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  • News: Dubai International takes A380 crown

    Dubai International, the fastest growing airport in 2012 in line with OAG statistics and the second one busiest airport for international passenger traffic in line with Airports Council International data, can now claim the title because the world’s leading hub for A380 operations consistent with published airline industry flight schedule data for 2012.

    Published schedule data for 2012 shows the airport had 7,259 A380 scheduled flights to twenty-eight destinations, with all but 88 of these flights scheduled by Emirates airline, the world’s biggest operator of the double-decker aircraft.

    Taking second spot during 2012 with 6,653 A380 scheduled operations to 19 destinations was Singapore Changi.

    London Heathrow holds third position with 3,697 flights to 6 destinations followed by Frankfurt with 3,071 A380 flights to twelve destinations and Sydney with 2,697 flights to 8 destinations.

    “The opening of Concourse A earlier this year was a US$ 3 billion validation of our intention to be the world’s premiere A380 hub,” said Paul Griffiths, chief executive, Dubai Airports.

    “This new facility is purpose built for the aircraft with two-tiered gates facilitating boarding directly from the primary and business class lounges.”

    Rounding out the head ten during 2012 were Paris Charles de Gaulle (2,613 scheduled flights to 11 destinations), Hong Kong International (2,145 scheduled flights to nine destinations), L. a. (2,048 scheduled flights to seven destinations), Long island JFK (2,004 scheduled flights to 6 destinations) and Melbourne (1,710 scheduled flights to seven destinations).

    Fleet size and network structure had a right away touching on the carrier contributions to A380 scheduled operations in international hub airports.

    Although home carriers Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Air France/KLM and Emirates operate the lion’s share of super jumbo scheduled flights of their home markets, that was not the case for London Heathrow (Qantas), Hong Kong (Emirates), Ny JFK and La (Singapore Airlines).

    “Based on Emirates’ order book, the brand new Qantas A380 operation and our $7.8 billion expansion plan, Dubai International is easily placed to continue to carry the pinnacle position for A380 operations in 2013 and beyond,” added Griffiths.

  • Saadiyat Rotana Resort given green light

    Rotana has announced it’s moving forward with its development plans of the Saadiyat Rotana Resort, a plush five-star hotel set to open in 2015 on Saadiyat Beach, a nine-kilometer stretch of pristine white sand on Saadiyat island. 

    Commenting in this announcement, Nasser Al Nowais, chairman, Rotana, said: “We are delighted to announce that the outlet date of the five-star Saadiyat Rotana Resort may be in 2015 – the identical year when the highly anticipated Louvre Abu Dhabi museum is decided to open at the island.

    “The luxurious property, that will be designed with a distinctly themed atmosphere, may have great appeal, particularly among tourists who’re hunting for the type of excellent sea-facing destinations the island represents”.

    The design of the posh Rotana Resort on Saadiyat Beach with its 354 upscale rooms and suites as well as 13 beach private villas, have been creatively conceived with a feeling of space within a conceptualised vernacular architecture, contrasting with an incredibly innovative design relating to facilities and contours.

    The resort offers a personal stretch of beach, a wide range of food & beverage outlets with large meeting & conference facilities, apart from a Zen the spa at Rotana and a completely-equipped Bodylines health & fitness club.

    The impressive design draws at the rich vocabulary of Arabic architecture, and is fused with bold, contemporary architectural statements, with an emphasis on capturing the views of the sea, glimpses of the landscaped courtyards and lagoon areas.

    Large expanses of glass feature windows facilitate these magnificent sights and simultaneously contrast dramatically with solid and more traditional load-bearing walls that talk the vernacular language.

    Ali Al Hammadi, deputy managing director at Abu Dhabi Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), said: “We are confident that the recent Saadiyat Rotana Resort will add great value to our exclusive offering of luxury hotels at the island, and therefore enhance our visitors’ experience even further.

    “The vision of Saadiyat is coming to life as new projects are being realized. Saadiyat is en-path to becoming a worldwide-class tourism destination with a view to support the emirate’s hospitality sector.”

    Saadiyat, TDIC’s flagship project, has become the last word tourism hotspot following the launch of varied exciting hospitality and leisure projects that have helped secure the island’s appeal as an inviting destination for residents and visitors.

    The island’s Cultural District is determined to become home to premier cultural institutions designed by Pritzker-prize winning architects.

    These feature world-class museums with the intention to open at the island starting with the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum in 2015, followed by Zayed National Museum in 2016 and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum in 2017.

    “We have a good belief within the transformation of Saadiyat right into a premier destination as a way to significantly enhance Abu Dhabi’s overall tourism development goals and we’re proud to be managing the beautiful five-star Saadiyat Rotana Resort at the island,” added Al Nowais.

    In 2007, a survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal showed that the international travel industry has acknowledged Saadiyat as becoming one of many world’s top 10 most fashionable destinations.

  • News: Arabian Travel Market sells out in advance of annual extravaganza

    The ongoing effects of the Eurozone crisis has prompted popular Mediterranean destinations to focus on growth opportunities within the GCC markets at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) which reports a sell-out show previous to next month’s 20th anniversary event.

    The latest statistics from ATM organiser, Reed Travel Exhibitions, reveal that demand from new exhibitors at ATM, which occurs on the Dubai World Trade Centre on May 6th-9th 2013, has pushed show floor space to a record of over 22,000 square metres (sqm), a six per cent increase over last year.

    In addition there are 27 more exhibition stands than last year, up seven per cent and an outstanding 98 new companies covering over 2,160 sqm with a purpose to be exhibiting. 

    In terms of vertical sectors, technology continued to grow again this year up 34 per cent to at least one,700 sqm because the digital industry trends gather pace.

    Geographically two of the appropriate performing regions were Europe and North Africa.

    Each region has grown by 20 per cent and 36 per cent respectively to hide almost 4,000 sqm combined, or 18 per cent of the full exhibition space available, as hotels and resorts at the Mediterranean coast principally, search for a bigger share of the GCC outbound market.     

    “Exhibitor demand from countries at the Mediterranean coast, had been particularly strong this year because the tourism industries in Turkey, Morocco and Egypt turn their attention to the outbound GCC market,” said Mark Walsh, portfolio director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.

    “GCC travelers with their high disposable income levels are naturally a key target audience for Mediterranean destinations, but with traditional Western European source markets facing tough economic challenges, that can cause tourism receipts to say no, the relevance of the GCC markets becomes much more pronounced,” he added.

    According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism office in Dubai, the collection of tourists travelling to Turkey from the GCC region has increased significantly formerly few years, with over 370 per cent growth from the UAE, 331 per cent for Kuwait and almost 600 per cent from Qatar for the period to August 2012 versus 2011.

    Turkey has taken an extra 25 per cent of exhibition floor space this year, with first-time exhibitors including two regional tourism bodies – the Bursa Eskişehir Bilecik Development Agency and Dogu Karadeniz Illeri Hizmet ve Kalkinma Birligi.

    Turkey’s appeal lies not just in its cultural blend of East meets West but its accessibility, with Turkish Airlines alone connected to over 30 Gulf and Middle East destinations, enhanced by a competitive fare strategy.

    “In addition, the familiarity of recognised brands, inclusive of Jumeirah, Rotana and The Address, which understand the necessities of the center East market, are attracting both national and expatriate travelers from the GCC into Turkey,” said Walsh.

    Morocco can be seeking to the region to further develop inbound potential, with the Gulf already accounting for 30 per cent of annual visitor traffic.

    National carrier Royal Air Maroc also is reportedly desirous to pursue a strategic partnership with a regional airline, through a minority stake purchase, thereby allowing it to expand its reach into new profitable territories.

    Following a GCC tour by Moroccan monarch King Mohammed VI in late 2012, the rustic signed a five-year strategic investment partnership worth US$5 billion with the Gulf states.
    Egypt is placing similar emphasis on attracting Gulf-based travellers to its shores.

    According to tourism minister, Hisham Zaazou, Egypt is committed to restoring consumer confidence and hoping to gain pre-2010 tourism levels by the top of 2013.

    With direct routes to Spain, Italy, France, Cyprus, Greece and Tunisia, the region’s airlines also are making the Mediterranean resorts more accessible. Other new exhibitors at ATM include the Monaco Government Tourism Bureau, Libya and Turismo de Portugal.

    Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vp and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai and set to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the show has grown to become the biggest showcase of its kind within the region and among the biggest on the planet.

  • Argentina Tourist Board sponsors Argentine Ambassador’s Polo Cup

    On Sunday 7th July, leading polo players from Argentina and England played out a fifteen goal classic, on the traditional Argentine Ambassador’s Cup.

    Spectators were thrilled to witness the encounter between the hand-picked stars of Zacara and Les Lions, which ended 9-6 in favour of Zacara. The yearly match, held since 1936, was hosted on the prestigious Cowdray Park Polo Club in West Sussex, the historic home of British polo. 

    The Argentina Tourism Board (INPROTUR) sponsored the development, being an excellent chance to advertise Argentina’s high-end Luxury tourism brand. INPROTUR was represented by Belen Rodriguez Zubieta, Co-ordinator of Luxury, Golf, Polo and Snow Products, who had the chance to satisfy British and international media and key representatives of travel and polo from the united kingdom.

    Argentina hosted an institutional stand providing promotional material and knowledge to the five hundred spectators on the event. Each guest was personally presented with a present-bag of authentic Argentine crafts, including Argentine polo balls imprinted with the INPROTUR logo, and tourist information.

    The event was also sponsored by top international brands, corresponding to Gaucho, Aerolíneas Argentinas (the national airline), ExportAr, IDS and Camino Real Polo Country Club.

    The event attracted not just polo aficionados but in addition leading figures from business, politics and culture, in addition to British and international press, and tour operators. The Ambassador of the Argentine Republic within the UK, HE Alicia Castro, delivered the trophy to the winners.

    Prior to the match, the Argentine Embassy hosted a VIP lunch of traditional cuisine and fine wines for private and non-private sector opinion leaders.

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  • News: Air Europa brings Spain and Latin America to the guts of London

    Air Europa is delighted to sponsor three world-class Spanish and Latin American events in London. The exciting and unique programme kicks off this week with Camablache – One Night in Argentina (MC Motors, Dalston, 17th-18th April); followed by The London Spanish Film Festival Spring Weekend (Cine Lumiere, London, 25th-28th April), and Gaucho Polo (O2 Arena, 21st May).

    Guests across London will indulge their senses as they enjoy wine, sport and culture to a backdrop infused with the flavours and rhythms of Spain and Latin America.

    The award-winning Latin American specialist airline is renowned for making this vibrant region accessible to British and European travellers, with highly competitive prices, quick connection times and generous baggage allowance. All backed up by among the many world’s latest fleet of aircraft and 25 years’ experience offering the very best standards of shopper service.

    Likewise, as Spain’s largest privately owned airline, Air Europa is proud to attach London to Madrid and beyond with a twice-daily service from Gatwick.

    In under two hours, passengers could be in Spain’s sophisticated capital city.

    Visitors are enthralled by the lovely architecture, exquisite gastronomy and high culture of this bustling metropolis. Madrid is likewise one of the vital world’s business and shopping capitals. Additionally, the route offers British-based travellers quick connections for the airline’s long-haul operations to Latin America.

    Colin Stewart, UK General Manager for Air Europa, says: “As the airline of option to Latin America and as Spain’s leading private airline, we’re on the forefront of supporting occasions together with these. Just as we try to attach our passengers to Latin America and Spain with excellence in all areas of the flying experience, this spring we’re very happy to bring world-class Latin American and Spanish events to Britain’s capital city.”

    Colin adds: “Air Europa is the gateway for British and European passengers to arrive a giant range of destinations across Spain and Latin America, and the diversity of those events reflects this.”