As tourism professionals gear up for the largest annual travel showcase in the region, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts looks to a growth strategy that will bring five developments in the Middle East to the forefront, to include new developments in Riyadh, Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and the eagerly anticipated Palm Jumeirah project.

This 2011 edition of ATM will see Fairmont highlighting the breadth of its regional properties to the international consumer while showcasing over 60 destinations worldwide within the Middle Eastern market, focusing on the discerning traveler who is increasingly looking for individualized, unique offerings.

This year, the stand for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will illustrate creative sculptures for our visitors made out of book paper that detail the architectural feats of major Fairmont properties, to include the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, the Savoy in London and the Peace hotel in Shanghai. Guests will be welcomed to write their own chapter with Fairmont, with the chance to win a dream vacation of choice as well as the chance to interact with senior Fairmont management and learn more about over 60 distinctive destinations worldwide and our initiatives in the regional and global tourism industry.

Those looking to see what they can expect this year can visit Fairmont Dubai on Facebook for a sneak peak at Fairmont’s stand for 2011.

“ATM plays a fundamental role in representing the thriving nature and confidence of the regional tourism industry, providing a meeting point for travelers and trade professionals both within and outside the GCC. At Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, we are delighted to be in a position where we can interact with new groups, and reach new travelers. In the Middle East, we were enormously proud to open the monumental Makkah Clock Royal Tower, a Fairmont Hotel in the heart of Saudi Arabia in the final quarter of 2010; a development that has enhanced the synergy between our properties in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Cairo. As we see our regional profile for the brand going from strength to strength, we maintain an ardent commitment to cultivating the brand’s foothold in the Middle East,” said Kent Cooper, Vice President for Regional Hotel Sales, Middle East and North Africa, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

A significant development of Fairmont’s growth strategy will the unveiling of Dubai’s second property in 2012 with the Fairmont Palm Jumeirah, a new luxury resort including 36,500 square feet of meeting space, outdoor leisure facilities including a beach restaurant and a private beach club, a pool complex and children’s activity center, as well as a variety of dining facilities featuring sea, garden or pool views and a Willow Stream spa.

2011 will further see the brand expand its presence through India into Asia with projects in Jaipur in northwest India, an area that offers rich cultural heritage and is currently gaining prominence as a commercial and meetings destination set to open this year and additionally a property in Hyderabad located in the growing business development area of the city, dubbed the Silicon Valley of the East, to open in 2012. Through to the Far East, Fairmont will follow the reopening of the iconic Peace hotel in 2010 with recently announced project in Nanjing in China, situated in Hexi New Town, a burgeoning, new commercial district.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will additionally be broadening its reach from the Middle East to the Caspian Sea with a new property in the coastal city of Baku, Azerbaijan. The 324-room Fairmont Baku will be located on a prime site next to the Azerbaijan parliament buildings, complimented by picturesque sea views. A new iconic complex, the Flame Towers, will incorporate hotel, residential and commercial space and will be linked by centrally located retail and leisure facilities

For those looking further afield, new to Fairmont’s repertoire as of 2010 is the Fairmont Zimbali Resort, located on KwaZulu-Natal’s Dolphin Coast under an abundant forest canopy. Offering 154 spacious, luxurious guest rooms, awe-inspiring views across sumptuous greenery to the breadths of the Indian Ocean and exquisite beach club facilities and a cascading swimming pool, the new hotel offers superb dining options and conference facilities, a Willow Stream Spa and a fitness centre, a beach club and a children’s club. The new hotel offers an unspoiled and subtropical sanctuary just a few hours away from the heat of the Middle East’s desert.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will be exhibiting at ATM during the 2nd to 5th of May with Fairmont Raffles Hotel International at stand HC950.