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  • News: WTTC: Abu Dhabi tourism growth outpacing global average

    New economic research released by the realm Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows tourism within the UAE is growing significantly faster than the arena GDP growth average.

    The findings may be discussed intimately as tourism leaders from worldwide meet in Abu Dhabi for WTTC Global Summit, which begins today.

    The tourism industry contributed 14 per cent to the UAE economy in 2012 – well above the worldwide trend of nine per cent.

    Taking account of direct, indirect and induced impacts, AED193.6 billion of the UAE’s GDP came from the industry in 2012 and that contribution is predicted to rise by 3.2 per cent by the tip of the year.

    One in nine of all jobs inside the country are caused by the industry, which beats the worldwide average of 1 in eleven jobs.

    A total of 383,500 jobs were supported by travel and tourism within the UAE in 2012 and by the top of this year, the number is anticipated to further rise by 2.6 per cent to 393,500 jobs, compared with an international expected increase of one.7 per cent.

    Nearly 1 / 4 – 23 per cent – of the country’s total investment in 2012 – AED82.8bn – was directed into the industry last year and investment is determined to extend by an extra 12 per cent this year.

    David Scowsill, president and chief executive of WTTC, said: “As the UAE looks to diversify its economy, this is fully embracing the social and economic benefits of tourism and reaping the rewards already from its strong investment.

    “This is one it’s because WTTC selected Abu Dhabi for our Global Summit.
     
    Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), that is hosting the Summit in conjunction with Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national carrier, says the diversification of career opportunities which the tourism sector holds out for the Emirati workforce is a key element inside the emirate’s plans to construct a sustainable tourism industry.

    HE Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general, TCA Abu Dhabi, said: “We are increasingly seeing Emiratis becoming considering this sector, which have been identified as a key economic diversification driver within the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan.

    “This involvement is taking the shape of Emirati entrepreneurs launching their very own tourism-related SMEs, with assistance from the Khalifa Fund For Enterprise Development, others taking on posts within airlines, the airport, TCA Abu Dhabi, the hospitality sector and within Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company.

    “We have activated quite a lot of initiatives aimed toward introducing UAE nationals to the varied opportunities that exist throughout the travel and tourism sector and expect their participation to keep growing.”

    By 2023, international tourist arrivals to the rustic are forecast to total 25.8 million, generating visitor expenditure of AED207.1 billion, a rise of 5 per cent every year.

    Scowsill continued: “It’s clear that the industry goes to be a major driver of growth and employment in Abu Dhabi for the following decade.

    “Its purposeful sustainable tourism approach will see it achieve its full potential of changing into an international class tourism destination within the next ten years.”

  • News: WTTC: Hospitality comes home to Abu Dhabi

    The World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit – essentially the most influential event at the annual travel and tourism industry’s international calendar – which began its 13th edition within the UAE capital today, has returned to the house of hospitality, in step with His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

    Welcoming the collection of just about 1,000 industry leaders, including keynote speaker, president Bill Clinton, to Abu Dhabi, Al Muhairi said the staging of the summit inside the UAE capital represented a key milestone within the emirate’s tourism evolution.

    “Since Abu Dhabi began its tourism journey almost nine years ago, we now have achieved various milestones. This summit ranks among them,” said Al Muhairi.

    “When we began our journey we received a polite, yet if we’re honest, a slightly skeptical welcome onto the tourism scene.

    “Some saw us as dreamers, others as overly ambitious and under-developed.

    “They looked as if it would forget that that’s where the idea that of travellers hospitality began.”

    Al Muhairi cited the Arabian Gulf’s reputation for taking hospitality to legendary proportions.

    “It is here that hospitality was required by sheer lifestyle and tradition. A traveller, regardless of who, or where from, was obliged to accept food and shelter for no less than three days before he continued his journey,” he explained.

    “The adventurer Wilfred Thesiger, who we recall with fondness as Mubarak Bin London, recorded how, in his crossings of our Liwa desert, his unsuspecting hosts would often go without sustenance to guarantee he slept, and ate, well and gathered his strength for trials ahead.

    “This region is rich with hospitality heritage. It’s a part of a past we’re happy with and, we believe, integral to the longer term ahead.”

    Al Muhairi said in jointly hosting the summit with Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi was seeking to the international industry to see beyond its differences and interact to enhance the standard of life for destinations and their people.

    “What you are going to experience over the 2 days isn’t simply a made from financial resources.

    “It is likewise a made from vision, labor and backbone at the a part of many that have worked to ensure you leave this summit, and this emirate, with greater understanding, knowledge and a favorable cultural experience.

    “That’s something money just can’t buy,” said the director general.

    The 13th Global Summit’s theme of ‘A Time For Leadership’ also resonated well with Abu Dhabi, and the UAE, that’s blessed with visionary leaders, said Al Muhairi.

  • Courtyard by Marriott plans first hotel in Colombia

    Marriott International plans to open the primary Courtyard by Marriott brand hotel in Bogota, Colombia. Opening in April 2014, the 146-room Courtyard hotel on Avenida El Dorado may be portion of a mixed-use complex which may include prime office and retail space.

  • News: Emirates set to launch first transatlantic flight

    Connecting mainland Europe with North America, Emirates will launch a right away service between Milan and Big apple, the airline’s only trans-Atlantic service, from October 1st 2013.

    Linking Italy directly with America, the brand new route will provide a great connection between Continental Europe and the usa, allowing Emirates to capitalise at the significant traffic flow between these cities and giving both leisure and business travellers more choice and added convenience.

    In addition to the present passenger market between Milan and Manhattan, Emirates has timed its flight schedule to make sure maximum connectivity for other key feeder markets.

    Customers across Europe trying to fly at the airline’s product would be ready to maximise the airline’s frequent flyer partnership with easyJet, seamlessly connecting through Milan to The big apple.

    On arrival within the US, customers can then make the most Emirates’ partnership with JetBlue enabling connections around the US, including the West Coast.

    “Operating a trans-Atlantic route have been on our agenda for your time.

    “Having carefully monitored traffic flows we’ve got identified strong demand for both an immediate connection and, importantly, for the Emirates product. 

    “The route is currently underserved, particularly with a robust premium product offering it is where we see a transparent opening for Emirates.

    “We intend to capitalise in this opportunity, stimulating further demand and inspiring additional traffic flow in both directions,” said Tim Clark, president, Emirates.

    Operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, the flight may be an extension of 1 of Emirates’ existing three daily, Dubai to Milan flights.

    The service will originate in Dubai with passengers then ready to enjoy a stopover in Milan en-path to Long island.

    On the return flight, passengers can have the choice of forestalling in Milan before continuing directly to Dubai. 

    This one-stop service has proved popular on other Emirates’ routes, giving passengers the chance to experience a brand new destination or to damage their journey on longer trips.

  • News: Amadeus acquires Hitit Loyalty

    Amadeus has announced it has acquired the CRM and loyalty solutions division of Turkey-based Hitit Computer Services.

    Hitit Loyalty is the market leader within the airline loyalty space, when it comes to customers.

    The acquisition will lead to Hitit Loyalty’s operations becoming fully integrated into Amadeus’ Airline IT business.

    At present greater than half Hitit Loyalty’s existing customers also are Altéa users.

    The acquisition underlines Amadeus’ continuing investment in its growing Airline IT business.

    It will allow Amadeus to expand and diversify its existing IT solution portfolio, while addressing airlines’ key business objectives relating to the expansion and function in their customer loyalty programs in addition to their broader customer-centric and personalization strategies.

    Amadeus intends to exploit the purchase to drive a brand new IT revenue stream by adding and embellishing loyalty capability to optimise the attraction and retention of loyal airline customers inside the airline value chain and thru all stages and interactions of customers’ journeys.

    This diversification will span airlines’ frequent flyer, corporate, partnership and alliance management needs.

    Amadeus will in 2013 integrate Hitit Loyalty’s system with its Altéa suite.

    This integrated offer may be further enhanced by 2015 to deliver even richer business benefits for airlines and their customers.

    Hitit Loyalty products should be available both as an add-on module to Amadeus Altéa in addition to a stand-alone product, so as to help expand the company’s business with non-Altéa airlines.

    Hitit Loyalty has a powerful management and R&D team that will stay in Turkey, joining the present Amadeus local team of developers and commercial support staff.

    Apart from the Loyalty Division’s acquisition by Amadeus, Hitit Computer Services, will remain unchanged and should continue to function with the former shareholder structure, offering core airline solutions as before.