EXCLUSIVE: BRAND TRAVEL

MARKET UPDATE 2INVESTIGATION: Low Cost Airlines 3VISIT: Qatar 6EXPLORE: Algeria 11ONSITE: Korea 13TOUR: Malta 14LONG HAUL: South Africa 16TRAVEL TALK 18TRAVEL CHANNELS 19EXCLUSIVE: Brand Travel 20WHO’S MOVED 22RENDEZVOUS 23NEWS & EVENTS 24

TOUR: MALTA

SEPTEMBER 2011 ISSUE 23

VISIT: QatarVISIT: Qatar

Middle East and North Africa Edition

www.traveltradeweekly.travel

Malta may be a small country, but its tourismsector has big ambitions. With visitor arrivals onthe up, the island has turned its attention topromoting itself as a cultural haven in order todraw in even more tourists.

When it comes to choosing an airline or hotel,travellers will often opt for a name they knowand trust. The fame of a brand can often be asimportant as the quality.

In This Issue

66

1414

2020

A rise in tourist activities, corporate offerings and internationallypopular sporting events, have helped to significantly raise tourist

numbers in Qatar, allowing the increasing players in the country’stravel and tourism industry to yield positive results.

September 2011, Issue 23

W ith 11.7 percent increaserecorded in the second quarter(Q2) of the year, the hotelgroup’s revenue grew toEUR226.7 million (USD328.4)

from EUR203 million (USD294 million) in thecorresponding period in 2010. On a like-for-like basis,revenue rose by 3.9 percent. During the three-monthperiod revenue per available room (RevPAR) increasedby three percent to EUR70.7 (USD102.4), while like-for-like occupancy accounted for 66.7 percent. Thegroup’s profit after tax totalled EUR4.7 million(USD6.8 million). In the first six months of the year (H1) Rezidor’srevenue increased by 13.7 percent from EUR368.7million (USD533.9 million) in H1 2010 to EUR419.3million (USD607.2 million). RevPAR like-for-like grewby 4.5 percent to EUR63.3 (USD91.6), and like-for-likeoccupancy stood at 61.2 percent. Loss after tax

amounted to EUR-12.7 million (USD-18.4million).Kurt Ritter, president and CEO, Rezidor,

elaborated on how the result varied in certain regions.“We see a continued recovery in the European hotelmarket although the overall macroeconomic conditionsremain uncertain. Our hotels in Eastern Europe noted aparticularly strong development with continued RevPARimprovement and growth in fees. Western Europe alsoshowed strong growth. The political turbulence in NorthAfrica and the Middle East has a bigger impact than inthe previous quarter. A substantial drop in managementfees from Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, togetherwith a weak development in South Africa compared to avery strong summer during the 2010 Worlds Cup had anegative impact on group margins.”While the Middle East and North Africa both witnesseda fall in occupancy and rate, some countries sustained apositive result. The heavy impact of the political unrest resulted in like-for-like RevPAR decline of 27.8 percent, attributable toa lower occupancy (-23.1 percent). While Libya (-77.9percent), Egypt (-54 percent), Tunisia (-51.4 percent)experienced a robust drop, Saudi Arabia (+15.8 percent)and the UAE (+10.7 percent) saw a solid increase.

SEPTEMBER 20112

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.96Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1,507.5Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.71Syria (SYP) Pound 47.42Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.27Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.36Morocco (MAD) Dirham 7.81Iran (IRR) Riyal 10,583Yemen (YER) Rial 213.9Algeria (DZD) Dinar 72.51Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.20

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 29/8/2011Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLYManaging Editor

Mary Kammitsimary@traveltradeweekly.travel

JournalistsRita Kasziba

Duncan MacRaeMarianna Keen

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingMaria Demetriadou

Brighite EssDominique Tennant

DirectorsAndreas Constantinides

Mary Kammitsi

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Nicosia 1308 CyprusTel: +357 22 820888Fax: +357 22 318958

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Rezidor: Impacted MENA, Recovering EuropeWhile the European hotel market is gradually recovering, the Middle East and North Africahave been strongly impacted by the ongoing turmoil in parts of the region, according to Rezidor’slatest interim report.

Just after a year of its launch, Corp ExecutiveHotel Apartments Al Barsha, Dubai, hasexceeded all expectations and recorded a robustfirst half year (H1).With a year-to-date average occupancy of 98.82percent recorded in H1, the hotel surpassed thepreviously forecasted 81.94 percent.Michael Noblet, president, CEO, HospitalityManagement Holdings (HMH), commented onthe impressive result. “Corp Executive HotelApartments has been one of the best performinghotels in the highly competitive Al Barsha area aswell as a top grosser in our portfolio. We are trulyproud of this superb property that is owned by AlShafer General Contracting and brilliantly locatedwithin minutes from the Mall of Emirates. It offersultra-spacious accommodation, excellent facilitiesand heart-warming service at outstanding rates.”The key feeder markets making up the soundresult were GCC, Europe, Asia, US and Australia,and the hotel enjoyed a healthy mix of all kind oftravellers, noted Aamir Pervez, general manager.“We are pleased to report strong financial results

despite the difficult market conditions. From thevery start, our strategy has been to drive businessacross all vertical sectors that has given us asteady mix of corporate, long-stay, leisure, e-commerce and FIT segment which in turn keptour figures firm.”The rest of the of year looks equally promising forthe hotel. Besides its service, Noblet attributes the successto the emirate’s high profile. “Dubai is theultimate fantasy destination for those seekingsun, sand, sea and shopping in a safeenvironment. It is equally attractive for corporatetravellers with a convenient and vast globalairline network, unbeatable business facilitiesand flawless communications services.”

Corp Executive Dubai: Record Results

Dubai is the ultimate fantasy destination

for those seeking sun, sand, sea and shopping

in a safe environment

The low-cost model, introducedto the region by Air Arabia in2003, has substantiallyrevolutionised air travel.Through innovative business

approaches, LCCs have fast gained ground torival renowned legacy airlines. In the last months’ however, unfavourablebusiness environments spared no airline and AirArabia was no exception. The carrier suffered anet income decrease of 14 percent in the firstthree months of the year and was forced to puton hold plans to launch a hub in Jordan. In the second quarter of the year, however, AirArabia reported steady growth in profit,revenue and passenger traffic, despite thetumultuous market conditions, underscoringthe airline’s ability to react to shifting patternsin demand and the environment, noted SheikhAbdullah Bin Mohammad Al Thani, chairman,Air Arabia. “Air Arabia has consistently shown its resilienceto dynamic market conditions. The secondquarter of this year has seen fuel price averagingto 46 percent increase in the market fuel billcompared to same quarter of correspondentyear. The political turmoil of the region hascontinued with further escalation in severalcountries. Despite the challenging marketconditions, Air Arabia has achieved steadygrowth and solid profits for the second quarter,thanks to our focused business model andappealing product.”Despite the existing challenges of the steepincrease in oil prices and the political unrest, theairline anticipates a positive outlook for the restof the year.

“We remain confident about the outlook of low-cost travel in the region amidst market ambiguity,continuous challenging conditions and risingtrend in fuel cost,” added Al Thani. Jazeera Airways has witnessed a continuousincrease in demand, which resulted in sound

financial and operational results. Since inceptionin late 2005, Jazeera Airways Group has beenprofitable every year until 2009, when the groupregistered a net loss for the first time ever due tothe overcapacity that was dumped in the marketby government airlines and new players.

3SEPTEMBER 2011

- Low Cost Airlines

Low Cost, High ExpectationsSince introducing the concept of budget travel into the region, low-cost carriers (LCC) have gradually increased their marketshare, expanded their network and posted profitable results. Yet for the year so far, regional unrest and soaring fuel prices havepresented these carriers with a tough test.

Rita Kasziba writes

In the past,the onlyoption

available forair travel used

to be thelegacy carrier.National Air

Service (NAS)Company

responded tothis need byintroducing

SaudiArabia’s first

low costcarrier in2007 andcalled itnasair

SEPTEMBER 20114

- Low Cost Airlines

n

As a direct response to the situation, the grouplaunched the ‘Turn-Around Plan’ with the aim ofsolving the external challenge by resizing its ownoperations internally and to bring the group back toprofitability. Ever since, the group and the airline hascontinued to see record performance, and has justreported the fourth consecutive quarter of profits aswell as leading market-share position on most routesit operates.

LCCs vs. Legacy AirlinesProviding value for money, the relatively youngLCCs were led to challenge long-establishedlegacy airlines with solid brand-awarenessboosted by extensive promotional campaigns.The competition is fierce, and everyonepreserves a slice of the sky, noted Simon Stewart,CEO, nasair. “In the past, the only optionavailable for air travel used to be the legacycarrier. National Air Service (NAS) Companyresponded to this need by introducing SaudiArabia’s first low cost carrier in 2007 and calledit nasair. Our brand has rapidly gained strength,especially in our home market of Saudi Arabia.”Despite the steep rise in oil prices and theongoing turmoil in some countries in the region,the airline has steadily enhanced its operationand continued to deliver sound results. “nasair is expanding at a rapid pace and isconstantly adding new destinations to itsnetwork,” added Stewart. “Our focus is to become a data-driven airline andwe drive high performance through structuredperformance measurement. These measures areconsistent across the organisation and are setsuch that nasair can achieve the highest globalstandards. Due to these measures, nasairproductivity has increased by more than 30percent since 2009 putting it amongst the bestperforming LCCs in the region. Over the last fewyears, the team has systematically indentifiedopportunities across all cost elements and

delivered major cost saving projects. However,artificially increased fuel prices andunderdeveloped infrastructure are affecting ouroverall cost adversely.”Amid soaring fuel prices, LCCs tend to bemore vulnerable, especially in certain countriesof the region.

“The fuel prices charged to us in the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia are artificially inflated compared tothe region. nasair is forced to pay as high as 8-52percent more for jet fuel inside Saudi Arabiacompared to the neighbouring countries,”explained Stewart.“As our principal competitor in the countryreceives heavy fuel subsidies, this puts furtherpressure on us to compete and deliver low costservices to the customers. We have held off aslong as possible to pass on these added costs toour customer base but are now taking steps to do

this. Hence an unfair business environment isindirectly impacting the customers whom we arecontinuing to try and serve.”With more and more carriers emerging in theMiddle Eastern sky, the region’s airlines, andLCCs in particular, are likely to face furtherchallenges. “The aviation industry has always been dynamicand our competitors vary as we operate betweenmany different markets in the region. In SaudiArabia we sit in a region of financial growth, inthe most stable country, which itself benefitsfrom robust demand for religious tourism andincreasingly mobile and affluent citizens. Ourmarket will therefore continue to be attractive tonew and existing competitors. The Saudi travelmarket is growing at a high rate, both inboundand outbound. Some seven percent of capacityin the region is LCCs and that number isexpected to increase by two-three percent perannum till 2015. However, the general operatingenvironment is difficult,” noted Stewart.

Newcomers, New ChallangesThe Middle Eastern skies will soon welcome anew airline, IndiGo. The world’s fastest growingLCC, according to the Centre for Asia PacificAviation, is expected to create fierce competitionupon commencing flights between New Delhiand Dubai on September 1, and connectingMumbai and Dubai one month later, notedAditya Ghosh, president, IndiGo.“I am sure our customers will love flyinginternationally with us. IndiGo will keep itspromise of providing low fares on internationalroutes as well.”Amidst the continuous challenges, the region’sairlines and LCCs in particular look to revivetraffic and overcome the negative outcome of thefirst half of the year, caused by demand softeningdue to political unrest and increased operationalcosts, and emerge stronger than ever.

Some seven percent of capacity in the region

is LCCs and that number is expected to increase

Air Arabia

Jazeera Airways

Despite the opening of a largenumber of new hotels sincethe beginning of the year,average occupancy rates for allhotels in the country reached

63 percent in the first six months of this yearcompared with 61 percent for the same period in2010, according to the semi-annual reportreleased by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).The number of tourists to the nation saw a 12.3percent increase in the first half of the year, withthe number of GCC visitors registering thehighest growth rate at 39.1 percent, reaching398,570 visitors, up from 286,484 in the sameperiod of 2010.Qatar ranked a high third in the Middle East andNorth Africa region in the Travel and TourismCompetitiveness Report 2011, released on March

6 by the World Economic Forum (WEF).According to the report, Qatar benefits from asafe and secure environment (ranked 28th), high-quality human resources in the country (ranked18th), good tourism infrastructure (34th), andexcellent air transport infrastructure (21st).According to QTA, Qatar has never sought themass tourism that other countries have and theproduct has deliberately placed the country inthe high end, niche tourism market. Thegovernment of Qatar has been proactive inexpanding the offering available to tourists,including the extension of events from sports toconferences, looking into the future with theprocurement of 2022 FIFA World Cup and anapplication by the Emir of Qatar for the countryto host the ceremonial first leg of the 2016 TourDe France.

Sports Tourism and EventsAccording to QTA, Qatar has for some time nowbeen recognised as a sporting destination,hosting international events and championshipsin tennis, golf and MotoGP, with world classfacilities such as the Aspire Zone, Khalifah tennisstadium and the Losail race track, providing itwith stature in this sector.Average hotel occupancy rates in Januaryregistered at 74 percent, spurred by the 2011AFC Asian Cup finals and other events in Doha,including the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2011 andthe Qatar Motor Show held at the DohaExhibitions Centre. This strong performancecontinued through the month of February, withoccupancy rates increasing from 60 percent in2010 to 66 percent this year. During the monthsof March, April and May a slight decrease inoccupancy rates was recorded.Safak Guvenc, general manager, W Doha Hoteland area manager Qatar, Starwood Hotels,confirmed a rise in demand. “Our occupancy[at W Doha Hotel] is higher than in 2010because in January we had the Asian Cup, sothe month was much stronger than January2010. The growth continued in February.Running into April, May, June and July therewas continued growth in occupancy for us atW Doha. Most of the hotels were sold out[during the Asian Cup finals] and also theprojects are starting for 2022.”

SEPTEMBER 20116

- Qatar

Qatar in BriefCapital: DohaCurrency: Qatari Riyal (QAR)Language: Arabic

A Rising Star in the Middle EastA rise in tourist activities, corporate offerings and internationally popular sporting events, have helped to significantly raisetourist numbers in Qatar, allowing the increasing players in the country’s travel and tourism industry to yield positive results.Travel Trade Monthly investigates the changes experienced in the rapidly expanding sector.

By Marianna Keen

Tourismand

business has beendiverted

from the

Arabiccountriesmainly to the GCC

region,especially to Qatar

Doha

SEPTEMBER 20118

- Qatar

Looking towards the future of the industryGuvenc added: “I foresee the same thingshappening in September, all the way to December.We will have Tribeca (film festival) coming in atthe end of October; and later we have the WorldPetroleum Congress which is going to be reallybig; followed by the Arab Games.”Fabien Chesnais, general manager, MövenpickHotel Doha, noted that the increase in projectsdue to the upcoming FIFA World Cup isexpected to be pivotal for the industry. “Qatar’sdevelopment and marketing exposure isdefinitely benefiting all hotels in Qatar, and alsothe line-up of projects in the run up to WorldCup 2022 is quite impressive, and every yearbusiness is getting better.” As a consequence, thehotel has carried out a full renovation of guestrooms and suites, with upgrading of food andbeverage outlets and facilities, as well as meetingfacilities and services, in the pipeline.Walid Nabil Ali, corporate director of sales andmarketing, International Hospitality, which wasrecently formed to manage three existingproperties in Doha, including the five-star LeVendôme Hotel, the four-star Best WesternHotel-Doha and the three-star Al Seef Hotel,agreed that a focus on events has attractedtourists, though competition is high. “This [risein occupancy in spite of growing population ofhotels] is brought about by the efforts of theQatar Government, with the support of QTA, toattract more tourists and tremendous efforts tohost more and bigger events. My sales team hasbeen vigilant enough to increase our occupancyby 15 percent. Competition is tougher ascompared with 2010 but with our strategy set inplace for the last quarter, I am positive that wewill achieve our target for the year.”One major approaching event from QTA is DohaPark, which will be held from October 6 toNovember 17, ending with Eid al-Adhacelebrations. Held in collaboration with theEconomic Group, the festival will occupy30,000m2 of the new event area near the DohaExhibition Centre and is set to be the biggestentertainment event in Qatar. Encompassing

more than 100 entertaining events andattractions, including an amusement park, aninternational circus, theatrical plays, concerts, a3D cinema and performances by folkloric bandsdepicting the heritage of Qatar and other Arabiccountries, the event is hoped to appeal tonationals and expatriates as well as internationaltourists. A wide media marketing campaigninvolving print, TV and radio will be launched inQatar and neighboring Gulf countries in order toattract more visitors and tourists from the region,especially now that QTA figures show stronggrowth for GCC tourists.With all three of its hotels being dry hotels,International Hospitality has experienced highregional demand, with healthy expectations forthe future. “I am expecting 35 to 40 percent ofbusiness to come from the Middle East.Advertisements were in some of the mostprominent newspapers in Saudi Arabia beforesummer, which brought a considerable amountof business during the summer season,” remarkedAli. Additional occupancy will emanate fromevents in Qatar, as in December, Le VendômeHotel and Best Western Hotel-Doha willaccommodate media guests for the Arab Games,and all three hotels have been chosen to house thedelegates of the World Petroleum Congress. In apush to further its competitive stance, Aliexplained: “Since booking engine websites arebecoming part of travellers’ lifestyle nowadays, weare also planning to build one that will cater toour properties as well as offer assistance to thehospitality industry here in Qatar.”

Attracting TourismPolitical unrest and turbulence across the Arabworld prompted many travellers to change theirdestination of choice, with the effects continuingto be noticed, and Qatar is considered to be one ofthe countries to benefit from the situation. EmelAtikkan, general manager, Kempinski Residences& Suites, Doha, explained the displacement intourism that has been experienced and how thishas affected occupancy at the hotel.

“Tourism and business have been diverted fromthe Arabic countries mainly to the GCC region,especially to Qatar, especially after the unrest inBahrain, and we saw an increase in travellers fromSaudi Arabia, UAE, Oman and Kuwait. Wenoticed a major increase from Western Europeancountries, mainly Germany, France and Italy, aswell as the Levant and Asian countries, likeJapan. At the same time we noticed a decrease inthe following nationalities: US, UK, Australiaand Ireland.”

Guvenc expressed that he has experienced quitedifferent trends in occupancy for W Doha Hotelwith regard to effects from political unrest. “If youcompare the market, GCC has been positivelyaffected, but not in Qatar, because Qatar is verylimited on leisure business; it is mostly corporate.”

Business TourismA rise in corporate travel to Qatar has been noted byhotels, with some carrying out renovations tobecome more competitive. “With the completion ofthe renovation of the hotel, we are gearing up to hitthe market with full force showcasing a verycompetitive product and we have great expectationsfor a strong performance in 2012,” expressedChesnais of Mövenpick Hotel Doha.Atikkan highlighted that the increase in tourismbased projects and an overall increase ininvestments in Qatar is growing the businesstravel market. “A lot of international companiesoriginally based in UAE are now opening officesin Doha, and also many new internationalcompanies that have never been to the GCCregion are now considering to explore the newpossibilities in the country, due to the largenumber of upcoming projects.”

Qatar’s development and marketing exposure

is definitely benefiting all hotels here

Illustration of Lusail Stadium, Qatar World Cup 2022

9SEPTEMBER 2011

- Qatar

According to QTA, Qatar has firmly establisheditself as a place that hosts large scale events and, asa result, it will host the World Petroleum Congressthis year, the biggest event staged in Qatar so far. Inaddition, it will host the World Chambers meetingin 2013 and a major United Nations conference in2012. New projects this year include the opening ofthe Qatar National Convention Centre atEducation City, which will bring to Qatar some ofthe highest profile events and conferences. Theupgrading of Doha Exhibition Centre, to cater forbigger and more diverse events, is currently takingplace and 2012 will see the opening of a newexhibition centre in the heart of the city.The strategic location of the Kempinski Residences& Suites, in the diplomatic, financial and centralbusiness district, close to Qatar InternationalExhibition Centre and an attractive venue forcocktail receptions and dinners, has allowed it toattract clientele from across the MICE segment.“Our corporate bookings are continuouslygrowing. They increase by about 15 percent yearon year and I think this will continue. We are multi-operational, so meeting and incentives groups arealso growing but not as strongly as the corporate

business,” commented Atikkan.According to QTA, the authority has formedstrong relationships with key internationalorganisations representing MICE buyers andplanners in countries including the UK andGermany. In September, Qatar will be hostingaround 40 MICE buyers and planners fromGermany for four days so they can experience theunique destination. The authority is trying tocapitalise on all the bilateral relations betweenQatar and various countries that they have signedMemorandums of Understanding for in tourismcooperation. QTA is also having great relationswith World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)and is using their expertise to increase thepotential of the local market.

Hotel DevelopmentsNew hotel openings in Qatar will be competingfor a slice of the growing corporate sector as wellas leisure tourism. Premier Inn Doha EducationCity is being built to serve the area thatcomprises Qatar International ConventionCentre, the universities, a major new hospital anda science and technology park, with opening

scheduled for early 2013, informed DarrochCrawford, managing director, Premier InnHotels. “We expect the hotel to be very popularwith individuals, couples, families and groupsvisiting Doha.” Marriott International plans to open three newproperties in Qatar this year – Renaissance Hotel,Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott ExecutiveApartments Doha City Centre. Miet Saelens,director of public relations and marketingcommunications, expressed the properties’ offering. “Our hotel complex has 17 meeting rooms,including a 740m2 grand ballroom, all equippedwith state-of-the-art facilities and technology, andall located on one floor. There is also an exhibitioncentre being built right next to the three hotels.The complex is set to offer close to 600 rooms andnine unique food and beverage options”.With regard to the affect of 2022 FIFA WorldCup on tourism, Saelens added: “In our opinionthe announcement has not increased tourismyet; however, many international companies areinvesting in fields other than oil and gas, such asreal estate, telecommunications, technology andeducation.”

SEPTEMBER 201110

n

- Qatar

Starwood is on schedule to open a St. Regis hotelin the fourth quarter of this year, informed TareqDerbas, general manager of the hotel. Seniorexecutives from St. Regis Doha took part in amajor tourism push in China in June, as leadingluxury properties in the Middle East sought toattract tourists from one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. St. Regis Doha is beingpromoted as the ideal vantage point for travellersseeking luxury and bespoke service. Anotherhotel scheduled to open in Doha later this year isInterContinental West Bay. The five-star hotel,targeting both business and leisure travellers, isexpected to open in December, confirmed RaniaKeedy, director of sales and marketing for thehotel. Towering 214m, it will provide anadditional 536 rooms to the capital city. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will open ahotel in Qatar in 2014, located in the Musheirebdevelopment. Mandarin Oriental, Doha will beone of four hotels included in the Musheirebproject, adding another 900 rooms to the city.The Musheireb project will be built in six phases,with the first completed in 2012 and the lastexpected to open in 2016. The first phaseincludes the construction of the Diwan AmiriQuarter, which comprises Diwan Annex, AmiriGuard and the National Archive, and a HeritageQuarter that includes the Eid Prayer Ground andfour heritage houses. The mixed-usedevelopment will also create a new commercialbusiness hub as well as residential options.Christoph Mares, operations director for Europe,Middle East and Africa, Mandarin OrientalHotel Group, expressed the shared target of thehotel and the development. “The Musheirebproject is set to transform the city and togetherwith the developers, Dohaland, we have a visionto create a spectacular and prestigious luxuryhotel that will form the centrepiece of this newurban development.”

With no construction date yet provided, anothermajor project underway in Qatar is Amphibious1000, a luxury resort located in the middle of amarine reserve. Conceptualised by Italianarchitectural firm, Giancarlo Zema DesignGroup, the resort will feature foursemisubmerged hotels, each featuring 75 suites,including underwater rooms. Its design looks likea big aquatic animal stretching out from the landinto the sea, with two arms extending for a totalof 1km. Along the arms there will be gardens, afitness area and an outdoor theatre, and the resortwill also feature an interactive museum on waterlife and transportation via aluminium yachtsequipped with observatory globe.According to QTA, there are currently 77 newhotels and 42 hotel apartments underconstruction in Qatar. When operational, thiswill bring a total of 21,107 new rooms to theQatari hospitality market, many of which areluxury hotels. This year alone, a stock of 6,369hotel rooms, comprised of 25 hotels and 10 hotelapartments, are expected to enter the market.

Air travelQatar Airways recently held a workshop for thecorporate travel trade to discuss product updates,showcase upcoming new routes and highlightpopular summer tourist destinations. The airlinehas expanded routes to Doha from throughoutthe world this year, including new routes toBucharest, Budapest, Brussels, Stuttgart andAleppo as well as twice-weekly flights to Shiraz,its third Iranian destination, daily flights toVenice and entry into Canada via Montreal.The airline has since launched flights to the SaudiArabia city of Medina, with four services perweek, as part of a massive capacity expansion inthe Kingdom, which also included increasingJeddah and Riyadh flights to twice daily andDammam flights to four times a day. This

corresponds with data released by QTA’s semi-annual report, suggesting that Saudi Arabia hasrecorded the largest increase in visitors from148,168 in 2010 to 238,361 visitors from Januaryto May of this year (a 60.87 percent increase),while the UAE came second. Services to Dubaialso rose to 11 per day, while daily non-stopflights to Calcutta were introduced. Routes to bedebuted later this year include the Bulgariancapital, Sofia, from September 14; theNorwegian capital, Oslo, from October 5; theUgandan city of Entebbe from November 2 andthe capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, and the Georgiancapital, Tbilisi, both on November 30. Accordingto QTA, with Qatar Airways being the fastestgrowing airline in the world and now flying to100 plus destinations, many travellers aredeciding to spend an extra couple of days inQatar to break up long-haul flights. Bahrain Air also receives healthy demand on itsflight to Qatar, commented Naeem Mahamoor,marketing manager. “We fly twice a day to Doha.Our hub is Bahrain and most of our passengersfrom Doha go to the Indian Sub Continent,Levant and Sudan. Over all we have seen anapproximate five percent decrease in growth thisyear in comparison with the first half of 2010. Inthe last three months things are looking upbeatand flight loads have been very good.” Bahrain Air opened its second sales and ticketingoffice in Doha, to cater to the travel requirementsof its passengers. At the grand opening on May26, Ibrahim Abdulla Alhamer, managing directorof the airline, emphasised that Qatar is a keyroute. “There is increasing demand for our flightsin Doha from both Qatari nationals and theexpatriate community.”Also anticipated to improve air services the NewDoha International Airport opens in late 2012and when fully operational, will see 50 millionpassenger movements a year according to QTAwith the aim to target five percent of thesetravellers to spend an extra two days in Qatar.Travel to Qatar is evidently on a rise, from bothQatari residents as well as from internationaltourists, particularly from the business travelsector. As new projects throughout the countrycome into full operation and the travel andtourism industry, as well as the Qatari economy,is boosted, with a plethora of events, activitiesand sights on offer, leisure tourism is expected toincrease at a rapid pace. According to the WEFreport, in order to further improve the country’scompetitiveness in the travel and tourismindustry, Qatar should continue to improve itspolicy environment and also further its focus onenvironmental sustainability.

Ourcorporatebookings

arecontinuously

growing

11SEPTEMBER 2011

- Algeria

A lgeria is only now beginning tofocus on developing a tourismindustry, having been reliant onits oil and gas industry over thedecades.

It has got off to a stuttering start though, andthere is no doubt that security concerns haveseverely dented the nation’s fledgling tourismsector. At the beginning of the year, politicalprotests and additional incidents led to a numberof countries urging visitors to exercise caution ifgoing to some traditional touristic areas in theAlgerian desert.It is hardly a great advertisement for the country,yet a concerted effort is being made by the Algeriangovernment and tourism industry stakeholders todevelop a tourism sector that will be attractive, and

safe for visitors in the years ahead.Sara Travel and Tourism Agency, based inFrance, acknowledges the concerns that manytourists have regarding Algeria, but it works hardto put travellers’ minds at ease.Tarek Behloul, agreement director, Sara Traveland Tourism Agency, admits that the nation’ssector has to improve.

“Algeria’s tourism industry has been so slow todevelop over the past 10 years because the wholeworld does not trust in the country’s security. Ithink it will develop in the years to come, though,especially after what happened in Tunisia, Libyaand Egypt. These days, Algeria can become thegateway to Africa.”

SecurityThe Algerian government has been working toimprove the security situation. In 2009, a 1,000police unit was formed to operate at tourist sitesacross the country.Sara Travel and Tourism Agency is showing faithin the nation’s tourism sector, with plans tobranch out into other markets within theindustry.“We plan to build a hotel with a spa at a beachlocation. We are always searching for other waysto make our clients more relaxed, and are

searching for partners from around the world towork with,” Behloul added.Tax breaks offered by the Algerian governmentare a major incentive for would-be investors.VAT has been reduced from 17 percent to sevenpercent for services related tourism, includinghotels, spas, restaurants and car rentalcompanies, until December 31, 2019. Smail Mimoune, Minister of Tourism andHandicrafts, commented that there are well over500 investment projects underway in thecountry, which is expected to create about75,000 jobs.“Most of the planned investment projects tobuild tourist facilities in luxury hotels require aguarantee of skilled labour in several specialities.”It is vital that, as the industry progresses,investors place a strong focus on sustainabledevelopment and resource development.

Improved infrastructureHotel group Accor is one company that is keento develop its presence in Algeria and by the endof this year, will have a network of seven hotelsthroughout the country. Marine Todesco,communications officer, Accor, explained thatthe company has plans to further increase thenumber of hotels in Algeria after the current year.

Algeria Builds Towards a Brighter FutureBelow standards in infrastructure and the lingering threat of terrorism have greatly hindered Algeria’s tourism industry, causingit to lag behind its neighbours Morocco and Tunisia over the years. New tourism-related developments could, however, changethe fortunes of the nation’s tourism sector, as Travel Trade Monthly discovers.

Duncan MacRae writes

Algeria in BriefCapital: AlgiersCurrency: Algerian Dinar (DZD)Language: Arabic, Berber

Algiers

These days, Algeria can become the gateway

to Africa

Monument of the Martyrs

SEPTEMBER 201112

- Algeria

n

“Accor continues to develop in order to reach anetwork of 36 hotels, like ibis and Novotel, inalmost the whole of the country. This is helpedby attractive banking measures, as well as tax andcustoms exemptions. Algeria, while developingitself as a touristic destination, has taken theplunge into a vast project of building basicsubstructures. For example, the east-westhighway and large water transfers that will havea very important impact on tourist mobility, aswell as the improvement on health conditions,which enables big hotel groups, such as Accor,to see good opportunities for tourism in Algeria.”With the improved infrastructure, including theconstruction of a convention centre in Oran,there has been a sharp upturn in Algeria’sbusiness tourism, according to a recent report byEuromonitor International. The report statedthat, although business tourism remains a niche,it has great potential and several large-scaleprojects are underway.

Accor’s investment, which is a joint venture withAlgeria’s Mehri Group, is estimated at EUR220million (USD316 million). A further EUR17million (USD25 million) is being ploughed intothe development of ibis Algiers Airport Hotel,located in the new business district of BabEzzouar, which opened in 2009.Algeria’s Ministry of Transport has set aside abudget of USD9.6 billion for large transportinfrastructure projects, including themodernisation of airports, railways and ports. Atotal of USD8.2 billion is being spent on largerdevelopments, such as the east-west highway.The latest Algerian government figures regardingthe number of visitors to Algeria are from as farback as 2006 so the current situation is unclear.

That year, there were 1.64 million tourists in thecountry, but the minority of these wereforeigners. Just 29 percent of them were fromabroad, with the rest considered to be Algerian’svisiting relatives within the country.With numbers appearing to have remained lowthe government and those working within theindustry are eager to make changes, and it ishoped that the infrastructure improvements,along with improved security, can encouragetourism.

Accor’s Todesco feels that there needs to be fargreater promotion of the country to travellersfrom abroad.

“Concerning tourism, as we understand it, thereis no real promotion towards the country’sexterior. The majority of Algerian people migratefor holidays in Oran, Annaba.”Although it is clear that security concerns havenegatively impacted Algeria, Todesco believesthat these effects will not be long-lasting.“We can’t really measure the impact of localinsecurity on the image of the country. However,after what happened in January, it took 15-20 daysfor tourism to take up its normal activity again.”Behloul, of Sara Travel and Tourism Agency, alsobelieves that while security can always be improved,everyone needs to work hard to promote Algeria asa safe country to travel to, something the companyhas been working hard on.“Our business develops by working with tourists.We make them trust in Algerian security andoffer them everything they need.”With a clear, concerted effort being made by thegovernment and those working within thetourism sector, Algeria is drawing investment.Time will tell if it also manages to draw thetourists in their droves.

We can’t really measure theimpact of local insecurity on

the image of the country

Algeria, while developing itself as a touristic destination,

has taken the plunge into a vast project of building

basic substructures

M’zab valley

Madagh beach - Algeria

National Gallery of Fine Arts

13SEPTEMBER 2011

- Korea

W ith continuous progressand sound marketingcampaigns under the ‘BeInspired’ slogan, Koreahas witnessed dramatic

improvement in tourism and aspires to furtherdevelop the industry. Seung Hyan Hwang,regional director Dubai office, Korea TourismOrganisation (KTO), commented on thetourism traffic.“Tourism arrivals in Korea touched 8.87 millionin 2010, up from 7.81 million in 2009; therefore,the objective of the three-year ‘Visit Korea’campaign is to target 10 million visitors by 2012.”Korea has enjoyed eminent attendance from itstwo major source markets, Japan and China, butvisitor numbers from the Middle East have alsosharply increased. “When KTO opened its Middle East office in2004, down the years the destination emerged asexcellent value-for-money. GCC arrivals in 2010touched more than 8,600, compared to some5,300 in 2009. Saudi Arabia was number onefollowed by the UAE. Therefore, we areoptimistic that the numbers will jump evenfurther as we have been running a lot ofsuccessful consumer and trade orientedcampaigns to increase awareness,” added Hwang.Despite the increasing visitor numbers, Koreahas not yet fully taken advantage of the MiddleEastern market.“Korea is still a new destination for travellersfrom this region. Language and religion is no barfor local tourists as they have been the mostexperienced travellers in the world visiting twoto three countries each year. We will continueour efforts to participate in more consumershows and thus increase the awareness of thedestination. Tourists from this region are stillunaware of the visa on arrival status which we aretrying to highlight in all the consumer shows,”elaborated Hwang.To further support travel professionals in theregion, the organisation has introduced aninnovative e-learning training programme. “Korea Specialist was launched during the lastquarter of 2010 to educate the travel trade onKorea's tourism industry. To ensure maximumparticipation from GCC agents, a time frame was

given to complete the course and win trendyelectronic gadgets. Towards the end of thepromotion, over 300 agents had completed thecourse successfully with UAE taking the leadfollowed by Saudi agents,” said Hwang.

AirlinesDue to the existing economic ties, and thesignificant number of Korean nationals livingand working in the UAE, Korean Air haswitnessed a significant increase in passengernumbers, noted Michelle Koh, assistant managercorporate communications, Korean Air.“Korean Air currently operates to Dubai (DXB),Cairo (CAI) and Tel Aviv (TLV) in the region.In 2010, compared to 2009, travel on the CAIroute increased by 11 percent, while it rose by 39percent in DXB, and 40 percent in TLV,representing a total of 32 percent growth.Although the majority of travellers visit Koreafor leisure, there are also many business travellerssince many Korean construction companies’offices are based in Dubai; also many touristsvisit Cairo for pilgrimages.”The airline is to step up its MENA operations.“Also, the carrier has been putting in continuouseffort to strengthen the MENA region and ithopes to see results by end of 2012,” added Koh. From the Middle East, Emirates, Qatar Airwaysand Etihad operate scheduled flights to thecountry.

HotelsThe latest addition to Seoul’s accommodationofferings, Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel, isslated for grand opening on September 16. The

first and only five-star accommodation insouthwest Seoul will offer 269 rooms and suitesand anticipates guests from all over the world,noted June Jung-Hwa Na, marketingcommunications manager. “We expect to haveguests coming from overseas, including the US,Japan and China, for business or for leisure. Wehave learned that more and more travellers arecoming to Seoul from the Middle East. We areplanning for Middle East food and beveragepromotion for the residents and even travellersin the future.”Hilton is to enhance its Korean portfolio with theopening of the 460-room Hilton Conrad Seoulin the first quarter of 2012, while Banyan Tree’slatest Korean property has recently celebrated itsfirst anniversary of operation, noted AlfonsoRomero, general manager. “Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul has beensuccessfully located in the market as a uniqueurban resort since it opened in the summer of2010. It has developed an excellent reputation forcustomer service and unique concept of hotel.” Since its opening, the hotel has welcomed asignificant number of travellers from the MENAregion. “Many Middle Eastern and NorthAfrican guests have stayed at Banyan Tree Club& Spa Seoul. Since we had successful businesswith Middle Eastern companies, we get manyinquiries for staying with us.”

Korean Inspiration and AspirationWith remarkable growth and global integration over the past years, South Korea has transformed itself into a high-techindustrialised economy and has become one of the first countries to recover from the global financial crisis. Steady developments,fuelled by heavy investments, have gradually paved the path to Korea’s tourism boom.

Rita Kasziba writes

Korea in BriefCapital: SeoulCurrency: South Korean Won (KRW)Language: Korean

Hyangwonjong Pavilion, Lake Seoul

n

M alta has had an activetourism industry since themid-1950s. Over theyears, the industry hasgrown from very humble

beginnings to reach traditional peaks, a maturitystage and also the periodic times of decline fromwhich the industry recovered by reinventing itselfto adapt to changing travel trends. Tourism in Malta today accounts for a healthy 12percent of GDP, at times reaching up to 24percent, and presents an important pillar in aneconomy which diversifies its composition viathe additional development of high-endmanufacturing, financial services, online gamingand transhipment amongst others. Government policy is to grow tourism in asustainable manner with the objective over thenext 10 years being to maintain summer volumelevels pretty much at where they currently stand,whilst channelling growth into the off-peakmonths, thereby reducing the impacts ofseasonality.In 2010, Malta received a record number oftourists, over-performing strongly compared toits European and Mediterranean counterparts byattracting 1.332 million tourists, up 12.7 percentover 2009. During the same year, expenditure bytourists also reached record levels.Carlo Micallef, group head of segmentsmarketing, Malta Tourism Authority, noted thatthis year has also started off strongly for thetourism sector, with the summer season broadlyretaining last year’s record performance. “Our expectation is that, by and large, the yearshould end very close to 2010’s level. The reasonfor the impressive increase in visitor numbers haslargely been put down to an increase in thenumber of airlines offering budget flights to theisland. Over the past few years, we havethoroughly understood the relationship betweenthe availability of adequate airline routes and seatcapacity to link Malta to its source markets andhave worked very hard to maintain and sustainsuch routes in the most cost-beneficial waypossible.” The vast majority of visitors are holidaymakers,but corporate travel, as well as medical tourism,is also on the up.In recent years, Malta has marketed itself as a

medical tourism destination and a number of healthservice providers are developing the industry. Presently, the country is gearing up to put moreof a focus on its cultural offerings, in a bid tofurther bolster its tourism sector. In 2018, Malta’scapital, Valletta, is expected to be recognised asa European Capital of Culture (ECoC).

Creative directionsIn June, Imagine 18, a collection of conference andworkshops, was organised by Valletta 2018Foundation, a new entity set up to devise andimplement the vision and strategy of the ECoC bid.Karsten Xuereb, project coordinator, Valletta2018, indicated that Imagine 18 had shown thatthe ECoC process could act as a powerful stimulusto those already engaged in the cultural sphere, butimportantly, it could also provide a voice to thosewho wish to see Valletta 2018 as the catalyst toexplore totally new creative directions.

“Imagine 18 had the hard job of asking peoplefrom a range of backgrounds and ages to think‘vision’, an abstract concept, and not begin todraft actual programmes of the ECoC year. Wehave seen some surprising and esoteric anglescome to the fore. None are thought of as beyondbelief at this point, as we are at the start of the

2018 visioning process. We’ve had the scienceworkshop imagine an ECoC withoutparticipants, calling on us to use virtualtechnologies. On the other hand, we’ve hadyoung people, a group of school students, talk tous of the role of family, one of Malta’s mosttraditional aspects, as something to celebrate inour ECoC. They also voiced the need foreducational structures and curricula to allowthem to be more creative, explore, experiment,fail and learn,” added Xuereb.Several key themes were highlighted by allworking groups. These included the notion ofMalta’s traditional heritage and cultural assetsbeing updated and made relevant tocontemporary society – a fusion of past andpresent in cultural activities. Another was the need to see the ECoC processas a chance to discuss Malta’s identity andcelebrate its roots as a country at the fringe ofEurope, the southernmost point of the EuropeanUnion – but also at the heart of a rich, culturalarea, the Mediterranean Sea. Mario de Celis, director of business development,The Victoria Hotel, believes that Malta has a greatdeal to offer in the way of culture.“Valletta is a must-visit for anyone who comes to

SEPTEMBER 201114

- Malta

Malta Develops its Tourism in a Cultured StyleMalta may be a small country, but its tourism sector has big ambitions. With visitor arrivals on the up, the island has turnedits attention to promoting itself as a cultural haven in order to draw in even more tourists, as Travel Trade Monthly discovers.

Duncan MacRae writes

Malta in BriefCapital: VallettaCurrency: Euro (EUR)Language: Maltese

Valletta is a must-visit foranyone who comes to Malta. It

is full of culture and history

Marsaxlokk village

15SEPTEMBER 2011

- Malta

Malta. It is full of culture and history. It haschurches, palaces and two forts. It is simply amust for anyone who wishes to experienceculture. Valletta being the capital of cultureshould attract more people. I expect it will drawpeople to Malta in their thousands.”During the build up to 2018, the Malta TourismAuthority will market the country as an idealcultural destination not just for its heritage sitesbut also in terms of contemporary culture. It ishoped that the image of the country overseas willbe that of a dynamic destination where eventstake place on a great scale. “We expect a considerable increase in thenumber of tourists visiting Malta, especially fromthose markets where the country is already seenas a cultural destination,” Micallef explained.“Malta and Gozo, and in particular Valletta, havea lot to offer the cultural discerning tourist.Situated in the heart of the Mediterranean, mostof the major civilizations bordering this sea lefttheir heritage on the islands.”Nicholas Borg, director of sales, CHI Hotels &Resorts, which owns three properties in Malta,described Valletta as the country’s showcase.“It is a 16th century monument, yet with modernattributes. Its many museums of fine art, culture,history and modern political history are secondto none.”

Heritage sitesValletta is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site,built by the Knights of Malta after the GreatSiege of 1565.The country is currently a net beneficiary of EUStructural Funds, which are being used toimprove a vast range of the country’s generalinfrastructure, ranging from the road network tosewage treatment and from waste managementto generation of alternative energy sources. Theyare also being used to renovate historic centres,

including restoring walled towns, and preservingand protecting unique, world-class megalithicsites. Other funds have been specifically allocated toenhance private sector driven intervention inproduct development and human resourcedevelopment. The huge works being undertakenin Valletta coupled with public transport reformand the government’s vision for the regenerationof the Grand Harbour area are all steps that willultimately prove beneficial for the country’stourism industry, according to Micallef.“Tourism features in the government’s toppriorities and the Malta Tourism Authority is towork hand in hand with the industrystakeholders to ensure that the industry’sinterests and requirements are given topattention by all parties concerned.”The Victoria Hotel’s de Celis feels that thegovernment is truly playing its part in helping tomake the most of the country’s cultural offeringsand improve the tourism sector.“The government is working hard to helpimprove the country’s tourism industry, butthere can never be enough. There is constructionwork going on that will improve the industry agreat deal. An opera house that was destroyedduring the World War is being rebuilt and thereare new houses of parliament. The roads are alsobeing modernised.”De Celis also had praise for the work the tourismauthority has done to help boost the nation’sindustry. “The tourist board has being doing a lotto promote Malta as a touristic destination. Ithink they have been marketing the country wellabroad, although I feel that tour operators coulddo more and would like to see them promoteMalta more aggressively in order to help attractmore tourists here.”He also believes that airlines making Malta easilyaccessible will continue to play a major part in

the development of the country’s tourismindustry. “The number of tourists has really goneup a lot in the past four years due to low-castcarriers operating more flights to Malta. We haveexperienced a significant increase in touristsfrom the likes of Scandinavia, the UK, Germanyand, in particular, Spain and Italy. This is becausethe accessibility from these two countries isespecially good now.”The Victoria Hotel would also like to welcomemore Middle Eastern and North African guests.Recent political unrest in the region, however,has led to Air Malta temporarily cancelling itsone and only route between there and Malta, asRay Borg, section head of marketing supportservices, Air Malta, explained.“The airline is not flying to Middle East andAfrica, following the war in Libya. Once theconflict is over, we plan to re-establish the flightnetwork to Libya ( which was operating daily)and possibly other destinations in the area.Presently, the route network is being reviewedby a newly appointed commercial chief officerand CEO who are working on a new networkstrategy for Air Malta.”Borg, of CHI Hotels & Resorts, feels that it isonly a matter of time before the island begins toattract more visitors from these regions.“Over the next decade, Malta will keep developingits offering and it will become more and morefamiliar with emerging markets. Japan, SouthKorea, China and other far Eastern markets arealready making some significant in-roads andcertainly Malta is very much on their radar. “The Middle East and North Africa are avenuesfor more business. Of course, the recentdevelopments in the North African continenthave left a negative impact, but as things settledown and the economy regenerates, so willinternational travel. As the North Africancountries develop further, Malta will becomemore and more of an acclaimed centre foreducation and training,” Borg added.“The opportunities are endless and, lookingfurther into the future, I see Malta attracting anew breed of tourist, the one concerned withgreen matters and interested not only in agro-tourism but also in the conservation of the planetin general.” n

Valletta

Luzzu

SEPTEMBER 201116

- South Africa

Popular from the famousStellenbosch vineyards to thediverse attractions of the GardenRoute and the Transkeimountains, South Africa (SA) is a

key destination of choice, ranking second in Sub-Saharan Africa and 66th of 139 countries overallin the Travel and Tourism CompetitivenessReport 2011, released on March 6 by the WorldEconomic Forum (WEF).South Africa comes in at a high 14th for its naturalresources and 55th for its cultural resources,based on its many world heritage sites, its richfauna, its creative industries, and the manyinternational fairs and exhibitions held in thecountry. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is thought tohave reinforced South Africa’s position as a keyinternational tourist destination, althoughfeedback from players in the industry suggest thefull potential of the event’s impact may be delayeddue to the global economic crisis, and an increasein hotel rooms has actually led to decreases inoccupancy.

Meanwhile, despite threats from the worldeconomic climate, South Africa benefits fromprice competitiveness (37th), as well asinfrastructure, with air transport infrastructureranked 43rd and a particularly good assessmentof railroad quality (47th) and road quality(43rd), according to the WEF report. Overall, policy rules and regulations areencouraging, ranking 31st, an improvementsince the last assessment, with well-protectedproperty rights and few visa requirements forvisitors. Areas which require work if the traveland tourism industry is to be improvedinclude safety and security, which remains ofserious concern (ranked 129th), as is the levelof health and hygiene, where South Africa isranked 88th.

Sports TourismSouth Africa is continuing to expand its focus onsports tourism, partly as a means of balancingseasonality in some other areas of tourism. WorldSport Destination Expo’s research revealed thatthe travel industry’s fastest growing sector wouldpost record profits and contribute 14 percent ofoverall travel and tourism receipts globally by theend of 2010. Estimated to be worth more thanUSD600 billion, around 12 million trips a yearare taken for the specific purpose of sportstourism and this sector is growing at six percenta year, according to official estimates.Over the years South Africa has successfullydemonstrated its ability to host majorinternational sporting tournaments, including1995 Rugby World Cup, the 2003 Cricket WorldCup, the 2007 inaugural World Twenty20Cricket Championships, the 2009 IndianPremier League (IPL) and, the biggest of themall, the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Sport in SA is amultibillion-Rand industry and contributesmore than an estimated two percent to grossdomestic product.

HotelsDespite the success of the sector over the years,some hotels in South Africa are not feelingsignificant benefits from the most recent majorsporting event. Roelof Troskie, managingdirector, Village & Life, owner of The Bay Hotel,which underwent renovation in anticipation of

the 2010 FIFA World Cup, commented that onlymarginal effects have been observed. “We havenot noticed a significant increase; this could bedue to the global economy rather than the WorldCup.” As a leisure destination, The Bay Hotel hasa limited but loyal business traveller market,however with very little business in either sectorcoming from MENA countries, the hotel doesnot market directly to the region, according toTroskie.Sharla Da Cruz, travel trade administrator,Legacy Hotels & Resorts, remarked that TheWheatbaker has experienced low demand.“There has been a decrease in business from allsegments due to oversupply of hotel rooms.” TheTwelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town,which re-launched its spa on August 1, also notedthat demand has diminished, according to JillWagner, marketing manager, The Red CarnationHotel Collection South Africa. “We’ve noticed adecrease in all types of travel.” She added that lessthan one percent of business comes from theMENA region, so a contract with arepresentative in the market was not renewed.A more positive affect is being experienced by

A World Wide Appeal for All SeasonsThe diversity that South Africa offers has allowed tourism to span many sectors, and since hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup,sports tourism is becoming a key focus for seasons otherwise experiencing low tourist numbers. Travel Trade Monthly assessesthe broad reach of South Africa’s travel and tourism industry and its appeal to the emerging MENA market.

By Marianna Keen

South Africa in BriefCapital: Pretoria, Cape Town, BloemfonteinCurrency: South African Rand (ZAR)Language: Afrikaans, English and others

We have not noticed a significant increase - thiscould be due to the globaleconomy rather than the

World Cup

Cape Town

The Westin Cape Town, suggested PhilmaGomes, director of sales and marketing. “Thesuccess and full effect that the 2010 FIFA WorldCup has had on our country is becoming moreand more evident in future year bookingsassociated with business tourism, coupled withinternational association events and incentives.”At the same time, the hotel has noticed a steadyflow of guests from the MENA region. “Ourreach to the MENA region is channeled throughextensive collaboration with our strategicsupport offices and sales teams based in thisparticular region. Not only does South Africaoffer the ideal climate that appeals to travellersfrom this region, but as the southern Africanregion acts as a gateway to the rest of Africa wedo see a loyal following of guests from MENA toour hotel all year round,” commented Gomes.The hotel is considered well positioned forMICE tourism, and with little change in thegeographical source market mix, business travelis expected to remain flat year-on-year, Gomesfurther indicated. Hyatt Regency Johannesburg has noted anincrease in arrivals and in business travellers,reveals Marietta Lee, director of sales andmarketing. “We have seen an increase in arrivals.There has been a rise in the number of businessconsultants, mainly from Europe and India.”Under five percent of guests come from theMENA region.

MICE TourismWith six big congress cities and venues in SouthAfrica, including Johannesburg, Cape Town,Pretoria, Durban, East London and Kimberley,the country is pushing to become one of themost desirable business tourism destinations,commented T. Taubie Motlhabane, actingglobal manager for business tourism, SouthAfrican Tourism (SA Tourism). “BusinessTourism is a clearly identified mandate of SouthAfrican tourism and is part of the tourism growthstrategy of the government of South Africa. A

dedicated business tourism unit within SATourism is tasked with the marketing of SouthAfrica as a MICE destination and in a fewmonths the National Conventions Bureau(NCB) will start to operate.” The continueddevelopment of infrastructure is key to thesector’s growth and with the 2010 FIFA WorldCup raising the world’s awareness of thecountry’s capability of hosting events of any size,in the next five years South Africa will host over200 association meetings that will see over300,000 MICE arrivals into the country,according to Motlhabane.

Johannesburg, as one of the official host cities ofthe 2010 FIFA World Cup, has seen a lot ofdevelopments, including the Gautrain, whichlinks Johannesburg and Pretoria to the O.RTambo International Airport and benefitsdelegates attending Sandton ConventionCentre, a leading congress venue. The centrehosts the largest business tourism centre inAfrica, pointed out Motlhabane.Another major international convention venueis Cape Town International Convention Centre(CTICC), which has hosted high profile eventssuch as World Economic Forum and FIGOWorld Congress, and is currently undergoingexpansion. The Council for Scientific andIndustrial Research Convention Centre inPretoria, which is committed to sustainability,and the International Convention Centre inDurban (ICC) will also be promoted to becomedesirable destinations for conventions. The EastLondon International Convention Centre(ELICC) is new on the scene, and another new

congress centre has also been constructed inKimberley. Other world class venues, as well asa huge number of conference spaces in hotelsand the stadiums built for the 2010 FIFA WorldCup are also being used for conferencing.Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, minister of tourism,unveiled EcoThanda, South Africa’s firstsustainable meetings directory, which providesan online listing of South African supplierswhose products and services have been vettedand approved for sustainable practices by anindependent consultant, according toMotlhabane.“We hope to increase tourism's totalcontribution to the economy from R189 billion(USD26.3 billion) in 2009 to R499 billion(USD69.4 billion) by 2020, the number ofdomestic tourists from 14.6 million in 2009 to18 million by 2020, and to create 225,000 newjobs by 2020. This sub-sector is ideally placed toaddress some of the seasonality challenges thatare difficult to meet through leisure tourismalone,” remarked Van Schalkwyk.

Tourism DiversityOther popular, long standing areas of tourism inSouth Africa include wine tourism, luxury travel,safaris and outdoor sports, as well as being afrequented back-packing destination. SouthAfrica's wine and tourism industry will bepresenting the first combined trade fair for winetourism, known as Vindaba, from September 25to 27, 2012, in an effort to give the sector a boost. In addition to broadening the country’s appeal,South Africa’s tourist board has introduced amarketing campaign, 20 Experiences in 10 days,aimed at increasing demand from emergingmarkets. Although the MENA region appears torepresent only a very small proportion of visitorsto the nation currently, this is hoped to improve.Sports events are continuing to be considered asa driver of tourism, however their diversion ofstate finances from other areas are beingincreasingly acknowledged. South Africaconsidered a bid for the 2020 SummerOlympics, according to sports and recreationminister Fikile Mbalula; however, a final decisionby the government not to bid was said to be dueto considering the money better spent onbringing services to the masses of poor living inthe country. This final decision resonates positively on thecountry’s economy and its travel and toursimindustry considering the recent WEF report,which calls for improved safety and security andhealth and hygiene, with poverty an inevitableroot for both.

17SEPTEMBER 2011

n

- South Africa

Business Tourism is a clearly identified mandate

of South African tourism andis part of the tourism growthstrategy of the Government

Clifton Beach, Cape TownKruger National Park

Travel Talk is your space – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear fromyou, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel

SEPTEMBER 201118

James HoganCEO, Etihad Airways.

“We expect the Abu Dhabi Government Employee TravelProgramme to become an increasingly important part of ourbusiness, and will be working hard to ensure it offers the higheststandards of service and the best value to one of our mostimportant customer segments.”

Mohammed H. MattarDivisional senior vice president, Emirates Airport Services.

“The opening of the new Emirates First ClassLounge allows us to provide our customerswith a consistent, high-quality Emiratesexperience both on the ground and in the air,starting from their exclusive chauffeur driveairport transfer and dedicated airport check-incounters, to luxurious lounge facilities and thenour award-winning service onboard. Loungesare an integral part of the Emirates experience,and reaffirm our dedication to offering the verybest to our customers.”

Stephan KaminskiGeneral manager, Kempinski Grand & Ixir HotelBahrain City Centre.“Running a world-class hotel requires the besttalent in every department across the property. Wehave a great mix of long-term members of theKempinski family coupled with professionalexperts from worldwide luxury hotels, to form anaward-winning crew.”

Salem Al MamariDirector general of tourism promotions,Sultanate of Oman’s Ministry of Tourism.

“The launch of new resorts and hotels will bewelcomed, as are developments, as demand canbe very overwhelming during peak seasons. Wealso need to broaden the base of mid-range andbudget hotels as this segment is attracting morepatrons. There are beautiful niche properties,such as Sahab Hotel at Jabal Akhdar and SifawyBoutique Hotel at Jebel Sifah, that opened inJune, which have high-quality five-star appeal.Regional projects, such as these and MillenniumHotel at Mussanah, are at the heart of ourtourism strategy to spread the benefits of tourismto all of Oman.”

Running a world-class hotelrequires the best talent in everydepartment across the property

We also need to broaden thebase of mid-range and budget

hotels as this segment isattracting more patrons

We expect the Abu Dhabi Government Employee Travel

Programme to become an increasinglyimportant part of our business

Lounges are an integral part of the Emirates experience

Mohammed H. Mattar

Stephan Kaminski

Salem Al Mamari

James Hogan

The three pillars of sustainabledevelopment for companieswithin the industry are social,economic and environmentalissues. This can involve

companies improving working conditions andaccess to the industry, making positivecontributions to the conservation of natural andcultural heritage, embracing diversity, and beingculturally sensitive.In the Middle East, one expert on the matterbelieves that Jordan and Oman are leading theway in this regard. Justin Francis, co-founder,responsibletravel.com, noted that these countrieshave been consistent in implementingresponsible tourism strategies over the years. Oman’s fourth International Conference onResponsible Tourism, held in Muscat in 2010, istestament to this. The event drew an

international crowd of organisations which allsupported the nation’s bid to develop its tourismsector in a responsible manner.Oman, as well as Jordan, is to be applauded fortheir efforts, Francis explained.

“Oman has a commendable approach toembracing responsible tourism and has beenworking to promote that for a number of years.

Similarly, Jordan has made great strides forwardin terms of its commitment to responsibletourism. We have worked closely with thecountry in developing a guide to Jordan and ithas a wealth of local stories to tell, and it isembracing them.”One international organisation that has put agreat emphasis on its responsibilities is TUITravel, which recently released its latest TUITravel Sustainable Development Report. Thereport shows that the company has saved aroundUSD26 million due to environmental initiativesbetween 2008 and 2010. A total of 92 percent ofthe travel group’s businesses have developed andare implementing sustainable strategies. Othernotable achievements documented in the reportinclude the fact that TUI Travel’s mainstreambusinesses have signed up to the ChildProtection Code, and TUI Travel Airlines aresoon to take delivery of 13 Boeing 787 aircraftwith exceptional environmental performance.Francis believes that Middle Easternorganisations and governments can worktogether to embrace responsible tourism.“For countries in the Middle East, as in anydestination, if there is a real desire fromorganisations, tourism providers and opinionformers, a lot can be achieved. The Middle East,as with all tourism destinations around theworld, has an important role to play in the futuredevelopment of sustainable tourism.”

19SEPTEMBER 2011

n

The Middle East Embraces Responsible TourismThroughout the world, there has been an ever-increasing focus on responsible tourism since the 1990’s. Companies have beenstriving to continue to grow and develop, while minimising any negative impact on the environment and encouraging economicgrowth for societies.

The Middle East, as with all tourism destinations

around the world, has animportant role to play in the

future development of sustainable tourism

Jerash, Jordan

Al Ain Wildlife Park

SEPTEMBER 201120

- Brand Travel

The global tourism industry ismore competitive than in thepast, also indicating a strongbrand name that peoplerecognise and have faith in is

more important than ever before.Branding can create an emotional attachment toa company, a feeling of involvement and a senseof higher quality surrounding something assimple as a name or symbol.Morgan Holt, strategist, Wolff Olins, a brandconsultancy company, noted that companiesneed a strong presence in their markets, andthose operating online need a stronger presencethan ever.“Digital makes it easier for customers to accesshotels and airlines direct, so it’s essential fortravel and tour operators to be extremely clearabout the value they offer. Branding introducescustomers to the value and reassures them that alonger relationship will be worthwhile.”

According to Holt, creating and developing astrong brand in travel and tourism is particularlydifficult.“Travel and tourism is an incredibly crowdedspace. Global companies are vying with localoperators for customers, and competing on pricemeans shifting very high volumes and relentlessattention to what the competition is doing.Creating a new proposition in this industry isessential, but mind-blowingly difficult.”

Brand DevelopmentA number of companies within the travel andtourism sector have however, spent yearsdeveloping strong brands that have helped themto successfully branch out into a variety ofsectors. One global company that has been doingthat is Jumeirah Group.The group was rebranded in 2005 in an effort tocreate a strong brand platform for local, regionaland international expansion and strengthen

Jumeirah’s position as the world’s leading luxuryhospitality group.Its portfolio includes the Burj Al Arab andJumeirah Emirates Towers, and it also managesthe Wild Wadi Water Park and runs both TheEmirates Academy of Hospitality Managementand Jumeirah Hospitality. The group also boastsa network of hotels around the globe.

The company’s existing portfolio of hotels hasbeen successfully renamed, with the brand‘Jumeirah’ incorporated into other names. Forexample, Emirates Towers Hotel was re-brandedJumeirah Emirates Towers, and its logo waschanged to reflect the new corporate identity ofthe brand. Burj Al Arab has, however, retained its existingidentity, reflecting its position as an icon ofDubai in addition to being one of the world’smost luxurious hotels. The property willcontinue to be presented as the flagship ofJumeirah.Thatcher Brown, vice president of brand strategyand management, Jumeirah Group, explainedthat as the hotels, waterpark and hospitalityschools all relate to the same industry, it madesense for the company to expand laterally.“There is a strong synergy between all these

Brand New StrategiesWhen it comes to choosing an airline or hotel, travellers will often opt for a name they know and trust. The fame of a brand canoften be as important as the quality. Travel Trade Monthly looks at the brand names in travel and tourism that are branchingout and really making names for themselves.

Duncan MacRae writes

Creating a new proposition in this industry is essential, but

mind-blowingly difficult

Jumeirah Beach Hotel

entities. The Emirates Academy of HospitalityManagement provides great career developmentand opportunities to our colleagues. We haverecruited many graduates from there over theyears, and several of our managers providetraining to the students”. One of Wolff Olins’ clients, Opodo, is anotherprime example of travel companies successfullybreaking into other markets within the industry.The online flights, care hire and travel businesswas created in the early 2000s by a conglomerateof airlines including Aer Lingus, Air France,Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways,Finnair, Iberia, KLM and Lufthansa. Thepurpose of the new company was to competewith the likes of Expedia and lastminute.com.Opodo, short for ‘opportunities to do’,attempted to offer more information andexpertise than other travel sites, including detailsof visas and vaccinations.The company now operates out of 13 Europeancountries, with four websites, in German,English, French and Italian. It has grown fromstrength to strength by acquiring other websitesand, today, it has access to more than 500airlines, 65,000 hotels and 7,000 car rentalslocations worldwide.Kate Rice, industry analyst, PhoCusWright,argued that it was the perfect time for a Opodolaunch. “The airlines love to sell from their own sitesbecause it builds relationships with theircustomers, but they also need general sites topull in other users.”Holt, of Wolff Olins, admitted that branchingout into another section of the travel and tourismindustry does not come easy, though.“It’s almost impossible to cut through unless thecompany is able to own a clear position in anindustry that is increasingly geared towardsdigital innovation. Creating a positioningstrategy that is backed by a commercial plan isthe first stage, and the expression of the brandcan then be developed to reach out tocustomers.”

New MarketsAnother Wolff Olins client was budget airlineGo, which represented British Airways’ ventureinto the low-cost airline market.In the mid 1990s, the market share of budgetairlines grew from zero to five percent, in lessthan two years.British Airways spotted that there was potentialfor it to move into this market, so set up Go tocompete with the low-fare operators. Althoughthe new airline would have the strength of the

British Airways brand behind it, it was to be aseparate company with its own name, identity,management and employees. Wolff Olins wasappointed to create the name and identity for theairline in association with HHCL, a leading UKadvertising agency. When Go was eventually sold by British Airwaysto 3i, in 2001, it brought the company a returnof GBP100 million (USD162.6 million) on aGBP25 million (USD40.6 million) investment.A year later, easyJet bought Go for 374 million(USD608 million).Jumeirah Group has put a strong emphasis on itsbranding, which goes some way to explainingwhy it has been so successful in its diversificationwithin the tourism industry.Every day, Jumeirah strives to create ameaningful difference in a very competitiveluxury hotel environment, Brown explained.“Evolving and maintaining a strong brand iscritically important, as our guests andstakeholders interact with Jumeirah. Our branddevelopment work is focused on making it easyand appealing for our target audiences to chooseJumeirah Hotels & Resorts above otheralternatives. From the time our guests establish

their travel requirements and start researching tothe contact point after their departure, we arechallenged to fight the pressure of brandproliferation, commoditisation and the scarcity ofcustomer attention.” An important part of a brand’s job is to reveal tocustomers what their options are, and how tochoose among them, Holt of Wolff Olinssummarised.“If there is a clear frame of reference, that is, ifcustomers understand what to expect from thecompany’s products and services, then the brandis doing its job well. If it reveals how much betterthe company is than the competition, then it'sdoing it excellently.”

21SEPTEMBER 2011

- Brand Travel

n

If customers

understand what toexpect from the

company’sproducts

and services, then thebrand

is doing its job well

Katie Heaton

SEPTEMBER 201122

Mohammad BarakatMohammad Barakat has been appointed as director ofsales and marketing of Four Seasons Hotel Amman.Barakat first joined the hotel group in 2002, as salesmanager of Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, and laterworked his way up to director of sales at the property.In 2009 he moved to Dubai to take on the role ofdirector of sales of The Address and later of ArmaniHotel. Following his return to Four Seasons, he willoffer a strategic vision and contagious energy to thecompany’s sales and marketing division, to maintainthe hotel’s leading position in the country.

Patrick Ritter

Patrick Ritter has been appointed asgeneral manager of Kempinksi IshtarDead Sea and Levant regional directorof Kempinski Hotels. He moves toJordan after a successful 22 years withKempinski Hotels based in Europe andAsia. Most recently he held the generalmanager position of Kempinski HotelYinchuan, China. Ritter aims to furtherdevelop the unique positioningKempinski enjoys in the Kingdom.

Rabih ZeinRabih Zein has taken on the role of general manager of Park Inn Muscat. Rabihhas been with Rezidor since 1999 where he has been entrusted with theresponsibility of promoting leisure business and selling two properties in Franceto the Middle East market. His most significant achievements during his 13years with the hotel group include the opening of a flagship property locatedat Disneyland Resort in Paris. He is moving to Oman after three years at ParkInn Nice, France. With solid sales and marketing expertise and a goodcommand of the local language, Rabih is expected to further consolidate thehotel’s position in the competitive market.

Rabih Zein

Mohammad Barakat

Patrick Ritter

Katie HeatonKatie Heaton has beenappointed as public relationsand marketing manager ofPark Inn and Radisson BluHotels, Abu Dhabi. Heatonhas been in the industry sincegraduating from LiverpoolJohn Moores University in2009 with a Bachelor of Artsdegree in journalism. Shespent the last four yearsworking with various lifestyleand consumer clients. Shemoves to the UAE from UK-based full service brandingagency, Frashfield MarketingCommunications, where sheworked as senior accountexecutive with responsibilityfor numerous hotels, bars andrestaurants. In her new role,she will focus on growing thebrand presence of bothproperties.

Travel Trade Monthly: The name change ofSol Meliá to Meliá Hotels International issaid to mark the start of a new era for thehotel chain. How does the company’smarketing and brand development nowdiffer, including its identity, performanceand strategy?Daniel Lozano: Sol Meliá has been a verysuccessful brand for our group for more than 50years and although it had a lot of history and ahigh degree of awareness within our main coremarkets, we now face a totally different world,where globality is a fact. Our company, withmore than 350 hotels in 35 different countries,needs to become really global, and so does ourcorporate brand. We understood that MeliáHotels International would perform much betteras a global corporate brand because it has thepower and passion of our most internationalbrand, Meliá, but also the strength of the groupand the wide brand portfolio.Concerning the rest of the brands, which havenot been altered (except for the Vacation Clubbrand, now called Club Meliá), we feel that thenew corporate brand will be the perfect umbrellato maximise their brand equity in the mostdynamic markets around the world, such as thePersian Gulf, and to seduce investors and hotelowners. The change of the brand’s name alsoinvolves a deeper transformation, as we haveseized the moment to also review and update ourcompany’s mission, culture and values. MeliáHotels International is a great opportunity for usto enter the ‘hotel sector’s champions league’ andin accordance with expected growth, we want tobe solid, coherent, responsible, excellent andinnovative.

Travel Trade Monthly: Although itprimarily targets inbound business fromEurope, do you think Meliá Dubai will also

be popular with guests from the Middle Eastregion? What features are considered to bemost attractive to this market?Daniel Lozano: This is a brand with the rightstandards and attributes for this city,complementing the hotel supply for bothbusiness and leisure customers and adding valueto the city. There are direct flights between theUAE and Madrid and Barcelona, so there arebusiness opportunities for this well known brandamongst Spanish travellers. Meliá Dubai will bethe first Spanish hotel in the city. In addition, webelieve that our tradition in Spanish hospitalitycan offer new experiences to customers from theArabian region. A selection of Meliá hotels ispresent in major outbound destinations, such asGermany, England, Spain, Italy and more.

Travel Trade Monthly: Why was Dubaichosen as the location to debut Meliá in theMiddle East, and why has this year beenchosen as the best time to debut the Meliábrand in the region?Daniel Lozano: Growth in the Middle East isone of our priorities in the coming years. Wewould like to position our brands in the mostdynamic markets and our international attitudeleads us to have a presence in all continents.Meliá is undeniably Spanish, warm as theMediterranean sun yet expressive as Dali. Dubaiis undoubtedly Middle Eastern, passionatelyevolving yet proudly historic. Over time thesetwo ancient nations have traded language,architecture and culture, evident even today.Centuries later, the two meet once more,retracing ancient routes. As Meliá opens itsdoors in the heart of old Dubai, Spanishhospitality comes to the Middle East.

Travel Trade Monthly: Is the hotel onschedule to open in the fourth quarter of thisyear? Daniel Lozano: Meliá Dubai plans to open itsdoors on October 12, Columbus day.

Travel Trade Monthly: With the companyfocusing more on international expansion,what new destinations are on the cards fordevelopments in the future, specifically in theMENA region?Daniel Lozano: Before the end of this year, inaddition to Meliá Dubai, we will open MeliáGenova and Gran Meliá Roma in Italy, MeliáZanzibar and Paradisus Playa del Carmen-Mexico.Meliá Zanzibar is a gorgeous boutique hotel thatis undergoing extensive renovation, scheduledto open October 1. We have a very aggressivedevelopment plan in the pipeline, with projectsin Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Bahrain,Qatar and Oman. Our intention is to introduceour most well known and international brand,Meliá Hotels & Resorts, and our premiumbrands; Gran Meliá (timeless luxury hotels withan avantgard flair) and ME by Meliá (urbanlifestyle hotels and resorts), which best fit withcustomer demand and the investors profile inthe area.

23SEPTEMBER 2011

Q & A with Daniel LozanoMaking changes to keep up with altering markets as well as economic conditions has become increasingly necessary to remaincompetitive in the ever more globalised world. Daniel Lozano, senior vice president, Meliá brand, Meliá Hotels International,shares with Travel Trade Monthly the changes made by the hotel chain and its plans for the future.

n

Our company, with more than 350 hotels in 35 different

countries, needs to becomereally global, and so does

our corporate brand

Meliá Dubai will be the firstSpanish hotel in the city.

In addition, we believe that our tradition in Spanishhospitality can offer new

experiences to customers fromthe Arabian region

Daniel Lozano

Mohammad Barakat

SEPTEMBER 201124

PATA Travel MartNew Delhi, India, September 6-9, 2011 (www.pata.org)Asia Pacific’s premier travel trade show with networking and contractingopportunities.

Top Resa, International French Travel MarketParis, France, September 20-23, 2011 (www.iftm.fr)An international travel and tourism trade fair for networking, doing business,innovating and keeping abreast of market developments.

The World Youth and Student Travel ConferencePalau, Spain, September 20-23, 2011(www.wystc.org)An event for organisations that serve today’s young travellers. It provides anopportunity for attendees to pursue innovative partnerships, develop creativemarketing and distribution channels and access new markets.

Cityscape DubaiDubai, UAE, September 26-29, 2011 (www.cityscape.ae)A B2B networking exhibition and conference for emerging real estatemarkets globally.

Kazakhstan International Tourism ExhibitionAstana, Kazakhstan, September 27-29, 2011www.leisure.kzThe eighth Kazakhstan International Tourism Exhibition in Astana catersfor both the B2B and B2C markets and features a vibrant mix of inboundand outbound destinations.

CIS Travel MarketSt. Petersburg, Russia, October 12-14, 2011(www.restec.ru)An event focusing on the CIS countries with airlines, tour operators, travelagencies, accommodation providers and tourist associations.

ITB AsiaSuntec, Singapore, October 19-21, 2011(www.itb-asia.com)An event where international exhibitors, Asia Pacific’s leading companiesand emerging enterprises meet top buyers.

World Travel MarketExCel London, UK, November 7-10, 2011(www.wtmlondon.com)Leading global event for the travel industry, presenting a diverse range ofdestinations and industry sectors and providing an opportunity to meet,network, negotiate and conduct business.

INDEX 2011 to Include Product-Specific Shows Following High DemandINDEX, the MENA region’s largest andlongest established interiors and designexhibition, is furthering its market lead byintroducing a brand new line up of six product-specific shows.Taking place across an additional 10 halls at theDubai World Trade Centre from October 22-25, INDEX 2011 will evolve its profile, hostingover 800 exhibitors from across 49 countries.The focus of the six new shows under theINDEX brand will surround furnishings,inretail, kitchen and bathroom, lighting,outdoor living and textiles. Running for the21st consecutive year, the exhibition will alsoshowcase 20 national pavilions, providingproduct specification by country. INDEX willalso introduce interactive features alongsideeach of the new product-specific show sectors,generic features, conferences, competitions,

panel discussions and CES seminars. The enhancement of the exhibition wasinspired by exhibitor and visitor demand,commented Paula Al Chami, event director,INDEX. “The introduction of the product-specificshows solidifies INDEX’s position as the ‘mustattend’ design show for industry professionalsfrom the MENA region. Based on insights andfeedback we received from the market and fromour visitors, 68 percent of the people wantedthe show to be product-specific while theremainder wanted to see products split by themanufacturing nation, so we now offer both.We believe this structure will allow exhibitorsto effectively present their products andservices to the right audience and also make iteasier for visitors to navigate throughout ourvery large exhibition.” n

The introduction of the product-specific shows solidifies

INDEX’s position as the ‘must attend’ design show for industry professionals from the MENA region