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Middle East and North Africa Edition

AUGUST 21, 2010 ISSUE 41 www.traveltradeweekly.travel

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44EMIRATES US BOOSTEmirates has flagged will double its dailyflights to Los Angeles and Houston,following a significant increase in revenuefor the Americas throughout 2009 and2010. With the new flights, Emirates willoffer more than 15,000 seats on 98 returnflights per week to the US.

In This Issue

22

RAFFLES MAKKAHRaffles’ much anticipated Saudi Arabianproperty has launched in Makkah, in timeto host Ramadan visitors to the city. RafflesMakkah is located in the Abraj Al Baitcomplex, immediately adjacent to theMasjid Al Haram, which houses the Kaaba.

Back inBUSINESSBack inBUSINESS

The Middle East can expect to experience a faster thanaverage rebound in business travel, according to leading

experts. A global study of corporate travel by the USNational Association of Business Travellers (NBTA)

found that emerging markets such as the Middle East,Latin America and Asia would grow much more rapidly

than Europe or the US.

A global study of corporate travelby the US National Associationof Business Travellers (NBTA)found that emerging marketssuch as the Middle East, Latin

America and Asia would grow much morerapidly than Europe or the US.Some markets are expected to outperform theirestablished rivals by as much as four times in 2010.One of the interesting findings of the study wasthat while the recession of 2008-09 was the worstsince World War Two, it did not produce thelargest decrease in business travel.

That dubious honour wasclaimed by the recession of2001, according to the study.Craig Banikowski, CEO ofNBTA, said the relativebuoyancy of the segment hadpositioned the world for a fasterthan predicted recovery. “Surprisingly and thankfully,while much of the world has justweathered a devastatingrecession, declines in businesstravel last year were not asdetrimental as expected,

positioning the industry to achieve a swifterrecovery, which we are already seeing,” he said“Air traffic is rising, along with average fares:hotel occupancy, particularly in higher tiers, isalso on the increase.”However, he warned that conditions were stillunstable and storms would still need to beweathered.“While we believe recovery is sustainable,corporate travel managers and suppliers shouldbe prepared for a bumpy ride,” he said.James Hogan, CEO of Etihad has also predicteda rebound in business travel in the Middle East.Hogan drew on his own airline’s performanceindicators to support his view that corporatetravel was on the mend.“The signs of recovery are there, with most ofour markets - particularly Asia and the MiddleEast - showing clear signs of improvement acrossall cabins,” he said.Hogan said the rapid development of Abu Dhabiwould help encourage business travel to the region.

AUGUST 21, 20102

COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD=UAE (AED) Dirham 3.69Egypt (EGP) Pound 5.69Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1501Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37Jordan ( JOD) Dinar 0.70Syria (SYP) Pound 46.85Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.29Qatar (QAR) Riyal 3.64Oman (OMR) Rial 0.38Tunisia (TND) Dinar 1.46Morocco (MAD) Dirham 8.62Iran (IRR) Riyal 10,003Yemen (YER) Rial 238Algeria (DZD) Dinar 74.9Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.28

MENA Exchange RatesAccurate as of 18/8/2010Currencies shown in red are fixed against the US Dollar

TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLYDeputy EditorLaura Warne

JournalistLouis Dillon Savage

Design & LayoutElina Pericleous

Sales & MarketingMarianna TsiamasEvelina Hadjigeorgiou

DirectorsAndreas ConstantinidesMary Kammitsi

HeadquartersP.O. Box 25255Nicosia 1308 CyprusTel: +35722820888Fax: +35722318958

Websitewww.traveltradeweekly.travel

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Saudi Arabia’s National Air Service,the parent company of Nasair, hassigned a partnership agreement withLufthansa Technik, the technicaldivision of Lufthansa.The agreement will see LufthansaTechnik maintaining NAS aircraft inSaudi Arabia for a period of 10 years,while supplying engineers and expertsto oversee the growth of NAS’s own

technical division.The two plan to form a partnership tooperate within the next three years,offering technical and maintenanceservices to third party airlines in SaudiArabia.NAS is also instituting a recruitmentdrive for local engineering students,who will be sent to study in Germanywith Lufthansa’s own trainees.

Middle Eastern Corporate Travel toRecover Faster Than Old World MarketsThe Middle East can expect to experience a faster than average rebound in businesstravel, according to leading experts.

Declines in business travel last year were not as

detrimental as expected

NAS and Lufthansa Secure Long Term Technical Services Partnership

3AUGUST 21, 2010

We are aware of the critical role played

by tourist guides in the tourism

promotion process

Dubai Aquarium Targets DiversDubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is capitalising onleisure tourists and seasoned divers, with new experiencesthat include underwater photography, shark feeding anddiving certification. The aquarium’s new PADI certified specialty diving courseoffers three different dives, which count towards divers’PADI Master Scuba Diver ratings. Damien Prendergast, general manager of Dubai Aquariumand Underwater Zoo said the facility’s location within DubaiMall was a unique selling point. “We are always finding ways to push the envelope in offeringunprecedented adventures at Dubai Aquarium andUnderwater Zoo,” he said.“For novice divers, our cage snorkelling experiences andshark dives are a great introduction to the underwater world.“We are now looking to enhance and improve theexperiences for seasoned divers.”

Sharjah Rises to Global BenchmarksSharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) will enhance its recently launched tourguide training and licensing programme by adopting the internationally recognised methods of WorldFederation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA).

We are always finding ways to push the envelope in offering

unprecedented adventures

WFTGA is a not-for-profit organisation,linked to UnitedNations Educational,Scientific and

Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Recently, two SCTDA employees,including Majid A Al Qassimi, werechosen to participate in a WFTGAtraining programme, giving them theskills to train other tour operators. As a result, Al Qassimi will now beresponsible for overseeing the SharjahTourist Guide Training and Licensing

Programme.Mohamed A Al Noman, director generalof SCTDA, said the programme wouldalso promote Emiratisation and advancethe prospects of Emirati employees. “WFTGA accreditation is an importantstep for many trainers and we aredelighted that Majid A Al Qassimi hasbecome one of the few Emiratis to berecognised as a WFTGA accreditedtrainer,” he said.“We are aware of the critical role playedby tourist guides in the tourismpromotion process, and that is why we

are committed to providing Sharjah’sguides with the best possible trainingformat through our Tourist GuideTraining and Licensing Programme aswell as our qualified WFTGA accreditedtrainers.”

AUGUST 21, 20104

- Accommodation

When there is littledemand to stimulate,

there is no point indropping rates

New Hotels in Lebanon Benefit from Upswing According to STR Global, newly opened hotels in Beirut are benefiting from the city’s recent and dramaticupswing in performance.

A ccording to ElizabethRandall, managingdirector of STR, much ofthe newfound strengthcan be attributed to the

industry’s stoicism throughout Lebanon’srecent political upheavals.RevPAR for the first six months of 2010averaged USD149.79 compared withUSD39.56 for the same period in 2007,which was the worst performance for afirst half of a year in Beirut since 2005.STR reported that many other MiddleEastern hotel markets are still strugglingin the wake of the global financial crisis,but that Beirut continues to flourish.The continued growth seen in Lebanoncan be attributed to the newfound

political stability that followed from the2008 Doha agreement which cementedpeace between rival domestic factions.According to Randall, Lebanese hotelswere strategically savvy throughout theworst of the country’s political crisis.Following the 2006 assassination of RafikHariri, then prime minister of Lebanon,and the ensuing unrest, hotels maintainedhigh average daily rates.According to Randall, that decision putthe local industry on a strong footing forrecovery once peace returned to thecountry.“Hotel performance in Beirut at that timeclearly demonstrates that when there islittle demand to stimulate, there is nopoint in dropping rates,” she said.

The development plan for the El Serefproject in Sudan has been modified inresponse to the shifting local market.The multi-use hospitality and eventsfacility has been forced to repurposecertain components in the face ofsoftened local demand for events space.A building that was intended to serve asa ballroom for the five star hotel on siteis being redeveloped as a food andbeverage outlet.Daniel During, managing partner ofThomas Klein International, contractorsfor the renovation, explained.

“The site was originally planned to bethe ballroom of a five star hotel, to bebuilt by El Seref Tourism andHospitality, however, the local market'sneeds shifted during the construction ofthe site, and the owner decided to re-visit the usage of the building,” he said.“We definitely have a very large area towork with, and our initial task will be to

study the location and the market, and toestimate the potential demand of thelocation. The biggest task now is to deviseexciting concepts for such a big space.”Abdel Rahim El Sadig, the generalmanager of El Seref Tourism andHospitality, developers of the project,said it was the first of its kind in Sudan.“The complexity of the project, the sheersize and uniqueness of the site, and thefact that it will be a first of its kind in theregion, and a totally new concept to theSudanese public, makes this a veryspecial project,” he said.

Oman has become the latest Gulfcountry to host a hotel aimed specificallyat the regional market, with the openingof its first alcohol free hotel.The Platinum Oman has opened its

doors in downtown Muscat, close to theGrand Mosque and commercial district.The five star hotel incorporates 85 roomsand suites, spa options and businessfacilities.

Alcohol free hotels have been gainingground in the Middle East in recenttimes, catering to non-drinking regionalcitizens and travellers from drycountries.

The local market's needsshifted during the

construction of the site

El Seref Project Changes Direction Based on Local Market Conditions

Oman Opens First Alcohol Free Hotel - The Platinum Oman

Beirut

5AUGUST 21, 2010

Raffles’ much anticipated Saudi Arabianproperty has launched in Makkah, in timeto host Ramadan visitors to the city.Raffles Makkah is located in the Abraj AlBait complex, immediately adjacent to theMasjid Al Haram, which houses the Kaaba.Mohammed Arkobi, vice president forFairmont Raffles Hotels InternationalMakkah, said the hotel was the first in thecountry with such a privileged locationrelative to the Haram.

The Abraj Al Bait complex, which willalso incorporate the Fairmont ClockRoyal Tower hotel, is comprised of seventowers overlooking the Haram.Although the complex is still incomplete,the Raffles Makkah Palace has opened its213 suites within one of the towers.Khaled Yamak, director of businessdevelopment for the hotel, said RafflesMakkah Palace marked the introductionof a hitherto unseen level of service into

Saudi Arabia.The property is Raffles’ second within theMiddle East and one of only eight Rafflesbranded hotels in the world.The others are located in Dubai, UAE;Singapore; Phnom Pen and Siem Reap,Cambodia; Beijing and Tianjin, China;and Paris, France.Future hotels are planned in Seychelles,the Phillipines, Maldives, China andIndonesia.

Jaz Hotels Opens LatestSharm Property withIberotel Il Mercator HotelJaz Hotels, Resorts and Cruises hasopened its sixteenth hotel in SharmEl Sheikh, Egypt: Iberotel IlMercato Hotel.The property is located on the IlMercato promenade in the Om ElSeed Hill area.The promenade is a part of the IlMercato shopping complex in Sharm,which Jaz described as a centre forinternational brand shopping.The hotel features 276 guest rooms,a spa, four swimming pools and avariety of restaurants and bars.The property also includes a fullyequipped meeting and conferencefacilities.Iberotel Il Mercato was designed bywell known Italian architectDanielle Morelli, who was alsoresponsible for designing theMercato Mall in Dubai.

Raffles Opens Makkah Hotel in Abraj Al Bait Complex

Iberotel Il Mercator Hotel

AUGUST 21, 20106

- Air Travel

The additional services will provide customers inthe Middle East and Asiawith even easier access tothe largest cities in Texas

and California

Kuwait’s Wataniya Airways has boostedits customer loyalty programme,Wataniya Airways Diwan, by signing anagreement with Sixt Car Rental. Lee Shave, chief commercial officer forWataniya, said the partnership would givemembers an average of 500 to 1,000 milesfor every car rental or limousine serviceused in selected Middle East andEuropean countries. “We are committed to giving our guestslevels of service and benefits that are unique,innovative and attractive,” said Shave.“Today’s agreement means that our

Wataniya Diwan members can now gainadditional rewards from their membershipby renting cars or hiring limousine servicethrough Sixt Car Rental in a number of ourdestinations, including Bahrain, Egypt,Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia,Austria and Italy.”

US Profits Prompt Emirates to Boost ServicesEmirates will double its daily flights to Los Angeles and Houston, following a significant increase in revenuefor the Americas throughout 2009 and 2010.

W ith the newflights, Emirateswill offer morethan 15,000 seatson 98 return

flights per week to the US. Additional services for Los Angeles willbegin on October 31, with Houston’sadded flights launching on November 1. Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline,said Emirates had experienced very strongdemand across all of its US gateways inthe past year, including healthy premium

and business traffic. “The additional services will providecustomers in the Middle East and Asia witheven easier access to the largest cities in Texasand California, supporting the burgeoningbusiness and leisure traffic between thesemarkets and the US,” said Clark. He pointed out that more than 750 USfirms have opened offices in Dubai and in2009 more than 400,000 business andleisure travellers visited the emirate fromthe US, signifying a 23 percent increasesince 2007-08.

Emirates currently flies to New York,Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The airline’s flagship A380 aircraft will bereinstated on one of the double-daily JFKairport New York services from October 31.

Wataniya Partners with Sixt Car Rental

We are committed to giving our guests levels ofservice and benefits that

are unique, innovative and attractive Wataniya Airways

Los Angeles

mailto:sales@traveltradeweekly.travel

AUGUST 21, 20108

- International

Travelport and Cathay Pacific Airways have inked a five yeardeal that will make the airline’s fares and content available toTravelport’s network of travel agency customers.Rabi Saab, Travelport’s vice president for the Middle East, saidnew deal comes as part of Travelport’s strategy to secure contentagreements; Emirates, British Airways and Etihad have allrecently renewed their agreements with the company. Clarence Tai, general manager of sales and distribution forCathay Pacific, was positive about the Travelport deal. “Both parties have been focused in finding a cost-effectivearrangement that provides the greatest benefit for our travelagency partners,” he said.“The latest deal offers comprehensive access to Cathay Pacific’sfares, functionality and content available to travel agents today.”

Latin American Airline Alliance – LAN and TAM LAN Airlines SA and TAM SA intend to combine their holdings under a single parent entity, creating a newLatin American airlines group known as LATAM Airlines Group.

The two airlines expect thedeal to enable newgrowth, foster economicdevelopment and aid jobcreation.

Furthermore, the airlines have flaggedUSD400 million in annual expectedsynergies. Under the deal, TAM would continue tooperate as a Brazilian company with itsown structure and the current holdings ofLAN Airlines would also operate as anindependent business unit within thegroup. Each airline would maintain its currentheadquarters and governance structure. Maco Bologna, CEO of TAM, said the

move would allow LATAM to competewith foreign carriers, many of whom areincreasing services to the region. “This is the completion of the vision ofour founder, Captain Rolim, who believedthat in an open skies market, a large LatinAmerican airline group would providemuch more competitive services to ourpassengers and cargo customers,” saidBologna. “Together, LAN and TAM will be able tooffer new destinations that neithercompany could have supported on itsown.”The combined airline group will providepassenger services to more than 115destinations in 23 countries, operating a

fleet of more than 220 aircraft andemploying more than 40,000 people.Having signed a memorandum ofunderstanding, the two companies willnow negotiate towards a bindingdefinitive agreement, subject to duediligence, regulatory approvals, andcorporate and shareholder approvals.

Cathay Pacific Signs with Travelport

Hilton Worldwide has rebranded itshotel brand, introducing a new logo andchanging the name from Hilton Hotels toHilton Hotels and Resorts. The changehas been designed to emphasise thebrand’s leisure marketing strategy andhighlight Hilton’s resort properties, which

now number more than 70 worldwide. Dave Horton, global head of HiltonHotels and Resorts, said market researchhad shown positive responses to thechanges; this is the first time the logo hasbeen updated since 1998. “Generations of global travellers share a

strong connection with our brandidentity,” said Horton. “Our name and core mark are bothrecognisable and incredibly powerful.“This evolution reflects the modern styleand world-class resorts that define ourbrand today.”

Hilton’s Flagship Hotel Arm Rebrands to Highlight Resorts

Our name and core mark are bothrecognisable and incredibly powerful

In an open skies market, a large Latin

American airline group would provide

much more competitive service

AUGUST 21, 201010

Agent’s InsightName: Thelma V DinoyPosition: Senior Travel ConsultantCompany: Prime Travel and TourismLocation: Dubai

Who are your best customers/biggest client market?Our office is located at one of the prime residential areas in Dubai, andI would say that mostly we cater to family holidays/vacations. I havedealt with quite a lot of best customers – and they are actually a mixtureof nationalities – Europeans, Americans, South Africans, Arabs.

What advice would you give to a young travel agent beginningtheir career? For young travel agent beginning their career, I would advise toknow and master geography and it is important that you have apassion for travel. When you have passion, you will always find waysto learn - read travel gazettes or magazines, watch travel shows,update yourself on new travel trends. Your customers can also be agood source of learning, as they could be more well-travelled thanwe are as agents. Always ask questions; in travel every day you learnsomething new.

When is the best time to visit your destination? Originally I came from the Philippines – the best time to go to thePhilippines is between November and May. Between Novemberand January the weather is nice and cool, March to April is summerand we boast quite a lot of good destinations to go to, includingBoracay, El Nido and Amanpulo in Palawan, plus good divingdestinations like Bohol.

Where is your most popular/highest selling destination? Here in the office, we sell a lot of Indian Ocean destinations (i.e.Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles) and next is Southeast Asia (i.e.Thailand and Malaysia). Indian Ocean destinations are popularbecause it’s only four to five hours flight from Dubai and the beachis really awesome!

Why is travel important? Travel is important because it enhances your knowledge, lets youexperience the culture of other countries and broadens yourperspectives.

Always ask questions; in travelevery day you learn something new

Sambre is Iraq’s First GDSSabre Travel Network Middle East (STNME) haspartnered with Kanoo Travel to enter the Iraq market. The partnership represents the first global distributionsystem (GDS) operating within Iraq. Kanoo will distribute Sabre’s travel technology productsvia a general sales agent structure, giving agencies in Iraqaccess to global content from airlines, hotels, car rentalcompanies, cruise lines and tour operators. Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO of STNME, said Iraq wasexperiencing significant growth.Mubarak Kanoo, deputy group chairman for Kanoo Travel,said the new partnership would join Kanoo’s 180 IATAlocations in the region. “Kanoo Travel and Sabre Travel Network Middle East havehad a longstanding partnership based on mutual trust andprogressive business focus,” said Kanoo. “This is yet another feather in our caps, reinforcing the longterm partnerships as well as reflecting our commitment togrowth and development of new regions within theMiddle East.”

(L-R) Daniel Naoumovitchwith Mubarak Kanoo

Management consultancy firm Booz andCompany has identified four key areas ofreform to be targeted by tourismbusinesses and destinations.George Atalla, a partner at Booz and

Company, said that green initiatives would soon become vital tofuture success.“Tourism destinations are realising that in order to staycompetitive, becoming green must be a principal element of theirbranding and marketing policies," he said.According to Booz and Company, the four main areas of focusfor a green destination are as follows.

1. Carbon Emissions: The tourism industry is currentlyresponsible for around five percent of global carbon emissions,largely a result of air travel and accommodations. A recent globalstudy from the World Economic Forum and Booz and Companyestimates that these emissions will double by 2035 if leftunchecked. Carbon mitigation efforts, therefore, are key to greenpolicy. These efforts should include eliminating and reducingemissions, substituting environmentally harmful practices withmore sustainable ones and offsetting remaining emissions. 2. Biodiversity Conservation: A location's unique natural assetsare key to its value as a tourist destination. Preservation of theseassets is therefore a critical component of sustainable tourism. Overthe past two decades, tourism in biodiversity hot spots has increasedmore than 100 percent, making conservation all the more urgent.3. Waste Management: Effective liquid and solid wastemanagement is key to the clean perception of a destination. As amajor pollutant, waste affects the entire ecosystem, including landdegradation, water quality and health and hygiene. Cutting-edgewaste management methods such as waste-to-energy conversioncan enhance a destination's reputation in the green playing field.4. Water Supply: Water is an increasingly scarce resource, withmany countries facing severe shortages. An adequate and healthywater supply is crucial to a destination's long-term environmentalsustainability. Because water provision and desalination aretypically significant sources of energy usage and emissions,conservative water policy is doubly important.

11AUGUST 21, 2010

Corporate Travel – Target the Winning IndustriesCorporate travel contracts are some of the most lucrativemoney spinners for travel professionals of all types.With a consumer market shifting towards a self serviceaesthetic, they are also widely predicted to become the breadand butter of travel agents in the near future.However, not all industries travel equally, as shown by the USNational Business Traveller Association’s recent study on theglobal corporate travel sector.For instance, travel from the utilities industry was hitparticularly hard by the recent recession, declining by almost14 percent in 2009. However, this sector is expected tobounce back rapidly as the world recovers.By comparison, real estate, one of the drivers of the economicmisfortune, is predicted to continue its decline untilsometime later this year, then recover slowly afterwards.The government sector was the strongest throughout thecrisis, kept in the air due to fiscal stimulus packages. For those scouting for potential corporate clients, the fiveindustries whose travel spend was predicted to grow mostover the next five years were: utilities (to grow by USD38.2billion); food processing and services (USD32.2 billion); realestate (USD23.2 billion); rubber and plastic manufacturing(USD18.2 billion); and social and personal services(USD17.9 billion).

Top Four Green TargetsThe green credentials of enterprises and destinationsare becoming an increasingly important factor forconsumers and businesses alike.

In order to stay competitive, becoming green

must be a principal element

AUGUST 21, 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

Charm LeePresident, Korea Tourism Office“We are fully aware that increasing mutualunderstanding and having healthydiscourse regarding culture and religionare key components to serving themedical [tourism] industry. Medical skillsand technologies constitute aspects whereunderstanding and co-operation betweenKorea and the Middle East can beencouraged. The sharing of medicalknowledge and technology is yet anotheropportunity for co-operation between us.”

Understanding and co-operation between

Korea and the Middle East can

be encouraged

Taleb RifaiSecretary General, UNWTO“Despite the extremely challengingeconomic conditions of recent times,Jordan received 3.8 million internationaltourist arrivals and nearly USD3 billionin tourism receipts in 2009. Theseimpressive figures can be attributed, inno small part, to the political recognitionafforded to the sector in Jordan.”

Jordan received 3.8 million

international touristarrivals and nearly

USD3 billion in tourism receipts

in 2009

Adrian RudinGeneral Manager, Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi "The Abu Dhabi Dragon Boat Festival (part of Adrenaline Sports Live presentedby RANI) is a great success every year and our involvement again for 2010 isimportant as an Asian hospitality company. We see dragon boating as the perfectsporting activity to sponsor and we are delighted to be holding the third festivalat our hotel again this year."

We see dragon boating as the perfect sporting activity to sponsor

Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi

Charm Lee

Taleb Rifai

AUGUST 21, 201014

Khaled NabilSheraton Doha Resort and Convention Hotel has appointed Khaled Nabil asdirector of sales and marketing. Nabil has more than 22 years of experience withinthe hospitality industry, most recently working at Sheraton Dammam in SaudiArabia. Before joining Sheraton in 2005, he also worked with Le Méridien andInterContinental Hotels Group in various sales and marketing roles. Nabil holdsa bachelor’s degree in hotel management.

Ahmad ShabanInterContinental Hotels Group Jordan hasappointed Ahmad Shaban as clusterdirector of sales for a range of hotels,including Crowne Plaza Amman,InterContinental Aqaba Resort, HolidayInn Resort Dead Sea, Crowne Plaza PetraResort and the upcoming Crowne PlazaResort Dead Sea. Shaban has spent severalyears in the industry, working acrossJordan and the UAE.

Edwin FullerIn line with Marriott International’sglobal strategy to establish dedicatedcontinental divisions, Edwin D Fuller hasbeen appointed to lead the company’sdevelopment in the Middle East andAfrica. Fuller will take on thisresponsibility in addition to hiscontinued role as president and managingdirector of lodging international. Fullerhas 38 years of experience with Marriottand was recently named a commissionerof travel and tourism for the state ofCalifornia, US. He is a graduate of BostonUniversity and the Harvard GraduateSchool of Business advancedmanagement programme.

Ivon PrestwoodCrowne Plaza Abu Dhabi hasappointed Ivor Prestwood as generalmanager. Prestwood has more than38 years of global experience in thehotel industry, including 31 yearswith InterContinental Hotels Group.He previously spent two years asgeneral manager at Crowne PlazaBahrain and was also hotel managerat Crowne Plaza Dubai.

Rogier van der WerfRogier van der Werf has returned tohis previous role as director ofemployee development at Al BustanRotana Dubai. He first joined thehotel in 2006 and was promoted toassistant director of employeedevelopment, before moving toTowers Rotana as director.

Jason GeidemanDollar Rent A Car has appointed Jason Geideman as branch manager of Dollar RentA Car in Abu Dhabi. Geideman has more than 10 years of business managementexperience, including seven years within the car rental industry in the UAE and US.His focus is on competitive market expansion and customer relationshipdevelopment. Geideman will oversee all of the marketing and sales activities in theDollar Abu Dhabi branch.

Ahmad Shaban

Edwin Fuller

Rogier van der Werf

Travel Trade Weekly: Howimportant is the Middle East as asource market for Korea? Baeho Kim: The Middle Eastcontributes less than two percent of globalarrivals. However, the numbers aregrowing fast in terms of arrivals, roomnights and average spend per person. The numbers are expected to growsignificantly in the coming years due toincreased awareness of the destination asa result of our marketing activities in theregion.

Travel Trade Weekly: Is the MiddleEastern market being targeted byKorea? If so, why?Baeho Kim: Korean Tourism Officeopened its Dubai office in 2004 to targetthe Middle East, North Africa andCommonwealth of Independent Statescountries. Since opening our office, themarket has grown significantly withdouble digit growth on a year to year basis. Gulf tourists to Korea have a highpotential, with an average spend ofUSD400 to USD500 per day and aminimum stay of seven nights or abovewhile on holiday.

Moreover, the families are large and takemore than two or three rooms per family. The majority of the Arab families prefer tostay in apartments rather than hotels dueto the relaxed home-like atmosphere and

the fact that they can cook for themselves. Therefore, we work closely with leadingapartment chains in introducing exclusiveoffers for Middle Eastern clientele in orderto attract more tourists from this region.

Travel Trade Weekly: What is beingdone to promote Korea to MiddleEastern travellers?Baeho Kim: Since opening our office in2004, we have undertaken a multitude ofactivities targeting Arab tourists ranging fromonline marketing to promotional offers,consumer exhibitions, trade exhibitions,food festival, cultural shows, print mediacampaign and many other activities. Apart from the above marketing activities,we also have an Arabic tourism website,tourism brochures tailor-made in Arabicand a food guide for Muslim visitors. The KTO Dubai office promotes Korea asa new family destination that is safe, cleanand friendly. Our vision is to target 100,000 [GCC]visitors before the end of this year. To achieve this, we will focus ondeveloping a stronger image of Korea inthe minds of GCC nationals by differentmarketing strategies. The KTO will also provide moreopportunities to media and travel agenciesto experience Korea through familiarisationtrips, and it will also create a unique imageof Korean tourism to help GCC nationalsbetter understand the country. In addition to this, we will continue towelcome Muslim visitors to Korea bydesignating restaurants that serve halalfood and creating further guidebooks forMuslims in co-operation with the KoreaMuslim Federation.

Travel Trade Weekly: Can you tellme about any recent or upcomingdevelopments for tourism in Korea? Baeho Kim: Paramount Pictures willopen a theme park and resort complex inSouth Korea in 2011. Paramount MoviePark Korea will have more than 30attractions and is expected to attractmore than five million visitors during itsfirst year of operation. Paramount MoviePark Korea's USD1.5 billiondevelopment is a joint venture led bySouth Korea's Daewoo Motor SalesCorp. Also, MGM plans to build a themepark to be named MGM studio city. Thispark is to be built close to the IncheonInternational Airport. Universal Studiosalso has plans to open a theme park inSouth Korea in 2012.

15AUGUST 21, 2010

Q&A with Baeho KimFamily friendly, rich in theme parks and with a solid luxury sector, Korea is a destination seemingly tailoredto Middle Eastern holiday habits. However, it has traditionally remained a niche destination for MiddleEastern travellers. As connectivity increases Korea has undertaken a concerted drive to attract more touristsfrom the Gulf. Baeho Kim, regional director for the Korean Tourism Office (KTO), gave Travel Trade Weeklyan insight into his country’s strategy.

Our vision is to target 100,000 [GCC]

visitors before the end of this year

Baeho Kim

AUGUST 21, 201016

EventsMedical Tourism and Global Healthcare CongressLos Angeles, US, September 22-24 (www.medicaltourismcongress.com)Forum for the global medical and wellbeing tourism industry.

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.

World Travel MarketLondon, UK, November 8-11 (www.wtmlondon.com)Global event for the travel industry – four day business tobusiness event promoting a range of destinations and industrysectors to international travel professionals.

World Green Tourism Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi, UAE, November 22-24 (www.worldgreentourism.ae)Inaugural eco-tourism exhibition, featuring tourismauthorities, urban city planners, hotels and resorts, propertydevelopers, airlines, tour operators, green product suppliers,universities, museums and heritage site organisations.

Blossom JapanTokyo, Japan, January 18-21,2011 (www.blossomjapan.com)A new invitation-only luxury travel exhibition focusing on theJapanese market.

WTM Unveils New Technology Theatre for Upcoming 2010 EventWorld Travel Market (WTM) willexpand its technology seminarprogramme for the 2010 event, to be heldin London from November 8 to 11. For the first time in the event’s 31 yearhistory, a conference venue will bepositioned on the WTM exhibition floor;a presentation theatre will be erectedwithin the technology and online travelsection of WTM. The new theatre is designed as a platformfor exhibitors to promote their productsand services in 45 minute slots totechnology and online travel buyers, aswell as other exhibitors and visitors.The 80 seat theatre is just one part of

WTM’s expanded technology and onlinetravel conference and events programme,which will feature names such as BritishAirways, lastminute.com, Google andYahoo!, according to Simon Press,exhibition director for WTM.“The new Technology and Online TravelTheatre is a great initiative to helpexhibitors communicate the benefits oftheir products and services to the globaltravel and tourism industry,” said Press.“World Travel Market is a leader ininnovation in the exhibition industry andI’m delighted to be launching such aninnovation to the travel and tourismindustry in 2010.”

WTM 2009