Dr Osmane Aidi Takes The Helm Of IH&RA, Outlines Goals For His Tenure
Paris, 18 January 1999 - Expanding partnerships, building membership and increasing industry educational opportunities are top priorities for the new president of the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), Dr. Osmane Aïdi, who took office on 1 January 1999.
Former IH&RA Regional Vice President for the Middle East and the Arab World, Dr. Aïdi is also President of the Euro-Mediterranean Tourism Organisation, and of the Inter-Arab Union of Hotels and Tourism. He is chairman and member of the board of directors of a number of leading hotel and tourism companies in Europe, USA and the Middle East, including the Royal Monceau Group in France, the Plaza in Houston and the Cham Palace & Hotel chain in Syria.
"The IH&RA is a collaborative organisation, and delivers its programmes through partnership with a wide range of international and regional bodies," said Aïdi. "One of my goals this year will be to forge new partnerships and expand existing ones with key representatives of the tourism industry and strategic partners."
Dr. Aïdi also aims to strengthen the IH&RA's services for the restaurant sector. "Since extending our services to restaurants in 1997, we have focused on building products that respond to the needs of food service establishments. This will be continued, with the aim of boosting restaurant membership long-term."
Dr. Aïdi is also keen for the IH&RA to build its "Visioning the Future" programme, which drives forward research on the future of the hospitality business. Commenting on the programme's "visioning workshops" and think-tanks, events which debate the global issues and trends impacting hotels and restaurants, Aïdi said, "Nowhere else do industry experts have the chance to come together, on neutral ground, to map out the industry's future." Findings from meetings will be distributed to members as a means of encouraging them to think more strategically about the industry's future.
He will also emphasise the importance to the industry of seizing the potential of new technologies, one of the missions of EURHOTEC, the IH&RA's annual hospitality technology exhibition and conference. EURHOTEC '99 convenes from 24-26 February at the Austria Center, Vienna.
In addition, Aïdi intends to highlight the importance of human resources, focusing on education, training and job enrichment in the industry. The theme will occupy centre stage at the forthcoming IH&RA Annual Congress in Durban, 17-21 October 1999. As president, he will ensure the association's events continue to gain in quality and scope, and to represent an invaluable source of information for hotels and restaurants interested in achieving better bottom line results.
Dr. Aïdi takes over from Eric Pfeffer, chairman & CEO of Cendant Hotel Division. He will be supported in his task by Alain-Philippe Feutré, president of the Syndicat Français de l'Hôtellerie and former IH&RA regional vice-president for Europe.
Editor's note: The International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) is a global network of independent and chain operators, national associations, hospitality suppliers and educational centres in the hotel and restaurant industry in more than 150 countries. As the voice of the industry it represents, protects, promotes and informs its members to enable them to achieve their objectives.