Monday 7th October 2013.indd

TRAVEL DAILY ASIA
TRAVEL DAILY INDIA
TRAVEL DAILY UK
CRUISE NEWS UK
www.traveldailymedia.com/me
Monday 7th October 2013
▶ P1
REGIONAL VIEW
APPOINTMENTS
EYE ON ASIA
Sharjah Delegation visits
UN headquarters...
READ MORE An update on the latest
industry movements...
READ MORE An overview of the latest
developments in the region...
READ MORE W
Airlines avert trade
war with carbon deal
Global solution will act as a
replacement for ETS...
T
Ethiopian
expands to
Niamey
E
thiopian Airlines announced the
start of four weekly services to
Niamey in the Republic of Niger.
The new service will commence
from 20 November 2013 with a
Boeing 757-200 aircraft.
The aircraft will offer 16 seats
in business class and 151 seats in
economy class.
With its partner ASKY in West
Africa, Ethiopian has service to 34
countries in Africa. “We are happy to
expand our services to Niamey and
to contribute to the economic growth
of the country.
Africa is on the rise and we
are here to support growth by
providing critically essential air
connectivity for the increased flow
of investment, trade and tourism.”
said Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO
of Ethiopian.
Passengers can also
connect to destinations in the
Ethiopian route network,
including Beijing, Hong Kong,
Guangzhou, Bangkok, Nairobi,
Dubai, Beirut, Mumbai, Muscat,
Cairo, Delhi and Hangzhou.
Click here for full story Movenpick pens
TV deal with
France 24
M
ovenpick Hotels & Resorts has
signed a new agreement with
French TV channel, France 24.
The deal will see the channel
broadcast in all of the group’s 79
hotels in 24 countries.
France 24 already broadcasts
in several hotel groups, including
Starwood, Accor, Relais & Châteaux
and Corinthia.
he international aviation
industry has reached a
landmark agreement on
addressing climate change, while
averting a potentially damaging
trade war.
Industry representatives at the
38th Assembly of the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
agreed to develop a new scheme
that will enable the industry to
achieve carbon-neutral growth
from 2020.
This global solution will
effectively act as a replacement
for the European Commission's
Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS),
which has caused considerable
friction between the EU and
several countries, including the
US and China.
“Today was a great day for
aviation, for the effort against
climate change and for global
standards and international
cooperation,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s
director general & CEO.
“Industry, civil society and
governments have worked hard to
reach this point and keep aviation at
the forefront of industries managing
their climate change impact.
Now we have a strong mandate
and a short three-year time frame to
sort out the details.”
The ICAO agreement will now
lead to the development of a
detailed set of standards for the
global scheme, which is expected to
be unveiled in 2016.
This is likely to take the form of
carbon credit trading and offsetting
programmes, similar to the ETS.
But the important
difference is the fact
that this will be a global
programme, rather than
one unilaterally imposed
by a single country or
region.
The ETS caused
concern as it charged
airlines based on their
emissions not only
within EU airspace, but
for the entire duration of
the flight.
This caused countries
including the USA,
China, Russia and India,
to accuse Europe of
imposing extra-territorial
taxation, and infringing
the countries' sovereignty.
Carbon-neutral
growth from 2020 is
one of IATA’s main environmental
pledges, along with reducing net
CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050,
compared to 2005 levels.
Aviation accounts for an
estimated 2% of global manmade
CO2 emissions.
Click here for full story Sharjah Delegation visits UN headquarters
A
delegation from Sharjah,
headed by HE Sheikh Sultan
bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, chairman of
Sharjah Media Centre and Sharjah
Media Corporation, was welcomed
at the United Nations (UN)
headquarters in New York.
HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al
Qassimi addressed along with HE
Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general
to the United Nations (UN) issues
related to the Middle East and
elaborated on regional support.
In addition to HE Sheikh
Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi,
delegates representing Sharjah
during the various meetings
were Marwan Al Sarkal, CEO
of the Sharjah Investment and
Development Authority (Shurooq);
Badr Jafar, managing director
of Crescent Group; Mohamed
Al Noman, chairman of the
Sharjah Commerce and Tourism
Development Authority; Ameera
bin Karam, chairperson of the
Sharjah Women Business Council;
Abdulla Ali Al Mahyan, chairman
of Sharjah Healthcare City;
Hana Al Suwaidi, chairperson
of the Sharjah Environment and
Protected Areas Authority; Dr
Khalid Al Midfa, director general
of Sharjah Media Corporation;
Advertise with TDME today! Email us at
[email protected]
Manal Ataya, director general of
Sharjah Museums; and Dr Malcolm
Richards, acting provost, American
University of Sharjah.
His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan
bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UA
E supreme council member and
ruler of Sharjah, emphasized the
importance of the UN’s involvement
in humanitarian affairs, saying:
“Sharjah has been fortunate to
establish great relations and lead
a number of initiatives in support
of refugees, the youth, or countries
critically affected by war with the UN.
We are also committed to
enhancing the region and the
emirate’s infrastructure; supporting
humanitarian services; enhancing
education; improving housing
conditions; raising human dignity;
and empowering women.”
Towards the end of the meeting,
Ban Ki-moon expressed his interest
to visit Sharjah: “I have transited
via the UAE many times, but
have, unfortunately, not yet been
privileged enough to visit each
emirate. I am looking forward to
visiting Sharjah and learning more
about your culture.”
Click here for full story Editor: Charmaine Fernz Regional Director: Paul Adams | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott TRAVEL DAILY ASIA
TRAVEL DAILY INDIA
TRAVEL DAILY UK
CRUISE NEWS UK
www.traveldailymedia.com/me
Monday 7th October 2013
ME by Meliá Dubai announced
for the region
▶ P2
Royal Brunei
welcomes first
Dreamliner
Scheduled to open in 2016...
R
M
eliá Hotels International
unveiled their next major
launch with the ME by
Meliá Dubai.
The new property will be
developed by Omniyat.
The hotel will be situated in the
Burj Khalifa District and scheduled
to open in 2016.
Some of the key highlights will
include Michelin-star restaurants
and exclusive international F&B
brands set up in the 98 metre high
Opus building.
In addition to the hotel rooms,
the ME Dubai’s facilities and
Aura service will also be
extended to owners of exclusive
serviced apartments located
on the upper floors, including four
penthouses with private
roof terraces.
CEO and vice chairman of
Meliá Hotels International, Gabriel
Escarrer said: “Zaha Hadid’s
masterpiece has exceeded our
expectations; we are grateful
to Omniyat for developing this
ambitious project.”
Click here for full story oyal Brunei Airlines has
taken delivery of its first ever
Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The new
fuel-efficient aircraft touched down
at Brunei's Bandar Seri Begawan
International Airport in Brunei
this week, following 12,000km
delivery flight from Boeing's factory
in Seattle. It will now be put into
service on the national carrier's
flights to Singapore for a limited
period of time, before moving to
long-haul services.
Royal Brunei's Dreamliner, which
comes fitted with 18 in seats business
class and 236 in economy, is the
first of five B787s ordered by Royal
Brunei, which will gradually replace its
existing long-haul fleet of B777-200s.
The aircraft is scheduled to
commence operations on the BruneiSingapore route on 18 October 2013,
with long-haul flights to London, via
Dubai, starting on 1 December.
Then in the second quarter of 2014,
it plans to launch the Dreamliner on
its Melbourne route. Royal Brunei
becomes the first Southeast Asian
airline to operate the Dreamliner.
Click here for full story Travel Daily Media
IS GROWING!
Travel Daily Media, the travel industry’s
favourite Travel Trade Emagazine,
needs talented sales professionals to
join our fast-expanding team.
We are seeking motivated, sales-driven
people to drive our expansion across
Middle East and UK.
Vacancies:
Requirements:
ƒ Sales Managers (x2) London
ƒ Sales Managers (x2) Dubai
ƒ Minimum 12 months experience in a media sales environment
ƒ Proven sales record and a genuine passion for sales
ƒ Must possess excellent communication skills and have the ability to build
amazing client relationships
ƒ Ability to self-manage
ƒ Ability and willingness to travel
Role:
ƒ Advertising sales for online travel trade across our 6 Travel Trade publications
ƒ Developing key advertising contacts within the airline, hotel and other
travel/tourism sectors
ƒ Developing network of reader contacts within the travel & tourism industry
ƒ Representing company at Global travel trade shows and other industry events
Advertise with TDME today! Email us at
[email protected]
Reward:
ƒ Salary dependent on experience + generous commission structure
ƒ Send your resume to Managing Director & Publisher: [email protected]
Editor: Charmaine Fernz Regional Director: Paul Adams | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott TRAVEL DAILY ASIA
TRAVEL DAILY INDIA
TRAVEL DAILY UK
www.traveldailymedia.com/me
CRUISE NEWS UK
Monday 7th October 2013
▶ P3
Get the news as
it happens
Follow us on facebook
facebook.com/traveldailymedia
German delegation explore Sharjah
and Khorfakkan
Hainan Airlines flies third Dreamliner to Changsha
Hainan Airlines took delivery of its
third Boeing 787 Dreamliner last week,
and will deploy it to the city of Changsha.
The new twin-aisle aircraft touched
down at Beijing Capital International
Airport on 2 October 2013 and from
this week onwards will be deployed on
one of Hainan Airlines’ three daily flights connecting Beijing with the
capital of Hunan province. The remaining two services will continue to
be operated using a single-aisle B737-800. Hainan Airlines currently
operates the aircraft on domestic routes, but plans to deploy them on
long-haul routes to North America in future. Click here for full story H ainan A ir lines’ new
D ream liner arr iv ed in B ei jing
on 2 October
China mulls tourist limits
S
harjah is stepping up its efforts
to tap into the potential German
tourism market.
HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa,
director general, Sharjah Commerce
and Tourism Development Authority
(SCTDA) has underlined the
authority's keenness to boost the
promotion of Sharjah in the crucial
German tourism market.
This came in Al Midfa's
comments welcoming a German
delegation representing ten leading
travel and tour operators who are on
a private visit to the emirate.
The familiarisation trip included
visits to tourist attractions and
landmarks in Sharjah and a visit to
the port city of Khorfakkan.
The German visitors were briefed
on the emirate's tourism industry
features, heritage and customs and
traditions of the Emirati society.
Al Midfa said the authority is
looking to more proactively promote
Sharjah's distinct cultural tourism
experience in the German market,
attracting more German tourists to
the emirate and strengthening the
bonds of cooperation.
Khorfakkan attracts a number
of major international cruise-liners
bringing thousands of visitors every
cruise season.
In addition to the availability of
a number of water and adventure
sports and beach activities,
Khorfakkan has lately been the
focus of high-end investments and
infrastructure development.
Besides the recently reopened
landmark Oceanic Hotel, several new
projects are coming up in the city.
Click here for full story Cathay unveils new amenity kits
C
athay Pacific has unveiled
the new amenity kits it
will offer to long-haul business
class travellers.
The new kits include products
from Jurlique, the Australian
natural skincare brand, including
day cream, citrus hand cream and
lip balm.
They also include socks, an
eyeshade, earplugs, a dental kit and
a shoehorn for male passengers.
Gulf Air celebrates one million
FFO members
Tourism authorities in China are
considering putting a cap on the number
of visitors permitted at some of the
country's main attractions. Local media
reported the China National Tourism
Administration (CNTA) has saying
that steps must be taken to limit visitor
numbers, following chaotic scenes at some destinations during last
week's Golden Week holidays. Thousands of tourists were stranded in
Jiuzhaigou Valley, Sichuan province, last week, when a shuttle bus system
failed, while workers at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and Hangzhou's
UNESCO-listed West Lake reported having to clean up several tonnes of
litter. More than 600 million people are reported to have travelled by road,
rail and air during the seven-day National Day celebrations.
Amari to debut in Malaysia
Thailand's Onyx Hospitality Group
has signed its first ever Amari hotel
in Malaysia. Located in the Iskandar
development area of southern Malaysia,
close to the border with Singapore, the
207-room Amari Johor Bahru will include
a range of upscale facilities, including
an Asian restaurant, spa and meeting
rooms. It is scheduled to open in 2015. The announcement of the Amari
brand's Malaysian launch comes just weeks after Onyx unveiled plans to
introduce its Ozo hotel brand to Penang. Click here for full story Crystal adds Angkor overland tour
Crystal Cruises has unveiled a
new overland trip to Angkor Wat for
passengers aboard the Asian leg of its
World Cruise. The complimentary threenight tour to Thailand and Cambodia
forms part of Crystal's 'Asia-to-Africa'
World Cruise segment in March 2014.
Prior to sailing from Singapore to Cape
Town aboard Crystal Serenity, passengers will be able to explore
Bangkok then fly to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat. The trip includes two
nights' accommodation at the Sokha Angkor Wat Resort.
Archipelago rebrands Bali luxury resort
Following a million-dollar
refurbishment, the Aston Bali Beach
Resort & Spa has been officially
rebranded and relaunched as the
Grand Aston Bali Beach Resort. The
beachfront property, which is located in
the Nusa Dua area of the island, recently
A ll 187 room s at t he hotel hav e
been ref ur bis hed
underwent a period of renovation,
encompassing its 187 rooms and suites, four restaurants, two bars
and the Samudra Lounge. Joining the resort's leisure facilities is a
new beachfront kids club, which comes equipped with flatscreen TVs,
Playstations, a 'foosball' table and a selection of toys.
Indonesian arrivals up 8%
G
ulf Air recently celebrated
the signing of its one million
member for its frequent flyer program.
To mark the achievement, the
airline celebrated the milestone
with two complimentary Falcon
Gold tickets to any destination on
the airline’s network.
Saleh Hussain, the first
passenger to receive a distinctive
falcon emblazoned card 19 years
ago, has flown over 1.5 million miles
with the national carrier and is now a
gold member for life.
Advertise with TDME today! Email us at
[email protected]
International visitor arrivals to Indonesia increased in the first eight
months of the year. The country welcomed 5.64 million arrivals in
January-August 2013 - 8.3% more than the same period last year. This
was helped by a 21.4% jump in arrivals in August alone, to more than
770,000 visitors. The Antara news agency quoted Indonesia's Minister
of Tourism & Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, as saying that
numbers were up at "almost all entry points", including the Jakarta and
Bali international airports. Double-digit growth was seen from several
key source markets, including China (+34.5%), Malaysia (+28.2%),
Singapore (+20.5%), Japan (+19.6%) and Australia (+12.2%).
Editor: Charmaine Fernz Regional Director: Paul Adams | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott TRAVEL DAILY ASIA
TRAVEL DAILY INDIA
TRAVEL DAILY UK
CRUISE NEWS UK
www.traveldailymedia.com/me
Monday 7th October 2013
▶ P4
Get the news as
it happens
Follow us on twitter
t w i t t e r. c o m / t d m e d i a g r o u p
Duqm Floating Hotel ceases
operations
APPOINTMENTS
TAREK AOUINI has been appointed hotel
manager for Emirates Grand Hotel.
He brings with him over 13 years of hospitality
experience including knowledge in hospitality,
resort and property management.
In his current role, Aouini will be responsible
for overall strategic planning, setting and
achieving sales targets.
His tasks include overseeing all hotel
departments including sales and marketing,
finance, human resources, food and beverage, front-of-house,
engineering and housekeeping.
M
S Veronica, dubbed the Duqm
Floating Hotel, wrapped up
operations at the end of a roughly
18-month stint as the Sultanate's
first 'floatel', as reported by Oman
Daily Observer.
The passenger ship, owned and
operated by Daewoo Shipping and
Marine Engineering (DSME) Oman
LLC doubled for a while as Duqm's
only deluxe hotel. That distinction
ended when the Crowne Plaza
Duqm, a five-star property owned by
Omran, opened earlier this year.
Just prior to its launch, the
one-star budget property, The City
Hotel, also commenced operations
in Duqm, as did a string of small
unrated motels.
Berthed alongside ODC's
quay, the vessel played a key
role in providing visiting business
investors, officials, and executive
crews of ships calling for repairs
at the yard, with relatively upscale
accommodation for want of suitable
hotel accommodation on shore.
Click here for full story MARTIJN BROUWER has been appointed
general manager at Vana, Malsi Estate.
His most recent experience includes six years
as general manager of Necker Island and
three years at North Island by Wilderness
Safaris in the Seychelles.
He has worked in hospitality for almost 20 years.
KHALED GAD ELMAWLA has been
appointed general manager of Egypt
operations at Amadeus. He brings with him
over 25 years of experience in the industry.
In his role, Elmawla will spearhead the overall
growth of Amadeus Egypt at a time when the
Egyptian travel industry is bracing itself for a
new growth phase.
Click here to read online!
Oman’s hotel revenues rise 12.2 %
R
ecent statistics released by
the ministry of tourism state
that hotel room capacity in Oman
is forecast to grow at a compound
annual growth rate of 5.3% over the
period 2011 to 2016.
Tourist arrivals are expected to
grow at a CAGR of 5.7%, between
2012 and 2022.
The ministry aims to increase
GDP contribution of tourism from
two per cent in 2011 to around
3.5% in 2015, as reported by Oman
Daily Observer.
Occupancy rates are expected
to increase from 53% in 2011 to
58.6% by 2016. Average daily rates
are also set to benefit as occupancy
rates strengthen.
An increase in flights between
Salalah and Dubai and Sharjah
has also aided the country's recent
tourism figures, with an average
of 94% occupancy over the Eid
weekend, in Salalah.
The country is also seeing a
growth in locations outside Muscat,
with Salalah, Khasab and Duqm all
receiving significant investment into
the hospitality pipeline.
The tourism ministry said that it
expected 2,000 new hotel rooms to
be added by the end of 2013.
Hotel room capacity is also
forecast to expand at a compound
annual growth rate of 5.3% by 2016.
Projects like the new US$80
million Azaiba Hotel and planned
Oman Convention Center, which
will include a Crown Plaza hotel,
Advertise with TDME today! Email us at
[email protected]
all point towards a growing hotel
market.
The Four Seasons plans for
a hotel in Oman as part of its
expansion into the Middle East
luxury market.
Gloria Hotels and Resorts also
mentioned plans to open one of its
hotels in Oman in 2015.
Click here for full story Editor: Charmaine Fernz Regional Director: Paul Adams | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott TRAVEL DAILY ASIA
TRAVEL DAILY INDIA
TRAVEL DAILY UK
www.traveldailymedia.com/me
CRUISE NEWS UK
Monday 7th October 2013
▶ P5
Read TDME with
Adobe Reader 10.1.3
Having trouble downloading TDME?
Read our daily e-news magazine with the latest version of Adobe Reader – CLICK HERE
to downloaded Adobe Reader 10.1.3 for free.
BYTHEWAY
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Africa is on the rise and we are here to support
growth by providing critically essential air
connectivity for the increased flow of investment,
trade and tourism”
Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian
Dubai Pre-Owned Boat Show
gearing up
➪ China issues tourist rulebook
The Chinese
government has issued
a new 64-page rulebook
for the country’s citizens
travelling overseas.
As China's outbound
tourism market booms,
the country's authorities
are concerned that the
actions of many firsttime tourists are giving China a bad name. As a result, the new
64-page guidebook has been produced to advise citizens how to
behave abroad.
Published in time for last week's Golden Week holiday, the
rulebook features such gems of advice as not to steal life jackets
from under aircraft seats, not to leave footprints on toilet seats, not to
urinate in swimming pools and not to ask for pork in Muslim countries.
It also offers some more curious nuggets of wisdom, such as
advising women to wear earrings in Spain, and not to comment on
people's babies in Iran.
The move follows a series of embarrassing incidents involving
Chinese tourists, including a teenager who engraved his name in
the wall of an ancient Egyptian temple.
➪ Indonesia’s cleanest airport
toilets honoured
T
he Dubai Pre-Owned Boat Show
is once again set for Dubai.
The 2012 event witnessed deals
for 29 yachts sold at an accumulate
value of more than AED 9.5 million.
With an optimistic chart set
for the new year, Dubai Golf has
announced the event will be held at
the Dubai Creek Marina from 21 –
23 November 2013.
Mustafa Al Hashimi, general
manager - Dubai Creek Golf &
Yacht Club, said: “This year’s show
coincides with the 20th anniversary
of the Dubai Creek Golf Club.
We are already witnessing
strong interest in this year’s Dubai
Pre-Owned Boat Show, with
registration for boats, jet skis and
retailers now being taken.”
The Middle East has some
yachting enthusiasts and unique
vessels, so an event of this kind
plays a key role in enabling people
to purchase and register new boats
quickly and cost effectively. At the
same time meet like-minded people.
Click here for full story Long-haul jets boost Boeing
Jakarta’s SoekarnoHatta International
Airport has won second
prize in nationwide
competition to find
Indonesia’s cleanest
airport public toilet.
The ‘Sapta Pesona’
contest was organised
by the country’s Ministry
of Tourism & Creative Economy, with facilities judged on several
factors, including safety, cleanliness, orderliness, comfort, beauty,
hospitality and “enchanting memories to attract tourists”.
The capital’s main airport was pipped to the top prize by Sultan
Syarif Kasim II International Airport in Pekanbaru, while Surabaya’s
Juanda International Airport was third.
“The success of the airport in getting the award is inseparable
from the contribution of janitors, their technical partners, and the
prospective passengers who care for cleanliness,” the Antara news
agency quoted Soekarno-Hatta’s senior general manager, Bram
Bharoto Tjiptadi, as saying.
The team of judges involved in the assessment included members
of the Indonesia Toilet Association.
➪ 'Ctrl+Alt+Del' a mistake - Bill Gates
Bill Gates has said
the decision to use the
'Ctrl+Alt+Del' command to
access a computer's task
manager was a mistake.
B
Speaking at Harvard
University, the Microsoft
co-founder revealed that
the three-key technique
was initially intended to
trigger a re-boot of the PC. Gates blamed IBM for the shortcut,
saying he had favoured a single button.
oeing has seen a 9% rise in
aircraft deliveries this year,
driven by the popularity of its
long-haul aircraft.
The US planemaker has now
delivered 476 aircraft in the first nine
months of the year, compared to
436 in the same period of 2012.
And this growth is largely down
to the B777 and B787 aircraft.
Despite the four-month grounding
of the Dreamliner, Boeing has now
delivered 40 B787s this year – 74%
more than the same period last
year, while B777 deliveries have
increased 18% to 73.
This offset a slight dip in B747
and B767 deliveries, which fell from
21 to 16 and 20 to 17 respectively.
Deliveries of the single-aisle
B737 increased from 310 to 330.
Advertise with TDME today! Email us at
[email protected]
The 'Ctrl+Alt+Del' command was originally created by IBM
engineer David Bradley.
He had initially wanted to use 'Ctrl+Alt+Esc' as the PC re-boot
command, but found it was too easy to press the three buttons
accidentally. Instead it was switched to 'Ctrl+Alt+Del' because it's
impossible to enter with just one hand.
"We could have had a single button, but the guy who did the IBM
keyboard design didn't want to give us our single button," the BBC
reported Gates saying at the event.
Editor: Charmaine Fernz | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott Regional Director: Paul Adams Travel Daily ME is a publication of Travel Daily Media Limited (UK). All content is fully protected by copyright law. Written permission from the Editor-in-Chief Mark Elliott ([email protected]) is required to reproduce any material.
While every care has been taken in the preparation of Travel Daily Asia no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Content is published in good faith. Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by Charmaine Fernz.
Australia’s premium airline,
now flying from Dubai.
Qantas, Australia’s premium airline, is now flying twice daily from Dubai
to Australia and London. Experience luxurious A380* First suites, fully
flat beds in Business, extra spacious seats in Premium Economy and
self-serve snack bars in Economy. After take off, settle back and
enjoy the menus inspired by celebrated Australian Chef Neil Perry, as
well as over 1500 on-demand entertainment choices in every seat.
To book a great Qantas deal call 04 389 8111.
*All flights are subject to last minute aircraft changes.