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InterContinental Hotels Group is looking forward to an excellent 2004 with
first-quarter revenue marking a 75-per cent increase on the same period last year.
The company’s Middle East Global Sales Office has already generated US$3
million since January, with 67 per cent of this revenue being driven into
InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels and resorts within the
region.
“Since we’ve opened in 2002, the Global Sales Office has been constantly
developing and has witnessed fantastic growth and results,” said Mara
Campi, Director of Global Sales, Middle East while addressing a global sales Middle East
meeting held at the Crowne Plaza Amman in Jordan recently.
“2004 has so far marked an extraordinary 39 per cent positive variance on the
year’s forecast, which means solid and strategic factors are behind this
staggering growth,” she said.
Growth came from all segments, and mainly from conference and incentive
business. Following last year’s trends, the major volume of traffic came from
Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon, with the most popular overseas destinations
being the UK and France.
As in 2003, hotels in Dubai, Cairo and Beirut enjoyed the biggest share of
inter-regional business. InterContinental Hotels Group properties in Saudi Arabia
have also witnessed strong growth this quarter with corporate travel taking up 60
per cent of total bookings in the Kingdom.
The meeting outlined key strategic goals for the team, including keeping the
momentum throughout summer and beyond, and attendees inspected the other
three properties managed by the InterContinental Hotels Group in the region – the
InterContinental Jordan, Crowne Plaza Resort Petra and Holiday Inn Amman.
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