Peace worker

The CEO of Dubai-based Alpha Tours tells Laura Collacott of the positive impact that tourism can have and his plans for international supremacy.

Tourism is peace," Ghassan Aridi poignantly remarks of his trade.

"Peaceful people go to enjoy themselves by looking for beautiful things. Somehow, the two are related."

It's an interesting angle on an industry that most people regard as one of the world's most reliable revenue sources. In a world where regional and international relations are frequently strained (often by misunderstanding), it is appealing to think that travel could be the balm that soothes troubles away. And why not?

Alpha Tours' CEO, Ghassan Aridi, has evidently been working hard to spread his distinctive form of peace throughout the world in its 23 years of operation. Established in 1995 (by Aridi), Alpha Tours has swiftly risen to establish itself as a leaders in the tourism sector.

Customers are now drawn from all corners of the world: "We have the biggest share of the Russian market," says Aridi; "we handle four out of ten visitors coming from the UK to Dubai," he claims.

"We are also number one for Brazilian and Chinese visitors. We are now ranked as the number one inbound tour operator in Dubai."

The company offers a plethora of location management solutions from comprehensive tours to airport services to MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) arrangements and it is in this latter category that Dubai has begun to assert some clout.

"This year was a really great season for us [in the MICE sector]," Aridi reveals.

"The last three or four years have not been very good for the whole industry because of the shortage of rooms in Dubai: We couldn't take big incentive or conference groups coming to Dubai. But now that room availability is better, this segment is growing in Dubai. We are proud to say that we have had a huge increase of 60%, compared with last year."

As the number of international businesses choosing to locate here grows, so word of the city's suitability for these events increases.

Companies from the very biggest multi-nationals to more modest start-ups see the innate benefits of pulling all members of the team together to clarify and reassert company values and move forward positively.

Holding these events in exotic, warm and interesting locations serves as an incentive as well, doubling the impact and value of such an expenditure. Grasping that the reasoning behind MICE events is now popular and received knowledge, Aridi is justifiably delighted with the upturn: "This is the cream of the tourism business," he smiles.

Continuous identification of areas for growth is an important part of Aridi's job and has most recently given rise to a new top-end division. "We created a luxury department within Alpha Tours, catering for large yachts, helicopters, private jets etc." he tells me.

The luxury market remains strong, especially in countries where swathes of the population have newly acquired wealth. Deriving many clients from the BRIC economies as the company does, the high-end trend that saw the establishment of this specific service is likely here to stay.

So how else has the tourism industry changed during Aridi's time in it? "There have been a lot of changes and progress, especially with IT solutions," he starts. "Logistics-wise it has become very easy and convenient." The very essence of tourism is, he believes, fundamentally different.

"The concept has changed. 80% of people are now looking for restful holidays; they are not looking to spend time standing in front of monuments and to see the history of a place.

All they want is good entertainment, good leisure facilities, a comfortable hotel, nice beach, good food, and good shopping. The concept has totally changed.

He uses the example of Egypt, a popular holiday destination both in the region and wider world, to back this theory up.

"If you take Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh; Cairo has one third of the world's monuments yet people choose to go to Sharm el-Sheikh where there is nothing but desert and the beach." Egypt is not alone in this trend; "We have seen a lot of classical destinations report very negative figures compared with previous years," continues Aridi.

As a Dubai-based operator, Aridi senses the particular strengths and weaknesses of the emirate more acutely. Places like Dubai are growing in popularity: "[It] is very convenient because it meets all the travel needs of people. With the speed and rhythm of modern life, people don't want to be troubled on their vacations. They just want to have the time to relax."