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Asia identified as target market for in-bound and out-bound GCC travel

With the Arabian Travel Market 2002 moving into its third day, it is clear that, while business is buoyant, many operators are using the exhibition as a chance to target growth destinations - both in-bound and out-bound - for the summer months.

One of the key regions identified is Asia Pacific, and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts used yesterday's announcement that they will have three properties in the Gulf by 2005 as a launch-pad to drive brand awareness in the region.

Peggy Angeles, Vice President - Marketing, said: "We had two primary objectives at this year's ATM. The first was to establish relationships for our new property, the Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, which will open next spring and is our first outside Asia. But driving brand awareness of the hotel - and therefore of our name - in the region, will also build our brand to Arabian customers when they visit the Far East.

"This year, we took a bigger stand as a company, because we believe that Arabia will be a key growth region for us, with both in-bound and out-bound business. And so far, that belief is being borne out as we have registered a real surge in business this year. 

"Taking our principal ten hotels in Asia, located in Malaysia, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, we will have signed an incremental 12,000 room nights in these ten hotels, which represents a 15 per cent growth for us."

Also targeting Asia as a growth region is Gulf Air, which returned to ATM this year after a four-year absence. Robin Middleton, Head of World Sales and Marketing, said: "We are focusing on Asia and this year, as we feel that destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore will be extremely strong over the summer months.

"Australia will also be a key destination and we could see a record number of Gulf nationals traveling down under this summer."

Gulf Air has just announced record loads in March - with occupancy at 75.8 per cent - and that consumer buoyancy was reflected in a significant marketing drive at the exhibition, with the airline launching a number of products, including a code share agreement with Qantas that will see the regional operator handling three flights a week between Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore return.

Intra-GCC travel looks set to increase with news of an expected new governmental initiative between Dubai, Bahrain and Oman. The three nations have agreed, in principal, to facilitate multi-destination trips to the region - for tourism and commerce - with a single visit visa.

The tourism authorities met this week to clarify procedures for the proposed move, which will see a visit visa on arrival to any of the three countries becoming valid for entry into any of the other three countries.

Dr Kadhim Rajab, Assistant Under Secretary for Tourism Affairs for the Kingdom of Bahrain, said: "This has a big implication on regional travel in the business and tourism sectors by simplifying movement, and also reducing the associated cost through additional visa applications for visitors.

"As a result, we are expecting the number of multiple destination trips to increase, and are adjusting our marketing and promotion strategy to take this into account."

The exhibition's host hotel, The Fairmont, Dubai, is at its first ATM after opening, and Stephen Banks, regional director of sales and marketing reported that the hotel is expecting a buoyant summer, with intra-GCC travel on the rise. 

He said: "While we are still in a six-month opening phase, we are seeing a growth in regional traffic. Dubai is almost being sub-divided into three areas: the beach and marina as a leisure destination; Sheikh Zayed Road and the convention centre as another; with business hotels in Deira as a third."

Taking a hold of the regional business market is Le Royal Meridien, Bahrain, which was yesterday awarded 'Best Business Hotel in Bahrain' in the inaugural Business Traveller Middle East awards, presented at a prestigious ceremony held at Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

Voted for by readers of the magazine, who are regular business travellers, the award acknowledges the hard work of those involved in the travel industry in the region, according to Lichfield, who said that standards set in the Middle East are among the best in the world.

It follows an industry accolade for outstanding hotel design project, won by the Royal Spa at the Bahrain resort last month at the DEPA Middle East Hotels Awards. 

According to Le Meridien regional managing director, Sami Zoghbi, this type of recognition underlines the upscale hotel group's strategy of catering for the requirements of all types of traveller.

"At Le Meridien, we are committed to service excellence, and it is gratifying that our strategy is mirrored by those of our owners, who have invested in ground-breaking facilities such as the Royal Spa at Le Royal Meridien Bahrain - an unrivalled hotel in the kingdom that serves both as a tropical resort and a business hotel that hosts heads of state, VIPs and royalty," he said.

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