H E Mr.
Zoheir Garannah, Egypt’s Minis-
S afir International Hotel Management And intensive
Quality Training Courses At both Safir Hotels Cairo
& Zamalek. Read more inside.
S tyle Image Manage-
ment to ensure qual-
ity and international stan-
dards. Moez El Shohdi,
Chairman & CEO has a
lot to say inside on page...
A fter working together
to develop a vari-
ety of meetings industry
joint ventures, IMEX and
Meeting Professionals
Int’l (MPI) have entered
into a Global Partnership
for the first time.
A fter 17 years in and
around the Middle
East, Cypert Schwartz,
the well known hote-
lier, has decided to go
back home and serve his
country in hospitality.
R ezidor Hotel Group
will showcase its
new-look Radisson
Blu brand and launch
two new-to-the-region
chains, Park Inn and
Hotel Missoni, at this
year’s Arabian Travel
Market (ATM)
ter of Tourism announced lately in a press
conference that Egyptian tourism had a big
boom in the year 2008, pointing out that the
number of tourists visited the country reached
up to 12.8 million compared to 11.1 million in
2007; also the tourist nights reached above 129
million nights and the total revenue added up
to US$11 billion compared to US$9.5 billion in
2007, he added.
Mr. Garannah also explained that the hotel ca-
pacity in Egypt in 2008 reached 211 thousand
rooms with 11% increase than 2007, asserting
that the numbers Egypt achieved in 2008 were
likely to increase, but for the world financial cri-
sis that struck us all in the last quarter of 2008
and lead to a decrease in growth rate during the
that quarter of the year.
The Minister said that his Ministry, in coop-
eration with the private sector, is working on a
plan to limit the effect of the world crisis on the
Egyptian tourism industry. HE Mr. Zoheir Garannah, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism
The plan includes condensed joint publicity
campaign with travel agents, raising quality continuing the support of charter flights, focusing
standards, replacing reduced prices with spe- on new promising markets like China, India and
cial offers, supporting low cost flights to Egypt, South America... read more in page 3.
S
ince its opening five years ago, InterContinental Cairo Citystars has and still is the first choice of
sophisticated travelers and world statesmen when visiting Cairo.
The hotel has just unveiled its library-style Concierge Lounge in the lobby reinventing itself with innova-
tive concepts and a striking, contemporary new look, the first of its kind in the Middle East & Europe.
The lounge’s posh décor, incorporating wooden walls, specially woven Egyptian linen for couches and
pillows, and glossy finishes, is echoed in the lobby. Read more inside.
2 FIRST PAGE
From editor’s desk...
I
would like to pass the following information
to the Egyptian travel industry, maybe some-
one, somewhere will understand how the world
are moving around us.
A few weeks ago, the Saudi travel industry had
organized its annual Travel Show under name
of STTIM where hundreds of the Saudi hotels,
travel agents, airlines, tourism destinations was
keen to attend and participate.
The STTIM is new travel gathering in the
region, it starts to find a step and place in the
travel exhibition in the region. They are moving
slowly but surly. Now every body in the region
and lot of people around the travel world knows
about the Saudi Travel market.
These days in Dubai there are the famous Arab
Travel Market (ATM) and no need to talk about
it. It is now the travel exhibition number one
in the region and people are waiting for May
each year to come to Dubai and see each other.
The GCC countries are a big Cake for the in-
ternational travel business as thousands from
its citizens are moving every summer escaping
from the heat. Countries from Far East and Eu-
rope and the other Arab countries are looking
for these wealthy travelers, and the ATM is the
right place and the right time.
In Syria, there was another travel show and in
Tunisia too. In a few days there will be the Bah-
rain travel show under name of BITE.
Undaunted by the crisis caused due to the
global recession in the travel industry, Bahrain
International Travel Expo BITE 2009 the first
Business to Consumers (B2C) Travel and Tour-
ism event in the region, is all set to open for the
5th successful year from 14th to 16th May 2009
under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh
Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Crown Prince
and Chairman Bahrain Economic Development
Board.
Once upon a time, there was an Egyptian
Travel show called MTF, no body knows how it
started and how it ended, it was a try to find a
step in the international travel show business.
All Egypt tried hard to success this MTF, but
no way.
Now, what about Egypt?!!
Aouelwafa Badour
Travel World Magazine Travel World Magazine
JW MARRIOTT CAIRO... The Minister of Tourism:
VIP’s NUMBER ONE CHOICE 12.8 million tourists visited Egypt in 2008
T
H
he JW Marriott Hotel Cairo hosted recently
the meeting of Crossing Borders to Protect E Mr. Zoheir Garannah, Egypt’s Minister of
the Children of the World “Working Together Tourism announced lately in a press confer-
in a Global Movement” at Tutnakhamn Ball- ence that Egyptian tourism had a big boom
room. in the year 2008, pointing out that the number of
This event was under the Auspices and the tourists visited the country reached up to 12.8 mil-
lion compared to 11.1 million in 2007; also the tour-
Presence of H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, the
ist nights reached above 129 million nights and the
First Lady of the Arab Republic of Egypt. total revenue added up to US$11 billion compared to
The hotel witnessed the arrivals of top VIPs US$9.5 billion in 2007, he added.
and was the chosen venue to accommodate them Mr. Garannah also explained that the hotel capac-
for two nights during their stay; Her Majesty ity in Egypt in 2008 reached 211 thousand rooms
Queen Paola, Queen of the Belgium, Her High- with 157 thousand rooms under construction, mak-
ness, Sheikha Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, ing 11% increase than 2007, asserting that the num-
Wife of the King of Bahrain, Her Royal High- bers Egypt achieved in 2008 were likely to increase,
but for the world financial crisis that struck us all
ness, Princess Lalla Meryem of the Kingdom
of Morocco, Mrs. Bernadette Chirac, Former in the last quarter of 2008 and lead to a decrease in
growth rate during the that quarter of the year.
First Lady of the French Republic.
He also pointed out that about 63% of the tourists
Photo shows Her Majesty Queen Paola, Queen to Egypt came from 10 countries (Russia, Germa-
of the Belgium and Mr. Magdy Naguib, the Gen- ny, Britain, Italy, France, Poland, Ukraine, Libya,
eral Manager of the hotel welcoming her upon
arrival.
Mövenpick Resort & Spa El Gouna receives
InterContinental Cairo Citystars hosts
two prestigious awards form Thomas Cook.
the 99th International Airlines Technical
pool conference
Kuwaiti Minister of Finance & Egyptian Minister of Tourism
announce The Opening of Safir Hotel Cairo after Renovation
S
afir Zamalek Hotel Company, International
I
Tourism & Investment Consortium, the Own-
ing Company of Safir Hotel Cairo represented
nterContinental Cairo Citystars recently hosted the 99th International Airlines Technical pool conference for by Mr. Mishal El Masad, Chairman in-cooperation
the first time in Cairo. with Safir International Hotel Management Company
Over 500 participants attended the conference with their families. All attendees and delegates expressed represented by the Chairman, His Excellency Sheikh /
their appreciation for the well organized sessions and the great hospitality they met during their stay at the ho- Fadel Al Sabah & Engineer / Fawzi Al Musullum, Vice
tel. Chairman held an elegant opening Ceremony to cele-
IATP is a non profitable organization which provides a global airline network to facilitate the exchange of ideas brate the opening of Safir Hotel Cairo after renovation
and cooperation reduces aircraft parts inventory expense & reduces airline operational delays & cancellations by with total cost of 90 million Egyptian Pounds.
sharing resources and many other benefits. His Excellency Mr. Mustafa El Shamaly, Kuwaiti Min-
Egyptair Maintenance and Engineering Company took responsibility in organizing the whole event. ister of Finance & His Excellency Mr. Zohair Jaranna,
The closing festival ceremony was of a Pharaonic theme, Mr. Thierry Perrot Director of Operations IHG Egypt Egyptian Minister of Tourism & His Excellency Dr.
& Libya and General Manager InterContinental Cairo Citystars was awarded by Egyptair
Rashid Hamad El Hamad, Ambassador of Kuwait in-
-Ends-
Photo shows / Thierry Perrot with members of Egyptair and IATP
augurated the hotel in an elegant celebration. Also the
Ceremony was honored by the presence of their Excel-
May 2009 ATM - Dubai May 2009 ATM - Dubai
NEWS 3
Saudi Arabia and USA). The Minister said that his
Ministry, in cooperation with the private sector, set-
up a plan to move ahead and to limit the effect of
the world crisis on the Egyptian tourism during the
coming period.
Minister Garannah also attended a symposium
held by the Egyptian-Canadian Business Council
with the Canadian Ambassador and a great number
of businessmen among the attendants. The Minis-
ter asserted during the symposium that Egyptian
tourism sector faced many problems in the past and
succeeded in overcoming all of them thanks to the
strength of the establishments working in the field,
and these establishments are still investing in the sec-
tor despite the world crisis. The Minister finally said
that he and the sector are counting on that Egypt
is one of the top 4 destinations in winter tourism in
the world, and this would ensure the incoming flow
to Egypt which in turn would add to our efforts to
overcome the recent crisis.
F
or the third consecutive year, Mövenpick Resort & Spa El Gouna has
received the Marque of Excellence Award 2009, voted by their clients
as one of the top hotels in the area, delivering the best standards of service
and hospitality.
For the first time this year, the resort has also obtained the Thomas Cook
“A” Performers award. The Management is extremely pleased about the
significant recognition received by Thomas Cook.
Mövenpick Resort & Spa El Gouna 5* features 554 rooms and suites,
8 restaurants and bars, 4 swimming pools and extensive sports and rec-
reational facilities including world renowned Angsana Spa. The perfect
location offering almost 2km of beach have made the resort over the years
the favourite holiday spot for many guests from Europe and Egypt. El
Gouna with its many attractions such as the Downtown Kafr with shops,
restaurants and a Casino, the stylish Abu Tig Marina with its upmarket
restaurants has a large attraction on the British traveller, enjoying the se-
rene and well kept surrounding.
Photo shows: John Wood of the Mövenpick Spa & Resort El Gouna re-
ceiving his team’s Award from Dave Martin, Area Manager Thomas Cook
UK and Laura Turner of Consumer Affairs
lencies Ambassadors of Gulf Countries, Permanent
Representatives to the Arab League, Diplomatic Corps,
Tourism Sector Key Personnel, a Delegation of Media
People, Elite of Businessmen, Safir International Hotel
Management Company’s Members, Safir Sister Hotels
General Managers, Owning Company members rep-
resented by Mrs. Sharifa Baqer, General Manager of
Safir Zamalek Hotel Company, International Tourism
& Investment Consortium.
Safir Hotel Cairo newly renovated Rooms & Suites
feature contemporary modern design combined with
absolute comfort, wide variety of specialized restau- Photo shows His Excellency His Excellency Sheikh /
rants, featuring International, Asian & Oriental Cui- Fadel El Sabah, Mr. Mishael Al Masad, Mrs. Sharifs
sines. Also the hotel facilities include outdoor heated Baqer, Mr. Fawzi Al Musallum, Mr. Ihab El Kerdani &
Swimming Pool, fully equipped Health Club, Spa &
Business Center.
Mr. Hussein Shoukry, Hotel General Manager & Mrs.
Imtenan Sadek during the opening ceremony.
 4 HOTEL NEWS Travel World Magazine

Safir International Hotel Management And intensive Quality

Training Courses At both Safir Hotels Cairo & Zamalek
I n a bid to develop & achieve the associates skills to exceed guest expectations,
Safir International Hotel Management Company under the auspices of Eng.
Fawzi Khalifa Al Musallum, Vice Chairman Safir International Hotel Manage-
ment & Mr. Ihab El Kerdani, Regional Director of Operations Safir Hotels &
Resorts Egypt & North Africa held an intensive Quality training courses for the
Food & Beverage associates at both Safir Hotels Cairo & Zamalek under the su-
pervision of Mr. Mohamed Al Reshaid, Corporate Director of Food & Beverage
Safir International Hotel Management.
Photo shows Eng. Fawzi Al Musallum, Vice Chairman, Mr. Nabil Hammoud,
Group Director of Operations, Mr. Ihab El Kerdani, Regional Director of Op-
erations, , Mr. Mohammad Al Reshaid, Corporate Director of Food & Beverage,
Mr. Hussein Shoukry, General Manager Safir Hotel Cairo, Mr. Ahmed El Salawi,
General Manager safir Hotel Zamalek, Mrs. Imtenan Sadek, Regional Director
of Public Relations & Mrs. Ohoud El Shawabi, Guest Relation Manager For
Safir Hotels Cairo & Zamalek

A New Project in Hamata Red Sea Staybridge Suites Cairo Citystars hosts
the Afro-Asian Ladies Group in Cairo
M arina Hamata is the latest projects of Bal-
baa Group, located 120 km South Marsa
Alam which is the nearest port for the famous div-
ing locations like Rocky Island, Saint John’s Reef
and Zabargad Island, which allows the divers to
enjoy diving more time and see all the wonders of
nature under water, Fishing lovers will also find all
facilities needed for an unforgettable fishing trips
experience.
Safari boats will also find all the services to begin
their trips from Marina Hamata.
Marina Hamata includes 5 meter deep harbor
basin, Harbormaster control, Full station, Water
supply, Supermarket, Shopping shops, Seafood
restaurant, Catering, laundry, Coffee shops and a
workshop serving any sudden failure or problems
of boats under the supervision of specialists’ engi-
S taybridge Suites Cairo Citystars hosted the monthly meeting of the Afro-
Asian Ladies Group in Cairo.
Upon their arrival to Staybridge Suites Cairo Citystars, they were welcomed by
neers. the public relations team for the InterContinental Hotels Group Citystars & Mr.
Marina Hamata is equipped to receive 10 boats in addition to the 20 mooring Buoy Mohamed Ibrahim the General Manager of the hotel.
place using Manta Ray System – the biggest mooring system in the world by HEP- The group commanded the hotel on the warm welcome and great service they
CA Red Sea. Marina Hamata also provides Medical Care including Recompression received during their meeting at the hotel.
Chamber, Resident Doctor and I.C.U car 24 hours. Photo shows / The Afro-Asian Ladies group members with a team of the hotel.

ETERNAL YOUTH...IS AN EXOTIC EXPERINCE

W
ith the opening of Mandara Spa, the JW Marriott Hotel Cairo add-
ed to its reputation as the finest hotel in Cairo with its World Class
facilities, a new dimension of luxury to the hotel that will become a
destination in itself.
The name Mandara comes from an ancient Sanskrit legend about a gods;
quest to find the elixir of immortality and eternal youth.
In this legend Mandara represents a sacred mountain from which flows the
water of life- a magical elixir with the power to keep you forever young.
This ancient legend has been embraced by Mandara Spa and is today re-
flected in the unique and exotic spa treatments that replicate the beauty, spirit,
soul and cultural traditions of those ancient times.
This prestigious Spa of 2,500 square meters offers 30 exotic treatments and
boasts a stunning reception area which is located on the second level of the
Hotel featuring; spacious private single and couples rooms with baths and Ja-
cuzzi’s, and luxurious suites which include private steam baths.
At Mandara Spa you are literally spoilt, from a Romantic Getaway massage
to the Hammam Royal Rituals, and from the Chocolate Body Wrap, to the
Egyptian Body Scrub. Not to mention the Bride’s Favorite Retreat and the
Absolute Recovery and the Stress Release Treatments.
The Spa focuses on privacy to enhance the feeling of being pampered and encing our spa treatments, you will feel radiant and revitalized, even touched
the sense of well-being that follows, to emphasize on beauty, rejuvenation and by a little of the legendary magic that has become the ethos of Mandara Spa.
a uniquely indulgent and exotic experience with an East-West flavor. Now is the time to check-in to the JW Marriott Hotel Cairo, and be part of
While we cannot promise immortality, we can guarantee that upon experi- this everlasting experience.

May 2009 ATM - Dubai May 2009 ATM - Dubai

 Travel World Magazine NEWS 7

Egypt gets the award of Best Company Saudi-Egyptian Delibera-

in Incentive Tourism in the Middle East
T he Egyptian travel company “Emeco Travel” won lately the award of
best travel company organizing incentive tourism in the Middle East and
North Africa. Mr. Elhamy El Zayat, Emeco’s Chairman of the Board and
Managing Director, received the award at the Multaqa hall in Dubai interna-
tional conference center.
Emeco Travel also came second in 2 other categories: best utilization of light
(opening of Sofotel Aljazira hotel) and best conference of over 200 persons (the
international federation of tour guides syndicates).
The award was given by MEETME magazine which is specialized in confer-
ence and incentive tourism in the Middle East.
Mr. El Zayat later said that the programs of incentive tourism organized
by Emeco are considered among the toughest in Egypt and that the award
represents a great achievement to our company and to conference tourism in
Egypt. He added that Emeco by getting this award confirmed its pioneering
position in incentive and conference tourism not only in Egypt but also in the
whole region.
tion on Supporting the
Cooperation in Tourism
E gyptian Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garannah
discussed with the Saudi officials in Riyadh
lately the means of supporting the cooperation be-
tween Egypt and the kingdom in the field of tourist
promotion, in the context of the facilities presented
by Egypt to encourage incoming tourism from Sau-
di Arabia and the Gulf area.
The Minister also discussed increasing the num-
ber of Saudi tourists to Egypt and promoting the
religious tourism from Egypt to the kingdom with
Saudi travel agents and Saudi businessmen work-
ing in the field of tourism.
Later on, Mr. Garannah announced that his dis-
cussions with the Saudi side approached the Egyp-
tian efforts to solve any problems facing the incom-

Style Image Management to ensure ing tourist flow from Saudi Arabia to Egypt.
He also indicated that he reviewed with the Saudi
officials the facilities rendered by Egypt and the

quality and international standards. comprehensive program the Ministry set up to at-

S
tract more tourists from the KSA and the Gulf area
to spend their vacations in Egypt.
tyle Image Management was established in Egypt in 2008 in cooperation
with Style Hotels in Egypt to be one of the fewst companies which has manu-
als that help in professional management and controls to ensure quality and RARE DISCOVERIES
international standards.
The services offered by Style Image Management are as follows: AT FAYOUM
1) Hotels Management: Services are offered under the name of Style Hotels which
started to move out of the usual competition between hotels by implementing new
concept which is “Managing Healthy Hotels” where its policies, procedures and
operation care about all healthy requirements, such as: a) No smoking / b) Offer-
A necropolis consisting of 53 rock-cut tombs dat-
ing to the Middle (ca. 2061-1786 BC) and New
(ca. 1569-1081 BC) Kingdoms and the 22nd Dynasty
ing healthy meals putting into consideration calories and / c) Balanced Diet dishes (ca. 931-725 BC) has been discovered by an Egyp-
specially prepared and cooked by professional chefs and under the supervision of tian archaeological mission. The necropolis lies in
feeding specialists./ d) Serving only fresh juices, virgin cocktails depending on the the southeastern part of the pyramid field of Illahun
seasons’ fruits. / e) Prepare sports programs and light fitness programs suit the dif- in Egyptâ€TMs Faiyum region.
ferent ages. / f) Display the sports tournaments for the different games. The tombs vary in their designs. Some have a sin-
Style Hotels Activities in Egypt: a) Signed a technical assistance and management Moez El Shohdi, gle burial shaft, while others have a shaft leading to
contracts to manage Style Bary Pyramids hotel. Chairman & CEO an upper chamber, from which an additional shaft
The hotel consists of 140 suites and rooms, speciality restaurants, shopping area, etc. / b) Negotiating a man- leads to a second, lower chamber. The excavations
agement contract to manage a hotel in Luxor, Egypt. / c) Negotiating an agreement to manage hotels in Saudi revealed wooden coffins containing linen-wrapped
Arabia. mummies. The charred remains of a number of
2) Style Image Management: It offers technical assistance and management contracts for office buildings, office coffins were also recovered. They were probably
parks, Etc. and signed the following contracts: a) Quatro: a building consists of 132 rooms, healthy suites joined burned during the Coptic Period. The team found
with office buildings, food courts, shopping area, etc. / b) Singed a contract with Namaa for Development & Real 15 painted masks, along with amulets and clay pots.
Estate Investment Co. to manage Olympic Group, located at Ramses St. Extension. A Middle Kingdom funerary chapel with an offer-
It consists of 7 offices’ floors, service floor, meeting rooms, multi-purpose rooms, training centers, restaurants, ing table was also found. Preliminary study revealed
health club, private parking area, etc. It’s considered as one of the distinguished office buildings in the area. / c) that the chapel was reused in subsequent periods,
Seasons Building: located at Heliopolis and consists of 5 office’s floors, meeting rooms, training centers, restau- perhaps as late as the Roman era (30 BC-337 AD).
rants, etc. / d) Cairo 3A: One of the distinguished office buildings at the 5th Tagamo, New Cairo. Clay coffins and bronze and copper jewelry dating
Style Image is now negotiating a contract to sign a management contract with B-Tech located at Ramses Road to the Roman era, as well as a collection of well-pre-
extension, Nasr City. It consists of 7 offices’ floor, restaurants, training centers, etc. served faience amulets, were also recovered.

The Minister of Tourism: FIRST EGYPTIAN INDIVIDUAL

RECORD IN GUINNESS WORLD

78% Occupancy in Sharm Hotels F

RECORDS
or the first time in the Arab world, Mr.Hesham
nessim broke Guinness World Records for the

H E Mr. Zoheir Garannah, Minister of Tourism, announced lately in a press conference held in fastest vehicle crossing the great sand sea in Egypt
.The journey took place on the 5th of March 2009
Sharm El Sheikh that the occupancy in Sharm hotels increased from 30% & 40% in January and
and it began from the Gilf Kebir plateau and ended
February 2009 to reach 78% in March. at the Siwa Oasis. The distance between the starting
The press conference was held on the inauguration of the Electronic Control & Surveillance Center in point and the final one is 570 kilometers, but the
the plateau area. Mr. Garannah also said that it was expected that the number of tourists would reach real distance in which the adventurer crossed was
13.8 million in 2008 but because of the world financial crisis it was only 12.8 million. 650 kilometers in 5 hours and 33 minutes.
On the same occasion, Mohammad Hany, Governor of South Sinai, declared that the newly opened The average speed of the adventurer was 140 ki-
projects in the area created 2400 new jobs and added about 1565 rooms to the hotel capacity in Sharm, lometers per hour but it was reduced to be 100 ki-
increasing the city’s hotel capacity to 58 thousand rooms. lometers per hour, during the last 200 kilometers
He added that the governorate is setting up a project, in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, because of a sandy storm. This region is considered
to extend the marina in Sharm El Maea and constructing a new marina in the Mackenzie area at Ras to be the harshest in the western desert and creates
an unparalleled challenge for any vehicle.
El Kenissa.
May 2009 ATM - Dubai May 2009 ATM - Dubai
 8 RESORTS
InterContinental Cairo Citystars Opens First Concierge
Lounge in Europe, Middle East & Africa
S
ince its opening five years ago, InterConti-
nental Cairo Citystars has and still is the first
choice of sophisticated travelers and world states-
men when visiting Cairo.
The hotel is constantly striving to enhance guest
experience by offering guests more than just five
star service and comfort.
The hotel has just unveiled its library-style Con-
cierge Lounge in the lobby reinventing itself with
innovative concepts and a striking, contemporary
new look, the first of its kind in the Middle East
& Europe.
The lounge’s posh décor, incorporating wooden
walls, specially woven Egyptian linen for couches
and pillows, and glossy finishes, is echoed in the
lobby, which features a stunning Art Deco artwork
that has caught the eye of many hotel guests.
The Concierge offers guests around the clock
business, entertainment or travel arrangements
through a resourceful & multilingual Concierge
Travel World Magazine
Lemongrass...
The Ultimate
Asian Journey
A dding to its culinary experiences, the JW
Marriott Hotel Cairo opens a new Asian
Restaurant, the Lemongrass.
This unique restaurant is a mouth-watering
journey bringing you tastes from Hong Kong,
Thailand, Main Land China and Singapore
cooked by our expert Chinese Chef and served
in beautiful surroundings and contemporary
setting.
team at the comfort of sitting in the lounge and Lemongrass restaurant offers indoor and out-
drinking a cup of tea or coffee and flipping through door seating area, where you can enjoy the sun-
Cairo’s elite magazines while their requests are shine and the fresh summer breeze while hav-
being processed. ing your lunch and dinner.
“This Concierge Lounge is another service At lemongrass, allow us to amaze you with
enhancement to the extensive services we offer this memorable experince.
our guests, and we will always keep on enhanc-
ing these services and facilities ensuring that our
guests stay at InterContinental Citystars is always
special.” Commented Thierry Perrot, Director of
Operations Egypt & Libya and General Manager
of InterContinental Cairo Citystars.
The term concierge actually dates back to the
late middle ages and was coined by Louis XI. The
role of the concierge has evolved over the years
and today the goal is to “establish and maintain
warm cordial relations with the guests frequent-
ing an establishment” (International Concierge
Institute). Photo shows / Concierge Lounge at In-
terContinental Cairo Citystars
10 RESORTS Travel World Magazine Travel World Magazine NEWS 13

Cornell University In-Country Learning The Minister Of Tourism:

ager Program – offering a unique opportunity for hotel
managers and prospective management executives in 3-
to 5-star hotels in Egypt, North Africa and the Middle
A Giant Project in Sharm El
ing them to the field through studying hotel financial,
Sheikh with Saudi Investments
marketing and operational topics. Professor Robert E.
Kastner explores all areas of this course through his ex-

East regions to acquire an internationally recognized
certificate in hotel management.
Covering academic learning in Operations, Hotel
Revenue Management and Food Beverage among oth-
er fields, the two-part program comprises of an online
learning series where participants must successfully
complete eight courses through eCornell, and the In-
Country series taught in Egypt by Cornell University
professors over a 10-day period. This is the first sched-
uled in-country series, with variety of hotel executives
participating from various management positions. For
two weeks, participants will attend 4 two-and-a-half
day courses approaching key areas of the hospitality
business:
Entitled “Hospitality Financial Management: Opera-
pertise as teacher at Cornell University’s Professional
Development Program.
Providing expertise for the third course is Professor
Stowe Shoemaker, who has won numerous awards for
his research. In “Strategic Marketing for Hotels and
Restaurants”, Professor Shoemaker will tackle dif-
ferent methods for handling marketing impediments
in revenue, profit and client loyalty enhancement. In
addition to being a member of the Executive Educa-
tion faculty at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administra-
tion, Professor Shoemaker is also the Donald Hubbs
Distinguished Professor at the University of Houston’s
Conrad Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Man-
agement. Being an expert in his field, he teaches Strate-
gic Pricing for Hotels: Revenue Enhancement through
H
E Mr. Zoheir Garannah, Minister of Tourism, asserted, during his meeting
with members of commercial and industrial chambers which took place in
Jeddah, that the Egyptian government is rendering more facilities to attract foreign
investments, especially from Arab countries, in all fields and particularly in tour-
ism.
He explained that the facilities include land prices, licensing procedures, com-
panies’ incorporation and solving all problems that investors face. Mr. Garannah
added that an agreement was made with the central bank to facilitate loaning the
serious projects.
The Minister also said that Saudi Arabia is among the leading investors in tourism
sector and that despite the world financial crisis many Saudi investors apply for the
investment in tourist areas.
In relation to this, he declared that it has been agreed lately to establish a giant
tourist project at Nabaq area in Sharm El Sheikh with Saudi investments and that

C
airo, Egypt: The In-country Series for the Cor-
nell University Hotel Manager Program will
be held at Steigenberger Golf Resort El Gouna
from May 17- May, 28, 2009.
Under the auspices of H.E Zoheir Garranah, Minister
of Tourism, the Hotel Manager Program is part of an
agreement signed between the Egyptian Tourism Fed-
eration (ETF) and Cornell University in September
2007.
Cornell University worked closely with H.E. Min-
ster Garranah and the ETF to tailor the Hotel Man-
tions Decision-Making”, and taught by Professor Mi-
chael J. Flannery, the first course on the agenda aims
at boosting hotel profitability through utilizing finan-
cial analysis tools. Professor Flannery has varied ex-
perience with many responsibilities including being a
member of the Executive Education faculty at the Cor-
nell University School of Hotel Administration and the
Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Pur-
due University Calumet in Hammond, Indiana.
The second course “Planning for Profits: Hotel Oper-
ations Decision Making and Analysis” concentrates on
fundamental management tactics and means of apply-
Pricing, Customer Relationship and Frequency Man-
agement.
A certificate ceremony will take place at the Steigen-
berger Golf Resort on the evening of May 28, 2009,
marking the end of the first In-Country series. Cer-
tificates will be awarded by H.E. Zoheir Garranah,
Egypt’s Minister of Tourism; Mr. Ahmed El-Nahas,
ETF Chairman; and Mr. Thomas J. Kline, Executive
Director of Executive Education Cornell University
School of Hotel Administration, to all management ex-
ecutives who attended and successfully completed the
in-country series for the Hotel Manager Program.
this project is considered the biggest in the Middle East.
The Minister also added that the government made large investments in the in-
frastructure that serves tourism such as airports, roads, ports, railways, etc., and
that the Ministry has carried out giant programs in tourist training in collaboration
with the leading international academic institutions.
Spa and Wellness in Egypt
M
r. Ahmed El-Nahas, Chairman of Appointed by the committee, Austrian
the Egyptian Tourism Federation expert Dr. Stephen Thellen, presented a
(ETF), signed an agreement with Best full report after close inspection on the
Health Austria Center to commence im- current conditions of Egyptian health
provement of Egyptian health spas in spas. According to his recommendations,

“DELIGHTED TO SERVE” AT
conformation with international stan- the committee decided to seek interna-
dards. tional expertise in the field, namely the
The ETF, in cooperation with the Min- Best Health Center. The standards they

RENAISSANCE SHARM EL SHEIKH

istry of Tourism, have formulated a com- define will be the benchmark for health
mittee to review problems emanating spas in Egypt assisting them in manag-

S
from poor service provided in different ing prospective problems.
categories of hotel health spas. The com- Also present at the conference was ETF
harm El Sheikh, April, 2009- In “Business Unusual” circumstances, we need to be proactive and mittee includes experts in the Wellness Director General Mr. Ayman Altaranissi
creative to achieve a win-win-win scenario between customers, suppliers and hotels. and Health tourism from the private sec- and Mr. Amr El Ezaby, Chairman of the
We need to be more flexible in accommodating and adapting with the new buying trends and tor, as well as ETF and Egyptian Tourist Egyptian Tourist Authority.
worldwide changes to continue delivering quality holidays that meet and exceed our customers expec- Authority representatives.
tation when they choose Sharm El Sheikh for their holidays
“Delighted to Serve” is our vision to all our guests, and we have integrated this vision into a variety of
added value offers and promotions that suites all holidays’ seekers for leisure or business at Sharm El
City of Abu Qurqas Hospitality
Sheikh, the Red Sea peninsula.
Our guests experience attentive behaviors, they feel welcome anywhere, anytime, they are delighted
Training Center
T
and have a smile on their faces because we care; this is the Renaissance “Savvy “Service that we prom- he ETF Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF), Association for Upper Egypt for
ise every guest to experience at Renaissance Sharm El Sheikh; www.renaissancesharmelsheikh.com Education and Development (AUEED) and educational institute Centro Supe-
The photos shows: Renaissance Golden View Beach Resort. Gerald Moutee, GM and Sameh Nadim rior De Hosteleria De Galicia (CSHG), signed an agreement in favor of developing
DOM. a Hospitality Training Center in the city of Abu Qurqas, Al Minya, Egypt.
The Abu Qurqas Training Center, recognized as having a key role in Upper Egypt’s
civil society, comprises of a skills teaching center with 8 classrooms and a 36-room
vocational training hotel. The AUEED also has a further 25 such centers nation-
wide, although areas for training are currently predominant in the Al Minya area.
The concept was instigated by the Spanish Government’s express willingness to
contribute to the development of the current training center. Since their first meet-
ing at the AUEED headquarters in September 2008, the ETF delegation and the
AUEED were in agreement to start a pilot training project. In the months that fol-
lowed, the parties agreed finer details of how this cooperation will take place and
decided on which human resources areas most commonly require additional skill
development.
Accordingly, the Spanish Government, through the Spanish Agency for Inter-
national Cooperation and Development (AECID) in Cairo, has agreed to allocate
EURO 190,000 as funding for the project. The AUEED will remain the owner of
the premises, will provide assistance and support for all development related activi-
ties, and will avail staff members for the everyday maintenance and non-academic
related tasks. The ETF, aided with financial support from the Ministry of Tourism,
will be responsible for recruitment of teaching staff including selection, relocation
and fund salaries.
In addition, the ETF will devise special sponsorship and grant schemes with an
explicit grant created for female students.
May 2009 ATM - Dubai May 2009 ATM - Dubai
 Travel World Magazine Travel World Magazine INTERNATIONAL 13
12 INTERNATIONAL

IMEX and MPI go global with new

REZIDOR HOTEL The Ramada Park Hotel Geneva is a
partnership and announce new GROUP SHOWCASES The perfect setting for both the holiday perfect opportunity
Scholarship Scheme NEW BRANDS AT ATM and business traveller in Geneva

D
Women’s Initiative and then the roll-out of the online
cross-cultural training tool, CultureActive©, to all MPI ubai; 28th He added that this location gives the Ramada
members. IMEX has committed an additional €100,000 April 2009: Park hotel a big advantage and make it the right
to the Foundation, which will fund a series of member Rezidor
scholarships over the next five years. These will include
place for the businessmen and the families who are
Hotel Group - one looking for quite and relaxations inside the city.
entrance to a series of MPI educational events across of the world’s fast-
Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East; all 4-star deluxe hotel with 308 guest rooms, air-con-
est growing hotel
linked to MPI’s new Global Knowledge Plan. companies - will
ditioned and soundproofed with bathroom, hair
IMEX Chairman, Ray Bloom, explains: “IMEX and showcase its new- dryer, minibar, telephone, radio, safe and televi-
MPI are a natural fit, with both organisations active look Radisson Blu sion with cable network. All rooms are equipped
in supporting and promoting knowledge and talent de- brand and launch with an internet connexion.
velopment within the meetings industry globally. With two new-to-the-re- The restaurants “La Récolte” and “Le Jardin”
our new scholarship scheme we wanted to increase our gion chains, Park are renowned for their cuisine. The “Marco Polo”
contribution to the industry and give meeting profes- Inn and Hotel Mis- bar serves refreshments and light snacks. There Cypert Schwartz
sionals around the world outstanding opportunities to soni, at this year’s are also amenities such as sauna, fitness, hair-

A
develop their knowledge and careers. This is a natural Arabian Travel
extension to the IMEX-MPI Future Leaders Forum dresser, gift stand, 2 business centres, covered fter 17 years in and around the Middle
Market (ATM),
parking and free shuttle service to and from the East, Cypert Schwartz, the well known

which concentrates on motivating and encouraging the
best and brightest students to enter the industry. Now
we can show them how the meetings industry will sup-
port them in continuing their education once they are
working. By funding these scholarships we hope to link
to MPI’s Global Knowledge Plan, with different schol-
arships being awarded to professionals of any age in
which runs May 5- Marko Hytonen
8th at Dubai International Exhibition and Conven-
tion Centre.
Despite the current economic climate and global
financial downturn, 2009 is set to be Rezidor Hotel
Group’s biggest year to date in terms of Middle East
T
he Ramada Park Hotel is the perfect set-
ting for both the holiday and business trav-
eller in Geneva. Centrally located, this 4-
star hotel proposes 308 comfortable guest rooms,
airport. Taxi and public transport stands in front
of the hotel.
The hotel can organised some sight-seeing tours
like lake, old town, water fountain, visit of the UN
Headquarters, cruises on Lake Geneva and many
other attractions in Geneva and around.
hotelier, has decided to go back home and
serve his country in hospitality.
With his experience, Geneva is the per-
fect opportunity to manage an international
business hotel.
In the future the new traveller will travel

A
Ray Bloom - Chairman
fter working together successfully to develop
a variety of meetings industry joint ventures
since 2003, IMEX and Meeting Professionals
International (MPI) have entered into a Global Part-
nership for the first time.
The new agreement expands the remit of both organi-
sations to work together on key professional education
projects, especially the highly successful joint Future
Leaders Forum, and complements a European Part-
nership agreement already in place.
At the same time, IMEX has announced that it will
fund a series of new MPI Foundation Scholarships.
IMEX became MPI’s first ever European Foundation
donor in 2004, initially funding research linked to the
different regions around the world.”
Commenting on the new initiative and the global
partnership with IMEX, Katie Callahan-Giobbi, Ex-
ecutive Vice President, MPI Foundation & Chief Busi-
ness Architect of Meeting Professionals International
said: “The MPI Foundation is honored to partner with
IMEX on the new scholarship series. This initiative not
only furthers our commitment to our members, but
also our investment in the future of the industry.”
The IMEX MPI Partnership has already resulted in
a new initiative for 2009 – the Future Leaders Univer-
sity Challenge. Universities from around the world are
being invited to compete against each other in an in-
ternational challenge climaxing at the Future Leaders
Forum at IMEX in May in Frankfurt.
openings. Short and mid-term strategies focusing on 2 restaurants, a bar and one of the biggest con-
an ambitious cost saving programme and maintain- ference centres of Geneva with 18 fabulously spa- The Ramada Park Hotel Geneva is the perfect faster, cheaper, shorter, but will need access
ing growth through profitable pipelines, aligned with
cious function-rooms. place for private and professional events. to all his business needs.
the Brussel-based company’s long-term strategy of
Mr. Cypert Schwartz, General Manager of the With a flexibility for up to 1200 persons, its 18 The Ramada Park Hotel will be prepared
focusing on new markets, have allowed Rezidor to
hotel said that the hotel is located only 10 minutes spacious meeting rooms will meet all your expec- for the traveller of tomorrow.
continue its assertive regional growth pattern.
“The Middle East is one of the world’s most dynam- from the city center (3 km), 5 minutes from the tations. Every conference or banquet becomes a “Room and hotel renovations are in prep-
ic and vibrant hospitality markets and continues to Geneva International Airport, the Cointrin Rail- fabulous event. Thanks to the quality, the service, aration and service standards will be im-
remain a core focus for us going forward. Our com- way Station and the Palexpo Congress and Exhi- the ideal location and the latest technical equip- proved.” said Mr. Schwartz.
mitment to this region is evidenced by the addition of bition Center (0.5 km). ment that the Ramada Park Hotel offers you.
new hotels throughout the Middle East, as well as the
entry of both the Park Inn and Missoni brands over
the next 12 months,” said Marko Hytonen, Area Vice
President of Rezidor.
Following the recently announced rebrand of Radis-
son SAS hotels to Radisson Blu, ATM will provide
Rezidor with the ideal backdrop to raise awareness

Emma Aru as moderator for

of the new, cool, calm and collected hotel experience
entity.
Radisson Blu is a name with a creative twist and
has been designed to represent everything one of the

the Association Day world’s fastest growing, most exciting, modern, con-
temporary and relevant hotel brands stands for.
Rezidor President and CEO, Kurt Ritter, said:

T
“We’re extremely proud to hoist the Radisson Blu
he Association day is an IMEX important networking and flag. After many, very successful years with SAS, we
educational event where professionals from around the are eager to start sailing on our own. And we’ll fly the
world meet in order to discuss relevant issues about their job flag in an ever-growing number of destinations.”
and to compare different points of view, experiences and ap- In addition to the rebrand, ATM will feature the
Middle East launches of Rezidor’s Park Inn and Ho-
proaches to the business.
tel Missoni brands.
The programme of the day includes roundtable sessions or- “Park Inn is our fastest growing brand – we only
ganised as follows: there will be 26 tables in the same room with launched it in 2003 and today we have more than 120
approximately 8-10 participants per table. Association Day properties, with over 22,000 rooms in operation and
participants will be asked to selected 2 topics of their choice for under development, across Europe, the Middle East
and Africa”, said Ritter.
the roundtable sessions. Each roundtable session lasts 45 mins.
Rezidor will further strengthen its brand portfolio
At each one of the 26 tables there will be a moderator whose later on this year when Hotel Missoni opens in Ku-
role is to: 1. introduce the topic to the roundtable participants wait. Hotel Missoni stands for a new generation of
and open the discussion, 2. ensure that the debate moves forward and 3. encourage everyone lifestyle hotels – featuring the unique and iconic style
to actively take part in the conversation (www.imex-frankfurt.com). of the Italian fashion dynasty, with fashion legend
Rosita Missoni herself doing the interior design.
This year Emma Aru, president of ega professional congress organisers, will join the mod-
It is not only the rooms that will show this style, but
erators’ panel. She will focus on two topics: 1. “Relationship with global organisations” and also the public areas, the spa, the bars (Missoni Bar)
2. “Managing PCOs”, presenting interesting examples and sharing her views and experience and restaurants (Missoni Cucina).
with the participants.
May 2009 ATM - Dubai May 2008 ATM - Dubai
14 LAST PAGE
From the publisher ...
T hough many travelers have crossed
Mexico off their summer wish lists,
it’s not the only region with a travel
alert.
In April alone, the U.S. government
warned against travel in Georgia, Sudan
and the Central African Republic. Ter-
rorism, crime and civil unrest are among
the reasons the State Department’s Bu-
reau of Consular Affairs warns Ameri-
cans to avoid some countries.
To put together a list of 10 countries
to avoid, it took into account both the
health and security risks in Mexico. The
swine flu outbreak there is now rated a
stage five pandemic by the World Health
Organization.
Beyond Mexico, the State Department
announced a list of countries as unsafe
for Americans. The list includes a total
of 29 nations the U.S. government deems
unsafe.
In the Central African Republic,
armed rebel groups, bandits and poach-
ers make all areas beyond the capital,
Bangui, dangerous.
Since January 2009, Madagascar has
experienced violent clashes and crime
due to political unrest. American citi-
zens have not been targeted to date, but
the State Department still warns against
any travel to the area.
And while the State Department says
that the situation in Columbia has im-
proved over the last few years, it still
says traveling there is not a good idea.
Violence by narco-terrorist groups
continues to affect some rural areas as
well as large cities, particularly Bue-
naventura, a Pacific Ocean port primar-
ily known for drug trafficking and vio-
lence.
Given the plethora of travel warnings,
and the bleak economic outlook world-
wide, the dreaded “staycation” never
seemed more appealing.
EmanShaaban
T R AV E L W O R L D M A G A Z I N E
Publisher: Eman Shaaban
Head office: Travel World Publications Ltd- The Meridian, 4 Copthall House - Station Square, Coventry, West Midlands - UK CV1 2FL
Switzerland: Res. L’Argentine 11 / Leysin 1854 - T. +41244945994
Egypt: 7 Abdalla Taher st. Nasr City, Cairo - Egypt Tel. & Fax: +202 274 35 13 & +202 6715 794
Saudi Arabia: P.O. Box 118799 Jeddah 21312 Saudi Arabia
BAHRAIN CREATES THE PERFECT BITE !
Seen the photo Abraham John - Executive Director, MEEM, Karim F Sherif - Deputy head of Mission, Embassy of the Arab Republic of
Egypt, Ahmed Ali Al Nawakda - Under Sectary, Bahrain Tourism, Jamil A Wafa - Founder & Group Chairman, Magnum Holdings,
Abdulellah Ebrahim Al Qassimi - Chief Executive, Tamkeen, Hisham Al Baradie - Chairman, MEEM, Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen
U
ndaunted by the crisis caused
due to the global recession in the
travel industry, Bahrain Inter-
national Travel Expo BITE 2009 the first
Business to Consumers (B2C) Travel
and Tourism event in the region, is all set
to open for the 5th successful year from
14th to 16th May 2009 under the patron-
age of His Highness Shaikh Salman Bin
Hamad Al Khalifa Crown Prince and
Chairman Bahrain Economic Develop-
ment Board.
Magnum Events and Exhibitions Man-
agement – MEEM the organizers of
BITE admits that it’s hard to match the
record number of exhibitors and qual-
ity hosted buyers that the show received
last year. But the show must go on, says
Jamil Wafa, founder and group chair-
man, Magnum Holding, the parent com-
pany of MEEM.
“BITE is a commitment we have made
to Bahrain and to the Crown Prince His
Highness Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, who supported the exhibition
since its inception.
We will continue with our promise and
commitment despite the challenges,”
said Wafa
“Several leading regional and interna-
tional companies are participating in a
big way and there is no compromise on
The Egyptian Travel Magazine since 1990
Tel. +966 55 686 1916
- Deputy Chief Executive, BEC
the quality of the show,” adds Wafa.
BITE offers the ideal forum for the
coming together of reputed and interna-
tional operators from a cross section of
travel related businesses from Airlines,
Car Rental Companies, Conventions &
Exhibitions, Cruise Lines, Health Re-
sorts & Spas, Hotel Accommodation
Providers, Medical Tourism, MICE Or-
ganizers, Tourist Attractions, Tourism
Boards, Tour Operators, Travel Insur-
ance & Travel and Tourism Publications
to interact with around 20,000 consum-
ers and international MICE buyers un-
der one roof.
There are many cultural surprises and
attractions planned for the BITE stage
extravaganza. Numerous exhibitors
from the world have prepared special ac-
tivities including national dancers, sing-
ers, musicians and performers as part of
the cultural treat at this year’s show.
Additionally BITE 2009 is a great op-
portunity for travelers to discover a wide
range of promotions and special deals
that exhibitors have on offer for those
consumers planning a vacation. BITE is
the ideal place for visitors to obtain the
latest information about the travel and
tourism industry trends and book holi-
day packages customized to suit their
specific budgets and needs.
Chief Editor: Abouelwafa Badour
E.mail: travelworld@bluewin.ch
Travel World Magazine
In a bid to promote tourism to Bahrain,
BITE is for the fourth consecutive year,
organizing the Hosted Buyers Program.
This program runs from the 13th to the
16th May 2009, for key international
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Confer-
ences and Exhibitions) planners.
All the professionals invited to the
Hosted Buyers Program are responsible
for planning, organizing, recommending
and making financial decisions for their
international MICE events outside their
home countries.
The comprehensive destination pro-
gram includes one-on-one meetings be-
tween buyers and sellers at the travel
show and a golden opportunity to show-
case Bahrain’s renowned Arabian hospi-
tality and delights.
The Hosted Buyers will experience first
hand the excellent conference and hos-
pitality facilities Bahrain has to offer,
check out the facilities at the Bahrain
International Circuit, the Royal Golf
Club and visit the various cultural and
historical attractions in the Kingdom.
A 35-member high profile delegation
from Egypt, led by the Tourism Minis-
ter H.E. Mr. Zuhair Garana will be par-
ticipating at BITE 2009 to promote the
country’s history and heritage.
a.badour@yahoo.com