JANUARY 2019THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL HOTEL MANAGEMENT GLASS CEILING Beyond the HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST TALKS TO FOUR INFLUENTIAL FEMALE LEADERS FROM THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY @HOTELIERME WWW.HOTELIERMIDDLEEAST.COM MIDDLE EAST HOTEL PIPELINE: EXCLUSIVE LIST OF THE REGION’S UPCOMING HOTELS DECEMBER 2018THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL HOTEL MANAGEMENT HOTELIER AWARDS 2018: WE UNVEIL THE INDUSTRY WINNERS ACROSS 18 CATEGORIES @HOTELIERMEWWW.HOTELIERMIDDLEEAST.COM JUMEIRAH AL NASEEM’S AZAR SALIBA WAS CROWNED THE GM OF THE YEAR AT THE HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST AWARDS An ITP Media Gr oup Publication NEWS ANALYSIS THE DEBATE IS BACK: IS DUBAI READY FOR THE MICHELIN GUIDE? P18 GM INTERVIEW HABTOOR PALACE, LXR HOTELS & RESORTS’ WAEL MAATOUK P26 COMMENT SHISHIRA SREENIVAS NAIM MAADAD ALEX MACDONALD MARTIN KUBLER JUMEIRAH AL NASEEM’S AZAR SALIBABABABAAABA WWWWWAS CROWNED THE GM OF THE ANAGEMEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEENNNNNNEEEEEENNNNNEEENNNEEEEENNNNNEEENNNNEEEEEENNEEEENNNNEENNEEENNNEEEEEEENEEEEEEEEENEEEEEEEENEENENNENEEENENNNNNEEE TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT JAJJJJJJ NUUEEFIFIFIF NINININIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTITTTTTITTTTITITITITITITITITITTTTTITITITITITIITTTTTITITITITITTTTTTITTTITTITITITTTTITTTTTTTTTITTITITTTTIITITIITTTTIIITITTIIIIIIIITTTTTIIIITITTIITIIIITIIITTIIITITTTTTTIIIIIIIITIIIIIIIIIIIITIIIIIIIIITIITTIITTIVEVEVVEVEVEVVEVEVEVEVEVEVEVEVVEVVEVEVVEVEVEVEVVVEVEEEVEVEVEVVEVEVEVVVEEEEVEVVEVEVEVEVEVEVEEEEVEVEEVEEEEVEEVEVVVEVEEVEEVEVVEVEVEEVEVEVEVVEEVEVEVEVEVVVEEVEVEEEVEEVEVEVEVEVVVVVVEEVEVEEEEEEVEVEVVVVVVVEVVEEEVEVEVEVEVEEVEVEEVEVEVVVVVEVEVEVEEEEEEVEVEVVVVVVEVVVVEVEVEEEVEEVEVEVEEEVEVEVEVEEEVEVEEVEVVVVVVEVEEVEVEEVEVVVVVVVVVVEVEVEVEEVVVVVVVVEVEEEVEEEEVVVVVVVVEEVEEEVEVEEEVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVEEVEEEEEVVVVVVVVVEEVEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEVVVVEEVVVVVEVVVVEVEEVEEEEVVEVEEEEEVVVVEEEVVVVEEEVVVEVVVEEEVVVE GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGUUUUIUIUIUIUUIIIUUUUUUIUUUUUUUIIIIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUIUIUUIUIUUUIIUUIUUUIUIUIUUUIUIIUIUUUUUUIUUUIUUUUIUUIIIIUUUUUUUIUUUIIIUIUUUUIUUUUUIUIUIIIIIUIUUUIUUIUIIIIIUUIUUIUIUIUUIIUIUIUUUIUUUUIIIUIUIUIUUUIUUUIUIIIUIUUUIUIUIUUUIIIIIUIUUUUIUUUUIIUIUUUUUIUIUIIUIUIUUUIUUIIUUIUIUIUUUUIUUIUUIUIIUIUIIUIIIIUIDEDEDEDEDEDEDEDEEEDEEDEEEEEEDEDEDEDEDDEEEDEEEEEEDEDEDDEDEEEEEEEDEEEDEDEDEDEEEEEDEDEDEEEEDEEEEEDDEDDEEEEEEDDDDDDEDDEEEEDDDEDDEDEDDEEEDDDEDDEDDEDEDDEEEDDDDEDDEDDEEEEDDDEDEDEDDEDDEDDDDDEDEDDEDDDDEDDDDEEEDDDEDEDDDDEDDEDEDDEDDDDDDEDEEEEEDDDDDDDEDEEEEDDDDDEDDDEDEDDEDDDDDDDDEEEDDDDDDDDDDEEDDDDDDDEDDDDEDDDEEEEDDDDEEEEEEDDDDEEEEEEDDDDDDDEDDDEEEDDDDEDDDEEDDDDEEEDDDEEEDDEDEE TTTTTTOO SUSS CCCCC ESESSFULULL HHOTOTOTELELL MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAANAAAAAAAAAAAAANNANANANNANANANAAAAAAAAAAAAANNANANNAAAAAAAAAANNNNNANAAAAAAAAAANNNNAAAAAAAAAAAANNANAAAAAAAAAAAAANANNANAAAAANNAAAAAAAAAANAAAAAANAAAAAAAAAAAANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANAAAAAAAAAANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AGAGAGAGAGAGAGGGAGAGAGGGGGGGEMEMEMEMEMEMEMMMMMMMMMMEMMMMMMMMMEMMMEMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEMMMMMMMMMMEMMMMMMMMMMMEEEENENENNENNNNENNNNEENENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNENNNNNNNNENNNNNNNNNNNNNEE TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT17 - 21 FEBRUARY 2019 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE OFFER ENDS 7 FEBRUARY 2019 Get your ticket at gulfood.com REGISTER NOW & PAY AED 420 AED 270 0ED 420DD04 The world’s largest annual food & beverage trade exhibition is back for its 24th edition, placing innovation and goodness at its core. See what’s fresh, cool and hot at the only food event that is truly global. The wo trade placi See Official Media Partners Official Airline Partner Official Courier Handler Official Travel Partner Official Publisher Exclusive Online Media Partner Exclusive Regional Online Media Partner Official Regional Magazine Official Knowledge Partner Exclusive Official Publication Official Chef’s Magazine Carrier Bags Sponsor Lanyards Sponsor Visitor Badge Pouches Sponsor Registration Area Sponsors Category Sponsor (Meat & Poultry) Silver Sponsor & Carrier Bags Organised ByHOTELIER MIDDLE EA ST | January 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 01 3 W CONTENTS JANUARY 2019. VOLUME 18. ISSUE 01 2 8 “We do not streamline it down to a particular segment type of traveller. But we really see that there was a growing percentage of travellers who wanted a fresh lifestyle-led brand that plays in the upscale space and voco has been designed with that in mind.” — Matthew Tripolne, VP for development, MEA, IHG. January 2019 VP Interview 19 VP INTERVIEW Matthew Tripolone, VP, develop- ment, MEA, IHG on the Group’s long term growth strategy 30 HOTEL PIPELINE Hotelier’s exclusive list of hotels in 2019 and beyond across the region 22 WOMEN IN HOSPITALITY Four infl uential female hospitality leaders speak to Hotelier about going beyond the glass ceiling JANUARY 2019THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL HOTEL MANAGEMENT GLASS CEILING Beyond the HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST TALKS TO FOUR INFLUENTIAL FEMALE LEADERS FROM THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY @HOTELIERME WWW.HOTELIERMIDDLEEAST.COM MIDDLE EAST HOTEL PIPELINE: EXCLUSIVE LIST OF THE REGION’S UPCOMING HOTELS DECEMBER 2018THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL HOTEL MANAGEMENT HOTELIER AWARDS 2018: WE UNVEIL THE INDUSTRY WINNERS ACROSS 18 CATEGORIES @HOTELIERMEWWW.HOTELIERMIDDLEEAST.COM JUMEIRAH AL NASEEM’S AZAR SALIBA WAS CROWNED THE GM OF THE YEAR AT THE HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST AWARDS An ITP Media Group Publication NEWS ANALYSIS THE DEBATE IS BACK: IS DUBAI READY FOR THE MICHELIN GUIDE?P18 GM INTERVIEW HABTOOR PALACE, LXR HOTELS & RESORTS’ WAEL MAATOUKP26 COMMENTSHISHIRA SREENIVASNAIM MAADAD ALEX MACDONALD MARTIN KUBLER JUMEIRAH AL NASEEM’SAZARSALIBABABABAAABA WWWWWAS CROWNED THE GM OF THE ANAGEMEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEENNNNNNEEEEEENNNNNEEENNNEEEEENNNNNEEENNNNEEEEEENNEEEENNNNEENNEEENNNEEEEEEENEEEEEEEEENEEEEEEEENEENENNENEEENENNNNNEEE TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT Highlights Hotelier Middle East photographs four infl uential women leaders in the hospitality industry who are leading the way. Volume 18 Issue 01 THIS MONTH’S COVER: 36 NEW OPENING We take a look at Al Manara Hotel Saraya Aqaba, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Aqaba, JordanHOTELIER MIDDLE EA ST | January 2018 | Volume 18 Issue 01 CONTENTS 4 07 BULLETIN Jumeirah Group set to open seven new hotels worldwide in 2019; Hyatt completes acquisition of two roads hospitality; Marriott reveals that up to 500 million hotel guests were hit by data hack; Nakheel reveals pregress on beachfront resort; Elaf Group back Saudi Arabia’s eff ort to increase tour- ism; and 2.9 million Chinese visitors expected to visit the GCC by the year 2022 16 COMMENT Derek A. Issacs on exploring hotel technology and how hotels can do more; Shadi Al-Kadi on striving for sustainability; Naim Maadad on hotel trends to watch out for in 2019 19 VP INTERVIEW Hotelier talks to InterContinental Hotel Group’s vice president, develop- ment for MEA, Matthew Tripolone 22 WOMEN IN HOSPITALITY In its inaugural feature, we list top female hoteliers running the show in the region and highlight the lives of the top four women on the list 28 DRIVING REVENUE OPTIMISATION SURVEY Hotelier Middle East looks at key factors driving hotel revenue in 2019 30 MIDDLE EAST HOTEL PIPELINE Hotelier compiles a list of upcoming hotels in the Middle East & North Africa 36 NEW OPENING Hotelier sits down with the executive leadership committee of Al Manara Hotel Saraya Aqaba to talk about the pre-opening phase, the brand’s debut, and hotel opening in Aqaba, Jordan 40 GM SURVEY 2018 In the annual GM survey, hoteliers in the region alk about the hospitality market performance and what to expect in thecoming year 46 CASE STUDY We examine the outcome of implementing Neorcha’s MyRewards platform across Rotana Hotels Women in Hospitality 30 MIDDLE EAST HOTEL PIPELINE Hotelier Middle East compiles an exclusive list of upcoming hotels in 2019 and beyond in the Middle East and North Africa 19 VP INTERVIEW Matthew Tripolone, VP, development, MEA, IHG HOTELIER TALKS TO FOUR INFLUENTIAL FEMALE LEADERS IN THE MIDDLE EASTERN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ON GENDER EQUALITY AND MORE 22CONTENTS HOTELIER MIDDLE EA ST | January 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 01 5 50 CAREERS The latest from the world of training 51 NEW RECRUIT Taj Dubai’s exec. chef Vikas Malhotra 52 MOVERS & SHAKERS The latest hospitality appointments 53 BUYER’S GUIDE Latest suppliers’ news and product launches in the hospitality industry 60 SUPPLIERS 2019 Hotelier highlights suppliers you need to know in 2019 63 COMMUNITY NEWS The latest CSR news from hotels 64 COLLIERS DATA Three-month forecast from Colliers 66 10 THINGS What you didn’t know Hyatt Regency Creek Heights Hotel in Dubai PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0)4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi Executive Director Alex Reeve Group Editorial Director Greg Wilson EDITORIAL Editor Derek A. Issacs Tel:+ 971 4 444 3215 email: derek.issacs@itp.com Features Editor Shishira Sreenivas Tel:+ 971 4 444 3302 email: shishira.sreenivas@itp.com Contribution Namitha Madhu ADVERTISING Senior Commercial Manager Kelly Jenkins Tel: +971 4 444 3823 email: kelly.enkins@itp.com Sales Manager Nick Clowes Tel: +971 4 444 3115 email: nick.clowes@itp.com International Sales Manager Amanda Stewart Tel:+44 7908 117 333 email: amanda.stewart@itp.com HOTELIERMIDDLEEAST.COM Senior Online Editor Sarakshi Rai Tel:+ 971 4 444 3211 email: sarakshi.rai@itp.com ITP LIVE General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel:+971 4 444 3549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com STUDIO Assistant Designer Rita Ghantous PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Photographers Rajesh Raghav, Efraim Evidor, Richard Hall, Staff Photographers Lester Apuntar, Aasiya Jagadeesh, Grace Guino, Fritz Asuro, Ajith Narendra Cover Image Rajesh Raghav PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Basel Al Kassem Production Coordinator Mahendra Pawar Outsource Manager Aamar Shawwa Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles CIRCULATION Head of Circulation, Vaneesa D’Souza Circulation Executive Loreta Regencia MARKETING Director of Awards and Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Events Manager, Business Events Teri Dunstan ITP GROUP CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. 63 55 10 Things about Hyatt Regency Creek Heights 51 46 66 MEDIA 36 36 Published by and © 2019 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC.BULLETIN 7 HOTELIER MIDDLE EA ST | January 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 01 Jumeirah Group will see the opening of seven new hotels around the world in 2019 HYATT COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF TWO ROADS HOSPITALITY Among the hotels in the pipeline is Jumeirah’s first Saudi hotel: Jabal Omar Jumeirah in Makkah Brands aquired include Alila, Destination, Joie de Vivre, Thompson, and tommie BULLETIN Day in the Life ..................................08 Around the GCC ................................10 Data Snapshot .................................10 African Insight ..................................11 News Bites .....................................12 Most Popular ..................................13 They Said What? ................................14 The Big Picture ................................15 Hotelier on the Go! ...........................16 A ROUND-UP OF THE MIDDLE EAST HOTELS AND HOTELIERS MAKING HEADLINES THIS MONTH Story of the month Bulletin Jumeirah Group has that it is all set to open seven new hotels located around the world by the end of 2019, revealing the information on the sidelines of its annual GCC roadshow last month, according to a report in Saudi Gazette. Among the hotels in the pipeline is Jumei- rah’s first Saudi hotel, Jabal Omar Jumeirah in Makkah. Other Jumeirah hotels to open soon include Jumeirah Al Wathba Desert Resort & Spa, Jumeirah Guangzhou China, Jumeirah Muscat Bay Oman and Jumeirah Bali – Indo- nesia. Dubai-based Jumeirah Group’s newly appointed CEO Jose Silva told Hotelier Middle East that plans are afoot to restructure the hotels within its hospitality brand into different tiers, based on the experience each hotel offers. Silva hinted at having three different segments for hotels within the Jumeirah Group. Along with the restructuring of the brand, Silva said Jumeirah will unfold its plans for the new, ultra-luxury brand in the coming months. “We will further define what exists in the brand in the near future. Once you have landmarks like Al Qasr, then you can’t redefine it. That is the identity of the space but as you further renovate and evolve the iconic hotels you need to attempt to position them with more clarity for the consumer so they know which segment it is,” Silva added, in an interview with Hotelier Middle East at the Jumeirah headquarters in Dubai. ACQUISITION Hyatt Hotels Corporation has completed the acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality, a lifestyle hotel management company with a portfolio of brands as well as a global development pipeline. The acquisition price was revised down from US$480 million to $405 million and the aggregate potential additional consideration from Hyatt was revised to $96 million from $120 million. Goldman Sachs served as exclusive financial advisor to Hyatt while Moelis & Company served as exclusive financial advisor to Two Roads Hospitality. Zabeel House by Jumeirah The Greens. Contents Hyatt Regency in Saudi Arabia Continued on page 9 >>BULLETIN 8 HOTELIER MIDDLE EA ST | January 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 01 The Starwood reservation database was hacked in September 2018. CYBERCRIME Marriott International revealed that up to 500 million hotel guests may have had their data compromised in a hack of the Starwood reservation database. Marriott said it was alerted on September 8 that there had been an attempt to hack their reservation database in the United States. The Starwood brands include: W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, Four Points by Sheraton and Design Hotels. The operator revealed that Starwood branded timeshare properties are also included. The company launched a probe, and discovered “that there had been unauthorised access to the Starwood network since 2014.” Marriott reveals that up to 500 million hotel guests were hit by data hack D AY IN THE LIFE 6:00am – Time to wake up and start the day. First, I drink a glass of water, check my mobile messages and read the news online. 6:30am – I go for my daily morning walk for 30 minutes to maintain good health mind. 7:45am – Say my daily prayers. 8:00am – I head to the main kitchen to report for duty and greet colleagues. I get feedback from the night shift chef, check emails and visit the breakfast buffet at the Fountain Restaurant to check its quality and quantity. 8:30am – As part of the executive committee, I have a daily meeting with the F&B manager to discuss day-to-day operations, events and functions of the day. 9:00am – It’s time to inspect sections and preparation areas and talk to the section in-charge. I verify HACCP records along with chief steward and hygiene officer and make sure that all documents are in place. 9:30am – Review and plan special menus for the day. 10:00am – I check inventories and orders for ingredients with a market list. I monitor and maintain control over the use of in-stock food items along with the chef de cuisine. 11:30am – I go around to check the buffet areas in the restaurant, food court and cafetaria. Together with the chef de cuisine, we ensure consistency in food safety and prep. 1:00pm – During lunch, I meet senior management at the Fountain restaurant and do another visit to the buffet areas and pastry shop to ensure displays and dishes are refilled. 2:30pm – I complete paperwork. 3:30pm – Together with the morning and second shift, I conduct a hygiene briefing. 6:00pm – As part of my monitoring, I visit outlets and restaurants again and hand over to second shift chef-in-charge. 6:30pm – As a chef, I often have to work late, especially when there are hotel functions. 8:00pm – If I am lucky to leave early, I head to Mamzar beach to unwind and have a quick walk. On most days, I just spend quality time with my family over dinner and talk to relatives staying abroad. NAKHEEL REVEALS PROGRESS ON DUBAI BEACHFRONT RESORT Story in numbers AED670mn (US$182 mn) project developed by Nakheel and Spain’s RIU Hotels and Resorts 9-storey property is Nakheel’s fi rst international hospitality JV 7food and beverage outlets Marriott said it was alerted on September 8 that there had been an attempt to hack their reservation database in the United States In a statement, Marriott revealed that the company has taken measures to investigate and address a data security incident involving the Starwood guest reservation database. On November 19, the investigation determined that there was unauthorised access to the database, which contained guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties on or before September 10. BHUPAL TAMANG, EXECUTIVE CHEF, AL BUSTAN CENTRE AND RESIDENCE 800 rooms at the property First all-inclusive 4-star family beach resort in Dubai Early 2019 is when façade and installation work will begin Project located on Nakheel’s new 15.3 km2 Deira Islands coastal city BULLETIN 9 HOTELIER MIDDLE EA ST | January 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 01 The revised consideration reflects the exclusion of certain properties from the transaction, including properties not operated under the Two Roads brands and properties that will continue to be managed or licensed directly by an affiliate of sellers, according to a statement. Through the acquisition, Hyatt’s portfolio has expanded to include established brands — Alila, Destination, Joie de Vivre, Thompson, and tommie – enhancing the company’s presence in 23 new markets, with management and license agreements for 74 open and operating hotels across North America and Asia. Commenting on the acquisition, Hyatt president and CEO Mark Hoplamazian said: “We will leverage the shared expertise of Hyatt and Two Roads across our powerful combined portfolio of 19 brands to bring best-in-class offerings for guests around the globe.” Elaf Group organised international roadshows to attract tourists to Saudi Arabia. Elaf Group backs Saudi Arabia’s eff orts to increase tourism F ast Fact: Users in Dubai and Jeddah who recently tried to use food delivery app RoundMenu were asked to update their app to Careem NOW, as the ride-hailing service re-branded its platform. Careem purchased RoundMenu, the restaurant listings service, earlier in the year and since then had been trialling food delivery, with the move now being made to take it under the Careem umbrella. Continued from page 7 >> Wh at’s the s tory? Elaf Group will support Saudi Arabia in its aim of attracting over 30mn pilgrims by 2030 WHAT DID THEY SAY? Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, CEO of Elaf Group, said, “We are working to [increase] the efficiency of the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia, to enhance offerings for busi- ness tourists and pilgrims. This is to advance the kingdom’s tourism in line with Saudi Vision 2030.” WHAT’S DIFFERENT? The roadshows by the Elaf Group showcased Saudi Arabia’s various tourism programmes. The king- dom aims to attract more than 30 million pilgrims by 2030. The roadshow is set to go further afield to Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Indonesia.w ANY OTHER DETAILS? Bloomberg reported a 40% year-to-date drop in stock price of Mecca-based Jabal Omar Development, as real estate investment slowed down in the holy city. Jabal Omar’s holdings include hotels, which are also under pressure. 2.9 million Chinese visitors expected to visit the GCC by 2022 Colliers International forecasts an increase of 81% from 2018, spurred by new air routes and bullish Chinese economy INBOUND TOURISM The number of Chinese tourists travelling to the GCC is expected to increase 81% from 1.6 million in 2018 to 2.9 million in 2022, according to data published ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28 to May 1, 2019. The latest research from Colliers International reveals that GCC countries currently attract just 1% of China’s total outbound market. However positive trends are expected, with 400 million Chinese tourists expected to go abroad in 2030, up from 154 million in 2018. China’s links with the GCC have recently strengthened due to the introduction of additional and direct airline routes, the strong growth of the Chinese economy and Chinese tourists’ increasing disposable income. Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “China is set to account for a quarter of international tourism by 2030 – and owing to its many business and investment opportunities, as well as a new generation of leisure attractions and retail destinations, the GCC is set to capitalise on this growth with millions of Chinese tourists about to make their first international trip. “Last year, the number of Chinese exhibitors participating at ATM almost doubled and this trend looks set to continue as we look ahead to ATM 2019. The Colliers data shows Saudi Arabia will experience the highest proportionate increase in arrivals from China, with a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 33% between 2018 and 2022. The UAE will follow with a forecasted CAGR of 13%, Oman at 12% and both Bahrain and Kuwait will steadily increase their Chinese visitor arrivals with a growth of 7%. Over the last 12 months, the UAE has stepped up its efforts to attract more Chinese visitors with Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) recently signing an agreement with Chinese internet giant Tencent to promote the emirate as a preferred destination for Chinese travellers. In Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, Chinese passport holders can now receive a 30-day visa on arrival. Emirates, the leading passenger service provider from the GCC to China, now offers 38 weekly flights between both destinations. China Eastern announced plans to launch three-times weekly direct flights between Shanghai and Dubai – further complementing the airline’s three existing flights between Shanghai and Dubai, which have a stopover in Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province. WHAT’S THE STORY? Saudi Arabia has joined forces with the Elaf Group, which recently organised a series of pro- motional tours to several countries as part of its commitment to support Saudi Arabia.Next >