FTI GROUP presents itself empowered and confident at WTM

Posted on 12 December 2022

The FTI GROUP stands out with concentrated competence for the Orient tourism business. Fabio Prestijacopo moves from Destination Management to Tour Operating as new Strategic Destination Officer. His former position as COO at MP U.A.E. is taken over by John Taker. In Munich, Christian Schulz heads the product team and Christian Schellinger joins on a secondment basis.

As leader of the German-speaking source markets for holidays in the Middle East, the FTI GROUP takes stock on the occasion of the WTM in London: “Various Covid waves, the weak dollar exchange rate, a successful EXPO in Dubai and the World Cup in Qatar – the past months were a rollercoaster of hurdles and chances. The order of the day was, and remains, to steer wisely and plan flexibly”, summarises Ralph Schiller, CEO of the FTI GROUP. Looking towards the future, he continues: “We are positioning ourselves with confidence. Operationally, we continue to rely on full charter flights, on volume deals from established partnerships such as with Emirates, Etihad or Oman Air, and on our very good cooperation with the local hotels. On top of that, we see enormous potential for our incoming agencies, such as Meeting Point U.A.E., based in Dubai. We aim to further expand our service offer, create more unique content and also become stronger in B2C. All signs point to expansion. So we are ready for the future and many more successful years with our partners – and with powerful teams in Dubai and Munich.”

Fabio Prestijacopo heads Tour Operating as Strategic Destination Officer Middle EastLeading one of those powerful teams is the task of Fabio Prestijacopo who is now responsible for the Orient product management at the FTI GROUP. He knows the business well and brings the highest level of expertise to his new position: He joined the FTI GROUP in Dubai in 2021 and was most recently Chief Contracting Officer (COO) at Meeting Point U.A.E. In total, the Italian-born looks back on over 20 years in the international travel industry. He started his career in 2000 as eCommerce Manager at Alitalia. In 2005, he moved to Emirates, where he held positions including Vice President for Emirates Holidays worldwide. He then served as Chief Revenue Officer at Holidayme, where his responsibilities included the introduction of new technologies and the development of the Umrah and Hajj department. He also co-founded the travel company BlindExperiences, which offers mystery trips. “We are delighted that Fabio Prestijacopo will now bring his expertise to Tour Operating. His many years of experience will help us reinforcing our market leadership. We warmly welcome him to his new position”, says Ralph Schiller.

John Taker takes over as CCO at Meeting Point U.A.E. in DubaiPrestijacopo’s open position will be filled by John Taker. The experienced tourism specialist was active in the industry for over 30 years in various management positions. His work focused on purchasing, procurement, operations, product and commercial as well as general management. “John Taker brings with him a wide range of experience that will once again significantly strengthen our presence in the region”, Fabio Prestijacopo is convinced. “I am sure that he will further advance our position with his know-how and his network.”