General Assembly: Strong Support for World Tourism Day Themes for 2008 & 2009.

Following the successful World Tourism Day 2007 theme ‘Tourism opens doors for women’, the General Assembly underscored the importance of World Tourism Day (WTD) to be conceived as a yearly campaign to raise awareness on the constructive social role of tourism. WTD 2008 will be hosted in Peru and carry a theme around the tourism sector’s response to the challenges of climate change. WTD 2009 will be hosted in Ghana and underscore the value of diversity and authenticity of tourism in a globalizing world. These are among the outcomes of the 17th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly, 22-29 November, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

The focus on climate change and the broader development agenda coincides with UNWTO’s active support of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 2008 theme ranks high on the UN System Agenda and coincides with the 7th MDG: Ensure environmental sustainability and the proclamation of 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth which will extend to 2009.

The theme will contribute in putting forward the global campaign to implement the Davos Declaration (Climate Change and Tourism – Responding top Global Challenges). The Declaration builds on the tourism sector’s strong relationship with climate and its global social and economic value as well as its role in sustainable development.
The 2009 theme will celebrate tourism diversity and implement a campaign to highlight the importance of tourism and globalization. This will mark the 30th celebration of World Tourism Day, which will be hosted in Ghana.
This campaign will highlight tourism’s role dual as a catalyst for globalization on the one hand, and as an opportunity to reaffirm and preserve the identity at the destination level, on the other.

World Tourism Day & MDGs

The General Assembly also endorsed UNWTO’s appointment of its first Special Advisor on Women and Tourism. This year’s theme coincided with UN’s 3rd MDG: Promote gender equality and empower women. Following the WTD 2007 celebrations of women’s achievements in the tourism sector, Pakistani senator Mrs. Nilofar Bakhatiar will lead the evolution of activities outlined in the 2008-09 General Programme of work.

These range from a UNWTO – UNIFEM (UN Development Fund for Women) annual report on the state of Women in Tourism to fostering a network of activists, ambassadors and advocates to support the work of the UNWTO Special Advisor on Women in Tourism.

World Tourism Day is commemorated on 27 September each year and coincides with the anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on 27 September 1970 and was designated as World Tourism Day by the UNWTO General Assembly. For more on WTD go to World Tourism Day.

For further information please contact:
Media Section
T: (34) 91-567-8194 / (34) 91-567-8100 / F: (34) 91-567-8218
comm@unwto.org - http://www.unwto.org/index.php

CORPORATE RE-BRANDING OF HULHULE ISLAND HOTEL

Hulhule Island Hotel was officially inaugurated on August 15, 2001 by the Hon’ President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The hotel has earned a considerable number of compliments for both its high quality and personalised services since then. Hulhule Island Hotel was also adjudged as the ‘Best Culinary Establishment’ at Maldives in the last Hotel Asia Exhibition & Culinary Challenge.

The initial hotel operations commenced with the following on offer for the guests:

o 88 rooms
o Swimming Pool
o Faru Coffee House
o Captains Fun Pub

The market segments for the hotel were purely based on transit guests and short layover of airline crews. The average length of stay for a guest was less than 24 hrs as Hulhule Island Hotel was positioned as the transit hotel or an airport hotel only.

In Hulhule Island Hotel’s pursuit of continuous improvement and to serve the more discerning travelers even better, the following developments took place over the last couple of years:

* At-site cooking counter - Commenced operations in January 2005
* Gymnasium - Commenced operations in April 2005
* Champs Bar - Commenced operations in November 2006
* Spa - Commenced operations in June 2007
* Renovated lobby - Commenced operations in October 2007
* New Café for team - Commenced operations in November 2007

The new wing construction was planned and is nearing completion now comprising 51 deluxe and super deluxe rooms that will have superior style, design theme and finishes. To top it off, all the guest rooms will have a better sea view as this wing will be closer to the sea and with a balcony with each of the rooms. In this new wing, Hulhule Island Hotel shall also be extending other facilities such as a rooftop restaurant with a panoramic view of both Male and the Indian Ocean. The revised inventory for Hulhule Island Hotel shall be 136 rooms inclusive of various categories of rooms on offer.

Hulhule Island Hotel held the groundbreaking ceremony for its new guest wing on July 17, 2006 to formally kick off the construction for the new wing and is scheduled to commence operations in January 2008.

The team of Hulhule Island Hotel has already been working towards these developments and will boast of the following facilities in next couple of months:

o 51 guest rooms – Deluxe, Super Deluxe and Super Deluxe with Jacuzzi
o New accommodation for team
o New recreation room for team
o Rooftop restaurant Uduvilaa
o Sunset deck
o Beach with service counter
o Tennis court
o Soft refurbishment of all existing rooms
o Refurbishment of Faru Coffee House
o Golf putting green
o New landscaping

As is evident from the upcoming developments, Hulhule Island Hotel has not only focused on creating the new facilities for the guests but the upgrade of the existing guest facilities and the facilities offered to the team members has also been an integral part on the agenda.

The segment of clientele for Hulhule Island Hotel has expanded over the years as the business clientele and guests on leisure have also started patronizing the hotel. Moreover, with the enhanced offer, the positioning of Hulhule Island Hotel has improved tremendously as earlier it was considered as an ‘Airport Hotel’ or a ‘Transit hotel’ only reflecting on the limited facilities on offer for the guests.

The on-going journey towards continual improvement in the product and services has been in line with the market need since Hulhule Island Hotel caters to the clientele of a lot of top-end resorts. The improved Hulhule Island Hotel will continue to make their stay in Maldives more memorable.

The corporate re-branding of Hulhule Island Hotel will provide a competitive edge and a better positioning in the market. The right positioning will further facilitate Hulhule Island Hotel to be able to reach the target markets and explore the newer market segments.

The new corporate branding signifies the new look of Hulhule Island Hotel i.e. more dynamic, vibrant, fresher, modern and contemporary, symbolising the hotel's aspirations and the renewed vigour of the entire Team.

It will be the endeavor of the Management and entire Team to take the hospitality of Hulhule Island Hotel to even greater heights with the completion of exciting project. It demonstrates the efforts of Hulhule Island Hotel to support and grow the aviation and tourism industry in Maldives.

End.

For more information contact:

Ali Shakir
Human Resources Manager

Hulhule Island Hotel , P.O.Box 2118. Male'
Republic of Maldives , Telephone:+960 333 0888
Facsimile: +960 333 0777 ,Email: hrd@hih.com.mv
www.hih.com.mv