10 SEPTEMBER 2016 ISSUE 357 10 ACCOMMODATION 11 MILLENNIUM AND DEYAAR TO ADD 1,000 ROOMS IN DUBAI AIR ARABIA TO LAUNCH FEZ – BORDEAUX SERVICE 12 BA FLIGHTS TO TEHRAN TAKE OFF PASSENGER TRAFFIC AT DWC SURGES 79.8 PERCENT MARKET UPDATE www.traveltradeweekly.travel TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi [email protected] MODERATE REGIONAL ASSISTANT EDITOR Rita Kasziba PASSENGER TRAFFIC GROWTH JOURNALISTS Memnon Arestis Ellen Petty CONTRIBUTORS Ana Mladenovic Dominique Christou SALES & SALES SUPPORT Maria Demetriadou Magda Christou Raluca Apostolescu DESIGN & LAYOUT Elena Stylianou WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi Middle Eastern airports reported a 3.4 percent increase in the volume of pas- HEADQUARTERS sengers in June, with the slower than usual pace of improvement reflecting the T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus timing of Ramadan. Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 103670 WEBSITE ccording to Airports Council International, Asia Pacific once again delivered a notable www.traveltradeweekly.travel 9.9 percent surge. As for the first half of the year, both regions maintained strength and EMAILS [email protected] generated an increase of 8.8 percent over 2015. [email protected] During the six-month period, growth in the Middle East was largely driven by Doha [email protected] A and Muscat with traffic up 20.2 percent and 17.5 percent, respectively. WORLDWIDE REPRESENTATIVES In terms of air freight, despite the sluggish global trade development, thanks to Dubai and Representative for North, South & Central America, and the Caribbean: Doha, the Middle East achieved a 5.5 percent rise, while Asia Pacific witnessed a 5.9 percent hike. Neil Strickland GlobeTM Tel: +19542969515 [email protected] Representative for Indian subcontinent: Faredoon Kuka RMA Media INCREASED DEMAND Tel: +912229253735 [email protected] FOR FLYDUBAI FLIGHTS Representative for UK & Ireland and Scandinavia: David Simpson Simpson Media Tel: +447900885456 [email protected] MENA EXCHANGE RATES as of 9.9.2016 COUNTRY CURRENCY 1USD= Bahrain (BHD) Dinar 0.37 Jordan (JOD) Dinar 0.71 Oman (OMR) Rial 0.39 Qatar (QAR) Rial 3.64 In the first half of the year (H1), flydubai reported a total revenue of AED 2.3 Saudi Arabia (SAR) Riyal 3.75 UAE (AED) Dirham 3.67 billion (USD626 million), up 5.4 percent and a loss of AED89.9 million (USD24.5 Algeria (DZD) Dinar 108.71 million), 39 percent lower than the same period in 2015. Egypt (EGP) Pound 8.88 Iran (IRR) Rial 31,295.16 Iraq (IQD) Dinar 1,168.81 Kuwait (KWD) Dinar 0.30 assenger volumes rose to 4.9 million, a year-on-year growth of 16.5 percent, while the number Lebanon (LBP) Pound 1,507.10 of business class seats soared 19 percent. The carrier, which celebrated its seventh anniversary Libya (LYD) Dinar 1.38 in June, operated 5,577 more flights than in H1 2015, marking a 14.9 percent boost, due to Morocco (MAD) Dirham 9.70 P increased frequencies to existing destinations. Syria (SYP) Pound 214.10 Upon delivery of six aircraft in the second half of this year, the airline will add a number of destina- Tunisia (TND) Dinar 2.19 tions from Dubai, including Bahrain, Bangkok, Moscow and Zanzibar. Yemen (YER) Rial 250.10 2 10 SEPTEMBER 2016 WEEKLY NEWS www.traveltradeweekly.travel Oman Adds Value for Tourists Sharjah: Guest Nights Up 19 Percent man’s Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with Pe- O troleum Development of Oman (PDO), has inaugurated sales service points in Al Jabal Al Akhdar. Sharjah welcomed 878,006 visitors in the first half of the year, Within the framework of the accounting for a total of 1.99 million overnight stays, up 19 percent project, six service portals have been launched in selected areas year-on-year. of the destination to sell locally- produced products and services. Two platforms will offer fruits, two will provide tourists with authen- ccording to H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman, Sharjah Tourism and Commerce Develop- tic Omani food, one will showcase ment Authority marketing and promotional initiatives, such as the Sharjah My Family Desti- handicrafts and at the last one tour- A nation campaign, which was launched halfway through the year and offered a 20.6 percent ism services such as guided tours deduction on accommodation rates, played an essential role in achieving AED378 million (USD102.9 will be available. million) in revenues. The initiative will allow locals to Demand at Ramada Sharjah for example, exceeded all expectations with occupancy levels reach- present and market their products ing 100 percent during the summer, an increase of 15 percent over the corresponding period in 2015. Sharjah in a way that adds value to tourists. Similarly, guest numbers at Time Ruby Hotel Apartments, Sharjah rose 10 – 15 percent, while at Sa- hara Centre a 15 percent rise in visitations led to a 10 percent boost in sales. 4 10 SEPTEMBER 2016 www.traveltradeweekly.travel WEEKLY NEWS Khalifa Port to Welcome ART Marine to Manage World’s Biggest Ships Abu Dhabi Marinas bu Dhabi’s developer of tourism, cultural and residential Mangroves Eastern destinations, Tourism Development & Investment Com- A pany has appointed ART Marine to operate Eastern Man- groves and Marsa Al Bateen marinas. The destination at Eastern Mangrove features 30 berths able to accommodate vessels between eight and 33m, while the Marsa Al Bateen location boasts two marinas that can dock a maximum of 371 boats and yachts. This site also is home to what is said to be the GCC’s first commercial dry stack, with space for 138 boats. Both projects will provide high-quality facilities and boutique services such as cleaning, chandlery as well as vessel registration. bu Dhabi Ports has revealed plans to add a 1km Khalifa Port quay wall to Khalifa Port and further deepen the A main channel and basin to a depth of 18m in order to accommodate the largest container ships. Due to be completed by mid-2018, National Marine Dredging Company will employ 250 workers to dredge the channels and use the materials to build the wall and adja- cent yard, creating an additional area of 600,000m2 for han- dling cargo. “Building on recent growth at Khalifa Port, we are future proofing our operations to ensure we can continue to at- tract the world’s leading operators,” noted Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Ports, emphasising the develop- ment’s importance to maintaining the emirate’s status as a global trade and investment hub. Expo Centre Sharjah: 65 Percent Increase in Events xpo Centre Sharjah (ECS) reported a strong performance in the first half (H1) of the year driven by a 65 percent rise in the number of E consumer and trade exhibitions and conferences held at the venue. During the six-month period, the centre staged 15 events versus nine in the same period in 2015, leading to a 20 percent hike in attendance with some 320,000 visitors on record. “These figures are a clear indicator of a growing exhibitions industry in Sharjah, and a result of our effective promotion of local industries. What is remarkable about these figures is that the exhibitions industry has success- fully withstood the after-effects of low oil prices and geopolitical tensions,” said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, ECS. 10 SEPTEMBER 2016 5 WEEKLY NEWS www.traveltradeweekly.travel TCA Abu Dhabi Celebrates Course Graduation bu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) held a ceremony at Park A Rotana Hotel Abu Dhabi, to celebrate the graduation of 30 Emirati students who were en- rolled in the eighth Tourism Youth Summer Pro- gramme. The course, which offers employment oppor- tunities in the local tourism sector to the youth, is consistent with the authority’s strategic vision of providing UAE nationals with professional devel- opment options while further consolidating the capital’s status on the global map. The graduates, aged between 18 – 21, at- tended the programme’s workshops which cov- ered diverse topics, including culture, hospitality, aviation, tours, events, attractions, sports tourism, entertainment and entrepreneurship. Abu Dhabi Abu DP to Unveil The Residence Collection to Residential Project Launch in 2017 ubai Properties (DP)’s new town- houses in the Portuguese-inspired D community, Casa Dora at Serena in DUBAILAND, will be released for sale soon. Following the success of the launch of the first townhouses in Bella Casa communi- ty at Serena earlier this year, DP has opened pre-sale online registration for buyers and investors interested in attending the second event for the sought-after development. Marwan Al Kindi, executive director, sales and sales operations, DP, said, “Strong demand for affordable housing keeps Dubai’s property market buoyant. With over 10 years of experience in navigating the country’s ever-changing real estate market, n a recent announcement, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, chair- we are confident that the launch of addi- man, Al Habroor Group, stated that The Residence Collec- tional units in our Serena community will I tion at Al Habtoor City is set to be completed in the second continue to positively contribute towards a quarter (Q2) of 2017. healthy real estate market in the UAE.” Consisting of 1,460 apartments, with options ranging from one- to seven-bedroom establishments, including loft-style units, penthouses, and luxury penthouses, the new address will allow inhabitants to enjoy a selection of amenities and facilities, such as swimming pools, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a boulevard, as well as retail and cultural centres. The two 74- and one 52-storey towers are located in close Artist’s depiction of The Residence Collection at Al Habtoor City Habtoor Al Collection Residence at The depiction of Artist’s proximity to Dubai’s famous landmarks, hospitals and schools.