Global Hospitality News: eHotelier Newsletter

Caterer.com - Hilton International has appointed Wolfgang Neumann chief of Hilton UK & Ireland after former managing director Grant Hearn moved to venture capital group Permira to head its newly-acquired Travelodge business.

Neumann, who has worked with Hilton for more than 18 years, becomes area president of Hilton UK & Ireland. He is currently senior vice president of Hilton International Nordic region, where he is responsible for more than 140 hotels, including the entire Scandic chain.

Hearn, who was managing director at Hilton UK for three years, will become chief executive of the new roadside business Permira bought from Compass in December 2002 for £712m.

Hearn previously spent five years at Whitbread, some of which was spent running its Travel Inn budget hotels, and also has 14 years' experience at hotel group Forte.

Hearn leaves Hilton at the end of this month and Neumann takes over from 1 February.

Further solidifying its position as THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN®, Best Western's worldwide development team finished the year strong by signing 83 new hotels to the brand during the fourth fiscal quarter ending Nov. 30. During the quarter, 42 hotels were added in North America and 41 were signed internationally. The chain ended the fiscal year with 4,060 hotels in 81 countries across the globe. In all, the company's worldwide development team brought 282 hotels into the brand.

In North America, the company welcomed their largest hotel system-wide. The Best Western Tuscany Suites and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. features 716 guest suites. The hotel is located just two blocks from "The Strip" and offers 7,000 square feet of meeting space, concierge service and a full-service restaurant.

In October, the company also opened the Best Western Greenwood Inn and Suites in Beaverton, Ore. The hotel has 217 guestrooms and is the largest Best Western in the Oregon-Washington state area.

Other key additions included: Best Western Ramkota Hotel, Bismarck, ND (306 rooms); Best Western Kennedy Airport, Jamaica, NY (91 rooms); Best Western Prairie Inn, Galesburg, Ill. (139 rooms); Best Western Marathon Resort and Suites, Marathon, Fla. (79 rooms) and the Best Western Burlington Inn and Suites, Burlington, Ontario, Canada (56 rooms).

"We accomplished what we intended," said Mark Williams, vice president of North American Development for Best Western. "Our development team worked strategically to grow the brand in our targeted markets and they did that better than we had anticipated. Prospective members continue to respond positively to our efforts because we offer them better value and services than our competitors."

Williams continued, "Not only did we meet our goal of attaining new members, but we also maintained our current membership base at a renewal rate of 99 percent for the seventh year in a row."

Over the past few years, Best Western's goal has been targeting areas where the brand is under-represented. While the hotel industry has been criticized for over saturating markets, Best Western's new additions consisted primarily of conversions in North America and venturing into sparsely branded areas across the globe.

"We developed cautiously, but intelligently around the globe in 2002," said Suzi MacDonald, vice president of International Operations for Best Western. "One of our goals was to further expand Best Western's presence in South America this past year. To support that effort, we added a South American sales office, including reservation services which have truly benefited that region."

During the last quarter of 2003, Best Western officials recruited five new members in South America. Throughout the year their focus had been the recruitment of a quality and highly visible member hotel in Sao Paulo, one of the continent's major markets. During the month of November, two new members were recruited in Sao Paulo, one of which, the BW Regent Park Hotel, is a 70-room, four-star property located in the city's most prominent business and entertainment district.

Internationally, Best Western also welcomed first time additions in Macedonia, Yemen and New Caledonia. The brand also grew with an added five hotels in France, five in the United Kingdom, three in Italy and three in the Netherlands.

Best Western is THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN® with more than 4,000 hotels in 80 countries and territories. It is a membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its member hotels.

Thistle Had A Hard Year - Thistle Hotels this week looked back on 2002 with a trading update that blended mixed fortunes with a dash of caution. Although turnover in the second half of the year at the company's 18 owned or leased hotels was 1.9% ahead of the comparable figure for 2001, it was not enough to compensate for the 13.6% fall in the first half. Consequently, turnover of £151.1 million for 2002 as a whole was down 6.8% on the previous year, an outcome that Thistle claimed was in line with its expectations; it could offer no firm predictions for turnover in 2003, but would aim to keep costs under control in the current trading climate. Nevertheless, Thistle could take heart from seeing RevPAR at these 18 hotels rise 2.7%, to £58.36, in the second half, an increase helped by a rise in occupancy of 8.9 percentage points. However, this news was tempered in turn by a year-on-year decline in RevPAR of 3.8%, to £39.15, at Thistle's 38 managed hotels. Away from the results, a report in the Daily Telegraph newspaper quoted Chief Executive Ian Burke as saying that although he would not rule out a sale of the 18 owned and leased hotels in London, any such deal was unlikely in the current market conditions.

Maarten Of Arabia - Dutchman Maarten van den Nieuwenhuysen, recently installed as Radisson SAS Hotels' District Manager for Saudi Arabia, will now have three properties to supervise after the company unveiled two new hotels this month. The 317-room Radisson SAS Hotel Riyadh and the 292-room Radisson SAS Hotel Jeddah, both of which are to undergo extensive renovation, join the 183-room Radisson SAS Hotel Yanbu, which opened on the Red Sea coast in November. Mr van den Nieuwenhuysen will also be responsible for further development of the Radisson SAS brand in the country.

Silken Moves In Spain - Silken Hoteles will in the next few months open what will be its third hotel in Barcelona. The Spanish chain has paid €32 million for a 240-room, four-star hotel which is rising in the 22@ business district of the city. In addition, Silken has an interest in a hotel currently being finished in the northern city of Santander (Cantabria). The 92-room, four-star Hotel Silken Coliseum, in which Silken and the Cantabrian regional authorities have invested a total of €5 million, is set to open in late April. AC Hotels, meanwhile, has opened the 65- room, four-star AC Hotel Huelva in southern Spain, the first of some 19 hotels it hopes to open this year.

A Sale At The Marina - The Quinn Group has taken ownership of its second UK property after paying CRD Catering (City) an undisclosed sum for the 128-room Holiday Inn Nottingham-Castle Marina. The Quinn Group also owns the 198-room Crowne Plaza Cambridge and five properties in Ireland. In another sale concluded in the UK, Euro Quality Lambs acquired the 65-room Dolby Hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester from Dolby Management for almost £2.75 million. Elsewhere, an unnamed London-based solicitor has paid more than £1 million to Anglian Water for the Normanton Park Hotel on the southern shore of Rutland Water. The 23-room property is let to Old English Inns for the next nine years.

Radisson SAS Lands In Narvik - Radisson SAS Hotels has opened a twentieth Norwegian property: the 107- room Radisson SAS Grand Royal Hotel in the northern port city of Narvik. The company has not neglected neighbouring Sweden either, where the city of Karlstad has welcomed the 131-room Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel. And Radisson SAS has been quick to follow up last week's announcement of the opening of the Radisson SAS Roe Park Resort by revealing that a second property in Northern Ireland is now being built. The new £14 million 120-room Radisson SAS Hotel will form part of the Cromac Wood Business Park development in Belfast, and is due to be ready by May 2004.

Great Eagle Name Becomes Extinct - Great Eagle Hotels International, the hotel operating and asset management arm of Great Eagle Holdings Hong Kong, has changed its name to Langham Hotels International (LHI). As LHI's Vice President of Marketing and Development Kevin Murphy explained, the name change will sharpen the company's focus on its desire for growth over the coming years and will strengthen its commitment to own or operate only successful, high-quality hotels. The new name is a tribute to The Langham Hilton in central London, which Great Eagle took under its wing in 1996 for some £100 million; LHI considers this property to be the standard by which its future expansion will be set.

Titbits From The Top Table - Pierre Boppe has joined Corinthia Hotels International as its first Chief Executive Officer, and he will be met at the boardroom table by Raymond Capdevila, formerly CEO of Accor's Asia division. De Vere Group has also been making appointments. It now has two regional directors in the UK: Tom Hendry, covering the north, and Adrian Trumper, who covers the south. Each director is charged with operational and financial performance in his region and with delivering business strategies.

A Peek Into Russia - Beijing Invest, which, despite its name, is a Russian company, is reportedly set to invest US$150 million in the renovation of the Pekin Hotel in Moscow. The work, which is set to begin in June and take three years to complete, would see the 300-room, city-owned property transformed into a 600-room, four-star hotel complete with an adjacent first class business centre.

Loch Fyne Nets A Hotel - Loch Fyne Restaurants has served up something new above its restaurant in Bath: its first hotel, the nine-room Milsoms lifestyle hotel. However, according to Managing Director Mark Derry, his company, which has 22 seafood restaurants in the UK, is not currently planning to have more hotels. Down in Plymouth, meanwhile, Crownhill Estates has secured permission to build a 74- room hotel and a pub/restaurant for £18 million, while in the East Midlands Ingleby 125 is awaiting permission to build an up-market 112-room hotel in Leicester city centre. Another city also anticipating development work is Aberdeen, where the local council, in partnership with NHS Grampian and Scottish Enterprise Grampian, plans to build a hotel as part of a multimillion pound mixed-use redevelopment of the Denburn and Woolmanhill districts.

Changing Of The Guard - Whitbread has announced a three-stage plan designed to make its portfolio of Beefeater restaurants more palatable. A question mark has been in place against the 250 outlets since at least last October, when Whitbread's latest set of results showed that the Beefeater chain had fallen well short of the company's desired target of 5% sales growth. Consequently, the first stage of the plan will see 51 restaurants sold off. The second stage will see seven outlets absorbed by the Brewers Fayre or Travel Inn brands. Restaurants surviving these first two stages will be given a new format, the third stage of the process, although it is expected that the Beefeater name will be retained.

Promotions At HVS International's London Office - We are delighted to announce that Bernard Forster has been appointed a Director of the firm, and that Karen Smith has been appointed an Associate Director; each promotion was effective from 1 January 2003. Both Bernard and Karen will be well-known to many of our clients and friends, and each one has made a tremendous impact on our business, especially in the past year. Bernard joined HVS in 1997, having previously worked in the IT sector and for several years in various hotel operational management roles in Switzerland and London. Bernard holds an MSc in Property Investment from City University, London and a BSc in Hotel Management from Oxford Brookes University. He has advised on hotels throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Karen joined HVS in 2001, having worked in the hotel departments of a number of leading firms of chartered surveyors. A member of the RICS, she is a graduate of Nottingham Trent University, where she obtained a BSc (Hons.) in Urban Estate Surveying. She has conducted a large number of valuations and feasibility studies for hotels throughout the UK and more widely in Europe.

Vote For Your Most Memorable Experience - Voting has begun for the Ultimate Service Awards 2003 - the premier global recognition programme for the hotel industry. If you have recently experienced a hotel stay where employees went out of their way to make your visit memorable, then this is your chance to acknowledge them. You can vote for up to ten hotels of any kind, in a variety of categories. The award will be granted to one hotel from each of nine global regions at the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) to be held in Berlin on 11-13 March 2003. To vote, go to www.cnn.com/hotels. HVS International is again delighted to be a sponsor of the IHIF and Russell Kett, Managing Director of the London office, will be speaking at the event. We look forward to meeting clients and friends at this most important conference. Further details of the conference programme and a registration form may be found at www.berlinconference.com.

Thistle Hotels - Investors remain concerned about the company's indecision over what it should do with the proceeds from last year's sale and leaseback deal with Orb Estates.

NH Hoteles - Analysts at Ibersecurities predict that the company will be among the best performers on the Ibex 35 index this year.

Jurys Doyle - The share price felt the benefit from last week's good interim results.

You are also welcome to contact the following personnel at HVS International's London or Madrid (Laurent de Kousemaeker) offices.

Russell Kett, MD at rkett@hvsinternational.com
Charles Human, MD Investment Services at chuman@hvsinternational.com
Simon Hudspeth, Director at shudspeth@hvsinternational.com
Dominique Bourdais, Director at dbourdais@hvsinternational.com
Christopher Mumford, MD Executive Search at cmumford@hvsinternational.com
Laurent de Kousemaeker, Director at ldekousemaeker@hvsinternational.com

(AP) -- As Hawaii's tourism-based economy continues its slow, steady rebound from the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, there are those who say the state will have to look toward previously untapped markets in its effort to rebuild the industry. One Honolulu-based company is attempting just that, as it seeks to lure 100 couples from China to the state for a five-day wedding event this spring.

Organizers say the event -- with a Chinese television crew in tow to broadcast the Hawaii experience back home -- is just one way to jump-start tourism from China, one of the fastest growing markets but also one of the smallest groups that has made the islands a travel destination. ``We are seizing this opportunity to present Hawaii as a premiere destination for weddings and honeymoons to the people of China,'' said Mike Nakamura, marketing director for United Hawaii Holding Co., which is organizing the wedding event. ``Here we have an emerging economy that for the first time is being allowed to travel overseas for leisure purposes. ``Every foreign destination is excited about the potential from this nation. They keep seeing 1.2 billion people, and it's just mindboggling when you think about it.''

Once isolated from the world, Chinese are traveling abroad like never before. A record 12.3 million Chinese went abroad between January and September, about 25 percent more than in the same period the previous year, according to China's Ministry of Public Security, which issues passports. During the entire first three decades of communist rule, just 210,000 people were allowed to go overseas. Also, some major countries didn't have relations with China and only a few Chinese could afford foreign travel. Through the first seven months of 2002, Hawaii welcomed about 3,000 Chinese visitors per month, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Those figures were up about 12.2 percent from the same period a year ago. ``It's the fastest increasing market, but it's still very small,'' said Eugene Tian, a tourism research specialist with the state agency.

By contrast, the number of visitors from the U.S. mainland and Japan -- the state's traditional target markets -- numbered 295,000 and 119,000, respectively, in November alone, according to the agency. ``The Chinese market is on everybody's radar screen,'' said Rex Johnson, president and chief executive of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. ``We all know it's going to be a huge player just because of sheer numbers.'' For several years, the state has courted China, sending delegations to encourage business travel and tourism. Last July, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau announced an agreement with Hainan Airline Group, China's fourth largest airline, to promote tourism from China to Hawaii. Observers say Hawaii, about 5,000 miles from China, is a natural fit for Chinese tourists because of its Asian culture and historical ties to China.

For one, Hawaii is the former home of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the leader of the 1911 revolution that ended imperial rule. He is revered as the founder of modern China. ``Those are the kinds of cultural things that we need to find in common so that we're not just another destination -- so that there's some connection to their culture and to their history that would be an attraction for them to come over,'' said state Sen. Donna Kim, the Senate's tourism committee chairwoman. United Hawaii Holding Co. was founded last month with the goal of doing just that -- showcasing Hawaii as a premiere travel spot not only for weddings but for cultural tourism, said founders Thomas Tay and Gordon Ho.

Every taxpayer is interested in lowering their property taxes, but few go about it in the right way. There are some common procedural and valuation methods to employ in protesting the property tax value of a hospitality property. This article sets forth a brief description of some of these methods.

After receiving a notice of the Assessor’s determination of value, the taxpayer should realistically consider whether the value appears on its face to be reasonable. While most taxpayers have a feel for the market value of their property, that value usually includes a business component. For ad valorem tax purposes, only the real estate value of the property is subject to tax. Market value comprises real estate value, business value, and personal property value. It usually is necessary to retain an experienced appraiser of hospitality properties to determine the various components of market value.

An experienced appraiser will first determine the overall market value of the hotel or restaurant. This value should be determined using the income approach to value, using the actual income and expenses of the property. If the resulting value is lower than the Assessor’s determined value, the actual income and expense information should be given to the Assessor. Many taxpayers only provide isolated actual figures, and try to rely on survey data to obtain a reduction in value. Assessors typically will not determine or accept a value using some actual results and some hypothetical results. Once a decision has been made to provide actual results, provide all of them and only rely on survey data to support the reasonableness of the actual results.

After market value has been determined, the value must be reduced for property tax purposes by first deducting the business value of the hotel or restaurant. This is achieved by taking a deduction for the management fee and franchise fee from net income. The actual management fee and franchise fee paid should be used in making this adjustment. Support for the amounts of the actual management fee and franchise fee may be necessary, if the actual fees paid are higher than those used by the Assessor. If no management fee or franchise fee is charged to the property, which can be the case if the hotel is owned and operated by a hotel chain, an adjustment should be made as well.

The resultant value must then be reduced for property tax purposes by making adjustments for the return on and return of investment in personal property. The return on personal property is determined by multiplying the current value of the personal property by an appropriate rate of return. The rate of return should reflect the cost of capital used to purchase furniture, fixtures and equipment. Typically interest rates for personal property loans are a few percentage points higher than interest rates on loans for hotel or restaurant real estate. The return of personal property is removed from the income stream by taking a deduction for the funding of an appropriate reserve for the replacement of the personal property. The appropriate reserve depends on the age, quality, and durability of the personal property, and the amount of guest traffic and resultant use. Reserves typically range from 3% to 5% of total revenue for hotels, and from 1% to 3% for restaurants.

Finally, the net income must be capitalized, using a tax-loaded capitalization rate. The development of an accurate capitalization rate is a key component in the protest of a hospitality property value and requires access to data that may not be readily available to a typical taxpayer. The base rate should be composed of an interest component reflecting the return on capital as well as a recapture component providing for a return of capital. The first component (i.e., return on capital) can be determined using a regression analysis of interest rates for hotel mortgages and utility bond yields. The second component (i.e., equity dividend and equity yield) can be obtained from either a survey of lenders and investors, or from actual sales of hotels or restaurants appraised by the person developing the capitalization rate. Developing a capitalization rate from sales without knowledge of all the circumstances surrounding a sale can be misleading because the sales price may have been influenced by factors such as financing, existing or anticipated income, tax benefits, deferred maintenance, and reserves for replacement. Further, the base rate should be reflective of the risks involved with the particular property. Rates listed in surveys usually are reflective of major sales, and typically are indicative of the lower end of base rates.

After determining the applicable base rate, the tax rate should be determined using the actual tax rate imposed by the taxing jurisdiction for similar properties. The total of the base rate plus the tax rate is the tax-loaded capitalization rate to be applied to the net income of the property. It should be noted that it can be difficult to convince an Assessor to use the taxpayer’s capitalization rate. Assessors will argue that the same capitalization rate should be applied to all hospitality properties in a market because all properties in the market face the same risks. While an experienced appraiser or owner of hospitality properties knows that this is false, assessors do not typically have the time or data available to develop individual capitalization rates for properties. Therefore, in order to succeed on a capitalization rate argument, you will need to distinguish your property from other hospitality properties in the market, and you will need to be dealing with an open-minded assessor or hearing officer.

This value is the value for the real estate component of the hospitality property. Compare this value to the value on your property tax notice. If it is lower, you may have a good case for lowered property taxes. The next decision is how to convert this lower value into a value accepted by the Assessor.

It is our experience that few taxpayers are able to successfully represent their own properties before the Assessor. There is an art to achieving lowered tax values; and the key is a representative who is experienced with property tax. Retain an experienced professional to meet with the Assessor, or his representative, to present the results. Do not accompany the professional to the meeting. As in any situation involving a tax dispute, it is desirable to be represented rather than attempt to negotiate on your own behalf. A professional is trained to handle pointed questions, which a taxpayer may find difficult to answer. In addition, if the taxpayer is absent from the meeting, the professional can defer answers on some questions until after he has had a chance to confer with the taxpayer. Ask your representative to debrief you after his meeting with the Assessor so that you will know the results of the meeting, and whether additional information and/or meetings have been requested.

It may be necessary to take your case to a higher level if the Assessor does not agree to lower the value. Your representative should ask the Assessor what additional information would have to be presented to convince him to lower the value. The Assessor may need to have the information be verified. The Assessor may state that he will not lower the value no matter what evidence is presented. This may or may not be indicative of the likelihood of success at a higher level. In some jurisdictions, it is commonplace to take every case to at least the next level. Whether this is the right step for your property depends on the costs and benefits of taking the case to a higher level. Your representative should be able to assist you in making this decision.

In sum, there are some common procedural and valuation methods to be used in protesting the property tax value of a hospitality property. An appraiser or other representative experienced in property tax valuations can be invaluable both in assisting a taxpayer in the determination of whether the Assessor’s value is accurate and in the presentation of evidence to the Assessor.

If you would like more information on HVS’s property tax services, please e-mail the authors at rwilliams@hvsinternational.com

The Scotsman - ONE of the world’s leading hotel groups is in talks to buy Taymouth Castle and transform its fading grandeur into a rival to Gleneagles.

The Four Seasons group intends to spend millions of pounds on buying and upgrading the Perthshire castle, one of the largest in Scotland in private ownership, into one of the world’s leading hotels.

One possibility suggested is that it could be transformed into Scotland’s only seven-star hotel. There is only one other seven-star hotel in the world, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

Taymouth Castle, at Kenmore near Aberfeldy, has been at the centre of years of speculation over its future and last year there were suggestions that it had caught the eye of Madonna and Cher. The Four Seasons group has refused to confirm or deny its interest in the castle, but it is believed to regard it as a potential rival to Gleneagles.

Yesterday, a spokeswoman said it was looking at many opportunities all over the world but was not in a position to make an announcement about properties in Scotland. "We can’t confirm anything with Taymouth Castle. We are looking at opportunities all over the world. We haven’t ruled out Scotland and we are always looking for new properties, but many of these things don’t get through to the next stage."

AME Info - Hilton International, the world's leading hotel brand has revealed record growth for its Dubai-based Hilton Worldwide Reservations Call Centre, with staggering call volumes handled in 2002

Anish Bhatia, Manager of Hilton Reservations Worldwide said, “We are delighted with the growth experienced during 2002, especially in face of the difficult times experienced by the hospitality industry as a whole. The increased volumes of inbound calls has allowed us to boost capacity of existing lines, add new dedicated lines for Oman and Jordan, plus increase our agent levels by 100 per cent in order to cope with the increased demand.”

“We also expanded our scope of operations last year, and set up dedicated toll-free lines to service our 95,000 Hilton Hhonors loyalty programme members in the region. We now average 700 calls a month, primarily covering redemption bookings and enrolment for these members in the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt.”

The response from travel agents, corporate bookers, and members of the public has exceeded expectations, with callers making reservations both within the Middle East region and further afield. Further growth is expected this year as more travel agents and travellers familiarise themselves with Hilton Reservations Worldwide's simple and quick booking processes.

Hilton Reservations Worldwide was established in Dubai in 1996 - currently residing in Hilton's regional headquarters at Dubai Internet City. The reservations hub is staffed by a team of multi-lingual professionals, providing information and assistance in five languages, and offering toll free access to hotel bookings at over 2,400 Hilton hotels in more than 65 countries worldwide. Hours of operation are from 8am to 10pm on weekdays, and 11am to 8pm at weekends and public holidays.

“With our established call-centre team based here in DIC, we can take advantage of the latest technological advances and ensure a more innovative approach to customer care. We are fully committed to simplifying procedures and providing excellence in customer services” added Bhatia.

TravelWeeklyEast.com - As part of the EIBTM Youth Campaign, ICCA and EIBTM are offering 20 young industry executives the opportunity to gain vital industry knowledge by taking part in the 7th Forum for Young Professionals.

The Forum for Young Professionals is designed to give the 20 executives an insight into the industry and its potential for them, plus a chance to network with their peers.

Successful applicants will be hosted in Geneva for four days, between 17 May to 20 May 2003. During their stay the group will take part in an educational and networking programme designed by ICCA and have the chance to visit EIBTM 2003 (20-22 May, Palexpo, Geneva).

Forum for Young Professionals is complimentary and includes three nights accommodation and a return flight to Geneva. The deadline for applications is 7 March 2003.

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2003: New Destination, Renewed Interest in ASEAN Tourism

AsiaTravelTrips.com - New places and new faces will figure strongly at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2003 taking place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 20 to 27 January.

For the first time in its 22-year history, the annual trade show of the best Southeast Asian travel and tourism products will be staged in Indochina, and Cambodia has the honour of being the first among the newer ASEAN members to host the event.

The full capacity of 400 booths at TRAVEX, the main event of ATF, has been taken up. Several new destinations and hospitality suppliers will join the line-up of regular exhibitors at ATF 2003. Among the new entrants are a strong contingent of tour operators, hotels and airlines from host country Cambodia – its biggest-ever presence at ATF – and a huge force from Indonesia representing all sectors of the tourism industry and far-flung parts of the archipelago. This will be Indonesia’s strongest showing at ATF, a strategy being taken by Thailand as well, given its convenient location beside the Indochina countries and the growing interest in the Greater Mekong region.

On the buyer front, there will be many new faces from emerging markets such as Eastern Europe, CIS/Russia and South America. Of the 400 hosted and trade buyers, 11 per cent are from these nations. Even among countries that are long-established buyers of ASEAN travel products, and whose trade members faithfully make this annual “shopping trip” to meet and contract with suppliers, there will be several new participants.

Veterans and newcomers alike have welcomed this “freshness” as it gives ATF a good mix of new and exciting products and people to look forward to, against a backdrop of time-tested, traditional staples. Cambodian Prime Minister Mr Samdech Hun Sen will open ATF 2003 on 24 January. He will simultaneously launch Visit Cambodia Year 2003 in a pleasant garden setting on the banks of the historic Mekong River.

Senior Minister and Tourism Minister, Mr Veng Sereyvuth, said “Cambodia welcomes the tremendous exposure that will come from staging ATF. My ministry is coordinating with the Mayor of Phnom Penh and his office, the Ministries of Interior and Culture, and all relevant agencies to ensure that ATF and the Visit Cambodia Year campaign will be a resounding success.”

Cambodia hopes to earn a substantial amount of foreign exchange from tourism each year that will help in its economic development. Tourism currently contributes about 10 per cent to Cambodia’s GDP.

Tourism Ministers will convene at ATF to discuss plans for cooperation outlined in the ASEAN Tourism Agreement signed by their Heads of Government during the Eighth ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh last November. These strategies and initiatives will give impetus to the ATF 2003 theme, “ASEAN Unity: Ensuring a Brighter Future”.

Corinthia Hotels International has appointed Canadian national Mr David T Batey as its full time representative in Canada, bringing, for the first time, the ever-expanding hotel chain into direct contact with the important North American travel market.

Mr Batey is president and chief executive officer of Going Global Travel Management firm based in Toronto, Canada. He has a vast knowledge and wide experience of the North American travel scene, having held the positions of vice-president Canada with UTELL International, director of sales with Delta Hotels and Resorts, and sales manager Ontario and Western Canada of American based Continental Airlines.

" The Canadian outbound travel market is presently on a high, especially to European and North African destinations, with airline routes constantly on the increase " said Mr Batey enthusiastically. "Corinthia was quick to realise this potential, and I firmly believe that my appointment comes at a very opportune moment, when CHI can fully benefit from this increased demand.".

Congratulating Mr Batey on his appointment, CHI's group director of sales and mrketing Mr Geoff Andrew emphasised that Corinthia's move into this hitherto largely untapped market was further proof of its ongoing commitment of strengthening its marketing activities in line with the company's ambitious expansion plans.

Mr Batey will be looking at substantially increasing CHI's presence in Canada and North America, with a view to attracting more MICE, Corporate and Leisure business to the company's 23 four and five star hotels in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Libya, Malta, Portugal, Russia, The Gambia, Togo, Tunisia and Turkey.

The Canadian representation joins similar CHI offices in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, The Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

TravelWeeklyEast.com - Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts will manage its first Hong Kong property from September, with the opening of the 173-room Le Meridien Cyberport.

At last Friday’s ‘topping out ceremony’, Le Meridien’s regional managing director Michael Sagild said the new project is one of several in the pipeline for the greater China region.

“Le Meridien Cyberport not only marks the second step in Asia – following Kuala Lumpur – of our ambitious expansion plans, but also the first step into greater China where several projects are presently in the pipeline,” he said.

“With its unique location, Le Meridien Cyberport will serve as a showcase for world class technology and warm hospitality,” said Sagild.

Newsletter - January 22, 2003