Page 27 - July 2022 ATM Special Issue 608

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Jean-François Durand

(General Manager Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Resort):

We want to put the name of Jordan on the
face of the world

yatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Resort is Jordan’s first Hyatt Regency hotel and second Hyatt-
Hbranded property, joining Grand Hyatt Amman. Located conveniently in the Marina
Village in Ayla, situated between the vibrant city center of Aqaba and the international borders,
connecting guests to everything they need in one setting. Each of the hotel’s 285 guestrooms and suites offer picturesque views of the azure lagoons,
Aqaba’s towering mountains and the surrounding marina. Guests can take advantage of a myriad of retail, dining and entertainment venues and enjoy
access to Jordan’s first 18-hole golf course, which is designed by Greg Norman. Jean-Francois Durand, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Aqaba
Ayla Resort has over 30 years of experience with Hyatt and before arriving in Jordan he held several positions with Hyatt Hotels in cities such as
Ekaterinburg, Dushanbe, Sochi and Moscow. In his position, he was able to set new milestones for this amazing property, as he is always looking for-
ward to continue this exciting adventure. Al Bayan Magazine met Durand and below is the interview conducted.
We should create a niche market and develop within Jordan
destinations that are unique & attractive

• How do you read the repercussions of the “Covid-19” pandemic on tourism - Development of products and experiences which exceed the expectations of
Aqaba, and how did you face them? Will the Russian-Ukrainian war has any International, regional and domestic tourists.
effect on Russian and Ukrainian visitors? - Establish a solid partnership between the private sector and an empowered
- One of the main policies deployed to contain the “Covid-19” pandemic has been restric- Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
tions on mobility, both within and across countries. This has had a huge impact on Aqaba - Train and develop the local communities.
after the big drop on demand for travel, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality venues - Preservation and protection of Jordan’s heritage and cultural sites.
across the city. We faced them by implementing different strategies to create a safe envi- - Accelerate investment and support the investors and improve competitiveness.
ronment for our guests, doing our level best to secure our employees’ health and month-
ly income and to support the country and the community. And regarding the Russian and • What distinguishes Hyatt Ayla Hotel - Aqaba from other hotels in region?
- The location of Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla resort is located between the mountains
Ukrainian war, the Middle East is one of its top destinations for the Russian and Ukrainian
Travelers. Cities like Aqaba is regularly listed as one of the Russian and Ukrainian visitors and the Red Sea, it is the ideal destination to be inspired, live life filled with sun, sea,
hotspots. But as the war causes a negative impact in energy and food markets as well as music, sports.
With 286 guestrooms, including 43 suites. What differentiate us that we are offering a full
rampant inflation across the globe, it is also hitting the tourism industries and Aqaba
already noting the negative effects. range of skilled services and dining options customized to fulfill the needs of conference,
business travelers or resort vacationer. Hyatt Regency Ayla enables all guests whether
• How do you evaluate the tourism sector in Jordan in general and specifical- they are traveling to work, relax or gather in festivity to feel creative and revived.
ly in Aqaba post-pandemic?
- Tourism in Jordan sees positive lift off, and is coming back to a normal level post-Covid. • What are your future plans in light of the proliferation of tourist areas over-
Aqaba benefitted a lot from the Covid, and was able to regain attractiveness from the local looking the Red Sea in neighboring countries and the establishment of sev-
market, as well enabled many Jordanian to discovered Aqaba altogether. eral luxurious hotels?
Unfortunately some of the airlines have not recovered yet, so we are still having dif- - The competitive landscape for existing hotels overlooking the Red Sea is more challeng-
ficulties with the incoming flight and the destination is still suffering from not having ing than ever, with new brands, concepts, and distribution channels opening frequently.
enough airline coming back to Aqaba. As you know, Aqaba has its own airport which In this crowded environment, And as one of the leading hospitality operators in the region
is quite beneficial for the destination. We are promoting the destination which is Ayla we are finding creative ways to stand out from the competition. While gaining this edge
in Aqaba, it is a new development within the city of Aqaba including hotel, enter- won’t happen overnight, so we are implementing a strategy based on Building unforget-
tainment, exclusive marina and golf club. We are seeing a very strong demand from table brand experiences and to stay agile to sustain our advantage long-term.
Middle East, Saudi Arabia & Israel. We are starting to see a recovery in the
• What is the added value behind your participation in the Arabian Travel Market?
European market but because of the airlift, it is very difficult for people to come to - ATM this year is one of the first large exhibition where people can start coming
Jordan, unless through Amman, so for the moment there is a very positive upside back together, face to face meeting, feeling and interacting and looking at what is
tourism but it is still going to be developed further for Aqaba in particular.
new. There are a lot of new pavilions; we can see that some of the countries are
really focusing on tourism which has become their first priority. It is good to see that
• In your opinion, what are the important steps taken by the Ministry of a lot of people are showing interest in reopening destination like Jordan which has
Tourism to encourage tourists to visit the Aqaba region? What is required of
been closed for a number of months in 2020 and 2021. People started to rebuild
them to attract more tourists? confidence in coming to Jordan. Jordan during Covid was one of the safest coun-
- Ministry of Tourism in Jordan is taking the lead in coordinating activities, efforts,
tries in Middle East, the government has really done an amazing job and this is
projects, policies and strategies with counterparts in Aqaba Special Economic Zone something we should capitalize on, in showing how much Jordan has changed and
Authority, Petra Development & Tourism Regional Authority, and Baptism Site has been able to adapt to the new condition, it is very unique, safe and clean des-
Commission etc., possibly through the re-constituted National Tourism Council as
tination. It is showing the world that it is open and will create memorable experi-
well as representation on the Jordan Tourism Board. ASEZA and ADC in general ences for people who are visiting it. We are participating in ATM to support JTB in
should be working on developing the destination. Competition is coming from other
bringing back the name of Jordan as a world tourism destination.
countries but we have a very unique product in Jordan. Everybody knows Jordan
through Petra but there is so much more we can present to the world that is still not • Are you optimistic for 2022?
explored. We shouldn’t be trying to compete with or against bigger players but we - I am optimistic for every further year after Covid. We can only look forward especially that
should try to create a niche market because we have something unique in Jordan everybody now has something to discover & explore after the pandemic, but now we have
such as Wadi Rum, Petra, Dead Sea, Jerash, Kerak and the only red sea opening to be very smart because the way people want to travel is very different from the way they
which in Aqaba. This is magnificent because it gives us the opportunity to give a used to travel before. They are conscious about their health, environment, crisis and what
complete experience to customers whether in winter or summer. Jordan is also a they will get as an added value. Everybody has to be more clever and thorough in the offer-
good destination for medical purposes, there are beautiful medical facilities and for ing they are presenting to guests. Now more than ever before, people will look at the whole
people who are looking for a spiritual destination, there are many sites they can experience, and they will want to ensure it match their expectation, philosophy of life,
visit. I think we shouldn’t try to fight against the surrounding destination, each have match their goals and fulfill their dreams, also be ecofriendly, respectful of other and the
their own strength, but we should develop within Jordan, destinations that are environment, and most importantly affordable.
unique, with easy access, safe transportation, comprehensive itinerary, using what This is why today tourism has a lot of opportunities to explore, lots of rethinking and
Jordan has best, people, great hospitality and amazing treasures. refocusing to do, to remain relevant for travelers, while ensuring that each segment,
In my opinion what is required to attract more tourists is: category, age group are receiving value for money when they travel the weather for
- Highlighting the uniqueness of Jordan’s history and heritage. pure leisure, of for work and even with the family.
27 AL BA Y AN ECONOMIC MAG - ISSUE 608 - JULY 2022