In anticipation of growth
For the upcoming winter 2011/12, all the emirate’s DMC (destination management company or "travel organization") predict a significant increase in tourist flow to the country, including from Russia. The interest of travelers in the UAE is stimulated by the rapid construction of hotels and the increase in air transportation.
But there is a new growth factor - political instability in the tourist destinations of North Africa competing with the UAE. I must admit, we do not really believe that the Egyptian market will fully recover by the high season, and we expect to seriously compete for some travelers who will look for alternatives to the resorts of the Red Sea. And the beaches of the Persian Gulf, in our opinion, are a very worthy option. Al Khalidiah Tourism, as the host company, intends to strengthen its leading position in the Sharjah market and significantly increase in other regions. The signing of contracts with Sharjah hotels we started back in March. In the upcoming winter season, we will control more than 25% of the number of rooms in this resort city.
We sign contracts with hoteliers on the basis of commission obligations, while at the same time we offer tour operators partners soft distribution shares with release periods, and at very competitive prices. That is, we assume all risks of loading hotels. We were the first to adhere to such a policy in the Sharjah region, and we strictly follow it. Other host companies are forced to copy our work style, otherwise it will be almost impossible to compete with us. But no one but us dares to take such large volumes on harsh conditions - as a rule, the majority is limited only by quotas in the most popular hotels.
In Sharjah, Al Khalidiah will actively offer Russian tour operators and accommodation facilities that we have on a long-term lease. This is Royal Beach Resort & Spa 5 * with 85 rooms, as well as Al Khalidiah Villas hotel with 34 rooms. The Royal Beach Hotel is only one year old, but during this time we managed to “unwind” it well and make it very popular among Russian travelers. By the upcoming season, we have eliminated all identified shortcomings, paid even more attention to improving the service, and we are sure that Royal Beach will be in great demand. Moreover, we gave our partners very attractive prices for the winter. We also look forward to a good load of Al Khalidiah Villas - a large-scale reconstruction has recently been carried out in this hotel.
Our sphere of influence is not limited to the Sharjah region. For the high season 2011/12, we almost doubled our quotas in the hotels of the Jumeirah beach area in Dubai. The choice will be wide - from the fashionable resorts of the Jumeirah Group (5 *) to cheap hotels on the second line from the sea. We are actively exploring the southern, still not so popular with travelers, northern regions of the UAE - the emirates of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. There we are negotiating with hoteliers, and plan to take large blocks of rooms, again on the terms of commission obligations.
According to our forecasts, Sharjah hotels will fill up very quickly, and it is the areas of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah that will become a worthy alternative for receiving growing tourist flows. Moreover, the quality of the number of rooms there is no worse than in other emirates, and the prices are more attractive. Based on the reorientation of some travelers from Egypt to the UAE, we have selected more than a dozen hotels in Dubai and Sharjah, which, in our opinion, are ideal for fans of the Red Sea resorts - both in terms of budget and level of service.
Take service and bonuses
In order to efficiently and without loss of quality serve our growing volumes, we have increased our staff by almost 30%. The company additionally recruited highly qualified employees, so that our partners can be calm - the service will be, as always, at the most worthy level. In addition, Al Khalidiah Tourism has moved to a new modern office in the center of Sharjah. We bought a whole floor area of more than 600 square meters. m. By the way, next door to the Sharjah Tourism Department.
We do not forget about the improvement of transport customer service - our fleet was replenished with comfortable tourist buses, which will be used for transfers to airports and for trips on excursions.
And further. In October, our company will celebrate its 15th anniversary, and for the anniversary we have prepared an extended bonus program for partners, which will be valid throughout the season. So, tour operators cooperating with us and their travel agents will receive golden rings with diamonds as a gift for their employees, for a certain amount of room reservations in some hotels. In addition, a number of Sharjah and Jumeirah hotels with which we have contracts will provide free accommodation for the best sellers. They can be used for your own vacation or sold to customers and receive additional income.
The program "Visa as a gift" will also continue, which is valid when ordering certain hotels, while, mind you, everything is fair: no hidden entry of the cost of a visa into the price of a hotel. Another action is aimed directly at tourists - they will receive a $ 50 voucher at the airport, which they can pay for our excursions. This is a good gift to customers, and a worthy response to illegal excursionists.
Without pushing your foreheads
We try to provide exclusive conditions for working with us to each of our partner tour operators. This means that the tour operator company receives from us such contracts or prices in certain hotels that its competitors in the emirate market do not have. At the same time, we make sure that we keep a balance of interests of all our customers - we select a profitable niche for everyone and do not allow their intersection in the same hotels.
We will present all our seasonal news in Moscow at the autumn international tourist exhibition "Leisure / Leisure-2011". In addition, we expect to hold negotiations with new potential partners there. We will have our own stand, where, by the way, it will be possible to talk with top managers of several popular hotels in the UAE. We also invite everyone to the Sharjah booth, where our representatives will work.
