ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS Brought to you by Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla CEO, Katara Hospitality THE EPITOME OF EXCELLENCE Katara Group continues in its quest to bring augmented quality to iconic properties Katara Group recently announced the unveiling of the remodelled Royal Savoy Lausanne, a Murwab Hotel. We asked Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla, CEO of Katara Hospitality, what the key elements are that make this a great place to stay… Dating from 1909, Royal Savoy Lausanne, a Murwab Hotel has added to the lustre of Lausanne’s fame as a refuge for royalty and aristocrats from around the world. The legendary hotel features 196 rooms and suites, business facilities, an exclusive terrace restaurant, lobby lounge, cigar lounge, a Sky Terrace on the roof with its unique 360° panoramic view and an extensive spa area. The historic building in the Grand Château style has a 5,000 sqm park, situated between the new and historical buildings, and is an incomparable oasis of tranquillity, right in the heart of the city. There are some other extremely interesting projects in the pipeline – in Doha and in Singapore. Please tell us more! At an international level, one of our most luxurious hotels, awarded on countless occasions for its legendary levels of service, an icon that is an intoxicating blend of indulgence, history and colonial design, is Raffles Hotel Singapore built in 1887. This flagship property of Raffles Hotels & Resorts will embark on a restoration programme, starting January 2017. Another core area of focus for Katara Hospitality is the refurbishment and upgrade of our existing Doha portfolio. Sealine Beach, a Murwab Resort will see the addition of 18 new villas. Further, a phased renovation of the rooms, spa, lobby and restaurants is well underway at The Ritz-Carlton, Doha to be completed by 2017. What made Katara Hospitality make the move to become an international company and how hard/easy was it to achieve this? Katara Hospitality is increasingly recognised as a leading player in the international hospitality industry. Our successes over the years – in hotel investment, development and operations – have propelled the organisation into the global spotlight and the Katara Hospitality brand is now increasingly associated with excellence in hospitality development. Growing the business for any company is a key priority and the next natural step for us was to step into key international locations. Expanding internationally is no easy feat, but throughout the process of expansion, we have stayed true to our strategy of investing in true icons that represent heritage and pure luxury • WE HAVE STAYED TRUE TO OUR STRATEGY OF INVESTING IN TRUE ICONS THAT REPRESENT HERITAGE AND PURE LUXURY. Royal Savoy Lausanne, Switzerland – a Murwab Hotel SMARTreport Commercial Content
Brought to you by Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #32 2016 Winter Edition 19 GOLF TOURISM CONTINUES TO GROW Cœur d’Alene Chelsea piers golf Golf tourism is indeed a major growth market, as a key attraction for many high-end travellers looking for ways to relax in beautiful surroundings. Virtually every day, IAGTO, the global gold tourism association, highlights new campaigns and openings, with a plethora of ideas for travel professionals seeking inspiration. The importance of golf as an attraction is underlined by the recent announcement by Golf Tourism England that it is to receive Government support through the Discover England Fund to target the lucrative golf tourism market and drive inbound golf tourism. Golf Tourism England was set up in 2014 and has made significant inroads, developing new product strands and unlocking new trade partnerships, providing a clear pathway to increased inbound visitor volumes. Meanwhile, in the Americas, Hilton Head Golf Island in South Carolina has been voted the “ No.1 Island in the Continental US” by Travel + Leisure magazine readers, while the Dominican Republic has become known as the “Golf Capital of the Caribbean”. Underlining that, it was named Latin American & Caribbean Golf Destination of the Year for 2016 in the IAGTO Awards – for the third time • SHOPPING TOURISM KEY FOR DESTINATION MARKETING “One of the most used tools in the promotion of destinations” this is how Shopping Tourism was described at the opening of the 2 nd Conference on this segment, organised by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in January 2016. Shopping Tourism “is a highly relevant component for travellers when choosing and preparing their trip” underlined Yolanda Perdomo, Director of the Affiliate Members Programme at UNWTO. The segment is indeed transforming the promotion of destinations worldwide. Jörn Gieschen, Researcher at the Instituto de Empresa and the MasterCard Observatory on Premium Markets and Prestige Products underlined that small and local shopping experiences are much more attractive for travellers than the big global brands. One of the trends shared was the so-called “Bleisure” - the combination of Business and Leisure. “58% of business travellers add a day or even a weekend to their business trip,” he said. Michel Durrieu, Director of Tourism at the Ministry of Foreign affairs and International Development in France, states that shopping and gastronomy are major criteria to decide on destinations, and therefore should be included in any strategy. Diversity, price and quality, opening hours, customer orientation in shops, handicrafts and souvenirs quality are, says Durrieu, key aspects to advance in shopping tourism • © iStock - Rawpixel Ltd
