James Kfouri wins Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup – 26/11/09

UAE. James Kfouri, General Manager Sales & Marketing for Australian confectionery company Paton’s, won the 2009 Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup, which concluded today. The popular Australian travel retail industry executive scored 75 stableford points over the two-day tournament, played at The Montgomerie Dubai and the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. In his acceptance speech Kfouri thanked Dubai Duty Free for their tremendous hospitality in organising and hosting the industry’s premier sporting and social event. Later he told The Moodie Report: “It’s an unbelievable moment. It’s been fantastically organised by Dubai Duty Free – an absolute credit to the industry." We'll bring you a full report on the event, including an extensive Picture Gallery, early next week.

UAE air travellers planning more long haul trips - survey

A survey of air passengers travelling from the UAE has revealed that long haul leisure trips are back on the agenda following a dramatic cut-back during the global downturn.The YouGov Siraj poll of more than 1,200 leisure and business travellers showed that 31 percent of respondents who have been holding back are now planning to travel in the future.People were now much more optimistic about their travel plans, the survey said with 46 percent planning long haul business trips and 35 percent for leisure purposes in the next few month. :Article Source:arabianbusiness.com

BA offers UAE businesses free luxury travel

British Airways is encouraging small to medium sized businesses in the UAE to enter a competition, which will see 30 lucky winners awarded with a year’s worth of free travel, 10 of which will be business class tickets. The Business Opportunity Grants initiative has been launched to help stimulate local business and get executives travelling again following a slump in corporate travel during the recession. British Airways area commercial manager, Middle East Paolo De Renzis The grants will offer winning companies the opportunity to travel overseas and conduct face-to-face business meetings, after it was revealed by a recent Harvard Business Review study that 95% of businesspeople said they believed that face to face meetings were the key to building successful long-term relationships. British Airways area commercial manager, Middle East Paolo De Renzis said cuts in travel budgets had reduced the number of face to face meetings arranged by companies, during 2009 Businesses are facing the biggest economic downturn since 1929. People are making cutbacks and travel budgets are the first to be squeezed. “But reducing face to face contact cannot last forever. It is necessary to cement good working relationships, particularly in the UAE and a lot of people have lost sight of that. “British Airways Business Opportunity Grants help these businesses increase their revenues, and help with their strategic growth plans.” The airline is hoping hundreds of SMEs based in the UAE will apply for the chance to win by stating their expansion and growth plans for 2010. In addition, BA is also taking the opportunity to publicise its Club World product to entrants. “We are hoping that businesses and their partners and colleagues will be attracted to the benefits of our Club World business class tickets,” said De Renzis. “British Airways’ business class cabin allows travellers to arrive at those meetings relaxed, refreshed and ready for action.” The online competition closes on January 15, 2010, and winners will be notified by the end of February. The judging panel will be made up of SME directors based in the UAE. :Article Source:arabiansupplychain.com

International travel catering industry generates new business opportunities in UAE

The three-day show, which was opened by His Excellency Khalid Ahmed bin Sulayem, Director General, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), is the only dedicated travel catering services exhibition in the Middle East, Africa and Indian sub-continent providing opportunities for companies to generate new business and drive growth in the region's travel industry. A recent report from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) stated that the contribution of travel and tourism to the UAE's GDP is expected to stabilise at 20.2% in 2009, a value of Dhs178.7bn. The ITCA Dubai Exhibition takes place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre until 18 November 2009. "We would like to thank His Excellency Khalid Ahmed bin Sulayem for inaugurating this year's show and setting the tone for a busy three days of serious business and knowledge exchange which will help invigorate the travel catering industry in the Middle East," said Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre. Nearly 50 companies from 18 countries are exhibiting at this year's show from across the travel catering market looking to cement lasting trade relations and generate new business in the Middle East's booming travel sector. The show also includes the prestigious ITCA Dubai Conference, organised by the International Catering Association (ITCA). "It is interesting to note that the association has chosen the theme 'Green Shoots in the Desert' for the ITCA Dubai Conference this year. It is a clear acknowledgment that the region is delivering positive growth and remains one of the most important markets for suppliers, especially as trading conditions are so fragile in the rest of the world," he added. Key speakers at this year's event include Terry Daly, Division Senior Vice President, Service Delivery, Emirates, who will be speaking on the latest upgrades which will be made to the A380; David Young, President, ITCA; Neil James, Executive Director, Corp Sales & Product Management, Panasonic and Basel Arrar, Chairman & CEO, Royal Wings Aviation Services. Now in its fourth year, ITCA Dubai has rapidly expanded in recent years to bring together the entire travel catering market, representing Airline, Cruise, Ferry and Railway hospitality industries from across the Middle East, Africa, and Indian Subcontinent. The ITCA Dubai Exhibition is for Trade and Business Professionals only. The show is proudly supported by Emirates Airlines as official sponsor, and presented in conjunction with the prestigious ITCA Dubai Conference taking place until 18 November 2009. :Article Source:ameinfo.com

Gulf: A choice between liberalisation or recovery?

The energy can’t last forever; either it runs out, or the world turns to something else. They have the resources to do it right now. It's up to them - in this blink of an eye - to make non-oil economies.” The comment is from Dr Christopher Davidson, who has been awaiting word on publication of his book for some time. ‘Abu Dhabi, Oil and Beyond’, charts the trajectory of the energy-laden UAE capital from its Bedouin origins to the verge of preeminence. -changing him – in a 4x4. The ’s one best left to philosophy. :Article Source:independent.co.uk

Double BA Miles for British Airways Barclaycard customers in the UAE

British Airways and Barclays Bank announce the launch of a new promotion for holders of the British Airways Barclaycard. From now through January 31, 2010, card holders will earn double the usual amount of BA Miles for all purchases This offer is designed to reward loyal customers and encourage new applicants to sign up for the British Airways Barclaycard and is managed by The Mileage Company, operators of British Airways BA Miles rewards. This promotion makes it easier than ever for holders of the British Airways Barclaycard to earn miles and use them to enjoy special privileges such as cabin upgrades and reward flights to any destination on the British Airways network. "With this special promotion, British Airways - together with Barclays Bank - wish to reward our loyal cardholders and attract new customers who are frequent travellers with us," said Paolo DeRenzis, British Airways Regional Manager, Middle East. "It has been an exciting first year since we launched the British Airways Prestige Barclaycard, and we are thrilled to be able to bring our new and existing cardholders this fantastic new offer," said Zeeshan Saleem, Consumer Banking Director, Barclays Bank, UAE. "In addition to double miles, we hope they will also take advantage of some of the other benefits our card brings, including a complimentary UAE Gate card & valet parking." :Article Source:ameinfo.com

Bookings expected to increase

After a slow summer, travel agents are hoping business will pick up for the coming Eid al Adha break. The industry was hit this year by the global downturn and fears of swine flu, but things are starting to turn around and hopes are high for the Eid and National Day holidays, which begin on November 26 and end on December 3. “It’s looking a lot better,” said Premjit Bangara, the travel manager at Sharaf Travel in Dubai. “I can see signs of growth coming up again.” Prices of travel packages, which are on average between 5 per cent and 10 per cent cheaper, were helping that growth, Mr Bangara said. “That is drawing the business. It’s a bit of a last-minute market here but we are seeing a positive sign that there have been a lot of forward bookings, especially into Oman, Sri Lanka and Jordan,” he said. Bangkok was also a popular destination for the Eid break because it was relatively inexpensive, Mr Bangara added. He said uncertainty about the exact dates for Eid had limited the number of bookings, but now “we will see a lot more momentum”. But Mr Bangara said he did not expect business to be as strong as it was last year. “Last year was a good year for us in terms of business,” he said. “We were hitting the tail end of a good cycle so there was a lot of business coming through.” UAE residents’ outbound travel increased by 20 per cent last summer compared with the summer before, the Sharjah National Travel and Tourist Agency (SNTTA) said. “Eid bookings are picking up and people are looking to use the combination of Eid and the National Day [December 2] holidays to have a getaway,” said John Felix, the senior vice president at Emirates Holidays. “Interest levels are high. People who did not travel during the summer are also looking to use this opportunity to take a break.” Mr Felix said business was starting to normalise but prices still had to be competitive to attract customers, and Emirates had launched a range of promotions to several destinations. It is offering, for example, four nights in Sri Lanka from Dh2,520 per person, and a four night stay for the price of three in Shanghai from Dh3,910, with the offers including flights and accommodation. The latest YouGov travel tracker survey, conducted two months ago, showed that UAE residents had become more optimistic and were starting to plan long-haul leisure trips again for the next 12 months as confidence in the economy returned. Forty-six per cent of respondents said they would travel for business and 35 per cent for leisure. In January this year, a similar YouGov survey showed only 24 per cent of the respondents were planning to travel for business and 19 per cent for leisure. “We had seen a downturn in travel volumes previously but people are now more optimistic about travel,” said Jane Wilson, the director of travel and tourism research at YouGov. “In the previous quarter we saw travel behaviour had not changed that much, but now people are planning to splash out again and resume what they have been putting off. People are more confident spending on luxury vacations.” A shift away from business-class travel was set to continue, YouGov said, with 72 per cent of leisure travellers saying they would continue to fly economy, while more business travellers were flying premium economy. :Article Source:thenational.ae

Green tourism summit for capital

Expected to attract members of the travel industry from across the globe, the world’s first summit dedicated to “green tourism” will be held next year in Abu Dhabi.

The World Green Tourism Conference was introduced in London yesterday at the opening of the World Travel Market.

The Abu Dhabi event, created in a bid to tackle the growing environmental challenges facing the travel industry, is being organised by the UAE’s Streamline Marketing Group (SMG) in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).



Dayne Lim, the product development director of the ADTA, told a news conference in London yesterday that the event reflected the core values of the Abu Dhabi Government’s 2030 plan, which identified tourism as a key driver of economic diversification.

“It also identifies environmental sustainability as an underlying fundamental of all we do,” he said. The summit, part of a congress in December 2010 that will also embrace a green tourism exhibition, will highlight ecotourism initiatives and the solutions currently being applied in a bid to counter increasing concerns over the environmental damage being caused by travel and tourism.



Rich Theobald, from SMG, described the case for Abu Dhabi hosting the event as a “powerful” one.

“It is the capital of the UAE, easily accessible from Europe and Asia, and has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the environment by establishing a core network of organisations to address the ‘green’ issue,” he said.

“The summit will also reinforce Abu Dhabi’s very healthy reputation as a determined and tangible supporter of environmental protection. We anticipate in the long run that the congress will help establish Abu Dhabi as an international leader in responsible tourism and as a destination of choice for the environmentally aware traveller.”


The conference is expected to attract about 200 delegates from around the world while the accompanying exhibition is expected to feature about 100 companies and be visited by 1,500 travel trade professionals.

Mr Theobald said he hoped the event would help “effect change in business practices in the UAE and the Gulf region as a whole”.


:Article Source:thenational.ae

Disability is no handicap for this Emirati

Physically challenged man to travel from Sharjah to Abu Dhabi in wheelchair to Equipped with a solar powered wheelchair, Hayder Talib, director of Al Thiqah Club for the Handicapped, will travel 170 kilometres from Sharjah to Abu Dhabi.

By Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter, Gulf News Published: 00:00 November 24, 2009
Sharjah: A physically challenged Emirati man plans to take on the UAE roads to commemorate UAE National Day.

Equipped with a solar powered wheelchair, Hayder Talib, director of Al Thiqah Club for the Handicapped, will travel 170 kilometres from Sharjah to Abu Dhabi.

Talib will start the journey on November 29 at 9am near the Al Thiqah Club office in Samnan.

"The main reason why I am doing this is to raise awareness on solar powered wheelchairs. The only obstacle that people with special needs face is the lack of power sockets to recharge the chairs so that we can move around," said Talib.

Talib will be travelling in his wheelchair through Al Ittihad Road, Al Mulla Plaza underpass and then on to Al Maktoum Bridge, where his day then will end in Jumeirah. The second day of the journey will continue on to Shaikh Zayed Road up to Saih Shoaib.

The third day will involve travelling to Abu Dhabi through Al Raha Beach Mall, and on December 2 he will reach his final destination at Shaikh Zayed Mosque and pray for the founder of the UAE.


:Article Source:gulfnews.com

Airshow consolidates UAE as East-West bridge: Mohammed

The Dubai International Aerospace Exhibition continues to confirm its position as the world's major expo, said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The exhibition, which has become one of the three major aerospace shows in the world, continues to grow in terms of the number of participants, the volume of participation, the number of visitors and the quality of exhibits representing the finest products created by the human intellect in the aviation industry, he said. In a statement given to the Dira Al Watan (Nation Shield) magazine issued by the UAE Armed Forces, on the occasion of the eleventh Dubai Air Show and Aerospace Exhibition, Sheikh Mohammed said the success of the exhibition accompanies the enhancement of the position of our nation in air traffic across the world and the consolidation of its status as an international destination and a bridge between East and West. "The continued successes of the Dubai Air Show and Dubai International Aerospace Exhibition has brought it into such a level, whereby the world's major aviation firms and the companies in the fields of technology, marketing and supply and construction and management of airports, as well as senior defence officials, and civil and military aviation representatives in the friendly countries keep the event as an unchanging item on their agendas," said Sheikh Mohammed. Even as the world economy and the air travel is grappling with one of its worst periods in decades, Middle Eastern airlines are ready to soar with the opening of the five-day Dubai Airshow today. Most big names in the sector, including Airbus, Boeing, Emirates airlines, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Bombardier, Cessna, Royal Jet, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Mubadala, Dubai Airports, Dubai World Central and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, have a strong presence at the show. (With inputs from Shweta Jain) :Article Source:business24-7.ae