Atout France Returns to ATM to Attract Middle Eastern Visitors

Atout France is returning to Arabian Travel Market after a three-year absence as the organisation looks to promote Paris and the French regions to travel agents and tour operators in the Middle East.

Karim Mekachera, Director Middle East & Turkey Regional Office, Atout France, said: "Our presence at Arabian Travel Market is the start of our campaign this year to show international markets that Paris continues to adapt as a world-leading destination city and to highlight the appeal of our regions that makes France an unique collection of destination.

"Inbound tourism into France has suffered in light of the events in Paris and Nice, but there were some positive signs over Christmas showing a strong bounce back in the number of tourists for the last quarter of 2016 ".

France received 900,000 tourists from the Middle East in 2015. Paris hotel arrivals have jumped from 300,000 in 2009 to 700,000 in 2015 – a 145% increase - generated around 439 million Euros.

Its stand at ATM will be shared with its main partner Air France and others, including CRT Paris Ile-de-France and the city's official convention bureau OTCP. Representatives from France's regions will also have a presence on its stand.

Building relationships with travel agents and tour operators is vitally important in the Middle East, Mekachera explained. "While online bookings in the region are growing quickly, most families who come to France will book through a travel agent," he said.

The appeal of Paris to visitors from the Middle East is as varied as the city itself, although Mekachera was keen to highlight its range of five-star hotels and designer outlet shopping options.

"There are many brand new hotels from international brands which we haven't had the chance to promote," he said, "such as Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental and W Hotels, Raffles and many more...

"The refurbished Ritz Hotel is now available after its $450 million four-year refurbishment, including the only Chanel spa in the world. We are expecting a lot of interest in this property from agents and operators with an upmarket clientele."

Travellers from the regions are interested in both designer shops and designer outlets, he noted. Its world-famous art galleries and museums remain popular, as does its selection of theme parks.

Atout France replaced the former French tourism board Maison de la France in 2009 with a brief to become more than just a traditional tourist board. It has taken on a number of different tourism-related roles, from offering consultancy services to the public and private sector to overhauling the French hotel classification systems. These non-traditional functions have, Mekachera said, "given [Atout France] a wider perspective in the overall tourism market".

"ATM will see the launch in the region of our new global brand strategy that has identified more than 15 global destination brands as distinct brands. Our research showed that people around the world think of our regions as having distinct personalities, and we have branded the regions accordingly.

"It is a really effective way for us to reinforce the diversity of what we can offer, will give us a consistency at international exhibitions such as ATM, and gives travel agents and tour operators an idea of how they can then promote these regions to their clients."

Mekachera noted that Atout France was trying to balance the needs of both Paris and the regions.

"Our focus at ATM is the start of our campaign to encourage people back to Paris," he said, "but we need to ensure as well that agents and operators selling Paris know about the regions and can offer this to their clients.  That could be the French Alps for ski, the French Riviera for beach, Strasbourg for the Christmas markets."

Overall, the return to ATM after a three-year absence is a pivotal moment in its plan to tell the world that Paris - and France in general - remains one of the world's leading destinations. "Our infrastructure is fantastic, but we need to remind the trade that our offer is broad and that by partnering with us they can find the offer that meets the specific needs of their clientele."

For more information on Arabian Travel Market 2017, please visit: http://arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com/

كامبردج الدولية تؤكد التزامها بدعم الأكاديميين وتحسين البيئة المدرسية

انطلاق  منتدى كامبردج للمدارس في مصر

القاهرة – 16 فبراير 2017: انطلق منتدى كامبردج لمديري ومسؤولي المدارس في مصر يوم الثلاثاء 14 فبراير بحضور أكثر من 140 مشارك من مدارس كامبردج في القاهرة والإسكندرية وضواحي المدينتين.

ويأتي المنتدى كفعالية سنوية تنظمها كامبردج الدولية بحيث يتيح المنتدى للحضور فرصة معرفة المزيد عن أبرز التطورات التي طرأت على مناهج كامبردج وموارد الدعم الشاملة المتاحة. كما ركز الحدث على أبرز ما توفره برامج كامبردج للطلاب والتي تساعد على تطوير الطلاب حول العالم لغد أفضل.

تضمن الحدث ورشة عمل بعنوان: تمكين المسؤولين من تدريب وقيادة الطاقم التعليمي بالمدارس حيث ناقش الحضور من قادة المدارس كيفية إدارة الإمكانات الكاملة لتمكين أعضاء هيئة التدريس والموظفين في جعل المدارس مكاناً أفضل للجميع.

وقد علقت السيدة ماجدة سماقية، رئيسة القسم الأكاديمي بالأكاديمية العربية للعلوم والتكنولوجيا، القسم الثانوي: "يوفر هذا المنتدى فرصة رائعة للمدارس لتطوير الطاقم الإداري و الإطلاع على أحدث التطورات في مجال التعليم الأكاديمي و التواصل مع كامبردج و الزملاء من قادة المدارس الدولية في مصر من خلال علاقة قيّمة تتركز على مشاركة المعلومات."

ويوجد حاليا في مصر أكثر من 115 مدرسة مسجلة مع كامبردج الدولية وسجل عدد الطلاب نمواً بمعدل 7%. هذا وقد تم تقديم حوالي 70 ألف إختبار لمؤهلات كامبريدج في دورة إختبارات يونيو الماضي. وتفوق طلاب مصر هذا العام بإختبارات كامبردج حيث أحرز ستة طلاب على مراتب التفوق على مستوى العالم بإختبارات دورة يونيو و نوفمبر.

ومن جهته، قال وسيم الحنبلي، المدير الإقليمي لامتحانات كامبردج الدولية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا: "سعدت بمشاركة عدد كبير من المدارس التابعة لكامبردج في مصر بهذا الحدث، فقد بدأ تعاون عدد كبير منها معنا منذ فترة طويلة حيث أنها تعي مدى تطورنا. وآمل أن تستمر هذه المدارس في تقدير الإمكانات التي تتيحها مؤهلات كامبردج للطلاب لضمان دعمهم الدائم طوال فترة رحلتهم الدراسية".

UAE-BASED HOSPITALITY CONSULTANT EXPANDS ITS EXPERT SERVICES WITH A LIST OF 15 EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES

• Glee Hospitality Solutions has expanded its range of services with a fully-fledged franchising division through which the company offers its expert advice to investors looking to roll out new branches of established restaurant concepts.

• The upgraded service helps potential restaurant business owners find the right franchise opportunity more easily through its Master Franchises list, a growing inventory of international restaurant brands from the UK, Canada, Lebanon and the UAE.

• Known for launching several homegrown concepts in the UAE and across the GCC, Glee can also help investors explore franchising opportunities aside from its Master Franchises. 

February 19, 2017, Dubai: Glee Hospitality Solutions now help investors in the restaurant business with every aspect of a franchising process as part of an expansion of its range of services.

With its list of Master Franchises, a growing repertoire of international restaurant concepts under its belt, the UAE-based hospitality experts makes the process of finding the right franchise opportunity quicker and easier.

A total of 15 restaurants have partnered with Glee for franchising opportunities including UK favourites like Millie’s Cookies, Upper Crust and Caffé Ritazza. Canadian brands like Mr Sub, Van Houtte and Jugo Juice have also made the list of Master Franchises.

Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, which set new standards for the barbecue restaurants in New York City, is soon to open its doors in Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Residence, and is on the lookout for four more locations.

Popular Lebanese restaurants like Beit Wared and Bent El Sultan and homegrown brands like Rice Creamery, Urban Bites and Kuai are also open to franchising opportunities through this expansion of Glee’s franchising service.

“We use our in-depth understanding and knowledge of the restaurant industry to help our clients find the perfect business franchise that best fits their business plan, needs and goals,” says Abdul Kader Saadi, Managing Director and Owner of Glee Hospitality Solutions.

“We try to cater to all the different requirements from our clients, whether they want to buy the Master Franchises from the existing opportunities available with us or want us to explore other opportunities considering their requirement.”

Many factors come into play when buying a franchise, such as initial cost, fees, forecasting the potential growth and keeping up with current and future trends.

“The main reason F&B businesses fail is because investors underestimate two major factors, the financial requirement and competition. We help people who are looking to acquire a franchise by putting a solid business plan in place,” Abdul explained.

“The reason the Master Franchises have signed up with Glee is because they trust us to find them the right partner and investor, where we also take up the role of the operator.”

As consultants with extensive experience in the hospitality domain, Glee is able to offer investors the best possible solutions within the set budget and plan – from the initial stage of finding a franchise and a suitable site all the way to the concept development and marketing plans. The team also works closely with the investing party and helps with business and financial assessment.

The food and beverage market is ever growing in the Middle East, with huge demand for multinational brands. While some investors are geared towards launching their own concept, there are several who are more suited to launch franchises.

“We launched this service because there is a large number of people looking to buy franchises, who don’t necessarily have any food and beverage experience. With Glee on board as a partner, a master franchisor is more inclined in entrusting these investors with the brand,” said Abdul.

“We take pride in being one of the first companies of its kind to help set up homegrown concepts in the UAE and across the GCC; and with our extended franchise services we can now guide both kinds of investors in the right direction.”

Glee Hospitality Solutions has helped launch more than 30 restaurant concepts, and operates over 40 dining outlets across the GCC.

CEO says: “2017 will be our most exciting year ever at SOHAR”

• SOHAR signs significant new project agreements for 2017
• Land reclamation area in Port will accommodate new investors
• Innovation Zone planning underway in SOHAR Freezone

SOHAR Port and Freezone revealed updated performance figures during its annual Business Reception at The Chedi in Muscat last week. Despite generally lower revenues and a slump in activity in the global maritime industry, throughput at SOHAR was up again and topped an average of one million tonnes a week for 2016. Container traffic was up by 15% compared to 2015, break bulk up by 18%, and liquid bulk throughput increased by 12% year-on-year. SOHAR received well over 2,600 vessel calls in 2016, also a significant increase in numbers despite the global trend towards larger ships.

The new Food Zone was one of the main highlights of plans announced for 2017, as SOHAR CEO, Mark Geilenkirchen, explained: “One of our goals is to maximise our prime strategic location, advanced logistics infrastructure and optimal connectivity to help reduce the 70% gap between food consumption and food production in the GCC; our new Food Zone development will also be seamlessly integrated with the Sultanate’s other food security efforts.”

“SOHAR Port South is a significant land reclamation area, currently under construction, designed to accommodate new industrial projects that will be announced soon. The project will include new, deep-water berths to the south of the existing port area. It will give a substantial boost to the Sultanate’s diversification efforts, aimed to increase the contribution of non-oil sectors to GDP,” continued the CEO.

SOHAR Freezone will also witness a number of new developments in 2017, as plans for the second phase of the Freezone take shape. The first 500-hectares of phase one have almost all been leased out, explained Freezone CEO Jamal T. Aziz: “We are currently improving the business environment based on the output received from the Sultanate’s ‘Tanfeedh’ process. This includes further streamlining the Freezone’s One-Stop-Shop procedures for investors and ensuring that international best practices are applied. A new bonded road corridor, featuring the latest international customs procedures, will further improve connectivity between the Port and adjacent Freezone.”

Probably the most futuristic plans on the table were for an Innovation Zone inside the new Freezone area, to be built in close cooperation with Port of Rotterdam. “Together with private sector companies, international research institutes and some of the world’s top universities, we are seeking innovative solutions across a broad range of issues that affect our shipping, logistics and industrial sectors,” explained Mark Geilenkirchen. “Ultimately this will all be in the best interests of consumers, both locally and internationally. In SOHAR we always say ‘It all starts here’ and that has never been more true than now; 2017 promises to be our most exciting year ever,” concluded the CEO.

الرئيس التنفيذي: "سيكون 2017 العام الأكثر إثارة بالنسبة لـ صحار"

• ميناء صحار يترقب توقيع اتفاقيات لمشاريع جديدة هامة خلال عام 2017

• البدء باستصلاح أراضي إضافية في منطقة الميناء لاستيعاب استثمارات جديدة 

• تخطيط منطقة الابتكار ضمن المنطقة الحرة التابعة لـ صحار

كشفت شركة ميناء صحار والمنطقة الحرة عن الأداء التشغيلي لميناء صحار لعام 2016 خلال حفل الإستقبال السنوي الذي جرى في فندق شيدي مسقط يوم الخميس الماضي الموافق 9 فبراير من هذا العام. وتوضح البيانات أن حجم البضائع المشحونة تعدى ٥٢ مليون طن خلال عام ٢٠١٦ بنسبة زيادة وقدرها ٢٪‏، وارتفع حجم مناولة الحاويات بنسبة 15% مقارنةً بالعام الماضي ليصل إلى حوالي ٦١٩ ألف حاوية نمطية، كما شهدت البضائع  السائبة نمواً ما نسبته 18%، وزيادة حركة البضائع السائلة بنسبة 12% في عام ٢٠١٦ مقارنة بعام ٢٠١٥. أما السفن الزائرة فبلغ عددها ٢٦٣٤ في عام ٢٠١٦ مقارنة بـ ٢٥٤٥ سفينة في عام ٢٠١٥. ويأتي ذلك في الوقت الذي يشهد خلاله قطاع النقل البحري العالمي انخفاضاً في الإيرادات والنشاط بسبب الركود الاقتصادي في عدد مِن الأسواق العالمية. 

وفِي إطار خطط ميناء صحار لعام ٢٠١٧، فقد تم تسليط الضوء على عدد من المشاريع الهامة ومنها مشروع مجمع الصناعات الغذائية حيث أوضح الرئيس التنفيذي مارك جيلينكيرشن أن "من الأهداف الرئيسيّة لإقامة هذا المجمع هو استغلال البنية الحديثة لميناء صحار لتحقيق التكامل مع منظومة الأمن الغذائي في السلطنة والاستفادة مِن موقع الميناء الاستراتيجي وشبكات النقل البحرية والبرية المتصلة به لتقليص الفجوة بين حجم الاستهلاك والإنتاج الغذائي في منطقة الخليج". 

كما تم الكشف عن مشروع استصلاح الأراضي في المنطقة البحرية الجنوبية للميناء لاستيعاب مشاريع صناعية جديدة سيعلن عن تفاصيلها في وقت قريب. وصرح الرئيس التنفيذي بأن هذا المشروع سيكون بداية تكوين حوض جديد لميناء صحار في الجزء الجنوبي منه ودفعة كبيرة للميناء في أطار سعيه إلى دعم الجهود التي تتبناها السلطنة والرامية إلى مساهمة أكبر القطاعات اللانفطية في إجمالي الناتج المحلي.

وستشهد منطقة صحار الحرة أيضاً عدداً من البرامج التطويرية خلال عام 2017 والبدء بتخطيط المرحلة الثانية على خلفية تأجير معظم أراضي المرحلة الأولى التي تغطي مساحة قدرها500 هكتار. وعلق الرئيس التنفيذي للمنطقة الحرة جمال عزيز قائلاً: " نعمل حالياً على تحسين بيئة الأعمال وفقاً لمخرجات برنامج "تنفيذ" حيث من شأنها ترجمة مفهوم "المحطة الواحدة" التي أسستها المنطقة الحرة إلى أنها فعلاً محطة واحدة بالنسبة للمستثمر التي تبسط الإجراءات إلى حد كبير وتضمن تطبيق ممارسات دولية ناجحة ومن جانب آخر يتم العمل على غلق المسافة بين الميناء والمنطقة الحرة من خلال ممر جمركي آمن ومن خلال التحديثات التي أجرتها شرطة عمان السلطانية في أنظمتها الجمركية والأمنية".

ومن  بين أبرز الخطط المستقبلية المطروحة على الطاولة هو تخصيص مساحة واسعة في المنطقة الحرة الجديدة لمشاريع صناعية محددة تعتمد على أسس الابتكار مستفيدة من الميزة اللوجستية لميناء صحار ووسائط النقل المتعددة المرتبطة به وذلك بالتعاون مع إدارة ميناء روتردام الشريك في تطوير مشروع صحار المستقبلية وذلك في إطار التعاون مع ميناء روتردام. وفي هذا الشأن، أوضح الرئيس التنفيذي مارك جيلينكيرشن "نسعى بالتعاون مع بعض شركات القطاع الخاص والمؤسسات البحثية الدولية وعدد من أفضل الجامعات في العالم إلى التوصل إلى حلول مبتكرة لأكبر قدر من المشكلات التي نواجهها والتي تؤثر على الشحن والأعمال اللوجستية في صحار والتي في نهاية المطاف تصب في مصلحة المستهلك المحلي والخارجي". 

وأختتم الرئيس التنفيذي قائلاً: في صحار دائما ما نقول "من هنا البداية" وهو الأمر الذي يثبت صحته الآن أكثر من أي وقت مضى. يبدو أن عام 2017 يعدنا بأن يكون الأكثر إثارة على الإطلاق.

THE CITY OF TOMORROW WELCOMES THE F&B SOLUTION OF THE FUTURE

Gourmet Stop now open in Dubai Production City and Dubai Outsource City.

Dubai, February 2017 – A bright new face is set to make its mark on Dubai’s F&B sector. The Dutch-inspired concept Gourmet Stop is the region’s first fresh, gourmet, food-dispensing machine and has burst on to the scene with two new branches in Dubai Outsource City and Dubai Production City.

The innovative thinker behind this venture is entrepreneur Stephanie Khouri, Founder & Managing Partner of Nomadic Capital Limited - a company specialized in importing the latest inventions from around the world to the UAE. The AUTOMAT is designed to store freshly prepared hot and cold dishes in temperature-controlled compartments and, as a result, allows hungry customers to have healthy, nutritious meals prepared by popular gourmet brand chefs at affordable prices in a few short seconds.

Invented in 1902 by Horn and Hardart, the state-of-the-art AUTOMAT has a sealed food display which maintains the highest hygiene standards. Moreover, all the meals are freshly prepared and delivered fully-sealed to the Gourmet Stop staff who follow very stringent food safety procedures.

According to Khouri, her company has implemented rigorous processes to ensure all their materials and procedures are environmentally friendly, “We also have a zero-waste policy and have partnered with the Ro’yati Family Society, a Dubai-based charity that provides leftover food to thousands of needy residents in Dubai.” she added.

Khouri intends to roll out the concept across the UAE in multiple phases with current plans to expand Gourmet Stop’s network of culturally varied dishes to include Bay Square, DIFC and JAFZA and, eventually, universities, hospitals, petrol stations and shopping malls.  

“Dubai is a fast-paced, multi-cultural city with a prevalent culture of eating out,” she says. “But, especially in business districts, people don’t always have the time to wait for a table at a restaurant. I don’t believe that speed and quality are mutually exclusive so my aim is to make sure that my fellow hard-working residents can have good food on the go without having to compromise on quality or taste.”

Gourmet Stop will start operation in Business Bay soon.