“We are ready to welcome any travellers and guests from July 7, 2020 onwards in the region and Dubai specifically. Under the large umbrella of our initiative, ‘We Care.We Clean.We Welcome.’” said Alexander Suski, Associate Vice President Sales & Marketing, Millennium Hotels & Resorts Middle East, Africa and Turkey. “Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA has kept its guests well-informed with regular updates on the developments of the current situation. It’s essential to communicate any improvement in your services to your clients’ base. Through this campaign, we are endorsing and supporting any marketing activities from DTCM to kick-start Global inbound travel to Dubai, starting in a controlled inbound ‘bubble’ of selected source markets who are approved by Dubai Government,” he said.

“As one of the gateways to global visitors in the Northern Emirates, the reopening of Dubai to international travellers signifies optimism on the recovery of the tourism sector,” said Ravi Santiago – Cluster General Manager – Ramada Hotel & Suites by Wyndham Ajman, Ramada by Wyndham Beach Hotel Ajman, and Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche. “We are closely monitoring updates on our existing key source markets including CIS, Germany and GCC, and strengthening our presence in these regions by offering better-value packages to the markets which we expect to recover quickly. For the third quarter, our main focus is boosting our share in the local tourism scene through staycation promos, as we are expecting pick up on international guests towards the fourth quarter of 2020,” he said.

Abu Dhabi Airports announced the introduction of wellness ambassadors to Abu Dhabi International Airport. This team of specially trained service professionals are part of Abu Dhabi Airports’ commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of passengers throughout their journey through the airport. Abu Dhabi Airports’ Wellness Ambassadors will support passengers by answering common questions relating to keeping healthy during travel, provide advice and recommendations on how to stay safe and provide additional support to passengers who need it. Mohammed Husain Ahmed, General Manager of Abu Dhabi International Airport, said, “We are pleased to introduce our Wellness Ambassadors, who are a reflection of Abu Dhabi Airports’ commitment to delivering exceptional services and prioritising health and safety. The ambassadors will ensure every traveller feels cared for and comfortable at Abu Dhabi International Airport.” “We have introduced a comprehensive range of new precautionary measures – ranging from touchless elevator systems to autonomous sterilisation robots – and are confident that passengers will find their journey through Abu Dhabi to be smooth and seamless, safe and assuring.” added Ahmed. In addition to addressing passenger needs, the Wellness Ambassadors work to ensure that the airport and its travellers continue to comply with all the relevant UAE Government regulations and guidelines issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).This entails encouraging social distancing amongst travellers, monitoring the regular sanitisation of surfaces, communicating testing and isolation procedures, and providing hand sanitiser and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves to passengers.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments in Africa and the Middle East (AME) to implement alternatives to quarantine on arrival that would allow economies to re-start while avoiding the importation of COVID-19 cases. Government-imposed quarantine measures in 36 countries across Africa and the Middle East (AME) account for 40% of all quarantine measures globally. With over 80% of travellers unwilling to travel when quarantine is required, the impact of these measures is that countries remain in lockdown even if their borders are open. “It is critical that AME governments implement alternatives to quarantine measures. AME has the highest number of countries in the world with government-imposed quarantine measures on arriving passengers. The region is effectively in complete lockdown with the travel and tourism sector shuttered. This is detrimental in a region where 8.6 million people depend on aviation for their livelihoods,” said Muhammad Albakri, Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, IATA.

Sabre Corporation announces an enhanced partnership with one of India’s largest travel companies, Akbar Travels of India, cementing a valued two-decade long relationship between the two firms as Akbar forges ahead with plans for domestic and overseas growth. “Sabre and Akbar Travels have had a long, valued and productive relationship, and we’re excited to be again expanding our partnership by using Sabre’s Content Services for Lodging technologies to provide further choice and even better service for our travellers,” said K.V. Abdul Nazar, Chairman & Managing Director of Akbar Travels of India. “There are already clear signs of a pent-up demand for travel post Covid-19 and we needed technological solutions which provide us with the most intuitive way to shop and book for our travellers in order to provide truly personalised options for our clients.” Sabre’s Content Services for Lodging powers agency and corporate booking tools, integrating traditional GDS content from hoteliers, alongside content from the likes of Booking.com, Beds online and Expedia Partner Solutions. The Sabre-led Content Services for Lodging has been integrated into Akbar Travels’ operations through Sabre Red 360, allowing agents access to real-time, rich content on an intuitive graphical interface to make it easier for agents to comparison shop business and leisure options for travellers. “Sabre has a strong presence in India through our valued travel partners, our own office branches, and our large-scale technology base in Bengaluru,” said Traci Mercer, Senior Vice President, Global Lodging, Ground and Sea, Sabre. “Akbar needed robust, intuitive and scalable solutions to provide its branches with one easy-to-navigate, real-time and full-view lodging content solution and interface to ensure that it is able to create highly-personalised offers for clients as it looks …

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) confirmed that the city has been certified as a safe destination by Bureau Veritas, the global leader in testing, inspection and certification services, as it completes its ‘Safeguard Assurance’ programme. It is first city in the world to receive both the Bureau Veritas Safeguard Assurance Label and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp which recognise the heightened safety standards, training and hygiene protocols in place across the Emirate. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, comments, “As travel starts to resume, our role as a tourism development authority is to ensure that robust measures are in place to protect the health and safety of our visitors and provide the peace of mind they need for a truly well-deserved holiday. We are immensely proud to be the first destination in the world to be certified as safe by Bureau Veritas and receive the WTTC safe travels stamp and believe it will go a long way to restore confidence and bring tourists back to Ras Al Khaimah. It also validates the huge efforts of our hospitality partners who are focused on delivering the highest global safety standards, today and every day, as we navigate this new normal for the industry.” He added, “WTTC is a very important partner for RAKTDA and one we wholeheartedly support in its efforts to restart and speed up the recovery of the sector in the wake of COVID-19. The WTTC Safe Travels Stamp is an important vehicle to demonstrate alignment with essential safety protocols of the highest level and we are delighted that we can reassure visitors that Ras Al Khaimah meets these …

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) sought to create an exclusive local experience, repurposing with robust, sustainable materials what remained of a stone structure originally constructed during the 1960’s; originally comprising of two stone buildings, one of which was a medical centre and the second a store near one of the oldest fueling stations in the Mleiha region, which served as a focal access point for commuters passing through from the neighbouring emirates. Developed under the Sharjah Collection brand, and operated and managed by Mysk by Shaza, Shurooq reinforced its emphasis on site-responsive criteria to govern the design, architectural interventions and choice of materials in construction when re-imagining the existing structure. Sustainability, thus, emerged as an integral element in reimagining this decades-old structure, which Shurooq masterfully transformed into an elegant contemporary boutique luxury retreat. Across the road is a café featuring locally sourced products. Use of glass water bottles, tree planting initiatives, and a host of recycling practices further elevates the environmental friendly policies in place at Al Faya Retreat. Perfectly blending history, culture, heritage, leisure and luxury, this oasis of relaxation is an ideal abode for those looking to escape the intensity of urban living or wishing to set off on rugged adventures in a desert setting. The commitment to sustainability does not end with a tribute to the vernacular architecture of the region alone; instead, it is ingrained in the ethical practices that the hotel complies with in its daily operations. The Chedi Al Bait, Sharjah embraces sustainable alternatives such as steel straws, glass bottles, biodegradable garbage bags, and metal room keys to eliminate the use of plastic. Its portable water filtration plant produces both still and sparkling …

Alexander Suski, Associate Vice President Sales & Marketing, Millennium Hotels & Resorts Middle East, Africa and Turkey shared, “If you look at hospitality health and safety protocols have changed but made it much safer for the customers and will provide a better journey or experience for the travellers.”

Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer Chief Operating Officer Shurooq reiterated, “We had quite a good response as soon as the lockdown was eased. Our advantage is that we have a unique hotel structure with 20 rooms and 5 rooms in our properties so they are more private and has enough areas for people to feel safe. People felt safe as the UAE ensured that we carried out all safety and health standards and we enjoyed 60% occupancy over this period of time.”

Jamal Abdulnazar, Chief Executive Officer, Cozmo Travel stated, “As there is an ease of restrictions, business will pick up but at a slower pace. Currently everyone is enjoying staycations and customers are interested in places where health and safety takes first place. Travel insurance will be mandatory with a clause of COVID test in place. Our role is important as a travel agent and is vital at this point of time especially the time of cancellations and refunds for customers. Travel agents role will be more comprehensive but will definitely stay, although everyone thought with the internet coming in travel agents will go out of their business, people realized the importance of having a travel agent to depend on.”