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Hilton and Saudi Tourism Authority collaborate to attract visitors to the Kingdom

Hilton announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) towards exploring cooperation opportunities between the two entities and developing creative content, with the aim of attracting visitors from key markets across the Middle East and Africa to the Kingdom. Signing this MoU comes as part of the STA’s ongoing commitment and efforts to forge strong partnerships with key players in Saudi Arabia’s tourism ecosystem, working closely with these partners to promote destinations in the Kingdom and provide inspiring tourism experiences. This most recent partnership also highlights Hilton’s presence and growth in Saudi Arabia, where it currently operates 16 hotels – with another 51 in the pipeline and plans to grow its portfolio to more 75 hotels in the coming years. “We are very excited to sign this agreement, which comes in alignment with Hilton’s longstanding relationship with the Saudi Tourism Authority over the years and is a reiteration of our commitment towards the tourism sector in the Kingdom,” Ajami said. “Through this partnership, we aim to attract travellers from the Middle East and Africa who are looking to explore the Kingdom’s diverse tourism offerings while staying with a global hospitality brand they know and trust.” “This Memorandum of Understanding with global hospitality leader, Hilton, aligns with our strategy to partner with key international brands and corporations that are working in alignment with our vision, attracting new segments of regional tourists and helping us achieve our 2030 objectives,” said Abdulkarim Al-Darwish, CEO of the Middle East and African Markets, STA. Hilton’s portfolio in the Kingdom includes iconic properties such as the Waldorf Astoria Jeddah – Qasr al Sharq, Conrad Makkah, Jeddah Hilton and Hilton …

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Al Rostamani Travel and Holidays and Saudi Tourism Authority unite to bolster Saudi Arabia Tourism in the UAE

Al Rostamani Travel and Holidays and the Saudi Tourism Authority are excited to announce a new strategic partnership. This cooperative endeavour focuses on promoting tourism in Saudi Arabia to UAE residents. Under this agreement, Al Rostamani Travel and the Saudi Tourism Authority will work together to showcase the natural wonders, cultural heritage, and unmatched hospitality of Saudi Arabia to travelers from the UAE. The goal is to create unparalleled travel experiences, fostering deeper connections and understanding between the two nations. The partnership aims to offer UAE travelers the chance to immerse themselves in Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes, including the awe-inspiring rock formations of Al Ula, the bustling streets of Riyadh, the tranquil Red Sea coast, and the breathtaking archaeological marvels of Madain Saleh. Al Rostamani Travel and the Saudi Tourism Authority are committed to providing seamless travel experiences that exceed expectations with tailor-made itineraries, curated tours, and exceptional customer service. Bimal Jain, General Manager of Al Rostamani Travel and Holidays, and Khalid Khan, GCC Trade Director for the Saudi Tourism Authority, officially signed the agreement at the Arabian Travel Market event. Expressing gratitude for the trust placed in Al Rostamani Travel, the organization acknowledges the significance of this partnership in supporting Saudi Arabia’s vision to establish itself as a leading global tourism destination. By leveraging their expertise and resources, both entities will work towards raising awareness about the incredible tourism offerings of Saudi Arabia and inviting UAE travelers to embark on unforgettable journeys. As this collaboration unfolds, the public can look forward to more exciting updates and initiatives to showcase the wonders of Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry. Al Rostamani Travel and the Saudi Tourism Authority are determined to create memorable …

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Dubai underlines commitment to achieving D33 goals through business events by participating at IMEX 2023

Dubai Business Events (DBE) has kicked off its participation at IMEX Frankfurt 2023, bringing its largest ever delegation of co-exhibitors from across the city and engaging in a full schedule of engagements and interactions with buyers, industry partners and stakeholders, with over 1,000 meetings expected over the course of three days (23-25 May). The strong presence at IMEX is underlining the contribution business events are set to make towards achieving the goals of the ambitious Dubai Economic Agenda D33. The city’s official convention bureau, part of the Department of Economy and Tourism, is once again highly visible at the major industry trade show, which is being attended by over 4,000 meeting planners from around the world. DBE has been joined by 35 co-exhibitors from across the city’s business events ecosystem, including hotels, venues, attractions, destination management companies and airlines. Among them are Dubai World Trade Centre, Emirates, Expo City Dubai and various hotels groups. Launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai this January, D33 aims to double Dubai’s economy over the next decade and consolidate its position among the top three global cities Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said: “Dubai’s business events ecosystem continues to be an important driver of not only increased visitation to the city and tourism-related GDP, but also the development of key sectors and the growth of the wider knowledge economy. The city’s robust presence at IMEX presents a strong message to the global industry that Dubai can provide them with a comprehensive platform for sharing knowledge, professional development and networking. From association congresses and corporate meetings …

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Philippine tourism focuses on halal tourism

Philippine Tourism is currently participating at the Riyadh Travel Fair in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with their valued travel and tourism partners to portray the many diverse offerings to the Middle Eastern travellers. Her Excellency Myra Paz Valderosa Abubakar, Undersecretary, Department of Tourism speaking with TravelTV Middle East shared the importance of the Middle Eastern markets and their focus on halal tourism. “Middle East market is a very important market for us and we are participating at the Riyadh Travel Fair as we are focusing on Muslim friendly travel from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the greater Middle East. Recently, in the Philippines we passed the Memorandum circular where in accommodation establishments could be Muslim friendly recognized so that they can get certificates so its very easy for our accommodation establishments in Philippines to be Muslim friendly recognized, we have 6 guidelines to follow and then 5 percent of the total number of rooms in an accommodation establishment in the Philippines should be Muslim friendly. So what do we mean by Muslim friendly, so each room will have the direction sticker (the kibla) that is very important, in our front desk, we encourage at least one Muslim employee to be able to greet our Muslim guests coming in and we have asked them to make available at the front desk a list of the prayer times as normally when you come from another country time changes so at least you have a copy of that so that you will be able to know what time to follow for prayer. Also, a list of masjids in the area or mosques so if they want to go for Friday prayers …

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MS Amadea makes its inaugural sailing to Saudi

PIF-owned Cruise Saudi has welcomed MS Amadea to Saudi waters for the first time. More than 400 international passengers experienced Saudi’s unique history, natural wonders and warm and welcoming hospitality. MS Amadea is operated by German-based travel agency Phoenix Reisen. The stop in Jeddah is part of a 150-day worldwide itinerary, with the ship concluding its voyage in Nice on 22nd May 2023. During its maiden call to Jeddah, a plaque and key exchange ceremony was held with the Cruise Saudi team and the captain of MS Amadea. After Jeddah, the ship travelled further along the Red Sea to Hurghada, Egypt, and continued to Nice for the end of the trip. Commenting on MS Amadea’s visit, Cruise Saudi Director, Port, Terminal & Asset Operations, Serafin Blazquez, said: “Relationships with global cruise liners, travel agents and tour operators are hugely important to our strategy in growing Saudi as a tourism destination, and we’re thrilled to have partnered with MS Amadea in welcoming new travellers to experience all that Saudi has to offer.” MS Amadea Captain Martin Rittig said: “It was a pleasure to visit Saudi for the first time. We received excellent feedback from our passengers and were particularly impressed by the enthusiasm shown by all parties. ” “During the traditional plaque exchange ceremony, you could really feel the passion and motivation from the team. Based on this first experience, we are really looking forward to coming back and to watch Saudi grow as a cruise destination.” Launched in 2021, Cruise Saudi was created to develop the infrastructure and services required to scale a full-suite cruise market in Saudi Arabia. The company is responsible for the development and operation of cruise berths and …

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SAUDIA, Accenture to transform guest experience

SAUDIA has signed an agreement with global professional services firm Accenture paving the way for a digital transformation program that will make the airline’s guest experience seamless and highly personalized while improving operational efficiency. His Excellency the Director General of SAUDIA Group, Eng. Ibrahim bin Abdul Rahman Al-Omar and the Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, Julie Sweet, during a meeting to announce the new collaboration. Through this agreement, SAUDIA will use artificial intelligence technologies to significantly enhance its digital infrastructure and build more than 260 new digital and electronic services in two years. SAUDIA’s guests will be able to enjoy more personalized services and a smooth travel experience possible across the entire travel cycle, from ticket search and booking to check-in, and from in-flight services to post-sale support. All the digital systems developed by Accenture will be designed specifically for SAUDIA, increasing operational efficiency and reducing operational costs, thanks to a new enterprise-wide cloud-based data foundation. This agreement will include several tracks to enhance SAUDIA’s guest value and help deliver the company’s strategic objectives. Specific initiatives will include a digital experience studio, digital infrastructure decoupling that accelerates and de-risks digital transformation processes, modernization of technical systems, creation of a cloud data lake, and development of a smart guest care center. “SAUDIA is looking to reimagine how our guests can choose, buy and enjoy leisure, business, and religious experiences,” said Dr. Khaled Alhazmi, Chief Information Officer, SAUDIA. “With Accenture’s support, we will create seamless and curated journeys with hyper-relevant experiences across digital and human-driven interactions. Guests will be able to modify flights, purchase transit eVisas, and enjoy new self-service features across all digital channels.” “Through this strategic collaboration, our primary aim …

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Careem and STA Sign MoU to Improve Visitor Experience with Exclusive Deals and Offerings

Leading multi-service app in the region, Careem, has announced signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) to explore opportunities for collaboration and introduce exceptional offerings, exclusive packages, and special discounts that boost the overall tourism experience. General Manager of Individual Transportation Services at Careem in Saudi Arabia, “We are delighted to establish this valuable partnership with STA, with the goal of utilizing Careem’s advanced technologies, extensive audience, and wide customer base to offer effortless services and attractive deals that improve the general experience of visitors coming from the GCC and the Middle East,” said Ahmed Orabi, adding, “We have rolled out our first batch of offerings under the MoU targeting visitors to Saudi Arabia, featuring exclusive deals of flights from international airports in the Middle East.” “This MoU with Careem proves once again STA’s commitment to partnering with leading companies in the region and offering outstanding services and packages, as well as its aim of collaborating closely with its partners to improve the tourism experience by sharing insights and jointly working towards mutual benefits.” said Abdulkarim Aldarwish, President of Middle East & Africa Markets at STA. The MoU was announced during the 30th Arabian Travel Market, held in Dubai on May 1 to 4, 2023, signed in the Saudi Arabia pavilion’s central area by Ahmed Orabi, General Manager of Individual Transportation Services at Careem in Saudi Arabia, and Munirah Abanomy Head of marketing partnership for middle east and Africa in STA.

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Qatar Tourism showcases latest hospitality and travel offers at Riyadh Travel Show 2023

Qatar Tourism is leading a Qatari delegation of ten partners from the hospitality sector at the thirteenth edition of the Riyadh Travel Fair, which will be held from May 22 to 24 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This participation follows the great success of Qatar’s tourism sector during the first quarter of this year by attracting more than one million international visitors. Visitors from Saudi Arabia topped the rankings, reaching The total number of visitors to the Kingdom was 892,000 in the first quarter of the year, most of whom came to Qatar through the Abu Samra land crossing. The 96 square metre Qatar Tourism Pavilion will highlight the tremendous development of the destination’s infrastructure and the latest developments in the hospitality sector, offering visitors to Qatar a unique blend of authentic cultural heritage, modernity and sophistication. Qatar Tourism’s participation in the exhibition reflects its interest in the travel market in Saudi Arabia, and is its second participation in tourism exhibitions held in the Kingdom this year. Mr. Omar Al Jaber, Director of Shared Services at Qatar Tourism, said: “We are delighted to participate in Riyadh Travel and promote Qatar as a world-class tourist destination located next to our Saudi brothers. The Saudi market is one of our key priority markets according to our long-term tourism strategy. We continue to receive large numbers of visitors from the Kingdom, especially on national occasions and holidays. “During our participation in the next edition of the exhibition, we aim to inform experts and leaders of the tourism industry on the magnitude of the tremendous developments taking place in the tourism sector in Qatar, in addition to …

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Riyadh Travel Fair to open this afternoon

13th edition of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s biggest travel trade fair begins this afternoon at 3.30pm in Riyadh with TravTalkME, TravelTVMiddleEast and Tourismbreakingnews.ae as the media partners. This event is the key with an objective to allow the opportunity for the different tourist and travel organizations introduce their activities and services, offer investment opportunities in tourism sector within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) to the Arab and International tourist investment leading companies and exchanging experiences in the field of tourist products and services promotion and marketing. Sheikh Imran Hafeez of ASAS Exhibitions and Conference Organising shared, “the event gather the entire effective and essential regional organizations in the field of tourism under one roof, displaying specialized tourist presentations and provide special programs for the travel agents and purchasers from the different regions in the world. Once again, we are pleased to receive our partners – exhibitors from the different regions in the world, visitors and media.”

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All Emirates passengers can now avail of free Wi-Fi connectivity onboard

A recent enhancement to Emirates’ inflight connectivity means that all Emirates passengers in every class of travel can enjoy some form of free connectivity once they sign up to Emirates Skywards. The development has resulted in an additional 30,000 Economy Class passengers connecting to complimentary onboard Wi-Fi every week. Emirates has constantly been at the forefront of inflight Wi-Fi developments and has to date invested more than US$ 300 million dollars into onboard connectivity. All Emirates Skywards members in every class of travel can now enjoy some form of free connectivity. Skywards members, whether Blue, Silver, Gold, or Platinum tier, travelling in any class, whether Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First Class will enjoy free app messaging. Additionally, First Class passengers will have unlimited free internet if they are Skywards members, enabling them to shop or work online while inflight, as will Silver, Gold and Platinum Skywards members travelling in Business Class. Platinum Skywards members have complimentary internet access in all classes. The increase in free connectivity has been very well received by Emirates’ passengers following changes in January 2023 and the airline today sees an average of 450,000 users per month. This represents a 30% increase of passenger use in 2023 versus the same period last year. Currently almost 10% of all passengers are utilising the complimentary onboard Wi-Fi. On routes through the Americas, almost 20% of passengers connect to Wi-Fi onboard, and on European and Africa routes the usage is over 11% of all passengers. Patrick Brannelly, SVP Retail, IFE & Connectivity commented: “Emirates has persistently worked with our service providers to optimise and improve the connectivity experience. In March we delivered about 55% more data per customer …

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