We develop the Radisson, Park Inn, Regent and Country Inn brands in the EMEA area under the master franchise agreements with Carlson - a leading U.S. travel and hospitality company. At the same time we are working in close cooperation with Missoni to develop Hotel Missoni branded properties to ensuring we will capture the true essence and spirit of the Missoni style.
Radisson SAS offers a good example of our continuous response to changes in customer needs and habits. Upscale customers except truly memorable experiences and the new Radisson SAS hotels offer a perfect illustration on how our brands answer to those preferences. After 2009 we will not use the SAS trademark in combination with Radisson.
As a part our comprehensive and aggressive growth strategy to be forerunners and quickly build a critical mass in operations, we focus our business development on selected key growth areas. These include a number of emerging markets such as Russia and other CIS countries as well as more matured market areas such as Southern Europe. Our presence in Middle East dates back for almost 30 years and we are determined to enhance our already significant market position there. Not to forget other parts of the secret continent, with a special focus on South Africa.