United World
As Israel readies itself to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its independence in May, the country has been developing a reputation for entrepreneurship and innovation, and it features one of the highest concentrations of start-up and hi-tech companies anywhere in the world As a result of these developments, it has forged a new future for itself as a center for rich and exciting ideas. What does this upcoming anniversary means for Israel, and also for the city of Tel Aviv, which will be marking its 100th birthday in 2009?

Mr. David Cohen

I guess it is our survival and the fact that we are here to stay. People look at what we have achieved in the last 60 years and they are simply astounded. Israel is a diverse country, and considering that we have Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and Tiberias, to name a few of our more significant sites, this country should be one of the world's foremost tourism destinations. Tel Aviv too is very special, a seaside resort that is also Israel's center for commerce, finance, dining, nightlife, culture and entertainment. I have heard people using the term "the little big apple" to describe Tel Aviv, and many staff members at foreign embassies refer to Israel - and Tel Aviv in particular - as the best places to be posted. This is true for other fields of activity too. When Delta Airlines inaugurated its flights between Atlanta and Tel Aviv two years ago, it was afraid of not having enough staff willing to fly here. In fact, we have become such a popular destination that a crew member has to sign up months in advance to be assigned to fly to Tel Aviv. Our city is booming and, to look at just one aspect of this success, the growth in real estate values has been amazing, going from worthless to $20,000 per square meter in but a few years.
Call me a local patriot if you will, but I really and truly believe that Tel Aviv is the number one city in the world. I have had numerous discussions with people regarding this claim, and have proved it again and again, not only to my satisfaction, but to theirs. We are five hours away from Europe and ten from the United States. Most of the world's major airlines - including all the major European carriers - fly here and Israel is great for a quick getaway. Delta Airlines and Continental Airlines are opening more lines between the U.S. and Tel Aviv and the recent codesharing agreement El Al signed with American Airlines opens up many new possibilities for flights from a large number of U.S. gateways. Also, you can have a cappuccino or a beer on the beach at three in the morning!

United World
After a brief downturn in arrivals during 2006, visitor numbers jumped by 25% in 2007, representing the biggest increase in seven years. As part of this spurt, U.S. arrivals jumped last year by 10%. Yet unfortunately, the consistent negative attention to which Israel is subject makes for a constant struggle in letting the world know that the country is a safe place to visit, as is Tel Aviv. What are the main challenges in maintaining the growth of visitors to Tel Aviv in particular through 2008 and 2009?

Mr. David Cohen

Assuming that the period of relative geopolitical calm is maintained, I don't see image as the major issue, certainly not as far as Tel Aviv is concerned. Superstructure - or the lack thereof - is much more of an impediment. The city's next significant hotel opening will be a two-hundred plus room property, one that will have taken more than four years to build. That may be more than the proverbial "drop in the bucket," but it's still not very much. At the David InterContinental our occupancy rate for 2007 was 80% and we expect this figure to improve over the coming years, as we host more and more guests from our major target markets. We are geared towards corporate clients, but we cater to tourists as well, and this is a sector from which we anticipate substantial growth. One very promising development is the prospect of tourists from Russia. Now that the Russian and Israeli governments have signed an agreement and tourists from Russia no longer need visas to visit Israel, a very affluent market has opened up, not only for us but for Israel as a whole.

United World
As a hotel that also targets the convention and meetings market, what is the nature of your business activities in this field?

Mr. David Cohen

This is an important market for us and we do all we can to promote the hotel via operators that are active in this market both in Israel and abroad, as well as to local companies with foreign branches and affiliations and directly to groups and organizations that we target. One of the more interesting groups to hold its convention at our hotel was the worldwide Kabbalah Center. It has been with us twice, booking 1200-1500 rooms each time in Tel Aviv for a period of 10 nights. Not all of the guests were Jewish, as the well-publicized presence of Madonna at the conventions can illustrate.

United World
The InterContinental Hotel and Resorts brand is world renowned and synonymous with top quality service. With over 145 hotels worldwide, InterContinental has the experience and knowledge to provide its guests and staff with an environment next to none. What does it mean to Israel and Tel Aviv to have such an illustrious hotel on its beachfront?

Mr. David Cohen

First and foremost, in the crazy world that's out there nowadays; it is a vote of total confidence and support and an unequivocal statement that the place is safe. The fact that the hotel is a calculated investment with a 25 year management agremment shows the world that business leaders believe in the market. Other than that, the approach of InterContinental hotels to tourism is different from that of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, which in the last four and a half years has gone through eight different ministers. Without disparaging all that the ministry has been doing, our way has proved to be successful. Nevertheless, we are pleased with all the help we receive. Much work being done by the mayor of Tel Aviv, such as building a monorail in Tel Aviv on which construction has started. Also, the old Tel Aviv Port has been transformed into a vibrant nightlife and dining centers, one of the most prominent in the city, the landscaping work that is going on in the city is worthy of praise, a new nightlife area known as "the Station" is being developed not far from our hotel, and this is only a partial list of what is going on.

United World
The glorious David InterContinental Hotel sits in the heart of Tel Aviv, overlooking the beach and the boardwalk and minutes from Tel Aviv's Neve Tzedek or "new Soho," to quote a phrase you have coined. You have a newly upgraded Health and Fitness Center and the hotel itself has recently undergone renovations. How does the InterContinental truly set itself apart from the other hotels in Tel Aviv?

Mr. David Cohen

Our location is fantastic, situated on the promenade which is being developed and which eventually will reach all the way south to Ashdod. Even now, it's only a 15-minute walk to Jaffa along the promenade.
The experience in the city and in our neighborhood in particular, is as magnificent as it is unique. Anyone taking a stroll through Neve Tzedek or along the beachfront promenade knows what I mean. Other properties may talk about their beautiful beds and restaurants, but our guests come for an experience; that is our specialty. It's a combination of ambience, training and a credo of caring. In this last respect I should like to mention our contribution to the community. We took in families from the North during the war in 2007 and we hosted them here free of charge for over a month. One of our projects is to train handicapped people to cook, and we keep some of them here on our payroll as professional chefs. These people have had a soothing affect on our other workers and have added a glow to our staff. One chef that took part in our first course went to look for a job. At a wedding hall where he was interviewing for a position, the chef there handed him a knife and asked him to cut a cucumber. "If you do not give me a decent knife I won't be able to show you how to cut a cucumber," he replied. That speaks volumes, I think, about the nature of our training program.

United World
I see clean tech making a real push here. What are your thoughts in reference to this?

Mr. David Cohen

In fact, our next challenge is to develop a "green" project for the hotel. It came from our employees, as part of our "I-Own" project. In a pilot project that enjoys the support of the Tel Aviv Hotel Association, Ayelet and Livnat have been pushing hard to implement recycling in the hotel.

United World
What are the competitive advantages of your hotel?

Mr. David Cohen

One very important facet of our competitive advantage is our staff. The age of the average David InterContinental employee is twenty-something, and compared with the other hotels in Tel Aviv, we have youngsters working here. They may not be the most experienced, but our people smile and work with passion, and they care - for the hotel, its guests and their fellow employees. Take Sivan Natalie and Omri, for instance, two members of our team, who have been publishing a monthly employees' magazine. Obviously, this is not part of their job definition, but it is a reflection of their energies and dedication and also of the ambience of our hotel.

United World
How do you keep your staff happy?

Mr. David Cohen
We call it winning the war for talent, and we have started an employee retention program. We try to identify what our staff needs, because we have two communities to take care of: our staff, and our guests. Within obvious limits, we expect our staff to be independent when taking decisions and to behave in a proprietary manner when dealing with guests, and we empower them to behave in this way. Two representative examples will show you what I mean. Ella from guest relations was taking care of a guest who spoke only Russian. She took him to the market and even haggled for him. We had a different member of staff who took a guest to the hospital because he was ill and was at his side when he passed away. We have produced a document that lists our values. All of our employees carry it in their pockets and it helps them make decisions.

United World
What is a key message about Tel Aviv and the InterContinental that you would like to convey to our readers?

Mr. David Cohen

To all the readers who have experienced the magic of Tel Aviv, I would like you to commit to bringing two friends to feel it too - and if you haven't had the opportunity yet to visit our wonderful city, there's no time like the present. I have no doubt that it will exceed your expectations!

United World
Thank you for this interview.