Regional online travel bookings worth $15.8 billion by 2014

ATM 2013 technology seminar series to highlight increasing shift away from traditional channels with internet bookings expected to grow by another $5.4 billion accounting for 22% of all travel bookings within two years The topic of online versus traditional booking channels will once again be a key focus at the 2013 Arabian Travel Market technology seminar sessions as organiser, Reed Travel Exhibitions, highlights the dramatic shift in consumer mindset over the last 12 months as travellers log on to technology for convenient airline and hotel bookings. A shift in the attitude of the region’s travellers to new booking channels has seen online bookings grow by almost a third in 2012 to reach just under US$10.4 billion, up 31% on 2011 figures. According to an October 2012 study from Travelport entitled ‘Assessing the Online Travel Opportunity: The Middle East’, conducted in association with global travel market research company PhoCusWright, this upward trend is predicted to continue with online bookings expected to account for 22% of all travel bookings made in the region within the next two years, with a total value of US$15.8 billion. The research, which covered online travel trends in 10 Middle East countries from 2010 to 2014, also revealed that regional online travel agencies (OTAs) are expected to grow by 18% between now and 2014, with gross booking value set to almost double from US$3.1 billion to US$5.4 billion in the next two years. “In 2011 alone, there was a 39% rise in online bookings in the region, and we are seeing a clear shift from dependence on traditional booking channels to online services as the Middle East traveller becomes more comfortable with using the Internet as a convenient and credible resource,” said Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. “Mirroring this sharp rise in the online travel marketplace, floor space in our Technology and Online Wholesalers section for next years show is already 78% sold” added Walsh. Travelport’s research document confirms the findings of a mid-year report issued by travel comparison site wego.ae, which profiled 50,000 website users. Similar to the early adoption of travel sites in Asia, Wego found that UAE travellers are taking control of their own itineraries as they search for best deals and added value. “The breakneck pace of technological development is leading the travel industry towards a completely virtual business environment. The ‘human face’ of the business needs to be successfully transplanted into the online domain by bringing both personality and functionality into play if companies are to maintain their commercial success moving forward,” said Walsh. Growing confidence in ecommerce sites and the safety of web-based transactions is also prompting an increase in interest in online travel searches, says Wego, which also saw a substantial rise in traffic and transactions following the launch of its parallel Arabic-English platforms earlier this year. “Now that wego.ae is live in Arabic, we have noticed a surge in local hotel searches and interest in a much wider mix of international flights and accommodation to over 600 destinations,” said Ross Veitch, Wego CEO and Co-Founder. According to Veitch, searches by local users for flights from Abu Dhabi have increased by 120% year-on-year, and by 106% for Dubai departures. Flight searches to neighbouring Qatar have doubled; with Saudi Arabia registering a 76% increase. Local as well as international hotel searches by UAE residents are also up 121% against 2011 figures, with Wego reporting that Dubai leads the top 20 most searched destinations (as at April 2012), with 20.2% of total share, followed by Abu Dhabi in third place at 7.7% and Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah also making the top ten. Hotel operators in the region are also vying with OTAs to drive online bookings as the market becomes increasingly competitive. “We have seen a steady increase in online hotel reservations since we opened two years ago, with 2012 year-to-date figures showing a 35% revenue increase on 2011; and we have a dedicated revenue and e-distribution manager as part of the team,” said Purnima KP, Director of Sales & Marketing, Mövenpick Hotel Deira. The 2013 Arabian Travel Market technology seminar series will once again welcome leading regional and international digital experts specialising in the travel sector, who will reveal the latest digital trends, share information on technological advancements and invite session attendees to share their own experiences and insight. Arabian Travel Market 2013 will be held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from 6-9 May 2013. For more information, go to www.arabiantravelmarket.com - Ends - Photo caption: Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. Notes to Editor For more information on Arabian Travel Market 2013 please log on to www.arabiantravelmarket.com About Reed Travel Exhibitions Arabian Travel Market is organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry. Its wide-ranging portfolio of events around the globe covers leisure travel, luxury travel, business travel and the meetings and incentives industry. Reed Travel Exhibitions also organises Abu-Dhabi based global meetings and incentive exhibition, GIBTM which takes place from 25-27 March 2013. In 2011 RTE 13 events were the catalyst for £2,807 million worth of travel and tourism business deals.  The 13 events are; World Travel Market (WTM), Arabian Travel Market (ATM), International French Travel Market (IFTM), La Cumbre, International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTMA), Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) (owned by Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau), Global Exhibition for Incentive, Business Travel, and Meetings (EIBTM), Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (GIBTM), Americas Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (AIBTM), China Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (CIBTM) and Business Travel Market. April 2013 will see RTE launch World Travel Market Latin America in São Paulo. RTE is a business unit of Reed Exhibitions. In 2011, six million participants attended RE’s 500 events in 39 countries covering 44 industry sectors from aerospace and aviation to beauty and cosmetics to sports and recreation. Reed Exhibitions is owned by Reed Elsevier, the world’s leading provider of professional information and online workflow solutions. About Reed Exhibitions Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer, with over 500 events in 39 countries. In 2011 Reed brought together six million active event participants from around the world, generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organized by 33 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 44 industry sectors with trade and consumer events and is part of the Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading publisher and information provider and a FTSE 100 company. www.reedexpo.com     For more information, please contact: Josse Dulka Senior Account Executive Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai Media City, UAE Office: +971 4 3652711 E-mail: josse@smc-pr.com

اخر الاخبار

TIME TO GIVE BACK

Hospitality group participates in breast cancer awareness walkathon, blood bank drives and health-positive menus to bring local community staff and guests together under CSR banner

Team members from across TI’ME Hotels Management portfolio of Dubai and Sharjah-based properties are lacing up their sneakers in support of Safe & Sound - Burjuman’s breast cancer awareness programme - with a 50-member contingent in training for the campaign’s ninth annual charity walkathon, which will take place on 2nd November 2012 at Zabeel Gardens. As part of the company’s long term commitment to local community and charitable initiatives, TI’ME has also joined hands with the Dubai Blood Donation Centre and Latifa Hospital, and will hold two blood donation drives at its TI’ME Oak Hotel & Suites, Tecom on 6th November and TI’ME Grand Plaza Hotel, Al Qusais, on 7th November respectively. “TIME Hotels is a young, dynamic company which takes social responsibility very seriously. Our annual calendar of CSR related events is an integral part of the TIME business philosophy, and is designed to involve team members, guests and the local community to raise awareness of the issues that affect all of us, whether they’re health related or simply a way to bring people together in pursuit of a common goal,” said Mohamed Awadalla, Area Vice President, TI’ME Hotels Management. One of the largest, most comprehensive breast cancer awareness campaigns in the Middle East, the year-round Safe & Sound programme focuses on the key message of survival through early detection and treatment, holding numerous in-mall and external events along with outreach initiatives. The TI’ME team has raised more than AED 15,000 through sponsorship for the walkathon, which is set to see over 15,000 Dubai residents pound the pavement early next month. TI’ME Hotels is also supporting the Dubai Blood Donation Centre this November, and will partner Latifa Hospital for a two-day campaign to drive awareness of the emirate’s ongoing need for blood bank donations with hotel team members, guests and local residents invited to visit the hospital’s mobile blood bank at either TI’ME Grand Plaza Hotel on 6th November or TI’ME Oak Hotel & Suites on 7th November. “Dubai Blood Donation Centre is a vital resource for all of us, whether we are residents or merely visitors in need of urgent medical attention. Latifa Hospital not only helps Thalassaemia patients, who require regular blood transfusions, but is also one of the UAE’s most prominent maternity and paediatric centres,” said Awadalla. “Our team is hugely supportive of this drive, and when planning our annual CSR calendar of activities we make it a point to get feedback and suggestions from every one of our 381 employees so that, across our six hotels, we have 100% buy-in from day one and support initiatives that we know will resonate with everyone,” he added. TI’ME is also sending out a message on healthy eating this month in support of breast cancer awareness, by introducing a selection of anti-cancer agent rich foods to its buffet menus. “The more attention we pay to what we put into our bodies, the better the chance we have of reducing the risks associated with breast cancer and other cancers. We want to flag this to our diners and what better way to do it than through creating delicious dishes that also have excellent health benefits?” remarked Chef Haytham El Sayed, Executive Sous Chef at TIME Oak Hotel & Suites Items on the menu include tofu, broccoli, chard and red cabbage, oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, shiitake mushrooms, raspberries and green tea. -ENDS- Photo Caption: Mohamed Awadalla, Area Vice President, TI’ME Hotels Management, donating AED15, 000 raised from the hotels’ staff to the Safe & Sound Foundation as part of their support for breast cancer. For more information, please log onto http://www.timehotels.ae/ . You can also follow TIME Hotels Management on: About TIME Hotels Management: TIME Hotels Management is well-capitalised with significant management expertise and has ambitions to evolve into one of the leading hospitality businesses in the UAE. TIME Hotels Management are owned by the public shareholding company Gulf General Investment Company (GGICO) and Investment Group Private Ltd (IGPL). TIME currently manage the following properties: TIME Oak Hotel & Suites in Al Barsha, Dubai TIME Grand Plaza Hotel in Al Qusais, Dubai TIME Opal Hotel Apartments, Dubai TIME Crystal Hotel Apartments, Dubai TIME Topaz Hotel Apartments, Dubai TIME Ruby Hotel Apartments, Sharjah The properties comprise a total of 745 rooms, and employ over 400 staff. Media contact: Jack Dulka Account Executive Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 3652711 Mobile: +971 50 5529104 E-mail: jack@smc-pr.com Website: www.smc-pr.com Follow SMC on:

اخر الاخبار

privatisation of Kuwait Airways Corp-oration (KAC

KUWAIT CITY: The government is expected to issue an em

ergency decree on the privatisation of Kuwait Airways Corp-oration (KAC) in the next few days, reports Al-Anba daily quoting sources. Sources revealed the decree will include stipulations on the need to protect the rights of the KAC employees, while the engineers and pilots who have been in service for more than 20 years will be given two options - to stay in the job or to retire. Sources explained if these engineers and pilots decide to retire, their indemnity will be paid but the maximum amount should be equal to 36 months salary. Sources said the decree will also obligate the new investors to pay within five years the same salaries granted to the employees prior to the privatization. Meanwhile: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported on Wednesday that the total number of passengers who have used Kuwait International Airport last September amounted to 813962 compared to 767080 passengers in September of 2011. The department's monthly statistic said the number of incoming passengers amounted to 485021 last September compared to 331820 passengers in the same month of 2011. Meanwhile the number of departing passengers amounted to 328941 last September compared to 331820 passengers in the corresponding period of 2011. The statement added that the total number of flights to and from Kuwait International Airport in September was 7,335, compared to 7,232 trips in September 2011. The number of arriving and departing commercial flights reached 6,657 flights last September compared to 6,290 trips in September of the past year. In terms of cargo traffic, the DGCA reported that the total freight last September weighed about 14.152,581 million kg compared to 15.463,548 million kg in September of 2011.

اخر الاخبار

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts gives charity something to smile about

- Over 120 volunteers from four Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in Dubai, participated in the Dubai Chamber of Commerce adopt-a-camp charity event which took place at The Dubai World Trade Centre recently. A total of 5,050 boxes were given to the charity which consisted of tooth brushes, tooth paste, prayer mats, clothes, personal hygiene products, snacks and stationery. “Everybody was so committed, packing over 5000 boxes until the early hours of the morning, it was absolutely inspiring,” said Michael Nugent, General Manager of Mövenpick Hotel Deira. Staff from the Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Bur Dubai, Mövenpick Hotel Deira, Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate and Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach gave up their free time to participate in the initiative.

اخر الاخبار

Time is ripe to invest in UAE, Saudi and Omani hotels say experts

Investment experts at AHIC 2012 highlight opportune offers in GCC hospitality climate – post-Arab Spring resilience indicative of investor sentiment Internationally renowned experts gathered at this year’s Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) and delivered a clear and consistent message: now is the right time to invest in the Gulf’s growing hotel industry – namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman. Commenting on the common thread to emerge from AHIC’s main sessions which addressed the changing geo-political landscapes in the Middle East, and its ramifications for investors and developers, Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & CEO Bench Events, Board Member STR Global said: “Dubai is setting the standard in hotel occupancy rates and sustainability; Saudi Arabia is sagaciously tapping its oil funds to lead the way in religious tourism and prudently diversifying its contribution to GDP away from hydrocarbon revenues; and Oman – the often mentioned ‘dark horse’ at the conference – presents a landscape fertile for hospitality development. “The investment that is now being directed into Oman’s hospitality infrastructure – such as the planned expansion of the Muscat International Airport, with the upgrading of the Seeb International Airport for instance – shows that the country’s ambition to flourish into a tourism hotspot is finally matching its unrivalled natural beauty and un-crowded, serene coastline. Echoing Worsley’s sentiment, Kurt Ritter, CEO and President The Rezidor Hotel Group, said: “With the strong performance of the UAE and Saudi Arabia last year it is clear that now is the time to further invest in these key countries.” Adding further weight to the case to invest in Oman, Salman Haider, Managing Director, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said: “Given the opportunities offered by Oman, we are currently working on three proposed hotels in The Wave – our master-planned community in the Sultanate.” And concurring with the prevailing sentiment from the conference halls, Joe Sita, President, IFA Hotel Investments, promoting the new airport hotel brand YOTEL said: “Throughout the conference we saw interesting possibilities come to light in all three of these markets [UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman] – we see a future for the YOTEL brand in each.” Meanwhile, in his introductory speech to the conference Nenad Pacek, Founder and President of Global Success Advisers Ltd. highlighting that competition is heating up in the Middle East hotel investment sector, saying speed and efficiency are vital for hotel developers and investors in the region. “To accelerate your growth you need to embed speed and urgency into your response to the competitive challenge in high-growth emerging markets in MENA. Speed is of the essence,” he explained. Pacek also said that the oil-exporting markets are doing very well by global standards, adding that the Middle East is not a homogenous region: “They have savings of about $2.2 trillion: a phenomenal amount of money. And their fundamentals are good. “You cannot talk about the region as one entity. Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest growing markets globally: we are seeing growth in some Saudi businesses of more than 30 per cent.” And in a nod to the other major player in the region’s hospitality industry Pacek remarked: “Dubai has recovered well and has been helped by the phenomenal growth in the emirate’s tourism. “The UAE will grow by about 4 per cent in real terms in 2012, and perhaps this year and next we may see a return to some of the investments that have been postponed in Abu Dhabi.” Following the seismic shift in the Middle East’s socio-political landscape in the wake of the Arab Spring, the ‘Investment Climate in the New Arab World’ conference at AHIC 2012 emphasised that the strong tourism fundamentals of the region are still in-place and recovery is only a matter of time. “The fundamentals are the same. Sinai is still a great place to go for diving and the fish have not gone away,” Paul Pisani, Senior Vice President, hotel development, Corinthia Hotels, addressing delegates at the event. Meanwhile at AHIC, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, Egypt's Minister of Tourism, discussing the impact of the Arab Spring and the popular uprisings against Hosni Mubarak that have inundated Egyptian society for more than a year now, said in the ‘A hard talk on demand’ conference that tourism numbers to the pharoanic capital are recovering. “The tourism sector is too important for it to be jeopardised by this or that political party. We are hopeful that at the end of the electoral process in June we will see a substantial increase [in tourism numbers]. Our plan is to get back to the figures in 2010 and to get 14.5 million tourists this year and create the environment and capacity to receive some 30 million tourists by 2017,” he said. A highlight at this year’s AHIC was the ‘A Focus on Investment Opportunities Outside of the Middle East’ conference, which considered demographics worth tapping outside the region. During the symposium, Enrique Carillo Lavat, CEO FONTAUR said Mexico will sign a double taxation agreement with the UAE and aims to secure direct flights from Gulf destinations to the South American continent. “Mexico hopes for direct flights from the Gulf – we are working on it,” Lavat remarked, as he noted that Mexico aims to double its number of foreign tourists from 23 million last year. Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, organiser MEED Events in partnership with Bench Events attracted more than 80 speakers and over 500 local and international delegates representing more than 40 countries who attended the three-day conference.

اخر الاخبار

Mövenpick Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel – Dubai introduces Oriental entertainment offerings

Dubai, (UAE), 25th April 2012 - Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel in Dubai, managed by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, is looking East by launching authentic oriental services which includes traditional Chinese dining and entertainment options to attract Chinese visitors. With the ever increasing growth in population of Chinese expats within the UAE, and China expecting to produce over 100 million outbound travellers by 2020, the Chinese market is much sought after within the Middle East. Known in China as “The Gate of the Six Countries”, the themed hotel already has an advantage with the Chinese market due to its connection with the travels of the famous explorer – Ibn Battuta. “Ibn Battuta landed in China in 1346 and he travelled as far inland as Beijing and so he is known by the Chinese. In recognition of that, we have used an oriental theme to redecorate our eighth floor - the number eight in Chinese culture is considered very lucky, furthermore we have 88 arabesque lanterns installed in our Al Bahou Hall as well as a Chinese suite,” said Andrew Hughes, director of sales and marketing, Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel. China remains to be one of the strong key markets for the hotel and is now the third biggest market after United Kingdom and Germany with the Chinese leisure and corporate visitor-base growing steadily. “We have taken into account that to be successful in the Chinese market requires a deep understanding of the Chinese culture which is translated through our services and even physical elements such as our architecture which have made us a success story within this market.” continues Hughes. Furthermore, over 20 Chinese speaking staff has been employed to offer value added services to the increasing Chinese visitors. Today, the hotel expects 6 to 7 percent of its market share to come from the Chinese market. Chinese guests staying at ‘the Gate’ will be presented with a social media card, which provides details of the hotels ‘Weibo’ page (a popular micro-blog used in China), a qq account (a popular instant messaging service used by the Chinese) and a link to the hotels web page that explains the history of the hotel in Mandarin. Guests will also be able to feel closer to home as the hotel now has two Mahjong tables which are placed in the Al Bahou hall and outside the hotel’s Chinese restaurant – Shanghai Chic. Mahjong is the most popular game in China. “Our aim for acquiring the Mahjong tables is for us to provide a new form of entertainment to our guests. A number of our Chinese speaking employees actually plays Mahjong regularly and will be able to teach guests how to play, we will also be starting a Mahjong club for the local residents after the summer,” added Hughes. The Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel as part of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has launched the “Endless Sunshine” offer valid from 25th May until 31st August 2012 where guests can enjoy a cool 25% discount on the hotel’s summer rates, which start from AED 625, excluding municipality fees and service charge. You can catch Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel at the Arabian Travel Market on the Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts stand (HC3840) in Sheikh Saeed Hall 2. For further information, visit www.moevenpick-hotels.com/dubai-ibn-battuta or email: reservations.ibnbattuta@moevenpick.com.

اخر الاخبار

ictp and the table of international resolutions

The road to expansion of the thought of green tourism, not just new concepts, which refer to the importance of the environmental dimension and stimulate the attic only by tourism enterprises and international organizations, but that this thought the green as it is called a global frame is mental to the growth of the green and the face to address these devastating effects which hatched the environment and threaten the future of humanity, and despite the fact that these concepts I kept crawling slowly on the table of international resolutions and in the organization meetings, international tourism, but the feasibility of the real desired did not reach the degree of ambition required, although it has taken to this end many of the decisions working to integrate this growth in green infrastructure, tourism, All results were not at the level of the target in any way, but it could be argued, particularly in the Arab region, especially Egypt, we find that this growth is green and environmental thought to exceed mere wishes and goals may be the suggestions of officials without identify methods and mechanisms that must be ways to reach it, and because of that interest in green growth is just government decisions did not arrive then to scale the People and the initiatives of civil society, and thought, societal awareness, so it was sought international organizations to deal with Tourism in the base of the pyramid Pavradh the world and its organizations and civil society, therefore, a Professor Jeffrey Lipman, Deputy Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization, the establishment of International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP). To handle to activate the growth of green through those who are not on the table of global decisions, from tourism experts, organizations, academics and activation of various initiatives to address environmental challenges in practical ways, to Atagaf only at the edge of wishes or protest, not to achieve, but in practical ways to address pressing enough to work to consolidate the concepts green growth, and make it a tool development and the development of the purposes of tourism in the world, and where I am honored member of this international organization and the head of one of the Egyptian civil society organizations working in the field of tourism awareness, I find that the importance of spreading this awareness in Egypt must be through several routes out of the context tracks the official plagued currently a problem in its credibility with respect to those things, Initiatives, social and cultural rights in Egypt attract more supporters of the importance of growth green and can deal directly in the face of these environmental challenges, as long as it was investigating its return and the benefit and sustainable return on a development and marketing, and can increase the value of excellence of the Egyptian tourist destination, and can be had the methods to attract international and Egyptian brands that the contribution is not new in dealing with this green growth, and that the monitors in taking their way to activate this growth in the green part of the environmental thought

اخر الاخبار

Giving aviation the freedom to succeed

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments and other stakeholders in Latin America to unite to give aviation the freedom to succeed by improving aviation safety, making badly needed investments in infrastructure and reducing the heavy tax burden on the industry. “The freedom to succeed depends on having the right conditions in place. Many of those conditions are beyond the control of the airlines- or at least require industry and government to work together with a common vision and purpose,” said IATA Director General and CEO Tony Tyler. Tyler urged governments to use aviation as a catalyst for economic growth and development in the region. Aviation supports more than 4.6 million jobs and $107 billion in GDP in the Latin America/Caribbean region. But this could be much more. Americans travel an average of 1.8 times a year. Chile has the region’s highest propensity to travel. But it is still at 0.7 trips per year. “There is great potential to be achieved if we work closely with governments to secure our future,” said Tyler. Tyler noted that IATA is strongly aligned with the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) to enable aviation to achieve its economic potential. “ALTA is a partner of IATA in this region and we are working in harmony to move aviation forward.” Tyler identified three areas that are vital to enabling aviation to fulfill its economic potential in the region. Safety: “The freedom to succeed begins with safety because without it success is not sustainable. Earlier this month, we announced our analysis of the industry’s 2011 safety performance. It was a stellar year- the best in history: 2.8 billion people flew safely on 38 million flights.” However, Tyler noted that the picture in the Latin America/Caribbean region was not as bright. “Although Latin American airlines achieved a 32% improvement in the Western-built jet hull loss rate compared to 2010, the 2011 performance was still 3.5 times worse than the global rate. LATAM traffic is 6% of the global total but it accounted for 27% of jet hull losses. If this does not improve, then the current rate of traffic growth means that in six years, carriers here will experience a major accident every eight weeks. Clearly that is not sustainable.” “If Latin American aviation is to continue to deliver on its immense promise, safety must be addressed as a community working in partnership with government. And global standards must be at the heart of our joint efforts.” Tyler cited the success of the IATA Operational Safety Audit, which is a condition for membership in both IATA and ALTA, as a means of improving safety. “The accident rate for non-IOSA carriers in LatAm is five times worse than for those airlines that have met the standards. Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama recognize this and have incorporated IOSA into their safety oversight. Peru is expected to follow in 2014. I cannot understand why all Latin American governments don’t do the same. It can only help.” Following on from IOSA is the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO). It is improving safety and helping reduce the $4 billion annual cost of ground damage. Eleven airports and four safety regulators in the region have given their formal support. Four airlines are part of the audit pool with others expected to join shortly. Tyler noted the importance of information sharing to identify emerging safety trends and take actions to mitigate risks. “On this, IATA and ALTA are working hand-in-hand, with a landmark agreement enabling all ALTA members to contribute to and benefit from IATA’s Global Safety Information Center (GSIC).” Security: “A decade after the tragic events of 9.11, we are much more secure but perhaps not equally wiser in the way that we accomplish passenger security. Does the security experience of long lines -which is a particular issue at several large hub airports in Latin America—plus unpacking, disrobing and often intrusive checks, need to be that way?” Tyler cited IATA’s Checkpoint of the Future that will differentiate screening using passenger information that is already being collected for immigration purposes. This will be combined with technology that allows passengers to walk through checkpoints without stopping, disrobing or unpacking. Tyler cited the need to harmonize passenger data exchange within the region. “As with safety, security needs global standards. Many of the LATAM programs for passenger and cargo data require non-standardized data exchange methods that cannot be supported by airlines. And even if they could, the systems would be inefficient and not in harmony with the rest of the world. IATA is working to educate authorities on the need for change and providing alternatives.” Infrastructure: Tyler said that aviation’s sustainability is also highly dependent on adequate airport and air traffic management infrastructure. “To be candid, I have big concerns about this region. Infrastructure clearly is deficient in many countries but I do not see a level of urgency among governments to fix it with holistic solutions. Bottlenecks created from neglect and underinvestment could choke future growth.” Tyler noted the recent airport privatizations in Brazil are intended to help that country fast track much needed investment in airport infrastructure ahead of the FIFA World Cup and Olympics events. However, the high prices paid by the new airport investors for the concessions are a matter of concern. “The investment must be recouped through efficiency improvements that enable traffic growth, not in higher charges to airlines,” said Tyler. Tyler also cited the need to open more airspace that is currently restricted to military use and to reduce the heavy fees and user charges imposed on travel and tourism across the region. “At least $4 billion is collected from airlines and their customers. There is very little transparency on what happens to that money. But a best guess is that less than a third stays within the sector.” “The future is bright for Latin American aviation. Now, governments in the region need to do their part by working with all stakeholders in the areas of safety, security, infrastructure and charges to ensure that the freedom to succeed is not an empty phrase. IATA is a willing and able partner in this effort,” Tyler said

اخر الاخبار

Rising oil prices reducing airline profits

The IATA announced a downgrade to its industry outlook for 2012 primarily due to rising oil prices and expects airlines to turn a global profit of $3.0 billion in 2012 for a 0.5% margin. This $500 million downgrade from the December forecast is primarily driven by a rise in the expected average price of oil to $115 per barrel, up from the previously forecast $99. Several factors prevented a more significant downgrade: (1) the avoidance of a significant worsening of the Eurozone crisis, (2) improvement in the US economy, (3) cargo market stabilization and (4) slower than expected capacity expansion. “2012 continues to be a challenging year for airlines. The risk of a worsening Eurozone crisis has been replaced by an equally toxic risk—rising oil prices. Already the damage is being felt with a downgrade in industry profits to $3.0 billion,’’ said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO. Airline performance is closely tied to global GDP growth. Historically, when GDP growth drops below 2.0%, the global airline industry returns a collective loss. “With GDP growth projections now at 2.0% and an anemic margin of 0.5%, it will not take much of a shock to push the industry into the red for 2012,” said Tyler. IATA revised upwards its estimated profits for 2011 to $7.9 billion from the previously forecast $6.9 billion. This was primarily owing to the much better than expected performance of Chinese carriers. Key Forecast Drivers Oil Price: The major driver of reduced profitability is rising oil prices. In December 2011, the consensus forecast for 2012 stood at $99/barrel for Brent crude. The average price year-to-date is approaching $120 and the consensus forecast for the year has been revised to $115 (from the $99 previously forecast). This will push fuel to 34% of average operating costs and see the overall industry fuel bill rise to $213 billion. Political tensions in the Gulf region increase the risk of significantly higher oil prices, the implications of which could put the industry into losses (see separate scenario described later in this release). Asset Utilization: Overall capacity (passenger and cargo combined) is expected to grow by 3.2% in 2012 (based on announced schedules) which is behind the 3.6% expected expansion in demand. This is a reversal of the expectation in December of capacity expansion (3.1%) outstripping demand (2.9%). Both passenger load factors and aircraft utilization have returned to or above pre-recession levels. In January the passenger load factor stood at 76.6%, which is more than 2 percentage points higher than pre-recession levels. The average hours flown by passenger aircraft is also close to pre-recession peak utilization rates. Asset utilization in freight markets is more difficult to manage as around 40% of cargo capacity is in the belly of passenger aircraft, responding to different market pressures. Freight load factors in January were 6% lower than the 2010 peak and average hours flown by freighter aircraft were down 11%. Passenger Demand: Passenger demand is expected to grow by 4.2%, which is 0.2 percentage points ahead of the December forecast. January premium traveler numbers were up 2.9% on previous year levels, while economy class travelers grew by 6.1%. This reflects stronger business and consumer confidence in the US and Asia-Pacific. Cargo Markets: Cargo markets stabilized at low levels in the fourth quarter of 2011. The pattern of rising sea freight and low level of air cargo is linked to Asian economies buying bulk commodities while Western consumer confidence is weak. Reduced pessimism among purchasing managers is expected to support a moderate upturn in air cargo during the second half of the year. Yields: In December yields were forecast to be flat in 2012 for both passenger and cargo. Higher fuel costs, tighter capacity management in passenger markets and the stabilization of freight markets is now expected to drive a 2.0% yield improvement in 2012 for both passenger and cargo. Regional Performance All regions will see reduced profitability in 2012 compared to 2011, and Europe and Africa will see losses. European carriers by far face the most difficult situation among the regions. The outlook remains unchanged from December with the expectation of a $600 million net loss and an EBIT margin of 0.3% of revenues. While it appears that a major worsening of the Eurozone crisis has been averted, many European economies are in deep recession which will see continued weakness in both the cargo and passenger business. At the same time air travel is being hit by taxation and the cost of the EU ETS. North American carriers are expected to deliver a profit of $900 million, down from the previously forecast $1.7 billion. The 2.0% EBIT margin shares top position with Asia-Pacific carriers. Higher fuel costs are responsible for the downgrade, but airlines in this region will see the smallest deterioration from last year’s performance among the major regions, as a result of the very small increases in capacity expected. Asia Pacific carriers continue to perform well. Better than expected performance in 2011, particularly by the Chinese carriers—saw an upward revision of 2011 profits to $4.8 billion (from the previous estimate of $3.3 billion). For 2012, the region’s airlines are expected to again deliver the largest absolute profit--$2.3 billion—which is $200 million more than estimated in December. Higher fuel costs will more than halve profits this year but the region’s relatively strong economies will continue to generate more rapid growth in travel and cargo than the other large regions. Middle East carriers are expected to see profits of $500 million (up from the previously forecast $300 million). Financial performance was already seen to be better than previously expected in 2011, with an upgrade from $400 million to $1 billion. In the passenger business, load factors have improved by a slowdown in the introduction of new capacity, and long haul markets have been relatively robust. Latin American profits are expected to be $100 million, unchanged from the previous forecast. Performance is mixed across the region, but intense competition in some major markets and slowing economies will make it more challenging for the region’s airlines to recover the increase in fuel costs they face this year. African carriers are still expected to see losses of $100 million, unchanged from the previous forecast. Some of the region’s economies are growing strongly and generating expanding demand for air transport. However, passenger and freight load factors are very low on average for airlines in this region which will make it difficult to recover the rise in fuel costs. Fuel Price Spike A number of commentators have pointed to a scenario where an escalation of the crisis in Iran could see the closure of the Strait of Hormuz cutting off vital supply links for oil. In this scenario, oil prices could spike at $150/barrel for Brent crude mid-year, for a full year average of $135. In such a scenario, global GDP growth would fall to 1.7%, plunging the entire industry towards losses of over $5 billion. “While we have seen some improvements in economic prospects any further significant rise in the fuel price will almost certainly turn weak profits into losses,” said Tyler. The Broader Context—A More Strategic Approach by Governments IATA called for governments to take a more strategic approach to the aviation industry. “Airlines are buffeted by many forces beyond their control. Today’s forecast demonstrates just how quickly the operating environment can change. Four months ago the biggest worry was a European financial disaster; today it is rapidly rising oil prices. Nimbleness and operating efficiency are critical to maintaining competitiveness and managing through such dramatic shifts,” said Tyler. To survive through turbulent times and shore-up competitiveness, airlines improved labor productivity by 67%, increased fuel efficiency by 23%, and cut sales and distribution unit costs by 21% (over the decade to 2010). Despite this, even the best collective margin of the last decade is 2.9% (2007 and 2010), which does not cover the cost of capital. “A sustainable airline industry could deliver much more to the global economy. But the unintended consequences of many government policies have contributed to keeping the industry on a knife-edge between profit and loss. Short-sighted excessive tax collection in many markets undercuts aviation’s ability to provide access to the connectivity that drives global business. Regulation implemented without a clear cost-benefit analysis often scores political points at the expense of industry efficiency let alone solving the problems it was intended to address. Failure to drive forward important infrastructure modernization projects such as NextGen and Single European Sky, limit the effectiveness of the billions of dollars that airlines are investing in more efficient and capable aircraft,” said Tyler. “Today’s industry situation reinforces the need for governments to take a more strategic approach to aviation with competitiveness-enabling policies that will deliver broad economic benefits. This has been tried, tested and proven by many governments in Asia and the Middle East. Europe, India, the US and others should take note,” said Tyler.

اخر الاخبار

Successful Marketing Plan

What makes a good marketing plan? You can measure it by the decisions that follow, the business it generates and how well it's implemented. A brilliant marketing plan that is not executed is worth much less than a mediocre marketing plan that's carried out. The plan's value is in the success of the business. Within this general framework, successful marketing plans have several key elements. I’ll use examples from the restaurant business because it's familiar to most people. 1. Market focus “I don’t know the secret to success, but I do know that the secret to failure is trying to please everybody,” said Bill Cosby. Good marketing plans define target markets narrowly. A restaurant’s target market might be families, couples, baby boomers, teenagers, children, date nights, busy and rushed working people, or some combination. You won’t find a restaurant that works for a baby boomer couple’s night out also working for families with small children. Choose. Divide and conquer. 2. Product focus Product focus matches market focus. If you want baby boomers’ date nights, then serve good food. If you want families with kids, then serve food quickly, make the menu items relatively cheap and, of course, the food has to be safe. Sushi doesn’t sell on price. Drive-through windows don’t deliver fast food. 3. Concrete, measurable specifics A good marketing plan is full of dates and details. Strategy probably drives a good plan, but tactics, programs and details make the difference. As much as possible, the plan has to tie results back to activities and come up with hard numbers to measure those results. A restaurant cannot have vague goals like having the best-tasting food. It needs specifics that are related to marketing message, insertions, posts, tweets, dinners served, return visits, members of the e-mail list, reviews, stars and so forth. The key is to take a plan and think ahead about how you’ll know whether it was implemented. Will you be able to tell? 4. Responsibility and accountability Groups and committees get little done. Assign every part of a marketing plan to a specific person. Measure the results of every task and be sure a person is responsible for it. Peer pressure is important: The people executing the plan have to be accountable for measurable results. Failure has to hurt, and achievement has to be rewarded. An old joke: How do you see involvement vs. commitment in a bacon-and-egg breakfast? Answer: The chicken is involved, but the pig is committed. A good marketing plan needs commitment, not just involvement. 5. Reviews and revisions Every successful marketing plan is actually a planning process, not just a plan. Things change too fast for static plans. A good marketing plan is part of a process that involves setting goals, measuring results and tracking performance. It entails regular review and revision. If the group running the marketing plan isn’t meeting once a month to compare the plan with actual results and make course corrections, there is no marketing plan.

اخر الاخبار

Arabian Travel Market Director takes on Group Portfolio Role

Reed Travel Exhibitions’ Mark Walsh heads up new Luxury and Specialist show sector as portfolio expands Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), has given former Group Exhibition Director Mark Walsh an expanded remit and directive. In addition to Arabian Travel Market to lead the luxury and specialist shows in his new role as Portfolio Director. Walsh’s successful management of ATM, the Middle East's premier travel and tourism event, and hands-on leadership in facing the twin challenges of the global economic slowdown and the Arab Spring, has given him a uniquely well-rounded perspective to drive new business opportunities. Richard Mortimore, Managing Director of Reed Travel Exhibitions, commenting on the appointment said: “This expanded role reflects Mark’s professional capabilities and commitment to Reed Travel Exhibitions. His no-nonsense style of business is both popular with the ATM team and our partners. He has consistently delivered a successful business strategy and shown determined leadership in his delivery.” Under Mark’s direction, ATM attendance numbers have increased year-on-year growing from 21,900 in 2009 to 23,984 in 2011. In terms of the show’s size and reach, Mark has developed the exhibition space ensuring annual growth resulting in it’s current size of 20,500 square metres. He has also launched a number of positive exhibitor and visitor initiatives to reflect the market including dedicated cruise and medical pavilions, workshops and seminars. In his expanded role as Luxury and Specialist Portfolio Director, Walsh will continue to run ATM along with other significant travel exhibitions including International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), ILTM Asia in Shanghai, International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), and La Cumbre – the annual Americas’ Travel Industry Summit. Walsh said: “This is a great opportunity to focus on a complementary portfolio of industry events and off the back of the success of ATM is an exciting time for myself and the team to be working across multiple markets with global tourism and travel industry leaders.” Reed Travel Exhibitions has re-organised its portfolio as a result of the company’s continued success and increasingly active schedule. Reed has assigned a Portfolio Director to each of the three show groups – ‘Meetings, MICE and Business’, Luxury and Specialist’, and ‘General and Leisure’. This restructure allows each portfolio to be more streamlined with its content by promoting internal shared best practices ensuring all exhibitors and visitors receive a better and improved product. Arabian Travel Market 2012 will be held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from 30 April – 3 May 2012. For more information, go to www.arabiantravelmarket.com - Ends - Photo caption: Mark Walsh- Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. Notes to Editor For more information on Arabian Travel Market 2011, please log on to www.arabiantravelmarket.com About Arabian Travel Market: Arabian Travel Market 2010 boasted more than 2,200 exhibitors and stand-sharers, from 65 countries. Arabian Travel Market is part of the Reed Travel Exhibitions’ portfolio, which includes 15 of the world’s leading travel industry events. For more information visit www.arabiantravelmarket.com Reed Travel Exhibitions Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry. Its wide-ranging portfolio of events around the globe covers leisure travel, luxury travel, business travel and the meetings and incentives industry. The 13 events are; World Travel Market (WTM), Arabian Travel Market (ATM), International French Travel Market (IFTM), La Cumbre, International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTMA), Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) (owned by Melbourne Convention Visitors Bureau), Global Exhibition for Incentive, Business Travel, and Meetings (EIBTM), Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (GIBTM), Americas Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (AIBTM), China Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (CIBTM) and Business Travel Market. April 2013 will see RTE will launch World Travel Market Latin America in São Paulo. RTE is a business unit of Reed Exhibitions. In 2011, six million participants attended RE’s 500 events in 39 countries covering 44 industry sectors from aerospace and aviation to beauty and cosmetics to sports and recreation. Reed Exhibitions is owned by Reed Elsevier, the world’s leading provider of professional information and online workflow solutions. . www.reedtravelexhibitions.com Reed Exhibitions The world's leading organiser of trade and consumer events running over 470 events in 37 countries. Reed Exhibitions excels in creating high profile, highly targeted business and consumer exhibitions and events to establish and maintain business relations, and generate new business. Reed Exhibitions network of offices and promoters extends to 65 countries. www.reedexpo.com Reed Elsevier Reed Elsevier is a world leading provider of professional information and online workflow solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal, Risk Information and Analytics, and Business sectors.   Based in over 200 locations worldwide, they create authoritative content delivered through market leading brands, enabling their customers to find the essential data, analysis and commentary to support their decisions. www.reed-elsevier.com For more information, please contact: Nathalie Viselé Director Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai Media City, UAE Office: +971 4 3652711 I Cell: +971 50 4576525 E-mail: nathalie@smc-pr.com

اخر الاخبار

Lead the Way to Winning Results and Guest Scores!

"Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations." This quote from Peter F. Drucker captures the essence of how to make exceptional service delivery possible in any hospitality or business setting. The philosophy and tangible actions of anyone in a leadership or management role will steer employee behaviors in the direction of service excellence--or quite the opposite. The words, interactions and thoughts reflected in any one leader's style will rub off and influence all those with whom he or she comes into contact. When the leader of a new casino effort and entertainment venue began outlining the game plan for the project, he directed his team to focus on customer service as a key competitive strategy to distinguish them from the competition. He talked about all the factors that might influence any one service experience and really seemed to get how important it was for employees to be engaged and positive about their roles so that they could do the same for guests. He noted the need for training to make sure all facets of exceptional service delivery were in place and reflected a strong commitment to making that happen. However, as he continued to meet with his team, he started using words like "penalty" if members of his team or employees did not achieve his version of success. He wanted to have consequences for not delivering exceptional service instead of focusing on all the positive ways to encourage and inspire the exact thing he desired. He was missing the major play of the game and for a casino, was making a bet on the wrong hand. He instilled fear and a lack of trust in his embryonic team instead of building the team and lifting everyone's vision to higher sights. Hospitality leaders need to create an optimistic environment and encourage positive energy and efforts if they want employees to deliver positive energy and efforts for guests. Employers need to have faith and belief in what employees can do and not what they can't. Incentives will always produce stronger and more lasting results than penalties. This leader's intentions may have been good but he failed in understanding a basic foundation of leadership and how he could get the winning results he wanted. True leaders know how to not only bring out the best in their employees, they know how and when to celebrate the best when it happens. My family stopped in to a Starbuck's in a small town on a long drive, a few days before Christmas. It was a dark evening, pouring rain, cold and windy and we still had a long way to go. We needed hot chocolate and coffee , were in a hurry and just wanted to run in and out. The store was empty except for Supervisor Brian and his colleagues Cameron B. and Brittany B. in Milledgeville, Georgia. They were immediately engaging, welcoming and empathetic to our tired dispositions. We ended up spending more time and money than we had planned as it just felt so comfortable to be in their store. We kept noticing new gift ideas and merchandise and their positive vibe made us feel positively about purchasing much more than coffee! They even tried to give us some gift ideas for our dog. Supervisor Brian ended up comping our coffee in appreciation for our extra business. He was empowered to show his leadership on the line and his colleagues followed his caring style. I called Tony Brooks, District Manager, to compliment him on this team. His reaction was pure delight and he could not wait to share this story with his managers and began to plan a surprise to celebrate the Milledgeville team. He expressed tremendous satisfaction in knowing that his own leadership concepts were meaningful to his team. Winning results keep coming to those who recognize, encourage and celebrate winning results. Keeping employees engaged, like the Starbucks team example, is essential to long term success. A new research report by Temkin Group, Employee Engagement Benchmark Study, showed that highly engaged employees are more committed to helping their company succeed, less likely to take sick days, more likely to do good things that are unexpected, and more likely to make recommendations for improvements-all key ingredients for service excellence. Highly engaged employees come from those companies that focus on all aspects of the customer experience and who are led by managers who actively demonstrate the service excellence behaviors they desire. When employees see their leaders actually leading by example, they feel good about their work and are more motivated to satisfy their guests. Guests and customers in general feel good when they deal with companies who seem to treat their people well and care about their environment. Ernesto Aragon, Guest Service Director at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida is that consummate service excellence role model and is a walking, talking example of service leadership at all times. No matter how busy, how demanding, how complicated any situation may be, Ernesto remains gracious and calm which instills the same behaviors in his team. In a recent walk with him around his property, he stopped several times, to pick up a scrap of paper, hold a door open for a guest, adjust patio furniture that was askew and prop a door open for a fellow employee, all without missing a beat of his conversation with me. His actions were seamless, natural and caring and reflected the same commitment to the guest experience and his property as those he expected from the frontline employees who report to him. Employees respond to respect, caring actions and communications just as much as guests do. Leaders who deliver that respect, show they care and positively and proactively communicate will get more than satisfied employees. Satisfied employees are more likely to produce satisfied guests. Satisfied guests make the employees experience more satisfying. Satisfied employees stay longer and give more. Satisfied guests stay longer and come back. Each service game gets better with statistics like these! Those in charge can be even greater in their service success through leadership and engaged employees. Know the employees and what makes them tick. Even if knowing each employee is impossible, find ways to make management's contacts personal which will cause employees to do the same for guests. Everyone wants to feel acknowledged and know that his or her role, no matter how small, makes a difference in the overall guest experience. Rosa Mexicano Restaurants, known as "the gold standard in upscale modern Mexican Cuisine," according to a Zagat survey, feature ten locations from New York to Miami to Los Angeles. At their South Beach, Miami location, two guests had the opportunity to experience one of the restaurant's signature dishes, award winning Guacamole en Molcajete, prepared tableside. Eunique, the waitress, was especially vibrant and excited as she brought this "guacamole experience" to life. When asked why she was so enthusiastic, she proudly told us that she had "won" the guacamole making contest inspired by President and CEO Howard Greenstone. The contest was not only a training tool but a way to inspire and motivate employees to give guests a true treat though both taste and presentation. Mr. Greenstone himself recognized Eunique and gave her a special award which really meant a lot to her. Eunique went on to say that she had moved to Miami from the mid-west, got the job with Rosa Mexicano and loved it. She then received another offer and moved on to another restaurant only to recognize that the leadership she experienced at Rosa Mexicano was something she missed. She came back and jumped right back in to a job she loved and appreciated which then rubbed off on guests. Mr. Greenstone and his team had found ways to make management's contacts personal which in turn instilled loyalty and caused Eunique and her fellow employees to do the same for guests. Treat employees as the best customers and they will treat guests to the experiences that matter most. Be a service role model from head to heart before expecting employees to do the same. Roll out the red carpet and start at the top because a "Red Carpet Attitude will ONLY HAPPEN if it truly starts at the Top!" Executives who embrace the winning potential of service-focused leadership will see benefits to the bottom line, the rewards of loyal , motivated employees and the guests that keep on coming back. Odds are those will be winning results and the guest scores that matter....every time!

اخر الاخبار

إلى روح أبي الذي غاب فغبتُ في حزني

تركَ الحرفَ في دمي يتجلَّى
وارتدى بردةَ الرحيل ِ وصلَّى
فكَّ قيدَ الفناءِ عنه ليحيا
فإذا الوجدُ فاضَ سرَّاً ووصلا
لم يكنْ حائراً كحيرةِ روحي
بل سعى لليقين أعلى وأعلى
قلتُ : خذني فقد جمعتُ خيالي
بعدما العقلُ صارَ وهماً وولَّى
سكراتٌ يشدنا منتهاها
وحياةٌ تذوبُ فصلاً ففصلا
في رؤى الوقتِ نحن وهمُ ظلال ٍ
نحن ظلٌ يفيضُ في العتم ِ ظلاَّ
نحن وعدٌ تداركتنا الليالي
طينُنا البدءُ كانَ في الأصل ليلا
هي رؤيا تناسختْ من خلالي
وظلالي عن الرؤى تتخلَّى
نلبسُ الموتَ نستظلُّ فراغاً
ما عرفنا .. وزادنا الجهلُ جهلا
غيَّبتنا حروفُنا فنسينا
أنَّ بالحرفِ صمتُنا يتسلَّى
نُمسكُ الوقتَ علَّنا نتخطَّى
ردهةَ الموتِ في عسى ولعلاَّ
كم حسبنا .. وظلُّنا يتمطَّى
أنَّنا في الخلودِ نبدعُ فصلا
فإذا نحن من خيال ٍ عقيم ٍ
قد وجدنا بـ ( كنْ ) فأولى وأولى
كم فراغ ٍ يضمُّنا بفراغ ٍ
وحملنا الفراغَ ثقلا فثقلا
خيَّبتْنا ظنونُنا فمضينا
بعدما العمرُ من سرابه ملاَّ
كم لبثنا .. ؟! كأننا ما لبثنا
نعبر الوهمَ ليس نفقه قولا
مذْ وُجدنا فنحن محضُ سؤال ٍ
هل ..؟ ـ ونغفو فلا إجابةَ ـ أمْ لا
يا أبي هل رأيتَ حين عمينا ؟
فضللنا مع السؤال وضلاَّ
هل تُرى ضقتَ بالحياة ِ سراباً
وخراباً يضجُّ موتاً وقتلا
نحن في البدءِ شهقةٌ وبكاءٌ
ومع الدمع ِ قد حللنا وحلاَّ
كيف ياشيخُ .. يا أبي غبتَ عنِّي
فالمدى صار بعد صمتك رملا
بعدك النهرُ كفَّنته الصحارى
والحكايات لم تعدْ تتدلَّى
كنتَ وجهي وأبجدياتِ روحي
ويقيناً به الفؤادُ استظلاَّ
وكتاباً ولدتُ منه وفيه
تنهلُ الروحُ سرَّها منه نهلا
فإذا ضقتُ كنتَ فسحة نجوى
وإذا تهتُ كنتَ في التيه ظلاَّ
وإذا حرتُ عدتَ بي ليقيني
لترى النفسَ في السكينة وَجْلَى
ليس سهلاً بأن نغادرَ منَّا
مثلما لم نكنْ هنا ليس سهلا

فى ذكرى ناسكة الملائكة ،،،،،،،شعر بهيجة مصرى

إلى نازك الملائكة في رحلة الخلود

حملتها الريح سراً وسؤالا

ودعاها الشعرُ فيضا وخيالا

فدعتْهُ كي يصلي قربها

حاملا من أنجم الرؤيا سلالا

حلت الحيرة فيها أحرفا

من ظلال العشق فامتدت ظلالا

هي رؤيا في مسافات المدى

هي مرآة الهوى شفت كمالا

أنزل الليل عليها عشقه

فانطوت فيه هياما ووصالا

سألت أسراره عن حلمها

فهمى الليل نجوما وهلالا

أيقظ الأنهارَ فيها وجدُها

عندما السحر من الغيب توالى

إن سعت للحرف يُبدي سره

ناسكا في دفتر الأرواح سالا

والمدى يلقي إليها حلمه

بعدما ألقى عن الحلم الزوالا

تنهل الأشعارَ من غيب الهوى

وتدير الكأس نورا واشتعالا

وتلف البوح من آلائه

شجرا من أغنيات الصمت مالا

ويجيء البحر من أعماقه

ينطوي في حرفها ماءا زلالا

بعضها نار ونور بعضها

فالهدى في سرها ضم الضلالا

والقوافي طوع ما شاءت لها

من كؤوس السحر تستاف الجمالا

حملت أسرارها لما رأت

عالما يغتاله الحزن اغتيالا

أطلقت أحلامها من أسرها

ثم هامت في مدى السر ارتحالا

حرفها صلى عليها وحده

ثم أسرى خلفها حتى تعالى

قصيدة الشاعرة بهيجة مصرى ادلبى،،،،،،،انا المعنى

أنا المعنى حضوري في غيابي
وكشفي خلف أسرار الحجابِ
أفيض من الحروف إذا تجلت
وأختصر العبارة في الخطابِ
أخيط من السحاب وشاح روحي
ومن روحي أفيض على السحابِ
إذا غابت حروفي ذبت فيها
وطاف الصمت من وجد الكتابِ
وإن حار السؤال طويت فيه
سؤالا شف عن سر الجوابِ
أعلق من أصابعه خيالي
ليدرك في مسافته اقترابي
أنا الحب اكتملت به وفيه
إذا ما شفني الوجد انطوى بي
وأشرق من خفايا أغنياتي
وألقى بي على باب الضبابِ
هو الحب الذي أسعى إليه
سعى لي حينما أشرعت بابي
به حلت قصائد من خيال
وخف النهر مضطرب الإهابِ
فطاوعت الخطا لما دعاني
وطاوعني على صحوي شرابي
وكلمني وألقى الحرف بوحا
لينسل من معانيه ترابي
لمست الورد أشرق من حنيني
دعوت البحر أمعن في ركابي
طويت الريح فاكتملت غناء
كأن الريح والأسرار دابي
أنا المعنى يبددني وضوحي
ويكشفني بغيبته غيابي