Category: News

  • News: Enterprise appoints Megadrive Autovermietung as European franchise partner

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car has announced the appointment of Megadrive Autovermietung as a brand new franchise partner, to increase the quick-growing network of Enterprise branches in Europe to incorporate prime locations in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia including major airports and town locations.

    The locations are set to open later this year.

    With Enterprise’s combination of corporately owned markets and franchise partners, this latest appointment signifies that the flagship brand will soon be represented across 23 European countries.

    Together these countries account for over 90 per cent of auto hire demand in Europe.

    Austria is a number one destination in Europe for leisure and business travellers, while Hungary and Slovakia are European growth stories, profiting from an increase in tourism in addition to an influx of external investment.

    These three markets deepen Enterprise’s presence in central Europe, between the company’s wholly-owned operations within the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Germany and an expanding network of franchise relationships in Southern and Eastern Europe.

    Established in 2008, Megadrive Autovermietung has 12 locations in Austria, two branches in Hungary and 4 branches in Slovakia.

    Together these branches provide on airport coverage around the countries’ major airports, with additional branches in core city locations.

    Commenting at the new agreement, Karlheinz Wiener, managing director, Megadrive said: “We are very proud to be chosen as Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s partner in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.

    “Enterprise is renowned for its customer support ethos and its strong management. We believe that together we will provide a special service level to customers in these three regions.

    “Enterprise’s entrepreneurial culture opens up the chance to develop this relationship further as new vistas arise, to assist us both grow stronger through our partnership.”

    Enterprise also has rapidly expanding operations at airports and transport hubs around the globe through franchise and partnership agreements with independent local providers.

    This includes Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Brazil and China.

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  • Frasers Hospitality recognised by World Travel Awards

    A world leader in premium serviced apartments and boutique residences, Frasers Hospitality was awarded the title off Middle East’s Leading Serviced Apartment Brand by the sector Travel Awards at a Gala Ceremony in Dubai.

    Recognising its commitment to excellence and continual endeavours to enhance its offerings, Frasers also received top honours for every of its properties within the region – Bahrain’s Leading Serviced Apartments for Fraser Suites Seef Bahrain, Qatar’s Leading Serviced Apartments for Fraser Suites Doha and Dubai’s Leading Serviced Apartments for Fraser Suites Dubai.

    The ultimate hallmark of quality, often thought to be the travel industry Oscars, the area Travel Awards is the most important, most comprehensive and prestigious awards inside the travel industry voted by travel and tourism professionals worldwide.

    “We has been committed to building a robust presence within the Middle East and are honoured to receive these awards as they’re an endorsement of the region’s growing recognition and trust within the Frasers brand,” said Guus Bakker, chief operating officer, Europe & Middle East, Frasers Hospitality.

    “The Middle East is a thrilling marketplace for us and we’ll continue to reinforce our position here with our diverse portfolio of brand name offerings to cater to the growing demand for Gold-Standard serviced accommodation on this region.”

    Frasers Hospitality’s current portfolio, including those inside the pipeline, stands at 77 properties in 41 key gateway cities, and greater than 13,000 apartments worldwide.

  • News: Record passenger numbers at Changi Airport

    Singapore Changi Airport achieved its highest passenger traffic ever for the month of March when it registered 4.61 million passenger movements in March 2013, a rise of seven.7 per cent over the identical month last year.

    Holiday makers travelling over the nice Friday long weekend and the weekend prior contributed to the traffic growth.

    In tandem, aircraft movements grew by 5.3 per cent to twenty-eight,400 flights.

    In the primary quarter of 2013, Changi Airport handled 13.05 million passenger movements, representing a rise of 6.2% over a similar period last year.

    Traffic to and from Northeast Asia, Southwest Pacific and South Asia continued to underpin growth in this period.

    Aircraft movements for the quarter saw a three.9 per cent increase year-on-year to 82,600 flights.

    Airfreight movements posted a 2.2 per cent decline for the 3 months, with 434,000 tonnes of cargo handled.

    For the month of March 2013, a complete of 167,200 tonnes of cargo were handled at Changi Airport, a growth of two.5 per cent in comparison to March 2012.

    Changi Airport is taken into account the realm’s Leading Airport by the World Travel Awards.

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  • News: Etihad takes stake in Jet Airways

    Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has confirmed it is going to take a stake in Jet Airways of India, ending weeks of speculation a couple of possible deal.

    Etihad said the move would allow it to take a larger foothold within the growing Indian market.

    It follows a sequence of equity investments all over the world from the ambitious carrier, with Etihad also having taken stakes in Aer Lingus, Seychelles Airways, airberlin, and Virgin Australia.

    The latest $379 million investment is the primary by an overseas operator in an Indian airline since ownership rules were relaxed.

    The government initiative was designed to give carriers in India with deep-pocketed global partners.

    Following the deal Jet is probably going to profit from strategic expertise, cheap financing and possible fuel import benefits as well as the capital injection.

    “The deal is predicted to bring immediate revenue growth and price synergy opportunities, with our initial estimates of a contribution of several hundred million dollars for both airlines over a better five years,” said James Hogan, Etihad chief executive.

    Etihad will buy 27.3 million new shares of Jet at 754.74 rupees per share, a 31.7 per cent premium to Jet’s closing share price on Tuesday, and obtain 24 per cent of Jet’s expanded share capital.

    Etihad can even invest one other $150 million in Jet’s frequent flyer program and spend $70 million to shop for Jet’s three pairs of Heathrow slots in the course of the sale and leaseback agreement announced in February.

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  • Swiss-Belhotel signs Saudi property

    Swiss-Belhotel International, certainly one of Asia’s leading mid-scale hotel operators, has added a brand new Saudi hotel project to its growing Middle East portfolio with the official signing of a 126-room hotel in Riyadh’s new financial district.

    Sheikh Abdallah Al Jumaiah and Khaled Al Jumaiah, president and vice chairman respectively of owning company, the Al Jumaiah Group, Gavin Faull, chairman and president and Ghassan Aridi, chief executive, Alpha Tours signed the management agreement.

    “As the economic capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh captures considerable inbound demand, and the signing of a second property gives us guaranteed city-wide coverage and access to a burgeoning corporate base to drive solid and sustained business growth,” said Faull.

    According to a press release issued by Sheikh Abdallah, the Al Jumaiah Group is specializing in providing creative value in each of its projects, and developing a suite of properties that features four-star, luxury and boutique hotels.

    “The co-branding with Swiss-Belhotel International will power our development forward through a partnership where all sides understand the wishes of the hospitality market and might delivers an excellent product to our global customers,” he remarked.

    Saudi Arabia is anticipated to deliver 1,182 new internationally branded hotels into the market by 2015 in line with a Colliers International October 2012 market report, with potential for an extra 34,882 mid-scale hotel guestrooms after 2015, located in both primary and second tier cities.

    “Internationally branded economy hotels are a good match for the demographic profile of the Saudi market and Swiss-Belhotel International’s modern product is both culturally suitable for local families in addition to appealing to international visitors, with its competitive pricing model,” said Faull.

    “With a limited supply of quality internationally branded economy hotels inside the Kingdom this can be a timely opportunity for us to cement the status of the emblem available in the market,” added Faull.

    Located at the busy King Fahd Street, only one kilometre from King Abdullah Financial City district, the 126-room hotel Swiss-Belhotel Riyadh is scheduled to open in September 2014.