AS ONE of the world’s most prominent tour operators, Thomas Cook chooses the location of its annual meeting carefully and, with luxury and a reputation for excellent service, this year’s selection was the Baron Resort Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Prominent figures visiting the resort during the event included Manny Fontenla, CEO of Thomas Cook Group, under whose umbrella are Thomas Cook UK, Germany, Belgium, Scandinavia, France and others, in addition to Condor Airlines with its fleet of 92 aircraft.
Both Egypt’s Minister of Tourism, Zoheir Garranah, and Red Sea Governor Saad Abu Reada also attended, accompanied by a front line delegation including international travel figures, Hossam Al Shaer, chairman of Bright Sky, Thomas Cook’s agent in Egypt, and 130 owners and general managers of five-star hotels in Egypt and the region.
Sherif Shahein, vice president of Baron Hotels & Resorts Egypt, and Ahmed Khaled, area general manager of Baron Hotels & Resorts – Red Sea, welcomed the guests and escorted them on a tour of the grounds and as part of the event an introductory seminar took place at the main ballroom of the adjacent sister property Baron Palms Resort Sharm El Sheikh.
Topics up for discussion included the Baron Palace Sahl Hasheesh which is to open in 2011 with three further projects to follow and guests praised the resort which has recently undergone a EGP12-million ($2-million) renovation.