The Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort And Spa in th
e Maldives has carved a niche for itself in the leisure market. The property with its ideal location is gearing up for this year with a host of strategic activities. Detailing plans to Travel Daily Middle East, Rene D Egle, general manager of Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa said: “We are currently working with Ghan international airport, to develop the airport and position it as an international executive airport. This is mainly due to the proximity of the hotel to the airport which is just five minutes by speed boat. This would work well with the leisure private jet market.”
The hotel recently opened its first, biggest and the country’s first nine-hole recreational golf course at the resort. Designed by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, the Villingili Golf Course sits on seven and a half hectares of previously undeveloped land at the southern end of Villingili Island.
With its leisure facilities in place, the hotel is keen to tap into potential markets. “We have noticed that Middle East travellers are on the increase to the Maldives. We would like to target this market and also the private jet market from the Middle East who have quite a substantial presence here. To build on this focus, we have a dedicated sales manager looking after the region,” added Egle.
Having zeroed in on key focus areas in the region which include Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar followed by a certain amount of guests from Oman. The hotel is depending on the travel trade to augment numbers. “We do conduct regular trainings for the agents and will continue to do so. We also conduct one-day trainings for the reservation department agents who need to understand about the property,” said Egle.
The Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa is optimistic about the year with the much-awaited international flight scheduled for December 2012. Though, currently under discussion, the commencement of this flight will see increased numbers to the destination or even onward traffic to Seychelles and Mauritius.
