18 | TRAVEL
NEWS IN BRIEF Iraq rebuilding tourism
NEWS By Geoff Hadwick
IRAQ is taking steps to rebuild its tourism industry with representation at the Arabian Travel Market next month. There were more than 1.3 million visitor arrivals in 2009, and the potential for this to increase is vast, according to Mark Walsh, group director of Reed Travel Exhibitions.
Flights up 8.2% y-o-y
THE number of passenger fl ights boomed by 8.2% year-on-year in January according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA.) The volume of traffi c was also up nearly 3% on December. By January 2011, air travel volumes were 18% higher compared to the low point reached in early 2009 and some 6% above the pre- recession peak of early 2008.
RCI in Latin America
VACATION exchange company RCI has expanded its network with the introduction of a Colombian affi liate, the Royal Decameron Baru Hotel, near Cartagena at Baru Island. “Affi liating with this resort reaffi rms our commitment to off er exotic vacations to the 3.8 million RCI members around the world looking for great vacation destinations,” said the president of RCI Latin America Ricardo Montaudon.
Continued expansion
RCI also last month announced an affi liation with AMResorts’ Unlimited Vacation Club, which has 22 resorts in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. “We are thrilled to welcome AMResorts into RCI’s network of affi liated resorts”, said Gordon Gurnik, president of RCI.
Will sales follow tourists?
Tourists are returning to the resort areas of Egypt and Tunisia, which have seen public uprisings and revolutions. Reports are mixed, with some on the ground in Sharm-el-Sheikh reporting a recovery in arrivals, while others say it is still “a ghost town”. Many are optimistic about the future of the property market in Egypt, believing that the new government will clean up the corruption that has plagued the industry. Turn to page 51 for an in- depth look at Egypt’s resorts.
CONFIDENCE in Portugal’s tourist industry is growing, and budget airline Jet2 has announced it will be adding two new UK routes to and from the Algarve’s Faro Airport starting this month. This will increase the total capacity to more than 300,000 seats, a move that has been welcomed by the Portuguese property market. Stephen Anderson of Infi nito Real says
it demonstrates growing confi dence in the area, and will present an opportunity for those who own property or are thinking of buying in the area. He said: “Budget airlines have been the
making of many resort areas throughout Europe over recent years. The fact that Ryanair opened a base in Faro airport only last year, and now news that Jet2 are offering a greater number of cheap fl ights across a total of seven routes to and from the UK, is fantastic news. As well as increasing accessibility, this is a positive step for tourism and investors, as more competition will drive prices down and ultimately more people to the area. It also demonstrates greater
Flight boost | More than 300,000 extra seats to Faro added on routes from the UK
confi dence in the Algarve as a growing tourism destination. Since the start of the year, we have already seen signs that people are gaining more and more trust in the Algarve as a strong area to invest in property. And there is an increasing number of clients looking to buy “off plan” property again in this region. This is something which in the past has remained quite rare with many people being put off of this way of buying through disaster stories.” Anderson added: “The greatest gift the economic crisis has given the Algarve is
Thai focus on quality
THAI Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told his country’s travel industry leaders at the “Thai Tourism in the Next Decade” forum last month that the country needs to “focus more on higher quality tourism.” The Prime Minister said that his
country needs to “attract higher yield, higher disposable income, higher spending leisure and business visitors.”Offi cial government statistics show that Thailand’s international arrivals in 2011 will reach about 16.6 million … an increase of 4.4%. The country recorded annual tourism growth of 7.5% between 2005 and 2010, with visitor arrivals growing from 11.5 million in 2005 to around 15.8 million last year. Thailand’s over-supply of rooms and
seats are among key factors pushing Thailand’s brand reputation into a downward spiral. Huge volume, cost- conscious tourists bring the country’s brand down, which in turn attracts lower yield tourists is the argument. Also, political
instability, long queues at Suvarnabhumi airport, over-crowding and environmental degradation are also damaging the country’s tourist reputation. Industry leaders worry that such
problems position Thailand poorly in the eyes of tourists who are used to better quality travel experiences in Europe, Japan, Australia and the United States. In February, the Thai Hotel Association
reported that 2,282 new hotel rooms would be added in Bangkok this year and Phuket has reported an increase of 27% in arrivals year-on-year for the fi rst two months of 2011.
a more stabilized pricing structure. There has been much publicity lately promoting the region as a luxury and high-end area to invest in, and this is certainly true when compared with the average size and price per square metre of properties in its neighbouring countries. With tourism on the rise, investors should have renewed confi dence on the rent- ability of their properties even during tough economic times, and this coupled with lower prices and lower mortgage rates equal a fantastic basis for great future returns.”
Below par
STRUTT and Parker’s annual golf property report predicts a tough year ahead for course owners and operators in 2011. Market conditions are now as
diffi cult as at any time over the last ten years thinks Strutt and Parker. The number of courses coming to
the market in 2010 was high, it says, with a 50% increase on the previous year, just as the banks chose to bring distressed businesses to the market. “In a small market this put buyers
Flagship | attractions to be the focus
in a position of strength. Our records show that 20 courses sold in 2009 of which two were forced sales. In 2010 this fell to 14 sales of which 11 were forced sales,” says Charles Greville-Heygate, Strutt and Parker Leisure and Hotels department’s golf property expert. Heygate argues that new and innovative ways of attracting members need to be employed.
www.opp.org.uk | APRIL 2011 New fl ights boost Portugal
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