Middle East and North Africa Edition

JuNE 4, 2011 ISSuE 82 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

June 4, Issue 82

Market Update 2Weekly News 3Air Travel News 7Accommodation News 10Who’s Moved 11Travel Talk 12Agents’ Corner 13Travel Channels 14Rendezvous 15Events 16 88Etihad to Open

Route to SeychellesEtihad to Open Route to Seychelles

Etihad Airways will commence operations to Mahé in the Republic of Seychelles on November 1.

RAK GoVERNmENT AcQuIRESBANyAN TREE Al WAdIThe government of Ras Al Khaimah hastaken over Banyan Tree Al Wadi fromRakeen development.

In This Issue

55BEST WESTERN ARRIVES IN IRAQBest Western International has embarkedon its Gulf expansion after signing anagreement to manage its first hotel in Iraq,with construction expected to start inSeptember.

1010

The region’s occupancydecreased by 9.7 percent to 59percent, while the averagedaily rate rose to uSd176.82,representing an increase of

10.8 percent compared with April 2010.Revenue per available room (RevPAR) showedslight growth of 0.1 percent to uSd104.25. Elizabeth Randall, managing director, STRGlobal, elaborated on the region’s mixedperformance. “With the Arab spring and its consequences stillongoing across parts of Northern Africa and themiddle East, Northern Africa reported a 45percent RevPAR drop, mainly driven byoccupancy declines as demand stayed away. Themiddle East’s overall performance increased inoccupancy and average room rate, driven by

improvements in the largest twohotel markets of the region—Saudi Arabia and the united ArabEmirates.”despite the downturn, parts of theregion sustained high occupancy

rates with Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (up by 17percent to 73.8 percent) and Abu dhabi, uAE(up by 15.7 percent to 69.3 percent) witnessingdouble-digit increases compared with thecorresponding period of 2010. cairo, Egyptwitnessed the largest decrease with occupancydropping by 52.1 percent to 33 percent, followedby Johannesburg, South Africa (down by 22.1percent to 46.3 percent), and muscat, oman(down by 20.3 percent to 53.1 percent).

In terms of average daily rate (AdR),Johannesburg and cape Town, experienced thelargest increase, while Abu dhabi, Beirut, andcairo’s AdR witnessed double-digit decreases.Four markets’ RevPAR rose more than 10percent: Riyadh; cape Town; dubai, uAE andJeddah, Saudi Arabia, while cairo endured thelargest decline in that metric with a 57.9 percentdecrease.

JuNE 4, 20112

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY

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COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=uAE (AEd) dirham 3.67Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.94Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75lebanon (lBP) Pound 1,513Bahrain (BHd) dinar 0.37Jordan ( Jod) dinar 0.71Syria (SyP) Pound 47.40Kuwait (KWd) dinar 0.28Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64oman (omR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TNd) dinar 1.38morocco (mAd) dirham 7.88Iran (IRR) Riyal 10,598yemen (yER) Rial 214.50Algeria (dZd) dinar 72.09libya (lyd) dinar 1.21

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 2/6/2011currencies shown in red are fixed against the uS dollar

Passenger Traffic Soars at DXBPassenger traffic increased by 13.2 percent in April at dubai InternationalAirport (dXB), according to the recent figures announced by dubai Airports. Passenger volume totalled 4.23 million, representing a significant increase of 13.2percent over the same month in 2010, when the traffic to and from Europereasonably dropped following the volcanic eruption in Iceland. The year to date volume rise to 16.5 million, up 8.5 percent compared with thecorresponding period in 2010. In terms of regions, Asia-Gcc showed the largest increase with 29.1 percent,followed by Western Europe with 20.1 percent growth. middle Eastern routesrecorded a drop of 2.4 percent, attributable to the ongoing political unrest. Paul Griffiths, cEo, dubai Airports, commented on the results. “We have surpassed the four million passenger mark in three out of the first fourmonths of the year and that trend is set to continue. our busiest summer ever isjust around the corner and we will be working hard to maintain high service levelsand ensure the comfort of our customers. That includes the activation of ourSummer mission programme which deploys additional customer servicepersonnel to help passengers pass quickly and smoothly through our airport.”

Varied Occupancy ResultsThe Middle East and Africa (MEA) region has closed April with mixed hoteloccupancy results, according to the latest monthly report from STR Global.

The Middle East’s overallperformance increased in occupancy

and average room rate

3JuNE 4, 2011

Sabre Expands in KuwaitIn line with its strategic plans for the GCC, Sabre Travel Network Middle East (STNME) has opened itslatest office in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

The Bahrain-based globaldistribution system(GdS) provider’s newbureau, located in theAl-Qible district, will

also serve as a venue for workshops andagent training. The facility was officiallyunveiled by Nabil A. Al Zamel, deputydirector general, civil aviation for aviationsafety and air transport affairs, Kuwait. daniel Naoumovitch, cEo, STNmE,elaborated on the opening. “Sabre has builta reputation for delivering innovative andreliable products that help our travelmanagement company customers establisha long term vision for growth andprofitability. We have a strong

understanding of our local customer needsand we pride ourselves on being able todeliver on these. our new office in Kuwaitreinforces our commitment to this countryand to meeting the specific needs of ourKuwait partners.”In accordance with the company’sexpansion plans, STNmE is poised tolaunch a number of new innovations in theKuwaiti market, including the Sabre RedWorkspace, a cutting-edge platform fortravel management companies for searchand booking. Sabre currently serves more than 55,000travel agencies worldwide and operates20 offices in 11 countries across themiddle East.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts Property toOpen in Jubail, in 2014Hilton Worldwide announced the signing of a managementagreement with dar Al Bayan Real Estate development co.for the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Al Jubail,Saudi Arabia.dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts,elaborated on the strategic decision. “Hilton Al Jubail marks our entry into a new key city in theKingdom. With 93 years of experience, global expertise, andthe ability to tailor to our local communities, Hilton Al Jubailwill ably support the city’s development into a business andtourism centre.”Hilton Al Jubail, located on the Al Jubail corniche, will beone of the few waterfront developments being built and isscheduled to open in the first quarter of 2014. It will beadjacent to the upcoming marina and in close proximity toIndustrial Zone 1, the city’s business hub. The hotel will be designed as a city resort to meet therequirements of the business and leisure tourism markets. Itwill comprise of 400 rooms and 30 suite chalets, withfacilities including four meetings rooms, two boardrooms, a700m2 ballroom, a private beach, outdoor swimming poolsand a health club.

Sabre Kuwait office opening

In terms of the agreement,announced by the Ras AlKhaimah Hotels and Tourismdevelopment Authority, thedeveloper has handed over the

ownership of the desert resort to thegovernment of Ras Al Khamah, which hasalready set up a projectmanagement team toimplement the process. The official signing ceremonytook place on may 30 at BanyanTree Al Wadi and was attendedby H.H. Sheikh mohammed binSaud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, crownprince, Ras Al Khaimah; HoKwonPing, executive chairmanand founder, Banyan TreeHoldings limited; Jim Stewart,cEo, investment anddevelopment office, governmentof Ras Al Khaimah; Victor louis,chief operating officer, hotels andtourism investment anddevelopment, government ofRas Al Khaimah and PascalEppink, general manager,Banyan Tree Al Wadi. The crown prince commentedon the acquisition.“With this wonderfulpartnership and our regionalexpertise, we believe thatBanyan Tree Al Wadi willoutgrow its potential, achieve

new heights and grow to become thebeacon of top-class quality service in thisregion. We aim to create an impact as astrategic player and increase our portfoliowith a goal to attract world-class hotelcorporations and investors to the emirateof Ras Al Khaimah. That is our robust

economic growth and strong tourismexpansion plan in the next few years.”Banyan Tree Al Wadi, the latest additionto Ras Al Khaimah’s deluxe properties,officially launched in April 2010,represents the uAE’s first exclusive luxurydesert resort.

5JuNE 4, 2011

RAK Government Acquires Banyan Tree Al Wadi The government of Ras Al Khaimah has taken over Banyan Tree Al Wadi from Rakeen Development.

Ho KwonPink and H.H. SheikhMohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi

The direct flights betweenthe capital cities willimprove connectivitybetween the uAE andyemen, which experienced

an increase of 19 percent in passenger trafficin 2010. mohsein Ali Haidrah, areamanager, Abu dhabi and oman,yemenia Airways, noted that thenew service was highlyanticipated. “yemenia Airways ispleased to announce this increasein frequency to Sana’a from Abudhabi, which is a response to theincreasing demand of ourcustomers.”

The additional flight to the existing Abudhabi – Aden – Sana’a, Abu dhabi –Riyadh – Sana’s and Abu dhabi – Seiyun– Sana’a routes will bring the total servicesof the airline to Abu dhabi to four-weekly. Ahmed Al Haddabi, senior vice president,

airport operations, Abu dhabi Airportscompany (AdAc), welcomed yemenia’slatest addition to its route map. “We are delighted to see more servicesbeing offered to passengers at Abu dhabiInternational Airport. ”

7JuNE 4, 2011

- Air News

Yemenia Launches Direct FlightsYemenia Airways is to strengthen its presence in the UAE with the launch of an additional service betweenSana’a and Abu Dhabi International Airport, starting on June 17.

Egyptair’s AlexandriaRoute Goes DailyEgyptair is to take another stepto strengthen its link to the uAEby increasing flight frequency onits dubai-Alexandria route todaily, effective from June 20. The latest move embodies partof the airline’s strategicexpansion in the uAE, whereEgyptair currently operates 28non-stop flights from cairo, ofwhich 14 weekly services touchdown in dubai and seven weeklyflights in both Sharjah and Abudhabi. By the beginning of June,the cairo-Abu dhabi route hasbeen updated with threeadditional flights, while thecarrier will commence dailyflights between dubai andAlexandria from June 20. The airline will operate its 145-seat Airbus 320/200 on theroute.

JuNE 4, 20118

- Air News

Etihad to Open Route to SeychellesEtihad Airways will commence operations to Mahé in the Republic of Seychelles on November 1.

flydubai Enters Ukraineflydubai is set to expand its route map with the addition ofthree routes from dubai to Kiev, donestsk and Kharkov. Theservices will mark the carrier’s entry into ukraine. The airline will commence the services after Eid, with themaiden flight to Kiev and Kharkov taking off on September16, to arrive in donetsk one day later on September 17. Ghaith Al Ghaith, cEo, flydubai, emphasised how the newroutes will enhance the spring and winter holiday options oftravellers from the uAE.“ukraine is a fascinating country, ideally located at the edge ofNorth, South, East and West Europe. The potential to developthe economic relationship between ukraine and the uAE ishuge and I am confident flydubai’s three new destinations willhave a large stimulant effect on this relationship.” Anton Volov, director, Boryspil International Airport, Kiev,commented on the dubai-based carriers arrival.“We are very much looking forward to welcoming flydubaito Kiev in September. flydubai is a quality airline offeringaffordable flights on brand new aircraft and this will have amajor benefit for passengers wishing to travel between Kievand dubai.”The new routes to ukraine, the eighth most visited countryin the world, will broaden flydubai’s global network to 40destinations.

Subject to governmentapproval, Etihad will operatefour return services per weekfrom Abu dhabi to SeychellesInternational Airport, which

will be the airline’s 68th destination.James Hogan, cEo, Etihad Airways,noted that the Seychelles has a strong andgrowing appeal as a premium leisuredestination, with increasing numbers ofuAE residents and European travellersholidaying there. “With the recent honeymoon of the dukeand duchess of cambridge, theSeychelles is likely to gain new interest asa destination of choice. Increasedfrequencies from mid-2011 on some ofour primary routes from Europe make the

approaching northern winter period anideal time to launch these new services.We expect this will be a hugely populardestination, in particular forholidaymakers from the Gcc andEuropean markets, due to the ease ofconnecting services through Abu dhabiand convenient scheduling.”

With the recent honeymoonof the Duke and Duchess ofCambridge, the Seychelles is

likely to gain new interest as a destination of choice

The hotel chain sealed thecontract with Goldenmountains company,the owner of theproposed Best Western

Premier Erbil Hotel, in its regional head

office in Bangkok. Glenn de Souza, vice president ofinternational operations, Asia and middleEast, Best Western International,highlighted the fourth largest Iraqi city’srising significance. “There are many positive

points which have triggered the interest of BestWestern in Iraq for its next step of brandexpansion. compared to other countries in theregion, Iraq holds good promise whenconsidering the economy, the people, thesalaries and financial resources. It is a promising

destination that holds vast potentialas both a major business centre anda fascinating tourism spot. With BestWestern Premier Erbil Hotel, thedestination will benefit from theglobal sales and marketing reach,revenue generation and promotionalpower enjoyed by Best Western.”

Strategically located within closeproximity to the newly-builtairport, the hotel is slated foropening in the second quarter of2014. The property, catering forboth business and leisuretravellers, will consists of 160rooms in standard, junior, deluxeand executive suites categoriesand will feature a restaurant, lobbylounge, spa and casino as well asmeeting and conference facilities.

JuNE 4, 201110

- Accommodation

Best Western Arrives in IraqBest Western International has embarked on its Gulf expansion after signing an agreement to manage its firsthotel in Iraq, with construction expected to start in September.

Best Western Premier Erbil Hotel

Compared to othercountries in the

region, Iraq holds good promise when

considering theeconomy

11JuNE 4, 2011

Gordon WilsonGordon Wilson has beenpromoted to president andcEo at Travelport limited.In the past five years, he ledTravelport’s GdS, the firm’smost strategic and largestbusiness, and has served asdeputy cEo since 2010.Wilson, who will also jointhe company’s Board ofdirectors, has solid industry,commercial and operationalexpertise. Jeff clarke, formerpresident and cEo willcontinue to work as executivechairman, in charge ofstrategic investments,mergers, acquisitions andcorporate developments.

Raed Al RahmaRaed Al Rahma hasbeen appointed as areamanager in Iraq forEmirates. In his newrole, he has beentasked to support theairline’s operations inthe market, includingsales and servicefunctions. Al Rahmajoined Emirates in1991 and has held anumber of positionssince then. He was the first uAE national to join flightoperations as a management trainee, before beingappointed as VIP airport services manager. Al Rahmaholds an mBA from Southern New Hampshireuniversity and a BSc from Embry Riddle Aeronauticaluniversity in the uS.

Gordon Wilson

Raed Al Rahma

JuNE 4, 201112

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

Akbar Al BakerCEO, Qatar Airways

“once again Qatar Airways has proved it is an airlineincreasingly recognised by travellers for its high levels ofservice and outstanding products. our passengers travellingin business class, on both short- and long-haul routes, areassured of an unrivalled experience and we are extremelydelighted to have won over our key advocates – consumersand travel partners.”

Ayman Alamat Spa Director, Evason Ma'in Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa, Jordan

“In terms of medical wellnesstourism we are proud of our SixSenses Spa, with the exceptionaltreatments and products, amazingfacility, ambiance, location and welltrained and seasonal therapist thatgives tailor made treatments. Spagoers nowadays are looking more fora treatment that creates a journeythat helps during their normal lifestyle after vacation, includingtreatments that are connected with yoga and meditation, andpackages that are based on detox and cleansing.”

Qatar Airwayshas proved it is

an airlineincreasingly

recognised for itshigh levels of

service

Spa goers nowadays are looking morefor a treatment that creates a journey

Ayman Alamat

Akbar Al Baker

13JuNE 4, 2011

Who are you?I am the cEo of Holiday Factory and I have been in the traveland tourism industry all my life. I graduated in archaeology inGermany and started my career as a tour guide when I was 18years old, thereby bringing my passion of travelling to life.Before Holiday Factory, I led a renowned tour operator inGermany. Holiday Factory is the first real tour operator in theuAE offering professionally organised package tours. Trips toEurope include destinations such as Turkey, Italy, France,Spain, uK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, czech Republicand Hungary. Asian destinations feature India, Sri lanka,Thailand, malaysia and Indonesia whilst lebanon, Egypt andJordan are included in the middle East region. Honeymoonershaven’t been left out with the maldives, mauritius and theSeychelles on offer in the Indian ocean section.

What is your favourite thing about working in the travelindustry?I love to organise good holiday packages. A satisfied, happycustomer is all I want. I always try to make sure that they havea wonderful and pleasant journey.

When is the best time to visit the UAE?I think the best time is when it isn’t too hot. That would beanytime between November and march.

Where would you like to travel for your next holiday?South Africa. Since we are planning to add this destination, Iwill be visiting it soon to see the best deals we could crack forour customers.

Why should people come to you for travel advice?We are working with travel agencies, so I would like to reiteratethat they are not our competitors. People could visit theirnearest travel agencies for travel advice but I can surely tell youthe reason they should ask for our product. We are one of themost affordable package tour operators. All our prices on ourbrochure are fixed and the price clients see is the price theypay. Whether it is a family holiday, a cultural experience or acity break, Holiday Factory has options to match everyone’sexpectations. Travel in any season, any day and the prices willstill be affordable.

Name: Hakan BakarPosition: CEOCompany: Holiday FactoryLocation: UAE

Agent’s Insight HakanBakar

Tourism Experts Discuss Industry’s FutureTravel technology firm Amadeus has hosted a panel discussionexamining the future of the travel industry and the role oftechnology in its development. The panel looked at the changingrole of the travel agents, in addition to how the market in themiddle East is still very different from other parts of the world. Taking part in the discussions were omar Ahmad, cEo,Joob.com; Asim Arshad, cEo, orient Travel; Roland Bunge,commercial general manager, Kanoo Travel; Albert Pozo, vicepresident, multinational business and corporate travel, Amadeusand Joerg Schuler, director of marketing and operations,WEmEA, Amadeus.The group concluded that the rise of online technology inparticular has had an impact on traditional forms of selling travel,however, firms are adapting to the changes with travel agentsembracing new ways of connecting with customers. Pozo commented that the travel industry has been transformingfor the past decade, with technology playing an ever increasing part.Aftrer analysing the past 10 years and looking at forecasts donefor the coming decade, the panellists see the travel servicelandscape being very different in the future. conclusions weredrawn that travel agents will be around for years to come, butdemand for online travel booking is rising and customers whoare still using agents regularly are often researching extensivelybefore booking.

JuNE 4, 201114

Summit Encourages Iraqi InvestmentMore than 100 professionals, with a diverse mix of business backgrounds, attended a seminar hosted by RangeHospitality at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), entitled Investment in Iraq Summit 2011.

Key speakers includedIbrahim Al Baghdadi,elected chairman of theIraqi National Business-men council; mohammed

Asaria, vice chairman, Range Hospitalityand Khaled Saqqaf, head of Jordan andIraq offices, Al Tamimi & company.munaf Ali, cEo, Range Hospitality,commemorated the event with a welcomespeech. “Range Hospitality is proud to arrangethis seminar by bringing together leadingmultinational companies operating inIraq. The seminar was arranged to provide

an insight to religious hospitality and theinvestment dynamics in Iraq.”

during the event, Al Baghdadi noted thatreligious tourism in Iraq is on a growthtrajectory but further developments areneeded to cope with demand.“There are absolutely no hotels in Karbala

and Najaf which would be graded three-star or above by international standards.coupled with the growing number ofpilgrims, a number of large scaledevelopments are required to ensure this‘gap’ is addressed. We require at least 500hotels, based on the current influx ofpilgrims, to be built in Karbala,”commented Al Baghdadi In 2010, foreign firms and investorsreported uSd42.67 billion ininvestments, service contracts and othercommercial activities across Iraq — anestimated 48.7 percent increase in totaldeal value from 2010.

Range Hospitality is proud to arrange this seminarby bringing together leading

multinational companiesoperating in Iraq

15JuNE 4, 2011

Q & A with Sami NasserNot all travel trade in the MENA region has experienced a trough due to widespread instability, anddisplacement of tourism has even helped some regions. Sami Nasser, vice president, Middle East, Africa andIndian Ocean, Sofitel, expresses the brand’s success and future plans as well as what needs to be done tocontinually reinforce the root of Sofitel’s value.

Travel Trade Weekly: Could you tellus about some of the developmentsand openings in the Middle East andNorth Africa region in the next twoyears and the reasons behind some ofthe more significant openings?Sami Nasser: I will start by talking aboutSofitel dubai Jumeirah Beach. For me, thisproperty only finished fully opening this yearand it is starting to have good results. Someof the good results are based on the situationin Egypt, and maybe in Bahrain, as we saw abig increase in the dubai market. We alsohave the chinese coming. Sofitel dubaiJumeirah Beach is very nice because it couldbe a (leisure) resort and it could be corporateso we have half of the clients under corporateand half of them that like ‘The Walk’ - a placewhere you can walk with the family. This isthe first Sofitel in dubai. The second one willbe on the Palm, and then there will be aproperty on Sheikh Zayed road. This hotelwill be completely corporate and mIcEfocused. We will not have more than threehotels in dubai because I believe it’s enough. There is also the Abu dhabi property, dueto open with 280 rooms, at the corniche.Abu dhabi needs new hotels, and they areneeded in the corniche area. Then thereis Sofitel Bahrain, which we just opened afew months ago. The property is one ofthe most beautiful as very few hotels inBahrain are by the beach. The main targetmarket for this hotel is really internationalclients, especially when you have bigevents like the Formula one. In other countries like Syria, we candevelop more. Also we would like to enterQatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Travel Trade Weekly: Do you plan toexpand on a large scale throughout

the Middle East? Sami Nasser: We don’t have too manyhotels in the region. I’d like to have hotelsthat give good profit, where the owner ishappy, and this is why we have to refusesome hotels. When looking at a newproperty, the first thing we analyse is thelocation and exclusivity.

Travel Trade Weekly: Anydevelopments in the North Africa region:Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and so forth?Sami Nasser: In libya we don’t haveproperties. In Algeria we have one Sofiteland I’m sure it is enough for now. Thehotel is doing very well and is one of themost profitable hotels in the world.

Travel Trade Weekly: Will you belooking to go into Turkey? Sami Nasser: I would love to. If I couldget a hotel, yes I would take it and keep it.

Travel Trade Weekly: Tell us aboutthe importance of customer service inSofitel properties, and also about the

significance of focusing on humanresources.Sami Nasser: I met with a travel agentrecently who informed me that she spenttwo days in our hotel and that the servicewas good. This is the minimum that Iwould expect from a customer. Sofiteldoes a very good job in terms of people,but what I would like to work on furtheris for staff to make decisions and takeinitiative. Guests should not have to waitfor a waitress to say: “let me go ask if thisis possible.” The waitress should do whatshe has to do to offer guests what theywant. you can teach them, but you have toalso choose them. Some people never takeinitiative and they are afraid.

Sami Nasser

Wewould

like to

enterQatar,Saudi

Arabiaand

Jordan

JuNE 4, 201116

EventsInternational Travel ExpoHong Kong, June 9-12 , 2011www.itehk.comHong Kong’s only Travel Fair also covering markets of chinaand Asia.

Asia Luxury Travel MarketShanghai, China, June 13-16, 2011(www.altm.com.cn)An event showcasing the world's most sought after destinationsand travel experiences to travel buyers from across the Asia Pacific.

CITY FAIR The European Cities Travel Workshop London, UK, June 20, 2011(www.cityfair.travel)A one day event of pre-scheduled appointments dedicated tothe sector of city tourism.

AIBTMBaltimore, US, June 21-23, 2011(www.aibtm.com)A uS event for the business travel and meetings industry.

China Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings ExhibitionBeijing, China, August 30-September 1, 2011 (www.cibtm.com)A leading event for the meetings, incentives, business travel andevents industry in china and Asia.

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

Top Resa, International French Travel MarketParis, France, September 20-23, 2011 (www.iftm.fr)France’s international travel and tourism trade fair fornetworking, doing business, innovating and keeping abreast ofmarket developments.

Cityscape DubaiDubai, UAE, September 26-29, 2011 (www.cityscape.ae)A business-to-business networking exhibition and conferencefor emerging real estate markets globally.

Abu Dhabi Targets South Korean Outbound Market in KOFTA, Seoul

Seven of Abu Dhabi’s leading travel industryplayers will make their exhibition debut atKoFTA – South Korea’s main tourismexhibition which runs June 2-5 in Seoul.The delegation, in a pavilion and missionled by Abu dhabi Tourism Authority(AdTA), will target the South Koreanoutbound travel industry.Stakeholders involved in the exhibitioninclude tour operators, accommodationproviders, destination managementcompanies and Etihad Airways. The moveto target the South Korean market followsthe opening of the Incheon-Abu dhabiroute by the airline.

AdTA’s latest hotel guest performancestatistics point to rising demand for theemirate from South Korea. Figuresindicate a 118 percent increase in SouthKorean occupants at hotels and hotelapartments compared with the sameperiod in 2010. South Korea is now producing business forboth Abu dhabi’s leisure and mIcEsectors. Growing uAE-South Koreanbusiness links is seen to be fuelling demand.Khalifa Al Ktebi, managing director,darwish Bin Ahmed Sons Travel andTours, expressed the requirements of theunique market. “FITs and big mIcE

groups from Korea are now coming toAbu dhabi. The Korean market ischaracterised by upmarket clientele whoproduce long stays yet are shrewdspenders who want value-for-money.”

AdTA plans to soon have a Koreanversion of its consumer website –visitabudhabi.ae – and has produceddestination collateral in Korean.

FITs and big MICE groups from Korea are now

coming to Abu Dhabi