2500+ Exhibitors @ATM 2017

Vol. XIII No. 5; May 2017 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages: 32 ddppl.com TravTalkMiddleEast.com Largest ATM ever turns ‘experiential’ .................................................................... 05 Disruption Management by Amadeus ................................................................... 08 Al Shaab Village aims for 250,000 visitors ............................................................ 19 2500+ exhibitors @ATM 2017 With a focus on strengthening inbound and outbound markets, the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2017 is back at the Dubai World Trade Centre from April 24-27. With more than 2,500 exhibiting companies participating, the event promises to improve connections, ensuring a steady growth in business opportunities. SHEHARA RIZLY At the Arabian Travel Market this year, we are pleased to be able to showcase yet another layer of Sharjah’s diverse tourism portfolio. For many years we have focused on positioning Sharjah as a perfect family destination for discovering heritage and culture supported by a broad edutainment opportunity. This year we are delighted to offer Sharjah’s outdoor tourism as a product to the market, packaged as an ‘incredible experience,’ the diversity available in the Emirate from mountains to mangroves, desert to coast and wadis to wetlands is breathtaking; large areas are under protection to ensure they remain unspoilt. The investment and development in interpretation centres across the emirate ensures that all visitors can gain maximum enjoyment from their time outdoors. Inbound tourism to Sharjah is buoyant and we are seeing the accommodation sector rising to the challenges faced by high occupancy as we continue to implement our Marhabtain programme ensuring that visitors throughout the emirate receive the very best service and feel welcome while they are here. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) Inbound tourism to This year, GTA will promote Compared to global hot- Dubai grew at 12 per cent the preferred destinations from spots like Hong Kong and Sin- Year-on-Year. ATM serves as across Europe, Asia Pacific gapore, Dubai has emerged to a platform to highlight the fac- & the Americas. We will be be the 4th most visited city on tors behind Dubai’s appeal relaunching the special Strategic the planet this year, and traffic to a diverse range of travel- Partnership Program (SPP) rose by 10 per cent compared lers. We are looking forward of Dubai, Japan, Thailand, to last year. Further, in the to showcasing Dubai’s ever- Hong Kong & Singapore; GCC, there are difficulties in evolving destination proposi- showcasing the expansion obtaining a visa, few interna- tion to the international travel of our loyalty programme g tionally active intermediaries, Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim shop; and launching exclusive Rami Mashini Freddy Farid trade community. On the CEO Vice President of Sales and such as professional congress Area General Manager Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Geneva shop campaign from Marketing for Middle East, Africa, Gloria Hotels and Resorts stand at ATM this year we’ll Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) Turkey & India, GTA organisers and destination May 1 to July 31, 2017. GTA’s also be highlighting several key marketing strategy is to provide multiple contracting management companies, and a limited market for con- new initiatives of our own including Dubai Sustainable choices to travellers, while providing an effective support gresses. But at the same time the success can largely be Tourism updates and our new industry training ‘Dubai with immediate solutions that reflects our main focus, attributed to the excellent airlift into Dubai and Abu Dhabi Expert’ which Dubai College of Tourism will showcase which is to employ technology to make it easy for travel agents which is home to Emirates and Etihad, respectively. – and much more. to sell more. Contd. on page 3 COVERSTORY MAY 2017 TRAVTALK 3 ATM means business TRYP set for summer opening Contd. from page 1 A new joint executive committee will manage The Arabian Travel Market is one of the most important Wyndham Hotel Group’s Wyndham Dubai Marina and events in the travel exhibition calendar and an ideal platform to highlight the business developments and product innovations TRYP by Wyndham Dubai and their 1,100 guest rooms. of the airline to the travel and tourism industry. This event also TT BUREAU Wyndham Dubai participate in Swissôtel, in leadership and brings together key stakeholders within the travel space for Wyndham Rewards, the loyal- management roles including productive meetings, seminars, panels and much more and we RYP by Wyndham Dubai ty programme from Wyndham Managing Director and Gen- look forward to networking and cultivating stronger relationships is set to open this summer Hotel Group, offering mem- eral Manager. Last year, he Sheikh Majid Al Mualla T with our trade partners, which in turn creates highly targeted Divisional Senior Vice President with 650 hotel rooms includ- bers generous points earn- joined Wyndham Dubai Mari- - Commercial Operations business and growth opportunities for the airline. Centre, Emirates Airline ing 25 of the brand’s signature ing structure along with a flat, na, the first Wyndham Hotels fitness rooms. The hotel will free-night redemption rate in and Resorts location in the also offer an inviting, social 75 countries across the world. UAE, as general manager. We hope that we can have significant results this year by having double digit growth of the Middle East arrivals. This is supported by the replenishment of direct flights from the Middle East to Indonesia’s main destinations. Likewise, Banyuwangi, a regency located in East Java, is considering to create ‘halal beach’, where there is area separation between women and men. In 2016, Indonesia welcomed 240,989 ME tourists. This number increased by 32.31 per cent compared to 2015 with 182,143 arrivals. Although the proportion is still small, the growth of ME region market is always magnificent and the spending rate of ME tourists doubled Cluster team for Wyndham Dubai Marina & TRYP by Wyndham Dubai Nia Niscaya Director, International the rate spending of all our markets. Promotions ME & Europe, Ministry of Tourism, Indonesia lobby known as Plaza Central. Spearheading the joint “Wyndham Hotel Group’s Other facilities include a swim- executive team is industry expansion throughout the UAE ming pool, fitness centre, and veteran Rogier M. Hurk- has brought the first Wyndham We are releasing series of packages and special meeting space. mans as Cluster General and TRYP by Wyndham hotels promotional deals for the upcoming season for the Middle East and Manager, responsible for to Dubai, offering the utmost in Indian markets. The inbound tourism industry plays a vital role in the Wyndham Dubai Marina leading daily operations and quality accommodations and countries’ economy. Our marketing strategy is a mix of branding, and TRYP by Wyndham Dubai overseeing more than 350 hospitable service for travel- printed ads and marketing materials and social networking. are owned by subsidiaries of hotel associates. Hurkmans lers,” said Hurkmans. “We have Relationship and word of mouth are still the best strategy for leading Dubai-based property has more than 20 years of a team of dedicated, service- B2B. Consumer attitudes are changing; people want to experience developers The First Group experience serving global oriented leaders who will en- deeper emotional and personal connection when they travel and are managed by Wynd- hotel chains, including Inter- sure the hotels’ success while – more people are focused on ‘experiencing’ a destination by Kulwant Singh ham Hotel Group. Wyndham Continental Hotels Group, delivering great experiences to connecting to its history, people, culture & food. Founder & MD Dubai Marina and TRYP by Hilton, Steigenberger and all guests at both locations.” Lama Group GUESTCOLUMN Meeting mid-scale needs The hospitality market in Saudi Arabia offers tremendous potential for EDITORIAL investors to lay out money on mid-scale hotels. This can in turn help a large demand segment looking for quality and affordable accommodations. Bridging the world he Saudi market has calculated budget hotels that hard to ignore in the current At Ghina Real Estate, Tbeen conventionally can cater to a large segment economic climate. we believe that the 2030 vi- n its 24th year, the Arabian Travel Market dominated by upscale and of guests that are looking sion of the Kingdom will be I(ATM) opens its doors to 2,500 exhibiting luxury hotels without real for an accommodation that On the other hand, the a booster to the hospitality companies spread across 12 halls at the Dubai focus on the change in hotel takes into consideration their management of these ho- sector in the country, with a guests’ needs and decrease income – without a sacrifice tels by an international hotel continuous focus from the World Trade Centre, making it the largest ATM in their purchasing power. As on quality. operator will provide guests government on infrastruc- in its history. Last year the event attracted a result, Ghina Real Estate with confidence in the quality ture projects adding to it the almost 40,000 industry professionals, settling has identified a gap in the Riyadh, Jeddah and of service and reassurance relaxation of visas require- market that it can fill through Dammam have been iden- that the rates will satisfy ments for visitors and the on deals worth $2.5 billion over the four days. the development of mid- tified as the prime focus their needs, not to mention expansion of the entertain- Opening on April 24, the exhibition this scale internationally branded areas for the development the support received from ment sector. The hospitality hotels, targeting the corpo- of these hotels with the po- the operator distribution and sector still offers a lot of de- year will host a diverse international diaspora rate segment and to a lesser tential of expansion to other marketing channels. velopment opportunities for on one platform for four days to network and extent, the leisure segment.

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