Turkish Airlines has launched new flights from various cities in the Middle East and Germany to key tourist destinations in Turkey. The national carrier will launch direct flights between Turkish cities such as Bodrum, Antalya and Trabzon and the Middle East, beginning from this month. The airlines will be providing a total of 16 weekly flights between Jeddah, Kuwait, Riyadh, Al Qassim, Yanbu, Medina and Trabzon. Furthermore, they will also be providing 13 weekly flights between Jeddah, Baghdad, Erbil, Riyadh, Amman, Kuwait, Sulaymaniyah and Antalya during this summer. Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart are other cities benefitting from the new direct flights, connecting travellers from Germany to Izmir. Additionally, passengers from Kuwait will also be able to travel directly to Izmir. Commenting on these direct flights, Turkish Airlines’ Deputy Chairman and CEO, Bilal Ekşi, said, “We are always looking to provide our passengers with the most convenient and time-efficient way of travel. Tourists worldwide have been continously increasing due to the fantastic attractions and features provided by all our Turkish cities. As we move forward, our goal will be to create these direct flights from all the markets, we operate globally so that travellers can now fly directly to their destination of choice.”  

Emirates confirmed that its new First Class product will be showcased at the Dubai Air Show in November. Making its debut onboard a Boeing 777-300ER, Emirates’ new First Class cabin will feature 6 private suites laid out in a 1-1-1 layout, unlike the current structure of 8 private suites in a 1-2-1 layout on its existing 777 vessels. Emirates will announce the destinations where the new Boeing 777-300ER would be deployed in due course. Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, said, “Our products and services across cabin classes are continually improved and enhanced. But what our customers will see on Emirates’ new 777s starting from November will be a much bigger revamp that takes our onboard experience to the next level. All cabins will sport a totally fresh new look. We are excited to showcase the results of years of planning and development invested into our new First Class offering, and our overall Emirates 777 experience.”

Dubai International (DXB) welcomed more than 7.6 million passengers in April 2017 according to the monthly traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports. Passenger numbers reached 7,622,946 in April, up by 9.2 per cent, compared to 6,979,063 recorded during the same month in 2016. Following four months of robust growth, the year-to-date traffic reached 30,119,542 compared to 27,926,958 passengers during the corresponding period last year, an increase of 7.8 per cent. “The growth at DXB has been very satisfying in the first four months of the year, and with the Islamic festival of Eid Al Fitr coinciding with the start of the summer holidays next month, we are confident the numbers will boost our performance in the first half,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

Expo Centre Sharjah has recorded a 7 per cent increase in the number of visitors coming to its exhibitions and events during the first quarter of 2017, in comparison to the number of visitors that came during the same period in 2016. According to the Expo Centre management, 302,474 people visited the Centre’s events, including 12 specialised exhibitions, in January, February and March. The meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry in the United Arab Emirates currently generates a total of $653 million (AED 2.4b) per year and is expected to continue growing at about 7 per cent per annum until 2020. Overall, the GCC’s MICE market is estimated to be worth some $1.3 billion (AED 4.8b) annually. Located on Al Taawun Street in the centre of Sharjah city, the Expo Centre now has 6 exhibition halls surrounding a central boulevard, with a combined gross exhibition area of 26,000 square metres (279,862 sq. ft.) indoors, plus a further 6,000 square metres (64,583 sq. ft.) of outdoor space. A 200-room Novotel Sharjah Expo is currently under construction adjacent to the expo site. Sharjah is also building a new 370,000 square metre (4 million sq. ft.) exhibition and conference centre in Al Tai district, near the intersection of Emirates Road and Mleiha Road. Expected to open in November, the new centre’s first major event is going to be this year’s edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (1-11 November).

The Philippines is all set to host top tourism officials from 156 countries for the 6th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) International Conference on Tourism Statistics next month. The conference will be held from June 21-24 at the Marriot Hotel Grand Ballroom of the Resorts World Manila in Pasay City. This conference, bearing the theme “Measuring Sustainable Tourism”, will be highlighted by a ministerial roundtable of Tourism Ministers, Environment Ministers and Chief Statisticians. The opening ceremony will be presided by Dr Taleb Rafai, the UNWTO Secretary General; Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Philippines and Ernesto M. Pernia, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary, National Economic and Development Authority, Philippines. In addition to the government representatives from 156 member countries, expected in attendance are more than 1500 affiliate members representing the private sector, educational institutions and tourism associations.

Turkish Airlines added another feather to its global offerings through its new agreement with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The airlines now provides enhanced security screening programme for the transit passengers departing from the United States, with smarter overall security and a better air travel experience. Members of a Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler program may now have the privilege of TSA-expedited screening at airport security checkpoints in the United States. They may keep light jackets, shoes and belts on, although laptops and 3-1-1-compliant liquids remain in carryon bags. Children aged 12 years or less, accompanying a parent or guardian with TSA, also receive expedited screening. In April 2017, 97% of TSA Pre passengers waited for less than 5 minutes. TSA screening is available to the members of Global Entry and the TSA Precheck Application Program. TSA screening is also available to U.S. citizens and U.S. lawful permanent residents enrolled in NEXUS or SENTRI and to Canadian citizens enrolled in NEXUS. To experience the privileges of TSA, members enrolled in a trusted traveler program must add their Known Traveler Number when making reservations with Turkish Airlines, at one of their kiosks or check-in counters. When a member then checks in, a TSA indicator will appear on their boarding pass, which saves them from lengthy security checks.

A staycation, a vacation or a desert trip in UAE has become much more fun and easier to plan with Adventure Emirates launching its website, www.adventureemirates.com. This is an online reservation website that provides instant booking confirmation, and features a “book now, pay later” facility that makes the reservation process less daunting. The website also serves as an informative portal for tourists seeking better understanding of the UAE without any digital clutter. Further, there is a 24-hour online customer support service for providing instant assistance to every customer. Through this website, Adventure Emirates offers over 300 tried and tested excursions, including half-day and full-day sightseeing, safaris, boat tours as well as water activities like kayaking and jet ski in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. Trips across Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Sharjah will soon be online, thus encouraging tourists to discover all the seven emirates. A specialized team of local experts allows Adventure Emirates to cater to different group sizes plus corporates and MICE.

As a follow up to the MOU signed between Emirates Airlines and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia in April 2016 for tourism cooperation between the two countries, the first roadshow was conducted in Kuwait and Dubai. There were five top destination management companies (DMC’s) and three top hotels from Indonesia and over 80 travel and tourism partners from the UAE. The event was graced by H.E. Arzaf Fachrezy Firman, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia. He stated, “the idea of this event is to promote Indonesia for both sides including the sellers and buyers. There are six sellers from Indonesia and we hope that they can sell for the upcoming Ramadan season and the summer holidays. Indonesia is a diverse country within hours you can see the pristine beaches on one side and snow atop the mountains on another within just a few hours’ drive.” Nia Niscaya, Director of International Tourism Promotion in Europe, Middle East, America and Africa stated, “it is a follow up of the MOU signed by Emirates Airlines and the Government of Indonesia last year at ATM. Today we are joining together with Emirates Airlines to promote our destination and the second Emirates flight to Bali. We are aiming to promote the packages with Emirates for Ramadan and summer holidays for the Middle Eastern and expatriates in Kuwait and UAE, we earnestly hope that this industrial gathering will yield networking and results between tourism industries in the two countries. ”

Emirates World Club, a VIP-lifestyle event management company offering customized  solutions for travellers and UAE elite residents has launched in the Emirates. Creating bespoke and exceptional journey for its high-end clientele, Emirates World Club held its first networking event at Gaucho Restaurant that was attended by key decision makers and senior management from various sectors in the UAE. It was a night of socializing highlighted by world-class entertainment. Emirates World Club offers its members the privilege to experience some of UAE’s most luxurious networks of hotels, bar and restaurants, transportation, health and beauty services etc. Romika Fazeli, also the founder of RF Event & Model Management, a Dubai-based full service event planning and model/hostess management company, Emirates World Club was formed out of the successful events managed by RF Events for its clients in the oil and gas, marine, railway, luxury automotive, luxury retail and construction sectors. “One of the most important elements of RF Events over the past 10 years has been the development of a comprehensive list of over 6,000 senior managers and directors across different industries. Along with hosting the events for this varied clientele, I have developed great friendships with them so when they need assistance while visiting, moving, staying or operating in the UAE, they call my company to assist them. Thus the idea of establishing a VIP-lifestyle event management came into mind.  We provide exclusive services to the world’s elite. Our mission is to satisfy our members’ search for a more comfortable, worry free and luxurious life and an unforgettable experience for travelers whether booking a restaurant, bar and club, assisting their travels abroad or when relocating and even personal shopping. Our large variety …

Emirates will commence its scheduled daily flight between Dubai and Zagreb, expanding the airline’s network and further strengthening ties between the UAE and Croatia.Months of planning have paved the way for the launch of Emirates’ new service to Zagreb next week, which sees Croatia become the airline’s 39th destination in Europe. The new route will be an important one for Emirates as it will further strengthen the airline’s European footprint and tap into a new part of the continent – the south eastern part – thanks to Zagreb’s central location at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Mediterranean and the Balkans. Both business and leisure travellers from around the Emirates network will be able to enjoy the airline’s award-winning product and service on board the three-class Boeing 777-300ER offering a choice of eight Private Suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy. The new Zagreb flight is expected to boost the growing tourism demand for Croatia from around the Emirates network, especially the Middle East and Asia Pacific and also offer a convenient option for visiting friends and relatives travelling in from Australia and New Zealand. In just the month of June alone, Emirates has received bookings for flights to Zagreb from passengers originating from no fewer than 36 different countries around the world.