arabian travel news - april 2010

SAA TALENT COMP | TOURISM IRELAND | TRIED AND TESTED | ARABIAN TRAVEL NEWS AWARDS

An ITP Business PublicationApril 2010 Issue 4 Vol. 5

Licensed by Dubai Media City

01 April 2010 – Arabian Travel Newswww.hoteliermiddleeast.com

News

03 NewsAgents stop selling BA due to strikes; airlines in India forced to pay commission; Etihad launches an in-house DMC.

06 ATN AwardsNominate now for the fi rst ever ATN awards happening in May.

10 News analysisMany airlines are cutting fi rst class cabins but will this be bad for business in the long term?

12 CruiseNorwegian Epic to have largest spa; Crystal launches space pack-ages, RCI grows Euro fl eet.

13 LuxuryOdysseus launches its new bro-chure with Spain as hot pick.

14 Tourism BoardsADTA unveils its new initiative to boost visitor numbers.

15 AirlinesAir France launches new route.

16 AccomodationIHG opens its biggest Holiday Inn Express; The Meydan launches in time for the Dubai World Cup.

18 MICECheaper hotel rates look set to attract the MICE market.

19 ToolsAmadeus launches SMS solution; Travelport helps with commission.

Contents

10Q&A

22 InterviewATN chats to Ali Abu Monassar ex-head of Net Group about his newly launched DMC The Vision.

Skillset

20 Arabian Travel Market ATM is on again next month.Here’s why you can’t afford to miss it.

26 Tried & Tested ATN checks out the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi.

30

28 Mystery shopperThis month Ethos Consultancy mystery shoppers revisit some top performing agencies from 2009 to see if they’ve been able to keep their standards high.

How to sell

30 South Africa With the World Cup kicking off in June, now is the perfect time to sell football packages to your cli-ents - just don’t forget what else this destination has to offer.

Agent action

36 Shamrock Agents A training initiative from Tourism Ireland, Shamrock Agents proves to be a big hit with over 100 agents signing up to complete the course ATN fi nds out what it’s all about.

38 SAA calls for talent SAA is on the hunt for talent in the travel trade with the launch of its ‘Come live your dream’ 2010 mod-elling and dance competition.

39 New recruitSuman Bose, the new sales man-ager at Mercure Grand Hotel tells us about his new position.

40 Five minutes with...Averil Clarke chats about her new role with Chase Travel in Dubai.

22

03 April 2010 – Arabian Travel Newswww.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel

News

Agents stop selling BA due to strikesWalkout by cabin crew leads to cancelled flights to Dubai, Doha and Bahrain

Dubai is cheap enough says Starwood

STRIKES

ROOM RATES

Ahmed Baki, regional direc-tor of sales & marketing Mid-dle East for Starwood Hotels & Resorts has refuted those who claim that Dubai still remains too expensive as a holiday destination.

“I just came from Mos-cow and Kiev where the room rate in an off-season period is 350 Euros (1,757.87 AED), so I

News

cheaper room rates and pro-mos, demand for Dubai this year was booming again. “There has been some repo-sitioning of Dubai into a dif-ferent price tier which cre-ated a lot of demand for the destination. Even though people are availing special packages and promos it is attracting a new market that never existed before, and a new segment that didn’t

Local travel agents said they had stopped recommend-ing British Airways to their clients, following the com-mencement of strike action by BA cabin crew.

More than half a mil-lion British Airways passen-gers, including those travel-ling on fl ights from London to Dubai, Bahrain and Doha, had their travel plans dis-rupted when BA cabin crew staged a three-day walkout from 20th March. The Unite trade union called for a series of strikes by up to 12,000 fl ight attendants, with another four-day stoppage planned from 27th March and further strike action to take place after 14th April if a deal on pay and working conditions still has not been reached.

Agents said the uncer-tainty caused by the indus-trial action had forced them to recommend alternative airlines to their customers. Mark Reed, general manager, Arabian Pacifi c Travel & Tour-ism LLC told Arabian Travel News: “Arabian Pacifi c made

tomer not coming fi rst again will take a long time to repair, if ever. BA will struggle to get passengers back who switch to other airlines; even if they offer very aggressive prices once they settle their differ-ences. The problem is it is their front end and BA Execu-tive club customers who will really feel let down and whom the airline should want to keep and not the price con-scious shoppers who will not show airline loyalty anyway.”

BA cabin crew staged a three-day walkout after talks with the airline over pay broke down.

Adeel Ahmed, supervi-sor OutBound Dept, Belhasa Tourism & Travel agreed that the strikes would do major damage to business for BA: “British Airways is one of the most prestigious air-lines, but if [cabin crew] go on strike they will defi nitely lose quite a lot of business, and as you know the reces-sion is still not over yet.”

A spokesperson for BA confi rmed that the strikes had affected fl ights going to the Middle East.

“We have cancelled two fl ights on the London-Dubai route on March 21 and March 22. There has been no impact on Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi or Muscat. Two fl ights on the London-Bah-rain-Doha route have also been cancelled.”

Passengers affected by the strikes have been told they can claim a full refund. “We have proactively con-tacted passengers whose flights have been affected by the strikes in order to rebook, reroute or refund their flights,” said the spokesperson.

really don’t understand what is this perception of Dubai still being expensive? What do you call expensive?” he told ATN in an interview.

“Dubai is competitive,” said Baki. “It’s holding its position. It’s not going cheap, and it’s not going overly expensive. It’s affordable to the right customer for this destination.”

Baki added that thanks to

strikes had ‘tarnished’ the image of British Airways and would lead to a major loss of business for the airline. “The strikes mean that peo-ple can’t plan properly and can’t assume if fl ying BA they can get from A to B on their required dates and times without any disruption. It is diffi cult as even loyal BA fol-lowers probably support the airline and not the union.

“The tarnished image and the perception of the cus-

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a commercial decision sev-eral weeks ago to stop selling BA from our fl ight options as we felt with the ongoing threat of strike action our cli-ents would be best advised to book alternative options.”

“If the client is insistent on booking BA we would take it on a case by case basis and make them fully aware of the process and time period for refunds if cancel-lation was required.”

Reed added that the

come before. Occupancy lev-els are climbing.”

He added: “We are going to ITB [a travel trade show in Berlin] next week and I can tell you that whatever we are paying at ITB is much more than whatever we would be paying in Dubai.”

Ahmed Baki

03 April 2010 – Arabian Travel News

04 Arabian Travel News – April 2010 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel

NewsNews

Airlines in India must pay commissionDGCA tells airlines they must reinstate commission payments to travel agents

COMMISSION

DTCM to train tour guidesTRAINING

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Com-merce Marketing (DTCM) has launched a number of training initiatives for those working within the tour-ism sector, including tour guides, hotel receptionists and concierges.

Director general of DTCM, Khalid A Bin Sulayem, said, “The depart-ment plays an important role in developing the tour-ism sector through train-

ing courses for those work-ing in the industry. Our goal is to provide quality services to tourists and visitors, be it authentic information about the destination or the services rendered to the hotel guests and others.”

There is also an ongo-ing push to encourage UAE nationals to join the indus-try. There are currently 720 nationals employed in tour-ism, 91 of whom work as tour guides. DTCM has set up a special task force to tackle this issue.

number of UAE nationals working in the tourism sector 720

Singapore Airlines ditches First Class on new A330Singapore Airlines introduced its brand new Daily Airbus A330-300 in Abu Dhabi in March - minus a fi rst-class cabin.

The new planes, which started fl ying from Singapore to Abu Dhabi on 29 March have replaced the old Boeing 777s, and are confi gured in a two-class layout with 30 Business Class and 255 Economy Class seats.

Singapore Airlines said it had removed the fi rst-class cabin due to a drop in demand for premium travel. “Demand for fi rst class has dropped in certain sectors, especially the medium haul sector,” said Desmond Lim, manager Abu Dhabi, Singapore Airlines. “Last year, because of the economic downturn there were a lot of changes in the travel policies of multinational companies which would generally choose premium travel.

“We have always modelled our cabin according to market requirements so

we see that the demand for fi rst-class is more on very long haul sectors rather than medium and short haul routes, so we tailor our product accordingly.”

The new A330-300s offer an enhanced business class section, with lie-fl at beds, and iPod ports. Jose Thachil, marketing manager Gulf, Singapore Airlines said: “Although there is no fi rst class, the business class cabin offers a lot more comfort and luxury for our customers.”

International airlines oper-ating in India could be forced to start paying commission to travel agents again follow-ing a directive issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in March.

Thirteen international air-lines started operating a zero commission system from November 2008 in a move fi ercely opposed by travel agents in India.

The regulator has asked that the airlines reconsider this policy and negotiate new commission terms with travel agents.

Rajji Rai, president, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) which spearheaded a campaign against zero com-

was unlikely such a decision could ever be replicated in this region.

“It will certainly be inter-esting to see if the airlines are forced to re-introduce commissions to the agents. If so, it will certainly buck the global trend and be a sal-utary lesson to many of the

Singapore Airlines offi cials at the launch.

Singapore Airlines was among the international carriers to introduce zero commission in India.

carriers,” said Fewtrell. “As far as it being mir-

rored in the GCC, I person-ally have my doubts. The Indian agents are able to work together to face such problems and also get strong support from the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Airlines that dis-continued commissions will be reluctant to recommence, particularly in the current economic scenario.”

Fewtrell added that the reversal of zero commission would not always be a posi-tive step: “Certainly it would be benefi cial for many agen-cies but not for those who would immediately revert to undercutting and discount-ing the commissions to the consumers yet again.”

mission said the directive was a big victory for travel agents in India. He told The Hindu: “We still have to meet with the airlines to thrash out the commission payable to us…We are very comfort-able if the commission goes back to pre-November 2008 levels of 5 percent, although

the rate has to be negoti-ated.” So far no deal has been reached.

Despite strong opposi-tion among many agents in the GCC for zero commis-sion, Leo Fewtrell, man-ager, Dubai Travel and Tour Agents Group (DTTAG) told Arabian Travel News that it


ATN Awards

AWARDS

Travel agents in the Middle East are to have their very own dedicated awards night, hosted by Arabian Travel News on 6th May 2010 in a glittering ceremony at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Dubai.

The Arabian Travel News Awards will celebrate excel-lence in the Middle East’s travel agency commu-nity. We are looking for pas-sionate people who go the extra mile - whether this means staying late to com-plete a tricky holiday pack-age, or lobbying suppliers to improve travel agency terms for the benefi t of all.

From frontline staff who strive to improve product knowledge and customer service skills, to agency man-agers who manage to hit tar-get while keeping teams motivated and inspired.

And not forgetting the the back-offi ce staff who keep the business running smoothly; the IT gurus who know their GDS from their CRM; the HR and training managers, plus the num-ber crunchers who chase up client accounts and com-mission payments – we are looking for you! The win-ners of these awards, the fi rst of their kind in the Mid-dle East, are the unsung

heroes of the travel industry.

IT MANAGER OF THE YEARThe IT Manager of the Year is a whiz when it comes to installing user-friendly IT systems – from account-ing to GDS – that make the agency more effi cient and make life easier for every-one. They must also cham-pion IT training for staff and liaise with IT and GDS sup-pliers on a regular basis to ensure the agency is up-to-date at all times.

FINANCE MANAGER OF THE YEAR A responsible, trustworthy and loyal character deserves this award. Not only do they pay the bills, manage large cash fl oats, and pay salaries, but they do the dirty work and chase-up cash owed by clients. Their number-crunching skills are essential to balance the books.

MARKETING MANAGER OF THE YEAR Creativity, style and endless enthusiasm are key attri-butes to win this award. They are responsible for creating a travel agency’s personal-

ity, brand image and aware-ness in the marketplace. The nominee should be known for their ability to manage members of the press.

AGENT NEWCOMER OF THE YEARThis enthusiastic agent should have joined the industry in the last year and have shown bound-less enthusiasm for the job, being keen to learn, work-ing extra hours if necessary and taking every opportu-nity to learn the skills he or she requires to be a top-class travel agent.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDOld-timers are the very essence of the travel and tourism industry. They’ve seen it all from commission abolition to the changeover to e-ticketing, and they’re still alive to tell the tale. This industry stalwart is a role model in the region’s travel community and has made an outstanding contribution to the industry throughout their career.

Categories for the Arabian Travel Awards 2010:

BRANCH MANAGER OF THE YEARThis award goes to the travel agency branch manager who has gone beyond the call of duty: driving sales, training staff and inspiring and moti-vating their team.

LEISURE TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER OF THE YEARThis manager must pas-sionate about outbound lei-sure travel. Not only can they manage a travel agency effi -ciently in terms of driving sales, but they know how to train, motivate and reward their staff too.

LEISURE SALES AGENT OF THE YEARThis agent works on the front line, has good destination knowledge, shows initiative, strong up-selling and cus-tomer service skills. He is passionate about leisure travel taking part in training, fam trips, workshops and trade events when-ever possible.

CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER OF THE YEARThis manager is pas-sionate about cor-porate travel and an expert customer rela-tionship manager.

Not only can they manage a corporate travel agency effi -ciently in terms of driving sales, but they know how to train, motivate and reward their staff too.

CORPORATE SALES AGENT OF THE YEARThis travel agent works on the frontline and shows ini-tiative and strong customer service skills. This agent is passionate about corporate travel, taking part in train-ing, fam trips, workshops and trade events.

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT CEO OF THE YEAR

This award goes to a CEO or MD who is an expert in his or her fi eld and is not only adept at run-

ning a TMC, but has shown lead-ership by

a p p o i n t i n g and empow-ering a strong team of cor-

porate travel experts.

HR MANAGER OF THE YEARThis award is for someone who has championed staff training, moti-vating staff about career progres-sion, going beyond

the call of duty look-ing after the agen-cy’s workforce.

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Are you a winner? First Arabian Travel News Awards to celebrate the industry’s unsung heroes

WHAT: ARABIAN TRAVEL NEWS AWARDS 2010WHEN: 6TH MAY 2010WHERE: PARK HYATT HOTEL, DUBAI HOW: The Arabian Travel News Awards 2010 are open to all individuals working in the Middle East. To enter the awards, nominate a colleague or to book a table for this unmissable event please visit: www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/atnawards/


‘Kids go free’ in bid to boost tourism Dubai launches major summer promo in a bid to ramp up visitor numbers

MARKETING

Dubai has launched a major promotional campaign, in a bid to boost visitor numbers over the traditionally slow summer period.

The ‘Kids Go Free’ cam-paign has been launched for the second year in a row, in partnership between Dubai Tourism & Commerce Mar-keting (DTCM), Emirates Airline, over 80 hotels, The Dubai Mall, the Department of Residency, and local desti-nation management compa-nies, to offer families incen-tives and savings on their trip to Dubai this summer.

The offer allows two chil-dren up to the age of 16 free fl ights on Emirates, tour-ist visas, accommodation, meals, rides on the Dubai metro, airport transfers, and access to numerous attrac-tions in Dubai when accom-

partnering with DTCM and bringing more Dubai travel and hospitality partners onboard.

“We look forward to help-ing families enjoy their sum-mer break, starting from their journey onboard Emir-ates. Our in-fl ight service

offers a wide range of special meals suited to our young travellers, and also interac-tive games, TV channels and movies on-demand - ensur-ing every member of the fam-ily is entertained.”

Saleh Mohammed Al Geziry, director, overseas promotions & inward mis-sions, Government of Dubai (DTCM), said: “Dubai is the ultimate family-friendly hol-iday destination. Besides the numerous world-class attrac-tions, Dubai is a very safe city, it is easy and affordable to get around by car, taxi or our new-ly-opened metro, and our international resident pop-ulation makes it easy for any travelling family to feel right at home. There is something for everyone, and we want to encourage more families from around the globe to come to Dubai and experience it for themselves.”

president, commercial oper-ations worldwide said: “Our ‘Kids Go Free’ offer was immensely successful last year, attracting over 20,000 passengers from 70 coun-tries to Dubai. This year, we are delighted to be able to expand on the offering by

Banyan Tree rewards top agents with free hotel stays INCENTIVE

Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has unveiled its revamped Xtraordinary Travel Con-sultants (XTC) programme which aims to reward travel agents who secure bookings at all Banyan Tree and Ang-sana properties.

The programme is avail-able to travel consultants via either a qualifying selec-tion process or by-invita-tion-only basis and privi-leges include preferential rates for accommodation, dining and spa treatments, as well as the opportunity to enjoy an all-expenses-paid

France, in 2009, and because it was well received by the travel agents, we decided to expand it into a worldwide

one-week holiday for two at a selected Banyan Tree or Ang-sana retreat.

“Through the XTC pro-gramme, we want to show our appreciation to our val-ued travel partners who have been instrumental in our growth from a single bou-tique resort in Phuket in 1994 to close to 30 resorts around the world today via a mean-ingful, exciting platform,” said Audrey Chung, assistant vice president, Global Mar-keting Network, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts.

“We launched XTC in selected markets like the UK, Singapore, China and

panied by two paying adults. Families also get a discount booklet for Dubai Mall. The promotion doubles up on last year’s offer, when only one child was invited from each family to holiday for free.

Richard Vaughan, Emir-ates’ divisional senior vice

Two children up to the age of 16 can holiday for free in Dubai this summer with their parents.

Agents have the chance to stay for free at a Banyan Tree resort.

programme this year,” added Chung. “To date, since our launch on 22 February this year, we have received over

400 enquiries from interested agents around the world.”

Members can track their progress on the dedicated XTC website banyantree.com/xtc, access useful tips and insider’s information on choice destinations, as well as receive updates on the lat-est promotions.

Agents in the GCC that are interested in joining the pro-gramme should contact Ban-yan Tree’s representative gen-eral sales agent for the Middle East: Tim Lane-Stott, direc-tor, Destination Marketing Division, Terhab Interna-tional: [email protected]

News


News

Race sails in to Abu Dhabi Volvo Ocean Race to bring 400,000 tourists to Abu Dhabi

EVENT

Abu Dhabi is to become a host port for the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race, a gruelling nine-month, 37,000 mile-long, around-the-world yacht race. A racing team from Abu Dhabi will also take part in the race which starts in Alicante next year. This is the fi rst time that the race will come to the Middle East. Abu Dhabi beat off stiff competition from over 80 cities in the bidding process to win its place as a host port. Race crews will arrive in Abu Dhabi in Jan-uary 2012 to a new marina currently being built at Emirates Palace . “This is a great day in our cam-paign to fi rmly establish Abu Dhabi’s credentials as a marine leisure des-tination,” said Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.

Al Muhairi said the event would be a major boon for the tourism indus-try in Abu Dhabi. The previous race was watched by 1.3 billion viewers, and host ports attracted vast num-bers of fans. “Three to four hun-dred thousand visitors usually go to these events, so we expect the same number. Internationally we expect another 10,000 people as sup-

The Volvo Ocean Yacht Race will sail into Abu Dhabi in January 2012.

percent hotel occupancy rates, and concluded that the direct economic impact of the race was “considerably higher than ‘household name’ events such as the Open Golf Championship and the UEFA Cup Final.”

“The Volvo Ocean Race brings a tremendous opportunity for Abu Dhabi’s branding and marketing,” said Al Muhairi. “We think the bene-fi ts we get out of participing will off-set any investments we put in.”

400,000 Number of tourists expected in Abu Dhabi to see the

Volvo Ocean Race

DMC

Etihad Airways has launched its own in-house destination management division – Hala Abu Dhabi.

Based in Abu Dhabi, the DMC will offer travel products and services throughout the UAE. According to Etihad, over half of the professionals employed in the company are Emir-ati nationals.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Air-ways chief commercial offi cer, said: “Etihad Airways already plays a cru-cial role in bringing visitors to Abu Dhabi, and the introduction of Hala

Etihad launches own Destination Management divisionAbu Dhabi will enable us to take that role a step further at what is a very exciting time for tourism in the region. Through Hala Abu Dhabi, we will offer a range of unique ground services and travel solutions to vis-itors to the UAE, further supporting Abu Dhabi’s goal of becoming one of the world’s most attractive business and leisure destinations.”

Services on offer include tours and desert safaris; event manage-ment; airport meet and assist; and ground transportation. Etihad said it has brought together an experienced team of specialists to work in the new

division. “Our Hala Abu Dhabi team has recently developed and man-aged inbound packages for the very successful Formula 1 Etihad Air-ways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009, as well as the V8 Supercars hosted in Abu Dhabi last month,” said Baum-gartner.

He added: “We look forward to working closely with our destination partners and tourism services in Abu Dhabi and across all seven Emirates to provide a one-stop inbound tour-ism shop delivering integrated travel solutions and unique experiences of consistently high quality.”

port and media and those who are involved in the race itself.

“This is a nine month race and Abu Dhabi will have a team participating. It’s huge, it’s not only about what will happen in the city but what will hap-pen over the nine months.”

A study by the Sports Business Group at Deloitte revealed that the 2008-2009 Race generated a total economic impact of US$131 million for the start port of Alicante, and 85


REGIONAL NEWSNews analysis

The end of fi rst class fl ying?With the recession causing a dent in premium travel, airlines are opting to cut first class from planes altogether, but they could be turning passengers away for good



It’s a matter of vision and reputation. Skipping your best service might offer some short-term profi ts, but in the long run those who invest in their fi rst-class product will benefi t more. ”very long haul sectors rather than medium and short haul routes, so we tailor our prod-uct accordingly.”

The airline insists that the enhanced com-fort of the business class section, with its lie-fl at beds, and iPod ports will more than make up for a lack of fi rst class. “Although there is no fi rst class, the business class cabin offers a lot more comfort and luxury for our customers,” said Jose Thachil, mar-keting manager Gulf, Singapore Airlines.

Other carriers are taking similar steps to reduce a reliance on fi rst. Qantas said in January that it plans to scrap two-thirds of its fi rst class seating to make room for more economy seats on long haul fl ights as part of a $350 million overhaul. The carrier will reconfi gure 29 aircraft leaving fi rst class on just 12 Airbus A380s.

“Our assessment of longer-term travel trends, which pre-dates the economic cri-sis, shows that international premium travel demand is changing,” said Alan Joyce, chief executive.

“It is vital that we align this offering with forecast demand which is expected to be relatively slow compared to business, pre-mium economy and economy.”

Doha-based Qatar Airways, known for the high standards of its premium cabins, which feature a stand-up bar, cream leather sofas and teak tables with lampshades, also announced plans to eliminate such luxuries from planes scheduled for delivery. Chief executive offi cer Akbar Al-Baker told the ITB conference last month: “We have made this decision as we will introduce a new out-standing business class in 2011.

LOSS OF LONG TERM BUSINESS? While the recession may have made a seri-ous dent in the demand for premium air travel, not everyone believes that scrapping fi rst class is the way forward. Natalie Mat-teus, from luxury travel company Odysseus Deluxe Travel Collection says this move could be detrimental to long-term business

for airlines. Odysseus, which caters to high net worth travellers says its own data reveals a “slight fall in the use of business class, but not in fi rst class.”

“People who can afford to fl y fi rst class will end up changing to other airlines that offer this service,” says Matteus. “There are only a handful of airlines that offer a fi rst-class service and these are seen as the very best airlines. First class should always be on offer for long haul travel and for Middle East and Far East markets.”

“It’s a matter of vision and reputation. Skipping your best service might offer some short-term profi ts, but in the long run those who invest in fi rst-class will benefi t more.

Matteus adds: “It’s really a pity that Singa-pore Airlines has taken this step especially as people from this region really value these services. Maybe they are doing the right thing in the short term, but I would say for this market, they are losing out on a lot of long term clients.”

There are still some carriers that agree with this sentiment. Gulf airlines Emirates and Etihad have bucked the budget trend altogether to launch lavish new premium cabins (Etihad was recently awarded ‘Lead-ing First Class’ at the World Travel Awards) and neither airline says it has any plans to cut back on its fi rst class offering.

“We have an excellent and very compet-itive premium class offering, and our First and Business cabins continue to be an important part of our product mix. We have no plans to reduce the number of fi rst and business class seats offered in our existing cabins,” Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ senior vice president commercial operations gulf, Middle East told Arabian Travel News.

Peter Baumgartner, chief commercial offi cer, Etihad added:

“We take a longer, more strategic approach to the cyclical aviation industry and are confi dent that premium travellers will return as global markets return to stron-ger trading conditions.”

he days of champers and free toiletries on fl ights could be fading fast as a

severe drop in the number of people opting for fi rst class

travel is prompting airlines to cut the cabin all altogether.

The recession has hit the luxury travel mar-ket hard. Data from IATA’s Premium Traf-fi c Monitor in December 2009 showed that demand for premium travel was down 17 percent below 2008 levels. “That implies that the industry has effectively lost 6 years of premium travel growth,” said the report.

According to a recent report by Euromon-itor International, entitled ‘Luxury Travel – Changing Travel Habits of the Elite’ pre-mium travel services have seen unprece-dented drops in revenue since the global fi nancial crisis in September 2008, forcing airlines to slash prices of fi rst and business class tickets and create promotions in order to encourage premium fl ight purchases.

“The global economic downturn has shrunk demand for premium travel, and it is diffi cult to determine whether it will ever recover to the peaks seen in 2007,” said Euromonitor. “Many airlines have changed the confi guration of their planes to reduce the number of premium seats, and it is likely that a percentage of business travellers have permanently defected to the cheap seats.”

CUTTING OUT FIRST CLASSIn March, Singapore Airlines unveiled its

brand new A330-300 in Abu Dhabi. The new planes replaced the older Boeing 777 for fl ights from Abu Dhabi to Singapore, and Singapore to Kuwait and Jeddah.

Despite being a premium carrier, which has built up a strong brand image of provid-ing a luxury service (the airline was one of the fi rst to introduce hot meals, free drinks, hot towels and personal entertainment sys-tems for all classes), the airline has cho-sen to ditch the fi rst-class cabin on the new planes altogether, designing them in a two-class, economy and business confi guration.

Desmond Lim, manager Abu Dhabi, Sin-gapore Airlines told Arabian Travel News: “The demand for fi rst class has dropped in certain sectors, especially the medium haul sector. Last year because of the economic downturn there were a lot of changes in the travel policies of multinational companies, which would choose premium travel.

“We have always modelled our cabin according to market requirements and we see that demand for fi rst class is more on

Royal Caribbean bolsters European fl eet Liberty of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas to make their European debut in 2011

ITINERARIES

NEW PACKAGE

iterranean itineraries. Then, it will offer a repeating seven-night Western Mediterranean itinerary for the remainder of the season. The ship features a FlowRider surf simulator, H20 Zone Water Park, a box-ing ring, cantilevered whirl-pools, and four-bedroom, four-bathroom presidential family suites that sleep up to 14 people.

Grandeur of the Seas will offer two brand-new alter-nating seven-night itinerar-ies, a Western Mediterranean and an Italian Mediterranean sailing roundtrip from Palma

Royal Caribbean Interna-tional (RCI) is to add two more ships to its European fl eet for the summer of 2011, taking its total to 10 ships.

Liberty of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas will make their European debut next year sailing from Barce-lona and Palma de Mallorca, Spain respectively.

Liberty of the Seas will begin its fi rst Europe season at Barcelona with nine short roundtrip sailings, and four- and fi ve-night Western Med-

Crystal Cruises has announced an industry fi rst: one-night excursions to Russia’s former top secret Cosmonaut Training Centre, Star City, where guests will be able to expe-rience extreme G-forces and weightlessness as well as train like modern Russian cosmonauts on some of the most advanced space equip-ment in the world.

The Cosmonaut programs include roundtrip air trans-fers from St. Petersburg to Moscow, overnight hotel stays and a full-day Moscow city tour, including the Red Square and the Kremlin.

“Two years in the making, the Cosmonaut-Training Adventures are further exam-ples of how Crystal works with worldwide partners to craft unique and innovative programs,” said John Stoll, director, land programs.

The cost of the adven-

Liberty of the Seas will sail her maiden Europe season from Barcelona.

The Norwegian Epic will feature in-room whirlpools as part of its facilities.

Guests can pretend to be cosmonauts.


Cruise

de Mallorca - a new home-port for the cruise line.

“Vacationers will have the widest selection of Europe’s largest and most innovative cruise ships with Royal Carib-bean in 2011,” said Betsy O’Rourke, senior vice presi-dent of marketing, RCI.

“With four classes of ships in the region, Royal Carib-bean is offering a 2011 Europe cruise lineup that will appeal to a wide range of vacation-ers from couples seeking the romance of Europe to mul-tigenerational family vaca-tions,” she added.

NCL to boast largest spa at sea

ture packages range from US$4,359 up to $32,995 for “The Final Challenge” - considered to be the most advanced cosmonaut train-ing, participants must install a space antenna on a replica of the International Space Station while wearing an authentic space suit, sub-merged in 54,000 square feet of water.

Seven-, 10- and 11-day Bal-tic voyages depart from Lon-don, Stockholm or Copen-hagen –with overnights in St. Petersburg.

FACILITIES

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced that its Norwegian Epic cruise liner, which is currently being built, will feature the largest spa and fi tness centre at sea at more than 31,000 square feet.

The luxurious Mandara Spa will include 24 treat-ment rooms, two private couple’s villas, two steam Rasul rooms, a DIY Scrub Experience, Hydrotherapy Courtyard & Thermal Suite, full-service salon, fi tness centre and barber shop. The ship also features 39 spa suites, eight of which fea-ture an in-room whirlpool.

“As with our world-class entertainment, dining and innovative stateroom cate-gories on Norwegian Epic, our spa facilities will take cruising to an entirely new level,” said Kevin Shee-han, chief executive offi cer of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Crystal cruises into space“The Mandara Spa on Nor-wegian Epic is a relaxing retreat with unique treat-ments, innovative fi tness training, a stand-alone bar-ber shop, spa staterooms with in-room whirlpools and an expanded Hydro-therapy Courtyard & Ther-mal Suite facilities.”

Among the two dozen treatment rooms are two

new couple’s villas with pri-vate outdoor whirlpools.

NCL is building the 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic, the company’s largest and most innovative cruising ship to date, for delivery in June 2010. The ship will also feature the only ‘big top’ at sea presenting guests a one of a kind theatrical dining experience.


REGIONAL NEWSNEWS LUXURYLuxury

Spain is ‘hot pick’ luxury destination

Belgium-based luxury travel company Odysseus has unveiled its 2010 brochure.

Eight properties featured are part of the Luxury Hotels by Dnata portfolio. Lisa Bal-som, manager Luxury Hotels by Dnata said demand for luxury travel in the region had continued in spite of the recession. “We have doubled the portfolio in two years and now have a permanent sales person in Saudi, which is a major market for us.”

Odysseus is keen to edu-cate agents about how to sell

riott anymore, it’s the Four Seasons; it’s properties like The Twelve Apostles in Cape Town, the Lebua at State Tower, Bangkok. That’s what

NEW BROCHURE

Spain is a hot pick for luxury travel with Emirates starting fl ights in August.

luxury. “We want agents to start thinking out of the box,” said Lyndon Mendonca, sales manager, Odysseus. “Lux-ury is not Sheraton and Mar-

Odysseus says agents need to ‘think out of the box’ in selling luxury products

booked the whole island. That’s the kind of money we are talking about, that was over $500,000, and that’s it, you’ve made your money for the whole year.”

Mendonca said Spain is his hot pick for luxury travel des-tinations in 2010. “Emirates is going to start direct fl ights there so it has opened up another whole segment for agents to sell to.”

we’re trying to show people.” He said selling luxury was less effort for agents and brought in far more money. “In the Maldives one of our proper-ties is Angsana which is an island with only six cabins. We had a Russian family who

Emirates will start its daily non-stop service to Madrid from 1 August, the fi rst scheduled passenger service between Dubai and Spain.


ADTA plan to boost visitor numbers UAE

Tourism Boards

ADTA plans to offer backing to tour operators bringing in leisure business.

STB reaches out in cyberspace SINGAPORE

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched a new destination brand ‘YourSingapore’ and inter-active website yoursinga-pore.com to help travellers plan their trips to Singapore.

The website facilitates sharing of experiences among travellers and resi-dents and is powered by up-to-date multimedia content about all things Singapore. STB said it would make sig-nifi cant efforts into search engine marketing and social media engagement as part of its new campaign.

“In an increasingly crowded market for destina-tion marketing, YourSinga-pore allows Singapore Tour-ism Board to build upon the emotional connection that travellers feel with Sin-gapore, and connect with

them in the digital space,” explained Jason Ong, area director, Middle East and Africa, STB.

“The Middle East is expe-riencing the world’s highest growth rate in internet pene-tration, and our new website, allows the region’s increas-

Gulf arrivals to Turkey grow TURKEY

The number of visitors to Turkey from the GCC grew by 16.4 percent last year. Tur-key received 27 million tour-ists altogether, an increase of 2.8 percent on 2008, with the biggest increases com-ing from the Gulf. Visitors from Kuwait increased by 21.36 percent, the UAE by 12.07 percent, Bahrain by 12.49 percent, Saudi Arabia by 20.31 percent, and Qatar by 0.82 percent.

Emin Kaya from the Turkish Tourism board in the UAE said he expected to

see further growth in 2010. “Our marketing and pro-motional strategies in 2010 will include various activ-ities and events in order to attract more tourists to Turkey. Historical and cul-tural exhibitions, free trips to journalists, participation at ATM and traditional con-certs and dances through-out the GCC are all part of a strategy to bring people’s attention to Turkey.”

SI

ThBoa ‘Yoactpopla

Tshamdeto-abSTnifienmeits

crotiopoismthethagap

Jason Ong, Singapore Tourism.

Emin Kaya, Turkish Tourism.

117,00016.4%Visitors from the Middle East to

Singapore in 2009

Growth in Gulf visitors to

Turkey in 2009

Incentives offered to global travel trade to bring leisure business in to the emirate

Abu Dhabi Tourism Author-ity (ADTA) has launched a new initiative aimed at boosting inbound leisure business to the emirate.

The ‘Horizons Abu Dhabi’ initiative aims to incentivise international tour operators to create and implement packages to Abu Dhabi, as the emirate strives to deliver on its 1.65 million hotel guest target for 2010 - a 10 percent increase on 2009. ADTA said the scheme was an open invitation to the international travel trade to submit “fresh, innova-

tive promotional ideas and proposals which will tacti-cally stimulate consumer demand for the emirate.”

“Every proposal submit-ted will be considered in full merit and without bias, with ADTA ready to back all

concrete and tangible pro-posals with the appropriate resources,” said Dayne Lim, product development direc-tor, ADTA.

“When we talk of part-nerships, we mean just that. ADTA will back projects with a viable B2C component with fi nancial and/or non-fi nancial resources for our mutual advantage. Oppor-tunity abounds for tailored packaging, particularly focusing on Abu Dhabi’s new leisure product offer-ings and expanding events portfolio.”

Lim said the criteria for assessing how much and

what kind of support could be offered to tourism pro-viders would hinge on “alignment with our Travel-ler’s Welcome brand prom-ise, our core value of cultural respect and our target audi-ence of high-end luxury and cultural seekers.”

Alongside Horizons Abu Dhabi, ADTA also revealed that plans for the impend-ing launch of its global con-sumer advertising cam-paign are being fi nalised.

“[This] is the start of a sig-nifi cant campaign aimed at building leisure tourism’s contribution to our hotel guest receipts,” said Lim.

ingly tech-savvy traveller to take a virtual tour of Singa-pore, before making their trip a reality. We are confi -dent that this new brand and website will be a hit with Middle East travellers.”

Last year Singapore saw 117,000 arrivals from the Middle East. STB is predict-ing record tourism num-bers for 2010, forecasting total annual visitor arrivals to hit between 11.5 million and 12.5 million – up from 9.7 million in 2009 – plus a year-on-year rise in tourism receipts from US$12.5 bil-lion to $13.2 billion.


XXXXXXXXXX NEWS


REGIONAL NEWSNewsAirlines

Air France introduces Abu Dhabi route Carrier announces cheap fares to launch new service between Abu Dhabi and Paris

NEW ROUTE

Air France will launch its new service between Abu Dhabi and Paris from 3 May 2010.

The new route means the Air France KLM group will

Flight AF 3849 Departure: Abu Dhabi International (AUH), 00:30 (local time) Arrival: Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), 05:45 (local time)Frequency: Five days per week

offer up to 10 weekly, non-stop fl ights out of Abu Dhabi International Airport, to their respective hubs of Paris – Charles de Gaulle, and Amsterdam.

To celebrate the launch

the carrier has announced introductory fares for pas-sengers looking to travel to France and onward fl ights to Europe as well as North and South America.

Economy fares to Europe will start from AED 1,390, and from AED 1,490 to North and South American desti-nations (subject to condi-tions). Offers are available for passengers purchasing tickets before 5 April 2010, for any travel between 3 May and 15 July 2010.

Pierre de Saint-Albin, Air France KLM general man-ager for the Gulf, Saudi Ara-

Air France flight timings from Abu Dhabi

bia, Iran and Pakistan, said: “To mark the new connec-tion to the UAE with the Air France KLM network, we are pleased to offer our clients in the UAE these competitive introductory offers. We have also been encouraged by the close and growing relation-

ship with Abu Dhabi Air-ports Company which has resulted in our fl ight sched-ules being particularly well adapted to offering our cus-tomers fast connections via our Paris - Charles de Gaulle hub, to more than 244 Air France KLM destinations.”

Air France will start fl ying to the French capital rom Abu Dhabi in May.


REGIONAL NEWSXXXXXX XXXXXXX

IHG opens biggest Holiday Inn ExpressHoliday Inn Express Dubai Airport is the group’s fourth budget property in Dubai

BUDGET

NEW LAUNCH

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has launched the Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport. The 381 room hotel marks IHG’s fourth Holiday Inn Express property in Dubai and is the largest in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport is located opposite Terminal 3 of Dubai Interna-tional Airport and adjacent to the Dubai Metro. The four-storey hotel offers guests sig-nature power showers and satellite TV in every room, wireless internet access throughout public areas, a 24-hour fully equipped gym, laundry services and com-plimentary breakfast. Guests also have access to fi ve state-of-the-art meeting rooms, underground parking and a complimentary shuttle

The Meydan, the world’s fi rst fi ve-star racing track-side hotel, opened its doors on 4th March in time for the

ment to providing guests with even more choice and conve-nience in the UAE.”

Holiday Inn Express is the world’s largest limited service hotel brand. Across the Mid-dle East and Africa there are seven Holiday Inn Express

Accommodation

hotels, providing more than 1,345 rooms, with a further six properties in the develop-ment pipeline over the next three to fi ve years. The Hol-iday Inn Express Manama, Bahrain is currently under construction and scheduled to open in Q4 2011.

Andy Cosslett, chief exec-utive offi cer, IHG who was present at the launch said: “IHG opened its fi rst hotel in the UAE 35 years ago and we have continued to invest in the Emirates and build on this rich heritage to become one of the biggest hotel operators in the country. Today we have 16 existing properties and seven hotels under development. These fi gures are a measure of our commitment to the growth and development of the UAE’s tourism sector and its position as a leading regional business hub.”

Balconies at The Meydan offer an unobstructed view of the race track.

The Meydan hotel opens on track for Dubai World Cup

$272.3mthe cost of building the new

Meydan Racecourse

Dubai World Cup at the end of March. The luxury hotel forms an integral part of the brand new Meydan Grand-stand and Racecourse, the new home for the event.

The Meydan offers 285 rooms and suites featur-ing subtle equestrian-themed motifs and a mod-ern design. 95 percent of the rooms include balconies with unobstructed views of the racecourse. Guests at the hotel will also be able to view the action on the turf from the infi nity pool located on the hotel rooftop.

Abdin Nasralla, vice pres-ident Meydan Hotels and Hospitality Division said: “The Meydan and its offer-ing of unique experiences is a gift not only to the rac-ing world, but for all who can appreciate superior service and hospitality excellence.

bus service from the hotel to Dubai International Airport.

John Bamsey, chief oper-ating offi cer, IHG MEA said: “Traditionally, the Gulf mar-kets have been dominated by luxury, upscale hotel brands. However, as markets mature

and develop, customers seek out trusted brands. The open-ing of the Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport, the largest Holiday Inn Express hotel in the EMEA region, further extends our brand portfolio and illustrates our commit-

We are especially pleased to open The Meydan in time for this year’s Dubai World Cup - where a room at the The Meydan will naturally make this already special occasion, a once in a lifetime experience.”

The hotel facilities include three gourmet dining outlets including an international all-day dining restaurant, a

steakhouse and a Japanese restaurant, a spa, gym, busi-ness centre, club lounge, and conference facilities with panoramic views of the racecourse.

Nasralla added that a reg-ular programme of events would be rolled out at Mey-dan Racecourse aside from race days in order to entice guests to the hotel.

Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport is located opposite Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport and the new metro.

T H E D I G I TA L H O M E F O R H O S P I TA L I T Y P R O F E S S I O N A L S I N T H E M I D D L E E A S T

| BREAKING NEWS| EXPERT COMMENT & ANALYSIS| INTERVIEWS OF LEADING INDUSTRY NAMES

| LATEST INDUSTRY EVENTS| TOPICAL ENEWSLETTERS| COMPREHENSIVE DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS, COMPANIES & SERVICES

FOR ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:D i a r m u i d O ’ M a l l e yPublishing DirectorTel: +971 4 210 8568E-mail: [email protected]

ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CO. LTD.Al Hilal Building

PO Box 500024, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTel: +971 4 210 8000, Fax: +971 4 210 8080,

Email: [email protected], www.itp.com/subscriptions

S a r a h W o r t hCommercial DirectorTel: +971 4 210 8595E-mail: [email protected]


NEWS MIME

Cheaper rates will attract MICE market Gulf region has become more affordable and attractive to planners post recession

RATES

International meetings busi-ness into the Gulf region will see an increase this year due to increased hotel stock and cheaper room rates, predicts Graeme Barnett, exhibition director of the Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings (GIBTM) Exhibition.

Barnett said that while meeting planners may have been put off bringing groups to the region in the past due to “the perception that it is an expensive destination,” that was now changing.

“The global economic downturn has had a mas-sive impact on the percep-tion of the region as a whole,” said Barnett. “What’s hap-pening now is a lowering of prices with an increase in the stock of hotels so there’s more availability at cheaper rates. Abu Dhabi for example had 2,600 rooms come on line overnight for the Formula 1 last year which was a much needed increase. I certainly think it will be interesting to see if international planners say the region has become more affordable to the meet-

MICE

ADNEC seeks out national talentRECRUITMENT

Abu Dhabi National Exhi-bitions Company (ADNEC) is taking part in a series of recruitment events aimed at encouraging UAE nationals into the meetings industry.

Last month, alumni of the Higher Colleges of Technol-ogy Abu Dhabi Men’s College who now work at ADNEC took part in an exclusive ses-sion, sharing their thoughts about a career at ADNEC with current students.

ADNEC will spearhead similar sessions with other universities and colleges around Abu Dhabi.

“ADNEC’s strong growth in just a few years since its inception mirrors the advancing regional and global stature of Abu Dhabi as an events destination,” commented Humaid Al Dhaheri, director of fi nance and HR, ADNEC.

“Our company and the

industry in general, is at a critical point where a sub-stantial build up in the employee numbers is required to cater for the rapid future expansion of the industry. We are com-mitted to ensuring that UAE nationals are the driv-ing force behind this and we aim to achieve 35 percent employment of UAE nation-als in appropriate positions,

Qatar targets European buyers TOURISM BOARD

Qatar Tourism Author-ity (QTA) participated at ITB Berlin, Europe’s big-gest travel trade show last month to showcase the destination to European MICE buyers.

QTA arrived in Berlin fol-lowing a fi ve-city promo-tional roadshow through Europe, where the Qatari delegation met with busi-ness and incentive travel professionals promot-ing business tourism and incentive travel in Qatar. The cities on the tour included Madrid, London, Paris, Milan and Munich.

“The roadshow was an initiative we launched to complement our partici-pation at ITB by specifi cally targeting professionals in the MICE industry,”said Ahmed Al Nuaimi, chair-man, QTA. “The tour was

very successful - we built new relationships and strengthened ones in these cities, which are important markets for Qatar.”

At ITB Qatar showcased some of the new tour-ist developments set to come up in the next twelve months including the Cul-tural Village and New Doha International Airport.

“Qatar is preparing for a robust economic future, and tourism will play an important role in creating a diverse and sustainable economy,” said Al Nuaimi. “This rapid development in Qatar’s tourism industry and infrastructure will only solidify Qatar’s position as an upcoming business destination in the Mid-dle East. More attractions, more hotels, easier tran-sit will make Qatar a popu-lar destination for business travellers from Europe.”

R

Abbitis recenint

LHiogwhtoosioabwi

Asimunaro

in itsadgloas coDhan

Barnett says its more affordable.

ADNEC is targeting 35% emiratisation

30% of ADNEC

employees who are Emirati

by the end of the year.” “In developing talent

for the meetings sector we would like to promote our business to students who are still discerning their career paths. In particular, we would like to convince more young nationals to consider a profession in the relatively new and exciting events sec-tor,” added Al Dhaheri.

The initiatives form part of ADNEC’s Emiratiza-tion programme through which it is targeting 35 per-cent nationalisation of the company by the end of the year. Currently ADNEC has achieved 30 percent nation-alisation of its workforce.

more options, more facili-ties, more hotels and we have more accessibility through the budget. So that segment which was undeveloped in the past is today coming in very strongly.”

Barnett added that ven-ues and hotels in the region were today working closely with the meetings indus-try to bring in more groups. “Because the FIT market is not so strong venues are now being more fl exible. But the destination is still an emerg-ing one to win large scale meetings business.”

ing market out of the slow-down.” Barnett was speaking ahead of the GIBTM exhibi-tion in Abu Dhabi at the end of March where 280 inter-national meetings buyers would be attending.

Ali Abu Monassar, chair-man of Dubai-based DMC The Vision agreed saying that meetings business to the region is poised to “boom” this year. “Prices have gone down and [the destination] has become more afford-able. Before we did not have space to accommodate meetings, but today we have


REGIONAL NEWSNEWS MIME

We’re sending out an SMS to the worldNew web-based solution from Amadeus allows agents to send travel info via text

NEW PRODUCT

Tools

Amadeus has launched Amadeus SMS solution, a web-based tool that allows travel agents in the UAE to update customers via SMS.

Travel agents will be able to alert travellers on important travel details, including travel itinerar-ies, e-tickets, fl ight infor-mation, Passenger Name Record (PNR) data, and any changes to the Ticket-ing Time Limit (the date by which a booked ticket must be issued) through their mobile phones.

Amadeus SMS is fully integrated into the Amadeus

Ghulam Al Baloushi, managing director, Amadeus Gulf.

Selling Platform, allow-ing travel agents to quickly generate traveller informa-tion directly from the Ama-deus PNR database. Travel-ler mobile numbers remain confi dential, and there is no additional advertising attached to the text message

Amadeus SMS is designed to give agents more fl exi-bility and convenience in ensuring important data reaches their customers immediately. It can oper-ate with multiple itineraries and multiple mobile phone numbers and can be used to send text messages to travel-lers anywhere in the world, covering 700 networks in

more than 200 countries.“With air travel becoming

more affordable and con-venient people today travel more often than they did fi ve years ago. This increase in

travel, whether for business or leisure, has meant that travellers are well aware of their options and expect up-to-date information from their travel consultants,”

Training for hotel bookingsTRAINING

Travelport has teamed up with Marriott Interna-tional for hotel training courses designed for the Middle East travel trade.

The classroom-style seminars, which are being held across the region, are giving Galileo-connected travel agents the opportu-nity to learn how to make hotel bookings, as well as how to sell Marriott prop-erties more effectively.

Participants are demon-strated key hotel booking features from Travelport including Galileo Room Master, a shopping solu-tion which provides access to hotel properties world-wide, and ‘Best Available Rate Programme’, a com-prehensive database con-

taining the best publicly-available hotel rates.

During the course, rep-resentatives from Marriott International explain the brand’s value proposition and provide the trade with tools and incentives to book its hotels, including the Marriott Hotel Excel-lence and Best Price Guar-antee Programme.

Over the past few months, Travelport has been focused on increas-ing its visibility in the Middle East as an effec-tive sales channel for hotel bookings, partner-ing up with several major hotel groups in order to raise awareness of its hotel offering and educate local travel agents on the book-ing of non-air segments on the Galileo platform.

said Ghulam Al Baloushi, managing director, Ama-deus Gulf. “At Amadeus our focus is to understand the travellers’ changing pref-erences and develop solu-tions that help travel agents respond to these changes effi ciently. Amadeus SMS solution is one such prod-uct that has been developed with the travel agents and their customers in mind. The new SMS solution cor-responds closely with the trend of technology conver-gence on mobile devices. It is a great example of how technology can help reduce operating costs and increase convenience.”

Travelport has partnered with Net Trans to help agents recover hotel commission. The agreement will provide Travelport agents with fully automated commission reporting and collection processing, increasing their commission income while lowering operating costs. The Net Trans solution gives agents full transparency of their data so they know exactly how much commission has been paid and how much is still owed. Net Trans also chases the unpaid commission wherever in the world the hotel booking is done. All commission collection and reporting will be based on the data going through the Galileo and Worldspan systems, with reports provided to agents each month. Net Trans handles all hotel bookings for every property and every brand throughout the world. It is a complete outsourcing service where Net Trans takes care of all the aspects of hotel

commission collection. “Net Trans hotel commission service offers up to 40 percent increased commission for the average travel agent and is a complete outsourcing of the challenging area of hotel commission,” said Chris Zando, head of Global Partnerships & Alliances, Travelport GDS. “We’re pleased to offer a solution that helps our agents save and make money, delivering improvement in revenue retention, cost reduction and improved business processes.” Martin F. Jørgensen, CEO, Net Trans said: “Net Trans will help Travelport agencies boost their hotel income. For time-strapped agents, a highly effective means of bringing in incremental revenue that requires almost no work on their part, is a total win. We are delighted Travelport customers will soon appreciate this benefi t as well.”

Travelport helps agents recover commission


REGIONAL NEWSIreland

The New Frontiers Awards, held annually at Arabian Travel Market, has been opened up for nominations from the travel trade for the fi rst time this year.

The awards are designed to recognise destinations that make an outstanding contribution to tourism development in the face of staggering adversity. Last year’s award was won by Mumbai for its efforts to reinvigorate tourism in the aftermath of November 2008’s terrorist attacks.

This year you get the chance to nominate a destination for the fi rst time. “We are hoping that by opening up the nominations to the travel trade we will attract diverse nominees from across the globe, which will raise enhanced awareness for the nominated destinations as

well as ignite debate and discussion,” said Mark Walsh, group exhibitions director, ATM.Recipients of

the award receive US$10,000 of free

exhibition space at Arabian Travel Market 2011

to aid tourism recovery efforts.To nominate your destination,

log on to www.arabiantravelmarket.com/nominate

REGIONAL NEWSATM preview

What: Arabian Travel Market When: 4-7 May 2010Where: Dubai International Convention and Exhibition CentreHow: Register online at www.arabiantravelmarket.com/register

Eight BIG reasons you can’t miss ATMAs the region’s biggest travel and tourism event, Arabian Travel Market arrives in Dubai again next month, here’s why you can’t afford to miss it this year

Your chance to nominate for the New Frontiers awards

The 2010 Arabian Travel Mar-ket is shaping up to be one of the biggest in the event’s 16-year history, with 98% of space already contracted. Register now for priority ac-

cess to the exhibition which means no queues!

Why spend months trying to set up meet-ings with everyone you need to see when you can do it in four days at Arabian Travel Market? To date 245 main ex-hibitors, 58 National Tourism Offi ces, 335 sharers; and 50 new exhibitors from six continents have signed up.

Keep up-to-date with the latest indus-try news by taking part in the Arabian Travel Market seminar programme. This year the programme has doubled in size, and a whole raft of top industry speakers and experts will be on hand to discuss and debate the latest issues and trends affecting the travel

industry and provide valu-able insights into the future

of the travel trade.

Relax and have fun! New at Arabian Travel Market this year will be ‘Zone 8’,

a chilled out area for in-formal networking away from the hustle and bus-

tle of the main fl oor. Zone 8 will provide increased op-

portunities for visitors to interact with destinations fi rst hand through a series of live shows, serve to showcase new destinations and products.

Are you looking for your next career move or perhaps that perfect person to hire? Careers Day is an invaluable resource, enabling meetings between exhibitors and people with a keen in-terest in working within the industry or

developing an existing career. Attend designated work-shops, pick up useful inter-view techniques and learn how to write your CV.

Travel Agents: get involved with a day designed especially for you. Travel Agents’ Day was fi rst introduced in 2007 and is designed to foster the latest top class travel and tourism edu-cation among travel agents through a range of seminars and entertainment features.

Maximise your time at the show by signing up online. You can then ac-cess the meetings request tool, which allows you to request meetings with exhibitors prior to the show, ensuring that your time is well spent and productive.

The show attracts quality, top-tier visi-tors. Make an impression

early by using the dedicated Arabian Travel Market website to up-load press releases,

images and any other useful info about your company.



REGIONAL NEWSATM preview

It’s that time of year again when the travel trade in all its many guises is

gearing up for the start of Ara-bian Travel Market 2010 – the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism event.

The last few years pre-sented everyone with tough trading conditions and our industry was of course no dif-ferent. However we’re begin-ning to see signs of recovery and here in the Middle East there have been many posi-

as aviation, hotels, low-cost travel and staffi ng issues.

Also new this year will be the staging of four ‘zones’ which will provide a more relaxed area for informal net-working away from the hustle and bustle of the main fl oor. These will provide increased opportunities for visitors to interact with various desti-nations fi rst hand through a series of live shows.

Careers and Travel Agents Days also return in 2010. Careers Day was created to help interested candidates meet potential employers and for employees to meet

the most suitable candi-dates, whereas Travel Agents Day will offer seminars, prize give-aways and entertain-ment.

Registering at www.arabi-antravelmarket.com/regis-ter prior to the show allows visitors to take advantage of extensive e-networking tools that will allow them to link up with the most relevant indus-try players to their business, and so maximising their time at the show.

The future for the region and for travel and tourism is promising. Now we just have to make the most of it.

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tive developments.As we all look to a brighter

future it is of utmost impor-tance that we continue to hold events like Arabian Travel Market. The show provides a common ground where issues affecting our industry can be discussed and knowledge shared.

This is an invaluable resource at this time. It allows us to shape the future of our industry together. It’s time to take stock of the last two years and capitalise on the trends that are emerging as we adapt to suit our consum-ers ever evolving needs.

Shaping the future of our industry togetherMark Walsh, ATM exhibition director says the future is bright for travel and tourism

So it is no surprise that the relevance of Arabian Travel Market is stronger than ever before. 98% of space has already been contracted with most previous exhib-itors returning and over 50 new exhibiting companies attending this year’s show.

Every year Arabian Travel Market strives to increase the content available. This year the seminar programme has doubled in size, mak-ing it bigger and better than ever before, with top industry speakers examining a num-ber of different issues that really affect the industry such

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel

REGIONAL NEWSQ&A CELEBRITY CRUISES

After 25 years spearheading Net Group, Ali Abu Monassar has launched The Vision Destination Management. He tells ATN about his new approach to regional tourism

A brand new vision

Interview

We are moving our company away from normal excursions over to the high level market. It is tougher to fi nd but the margin is higher”

ome might say that launching a brand new Desti-nation Manage-ment Company in the current

climate might be a somewhat risky move. Vis-itor numbers to the region are still taking a hit due to the global economic cri-sis, and competition for business is fi erce, with a plethora of tour opera-tors all seeking to offer tourists their services of desert safaris, dune bashing and dhow cruises.

But The Vision Des-tination Management, which came into being just three months ago, has had no prob-lems getting off the ground. In fact, chairman Ali Abu Monassar reveals proudly that his new company is positively thriv-ing, and the buzz-ing head offi ce in

Deira bears tes-tament to this fact.

This is no doubt down to Monassar’s reputation as some-thing of a pioneer in the local tourism and travel industry. After 25 years spear-heading Net Group,

the oldest and biggest DMC in the region, Monasser decided to call time on his posi-tion as head of the company due to what he refers to as a “divergence in opinion with our partners”, and has branched out on his own with The Vision DMC.

Just a few months in and Monassar’s ‘vision’ already boasts three branches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman, and has made a major name for itself by being appointed ground handler for two of the region’s biggest travel trade shows – the Gulf Incentive, Busi-ness Travel & Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) in Abu Dhabi at the end of March, and the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai in May. Added to that, his team is fl at out han-dling back to back incentive groups of over 250 people each arriving from Italy for the coming ten weeks.

So how has he managed to achieve all this in such a short space of time? Monassar puts it down to the strength of his relation-ships within the tourism industry that he has

22 Arabian Travel News – April 2010

Ali Abu Monassar


REGIONAL NEWSInterview

The crisis has changed the market; how to work with people and how to fi nd new business. I felt it was necessary to make certain action plans”

spent the past 25 years building up. “When you change it’s the time to know who are your friends and who are not your friends. And I think we have had a very very positive reac-tion from the market - from suppliers, from clients, from associations and also from cor-porates who we have collaborated with for a long time. When I started at Net Tours it took three or four years to build up that recogni-tion and trust. Today in two months, thanks to being involved and committed all the time to the industry here and internationally it has given a good result.”

The “divergence of opinion” that Monas-sar referred to, has led to him taking his own company down a different path to that of Net Tours, and its competitors. He is convinced that the business model has to change for Destination Management companies today, and much of this is down to the impact of the global fi nancial crisis on inbound tourism to the region.

“[The crisis] has changed the market; it’s changed the perception of the market, how to work with people and how to fi nd new business. I felt it was necessary to change the style of management and to make certain action plans. Our partner didn’t agree and we felt that we could not manage something which our partners did not believe in.”

With The Vision, Monassar says he will steer well away from providing tours to the individual leisure traveller, and will instead focus heavily on the MICE (meetings, incen-tives, conferences and exhibitions) sector which he describes as “absolutely booming”.

“We are moving our company away from normal excursions, tours and individual FITs, over to the high-level market, which is incentives, conferences, exhibitions and very high-spending leisure travellers. It’s not mass tourism. Yes, absolutely it is tougher to fi nd, it is not everyday business, but the com-petition is less, and the margin is higher.”

“Our new company has come at a very good time,” he adds. “A lot of the infrastruc-ture in Dubai is now ready, prices have gone down and it’s become more affordable. Before we did not have space to accommo-date meetings [in Dubai], but today we have more options, more facilities, more hotels and we have more accessibility through the budget. So that segment which was undevel-oped in the past is today coming in strongly and that is our specialisation.”

Monassar says The Vision will be differen-

tiating itself from its competitors on the kind of tailor-made incentives it is able to offer clients. “We are creating that touch which nobody else has got. People say they want a local experience; they would like to eat with Emiratis, go into the house of Emiratis.

Those are things which I think other people are not able to provide. It’s a matter of acces-sibility. We try to combine the leisure and comfort of the destination with some heri-tage and local experience.”

“We have 25 years of expertise in this mar-ket. During those years we have learnt a lot and we have made a lot of mistakes and we want to avoid those mistakes and provide that expertise to our clients.”

With two major exhibitions coming up, and further exciting projects in the pipe-line Monassar admits he has barely had a moment to pause for breath since the com-pany took off. For the future he says busi-ness is poised to take off as the tourism to the region bounces back from the crisis over the coming year.

“I think that by the end of 2010 we may be doing double what we are doing today. I believe that 2011 will be the year to bring back our business to 2007 and 2008 lev-els. The crisis will be over and the destina-tion will have more availability, and it will be more affordable. 2011 will be absolutely the year of confi rmation for us.”

The team at The Vision Destination Management


REGIONAL NEWSComment Comment

Brighter days are on the horizon

Are you ready for the ‘Amateur-Expert’?

Cruise Master Middle East director of business development Ashok Kumar

Antoine Medawar, vice president, Amadeus Middle East & North of Africa

It is great to see cruise riding high on the news agenda this year with four ships using Dubai as home port for winter cruises. After riding the rough waves in 2009, things are looking bright and sunny for the cruise industry.

Like other businesses, the cruise industry has been impacted by a number of challenges over the past eigh-teen months – fuel prices, H1N1, the economic down-turn just to name a few. But unlike other travel segments, cruise lines were quickly able to adapt, offering custom-ers a product which has the highest perceived value for money spent, driving con-sumer demand and operat-

Empowered by increasingly sophisticated online tools, the way people are shopping for travel is changing.

Vast amounts of free infor-mation enables anyone with an internet connection to assume a level of experience previously inconceivable. We call these knowledgeable people ‘Amateur-Experts’. Amateur-Experts know as much about their destination and how to get there as many traditional travel agents.

High quality services are being driven by Amateur-Ex-perts’ ability to speak their minds online. Social media sites are considered at least

ing at full capacity through-out the most challenging months of the economic downturn.

Another indication that brighter days are on the hori-zon is the recent announce-ment by Carnival Corpo-ration that new ships have been ordered – one each for the Carnival and Princess brands. So, what’s in store for crusing in 2010?

the fastest cruise to sell out its inaugural sailing in a record 29 minutes.

NEW CABIN DESIGNSCheck out the cabins in this year’s new-builds. Norwe-gian Epic is launching the New Wave cabin concept, featuring curved walls and a new bathroom concept with the shower stall, toilet area

ler demands is the ability to aggregate, organise and index specifi c data held by multiple travel providers at lightning speed – but to achieve this ‘extreme search’ the industry needs a change of mindset.

For the travel sector and many others the internet

and vanity split up into three different entities. New, 100-square-foot studio cabins will offer mood lighting and access to an exclusive two-fl oor lounge, while spa cabins take that trend to new heights with in-room whirlpools in eight of the staterooms.

VALUE & MORE VALUEDeals continue but the excep-tional offers of 2009 seem to have dried up. It is advisable to book your clients when you see a deal rather than wait. Few cruise lines still have offers of complimen-tary upgrades and onboard credit. With new ships and innovative shipboard experi-ence offering excellent value, 2010 is set to be a great year for cruising.

affords boundless opportu-nities, but we must never for-get that with this great tool comes added expectation and responsibility to change the way we operate.

You can download the ‘Amateur-Expert’ report on:

www.amadeus.com

NEW SHIPS With over a dozen ship

launches taking place in 2010, cruise looks set to enjoy a high

profi le that will help

attract newcom-ers and spark the imagi-

nation of dedicated cruisers alike. Most of the ships debut-ing are sisters of previous ships. But the ship to watch is Norwegian Epic which will debut in July as the largest-ever NCL ship. It will feature an aqua park, an array of res-taurants, a circus- and acro-batics-themed dinner show, and ice bar. Another ship to watch is Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth which is sched-uled to debut in October and has already made waves as

as credible as corporate web-sites because they are created by people without a vested interest. Amadeus carried out a report into online travel trends carrying out in-depth interviews with 2,700 travel professionals. 71% of our respondent base see user-generated content having an impact on their business.

But a major threat to the pre-journey advances faced by the industry is informa-tion overload. Search sites like Google are not able to aggregate the vast amount of changing travel informa-tion, such as price, schedule and availability. Travellers

are expected to search based on specifi cation of origin and destination i.e. “I am based in Dubai and I’d like to go to the Bahamas for a week”. This lin-ear search functionality has developed to mirror the way the industry has traditionally operated, but it’s simply not effi cient for consumers. Trav-ellers are required to conduct multiple searches – each requiring separate process-ing power. We envisage the Amateur-Expert of the future will want to ask questions like “I have 5000 AED and I’d like to go somewhere that offers adventure and culture.

What the future travel-

“Deals continue but the exceptional offers of 2009 seem to have dried up. It is advisable to book

your clients when you see a deal rather than wait ”

“What the future traveller demands is the ability to aggregate,

organise and index specifi c data held by multiple travel providers at

lightning speed”

REGIONAL NEWSComment

. In its capacity as mouthpiece of the Middle East travel trade, ATN is eager to hear your news and views. Email [email protected]


News and analysis for Middle East travel agents and tour operators

Arabian Travel NEWS

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It’s your time to shine

Just how important the individuals working within the travel industry are was brought home to me this month during ATN’s interview with Ali Abu Monassar. Monassar has been a pioneering force within the region’s travel sector for the past 25 years, fi rst as head of Net Group – the biggest tour operator in the region and now fronting his own DMC The Vision.

Monassar, who must be one of the most passionate and enthusiastic individu-als you’re ever likely to come across when it comes to talking about regional tour-ism, puts his success down to the strength of the personal relationships he’s man-aged to build up over the years with people in the industry.

As Monassar puts it: “Our industry is all about people. Their experience, their commitment, their dedication and their promises are the most important ele-ment for any company in the travel sector.”

It’s with this kind of sentiment in mind that here at Arabian Travel News we’ve decided to launch our very own awards night to celebrate the commitment and dedication, of those who we believe to be the ‘unsung heroes’ of the travel indus-try – the travel agents.

It’s not been an easy time in the travel industry of late, what with the fi nancial crisis, commission cuts, and swine fl u to deal with, and that’s just for starters. And while there are no doubt plenty more challenges on the road ahead, right now we think it’s important to take a minute to stop and recognise the individuals still striving to be the very best they can be whatever the hurdles being thrown at them.

So, if you think you, one of your colleagues or your company is worthy of an Arabian Travel News Award, don’t miss this chance to gain the recognition you deserve. Maybe your manager should be recognised for the inspirational lead-ership he’s shown your team throughout the crisis, pulling everyone together to reach targets when times were tough. Or should one of your team members be held up as a shining star for the sheer dedication they’ve shown to their role?

Have you yourself ever gone beyond the call of duty for a client? Maybe you’ve pulled out all the stops to ensure that they still made their holiday when fl ights were cancelled, or do you volunteer for every training course under the sun to ensure your industry knowledge is up to scratch?

The fi rst Arabian Travel News Awards will take place during Arabian Travel Mar-ket on May 6th and will no doubt be a night to remember for everyone.

Nominate now by visiting www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/atnawards/ This is your time to shine!

Celebrating the people of the travel trade

Monika Grzesik, Editor, Arabian Travel News


REGIONAL NEWSSkillset Tried and tested

Fairmont Bab Al BahrBACKGROUND: Fairmont Bab Al Bahr opened in Abu Dhabi in October. Most of the hotel is complete, but the Willow Stream Spa is yet to open. There are more properties planned for the region including The Palm Jumeirah and Makkah in Saudi Arabia.

THE ARRIVAL: Bab Al Bahr is conveniently located on Abu Dhabi Creek, next to the Shan-gri-La Hotels & Resorts complex. It is easily accessible from Abu Dhabi Airport (about 15 minutes) or by road (around one hour from Dubai). The hotel makes a statement with its modern and unusual facade. Some have crit-icised this contemporary structure, but per-sonally I think it makes for an interesting and unique proposition. More impressive is the lobby area, which continues the mod-ern theme. It takes a minimalistic approach to design, yet is not under-furnished. The vast space, characterised by mirrors and glass, has been carefully put together featuring unusu-ally-shaped seating and lighting with con-trasting fabrics and fi nishes, and Swarovski crystal dotted around for a sparkling fi nish. All this made for an impressive arrival experi-ence, complemented by effi cient and friendly valet parking and front desk staff. .

THE ACCOMMODATION: There are 369 rooms and suites in total. We stayed in a Fairmont Gold View Suite with views over-looking the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Abu Dhabi Creek. The one-bedroom suite (complete with king-sized bed) boasts a sep-arate living space equipped with high-speed internet, LCD TV, working desk, sofa, plus a novel bathroom where the shower and bath room is combined. The WC and double vanity

The hotel caters to corporate, MICE and leisure travellers thanks to its creek-side/beach-side location, expansive leisure and corporate facilities, family-friendly attitude and exquisite F&B offering. It’s close the air-port, ‘new’ Abu Dhabi, ADNEC, plus Yas Island and is easily accessible by road, all of which is a real draw card. For GCC resi-dents, particularly those from the UAE, requiring a weekend break it’s an easy sell. They can relax on the beach, dine in style, chill out in the Fairmont Gold lounge or if they can prize themselves away from the hotel, excursion propositions are close by in the form of the Grand Mosque.

EDITOR’S VERDICT

unit are separate and feature ample ameni-ties. Design wise, the theme is “organic” with marble, walnut wood panelling and bam-boo-inspired soft furnishings. Guests staying in one of the Fairmont Gold rooms are offered private check-in and check-out and full use of the Fairmont Gold lounge where breakfast is served, as well as afternoon tea and evening cocktails with canapés. Even though guests using the facilities are predominantly busi-ness travellers, kids are well catered to. There are jars of sweets on tap all day !

THE F&B: This really is something to write home about. The hotel boasts several outlets, but one not to miss is the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill – the fi rst of its kind out-side the UK. A relaxed yet sophisticated atmo-sphere pervades. I can highly recommend the crab cake to start followed by what I believe is one of the fi nest Wagyu steaks I have ever tasted, cooked to perfection. The UK chef has also collaborated with jockey Frankie Det-tori to create Frankie’s Italian Restaurant and Bar. Other outlets include casual all-day din-ing restaurant Elements; the Chameleon bar, with vintage champagnes, cocktails and a res-ident DJ; plus the Poolside restaurant and bar; and The Chocolate Gallery. A Lebanese res-taurant and lounge is opening soon.

THE FACILITIES: Include 2500m² of function space, a private sandy beach, two outdoor swimming pools, a fi tness centre and the soon-to-be-completed Willow Stream Spa, which will offer several signature treatments.

RATES: Rates are available via the GDS, your wholesaler or the hotel direct, but worth a mention is the 36-hour weekend package, which includes early check-in (12 noon), one night in a Fairmont Room, Friday brunch for two at Elements, use of the hotel’s leisure facilities, buffet breakfast for two in Elements, lunch for two at Poolside, plus late check-out (6pm). It’s ideal for Dubai residents seeking a weekend away. Prices start from AED 1359.

TO BOOK: Travel agents have their own dedicated page on the Bab Al Bahr web-site: www.fairmont.com/babalbahr (also see http://famousagents.frhi.com/). Alter-natively call +971 (0)2 654 3333 or email [email protected] Also check the GDS and your preferred wholesaler for rates.

The impressive lobby features Swaroski crystals and mirrors

ABU DHABI

Bab Al Bahr makes a statement with its sleek facade.

Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre

One Event, Unlimited Destinations

Arabian Travel Market 2010 guarantees to be more than just an exhibition, offering networking opportunities with international and regional buyers.

Take part in a number of features including:n Seminars and Debatesn Social Eventsn Careers Day – Thursday 6 Mayn Travel Agents Day – Thursday 6 Mayn Consumer Day – Friday 7 May

For exhibitor queries, contact Wellah Ellis T: +971 4 364 2811 E: [email protected]

Register as a visitor atwww.arabiantravelmarket.com/register2010

For all other enquiries, contact the Arabian Travel Market Customer Service Helpline E: [email protected]

www.arabiantravelmarket.com

The Leading Travel Exhibition for the

Middle East Region

Official HotelOfficial Airline Official Ground Handler


REGIONAL NEWSSKILLSET REVIEW

We revisit 2009’s top scoring agencies to fi nd that some standards have slipped since our previous visits

Agencies revisited

Skillset

Scenarios

Ws

Each month ATN and Ethos choose four UAE-based travel agencies to mystery shop and fi nd out how satisfi ed your customers are.

The purpose of this exercise is to fi nd out the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to travel agencies’ customer service and sales execution performance.

What are the mystery shoppers looking for?1 AGENCY APPEARANCE• Outlet easy to fi nd?• Opening/closing hours displayed?• Outlet clean and tidy?• Travel brochures and related literature placed in a good orderly manner?• Comfortable temperature?

2 TRAVEL ADVISOR• Were the employees well groomed?• Were employee name tags clearly visible?• Enough employees available to serve?• Did the travel advisor make eye contact to acknowledge your presence at the desk?• Did the travel agency you visited have a formal customer queuing system in place?• How long did it take for you to be served?• If you waited, did an employee apologise?• How were you greeted by the agent?• Did the agent provide relevant info?• Was the agent friendly?• Did they give you their full attention?• Were they knowledgeable?• Did the agent provide you with information in an easily-understood format?• Were you satisfi ed with the information you received from the advisor?

3 THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE• Overall, based on your experience at this travel agency, would you recommend it to your family and friends?• How satifi ed were you with the outcome of your visit to this particular travel agency?

Mystery shopping explained

Ethos Consultancy’s consultants have been handpicked from some of the most mature customer service markets in the world to ensure best practice is built into the mystery shopping process. Based on its years of expertise in the mystery shopping fi eld, Ethos has developed a combination of products and services to help organisations understand exactly how their business is performing through the eyes their customers and employees. Contact: +971 4 332 6315, visit www.ethos.ae or email [email protected]

About Ethos Consultancy

Star advisorStWell done Nurol Alam from Etihad Hol-idays. Nurol provided detailed, struc-tured information to his customer leaving them completely satisfi ed. Nurol exceeded expectations by demonstrating excel-lent product knowledge. Nurol thoroughly

demonstrated the benefi ts of Etihad’s fre-quent fl yer programme and current fl ight specials. Great job Nurol! His professional-ism has ensured this shopper would hap-pily recommend Etihad Holidays to fam-ily and friends.

Scenario 2: You are planning a 5-day holiday to Nepal. Enquire about fl ight options, hotel options in different regions, tourist attractions and best time of year to travel. Ensure the travel advisor provides you with fl ight and hotel costs. If your agent is unable to provide these, take note of their willingness to email them to you – let them initiate asking for your contact details. Indicate if you received information as prom-ised via email within a 24 hour period.

Scenario 1: You are planning a 5-day holiday to Sri Lanka. Enquire about fl ight options, hotel options in different regions, tourist attractions and best time of year to travel. Ensure the travel advisor provides you with fl ight and hotel costs. If your agent is unable to provide these, take note of their willingness to email them to you – let them initiate asking for your contact details. Indicate if you received information as promised via email within a 24-hour period.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


REGIONAL NEWSMYSTERY SHOPPER SKILLSET

Mystery shopper

Etihad HolidaysDubai Marina Mall

Etihad holidays offi ce

Al Tayer TravelSheikh Rashid Bldg,

Al Maktoum Street, Deira

Al RostamaniOpposite Cinestar

cinemas, level 1 behind Second Cup

Holiday Company

Sheikh Zayed, Emarat building, ground fl oor

Summary: Score has decreased by 7% since our last visit in July 2009. Outlet appearance fell 10% as our shopper reported diffi culty view-ing opening times. The outlet was impeccably tidy, easy to fi nd, with brochures easily accessible. Advi-sors maintained a great perfor-mance and were well groomed. Advice: One advisor was not too keen to provide details on the spot. Customers visiting agencies are looking for answers. Some info on holiday costs etc should be pro-vided instead of relying on sending it through by email at a later date.

Comment: Score has decreased 4% since our last visit in Novem-ber. Outlet appearance and over-all assessment remain consistent but travel advisor performance fell 6%. Advisors were friendly and welcoming, but one failed to meet expectations in terms of info requested. In contrast, our sec-ond shopper was pleased with the detail provided. Both advisors lost points for not wearing a name tag. Advice: It is well worth investi-gating areas of uncertainty on the internet with your customer. They will appreciate the effort.

Comment: Customer service has fallen16% since May 2009. Out-let appearance remained consis-tent at 100%, but travel advisor and overall assessment criteria fell 16% and 35%. While Mr. Cletus came very close to winning this month’s ‘Star Advisor’, another advisor did not do so well, demonstrating a cold and mechanical attitude. Advice: A smile says a thousand words. A customer’s experience will suffer if advisors appear unin-terested and unmotivated. It could be time for some reward and recog-nition programs to pep things up.

Comment: Overall customer ser-vice score decreased 15% since May 2009. Outlet appearance fell 10% as one shopper reported trouble viewing open and closing times. Unfortunately, staff were not wearing name tags. Points were lost too as one advisor was unable to provide any info as the internet was down, leaving the customer extremely dissatisfi ed. Advice: Yes, the internet is required for specifi c fl ight details etc, but advisors should have enough knowledge stored away to provide a general destination overview.

Etihad Holidays Al Tayer Travel Al Rostamani Holiday Company

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

90%

80%

55%

79%

100%

71%90%

77%

100%

72.7%

55%

75%

90%

70%

50%

71%


REGIONAL NEWSNews analysisHow to sell



South Africa

With the World Cup kicking off in June, now is the perfect time to sell South Africa, just don’t forget what else this destination has to offer

ith less than two months to go before the 2010 FIFA

World Cup kicks off in South Africa this summer, time is run-

ning out to sell World Cup pack-ages to your clients.

According to FIFA, around 2.2 million out of 2.9 million World Cup tickets have so far been sold, and tour operators say packages are being snapped up fast as the event nears kick off.

Emirates is offering tailor-made FIFA World Cup packages which include fl ights, accom-modation, ground transportation and match tickets. Fans have a choice of three South Afri-can destinations to select as a base camp for their trip – Johannesburg, Cape Town or Dur-ban - and packages include fl ights, accom-modation in a 2,3,4 or 5-star hotel, match tick-ets and transfers to and from the airport and stadiums either by bus or by plane depending on how far the base camp is from the matches.

MMI Travel has also introduced packages including fl ights, accommodation,

ground transportation and match

th the World Cup kicking off in June, now is the perfect time to sell h Af i j d ’ f h l hi d i i h ff

on South AfricaSpotlight

tickets. Rajeev Purohit, senior relationship manager, Strategic Alliances, MMI Travel says tickets are still available for all matches, but if clients want tickets to the fi nal round matches they had better move fast.

“MMI started selling packages in Novem-ber 2009 and demand really started picking up after the FIFA fi nal draw took place on the 4th of December,” says Purohit. “We have sold 300 plus packages to date. Currently, we have limited availability on the Final Round series matches, as they have been in very high in demand. Otherwise, packages are available for all other games of the World Cup.”

MMI Travel has also been appointed as an agent for FIFA’s Offi cial Hospitality Pro-gramme and Purohit says hospitality pack-ages have been selling well to high net worth individuals and corporates.

This year’s World Cup marks the fi rst time the event has ever been held in an African nation, and all eyes are on South Africa to see how the country will cope with the mas-sive infl ux of fans, who will be pouring in from 11 June – 11 July desperate for a piece of the action. Almost half-a-million visitors are

expected to descend on South Africa to experience the spectacle fi rsthand;

while 35 to 40 billion viewers worldwide will be watching

the action on screen.

South Africa’s tourism industry is expected to benefi t hugely from the exposure. Rajen-dran Vellapalath, regional manager, East Africa & Middle East for South African Air-ways says he expects to see a signifi cant boost in visitor numbers to the country follow-ing the World Cup: “We are excited about the opportunities the event will bring beyond the big game for the African continent, especially from a leisure and business travel angle.”

“The event presents signifi cant tour-ism business opportunities to the continent According to reports, by the end of the world cup almost 450,000 new ambassadors will return home to spread the warmth and hospi-tality that Africa has to offer to the world. ”

To prepare for the World Cup, South Africa is spending a whopping US$5.5 billion on projects such as improved facilities in Cape Town and Johannesburg airports plus a new airport, located just north of Durban opening in May. Six brand new stadiums are being built and four are being revamped, and a number of world-class hotels have also entered the scene, such as the One&Only and Radisson properties in Cape Town, while Sun City in the North West province has just undergone a major facelift to tune of $35.7 million. All the rooms have been refurbished and the old media centre has been converted into a brand new state of the art conference centre.


REGIONAL NEWSHow to sell South Africa

OFF THE PITCH For those with no interest in the beautiful game, South Africa offers an amazing array of things to do away from the pitch. The coun-try has plenty to offer visitors: outstandingly beautiful natural scenery; some of the best game reserves on the continent; spectacular coastlines and vineyards through to exclusive resorts and an exciting nightlife.

The destination is growing in popularity with visitors from the Gulf thanks to excellent fl ight connections with Emirates to Johannes-burg, Durban and Cape Town; plus its reputa-tion as a value for money destination.

“We recommend South Africa to our clients as it is an all-year-round destination,” says Natalie Matteus from luxury travel company Odysseus. “It is very good value for money, the service is very good and it caters for all types of traveller - food lovers, nature lovers, sports lovers, adventurers, clubbers and shoppers. With great connections from Emirates, we have seen that South Africa is getting more and more interest among visitors from the Gulf. At the moment, people tend to be more price-conscious and look for value for money and South Africa has that.”

Much is written about the high crime rate in South Africa, and it’s important to advise cli-ents to take extra precautions when visiting the country. Visitors should take care when using ATM machines as common scams can involve stealing cash and PIN numbers. Choose ATMs carefully and try to avoid using

South Africa is growing in popua-lirty with visitors from the Gulf thanks to excellent fl ight connections plus its repu-tation as a value for money destination”

SAMPLE PACKAGES

Emirates World Cup Package For England fans living in Dubai who want to see England’s fi rst two group matches (versus US and Algeria), Emirates has a 10-night trip centred in Durban. Prices start at US$5,580 based on double room occupancy, including economy fl ights, accommodation in a 3-star hotel, two Category 1 match tickets for both matches and transfers to matches in Rustenburg (via fl ight) and Cape Town. Emirates is running a promotion between now and 15th April for anyone booking this package, throwing in an extra two group match tickets for free (the free tickets do not include ground transportation). T: +971 4 214 4444W: www.emirates.com

MMI Final Round Package MMI has a 7-night trip starting at $10,767 per person inclusive of match tickets for one semi-fi nal and the fi nal in Johannesburg. The dates are 4th July – 12th July and include accommodation in 3-star hotel, fl ights, stadium transfers, and domestic air transfers to the semi-fi nal. T: +971 4 404 5859W: www.mmitravel.com

Gorah Elephant CampOdysseus offers 4-nights to Gorah Elephant camp, a game lodge in the Addo Elephant National Park. The package costs $1,632 and includes accommodation in a luxury tent, meals and two game drives daily. T: +971 7 204 1550W: www.odysseus.com

Sun City & SafariOdysseus has a 7-day trip with three nights bed and breakfast at Sun City in fi ve star accommodation, followed by two nights at Beyond Madikwe Safari Lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve, and two game drives daily. The price is $2,181 per person. T: +971 7 204 1550W: www.odysseus.com

Garden Route Wonderland Emirates has a 5-night chauffeur-driven car tour from Cape Town, taking in the natural beauty of the Garden Route. The price starts at $1,896 per person including accommodation, breakfasts and transfers but not fl ights to Cape Town. T: +971 4 214 4444W: www.emirates.com

The Cape Town stadium has been newly built for the 2010 World Cup, it will host fi ve fi rst round matches and one semi-fi nal.


REGIONAL NEWSHow to sell South Africa

them at night or in secluded places. Keep expensive items under wraps and valuables in hotel safes and don’t wander off at night in cit-ies you are not familiar with. Having said all of that, many travellers go to South Africa and do not experience any problems at all. Matteus who has travelled to South Africa alone on many occasions, says: “I personally felt very safe everywhere I went, even as woman alone. If you book with a well-known travel agency, they will only book you in good hotels in good parts of cities. That is an absolute must. Don’t go for the hotel bargains as you might end up in wrong parts of town. ”

MAIN ATTRACTIONS Cape Town: Situated amidst some of the world’s most outstanding coastal scenery, surrounded by mountains, fertile farmlands and vineyards, Cape Town must be one of the most stunningly located cities in the world. The landscape is dominated by Table Moun-tain. Visitors can ride to the summit by cable car for unparalleled views of the city and coast. Also high on the list of things to do is Cape Peninsula, with the shoreline between Clifton and Kommetjie being a particularly dramatic spot.

Clients should be advised to take a journey through the Cape Winelands, to take in some outstandingly beautiful landscapes and have a chance to sample some of South Africa’s world famous wines.

Another must-do tour is the Garden Route. Stretching from Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth, this is one of the world’s most scenic jour-neys taking visitors through amazingly var-ied landscapes of soaring cliffs, spectacular beaches, rocky coves, thick forests, tranquil

lakes and rugged mountains. Nearly 300 spe-cies of birds are to be found in a variety of hab-itats along the route, whilst nature reserves embrace the varied ecosystems of the area.

The largest game reserve in South Africa, Kruger National Park is home to an unri-valled range of animals, including lion, leop-ard, cheetah, buffalo, elephant, giraffe, rhi-noceros, hippopotamus and antelope. The park has restaurants, petrol stations, shops and rest camps. Kruger is so vast that it’s pos-sible to travel for over an hour without seeing another vehicle.

Sun City is a huge holiday resort less than two hours’ drive from Johannesburg which features luxury hotels, a casino, sporting facil-ities including tennis, squash, bowling and swimming, the wildlife of Pilansberg National Park, a casino, the Superbowl, Waterworld and two Gary Player-designed golf courses.

HOW TO SELL

WHO TO SELL TO Football fans, honeymooners, families, adventure seekers

HOW TO GET THEREEmirates fl ies daily three times to Johannesburg; daily once to Cape Town and DurbanSouth African Airways fl ies between Dubai and Johannesburg, and daily to Cape Town and Durban from Dubai on a code share agreement with Emirates

WHEN TO GOThe World Cup takes place from 11 June – 11 July. Otherwise winter (June to September) is cooler and ideal for outdoor pursuits and wildlife-watching, while the summer months offer great festivals, including the Cape Town New Year Karnaval.

VISASAll GCC nationals require a visa to travel to South Africa which can be obtained from the South African Consulates in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Visitors from most Commonweath and Western European countries do not require a visa.

WHY SOUTH AFRICAExcellent value for money,beautiful climate all year round diversity of things to do: beaches, mountains, cities, safaris good infrastructure excellent cuisine and nightlifegood accommodation in all price ranges

TOUR OPERATORSEmirates: www.emirates.comMMI Travel: www.mmitravel.comOdysseus: www.odysseus.com

AGENT INCENTIVE

As well as 10% commission, MMI TRAVEL is offering incentives for travel agents and tour operators selling its World Cup packages in the UAE: AED150 voucher if you sell a

Group Stage package AED 300 voucher if you sell an

Opening Ceremony, Semi Final or Finals package AED 500 voucher if you sell a

Final Round series package

South Africa is famous for its stunning coastal and mountain scenery.

36 www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel


Tourism Ireland’s training programme Shamrock Agents has proved a hit with 100 agents signing up to complete the course

he Shamrock Agents programme has been designed to educate the travel trade about Ireland, helping

agents develop an in-depth understand-ing of what the country has to offer.

The initiative had already been suc-cessfully launched in Australia, but it

was remodelled for the Middle East market, following a module format allowing agents to test their knowledge of Ireland by answering three models of 20 questions each.

Tourism Ireland marketing manager GCC Aiveen Ryan, who works for Dubai-based destination marketing company Gulf Reps, said the questions were designed to highlight the diversity of Ireland, encouraging agents to develop individual packages more suit-able to the needs and desires of their custom-ers, whether they were families, couples or extreme sports enthusiasts.

The programme was launched in July 2009, and following a successful year, the programme has already welcomed its 100th Shamrock Agent and sent top graduates of the

Laura was the top agent with 59 correct answers out of a total 60.

We have continued to promote the pro-gramme and we will probably add another level, but we haven’t started that yet.

ATN: How have you been promoting the pro-gramme to the travel trade?RYAN: We have a good database of travel agents in the region. We initially sent out a mailer to all our agents saying ‘please sign up’ and hopefully you will get to participate in a fam trip to Ireland. Tarig does sales calls every week, so he meets the trade and encourages them to sign up.

We sent a lot of reminder emails from our database that we had built up over time from Arabian Travel Market and regional shows.

ATN: How was the fam trip?MENDONCA: It was incredible — amazing.We went to Dublin, Cork and Galway for four nights fi ve days — we covered quite a lot. AHMED: I wasn’t surprised by Ireland, it was

REGIONAL NEWSNews analysisAgent action

programme on trip of a lifetime to Ireland. ATN caught up with Tourism Ireland’s Ryan

and sales executive Tarig Musa; top Sham-rock Agents Laura Mendonca from Al Rosta-mani Jumeirah Centre Beach Road and Adeel Ahmed from Belhasa Tourism Travel; and 100th Shamrock Agent Candida Fitzsimmons from Airlink International to hear more about what everyone had learned.

ATN: How successful has the Shamrock Agent programme been? RYAN: We launched the programme with a target of 50 agents completing it in the fi rst year. But we already have had 150 people sign up with 100 having completed it.

We thought it would be nice to recognise the 100th Shamrock Agent, Candice. We also organised a fam trip in September for the top six scorers which include Laura and Adeel.

It’s an online training programme and it’s not rocket science, but we couldn’t bring 100 agents so we had to fi nd a way to reward par-ticipation in the programme.

Shamrock’s shining agents

Arabian Travel News – April 2010

Adeel Ahmed, Belhasa Tourism; Candida Fitzsimmons, Airlink International; Aiveen Ryan,Tourism Ireland; Laura Mendonca, Al Rostamani; Tarig Musa, Tourism Ireland




what I expected it would be, but it was quite interesting to see it.MENDONCA: The cliffs of Mohair were amaz-ing and the last day at Powerscourt was great — Kinsale was also very nice.MUSA: It was a beautiful town. All the houses are painted very colourfully.

ATN: Has the programme helped you to sell Ireland to your clients? MENDONCA: The trip was in September and that’s when clients stopped booking in favour of winter sun destinations such as Thailand. Now is the season for coach tours and enqui-ries have picked up. I already have three from April. A lot of Indians want to club Ireland with England and Wales to create a mini tour. AHMED: They are promoting the destination very well these days and enquiries are coming. Having direct fl ights with Etihad is also great.

The course has helped a lot in terms of getting travel agents to understand a lot more about Ireland ”

Training

100th Shamrock AgentNAME: Candida FitzsimmonsAGENCY: Airlink International UAEPOSITION: Consultant, leisure travel

I was referred to the Shamrock Agent programme by another consultant who knew that I was into training programmes.

I had already completed The Swiss and Austrian online programmes.

So when I was told about the Irish scheme, I knew I wanted to do it and managed to complete it all in just one day.

The system is very user friendly. Our agency has a lot of enquiries from people who want to travel to the UK, but are looking for a new destination.

Before they used to just travel there for business and come back, but now they are extending their trips by two or more days and seeing a couple of places and that is something Ireland fi ts into.

Not everyone can go on trips so programmes like this are a genuine contribution to the travel agent and the destination providing the trip.

You get to know more about the place – too many travel agents just don’t get enough information on the products they are expected to sell.

How to become a Shamrock AgentTo sign up, agents must visit www.shamrockagents.ae

Once training is completed you receive a free Tourism Ireland goodie pack and certifi cate.

Travel agents will eventually be able to enroll on a higher-level course, which when fi nished, will see them receive a certifi cate as a Specialist Shamrock agent and have the chance to win a place on a special fam trip to Ireland.

ATN: Would you recommend the pro-gramme to other agents?MENDONCA: I would and I have already told my colleagues about it. AHMED: We like to study and read and we like to give information to our guests.

We have a small group of friends who are all travel agents who like to share these courses. Laura suggested it to me and I suggested it to someone else. MUSA: The course has helped a lot in terms of getting travel agents to understand a lot more about Ireland.

Before it was very diffi cult to communicate with agents about what Ireland had to offer and what people could see and do there.

Most of the people I deal with have taken the programme and a few people have been on other fam trips.

It’s also now easier to get travel agents to contact agencies and DMCs in Ireland to set up their own packages.

ATN: How important is this type of training for your jobs?MENDONCA: It’s very important because going to a place and experiencing it person-ally allows you to build a better relationship with your clients.

Even the smallest thing, like driving from Dublin to Galway and Galway to Cork allows me to suggest to my client that they hire a car — if you don’t know about that you won’t be able to suggest it and then you lose a chance to up-sell on the product.FITZSIMMONS: A lot of the clients ask, ‘have you been there?’. AHMED: And then you feel shy if you haven’t. MENDONCA: We have a lot of enquiries about Europe from Indians and they want to go to places with visa on arrival.

But with the Republic of Ireland it is very easy to get the visa because we now have expe-rience ourselves with doing that. Within two days we had got the visa. AHMED: It’s also a simple procedure without lots of questions about where you are going within the country. MENDONCA: For Northern Ireland you need a UK visa and a lot of agents would sell a Republic of Ireland visa.

This has happened to a client with one of our competitors, she didn’t realise this and she lost her money, so lots of agents are misin-formed — courses like this help massively to avoid such things.


REGIONAL NEWSAgent action

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/travel

Modelling and dancing competition ‘Come live your dream’ now open

SAA search for travel trade talent

South African Airways (SAA) is on the hunt for talent in the Middle East travel trade following the launch of its 2010 ‘Come live your dream’ event - a modelling and dance show contest open to entrants throughout the region. This year’s event has been much anticipated fol-

lowing the phenomenal success of the 2009 event, which saw 580 agents apply. Rajendran Vellapalath, regional man-ager, East Africa & Middle East, South Afri-

can Airways promised that this year’s event would be even more exciting than before.

“We are doing it a bit differently this year – as well as the fashion show we want to have a dance competition for the travel trade,” he said.

43 dance fi nalists selected through an audition process will be trained by renowned Indian cho-reographer Abhey Singh. The con-testants will be whittled down to compete for dance titles in vari-

ous categories including: Bol-lywood, hip-hop, contempo-

rary, jazz and salsa The grand fi nal is set to

take place in August, when SAA will also launch its new brochure ‘I luv South Africa the Gateway to Africa’.

Vellapalath said ‘Come live your dream’ had been conceived by SAA as a way of “giving some-thing back” to the travel trade. “You have to give something back to your travel agents over here.

You have to work very

38

‘Come live your dream’ launch event in March

Agents strut their stuff on the catwalk at the launch event.

If you think you have got what it takes, visit the website to enter: www.fl ysaaholidays.com or www.southafricaholidays.com. Registration for the dance con-test closes 15 MayRegistration for the fashion show closes 20 June

Full name: Shafraz Abdul Azeez Age: 23Agency: Al Rostamani Travel and HolidaysTitle: Business travel consultant Winner: ‘Best Smile’ Come Live Your Dream 2009

“I always wanted to be in fash-ion but fate brought me into travel. When I heard about the ‘Come Live Your Dream’ event last year I did not hesitate to enter. At fi rst I was not thinking I would win anything, I just want-ed to walk up the ramp; I was quite excited about that. Winning the competition last year was like a dream come true for me. It has given me the confi dence to pursue modelling as a hobby so I can get the satisfaction out of it that I always dreamt of. Since the show I have entered a few other competitions and applied for modelling agencies and I have been chosen as the ‘Splash Fashion Model of the Month’. I don’t walk to way I used to walked before or smile the way I smiled before. My ambition is to get on the front of a brochure and become the face of South Africa - I would love to win the competition this year.”

How to enter:

gopen to entrants throughout the reyear’s event has been much antic

lowing the phenomenal success oevent, which saw 580 agents appl Rajendran Vellapalath, regiager, East Africa & Middle East,

can Airways promised that this ywould be even more exciting th

“We are doing it a bit diffeyear – as well as the fashiowant to have a dance cofor the travel trade,” he sai

43 dance fi nalists through an audition proctrained by renowned Inreographer Abhey Singhtestants will be whittlecompete for dance titl

ous categories inclulywood, hip-hop, c

rary, jazz and salsThe grand fi n

take place in AuSAA will also launbrochure ‘I luv Sothe Gateway to A

Vellapalath slive your dreamconceived by way of “givthing back” totrade. “You hsomething btravel agents

You have to

closely with them; they are the ones who support any travel supplier in this part of the world. There are 6000 travel agents in the Middle East and without them there is no business - they are the bread and butter of any airline, so you have to look after them. This is just our way of giving some-thing back.”

Arabian Travel News is the offi cial media partner for the event and will be there to cover the action every step of the way.

“Winning the competition last year

was like a dream come true for me”


REGIONAL NEWSNEWS MIME

ATN chats to Suman Bose, newly appointed sales manager at Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet Hotel to hear about his role

ATN: What is your travel industry experience? I have been in the hotel and tourism industry for more than 12 years. I started my career with Accor in Oman in 1998 and worked for a short period with Lotus Hospitality in Dubai, but it’s great to be back with the Accor family again.

ATN: What was your job before you joined this property? I worked for a Destination Management Company in Dubai promoting the desti-

nation to the UK and Indian markets. It helped me to learn about travel agents and I also came to know what kind of rates other hotel chains were offering.

ATN: What attracted you to this role at Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet Hotel?Since my hotel manage-ment college days I have been interested in sales and marketing. The Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet Hotel is a unique hotel, close to Dubai, and this is what attracted me to the role.

ATN: What do you hope to achieve in this new role? Given the current market scenario, my priority will be to look for new clients to

ATN: What do you think will be the biggest challenges you will face in this role? Dubai is still currently going through a fi nancial crisis. This means the market is not quite ready to spend yet and is always asking us for the cheapest deals. That’s a challenge as far as I see it, as our service standards are very high. The other challenge is that Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet was a fi ve-star hotel a few months back and now we are trying to get those stars back again.

Agent action

New recruit

Checkin’ in/checkin’ out

Dubai is still going through a fi nancial crisis. The market is not ready to spend yet and is asking for the cheapest deals ”

SHAIKH IT UPLandmark Hotel Group Dubai has appointed Shafi que Shaikh as

a group director for sales and marketing. Shaikh brings with him over 20 years of experience with international hotel brands including IHG, Rosewood, Meridian, Accor and Oberoi. He previously held the role of gen-eral Manager of Zagy Arabian Suites, Dubai.

ATM TAKES TWOArabian Travel Market has boosted its team by two new members. Rosie Geyman, who hails from the UK, is involved with liaising and building re-lationships with suppliers

ROGERS NEW ROLE John Rogers has been appoint-

ed general man-ager of Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara.

Rogers began his hos-pitality career

KEMPINSKI SWITCH Kempinski Hotel Ajman has appointed Farzeen Patel as its new training manager. Farzeen is from Canada and has fi ve years experience in the hos-pitality industry across three continents. She is already part of the Kempinski family having worked with Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emir-ates for the past two years.

PULLMAN PULLS IN CHAUDETAccor Hospitality ME has ap-pointed Laurent Chaudet as general manager for Pullman Dubai Mall of the Emirates. Laurent has 25 years experi-ence in hotel management and has managed several Ac-cor properties across Asia, as regional general manager for East Indonesia Novotel, general manager for Novotel Ambas-sador Seoul Korea, opening GM

for Sofi tel Suzhou China and GM of Grand Mer-cure Xidan Beijing.

TALENT-HUNTING TAKIRania Taki has joined the Re-naissance Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments Doha City Center as Talent Acquisition Manager. Rania joins the pre-opening team from the Renaissance Dubai Hotel to focus on recruitment and talent acquisition.

boost sales to the hotel. Product information about this beautiful property has to be passed on to the cor-porate world.

and sponsors for the show, as well as producing marketing materials. She is also helping in the im-plementation of multi-channel marketing activities.

Luke Boulton also joins the team from the UK, having spent two years working in Canada. Luke is responsible for the web-site and development of Arabian Travel Market’s online presence. He is working closely with the sales team in order to ensure consistency in communications and messaging, and with out-

side agencies to ensure ATM is at the cutting edge in online devel-opment.

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REGIONAL NEWSAgent Action

All aboard for a taste of France in the GulfRenaissance Dubai Hotel, Luxury Yachting Catamaran and tour operator Atout France treated the travel trade to a cruise around Dubai on board a luxury French catamaran

Atty Kurian Anta Holidays; Francisco Giles Renaissance GM.

Simon D’Mello and Julie Huertas Andre Lopez, Kanoo Travel

Camila de Pierrefeu,

the captain,

Estelle Amiot.

The travel trade boards the yacht.

Averil Clarke, Chase International’s new Business Development Manager

Five minutes with...

ATN: What is your travel industry background? I have a degree in Hotel Management from The Shannon College of Hotel Management. I have worked for 15 years within the hospitality industry, mostly in a management role, but my key expertise is within sales and marketing of hotels and golf courses. ATN: What attracted you to the role at Chase Travel? I was attracted to Chase Travel by its business ethos, proven market growth and it’s modern and customer-focused approach to busi-ness. Chase Travel is an online travel wholesaler, well established since 1990,

and has been rewarded by the industry for its booking engine, service and content.

ATN: What made you make the move to Dubai? Having visited Dubai on numerous occasions, I wanted to broaden my experience within the travel industry here. Dubai struck me as a very forward and pro-gressive country with a huge variety in terms of size and specifi cations of hotels, ranging from the world’s only seven star hotel to resorts such as Bab Al Shams.

ATN: What do you think will be your biggest challenge? It is my belief that now more than ever price is a major infl uence. But Chase Travel offers a combination of price, availability, service and technology. These are essential ingredients for both Chase Travel and our valued clients. ATN: What are you most looking forward to? I am delighted to join such a dynamic, enthusiastic and result focused company. I look forward to developing strong relationships with our existing customer base and introducing new cus-tomers to Chase Travel.

Dubai struck me as a very forward and

progressive country with a huge variety in terms of hotels”

ATN: What does your role at Chase Travel entail?The aim of my role is to improve sales growth, oper-ational effi ciencies and most importantly continue to strengthen relationships with key client accounts in the GCC market.

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arabian travel news - april 2010

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