MENA Leisure and Attractions businesses are all set to welcome a larger number of visitors during Ramadan and the subsequent Eid holidays. The Leisure and Attractions industry is not only one of the greatest contributors to national GDPs in the region, but it also brings immense joy to families looking to spend more quality time together during Ramadan and Eid. Making the Holy Month a truly memorable time for families, the region’s theme parks, family entertainment centres, water parks, and other attractions continue to bring stunning world-class experiences to visitors. Rosa Tahmaseb, Secretary-General at MENALAC shares, “The MENA region is highly enthusiastic about leisure. This paired with Ramadan and Eid, a period during which people have more time to spend on themselves and their loved ones will result in a much-needed revenue uptick for our sector”. Tahmaseb comments, “We’re thrilled to see technology being adopted more regularly at multiple attractions across the MENA region. The uptake of technology means that our ever-evolving industry can clearly see the benefits of better technology, both from a business management tool view as well as the increased hygiene and security measures that come as standard with various ticketing and cashless cards systems”. She continues, “It is fantastic to see how each attraction adopts the new technologies available to them from amusement parks in Dubai with their contactless technology to Cultural sites in Saudi Arabia”. Sustainability also plays a key role in the industry’s future with eco-friendly features forming a cornerstone of up and coming projects in the region. Renowned for its passion for leisure and entertainment, the MENA region remains committed to bringing its residents and international visitors world-class experiences. As waves of cultural …

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will commence flights to its latest destinations, Kiev, Bari, Salalah and Muscat. The flight to Ukraine’s capital city, Kiev will be operated three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; flights to Bari, Italy will be operated two times per week on Tuesdays and Saturdays; routes to Salalah, Oman will be operated two times per week on Wednesdays and Saturdays; and flights to the capital of Oman, Muscat will be operated three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said: “We’re excited to offer these new routes giving travellers sustainable options to explore new places. Travellers will be dazzled by the beautiful architecture found in every corner of Kiev, a wealth of history and gorgeous beaches in Bari, and the nature and diverse landscape found in Oman. Kiev, Bari, Salalah and Muscat are our next destinations in a series of new route announcements we have made, and will continue to make – we are committed to providing Abu Dhabi residents and tourists with new travel options and destinations at affordable prices.”

MARHABA Europe is set to return to Dubai this month with a delegation of almost 60 exhibitors from across Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland, presenting a united tourism front ahead of this year’s Arabian Travel Market. The two-day event, which will take place between 14-15 May at W Dubai, The Palm, will host close to 80 travel professionals from the GCC, Israel, Jordan and Lebanon who will meet with the European exhibitors. The schedule of B2B meetings aims to strengthen ties and encourage business between the countries across the travel sector, inviting attendees to interact with European airports, shopping facilities, local tourist boards, hotels, destination management companies, and transport companies keen to network with local representatives and to bridge communication between the regions. MARHABA Europe will also host a Gala dinner on 14 May which offers a much welcome opportunity to network with industry professionals, with Ambassadors to the UAE from Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland set to be in attendance. Yamina Sofo, Director of Sales & Marketing, German National Tourist Office (GNTO), the regional office of German National Tourist Board (GNTB) said, “As one of our top three overseas source markets, the GCC is vital for our restart activity in encouraging travel to Germany. MARHABA Europe’s return provides us with an ideal opportunity to reengage and further develop B2B partnerships between the two regions which will support our continued efforts to position Germany as a destination of choice. Matthias Albrecht, Director GCC of Switzerland Tourism commented, “When speaking to our GCC guests, we really feel that they are desperate to travel again to Switzerland and Europe; therefore, MARHABA Europe is a fantastic way to reconnect tourism professionals with each …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced plans to boost the recovery of the emirate’s tourism industry by rolling out a series of new retail consumer events, promotions, and campaigns in 2021 under its dedicated retail platform, Retail Abu Dhabi. The new events will expand on a successful 2020, which saw a series of innovative programmes, such as the Vogue Fashion’s Night In Powered by Retail Abu Dhabi, seasonal initiatives including the Unbox Amazing summer campaign, and the signature Abu Dhabi Winter Shopping Season, which generated a 23% growth on total transactions (YoY), and 17% growth in spending, with retail sector sales topping AED 2.4bn on Visa cards alone in participating malls. Now, and in line with the latest global trends for innovative and immersive experiences, Retail Abu Dhabi will continue to elevate the consumer shopping experience in Abu Dhabi in partnership with key stakeholders and international brands, by creating exclusive programming for the Abu Dhabi market, promoting the emirate’s global appeal, and stimulating post-pandemic recovery. “2021 will see the most exciting roll-out of dedicated Retail Abu Dhabi programming, as a result of strategic collaborations with a consortium of global and local, public and private sector entities,” said HE Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi. “As partners, we are all striving towards a shared goal, which is injecting purpose, passion and energy into the emirate’s tourism reopening and recovery. Introducing unique and first-in-the-region experiences, Retail Abu Dhabi’s 2021 calendar will continue to offer opportunities for both the retail and tourism industry.” A major contributor to Abu Dhabi’s booming economy, Rabih Al Hajri, Acting Executive Director …

Skyscanner announced the trending destinations for Eid Al Fitr 2021 and the extended summer period. The research demonstrates that the time is now for travel, as MENA travellers are eager to travel safely and responsibly as soon as they can. The top searches for travellers within the UAE and Saudi Arabia during the Eid period included Cairo, Amman and Alexandria for families, whereas groups are turning their attention to Ibiza and Malaga and couples are looking to go to the Maldives, Mauritius and Santorini. For UAE travellers, staycations are still prioritized, with Abu Dhabi, Fujairah or Ras Al Khaimah proving popular. According to Skyscanner’s recent travel trends report – ‘Skyscanner Horizons – The Return of Travel’ – that revealed the top trending destinations globally, Dubai was ranked the 4th most popular destination, likely driven by travellers looking for a holiday, as well as wanting to reunite with friends and family to celebrate Eid. The comprehensive report also highlights that travellers are making their holidays count, as the global average trip length is 16 days in 2021 – two days higher in comparison to 2019 averages. This is a result of shorter journey times as travellers opt for trips that are closer to home, particularly from June to September, with longer trips in October 2021. In 2019, the average journey time from June to October was 11 hours. This has fallen to 10 hours in 2021. Ayoub El Mamoun, Global Travel Expert at Skyscanner shares his tips on how to bag a good last-minute deal and plan ahead for future travels, “Safe and responsible travel remains a key topic for MENA consumers and with travel beginning to re-open across the region, …

Tourism Malaysia announces its participation at the 2021 edition of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2021). Set to take place from Sunday, May 16 to Wednesday, May 19 at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), the Arabian Travel Market marks Tourism Malaysia’s first physical event since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of the relationship between the two nations for Malaysia’s tourism sector. H.E Ambassador of Malaysia to the United Arab Emirates, Mohd Tarid Bin Sufian, stated, “Malaysia has been one of the strongest supporters of the Arabian Travel Market since its inception. Malaysians share many common cultural and religious ties with the people in the region including in promoting tolerance and unity. Discovering Malaysia would bring people closer together and understanding as exemplified by the leaders of the two countries through the exchange of visits including by the Majesty the King Al Sultan Abdullah of Malaysia and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Prime Minister of Malaysia to the UAE as well as by His Highness Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of the UAE to Malaysia recently. These cooperation are further bolstered with Malaysia participation in the coming EXPO 2020, where we aimed to further promote tourism, create more business opportunities and boost bilateral relations with the UAE.” He added “When Malaysia opens its borders, it would welcome again visitors by putting in place the new norms for the hospitality industry to comply with relevant SOPs for Covid19 in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the people and visitors alike. See you soon!” Actively supporting the preparations of Tourism Malaysia for the upcoming Arabian Travel …

Air Arabia Egypt, has announced the introduction of a new service to the capital of Bahrain, Manama with direct flights from Cairo commencing on May 6, 2021. Customers can now book their direct flights between Cairo and Manama by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies. Since COVID-19 outbreak, Air Arabia’s customer journey has been upgraded to include all safety measures that are in line with the highest international measures. Air Arabia’s entire fleet is fitted with HEPA cabin air filters, which help to provide a safer and healthier environment for passengers. Customers are always requested to comply with the conditions and requirements of the countries of departure and destination.

Air Arabia has announced the resumption of direct flights between Sharjah and Almaty starting May 21, 2021. Customers can now book their direct flights between Sharjah and Almaty by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre, or through travel agencies. Ensuring the highest standards of safety at every step of the journey by following all health and safety protocols, Air Arabia has also added to the convenience and confidence of passengers by introducing free COVID-19 insurance coverage. The insurance is automatically included as part of the booking and no additional documents are required from passengers.

TIME Hotels is all set to reveal its plans to open eight new properties across the Middle East and the Indian Ocean, over the next 18 months. The properties, which will see the growth and launch of existing as well as new TIME Hotel brands to key territories throughout the region, will be unveiled during Arabian Travel Market 2021, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 16-19 May. Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels, said, “Our pipeline of hotels and residences will meet the demands of the ‘new normal’ – attracting overseas digital nomads and local visitors for staycations, as well as more traditional business and leisure segments by consistently offering a value-driven, high-quality experience across all of our branded properties. “We currently have 14 properties consisting of 1,465 keys in operation across the UAE and wider GCC with new additional properties opening this year in Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In 2022, we are opening another property and our first hotel in Mauritius, the 120-key TIME Phoenix Hill. “Our goal is to expand our portfolio to 30 properties by 2025,” added Awadalla. “Plans are in place for two floors of this hotel to be reserved exclusively for female travellers, with dedicated services, including: personalised room service, a female-only check-in counter, dedicated ladies-only guest relations, in-house baby-sitting services, and in-room tablets highlighting all of the services offered for women as well as enhanced bathroom amenities in each room,” said Awadalla. During a recent visit to check on the progress of the hotels,  Awadalla commented, “Work is proceeding well at our TIME Marina Hotel and that property should be ready to open in August. As for the TIME …

The 2021 edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2021) taking place for the very first time as a hybrid event from 16-19 May (physical) and 23-25 May (virtual), will see Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) pull out all stops to ensure that the destination remains in the global spotlight with unique events, projects and initiatives designed to further accelerate tourism momentum in this landmark year for Dubai. Over 70 representatives from government bodies, hotels, destination management companies and tour operators will join Dubai Tourism at the Dubai stands in Hall 3 of the Dubai World Trade Centre to safely welcome stakeholders, partners and visitors to a key industry event within a physical setting, as part of continued efforts to lead the recovery of global tourism. Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Tourism said, “ATM will play a pivotal role in strengthening the industry in what continues to be one of the most challenging periods for global tourism. With Dubai being the host destination and as one of the longstanding official partners of the event, our participation together with a cross-section of industry representatives is fundamental to the global efforts underway in dealing with a rapidly evolving situation as well as to drive post-pandemic tourism growth.  As we look forward to support ATM’s efforts to help rebuild the travel sector and facilitate business within our industry, we will also leverage this important platform to showcase the breadth of Dubai’s tourism proposition and innovative projects and initiatives while underlining that the health and safety of residents and visitors remains our top priority. We are committed to realising our tourism strategy of making Dubai the most visited and one of …