Elaf Travel and Tourism Company - a subsidiary of Elaf Group of Companies - has been selected by Garuda Indonesia - the national airline of Indonesia - as its General Sales Agent (GSA) in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia. As Garuda's GSA, Elaf becomes the sales representative of the airline and is responsible for selling all products of the airline in the Western region which include flight tickets and cargo space. The new Garuda-Elaf GSA office located at Al-Nakheel Center, Madina Road corner Palestine Street was inaugurated on Wednesday night by Tarik H. Nabulsi, deputy CEO, Elaf Group, and Iswandi Said, senior general manager for Asia, Europe and Middle East, Garuda Indonesia in the presence of Majed Saud Kaki, head, Travel & Tours, Elaf Travel & Tourism Company; Fikdanel Thaufik, general manager, Garuda Indonesia, Jeddah and other industry officials. Commenting on the Garuda-Elaf partnership, Nabulsi said the choice of Elaf as GSA for Garuda is another milestone for the Elaf Group of Companies - the pioneer in travel, tourism and hotel industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Garuda-Elaf tandem is an additional feather in Elaf's cap, which, for the past 25 years in operation, has achieved many accolades and gained the respect of many in the industry. Garuda is the fifth international airline that has opted for Elaf as GSA in the Western region. Nabulsi said the latest cooperation with Garuda is a part of the Group's expansion plans and strategic alliances, noting that “in Elaf Travel, we are introducing new products and services related to the incentive group travel. We are also looking at the charter business so we are looking for strategic alliances.” Elaf is the “first choice” for GSA in the region due to its quality and well-rounded services, Nabulsi pointed out, adding that its vast experience and management tact not only in travel but also in tour and hospitality businesses plus the unequivocal commitment to further improve related facilities make Elaf stands out. Elaf Group believes in putting value creation first as a way to grow the business. Nabulsi said value creation leverages experience to sustain growth and Elaf's track record in the industry eventually gained the confidence of Garuda. He moreover said Elaf Group is committed to implement ambitious plans that will complement the Saudi government's strategies to further encourage domestic tourism and enhance the overall travel sector. The Elaf-Garuda tie-up is a reflection of Elaf's strategy on leveraging the growth of tourism as a vital economic sector, Nabulsi stressed, saying that the company is continuously developing new services that will cater and facilitate the needs of tourists who visit the Kingdom, particularly for religious reasons. Elaf Group has launched a major expansion initiative in the Saudi hotel sector, driven by a significant surge in religious tourism. Religious tourism in the Kingdom generates around $7 billion annually according to recent reports, while the government has allocated a total of $38 billion in tourism infrastructure and transport systems, including a high-speed railway system that will link Jeddah, Makka and Madina, three key travel destinations in the country. The Garuda-Elaf new office is a part of our commitment to find the right marketing strategy for the domestic tourism sector, Nabulsi added. Iswandi Said agreed. He said that Garuda Indonesia spent months to survey and evaluate a likely GSA for the airline. Hence, the selection of Elaf Travel is a result of a meticulous study, he pointed out. “Now, both Garuda and Elaf have to synergize our services and resources” to reach our objectives and be more competitive, he added. “For the next weeks, Garuda and Elaf will sit down together to tackle the short, medium and long-term strategies beneficial to both,” Said further said. The head of Elaf Travel added that the collaboration between Elaf Travel and Garuda would pave the way for improvements in both inbound and outbound travels from Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Majed Saud Kaki disclosed that starting next month, a call center would be created exclusively for Garuda Airlines at the GSA office to serve the needs of travelers, including the online bookings. Initially, it will be operational for nine hours daily. He said Elaf is also working on a 24-hour center to be launched by January 2010 to further enhance its services. Moreover, Kaki said Saudi travelers to Indonesia would be attracted to fly Garuda not just for “cheap” fair, but because of much-improved, highly professional services. Garuda general manager in Jeddah noted that “the opening of this office marks a milestone for Garuda Indonesia in Saudi Arabia as we continue to strengthen our efforts to tap high-yield markets, focusing on both leisure and business travel.” Garuda Indonesia will receive delivery of four new Airbus 330-200 planes by June next year and will serve the Jakarta
