Great Britain, the most visited country by GCC travellers are promoting their newest campaign for the visitors from GCC to experience the special Royal residences, cottages, hotels, castles etc. The countdown is on for the Coronation of King Charles III, taking place on Saturday, May 6th, 2023. Whether a royal enthusiast or looking for the ultimate royal treatment, visitors can tread in royal footsteps by staying on or nearby to Britain’s royal residences and estates at cottages, hotels and castles with Royal links all across Britain.  From estates owned by members of the royal family to places and destinations where they have stayed, Britain has an amazing collection of regal places to stay. Sandringham Garden House – located in the Norfolk Coast of England, the country retreat is used by the Monarch and the royal family during the holidays. The garden house on the estate, listed by Norfolk Hideaways, was the former home of the queen’s head gardener and is the closest estate to the royal house and is available for rent. Hampton Court Palace Georgian House – originally the kitchens for George, Prince of Wales, The Georgian House was built in 1719 at Hampton Court Palace and has since been converted into a five-bedroom house.  King Henry VIII was the most famous resident of Hampton Court Palace, along with each of his six wives.  Most palace visitors are typically required to leave the palace grounds at closing, but those staying in the five-bedroom Georgian House can continue to explore the palace’s spectacular courtyards and gardens. The Duchy of Cornwall Holiday Cottages – the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall, are partly owned by royalty as …

 The Kingdom of Bahrain has cemented its business-friendly reputation, ranking 1st globally as the ‘Best Destination for Getting Started Abroad’ in 2023, according to the Expat Essentials Index published by InterNations. The milestone ranking of first in the overall index, which places Bahrain firmly ahead of leading countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Canada, is based on a comprehensive survey that analyses the performance of countries across several key indices, resulting in a comparative scale on both regional and international levels. Citing Bahrain as the ‘ideal place for easy beginnings’, the index surveyed foreigners across 52 countries in the world, rating each destination based on vital aspects typically associated with settling into a country. Alongside its global ranking of 1st overall, the Kingdom additionally ranked 1st in MENA and 11th globally for Digital Life, a testament to Bahrain’s advanced financial and digital infrastructure and progressive regulatory framework. The survey scored countries across four key pillars, analyzing aspects including digital readiness, online government services, ease of digital payments, ease of opening a bank account and obtaining a visa, in addition to ease and affordability of housing. Furthermore, the metrics assessed potential language barriers, in terms of ease of living without speaking the local language, for which Bahrain ranked 4th globally, which reaffirms Bahrain’s business friendly environment and talented workforce that combines highly skilled, multi-lingual, hospitable Bahraini nationals alongside a diverse expat talent pool offering a global perspective. Bahrain also ranked 1st in MENA and 3rd globally in ease of opening a bank account. 67% of surveyed expats reported high levels of ease in dealing with local authorities, versus the global average of 40%. Ranking 2nd globally …

A homegrown Qatari brand with ambitions for international expansion, The Outpost Al Barari is designed to help preserve the natural heritage of its surroundings and is a self-proclaimed ode to the country’s history and culture. Recently opened, visitors can learn about local wildlife on a guided desert walk, or simply bask in the beautiful sunshine at one of the resort’s opulent tented villas. Commenting on one of the country’s most exciting and newest luxury hospitality openings, Co-founder of The Outpost Al Barari, Dr. Peter Van de Bunt said: “The Outpost Al Barari brings an entirely new, one-of-a-kind luxury hospitality concept to Qatar by integrating immersive nature experiences, and sustainability into a close-to-nature resort concept. The resort is all about celebrating the rich natural heritage of Qatar and will be an inspiring place for the domestic, regional, and international traveller to get a well-deserved break from the hectic, overworked world and to learn about Qatar’s stunning natural environment.” He added: “Beyond delivering high-end hospitality, our resort takes guests on an adventurous and thoughtful journey with insightful activities, signature wellness treatments and delectable gastronomic experiences. We are excited to welcome visitors and invite them to indulge in one-of-a-kind hospitality experience that they will love and will never forget.” Reflecting on the expansion of the hospitality landscape in Qatar, Haya Al-Noaimi, Head of Marketing and Promotions Sector, Qatar Tourism, said: “The Outpost Al Barari is sure to become one of Qatar’s most prized luxury leisure destinations. In what has already been a banner year for new hotel and entertainment venue openings, this has been one of the country’s most highly awaited new launches. Sustainability is of paramount importance to the tourism sector and …

As the world’s tallest hotel, Ciel is set to become one of the region’s most famous buildings. The property’s incredible rooftop glass observation deck will make it a magnet for locals and international visitors to the city, promoting the hotel as a one-of-a-kind development in one of the world’s most exciting cities. This global profile makes Ciel one of the hottest investment options in our fast-growing portfolio. Reaching a remarkable height of 365 metres, Ciel in Dubai Marina is a stunning development that will set a new global benchmark as the world’s tallest hotel upon completion. The architectural masterpiece is the latest landmark addition to the Marina district’s world-famous skyline, and The First Group’s largest and most luxurious project to date. Designed by award-winning London-based architect NORR, Ciel features a striking design, contemporary interiors and a remarkable glass observation deck, which will offer incredible 360-degree vistas across Dubai Marina, the Palm Jumeirah and the Arabian Gulf.

Radisson Hotel Group continues its strategic digital transformation with the expansion of its innovative real-time, self-service online booking platform for meetings and events. Book it easy is now available across all key conference hotels in EMEA. This best-in-class digital solution allows meeting and event organizers to save hours of precious time when planning for a meeting and booking a venue by making the process faster and more efficient. In response to the rapidly changing meetings and events landscape for which meeting organizers need to book meetings and events ever more swiftly, Radisson Hotel Group’s Book It Easy platform allows planners to organize events seamlessly by simplifying the venue sourcing and booking process online. Planners can simply enter their event details, check real-time availability of meeting spaces, view the room options with ground-breaking 360 technology, book their preferred venue, and receive instant booking confirmation. Book It Easy key functionalities include: 24/7 real-time availability of meeting spaces 360-degree views of rooms Best available rate guaranteed and transparent pricing Custom-made packages, including AV equipment or additional amenities Easy and secure online payment “We are incredibly proud to have launched our Book It Easy tool successfully across key hotels in our EMEA portfolio over the last 12 months. Radisson Hotel Group has a strong reputation for delivering world-class meetings and events facilities, and we are now making the booking process even easier. We conducted extensive research with our valued meetings and events partners to create this new platform and to ensure it includes all the technology and information required for a seamless, real value, and real time experience,” says Chema Basterrechea, Global President and Chief Operations Officer at Radisson Hotel Group. Radisson Hotel Group …

In line with Kuwait Airways’ expansion plans in the Far East, the company announced the inauguration of its new sales office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The company celebrated the opening of the office in the presence of Kuwait Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi with numerous officials attending the event consisting of dignitaries and representatives, headed by the Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the Kingdom of Malaysia, H.E. Rashid Al-Saleh, and his accompanying delegation, as well as various officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture, travel and tourism companies, and various media representatives and also included honouring outstanding partners from travel and tourism offices. Speaking on the occasion, Kuwait Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi welcomed the attendees, and extended his sincere thanks to the guests for accepting KAC’s invitation. Razouqi in his speech stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased and honoured to be present to participate in the inaugural ceremony of its new sales office in Kuala Lumpur and to honour our successful partners. The opening of the office comes within the framework of the Blue Bird’s preparations for the summer season of 2023 and is part of the company’s objectives to expand and launch new destinations to provide the best services to our valued customers, in addition to meeting their requirements. The new office is situated in a distinguished location in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, which is easily accessible to KAC’s customers.” Razouqi added, “Kuala Lumpur is one of Kuwait Airway’s most important destinations. Since its launch in October 2022 with two flights per week, there has been a growing demand from our valued passengers to travel …

Creating a new milestone in its network expansion strategy, SalamAir has announced direct flights to two new destinations Mashhad in Iran and Almaty in Kazakhstan. Mashhad is the third destination in Iran for the airline, with flights to Shiraz and Tehran already in its network, and Almaty is the airline’s first entry into Kazakhstan. Weekly flights from Muscat to Mashhad and Almaty are scheduled for starting from February 21 and 1st July 2023 respectively. These two routes serve a high demand for medical, business, and leisure tourism. The new flights will also offer convenient connections to the SalamAir network. Speaking of the two new routes, Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, said, “Iran has been one of the key focus markets for us, and we are pleased to launch the third destination to the country. The steady bilateral connection and strong cultural and economic ties between Oman and Iran have given significant momentum to our growth plans and enabled the route’s success. Speaking of the 2nd destinations, he added; This is our first introduction into Kazakhstan; the city of Almaty has promising passenger travel into Muscat, and we expect to carry both business travelers and holidaymakers between the two important cities. Oman and Kazakhstan recently agreed to have close bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, renewable energy, tourism, and food security too thus this route being mutually beneficial.” Mashhad The holly city is the capital of Khorasan province in northeast Iran and the second largest city in the country, Mashhad is best known for the shrine of Imam Reza. Every year, millions of people visit the holy shrine considered the largest and most magnificent of its kind.. Mashhad is …

Ibrahim Nalkhande is the newly appointed General Manager at Business Travel LLC, a leading Dubai based Travel Management Company. Nalkhande, described as a man of wisdom, insight and understanding, said he is very excited about the upcoming challenges and opportunities. Having established reputation in the travel industry and got experience from some of the renowned brands of the industry, Nalkhande said he had a clear mandate to take Business Travel to the next summit. The fiscal year 2023 started with a very positive note special mention to first two months recorded performance, the momentum will gain further pace , and I am optimistic that we will exceed the pre-pandemic numbers in this year stated Nalkhande. I am very excited with the new role and challenges that lie ahead for m in my new assignment. I will use the diversified experience and expertise of Travel Industry for the betterment, growth and profitable business development of Business Travel LLC said Nalkhande who shares the vision of Rashid Al Noori, the Chairman and stalwart of the industry, the visionary of ‘Business Travel LLC ‘an expanding conglomerate that saw its beginning in Dubai in 2006.

As part of its continuous efforts to support the development of the travel and tourism sectors in the KSA and the growth and sustainability of the national tourism sector, Elaf Group participated recently in the debut edition of the Saudi Tourism Forum, the leading platform highlighting most important trends and latest developments in the Saudi tourism sector, which congregated over  350  specialised entities in the Saudi tourism industry, at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Centre. The forum served as an ideal platform for Elaf Group to highlight its leading portfolio of services in the field of hospitality, tourism, and travel. The group’s pavilion attracted a sizeable turnout amid a significant appreciation for its services, programs and exclusive offers that support Saudi Arabia’s effort in achieving “Saudi Vision 2030”. Elaf’s involvement in the event, which attracted significant local, regional, and international participation from investors, experts, and organisations involved in the travel and tourist business, is in line with its efforts to boost regional tourism. Additionally, the forum held a group of panel sessions exploring prevalent challenges facing the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Adel Ezzat, CEO of Elaf Group, took part in a panel discussion that covered a range of topics, including the use of technology in tourism, hospitality’s future in Saudi Arabia, the role of transportation in the tourism industry and Saudi ecotourism. Ezzat further highlighted the potential for growth in the tourism and hospitality industries as well as the solutions needed to enhance performance in both industries in line with Saudi Vision 2030. Dr. Ezzat emphasised the importance of the tourism sector in the KSA, for its contributions in supporting the growth of the national economy. He …

Kuwait Airways announced the signing of a bilateral interline agreement with Malaysia Airlines to enhance the framework of cooperation between the two carriers in the commercial air transport sector, commencing from 1st April 2023. The agreement was signed by Kuwait Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi and the Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airlines, Captain Izham Ismail on the side-lines of a ceremony held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, which was attended by numerous officials, representing both airlines. Speaking on the occasion, KAC’s Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to sign the bilateral interline agreement with Malaysia Airlines. This agreement is the first partnership which will further facilitate a strategic cooperation with Malaysia Airlines, across multiple areas and in all fields of the aviation sector. This is also an important part of the historical and strong relations between the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Malaysia, which are characterized by an understanding at all political, economic, and cultural levels between both the countries.” Razouqi added, “This strategic cooperation will benefit all parties, as Malaysia Airlines is one of the leading airlines in the regional and global market with a great history in the aviation sector. We are hopeful that this agreement will bring about the best prospects through the expansion of both airlines’ global network and contribute effectively to achieving the desired objectives.” Razouqi continued by saying, “The enhanced partnership will enable Kuwait Airways to expand its network and serve its passengers through Malaysia Airlines operations, connectivity to several cities in Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand including to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland, Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, and Singapore, in addition to …