World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony Programme 2009

Middle EastGala Ceremony 2009

WelcomePresident of the World Travel AwardsMiddle East Ceremony 2009

We are delighted to commence our WorldTravel Awards 2009 Grand Tour with theMiddle East Ceremony in regal luxury at TheMonarch Dubai.

Over 500 of the region’s leading travel andtourism brands have been nominated to win“a travel industry Oscar”, and I am delightedto find that competition this year is keenerthan ever. Over the last month, in particular,we have received a huge surge in votes fromthe Middle East ahead of tonight’s ceremony.

In spite of the challenging economic times itshould make you all proud to realise that theleading brands in the Middle East arecontinuing to redefine what makes theultimate travel experience.

Our industry is under no illusions that 2009 isa year for enforcing widespread strategic re-evaluations and making tough decisions, bothglobally as well as here in the Middle East.

Yet these turbulent times are also beingwelcomed by the true travel leaders as anopportunity to rise above the parapet byturning adversity into opportunity. Andtonight’s winners all share this vision,entrepreneurial spirit and inner strength to succeed.

For winning a World Travel Award is theultimate travel accolade. The endorsement ofover 167,000 voting travel professionals willdemonstrate to both the travel industry andthe travel consumer that your brand stands ina class of its very own.

Tonight is all about celebrating the incredibleachievements of the Middle East, and we arehonoured to have gathered together underone roof the region’s travel industry elite.

We are also honoured to launch our inauguralPrix D’Or award here in Dubai. This eveningyou will be invited to take part in a special livevote to determine the brand that you thinkhas contributed most to the Middle East’stravel industry over the past 12 months. Thegala ceremony will culminate in theannouncement of the Prix D’Or winner.

Congratulations to all award winners and alsoto those who have made this eveningpossible, in particular our host, The MonarchDubai, as well as our media partners BBCWorld News and Khaleej Times.

Honouring and promoting excellence andinnovation in travel and tourism is the reasonwe are gathered all here – so please enjoyyourselves with this in mind, for we value yourincredible achievements and what you aredoing for our industry.

Thank you all for being here with us on thisvery special occasion, and we wish tonight’swinners the best of luck in the World TravelAwards Grand Final, Jamaica this October.

Sincerely yours,

Graham E. CookePresident and FounderWorld Travel Awards

Dear Travel Friends,

www.breakingtravelnews.com

Precious few could have predictedeither the severity or breadth of theglobal downturn. Even economicpowerhouses such as India and Chinahave had their stratospheric growthcalled into check, whilst the financialcrisis has all but crippled the Westernbanking system.

So how is the Middle East – a region oftenconsidered immune to the vagaries of theworld economy – faring in what globally isbeing dubbed the “perfect economicstorm”?

As a chief architect in the transformationof the region into a global hub for tradeand tourism, Sheikh Mohammed binRashid Al Maktoum has made anunprecedented move by recentlyanswering a series of questions fromjournalists via his website, and although headmitted the Emirate had been hit by thedownturn, figures from the start of theyear pointed to a recovery.

He stated: “We are on the way out of thecrisis, and we are on the right track. Oureconomy will resume its health faster thanother economies.”

His words were echoed by RobertO’Hanlon, Tourism, Hospitality and LeisurePartner at Deloitte Middle East.

O’Hanlon believes the significantinvestments made in the Middle East’stourism industry during the past 10 yearswill help it recover from the currenteconomic downturn quicker than other areas.

He also pointed to the “Dubai-led trend”for quality mid-market and budget hotelsas a key driver for recovery.

Middle East Regional Reportby Breaking Travel News

With the financial hurricane that toppled some of WallStreet’s most established names blowing across the world,how is the Middle East equipped to ride the economic storm?Breaking Travel News investigates

www.breakingtravelnews.com

“Gulf countries have signalled they arewilling to invest in long-term, sustainabletourism developments which appeal to aglobal audience,” he said. “The hotelindustry is viewed by these players as thedecisive driver in the development of theirbusiness and tourism sectors.”

In terms of hotel occupancy levels, Dubaihad a slow start to the year, but picked upin March and April with occupancy levelsaround the 60%-70% mark.Meanwhile, neighbour Abu Dhabi has beenlargely unaffected by the crisis. In fact, it isleading the world when it comes tobucking the downturn in the tourismindustry, according to a survey by UStravel management company OvationTravel Group.

A survey of more than 92,000 room nightbookings across the world during the firstquarter of 2009 showed Abu Dhabi hadthe highest increase in hotel room rates.

On average, its year-on-year rates rose bymore than 33 percent, compared to Dubaiwhich recorded a room rate decrease of 25percent.

A Deloitte hotels report earlier this yearrevealed the UAE capital’s revPAR grew by46% while occupancy levels rose to 81.5%– one of the highest in the Middle East.

Similarly, building works continue as usualin Abu Dhabi. They include two buildingswhich will establish Abu Dhabi as a world-class centre for the arts – a GuggenheimMuseum and a Louvre.

There are also plans to develop a numberof Abu Dhabi’s 200 natural islands into anature reserve, a luxury resort, and a wholenew district of Abu Dhabi housing 150,000people.

Abu Dhabi is also hosting the final round ofthe 2009 F1 season and has built a trackand hotel and marina complex on another island.

The UAE’s neighbours are also eyeingtourism investment as the road to recovery.

The Qatar Tourism and ExhibitionAuthority, for example, has announced a$17 billion investment in tourismspecifically on high-end hotels, resorts andleisure facilities. In terms of hotels, Qatarwill increase capacity from the current7,000 luxury rooms to 29,000 in the nextthree years.

It is also concentrating heavily on the Micemarket, with a number of large projectsunderway including the Doha ConventionCentre and Tower; and opening in late2010, the Qatar National ConventionCentre.

A recent report by the National Bank ofKuwait stated that Qatar was in a goodposition to ride out the crisis largelyunscathed thanks to government spendingand strong measures to support thefinancial system.

New GDP figures confirm the strength andresilience of the Qatari economy. Thecountry’s nominal GDP grew by 44 percentin nominal terms last year, rising toQR372bn ($102bn).

Qatar is also developing a $6bn newinternational airport which it hopes willcater for up to 24 million passengers ayear and become a new gateway to theMiddle East.

Meanwhile in Oman, tourism is emergingas one of the key drivers of the economy.The government’s Vision 2020 planshopes to establish the country as aregional travel and tourism hub, increasingthe contribution of tourism to overall GDPto 3%.

The recently-established Ministry ofTourism has been set up to market thecountry overseas, emphasising its largelyundeveloped coastlines and culturalheritage. The emphasis is also on luxurydevelopments, as the luxury travel sectoremerges as a key segment in its tourismdrive. New luxury developments are likelyto focus on two distinct types ofaccommodation – boutique resorts andlarge hotels.

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The biggest project is the Blue City,which will feature 16 hotels on a 34 sq kmsite near Muscat. The hotels form only asmall part of the US$10 billion project,which will take 15 years to complete andcould house as many as 300,000 people.The Wave, another high-profiledevelopment, will be an US$800 millionresort stretching along 7.3km of beach,west of Muscat.In terms of airlift, Oman Air has had a cashinjection of OR37m from the government,allowing it to refurbish and expand itsnetwork to include flights to Asia andEurope.

And finally, the country is also tapping intothe cruise industry with lines such asSilversea, P&O Cruises and OceaniaCruises including Muscat on their MiddleEast itineraries.

According to the World Travel & TourismCouncil’s table of top 10 countries showingthe most business travel growth potential

in 2007, Bahrain was ranked third.However, it is held back from majortourism development as it has nopromotion board.

But it is investing in infrastructure andprojects, including a theme park which willinvolve the renovation of a landmark publicgarden which has been neglected for yearsand turning it into a major touristattraction featuring rides and a naturalpark.

The overall message coming from industryexperts is that the Gulf region is wellplaced to recover from the downturnquicker than other regions.

Adrian Slywotsky, director of managementconsultancy Oliver Wyman, said thatcautious investors would considerspending in this region before others suchas the US or Europe.

“I’m not sure it [the recovery] will beequally balanced across countries, but thecapacity to invest here is obviously greaterthan some other regions, so I think thisregion will probably come out of it earlierthan others,” he said.

At Breaking Travel News, we predict asimilar outcome, with the short-termproving an inevitable period ofconsolidation after years of stratosphericgrowth. Yet the Middle East has alsodeveloped a quality and depth of productthat makes the medium and long-termvery bright indeed. Local travel brands willcontinue to blaze a trail throughdevelopments and initiatives that willremain the envy of the world.

[email protected]

Date: 5th May 2009 Venue: The Monarch Dubai Location: Dubai, UAE

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Evening Programme

Cocktail Reception: 19.00Gala Dinner & Show: 20.00Carriages: 23.00

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Travel industry'sequivalent tothe Oscars...”Wall Street Journal

“

World Travel AwardsMiddle East Ceremony 2009

HistoryWorld Travel AwardsHonouring excellence in travel & tourismworldwide since 1994

1994 Hollywood 1995 New York 1996 Las Vegas

1998 Bahamas 1999 London 2000 Jamaica

2002 St Lucia 2003 New York 2004 Barbados

2006 Turks and Caicos

1997 New York

2001 Malaysia

2005 London

2007 Grand Final Turks and Caicos 2008 Grand Final Turks and Caicos 2009 Grand Final Jamaica

2010

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2009... History in the makingWorld Travel Awards

As well as addressing the challenges that adeteriorating world economy will bring to thetravel and tourism industry, the key messagein the latest UNWTO World TourismBarometer is that times of crisis often lead tothe biggest opportunities.

The industry is under no illusions that thecourse of 2009 will enforce wide-scalestrategic re-thinks and many tough decisionswill have to be made.

But what is just as certain is that the industryis a highly-resilient sector and will eventuallyreturn to strong growth.

These challenging economic times will onlysucceed in separating those companies whowith fortitude and vision remain unbowed intheir commitment to excellence from thosecompanies complacent or average.

Since 1993, “the Oscars of the travel industry”has stood unrivalled in impartially recognisingand rewarding those who set the standardsacross all sectors of travel and tourism.

This year, all eyes will be on Dubai and theWorld Travel Awards Middle East Ceremony.Tonight’s winners will show what it truly takesto make a difference and will act as beaconsof hope for the rest of the industry.

History will prove that 2009’s World TravelAwards Winners will be those companies thatbest navigate economic fluctuations and willemerge from these challenging times withexponential growth, augmented market shareand galvanised reputations.

There has never been a more important yearfor positive action. Now is the time forindividuals to step forward and demonstratewhat can be done to make a difference.

Through an unswerving commitment toexcellence, through recognising examples ofbest practice and through collective learningand solidarity, these challenging timespresent us with the opportunity to re-enforcethe overall industry infrastructure.

2009 is a year of positive action for everyoneinvolved in the travel and tourism industry.We hope that World Travel Awards can playits part in helping the region to be in the bestpossible shape for the upturn.

worldtravelawards.com

MenuWorld Travel AwardsMiddle East Ceremony 2009

POACHED ATLANTIC LOBSTERCarrot mousseline, micro leaves, cocktail dressing

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PAN FRIED SEA BASSCasserole of root vegetables, glazed button onions and veal bacon

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FILLET OF VEALMorel sauce, grilled white & green asparagus,violet perigord potato puree

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WTA DESSERT SURPRISE 2009

Coffee, tea and mignardises

World Travel AwardsCelebrating 16 Years of ExcellenceWorld Travel Awards is the most prestigious, comprehensive and sought-after awards programme in the global travel and tourism industry.

E s tablished in 1993 to acknowledge andc e l e b ra te excellence in all sectors of theindustry, World Travel Awa rds is recognised asthe hallmark of excellence, with the winnerssetting the benchmark to which all othersa s p i re. The Wall Street Journal re c e nt l yh e ralded World Travel Awa rds as the "trave lindustry's equiva l e nt to the Osca r s " .

World Travel Awa rds is proud of its impartialn a t u re and the compre h e n s i ve process of itsvoting pro g ramme. Vo tes are cast by anaudience of over 170,000 travel agents andtourism pro fessionals fro m over 16 0p a r t i c i p a t i n g c o u ntries. Vo ted for by industrypeers, this level of accountability makes winningan awa rd the gre a test form of recognition inthe travel business.

At tended by the industry’s key decision make r sand figure heads, World Travel Awa rds bringstogether all corners of the globe and all are a sof travel and tourism to celebra te bothindividual success and the collect i vea c h i eve m e nts of the industry.

World Travel Awa rds attra cts an unpre c e d e nte da m o u nt of both trade and consumer mediac ove rage spearheaded by BBC World - ourglobal media partner - whose cove rage spans aglobal audience of over 274 million.

J a m a i ca is our final stop after we have visite dthe Middle East, Afr i ca, Asia, North & Ce nt ra lA m e r i ca, Europe and South America. 2010 willsee another exciting Grand Tour ta ke Wo r l dTravel Awa rds across the globe.

wo r l d t rave l a wa rd s . c o m

Middle East's Leading AirlineEmirates Etihad AirwaysKuwait AirwaysMEA - Middle East Airlines Qatar AirwaysRoyal Jordanian Airlines Saudi Arabian Airlines Oman Air

Middle East's Leading AirlineInflight EntertainmentEmirates Etihad AirwaysQatar Airways

Middle East's Leading AirlineLounge AirmilesAbu Dhabi - Etihad AirwaysBahrain - Gulf Air Doha - Qatar AirwaysDubai - Emirates

Middle East's Leading AirlineAirmiles Rewards ProgramEmirates - Skywards Etihad Airways - Etihad Guest Gulf Air's Frequent flyer programme Qatar Airways - Privilege Club

Middle East's Leading Airline WebsiteEmirates Etihad AirwaysGulf Air Qatar AirwaysSaudi Arabian Airlines

Middle East's Leading AirportAbu Dhabi International Airport, UnitedArab Emirates Bahrain Muharraq International Airport Doha International Airport Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3Kuwait International Airport

Middle East's Leading Airport HotelAl Bustan Rotana, DubaiDoha Marriott Hotel Le Meridien Dubai Millennuim Airport Hotel, Dubai Moevenpick Hotel Bahrain The Diplomat Radisson SAS HotelResidence & Spa, Bahrain

Middle East's Leading Beach ResortAl Hamra Fort Hotel and Beach Resort,United Arab Emirates Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers, Abu Dhabi Chedi Muscat, OmanDanat Resort Jebel Dhanna, Abu Dhabi InterContinental Al Bustan Palace Muscat,Oman Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, Dubai Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa Jumeirah Al Qasr, DubaiJumeirah Mina al Salam, DubaiLe Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort,Fujairah Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa Mina A'Salam at Madinat JumeirahOne & Only Royal Mirage Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, Oman Sheraton Coral Beach Hotel & Resort,Lebanon The Chedi MuscatThe Jumeirah Beach Hotel, DubaiThe Westin - Mina Siyahi, Dubai

Middle East's Leading Budget /No Frills AirlineAir Arabia Bahrain Air flydubai Jazeera AirwaysSama

Middle East Finalists


Middle East Ceremony 2009

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Middle East's Leading Business CarRental CompanyAvis Budget Europcar Hertz Holiday Autos Supreme LimousinesThrifty

Middle East's Leading Business Class AirlineEmirates Etihad AirwaysQatar AirwaysSaudi Arabian Airlines

Middle East's Leading Business HotelAl Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai Amman Marriott Hotel, Jordan Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival CityDusit Thani Dubai Grand Hyatt Amman, Jordan InterContinental Dubai Festival CityGrosvenor House Dubai InterContinental Abu Dhabi InterContinental Amman, Jordan Jumeirah Emirates Towers, DubaiLe Meridien Amman, Jordan Madinat Jumeirah, DubaiRadisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media CityShangri-La Hotel, DubaiThe Address, Downtown Burj DubaiThe Fairmont Dubai The Monarch DubaiThe Palace - The Old Town The Ritz-Carlton Doha, Qatar

Middle East's Leading Business Travel AgencyAirlink International U.A.E Dnata, Dubai Kanoo Omeir Travel agency, Abu Dhabi Orient ToursOverseas Travel Bureau, Qatar Regency Travel & Tours, Qatar Safar Travel & Tourism Sharaftravel SNTTA - Sharjah National Travel & TouristAgency

Middle East's Leading Cabin StaffAir Liban Emirates Etihad AirwaysGulf Air Jazeera AirwaysKuwait AirwaysQatar Airways

Middle East's Leading Car HireAvis Budget Europcar Hertz Holiday Autos Supreme Limousines

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Middle East's LeadingConference CentreAbu Dhabi National Exhibition CentreDubai World Trade CentreSheraton Doha Convention Centre, Qatar

Middle East's LeadingConference HotelAl Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi Grand Hyatt Dubai InterContinental Abu Dhabi InterContinental Amman (Jordan) Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai Le Meridien Amman, Jordan Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Radisson SAS Hotel Dubai Deira Creek Sheraton Doha Hotel & Resort, Qatar The Fairmont Dubai The Gulf Hotel Bahrain The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai

Middle East's LeadingConference ResortBeach Rotana Hotel & Towers Crowne Plaza Hotel Dubai Emirates Palace Grand Hyatt Dubai Grand Hyatt Muscat InterContinental Abu Dhabi Madinat JumeirahPark Hyatt Dubai Raffles Dubai Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, Oman Sheraton Doha Convention Centre, Qatar

Middle East's Leading Corporate ResortBeach Rotana Hotel & Towers Grand Hyatt Dubai Habtoor Grand Hotel Convention Centerand Spa InterContinental Abu Dhabi InterContinental Doha Le Royal Beirut Park Hyatt Dubai Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel

Middle East's Leading Cruise LineCosta Cruises Cunard Line Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Silversea Cruises The World Cruise (Residensea)

Middle East's Leading Cruise PortAqaba, Jordan Bahrain Dubai, UAE Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Muscat Oman Salalah, Oman

Middle East's Leading DestinationAbu Dhabi Bahrain Dubai Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia

Middle East's Leading DestinationMarketing CampaignAbu Dhabi BahrainDubai EgyptJordanLebanonOmanQatar

Middle East's Leading Economy AirlineEmirates Etihad AirwaysGulf Air Qatar AirwaysSaudi Arabian Airlines

Middle East's Leading Exhibition CentreAbu Dhabi National Exhibition CentreBahrain International Exhibition CentreBeirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center Dubai International Convention andExhibition CentreExpo Centre Sharjah Kuwait International Fair





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Middle East's Leading Family ResortAl Hamra Fort Hotel and Beach Resort Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna Dubai Marine Resort, Dubai Fu j a i rah Ro tana Resort & Spa - Al Aqah BeachJ u m e i rah Bab al Shams Desert Resort & SpaKempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea Le Meridien Al Agah Beach Resort Madinat Jumeirah Movenpick Hotel & Resort Beirut Movenpick Resort and Residence aqaba

Middle East's Leading First ClassEmirates Etihad AirwaysGulf Air Qatar AirwaysSaudi Arabian Airlines

Middle East's Leading Golf CourseDubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club Emirates Golf Club Four Seasons Golf Club Dubai Festival CityJebel Ali Golf Golf Course The Montgomerie

Middle East's Leading Golf ResortArizona Golf Resort, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, Dubai Park Hyatt Dubai The Montgomerie Dubai Club House

Middle East's Leading HotelAl Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel Al Qasr at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Atlantis The Palm, Dubai Burj Al Arab, Dubai Desert Palm Dubai Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi Four Seasons Hotel Amman, Jordan Four Seasons Hotel Doha, Qatar InterContinental Abu Dhabi InterContinental Al Bustan Palace Muscat,Oman Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai Kempinski Hotel Mall of the EmiratesDubai Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa,Dubai Madina Oberoi, Saudi Arabia Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi One&Only Royal Mirage Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, Oman Taj Palace Hotel Dubai The Address, Downtown Burj DubaiThe Chedi Muscat, Oman The Fairmont Dubai The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel & Spa The Ritz-Carlton Doha, Qatar

Middle East's Leading Hotel BrandHilton Hotels InterContinental Hotels & Resorts Jumeirah Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts Rotana Hotels

Middle East's Leading InternationalMarketing CampaignAbu Dhabi Tourism Authority - Traveller'sWelcome Etihad Airways - From Abu Dhabi to theWorld Qatar Airways - The World's 5-star Airline Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Office - TravelEssentials

Middle East's Leading MarinaDubai Festival CityDubai Marina Pearl of Qatar Umm Al Quwain Marina

Middle East's Leading MICE DestinationAbu Dhabi Bahrain Dubai Qatar

Middle East's Leading New HotelAngsana Dubai Atlantis The Palm, Dubai Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival CityInterContinental Dubai Festival CityLe Méridien Towers Makkah Moevenpick al Bidaa, Kuwait Rosewood Corniche Shangri-La Abu Dhabi Sharq Village and Spa Six Senses Hideaway Zighy BayThe Address, Downtown Burj Dubai The Monarch Dubai


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World Travel AwardsInaugural Prix D'OrMiddle East Ceremony 2009

World Travel Awards will tonight unveilthe winner of the inaugural Prix D’Or.

The World Travel Awards Prix D’Or will bepresented to the tourism brand orproduct that has contributed most to thedevelopment of the region’s travelindustry over the last 12 months.

Both the travel trade and consumers inthe region were offered the opportunityto nominate who they think shouldreceive the highly-prestigious award.

A shortlist of the six highest-rankingnominees will be showcased in front oftonight’s audience. You – the region’stravel industry elite – will then be invitedto cast your vote for the overall winner.

The presentation of the World TravelAwards Prix D’Or will be the highlight ofthe World Travel Awards Middle EastCeremony, heralded as the “Oscars ofthe travel industry”

The inaugural overall winner willdemonstrate to the travel and tourismindustry and world’s media what it trulytakes to make a positive difference andwill act as the ultimate benchmark towhich all others will aspire.

Travels highestaccolade”“

Middle East's Leading OverseasDevelopment CompanyAl-Futtaim Real EstateDubai World AfricaEmaar Hospitality Group IFA Hotels & Resorts FZ LLC. Kingdom Hotel Investments MubadalaNakheel Hotels

Middle East's Leading Private Jet CharterAircharter InternationalExecuJet Middle East Prestige Jet Royal Jet VistaJet

Middle East's Leading ResortAl Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai Atlantis The Palm, Dubai Desert Islands Resort and Spa Desert Palm Dubai Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi Hilton Fujairah Resort Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, Dubai Kempinski Hotel Ajman, UAE Le Meridien Al Aqqa Beach Resort,FujairahLe Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa,Dubai Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, Oman Sheraton Abu Dhabi Resort & Towers, AbuDhabi Sheraton Coral Beach Hotel & Resort,Lebanon Sheraton Doha Hotel & Resort, Qatar Six Senses Hideaway Zighy BayThe Chedi Muscat, Oman The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, DubaiThe Palace – The Old Town The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel & Spa

Middle East's Leading Spa ResortAl Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai Desert Palm Dubai InterContinental Mountain Resort & SpaMzaar, Lebanon Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, Dubai Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa,Dubai Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, Oman The Chedi Muscat, Oman The Fairmont Dubai The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel & Spa

Middle East's Leading SuiteAmiri Suite, The Ritz-Carlton Doha, Qatar Kempinski Hotel Mall of the EmiratesDubai Monarch Suite, The Monarch Dubai Palace Suite, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi Penthouse, Grosvenor House, Dubai Presidential Suite, Le Meridien Al AqahBeach Resort, Fujairah Royal Suite, Al Faisaliah Hotel, A RosewoodHotel Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab Royal Suite, Four Seasons Hotel Doha,Qatar Royal Suite, Jumeirah Emirates Towers,Dubai Royal Suite, One&Only Royal Mirage,Dubai Royal Suite, The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel& Spa





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Middle East's Leading TourismDevelopment ProjectAbu Dhabi Falcon Hospital Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi Cairo Festival City - Al Futtaim Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi - ADNEC Desert Islands - TDICDubai Towers - Sama DubaiS a a d i yat Island, Abu Dhabi, To u r i s mD eve l o p m e nt & Inve s t m e nt Co m p a ny (TDIC) Salam - Bahrain Beach Resort & Spa -Sama DubaiTaj Exotica - ETA Star The Blue City, Oman - Blue CityDevelopment CompanyThe Palm Jumeirah - Nakheel The Pearl - Qatar - United DevelopmentCompanyThe Wave Muscat - MAFI Yas Island - Aldar Cairo Festival City – Al FuttaimBlue City, Oman – Blue City DevelopmentCompanyCapital Gate, Abu Dhabi, ADNECDesert Islands – TDICDubai Culture Village – Dubai PropertiesTaj Exotica - ETA

Middle East's Leading TourismProperty Development CompanyAbu Dhabi Investment HouseAldar EmaarETA StarMubadalaNakheel Qatari DiarSama Dubai Sorouh Tourism Development & InvestmentCompanyUnited Development CompanyZabeel Properties

Middle East's Leading Tourist AttractionAtlantis, The PalmBurj Al ArabPersepolis Iran Petra Jordan Ski Dubai The Dubai Mall, Dubai The Palm Jumeirah - Nakheel Wild Wadi Waterpark, Dubai

Middle East's Leading Tourist BoardAbu Dhabi Tourism Authority Bahrain TourismDepartment of Tourism and CommerceMarketing Government of Dubai Jordan Tourism BoardMinistry of Tourism, Syria Oman Qatar Tourism AuthoritySharjah Tourism Authority

Middle East's Leading Travel AgencyAl Rais Travel Alshamel, Dubai Amiral Tours & Travel, Jordan Dnata, DubaiEmirates HolidaysOrient ToursRegency Travel & Tours, Qatar Salem Travel Agency, Abu Dhabi Sharaftravel SNTTA - Sharjah National Travel & TouristAgency

Middle East's Leading Travel ExhibitionArabian Travel Market Bahrain International Travel Expo Business Travel Show Dubai GIBTMKuwait World Travel Expo

Middle East's Leading Travel Management CompanyAl Futtaim Travel, Dubai Alshamel International, Kuwait AmexArabian ToursAttar Travel, Saudi Arabia Dnata, Dubai Kanoo, DubaiOrient Tours Regency Travel & Tours, Qatar

Middle East's Leading Travel Technology ProviderAmadeusEmQuestGalileo by TravelportIllusions Online ISO Travel Solutions TechTuners Software & Services

Middle East's Leading Water ParkAqua Park Kuwait AquaventureDreamland Aqua Park WaterGate Park Waves Aqua Park Wild Wadi Waterpark Wonderland


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Your Golden Ticket World Travel Awards

Last year’s Grand Final saw the travelindustry’s elite gather in Turks & Caicos, withregional winners from seven continents goinghead to head in their bid to win the industry’shighest accolade – a World Travel Award.

The Middle East made all of the headlines,picking up a phenomenal 14 travel industry Oscars.

Amongst the winners were Burj Al Arab, Dubai(World’s Leading Hotel); Dubai (World’sLeading Destination); Etihad Airways (World’sLeading First Class); The Monarch Suite, TheMonarch, Dubai (World’s Leading Suite); and Qatar Airways (World’s Leading Business Class).

Tonight’s Middle East winners all qualify toattend the World Travel Awards 2009 GrandFinal, which will be staged on the beautifulCaribbean island of Jamaica on the 30th October.

To reserve your seat or for more informationcontact: [email protected]

The magnificent Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa, host of World Travel Awards 2008 Grand Final

Tareq Abdullatif Taha, General Manager, Regency Travel & Tours, voted World’s Leading Travel Agency, with Miss World

Thatcher Brown, Director of Sales & Marketing, Jumeirah, scoops “World’s Leading Hotel”

Bill Schachte, Mid Atlantic USA, Qatar Airways wins “World’s Leading Business Class” Josephine Boulus, Country Manager, USA, Etihad Airways, voted“World’s Leading First Class”

Grand Tour 2009World Travel AwardsWorld Travel Awards attracts anunprecedented amount of both trade andconsumer media coverage spearheaded byBBC World News – our global media partner –whose coverage spans a global audience ofover 274 million.

In 2007, World Travel Awards expanded itsportfolio by adding a Grand Tour of RegionalAwards to recognise winners in their own territory.

This year, Regional Awards are staged in eachkey geographic region – Middle East, Africa,North & Central America, Europe, Asia andSouth America, culminating in the WorldTravel Awards Grand Final in Jamaica at theend of the year.

World Travel Awards is currently selecting thedestinations to host the prestigious 2010Regional Awards. The winning hosts will bepresented to the world as the respective

region’s premier top quality tourismdestination with the World Travel Awardsendorsed global message.

To find out more contact:[email protected]

World Travel Awards Media Partners

Middle East CeremonyDubai, UAE, 5th May

Event Partner:

Event Partner:

Event Partner:

Africa CeremonyDurban, South Africa, 11th May

North & Central America CeremonyRiviera Maya, 21st September

Unlike more famous andpopulated regions in the south ofthe country, here you candiscover pretty villages and a realPortuguese way-of-life amongststunning coastal scenery,including some of the bestbeaches in Europe. So much ofthis area has yet to beundiscovered by the masstourism market, guaranteeing youa beach to yourself.

The landscape is indeed ratherspecial, starting off from Castelode Paiva, all the way down southto Arruda dos Vinhos, you will beamazed by the picturesquefishing towns (Nazaré, Peniche,Ericeira) and the beautiful lagoonof Óbidos that links to thestunning beach of Foz do Arelho.

The weather is invariably one ofperfect blue skies, providing theperfect backdrop for outdooractivities including water sports,hiking or camping in the lushgreen surrounding land. Thebalmy weather and the whitesandy beaches offer the choicebetween practising water sportsand enjoying the calm life ofthe seaside.

Golf with a sea-view

While the Algarve is famous theworld over for its golf, the lesser-known Oeste region is rapidlyearning a reputation too for itsworld-class fairways. The gentlerolling hills set against thebackdrop of huge skies and deepoceans make this a golfer’sparadise.

The recent opening of the newBom Sucesso course near PraiaD’El Rey is welcoming more andmore golfers from around Europe,as word spreads about the DonaldSteel-designed course. Thelegendary Seve Ballesteros hasalso designed some courses inthe pipeline.

Jewel of the Oeste

Set along a beautiful sandy beachless than one hour from Lisbon, inan area of protected rurallandscape of rolling sand dunesand pine tree forests, Praia D’ElRey Golf & Beach Resortepitomises the charm of theOeste region. With year-roundsunshine, a championship linksgolf course, luxuryaccommodation, world-class spaand a vast range of outdooractivities, this is the best holidaylocation under the sun. The resortwill also play host to the WorldTravel Awards Europe Ceremonythis autumn.

Its luxury hotel is worthy of acapital city, whilst overlooking asandy beach on one of Europe’smost serene and naturalcoastlines. Book into the resort’sspa and health club and get downto some serious relaxationtherapy.

The resort also has much to offeroutside its gates. History is tohand, including nearby Peniche, apretty and unspoilt ancient fishingport, known for the sprawlinglandmark fortress overlooking itsharbour, as well as some ofPortugal’s finest surfing.

But while the days are hot, thearea around Praia D’El Rey isprized by sunbathers for itsempty, pristine beaches,especially those near Baleal, asmall island village five minutesfrom the resort.

Almost every town near Praia D'ElRey can trace its history back tothe 12th century but the mostfamous is Óbidos, 15 minutesfrom the resort but a whole worldaway. Its untouched town centreis medieval in feel and many of itsbuildings date back to the time ofthe Conquests, their whitewashedand ochre walls and blue-framedwindows and doors crying out tobe photographed.

www.rt-oeste.ptwww.praia-del-rey.com

Oeste awaitsthe worldPortugal’s Oeste region is hotly tipped fortourism superstardom, and has recently beenselected to host the European leg of theprestigious World Travel Awards.

Oeste, the Portuguese for west, stretches forover 200km along the ruggedly beautifulAtlantic coastline between Portugal’s two maincities, Lisbon and Oporto. The region’s must-seesite is the stunning medieval town of Óbidos.

South America CeremonyRio de Janeiro, 1st October

Europe CeremonyObidos, 17th October

Grand Tour 2009World Travel Awards

Event Partner: & Oeste, Portugal

Asia, Australasia & Indian Ocean CeremonySingapore, 22nd October

World & Caribbean CeremonyJamaica, 30th October

Event Partner:

W O R L D S P O R T D E S T I N AT I O N E X P O2 0 1 0 S O U T H A F R I C A

World Sport Destination Expo will for thevery first time showcase the inter-linkedimportance of sport, sporting events andtravel and tourism at the heart of one ofthe biggest and most important eventsthat the world will ever stage.

The world's most sought after sportingdestinations, resorts, specialist tour andevent organisers, sporting bid committees,worldwide media and elite buyers willmeet to conduct business in a unique expoco-located alongside the 2010 FIFA WorldCup in Johannesburg, South Africa's economic powerhouse.

DAT EWorld Sport Destination Expo will takeplace from 6-10 July 2010. The eventwill put into focus the true value of sportstourism during the busiest period of the2010 FIFA World Cup.

2010 FIFA LO C AT I O NJohannesburg - Official Host City for the2010 FIFA World Cup. As well as hosting atotal of 15 World Cup matches includingthe opening ceremony and opening andfinal matches - Johannesburg will be theworld's business and media hub for the 4weeks of the World Cup.

C O N T AC TFor more information contact:[email protected]

6-10 Ju l y 2 0 1 0Sa n d ton Co nve ntion Ce nt re,J o h a n n es b u rg, South Af r i c a

w w w. wo r l d s p o r td est i n at i o n ex p o. co m

Gala Show EntertainmentWorld Travel AwardsMiddle East Ceremony 2009

BONEY M. original Maizie WilliamsThe 1970s saw the birth of Disco - 100%freaking, boogying, hustling, bumping, bus-stopping, pure disco dancing. It started in the mid-70s and continued right through into the 80s.

One of the biggest groups to stand out andmake their mark was BONEY M. Their careerwas comet-like in that they seemed to blastout of nowhere. Suddenly every discothequearound the world played Boney M and everyTV show wanting to be hip had to have thisstunning-looking and fabulous-soundingfoursome from the Caribbean.

Their sound - a mix of reggae, disco, funk,gospel, soul and rock - hit the charts aroundthe world in a flash. Within moments, itseemed, everyone knew the Boney M. nameand music, and their onward progress wouldmaintain its star-studded track through ourconsciousness, day and night for over tenyears, with an endless stream ofunforgettable, sensational hits.

Maizie Williams was with Boney M. from thevery beginning and to this day is recreatingthose unique special moments live with herown band of musicians.

Nima Abu-Wardeh

STERLING EQ

Nima Abu-Wardeh is the personality to watchfor her intelligence, knowledge, versatility andcharisma. She is a bilingual English-Arabicbroadcaster who brings credibility, integrityand objectivity to the Arab corporatemarketplace. She has her finger on the pulseof the business environment across the regionand people turn to her for the inside track.

Nima presents BBC World’s weekly businessand finance programme, Middle East BusinessReport. She was part of the team that set upthe programme and has been the linchpinever since. She comes with strong production

and on-screen credentials, having producedand presented programmes for Al Jazeeraand Dubai’s Business Channel, as well as BBC World News.

Known for her enthusiasm, energy and no-nonsense approach, Nima is an engaging andinspirational speaker, panelist, MC and aYoung Arab Leader.

Sterling EQ is one of the most sought afterbands on South Africa’s entertainment andcorporate events circuits. This instrumentalsuper group captivates audiences from allwalks of life with their spectacular display ofvirtuosity and their energetic stage presence,which, together with their sleek appearanceand stylish modern instruments, makes for anunforgettable entertainment experience.The band is made up of some of SouthAfrica’s top qualified, award-winning andmost gorgeous young virtuosos. Their live

performance contains striking andunforgettable arrangements of classical worksand well-known favourites, giving new life tothe compositions of masters like Vivaldi, Bachand Beethoven by incorporating elements ofcontemporary music - Vanessa Mae style.The inclusion of well-known South Africancompositions like Mbube and Nkalakathacombined with their sleek appearance andfuturistic electric string instruments makethem simply irresistible!

ADNAN DAWOOD

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Marketing Strategy • Publicity • Business • Development

[email protected]

President & Founder Graham E. Cooke

PA to PresidentRebecca Cohen

Executive Vice President & Event Director Manon Han

Senior Vice PresidentDavid Falcon

Group Vice PresidentKevin Taylor

Financial DirectorXiaolan Tang

Commercial Director Christopher Frost

Director, Global Business Sion Rapson

Head of Business DevelopmentMax Miller

Marketing Manager, South AmericaAntonio Castro Neves

Sales DirectorTony Prince

Marketing & Global PR ConsultantAdnan Dawood

PR ExecutiveCristina Onodi

Event ManagerSusan Mundy

Event Organising ExecutiveKim Hawkins

Editors Anton Strack Mary Aziz

Official Photographers Mark Hakanson Gareth Morris

E-Commerce Managers Kelly Footit Hayden Pitout

Online Marketing ExecutiveChris Whitfield

Online Project Manager Sid Thaker

Web Team Ben Roberts George CookeJoe McCannTom Fogarty

Creative Director Mike Gibas

Designer Adam Williams

World Travel Awards 1 Northumberland AvenueTrafalgar SquareLondon WC2N 5BWUnited Kingdom T +44 (0)20 7925 0000F +44 (0)20 7925 2552a wa rd s @ wo r l d t rave l a wa rds. c o mwww.worldtravelawards.com

Copyright © World Travel Awards 2009

The TeamWorld Travel Awards

Thank youto all our partnersWe wish to express our gratitude to our partnersand supporters worldwide. In particular, we extenda heartfelt “thank you” to our gracious host TheMonarch Dubai for its outstanding hospitality andextreme professionalism. We would also like tothank our media partners BBC World News, KhaleejTimes, Breaking Travel News and all other mediapartners around the world.

Congratulations…

Over the past 12 months, each one of you hasdemonstrated what it takes to make a difference andwill stand as inspirational examples of travel andtourism excellence for the year ahead.

The Middle East Winners will go head-to-head withthe other regional winners to compete for theultimate travel accolade at the World Travel AwardsGrand Final in Jamaica on 30th October 2009.

World Travel Awards will shortly be announcing thehost and venue for the 2010 Middle East Ceremony.The initial 2010 Nomination Programme, which willdecide the 2010 Middle East finalists, will open onNovember 1st. As the benchmark of excellence isonce again raised, will 2010 see your brand voted thevery best of the very best? New categories beingintroduced next year include; Best Hotel Architecture,Leading Luxury Hotel and Best Corporate SocialResponsibility Initiative.

To reserve a table at the World Travel Awards GrandFinal 2009 or Middle East Gala Ceremony 2010, or todiscover more about the World Travel AwardsNomination Programme please contact:[email protected] call +44 (0) 20 7925 0000.

…roll on 2010


…to all of tonight’s 2009 Middle East and country winners.

November • 2009

A Celebration of Travel Excellence in the RegionMiddle East Winners' Portfolio

Roll Call of Honour - 2009 Winners

2009 Middle East's Best

Destination Showcase

Development Showcase

Tourism Report

2010 Preview

Distribution: 50,000 industry professionals, 11,000 top buyers, 2,500 international press

To be part of this key publication: [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7925 0000


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World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony Programme 2009

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