity by approximately 20 percent across both routes.

James Hogan, president, Etihad Airways, com-mented, “Kuwait and Dammam are important strategic destinations for us due to the established cultural and commercial ties between the UAE and both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The additional flights will open new ho-rizons for commercial activities in both cities and will further strengthen our GCC network. Our guests will now have more flexibility in their travel to Abu Dhabi and onto the airline’s worldwide network.”

Etihad Airways to Enhance its Regional Services

Air Malta Lures UK MarketAir Malta is to add charter flights to a few of the UK’s regional airports, namely Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Newcastle, and Norwich, running from May 1 to October 30.

The charter services will be an addition to the carrier’s regular scheduled flights to London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Manchester airports. Philip Saunders, chief commercial officer, Air Malta, commented, “This is not the first time that Air Malta has operated flights to these air-ports; however such operations further confirm the airline’s commitment to boost incoming tourism to Malta from the UK, which is Malta’s primary tourism market. We expect to carry around 48,000 passengers on these services.”

Etihad Airways and NIKI, an airberlin subsidiary airline, re-cently commenced the sale of their codeshare flights.

As of March 6, NIKI’s flights from Frankfurt, Milan, and Mu-nich, to Vienna, began carrying the EY code in front of their own HG code. Etihad Guest frequent flyer programme mem-bers on all NIKI-operated flights are now able to earn Etihad Guest Miles, following the top bonus Etihad Guest venture.

James Hogan, president, Etihad Airways, commented on the agreement, “This is yet another tangible step in the roll-out and integration of our extensive cooperation with the airberlin group, and we look forward to announcing more destinations as our strategic partnership develops.”

Etihad Airways Codeshares with NIKI

16 TRAVEL TALK

17 MARCH 2012

Ruprecht Schmitz

“We are on track with the strategy of the capital and in tune with today’s travellers, introducing our brand in essential corners and renewing our efforts to promote our property and the UAE as a destination. Millennium’s participation in ATM provides a perfect tool for us to support Abu Dha-bi's tourism industry, which is plentiful of cultural landmarks, natural beauty, archaeological sites as well as rich history.”

General manager, Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi.

UAE Manager, VisitBritain.

“This year is going to be a very big year for Great Britain, and we want to make sure that everyone, especially our friends and family across the Mid-dle East, are included in all the fun and festivities. Britain’s reputation as a tourist destination has never been higher, largely due to the glowing reviews from travellers across the world. Now is the time to be proud of our country, open up the doors and share all that is truly great about it.”

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Carol Maddison

17AGENT'S CORNER

17 MARCH 2012

Who are you?I am a mother, friend, traveller, and businesswoman; in that order. Galavantor was born out of my pas-sion for exploring, since I was a child. We provide health and wellness, adventure, sports, volunteer, study, and eco tours while promoting group travel for youth, women only, and corporate travellers.

What is your favourite thing about working in this industry?Meeting fellow travel agents and travellers who are passionate about exploring new places and cultures. When is the best time to visit the Dubai?October to April is the best time. However, in the summer, TravGulf, Galavantor’s regional brand, will be providing a lot of activities in the early mornings and late evenings, to avoid the midday heat.

Where would you like to travel to for your next holiday?Greece. I have been waiting for my children to be old enough to explore, understand, and experience the country with me.

Why should people come to you for travel advice?We tend to get personal with our customers so as to truly understand what type of holiday they need as opposed to what they ask for, thus we tailor-make our holidays to deliver the right balance of learning, adventure, and leisure activities to revitalise their mind, body, and soul.

A Strengthened Dedication Travelport has announced that it has signed a multi-year global distribu-tion system (GDS) deal with Dadabhai Travel, one of the largest travel con-glomerates in Bahrain.

The Manama-based agency is a long-standing partner of Travelport, and under the terms of the renewed agreement, has committed to in-crease its bookings through Travel-port’s Galileo platform.

Feeling optimistic with Travel-port’s offerings, Aziz Galitwala, man-aging director, Dadabhai Travel, said, “We are confident that Travelport has the right technology tools and sup-port structure to meet all of our GDS requirements. We have selected them as a partner because we believe that they understand our business and can provide critical, hands-on sup-port. We also look forward to a close collaboration as we launch our very first online booking tool.”

Since Travelport opened up its own Galileo travel agency support network in Bahrain in 2010, the GDS provider’s direct operations have been an important resource to local travel agencies, with fully-equipped sales, training, and helpdesk teams available to provide the highest levels of dedicated customer service.

Carol Maddison

AGENT'S INSIGHT

NAME: Rose Ann Shetty

POSITION: CEO

COMPANY: Galavantor

LOCATION: Dubai, UAE

WEB: www.galavantor.com

18 TRAVEL CHANNELS

17 MARCH 2012

UNWTO and ETC Collaborate

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the European Travel Commission (ETC) have signed an agreement committing to advance their joint efforts to address major issues facing the tourism sector.

“G lobal challenges demand in-creased cooperation. [This] agreement emphasises the strong synergy between the work of our two organi-

sations, and is a step forward towards max-imising our efforts,” commented Taleb Rifai, secretary general, UNWTO, who highlighted UNWTO's and ETC's close ongoing collabora-tion since 2001. “Under this new agreement, I am confident we can better respond to the needs of our members and the tourism sector

at large,” he added. One of the major initiatives under the new

cooperation agreement is the establishment of the Global National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) Think Tank, at the ITB travel trade show in Berlin, which brought together the lead-ers of national tourism bodies from all world regions to identify and collaborate on issues of shared interest, from changing market con-ditions and trends, to new technologies and consumer rights.

Petra Hedorfer, president, ETC, further com-

mented, “We have made significant steps to-wards increasing competitiveness in tourism over the course of more than ten years of joint research carried out between ETC and UNWTO. With a shift in global tourism trends fuelled by the emerging BRIC economies, Europe, as the world’s most visited travel destination, stands with a lot to gain from this partnership. Research and market intelligence is of critical importance now more than ever, and [this] agreement not only strengthens the importance of collabora-tion at European level, but also on a global level.”

19RENDEZVOUS

17 MARCH 2012

Q & A with Magdy NaguibFollowing an exceptional period of challenges and changes, Egypt’s tourism industry spares no effort to ensure that visitors experience the true magic of the country. Magdy Naguib, general manager, JW Marriott Hotel Cairo, tells Travel Trade Weekly what guests are really looking for.

Travel Trade Weekly: What are the unique selling points of JW Marriott Hotel Cairo that ensure a memorable stay for guests at the resort?

Magdy Naguib: The aspects which set JW Marriott Cairo apart from its competitors in-clude its uniqueness as a corporate resort located in the captial where guests can relax on the city’s only sandy shores and enjoy a themed water park.

Moreover, guests can benefit from the prestigious 2,500m2 Thai Mandara Spa with more than 30 exotic treatments. In addition, we offer spacious guestrooms and suites in various categories, while the new executive lounge has proven highly popular with cor-porate guests.

As for golf lovers, the 27 championship golf course boasts a standalone Clubhouse, while ‘The Beach’, Cairo’s one and only themed water park offers family and friends refreshing dips in our range of pools. Children can also enjoy our amusement games and kids’ fun club, called ‘Dream Ship’.

Travel Trade Weekly: JW Marriott Hotel Cai-ro is known to have some of the country’s best sporting and fitness facilities. How does the hotel cater to these segments?

Magdy Naguib: The Mirage City Golf Club, an award-winning tribute to the passion that is golf, and which hosted The Egyptian Open in 2009 as well as in 2010, is where guests can enjoy one of the most exclusive golf clubs in Egypt. The 27-hole Peter Harradine-designed championship golf course is conveniently lo-cated on the outskirts of the city. Meanwhile,

agenda to corporate social responsibility. How did JW Marriott Hotel Cairo contrib-ute to this field?

Magdy Naguib: The agenda of 2011 included the clean-up campaign at the pyramids, where 250 associates from Marriott gave a big hand to preserve the beautiful surroundings of the area. Marking the Global Earth Hour, we dimmed all hotel lights and organised an organic candle-lit dinner celebration. In addition, we also organ-ised orphanage and elderly home visits, and continuously donated to the Egyptian Food Bank as well as to ‘Friends of Children with Can-cer for Hope & Health Oasis’. During the Global Customers Appreciation Week, all Marriott gen-eral managers and top customers visited and donated to the Foundation of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation of Special needs. As for this year, we remain committed to the above initia-tives, while embracing global diversity and in-clusion. We also aim to integrate mentally chal-lenged adults into the working force, for two to three days, to educate both in-house guests and associates about diversity.

Travel Trade Weekly: What are your predic-tions regarding overall inbound tourism to Egypt this year?

Magdy Naguib: I am optimistic about Egypt. The peaceful, pro-democratic revolution has brought a fresh breeze to Egypt. Tourism of-ficials will step their marketing measures accordingly by focusing on increased par-ticipation at international events and media-marketing activities. Using revolution as its marketing strategy is the new trend for pro-moting Egypt tourism this year and beyond.

Magdy NaguibGeneral manager, JW Marriott Hotel Cairo

our 18-hole championship golf course com-bines desert, greenery, and 14 beautiful lakes, and is complimented by our nine-hole executive course, thus providing a golfing experience for all abilities.

We also feature a floodlit driving range, a comprehensive short game practice area, and a well-equipped gym and spa facilities.As for our health centre, it boasts more than 5,000m2 of fitness equipment and machines while our studios offer various classes in-cluding Pilates, spinning, aerobics, and mar-tial arts. In addition aqua fitness and swim-ming classes are also available, along with a climbing wall.

Both indoor and outdoor pools are avail-able along with a jogging track and person-alised programmes and training packages.

Travel Trade Weekly: A large number of ho-tels around Cairo dedicate much of their

20 NEWS & EVENTS

17 MARCH 2012

EVENTSMoscow International Exhibition Travel & Tourism (MITT)Moscow, Russia, March 21 – 24, 2012 (www.mitt.ru)Russia’s leading travel exhibition, with over 3,000 participating com-panies and 185 destinations, serving as a key meeting place. GIBTMAbu Dhabi, UAE, March 26 – 28, 2012 (www.gibtm.com)A leading event for business travel in the GCC region, unlocking busi-ness potential within the Middle East for all professionals.

Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market (STTIM)Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 2 – 5, 2012 (www.sttim.com.sa)An event that covers all travel and tourism investment aspects in a combined conference and exhibition, aimed at presenting and promoting investment opportunities and tourism services.

China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM)Beijing, China, April 18 – 20, 2012(www.cottm.com)A business-to-business exhibition, which provides a platform for international tourism boards and travel services.

Arabian Hotel Investment ConferenceDubai, UAE, April 28 – 30, 2012(www.arabianconference.com)An event that brings together regional leaders to discuss the key top-ics and challenges of the coming months.

Arabian Travel Market (ATM)Dubai, UAE, April 30 – May 2, 2012(www.arabiantravelmarket.com)A major event that unlocks business potential within the Middle East for tourism professionals, where destinations around the world showcase their diverse range of tourism options.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has an-nounced that the travel and tourism industry is expected to increase by 2.8 percent this year, faster than the global rate of economic growth, which is to rise by 2.5 percent.

These results are set to provide USD2 trillion to the global economy and sustain 100.3 million jobs, and, tak-ing into account the wider economic impacts of travel and tourism, the contribution will reach USD6.5 trillion and 260 million jobs.

David Scowsill, president, WTTC, indicated, “It is clear that the travel and tourism industry is going to be a sig-nificant driver of global growth and employment for the next decade. Our industry is responsible for creating jobs, pulling people out of poverty, and broadening ho-rizons. It is one of the world’s great industries.”

The one billion international tourists that are expected to travel this year, are vital to the global economic growth and social welfare, ac-cording to Taleb Rifai, secretary general, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

In his keynote speech at the official opening of this year’s ITB Ber-lin show, Rifai remarked on the tourism industry’s increasing signifi-cance. “By the end of the year, one seventh of the world’s population will have crossed international borders as tourists in a single year,” he emphasised, adding that this, in turn, will bolster job creation, and contribute to higher income possibilities and countless opportunities for development amidst the current global economic uncertainty.

“With growth comes responsibility,” Rifai continued, explaining that tourism has the potential to become one of the most promis-ing sectors for achieving a more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable future, albeit with unavoidable challenges ahead.

WTTC Issues Travel and Tourism Forecast

UNWTO: Tourism to Drive Socioeconomic Development