Murad: First three months pointing to growth trend

Lebanese-born Mohammad Murad, chairman of Perla Majestic group
of firms, which mainly operates in the tourism sector, says that
after the first quarter the businesses he runs “are faring better”
compared with the same period of last year. “There was no more room
for worse on the market as the bottom was hit last year. The first
quarter of this year showed a slight growth trend. We’re coping on
the market, I don’t have to speak of companies that need to be
closed,” Mohammad Murad said. The 46-year old businessman owns
Phoenicia Grand Hotel of Bucharest and almost 1,000 rooms in
several seaside hotels. Besides Perla Majestic Murad also controls
Spring Times restaurant chain, Mandy pate producer and other
constructions businesses. “There’s a clear upward trend of the
occupancy rate in the first quarter of this year for Phoenicia
Grand Hotel in Bucharest, from a 48% occupancy rate in the first
three months of last year, we reached 57% in the first quarter of
this year,” says Murad, who projects revenues worth almost 1.5m
euros for the four-star hotel of Bucharest this year, in which 57%
of accommodated clients were foreigners. The businessman expects
turnover to rise from last year, when he made 8.5m euros.