Travel Trade Weekly Issue 16

Market Update 2Accommodation News 4International News 6Air Travel & Cruising News 8Travel Tips 12Travel Talk 13Who’s Moved 14Rendezvous 15Events 16

Middle East and North Africa Edition

FEBRUARY 27, 2010 ISSUE 16 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

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3COSTA DELIZIOSAThe Costa Deliziosa became the firstcruise ship to be named in an Arab city onFebruary 23, coinciding with the officialopening of Dubai’s new cruise terminal.

UAE based travel management companySNTTA has announced a major corporaterestructure, along with expansion plans.SNTTA will increase its 18 UAE branchesto 25 by the end of 2011 and willintegrate all of its outlets under a singlemanagement body.

In This Issue

Collector’sItem

Grosvenor House Dubai has joined StarwoodHotels’ The Luxury Collection, marking the

brand’s first entrance into the UAE.

4

SNTTA EXPANSION

Contact us now at [email protected]

Online March 6

The demerger is to be carriedout in late June, pending theapproval of shareholders.Accor’s EUR1.6 billion(USD2.2 billion) net debt is to

be strategically divided between the twodivisions, according to the Accor board ofdirectors.EUR1.2 billion (USD1.6 billion) will beallocated to the hotels business, with theremaining EUR0.4 billion (USD0.5 billion)given to services.According to Accor, the distribution has beenguided by the differing needs of the markets in

which the new businesses willoperate.The new hotels company willseek an investment-grade ratingby selling assets to pay down thedebt in 2011.

Assets to be sold include a 49 percent stake inGroupe Lucien Barriere, another French hotelcompany, and certain Accor hotels.The business model of the new hotels companywould be based on pursuing cash flow stabilityby reducing cyclicality.To this end, Accor has announced that 70percent of its properties will operate undermanagement agreements by 2013, requiring thesale of 450 of the 1600 hotels owned oroperated by the company under fixed rentleases.Accor has also declared plans for the hotelsegment to reduce expenditure by EUR250million (USD339 million) per year, whileadding an average of 35,000 to 40,000 newrooms per annum.Asset sales in 2010 are expected to account forEUR450 million (USD610 million), 25 percentof which has already been accounted for.

Accor has revealed its blueprint for demerging the hospitality and services armsof the company, and has unveiled a new business model for its hotels.

Accor Announces Demerger Details, New Hotel Business Model

FEBRUARY 27, 20102

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.48Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.70Syria (SYP) Pound 46Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.28Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.36Morocco (MAD) Dirham 8.27Iran (IRR) Riyal 9235Yemen (YER) Rial 205.76Algeria (DZD) Dinar 73.06Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.26

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 24/2/2010Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLYDeputy EditorLaura Warne

JournalistLouis Dillon Savage

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingJane DavidsonMarianna TsiamasDanielle Bragg Tina Georgiou

DirectorsAndreas ConstantinidesMary Kammitsi

HeadquartersP.O. Box 25255Nicosia 1308 CyprusTel: +35722820888Fax: +35722318958

Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

[email protected]@[email protected]

Accor’s Middle East Activity to ContinueIn the Middle East, Accor iscontinuing with its strongdevelopment plans, focusingparticularly on the economy sector.The ibis Rigga property, opening inDubai in March, will be the eight ibishotel in the region. Christophe Landais, managingdirector of Accor Hospitality MiddleEast said ibis was the company’s bestperforming brand in the market.He also confirmed that the companywas going forward with its strategicplans for 2010.Other Accor properties opening in theMiddle East over the next year includethe new Pullman brand at Mall of theEmirates; Sofitel Capital Plaza in Abu

Dhabi; and Sofitel Zallaq and ibis Seefin Bahrain. Landais said there were also severalupcoming hotels in Saudi Arabia andplans for Kuwait.

Christophe Landais

SNTTA Designs New Business Model to Pursue UAE Expansion Plans

3FEBRUARY 27, 2010

Abu Dhabi Expands TourismAmbassador ProgrammeAbu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) hasexpanded its Abu Dhabi Ambassadors (ADA)programme to encompass a total of 10 public andprivate sector organisations.Participating organisations include Etihad Airways,Department of Economic Development (DED), AbuDhabi Customs, the Executive Affairs Authority, andZayed University.According to Nasser Al Reyami, tourism standardsdirector at ADTA, the ambassador programme isaimed at ensuring Emiratis in various roles are kept upto date with destination developments.Al Reyami said that such education was necessary toensure high service standards, and he indicated that theprogramme was committed to ongoing training forgraduates."To ensure a culture of continuous learning, we willinclude graduating ambassadors in our futureworkshops, briefings and field trips so that they can becontinually updated," he said.Open to UAE nationals over the age of 18 who areeither studying or working in the government sector,the scheme provides training intended to enhancetourism services in the emirate.ADA has 67 participants who are expected to graduatethroughout the month of March and a second coursewill be operated later in 2010, Al Reyami said.

UAE based travel management companySNTTA will increase its current 18branches to 25 by the end of 2011,according to senior management. The company has also begun integratingall of its outlets under a singlemanagement body; the company havingpreviously operated in the UAE underseveral corporate names. Each outlet will now be branded underthe new corporate identity: SNTTA –Travel the World. SNTTA is a member of Liberty Group.Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Qasimi,chairman of Liberty InvestmentCompany, the holding company of

Liberty Group, said the travel industryhad started to see an upswing in outboundtravel.“The re-engineered SNTTA businessmodel will be tuned to fully tap theanticipated buoyancy in the UAE marketand deliver a superior level of service tooutbound travellers,” he said.Immediate expansion plans include a newbranch at Mirdif City Centre, Dubai, toopen in March, followed by another inKhorfakkan, Oman, in May. The growth strategy will focus on Dubaiand Abu Dhabi, but will cover the entireUAE. Zafar Imam has been appointed as

managing director of SNTTA Travel UAE;he has worked for the company in Sharjahand the northern emirates for more than10 years. “We are targeting over 15 percent growthin 2010, having achieved an impressive 12percent growth in a difficult year like2009,” said Imam. “Operating under common managementwill elevate SNTTA to a higher level ofprofessionalism and more innovativetravel solutions.”SNTTA’s main travel shop and offices inAl Garhoud Dubai have been expandedand refurbished as part of the newstrategy.

FEBRUARY 27, 20104

ACCOMMODATION NEWS

Grosvenor House Dubai has joined Starwood Hotels’ The Luxury Collection, marking the brand’s firstentrance into the UAE.

CHI Hotels and Resorts has bolstered its globalexpansion plans with a new sales office in Egypt,along with two new sales offices in Germany. CHI operates the Corinthia Hotels brandworldwide, as well as the Wyndham and RamadaPlaza brands in Europe, the Middle East andAfrica. Glenn Carroll, senior vice president of sales andmarketing for CHI, said the new Cairo officewould help to drive global sales efforts.“Property-wise, our presence in the region is wellestablished, with top class hotels in Libya, Tunisiaand the recently opened Tiran Island Hotel inSharm El Sheikh, Egypt,” said Carroll.“We are also developing hotels in Abu Dhabi,Dubai and another one in Sharm El Sheikh. “Moreover, we also recognise the potential of theoutgoing markets in this region,w ith a substantialnumber of people who travel not only withinAfrica itself, but also to mainland Europe, wherewe operate several upscale hotels.”

Mövenpick will focus its effortson digital advancement, e-commerce and connectivity withtravel agents in 2010, accordingto Toufic Tammim, Mövenpick’svice president of sales andmarketing for the Middle East.“There have been tremendouschanges in the digital world.Hotels 10 years ago created theirwebsites without really thinkingof online bookings – they wereessentially online brochures,”said Tammim.“We expect the trends we’ve seenover the past few years tocontinue, with another 30percent boost in online bookingsin the year ahead, so we arefocused on anything that bringsonline bookings in through our

various channels.”Tammim added that seamlessconnectivity between travelagents and hotels had been oneof the major developments of thedigital era.“Hotels can now change their

rates on the spot, and travelagents are updated automaticallyso that they can sell at that newrate,” he said.“Our focus will be on improvingour electronic distributionnetwork, linking travel agents tohotels via seamless connectivityand investing in the digital era.”Mövenpick is also furthering itsglobal sales network, boosting itssales presence in India, the UK,Russia, Germany and the GCCspecifically.

CHI Hotels Strengthens Sales Presence in Egypt

Mövenpick to Improve Agent Connectivity, Digital Development

Starwood Brings Luxury Collection Brand to the UAE

T he Luxury Collectionwas created in 1906under the CIGA brand.It was originallydesigned as a collection

of iconic European hotels, but todayfeatures more than 75 properties in morethan 30 countries around the world.Paul James, global brand leader for TheLuxury Collection, said Grosvenor House,which opened in 2005, was renowned forits exceptional location, luxury amenitiesand views of the Arabian Gulf. “We are excited to bring the promise ofThe Luxury Collection brand to the UAEwith the debut of Grosvenor HouseDubai,” said James.

“This hotel is a true expression of itsdestination, making it the perfect additionto The Luxury Collection.”Grosvenor House Dubai will double its

room inventory in 2011, with the openingof a second, identical tower next door.The second tower will feature 323 rooms,suites and apartments.

Grosvenor House Dubai

FEBRUARY 27, 20106

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

British Airways Cabin Crew Vote for Strike

South African Tourism Authorities Investigate Price Gouging Allegations

Though the UK HighCourt ruled that BA’sstaffing changes had notbreached crew contracts,employees of the airline

have responded by approving industrialaction.According to Unite, the unionrepresenting the BA crew, 80.7 percent ofall those who returned their ballot formsvoted yes to industrial action on a 78.7 percent turnout. Len McCluskey, assistant generalsecretary of Unite, said the vote reflecteda deeply felt sense of grievance amongstBA staff, but did not rule out an amicableresolution.“The only way forward for this airline is

if all parties can negotiate a solution to the

issues before us.  In recent weeks we havebeen in serious discussion with BA,” hesaid.“We sincerely hope that the continuedstrength of the vote by crew will give BApause for thought.”A BA spokesperson said that someprogress had been made in discussionswith Unite, and that the airline wished toresolve the issues in the best interests ofcustomers and staff.“However, we will not allow Unite to ruinthis company. Should a strike take place,we will do everything we can to protectyour travel plans as far as possible,” thespokesperson said.According to BA, Unite was legallyrequired to give a minimum of seven daysnotice for any industrial action, and strike

dates have yet to be announced.BA reported that the airline would notcancel all services, and that plans formanaging expected interruptions werebeing formulated.BA is also facing legal action by the BritishAirline Pilots' Association as part of adispute over holiday pay.BALPA has filed suits against BA, Virgin,BMI, easyJet and Cityflyer; Cityflyer is aBA subsidiary.Despite the pay dispute, Jim McAuslan,general secretary of BALPA has statedthat his union does not support a strike byBA’s cabin crew.“BALPA and the vast majority of itsmembers have a very different analysis ofthe situation in BA to representatives ofthe cabin crew union,” he said.

British Airways (BA) cabin crew members have voted to approve a future strike at an as yet undisclosed time.

After previously denying allegations ofprice gouging for the FIFA World Cup,South African tourism authorities havenow commissioned an independentreview of prices in the country.Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, SouthAfrican Minister of Tourism, said pricehiking could harm South Africa’s tourismprospects in the long term.“South Africa is a value for moneydestination and this reputation shouldbe safeguarded,” he said.“However, at the same time it must bekept in mind that June and July 2010 willbe high season in South Africa andtourists should not expect the normallow season prices for that time of theyear.”He pointed out that existing evidence for

inflated rates was anecdotal, but that aninvestigation would be carried out.“In recent weeks we have notedallegations that accommodationestablishments in the tourism industryare not responsible and are inflatingprices excessively,” he said.“I believe that as a responsiblegovernment we should conduct anindependent and scientifically soundsurvey to avoid a case where perceptionsare created based on anecdotes.”The Grant Thornton auditing firm hasbeen tasked with carrying out the survey,based on benchmarking South Africanhotel rates against those of previousWorld Cup host nations.The survey is expected to be completedwithin three weeks. Marthinus Van

Schalkwyk

For more information call 800 AWPR or visit www.awpr.ae

COME. SEE THE WHITE LIONS. NOW AT THE AL AIN WILDLIFE PARK & RESORT.Home to Big Cat conservation.

The Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort, home to big cat conservation, proudly

welcomes the famous White lions of Sanbona. These extraordinary

animals are a colour form of the wild African lion and are extinct in

the wild. Together with our partners the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort

is working to conserve big cats for future generations.

Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort – In Touch With Nature.

FEBRUARY 27, 20108

AIR TRAVEL & CRUISING NEWS

Kuwait based Wataniya Airways hasincreased flights to Beirut, Ammanand Sharm El Sheikh in anticipation ofsummer holidays.The airline has also improved itsdeparture times for popular routes toCairo and Jeddah. Abdulsalam Al Bahar, managingdirector of Wataniya Airways, said thechanges were a response to high

demand and customer feedback.“Our guests have always been keen totell us how we can make their travelexperience the best possible,” he said.“We’re always eager to listen and makethe necessary changes to accommodateour guests’ needs and make their flyingexperience a memorable one, and onethat fits the standards of service as wellas the schedule they expect.”

In addition to the revised schedule,Wataniya will launch flights to its newdestination, Istanbul, on March 28.The airline is also expecting the arrivalof its fifth aircraft at the end of March,which will pave the way for furthernew destinations. “We have ambitious plans forWataniya Airways this year,” said AlBahar.

British Airways Brings New First Class Cabin to UAE

Costa Deliziosa: One for the History BooksThe Costa Deliziosa became the first cruise ship to be named in an Arab city on February 23, coinciding withthe official opening of Dubai’s new cruise terminal.

T he inaugruration of theship was the result of apartnership betweenItalian company CostaCruises and Dubai’s

Department of Tourism and CommerceMarketing (DTCM). The cruise line is expected to make 31port calls, with 150,000 passengermovements in Dubai during the2010/2011 winter cruising season. Pier Luigi Foschi, CEO of Costa CrociereS.p.A, said the decision to hold thenaming ceremony in Dubai had dualsignificance for the company. “On the one hand it is testimony to ouractive engagement in the region, wherewe have more than tripled our passengertraffic in just five years, and on the other

it expresses Costa Cruises’ pioneeringspirit,” said Foschi.Sheikh Hamad bin Mejren, executivedirector of business tourism for DTCM,said Costa’s confidence in the marketwould encourage other cruise operatorsto use Dubai as a hub. “We hope that it will be a shot in the armfor the regional cruise industry,” he said.“Costa’s decision reconfirms the potentialof Dubai as the regional cruise industryhub. At DTCM we look forward to aperiod of tremendous growth in the highyielding cruise tourism segment.”Following Costa Deliziosa’s inauguralcruise, the ship will be redeployed back toDubai for a season of seven day ArabianGulf cruises, running from March 14through to May 9.

The itinerary will include stopovers inMuscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. Dubai’s new cruise terminal now spans anarea of 3,450 square metres and canhandle up to four cruise liners at a time. It features a currency exchange, post office,ATM facilities, duty free retail outlets, abusiness centre and VIP lounges.

British Airways (BA) has introduced itsnew luxury cabin, First, to the UAE, aftera GBP100 million (USD154.5 million)investment to re-establish its position asa premium global airline.Paolo De Renzis, British Airways areacommercial manager, Middle East, said

the move demonstrated the enduringimportance of Dubai to the airline. “This is what our customers have told usthat they want, including those wesurveyed in the Dubai market,” he said.“The new First cabin not only reinforcesthe exclusivity of our brand, but sets a

whole new standard in understatedluxury and innovation in the skies.”New features in the cabin include awider bed, personal wardrobe, personalelectronic blinds, USB port and a buddyseat to enable customers to dinetogether.

Wataniya Airways Launches New Aircraft, Revised Schedule

(L - R) Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed AlMaktoum and Pier Luigi Foschi

FEBRUARY 27, 201010

Jordan Courts International Tourists, LaunchesOnline Travel Agent Certification ProgrammeHigh ranking tourism officials in Jordan have flagged new initiatives for attracting inbound tourism andreported an increase in visitors from the UK.

Maha Khatib,Jordanian Ministerof Tourism, stressedthe importance ofreaching out to the

global community to overcomemisconceptions of the Middle East as aconflict zone.As part of the government’s tourismpromotion scheme, Jordan Tourism Board(JTB) will launch an online training facilityfor travel agents around the world.Nayef Fayez, director general of JTB, saidthat tour operators would be able to use thevisitjordan.com website to become certifiedexperts on the kingdom’s attractions.“This academy seeks to promote Jordanthrough tour operators who will join the

academy and help attract more tourists to thecountry,” he said.Online courses will initially be available inEnglish and will be translated into French,Spanish and Chinese at a later date.Capacity expansions at the Queen AliaInternational Airport (QAIA) were alsocited as an important component of thecountry’s tourism development.Curtis Grad, CEO of Airport InternationalGroup, which is responsible for expandingQAIA, said that extra terminals representedan opportunity for an expanded tourismsector, but Jordan needed to ensure that firstimpressions were favourable.“Every new flight that operates at Queen AliaInternational Airport supports long termquality jobs,” he said.

“The airport is a visitor’s first impression of acountry, so we have to make sure that it is alasting impression as well.”In a further attempt to stimulateinternational interest, JTB has expanded itstravel trade budget in the UK, following ajump in visitor numbers from that region.So far this year, Jordan has seen a 77percent increase in visits from the UK,JTB figures show.David Symes, UK country manager forJTB, said he expected the trend tocontinue.“With such promising figures so early inthe year, we are confident that visitornumbers to Jordan will show a month onmonth increase over 2009 figuresthroughout 2010,” he said.

Wireless internet access has beenadded to Dubai Metro, which is alsoscheduled for major operationalexpansion throughout 2010.The WiMax system, installed by the Dutelecommunications company, will allowcommuters to access the internet on allWi-Fi enabled devices.Construction on Dubai’s Metro RedLine will be completed on April 25,according to Mattar Al Tayer, executivedirector of Dubai Roads and TransportAuthority (RTA).Seven of the remaining 18 stations willcommence operations immediatelyupon completion of the line, with therest planned for phased openingsthroughout 2010.Stations launching in April includeAirport Terminal 1 Station; EmiratesStation at Dubai International Airport;GGICO Station in Al Garhoud; AlKarama Station; World Trade Center

Station; Marina Station; and Ibn BattutaStation.Al Tayer said that stations had beenprioritised based on a number of criteria.“[We considered] the availability ofpopulation density in the locality servedby each station so as to provideconvenient services to the inhabitants inthe neighbourhood; availability ofcommercial activities in the area servedby each station; availability ofgovernment activities in the vicinity ofeach station; the station integration withother transport modes such as buses andwater transport means; and theprojected number of commuters at eachstation,” he said.He also confirmed that the developmentof the metro was at the forefront of RTA’splans for infrastructure development andflagged future upgrades to the service.“RTA will provide the biggest portion ofits allocated budget to cover the cost of

the additional works on the red andgreen lines; add new stations to meet theneeds of property development projects;add a depot to accommodate theresultant increase in the capacity; andincrease the number of footbridgeslinking with the metro stations to enablethe public use the metro easily,” he said.According to Al Tayer, the remainingportion of additional work costs wouldbe funded through the projectcontractor, Dubai Rail Link Consortium.

Dubai Metro Gets WiFi Access, New Stations to Open Throughout 2010

Dubai Metro

FEBRUARY 27, 201012

Tips and tricks from industry experts, bringing you the latest in emerging destinations,technology, marketing and travel trends.

“Selling the greatest number of rooms atthe best possible price has always been thecentral operating concern for hotelowners and managers, so some systemsfor achieving this goal have alwaysexisted,” Mourier said.“Yet today, hotels are still losing moneydue to inefficiencies in their revenuemanagement systems. Why does thishappen, one has to ask?” Archaic thinking, the inertia of the statusquo and plain old avoidance were namedby Mourier as leading causes of inefficientrevenue management by hotels.“Outdated strategies like historical pricingor static rate-setting formulas continuethe inefficiency of revenue managementsystems,” he said.“Though this is surely the case acrossmany parts of the hotel industry, it is onlypart of the story,” Mourier continued.According to Mourier, many modernrevenue management systems (RMS)contain inherent inefficiencies that cantrap hotel operators.

Some claim to cover all necessary aspects ofrevenue management but neglect multiplechannel distribution, Mourier said. Conversely, others privilege multiplechannel management to the detriment ofother metrics such as booking pace oryield management.

“While both examples are quite legitimatein their own right, they ultimately leavemoney on the table in the form of unsoldrooms, or rooms sold at too low a price,”he said.“Revenue managers shouldn’t bespending their days (and nights!)calculating and changing rates; instead,they should be focusing their attentionand expertise on making the proactivepricing decisions necessary for long-termgrowth and financial success.”

Hotels are still losingmoney due to inefficiencies

in their revenuemanagement systems

The Magic EightHoteliers must force out inefficiencyin revenue management systems andimplement an automated system thatincorporates each of the major areas ofconcern for revenue managerssimultaneously, Mourier advised.“Eight is the magic RMS number,” hesaid.The eight areas that need to beaddressed for effective revenuemanagement are:n Yield management n Channel management n Competitive pricing n Inventory control n Rate optimisation n GDS distribution n Booking pacen Page positioning on online travelagent websites RMSs that automatesome of these functions, but requiremanual input to fill in the gaps aredoomed to inefficiency, and to missingout on the incremental revenue gainsoffered by real-time rate adjustment.“In an era of integration andimmediacy, the true way forward forthe hotel industry is to encourage andadopt those systems that effectivelyintegrate these essential functions,”Mourier said.“There are systems available that dojust that, and until the industry wakesup to these systems’ potential, theearly adopters will prey on theinefficiencies of existing revenuemanagement systems to significantcompetitive advantage.”

Outdated strategies like historical pricing or static rate-setting

formulas continue theinefficiency of revenuemanagement system

Jean FrancoisMourier

Meet Your Metrics: How to Make Revenue Management Systems Work for YouJean Francois Mourier, a consultant at RevPAR Guru, discusses which revenue metrics provide the best insightinto the health of your business, and gives his insight into revenue management software.

13FEBRUARY 27, 2010

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 [email protected]

We are still far from fair globalisation

The Middle East will become the second region

in the world to have Starwood's complete portfolio of nine brands

We will continue to pursue more open

sky agreements

Ed StelmachPremier of Alberta, Canada“During my recent visit to the UnitedArab Emirates, it was very apparentthat Alberta needs to have directinternational air access from keymarkets like the UAE in order to staycompetitive in the global economy.We will continue to urge the federalgovernment to pursue more open skyagreements to help strengthen ourprovince’s business and tourismopportunities.”

Guido De Wilde Vice President and Regional Director for Starwood Hotels Middle East“We remain committed to our long-term strategy of building strong brands andgrowing our global footprint. Once all the hotels we currently have underconstruction open, the Middle East will become the second region in the worldto have Starwood's complete portfolio of nine brands represented. Amongst ourlatest developments is the opening of the W Doha and the Aloft Abu Dhabi,marking the entrance of these two distinguished brands to the region.”

Taleb RifaiSecretary General of UNWTO, addressing the first T20 tourism ministersmeeting in South Africa

“If there is a single common issue ofconcern at this point, it isunemployment. The OECD, theWorld Bank and the IMF see fewpositive prospects in terms of globaljobs before 2011. We know that tourism can rapidlycreate jobs, particularly for youngpeople, seasonal workers and women.We also know that labour markets arechanging and that it is not just anyjobs that will matter. Beyond theimmediate term, it is skilled jobs,decent work and green economy jobsthat we must strive for. Despite therelatively positive tourism growthtrends from both the emerging andthe developing countries, the povertygap is still massive and we are still farfrom fair globalisation. The need fortransparency and global outreach istherefore essential in all our action.”Taleb Rifai

Ed Stelmach

FEBRUARY 27, 201014

Simone LangePark Hyatt Dubai has appointedSimone Lange as spa manager ofAmara Spa. Lange began her career in2005 as a spa hostess atInterContinental BerchtesgadenResort in Germany. Her most recentpost was as spa manager at Park HyattHamburg. She is a trained therapist andspa operations manager, withqualifications in aesthetics, beauty,massage and finance.

Renaud CloatreDassault Aviation has appointed RenaudCloatre as sales director for the MiddleEast, based in Dubai. The appointmentcoincides with the opening of thecompany’s new regional sales office atDubai Airport Free Zone. Cloatre joinedDassault Aviation in 2001. He is abusiness graduate, licensed glider pilotand private pilot.

Turkish Airlines TeamTurkish Airlines has restructured itsdirectorial team to improve thecompany’s performance in the MiddleEast. Adil Hamade, previously directorof Dubai and Sri Lanka, has relocatedto Beirut to enhance awareness of theairline in Lebanon.Ayse Misirli Mirza, previously directorof Abu Dhabi, has been transferred toDubai. Misirli Mirza has been withTurkish Airlines since 1998, when shelaunched the airline’s Abu Dhabi office.She has flagged continued expansion,including increases in the number andfrequency of routes throughout theMiddle East. Ahmet Bozdas will replace MisirliMirza as director of Abu Dhabi; he waspreviously posted as director of Egypt.

Simone Lange

Renaud Cloatre

PiersSchreiber

Piers SchreiberJumeirah Group has appointed PiersSchreiber to the new position of vicepresident of corporate communicationsand public affairs. Schreiber has 20 years ofexperience in international corporatecommunications. He has previouslyworked for KPNQwest, Ogilvy PublicRelations, The Rowland Company(Saatchi & Saatchi) and was also a co-founder of The Communication Matrix.

AhmetBozdas

Ko Van den HilStarwood Hotels and Resorts has appointed Ko Van den Hil as general managerof Sheraton Miramar Resort at the Red Sea, El Gouna. Van den Hil has 18 yearsof experience in the hospitality industry. He joined Starwood in 2001 asfinancial controller for Sheraton Luxembourg and subsequently served asdirector of finance, complex director of finance and hotel manager for variousStarwood properties.

15FEBRUARY 27, 2010

Q&A with Gamal Hassan

Travel Trade Weekly: What can you tellme about the Mercure Bay View?Gamal Hassan: We are approximately4km from Dahab town itself, at Wadi Gunei,and we offer 217 rooms, all of which have seaviews, including five suites. Though we have been operated by ourowning company for some time, we havebeen officially under the Accor banner sinceJanuary 1.We will also be opening our conference andseminar facilities very soon, along with ournew spa in summer, which will be one of themost advanced in Egypt in terms of facilities,equipment and design.

Travel Trade Weekly: What makesDahab attractive to tourists anddevelopers?Gamal Hassan: Dahab is very wellsituated, being so close to Sharm El Sheikh,but also to historical attractions like themonastery of St Catherine.Because we are surrounded by themountains, the space available fordevelopment is naturally limited - it is justnot possible to have the endless concrete thatyou see in Sharm El Sheikh.However, there are many developmentsunderway and the government is spendinglarge amounts to bolster road links to SharmEl Sheikh and widen the roads in Dahabitself.Having worked in the area for years, I can tellyou that the infrastructure, development andinvestments indicate that Dahab is comingup as a destination.At the moment, the area is second only toSharm El Sheikh in terms of investment anddevelopment in Sinai; we have a five starproperty that is being built next door to us,though no management or brandingcontracts have yet been signed.Other five star hotels are being built, butthere are also a number of three and four star

properties in the region, which are attractinga broader market.There is some talk of building a smallinternational airport here, which would helpus market ourselves to international vendors,as guests would no longer have to fly intoSharm El Sheikh airport, which is more than80km away, and then drive to Dahab.

Travel Trade Weekly: Who are themain visitors to Dahab?Gamal Hassan: Before 2004, our marketwas almost entirely made up of people fromGermany, Switzerland and Israel, but that ischanging.Dahab was perceived as a destination purelyfor windsurfing, and that is simply notenough to sustain business.At that time, occupancy was not exceeding55 to 65 percent in Dahab as a whole, but weare now becoming better known as adestination, and attracting more interestfrom the international market.The market mix has completely changed. Dahab, generally speaking, reported 70 to 80percent occupancy last year, and 75 to 85percent in 2008.About 80 percent of our visitors are fromGermany, Russia or the UK, but there is awider range of nationalities who are visitingthan before.The final 20 percent of our market is mostlylocals from Egypt, with a few Dutchtravellers, among others.We also share some cross-over tourism withJordan.

Because we are so close to Aqaba, people willgo from Dahab to Aqaba and visit Petra andother attractions in Jordan.We also get some visitors from Jordan, butfor us the Middle Eastern segment is quitesmall.The percentage of Middle Eastern visitors inSharm El Sheikh is much higher, largelybecause they can fly there directly, and thereis much more nightlife and otherentertainment there.

Travel Trade Weekly: Are there plans toattract more of the Middle East market?Gamal Hassan: Why not? Definitely!However, we do not want to imitate SharmEl Sheikh; we are a quiet destination andpeople come here to relax.Hotels that have tried to introduce heavierentertainment here have failed.People do not come here to spend everynight in the disco until four in the morning,but people who discover this place tend tocome back and they bring others with them.The numbers coming from the local marketincrease every year, and with someupcoming projects in Dahab, perhaps hotelswould be able to add value and re-imaginethemselves to market in the Gulf.For instance, the Olympic village, which willfeature many international restaurants, willallow us to host large scale sporting eventshere.Once this happens we could reevaluate ourmessage and start knocking on doors in theGulf.

The Mercure Dahab Bay View on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula has recently opened its doors. Gamal Hassan, generalmanager of the property, gave Travel Trade Weekly a run down on the hotel, its location and the future of Dahab.

Mercure Bay View

FEBRUARY 27, 201016

EventsChina Outbound Travel and Tourism MarketBeijing, PRC, April 28-30 (www.cottm.com)A business to business platform for international destinationsand companies to introduce their products to the Chineseoutbound travel industry.

Arabian Hotel Investment ConferenceDubai, UAE, May 1-3 (www.arabianconference.com)Interviews with hoteliers, forecasts from economists, paneldiscussions on the latest developments, trends and bestpractice in the hotel and investment industry.

Arabian Travel MarketDubai, UAE, May 4-7 (www.arabiantravelmarket.com)Travel and tourism event for inbound and outboundtourism professionals, featuring destinations,accommodation, tourism attractions and airlines.

HOTEC Middle EastMuscat, Oman, May 7-10 (www.mcleaneventsinternational.com/events/HotecMiddleEast2010)Business to business meetings forum for hotel owners,developers and operators to meet with suppliers.

The Hotel ShowDubai, UAE, May 18-20 (www.thehotelshow.com)Exhibition for hoteliers and suppliers to the hotel industry.

Travelport has launched quarterlycustomer support seminars in theKingdom of Saudi Arabia.To be held in Riyadh, Dammam andJeddah, the events will comprise a seriesof interactive forums for Travelport’saviation industry clients in Saudi Arabia.According to Travelport, the forums offeran important platform for airlines to

exchange valuable information with theGDS provider, as well as other operators.Aimed at helping customers manage theirdistribution through the GDS channel,the first event received more than 50delegates, Travelport reported.Sunil S Kallyat, sales manager in SaudiArabia for Emirates Airline, said heexpected the meetings to be highly

beneficial to Emirates’ business in thecountry.“Travelport provides an importantdistribution channel for our airline and webelieve that the insights shared duringthese events will not only help usmaximise our Galileo bookings, but willenhance the overall value we receive fromthe GDS,” he said.

Travelport Launches Aviation Support Meetings In Saudi Arabia

ITB BerlinBerlin, Germany, March 10-14 (www.itb-berlin.com)A combination of trade exhibition, public exhibition andprofessional convention for the travel trade industry.

Britain and Ireland Marketplace 2010London, UK, March 16 (www.bim.travel)Workshop for tour operators, wholesalers and intermediaries tomeet suppliers from the UK and Ireland’s hotels, attractions,ground handlers and other tourism servicesMoscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition Moscow, Russia, March 17-20 (www.mitt.ru/en)International trade exhibition for trade and consumer visitors, with 157participating destinations and more than 3,000 companies.

GIBTMAbu Dhabi, UAE, March 29-31 (www.gibtm.com)International event for the business travel and meetings industryin the Gulf and Middle East region.

Meeting LuxuryLugano, Switzerland, April 8-10 (www.meetingluxury.com/en)Exhibition for top end travel products.

World Holiday and Travel FairJohannesburg, South Africa, April 16-18 (www.worldtravelfair.co.za)Split between a business to business exhibition and public access,with the opportunity for on the spot selling to consumers.