TravTalk Middleeast

A DDP PUBLICATION Pages: 16Vol. VIII No. 8; August 2012

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n Dubai ranks 8th in top 20 destination cities ........................................................06n ‘Oceanliner’ to become a floating hotel ................................................................08n SpiceJet ‘spices up’ Dubai ....................................................................................09

Changes in the trav-ellers and inventoryvariations with the

economical status, surround-ing political unrest, all playvital role in shaping up prod-uct and category promotionsfor 2012, as Dubai SummerSurprises, Ramadan, Eid andsummer holidays - all fall onthe same time.

Bahrain Air is having ajoint promotion with Pepsi,

‘Take off with Pepsi andBahrain Air’ to coincide withthe Ramadan and Eid cele-brations. Consumers willhave the chance to win one ofthree Bahrain Air prizesfound under the cap of thebottle. The prizes vary fromfree Economy Class tickets,free upgrades to BusinessClass and discount vouchersof BD 10 per ticket.

“We are planning tooperate extra flights to Dubaiand along with our travel

partners, special holidaypackages are already activat-ed during the Ramadan andEid holidays to cater to therush,” informed Raju Pillai,Director - CommercialOperations, Bahrain Air. The airline also plans to re-start its Kathmandu andDhaka route effectiveSeptember 2012.

2012 will be anotherrecord year for Austria in the

Starting from airlines to hotels, tourism boards to tour operators - the overall Middle East travel alliance has gearedup for this festive season and continues to plan their Eid celebrations, coinciding with the forthcoming holidays.

Contd. on page 7 u

Festivities continue in ME

Apprehending theimportance of UAE inparticular and the

Middle East and the Gulfregion on the whole, as atourism generating marketfor India, the Ministry ofTourism, Government ofIndia had organised

‘Incredible India Tourism’roadshow at Atlantis HotelDubai on June 28, 2012.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE,Oman, Yemen and Turkeyemerged as major tourismgenerating markets for India.Further, roadshows will beheld in two other Middle Eastcountries including Jordan.

“India receives aroundsix million tourists every yearand our target is to double thefigure by 2016. The diplomat-ic missions in Saudi Arabia,the UAE and elsewhere in theGCC will stage tourism pro-motion forums,” announcedSubodh Kant Sahai,

To cater to the growing tourism market, both the countries will sign an agreement in the coming months,followed by a joint meeting of stakeholders to discuss the road map to double the two-way flow of tourists.

Raju PillaiDirector - Commercial OperationsBahrain Air

Klaus EhrenbrandtnerDirectorAustrian Tourism Board

Tuan Razali Tuan OmarDirector, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, Dubai

India and UAE ink tourism deal

Sahai (centre), Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary, MOT, GoI (2nd from left) and other officials and dignitaries at the ‘Incredible India Tourism’ roadshow held in Dubai on June 28, 2012 Contd. on page 7 u

SUSMITA GHOSH

SUSMITA GHOSH

TTME_August 2012_FINAL 26-07-- V8 FINAL 31-07:Layout 8/6/2012 7:14 PM Page 1

NEWS

Foreign exchangeDIRHAM VALUE

(Subject to variation) (As on 23-07-2012)

Country Currency CN Buy CN Sell

USA ..........................USD ................3.653..............3.685

UK ............................GBP ..............5.6381............5.8794

Egypt ........................EGP ................0.605..............0.711

Euro ..........................EUR ..............4.3774............4.5741

Canada......................CAD ..............3.5739............3.6991

Bahrain ....................BHD ..............9.5739............9.9137

Oman ........................OMR................9.405............9.6512

Kuwait ......................KWD............12.8417..........13.3023

Saudi Arabia ............SAR ..............0.9625............0.9972

Qatar ........................QAR ..............0.9944............1.0209

Australia ..................AUD ..............3.7453............3.8714

Japan ........................JPY................0.0457............0.0482

Philippines ................PHP ..............0.0860............0.0892

Singapore..................SGD ..............2.8689............2.9984

India ........................INR................0.0646............0.0677

Pakistan ....................PKR ..............0.0381............0.0399

Bangladesh ..............BDT ..............0.0439............0.0457

Sri Lanka ..................LKR ..............0.0273............0.0285

Nepal ........................NPR ..................0.05..............0.056

Morocco ....................MAD................0.405..............0.525

Switzerland ..............CHF ..............3.6445............3.8043

South Africa ..............ZAR ................0.485..............0.553

Abu Dhabi Hotels

As per the recent figuresreleased, by Abu Dhabi

Tourism & Culture Authority(TCA Abu Dhabi), a total of

1,189,995 guests checkedinto hotels and hotel apart-ments throughout the emi-rate. January to June of 2012witnessed some 3,369,228

guest nights – an increase of9 per cent on the comparativesix months of 2011.

“This is a very encour-aging performance whichleaves us well on track toattain our yearly target of 2.3million guests,” saidMubarak Al Muhairi,Director General, TCA AbuDhabi. “The task ahead is tomaintain the momentum.

We are relativelyconfident of doingthis as we lookforward to a seasonof major events,including the AbuDhabi Grand Prixand Abu Dhabi Artand the plannedNovember openingof Yas Waterworld,

which will be UAE’slargest water park. In addi-tion, we anticipate AbuDhabi’s hosting, thisSeptember, of the 18th

World Routes DevelopmentForum bringing a significantnumber of aviation and airline senior personnelto the UAE capital,” heinformed ecstatically.

The June figures of2,05,950 hotel guests, up by17 per cent compared to June2011, helped achieve therecord half yearly results.

The number of Indiansstaying in Abu Dhabi’s hotelsrose 31 per cent to 65,519guests accounting for2,34,043 guest nights, a rise of 15 per cent on 2011,making it the second largestoverseas source markets.

Saudi Arabia performedwell delivering 36,430

guests, up 36 per cent on2011, who stayed for 79,307guest nights – an increase ofper cent over the six monthsmaking it the destination’ssixth largest source marketoutside the UAE.

A total of 1.189 million guests stayed in Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotelapartments during the first six months of this year that showcased anincrease of 14 per cent compared to the first half of 2011.

Hotel occupancy on record high

Mubarak Al MuhairiDirector GeneralTCA Abu Dhabi

A total of 1,189,995 guestschecked into hotels and hotelapartments throughout theemirate

January to June of 2012witnessed some 3,369,228guest nights – an increase of9% on the comparative sixmonths of 2011

The June figures of 2,05,950hotel guests, up by 17%compared to June 2011

While India proved to be the2nd largest overseas sourcemarket, Saudi Arabia became the 6th largest sourcemarket for UAE

Record Growth

This comes as no surpriseconsidering the high pen-

etration of mobile devicesand the fact that peoplenowadays expect to be‘always connected’ whetherfor work or personal use.

“Our research clearlyillustrates that this is causingfundamental changes inworking patterns anddemands on networkingarchitectures.

It seems that wecan never switch off from work, even when we’re at the beach. With this, thedemand on serviceproviders andmobile operators toprovide ubiquitous,reliable coveragehas never beenhigher,”

said Sufian Dweik, RegionalManager – MENA, Brocade.

More than a third ofthe respondents surveyedsaid that good mobile datacoverage is a determiningfactor when choosing a des-tination, with 86 per centexpecting wireless connec-tivity at their hotels to feedtheir ‘online addiction’.Some 95 per cent of therespondents admitted takingtheir mobile devices onvacation and are as likely to use them for work as for personal use. Morethan half of respondentssaid that they used theirmobile device for accessingwork e-mail or downloadingwork documents.

Against the above sce-nario, hotel owners shouldprovide reliable, high qualityconnectivity and free WiFi if they are to attract tourists and gain acompetitive edge. However,the findings may indicatethat there is still a gulf

between the expectations ofmodern travellers and thereality. Hotel owners shouldlook at the incredibledemand for WiFi networkingand provide residents withconnectivity – whether intheir rooms, at the bar or by the pool.

A research by Brocade shows that good mobile data coverage is a priorityfor holidaymakers across Europe, ME & Africa when selecting a holidaydestination and hotel based on the quality of the Internet connection.

WiFi decides the fate of a hotel

Sufian DweikRegional ManagerMENA – Brocade

Osama Samra, Director, Sharjah Media Centre and Rashed Al Kous,Director, Knowledge Without Borders project included ‘50 Must KnowFacts about Sharjah’ in the library.

50 Must Know Factsabout Sharjah in Library

n Arabian Travel Markethas confirmed its host hotel partnership withMövenpick Hotels &Resorts after a successfulassociation in the 2012event. In total, 6 Mövenpickhotels, located in Dubai,will be involved in the 2013partnership. Between them,they will each host a recordnumber of industry buyersduring May 6–9, 2013 atthe ATM showcase.Commenting on theannouncement, MarkWalsh, Portfolio Director,Reed Travel Exhibitions

said, “ATM 2013 is set to bea milestone event, marking20 years in the Middle Eastand we will be inviting arecord number of hosteddelegates next year, 150 intotal, up by 15 per centcompared to 2012.”

“Our decision to show-case six outstanding five-star properties at ATM 2013will give hosted buyers apersonal experience of theMövenpick brand, in six different locations inDubai,”said Toufic Tamim,VP - Sales & Marketing, ME,Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

ATM 2013 partnerswith Mövenpick

Key Findings

TT BUREAU

TT BUREAU

91 per cent stated that they carry smartphones on theirholidays. That is followed closely by laptops and netbooks(49 per cent) and tablet computers (42 per cent)

Coming in second only to access emails when asked theprimary reason for using a connected device on holidaywas accessing work email

Placing third was the use of social media also featuredprominently in the responses

Approximately a third (32 per cent) stated that they wantto stream coverage of the Olympics through their deviceswhilst on vacation, again placing immense pressure onlocal networks to provide sufficient bandwidth and servicereliability to users

More than a third (37 per cent) of respondents noted thatgood mobile data coverage (for example, 3G/4G) was adetermining factor in their choice of destination

Furthermore, 86 per cent expected hotels to provide freeWiFi access. A lack of available WiFi was also the secondmost popular concern about accessing the Internet fromabroad, after the issue of high roaming costs


BULLETIN A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 3

Ramada Ajman’s ZeroLandfill Project, that was

organised in collaborationwith AIMS Group and Green Mountain WasteManagement and supportedby Green Good Eco-Tech,aims to achieve zero wastedisposal into the landfill. Thepress conference to officiallylaunch the project wasattended by the top officialsfrom Ramada Ajman and thepartner companies.

The Project intends torecycle and reduce thehotel’s waste, which is 800kg to 1,000 kg daily. This willbe carried out by applyingthe Reduce, Reuse andRecycle approach in wastemanagement. The initialefforts generated positiveresults as the property nearlyreaches 90 per cent in termsof waste diversion. Based onthe waste composition analy-sis of Ramada Ajman, themajor portion of the proper-ty’s wastes are from food ororganic waste, which can beused for compost; while thepaper, plastics and metalscan be recycled and a veryminimal portion which areconsidered as waste rejectswill go to the landfill.Through these measures, thetarget is to achieve morethan 90% waste diversionfrom the landfill.

Iftikhar Hamdani,General Manager, Ramada

Hotel & Suites Ajman said,“Ramada places high value inthe preservation of the envi-ronment and the naturalresources, for the benefit ofthe citizens and the futuregeneration. We carry out various initiatives throughoutthe year in order to reach this milestone.

Some of theactivities that we’vedone includeeducation andawareness for staffand guests on theGreen Campaign,celebration of EarthHour and Earth Dayand beach cleaning,among otherinitiatives.”

Harbinder Singh,General Manager, AIMSEnvironment, says, “This

project demonstrates RamadaAjman and the Emirate ofAjman’s commitment to glob-al environmental protection.”

Ahmed Hasan AlFoorah, CEO, AIMS Group,Dr. Yahya Haddad, GeneralManager, Green MountainWaste Management and JohnArnold, Director, GreenGood Eco-Tech expressedtheir strong and steadfastcommitment to sustainablemeasures and green projects in Ajman.

Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman launched the flagship Zero Landfillprocessing operation on July 18, as part of the property’s commitment tohelp conserve the natural environment in the northern Emirate.

Zero Landfill Project by Ramada Ajman

Iftikhar HamdaniGM, Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman

The Project intends torecycle and reduce thehotel’s waste, which is 800kg to 1,000 kg daily

The initial efforts generatedpositive results as theproperty nearly reaches 90per cent in terms of wastediversion

The Project Intends

Ramada Ajman officially launched the project, that was attended bytop officials of the hotels and from partner companies.

First effort of its kind

TT BUREAU


GUEST COLUMN

EDITORIALGulf Tourism getsseasonal push

The summer holidays and Ramadanspirit have elevated hopes for a

robust season for the tourism sector inthe Gulf region. There are alreadypositive indications from various wingsof the industry.

Airlines have geared up well.Emirates will add a total of 73 additionalflights to and from Saudi Arabia duringRamadan. Jeddah and Medinah AlMunawarrah will benefit from the extraservices, put in place to serve the largenumber of passengers opting forreligious-based travel to the Kingdom.

Qatar Airways has launched specialfares offering savings on fares from theairline’s Doha hub to cities acrossMiddle East and worldwide. In thisRamadan, British Airways is alsooffering UAE travellers discounted faresto seven destinations across Europe(including Londong), US and Canada.

On the hospitality front, data fromSTR Global indicate that hotels in theUAE posted a 7% rise in occupancy inMay to 70.6%. Cairo reported thelargest occupancy increase, rising41.1% to 49.4% while Muscat rose31.2% to 53.6% and Manama increased29.4% to 43.8%. Overall, the MiddleEast and Africa region’s occupancyjumped 13.3% to 60.4%.

Statistics from DTCM show thenumber of guest nights rose by 23% tomore than 33 million last year. The dataalso showed that the average length ofstay swelled up to 12% with 3.6 days.The number of visitors to Abu Dhabialso increased in May 2012, with thenumber of guests at hotels, hotelapartments and resorts rising 12%year-on-year to 1,92,374, according toofficial figures. The number of guestnights rose to 5,42,567 – an increaseof 7% compared to the same period in2011. IATA confirmed that ME carrierscontinue to lead the industry growth.

The first destination wasthe vibrant city of Dubai

with a resounding successfollowing the acquisition of a2-star Versailles Hotel inDeira which was then fullyrefurbished and transformedinto a high quality 3-starproperty. The addition ofanother property in Dubaihas been a strategic need forlong to complete the picture.

Great news came inwith the recent acquisition ofa property in Bur Dubaiwhich will now fulfill a longstanding need of sub-conti-

nental visitors to Dubai. The126-room property with 2Restaurants, 2 nightclubs, 2Conference Halls and thestate–of–the-art Businesscenter will usher in the highquality Raviz Brand into theUnited Arab Emirates.

Back in India, Dr. RaviPillai, Chairman & CEO, RPGroup launched the RavizBrand with the acquisition ofthe Kadavu Beach Resort andAyurveda Center in Calicut.After which the labour ofLove, the Raviz Kollam waslaunched as a 5-star deluxeproperty and close on itsheels came the acquisition ofthe jewel of the crown, TheLeela Beach Kovalam. DuringATM 2012, the Raviz Grouphad a huge presence withrepresentatives of all fivehotels present in the eventwhile showcasing and mar-keting their propertiesthrough associate DiscoveryTravels LLC.

The philosophy behindthe Raviz brand is high qual-ity services backed up withhigh-end technology in roominfrastructure with the latestgadgetry. Design plays a keyelement with our brand. Each room and suite will be individually designed with the best in room furnishings, keeping theneeds of our guests in mind.Competent trained and expe-rienced staff will be the hall-mark of our brand.

It is our endeavour toincorporate this philosophy ofour Chairman into each andevery employee to ensurethat we live up to the highstandards of the Raviz Brand.

Having been awardedas the runner up in DTCM’sGreen Tourism award in2010, our commitment to theEnvironment has gone a stepfurther in 2012 and we aregunning for the top spot. In

room and Restaurant, theMenus have been replacedwith those made from recy-cled material, re-usable non-plastic Guest laundry bagshave been introduced and theRooms are now covered withenvironment-friendly wallcoverings (specially importedfrom Australia). WaterlessUrinals have also beeninstalled to reduce waterusage and wastage.

Another facet of theRaviz Brand is our strongemphasis on quality food andbeverages served in ourproperties that defines valuefor money deals.

Our Asian Restaurantand Night club – Mahek fea-tures a vibrant multinationalentertainment and cuisinefrom India, Pakistan, Nepaland Bangladesh all combinedin one – thus our guests willbe given a choice in taste offour different countries in asingle evening!

Touching on currentmarket trends, it can beemphasised that despite theworld economic woes allaround, Dubai has seen a fairshare of local and interna-tional visitors over the pastdecades and it continues to be a steady increase much to the envy of many. We at Versailles Hotelare following this stride asour aim is to broaden ourmarket segments to tap newupcoming markets.

We presently receiveguests from GCC, CIS, Iran, India, Far East but our focus is now towards

Europe and Russia – coun-tries like Germany, France,Slovenia, Ukraine, on toAfrica and South America.We already have tapped into these new markets and currently have activepartners whom we areclosely working with. Theoutlook for this coming sea-son is indeed bright.

On the local scene, we have special Room promotions in the pipeline to coincide with the holidayseason starting the EID ALADHA, Christmas and NewYear targetting the localmarket and then during themonth long Dubai ShoppingFestival. We will be givingaway many special surprisesto our customers to matchthe theme of this prestigiousmultifaceted event.

Manoj PadhiGeneral ManagerVersailles Hotel

Group General ManagerHospitality of RavizInternational Hotel

Management Company

Six years into the Hotel business, the hospitality arm of RP Group ofCompanies – ‘Raviz International Hotel Management Company’ is on agrowth path worldwide. The philosophy behind the Raviz brand is highquality services backed by high-end technology in room infrastructure.

RP Group opens new property

n Etihad Airways has cho-sen Rolls-Royce subsidiaryOptimised Systems andSolutions (OSyS) to imple-ment a new fuel manage-ment solution to maximisefuel use, cut carbon emissions and reduce overallfuel costs.

OSyS, one of the world’sleading suppliers of aviation

fuel optimisation systemsand services, will providethe software which willanalyse the airline’s existingfuel arrangements, allowingEtihad Airways to better pri-oritise areas where the mosteffective fuel and emissionssavings can be achieved.

Captain Richard Hill,COO, Etihad Airways, said,

“The new real-time analysiswill allow us to efficientlycompare our planned fuelversus actual fuel used onevery flight with the overallgoals being to reduce fuelconsumption, cut carbonemissions and trim our avi-ation fuel bills.”

Mark Goodhind, VP -Operations Optimisation at

OSyS, said, “We are delight-ed to support Etihad Airwaysin delivering operationalefficiency improvements.”

“The OSyS fuel management solution continues to offer a bettervision of fuel cost controlswithin the context of their individual operations,”he concluded.

Emission cuts and fuel savings

It is our

endeavour to

incorporate

this philosophy

of our

Chairman into

each and every

employee to

ensure that we

live up to the

high standards

of the Raviz

Brand

Publisher : SanJeet Director : Sumeera Bahl Editorial Director : Rupali Narasimhan Editor : Deepa Sethi Assistant Editor (ME) : Susmita Ghosh Desk Editor : Archana Sharma Sub Editor : Raina Mandal Design : Nityanand Misra Manager Advertising : Geetika Pathak Asst. Manager - Sales : Akassh Kapoor Asst. Manager - Mktg. : Pallavi Sarma Circulation Manager : Ashok Rana Manager Production : Anil Kharbanda

TRAVTALK is published by SanJeet on behalf of

Durga Das Publications Private Limited

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TRAVTALK is a publication of Durga Das Publications Private Limited. All information in TRAVTALK is derived from sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher regret that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publica-tion, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed by thirdparties in abstract and/or in interviews are not necessarily shared by TRAVTALK. However, we wish to advice our readers that one or more recognised authorities may hold different views than those reported. Material used in this publication is intended for information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek specific

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Through the saleschannels and Amadeus

global distribution system,travel agents of Middle Eastand from worldwide can bookboth Trenitalia’s high speedrail products, Frecce AltaVelocità (namely Frecciarossaand Frecciargento) and

Frecciabianca. The rest of the medium and long-distance Trenitalia routes will follow shortly.

“It is quite exciting forthe European rail industry asit extends its network andattracts new travellers to thebenefits of rail travel. The keyto its growth is to deliver thetype of availability common inthe airline sector. As it is,international distribution issignificant for railways today,”informed Thomas Drexler,Head - Amadeus Rail.

“It will be easier forthe Middle Eastern and otherinternationaltravellers and thetravel agents tocompare Trenitaliaservices with flightson the same route.

In this way, there will bechoices and transparency ofoptions and hence, will help improve productivity for the agent at the sametime,” he added.

Through this partner-ship, Trenitalia can draw newmarket segments expandingdistribution beyond its tradi-tional channels, developingits presence in strategic mar-

kets like Central Europe,North America and Asia.While selecting and bookingTrenitalia travel, this innova-tive solution will provide thetravel agencies flexibility.

Trenitalia customers willaccordingly enjoy more con-venient booking and connec-tion services that will satisfy the needs of the modern travellers.

Trenitalia, the transport division of the Italian FS Group and Amadeusjoin hands to distribute Trenitalia content through all Amadeus channels.Travel agents can now book high speed rail products through the GDS.

Trenitalia on Amadeus

TECHNOLOGY A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 5

As part of the agreement,travel agents who use theAmadeus selling platformwill have a standardisedway to access Trenitaliaservices. It willconsecutively makebookings through anair/rail-based searchsolution, FlyByRail Trackand a rail-based searchsolution, Rail Agent Track,designed exclusively forrail services.

Exclusive Deal

Thomas DrexlerHead - Amadeus Rail

Amadeus Gulf inaugurated its new state-of-the-ar t technology headquarters in Abu Dhabi on July 11.

Inaugurating newtech hub in Abu Dhabi

TT BUREAU


Dubai maintains its num-ber one position, while

showing a strong 15.3%growth in the number of visi-tors in 2012 while Abu Dhabiranked third, up from sixthrank in 2011, propelled by an

impressive 17.9% growth.London is the number one ori-gin city for Dubai, with8,03,000 visitors at US$ 1,495as the highest spending inDubai per visit among the topfive origin cities. The rankingsof the destination cities look

very different from the per-spective of growth where AbuDhabi is at 17.9% and Dubaiat 15.3%. The Report presentsa picture of resilient growth incross-border visitor numbersin the world’s most importantcities. Leading destination

cities like London, Paris,Bangkok, New York, andSingapore occupy top rank-ings. But new destinationcities like Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai are clearly moving forwardwith great momentum.

STATISTICS6 TRAVTALK A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2

Source: MasterCard Index of Global Destination Cities: Cross-Border Travel and Expenditure

Rank 2012 20111 London London2 Paris Paris3 Bangkok Bangkok4 Singapore Singapore5 Istanbul Hong Kong6 Hong Kong Istanbul7 Madrid Madrid8 Dubai Rome9 Frankfurt Dubai10 Kuala Lumpur Frankfurt11 Seoul Kuala Lumpur12 Rome Seoul13 New York New York14 Shanghai Barcelona15 Barcelona Shanghai16 Milan Milan17 Amsterdam Amsterdam18 Vienna Vienna19 Beijing Beijing20 Taipei Taipei

Rankings by Visitor Numbersv

*Top 20 growth rate ranking of the combined list of each of the 5 regions' top 10 cities which were ranked by visitor numbers.

Dubai - Top Origin Citiesx

Dubai

Kuwait

MunichParis

Frankfurt

London

Origin Cities2012 Visitors

2012 Spend

(000s) (US$ mn)

u London803

$1,200

v Paris336

$298

wMunich305

$271

x Frankfurt295

$261

y Kuwait266

$236

Destination City 2012 Growth Rate Rank 2011Rio de Janeiro 28.6% 1

Tokyo 21.5% 2Quito 18.8% 3

Abu Dhabi 17.9% 4Tunis 17.7% 5Dubai 15.3% 6Taipei 15.1% 7Istanbul 14.7% 8Beijing 14.7% 8Bogota 12.6% 10Lima 11.7% 11Riyadh 10.4% 12Nairobi 10.0% 13

Singapore 9.9% 14Seoul 9.8% 15Cairo 8.3% 16

Shanghai 8.2% 17Toronto 7.6% 18

Washington 7.2% 19Caracas 7.0% 20

The World’s Top 20 Fastest GrowingDestination Cities by Visitor Numbersy

Global Top 20 Destination Cities byInternational Visitors (2012)u

Middle East and Africa Top 10 Destination Cities by International Visitors (2012)w

New York Beijing

SeoulShanghai

TaipeiHong Kong

Bangkok

Kuala LumpurSingapore

Dubai

IstanbulRomeMadrid

Barcelona MilanVienna

FrankfurtAmsterdam

LondonParis

u Dubai

8.8 mn

v Cairo

3.3 mn

wAbu Dhabi2.7 mn

x Johannesburg2.5 mn

y Tel Aviv

2.5 mn

z Casablanca2.1 mn

{ Riyadh

1.9 mn

| Nairobi

1.8 mn

}Amman

1.7 mn

~ Tunis

1.6 mn

CasablancaTunis

Cairo

Tel AvivAmman

RiyadhAbu Dhabi

Dubai

Nairobi

Johannesburg

As per the ‘MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index’ report, Dubai ranked 8th in world’s top 20 destination citiesby the number of visitors in 2012. The Emirate also ranked 1st as a destination city in the ME and Africa region. Excerpts:

Dubai ranks 8th in top 20 destination citiesTT BUREAU

Of the five leading cities sendingvisitors to Dubai, London provideswell over twice as many visitors andthey spend more than four times asthose from other cities.

1. London 16.9 mn

2. Paris16.0 mn

3. Bangkok 12.2 mn

4. Singapore 11.8 mn

5. Istanbul 11.6 mn

6. Hong Kong 11.1 mn

7. Madrid 9.7 mn

8. Dubai 8.8 mn

9. Frankfurt 8.1 mn

10. Kuala Lumpur 8.1 mn

11. Seoul 8.0 mn

12. Rome 7.8 mn

13. New York 7.6 mn

14. Shanghai 7.5 mn

15. Barcelona 7.3 mn

16. Milan 7.1 mn

17. Amsterdam 6.9 mn

18. Vienna 6.7 mn

19. Beijing 6.2 mn

20. Taipei 5.4 mn

Source Indicator(s)UNWTO Country Based Tourism Statistics

National Tourism Boards Country Based Tourism Statistics

WTTC World Tourism Indicators

Data Sources


COVER STORY

Middle East. Till date, thereis an increase of 24.6 per centarrivals and 23.1 per centovernights from the region in 2012 in comparison to 2011, which was already arecord year.

“We have selected 9packages for family holidaysin the best of destinations inAustria. In addition, we willrun a joint campaign withEmirates Holidays to promoteVienna as a perfect destina-tion for this holiday period.We are very happy that in lateAugust and early September,families will be able to travel as this is the perfecttime for family holidays inAustria,” explained KlausEhrenbrandtner, Director,Austrian Tourism Board.

Overall, Malaysiareceived 9.4 million arrivalsfor the first five months of2012, an increase of 1.2 percent from 9.3 million arrivals compared to thesame period in 2011.

“We are working closelywith the travel trade to sellMalaysia better. We haveundertaken some joint pro-motions with airlines andtravel agencies by offeringspecial packages for the Eid holidays and also for travels during the holiday

season. All the joint promotions are aimed to provide special packages with good prices to the travellers,” conveyed Tuan Razali Tuan Omar,Director, Malaysia Tourismpromotion Board, Dubai.

Omeir Travels havecome up with a wealth ofdiversified packages in 2012.Starting from farm holidays,wildlife safari, hunting-adventure or diving trips toheritage tours, private islandstays, cruises or summercamps. All offers guaranteedrelaxation and comfort.

“Our marketing activi-ties were planned and rolledout in May itself since thepreferred travel period isbefore Ramadan which wasalso coinciding with the sum-mer vacations. Exclusive tai-lor made packages are onoffer for Eid and summer hol-idays,” elucidated GaneshUllal, Director - Marketing,Omeir Travel Agency. “Weare forecasting a double digitgrowth this year especially inthe leisure segment,” he fur-ther emphasised.

Iberotel Miramar AlAqah Beach Resort, Fujairahhas received around 80 percent of its business from thetravel trade so far in 2012. Atpresent, they are concentrat-

ing on their new hotel projectalong with shopping andentertainment project in AlAqah area. The property isalso offering special rates forEid this year.

Instead of AED 1,500per night, one can book twonights and get the rate ofAED 1,250 per night. Insteadof AED 1,500 per night, one can should book threenights and get the rate ofAED 1,000 per night.

“We have a special ratefor the weekdays, during thesummer, starting from AED420. We are also promotingspecial offers like giving 15per cent discount on food andbeverages and 20 per centoff from the wellness centerfor those who are staying 3nights and more,” informedAshraf Helmy, GeneralManager & Area BusinessDevelopment Manager,Iberotel Miramar Al Aqah

Beach Resort. “For Ramadanalso, special rates wereoffered for the stay thatstarted with AED 280 per room per night and also for Iftar and Sohour,” he informed.

Recognising the sheerpotential and demand forbudget accommodations,Citymax Hotels plan to openover 10 new mid-markethotels across UAE, Qatar,

Saudi Arabia and India, overthe next 5 years.

Russel GH Sharpe, COO- Hotel Division, CitymaxHotels Landmark Hospitalityasserts, “Our hotels tradition-ally enjoy very high occupan-cy during Eid and hence wedon’t have any special offers.We have special rates &offers for our large base ofShukran loyalty card mem-bers across GCC throughoutthe summer. We also havesummer rates for onlinebookings where room at ourAl Barsha hotel is as low asAED 212++ per night only.”

“Sumptuous food menucomplimented with on-siteentertainment are lined up onour Food & BeverageActivities for Eid Al Fitr.Special room rates are onoffer starting from AED755++ on bed and breakfastbasis,” pronounced DianaAncuta, Director - Sales &

Marketing, Al Raha BeachHotel. “We have also partici-pated in ‘Abu Dhabi SummerSurprises’ organised byADTCA where guests canbook one room and receive asecond room complimentaryfor a minimum stay of 2nights. Complimentary‘Summer in Abu Dhabi’ tick-ets offered up to two chil-dren, valid till September 15,2012,” Ancuta stated.

Special packages, good pricesContd. from page 1 u

Ganesh UllalDirector - MarketingOmeir Travel Agency

Ashraf HelmyGenaral Manager & Area BusinessDevelopment Manager, IberotelMiramar Al Aqah Beach Resort

Russel GH SharpCOO - Hotel DivisionCitymax Hotels Landmark Hospitality

Union Minister for Tourism,India in Dubai.

The roadshow in Dubaiis being organised by India’sMinistry of Tourism with thesupport of Indian missions inthe UAE - MK Lokesh, IndianAmbassador to the UAE;Sanjay Verma, Indian ConsulGeneral in Dubai and otherofficials. Tourism officialsfrom Indian states like Rajasthan, Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra andUttarakhand along with morethan 15 tour operators, hotelsand airlines showcasedIndian tourist attractions atthe roadshow event.

The roadshow wasorganised to depict India as amulti-faceted, all-the-yearround tourist destination.Sahai invited NRIs and busi-ness groups from the UAE toparticipate in tourism proj-ects in India.

When asked about thecomplicated visa proceduresfor foreign nationals, Sahaisaid, “Issues related to visanorms will be resolved soon.”

Presently, India has2,00,000 five-star hotelrooms and 2,00,000 morerooms will be attached withinfour years. There are plans toadd more exhibition and con-vention centres and theme

parks. “We need to investover US$ 7.25 billion todevelop tourism infrastruc-ture within next three to fouryears,” he added.

Nearly 6.29 milliontourists visited India in 2011,an 8.9 per cent growth over5.78 million in 2010. Till May2012, the country receivedabout 2.8 million tourists,generating US$ 7.297 billionin foreign exchange. TheIndian tourism ministry’s tar-get is to increase the coun-try’s share in internationaltourist arrivals from 0.6 percent to 1 per cent by 2016.

According to thetourism promotion body,

India Tourism Dubai, India ispoised to become a hub forMedical Tourism with excel-lent hospitals with latestmedical technology, highlyskilled Indian physicians and surgeons, lower cost oftreatment and less waitingtime for patients.

Boosting bilateral relationshipContd. from page 1 u

Diana AncutaDirector - Sales & MarketingAl Raha Beach Hotel

Nearly 6.29 million tourists visited India in2011, an 8.9 per centgrowth over 5.78 million in 2010Till May 2012, the countryreceived about 2.8 milliontourists

India in UAE


CRUISES8 TRAVTALK A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2

Q. What on-board activities can be purchasedprior to sailing?

A. Shore Excursions and Dining can bepurchased by guests sailing on anyNorwegian ship. In addition, guests sailingon the Norwegian Epic will have the optionto purchase on-board Entertainment andSpa activities as well.

Q. What are the baggage rules for a travelleron-board your cruises?

A. Each person is allowed up to two pieces ofpersonal luggage on-board, with each pieceweighing a maximum of 50 pounds.However, if passengers are travelling by air,they need to check with the airline forspecific baggage restrictions.

Q. Are babysitter services available on-board?

A. Norwegian Cruise Line offers group sittingfor the ages between 2 and 12 for a nominalfee with the ‘Kid’s Crew’ counselors. Inaddition, to our regular sitting hours of 10pm till 1 am, group sitting is available inport from 9 am to 5 pm. Private babysittingservice is not available.

Q. Do children cruise for free?

A. Cruise fare for children under two includesgovernment taxes and port fees only.Certain itineraries offer specials on 3rd and4th guests in the same stateroom. Infantssailing on-board an NCL vessel must be atleast six months of age at the time ofsailing. However, for voyages that have 3or more consecutive days at sea, the infantmust be at least 12 months old at the timeof sailing.

Najeeb MithvaniSecond Assistant Vice President, Star Cruises & NCL

QE2 has been docked at PortRashid, Dubai, since

she arrived 5 years back. The cruise liner had made noless than 26 round-the-worldvoyages and was bought byIstithmar in 2007.

The state-owned companyinformed that it will take 18

months to house a floating 300-room luxury hotel inside QE2with top lifestyle facilities and aMaritime Museum highlightingthe important maritime historyof Dubai through a display of25,000 collections. Once con-verted, the QE2 will display theship’s collection of art works andother historical assets acquiredalmost four decades as one of

the world’s leading ocean-goingcruise liners.

“There have beenmany ideas aboutwhat to do with this ship, but people like the shipfor her style and herhistory. So we havedecided to leave herbasic design as it is.The ship is inimmaculate conditionand we will preserveher tradition,”

said Sultan Ahmed BinSulayem, Chairman, IstithmarWorld.

“It's going to enhance thetourism sector in Dubai andhence the initiative comes asDubai enjoys a rebound in trade and tourism sector,” he informed.

Dubai’s Cruise Tourism isgrowing rapidly. Dubai CruiseTerminal at Port Rashid hosted108 cruise ships with 3,96,554passengers in 2011 and 71 ves-sels with 2,75,000 tourists dur-ing the first half of 2012. Thisfigure is projected to touch 145cruise ships and 5,00,000 pas-sengers by 2015, according toDubai Tourism and CommerceMarketing (DTCM).

Istithmar, a Dubai government owned Investment Company, which bought QueenElizabeth 2 (QE2) from Cunard in 2007 announced plans to refurbish and convertthe ship into a 300-room hotel and dock permanently at Dubai’s Port Rashid.

‘Oceanliner’ to become a floating hotel

In occasion of Seatrade’sTurkish Cruise Forum,

these two events confirmTurkey’s relevance for theItalian Cruise Companywhich has announced 2012forecasts of 108 calls atTurkish ports and 3,72,000visiting passengers, anincrease of 34 per cent over 2011.

Organised by Seatradeand held in conjunction withIzmir Chamber of Commerce,Seatrade’s Turkish CruiseForum gave Costa Cruises thechance to source travellersfrom Turkey and help inmaking the country a year-round destination.

Costa Favolosa, CostaAtlantica and Costa Magicawill cruise from Istanbul and

Izmir, assuring Costa’spresence all year round.Costa Favolosa will be calling28 times at Istanbul and thepassengers will continueembarking from June 3 toSeptember 6, 2012.Travellers will be able toexperience the EasternMediterranean with visits toDubrovnik, Venice, Bari,Olympia and Izmir.

The itinerary will berepeated with CostaFascinosa between April 11and October 17 in 2013. TheCosta Atlantica will cruise in the Mediterranean

until October with twodifferent itineraries.

“Costa Cruises is apioneer on the Turkishmarket and was the first toput Izmir on the map as acruise destination in 2004.With Istanbul and Izmir ashome port and our newsummer itineraries to theAegean islands, we areconfident of outboundnumbers souring in the yearsto come,” commented DarioRustico, Sales and MarketingDirector, Central Europe,Africa, Middle East and India,Costa Cruises.

“Turkey is one ofthe growingmarkets Costa isfocussing on. CostaFascinosa and CostaMediterranea willbe the shipsdedicated to thismarket.

In 2013, we plan tomake a total of 124 calls with4,06,000 visiting passen-gers,” added Rustico.

Costa Cruises reinforces its presence in Turkey by attending Seatrade (Izmir) along with a co-branded eventof international Jewellery companies on Costa Favolosa.Costa forecasts 3,72,000 visiting passengers in 2012.

Focussing on Turkey

Dario RusticoSales and Marketing Director Central Europe, Africa, Middle East andIndia, Costa Cruises

The special offer run as acompanion free offer on

SuperStar Libra, sailing fromPenang into the Islands of

Krabi and Phuket and is validtill September 16. While the flagship SuperStar is also offering 30 per cent off for all passengers sailingwith the cruisline.

With sales andmarketing plans outlined for2012, Star Cruises has highhopes to see further growth.

“We are very optimisticabout the remaining 2012 outcome.

Compared to 2011,we have witnessed asurge in businessespecially onNorwegian CruiseLine Ships in Europe.

The Euro has madetravel to Europe very attrac-tive and the low fares thathave been created by the air-line have simultaneouslyhelped in the same. There isalso a huge demand observedtowards the west,” expressedNajeeb Mithvani, SecondAssistant Vice President,Sales, Star Cruises. The trav-el trade plays the mostimportant distribution armbringing in over 90 per centof the business. In-housetrainings are performed on aregular basis for the traveltrade, along with fam tripsthat are regularly organised,3 to 4 times a year, to providethem the first-hand experi-ence of the product.

With Eid celebrations round the corner along with theholiday season, Star Cruises and Norwegian CruiseLimited (NCL) has come up with some attractive specialoffers to enhance the holiday experience.

Celebrating cruises

Costa Favolosa will besailing to Istanbul from June3 to September 6, 2012Costa Fascinosa will sailbetween April 11 - October17, 2013

Sailing in Turkey

Najeeb MithvaniSecond Assistant Vice President - SalesStar Cruises

The refurbishment of QueenElizabeth 2 is going toenhance the tourism sector in Dubai

The ship will be converted intoa 300-room floating hotel andwill dock at Port Rashid, Dubai

Dubai Cruise Terminal at PortRashid hosted 108 cruiseships with 3,96,554passengers in 2011 and 71vessels with 2,75,000 touristsduring the first half of 2012

Boosting Cruise Tourism

Queen Elizabeth 2 docked at Port Rashid in Dubai

Teeny, tiny little Seahorses, about the size of a small fingernail are the newestadditions to The Lost Chambers Family at Atlantis, The Palm. These rare,newborns, known as ‘Fry’ will assist in the repopulation of this species whenthey are released into the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf, once mature enoughto hunt Zooplankton.

Tiny new members at Atlantis, the Palm

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AVIATION A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 9

Expected to be effectivefrom August 2012,

IndiGo will operate newflights between the cities ofHyderabad-Dubai, Chennai-Dubai and Kochi-Dubai. Inaddition, the airline is all setto start its second daily and

direct flight on Delhi-Dubaiand Delhi-Bangkok sectors.

Bookings have alreadyopened effective from June15 and the early bird returnoffer is the introductory lowrange pricing of AED 734.

Continuing to offer ontime act, no cancellation,year-on-year growth andaffordable flying experience,IndiGo is termed as a faceless

airline where the productspeaks for itself.

M.K. Lokesh, IndianAmbassador to the UAE,along with Aditya Ghosh,President, IndiGo recently

presided over the formallaunch ceremony of theArabic website at a pressbriefing in Dubai.

“The Arabic website is apioneering effort that hasnever been done before inDubai by any Indian carrier. Iam very pleased to seeIndiGo’s commitment to re-

define the standards in theairline business in the UAE,” expressed Lokesh during the launch ceremony.The new website distinctlydisplays InternationalStandard Arabic language

where all the numeric figures are displayed inEnglish. Ghosh informed,

“In line with ourendeavour to meet therequirements of both busi-ness and leisure travellers,IndiGo has added new flightsconnecting Dubai to Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabadand Kochi.”

After rolling out four new flights between Dubai and India, IndiGo, recently unveiled a new Arabic website that has been specifically designedfor both business and leisure travellers based in the Middle East.

IndiGo flies high in UAE skies

IndiGo will operate newflights between the cities of Hyderabad-Dubai,Chennai-Dubai and Kochi-Dubai.

The airline to start itssecond daily and directflight on Delhi-Dubai sector

Bookings have alreadyopened effective from June15 and the early bird returnoffer is the introductory lowrange pricing of AED 734

New Flights

As part of the carrier’scontinuing strategic

expansion into internationalmarkets, SpiceJet’s Boeing737-800s took off its firstflight from Dubai to the two Indian cities.

At a press conference inDubai, Neil Mills, CEO,SpiceJet, informed, “TheGovernment of India has takensubstantial steps to open themarket by allowing privatecarriers to connect with newinternational destinations.

Hence, we areworking further totie-up with morenew routes to Dubailike Kochi, Chennaiand Hyderabadwhile in Gulfcountries, SaudiArabia is the newpoint on our radar,”he added.

Dubai is the third inter-national destination for theairline after Kathmandu andColombo. Besides, it’s work-ing on adding more interna-

tional destinations from Indialike South China, Maldives,Colombo, Bangkok, Riyadhand Kabul.

Bookings for SpiceJethad kicked off earlier in June2012 with an introductoryinaugural fare starting fromAED 377 excluding taxes.The airline has partneredwith Dubai-based SharafTravel for bookings and eversince the opening of book-ings, the airline has receivedhealthy response to its offer.

Salah Sharaf, Chairman,Sharaf Travel, General SalesAgent of SpiceJet in the UAEsaid, “We are delighted thatSpiceJet has chosen Dubai astheir 3rd international desti-nation and we are proud to be

associated with the qualityairline which has renownedreputation for its customersatisfaction and punctuality.”

Headed by V. Jayaram,Managing Director, SharafTravels Group, the team waspresent in the conference.

SpiceJet, India’s low cost airline, have launched its Dubaioperations with daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai sinceJune 25 from Terminal 1, Dubai International Airport.

SpiceJet ‘spices up’ Dubai

Mills (left) and Jayaram (right) at the launch of the Airline’s Dubai operations

The Airline has startedflights between New Delhiand the Afghan capital cityof Kabul.

The opening of ticket salehas been effective fromJuly 13 and thecommercial flights wouldstart from August 14, 2012

SpiceJet connectsDelhi and Kabul

Aditya GhoshPresident IndiGo

The Arabic website is a pioneering

effort that has never been done

before in Dubai by any Indian carrier.

M.K. Lokesh

Indian Ambassador to the UAE

Dubai Duty Free’s first foray into border shop retailing was firmlyunderscored with the official inauguration of its Hatta Border shop. Located next to the Customs and Immigration offices at the Hatta-Oman border, the new retail unit covers some 42 square metreand provides travellers with a 24-hour service. Selling a selectionof high-demand items, including confectionery, perfumes and tobacco, the Dubai Duty Free border shop offers a convenient stop off point for drivers crossing to and from Dubai.

Dubai Duty Free’s firstHatta Border Shop

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The construction of thenew terminal building

will commence Q3 2012 andis planned to open in 2017.

Throughout the con-struction process, the sur-rounding areas of theMidfield Terminal Building(MTB) will also be developed.Procurement of these projectsis presently in progress toensure delivery in stagesbetween 2014 and 2016.

Ali Majed Al Mansoori,Chairman, ADAC said, “AbuDhabi Airports Companylooks ahead to five years ofgrowth focussing on increas-ing traffic at Abu DhabiInternational Airport and onexpanding the airport’sinfrastructure to support this growth.”

The design is focussedextensively on the passen-ger’s experience. It meetsthe highest quality and serv-ice standards, including the

International Air TransportAssociation (IATA) level ofservice ‘A’ alongwith thehighest levels of space allo-

cation for passenger process-ing areas. The MTB isdesigned to achieve a mini-mum Two Pearl Rating, fol-lowing the Urban PlanningCouncil’s Estidama approachtowards sustainable design.

“To reduce heat andincrease air-conditioningefficiencies, theproject willminimise its impacton the environment,making use of theinnovative designelements like highperformance angled glass,” further informed Mansoori.

Passenger facilities and duty-free retail willinclude high-end commercialofferings, airline hospitalitylounges, a transit hotel and a heritage and culture museum.

ADAC in a joint venture with TAV, CCC and Arabtec, havesigned an AED 10.8 billion contract for the construction of Midfield Terminal Building (MTB), a7,00,000 sq m project at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

MTB gets a makeover

Ali Majed Al MansooriChairmanADAC

The project will include twosegments; the 4 yearconstruction phase,followed by the OperationalReadiness Assessmentphase (ORAT) to makecertain efficiency readinessfrom the first day of operation

MTB Project

Besides Salalah TourismFestival, the launch also

coincides with Dhofar’sbiggest annual cultural andentertainment show with the‘Khareef ’ season of coolweather, which runs fromJuly till September end.

The new flights fromSharjah depart on everyThursdays and Saturdays,returning on the same day.

The reasons of theOman Ministry of Tourismand Salalah Tourism industryto commence Air Arabia’snon-stop services decisionare due to Salalah’s increas-ingly recognised stature as aquality tourism and leisuredestination. In addition,Salalah is benefitting fromrecord investments in qualityresorts and services. Also, itis evident that Low CostCarriers lead the develop-ment of leisure and short-break travel.

Finally it’s observed thatthere is strong demand ofnon-stop services betweenUAE and Salalah. For the yearending, April 2012, IATA datashows that there were16,667 passenger move-ments from Dubai to Salalahof which 37 per cent travelledvia Muscat.

Adel Ali, Group ChiefExecutive Officer, Air Arabia,said, “Salalah has alwaysbeen one of the most popular tourist destinations

in the Gulf and entire Middle East. We are pleased to collaborate withthe Oman Ministry ofTourism to launch AirArabia’s new flights betweenSharjah and Salalah.”

“Air Arabia’s servicesbetween Sharjah and Salalahrepresent 100 per centincrease in non-stop capacityfrom the UAE, with excellentconnections to Dammam,KSA, that is another largepotential leisure market forSalalah,” informed Ghasi AlHashmi, Director GeneralAssistant - TourismPromotion, Ministry ofTourism, Oman.

Catering to the tourist flow to the Salalah Tourism Festival(STF 2012), running from June 21 to July 18, 2012, AirArabia, with the support of Oman’s Tourism Ministrylaunched new flights between Sharjah and Salalah.

Air Arabia fills the slot

With no other directcompetitors, Seawings

covers all sights and wondersof Abu Dhabi as a destinationfrom above the clouds andamidst the seas. Thecompany recently launched

scenic seaplane tours; AbuDhabi Scenic, Yas Classique

and Dubai Classique. Each ofthese tours providesspectacular views of thecapital city from a Cessna 208amphibious aircraft.

The new scenic toursare designed to provide aunique experience to thepanoramic views of the

Ferrari World, F1Grand Prix Circuit,Emirates Palace, AbuDhabi Corniche, themarble façade of YasViceroy Abu Dhabihotel among others.Seawings accommo-dates 9 travellers at a time with climate

controlled cabins.

Being a niche productseeking different kinds ofmarket, the brand also offerscorporate flight packages forbusinesses to optimise theirtime in UAE. Abu Dhabi’sbusiness tourism sector hasexpanded significantly afterinvestment in infrastructureand witnesses an increase inthe number of events inMICE segment. Seawingscustomised excursions and

exclusive aircraft charters aredesigned to further strength-en Abu Dhabi’s MICE indus-try proposition.

“Since its inception in2007, Seawings has been on a mission to create unforgettable experiences for UAE tourists.

Last year, SeawingsDubai broke allrecords for growthand has beenconsistently rankedas one of the top 3tours in Dubai. Now, Seawings has decidedto expand its offering of sea-plane tours to Abu Dhabi vis-itors,” informed StuartWheeler, CEO, Seawings.

“According to the 2012MasterCard Global CitiesIndex, Abu Dhabi hasemerged as the Middle East’sfourth fastest growing desti-nation by international visitornumbers and the presence ofSeawings will only add to itsgrowth,” he added.

After breaking all records in Dubai, Seawings, the only seaplane tour operator in the Middle East, is now expanding its offerings of seaplane tours to Abu Dhabi visitors. explores further.

Seawings takes off to Abu Dhabi

Stuart WheelerCEOSeawings

Ferrari World

F1 Grand Prix Circuit

Emirates Palace

Abu Dhabi Corniche

The marble façade of YasViceroy Abu Dhabi hotel

New Scenic Tours

Adel AliGroup Chief Executive OfficerAir Arabia

Salalah is increasinglybecoming a quality tourismand leisure destination

It has quality resorts set in5-Star natural settingmaking it a unique and abeautiful destination

New Flight Service

Etihad Airways currentlyhas a 4.99 per cent

stake in Virgin Australia,acquired earlier this year and had applied to the ForeignInvestment ReviewBoard (FIRB) toraise the level of itsinvestment.

The purchase wasmade following the develop-ment of a highly successfulmulti-tiered partnershipbetween the two airlinesthat includes codesharing on flights, joint marketinginitiatives and reciprocalearn-and-burn on theirrespective frequent flier programmes.

The strategic partner-ship has already deliveredsignificant revenues to eachairline. It is expected that theequity stake in VirginAustralia will lead to further

revenue generatingopportunities. In total,nearly two million pas-sengers have flown withEtihad Airways betweenAustralia and its AbuDhabi hub.

Etihad Airways hasthree regional offices and aline maintenance facility in Australia and now employs more than 300Australian members of staff who are based in Australia, Abu Dhabi and at stations around the world.

The Australian Government hasallowed the airline to increase its equity stake in Virgin AustraliaHoldings to a maximum of 10 per cent.

Etihad gets more equitystake in Virgin Australia

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AGENTS A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 1 1

Based in the UAE since2002, the company’s

Dubai operations wereconsolidated under one roofat Al Barsha Boutique inOctober 2011. Promising its regional customersinnovative travel solutionsand quality services andassistances, this change will

now be rolled out across itsoffices in Kuwait, Bahrain,Jordan, Oman, Qatar, SaudiArabia and the UAE.

Built from different segments of the world, thecolour blend at differentangles depicts an energeticmovement and a continuousdrive for discovering newfrontiers in the travel indus-try. The new logo is a symbol-ic expression of Alshamel’snew move towards travelbusiness.

“There was never abetter time tointroduce a newlogo and branding.This is not just alogo change butmajor restructuringinitiative toimprove us in every aspect. Today, we are not only looking at maintaining ourleading position in the regionbut want to develop it furtheras well. We have a veryaggressive strategic plan putin place and are movingahead with a lot of confidence

to achieve that,” expressedKhaled Al-Ghanim, CEO,Alshamel Travel.

“We offer the region’sbest-in-class travel manage-ment services that are backedby a professional team andground-breaking technolo-gies,” he updated.

To create a long-termbrand identity clearly communicates the values ofAlshamel and that’s the keyobjective in this rebrandingprocess. These values arefocussed on offering innova-tive travel solutions, enhanc-ing the quality services andimproving customer experi-ence to name a few.

Based in Kuwait, Alshamel Travel commenced a newidentity replacing the old logo of Alshamel Internationaland Alshamel Travel & Tourism across the Middle East.

Making a new move

Khaled Al-GhanimCEO Alshamel Travel

The new logo is a symbolicexpression of Alshamel’snew move towards travelbusiness

Built from differentsegments of the world, the colour blend at different angles depicts an energetic movementand a continuous drive for discovering newfrontiers in the travelindustry

To create a long-term brandidentity clearlycommunicates the valuesof Alshamel and that’s thekey objective in thisrebranding process

New Branding

The new software will belaunched by January 1,

2013. Being part of Al AroudGroup of Companies, underthe vision of Saleh Al Aroud,Chairman of the Group,Three-year old DarinaHolidays is graduallybecoming one of the leadingDestination ManagementCompanies in UAE.

“The whole world ismoving towards technologyand it’s quite difficult to moveto the perfect path, hence weneed to have perfect softwarewith a sound expertise and that’s what we haveemphasised on,” expressed,

Rami Asaad, ManagingDirector, Darina Holidays.

“The introduction ofthis new softwarewill help us inincreasing ourbusiness. Our mainmarket is GCC,where we observed80 per cent growthin 2012 so far over2011.

We expect the revenueto increase by 40 to 60 percent and thereby, strongly getestablished in the tourismmap of Dubai as the leadingDMC of the UAE. Expansionplans to Latin America andEuropean market are there inthe pipeline. Around 43,000passengers have poured in2011 and we expect around60,000 throughout 2012,” hefurther added.

Many of the travel part-ners will benefit with this

software as it’s the easiesttool and perfect connectionbetween the suppliers andthe partners to get every dataand availabilities round the

clock. The familiarisation tripfor the travel trade from CISmarket is scheduled forSeptember 2012.

With vigorous expan-sion endeavour, the companyhas also planned to move itsnew office in Business Bay byOctober 2012.

Rami AsaadManaging DirectorDarina Holidays

The software will help thecompany increase itsbusiness

The company expects therevenue to increase by 40-60%

D-Travel Software

Akbar Travels of India,one of the leading IATA

agency with 55 IATA officesallover India, is a resonantname in the travel industry.With Akbar Holidays, thecompany is making a nichefor itself in the ever bloomingtravel market.

“We, at Akbar Holidays,are encouraged to rightlyutilise the accomplishment of Akbar Travels of India toour advantage to offer thebest value and stress-freeholidays to our customerstravelling to any destinationsworldwide,” explained ManjuManchanda, Manager, AkbarHolidays, a Division of AkbarTravels of India.

“Due to major market-ing done by Dubai Tourism,the inbound sector of Dubaiis booming. Traditional travelperiods from the Middle Eastencompass peak, shoulderand low season travel, ensur-

ing year-round appeal with a wide target market forsingles, couples, families and businessmen,” she further informed.

“No brand name goeswithout challenges. The polit-ical unrest in Middle East hasalready affected the tourismindustry and in turn, its econ-omy. All the more it is also avery competitive marketwhere the main confront isthe rates. We do come acrossclients who check rates with

various agents. But, we aresure of the products we havein terms of airlines and land,”asserts Manchanda.

The argument on onlineand traditional travel agen-cies is an ongoing process.The online travel agenciesare spreading at an escalatingrate for their own marketshare, useful for travellerswho plan their trips much inadvance and book all servicesonline. Contrarily, familieswho wish to travel willalways visit traditional travelagents for their personalisedservices. Hence, both willcontinue on a parallel route,depending entirely on thetravel trade.

Akbar Holidays, a subbrand of Akbar Travels,specialises in business,pleasure, incentive,individual, medical, familyand group travels

Holiday Specialised

Headquartered in Mumbai, Akbar Travels of India has14 branch offices all over UAE and has ventured intoholiday business with a new company, Akbar Holidays.

Foraying into new avenues

Manju ManchandaManager, Akbar Holidays Division of Akbar Travels of India

Darina Holiday plans to develop D-Travel, a new software that will directly connect to the hotels that provide last minute rates and availabilities.

Darina Holiday’s D-Travel

Fam trip to SeychellesThe Seychelles Tourism Board Middle East Office in partnership with Etihad Airways recently took travel professionals from Dammam, Saudi Arabia to visit the Seychelles Islands.

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NTO1 2 TRAVTALK A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2

Thirty-four industryrepresentatives including

some from the leading hotelsof the emirate attended theorientation tour. It includedlectures on Sharjah’s history,culture and tourism sectorand visits to a number ofmuseums, art galleries,cultural and historicallandmarks of the emirate.

Over the past year,SCTDA organised variouscampaigns introducingSharjah’s tourism productand services, including ‘Know

Your Destination’, ‘SharjahTreasures’ for the benefit ofrepresentatives of the leadinghotels and tourism operators.

Mohamed Ali AlNoman, Chairman, SCTDAsaid, “The Authority is com-mitted in promotingSharjah’s special tourismproduct locally, regionally andinternationally. The ‘DiscoverSharjah’ was a part of the Authority’s efforts toupdate and enhance the skills of the tourism sectorrepresentatives.”

The group had visitedSharjah University City,

Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation, SharjahAquarium, Al MahattaMuseum, Classic CarsMuseum, ArchaeologyMuseum, Sharjah DiscoveryCenter among other land-marks. The group alsoexplored Heritage areas on foot.

The Chairman addedthat the orientation tour hadbeen timed to coincide withthe summer when hotels inthe emirate witness a sharp increase in occupancyrates, mostly from the GCC countries, especially

after the recentSCTDA roadshows inGulf capitals.

During thesummer season, hepointed out, the emi-rate organises anumber of promo-tional and entertain-ment events andexhibitions like

Sharjah Summer Promotionsand Ramadan and Eid Fair. “We are counting on summer events and activities to increase tourism inflow into the emirate,” said Al Noman.“Even if it remains true to itstraditions, the emirate boastsmodern infrastructure andinternational hotels andresorts attracting visitorsfrom worldwide,” he furtherexplained.

A two-day orientation tour, ‘Discover Sharjah’ by Sharjah Commerce andTourism Development Authority (SCTDA), took place recently for the frontoffice staff of the Emirate’s growing tourism and hospitality sector.

‘Discover Sharjah’ by SCTDA

Extensive discussions wereheld to enhance bilateral

co-operation in trade andinvestment sectors. UAE’sinvestments in Indonesiahave reached US$ 25.1million in 2011. Therepresentatives from both thecountries discussed aboutincreasing cooperation ontrade, tourism, investmentand services.

The Tourism IndonesiaMart & Expo (TIME 2012)will be held on October 9-11,2012 at Graha Wangsa. TIMEis the only B2B internationalconceptual travel mart inIndonesia. Supported by theIndonesian Ministry ofTourism & Creative Economy,TIME is organised by the

Indonesian Tourism Council.The event is a meeting placefor those who sell tourismproducts services ofIndonesia to the internationalmarket.

“We want them todiscover Indonesiaas a multiple optionunder one sky.Nowadays, peopleneed to see it tobelieve it and so weare working hardwith our travelpartners to spreadthe word topotential travellersfrom the Middle East,”informed Nour Aridi, CountryManager, Visit IndonesiaTourism Office, Middle EastRepresentation Office.

“To promote the desti-nation, familiarisation tripsare organised for the travelagents from the Middle Eastregion, however we try to

choose the best from eachtravel agency or tours opera-tor to join our fam tours.Meanwhile, we attend salescalls and organise in-housetraining sessions to provide

an authentic feel ofIndonesia,” she added.

Indonesia has a wealthof tropical landscape, beauti-ful beaches, rainforest,mountains and volcanoes,golf, wildlife. The countryoffers a variety of internation-al cuisine including a widerange of Halal food.

A high profile Indonesian delegation recently visitedthe Department of Economic Development (DED) inDubai and met senior DED officials to enhance thebilateral economic ties between Indonesia and Dubai.

Reinforcing mutual ties

33,566 from KSA

1,462 from UAE

330 from Bahrain

Tourist Arrivals(Jan-May, 2012)

Mohamed Ali Al NomanChairman SCTDA

n The main building of theSaudi Commission forTourism and Antiquities(SCTA) has been chosen asthe best eco-friendly proj-ect in the Kingdom of SaudiArabia by the 2nd SaudiArabia Building andInfrastructure Summit(SABIS-2012) recently heldin Riyadh, said EngineerAbdul Mohsin Abanami,Director General -Engineering and SupportiveServices, SCTA.

The blue-glassed head-quarters of SCTA, which islocated in the DiplomaticQuarters in Riyadh, waschosen because its designobserves all the aspects ofsustainable environmentalstandards, added Abanami.

The headquarter com-prises three buildings ofdifferent sizes. The build-ing’s backyard - 40 per centof the building total area -includes gardens and serv-ices containing a number ofpalm trees, shading shrubsand a pond in its center, which confers abreathtaking view.

It is easy to note that

the building’s design hastaken into account a num-ber of sustainable environ-mental standards, includingthe building’s ability tosave power by utilisingsolar light as a better eco-nomical solution to electric-ity consumption.

All the three buildingshave internal courtyardsthat include different kindsof shade plants for airpurification and ventilation.A sloping Armstrong ceiling- beginning from the win-dows to the building’s cen-ter - allows floodlight toengulf offices and corridorsinside the building, besideslimiting the use of electric-ity.

The roofs of the threebuildings are covered withspecial layers to reduceemission gases into thebuilding.

Noteworthy, the build-ing of SCTA is considered asthe iconic building in itsaesthetic design and form,which is located in theDiplomatic Quarter inRiyadh, built on an area inexcess of 17,000 sq m.

Best eco-friendly project in KSA

Nour AridiCountry ManagerVisit Indonesia Tourism OfficeMiddle East Representation Office

It was held under thepatronage of Maitha Bint

Saif Al Mahrouqiyah,Undersecretary, Ministry of Tourism, Oman at the Sheraton Qurum Beach Resort.

The idea of the projectis based on having an appli-cation that includes informa-tion on 30 geo sites inMuscat, such as Al Khoud,Bandar Al Khairan, Wadi AlMeeh and Baushar. The pro-gramme includes maps forMuscat, geological sites andtheir paths to facilitateaccess to destinations byusers and to provide them with information on the sites.

“It is one of the vitalprojects, which highlights theenvironmental identityenjoyed by the Sultanate andits natural and geologicnature,” said Mahrouqiyah.

She said the ministryaims to activate the projectduring this period to high-light the environmental

aspect and focus on sustain-able environment.

She further informedthat the project has beenimplemented in collaborationwith a large number of spe-cialised departments at theMinistry of Tourism, spe-cialised companies in geology

and environment and theSultan Qaboos University(SQU). She described theproject as a scientific projectrather than a tourist one. Itprovides valuable tourist,environmental and geologicalinformation on the Sultanate.

The project is a digitalprogramme that can be transmitted via smartphones in four languages.

Thirty major geological sitesin Muscat have been covered.The programme is availablein Arabic, English, Germanand French languages. There are maps in Arabic and English for select sites besides sign boards on

geological information and illustrations.

The MuscatGeoheritage project got theUNESCO Award for its com-mitment to sustainabledevelopment, education andcultural approach as its partof efforts made by theTourism Ministry to developthe tourism sector in theSultanate.

The Tourism Ministry of Oman recently launched the‘Muscat Geoheritage Auto Guide’ project. The idea ofthe project is to have an application that includesinformation on 30 geo sites in Muscat.

Oman launches Auto Guide

It is one of the vital projects, that

highlights the environmental identity

and the natural and geologic

nature of Oman

Maitha Bint Saif Al MahrouqiyahUndersecretary

Ministry of Tourism, Oman

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HOTELS A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 1 3

To make it moreinteresting, the property

added exciting features forthe children, by addingcolours, games, splashes ofwater and many moreattractions and activities.

During the Holy Monthof Ramadan, splendid Iftarbuffet with traditional

Ramadan drinks, beveragesand Shisha are being offered.To complete the night, anamazing Sohour is beingserved A la carte atCinnamon from 11pm tillsunrise. Special rates are alsobeing offered for a group of

10 or more on the purchaseof Ramadan gift vouchers

Discussing on the futureplans and strategies AndreasMueller, General Manager,Cove Rotana, Ras Al Khaimahexplained, “As a resort it isimportant to offer a destina-tion rather than just a hotel.

Nowadays, thetourists andbusiness guests,prefer to exploreoutside the hotelboundaries toexperience the localtraditions andcustoms. Hence, wejointly promote RAKTourism as a veryviable alternativeleisure and businessdestination.”

The guests are targettedfrom Russian and CIS coun-tries along with the GCCmarket for 2012. There areplans to offer special pack-ages for 79 villas to attractthe GCC visitors in particular.Over 70 per cent of the occu-pancy is generated by tour

operators and business on thebooks. “The remaining 2012suggests a very healthy per-formance for the Cove withlot of reservations from thetour IT segment mainly fromEuropean market, holidaymakers and weekenders.There are special tour opera-tors rate offered along withfamiliarisation trips in theresort,” added Mueller.

Rotana hotels haverecently opened additionalsales offices in Moscow,Mumbai and Shanghai and are optimistic towards exploring these markets soon.

The Cove Rotana Resort is Rotana’s first property in RasAl Khaimah and is celebrating Eid in Cinnamon, offeringa variety of dishes, during the entire Holy Month.

Eid with Cove Rotana

Andreas MuellerGeneral Manager, Cove Rotana Ras Al Khaimah

During the Holy Month ofRamadan, splendid Iftarbuffet with traditionalRamadan drinks,beverages and Shisha arebeing offered. To completethe night, an amazingSohour is being served A lacarte at Cinnamon from11pm till sunrise. Specialrates are also being offeredfor a group of 10 or moreon the purchase ofRamadan gift vouchers

Celebrating Ramadan

The property had its softlaunch of the SKYBAR

20th floor recently and willformally start operation postRamadan. Offering overallconvenience for residence andtourists alike, the hotel coversall kind of entertainmentneeds in one area.

The Group, GAMA, is inthe venture of expansionplans of introducing morehotels in the near future. EIDSpecial promotion fromAugust 18 to 23 offers the 5th

night complimentary ifbooked for 4 nights and whenbooked for 3 nights, the 4th

night will have 30 per centoff. During the entireRamadan period, the hotelwill play Arabic music withtraditional dishes.

The travel trade is anadditional site of advertise-ment and has strong data-bases of specific market seg-ments. “If they are bigbrand they add an

endorsement for the property reassuring the cus-tomer of quality. That’s whathas happened with us.

We always workclosely with thetravel trade and aregrateful to them fortheir support,especially in suchdifficult times.

Our strong personal tieswill mutually benefit our

businesses and we are look-ing forward to boost ourgrowth in the market in the near future as well,” expressed ShankarBharadwaj, GeneralManager, Hotel Diva, Juffair, Bahrain.

“With the US$ 2.9bnupgrade on Bahrain’s logisticsinfrastructure, including a newbridge to Qatar, an airportexpansion, a logistics zone anda larger port, business dimen-sions looks bright here.Presently we are maintainingthe quality of the hotels andafter Ramadan we will againsurge ahead with vigour,”Bharadwaj further informed.

Shankar BharadwajGeneral ManagerHotel Diva, Juffair Bahrain

The hotel is one of theflagship property for highprofile hotels It witnessed 60%occupancy level eventhough it started operatingduring the unrest phase

Immense Prospect

Palais NamaskarMarrakech is a destina-

tion of its own where thegreeting, ‘Namaskar’ means‘the spirit in me respects thespirit in you’ and this is howthe new hotel treats itsguests and employees.

Oetker Collection hotelsare fortunate enough to havea steady clientele from theMiddle East who are veryloyal to their preferred prop-

erty. Hence the recent politi-cal unrest couldn’t impact asit has on the overall travelindustry of the Middle East.

“As socially and envi-ronmentally responsibleCollection, we try to respectand protect the environment.Hotel du Cap–Eden-Roc inAntibes and Chateau SaintMartin and Spa in Venicehave just received the ‘Green Actors’ recognition in favour of sustainabledevelopment,” asserts

Alain Briere, Vice PresidentSales and Marketing, Oetker Collection.

Across the Collection,around 25 to 30 per cent ofthe bookings pour in from the travel trade, dependingon the season. “We providethe best of training to thetravel trade through fam trips to experience our prod-uct and services.

Our sales activitiesare supported byregular e-commercecampaigns, e-newsletters andabove all Rami AlJabari, our Directorfor Sales in theMiddle East, basedin Dubai is inregular touch withall the agents forspecial assistance,”concluded Briere.

The special offers includeone night complimentaryfor three paying nights andtwo nights complimentaryfor five paying nights

With Palais Namaskar just opened and Le BristolAbu Dhabi underconstruction, the Groupanticipates opening of ten properties for thenext ten years

Company Portfolio

Oetker Collection recently launched ‘Palais Namaskar’,the new hotel in Marrakech and is promoting specialcomplimentary offers to its guests.

Palais Namaskar Marrakech

Alain BriereVice President Sales and MarketingOetker Collection

Hotel Diva started operating in April 2011 at the peak ofunrest, yet, it showed an average of 60 per cent in its occupancy level in 2012 compared to 2011.

Undaunted by the unrest

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FAMILY ALBUM1 4 TRAVTALK A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2

IndiGo linking Dubai to IndiaIndian low cost carrier, IndiGo has launched new Arabic website in Dubai recently. To tap into the Middle East outbound market, IndiGo is the first Indian airline to launch such a site that coincided also with the roll out of four new flight links between Dubai and India.

presenting its beautyIncredible India Tourism roadshow took place in Atlantis Hotel, Dubai on June 28, 2012 to provide a glimpse of the tourism products and travel experiences that India offers as a tourist destination. Organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and supported by Indian Missions in the UAE, the representatives from the overall travel industry had joined the event.


MOVEMENTS A U G U S T , 2 0 1 2 TRAVTALK 1 5

Amari DohaQatarDamian Ball is appointed as the General Manager of AmariDoha, Qatar. An Australian native Graduate in Tourism & Hospitality,he brings 18 years of experience in theAsia-Pacific region with him. In his newrole, Ball will be responsible for overall operations of the soon-to-be-launched property. Having started hiscareer in Front Office, he has sinceheld various management andgeneral management positions at different international resor ts/hotels, including Australia, Philippinesand the Maldives.

Oetker Collection DubaiRami Al-Jabari is appointed as the new Regional Director ofSales for Middle East & Africa for The Oetker Collection. He comes

with over 17 years and in his presentprofile, he will oversee the sales ofPalais Namaskar, the newly-openedOetker Collection masterpiece inMarrakech, Morocco, and pre-opening sales roadmap for Le

Bristol Abu Dhabi. Prior to his presentprofile, Al-Jabari was the GeneralManager of Marriott Global Sales

Organisation for the GulfCountries and Jordan.

Mina A’ Salam in Madinat JumeirahDubaiAzar Saliba has been appointed as the Hotel Manager at MinaA’ Salam in Madinat Jumeirah. Lebanese-born, Saliba is the

youngest hotel manager within theJumeirah Group and comes with 17years of hospitality experience. Prior tothis, he was the Resident Manager atJumeirah Beach Hotel. He has beenwith the Jumeirah Group in Dubaisince 2006. He holds a Degree fromthe American Hotel and Lodging

Association from Michigan and aBachelor Degree from BCU

University in Lebanon.

Amadeus Gulf Abu DhabiGraham Nichols joins Amadeus Gulf as the new ManagingDirector. In his present role, he will be accountable for growing

the business in the Gulf region (UAE,Oman and Bahrain). Nichols hasmoved to Abu Dhabi joining Etihad asthe Managing Director of their Jointventure with Amadeus in the Gulfregion. A British national, he bringsextensive experience in the corporateworld. He had a previous stint with

Amadeus as the Managing Director ofAmadeus UK for 4 years.

ADNEC Abu DhabiPieter Idenburg is the new Group Chief Executive Officer forAbu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC). He brings

more than 25 years of customer servicepassion and has held seniormanagement positions in a numberof international organisations such asAmerican Airlines, The Walt DisneyCompany and British Airways. Mostrecently, he also served as the CEO of

Suntec Singapore Exhibition &Convention Centre where he helmed

events such as the first everYouth Olympic Games.

Pera Palace HotelIstanbulPınar Kartal Timer, the hotel’s current General Manager, joinsthe Jumeirah Group leadership team. Timer started her career atthe Hilton Istanbul in 1988. She heldseveral positions until her promotionto Director of Sales and Marketingfor both Hilton Istanbul and HiltonParksa in 1994. She also workedfor Mövenpick and Kempinskibefore being appointed asGeneral Manager of Pera PalaceHotel in 2009. A Turkish national,she is fluent in English and German.

Four Seasons Hotels & ResortsParisChristopher Norton will be the new President - HotelOperations for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), effective

September 1, 2012. In his presentprofile, he will be providing strategicleadership to the properties in eachof Four Seasons diverse operatingregions. All Regional VicePresidents in the region will report

to Norton. He joined Four Seasons in1989 and has served as Regional VPof the company and GM of Four

Seasons Hotel George V Parissince 2007.

JW Marriott Marquis Dubai DubaiJohn Farrelly is the new Director of Marketing for JWMarriott Marquis Hotel Dubai. In his present profile, he isresponsible for building awarenessand sales for this future landmarkof luxury. Farrelly joined MarriottInternational in UK in 1999 asDirector of Sales. Followingwhich he was named as thecluster Director of Sales andMarketing in 2005 and made themove to the UAE to take on hisDubai role in late 2011.

Anthony Tuttle is the new Director of Food and Beverage in JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. He brings with him almost 25 years of Marriott experience after he joined the company straight from his Culinary Arts degree in the U.S.A. He then transitioned to Director of Food & Beverage and carried this title with him as he travelled

the world taking positions in California,Hawaii, China and now here in Dubai. Tuttle is no stranger to hotel openings having opened five Marriott International propertiesin Mexico, Thailand and China.

Abu Dhabi takes Irish travel on a sail

Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), which backs Volvo Ocean Race contesting outfit, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, hosted more than 15 top Eire travel and tour operators in Galway, Ireland, as part of round-the-worldsailing event’s final showing. Tour operators also got to sail with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing on its state-of-the-art Azzam yacht. Etihad Airways’ representatives were also in Galway to promote the company.

Suite 201, 202, 203, 204 Al Sayegh Building, Bur Dubai, P.O. Box 20808 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Tel: +971 4 334 4330 / 335 7676 | Fax: +971 4 334 4232 / 335 7111E-mail: [email protected] | Website: www.lama.ae



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