ATM 2015: All the news, gossip and interviews from the travel showcase

(May 6, 17:35) Zighy Bay in Oman is one of our favourite resorts so we are delighted to hear there is likely to be more just like it in the future. Six Senses Zighy Bay general manager John Philipson told Hotelier magazine that Six Senses has 40 hotels in the pipeline and this year will see the opening of a resort in Chengdu, the birthplace of Taoism; one in Douro Valley in Portugal; and another in Seychelles in December. The Oman resort is also planning some changes: It will be tweaking it to reconfigure their 12 spa suites – suites with their own spa rooms attached. “We’ve listened to our client feedback and our GCC clients are telling us that they want more space per villa and that they actually prefer to go to the spa itself rather than have spa services in their villa,” Philipson said.

(May 6, 17:10) It’s almost Al Baker Day on the blog today. In February, the Qatar Airways CEO said the boss of Delta Airlines should be “ashamed” for blaming his company’s 2005 bankruptcy on ‘Arabian Peninsula 9/11 terrorists’. Today he took aim at Richard Anderson again: “I’m not going to mince my words and I am going to meet the press. I think Mr Anderson has never seen a CEO that will be so direct, so insulting and absolutely to the point to expose him. He is working against the interest of his own country. He has no dignity, he has no ethics, he has, in my frank opinion, a weak personality and is only hiding behind all this nonsense, misleading his government in a big way. I will go to the government in a very clear way, in a very precise way, in a very direct way to show them the misleading information.”

In more news from the Doha boss, he says he is keen to buy up to 49 percent of India’s IndiGo, though the owners of India’s largest carrier by market share have no immediate plans to sell: “We’re not in talks, we have a personal relationship between us and the owner of IndiGo. He has indicated they are not planning to sell a stake in IndiGo, but once they consider he knows I’m interested.”

(May 6, 17:00) While Jordan may be suffering with less tourists, the Swiss report of St. Moritz is seeing a growing number of Gulf visitors. “We are ready to welcome visitors from the GCC during both summer and winter seasons. St. Moritz enjoyed an 19 percent increase in the number of visitors from the GCC in 2014, and we are keen to invest in this region even further to attract more visitors to St. Moritz,” said Ariane Ehrat, CEO, Tourism Organization St. Moritz.

(May 6, 16:45) Jordan‘s Q1 tourism numbers no not make for happy reading, revenue dropped 11.9 percent as visitor numbers from Europe and North America fell by more than a fifth because of wars in neighbouring nations, Jordan’s tourism minister said on Tuesday. The country shares frontiers with Iraq and Syria, where the ISIL has seized swathes of territory. The number of tourists visiting Jordan fell 9.4 percent in the first quarter to 1.12 million from 1.24 million a year earlier.

(May 6, 16:30) Back over at AHIC, Ivanka Trump has revealed she is in the UAE to scout for potential Trump-branded projects in Abu Dhabi. “I’m going to spend some time in Abu Dhabi on the trip while I’m here. I’m driving there this afternoon,” the executive vice president of development and acquisitions at The Trump Organization and daughter of property tycoon Donald Trump, told us. The Trump brand is already linked to the UAE and last year Dubai’s Damac Properties and Trump real estate launched their collaborated project Trump PRVT Mansions in Dubailand. Some villas of the Trump Mansions project will be ready within the year, while the entire project will be completed by 2018.

(May 6, 14:05) Yesterday Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths announced Dubai World Central, home to the emirate’s second airport, is to undergo “major extension” to expand its capacity from 5 million to 26 million by 2018. Today, DWC has announced the signing of separate agreements that will see the development of three international hotels – Aloft, Studio M and Millennium – at the site. The agreements were signed with Radar DWC LLC (Aloft), Tetra Hospitality Investment LLC (Studio M) and ABA Hospitality DWC LLC (Millennium). The hotels are scheduled for completion between 2018 and 2019 and will collectively add 1,300 rooms to DWC’s hospitality offering. DWC’s Al Maktoum International Airport is expected to have capacity to handle 120 million passengers annually in 5-8 years.

(May 6, 13:55) It may be day three but the hotel news is still coming thick and fast. Family owned group Dusit have announced the Dusit Thani Residence Dubai Marina will be upgraded and relaunched in June 2016, with a new luxurious penthouse suite being added. Two new Dusit properties have also been announced, the 235 room dusitD2 TECOM Dubai, which will open in March 2016, and the dusitD2 Residence Al Manzel Abu Dhabi. Located in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s commercial district, close to the Corniche and Saadiyat Island, the second new property will open in January 2016.

(May 6, 12:55) Back over at the Qatar Airways conference, Al Baker has been asked if US customs pre-clearance will be coming to Doha. It was announced yesterday it will be at least 10 years before it arrives in Dubai, but the Qatar boss doesn’t seem keen on it t all: “My job is to get the passenger there on time. Whatever happens at immigration is not my problem,” he says bluntly.

On the issue of replying to US accusations of subsidies, he believes the Gulf carrier should get two years to mount a full rebuttal. A view which was also shared by Emirates’ Sheikh Ahmed. Read exactly what the Dubai aviation chief had to say here.

In relation to recent reports in the Daily Mail that the UK’s Football Association turned down an offer from Qatar Airways to sponsor the FA Cup, Al Baker says the rumour is false and the carrier never looked to sponsor the tournament.

(May 6, 12:50) Our Lifestyle Editor just caught up with Ivanka Trump over at the Arab Hotel Investment Investment Conference (AHIC) at Madinat Jumeirah. The Donald’s glamourous daughter says she’s very inspired by Dubai’s ever-changing skyline. Her collaborated project with Damac, Trump PRVT Mansions, will have “greatest golf course in the region,” she says.

(May 6, 12:25) The Qatar Airways boss has now moved onto the press conference area, where Al Baker has announced the launch of the ‘Dubai Shuttle’ which will see 18 daily flights between Doha and Dubai. He says fares will start from QAR530 ($145).

(May 6, 11:55) Neil Halligan has sent us through some of the comments from Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker‘s one-to-one at ATM this morning:

– On A380: The Doha boss says the carrier’s latest financial results will not be as good as estimated and he has but the blame on Airbus and the delays in delivery of its A380s. “[We’re] not going to get any more A380s unless there is an absolute rethink on this airplane. Airbus have to put hands in their pocket”. Al Baker says he wants new engines that will have a 10 to 15 percent better fuel burn.

– On US sanctions row: Al Baker says Qatar Airways will open it’s books after meeting with US officials next week. Says US carrier cannot talk as all three – American, Continental and Delta – were all bankrupt at some point and got support.

– On the Delta CEO Richard Anderson’s comments: “Anderson is not a patriot to his country” and says the Delta boss is only thinking about his own airline and not the passengers in the US.

(May 6, 11:30) The Middle East’s $72 billion travel market is set to grow further, according to research carried out by travel commerce firm Travelport and announced at this year’s ATM. The company predicted that online travel bookings will represent 36 percent of all bookings in the region by 2017, as opposed to 25 percent currently. Interestingly, it also revealed that while 72 percent of leisure flights in the UAE were researched online, only 34 percent were purchased online.

(May 6, 11:15) While Dubai’s Jumeirah reported that its growth rate had slowed slightly to 5.4 percent in 2014, compared to 8 percent in 2013, the Indian owner of a fake miniature replica of its Burj al Arab is reporting thriving trade. Rajinder Kumar (pictured below), the owner of the farmhouse, told South Asian news agency, Aninews.in, the three-storied rural farm house, built in the village of Phagwara, Punjab, is proving popular with locals who go there to dine and to avail of reasonable rates.

(May 6, 10:35) Dubai will always have it luxury offering when it comes to hotels, but there is still plenty of room for more midscale hotels, according to IHG’s Middle East chief operating officer. Pascal Gauvin said there is more room for growth when it comes to midscale brands, the Holiday Inn, particularly with the pipeline of developments in aviation and tourism. “With the theme parks coming, Dubai Expo 2020, the numbers of visitors are growing, we need to cater for all kinds of guests. They will go from selected service like Holiday Inn Express to a full service Holiday Inn, to Crowne Plaza which is very business oriented, and the InterContinental on the luxury. Maybe we will have much more Holiday Inn in the city; there is still more space for the volume business, especially the way the city is developing around new Dubai airport and Expo 2020 site,” he told our Deputy Editor Neil Halligan.

(May 6, 10:10) As day 3 gets underway, it seems many of those exhibiting are already winners as the World Travel Awards took place last night at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Hailed as ‘the Oscars of the travel industry’ by some, the awards were established in 1993 and is based on over 650,000 individual votes from various travel professionals and high-end tourism consumers.

Although, with the long list of awards on offer it is likely nearly everyone want away with some trophy or award by the looks of it.

Here’s a brief rundown of the big winners:

Middle East’s Leading Airline: Etihad Airways

Middle East’s Leading Airline – Business Class: Oman Air

Middle East’s Leading Airline – Economy Class: Oman Air

Middle East’s Leading Airline – First Class: Etihad Airways

Middle East’s Leading Airline Website: Emirates

Middle East’s Leading Airport: Dubai International Airport

Middle East’s Leading Airport Hotel: Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Middle East’s Leading Airport Lounge: Emirates First Class Lounge – Emirates Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport

Middle East’s Leading All Inclusive Resort: Rixos Bab Al Bahr, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Middle East’s Leading All Suite Hotel: Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, United Arab Emirates

Middle East’s Leading Beach Destination: Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Middle East’s Leading Beach Resort: Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai

Middle East’s Leading Boutique Hotel: Al Mashreq Boutique Hotel, Saudi Arabia

Middle East’s Leading Budget Hotel Brand: Citymax Hotels

Middle East’s Leading Business Hotel: Grosvenor House Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Middle East’s Leading Business Travel Agency: dnata

Middle East’s Leading Business Travel Destination: Doha, Qatar

Middle East’s Leading Cabin Crew: Etihad Airways

Middle East’s Leading City Hotel: Al Murooj Rotana, Dubai, UAE

Middle East’s Leading Conference Hotel: Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah

Middle East’s Leading Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International

Middle East’s Leading Desert Spa Resort: Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Middle East’s Leading Destination: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Middle East’s Leading Family Resort: Jebel Ali Golf Resort, Dubai

Middle East’s Leading Hotel: Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah

Middle East’s Leading Hotel Brand: Rotana Hotels

Middle East’s Leading Low-Cost Airline: flynas

And that’s not even all of them…. Click here for the full, long, list.

(May 6, 10:00) Welcome to day three of Arabian Travel Market (ATM). As visitors begin to flock into the exhibition hall, click here to get a run down of all the news from day 2.

The big news was comments given by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline & Group, hwho spoke to our Chief Reporter Sarah Townsend inside the rotating Emirates globe stand. Here’s a roundup of the highlights from the interview, with further analysis coming later today:

– On claims by US carriers that Emirates received billions in subsidies from the Dubai government, Sheikh Ahmed said it was “only fair” the airline be given two years to respond, pointing out the US carriers took the same time to compile their white paper.

– On the open skies agreement with the US and threats it may be reviewed he said the UAE “always saw it as something that had the potential to limit our growth,” even when it was first signed back in the 1990s.

– On Dubai’s bid to attract 20 million visitors by 2020, he was confident there was “absolutely no doubt” the emirate will meet its target by the end of the decade.

– A Boeing executive this week told ATM audiences he believed more and more airlines in the Middle East will launch under a low-cost business model. Sheikh Ahmed did not rule out a new low cost airline entering the Gulf market. Does this mean more competition for Emirate’s budget sister airline flydubai?