Middle East
“I have travelled to many parts of the region,
and fam trips is paying off, with that growth
expected to top 20% by the end of 2015. The new cruise terminal opening in Abu Dhabi
in December is expected to bring a boost as well. MSC Cruises will be the first cruise line to base a ship there from December and Celebrity Cruises will base Celebrity Constellation in Abu Dhabi from November 2016. Next year should see even more trade in the emirate when it hosts the Abta convention at the Yas Viceroy. Ras Al Khaimah raised its trade profile this year
by hosting the Institute of Travel & Tourism Conference and the momentum should continue as the emirate is set to add 12 hotels by 2019, including Anantara Mina Al Arab in 2018. Meanwhile, the third largest of the emirates,
Sharjah, is also making a bid for a bigger share of the limelight. Sharjah has been enjoying its title as the Arab Tourism Capital but is ramping things up, investing in many new developments, from hotel projects to urban regeneration, alongside the expansion of the international airport. A big focus is on a cultural events calendar including the Sharjah Biennial, a literary festival and Grand Prix F1 powerboat championship. The Al Jabal Resort, The Chedi Khorfakkan, is
scheduled to open next year. Also new will be the Kalba eco-tourism project on Sharjah’s east coast, which looks set to include a turtle rehabilitation centre and birds of prey facility. Meanwhile, Al Noor Island in the Khalid lagoon is a $22 million leisure project designed by artist Andre Heller. Set to become one of the emirate’s icons, it will be home to a butterfly house, meadow, literature pavilion and aviary. All this growth would not be possible without
continued expansion of the region’s big three airlines – Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways – who are all to benefit from new or expanded airports at their hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha respectively. And the three airlines are all now flying Airbus A380 superjumbos from Heathrow, which has allowed them to offer upgraded premium cabins on these routes.
Looking at Emirates alone, there are now
119 flights a week to Dubai via six gateways – Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow – and passenger numbers have grown by more than 20% this financial year; First and Business Class bookings for October were up by almost 30% year on year. Emirates introduced a second daily A380
from Manchester to Dubai this year, giving the route three daily services, while a third daily B777 from Birmingham to Dubai was also introduced. And from January, all eight daily flights operated by Emirates out of Gatwick and Heathrow to Dubai will be on A380s.
Help from Hollywood Emirates and Etihad have been highlighting their premium services using Hollywood stars – Emirates’ adverts have featured Jennifer Aniston, who marvels over the onboard suites, while Nicole Kidman has promoted Etihad’s The Residence three-room suite, which sells for $20,000 one way. Luxury operators say there has been little
interest from their clients for The Residence, but that business and first-class have been selling well. Zoe Saunders, senior product and marketing
manager for ITC Luxury Travel, says: “We do get a high level of requests for business- and first- class flights to the region – particularly for clients on a twin-centre to the Indian Ocean. The price point of The Residence makes it very niche, but the high-end offering from the likes of Etihad and Emirates in first and business ensures their consistent appeal.” Oman is another Gulf destination set to
bolster its upmarket credentials, with new hotels by brands such as W Hotels, Kempinski, Fairmont and even Louis Vuitton in the pipeline. Cox & Kings’ Middle East product manager
Michael Fleetwood says: “We’ve found that Oman has grown year-on-year and continues to be one of the stronger destinations for us. Around half
56
TTGLUXURY.COM WINTER 2015 DESTINATIONS
from Morocco to Abu Dhabi, which was my first trip there about 12 years ago. First and foremost, I am a sun worshipper, so it always
suits me. For clients, I know they will be guaranteed to have a luxury experience with very high standards, and for us based in the north, it’s the Middle East that’s better served with flights, compared with, say, the Caribbean. On that note, it is a relatively
short flying time with quite frequent options to places like Dubai, and we definitely see people heading there for a long weekend, especially stressed out workers who just want a brief dose of luxury in the sun. It is so family-friendly too,
with large rooms in the hotels and lots of activities – whether in the mountains, desert or on the beach. In spite of security fears recently, I would have no concerns about sending people to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Oman. One of my favourite hotels is
the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, set on the beach of Saadiyat Island – that’s a great one for a weekend in the sun. Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in Dubai is another great choice, with the option to dine around in the group’s other hotel restaurants. Looking forward, I think
The Langham, Palm Jumeirah – a 323-room hotel scheduled to open in 2016 – is going to be great.” The Global Travel Group member, Cathy Jackson-Spence from Wetherby Travel
My Middle East
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