Travelport announced several new supplier connections are delivering more content to travel retailers on Travelport+. Travelport’s new and expanded agreements with Booking.com and Hertz will now bring more options for accommodation rates and car rentals to retailers using Travelport+, and Travelport-connected agencies will also gain access to more options from Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group NDC content at the end of 2022. “This is the fourth chapter in our delivery of Travelport+, where we’re giving agents access to more supplier options and fueling their ability to sell more air, hotel, and car offers as we broaden and expand our content catalog,” said Jen Catto, Chief Marketing Officer at Travelport. “This update also helps our supplier partners reach even more of the right customers, with the ability to tailor products to drive sales through the indirect retail channel. As with everything we build, with the end traveler in mind, more options mean a more relevant customer experience.” More Air Content As the demand for travel surges, Travelport is ensuring that travel retailers have more options readily available for their customers by providing even more content to help ensure everyone gets the best possible retailing experience. Air France-KLM NDC content is being introduced on Travelport+, and Travelport will also be starting the rollout of Lufthansa Group NDC content in 2022. Travelport is also adding three new airlines to the platform – Congo Airways, FlyGTA and US-Bangla Airlines, along with 11 new ancillaries, and four more airlines now offer Branded Fares. More Hotel Choices Travelport’s new partnership with Booking.com unlocks a new range of rates across 140,000 hotel properties accessible through the Travelport+ platform, and will grow to over one million properties in …

Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hospitality company and member of Dubai Holding, is continuing its ambitious expansion plans with the unveiling of a captivating new resort in the Middle East – Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain Resort & Spa. Resting majestically on the unexplored, pristine beaches of Bahrain’s West Coast, the resort delivers a secluded oasis away from the hustle of the city. Guests will experience a luxury getaway with stunning ocean views, lush greenery and meandering waterways invoking a sense of wellbeing and inspiration at the unique resort. From breath-taking panoramic sunsets and an extensive range of leisure and wellness facilities, stays at Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain Resort & Spa will promise moments of harmony. Families, groups and couples looking to disconnect and relax in the uninterrupted solitude and tranquillity of its stunning beaches and gardens, can stay in one of the resort’s 196 modern and spacious rooms and suites, or enjoy the privacy of its exclusive 11-bedroom Gulf Summer House, located directly at the beach. Thomas B. Meier, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Jumeirah Group said: “With the unveiling of our new property in Bahrain, Jumeirah Group is set to diversify the growing hospitality landscape in the Kingdom. As the darling brand of Dubai, Jumeirah will bring its considerable expertise and success to our neighbouring Gulf state, creating exceptional moments that deliver our promise of Stay Different. From its unique location on the pristine beach front, Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain Resort & Spa will provide unparalleled Arabian hospitality with a focus on wellbeing, inviting guests to immerse themselves in the stunning surroundings and embrace a different pace of life. With a passion for destination dining, …

German National Tourist Office GCC will be hosting a webinar focusing on medical tourism in Berlin on Wednesday 7th December 2022 at 12 noon, UAE time. Berlin, the capital of Germany has been in the forefront of medical tourism with state of the art hospitals for over 300 years. This webinar will bring to light the many new offerings for the visitors who need expert medical care and attention. Speaking to TTME Yamina Sofo, Director, German National Tourist Office GCC shared that she will start off the webinar with the importance of the GCC market and its impact especially the last summer, then move on to share insights on the current campaigns that focus on sustainable tourism. Sofo stated, “the webinar is two fold, first our focus is on the Feel Good campaign which is to demonstrate our commitment to promote sustainable tourism ensuring that all players and stakeholders are involved and benefitted long term. Sustainable tourism is not a mere PR exercise, but a campaign that will add value to the traveller whilst granting them an opportunity to explore a truly authentic experience. Travellers can explore wide open spaces, natural forests, springs, lakes and rivers across Germany. Secondly, we will be promoting medical tourism with our capital Berlin, Michaela Kehrer, Medical Tourism Manager visitBerlin, will be sharing her expertise on what can be expected when on medical travel.”

Global Village has revealed further details of some of the additional new experiences and attractions guests can look forward to throughout Season 27. Arriving at the perfect time for Halloween, the newly built House of Fear will be the scariest haunted house experience in the region featuring a team of actors across nine different experiences with everything from a haunted cemetery, hospital psych ward and even a screaming tree. Spanning 660 square metres, the exclusive House of Fear concept features the latest animatronic technology from the United States and has been curated for Global Village by Cave Entertainment to create an immersive haunted house experience unlike any other. Another brand new attraction for Season 27 is Diggers Lab, where children, young and old, can put on a construction hat to enjoy this fun edutainment activity. The hydraulic digger experience, located at the entrance of Carnaval, invites little builders to take the controls by operating diggers, dumpers and other construction machinery, offering excitement for the whole family. In a world where strange rules, the highly popular Ripley’s Believe It or Not!™ Odditorium, which is bursting with vibrant and eye-catching oddities, returns to Global Village for its 4th year. With more than 200 unbelievable and incredible displays from all over the world, the first Ripley’s Believe It or Not!™ Odditorium in the MENA region welcomes a number of new exhibits, as well as an upgraded lobby and new retail offerings. There will be over 50 new Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Exhibits, including a 14-foot-long killer crocodile, a matchstick model containing over one million matchsticks, and even the Cristiano Ronaldo ‘money legs’ display. The popular “Torture chamber” gallery now includes a brand …

IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has announced the signing of a Management Agreement with Al Ajlan Company for InterContinental Hotel & Residences in the Riyadh North area. Set to open by 2028, the prestigious 400-key hotel and serviced apartments will form part of a state-of-the art masterplan comprising of high-end retail, offices and entertainment. The hotel will reflect the modern luxury philosophy and will strengthen IHG’s offering in the segment. Saudi Arabia represents significant potential for tourism and hospitality industry, as part of its Vision 2030 ambitions. While Riyadh has long been and continues to be a centre for business in the Kingdom, new developments in the north of the city, including the Boulevard, U-Walk, and Riyadh Seasons herald a new demand for leisure tourism as well. In addition to rooms designed with modern aesthetics, the hotel will feature distinctive dining options, multipurpose meetings and events rooms, a health club and a spa. Located in proximity to the airport, the hotel will also be strategically positioned to cater to business and leisure demand. Speaking on the announcement, Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said: “This Management Agreement of an exciting new build InterContinental property in Riyadh’s vibrant north district represents IHG’s commitment to support the growing tourism and hospitality ambitions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of Vision 2030.  With new developments in leisure and entertainment sector across the country, and the introduction of e-visas and a new airline, Riyadh is ready to welcome more diversified tourists to the capital city. With a strong hotel portfolio across all guest segments and a growing regional office in Riyadh, we …

Emirates’ flagship A380 made a landmark touchdown at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, marking the first commercial flight to the South Indian city’s airport of the world’s largest passenger aircraft. The special service from Dubai to Bengaluru, operating as EK562 and greeted with a procession of follow-me vehicles, arrived ahead of the launch of scheduled A380 services which will commence on 30 October. Emirates flight EK562 took off yesterday from Dubai International Airport at 10:00 am and landed in Bengaluru at 15:40 pm local time, and was welcomed by Kempegowda International Airport, in the presence of aviation fans, media and special guests representing the aviation and travel industries and diplomatic missions, amongst others. At the welcome reception in Bengaluru, the flight carrying 224 passengers was greeted by S.T. Somashekar Gowda, Minister of Cooperation, Government of Karnataka; H.E. Dr Ahmed Abdel Rahman AlBanna, Ambassador of the UAE to India; Hari Marar, MD & CEO of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL); and Mohammed Sarhan, Emirates’ Vice President – India and Nepal. Emirates executives onboard included Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer and Ahmed Khoory, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations – West Asia and Indian Ocean. Celebrating the joint milestone for Emirates and the airport, a VIP delegation of guests onboard the A380 service included: GMJ Thampy, Chairman & MD at Riya Travels; Tariq Chauhan, Group CEO at EFS Facilities Services Group; Mohamed Al Rais, Deputy Managing Director at Al Rais Travel; Aubrey Heldt, General Manager at Kanoo Travel; Sachin Gadoya, Co-Founder & CEO at Musafir; Sai Rattan, Manager at SNTTA; Prakash Punjabi, Manager at Travel Centre; Noura Al Marzouqi, Head, Booking & Visitors services section at ADNOC; and Azza Al Remeithi, Supervisor, Booking …

Delta Hotels by Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary brands, announced its launch in Qatar with the opening of Delta Hotels by Marriott City Center Doha. Offering a seamless travel experience, the hotel allows guests to achieve a perfect balance between their work and personal life whether they are staying for business or leisure. Located in the bustling West Bay area close to key business and destination hubs such as the Doha Exhibition Convention Center, Diplomatic and Financial Districts, and the City Center Mall., the new hotel is an ideal destination for both short and extended stays. “We are excited to introduce Delta Hotels by Marriott to Qatar’s vibrant hospitality landscape,” said Safak Guvenc, Area Vice President – Gulf, Levant & Turkey, Marriott International. “We would like to thank our partners ARTIC, for their ongoing support.  We look forward to building on this relationship and working together to contribute to the success of the country’s tourism sector.” Sandra Schulze-Potgieter, Vice President – Premium and Select Brands, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International added, “Delta Hotels is a premium brand with a clear brand philosophy, ‘Simple Made Perfect’, and we look forward to Delta Hotels by Marriott City Center Doha delivering key essentials in a manner that makes travel seamless and enjoyable to our guests.” The 32-storey Delta Hotels City Center Doha is home to 320 modern and spacious rooms with design touches that include neutral palette with colorful accents; a headboard wall with large format artwork, playing with softened shapes and linework that reinforces the brand’s design concept of simplified forms; and premium finishes across the platform bed, lounge area. Each of the rooms, suites and …

UAE-headquartered hospitality company TIME Hotels has been awarded the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Dubai Chamber) CSR Label Award for the eighth year in succession. Launched in 2010 to reward corporate commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, the CSR Label is awarded to companies based on performance scores across seven different criteria. These include human resources (training, development, welfare, Emiratisation), client relations, business development, procurement, environment, health and safety, innovation and community; with Dubai Chamber also measuring the resulting impact in four key areas, namely workplace, marketplace, community and the environment. According to the 2022 report from Dubai Chamber, TIME Hotels recorded an impressive overall score of 81.3%, which was 9.5% higher than the average market score achieved. Mohamed Awadalla, CEO of TIME Hotels, said: “Receiving this official label for the eighth year in a row highlights our consistent commitment to our employees, the environment and our broader social responsibility. “It also allows us to benchmark our own performance against those of other like-minded, forward-thinking companies in Dubai, for whom CSR forms an integral part of their overall corporate strategy and company values.” TIME Hotels’ recent CSR achievements include installing Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers at two of its Dubai properties, joining a Recycle, Reforest, Repeat initiative with the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) and partnered with Dubai Economy & Tourism Department (DET), collecting over 1,500 kilos of wastepaper for recycling. TIME has participated in the Give and Gain Campaign during Ramadan and managed to donate over two metric tons of rice, which was sent to Emirates Red Crescent, as well as distributing free Iftar meals to taxi drivers.   Moreover, TIME has raised funds for the Children’s Cancer Hospital …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost critical decision-making through Artificial Intelligence (AI). The agreement facilitates access for DCT Abu Dhabi to use SCAD’s AI-based Induction and Foresight Platform, which will contribute to supporting research and future planning to achieve strategic objectives. H.E. Saeed Ali Obaid Al Fazari, Executive Director of the Strategic Affairs Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi, and H.E. Badriya Abdullah Obaid, Executive Director of the Foresight and Communication Sector at SCAD, signed the agreement during their organisations’ participation at GITEX Global 2022. H.E. Al Fazari said: “This agreement represents an important step towards the use of AI solutions in our strategic planning, which will allow us to achieve our objectives for the culture and tourism sectors in Abu Dhabi. With this, we are showcasing the power of long-term public and private partnerships in the emirate which focus on digital transformation in line with the UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025. We appreciate SCAD’s collaboration on this initiative and look forward to witnessing the results of this successful agreement.” As part of the agreement, SCAD will provide DCT Abu Dhabi with access to the platform, allowing training for the Department’s employees in ways to leverage data for the development of future plans and strategies. SCAD’s Induction and Foresight Platform includes interactive panels, analytical modules and simulations based on statistical data that allow decision-makers to study the impact of various policies on the economic and social sectors, as well as continue integrating resources across government agencies. GITEX Global 2022 is taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from …

Malta’s delegation at the AVIAREPS Travel Caravan included DMC’s that promote luxury and MICE travel. Middle East is an emerging market to Malta at present, but once the borders opened, there had been a surge from this market towards Malta. Speaking with Travel TV, Chris Micallef, General Manager Avon Brockdorff Services Limited, “This is a relatively a new market for us, we represent an agency Malta DMC where we specialise in MICE, Events, groups and conferences, meetings as well as luxury travel so it was nice to meet people and showcase what Malta offers in this sector and it does offer quite a lot in this sector and value for money. A lot of people are not aware of the many offerings available in Malta so basically the agents asked questions about what you can do for incentives, is there enough conference space, facilities, hotels, also what I explained was that Malta is a small country its only 27km long and you don’t spend more time there. We also spoke about cuisine which is another attraction of the destination.” Damon Camilleri Allan, Exclusively Malta, a luxury DMC in the Maltese islands shared, “It’s a privilege to be here, it’s a unique situation as we represent luxury travel as well as small group travel what that means is when we say luxury it doesn’t always mean the price tag rather the exclusivity, uniqueness and private nature of the experiences for guests. The uniqueness of our storyline is Malta is the ultimate Mediterranean experience because of our relationship with partners, artisans, farmers etc we can offer exclusivity which no one else can have which we believe our clients from this region would really …