Worldwide briefing
Ottoman restaurant to open in Dubai
Le Méridien's Grosvenor House West Marina beach hotel in Dubai is to open a Persian restaurant called Ottoman this summer. It will offer a mix of Turkish and Persian menu, designed and created by head chef Zeki Polatkesen. The restaurant seats 80 inside and 40 on the terrace, with two bars and shisha overlooking the Dubai Marina.
New Development programme for high potential employees Le Méridien Hotels and Resorts, in conjunction with the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, have set up a professional development programme for high-flying hotel employees. Candidates for the programme have to be nominated by senior management and their eligibility is based on their current performance and potential. The programme will take place every six months and consists of two three-day modules.
China leaps up tourist destination list China has taken over from Italy as the world's fourth most visited destination. According to data collected by the World Tourist Organisation, the country has overcome setbacks from Sars and increased its tourist arrivals by 27% to 42 million in 2004. France is the world's most visited destination, with 75.1 million tourist arrivals in 2004 and Spain second (53.6 million). The UK maintained its sixth position with 28 million arrivals in 2004.
Two more Kempinski Hotels in China Two more Kempinski Hotels are set to open in China, adding to the company's present portfolio of ten hotels in the area. The 400-room Kempinski Hotel Qingdao will open in the Shadong province in early 2007. The 400-bedroom Kempinski Hotel Changchun will open in mid-2007 in the Jilin Province and will include a restaurant specialising in traditional Tan cuisine.
Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide add to portfolio
Twelve hotels in the USA and Mexico have been signed to luxury brand Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. Each hotel will gain access to Preferred Hotels global sales network and reservation system and will benefit from the group's marketing and brand building activities. The newly signed hotels include the Pebble beach hotels in Monterey, California and the Dreams Cancun Resort and Spa.
Tourism Ethics studied in Tunis
The World Committee on Tourism Ethics have met recently in Tunis to examine ethical issues in tourism. The committee was established by the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organisation in 2003 and is chaired by Diego Cordovez. The committee aims to promote the global code of ethics for tourism and guide stakeholders in tourism development.
Italian hotels stage a recovery
Four- and five-star hotels in Italy are recovering from the recent difficult market conditions in continental Europe. According to a report by investment consultants Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels revenue per available room dropped by 6.6% in 2003, due to slow economic growth, the Iraq war and Sars. However in 2004, Florence, Turin and Rome all enjoyed positive revpar growth of more than 7%.
