Amilla Maldives Resort and Residencies has partnered with Mohamed Al Geziry Consultancy (MAGC). As one of the region’s most prominent hospitality and tourism consultancy, sales and representation groups, MAGC will help elevate awareness within the GCC region of the five-star resort, which is located in the renowned Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. MAGC is recognized in the GCC as an indigenously grown industry leader in tourism and hospitality representation. With two decades of experience with global clients in both the government and private sector, this exciting partnership will actively drive brand recognition of Amilla Maldives in the Middle East market. The Middle East region is one of the fastest growing, tourist-generating regions in the world, as outbound travel quadrupled within the last 20 years, according to the United Nations World Travel Organization. This partnership is the result of Amilla Maldives’ ongoing evolution. Having redefined and rebranded its enticing and pioneering unique selling points, as well as launched a revolutionary Residence Ownership scheme, the innovative Maldives resort is driving awareness amongst travellers and travel industry players in key strategic markets within the region.  The move is timely, since Amilla has weathered the pandemic through its dynamic response and development of exemplary COVID-prevention protocols and is now looking forward to nurturing new and developing markets (as well as welcoming back established markets). While the travel industry as a whole continues to navigate the changing landscapes, there are signs of hope on the horizon thanks to newly developed vaccines.  

Seychelles, one of the top tourist destinations for GCC travellers, leaps towards immunisation as the country launched its national COVID-19 Immunization Campaign on Sunday, January 10, 2021.Being the first country in Africa to start a COVID-19 national vaccination program, Seychelles aims to be the first country in the world to vaccinate 70% of the over 18 years of age population in order to achieve herd immunity.Leading by example, is the President of the Republic of Seychelles, H E Wavel Ramkalawan, as he takes the SinoPharm COVID-19 Vaccine, making him the first Head of State in Africa to take the first jab. President Ramkalawan also gave special thanks to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the donation of 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, which was offered during President Ramkalawan’s visit to Abu Dhabi in December. The President added that this is a testimony of the excellent friendly ties that exists between the two nations that have been further consolidated through continuous support for the mutual benefit of both peoples. “With such a robust vaccination campaign, Seychelles aims to be the first country in the world to vaccinate at least 70% of its over 18 population. From there we will be able to declare Seychelles as being COVID safe,” President Ramkalawan emphasized.  The president added that the UAE Government would also be donating another batch of vaccines to the country soon.President Ramkalawan also thanked the Indian Government for an offer of 100,000 doses of the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine which is due to arrive in the country at the end of January.Speaking of …

Ascott has entered into a franchise agreement with Al Majed Hotel Management WLL, announced the signing of its newest property, Somerset Al Mansoura Doha, set to open in Qatar’s capital in Q4 2021.The new serviced residence marks the group’s second property in the country under the name of “Somerset Al Mansoura Doha”, and will operate as a franchised property, in partnership with Al Majed Group Holding, a family business established in 1943. Mr. Vincent Miccolis, Ascott’s Regional General Manager for the Middle East, Africa, Turkey & India, says: “We are delighted to sign the franchise agreement with Al Majed Hotel Management WLL, to develop Somerset Al Mansoura Doha in one of the city’s most prominent central districts.  Doha is a modern and thriving city with rapidly developing infrastructure and progressive architecture, and we are confident that this new property – under our award-winning Somerset brand of serviced apartments – will provide exclusive extended-stay offerings for business and leisure travellers.” Jacob V Jacob, CFO & VPA, Al Majed Group Holding said, “ Ascott is a reputed global brand and our association will ensure that Somerset Al Mansoura offers the best of serviced apartments in the country. Located in the heart of Doha, Somerset Al Mansoura serviced apartments are designed to provide the utmost in comfort and convenience with a range of leisure and recreation facilities.We are sure that guests will experience the true essence of Qatari hospitality blended perfectly with Ascott authenticity at Somerset Al Mansoura in Doha.”

Adults who book their next flight to Abu Dhabi or Dubai with Etihad Airways can take their children for free. With every adult ticket booked before January 28, 2021, for travel until September 30, 2021, up to two children will travel free – so two adults can bring four children, free. Fares to Abu Dhabi and Dubai start from just GBP 299 in Economy class. To give guests peace of mind and to offer an extra level of reassurance to travel, Etihad is the only airline in the world requiring 100% of its passengers to show a negative PCR test before departure, and on arrival in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is a diverse destination with desertscapes, fabulous beaches and warm, clear waters. The modern, cosmopolitan capital city features thrilling headline attractions such as Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, as well as cultural highlights including the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the famous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Adventurers will appreciate the opportunity the emirate presents for kayaking in the mangroves, sand boarding in the desert, jet-skiing, go-karting and more. Travellers in need of rest and rejuvenation will find peace in the many tranquil spaces across the city, from serene beaches to luxury spas. Flying to, from, and via Abu Dhabi is supported by the airline’s fully redesigned Etihad Wellness sanitisation and safety programme, which ensures the highest standards of hygiene are maintained at every stage of the customer journey. This includes specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who have been introduced by the airline to provide essential travel health information and care on the ground and on every flight, so guests can fly with …

General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA–Dubai) and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) have signed a strategic partnership agreement to enhance cooperation and promote online services and platforms designed to facilitate processes for the issuance of residency permits for various investor programmes and special visas.  These include the Distinguished Guests and the Virtual Working programmes, ‘Golden Visas’ for investors and retirement visa for retirees. H.E. Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General, GDRFA – Dubai, said “We are committed to strengthen and consolidate cooperation between various government and private sectors in the UAE in general and Dubai in particular, as well as exchange experiences in order to facilitate procedures for residency permits for different categories of people. This agreement further enhances the existing strategic relations between GDRFA – Dubai and Dubai Tourism and our efforts to support Dubai’s role regionally and internationally and enhance its image as the preferred tourism and global investment destination.” H.E. Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), commented, “Our agreement with GDRFA-Dubai will boost recently launched development strategies inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai as the preferred destination for global travellers and foreigners seeking residency. With a modern lifestyle, world class infrastructure and healthcare system, and a diversity of tourism experiences, Dubai offers the perfect residency option for entrepreneurs, investors and professionals. “As we continuously strive to innovate in showcasing the city as a must-visit destination, spurred on by new trends in global travel and the significant shift …

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced a new initiative to reimagine travel for Singapore and the rest of the world, by sparking conversations, stories and ideas to collectively shape the future of our sector.Called SingapoReimagine, this platform will kick off with ‘Reimagine Travel – Global Conversations’, a series of forums around the world to catalyse discussions on how to reshape global travel. For a start, STB will share our learnings on how the public and private sectors have come together to create new possibilities for our visitors. As part of the forums, global partners will be invited to share knowledge and exchange ideas, with the first one in Singapore this year before being hosted in other parts of the world. Closer to home, STB will also roll out “Reimagine Travel in Singapore”, a series of engagements with passionate members of the local community and tourism partners to co-create ideas and spur the renewal of Singapore tourism. This complements the SingapoRediscovers domestic campaign , which encourages locals to rediscover and reconnect with Singapore’s hidden gems and experiences. Keith Tan, Chief Executive, STB said, “COVID-19 is the biggest crisis we have ever faced in travel and tourism. But it also offers us an opportunity to reset and revive our industries in ways that we never imagined was possible a year ago. The journey to reimagine travel has already started in Singapore, and we want to continue this journey with those whose voices matter – our community in Singapore, and our partners here and around the world. We look forward to co-creating ideas and strategies with all of them, to make travel better.”

Lufthansa Group airlines and Sabre Corporation announced a new, mutually flexible distribution agreement that enables modern airline retailing as well as technology innovation. Under the agreement, which covers the carriers Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Air Dolomiti and Brussels Airlines, Sabre will continue to distribute Lufthansa Group airlines’ content through traditional connectivity to hundreds of thousands of travel agents and thousands of corporations through its global distribution system (GDS). In addition, the agreement enables the distribution of Lufthansa Group airlines’ content via the New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard in the Sabre travel marketplace. “Our agreement with Sabre is a landmark deal for airline distribution. I am very excited to shape our joint path towards modern airline retailing and innovate by introducing a diversified NDC program with associated commercial models, – enabling agencies to agree bilaterally on NDC with Lufthansa Group airlines”, says Tamur Goudarzi Pour, Senior Vice President Revenue Management and Distribution Lufthansa Group Network Airlines and Chief Commercial Officer SWISS. “Sabre and Lufthansa Group airlines share an ambition to innovate at the forefront of our industry. Through this new level of flexibility, we jointly enable a diverse distribution ecosystem, extend the reach of NDC and allow for differentiated commercial models. With this customer-oriented agreement, Sabre and the Lufthansa Group airlines team up to put the interests of our travel agency partners and our joint clients at center stage.” “Today maybe more than ever, we are looking to engage creatively with our airline and agency partners to deliver outcomes that provide added value to all players in the travel ecosystem,” says Dave Shirk, President, Sabre Travel Solutions. “Sabre is committed to finding flexible, sustainable solutions that address traveler expectations, deliver against …

Qatar Airways resumed flights to Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a daily service. QR1164 from Hamad International Airport to King Khalid International Airport took off in Doha at 13:45 local time and landed safely at its destination at 15:10. The flight was operated by Qatar Airways’ Airbus A350-1000. Later this week, Qatar Airways will resume flights to Jeddah on Friday January 15 (QR1188 departing DOH at 18:50) and to Dammam on Saturday January 16 (QR 1150 departing Doha at 17:10). Passengers from KSA can once again enjoy the award-winning Qsuite, featuring sliding privacy doors and the option to use a ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ indicator. The Qsuite seat layout is a 1-2-1 configuration, providing passengers with one of the most spacious, fully private, comfortable, and socially distanced products in the sky. The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 110 destinations with plans to increase to over 125 by the end of March 2021. A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.

Oman Air is adding flights connecting Muscat with 25 cities including Doha, Dubai and London. Flights are added starting early January 2021. Flights connecting Muscat and Doha will also increase from 2 to 4 per week. Flights connecting Muscat and Dubai will increase from 3 to 5 flights per week. Flights connecting Muscat and London will increase from 2 to 3 flights per week. Additionally, flights will be added to and from Muscat to Mumbai, Cairo, Kochi, Delhi, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Lahore and Chennai. Oman Air will continue to maintain its comprehensive safety program throughout all elements of the travel journey to ensure that guests fly confidently. Masks are required when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman’s airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day. Cabin crew all wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety and a number of other steps have been taken to ensure that the airline’s guests and crew are safe at all times.

Pegasus Airlines announced commencement of Muscat (MCT) – Istanbul Sabiha (SAW) v.v., to thrice a week operations effective Monday January 18, 2021. One way fare starts from AED520/-including all taxes and 20kg check-in baggage + 01 piece hand luggage allowance.Round trip fares start from AED1000/- including all taxes and 20kg check-in baggage + 01 piece hand luggage allowance.