flydubai launched additional routes bringing its network to more than 80 destinations. The carrier will grow its network in Russia to 11 points with of the introduction of new services to Moscow Zhukovski International Airport (ZIA) from 12 May, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo International Airport (OVB) from 28 May and Perm International Airport (PEE) from 02 June, while resuming operations to four more points in the market in May. The carrier also announced the resumption of flights to Bandar Abbas International Airport (BND) from 12 May and Mashhad International Airport (MHD) from 13 May, growing its operations in Iran to five points including Larr (LRR), Shiraz (SYZ) and Tehran (IKA). flydubai recently announced that it will be operating seasonal flights to Bodrum (BJV) and Trabzon(TZX) in Turkey as well as Batumi (BUS) in Georgia. The carrier is set to restart its seasonal operations to Tivat International Airport (TIV) in Montenegro from 25 June, offering passengers more choice to travel to popular destinations this summer. Commenting on the announcement, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said, “We’ve made Dubai much more accessible and at the same time improved connectivity to more than 155 destinations from Dubai’s international aviation hub. Today, we are pleased to see our operations take off once again as we continue to support trade and travel between the countries.” Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, added, “We recognise that since the pandemic it has not been possible for our customers to travel as much as they would have liked.  The launch of these new points in Russia along with the resumption of flights to a number of destinations on our network will hopefully …

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 has reconfirmed that Dubai will host the largest in-person travel & tourism event in the world, since the onset of the pandemic last year. Now in its 28th year, ATM 2021 will go-ahead at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Sunday 16 to Wednesday 19 May, as final preparations are being put in place. “The theme of this year’s show is ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’ and the spotlight will be focused on the very latest ‘COVID’ news from around the world – vaccine rollouts, the current state of the industry and more importantly, what the future holds,” said Claude Blanc, Portfolio Director, WTM& IBTM Portfolios. “This underscores the importance of ATM, connecting destinations with their source markets,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market. “It is imperative that we include a virtual element, many industry professionals from around the world, may not be able to attend in-person every year, particularly this year with travel restrictions changing rapidly around the globe,” said Curtis. “Due to Dubai’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of health and safety and its effective citywide management of the pandemic, it was awarded a ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC),” added Curtis.

The much-awaited Arabian Travel Market will kick off from 16th to 19th May 2021 at the World Trade Center after battling a pandemic over the past year. In-person on the show floor, 62 countries are being represented. They include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Germany, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Italy, Greece, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the USA to name but a few. Danielle Curtis, Exhibitor Director ME, Arabian Travel Market shared, “ ATM 2021 will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, spread across nine halls. Consistent with the existing social distancing guidelines and regulations, there will be 11,000 people in the halls at any given time. In a bid to provide a safe, touchless and seamless experience for everyone, ATM will strictly adhere to the health and safety guidelines laid out by relevant government authorities. In addition to Reed Exhibitions’ Global COVID-19 ‘Safety Shows’ Health & Safety strategy, ATM is working closely with the team at the Dubai World Trade Centre and with our Global Operations team.” A range of measures will be put into place to ensure physical distancing whenever possible, as well as a number of enhanced cleaning regimes, in collaboration with the venue. As part of our check and balance regulations, to manage any potential overcrowding, the number of people allowed on each stand will be prominently displayed to ensure density rules are met. All exhibitors will be using the Emperia application to scan visitor badges to capture valuable leads and in the venue, printed directional arrows will be displayed on the aisles to manage two-way and one-way traffic appropriately.

Global Village concluded its Silver Jubilee Season in spectacular fashion, having set out in October with the aim of breaking 25 Guinness World Records to honour the milestone anniversary, this vision became a reality as the 25th title was claimed in style. Global Village’s attempt to break the “Highest altitude skydiving fireworks display” was successful, adding the finishing touch to a memorable Season. Jaki Ellenby, Executive Director marketing, Global Village said: “It seems like just yesterday that we took the decision to attempt 25 records in just 6 months as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations. It has been an incredible journey… not always easy, but always exciting and our team rose to the challenge with passion and resilience. We have worked with some truly amazing organisations and individuals to accomplish this feat including the largest rock band on earth, Rockin’1000, Emirates, Jumeirah, ARN, SkyDive Dubai, Miraj Entertainment and we are especially grateful for the support of all our commercial partners, exhibitors and their teams.” Shaddy Gaad, Senior Marketing Manager – Guinness World Records MENA said, “Driven by the passion to create newsworthy and shareable content, Global Village created one of the biggest marketing campaigns this season to celebrate its Silver Jubilee. It is an incredible milestone to be the first brand in the MENA region to break 25 world records, many of which were dedicated to good causes including donation campaigns, online pledges, and distributing food packages to charities. Congratulations to Global Village on reaching this remarkable achievement, you are Officially Amazing.”

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) will establish an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates within 2021, as part of its strategic efforts to achieve the Japanese government’s goal of welcoming 60 million international visitors to Japan by 2030. It is the first such office by JNTO to open in the Middle East, and will be a focal point for the organization’s promotional efforts in showcasing Japan as a preferred travel destination for residents in the region. JNTO has positioned the Middle East as a priority market and will promote tourism exchange between the Middle East and Japan in order to strengthen the relationship between the two. As part of its promotional efforts for 2021, JNTO will exhibit at the Middle East’s largest tourism exhibition; Arabian Travel Market Hybrid (ATM 2021). ATM will take place in Dubai from 16th to 19th May, and then on a virtual platform from 24th to 26th May, 2021. A key objective for JNTO at these events will be the generation of awareness amongst the Middle East region’s leading travel and media professionals. It will highlight Japan’s unique and diverse tourist attractions, that have been collectively assembled under the promotional banner of “Japan. Endless Discovery”. Satoshi Seino, President, JNTO said, “JNTO is proud to open an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates this year, which will be the first such office to open in the whole Middle East by JNTO. Japan is a country with a long history, abundant nature and a unique culture. We are internationally renowned for our delicious cuisine, beaches, skiing, pop culture, shopping, and historic wooden architecture such as shrines and temples. A trip to Japan will surely be an unforgettable and …

Dubai Calendar, part of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), has highlighted an exciting array of events and entertainment taking place in Dubai in May and June. From comedy nights to concerts and spectacular performances, the season promises a vibrant schedule of activities on Dubai Calendar that are sure to appeal to visitors and residents of all ages and interests. As one of the first few cities in the world to have restarted the events sector including the hosting of live events with stringent precautionary measures in place, guests can feel confident in attending their favourite shows within a highly safe environment. In line with government efforts to safeguard the public, all events are held with strict adherence to safety measures including contactless payment, temperature checks upon arrival at the venue, wearing of masks at all times during the event and adhering to social distancing. Connoisseurs of comedy have an extensive list of events to choose from, starting this May with the city’s highly anticipated Dubai Comedy Festival, which is returning after a resoundingly successful 2020 event. With an exhilarating line-up of world-class comedians, this edition of Dubai Comedy Festival is sure to draw a smile on everyone’s faces with 10 days of unmissable shows taking place all over the city. From 13 to 22 May, residents and visitors can look forward to an outstanding programme of stand-up sets, energetic variety shows and on-site activations from an international roster of comedians such as Gad Elmaleh, Eddie Griffin, Maz Jobrani, Nemr, Alexander Revva and more.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announces the addition of Marc Speichert to its executive leadership team in the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “Marc is an outstanding marketer and strategic business builder – a digital innovator with a global outlook who understands the evolving needs of the luxury consumer,” says John Davison, President and Chief Executive Officer, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “His experience and vision will be fundamental to the path forward for Four Seasons, driving continued customer growth, revenue and brand recognition.” “Marc’s global experience and marketing acumen are matched by his reputation as an inspiring leader, with a collaborative style that extends through his work and to those he works with. His appreciation for Four Seasons people, culture and values further strengthens our executive team as we continue to extend Four Seasons leadership position worldwide,” continues Davison. Commenting on his new role, Speichert says, “Four Seasons leadership legacy is undisputed in the luxury space. This is a company that continually embraces new opportunities, while remaining focused on its core business principles and unwavering in its commitment to excellence. The opportunity to play a role in the growth of this iconic luxury brand is tremendously exciting. There is unlimited potential ahead and I look forward to collaborating with Four Seasons teams around the world to continue elevating the guest experience and deepening the connection with those who know and love Four Seasons.”

Rohit Shorey leads Kazin DMC along with Air Astana conducted a one-week-long B2B networking meeting with potential tour operators based in Dubai, Sharjah & Ras Al Khaimah. The purpose of the visit was to educate the agents about Kazakhstan as a potential tourist destination with USPs such as good weather, natural beauty, myriads of attractions & free visa making the central Asian country a very lucrative travel destination for the Emiratis. Air Astana operates 8 weekly flights to Kazakhstan with a travel time of 4 hours.

Oman Air announced that it has updated its flight schedule for operations between Muscat (MCT) and Dubai (DXB). The updated flights are now available for booking for travel between 29th April and 30th June 2021, and guests are invited to visit the Oman Air website or contact the Oman Air Call Centre for more details. Flight schedule is as follows: 29th April to 26th June 2021: Thursday and Saturday flights from Muscat will depart at 01:55 and arrive in Dubai at 03:10. Thursday and Saturday flights from Dubai will depart at 06:05 and arrive in Muscat at 07:20. 2nd May to 30th June 2021: Wednesday and Sunday flights from Muscat will depart at 14:25 and arrive in Dubai at 15:40. Wednesday and Sunday flights from Dubai will depart at 17:15 and arrive in Muscat at 18:30 29th April to 26th June 2021: Thursday and Saturday flights from Muscat will depart at 20:15 and arrive in Dubai at 21:25. Thursday and Saturday flights from Dubai will depart at 23:00 and arrive in Muscat at 00:20.

Oman Air announces that it has signed a codeshare agreement with EGYPTAIR, the national carrier of Egypt and one of the leading carriers in the MENA region. The codeshare agreement on flights between Muscat and Cairo was signed as part of both airlines’ commitment to work toward a strong restart for air travel to overcome the effects of the spread of Covid-19 on the aviation sector and to expand their destination offering to customers. The agreement means that guests on both airlines can now benefit from a wider choice of destinations in both countries, and beyond—travellers from Muscat have easy access to EGYPTAIR domestic destinations – Sharm El-Sheikh, Luxor, Aswan, and Hurghada, as well as Casablanca (Morocco) on the airline’s international network; travellers from Cairo have easy access to popular Oman Air domestic destination Salalah as well as international destinations Karachi (Pakistan), Colombo (Sri Lanka), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Eng. Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Chief Executive Officer Oman Air said that the challenges facing all airlines since the onset of the pandemic have led to new strategic partnerships which ultimately create a stronger network ecosystem with more options for passengers. “EGYPTAIR has a remarkable, long-standing history in the MENA region and enjoys a strong international presence as a Star Alliance member. The codeshare agreement with Oman Air offers guests from Muscat more options for discovering Egypt, whether for business or leisure, and plays a vital role in the travel restart endeavours of both airlines.” On the other hand, Pilot Amr Abu El-Enein, EGYPTAIR HOLDING Chairman & CEO, said that cooperation with partners is essential for sustainability during this critical period, therefore, signing this agreement between two partners with special attributes like …