Tag Archives: General Manager

Finland has been selected as the destination partner for ITB China, set to be held in Shanghai from May 16-18, 2018. Around 50 delegates from Finland, which has a strong presence on the show floor, will be representing the country at ITB China this year. Finland will also be the co-host of ITB China’s official opening dinner with some 600 guests in attendance. “Finland has proven that it is attaching great importance in enhancing Chinese tourists’ travel experience. Finland is running a multitude of visa centres in China, working on e-visa solutions for Chinese tourists and has opened up for Chinese mobile payments systems, thereby adding a lot of convenience for the Chinese visiting Finland. These are just some examples clearly proving Finland’s devotion to the Chinese travel market,” said David Axiotis, General Manager, ITB China. Paavo Virkkunen, Executive Vice President, Business Finland & Head of VisitFinland, commented, “Chinese travellers are a very important tourism source market for Finland, and the growth in visitor numbers has been impressive in recent years. We are working to enhance our partnership with travel trade partners in China to provide unqiue travel products to Chinese travellers and ITB China provides us with a great platform to present Finland to Chinese decision makers.”

Thai Airways International Public Company (THAI) has opened its new branch office under GSA-Majestic Travel & Tours LLC in Abu Dhabi at Al Falah Street. The office was inaugurated by His Excellency Komate Kamalanavin, Ambassador of Thailand along with Chantouch Srinilta, General Manager—UAE & Middle East, Henry Boutros, Area Sales Manager—UAE & Middle East, Kumar Jagadeesan, General Manager, Anta Travel and Vinit Singh, Manager, Majestic Travel & Tours. THAI flies daily from Dubai to Bangkok with smooth connections through its home base Suvarnabhumi International Airport to domestic Thailand destinations and beyond to the Far East, Asia and Australia. As the first contact point in the Kingdom of Thailand, THAI offers passengers a sublime experience and economy cabins amongst the best in the industry, with generous legroom and plush wide seats. Royal silk Business Class cabin inspired by the rich culture and heritage of Thailand offers a personal lounge-office in the clouds with customisable configurations. THAI continues to focus on the importance of consistent product development based on customer satisfaction with state-of-art services that meets customers’ needs.

Wyndham Hotel Group has become the official partner hotel of the second edition of ITB China 2018, set to take place from May 16-18 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Centre. A corresponding agreement was signed by Leo Liu, President, Greater China Wyndham Group and David Axiotis, General Manager, ITB China. The hotel group will connect brand new products and innovative services of tourism with the best industry experts in one place. With becoming the official hotel partner of China’s new marketplace for the travel industry, the Wyndham Hotel Group Greater China further solidifies its position as a leading international hospitality company. Liu said, “As one of the international leading hotel groups, Wyndham Hotel Group is pleased to partner with ITB China, a leading international travel expo, in a premier event that offers a professional take on the travel industry in a joint effort to promote its development and therefore deliver better travel experience for Chinese travellers.“ Axiotis said, “We are proud to collaborate with the Wyndham Hotel Group as partners who understands their business and markets so well. I am confident this will be a win-win partnership for both ITB China and Wyndham.”

Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, part of A.A. Al Moosa Enterprises, witnessed an increase of 10 per cent in visitor arrivals from India in 2017 and is expecting to double the growth this year. The property hopes to continue to attract and get a bigger share of this market through an aggressive marketing campaign and participation in trade shows such as SATTE, South Asia’s leading travel show set to be held in New Delhi, India from January 31 to February 2, 2018. India is the number one source market for Dubai’s inbound tourism, with 1,478,000 Indian tourists arriving in the city between January and September 2017, a 20 per cent increase over the same period in 2016. Recent reports indicated that around nine million Indians are expected to travel to the GCC by 2021, with the UAE expected to see a 10.8 per cent increase. “Golden Sands is known in the India market for the quality of service, high standard facilities and convenient location. With over 20,000 attendees this year, we’d like to take every opportunity to connect, grow and learn from our partners and meet with potential clients to discuss possible collaboration to increase our share of this attractive market,” said Mohammed Khoori, General Manager, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments.

Celebrating hospitality businesses that have earned great traveller reviews, Ghaya Grand Hotel has received a Booking.com Guest Review Award. Commenting on the accreditation, Olwin Desouza, General Manager, Ghaya Grand Hotel, said “With our wide variety of restaurant offerings, plus further competition from new restaurants opening up in Dubai, we have had to strive to be at the top of our game,” he said. “Winning the 2017 Guest Review Award demonstrates we are providing service with a smile for our guests as well as a product that delivers everything they require, whether visiting Dubai on business or leisure.” “With more than 110 million guest reviews on our platform, we not only guide travellers to find their perfect stays, but empower our accommodation partners to stay up-to-date with evolving customer expectations, including what travellers appreciate most about their property, as well as what can potentially be improved,” said Remco van Zanten, Global Director—Partner Services, Booking.com. “With our guest review awards, we congratulate, thank and honour the incredible dedication of our partners to create great guest experiences for our customers, time and time again,” he added.

In an effort to have a strong presence of sustainability initiatives, Six Senses Zighy Bay has purchased its own fleet of seven of Nissan’s Pathfinder SV 4WD Hybrid vehicles, which will transport guests to the resort and take them for extraordinary experiences in the surrounding region. Guests arriving at the border for transfer to the resort will get their first experience of the new vehicles, as they enjoy the exhilarating off-road approach to Six Senses Zighy Bay. The hybrid vehicles will also be used to take them to the resort’s fine dining experience on the mountaintop. For adventurous guests, the cars will be used for excursions to Dibba town and the resort’s own farm and to the marina to enjoy a cruise from the Dhahab yacht. Aaron McGrath, General Manager, Six Senses Zighy Bay, said, “Until now, we’ve been using vehicles from a partner over which we have no real control of their environmental credentials; something which is incredibly important to our sustainability initiatives. We reviewed the vehicles available in our market and concluded that the Pathfinder SV 4WD Hybrid would be best suited to our resort.”

Etihad Aviation Group announced a year-long programme of activities and humanitarian initiatives to mark 2018 as the Year of Zayed. Etihad Airways inaugurated its Year of Zayed activities recently by holding a flag-raising ceremony attended by employees. UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2018 the Year of Zayed, a nationwide initiative, which will highlight the UAE founding father’s unparalleled role in establishing the UAE Federation, and his local, regional and international achievements as well as his values and principles. Khaled Al Mehairbi, General Manager, Etihad Airport Ground Services, said, “We are tremendously proud of the rapid growth of Abu Dhabi and the union. All the people of the UAE will always remain the most important element of our nation’s development. This was our father Sheikh Zayed’s main objective and vision. This year is a momentous one as we honour his achievements and celebrate his legacy in Abu Dhabi and around the world.” In support of the national initiative, and to reaffirm its commitment to the UAE, Etihad has launched a strategy based on the government’s four Year of Zayed pillars- wisdom, respect, sustainability and human development.

The five-star waterfront Salalah Rotana Resort, located on the shores of the Indian Ocean, has added an additional 22 rooms to its already existing 400 key inventory, as a response to the continuous increase in guests arrival. Following its cluster-building system, a new building housing the rooms, features two room categories. Both offer ample space and an array of in-room amenities for guests’ comfort. Premium Room as its highlight directly overlooks the Indian Ocean and offers guests majestic views of the ocean. Speaking on the new addition, Hossam Kamal, General Manager, Salalah Rotana Resort asserted, “We have watched Salalah grow as a tourist destination over the years. Notably, the increase in guests to the resort have resulted in our decision to invest in the additional inventory at our five-star resort. We pride ourselves in the quality of service offered to our diverse guests.”

JA Hatta Fort Hotel celebrated the festive season in the greenest way to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the environment. Around 275 recycled car tires have been used to build a unique Christmas tree. The tree was made up of recycled car parts, recycled timbers, LED fairy lights and a GI chain. Deborah Thomson, General Manager, JA Hatta Fort Hotel, commented, “As we continue with our holiday celebrations and enjoy the festive period, it’s important that we remember the environment around us. Our ‘very green’ tree is a small reminder to keep recycling and contributing to sustainable initiatives. It’s a fun and different way to celebrate Christmas and we look forward to welcoming all our guests to JA Hatta Fort Hotel over this joyful period.”

Salalah Rotana, a five-star hotel in Oman renewed its partnership deal with Polish tour operator Itaka. The deal directly complements the government’s effort in promoting Oman as a destination of choice to travellers. The renewed partnership will see 180 guests arrive weekly to the resort. Hossam Kamal, General Manager, Salalah Rotana Resort, said, “The renewal of our partnership signifies the success of our journey with Itaka. We pride ourselves in the level of service provided by our colleagues and achieving high guest satisfaction. The Sultanate’s appeal in terms of safety, political stability and unique tourism offering continues to be an attraction for travellers to Oman. Piotr Wrzesniewski, Charter Produce Director, Itaka said “Our journey with Salalah Rotana has been a very rewarding one. The resort has been a great holiday destination to our guests with exceptional service. Oman has gained popularity in the Polish market and it is our pleasure to facilitate the movement of our guests to Oman’’.