Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
PASSENGER TRAFFIC AT DWC SURGES 79.8 PERCENT
23 JULY 2016 ISSUE 350
ACCORHOTELS ACQUIRES THREE MAJOR BRANDS
ACCOMMODATION08
11
09
FIRST INTERCITYHOTEL OPENS OUTSIDE EUROPE
QATAR AIRWAYS UPS MUSCAT SERVICE
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
23 JULY 20162
MARKET UPDATE www.traveltradeweekly.travel
Bahrain (BHD)
Jordan (JOD)
Oman (OMR)
Qatar (QAR)
Saudi Arabia (SAR)
UAE (AED)
Algeria (DZD)
Egypt (EGP)
Iran (IRR)
Iraq (IQD)
Kuwait (KWD)
Lebanon (LBP)
Libya (LYD)
Morocco (MAD)
Syria (SYP)
Tunisia (TND)
Yemen (YER)
Dinar
Dinar
Rial
Rial
Riyal
Dirham
Dinar
Pound
Rial
Dinar
Dinar
Pound
Dinar
Dirham
Pound
Dinar
Rial
0.37
0.71
0.39
3.64
3.75
3.67
110.34
8.88
30,067.00
1,169.00
0.30
1,504.30
1.39
9.82
215.68
2.23
249.95
COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=
22.7.2016as ofMENA EXCHANGE RATES
MANAGING EDITOR
Mary Kammitsi [email protected]
ASSISTANT EDITORRita Kasziba
JOURNALISTS
Memnon Arestis Ellen Petty CONTRIBUTORS
Ana Mladenovic Dominique Christou
SALES & SALES SUPPORT Maria Demetriadou Magda Christou Raluca Apostolescu
DESIGN & LAYOUTElena Stylianou
WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis
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 103670
WEBSITEwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
EMAILS [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
WORLDWIDE REPRESENTATIVES
Representative for North, South & Central America, and the Caribbean: Neil Strickland GlobeTM Tel: +19542969515 [email protected]
Representative for Indian subcontinent: Faredoon Kuka RMA Media Tel: +912229253735
Representative for UK & Ireland and Scandinavia: David Simpson Simpson Media Tel: +447900885456 [email protected]
AMADEUS POSTS POSITIVE RESULTS
REZIDOR CONTINUES TO GROW IN Q2
Following an outstanding 2015 that saw a 95 percent year-over-year increase in airline ancillary services sold through Amadeus-connected travel agents, a record number of carriers have either signed up to or gone live with merchandising solutions during the first half this year.
The Rezidor Hotel Group signed over 2,500 rooms whilst opening more than 1,400 units during the second quarter (Q2) of this year, regardless of the challenging trading environment in Europe and Middle East and Africa.
Amadeus Airline Ancillary Services welcomed eight new airlines and 18 new implementa-tions, bringing the total number of carrier signatures for the solution to 110 and that of attainments to 86. Amadeus Airline Fare Families noted nine new airline signatures along with six implementations reaching the totals of 39 and 28, respectively.
During the first six months there was an 80 percent increase in airline ancillary services sold through the Amadeus distribution channel.
With over 80,000 keys in the company’s portfolio and with a further 22,000 due to be added,
the group has signified many openings in Africa, including Radisson Blu Hotel Mar-rakech Carre Eden and the flagship Radisson Blu Hotel du 2 Février in Lomé, Togo. As the tallest building in West Africa, the latter project also contributes in increasing brand
awareness with Radisson Blu being hailed as one of Africa’s fastest-growing brands.Inspired by the millennial mindset, art, music and fashion, the first Radisson RED also opened in
Brussels in Q2 with a further 15 addresses coming up.
Radi
sson
Blu
Hot
el M
arra
kech
Car
re E
den
4
WEEKLY NEWS www.traveltradeweekly.travel
23 JULY 2016
Dubai Tourism Remains Strong
“As the country is one of the safest destinations world-wide for tourists, businessmen and foreign investors, we think that the [hospitality] sector will signify fur-
ther growth in the second half of the year,” said Hafeez Abdullah, chairman, The H Holding Enterprise, as he contemplated on the sec-tor’s fundamental role in UAE’s national economy.
According to the Dubai Tourism 2020 vision, revenues of hotels in the emirate are expected to rise to AED40 billion (USD10.9 bil-lion) by 2019 and the number of tourists is set to double by 2020.
The UAE hospitality market registered positive growth in the first half of the year, according to The H Holding Enterprise.
UAE: A Strong Player in Britain’s
Tourism
V isitBritain’s latest figures under-line a solid growth from several markets including the US, Germa-
ny and the UAE, in the first quarter of the year (Q1), underpinning the most success-ful Q1 for total inbound arrivals.
The Office for National Statistics re-ports that US visits rose nine percent to 542,000, in comparison to the same pe-riod in 2015.
Furthermore, a notable increase in travellers from the European Union was registered with 5.4 million visits, a 10 per-cent top-up from Q1 2015, while tourist spend was up seven percent to GBP1.8 billion (EUR2.2 billion).
Arrivals from the UAE surged 15 per-cent to 77,000, with contributions rising to GBP105 million (EUR125 million).D
ubai
23 JULY 2016 5
WEEKLY NEWSwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
Ras Al Khaimah to Attract More Germans
A new strategic collaboration between Ras Al Khaimah Tour-ism Development Authority (TDA), and TUI Group is expect-ed to empower the emirate’s status as a key vacation desti-
nation on the German market. TUI Group, one of the leading organisations for tourism and
businesses globally, will facilitate the promotion of Ras Al Khairmah through its media distribution portals. With the region already enjoy-ing strong demand from Germany, Mahpar Azapira, head of partner marketing, TUI, expressed her hope to further boost interest through the partnership. Among Ras Al Khaimah TDA’s core objectives is to attract an annual total of one million visitors by the end of 2018.
Dalia Khorshid, investment minister, Egypt has led a delegation to Beijing accompanied by Tarek Qabil, trade and industry minister, Egypt.
The visit included participation in the Joint Ministerial Committee and a meeting with Liu He, vice chairman, Na-tional Development and Reform Commission, within the framework of the G20 Summit that will take place in China on September 04 - 05.
The delegation met with over 15 Chinese companies that hold shares in the Egyptian market, and discussed sev-eral capacity-building projects in the transportation, sanita-tion, housing and construction sectors while also exploring potential collaborations in order to expand trade networks.
Egypt Meets Major Chinese Companies
Cairo
Madain Saleh Welcomes over 20,000 Visitors
M adain Saleh, the Saudi archeological gem regis-tered in UNESCO’s World
Heritage Site list, was visited by over 20,000 people during the recent Eid Al Fitr break.
The site is witnessing an increased interest with both citizens and expa-triates coming from different parts of the Kingdom, especially after the completion of a development project that included a visitor centre, the Hi-jaz Railway Museum, the Islamic Cas-tle and other facilities.
Usually the volume of tourists rises during weekends, seasonal holidays and national and religious occasions.
Mad
ain
Sale
h
Ras
Al K
haim
ah
23 JULY 20166
WEEKLY NEWS TECHNOLOGY www.traveltradeweekly.travel
S abre Corporation is developing an integrated product platform to power itinerary management,
mid-trip policy compliant booking and payment and expense management, all on the traveller’s mobile device.
The new solution will simplify the process and enhance business custom-er satisfaction while improving corpo-rate travel programme compliance and reducing costs for corporations.
Clinton Anderson, senior vice presi-dent, strategy and traveller experience, Sabre, said, “Travel is a significant cor-porate investment. Companies need to maximise the value of that investment by using technology that will make business travel easier for the travellers and smarter for the corporation.”
T ravelport and OYO, India’s largest network of hotels, have announced a new agreement whereby 6,000 hotel properties offered by
OYO will be made available through Travelport’s Travel Commerce Platform to travel agency users both in India and around the world.
Niklas Andreen, senior vice president, hospital-ity, Travelport, said, “Our industry-leading connec-tivity enables us to directly acquire specific hotel content, as well as requested local hotel chains and individual properties, and we are looking forward to continuing to expand our offering in this area throughout the year.”
According to Andreen, the partnership is in line with the company’s ongoing strategy of extend its hotel offering.
Mobile Platform for Business Travellers
Travelport Teams Up with OYO
roomsXML Works on Securing Bookings
T he closure is likely to affect travellers and as the wholesale arm is one of roomsXML’s suppliers, Prakash Bang, managing director, roomsXML, stat-ed “We have 24-hour rotating shifts continuously working to secure all the
bookings by paying hotels directly and switching to other suppliers.”
The EUR700 million (USD774 million) travel company Low Cost Holidays went into bankruptcy in London on July 15, whilst some 27,000 clients were on holidays booked through the company.
Nik
las
And
reen
23 JULY 2016 7
WEEKLY NEWS ATTRACTIONSwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
Major Maintenance for Eye of The Emirates
The iconic Ferris wheel will be dismantled for service and restoration and is expected to reopen in October.
Mohammed Shattaf, manger, Al Qasba, commented, “Only a limited section which surrounds the Ferris wheel at Al Qasba will be closed temporarily, while all our res-taurants, cafés, art centres, the Kids’ Fun Zone, entertainment activities and other facilities will continue to operate normally.”
In a bid to continue providing quality experiences under safe and secure settings, the management team at Al Qasba will temporarily
close the Eye of the Emirates Wheel in Sharjah for maintenance.
Sleeping on the Slopes in Dubai
Majid Al Futtaim is to in-troduce Ski Dubai Camp Outs, as of July 29. The
destination’s newest attraction of-fers thrill-seekers a unique over-night stay experience, in a cool -4 Celsius climate.
Campers spending the night on the slopes will receive afterhours access to the ski resort and all snow park facilities. To round off their stay guests will also be treated to a breakfast in the St Moritz Café on site.
On arrival, visitors will be provid-ed with a set of waterproof gloves, jackets and beanie hats. They will then be shown to their pre-erected two-person tent, which will be set up with sleeping bags and a ther-mal mattress for extra comfort. Ey
e of
The
Em
irate
s Whe
el
23 JULY 20168
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION www.traveltradeweekly.travel
Brands
FOLLOWING THE DECISION TAKEN AT THE GENERAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING ON JULY 12, ACCORHOTELS ANNOUNCED THE ACQUISITION OF FRHI HOTELS & RESORTS AND ITS THREE LUXURY HOTEL BRANDS; FAIRMONT, RAFFLES AND SWISSÔTEL.
T he addition instantly positions AccorHotels as a leading player in the global luxury hotel market, increases long-term growth potential and profitability, and significantly expands the company’s footprint in North America.
With this acquisition, AccorHotels will have 150 hotels in operation and under management in the Middle East region, pre-senting more than 45,000 rooms across the luxury to economy seg-ments.
Commenting on the deal, Sébastien Bazin, CEO, AccorHotels said “It will open up amazing growth prospects, lift our international pres-ence to unprecedented heights, and build value over the long term.”
Kempinski Hotels Reaches Al Khobar
Kempinski Hotels has made its debut appear-ance in the Saudi city of Al Khobar, with Kemp-inski Al Othman Hotel.
Located at the crossroads of Dhahran and Dammam on King Saud Road, the two-tower es-tablishment – with each consisting of 20 floors – offers 218 rooms and a range of luxurious facilities.
With more than 75 five-star hotels in 30 countries, Kempinski Hotels maintains the balance between the company’s signature elegant style and the cultural traditions of each property’s location.
“This hotel will be the benchmark for personalised service in Al Khobar offering luxuriously appointed rooms, suites and apartments, a selection of the finest restaurants, a world class spa, and modern meetings facilities,” noted Steven Pieters, hotel manager, Kemp-inski Al Othman Hotel Al Khobar.
Kem
pins
ki A
l Oth
man
Hot
el A
l Kho
bar
ACCORHOTELS ACQUIRES THREE MORE
23 JULY 2016 9
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATIONwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
C afé 302 has opened at Al Maha Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi, offering a one stop place to enjoy a meal, have a
cup of coffee or taste some of the world’s fin-est olive oils, organic fruits and more.
Echoing a unique charm with earthy col-
ours, the new address offers alfresco meals through the day.
A modern venture in the heart of the capital, Café 302 is ideal for those on the go and is set to become a fresh experience in Abu Dhabi.
S teigenberger Hotels has opened InterCityHotel Salalah, hailed as the first
international mid-market hotel in the Omani city.
Built in a central location in conjunction with owning company Al Sedra Real Estate, a subsidiary of Golden Group of Companies, the hotel features 70 rooms over eight stories. The property also offers a restaurant, a modern gym and a roof-top swimming pool.
The German hotelier opened Steigenberger Dubai in 2015 and the launch of the new In-tercityHotel-branded project is a continuation of its programme of expansion in the Middle East, which, according to Puneet Chhatwal, CEO, Seigenberger Hotels, represents an important milestone for the company.
First InterCityHotel Opens outside
Europe
InterCityHotel Salalah
Café 302 Opens in Abu Dhabi
Café 302
23 JULY 201610
WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION www.traveltradeweekly.travel
Emaar Properties launched an exclusive collection of elegantly de-signed homes in Dubai Hills Estate.
A green city within the city, Dubai Hills Estate is set to wel-come its first residents later this year.
The newly introduced homes offer customers the opportunity to be part of a distinctive community highlighted by a central park, a championship golf course, a world-class mall, two lifestyle hotels, a bustling boulevard with modern cafes and restaurants, and over 45 km of trekking trails.
Only 147 residences, comprising 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, are now offered for sale at the new tower in the Acacia at Dubai Hills Estate with each one of them offering panoramic views of the central park or the boulevard.
Dub
ai H
ills
Esta
te M
aste
r Pla
n
DAMAC Properties has an-nounced the introduction of The Beach at Navitas Hotel &
Residences, a new five-tower com-plex consisting of three-bedroom apartments.
The establishment will be locat-ed within the 510ha AKOU Oxygen development in Dubai, providing residents with access to golf courts, pools and artificial sandy beaches among others, specifically catering to millennials and young families seek-ing a vacation home or a permanent residence. According to Ziad El Chaar, managing director, DAMAC Proper-ties, “The units will also provide in-vestors with the opportunity to par-ticipate in the emirate’s flourishing hospitality sector.”
As of March 31, DAMAC Prop-erties has delivered over 15,800 homes, including 2,000 hotel units. A
rtis
t’s D
epic
tion
of T
he B
each
at N
avita
s H
otel
& R
esid
ence
s
A Unique Residence Comes to Dubai
New Homes at AKOU Oxygen
Robinson Club has reopened its exclusive resort at Egypt’s Soma Bay.
Following an extensive six-month renovation period, the property now offers holiday-makers 348 luxurious rooms and suites, as well as a range of facilities and services catering to guests in need of excitement, relaxation and culturally-inspired performances.
Robinson Club Soma Bay Resort is located 45km from Hurghada International Airport, in an area famous for its unique blend of ara-besque architecture, sandy beaches, desert mountains and blue skies.
Robinson Club Soma Bay Resort
Robinson Club Unveils Soma Bay Resort
23 JULY 2016 11
WEEKLY NEWS AIRwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
Emirates A380 Test Flight to Chicago
“Chicago has welcomed us from the day Emirates commenced daily flights from Dubai in 2014, and we are honoured to work alongside the city, airport, and the department of aviation, to bring the A380 for a test flight to this exciting
and progressive city,” said Rob Gurney, senior vice president, Americas, Emirates.The airline was invited by the management of O’Hare International Airport, the Chicago De-
partment of Aviation and the city to examine the gate, operations and significant infrastructure improvements that have been implemented to accommodate the Airbus A380 service.
On July 19, for the first time in the airport’s history, Emirates flew one of its flagship Airbus A380 aircraft to Chicago O’Hare
International Airport.
Qatar Airways Ups Muscat
Service
As of August 01, Qatar Airways will add an ex-tra flight to its existing
route between Doha and Mus-cat, increasing the number of daily flights to five.
Ehab Amin, senior vice president, commercial, GCC, Levant, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Af-rica and Indian sub-continent, Qatar Airways, said, “The ad-ditional flight is a response to increased demand on this popular route, and offers our passengers more convenience thereby empowering travel-lers with the ability to choose flights that are best suited to their unique requirements.”
23 JULY 201612
WEEKLY NEWS AIR www.traveltradeweekly.travel
J et Airways is set to deploy its largest capacity aircraft the Boeing 777-300ER between Mumbai and Dubai, to meet the growing demand, as of August 06.
Shakir Kantawala, vice president, Gulf, Middle East and North Africa, Jet Airways, said, “Deploying the 777-300ER aircraft will give our guests flying on the Mumbai – Dubai route the opportunity to sample our signature First Class hospitality for the first time, while also delivering a far more comfortable and pleasant flying experience for guests in all classes.”
Kantawala also added that it will double seat capacity at a period of in-creased demand, mainly due to the boom of trade and investment between India and the UAE.
Emirates Honoured for
Network Strategy
E mirates has been awarded the inaugural network strategy trophy, at The Airline Strategy
Awards. Now in its 15th year, The Airline
Strategy Awards is a widely recog-nised and respected measure of industry leaders and players who are raising the bar in boardroom leadership, strategic thinking or in-novation.
The inaugural network strategy accolade recognises the manage-ment team that has demonstrated leadership in the design and imple-mentation of leading-edge concepts and systems in the area of network planning and revenue management in an airline context. Network plan-ning and revenue management are at the heart of airlines’ marketplace offering and profitability.
Qatar Airways Acquires 10 Percent in LATAM
Jet Airways Enhances Dubai Service
A subscription agreement by oneworld alliance members LATAM Airlines Group and Qatar Air-ways was announced at the Farnborough In-
ternational Air Show in England entitling the latter en-terprise to acquire up to 10 percent of the Chile-based airline’s total shares in connection with a capital increase.
“[...] This investment provides potential opportuni-ties for Qatar Airways’ global network, alongside our successful investment in International Airlines Group,” commented Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways. The completion of the transaction is expected to occur towards the end of the year. En
rique
Cue
to, C
EO, L
ATA
M A
irlin
es G
roup
(lef
t) w
ith A
kbar
Al B
aker
Mum
bai
23 JULY 2016 13
WEEKLY NEWS AIRwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
E mirates has signed a 10-year after market services agreement with Unison Industries in support of the largest GE90 and GP7200 engine fleets in the world. The deal extends through 2025 and covers external
Unison new parts and component repairs for GE Aviation and Engine Alli-ance engine families in the Emirates fleet.
“This agreement solidifies Unison’s key relationship with the world’s largest operator of [Airbus] A380 and [Boeing] 777 aircraft. Unison is now primed to provide unparalleled support to Emirates operations,” said Gio-vanni Spitale, president, Unison Industries.
Emirates will leverage Unison’s strength in the areas of exchange pro-grammes, upgrades and repairs with mutual goals of the highest quality support and smoothest operations for the airline.
Emirates Inks Contract with Unison
S R Technics announced that sole shareholder Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi investment and devel-opment company, has agreed to sell an 80 percent
stake in the company to HNA Aviation, a global enterprise group based in Haikou, China. SR Technics will remain a standalone business within HNA Aviation’s portfolio of aviation business.
SR Technics will continue to focus on delivering high-quality integrated maintenance, repair and opera-tions solutions for aircraft, components and engines, while building long-term partnerships with a diversified global customer base.
Homaid Al Shimmari, CEO, aerospace and engineering services, Mubadala, said, “We remain fully convinced of the long-term potential of SR Technics, and will remain actively involved through our stake and our representation on the board.”
HNA Aviation Signs Deal with Mubadala
Repr
esen
tativ
es o
f the
com
pani
es
23 JULY 201614
WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL www.traveltradeweekly.travel
T he brand-new Best Western Plus The IvyWall Hotel, hailed as the first international hotel in the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, has officially opened. The
landmark occasion was attended by many distinguished guests, including high-level officials, dignitaries and VIPs.
The property houses 120 rooms and suites, all boasting a contemporary Filipino design.
Additionally, guests can take advantage of the hotel’s spa, outdoor pool with a bar, as well as the property’s restau-rant serving international cuisine.
For the corporate and events market, the new address features a business centre, three meeting rooms and a 300m² ballroom, plus a VIP dining area which is being served by a private butler and can host intimate dinners.
S hanghai Municipal Tourism Administration (SMTA) and NYC & Company announced a first-ever city-to-city partnership to boost tourism between the two
cities. The new two-year alliance includes a reciprocal outdoor
media advertising exchange in Shanghai and New York, the sharing of best practices in tourism marketing between the destinations, and other initiatives designed to stimulate trav-el between the cities.
“China is a crucially important market for New York City tourism. With our new city-to-city partnership with Shang-hai, we will be well positioned during the US – China tourism year and beyond to capitalise on more visitation from China’s largest city,” said Fred Dixon, president, NYC & Company.
A new luxurious resort in Houston, Texas has been announced by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
The 21-storey hotel will be adjacent to the Texas Medi-cal Center, providing walking access, among others, to 21 notable hospitals, 14 support organisations and 18 aca-demic and research institutions. Due to be unveiled by the end of 2018, the establishment will include 353 rooms, 37 suites, and facilities to accommodate various necessities, ranging from dining and fitness to conferencing.
The property will be owned by Medistar Corpora-tion, considered as one of the leading real estate and development companies, and managed by IHG which owns 182 hotels in more than 60 countries.
Outrigger Resorts has been hailed as the best hotel/re-sort Group in the Australian Federation of Travel Agents National Tourism Industry Awards for Excellence, which
took place in Sydney earlier this month. More than 500 travel industry representatives attended the
Australian hospitality industry’s night out at Darling Harbour in Sydney to recognise and celebrate excellence across a range of categories.
The Hawai-based Outrigger Enterprises Group is a privately held leisure lodging, retail and hospitality company operat-ing in the Asia Pacific, Oceania and Indian Ocean regions. The group runs a multi-branded portfolio of hotels, beachfront re-sorts, condominiums and vacation resort properties located in Hawaii, Guam, Fiji, Thailand, Mauritius and the Maldives. Pu
erto
Prin
cesa
New
Yor
k
Art
ist D
epic
tion
of In
terC
ontin
enta
l Hot
el in
Hou
ston
Kana
loa
at K
ona
by O
utrig
ger,
Haw
aii
First International Hotel Brand in Puerto Princesa
Shanghai and New York Work Together
New InterContinental Hotel in Houston by 2018
Outrigger Resorts Awarded Best Hotel Group
23 JULY 2016 15
WHO’S MOVED www.traveltradeweekly.travel
NAJLA AL GHAMMAI has joined Dubai Airports’ team as director of category manage-ment in corporate services.Al Ghammai moves to the company from another major Dubai-based entity, namely Emirates Group.Prior to accepting the new role, she served as regional manager for procurement and logistics airlines at Emir-ates Group, gaining valuable experience in various seg-ments of the field.
PETR DUBSKY has been se-lected as executive assistant manager at The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa, Bahrain.Dubsky studied Hospitality Management and has exten-sive experience in a career spanning nearly 10 years, hav-ing started his journey at The Rezidor Hotel Group in 2008 before being appointed res-taurant manager at Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Dublin. He gained pre-opening expertise with Radisson Blu-branded hotels in Poland and Nige-ria and was then part of the opening team of Radisson Blu Hotel Batumi, Georgia as food and beverage manager. After two years, Dubsky moved to Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel Tblisi, Georgia.Prior to this appointment, he served as director of food and beverage, a position that he will continue to hold along-side his new role.
MONA AL ABDOLI is the new vice president of legal issues at Dubai Airports. Al Abdoli takes on her new role and increased responsibilities after successfully serving as di-rector of the organisation’s legal department. She is one of the latest Emirati nationals to receive a promo-tion at the company, which lays great emphasis on continuously identifying and developing UAE national candidates for senior positions.
Al Ghammai joins Dubai Airports from
Emirates Group
Al Abdoli will oversee the legal department
as vice president
NA
JLA
AL
GHA
MM
AI
PETR
DU
BSK
Y
MO
NA
AL
ABD
OLI
16
RENDEZVOUS www.traveltradeweekly.travel
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What are the main characteristics of those looking for hotel apartments for shorter or longer periods?
CHADI NICOLAS: There are many factors that affect and impact the clientele, in-cluding both regional and local economic factors, the opening of new properties and of course, the impact of real estate developments. However, of additional im-portance are the expectations of the guests and their requirements which have [altered] a lot in recent years when it comes to technological requirements, Inter-net speed, location and space. All these play an important role in the change of the clientele.
The most important factors for guests looking for hotel apartments include
CHADI NICOLAS
Q & A
with
GENERAL MANAGER, HALA ARJAAN BY ROTANA, ABU DHABI
HOTEL APARTMENTS CONTINUE TO GAIN POPULARITY ACROSS THE REGION AND
AS CHADI NICOLAS, GENEGAL MANAGER, HALA ARJAAN BY ROTANA, ABU DHABI,
SAYS, THE SEGMENT HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD.
we have witnessed a positive trend and an increased demand for hotel apart-ments. This is mainly due to the need of the market based on the new develop-ments and projects, especially here in the UAE. We expect that this demand will continue to grow at least for the next few years for the same reasons. Midmarket hotels are in great demand, however, they cannot offer the same convenience and facilities that hotel apartments offer to guests who require long-term accom-modation along with big rooms, stor-age space, personalised service and of course, cooking facilities.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How do you see the hotel apartment segment’s fu-ture in the region? What are your pre-dictions for the coming years?
CHADI NICOLAS: This segment will con-tinue to grow in the region […]. We have many big projects and events coming up in the region and this will continue gen-erating need for this type of accommo-dation. Many, if not the majority, of the guests staying in hotel apartments have a length of stay of less than a year, hence, it is more practical and feasible for them to stay in a hotel apartment rather than signing a yearly lease agreement.
location, facilities, good service and of course, the price; especially recently amid the current economic situation.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How have the fluctuation of real estate prices and the diversification of the regional hos-pitality scene affected your business?
CHADI NICOLAS: Real estate has a direct impact on hotel apartments and current-ly in some markets, such as Abu Dhabi, the increase in real estate prices has posi-tively affected our business. It became nearly more affordable to stay in a hotel apartment than in non-serviced apart-ments, [when one] takes into considera-tion all the related utility expenses and additional services that you get in a hotel apartment in addition to the dedicated parking space and more. However, this may not be the same in other markets.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: With an in-creased emphasis on midmarket pro-jects, the region is expected to wel-come thousands of hotel rooms in the coming years. How do you think will this affect demand for hotel apart-ments?
CHADI NICOLAS: In the last few years,
23 JULY 2016
Hala Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi
Hala Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi
17
TRAVEL CHANNELSwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
23 JULY 2016
Emirates Park Zoo and Resort is working to-wards enhancing the intellectual develop-ment of children aged
between eight and12. In reference to this initiative, the zoo is hosting the Camp Emirates Park 2016, be-tween July 17 – August 28.
The main purpose of this sum-mer camp is to develop every child’s intellect and instigate crea-tive thinking in a fun and friendly environment.
Campers will be able to in-teract with exotic animals and learn more about the wildlife, and ocean creatures.
“Here at Emirates Park Zoo we encourage children to seek knowl-edge about the outdoors and the wildlife in an environment filled with fun,” said Aaliyah Hana, CEO, Emirates Park Zoo.
EMIRATES PARK ZOO
WELCOMES CAMPERS
Wild Wadi Waterpark recently hosted the world’s largest swimming lesson for the seventh con-secutive year to highlight the importance of swimming and teach potentially life-saving skills.
Commenting on the event, Chris Swartz, manager, Wild Wadi Waterpark, said, “This event is held at water parks, community pools
and other facilities around the world each year and since its incep-tion, more than 155,000 children and adults have participated. Wild Wadi Waterpark has been always a supporter of corporate social re-sponsibility and we are very proud to be part of this great initiative once again.”
The programme attracted more than 100 children and adults who learnt basic techniques from professional swimmers.
WILD WADI WATERPARK PROMOTES SWIMMING
Emirates Park Zoo
18
TRAVEL TALK www.traveltradeweekly.travel
23 JULY 2016
CEO, GULF AIR
GROUP CEO, QATAR AIRWAYS
“We are enhancing the entire spectrum of Gulf Air's on-board product offering and with this key partnership we are confident that the pas-senger experience will be el-evated - meeting the needs and requirements of travel-lers moving across the Gulf Air network.”
“It is a very proud moment for Qatar Airways to be named world's best business class, best business class airline lounge and best airline staff service in the Middle East by the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards, not only for myself, but for every individ-ual at Qatar Airways [...]. Our commitment to continued success is unwavering and a testament to the dedication of our global teams.”
With this key partnership […] the passenger experience will be elevated
Our commitment to continued success is unwavering
MA
HER
SA
LMA
N A
L M
USA
LLA
M
AK
BAR
AL
BAK
ER
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, SALES AND MARKETING, OUTRIGGER HOTELS AND RESORTS
“This [best hotel/resort group award] really is an outstanding acknowledgement of our hard work and commitment in this market. We sincerely thank the industry for getting behind us to make this award possible. We are a very close team with an enormous passion for our wonderful values-led brand.”
We are a very close team with an enormous passion for our wonderful values-led brand
AN
DR
EW G
EE
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
CHAIRMAN, KINGDOM HOLDING COMPANY (KHC)
“Since we acquired our interest in Fairmont Hotels Manage-ment Company in 1994, we have built the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel brands from five hotels under management to 114 contracts today and a fur-ther 40 in the pipeline. With the combination of Fairmont Raf-fles Hotels International into AccorHotels, KHC becomes a significant shareholder in one of the largest and most di-verse hospitality platforms in the world with over 4,000 ho-tels and 560,000 rooms under management.”
KHC becomes a significant shareholder in one of the largest […] hospitality platforms
H.R
.H P
RIN
CE
ALW
ALE
ED B
IN T
ALA
L BI
N A
BDU
LAZ
IZ A
LSA
UD
Take a Shot!
Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know
what you have been up to.
Send your photos to [email protected] Because a picture is worth a thousand
words...
Property developer Deyaar Development held a book fair in support
of the UAE’s Year of ReadingAldar Properties unveiled the first mural artwork in Al Raha Beach in Abu Dhabi
Emirates sponsored the Stars on Board programme which took place onboard Norwegian's JADE cruise ship
Gulf Air selected Thales AVANT in-flight entertainment system for the airline's 39 new aircraft orders
19
PHOTO ALBUMwww.traveltradeweekly.travel
23 JULY 2016
InterContinental Hotels Group Egypt received the Egypt's leading hotel group 2016 title from World Travel Awards
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai (centre) visited Dubai International
23 JULY 201620
NEWS & EVENTS www.traveltradeweekly.travel
IBTM LATIN AMERICA
Mexico City, MexicoSeptember 07 – 08www.ibtmlatinamerica.comLeaders, organisers and specialised suppliers for events will convene for business adventures.
SEATRADE CRUISE MED
Tenerife, SpainSeptember 21 – 23www.seatradecruiseevents.comA major biennial event focussed on the world’s second- largest cruise destination, the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas.
IMEX AMERICA
Las Vegas, USOctober 18 - 20 www.imexamerica.comThe hosted buyer programme qualifies and brings key buyers to the show, with IMEX America covering travel and accommodations.
EVENTSJordan Welcomes First Ever Shopping
Festival
dmg events Launches
New Event in Johannesburg
Jordan's Shopping Festival kicked off on July 15, with more than 500 vendors present.
The event, which will con-clude on August 15, offers visitors a unique shopping experience with competitive prices.
Shops participating in the festival will sell various commodities at malls and other shopping centres across the Kingdom at reasonable prices.
With the happening set to attract half a million visitors, Asad Qawasmi, committee rapporteur, Jordan Shop-ping Festival, stated, "The idea behind the festival is to activate the tourism and trade movement after a period of stagnation.”
International exhibitions com-pany dmg events – Middle East, Asia & Africa will introduce for the first time, The Hotel Show in
Africa. The hospitality programme is
set to take place between June 25 – 27, 2017 at the Gallagher Conven-tion Centre, in Johannesburg, and will focus on advancing trends in the hospitality sector ranging from technology, kitchen equipment and cleaning services to interior design. In parallel, the Vision Conference will offer a platform to hundreds of sen-ior industry leaders who will share their opinion regarding market pat-terns and challenges and identify potential opportunities.
The African market is currently advancing with more than 350 ho-tel projects under development.
