Middle East team generates total revenue increase of 43 per cent in InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn sales

InterContinental Hotels Group has achieved major success with a drive to attract regional travellers to InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels and resorts both overseas, and within the Middle East.

The company’s Middle East Global Sales Office has generated a growth of 43 per cent for the second half of 2003 compared to the same period last year when the office first opened. The results mark an extraordinary 35 per cent positive variance on the year’s forecast.

Growth came from all segments, with some major success stories in the conference and incentive, and corporate segments. The major volume of traffic came from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon, with the most popular overseas destinations being London, Paris and Switzerland. Hotels in Lebanon, Egypt, and the UAE enjoyed the biggest share of inter-regional business.

Supporting more than 3,400 hotels and resorts managed by the InterContinental Hotels Group around the world, the office was set up as part of a double initiative by the company to boost outbound and domestic business.

“We aim at increasing our total revenue results by another 25 per cent in 2004,” said Mara Campi, Director of Global Sales, Middle East while addressing the first global sales Middle East meeting and workshop in Dubai and Abu Dhabi recently.

The meeting outlined key strategic goals for the team, with a major focus on the corporate and conference and incentive markets, which are expected to grow significantly in 2004, as well as furthering the sales and operations support for the InterContinental Hotels Group Middle East Central Reservations Office in Dubai.