Confidence in the Hilton Brand Name Reinforces Hilton's Leadership in Egypt
Mahmoud Mokhtar is a very charismatic and dynamic gentleman with over 21-years of experience in the hospitality industry. Right after taking over as Country Manager of the Hilton Family of Hotels in Egypt, we met up with him and he talked very openly with us about the Group's plans. The following is an excerpt of our interview with him:
First of all tell us a little about your background and experience in the hospitality industry?
I was previously the General Manager of the Ramses Hilton in Cairo. With over two decades of international and local experience as a hotelier, I held highly successful stints with numerous hotel chains. He joined Hilton in 1996, as Executive Assistant Manager for Hilton Fayrouz Resort in Sharm El Sheikh. I was then promoted to General Manager for Hilton Nuweiba, followed by Hilton Al Ain in the U.A.E, and Cluster General Manager for all three Hilton hotels in Hurghada. I also opened Hilton Borg El Arab Resort in Alexandria, and Hilton Fiji Beach Resort in the South Pacific.
An Egyptian taking over the management of Hilton Hotels Corporation in Egypt, what does this signify?
Being selected for this position is a big honour for me. I am proud that the company has entrusted me with this responsibility. I believe that the decision was based upon my long experience in tourism and the hospitality industry not only in Egypt but internationally as well.
Furthermore, as an Egyptian manager I am very close and understand the Egyptian market requirements, and the investors' needs and expectations. My experience in hotel management across different markets is indispensable for such a role. There are great challenges and promising growth opportunities for our company in Egypt and I will do my best with our team, business partners, owners and new investors in the region to maintain our number one brand ranking.
What is your strategy to enhance Hilton Hotels' growth in the Egyptian market?
Hilton's vision is simple, especially our strategy which stems from the fact that we are pioneers not only in the region but also in the whole world. A significant focus is growth, and we believe that this is the key to excel over the competition.
Undoubtedly, what supports our strategy in Egypt, is the consumer confidence in the Hilton brand, our focus on guest satisfaction, as well as maintaining our team member satisfaction. Achieving maximum revenue for owners and investors, understanding their requirements, and searching for investment opportunities and new management contracts to further grow the Hilton brand in Egypt are also among my most important targets.
Hilton's name in Egypt has credibility, experience and a sincere heritage, as we were the first international hotel company to enter the Egyptian market 50 years ago with the Nile Hilton, My role will ensure we maintain such growing credibility.
What about Hilton's future in Egypt considering the Nile Hilton loss?
We are very positive about the future and we will continue to lead the hospitality industry in Egypt.
As the first international company to enter the Egyptian market, and the godfather for the country's hospitality industry, we have built a fantastic brand over the last five decades. Independent research clearly positions Hilton as the No. 1 brand in Egypt, Middle East and Worldwide (ref. Business Development Research Consultants survey 2007).
With our renewed focus on expansion, our development team are exploring new and profitable opportunities in Egypt. Currently, we have 18 Hilton and Conrad hotels and a number of other projects in the pipeline. We remain committed to our current portfolio and new opportunities.
What are Hilton's plans to upgrade and develop its hotels in Egypt?
Ensuring our hotels are in keeping with our global brand standards is a priority for us here. We welcome industry innovations and strive to remain one step ahead of the competition, whilst also meeting and exceeding guest expectations.
Later this year, Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa, will re-open following a tremendous renovation and development programme to the tune of USD 40 million. Set in the 'the world's greatest open-air museum', Luxor, will feature the city's first world-class spa.
Moreover, there are renovation plans for Ramses Hilton that are under discussion with the owning company, as well as the renovation of the food and beverage outlets at Conrad Cairo, which will take place this year.
In your own view, what are Hilton and Conrad's new initiatives in the Egyptian market?
It is well known that Hilton is a global pioneer in the hotel industry. Throughout its history in Egypt, we have contributed many initiatives and ideas the development and success of the hotel industry.
We are currently in the midst of introducing a leading new technology known as "OnQ", a proprietary system owned by the company, to all Hilton and Conrad hotels in Egypt. This technology replaces the current administrative system with the aim of increasing customer service and facilitating management processes.
One of our most important initiatives is that we are the only hotel company to provide an integrated resort marketing product. "Hilton Worldwide Resorts" was created specifically for our leisure guests in resort destinations. In Egypt alone, we manage 13 Hilton Worldwide Resorts.
We continue to provide new and innovative marketing programmes to fulfill customers needs, such as "Pack & Go" for promoting and developing domestic tourism. We also have comprehensive solutions for meetings with a unique product called "Hilton Meetings". And these are just a few...
How would you describe the Egyptian market from a tourism and hotel sector perspective?
The Egyptian market is one of the biggest in the region. Thanks to direct foreign investment, the Egyptian tourism sector has reached 30%, and tourism, as you know, is considered one of the most important economic sectors in Egypt which in turn provides job opportunities, whether direct or indirect. The number of tourist arrivals in Egypt during 2007, according to the official figures, reached 9.79 million. This is an increase of 12.7 % compared to 2006. Additionally, the 2007 tourism competitiveness indicator, ranked Egypt in 58th position on an international level amongst 124 countries.
We strongly support tourism growth in Egypt through many activities. Our regional sales and marketing teams are always participating in all the marketing exhibitions and trips organized by the Egyptian Tourist Authority. We also assist the Ministry of Tourism in reinforcing relationships between Egypt and the largest international travel agencies from different markets, in addition to supporting Ministry activities in developing new source markets.
In your opinion, what are the challenges hindering tourism sector expansion?
There are still many challenges facing the industry in terms of infrastructure, including integrated land, maritime and an air transportation network (which includes issues such as the facilitation of arrivals and departures from airports). However, Egypt is already working on this by upgrading all the national airports' infrastructures. One of the factors that will help tourism grow in Egypt, is implementing an "Open Air" strategy, consequently, increasing the number of key airlines serving all resorts and in turn, increasing the volume of direct reservations, especially through the internet.
Of particular interest is a focus on online reservations - this is considered one of the most important elements of our strategy. In fact, we have managed to achieve a 100% increase in our online business last year and online reservations are expected to double yet again this year.
-Ends-
© Press Release 2008
