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October 19, 2009Published by Odyssey Media Group

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American Express Business Travel

Announces cXo Dashboard

page 3As most C-level executives look to gain greater control of travel program spend moving into the 2010 budgeting season...

Sabre Airline Solutions Survey: How Will Airlines Survive?

page 5In past years, airlines’ biggest concern was how to control skyrocketing fuel prices. Today, carriers worldwide are making dramatic business-model changes to survive not only fuel costs but a myriad of challenges. This perfect storm of challenges colliding simultaneously could result in changes that bring about the ultimate travel experience for consumers.

ITM Announces ICARUS Environmental Awards For 3rd Yearpage 10The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) UK & Ireland has announced the winners of its ICARUS Environmental Supplier Awards for 2009/10. The awards, in their third year, were created by the association as part of their CSR project, ICARUS and have seen a number of companies carry off awards for creating solutions to assist travel buyers to reduce the environmental impact of their travel programmes.

Marriott International Celebrates 20 Years In Eastern Europepage 12 As the 518-room Warsaw Marriott Hotel celebrates the 20th anniversary of its grand opening this month, Marriott International, Inc. heralds two decades of solid growth in the region by announcing the signing of two more hotel operating agreements.

Peter Malanik Voted Onto AEA Presidents’ Committeepage 15At last Friday’s Annual General Meeting of the Association of European Airlines (AEA), Peter Malanik, a Member of the Executive Board of the Austrian Airlines Group, was voted onto the AEA Presidents’ Committee.

FCm UK Launches New Online Restaurant Booking Servicepage 4FCm Travel Solutions UK has launched a new online booking tool which allows clients to make real-time restaurant reservations at over 6,000 participating establishments worldwide.

Air Canada Releases Blackberry Application

page 6Air Canada is the first North American airline to release a free BlackBerry application providing travellers with BlackBerry devices convenient and easy real-time access to a wide-range of flight information including; retrieving electronic boarding passes, tracking flight information in real-time, receiving notification of itinerary changes and more.

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Publisher & Managing Editor: Colin J. Holden - [email protected] Editor: Brian Menzies - [email protected] Editor: Edward Lambert - [email protected]

Technology Editor: Marten Streifel - [email protected]. Editor: Deborah Ibsen - [email protected]

Vancouver, Canada - San Francisco, USATelephone: (604) 543-7375

INSIDEITP Expands In the UAE page 3American Express Business Travel Announces cXo DashboardBCD Travel Expands Operations in GreecePreferred Hotel Group Selects Sabre Hospitality Solutions page 4FCm UK Launches New Online Restaurant Booking ServiceSabre Airline Solutions Survey: How Will Airlines Survive? page 5Cathay Pacific Welcomes HKSAR Policy AddressBusiness Class By Text Message For Finnair’s Frequent Flyers SAS Introduces Mobile Boarding Passes page 6Air Canada Releases Blackberry ApplicationPorter Airlines New Lounge In Ottawa International AirportEL AL Israel Airlines Savings and Upgrades For Matmid Frequent Flyers page 7Jean-Georges Klein Creates Menus For LufthansaJet Airways’ JetPrivilege To Welcome Four New Partners page 8Dr. Piyasvasti Amranand Becomes Thai Airways PresidentJet Airways Moves To New Home At Heathrow Terminal 4 page 9Etihad Airways CEO And Delegation Visit ChicagoBuy Online With Emirates Official Stores’ New WebsiteTSA Nominee Praises Registered Traveler Program page 101TM Announces ICARUS Environmental Awards For 3rd YearPATA: Asia Pacific Tourism Trending UpwardsThe Peninsula Shanghai page 11Accor on Track to Open Over 50 Hotels in Asia Pacific In 2009Marriott International Celebrates 20 Years in Eastern Europe page 12Pan Pacific Hotels Group Shares Strategy for Growth page 13First Holiday Inn Resort To Open In The MaldivesSwiss-Belhotel International Continues To Expand In Indonesia page 14Pan Pacific Whistler Suites During The 2010 Winter OlympicsSigns of Sales Recovery As Eurostar Heads Towards 15th AnniversaryAmanda Hyndman Appointed GM, Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. page 15New GM For Swiss-Belhotel Doha, QatarNew GM for Swiss-Belhotel WooshuPeter Malanik Voted Onto AEA Presidents’ CommitteeAmadeo Zarzosa Joins The St. Regis Singapore As General ManagerNew VP For Swiss-Belhotel International Middle East


TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

American Express Business Travel Announces cXo DashboardAs most C-level executives look to gain greater control of travel program spend moving into the 2010 budgeting season, American Express Business Travel, a global industry leader in business travel management, has announced cXo planning dashboard (cXo). A new, customizable budgeting and planning tool, cXo planning dashboard is specifically designed to help C-level executives make informed, targeted decisions that support revenue generating activities within cost reduction parameters rather than implementing sweeping, across-the-board cuts. With a patent currently pending, cXo is a global offering that enhances consulting activities and expands upon the current reporting & dashboard solutions which exist today.

“Looking ahead to 2010, companies will need to remain competitive in their respective marketplaces, and challenge the status quo to identify more opportunities for savings,” said Frank Schnur, vice president, Advisory

BCD Travel Expands Operations in GreeceBCD Travel has expanded its operations in Greece by establishing a joint venture with Amphitrion Holidays SA. The joint venture will operate under the BCD Travel brand.

Ilona De March, BCD Travel’s president - EMEA, said: “Over the past 18 months, we have noticed growing demand by multinational clients for a strong presence in the Greek market. We already service a significant number of clients in Greece, and we are pleased to be able to partner with Amphitrion Holidays. This expansion sends a strong signal that as a global player in the corporate travel management industry, BCD Travel is committed to being where our customers need us to be, with owned presence in key markets, and uniformly excellent service in all of them.”

De March added: “We will continue to service our existing clients with every attention to detail and will work together to foster new business development growth.”

Amphitrion Holidays was founded in 1973 and has an annual turnover of US$143 million. The company provides a complete range of travel services (including corporate, leisure, marine, incoming, and meetings and incentives), with 250 employees in four offices, including a 24-hour operation at the Athens airport.

Dinos Mitsiou, chairman and CEO of Amphitrion Holidays, said: “We are excited by the decision to forge a strategic partnership with BCD Travel. Building on our almost 40-year presence in the Greek market and our solid reputation, this move helps secure our future role in a global marketplace by aligning ourselves with a company that understands the importance combining global reach and purchasing power with local expertise and flexibility for its customers. We look forward to using our strong local relationships to expand the BCD Travel brand in Greece in coming years.”

www.bcdtravel.com

ITP Expands In the UAEITP - International Travel Partnership continues to develop its regional coverage in the Gulf with the addition of Al Jaber Travel, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Ian Epps, Director of Partnership Relations with ITP said, “Al Jaber is a market leader in Abu Dhabi and is already working alongside our partner in Dubai, Al-Futtaim Travel. We are very pleased to have two such strong partners in a commercially important market like the UAE.”

Al Jaber Travel’s General Manager, Paul Farrell, said, “Al Jaber Travel is delighted to be part of the ITP Network, we believe that with the forecasted growth in Abu Dhabi we will be able to offer our existing and potential customers a truly global Business Travel solution.

“We are also very excited about the opportunities that exist with all of our partners worldwide, and are looking forward to learning more about their products and services”.

www.itptravel.net

Services, American Express Business Travel.

“Through the cXo planning dashboard, companies can gain increased transparency into corporate travel spend as well as foresight into T&E program changes that enable them to make targeted, strategic T&E cost reductions. This can help remove excess expenditures and minimize the risk of cutting into revenue-generating travel that could hamper return-on-travel-investment over time.”

As the first dashboard of its kind, cXo integrates travel, card, expense and HR data and selected key performance indicators (KPIs) into one source while utilizing American Express Business Travel’s benchmarking to perform in-depth opportunity analysis. Executives can weigh potential compliance and policy changes and gather insight in an interactive format by benchmarking their program against best-in-class travel programs to project maximum savings.

Delivered monthly or quarterly, cXo planning dashboard can be customized within the following categories:

Budgeting- Provides executives with both a graphical and numerical representation of the company’s current travel spend. Here CXOs are able to gain greater visibility into business reasons for travel by business unit and view opportunities for reducing travel spend.

Optimization- Executives move sliders to see how change in behavior for their own customized KPIs, such as preferred usage as well as other behaviors like online adoption or advance purchases, are impacted when compared to those within best-in-class. . Dashboard dials report the change in savings based on these behavior changes for total company as well as within a division, such as merchant services, for example.

Procurement- Consultants work with clients to evaluate supplier negotiated contracts, benchmark against best-in-class programs and identify adjustments that could be made in order to optimize effectiveness of the contracts. Executives can use the dashboard to test how different changes would make an impact, in turn, revealing how to best strengthen contract performance and obtain increased savings potentials

“Being able to accurately assess data

and use it to project the impact of change to corporate travel programs will enable executives to achieve a


TRAVEL MANAGEMENTlevel of precision and control that was not possible before,” continued Mr. Schnur. “As we move toward economic recovery, companies will continue to look to be more resourceful when it comes to their T&E spending. Innovative technology tools such as cXo that can efficiently capture current and future spend and savings opportunities will play an essential role in driving ROI.”

Before designing a company’s customized cXo planning dashboard, American Express Business Travel’s consultants sit down with senior executives to first understand the current status of the program as well as goals and objectives. Consultants then evaluate the culture, business purpose, procurement strategy and current policy in order to select critical KPIs, business units, and other data to ensure the dashboard’s projections align with a company’s unique business needs and project the most accurate view into T&E program changes.

www.americanexpress.com/businesstravel

www.businesstravelconneXion.comwww.americanexpress.com

FCm UK Launches New Online Restaurant Booking ServiceFCm Travel Solutions UK has launched a new online booking tool which allows clients to make real-time restaurant reservations at over 6,000 participating establishments worldwide.

FCm Dining Solutions is available to all clients at no extra charge. Corporates can access the service by clicking on a log-in link. Any new user within the client’s company can then sign up with their own work email address and password. Details can be found on FCm’s website at www.uk.fcm.travel/diningsolutions.

Bookers are able to search for real-time availability at a specific restaurant, access up-to-date descriptions and images of the venue and read Harden’s ratings and reviews. They can also save their favourite locations, review their bookings and build customer profiles.

The FCm Dining Solutions tool, provided by Livebookings Concierge, hosts and manages the bookings technology, including content about the individual restaurants, search facilities and fulfillment of all bookings. Clients can also obtain information on opening hours, average meal price and see the exact location of the restaurant via Google mapping.

Bookings for tables of up to eight people can be made via the system. After finding a restaurant, the user simply selects date and time, confirms the guests’ details, and receives confirmation online. Other benefits include a facility which searches for special offers in categories such as 2 for 1, 50% off, or Eat Out for £30.

“FCm’s strategy in the current economic climate is to add value to our client offering,” said Graeme Milne, FCm Travel Solutions’ head of sales UK. “Cost is still a key issue for clients at the moment, but we are not going down the route of our competitors and lowering prices. Instead we are looking at ways of adding value and service. The FCm Dining Solution is free of charge to clients and we hope it provides a useful facility for corporates, not only in terms of simplifying restaurant reservations but also giving them a means of tracking their own client entertaining more effectively.”

www.fcm.travel

Preferred Hotel Group Selects Sabre Hospitality SolutionsPreferred Hotel Group has selected Sabre Hospitality Solutions to provide complete distribution marketing and technology for its members. Preferred Hotel Group (PV) will transition all five of its brands, Preferred Hotels & Resorts (PH), Preferred Boutique (PH), Summit Hotels & Resorts (XL), Sterling Hotels (WR) and Historic Hotels of America (HE) to Sabre Hospitality Solutions’ SynXis Central Reservation System (CRS) in 2010.

After a multi-year search, Preferred selected Sabre Hospitality Solutions due to its comprehensive suite of products and services. The suite of end-to-end solution services provided by Sabre Hospitality Solutions includes the unsurpassed performance, reliability, and security of the SynXis CRS; interfaces to the leading PMSs and Revenue Management Systems; a dynamic booking engine; a full suite of e-marketing services; and affordable access to Global Distribution System (GDS) media and other business units of Sabre Holdings such as Travelocity. Sabre Hospitality Solutions and Preferred Hotel Group will also work

together to jointly market Preferred’s branding and marketing services.

“After exploring various options in the market, we chose to partner with Sabre Hospitality Solutions based on their ability to fulfill the very unique needs of our independent hotels, as well as our overall brand requirements,” said John Ueberroth, chairman and chief operating officer, Preferred Hotel Group. “We were truly impressed with the experience and innovation of the team at Sabre Hospitality Solutions, and their ability to support Preferred as we provide our members with outstanding sales, marketing, and distribution services worldwide.”

Preferred Hotel Group will exclusively use the SynXis CRS for connectivity to the GDS, Internet Distribution Systems (IDS), and bookings coming from their branded web sites using the Guest Connect booking engine. The

agreement, which makes Preferred Hotel Group one of the largest brands in the Sabre Hospitality Solutions portfolio, also gives Preferred Hotel Group access to all Sabre Hospitality Solutions marketing products including online advertising, GDS merchandising, and media products in addition to award-winning Website design and Internet marketing services.

“With its history of excellence, we are honored to be selected by Preferred Hotel Group as their exclusive distribution and marketing partner,” said Felix Laboy, president and general manager of Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “Combining all of Sabre’s hospitality businesses into one unit means we can offer hotel groups of all sizes the expertise and support they need in a single portfolio of solutions and services. Winning Preferred’s business validates this new direction and proves our leadership in the industry.”


AIRLINES & AIRPORTSCathay Pacific Welcomes HKSAR Policy Address Cathay Pacific today welcomed the announcement by the HKSAR Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, in his Policy Address that the Hong Kong Airport Authority (AA) would carry out a midfield expansion project to maximise the use of the two existing runways at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) so as to meet air traffic demand up to 2020.

“We welcome measures to increase capacity and ease the worrying levels of traffic congestion at HKIA in the short to medium term. It is very important to continue to monitor the growth in demand so that all facilities at the airport are in place to meet long term air traffic growth so as to maintain Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s premier international hub,” said Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Tony Tyler.

Cathay Pacific also supports the initiative to enable Hong Kong travel agents to operate in the Mainland tours to Taiwan, and explore the further development of cross-Strait Mainland-Hong Kong-Taiwan multi-destination tourism products.

As the home carrier of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific will continue to support the Government to promote the development of the tourism, logistics and aviation industries in Hong Kong.

Business Class By Text Message For Finnair’s Frequent Flyers The range of services available to Finnair Plus customers is expanding. The latest addition is the text message upgrade, namely an opportunity for Finnair Plus customers to upgrade to business class via a text message. When a customer’s mobile phone beeps 24 hours before the departure of a Finnair scheduled flight, the message might contain an offer to upgrade travel class. Frequent flyers will be offered this option when business class seats are available.

“The new service is an easy and simple way to use accumulated Finnair Plus points or a travel class upgrade award. Like check-in text messages, the mes-

Sabre Airline Solutions Survey: How Will Airlines Survive?In past years, airlines’ biggest concern was how to control skyrocketing fuel prices. Today, carriers worldwide are making dramatic business-model changes to survive not only fuel costs but a myriad of challenges. This perfect storm of challenges colliding simultaneously could result in changes that bring about the ultimate travel experience for consumers.

A survey conducted by Sabre Airline Solutions of 90 airlines across the globe revealed that while fuel cost instability and revenue management are among the top challenges for carriers over the next 18 months, it is customer loyalty and retention efforts that are viewed by an overwhelming majority of survey respondents (86 percent) as having the most positive impact on their business.

Customer experience was ranked by nearly 50 percent of those surveyed as the primary issue related to customer loyalty and retention.

The importance of developing customer loyalty is part of the unwieldy crisis airlines face today as charging additional fees is viewed by them as one of the top tactics to increase revenues.

Overall customer satisfaction with airlines was down this year, in part because of costs and fees, according to a study released in June by J.D. Power and Associates.

“The importance of customer loyalty and retention was distinctly higher in this year’s survey as compared to a similar study we did two years ago,” said Gordon Locke, vice president of Airline Marketing for Sabre. “That’s not surprising as airlines grapple with the challenge of introducing additional fees to generate much-needed new revenue, in a way that doesn’t erode an airline’s brand or negatively impact customer loyalty. The airline that finds that magic balance will become a model for the rest of the industry.

“We’ve seen some winners and losers in this area, particularly as customers are less loyal to brands and more apt to switching preferences now than ever before. In the next year or two, we’ll see more experimentation and a greater focus on the customer as airlines sharpen their ability to service customer needs using new technologies available to them.”

According to 58 percent of those surveyed, merchandising and ancillary revenue will help airlines’ bottom line results. Baggage fees, travel insurance, and vacation packaging were rated among the highest in the survey to generate revenue.

Other key Sabre survey findings:

- Previous concerns over rising fuel cost has now evolved into 57 percent of those surveyed saying fuel price instability is the biggest challenge facing their business. - Increasing revenue and reducing costs is among the most significant challenges in managing airline profits over the next 18 months, according to 67 percent of those surveyed. - Managing revenues (44 percent) and distribution mix (12 percent) are the top two tactics survey respondents plan to use to increase revenues. Ancillary revenues followed closely behind with 11 percent of those surveyed planning to employ this tactic. - Government regulations were identified by 55 percent of survey respondents as problematic. - Specifically respondents view airport and passenger security (21 percent) and environmental standards and regulation (21 percent) as top government regulatory concerns.

www.sabreairlinesolutions.com


AIRLINES & AIRPORTSPorter Airlines New Lounge In Ottawa International AirportPorter Airlines has announced the opening of its dedicated lounge in Ottawa International Airport. All passengers have complimentary access to the airline’s comfortable, modern and stylish lounge, the first located outside of the airline’s main hub at Toronto City Centre Airport.

Features and furnishings emulate the existing Toronto lounge, including comfortable seating, computer workstations, Wi-Fi access, a meeting room and business centre as well as snacks, cold beverages and espresso in heated cups. From the lounge, it’s only a few steps to board Porter’s Canadian-built Bombardier Q400 aircraft featuring leather seats and extra legroom.

“Porter is known for creating an exceptional travel experience and the new lounge enhances this in Ottawa,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “Passengers can now relax in a familiar location and easily complete any last-minute business tasks before their flight.”

Porter is committed to reintroducing convenience, speed and seamless service to air travel. With its upscale amenities and refreshing approach to customer service, the airline is changing the way people fly. Passengers enjoy complimentary service, including free in-flight wine, beer and premium snacks, all served aboard comfortable, modern aircraft.

“We are very pleased that Porter chose Ottawa for the first lounge away from its home base, and we know that clients will enjoy an end-to-end Porter experience when their travels take them to Toronto,” said Paul Benoit, Ottawa Airport Authority President and CEO.

www.flyporter.com

sages should be answered with one letter, in this case ‘U’ as in upgrade,” explains Anna Korpi, who is responsible for Finnair Plus marketing.

Customers’ chances of receiving such a message depends, among other things, on the booking class of the ticket they bought. Before sending the message, a check is also made that the customer has sufficient Finnair Plus points, or points that are soon to expire, or an available travel class upgrade award, which are needed to redeem the seat. The service is personal and flight-spe-cific.

The new service will initially apply to scheduled flights departing from Hel-sinki, but in future seats will also be offered on flights departing from other locations. The upgrade flights will ac-cumulate Finnair Plus points according to the original booking class and the points deducted for the travel class up-grade will be slightly less than normal.

When travelling in business class, cus-tomers can use the business class check-in desk to complete check-in for-malities or leave baggage if they have already checked in beforehand. Busi-ness class passengers can take more baggage along with them and can also enjoy airport lounge services.

www.finnair.com

SAS Introduces Mobile Boarding PassesIt is now even easier to travel with SAS Scandinavian Airlines, as the airline has introduced mobile boarding passes. This means SAS customers can now travel using only their mobile phone and with an ID card/passport.

“SAS continues to save valuable time for our customers. Now customers can check-in on our mobile site or via SMS and receive a 2D bar code that functions as their mobile boarding pass,” says Lena Rökaas, Vice President Product & Customer Services, Scandinavian Airlines.

“For years we have worked hard on providing our customers time efficient travel solutions, and with the introduction of mobile boarding passes we have taken one step closer to hassle free travel,” says Rökaas.

The mobile boarding pass contains a 2D bar code that can be read electronically at the airport. The 2D bar code can

be used to get baggage tags from the SAS Self Service kiosks, at security screening, duty-free shopping, entering SAS lounges and when boarding.

Mobile boarding pass will be available if you check-in via SMS or SAS mobile site, mobile.flysas.com on the following destinations with SAS and SAS subsidiary Blue1:

• Domestic flights within Scandinavia and Finland; • Intra Scandinavian flights and to/from Finland; • Flights to Europe and Asia; and • Selected flights from Europe.

The service will be available to all passengers with mobile internet (WAP).

Benefits with mobile boarding pass:

• No paper boarding pass to keep track of; • No need to print out boarding pass at the airport, saving time and our environment; and • The mobile boarding pass keeps you updated with information about your flight since it is automatically updated with information about gate number and other flight information.

Air Canada Releases Blackberry ApplicationAir Canada is the first North American airline to release a free BlackBerry application providing travellers with BlackBerry devices convenient and easy real-time access to a wide-range of flight information including; retrieving electronic boarding passes, tracking flight information in real-time, receiving notification of itinerary changes and obtaining other details about Air Canada flights.

“With the release of our new Blackberry App, Air Canada continues to be an industry leader now offering more and more customers innovative mobile and wireless services that provide real-time information and convenient functions tailored for people on the move. This Blackberry App significantly expands these options enabling travellers to check-in, board and obtain other details about Air Canada flights,” said Ben Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “In addition, we have revamped our mobile portal www.mobile.aircanada.com to mirror the features of the Air Canada BlackBerry App. This is another

step in introducing more cutting-edge technical innovations that will enhance and simplify our self-service and mobile options for customers who like the freedom of managing their own travel. We will continue to add new features in response to customer demand.”

Available free on-line from BlackBerry


AIRLINES & AIRPORTSApp World or on Air Canada’s mobile site, the new application was developed for Air Canada by IBM Canada. It will among other things enable users to: keep track of and update all of their Air Canada and Jazz flights from a single location; receive messages and link to their electronic boarding passes; access Air Canada Mobile check-in to select a seat and retrieve an electronic boarding pass; book flights using an Air Canada Flight Pass; rent a car or access other convenient travel links; and find and track any Air Canada or Jazz flight; subscribe to flight notification informing them of flight delays.

Air Canada, recognized as an industry leader in self-service and mobile technology - it was the first airline in the world to introduce 2-D Electronic Boarding Passes in 2007 - is also refining and expanding its existing products to better meet the needs of customers. Among other things Air Canada is:

Adding new functions to airport kiosks, offering customers the option to purchase an upgrade, reprint boarding passes, and obtain an electronic boarding pass, including at international airports

Enhancing its boarding passes to provide more and new travel information such as check-in and baggage drop-off times

Offering easy-to-use, personalized flight notification so customers can be automatically updated through their mobile devices about changes to their itinerary. For greater ease, customers can receive all Air Canada wireless communications in a single, convenient easy to access location called “My Message” in-box on computers and mobile devices.

Providing additional mobile detail about the status of Air Canada flights, including gate information, flight status, diversions, arrivals and local weather conditions

Jean-Georges Klein Creates Menus For Lufthansa Menus from one of the world’s most celebrated chefs hold out delicious culinary prospects for First and Business-Class passengers on Lufthansa long-haul flights out of Germany in November and December. Jean-Georges Klein from Lorraine, one of France’s top three chefs has created exclusive menus, to which discriminating passengers can look forward with relish when they are served in the aircraft cabin. As appetisers in First Class, passengers will savour pink-roasted beef filet with apples and gelée of tabbouleh and yoghurt, smoked tuna with crabmeat on lemon crème frâiche with walnuts as well as beetroot and comté cheese with thyme served on an étagère. After clear oxtail soup with cheese sticks or a choice of salads with pumpkin and mushrooms, the main course runs to a choice of shoulder of veal simmered in hay with savoy cabbage and bakers potatoes, sliced halibut under a nut crust with anise beurre blanc, spinach and puréed pumpkin, or gratin de légumes d’Anton on, a casserole of fine vegetables and spinach with parmesan sauce. As every year, a traditional alternative menu in November is roast goose with red cabbage, potato dumplings and mixed herbs. As a finale, the gourmet inflight food features fig purée with enzian sauce, quark cream and butter milk ice cream, textured chocolate with plum gelée or tonka bean ice with an assortment of French cheese specialities.

As starters in Business Class, passengers can choose a mosaic of scallops and salmon served with fennel salad and crème frâiche with keta caviar, venison pâté with Waldorf salad and fig purée, or mixed salad with pumpkin, chanterelles, pine nuts and French dressing. The main course consists of fried halibut with herb crust, carrots, courgettes and pearl barley or penne noodles with vegetable ragout and parmesan. Alternatively, roast goose will be served in the November tradition. The dessert is an unusual dish: an almond sandwich of mandarins and plums with rosehip sauce. Dinner will also be offered on long daytime flights: venison ham rolls stuffed with fresh cheese together with red cabbage salad, as well as Münster cheese with caraway seeds and marinated onions or spiced salmon on chives sauce and Alsatian salad of cheese and sausage. Dinner culminates in a dessert of orange sand cake Hotel K.

Jean-Georges Klein, whose star-studded restaurant “L’Arnsbourg” in Baerenthal is set in the Lorraine national park at the foot of the Vosges mountains in Alsace, is a confessed autodidact. After studying hotel management, he worked from 1970 as maître d’hôtel in the family-owned restaurant, founded as a humble eatery for coal merchants and loggers by his grandmother about a century ago. He only began working in the restaurant when his mother, who won a Michelin star in 1988, retired in 1989. It was then that he began developing his own culinary art, which now attracts gourmets in droves to his Alsatian restaurant. He was awarded his second star in 1998 and his third in 2002. An experimental spirit, Jean-Georges Klein reinterprets dishes from traditional local produce in a cuisine deeply rooted in the local region. Even his avantgarde creations primarily bring out the harmony between individual aromas. As the star chef himself gladly emphasises, he owes the finishing touch of his gourmet menus to inspiration from the culinary greats: Pierre Gagnaire and Ferran Adriá.

Lufthansa Star Chefs Programme Lufthansa passengers have been on a high in the world of haute cuisine since the launch of Lufthansa’s Star Chefs programme in January 2000. Imaginative menus in the skies from chefs at the pinnacle of the world’s cooking fraternity have turned their flights into truly heavenly delights. To date, such international celebrities as Harald Wohlfahrt (Baiersbronn), Dieter Müller (Bergisch Gladbach), Daniel Boulud (New York) or Paul Bocuse (Lyon) have been engaged to provide savoury star-chef menus in the aircraft cabin. Additionally, since early 2005, internationally renowned chefs from elsewhere on the world map have been serving special inflight fare, focusing on regional specialities on selected long-haul routes to Germany.

EL AL Israel Airlines Savings and Upgrades For Matmid Frequent FlyersEL AL, Israel’s national airline, is now offering exceptional airfares for EL AL Matmid Frequent Flyer club members who plan to travel to Israel this fall and winter, as long as tickets are purchased before October 23, 2009. The roundtrip economy class fare (including all fuel

surcharges and taxes) is $699 plus 299 points on nonstop flights from New York (JFK/Newark) or $1069 plus 299 points from Los Angeles, the only

nonstop flights between the West Coast and Israel. This promotion is available for travel November 1, 2009 through March 23, 2010.


AIRLINES & AIRPORTSDr. Piyasvasti Amranand Becomes Thai Airways President Dr. Piyasvasti Amranand commenced his term as President of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited today. Piyasvasti joins Thai after having served most recently as chairman of the advisory panel to Kasikornbank Bank’s CEO. He is a graduate of Oxford University, England. Thereafter, he was awarded a Master’s and Ph.D. degree from the London School of Economics, with a strong background in mathematics, energy and the environment. Piyasvasti also headed Thailand’s National Energy Policy Office that transformed the country’s energy sector in the 1990s and was former Minister of Energy. Piyasvasti said he wants to bring all his experience and knowledge to bear on the current issues facing Thai, in an effort to continually improve operational performance and the Company’s financial position. “I am under no illusion about the challenges facing aviation today, and that includes the challenges facing Thai,” Piyasvasti said. Thai’s Board of Directors and senior management have addressed major liquidity issues facing them earlier this year with a turnaround plan that has already shown positive results. “But we still need to do more. We must continue to cut costs, radically improve our operational performance and enhance the efficiency and returns of every division within the airline,” Piyasvasti said. “In this regard, I look forward to working with the large range of airlines and aviation organizations, such as IATA, Star Alliance, AAPA, ICAO and many others with whom Thai has excellent and enduring relationships.” At today’s meeting with senior management and staff, the new Thai President outlined his directional policy statement. With regard to his goals for Thai, he intends to lead the Company with an emphasis on customer-oriented services that offer products and services that are aligned with customer demand and needs. He also aims to increase competitiveness so that Thai can deliver better customer experience at lower delivery cost compared to Asian and global competitors. Thai needs to also be more dynamic to respond quickly to sudden changes in the business environment. His commercial strategy will focus on revenue enhancement. Ultimately, Piyasvasti aims to lay the foundation to make Thai a strong and sustainable company for the long term. As for Piyasvasti’s strategy, he aims to create higher value for customers, design a more effective business model, pursue operational excellence, and ensure financial sustainability, all of which can only be achieved if everyone strives to succeed together. Some of the quick-wins that Piyasvasti intends to accomplish will be through increasing customer satisfaction in areas that are achievable immediately without additional investment, such as improving the quality of inflight service catering and inflight reading materials. The improvement in seats and inflight entertainment in all aircraft is expected to be complete within 2 years. He also intends to improve fuel risk management practice and strategy in anticipating the continuing volatility of global oil prices. To enhance Thai’s internal governance, he will introduce the concept of “Whistleblower Policy” that many global leading companies have successfully adopted. As Thai will celebrate 50 years of operations next year, Piyasvasti summed up his strategic thrust as Mission TG “100,” aiming towards another 50 years of strong and sustainable business. Mission TG “100” aims to restore Thai to be the pride of Thailand around the world, as a leading Asian carrier that is consistently among the top 3 carriers in Asia and top 5 carriers in the world for overall customer experience. A senior management level workshop will be held in November 2009, followed by a workshop with the Thai Board of Directors that will result in the development of the roadmap and milestones of Mission TG “100,” along with the corporate business plan.

Jet Airways’ JetPrivilege To Welcome Four New PartnersJet Airways JetPrivilege, India’s largest frequent flyer programme, will enhance its impressive list of programme partnerships to include four new partners- Delta Airlines, Standard Chartered Bank India, ABN India and Punjab National Bank.

Delta Air Lines is the world’s largest airline, flying to 368 destinations in 66 countries and serving more than 170 million passengers each year.

JetPrivilege members may now earn and redeem JPMiles on all flights marketed and operated by Delta Airlines, with immediate effect. Similarly, Delta Airlines’ SkyMiles members may now earn and redeem their miles on all flights marketed and operated by Jet Airways.

Platinum and Smart Miles Titanium credit card holders of ABN AMRO Bank, a leading multinational bank in India can now convert their Platinum Miles and Smart Miles to JPMiles by simply making a call to the ABN AMRO Phone Banking. One Platinum/Smart Mile can be converted to one JPMile in multiples of 1000.

Punjab National Bank Global Credit

Another promotion that allows Matmid members to purchase a less expensive economy class ticket when using points to upgrade has been extended until December 31, 2009. This same promotion also allows club members to borrow points from EL AL to obtain these vouchers to upgrade.

EL AL recently announced a new benefit that the 50% minimum point requirement to exchange points for a ticket or an upgrade is no longer required. Club members may now purchase any number of points needed for $1 a point.

EL AL Matmid partners include American Airlines, American Express Membership Rewards, a variety of international hotel chains and car rental companies, plus many more. EL AL Matmid points can be donated to such organizations as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Chai Lifeline and the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Israel.

www.elal.com


AIRLINES & AIRPORTSCard holders may now covert their card reward points into JPMiles, with 2 card reward points equaling 1 JPMile.

Standard Chartered Credit Card holders may also convert their reward points on the Platinum, Gold, Executive and Classic credit cards into JPMiles. While Standard Chartered Platinum Elite, Platinum Rewards and Manhattan Platinum members may earn 100 JPMiles for every 120 reward points, Gold, Gold Rewards and other card members may earn 100 JPMiles for every 170 reward points.

According to Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, “The addition of our new partners stands testimony to our commitment to bring extensive value to our Jet Privilege members, in some of the more significant areas of their lives. We are indeed proud of our new partnerships.”

www.jetairways.com

Jet Airways Moves To New Home At Heathrow Terminal 4Jet Airways has moved to a new home at London’s Heathrow Airport from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4, offering enhanced facilities and comfort for passengers. To celebrate the move, the check-in area was given a distinctly Indian flavour with staff in traditional dress and Indian sweets served by Jet Airways cabin crew.

The new check-in area was officially opened (14 October) by Raja Segran, Senior Vice President, Europe for Jet Airways, who commented: “We are delighted to be able to offer passengers an even more comfortable journey from the moment they arrive at the Terminal. Jet Airways strives to achieve the highest standards and our move to Terminal 4 reflects our ongoing efforts to surpass the expectations of our passengers.”

Onboard the inaugural flight from Terminal 4 were Naresh Goyal, Chairman of Jet Airways, Anita Goyal, Exec Vice President, Network Planning & Revenue Management and famous Bollywood film producer/director Yash Chopra with his wife.

The move is part of a multi-million pound investment by BAA at the Terminal. The departures concourse has

Etihad Airways CEO And Delegation Visit ChicagoJames Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief ex-ecutive, and members of the airline’s senior management team hosted a high level gala reception in Chicago to celebrate the launch of Etihad’s flights to the famed ‘windy city’.

The gala reception took place at Chi-cago’s Peninsula Hotel and was the culmination of a week of activities to promote the airline’s latest US destina-tion. This included meetings with may-or of the city, Richard Daley, and James Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, as well as prom-inent members of the Arab business community in the US.

Mr Hogan said: “Etihad Airways has received a very warm welcome in Chi-cago since we launched our flights last month and we are delighted build on our established relations with O’Hare airport and civic and trade officials in the city.”

Last week Mr Hogan was the key note speaker at a special luncheon in the hosted by AmCham Abu Dhabi.

During the speech, Mr Hogan discussed the growing relationship between Abu Dhabi and Chicago and explained how Etihad’s new service will bring signifi-cant economic benefits to America’s third largest city.

Etihad Airways began flights to the US city of Chicago at the beginning of Sep-tember 2009. The initial three flights per week service will increase to six flights per week at the beginning of No-

been newly refurbished and now offers a larger check-in area, with high ceilings and brighter lighting, making it easier and quicker for passengers to check in. Jet Airways’ check-in counters are now located in Zone C, with desks 1-6 in operation for the morning departure and desks 1-11 in use for the evening flights.

Première (business) and first class passengers will have access to Etihad’s newly opened lounge in Terminal 4 which is located opposite gate 10. The new premium lounge is stylishly designed and furnished with the best of luxuries, including a well stocked bar, playroom, and seating space for 120 guests.

vember and then move to a daily ser-vice at the beginning of 2010.

Chicago is the third largest US market for air travel to the Middle East and GCC, after New York and Washington DC, and the state of Illinois is home to one of the largest Arab-American com-munities in the US with an estimated population of more than 240,000 resi-dents.

Buy Online With Emirates Official Stores’ New WebsiteEmirates airline official branded merchandise can now be ordered online; with Emirates Official Stores’ launching a new, comprehensive website this week to complement the existing eight retail outlets.

The website offers customers the opportunity to purchase their favourite Emirates products from the comfort of their home. With over 150 unique items listed on the site at any one time, the new website makes short work of selecting interesting and thoughtful gifts for family and friends.

The Emirates Official Stores’ online ordering system is a safe and secure way for people to complete their shopping, and a simple alternative to visiting the mall. Functional and easy to navigate, the new website is a convenient online destination that enables customers to own a piece of Emirates memorabilia with just a few clicks.

Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman, Emirates airline and Group said: “Since the first Emirates Official Stores retail outlet was launched in October 1990 it has witnessed a steady and positive growth; with a total of eight outlets now operational in Dubai. The launch of the Emirates Official Stores website recognises a growing demand in the UAE for online shopping sites, thanks to increased security and a more efficient delivery service.

“The new website will feature a large selection of Emirates’ branded products including our popular apparel lines. Due largely to our numerous worldwide sponsorships, such as our continued association with Arsenal FC, we have seen a steady increase in the number of customers purchasing Emirates branded clothing, with customers proud to wear and embrace the Emirates logo.”

www.emiratesofficialstore.com


ASSOCIATIONS

ITM Announces ICARUS Environmental Awards For 3rd YearThe Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) UK & Ireland has announced the winners of its ICARUS Environmental Supplier Awards for 2009/10. The awards, in their third year, were created by the association as part of their CSR project, ICARUS and have seen a number of companies carry off awards for creating solutions to assist travel buyers to reduce the environmental impact of their travel programmes.

The judging panel, chaired by Dr Keith Mason, Director of the Business Travel

TSA Nominee Praises Registered Traveler ProgramThe National Business Travel Association (NBTA) today praised comments in support of the Registered Traveler (RT) program from Erroll G. Southers at a hearing last week for consideration of his nomination for position of Assistant Secretary of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Southers said he firmly supports a program that provides of a list of pre-vetted passengers to be moved swiftly through security, allowing the agency to focus its resources on a smaller number of passengers.

NBTA Executive Director and COO Michael W. McCormick said, “Mr. Southers’ comments on the potential for an effective Registered Traveler program are encouraging for NBTA. We’ve supported RT since before its inception and are pleased to see an industry thought leader and potential federal official pledge support for this risk management tool that allows for secure and efficient air travel. I urge the Senate to move quickly to confirm Mr Southers as the new TSA Assistant Secretary.”

McCormick testified before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security last month in a hearing on “The Future of the Registered Traveler Program.” He urged Congress to enact the RT provisions included in the House-passed TSA Reauthorization Bill (Section 234 in H.R.2200), which would require TSA to evaluate how RT may be used to increase TSA’s efficiency and improve aviation security.

www.nbta.org

PATA: Asia Pacific Tourism Trending UpwardsFigures released by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) show that the numbers of international visitors to the Asia Pacific region* fell by an estimated six percent in July 2009 compared to July 2008, an improvement over the months of May and June which recorded year-on-year reductions of 10 percent and eight percent respectively.

More importantly, international arrivals to South Asia showed a year-on-year

Research Centre at Cranfield University was made up of travel and environmental experts including Dr Emma Harvey – International Centre for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University; Dr Rebecca Hawkins – Centre for Environmental Studies in the Hospitality Industry, Oxford Brooks University; Dr Paul Hooper – Centre for Air Transport and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University; Tim Johnson – Director, Aviation Environment Federation; Toby Kent – Sustainability and Climate Change Team, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and; Prof Peter Morrell – Dept of Air Transport, Cranfield University

The panel considered submissions from airlines, hotels, rail operators, ground transport operators, travel management companies, consultancies and technology providers. Airlines that made submissions this year accounted for nearly 70% of UK airline capacity. All submissions were judged against five key criteria, being; Innovation, Leadership, Time-resilience, Scalability/Transferability and Case study material

Dr Keith Mason, commenting on the awards, said, “In the third year of ICARUS’ Supplier Awards, the judges were looking for serious commitment by companies to develop sustainable business practices. Evidence was sought in terms of leadership by senior management to their employees and engagement with stakeholder. Companies ought to be using suitable metrics to measure the impact of their policies on their trading environment. Setting realistic but challenging targets to reduce environmental impacts are key in order to drive change. Companies also need to monitor their performance to ensure that targets are being achieved.” Dr Mason also highlighted that judging considerations were made in light of the quality of the submissions of the winners of the two previous years with a decision not to award or commend in categories where a consistently high level was not achieved.

ITM has announced four supplier award winners and two commended entries as follows:

· Aviation Winner: Flybe· Accommodation Winner: the Cavendish Hotel (Previous 2008/9 winner)· Rail Transportation Winner: Eurostar (Previous 2008/9 winner)

· Agency Winner: CWT (Previous winner across both 2007/8 and 2008/9)

· Aviation Commended: British Airways (Previous 2008/9 winner)· Ground Transportation Commended: Carey

Noting that the airline entries accounted for nearly 70% of UK airline capacity, Dr Mason explained why Flybe had been awarded the aviation award this year and BA a commendation.” Flybe’s modernisation of its fleet using young turbo-prop aircraft mean carbon emissions are low for the sectors that they operate. Its eco-labelling concept, which has been applied to its flights, uses the easily understood customer labelling notation common to fridges, washing machines, and even houses for sale. The judges were also pleased to see continuing commitment by British Airways to developing strategies to minimise their environmental impact within their wider Corporate Social Responsibility programme.”

About Project ICARUS

Project ICARUS was established, with help from the government’s Omega fund, by ITM in 2006 to create resources for all aspects of responsible corporate travel and meetings. It offers stakeholders environmental and duty of care toolkits, an awards programme and an accreditation programme. It is overseen by an advisory board of senior buyers, academics and consultants. The ICARUS accreditation assessment is made by the ICARUS Advisory Group – the project team made up of 11 travel buyers, consultants and academics which originally formed ICARUS in 2006.

www.itm.org.uk www.icarus.itm.org.uk


ASSOCIATIONS

HOTELS & RESORTS

increase of two percent in arrivals for July 2009, a result partly boosted by increased travel demand to Sri Lanka (+28 percent) and Nepal (air only, +10 percent). India, the dominant destination for foreign arrivals into South Asia, also reported its second straight month of improvement, albeit marginally. Similarly, arrivals to Southeast Asia appeared to also be on the mend as the year-on-year rate of decline slowed to less than minus three percent, due mainly to the much improved but still negative results from Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

International arrivals to Northeast Asia

were down by about six percent in July, depressed by the double-digit declines for arrivals to Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Japan. The overall rate of decline for Northeast Asia was mitigated by a smaller fall in travel demand for China (minus three percent) together with increased demand for Korea (ROK) and Chinese Taipei, where growth for the month was recorded at seven percent and 13 percent respectively.

The Pacific recorded an aggregate international visitor number drop of five percent in July, a result driven in part by a steep fall in arrivals to Australia (-12.8 percent).

According to John Koldowski, Director of PATA’s Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC), “These latest results confirm that the prevailing depressed market conditions are still having an impact on international travel flows and, while the global economy appears to be showing signs of renewed activity in some areas, it is doing so at a sluggish pace. The reality is that there is no quick fix for the travel and tourism industry. We are still fighting to get back to ground zero.”

*41 destinations as measured and reported in the PATA Annual

Tourism Monitor

www.PATA.org

The Peninsula ShanghaiA sumptuous new landmark on the Bund is set to be the talk of Shanghai, as the much-anticipated Peninsula Shanghai welcomes its first guests with the legendary Peninsula service and style. The ninth property in The Peninsula Hotels’ portfolio is in the heart of the historic city - the first new building on the Bund in 60 years, with spectacular views of the Huangpu River, the bright lights of Pudong and the gardens of the former British Consulate. The opening marks the return of parent company, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited, to its roots, as it owned and operated four celebrated Shanghai hotels - The Kalee, Majestic, Palace and Astor House - in the first half of the last century.

A homage to the glamour of Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s, The Peninsula Shanghai recreates the look and feel of this fascinating era when Shanghai was feted as “The Paris of the East”, yet combined with the latest in state-of-the-art technology, services and amenities. The Shanghai-chic hotel pays tribute to its Art Deco neighbours on the Bund, with a modern design interpretation created by New York-based architect David Beer and Paris-based interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon of PYR.

The hotel’s 235 luxurious guestrooms and suites are among the largest in Shanghai, offering the latest in hotel technology, from nail-dryers, iPod docking stations and Nespresso™ coffee machines to bedside panels that control the room environment at the touch of a button. Four themed suites - The Astor, Majestic, Palace and Peninsula Suites are the epitome of

gracious living, with outdoor rooftop terraces and breathtaking views of the Bund and Pudong’s futuristic skyline.

When it comes to dining, China’s first Michelin Star winner, Chef Chi Keung Tang will be offering his famous signature Cantonese dishes and dim sum favourites at The Yi Long Court restaurant, which together with the speciality tea counter, Chef’s Table and seven private dining salons, revives the lofty elegance of a rich 1930s merchant’s residence. Traditional Afternoon Tea will be served in the triple-height Lobby lounge overlooking the former British Consulate Gardens, with tea dances held once a month. As the rollout continues, guests can look forward to the unveiling of the rooftop Sir Elly’s Restaurant Bar and Terrace, offering modern European cuisine with French influences. Spectacular skyline views can be enjoyed from Sir Elly’s dining room and the top floor private dining rooms. The basement will see the decadent days of Shanghai’s heyday come to life in the Salon de Ning late night lounge, while The Compass Bar, with its dramatic deep purple and French navy décor, maritime memorabilia and outdoor terrace is the hotel’s inviting bar, the perfect meeting place just off the Bund.

The Peninsula Shanghai also boasts a 1,250 sq m Peninsula Spa by ESPA with nine treatment rooms and a décor inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby; a Rolls-Royce fleet that includes a restored 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II, and a Peninsula Arcade featuring more than 25 of the world’s top luxury brands. Other special Peninsula features include an elevator large enough to deliver a limousine to

the ballroom, a custom-made 1930s Schindler cage lift and a full-scale replica of a 1930s seaplane in the Rosemonde Aviation Lounge.

“Opening The Peninsula Shanghai is a unique opportunity to re-establish our historic links to this wonderful city. We’ve tried to create an approach that’s different, and we feel very comfortable and proud to be back”, says Mr Paul Tchen, The Peninsula Shanghai’s General Manager. “Shanghai is a natural part of our storyline, a romantic and historic continuation of the golden age of travel and our company’s rich heritage”.

www.peninsula.com

Accor on Track to Open Over 50 Hotels in Asia Pacific In 2009At an event to announce the ibis Hong Kong Sheung Wan development - a 550 room strategically located hotel in down town Hong Kong, Accor announced that the company’s growth forecast remains on target throughout Asia Pacific. During 2009, Accor has opened 32 hotels comprising of 6,155 new rooms. China remains the country with the greatest numbers of hotel openings with 14 hotels opened year to date and a further 10 hotels to open before year end. This includes Accor’s first hotel for Taiwan - Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. A further 22 hotels with 4,410 rooms are scheduled to open before the end of 2009 in Asia Pacific. This includes an additional hotel in the new frontier market of India, where Accor will have 50 hotels operating by 2012. This ambitious target reflects a 10 fold increase in


HOTELS & RESORTSthe number of hotels operating today. Michael Issenberg - Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, Accor Asia Pacific says ‘Accor will achieve its previously announced expansion objectives in 2009, despite being a period that has provided fresh challenges with the tightening of financial markets. We have experienced a surge in demand for new management contracts, particularly for our non standardised brand portfolio including the Pullman, Mercure and All Seasons hotel brands. This upswing in demand has positioned the Pullman brand as the fastest growing 5 star hotel brand in the region.’

ibis Hotel Expansion

2009 will see the opening of 21 ibis hotels throughout the region. By years end there will be 42 ibis hotels in China and the second ibis hotel in India, where a further 15 ibis hotels are committed. The brand has also expanded in Thailand, where 3 ibis hotels have opened in the past 12 months taking the number of ibis hotels to 5 in the country and an additional hotel - ibis Phuket Kata will open later this year. This expansion will see the number of ibis hotels throughout the region total 82 by year end. Earlier this year, Accor opened the Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen, a 538 room hotel in down town Singapore. This hotel has enjoyed a strong start, achieving 87% occupancy for the months of August and September and demonstrating the continuing demand for international quality economy hotels. The Ibis Hong Kong Sheung Wan will consist of many similar features to the Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen, with the hotel also benefiting from a central city location, a large number of guest rooms (550) and will become the largest ibis hotel outside of France - the birthplace of the brand. The ibis brand has become a welcome sight throughout the Asia Pacific, for both leisure and business travelers who seek international quality economy hotels. Ibis hotels are now represented in almost every capital throughout the region.

The Regions Fastest Growing 5 Star Hotel Brand - Pullman

The Pullman hotel brand is enjoying a strong year for network expansion and development. Currently 13 Pullman hotels are in operation throughout Asia Pacific and a further 18 are committed to development. The Pullman brand was officially launched in Asia in January 2008 and expansion of the brand is on track to have 100 Pullman hotels

throughout the region by 2015. China has adopted the Pullman Brand quickly, where 6 hotels of the current network operate. An additional 10 Pullman hotels are committed to the mainland today. Gaurav Bhushan, Senior Vice President Development - Accor Asia Pacific says ‘The Pullman hotel brand’s expansion throughout the region has been exciting. The slowing of economies and tightening of credit markets has most likely contributed to the demand for the Pullman brand, as hotel owners and developers look for the might and security of international hotel companies and brands that stand out from the many 5 star brands competing in this segment of the hotel market. Enquiries for management contracts for Pullman remains unabated and we are confident that brand will develop a formidable network throughout Asia Pacific in the future.’

A surge in development for Accor’s non standardized hotel brands Accor’s non standardized Mercure brand is experiencing a resurgence of demand for new management contracts this year. 17 Mercure hotels will open during the year, adding an additional 20% to the network in Asia Pacific. The Mercure brand ideally fills a niche in the mid scale segment in price sensitive markets. This year hotels have opened in China, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and Australia.

Marriott International Celebrates 20 Years In Eastern EuropeAs the 518-room Warsaw Marriott Hotel celebrates the 20th anniversary of its grand opening this month, Marriott International, Inc. heralds two decades of solid growth in the region by announcing the signing of two more hotel operating agreements. The two newly signed hotels bring the company’s development pipeline in the region to 10 properties due to open through 2012.

The Warsaw Marriott was Marriott’s first hotel in the former Eastern Bloc and was the first western-managed hotel to open behind the then-Iron Curtain. Since then, Marriott’s hotel portfolio in the region has grown to include 24 operating properties and more than 5,500 rooms in seven countries. Six lodging brands are represented: JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton in the luxury tier; Marriott and Renaissance in the full-service, upscale deluxe category;

Courtyard by Marriott in the moderate tier and Marriott Executive Apartments for extended stay travelers looking for upscale accommodations.

“We are thrilled by the solid expansion and acceptance our brands portfolio has experienced in the region since we opened our first hotel in Warsaw 20 years ago,” said Amy McPherson, president and managing director of lodging for Marriott International in Europe. “With a footing in most of the region’s capital cities, not to mention six hotels in Moscow alone, we are pleased to see our expansion continue into secondary cities and provincial capitals in countries like Russia where we have established a strong presence. We are confident we are well positioned for continued growth in region in the years to come.”

Just announced the:

• 150-room Courtyard by Marriott Kazan, Russia, planned to open in early 2010. The hotel is owned by OOO Dynamics Group and will be situated on Karl Marx Street in the heart of Kazan, in the Republic of Tartarstan. It will be the first Marriott-branded hotel in Tartarstan.

• 204-room Courtyard by Marriott Irkutsk, Russia, scheduled for opening in 2011. The hotel is owned by OOO Hotel Service and will be located in central Irkutsk near the central square and main regional government buildings as part of a mixed-use development that also includes office space.

When opened, both the Courtyard by Marriott Kazan and the Courtyard by Marriott Irkutsk will have an open lobby lounge and bar area that will flow into its casual, all-day restaurant that will serve a mix of fresh international and authentically local cuisine. The colorful and informal ambience of this public space will invite guests to linger over a cup of coffee or to gather with friends and colleagues for impromptu meetings. For recreation, each hotel will have a fitness center.

Guest rooms at each hotel will feature distinct areas for rest, relaxation and work. Amenities will include high speed internet access; flat screen television; in-room safe, iron and ironing board; coffee/tea maker and mini-refrigerator; and Marriott’s renowned bed and bath linens. Business services such as an internet library with work stations will be part of the lobby lounge and each property will have a “Grab & Go” mini-

www.odysseymediagroup.com

HOTELS & RESORTSmarket offering sundries and food items.

For conferences and social events, the Courtyard by Marriott Kazan will have 132 square meters of space comprised of a 132-meter main meeting room which will be divisible into three sections

At the Courtyard by Marriott Irkutsk, conference space will total 422 square meters encompassing a 160-square meter main meeting room on the ground floor that will be divisible into three sections, making it the largest single room meeting space available in the city. Additional individual function rooms in varying configurations will be available on the ground and first levels.

Marriott International has eight additional properties currently under construction in the former Eastern Bloc nations including the Courtyard by Marriott Budapest and the Renaissance Budapest Hotel in Hungary; the JW Marriott Hotel Almaty in Kazakhstan; the Courtyard by Marriott Bucharest in Romania; and the Renaissance Moscow Monarch Center Hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre; the Krasnodar Marriott Hotel and the Courtyard by Marriott Moscow Paveletskaya Station in Russia. All are expected to open now through 2012.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group Shares Strategy for GrowthPan Pacific Hotels Group revealed at the Hospitality Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) the strategic moves it has made to prime itself and its two brands Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL for growth.

At the three-day HICAP event (14-16 October) in Hong Kong, attended by close to 700 investors, financiers, developers and leading industry professionals from around the world, the Group also spoke about how its business model and brands can offer hotel owners a viable and profitable alternative to big hotel chains.

Human-Scale Operations and Solutions

Speaking at the ‘Small is Beautiful - Operator/ Branding Alternatives to the Big Chains’ session, Pan Pacific Hotels Group Senior Vice President of Development, Eric Levy highlighted how the Group’s modest size translates

into flexibility and agility in offering solutions to individual properties and its owners.

“Our size and consequent shortened lines of communications has great significance to how we interact and work with our hotel owners; it’s not about whether you can speak to the CEO, but when you can speak with the CEO,” said Eric Levy. “We are able to offer focused and customised solutions for each property and issue, instead of offering formulas and templates.”

Looking Inward to Grow Outwards

The Group’s Vice President of Operations Dennis Wright, who spoke at the workshop ‘How to Manage Asset Profitability by Maximizing Revenue during Volatile Times’ stressed the need for hotel operators to relook their hotel property and competitor set as a guest, instead of a hotelier.

“By identifying key guest expectations and then taking the necessary steps to exceed them in quantifiable areas, you will effectively gain customer loyalty to your brand,” said Dennis Wright. “Step out of the box and look inside; in times like these, building strong brands requires us to exceed customer expectations, not compromise them.”

Turning Tough Times into Opportunity

This year marks an important chapter of Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s growth. Integrating both the Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL brands under it in April this year, the Group has also invested in its brands with the appointment of global brand strategists Interbrand to conduct a brand review on both Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL brands. Now recently concluded, the review aims to refresh the value propositions of the two brands to prime them for future growth.

In August this year, Pan Pacific Hotels Group opened Pan Pacific Xiamen while Pan Pacific Suzhou will open on 11 January 2010. A brand new hotel in Tianjin is also scheduled for completion in 2012. In addition, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Bangkok is due to launch in January 2010, and that will follow with the opening of PARKROYAL Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur in May 2010.

These moves mark Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s efforts in realising its growth strategy, focused on expanding its hotel portfolio aggressively in the key markets of China, Southeast Asia, North America

and Australia.

www.pphg.com

First Holiday Inn Resort To Open In The MaldivesIHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed an agreement with Leisure Holidays Private Limited (LHPL), a Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) Group company, to takeover on 1 November 2009 and re-brand Kandooma Maldives to Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma.

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma is the first Holiday Inn Resort in the Republic of Maldives, and will be the second Holiday Inn property in the Republic to carry the look-and-feel and service standards of the refreshed Holiday Inn brand.

LHPL, the owning company of Kandooma Maldives, is a subsidiary of HPL. HPL is listed on Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX), and its principal businesses include hotel ownership and management, property development and investments.

“This partnership gives us the opportunity to begin a relationship with IHG. We are confident of the strength of the new Holiday Inn brand, and believe the new Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma will provide a unique guest experience in this segment of the Maldives market,” said Stephen Lau, Chairman of HPL Hotels & Resorts Pte Ltd and Executive Director of HPL.

The 160-room resort is built on Kandooma Island in the South Malé Atoll, which lies 35 km south of Malé International Airport, via a forty minute speedboat ride.

Kandooma Island is a favoured tropical isle because of its close proximity to many excellent dive sites. The Kandooma Channel, Kandooma Caves and Kandooma ‘Thila’ (an undersea mount) dive sites all contribute to making the island one of the Republic’s most sought after destinations for divers.

The Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma will feature villas with great sea or garden views and extensive food & beverage options. This includes a specialty restaurant with Mediterranean-Thai cuisine, a well stocked wine room, and a rooftop lounge serving tapas.

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HOTELS & RESORTS

RAILSigns of Sales Recovery As Eurostar Heads Towards 15th AnniversaryEurostar, the provider of high-speed, carbon neutral rail journeys between the UK and the Continent, has announced its Quarter 3 2009 results which report some recovery in sales.

Whilst sales and revenues for the year to date are down slightly and the business travel environment remains challenging, overall sales revenue in Q3 2009 is up 6.8% on the same period last year. This uplift is due to the impact of the fire on a shuttle in the Channel Tunnel in September last year which depressed the Q3 2008 results, helped by growth in the leisure market and a bottoming-out in the decline of business sales.

Overall ticket sales between January and September 2009 totalled £504.9 million and since the beginning of the year Eurostar has welcomed 6.9 million travellers. Whilst this is down 0.9% on 2008, the volume of passengers travelling in Q3 2009 went up to 2.6 million from 2.4 million 2008. This sees an 11% increase in passengers travelling outbound from the UK and a 7% increase of passengers travelling inbound from the Continent year on year.

The increase reflects the success of the ‘Little Break, Big Difference’ advertising campaign which has encouraged UK travellers to treat themselves for as little as the £59 return fare -- Eurostar’s lead in fare which has stayed the same for the last six years.

Richard Brown, Chief Executive, Eurostar, said: “Today’s figures show that despite tough times, people are increasingly realising the great benefit of travelling with Eurostar. These individuals are part of what we call the ‘Eurostar Generation’; travellers who over the past decade and a half have experienced significant changes to the way they live, work and play as the network of high-speed rail services steadily grows.”

Brown also said that whilst the economic climate remains difficult there are signs that the worst might be over for the business market: “In recent weeks a number of our major corporate clients have eased their business travel restrictions. Although it is early days, this may be a sign of an upturn.”

www.eurostar.com

Sports and recreational facilities at the resort include the Dive Centre, Kandooma Kids’ Club, full spa services at the COMO Shambala Spa and 3 radio channels with resident radio DJs. Guests can also enjoy activities such as dolphin watching, windsurfing, snorkelling, guided kayak safaris, and underwater hockey.

“This partnership is both a fantastic opportunity for IHG to build a relationship with a partner like HPL and to introduce a brand-defining resort property under the new Holiday Inn brand. I have every confidence that guests will enjoy the facilities and service experience at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma, which will be a refreshing new hotel option in the Maldives,” said Jan Smits, Managing Director, IHG Asia Australasia.

www.ihg.comwww.hotelprop.com.sg

Swiss-Belhotel International Continues To Expand In IndonesiaSwiss-Belhotel International will open two more hotels in Indonesia increasing its presence in the country to 19 hotels.

The 112 room Swiss-Belhotel Ambon will open in December 2009 and is Swiss-Belhotel International’s first hotel in Ambon, capital of Maluku Province. Ambon is one of the largest cities in eastern Indonesia and is a destination for both business and leisure travellers.

In Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi, opening in January 2010 is the 109 room Swiss-Belhotel Kendari. The city of Kendari lies along Kendari Bay and is a destination for both business and leisure travellers.

Senior Vice President for Operations and Development Emmanuel Guillard stated, “Ambon and Kendari are growing cities in Indonesia and there will be more developments in these areas in the next couple of years for Swiss-Belhotel International.”

Swiss-Belhotel International currently operates 17 hotels in Indonesia out of the 55 hotels and projects globally and is focusing on developments in China and The Middle East which are two of the fast growing areas in International hotel development.

www.swiss-belhotel.com

Pan Pacific Whistler Suites During The 2010 Winter OlympicsFor those eager to join in the festivities of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, B.C., Pan Pacific Whistler has released a small block of suites for public consumption. Valid from February 11 to 28, 2010, Pan Pacific Whistler will be offering competitive rates for guests that reserve a five night minimum stay. As an added bonus, those who book suites during the February 11 to 28, 2010 period will also receive two pairs of the iconic 2010 Red Mittens now. This is Pan Pacific’s way of supporting the Olympic athletes while helping guests keep cozy and build excitement around the coming magic of 2010. 100% of the net profits from the Red Mittens Pan Pacific Whistler purchases go to the

“Own the Podium” initiative.

Whistler’s intimate pedestrian village is the ideal venue for soaking up the energy and excitement of the world’s best athletes. In addition to all the fanfare, cultural activities and events, visitors are also welcome to ski and snowboard on 90% of the 8,171 acres of terrain on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, which will be open during the Olympics.

Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside and Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre are the only properties in this mountain paradise that offer all of the following value-added, complimentary features: Internet and local phone calls as well as in room signing privileges for the Spa, Salomon Rental Store, guest exclusive Pacific Lounge and the Dubh Linn Gate Restaurant and Pub. The Pan Pacific Village Centre also offers complimentary breakfast for all hotel guests.


PEOPLEAmanda Hyndman Appointed GM, Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Amanda Hyndman as General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C.

Mrs. Hyndman, who is English, is a veteran hotelier with over 20 years of hospitality industry experience worldwide. She joins Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. from The Excelsior, Hong Kong, a leading business hotel in Hong Kong that is owned and managed by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Mrs. Hyndman was General Manager of the Waldorf, London and has previously held General Manager Positions with Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Le Meridien and Hilton.

As General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C., Mrs. Hyndman succeeds Jan Goessing, who recently moved to Asia to take up his new position as General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.

Peter Malanik Voted Onto AEA Presidents’ CommitteeAt last Friday’s Annual General Meeting of the Association of European Airlines (AEA), Peter Malanik, a Member of the Executive Board of the Austrian Airlines Group, was voted onto the AEA Presidents’ Committee. The twelve-person Committee consists of high-ranking representatives of the European aviation industry. Malanik was initially voted onto the Committee for two years, and will play an active role in helping to design European aviation strategy as a result.

The Members of the Executive Boards of the 33 member airlines of the AEA come together twice a year to discuss the issues and challenges facing the European aviation sector at the time. In their meetings, they establish joint positions and standpoints for the industry, and set strategic courses in order to design the future of European aviation. These meetings are led by the President of the AEA. The Presidents’ Committee supports and advises the President in reaching his decisions.

Malanik said the following: “I am pleased to have the opportunity to perform this exciting function for the next two years, and to represent the concerns of network carriers and their customers at a European level. The current economic crisis clearly shows the importance of international cooperation in our sector. This is the only way for our industry to address and overcome the huge challenges it faces.”

The Association of European Airlines (AEA) has been the “voice” of European aviation for over 50 years. The organisation is based in Brussels, and its membership consists of the 33 largest European airlines.

www.austrian.com

New GM For Swiss-Belhotel Doha, QatarSwiss-Belhotel has announced the appointment of Mr. Michel Sursock as the new General Manager of Swiss-Belhotel Doha, Qatar.

Mr. Sursock, a Lebanese national and formerly General Manager of Royal Tulip Mirbat Resort and Spa Salalah, Oman brings with him more than 30 years of hotel management experience acquired in The Middle East.

New VP For Swiss-Belhotel International Middle EastSwiss-Belhotel International, with 55 hotels and projects in 14 countries, has announced the appointment of Mr. Thomas Van Vliet as the new Vice President of Operations and Development for The Middle East.

Mr. Van Vliet, a Dutch national and former Senior Vice President of Sofitel Asia Pacific, brings with him a wealth of hotel management experience acquired from over 23 years with Accor in Africa, The Middle East, Asia and The Pacific.

Mr. Van Vliet’s initial focus will be on managing and directing the 5 Swiss-Belhotel International properties already operating in The Middle East as well as building on the 6 projects currently under way.

www.swiss-belhotel.com

New GM for Swiss-Belhotel WooshuSwiss-Belhotel International, with 55 hotels and projects in 14 countries, has announced the appointment of Mr. CESAR M. CASTRO as General Manager of Swiss-Belhotel Wooshu, in Bien Hoa, Vietnam.

Mr. Castro, former General Manager of the 5-star International Hotel - Nirvana Spa and Resort, Vietnam, has acquired more than 33 years in the hospitality industry in Vietnam, China, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and The U.A.E.

Amadeo Zarzosa Joins The St. Regis Singapore As General ManagerAmadeo Zarzosa, a seasoned hotelier with 31 years of experience, joins The St. Regis Singapore as General Manager. Prior to joining The St. Regis Singapore, Mr. Zarzosa was the General Manager and Senior Vice President of Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, where he was the key leader in the development and launch of the US$1.5 billion destination resort.

“We are proud to welcome Mr. Amadeo Zarzosa as the new General Manager of The St. Regis Singapore,” said Mr. Miguel Ko, Chairman and President of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific Division.

“Amadeo, a legendary figure in the hospitality industry, is the ideal person to lead The St. Regis Singapore to another level of luxury experience and to maintain its leadership position as one of the top luxury hotels in the world.” Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 960 properties in 97 countries with nine internationally renowned brands,

including St. Regis Hotels & Resorts.

www.stregis.com

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