JEDDAH, 2 July — Leading hotel chain Hilton International has announced the appointment of Avsar Koc as its new director of international sales to promote outbound travel from the Gulf markets including the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. Koc, who is based in Hilton’s new regional headquarters at the Dubai Internet City, said: “My new role is exciting as Hilton continues to expand its global portfolio. The Gulf is a growing feeder market to the Hilton family of hotels worldwide and my focus will be to enhance specialized travel solutions for business and leisure travelers from the region.” With the market trend shifting and Gulf travelers looking more toward destinations in Europe and Asia Pacific, various properties such as the spectacular Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa, Rangali Island and the ideally located Hilton Bangkok in addition to other Hilton hotels in France, Germany, the UK and Australia, stand poised to meet the increased occupancy levels. Koc’s knowledge of the local market also lends itself to promote regional destinations within the GCC. The new Jeddah Hilton, with its strategic proximity to the religious cities of Makkah and Madinah is geared to receive the rising number of Haj and Umrah travelers, while the soon to open Hilton Kuwait Hotel & Resort will be a flagship property for Hilton offering some of the best business and leisure facilities in the Gulf. (KSR)
