Market Update 2Accommodation News 4Air Travel News 6International News 8Agents’ Corner 10Travel Tips 11Travel Talk 12Who’s Moved 14Rendezvous 15Events 16

Middle East and North Africa Edition

JUNE 19, 2010 ISSUE 32 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

6

5BROKEN MODELInternational taxation models andindustry disunity are responsible for theglobal industry’s ongoing struggle forprofitability, according to Paul Griffiths,CEO of Dubai Airports. However, he saysthe Gulf model puts its carriers andairports at a competitive advantage.

Abu Dhabi’s new hotel classification system,first announced in early May, has beenofficially launched. All accommodationfacilities in the emirate will be classifiedaccording to the new scale by 2011.

In This Issue

Water Park 3

ABU DHABICLASSIFICATIONS

Construction work is set to start next month on Aldar’s Yas Island water park. The project

is due to open in 2012, featuring more than 40 rides and attractions.

T he company will now offerpassenger service anddistribution solutions tohybrid, regional, low cost andstart-up airlines worldwide.

Patrick Naef, divisional senior vice president ofEmirates Group IT, said tikAERO was alreadyused by 19 airlines around the world.“This is a really exciting moment of the history ofMercator with our first major acquisition,” he said.“Our current passenger services portfolio,Jupiter, is rapidly creating a reputation for beingone of the most complete and integratedsolutions in the market for medium to largenetwork carriers.“With the acquisition of tikAERO, we are now able

to address a whole new segment ofthe market. We can manage theneeds of an entire airlinecommunity covering all shapes,sizes and business models.”Naef added that the system wouldhelp airlines to significantly lowercosts by minimising distribution

costs, increasing efficiency and lowering trainingefforts.“In today’s market where airlines are postingsignificant losses, this product offers enticingrewards for cutting costs, increasing flexibilityand improving long term economic efficienciesand overall net profits,” he said.Roland Heller, managing director of TIKSystems, said that the backing of Emirates Groupwould help tikAERO to realise its full potential.The acquisition follows record profits atEmirates Group, with an increase of 248 percentduring the 2009-2010 period, compared to theprevious year. Mercator will establish a new office in Bangkok,which will provide a base for the company’sproduct development. All TIK Systems’ staff willtransfer to the new Bangkok base.

Emirates’ Mercator Branches into PassengerServices for Global Airline Start-upsEmirates Group’s IT solutions provider Mercator has acquired the tikAEROpassenger services system solution through TIK Systems.

JUNE 19, 20102

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.68Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.70Syria (SYP) Pound 46.86Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.29Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.51Morocco (MAD) Dirham 8.97Iran (IRR) Riyal 9973Yemen (YER) Rial 225.22Algeria (DZD) Dinar 75.69Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.32

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 16/6/2010Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

Deputy EditorLaura Warne

JournalistLouis Dillon Savage

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingJane DavidsonMarianna TsiamasEvelina Hadjigeorgiou.

DirectorsAndreas ConstantinidesMary Kammitsi

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Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

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The Hideaways Club, an internationalproperty investment fund launched byentrepreneur Mike Balfour, is expandingits scope to target GCC investors. A new sales and marketing operation willcover the GCC, offering both Hideawayspillars – the investment fund and a privatemembers club. The fund focuses on professional buyingand management of international holidayhomes, fully maintained and serviced onbehalf of investors. Balfour was formerly chairman ofhealth club Fitness First and launchedHideaways in 2007. The club now has more than 150

members and 27 solely-owned multi-million dollar luxury propertiesthroughout Europe, Africa, Mauritius andSouth East Asia. The company has recently cementedalliances with US based Equity Estatesand Banyan Tree Private Collection,giving members access to a range ofholiday options around the world.Balfour said the company was targetingGulf nationals and expats who werelooking to combine investments withexclusive access to luxury properties. The Hideaways Club partnered withEtihad Airways in May to offer membersexclusive fares and services.

International Investment Fund, Hideaways Club,Launches GCC Operation

This is a really excitingmoment of the history of Mercator with our first major acquisition

3JUNE 19, 2010

Yas Island Launches Water ParkAldar Properties has committed to opening a new waterpark on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, with more than 40 ridesand attractions.The project is set to open in 2012 and Aldar says it will beone of the world’s most environmentally friendly water parks. Aldar has received conceptual planning approval from AbuDhabi Urban Planning Council and has appointed UKdesigner Atkins. Construction work will begin in July, 2010. Atkins is designing the park’s buildings to meet sustainableEstidama guidelines and is engineering ways to reduceenergy and water consumption. The water park will join Aldar’s other theme park project,Ferrari World, which is scheduled to open on Yas Island inOctober, 2010.

Thrifty Car Rental Rolls Out Automated Check In/Out SystemThrifty Car Rental is rolling out Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to all UAE outlets, enabling automatedcheck-in and check-out.

T he PDAs will replacethe existing manualdocumentation processof car rentals, significantlyreducing administration

time, according to Rahul Singh, generalmanager of Thrifty Car Rental.“This automation is a huge technologyleap for Thrifty in the UAE,” said Singh.“If a driver in Dubai delivers a vehicle toRas Al Khaimah, as soon as the customersigns the PDA, the data will automaticallybe reflected on a real time basis across theThrifty vehicle management system, andthe information would be immediatelyaccessible to any Thrifty staff with thesimple click of a button.”

Thrifty’s in-house IT and customerrelation teams have spent 12 monthsdeveloping the software for the PDAs,which have been-fine tuned to reflectfeedback from staff throughout thecompany’s network. “We are leading the way for car rentalcompanies to go digital,” said Singh. “By introducing this technology weexpect to significantly reduce our costsarising from non-revenue mileage,untraceable traffic fines and salik charges.”All Thrifty locations in Dubai and thenorthern emirates are expected to be fullyautomated by the end of June, 2010, withthe next phase of implementationcovering Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

We are leading the way for car rental

companies to go digital

Thrifty PDA

JUNE 19, 20104

- Accommodation

New Atlas Managing Director Takes on Expansion MandateUnder the leadership of new managing director, SiegfriedNierhaus, Atlas Hospitality plans to focus its developmentstrategy on the UAE.Atlas Hospitality is a hotel development business and asubsidiary of the Atlas International holding company.According to Nierhaus, Atlas Hospitality plans to begin threenew projects in the country over the next three years.Nierhaus said the UAE focus had been motivated by renewedvisitor growth to the country.He pointed to strong visitation figures in Abu Dhabi asevidence of the UAE’s strength as a market.“We are watching the economic indicators and they areheading in the right direction,” he added.“The region continues to out-perform other key markets.”Nierhaus said Atlas would also make itself available as aconsultancy.“We are geared to sharing our expertise in hotel and F&Band project development by playing the role of theconsultant for niche investors, developers and operators,” hesaid.Atlas’ first property, Regent Emirates Pearl in Abu Dhabi, ison track to open in 2012.

Resta Hotels and Resorts to Manage Al-QasrHotel and Resort in Aden, YemenHotel management company, Resta Hotels and Resorts, has signed a management contract for its firstproperty in Yemen.

R esta will take the reinsof Al-Qasr Hotel andResort in Yemen whenthe hotel opens inNovember this year.

Mohamed Abd Al-Gawad, chairman ofResta, said the agreement reflected thecompany’s wider growth strategy,aimed at operating 15 properties by2013.“Our strategy is based on operating ahotel in every major city and globaltourism destination in the MENAregion,” he said.

“Furthermore, [our strategy is alsobased on] building up Resta's portfolioby managing diversified categories ofhotels and resorts to meet internationalmarket demand.”Abd Al- Karim Al-Dabae, chairman ofdeveloper Arabyl Holding, said theresort was unique within Yemen.“Al-Qasr Hotel and Resort isdistinguished by its architectural style,inspired by cultural heritage in Aden,”he said.“The hotel and resort serves as the firstproject of its kind in Yemen.”

Resta currently operates four resorts inEgypt with three more, including Al-Qasr, under development across theMiddle East.

Our strategy is based on operating

a hotel in every major city and global tourism destination in

the MENA region

5JUNE 19, 2010

- Accommodation

All Abu Dhabi Hotels to Be Re-classified by 2011:New System Launched by ADTAAbu Dhabi’s new hotel classification system, first announced in early May, has been officially launched.

N asser Saif Al Reyami,Director of Abu DhabiTourism Authority’s(ADTA) licensing andclassification division,

said that all accommodation in the emiratewould be classified according to the newscale by 2011.Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general ofADTA, said research into internationalpractices had produced a hybrid system ofclassification.“Our studies revealed that throughout theentire industry, classification systems wereeither mandatory in nature or based onscoring methodology and they often

resulted in disappointing gaps betweentheory and reality due to lack ofimplementation,” he said.“We seized the advantage of learning fromothers to create a best-in-class system, withfair and transparent implementationmechanisms and one which is geared todelivering quality throughout the entirehospitality chain.”Rather than focusing on a check list offacilities, or an aggregated score, AbuDhabi’s approach combines elements ofboth.A sliding scale from zero to 900 pointsis applied when assessing hotels, witheach star level requiring a certain score

and certain facilities.This scale is supplemented by five furthercategories of distinction, including:environmental issues, special needs,comprehensive detailed standards,consideration for cultural tourismsustainability and implementation planning.Reyami said the system would allow hotelspursuing high star ratings to offer morevaried products than a traditionalmandatory system would.“Realistically we do not expect that even fivestar hotels will be able to offer all of theservices and amenities in the scoring system,so it does allow hotels to offer variedproducts,” he said.

JUNE 19, 20106

- Air Travel

Gulf Aviation will Outcompete Established Players, Dubai Airport Chief SaysThe Gulf model for the aviation market puts its airports and carriers at a competitive advantage with the restof the world, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, has declared.

GCAA Takes Training Course to Latin AmericaThe UAE’s General Civil AviationAuthority (GCAA) has strengthenedties with Latin America, hosting atraining course in Paraguay.The training course, which focused on therole of strategic planning in the civilaviation industry, attracted representativesfrom 11 countries, including Argentina,Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia,CostaRica, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguayand the Dominican Republic. Laila Bin Hareb, head of strategicplanning and corporate excellence atGCAA, spoke at the course’s mainlectures.

“The participation of GCAA in thiscourse in Latin America reflects the roleof the UAE in civil aviation worldwideand the trust of global and regional civilaviation authorities and organisations inthe UAE,” said Bin Hareb.“Through the bilateral co-operationagreements and memoranda ofunderstanding signed with several civilaviation authorities around the world,the GCAA is aiming at sharingexperiences and training, which will helpdiscovering new fields that can enhancethe reputation of GCAA and expand itsrole in civil aviation worldwide.”

The GCAA course covered varioustopics, including strategic planningunder globalisation and a rapidlychanging environment; businessstrategy development mechanisms;tools and techniques for planning anddecision making; environment analysis;strategy implementation steps; andtarget oriented management.

A ccording to Griffiths,international taxationmodels and industrydisunity are responsiblefor the global industry’s

ongoing struggle for profitability.“Airlines worldwide have lost some

USD50 billion since 2001,” he said in aspeech to the UK Aviation Club.“It is clear the current model is completelyand utterly broken.”Griffiths said the approach taken toaviation taxes worldwide was largelyresponsible for the woes of the industry.“Most governments around the worldtreat aviation as a pariah and choke itsgrowth with costly, misdirected regulationand parasitic forms of taxation whoserevenues usually flow straight out of thesector,” he said.However, he also pointed to failingswithin the industry itself.“Almost 50 percent of the time a customerspends at an airport is absorbed by

cumbersome and non-commercialprocesses - at an opportunity cost as highas USD35 billion per annum,” he said.“This lost revenue ultimately stems froma chronic lack of trust and co-operationbetween airlines, airports and retailers.“It’s high time for all parties toacknowledge their inter-dependence andleverage their strengths.

“This could lead to an environmentwhere the travel retail industry recordsgreater profits, airports fund themselvesentirely from non-aeronautical income,and airlines are relieved of the burden ofairport charges.”Griffiths said Dubai’s tax free modelshould be taken as an example by the restof the world and predicted that MiddleEastern aviation would soon begin tooutcompete traditional approaches. “Middle Eastern airlines with young fleetsbased in efficient, geocentric airports withroom to grow are well positioned to takeon less profitable transfer traffic that is ill-

suited for mature markets with congestedairports,” he said.

GCAA is aiming at sharing experiences

and training

Governments around the world treat aviation as a pariah and choke

its growth with misdirected regulation

Paul Griffiths

7JUNE 19, 2010

- Air Travel

Close to Home Boom Forces Air Arabia to Schedule Additional MENA Flights Demand for travel within the Middle East over summer has been so strong as to force Air Arabia to scheduleadditional flights to meet demand.

Gulf Air LaunchesNew Routes toAleppo and MedinaGulf Air has launched permanentoperations to Aleppo in Syria andMedina in Saudi Arabia.Suleiman Sarra, Syria’s ambassadorto Bahrain, said the Aleppo routerepresented a strengthening of along established relationship.“We wholeheartedly welcome GulfAir expanding its network into theSyrian Arab Republic,” he said.“Gulf Air’s relationship with Syriabegan more than two decades agowhen it started flying to Damascusin 1988 and I am glad thisrelationship has grown stronger withthe addition of Aleppo.”

A ir Arabia will makeadditional flights on itsroutes from Sharjah toAmman, Jordan;Damascus, Syria; and

Alexandria, Egypt at the end of June and inearly July.Sherif Attia, chief operating officer of Air

Arabia's Sharjah hub, confirmed that thecapacity boost came in response toincreased demand for intra regional travel.“We are pleased to expand our service toAmman, Damascus and Alexandria thissummer, in line with increased demandfrom our customers,” he said.“Air Arabia focuses on putting its customers'

needs first, and our latest initiative toincrease the frequency of service to populardestinations will surely enhance the level ofconvenience for our customers.”Air Arabia already runs frequent flights tothese destinations, with seven per week toAmman, 11 per week to Damascus and 21per week to Alexandria.

JUNE 19, 20108

- International

Australia Abandons 2018 World Cup Bid in Favour of European DestinationsIn a move that places the country in direct competition with Qatar, Australia has abandoned its bid for the2018 FIFA World Cup, focusing its ambitions exclusively on the 2022 tournament.

Fosun international, one of China’slargest conglomerates, has bought a 7.1percent stake in Club Med andannounced a strategic alliance for thedevelopment of the brand.A representative of Fosun will beappointed to the board of directors ofClub Med.The conglomerate has indicated that it

will leverage its resources and influences

to create benefits for Club Med’s globalnetwork of resorts.According to Fosun, the new affiliationwill benefit the hospitality group bygiving Club Med access to Fosun’sextensive catalogue of companies asfeeder markets for MICE business.Fosun has also declared an intention toleverage its existing influence in theChinese media to promote the Club

Med brand throughout the country.Club Med has had a sales presence inChina since 2003 and has identifiedChina as a major development focus forthe company.Sites have already been identified for fiveClub Med resort villages in China,planned to open by 2015.The first of these, a ski village in Yabuli, isslated to open in the winter season of 2010.

Fosun International Buys Stake in Club Med, Outlines Development Strategy

W hile the countryhad previouslysought either the2018 or 2022 cupevent, now only

the latter is being pursued.Representatives of both FIFA andAustralian football’s governing body,Football Federation Australia (FFA), havesaid the withdrawal was made to favourEuropean competitors for the event.The 2018 World Cup will be the first since2006 to be allocated according to inter-continental competition.The 2010 and 2014 Cups were assignedaccording to competition betweenAfrican and South American nations,respectively, under a system designed toallow poorer continents access to theevent.Though Africa and South America are theonly continents ineligible for the WorldCup events currently under contention,Jerome Valcke, general secretary of FIFA,said Australia’s withdrawal reflected adesire for a European event. “The FFA have displayed an exemplarylevel of solidarity with Europe and theEuropean bidding nations and were

among the very first to enter into an openand constructive dialogue with me after itbecame apparent that there was a growingmovement to stage the 2018 World Cupin Europe,” Valcke said.Frank Lowy, Chairman of FootballFederation Australia, confirmed thatAustralia was deferring to Europeaninterests.“We have been in discussion with FIFAfor months and it is that trustingrelationship with the leadership of the

governing body that has caused us tofocus on 2022 and decide to leave the fieldfor 2018 to European contenders,” hesaid.Australia has become one of four nationsbidding exclusively for the 2022 event,including Qatar, Japan and South Korea.A number of countries are bidding for both2018 and 2022, including two joint bids byPortugal/Spain and Netherlands/Belgium,as well as the US, England and Russia.

Sydney, Australia

JUNE 19, 201010

Agent’s InsightFatima AnsariTravel Agent, Kanoo Corporate, Bahrain

Al-Futtaim Links with Thomas Cook Travel management company Al-Futtaim Travel has signedon as a preferred sales agent to distribute Thomas Cook – MEOutbound leisure products in the UAE. William Horsley, general manager of Al-Futtaim Travel, saidthe partnership would provide greater options for travellers. “Thomas Cook is clearly the world’s best known name intravel and holiday packages,” said Horsley.“This agreement is a further endorsement by a global brandof Al-Futtaim Travel’s market-leading position as a corporateand leisure travel management company.”Among the Thomas Cook leisure offers are internationalschool summer camps, escorted coach tours, city breaks andholiday packages to destinations such as Switzerland, Greece,Germany and the Indian Ocean.

Sabre Launches New Agency ToolSabre Red, a new travel solution from Sabre Travel Network,was launched in Austria this week. The new tool features a range of capabilities, spanning shopping,booking, customer service and business intelligence. Greg Webb, president of Sabre Travel Network, said Sabre Redwould help agents create high customer loyalty, grow revenueand keep costs in check.“To succeed in today’s highly competitive market where travel ismore complex and travellers face more choices than ever, travelcompanies face the challenge of balancing resources to delivergreat customer service with the need to meet profitability goals,”said Webb. He added that the new tool would enable agencies to respond tothe emergence of airline ancillary fees, merchandising initiatives,changes in preferred supplier agreements and the growth indemand for mobile services. More than 250 Sabre customers have been trialling the Sabre Redproduct for the past six months and Webb said more capabilitieswould be rolled out throughout 2010 and into 2011.

Sabre Red Greg Webb

Who has inspired you in your travel career? I was inspired by my four brothers who are all pilots. I wasalways keen on joining the travel trade after having heard somuch about the destinations they have been to, and hopingthat I too may be able to visit these places and learn moreabout the travel industry.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?I have traveled to many destinations during my time in thetravel industry. However, my trips to Beirut and Larnacaseem to be the most memorable. I have also received manyletters of appreciation from corporate customers that I havebeen working with during my many years in the industry.

When is your peak selling period?As I deal with corporate travel, the business is well spreadthroughout the year. However, the summer season is ourpeak when most local and expatriates travel out on vacationswith their family.

Where is the next hot destination?Personally, I have many customers that are booked to travelto UK this season. However, Malaysia and China are verypopular destinations too.

Why are travel agents important?I think travel agents are important due to many reasons.

Agents are able tooffer valuable traveltips and advice topassengers based onour experience,available to assistpassengers beforeand after issuing oftravel documents,provide informationon ticket restrictionsand visas todestinations and alsooffer value addedservices that helppassengers plan theirtrip with less hassle.

Fatima Ansari

11JUNE 19, 2010

Destination Tip: Selling Amsterdam

International Geographic: Geopositioning and YouThe juggernaut of social media continues to gain momentum and every day another front seems to open inthe online battle to take advantage of the trends.

The geographicalapplications offered bypersonal global positioningsystems (GPS) represent ahotly contested territory in

the fight for the killer app.According to Berg Insight, 560 millionGPS phones are expected to ship annuallyby 2012; this means that in a populationof seven billion, around one in 10 of allconsumers will have GPS in their pocket.Already, the synergy of live mapping andinternet access offered by these deviceshas been tipped to change to way wesocialise, consume and travel.The technology can and has been used

effectively by Google Maps and others tohelp disoriented consumers pinpointhotels and choose between offerings.However, the growing importance ofsocial media has led a push back in theother direction.Increasingly people are being encouragedto interact with the maps; to determinethe salient landmarks and identify theirown points of interest.Geopositioning, a kind of cartographicalstatus update, allows users to post theirown location on an online map, to viewthe position of friends in their networkand in some cases to post images, notesand other information.

The recently launched initiative Topguestis an example of how travel businesses areable to get in on social media moremeaningfully than the ubiquitousFacebook fan page.Topguest has collaborated with a range ofbusinesses, including Starwood Hotelsand Delta Airlines, offering loyalty rewardpoints to members for theirgeopositioning habits.Where some give the pointsindiscriminately, Starwood has chosen tolimit rewards to posts made from within aStarwood property, thus incentivisingpotential guests to not only stay in thehotel, but to broadcast it.

With new flights fromEmirates kicking off toAmsterdam, hotels in thecountry are offering upspecial deals to MiddleEastern travellers. John Felix, senior vicepresident of EmiratesHolidays, said Emirates staffhad created a range of tailormade packages inanticipation of new demand.“Amsterdam presents theperfect European city break,with a heady mix of rich culturalhistory and a vibrant nightlife,”said Felix.“It’s a compact, bustlingcentre that offers the travellera unique blend of Dutchculture, the arts, legendarycanals and the iconic floatingflower market.”Air Arabia has also reportedstrong results for the region, after

celebrating the first yearanniversary of its flights fromCasablanca to Benelux (Brussels& Amsterdam) in May. In the first year of operation,Air Arabia carried more than84,000 passengers on itsCasablanca-Benelux routes. Top tips for culture seekers inAmsterdam are the Van GoughMuseum and Rijksmuseum;for children, there is MadamTussauds wax museum,Amsterdam Dungeon or theNEMO science centre.

Amsterdam

JUNE 19, 201012

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

Food is a major element for Arab travellers whenchoosing a destination

Carol MaddisonUAE Manager, VisitBritain“Food is a major element for Arabtravellers when choosing a destination tospend their holidays, making Scotland’snew food and drink theme a natural fit.With 16 Michelin-starred restaurantsavailable, in addition to scenic landscapes,and tailored luxury offerings, Scotlandoffers the ideal getaway package.”

Paolo De RenzisArea Commercial Manager, Middle East, British Airways (BA)“We have had a terrific response to the [UAE British Airways Business OpportunityGrants] initiative, proving that there is a real desire and need for business travel.British Airways is in the business of connecting people, and we know that the keyto building successful long-term business partnerships is through face-to-facemeetings. Our hope is that the opportunity grants really help these businesses opendoors, forge stronger partnerships, and increase their revenues.”   

There is a real desire and need for business travel

UAE winners of BA Business Opportunity Grants (winning companies have each been awarded10 BA business class return tickets, to stimulate business and seek out new opportunities)

Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al NahyanChairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority “The [Abu Dhabi Ambassador Programme] is important because it gives our visitorfacing representatives an essential understanding of the emirate’s tourism potential,capabilities and its role in Abu Dhabi’s economic and social advancement. It thenempowers them with skills, knowledge and confidence to better promote andrepresent Abu Dhabi, its unique heritage and culture as well as our determinationto preserve them. This emirate has an abiding ethos of extending hospitality totravellers and sharing our cultural heritage. What better way for these to be conveyedthan by Emiratis? The result will be a much enhanced visitor engagement experiencewhich in itself will engender a stronger competitive edge.”

The result will be a much enhanced visitor engagement experience ADTA graduates

Scotland

mailto:sales@traveltradeweekly.travel

JUNE 19, 201014

Shawn PisaniHelmsBriscoe, a global site selectionand service provider for themeetings industry has appointedShawn Pisani as director of industryrelations for the Europe, MiddleEast and Africa (EMEA) region.Pisani will be based in Europe andwill support supplier partnershipswithin the EMEA region. Hepreviously spent 16 years working atCorinthia Hotels, where he held anumber of positions – most recentlydirector of products and services.

Siegfried NierhausAtlas Hospitality has appointed SegfriedNierhaus as managing director. In his newrole, Nierhaus has been given the task ofexpanding Atlas’ group portfolio, withdevelopment focusing on the UAE. Hehas spent 20 years working for a variety ofinternational hotel groups, includingRezidor, throughout Europe.

Michael KuhnRadisson Blu Hotel,Muscat, has appointedMichael Kuhn as directorof sales and marketing. Hemost recently held thesame position at RadissonBlu Hotel, Amsterdam,and has previously workedin Egypt, Switzerland,Germany and Dubai.Kuhn has qualifications inbusiness and economics.

Laurence UdoDoha Marriott Hotel hasappointed Laurence Udo aspublic relations andmarketing communicationsmanager. Udo joins thehotel from MarriottVacation Club in London,where she spent the pastfive years working as amarketing manager. Sheholds a master degree ininternational business,specialising in marketing.

Laurent RigaudJAL Hotels has appointedLaurent Rigaud as generalmanager for the upcomingHotel JAL Tower Dubai,scheduled to open later thisyear. Rigaud has more than 10years of experience in thehospitality industry and hasworked throughout Africa,Asia, Australia, Europe andthe Middle East. Rigaud willlead the pre-opening team forthe new property.

Siegfried Nierhaus

Laurence Udo

(L-R) Michael Kuhn with Michael Jacobi, general manager of Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat

Laurent Rigaud

Travel Trade Weekly: Libya has arange of tourism attractions, yetremains a relatively minor destination- why is this?Ryad Sunusi: This is a result of bothexternal and internal factors. Libya’s imagehas long been associated with terrorismand this has fuelled negative stereotypesof Libya. After the Lockerbie incident, Libya wasunder international sanctions and verylittle news came out of Libya.The internal factors are the government’sred tape and bureaucracy and regulations,which while still complex by Westernstandards, have improved considerably inthe last few years.

Travel Trade Weekly: What can bedone to encourage tourism to Libya?Ryad Sunusi: As mentioned above, redtape and bureaucracy concerning issuingthe visa process would help to improvetourism in Libya. Currently, Libya strictly controls theissuing of visas through Libyan touroperators. Tourist visas are only obtained through aLibyan tour operator, which manages thevisa process and, by law, must include aguide.Libya also has a significant dearth of luxuryand mid class hotel rooms, althoughdozens of global hotel chains are currentlyin the process of building hotels in Libya.

Travel Trade Weekly: What are themain activities and attractions fortourists to Libya?Ryad Sunusi: Libya is a popular forprimarily cultural tours – Libya has someof the best Roman and Greek ruins in theMediterranean. Desert tours are verypopular as well, as Libya’s deserts areamong the most startling and beautifullandscapes. Libya is home to five UNESCO WorldHeritage Sites - the Roman ruins of LeptisMagna and Sabratha; the Hellenic ruinsof Cyrene; the desert town of Ghadames;and the rock art sites of the moonlikeTadrart Akakus.

Travel Trade Weekly: How developedare tourism facilities in Libya? Ryad Sunusi: Libya has several five starhotels and a variety of four and three starhotels. There are numerous hotels andresorts being built and in the planningstage, with construction going on non-stop and new hotels going up year afteryear to meet the surging demand.

Travel Trade Weekly:Can you tell meabout any major recent or upcomingdevelopments for tourism in Libya?Ryad Sunusi: The Radisson Blu Maharyrecently launched in Tripoli to competewith the Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel,which was once Libya’s only five star hotelby Western standards. Rixos, a Turkish hotel chain, also has apresence in Tripoli with its five star RixosAl-Nasr. New hotels to be launched include thosefrom InterContinental and Rezidor.

Travel Trade Weekly: What do youexpect tourism in Libya to look like infive years time?Ryad Sunusi: Libya’s Tourism Ministryhas stated it seeks to attract two milliontourists by 2011 – a significant increasefrom the current levels. The hotelconstruction boom and ever changingskyline is reminiscent of the transformationthat occurred in the Gulf, and everywhereyou go in Tripoli and Benghazi, you see thecranes and new buildings going up.

15JUNE 19, 2010

Q&A with Ryad SunusiLibya has long been sidelined as a tourism destination, despite a stock of historical attractions and a wealthof natural beauty. Ryad Sunusi, founder and CEO of Libya Exhibitions, gave Travel Trade Weekly a guidedtour of the Libyan product.

The hotel construction boom is reminiscent of thetransformation thatoccurred in the Gulf

Libya’s deserts are among the moststartling and beautiful landscapes

Libyan Desert Expedition

JUNE 19, 201016

EventsHospitalityWorld Bengaluru, India, June 24-26 (www.hospitalityworld.in)Showcasing south India’s hospitality industry.

Beijing International Tourism ExpoBeijing, China, June 25-27 (www.bitechina.com.cn)Exhibiting products and destinations for Chinese andInternational professionals.

India International Travel Market Bengaluru, India, July 10-12 (www.iitmindia.com)A showcase for tourism, leisure, hospitality and relatedindustries.

Cityscape Dubai Dubai, UAE, October 4-7 (www.cityscapeglobal.com)Networking, conference sessions and round table events forthe real estate market, including hotels and other tourismdevelopments.

Outdoor Adventure DubaiDubai, UAE, October 8-10 (www.outdooradventuredubai.com)Adventure sports, outdoor clubs, equipment specialists andholiday destinations.

GITEX Technology WeekDubai, UAE, October 17-21 (www.gitex.com)Technology solutions for hotels, businesses and consumers.

Hotex Fair SyriaDamascus, Syria, October 19-22 (www.hotexfair.com)Fair for Arabic and foreign companies in tourism and travel,including hotels, restaurants and equipment suppliers.

BSL World Expands into Abu Dhabi, Predicting Large Events Growth PotentialAbu Dhabi is an exciting

place to be right now

BSL World, a UK firm offeringsupport and logistics for large scaleevents, has chosen Abu Dhabi as thelocation of its first office outsideLondon.Jonathan Bodansky, managingdirector of the company, said AbuDhabi’s growing profile hadprompted the expansion.“Following our success in managingthe VIP transportation for 15,000VIPs at the first Etihad Abu DhabiGrand Prix in November 2009, I sawa great opportunity to launch here,”he said.“Abu Dhabi is an exciting place to be

right now - it was catapulted onto theworldwide stage last year and washost to a number of internationalevents.“With the plans currently in place forthe future, Abu Dhabi can onlycontinue to get stronger.”BSL was established to managelogistics for major musical events,including tours by Elton John, TinaTurner and Paul McCartney.The company now offers servicesincluding corporate hospitality,logistic operations and globalincentive travel at major sports, artsand MICE events worldwide.

Abu Dhabi