At the very height of the TOURIST SEASON in the Emirates, which started in AUTUMN, we met again with the President of the company AL KHALIDIAH TOURISM SIRAK MURADYE to be very sore.
Mr. Sirac, tell us how the next tourist season began for you and what do you expect from him?
The season began very well: we meet thousands of tourists, give them a good mood, organize a comfortable stay. Of course, after the New Year's program and winter school holidays, a certain decline in tourist flow began, as the weather conditions in the UAE brought a little, and the prices remained rather high, the hotels did not want to make concessions to us and make financial concessions. But I hope that in any case, we will reimburse all losses during this period.
This season, we are ahead of last year, we increased the number of our guests, increased the number of blocks in both Sharjah and Dubai. Over time, the number of rooms in Dubai will increase even more, and Fujairah will strengthen its position. An important role in achieving success is played by the experience gained by our employees in the process of long-term work, which every year they act more and more professionally.
The ability to work with people, try to predict their desires, keep calm in any situation, find an approach even to the most demanding client - all this, in my opinion, are the main components of our success, the popularity of our company. Although it is necessary to add that without the support of our partners from Russia, we would not have achieved such success.
What kind of partners are you talking about?
These are those companies that I love and respect, travel companies from Moscow, Samara, St. Petersburg, those companies in which we are fully confident. For example, this is the Moscow tour operator Top Space Travel. The company is headed Galina Zozul and Aleksandr Novikov. These are my very close friends, and friendship with them began even before I opened my own company.
It should be noted ART-Tour, East Line, Russian Express, Intaer, Pax, as well as my Samara partners: IntouristSamara, Aerotur-Samara, Sputnik-Hermes , Samara Intour, Rasip Travel and partner companies from St. Peretburg - Glob Tour, Intertransavia, Etoile, Neva and Versa. Do you work only with the Russian market? We work with all CIS countries. Mostly with Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia and a little with the rest of their neighbors. In order to interest new large tour operators from Russia so that they can try to work with us, I would like to invite all Russian operators to visit and tell them about our new exclusive project, which we are preparing for the next season. We will provide our guests and future business partners with accommodation, visa support, three meals a day and everything necessary for a fruitful discussion of the project.
You said you own three companies. How can this be explained, why do you need so many companies?
The fact is that for each type of activity in the UAE it is necessary to open a separate license. That is why we own three companies, each of which is engaged in its own business. These are two hotels - Al Khalidiah and Marhaba Resort and travel agency Al Khalidiah Tourism LLC. I registered another travel company in the emirate of Sharjah for insurance. If you suddenly have problems applying for visas at the Dubai Department of Emigration, then we calmly turn to Sharjah.
What problems are you talking about?
As a rule, these are problems associated with the late departure of tourists outside the UAE. An expired tourist visa is a serious violation of immigration law. But, thank God, today we open visas to tourists of all nationalities and any age. We have no age restrictions even for women under 30 years old.
In a previous interview, you noted the difficulty of working with Jumeirah hotels. Comment on the situation today. Are there any positive changes?
Unfortunately, it is still hard for us to work with Jumeirah hotels, especially with the Madinat Jumeirah complex. Imagine that in these hotels it is almost impossible to change a room reservation from one tourist to another. But tour operators suffer from this, since according to Russian law, even if a tourist refused to travel in one day, the tour operator must return the money for the ticket.
The Jumeirah chain continues to work only with some large (in their opinion) companies, preventing others from expressing themselves. And in such conditions, it is very difficult for newcomers to the tourism market to develop, earning a reputation for themselves. In my opinion, the policy of the Jumeirah group is not entirely correct, and they should reconsider their positions in relation to local tour operators.
Let's move on to more positive points in your work. As far as we know, the program of excursions of your company has recently replenished with boat trips?
Yes, we have a very large tour desk with a large fleet of vehicles (more than 20 buses and cars). Tourists can use our services around the clock. Lacked only marine modes of transport. Therefore, we purchased a large yacht, 12.2 m long, with 2 sleeping cabins. On our yacht you can go out for a day or evening walk, go fishing, go diving.
What would you like to wish our readers, and in their person - your potential guests or partners?
We invite everyone who wants to work with us to work with. For 12 years of successful stay in the tourism market, we have earned a reputation as honest and obligatory partners. And on behalf of our company, I want to wish everyone health and peace of mind. Never forget that relaxation is an integral part of our lives. It restores strength, gives positive emotions. And so that the vacation is not spoiled, contact exactly those companies that have earned a worthy reputation and will be able to give you a comfortable and unforgettable pastime.
