Britain’s Naughty Hotel Habits Revealed

From the mini designer toiletries to the array of TV channels, guests staying in hotels are quick to lap up the luxuries on offer. Male hotel guests watch adult TV channels as soon as they arrive in their room while women check out the shampoo and conditioner on offer, according to new research. The intriguing findings were revealed today in a study into the most popular hotel ‘

rituals' among Brits. And while 19 per cent of men are quick to flick on porn shows, the nation's females weren't totally squeaky clean with 15 per cent also admitting they like to find out what adult TV channels are on offer. Unsurprisingly, only ten per cent of men admitted they found the toiletries interesting. The study found the favourite activity for both the nation's males and females was taking in the view with 47 per cent of men and 54 per cent of women citing it as their favourite hotel past time. This was followed by making full use of hotel facilities including the gyms and pools and jumping on the bed was also a favourite for 13 per cent of men and 16 per cent of women. Women were keener to raid the mini bar, 11 per cent compared to eight per cent of men. And they were also more likely to use the hotel loo (10 per cent) while the same only applied to eight per cent of male guests. Kate Hopcraft from Hotels.com, who carried out the study, said: 'Men and women have very different priorities when it comes to their hotel rituals. 'Men prefer to see the "full" selection of TV channels and women more likely to check out the toiletries on offer. 'Despite a couple of questionable hotel rituals it's clear that the top priority for Brits is checking out their surroundings.' Research also revealed the things that are most likely to give us the holiday ‘buzz.' A total of 48 per cent said it was boarding a plane, while 43 per cent believed it was entering the hotel room. A further 38 per cent said packing their bags before leaving for holiday caused the most amount of excitement. HOTEL RITUALS Taking in the view (51 per cent) Making full use of hotel facilities (46 per cent) Looking for toiletries (21 per cent) Checking out (adult) TV channels (17 per cent) Jumping on bed (15 per cent) Checking mini bar is well stocked (10 per cent) Using hotel toilet (10 per cent) S

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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:

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RICE & GRAINS TO SWELL SIAL MIDDLE EAST 2012 EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE OFFERING

Global brand marks third annual outing with 100% rise in exhibitors across four integrated exhibitions: eight ADNEC halls blocked out for business SIAL Middle East, the region’s fastest growing professional trade exhibition for the food, drink and hospitality industry, is gearing up for its busiest edition yet, with two new complementary partnership exhibitions joining the global brand under the same roof at the three-day event, which will be held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition centre (ADNEC) from 26-28 November, 2012. New for this year is the integration of Rice & Grains into the SIAL Middle East schedule. Relocating from Dubai to Abu Dhabi as part of its future growth strategy, the cereals exhibition - now in its second year – is making the move in response to increased interest in the event from international markets as the region faces ongoing challenges in securing new food supplies as one of the world’s largest basic commodities importers. “Abu Dhabi is one of the largest purchasers of rice in the UAE as a direct result of its food subsidies programme for the people of the emirate. The integration of Rice & Grains into SIAL Middle East complements the other offerings at the event and, with Abu Dhabi a major business hub for the region, exhibitors will benefit considerably from participation,” said Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for SIAL Middle East and official spokesperson for Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA). The GCC imports 90% of its food requirements and is entirely dependent on external markets to satisfy consumer demand for maize, rice and barley. According to an Alpen Capital report, cereals accounted for 43.7% of total consumption in 2011 and, with a population growing at three times the global average, food imports are expected to double to US$53.1 billion by 2020. “The obvious synergies between the two exhibitions has allowed us to take the event to a logical next level, by creating a multi-stage platform that encapsulates the ‘farm to food’ cycle of the industry. This is a powerful vehicle which brings all the major local, regional and international players together to discuss demand drivers and current trends, and drive growth and innovation across the board,” says Chris Fountain, Managing Director of Turret Media, organisers of SIAL Middle East. Rice & Grains will occupy Hall 6 at the November event, with over 150 industry heavyweights heading to the UAE capital to do business with the more than 10,000 professional food buyers expected to attend. “The MENA region attracts the majority of exports from the world’s major rice producers, as they look to expand their global reach and capitalise on market demand. Here in the Emirates, we have a well-established trading hub, a structured shipping infrastructure, ample storage facilities and a trade-friendly environment, among other things,” said Mohammad Harfouch, Executive Director at Ideal Idea Events, organisers of Rice & Grains.” “And with the advent of new world-class facilities like the new Khalifa Port and the emerging Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), the UAE has the potential to cement its status as a launch pad for growth into new and existing regional markets with high value potential,” he added. Held in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), food importation trends and price hikes of various food staples are set to be a hot topic on the exhibition floor and various conference sessions. Earlier this year, UAE President, HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, issued a directive to extend the Ramadan food subsidies for nationals until the end of the year. The list of subsidised essential food products supported by government funding now includes rice, flour and pasta and is valued at a total of US$1.9 million. SIAL Middle East has grown rapidly since its inaugural edition in 2010, and in 2011 welcomed 466 exhibitors from 43 countries, and 9,707 visitors, representing a 55% and 34% increase on 2010 figures, respectively. In addition to Rice & Grains, SIAL Middle East will also incorporate a new event as part of a co-location agreement with the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA), as well as hosting the Emirates International Date Palm Festival. The quartet of exhibitions will welcome more than 1,000 international exhibitors including 30 national pavilions from Argentina to Vietnam. For more information, please go to: www.sialme.com -Ends- Photo Caption: SIAL Middle East 2011 Notes and Media Contacts About ADFCA The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority was established in 2005 as an independent food regulatory agency for the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Authority embodies the Abu Dhabi Government's commitment to protecting its consumers, particularly by ensuring the safety and quality of food served throughout the public. It enforces policies and standards and conducts research and awareness campaigns to maintain a sustainable agriculture and food sector that delivers safe food to the public, protects the health of animals and plants, and adheres to sound environmental practices. About Turret Media A multi award winning company, Turret Media has conceptualised, developed and launched some of the most successful live events in the world and is a leading publisher within several market sectors in the Middle East. Following more than 50 years of experience in the United Kingdom, Turret Media migrated its business headquarters to the UAE in 2006 after becoming a foundation partner of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company. Turret Media has since been behind numerous exhibitions, conferences and consumer events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that collectively attract some 1,400 exhibitors and deliver more than 120,000 visitors in industry sectors as diverse as renewable energy, IT, gourmet food and waste management. Media Contact: Jack Dulka Account Executive PO Box 502701 Office 106 Al Sufouh Tower Dubai Media City Dubai, United Arab Emirates Office: +971 4 3652711 Direct : +971 4 3652713 Mobile : +971 50 5529104 Fax:+971 4 4278703 E-mail: jack@smc-pr.com Web site: www.smc-pr.com You can follow Shamal on:

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2.7 hectare ‘Crystal Lagoons’ to be built in US$600 million Sharm El Sheikh luxury resort

Chilean company to showcase quartet of MENA projects at Cityscape Global; including latest Egyptian project as development of world’s largest crystalline lagoon gets underway Dubai, 26 September 2012 - Crystal Lagoons Corp. the patented technology developer of giant crystalline lagoons, returns to Cityscape Global this October, as the company’s Middle East & North Africa business continues to expand. With major projects in five countries and over 40 locations around the region, Crystal Lagoons will be showcasing under-development initiatives in Jordan, Turkey and the UAE, as well as revealing its latest project, a second saltwater lagoon in the popular tourist resort of Sharm El Sheikh. “Our second Sharm El Sheikh project will be the centerpiece of a new US$600 million luxury resort being developed by leading Egyptian tourism company Radamis for Hotels & Touristic Resorts. Aimed at the high-end traveler, the resort covers 75 hectares with 2,500-rooms across three separate hotels and 2.7 hectare lagoon offering an unlimited selection of water sports”, said Kevin P. Morgan, the newly appointed CEO of Crystal Lagoons Corp. The Radamis’ Sharm El Sheikh resort is Crystal Lagoons’ latest Egypt project with the company already licensing its technology in what will be the world’s largest manmade lagoon as part of the Citystars Sharm El Sheikh resort. This 12-hectare ‘mega lagoon’ will surpass the current Guinness Book of World Records holder, Chile’s San Alfonso del Mar resort, Crystal Lagoons’ first project. Part of a mixed-use project developed in partnership with Egypt’s Golden Pyramid Group, Citystars Sharm El Sheikh will feature a series of 10 saltwater lagoons, covering a combined area of 100 hectares and including the world’s largest lagoon, to create a unique desert oasis and new tourism landmark for the region. The development, which is currently under construction and expected to open before the end of the year, will offer 1.2 million square metres of residential units, hotels, golf courses, marinas, a museum and a commercial centre. “The Middle East and North Africa represents huge opportunity for Crystal Lagoons as investment in tourism infrastructure continues to grow. The UNWTO has forecast a respectable 3-4% growth for the region this year and our portfolio of projects continues to attract attention from flagship tourism destinations across the Middle East,” remarked Morgan. “Our uniquely innovative concept is backed by patented technology and offers a strong competitive advantage that we believe will be the catalyst to revolutionize the leisure experience in the real estate and tourism markets,” he added. Crystal Lagoons’ portfolio also includes The Dead Sea Lagoon in Jordan, a project in partnership with leading Jordanian real estate developer Sama Jordan. Located 31 kilometers from Amman, the US$160 million project includes 1,000 guestrooms and a three-hectare crystalline lagoon bordered by private white sand beaches. The only global company with the technological capability to make the development of giant controlled manmade bodies of water economically viable, Crystal Lagoons is positioning itself as offering a unique product differentiator to high profile tourism projects around the world. “Our technology makes it possible for people to enjoy a taste of beach life in previously unimaginable places such as the desert or in the heart of major cities; and this has the potential to create new tourism hotspots and bring the leisure lifestyle directly to the market,” remarked Morgan. Designed to be self-cleaning, the lagoons only require topping up in response to evaporation and use up to 100 times less chemicals than traditional pool systems, and only two per cent of the energy required by conventional filtering technologies. The largest real estate event in the Middle East, Cityscape Global 2012 takes place from 2-4 October at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. -ENDS- Crystal Lagoons is located in hall 8, stand number 8D50. Photo caption: The 2.7 hectare Crystal Lagoon, under development by Radamis for Hotels & Touristic Resorts in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. ABOUT CRYSTAL LAGOONS Crystal Lagoons Corporation is an international innovation company that has developed and patented technology that allows for the low-cost construction and maintenance of unlimited size bodies of water in crystal-clear condition. Patented in 160 countries, Crystal Lagoons’ technology applications range widely from its recreational business, which brings the dream of idyllic beach life to any corner of the world, to its industrial variations in closed-circuit cooling, water desalination and applications for the mining industry. In less than three years since its formation, Crystal Lagoons Corporation has seen exponential growth and is currently involved in over 200 projects in more than 50 countries, including Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Singapore, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay and United States. Media contact Josse Dulka Senior Account Executive Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +9714 365 2711 E-mail: josse@smc-pr.com

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Region firmly back in business at Arabian Travel Market 2012

Visitor numbers up 7-10% on 2011 figures with new impetus driven by regional industry performance and renewed B2B focus Wrapping up four days of travel trade business, Reed Travel Exhibitions, the organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2012, which concludes today (3 May), reported a healthy increase in visitor numbers, driven by the show’s renewed B2B focus and buoyed by positive indicators from the region’s tourism sector. “The 2011 event attracted over 16,000 trade visitors and indicators for this year show an increase of between 7-10%,” said Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. The region's leading trade exhibition for travel industry professionals, the 19th edition of the show has also seen a significant rise in decision makers and influencers – up by 35% - from members of its buyers club, hosted delegates, regional and international speakers and hosted luxury travel buyers. “The initial figures from this year’s show are an endorsement of not only Arabian Travel Market’s continued relevance and structured focus to the regional travel market, but mirror the rebound in both confidence and business levels across the major industry sectors,” remarked Walsh. Independently ABC-audited, ATM 2012 also recorded a 7% increase in exhibitors for this year’s event ahead of the start of the show, with more than 21,000 square metres of floor space hosting over 2,400 exhibitors and 82 new companies. This increase was also reflected in its international reach with 54 national pavilions and 87 countries represented overall. “The business buzz is definitely back, the regional travel industry is in an exceptionally buoyant mood and participants are positive and confident. Our decision to reconfigure the floor plan to a more easily navigable and convenient format this year has also helped to facilitate busier appointment schedules,” said Walsh. Walsh’s comments were echoed by a wide variety of participants, both regional and international, inbound and outbound, right across the industry spectrum. “This is my second year as a visitor and the new layout is definitely easier to navigate. Our focus was the expanding opportunities in apartment accommodation, and I was very impressed to find an entire section dedicated to this,” said Cori Terblanche, Travel World, South Africa. “If we look solely at the European exhibitors for example, floor space has grown from last year and we have seen a surge in interest from destinations eager to attract the affluent Middle Eastern traveller,” added Walsh. Tamara Khalil, Group Director Marketing, Katara Hospitality, in Qatar, reinforced the renewed wave of business optimism. ”ATM was the right platform for us to launch our new corporate identity to the market. The show remains the prime vehicle for the regional industry to share its news, network with the key players and meet potential partners.” This sentiment was echoed by global exhibitors. US-based tour operator, and first time exhibitor, TeamAmerica CEO, Enzo Perretta, said: “ATM is the only way to go to reach the Middle East and Asian markets, and we’ve had four full days during which we’ve met the key players and decision makers in our target markets.” “ATM gives us access to high quality Middle Eastern contacts and allows us to conduct face-to-face business, which is highly valued by our regional clients,” added Ahmad Alkatib, Director, Travellanda UK. The newly introduced Technology Theatre, which ran throughout the four-day show, proved to be a major draw for industry professionals looking to capitalise on market opportunity through the implementation of groundbreaking technologies and new social media channels. “Not only have we signed a number of new contracts on site, but we have also concluded a number of significant partnership agreements that would not have otherwise been possible,” said Osama Abdulrahman, Manager of Dubai-based cheaperskies.com. “Being host hotel for this year’s ATM gave us invaluable face time with hosted buyers as well as the opportunity to introduce targeted top international travel writers and key members of the regional media to our property,” added Andrew Hughes, Director Sales & Marketing for the Mövenpick-managed Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel. “Looking ahead to 2013, re-bookings are already extremely positive and we will continue to develop the show’s offering to reflect regional opportunities as well as global industry trends. Next year ATM will be 20 years old and we are certainly in celebratory mood already,” concluded Walsh. Arabian Travel Market is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai. Now approaching its 20th year, the show has grown to become the largest showcase of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world. --- Ends --- For more information on Arabian Travel Market 2012, please log on to www.arabiantravelmarket.com About Arabian Travel Market Arabian Travel Market 2011 boasted more than 2,200 exhibitors and stand-sharers, from 69 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, United Arab Emirates Office: +971 4 3652711 I Direct : +971 4 3652712 I Mobile : +971 50 4576525 Fax:+971 4 4278703 E-mail: nathalie@smc-pr.com I Web site: www.smc-pr.com

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TI’ME for an upgrade in Luxor

TI’ME Hotels Management secures contract for Egyptian Nile resort property at Arabian Travel Market and plan major refurbishment to existing infrastructure as Egypt’s tourism industry moves forward TIME Hotels Management (TIME), the new UAE-based hotel group, announced at Arabian Travel Market today (May 2) that they have signed a contract with Edris Group – a major Egyptian-based travel and tourism company – for the management of the Tuthotel property in Luxor, Egypt. The boutique establishment has 79-rooms, and TIME will oversee a complete refurbishment of Tuthotel’s infrastructure, adding 82-rooms – to take its total inventory to 161-rooms – to upgrade it to deluxe four-star status in line with international standards. The former Edris-managed hotel will forthwith trade under the name ‘TIME Tuthotel’. Edris group still own the property, which, after extensive renovation, is expected to be fully-operational by the end of this year. Mr. Mohamed Al Mazroei, Assistant Managing Director of Gulf General Investment Company (GGICO) – owner of TIME – said: “I am thrilled to be signing a contract that promises so much for our young company. “This auspicious announcement confirms our strong-minded and positive approach to our expansion plans for the Middle East, and demonstrates our commitment to providing our guests with the very best accommodation options in the region.” Mr. Ahmed Edris, Chairman, Edris Group, said he was looking-forward to working with TIME: “I’m really optimistic about the future of the Tuthotel property now that its management is in the hands of TIME, which in my opinion, is one of the most ambitious brands in the Middle East hospitality industry.” Overlooking the world-famous River Nile, and situated just 25 kilometres from the Luxor International Airport, and a mere ten-minute walk away from the local train station Mohamed Awadalla, Area Vice President, TIME, says the property is ideally situated for regional and international leisure travellers: “Located in Luxor, away from the noise and chaos of Egypt’s big cities, TIME Tuthotel will offer leisure travellers a tranquil retreat with stunning views of ‘the great river’ – remarkable for its centrality to ancient cultures and the modern world. “And being located on the Nile, we will be well-positioned to implement a variety of tourist initiatives in collaboration with local tour operators and businesses including Nile cruises, Luxor and Karnak temple day-trips. “What’s more guests can also access the traditional tourist hot-spots. With the train station in close proximity the property accessibility to the millennia-old Pyramids and Sphinx in Giza, and the Sinai Peninsula are only a train journey away.” With its pharaonic antiquities and year-round warm beaches, tourism is Egypt’s top foreign currency earner, and the source of over a tenth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Furthermore, it represents one of the Middle East North Africa’s (MENA) most important hospitality sectors. Though political unrest has somewhat abated Egypt’s tourism arrivals over the last year, its historic sites remain a major attraction for tourists worldwide, says Mr. Awadalla. “The long-term potential of the Egyptian travel and tourism market cannot be questioned due to its proximity to Europe and its rich abundance of natural and cultural assets. “And despite the declines in the country’s tourism revenue, a recent STR Global Construction Pipeline Report shows that nearly 5,000 rooms are being developed in the country, reinforcing my point,” he added. Indeed, Samy Mahmoud, undersecretary of the ministry and head of Egypt’s international Tourism Sector, recently said Egypt’s tourism ministry expects to see a recovery in tourist figures to between 12 and 13 million in 2012, bringing in $11 billion to the country. -ENDS- Photo Caption: From left to right: Mr. Mohamed Al Mazroei, Assistant Managing Director, GGICO, Mr. Ahmed Edris, Chairman, Edris Group and Mr. Mohamed Awadalla, Area Vice President, TIME Hotels Management sign the contract for the Tuthotel in Luxor, Egypt. 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: Nathalie Viselé Director Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 3652711 Mobile: +971 50 457 6525 E-mail: nathalie@smc-pr.com Website: www.smc-pr.com OR Thomas Billinghurst Account Executive Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 3652711 Mobile: +971 55 827 6198 Email: Thomas@smc-pr.com          

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Resilient Japan honored one year on from 2011 devastation

Arabian Travel Market New Frontiers Award recognizes country’s efforts to rebuild national economy and revive tourism demand Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism exhibition, announced yesterday afternoon that Japan had been honoured with the New Frontiers Award 2012. Last year’s recipient Chile attended the Arabian Travel Market 2012 to present the award to Mr Daisuke Matsunaga, Consul-General, Japanese Embassy in Dubai alongside Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. The award, in recognition of Japan’s sustained efforts in rebuilding its physical infrastructure and reviving its tourism product in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated the country’s northeastern coast. “The Japanese government and its people have displayed extraordinary resilience in the face of such extreme adversity, and have made significant strides in getting the country’s economy back on track. The sheer determination and concerted efforts of Japan’s people in pushing ahead with such a monumental task is truly inspiring,” remarked Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, addressing the press conference. On March 10, 2011, the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck the northeastern coast of the country with cataclysmic force, sending waves of up to 40.5 metres 10 kilometres inland across 18 prefectures, causing massive loss of life, the destruction of over 125,000 homes and businesses and three nuclear reactor meltdowns. In addition to significant international aid, Japan’s government has allocated US$167 billion over five years as part of a phased recovery plan. While tourism numbers dipped by at least 50% in 2011, the government has also embarked on an ambitious plan to triple the number of international tourists by 2016 with a strong focus on increasing inbound visitor business from China. In Q1 2012 inbound visitors from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan reached record highs and attractive tour packages targeting European visitors are also slowly yielding results. Mr Daisuke Matsunaga, Japanese Consul-General in Dubai, who accepted the award, said: “On behalf of the Japanese people, we are honoured to receive this prestigious award from the Middle East’s tourism industry. Our plans for phased recovery are moving forward, and the efforts of our tourism board and related government bodies are instrumental in reconfirming to the world that Japan is certainly a destination with untold natural beauty and cultural wealth. There is still some ground to be recovered, but we are already seeing a return to normality in many areas of the economy – of which tourism is a major driver - and we appreciate the support and recognition of the tourism industry in this region.” Launched in 2005 by Arabian Travel Market, The New Frontiers Award was created to recognise outstanding contributions to tourism development in the face of overwhelming adversity. As well as the prestigious crystal trophy, the New Frontiers Award comprises ATM exhibition space valued at US$10,000 along with additional marketing support in promoting the outstanding tourism opportunities offered by Japan. Japan was selected as winner of the New Frontiers Award by a panel of judges consisting of industry professionals from across the globe. From an original selection of 10 countries, which was then refined to a shortlist also comprising Australia and Brazil, Japan was chosen after the judges considered a number of decisive factors. These included support from local and national governments, utilisation of international aid packages, tangible signs of recovery and overall effort on behalf of government and citizens. Last year, Chile received the New Frontiers Award in recognition of its efforts to rebuild its shattered post-2010 earthquake tourism industry, which saw 80% of the population, as well as the entire economy, affected. Photo-caption (L-R): Mr Daisuke Matsunaga, Japanese Consul-General in Dubai receiving his award from Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions and Mr Carlos Salas, Trade Commissioner, Embassy of Chile in United Arab Emirates. --- Ends --- About Arabian Travel Market Arabian Travel Market 2011 boasted more than 2,200 exhibitors and stand-sharers, from 69 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, United Arab Emirates Office: +971 4 3652711 Mobile : +971 50 4576525 E-mail: nathalie@smc-pr.com Web site: www.smc-pr.com

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Fairmont Raffles Hotels International in religious tourism showcase at ATM

Fairmont Raffles Hotels International-Makkah to participate in Arabian Travel Market, Kingdom’s tourist numbers to grow to 15.8 million by 2014 and five-year government $26.9 billion transport infrastructure budget augurs well for Saudi tourism Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI) Makkah, the operator of a portfolio of leading Middle East five-star hotels including the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel, Raffles Makkah Palace and soon-to-be-opened Swissôtel Makkah, has announced its participation at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which will take place from April 30 – May 3 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre. A delegation of senior executives will represent FRHI Makkah at their exhibitor stand located in Sheikh Saeed Hall 3 (stand no. HC3750), and offer an insight into the strategically important role their properties are playing in the Kingdom’s burgeoning religious tourism market through its trio of unique five-star properties, and plans for future growth. Additionally, ATM visitors will be able to enjoy a flavour of FRHI Makkah’s premier guest services and acclaimed FRHI hospitality. Khaled Yamak, Group Director of Communications & Business Development, FRHI Makkah, said: “With our properties affording unrivalled views of, and access to, the Holy Ka’aba and the Masjid al-Haram – the holiest sites in Islam – our central Makkah location is ideal for pilgrims and Umrah performers visiting the city to fulfil their spiritual duties. “In fact, our properties - offering 2,600 rooms and suites – make-up 40% of accommodation options in the central Makkah area. Furthermore, our average occupancies for our two operating hotels peaked at 90% in Q1 of 2012 – the highest to date since opening.” The FHRI Makkah hotels represent three internationally-renowned brands – Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel – each of which delivers a unique experience, and come together to offer an elegant collection of accommodation options to suit every individual guest. “Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel is a landmark presence integrated into the surrounding community; Raffles Makkah Palace offers sophisticated luxury with residential charm; and Swissôtel Makkah delivers efficient personalised service with a contemporary ambience,” remarked Yamak. FRHI Makkah hospitality experts will also be on hand at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stand (also in Sheikh Saeed Hall 3) to discuss how the country is diversifying its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), away from petrochemical revenues, through the labour-intensive service sectors such as hospitality, travel and tourism. In terms of demand, Pew Research Center estimates that the global Muslim population in 2010 was 1.6 billion and is expected to grow to 2.2 billion by 2030. At an annual growth rate of 1.5% over the next two decades – twice that of non-Muslim populations – Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. “With continued growth forecast for the Muslim populace, as well as increasing demand from Hajj and Umrah travellers – who currently account for more than 60% of Saudi Arabia’s inbound tourist traffic – we are focusing on delivering a consistently high-level of quality-driven guest services for both international and domestic travellers. “To support this, we are constantly innovating and adding services to our trio of hotels. We recently introduced the Fairmont Gold initiative at the Makkah Clock Royal Tower which further personalises the guest experience. “We’ve also just opened the new 1,500-capacity Al Jiwar Ballroom, and launched our new residential apartments at Raffles Makkah Palace which ensure spiritual serenity for our guests” Yamak added. According to research company Business Monitor International (BMI), inbound visitor arrivals will grow from 13 million in 2010 to 15.8 million by 2014. Indeed, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) aims to attract 88 million visitors by 2020 as it continues to drive forward ambitious plans to develop religious tourism, domestic tourism and business travel in particular. What’s more, the Kingdom issued 9.5 million religious visas last year, up 11.3% from 2010, according to the Ministry of Hajj website, with Umrah visas rising by one million in 2011 from 2010. And with nearly two million foreign pilgrims arriving to perform Haj in 2011, both the Saudi government and major developers are expected to spend up to US$120 billion in the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah over the next decade, with some US$20 billion of projects already underway in Makkah alone, according to Banque Saudi Fransi. - Ends – Photo caption 1: Khaled Yamak, Group Director of Communications & Business Development, FRHI Makkah Photo caption 2: FRHI Makkah Royal Clock Tower suite Photo caption 3: FRHI Makkah Royal Clock Tower lobby - Ends - About Fairmont Raffles Hotels International Makkah (FHRI) Makkah Royal Clock Tower, A Fairmont Hotel Located adjacent to the Masjid al Haram, Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel offers the finest hospitality in the holy city of Makkah. One of the world’s tallest, this 76-storey hotel is the focal point of the Abraj Al Bait Complex, part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project. Among its outstanding features is a 40-metre Royal Clock, visible from 17 kilometres away, which announces daily prayer times. Meanwhile, the Lunar Observation Center and an Islamic Museum aim to preserve the Muslim heritage for future generations. In addition to the opulent and elegant comfort of the rooms and suites offered at this five-star hotel, 76 state-of-the-art elevators allow easy access to the holy Masjid al Haram for prayers. And, at any time, ten exceptional dining venues are available to accommodate intimate or expansive gatherings. Makkah Royal Clock Tower offers authentic hospitality throughout its 858 rooms distributed across 29 floors. Guests are able to select the view of the Kaaba - House of God – said to be built by Abraham and Ismail (Peace Be Upon Them), the Haram or the Holy City. Raffles Makkah Palace At Raffles Makkah Palace guests enjoy an outstanding location within the iconic Abraj Al Bait complex, directly adjacent to Al Masjid Al Haram – or Grand Mosque – and the Kaaba; offering easy access to King Abdulaziz Gate, the main entrance to the Grand Mosque. Raffles Makkah Palace also offers exceptional dining experiences, a spa and wellness centre for both male and female guests, a superbly equipped business centre with secretarial services and state-of-the-art private meeting rooms fitted with full video conferencing facilities. Just steps away from the Grand Mosque, Raffles Makkah Palace is a refined and elegant residential sanctuary featuring 214 suites with breathtaking views of the Grand Mosque and Kaaba, making a stay in the holy city of Makkah one of spiritual serenity. Spacious suites in this exceptional hotel offer separate living and dining spaces while bathrooms are thoughtfully designed. Personal butlers deliver Raffles’ signature service, complementing the residential experience. Swissôtel Makkah Swissôtel's first hotel to open in Saudi Arabia offers 1488 luxurious rooms and suites, with a modern design that complements the values of contemporary Arabian culture. Part of the prestigious Abraj Al Bait complex, the deluxe Swissôtel Makkah, which opens in summer 2012, is a contemporary five-star hotel located in close proximity to the holy Masjid Al Haraam, overlooking the Ka'aba and the Grand Mosque. With a comprehensive array of facilities, Swissôtel Makkah is part of a new urban complex development. Boasting an all-under-one-roof concept, the hotel features 1,488 contemporary guest rooms and luxury suites, three restaurants, a tea lounge, three meeting rooms and business centre. For More Information Nathalie Viselé Director Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 3652711 Mobile: +971 50 457 6525 E-mail: nathalie@smc-pr.com Website: www.smc-pr.com OR Ahmad Ghazi Group Assistant Public Relations Manager Mobile: 966 54 60 111 11 E-Mail: ahmed.ghazi@fairmont.com

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Keep Egypt back on track

Egypt is eager to get back on track with its depressed tourist sector which took a nose dive since "revolution" took hold of the country, just over a year ago. Tourism dropped 33% in 2011, over 2010 figures. Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, Egypt's Minister of Tourism has benchmarked 2017 as the year to surpass the 30 million visitor mark – up from last year's drop of about 10 million. At the ITB Berlin, the minister underlined the country's strong potential at diversifying its tourism sector. He put focus on attracting religious and adventure travellers – boasting Egypt's ancient religious sites that are holy to both Christians and Muslims. Furthermore, he told reporters that his country was going to invest more into eco-tourism projects. Egypt expects future growth in incoming tourism to be fueled by Argentina, Brazil, China and India. However, currently, most visitors to Egypt hail from Europe and Egypt's tourism authorities know how imperative it will be to find ways to attracting visitors back to the Nile valley – if the country is to have any kind of fiscal sustainability – being extremely dependent on tourism capital. A round-table discussion at the ITB Berlin brought together Egypt's Deputy Minister of Tourism, Hisham Zaasou and Amr El Ezabi, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority together with some of the biggest names of the tourism industry - namely: Paul Schwaiger, Sun Express; Peter Fankhauser, CEO Thomas Cook; Peter-Mario Kubsch, Managing Director of Studiosus Study and Language Travel; Volker Boettcher, Managing Director TUI; Detlef Altmann, AirBerlin; and Soeren Hartmann, Head of Rewe Touristik. All present were very optimistic about Egypt's future in tourism. They applauded the Egyptian government's offer to instill financial incentives to attract tour operators back into the country. Hisham Zaasou promised that the government would review the country's extremely high airport tax and make efforts at lowering it – an issue which was most pressing for Paul Schwaiger of Sun Express, a smaller destination-based carrier. Both Schwaiger and Detlef Altmann of Air Berlin, Germany's second largest carrier with the highest frequency of flights to Egypt were optimistic that their current capacity of 80% would go up in the near future, if political demonstrations stayed at a minimum and if airport taxes could be lowered or offset by subsidies. Both lamented that the combination of the Egyptian landing tax and the newly year-old German departure tax – as well as a proposed EU tax – were detriments to their business. Thomas Cook's CEO, Peter Fankhauser believes that if the Egyptians will find a way to offset these costs, then tourism will be back on track sooner than expected – although he was not as optimistic as Hisham Zaasou, who suggested that 2010 levels could be achieved again by the end of this year. Airlines such as Air Berlin and Sun Express were able to maintain modestly filled flights – but only due to their service to destinations on the Sinai Peninsula – far from the Cairo demonstrations. However, tourism to the Nile Valley, including Cairo was rock-bottom. Air Berlin and the TUI Group were able to offset a lot of these losses by encouraging would-be Egypt travellers to go to the Canary Islands instead – a medium haul destination attractive to Central European travelers. However, Peter-Mario Kubsch, Managing Director of the Studiosus Travel Company was less optimistic than most other members of the round table discussion. Studiosus, which offers a combination of study and language travel, is very dependent on cultural and urban centers such as Cairo. His company's segment of the Egyptian tourism market dropped dramatically – despite the fact that incidences against tourists were low to non-existent, even in the Nile valley. "There is still too much uncertainty," Kusch believes. He underlined that a study trip to Egypt simply needs to include Cairo – adding that resort holiday attracts a completely different segment of travellers. Despite his uncertainly, Kusch was optimistic that those people not going to Egypt now were only postponing their trip there rather than cancelling it all together. Volker Boettcher of TUI agreed with Kusch in sustaining that resort tourism would be the first segment to recover – being far away from the political unrest and demonstrations that have occurred frequently over the past year in the urban centers of the Nile, primarily Cairo. The steady rise in resort tourism, on the Sinai, supports this view, according to Boettcher. Boettcher's confidence was also underlined in his company's current investment in their properties located in Egypt. "We would not be investing millions into our properties in Egypt if we did not see a bright future there," Boettcher said. Although Soeren Hartmann of Rewe Touristik does not agree that 2010 levels will be reached by the end of 2012, he does agree with Boettcher about the bright future. "Bookings are going up steadily. Also, it is amazing how fast customers forget about unrest which canvassed our television screens... As soon as political issues are out of the news, the traveler will come back," Hartmann believes. Hartmann does agree that business will grow dramatically by the 2012/2013 winter season – perhaps not as high as the Egyptians anticipate. He believes that needs to go up because the only other mid-haul destination available to his customers, the Canary Islands, cannot compete with the cultural heritage of Egypt. "You can only recommend them to detour to the Canary Islands once or twice – but not indefinitely," Hartmann said. Both Hisham Zaasou and Amr El Ezabi were confident that Egypt’s current role as ITB-Berlin "Partner Country" would give their country the necessary boost to regain confidence among the tourist operators. "In 2011, we have clearly segmented Egypt tourism between 'Red Sea' and the 'Rest of Egypt'. Losses were around the Nile valley. But increases are very evident at the Red Sea – a resort destination. Now we need to invest and communicate that that things are stable in the Nile valley and that demonstrations are completely contained at one square in Cairo. If people can understand that, then they will return with confidence," El Ezabi believes. For now, all agree: business for the resort sector, mostly based in the Sinai will see significant growth continue. "If these numbers can go up further, if tour operators will come back in droves, then this will be good for us," Detlef Altmann said. "We only hope that they will share their growth with us," Peter Fankhauser added, tongue and cheek.

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An Interview with Carley Roney of TheKnot.com

It's not anywhere near a stretch of the imagination to understand just how crucial the weddings business is. The real quandary is what your property can do to cash in. So, rather than approach this from the hotelier's perspective, let's take the viewpoint of the bride and groom, and then you can make your own extrapolations. To get a good insider's perspective, I interviewed Carley Roney of www.TheKnot.com. While the bridal market, for the most part, tends to be highly localized, The Knot was one of the pioneers in terms of approaching the business on a national level by creating regional micro-sites with national sponsors/editorials. Their research suggests that that they are largest online resource for brides-to-be, with an impressive 8 out of 10 visiting this site. In the USA, just how big is the Wedding Market? How many couples were married in 2011? What was the average spend per wedding? What are the trends in costs, cost/allocations? The wedding industry is a $74 billion industry that includes honeymoon, registries, engagement ring and all things related to weddings. Each year we conduct a Real Weddings study and according to TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com 2010 Real Weddings Study, the national average wedding spend is $26,984. Here's the overall wedding spend breakdown: Category 2010 National Average Spend Overall Wedding (excluding honeymoon) $26,984 Ceremony Site $1,393 Reception Venue $12,124 Reception Band $3,081 Reception DJ $900 Photographer $2,320 Videographer $1,463 Wedding Gown $1,099 Florist/Décor $1,988 Wedding Cake $540 Ceremony Musicians $503 Wedding Day Transportation $667 Rehearsal Dinner $1,127 Engagement Ring $5,392 Everyone says weddings are recession proof. How has the economy influenced wedding and bridal spending? The bridal industry is recession resistant as brides will still spend money for their wedding no matter the state of the economy. Less than a third (31%) of brides said the economy affected their wedding budget - a decrease from 34% in 2009. However, when it does come to lowering the wedding budget, one successful cost-cutting tactic used by brides is to trim the number of wedding guests - 141 was the average in 2010, compared with 149 in 2009. Despite the decrease in wedding guests, wedding standards weren't affected, as the average wedding spend per guest remained the same as it was in 2009 at $194. Statistics say the average bride is older. What are the facts and how does this influence spending? And who is paying for these weddings? The average age of the bride in 2010 was 29, an increase from 2009 when the average age was 28. The average age of the groom in 2010 was 31, an increase from 2009 when the average age was 30. Because couples are older and more established in their careers, they're paying for more of the wedding. The couple paid for 42% of the wedding in 2010, while the bride's parents paid for 45% and the groom's paid for 12%. Everyone's contributing to overall spend, not just bride's parents anymore. When selecting a reception venue, what are the key factors that a bride looks for? How influential is the groom in the wedding location selection? What about parents? When choosing a venue, the first thing you want to ensure is that the room is large enough to accommodate the number of people on your guest list. It may look big enough when it's empty, but you won't get a good idea until it's filled with chairs, tables, a dance floor, food and drinks. Definitely ask to see photos of the space when it's set up for another wedding of equal size as yours. Light can also make or break the mood and the space. If you're marrying during the day, make sure your venue has plenty of windows. If it's an evening affair, make sure the room's not too dim. You also need ample outlets. Take a look around the room to make sure there are lots of outlets, especially if you've chosen a space that doesn't normally host weddings or events. Finally, good acoustics are a must. If the place has echoes, it could alter the sound of the band, or make it difficult for guests to hear speeches and even each other. A tile or wood floor, will amplify sounds, while a thick carpet tends to muffle them. Again, visit the space during an event so you can hear the room's sound quality yourself. The groom and parent's influence on the selection of the wedding reception varies with each couple. Some grooms are very involved in the planning process, while others will ask to have more of a say in the food or the honeymoon planning. If parents are paying for the wedding they may have more say in the decisions than if the couple is paying for it themselves. The factors that influence wedding reception location are: word of mouth, wedding shows, past experience, referrals, wedding shows, magazines, broadcast, and online. Can you comment on the importance of each? The power of word of mouth, referrals, magazines, broadcast and online promotions are very powerful. Never underestimate PR. When we launched, there was no expert in weddings or an easily recognized voice. So instead of focusing on advertising, we invested in PR. We believe that if you're doing things that are interesting enough, then people will talk about it. Essentially, PR was the first social media! On WeddingChannel.com we have WeddingChannel.com Reviews where brides can easily search and review more than 130,000 of the top wedding vendors and in turn, vendors can interact directly with brides. Vendors should encourage their brides to post reviews on WeddingChannel.com Reviews as well as check out other bride's tried and true reviews. Are destination weddings gaining in popularity, or are the bulk of receptions still local? Destination weddings rose the past two years, with an increase of 20% since 2008. In fact, approximately 1 in 4 couples considered their wedding a destination wedding in 2010. What new trends in weddings and wedding receptions are you seeing? A new trend for 2012 is the Ritzy Ranch Wedding. Picture a 200-year-old barn complete with long exposed-wood tables, large chandeliers and ambient lighting. For flowers, think lace-wrapped bouquets of wild roses, lilies of the valley, Queen Anne's lace and gardenias. Food includes delicate wild game like juniper-spiced venison, cider-braised pheasant and pan-roasted quail. Brides will be channeling the Old West with a rustic-elegant spin. The enchanting, whimsical trend is also big this year due to the buzzed about Snow White and The Huntsmen movie and its ilk. 2012 brides will be inspired to wear wedding gowns that are light and airy, but with a mysterious and sexy vibe. Vera Wang's stunning witchcraft-inspired 2012 wedding dresses will be the bride's first stop. For wedding décor, magical and fantasy settings will be big with brides opting for a woodsy vibe. Think soft, decadent bouquets filled with flowers like cabbage roses, peonies and dinner plate dahlias. Tell me more about appealing to the growing ethnic markets (within the USA). On Weddings.com, we have an entire collection of niche wedding-planning sites devoted to reaching these markets-Asian weddings, Indian weddings, Jewish weddings, Muslim weddings and many others. Each site features a collection of custom content, vendor listings, message boards and real weddings to offer inspiration. Beyond the US, we've expanded globally. In November 2010, we launched Ijie.com, a website that provides Western inspiration and local advice for weddings, relationships and pregnancy for the Chinese consumer. We also recently announced a partnership with SINA, one of the most trafficked news and lifestyle portals in China with 170 million daily unique visitors, in which we have a cobranded ‘Weddings' channel under the SINA E-ladies section. Not to mention, we also have a partnership with Youku, the largest video hosting site in China. What is your advice for a venue that wants to be totally wedding friendly? Having an attitude of ‘no request can't be met' is essential. The venue should answer emails and phone calls in a timely manner. As well, they should work with brides to reasonably negotiate within their budget and meet their needs. It's also advisable they have a presence wherever brides are (eg. on Facebook, Twitter, TheKnot.com, WeddingChannel.com, etc.).

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tourism news

EC and the Danish EU Presidency cooperate with the IRU to further green road transport

Discussions at the 2nd IRU/EU Road Transport Conference brought about a common approach and concrete solutions to further greening road transport. Participants also agreed that road transport can and must contribute to driving economic growth in the EU. To this end, it was agreed to set up a High Level Group to determine the appropriate actions to effectively double collective passenger transport by bus and coach. The 2nd IRU/EU Road Transport Conference on “Efficient solutions for making road transport greener” held yesterday in Brussels, brought together some 400 political, transport and trade leaders from all 27 EU Member States. The conference, jointly organised by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the International Road Transport Union, focused on the main challenges facing the road transport industry, and in particular how to effectively reduce even further, through coordinated action at political and industry level, the environmental footprint of road transport activities, while allowing road transport to drive the EU growth agenda. Keynote speakers included the Danish Transport Minister, Henrik Dam Kristensen, the Head of Cabinet, Henrik Hololei as representative of the Vice President of the European Commission responsible for transport, Siim Kallas, the IRU President, Janusz Lacny and DG MOVE Director General, Matthias Ruete, among others. Conference participants agreed that cooperation will have to be strengthened in order to achieve rapid and sustainable growth in the EU, as well as ensure an even more efficient and greener road transport sector, notably through the increased use of all trade facilitation instruments, measures and technical innovations that can support the objectives outlined during the conference. The first steps towards achieving the EU growth agenda and further greening road transport were taken within the framework of this conference, as the conference organisers, speakers and panellists agreed to: - focus on amending weights and dimensions rules to allow aerodynamic and road safety improvements for vehicle and equipment, and to promote connections between modes; - to establish a strategic Public-Private Partnership, involving all relevant European Institutions and road passenger transport industry’s representatives, with the aim to set an action plan within the next 12 months that should lead to doubling the use of collective passenger transport by bus and coach in the next decade. The Vice President of the European Commission Mr. Kallas highlighted: "Today's event clearly demonstrated that greening road transport and contributing to economic growth are not two incompatible objectives. Quite the contrary: during our discussions, we identified a number of options to make the sector more efficient and to support growth. These include further integration of the internal market, reducing congestion, support to innovation and provision of quality infrastructure, four fields where the Commission has been and will remain very active. The renewed emphasis on road passenger transport will also facilitate economic exchanges. Finally, this event has shown that the Commission and other policy-makers can rely on a constructive cooperation with the industry to reach these objectives, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with the IRU in the future." Welcoming the reinforced public-private partnership between the road transport industry represented by the IRU and the European Union, both at the level of Member States and the EU institutions, IRU President, Janusz Lacny, noted: “It should be remembered that commercial road transport is the only transport mode which provides door-to-door service and complements all other modes. I thus call upon all decision makers and relevant industries to cooperate to support the EU growth agenda by applying, without delay, all the available trade and road transport facilitation instruments in the EU, as well as implementing the decisions agreed upon during this conference. In fact, it is the IRU’s firm belief – and I am sure this is a shared belief – that any EU growth objective cannot be successful without including the facilitation of an efficient transport system, where commercial road transport today is and will remain a key driver of economic development
.” 2011: Cologne sets new tourism record

Tourism to Cologne continued to increase in 2011, achieving a new record by beating the previous record from 2010. Last year a total of 2.84 million hotel guests came to Cologne and altogether spent 4.97 million overnight stays. Compared to the previous year, this represents an increase of 9.7 per cent in terms of guest arrivals and 8.6 per cent in terms of overnight stays. In comparison, Germany had an overall increase in overnight stays of 4 per cent and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia had an increase of 5 per cent. Elisabeth Thelen, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Cologne Tourist Board, says: “Once again Cologne was able to further consolidate its position as one of the most popular destinations in Germany and to achieve significant growth in the most important source markets. The year’s results demonstrate that Cologne Tourist Board’s strategies are bearing fruit. With a total turnover of 6.8 billion euros, tourism represents a major source of income for Cologne and brought the city's coffers more than 170 million euros in returns.” Foreign guests made up 874,443 visits and a marked increase of 11 per cent, continuing to represent an overall share of 34 per cent of visitors to the city. Josef Sommer, Managing Director of Cologne Tourist Board, explains: “Special events such as the Carnival, the Christmas markets or successful large trade fairs such as imm or Anuga FoodTec continue to attract more international visitors and business travellers to Cologne. In 2011, the tourist trade in Cologne developed more dynamically than in any other German city. Our goal for 2012 is to surpass 5 million overnight stays.” 2011 source market results A look at the visitors' home countries reveals several interesting facts. The trend of vacationing at home remains strong - with 1.97 million visitors (a rise of 9.1 per cent), Germany is still the most important source market for Cologne. Most of the foreign visitors in 2011 came from Great Britain (109,488 / up by 10.5 per cent) and the United States (81,802 / up by 24.3 per cent). The number of guests arriving from these countries has greatly increased with the more stable economic climate. Cologne also attracted a lot of visitors from its neighbouring countries. The number of visitors from the Netherlands rose by 11.4 per cent to 92,634, while Belgium (59,823) and France (52,129) increased their share of visitors by 11.5 per cent and 4.9 per cent respectively. One reason for this is the surging popularity of the high-speed Thalys train connection from Paris and Brussels. The number of guests from Switzerland also rose significantly to 42,625 visitors - an increase of 12.2 per cent. Cologne also boasted a tremendous increase in visitors from Turkey (up by 34.4 per cent) and Russia (up by 35.7 per cent). The Russian market represents 3.5 per cent of international overnight stays - a considerable share for one country. The statistics for tax-free shopping showed that Russian guests spent 22.6 per cent more than they did the year before. In Russia, as in the Arab Gulf states (9,962 visitors / up by 24.9 per cent), health tourism is a particularly big draw. The emerging markets of India (5,462 visitors) and China (20,875 visitors) are particularly noteworthy, with a rise of 11.4 per cent and 27.5 per cent respectively. Since 2006, Cologne Tourist Board has been actively promoting the city to the Indian market via the India Pool of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), and many years of active market placement in China are now also having an impact. The tourist office's efforts in Brazil have also proved to be fruitful, resulting in a rise in visitors of 28.7 per cent. Compared to 2005, when the Confederations Cup took place in Cologne, the number of visitors from Brazil has actually doubled. Cologne Tourist Board visited several Brazilian cities as a part of a GNTB road show in 2011 and was able to expand its contacts there considerably - especially in line with the new town twinning of Cologne and Rio de Janeiro. Cologne Convention Bureau (CCB) In June 2011, results from the “Cologne Conference Barometer”, which was commissioned by the Cologne Convention Bureau (CCB), were presented for the second time. According to the study, in 2010 Cologne hosted 42,750 events attended by 3.3 million participants. In general, Cologne has become increasingly important for event organizers and is one of Germany's leading conference destinations. This positive trend is confirmed by the nationwide study “Meeting & Event Barometer”, which ranks the Cologne-Dusseldorf region as the third most popular location for events after Berlin/Potsdam and the Rhine-Main region surrounding Frankfurt. Potential for future development can be found in the numerous research institutes, universities and other academic institutions of Cologne, which use events as a common instrument for sharing and exchanging knowledge. That is why CCB intensified its contacts with universities and academic institutions in 2011 and will continue to cultivate these partners in 2012. Together with KolnKongress, CCB aims to attract more academic conferences to the city. One of these is the World Congress of Pathology, which will come to Cologne for the first time in 2016. In order to compete internationally, CCB works closely together with the convention bureau DUSSELDORF. The two cities along the Rhine placed successfully in the 2011 state-wide competition Erlebnis.NRW with their project “KOLNDUSSELDORF - The Meetropolis”, which was extended in 2011 and will implement a new marketing campaign in time for IMEX 2012, which will focus on international markets. Another highlight of the Cologne MICE industry in 2011 was the 10th Cologne Congress and Event Day, which was organised by CCB, KolnKongress and the Cologne Chamber of Industry and Commerce and attracted 50 exhibitors and 700 trade visitors. Outlook for 2012; Focus on “Business Destination Cologne” After last year’s focus on the theme “City of Water”, Cologne Tourist Board is introducing its 2012 marketing activities under the motto “Business Destination Cologne”. Inspired by the German National Tourist Board’s motto for this year, “Business Destination Germany”, Cologne Tourist Board - under the leadership of the Cologne Convention Bureau - aims to highlight the city’s activities in the business segment. One marketing measure is the Cologne BizzBox, a portfolio combining six different magazines that showcase various facets of Cologne as a business destination. Similar information will also be gathered and showcased on the website www.conventioncologne.de. In addition, shared activities are being planned with the German Convention Bureau, including a joint event for the Austrian meeting industry. Activities and projects On the occasion of the 25-year anniversary of the partnership between the cities of Cologne and Beijing, Cologne is celebrating a special China Year in 2012. Featuring a broad programme of events, it represents a forum for exchanging new impulses and fostering future cooperation. One highlight will be the “NRW-China Celebration” from 14th to 16th September 2012, which is being organised by the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and the City of Cologne. Cologne Tourist Board is highlighting the 2012 China Year in its marketing activities and also supported the City of Cologne in developing the promotional website www.chinajahr-koeln.de. Since spring 2009, the health pool “Health Cologne” project, which is led by Cologne Tourist Board, has been active in the health tourism sector. Once again the project has been able to attract numerous partners from the clinic, hotel, tourism and high-end retail sectors for 2012. With the help of the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry, these partners will appeal to customers in the markets of Russia, the Arab Gulf states, the USA and the UK. Accordingly, the popular brochure “Health Cologne” will once again be published in Russian, Arabic and English this year and will be distributed at all leading trade fairs and road shows in the source markets. Activities on the German market will be intensified by developing an even closer cooperation with Deutsche Bahn. One instance of this was a multi-page Cologne special in the Deutsche Bahn customer magazine DB mobil, which was distributed in all trains across Germany at the beginning of the year. More than 20,000 train travellers took part in the accompanying competition to win several trips to Cologne. In terms of online activities, the website koelntourismus.de boasts a steady increase in visitors and page views and will be relaunched in 2012 with optimized design, content and technical features. The online shop “der-koelnshop.de” was relaunched at the end of 2011 and is already experiencing a significant increase in turnover. Within the area of mobile internet activities, the “Koln-Guide” app will soon be released in a bilingual version. And finally, Cologne Tourist Board has been active on web 2.0 platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. As a result, the community of “VisitKoeln” fans and followers has grown steadily since 2010. Further targeted social media campaigns are in the pipeline for 2012.

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Middle East cruise tourism on crest of a development wave

Passenger numbers and infrastructure investment growing significantly; Arabian Travel Market cruise pavilion to bring together key industry players The positive outlook for the region’s cruise sector is boosting reciprocal tourism potential in key destinations across the GCC. The Middle East is recognised as a key growth market through to 2015 following major commitments to invest substantial amounts into new cruise terminals and associated infrastructure. According to Reed Travel Exhibitions, the organisers of Arabian Travel Market, the expansion of regional facilities and the associated potential increase in revenue from tourism will provide a catalyst for further port development throughout the Gulf. “Diversification of the tourism product to capitalise on new market segments, and significant government investment in supporting infrastructure, has already demonstrated real time benefits for Dubai, which has seen passenger figures quadruple over the last five years,” said Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. The future potential of regional cruise tourism will once again be a highlight at this year’s Arabian Travel Market which takes place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 30 April - 3 May. A dedicated onsite cruise pavilion will provide a platform for regional port operators, tourism service providers and international cruise lines looking to develop a well-rounded cruise product - both off and onshore. Two major international cruise operators which will be exhibiting on the cruise pavilion at ATM include Royal Caribbean International and MSC Cruises both having shown serious regional commitment. Abu Dhabi also launched a 1,300-visitor capacity tented cruise terminal at Mina Zayed in late 2011, ahead of the construction of a permanent dedicated facility to accommodate 600,000 passengers by 2030. Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has also prioritised cruise tourism as a strategic focus for 2012, following MSC Cruises' decision to base its 59,000 ton MSC Lirica vessel in Abu Dhabi's Mina Zayed Port, adding up to 39,000 annual cruise arrivals to the market. Dubai’s Cruise Terminal, which was named the world’s leading cruise port for the fifth year running at the World Travel Awards 2011, has seen five-fold growth since launching its new facility in early 2010. Further expansion is also anticipated, with DP World planning to expand existing amenities and provide berthing facilities for up to seven visiting cruise ships to accommodate projected passenger numbers of 625,000 by 2015. The 2011 season closed with a total of 135 ships and 375,000 visitors, and these numbers are expected to increase to 150 vessels with in excess of 425,000 passengers in 2012. Other destinations across the region are also concentrating on this sector, with plans for the construction of new dedicated cruise terminal hubs being fast tracked in a number of Gulf states. For example, Qatar is investing $5.5 billion in a cruise ship terminal in Doha capable of handling two to three cruise ships. Marsa Zayed in Aqaba, a $10 billion marina community and the largest real estate project in Jordan's history, will provide, among other projects, more than 300 yacht berths in a luxury marina and a cruise ship terminal. This is due to be completed by 2017. Oman is working to transform Mina Qaboos into a dedicated cruise port as part of the government’s Vision 2020 plan, coming off the back of a record 72 per cent increase in passengers during the 2010/11 winter season against 2009/10 figures. “The rapid growth of cruise-related facilities and terminals has the potential to showcase multiple destinations to inbound visitors eager to get a snapshot of the Middle East from the comfort and convenience of a shipboard base. “Upscale cruise tourism and the arrival of smaller luxury cruise liners into the region, are additional opportunities highlighted by regional tourism leaders. Bespoke onshore activities would also complement this ‘niche within a niche” added Walsh. 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 1: MSC Lirica vessel. Photo caption 2: Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. For more information on Arabian Travel Market 2012, please log on to www.arabiantravelmarket.com About Arabian Travel Market Arabian Travel Market 2011 boasted more than 2,200 exhibitors and stand-sharers, from 69 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 PO Box 502701 Office 106, Al Sufouh Tower Dubai Media City Dubai, United Arab Emirates Office: +971 4 3652711 I Direct : +971 4 3652712 I Mobile : +971 50 4576525 Fax:+971 4 4278703 E-mail: nathalie@smc-pr.com I Web site: www.smc-pr.com