World Travel Market

Taking place in London annually, the World Travel Market is a four-day travel industry event which brings together worldwide buyers and sellers from every sector of the industry, and provides a unique opportunity for them to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry. The exhibition attracted a large number of tourism professionals exceeding 45,459 participants from all over the world. Travco's delegation was headed by Travco Chairman and CEO Mr. Hamed El Chiaty. Travco was in touch with key buyers and were offered innovative opportunities to identify new markets and liaised with prospective corporations to promote their new products and services, whilst gaining possible future business agreements and plans for 2009. Travco took the vast opportunity to showcase their new hotel development projects including Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah - the first completed project of a series of primary developments overseas, soon to be followed by other hotels and property developments in the UAE. Other developments include the JAZ Tala Bay Resort in Aqaba Jordan. Other planned projects underway are the JAZ Dar El Madina Resort in Marsa Alam, JAZ Aquamarina Resort in Hurgada, Sol Y MarNaama Hills Resort, Sharm El Sheikh and Siwa Resort and will be added to the Travco Hotels portfolio within the coming few years. Khaled Koraa, international sales director stated
'We are expecting new business from Canada, USA, Australia, India and Pakistan. We also had some positive feedback from companies in Bahrain, Kuwait, UK and potential business plans with a Polish company. Overall, the exhibition proved to be very successful this year with some great opportunities for new business.'Throughout the WTM, Thomson, the UK's number one tour operator held their annual Gold Medal Award party at the Tower of London and a number of Travco's hotels and resorts received high recognition in accordance with their consumer favorites in hotels and resorts. Mr. Ashraf Halawa was presented with two Gold Medal Awards for Iberotel Palace being the best retail travel agent in the winter season for both years of 2006 and 2007. Mr. Hany Fouad received the Gold Award for Iberotel Lamaya Resort and Iberotel Coraya Beach Resort for the winter season of 2007. On behalf of Travcotels, Mr. Ehab Wanas received the Gold Medal Award for the M/S Crown Prince for the winter season of 2007. These awards are a result of the long fruitful relationship between Thomson and Travco Group of companies, for Travco handled approximately 100,000 pax for Thomson throughout this year. Furthermore, SAGA Holidays, one of the UK's leading Tour Operators has awarded Travcotels' M/S Tania and M/S Royale the SAGA Good Food Award for the customer satisfaction, quality, quantity and variety of food and consistently generating high standards of service, based on the results of questionnaires completed by Saga customers.