Tourism professionals from around the world will return to Dubai today when Arabian Travel Market, the leading event for the travel industry in the Middle East, returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre today in a few hours. The event will welcome more than 20,000 visitors and over 1,500 exhibiting companies during the four-day tourism showcase, which concludes on Thursday, 12 May. 112 countries will be featured on the show floor ranging from Japan to Jamaica and South Africa to Italy. Industry professionals will have the opportunity to meet and discuss the latest trends from a cross-section of travel, including technology, transport, sustainability, events and business. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “Arabian Travel Market 2022 will reiterate the importance of the travel industry as we continue to address the challenges of COVID-19 while also outlining how we drive the industry forward. “The tourism industry has rebounded incredibly well. As a result, we have seen a clear uptick in participation, with floor space increasing by over 85% compared to the previous year and Middle East exhibitor space eclipsing 2019 levels. We now have the perfect opportunity to hear from industry professionals on the latest trends helping the industry recover and flourish in many instances.” In line with this year’s theme of ‘The future of international travel and tourism’, ATM 2022 will unveil new technology that will eliminate the need for business cards and allow exhibitors and visitors to share details, brochures and marketing material via innovative scanners and badges. Further underscoring the technology focus is the revamped and rebranded ATM Travel Tech event, previously called Travel Forward. A host of exciting sessions will take place, including …

Now, the Emirates boarding pass is more than a travel document or travel keepsake, it is also the key to the coolest deals in Dubai this summer! For five months starting May 01 to September 30, Emirates is unlocking even more offers for all its customers arriving in or stopping over in Dubai with its My Emirates Summer Pass. Emirates’ customers can simply show their boarding pass and a valid form of identification to hundreds of retail, leisure and dining outlets to enjoy fantastic discounts throughout Dubai. In addition, during May, those landing in Dubai can enjoy a complimentary Dubai Marina Cruise, which gives unrivalled panoramic views of one of the city’s most iconic skylines from the Arabian Gulf. Pre-booking is not required for the single-entry complimentary ticket to Tour Dubai’s one hour Marina Sightseeing Cruise. The Emirates customer just has to show a valid boarding pass, either digital or paper, at the ticketing counter on the day of use as well as proof of identity. The cruise is only valid from May 01 – 31 between 10am and 4pm. UAE residents and nationals returning home to Dubai on Emirates during the promotional period can also benefit from the fantastic offers under My Emirates Summer Pass. Visiting friends and family can also avail of offers at top designer brand outlets like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger or splash out at Bath & Body Works. Families can save and beat the summer heat at Atlantis Aquaventure or break a sweat on some of the adrenaline-pumping attractions at IMG world of Adventure. Couples who would appreciate a quiet afternoon at a spa can indulge themselves at the Sofitel Spa with  L’Occitane or …

The world-renowned hospitality event, The Hotel Show, returns to Dubai in May for three days celebrating the industry’s greatest names, brands and talent. Taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on the 24-26 May, the event has become a key date in the industry calendar, taking place in one of the world’s greatest destinations. Dubai has become a leading global destination for both leisure, tourism and hospitality and is one of the most attractive hospitality markets in the world, with a constant stream of investment. According to preliminary data from STR, Dubai’s hotel sector experienced its highest occupancy since 2007 during the final weeks before Expo 2020, with a total of 91.7% of Dubai’s rooms occupied. With the growing hospitality industry in the region, The Hotel Show Dubai has grown to become the largest and most prestigious trade event for hospitality in the Middle East and Africa, and the ultimate meeting place for the industry over the last 22 years. “The hosting of The Hotel Show Dubai is testament to Dubai’s ability to organise world class international events while positioning Dubai as a global city that is open, safe and accessible for UAE residents and leisure and business travellers. Over the past year, Dubai’s hotel sector has performed remarkably well, further accelerating momentum across the city’s travel and tourism industry. As a platform where F&B and Hospitality professionals can come together and really connect, and knowledge share and learn from each other, The Hotel Show will reaffirm Dubai’s position as a must-visit global destination,” said Hoor Al Khaja, Associate VP of International Operations at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. With supporting partners including Dubai’s Department of Economy and …

In a first for Dubai and the UAE – UFI the Global Events Industry Association has elected Geoff Dickinson, CEO of dmg events, as their president for 2024, recognising Dubai and Abu Dhabi as world leading event destinations. Under the leadership of Dickinson since 2010, Dubai-headquartered dmg events is one of the top twenty, international exhibition and conference organisers, with ten offices around the world and organises nearly 100 events annually. Commenting on his appointment, Dickinson said: “I am truly honoured to serve an industry that I am so passionate about. This is the first time any event professional from the UAE has been appointed to this prestigious role and I am sure that the UAE’s status as a leading international events hub, especially having hosted the ‘world’s greatest show’ Expo 2020, was at the very least, a contributing factor.” UFI is the global association of the world’s leading tradeshow organisers and its main goal is to represent, promote and support the business interests of its members and the exhibition industry in general. The UFI president is elected by the UFI’s board of directors for a one-year mandate, becoming its legal and official representative, chairing the executive committee, the board of directors and the general assemblies. UFI directly represents around 50,000 exhibition industry professionals globally, and also works closely with its 63 national and regional association members and includes 795 member organisations in 83 countries and regions around the world. “I will always champion the events industry, focusing on diversity, innovation, technology and sustainability,” added Dickinson. The events industry is vital to the UAE economy. According to an impact report released by the Dubai World Trade Centre, business tourism generated …

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has announced its participation during the 2022 edition of Arabian Travel Market in a bid to develop and deepen trade relationships within the Middle East’s travel industry. During the event, visitors to the JTB stand will discover Jamaica’s world-class hotels, rejuvenating spa and wellness offerings, soft adventure activities, as well as gain familiarity with industry updates following Jamaica’s positive participation during Expo 2020. During the travel trade show, travel trade professionals will be able to explore leisure travel opportunities and learn more about the destination’s hotels, cruises and restaurants, as well as business incentives in the MICE space, in addition to investment opportunities. Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board commented: “We are excited to engage with travel and tourism professionals from the region as we look forward to welcoming travellers from the MENA region to explore “The Heartbeat of the World”. Tourism is such a key part of Jamaica’s DNA and we are excited to share how the island’s hospitality is evolving and how deeply connected we are to the Middle East.” Following their successful participation during Expo 2020 whereby the destination welcomed more than 250,000 visitors to the Jamaica Pavilion, the Jamaica Tourist Board will highlight ongoing positive discussions with Emirates Airlines to enhance connectivity with the Middle East, as well as meet new and existing trade partners as the island moves to capitalise on its popularity as an emerging holiday destination for travellers from the region. Arabian Travel Market is set to take place from 9th-12th May at the Dubai World Trade Centre, welcoming a host of key travel trade experts from across the region and beyond. The Jamaica Tourist Board …

The Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) will return to Saudi Arabia in a new format on 24-25 May 2022 in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. Under the theme Reimagined Horizons, co-organisors The Bench and MEED, along with Saudi-based organiser SEMARK, have designed the programme around the key themes of the future of hotel development, destination impact, aviation, sustainability, restaurant investment and human capital. “We’re thrilled to bring three investment communities under one roof at FHS Saudi Arabia this year; Saudi Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC), Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF) and AVIADEV, which are all represented in our action-packed programme in Riyadh later this month,” said Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench. “Our focus will be on the future of our industry and delegates will have over 40 opportunities to deliberate, learn and network over two exciting days. With a range of different formats from main stage presentations, workshops and panel discussions to interviews, break-out sessions and networking opportunities, we look forward to facilitating ground-breaking conversations on what’s next for the hospitality industry,” he added. Hosted by Dur Hospitality, FHS Saudi Arabia will kick off with a Moroccan-themed opening reception showcasing the group’s unique hospitality concepts. Ahead of the event, Dur’s CEO Mr. Sultan bin Badr Al Otaibi stated: “It’s a great pleasure to host such a grand event debuting the new era of hospitality and redefining the future of this vibrant industry while creating numerous opportunities to drive collaboration and joint leadership action from across the global hospitality sector.” The GRIF community will be the first to take the stage at FHS with a series of sessions dedicated to the Kingdom’s F&B investment scene, including a focus on dining trends, new brands and …

Nirvana Holding the leading UAE travel and tourism management company, announced its participation in ATM – Arabian Travel Market 2022 that will take place on May 9th – 12th. The announcement came as part of Nirvana Holding’s plan and vision to increase its operations from UAE to the world. According to Mr. Omar Al Ali, CEO of Nirvana Tours & Logistics, Nirvana Holding Spokesperson,“Each year Nirvana Holding takes part in the ATM, being a global prestigious event. The ATM 2022 will witness a huge response from the travel and tourism industry after the long pandemic. Nirvana Holding is one of the key players in the industry worldwide, this is a vital reason to always be available in the ATM, and to keep track of the changes happening in the industry.” Nirvana Holding supports the development in the travel and tourism industry and provides all related services from travel and tourism until Events and project management, nationally and internationally. The company was evolved to a world-wide travel and tourism management company since its inception. The company has followed an expansion plan and enhanced its operations in UAE, K.S.A, Egypt, India, Jordan and Palestine, the Middle Eastern countries and North Africa.

Emirates landed in Bali for the first time since the suspension of flights in 2020 due to the pandemic. Emirates flight EK398 landed in Denpasar International Airport (DPS) at 22:20 hrs on 1 May, and was welcomed by a spectacular water cannon salute to inaugurate the airline’s return. The operating cabin crew of the flight and the passengers were welcomed at the airport with the traditional joged bumbung dance performance, which reflected Bali’s unique culture and rich heritage, followed by a cake cutting ceremony in attendance of representatives from DPS Airport. The resumption of Emirates’ services to Bali, comes with the easing of international travel restrictions, and ramping up of global operations. Emirates flight EK398 departs Dubai at 09:10 hrs, landing in Bali at 21:29 hrs. The return flight EK399 departs Bali at 00:05 hrs, arriving Dubai at 05:00 hrs. The airline is currently operating five-weekly services, and will scale up its operations to the island with a daily service starting from 1 July 2022. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, Emirates sales offices, via travel agents as well as online travel agents. Emirates continues to invest in the comfort and safety of its customers both on air and on ground. The airline has implemented a comprehensive set of measures throughout all to provide its passengers with the highest safety standards at every step of the journey. Customers travelling from Dubai can also take advantage of the contactless biometric path at Dubai International for a quicker journey at the airport with minimum to no human interaction.

It has been announced by UNWTO and Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan (MoTA) that they are organizing two in-person workshops that will take place in Amman and Petra addressing the challenges and opportunities for women in tourism scheduled to take place in Amman (9 May 2022) and Petra (11 May 2022). According to the UNWTO, the workshops will be focused on the empowerment of women working in tourism in Jordan, addressing a total of approximately 150 women in both locations with the same agenda, speakers and key topics. During the pandemic, women working in tourism were more affected than men although women account for more roles and contribution in the sector.

Turkish Airlines and GOL Linhas Aéreas announced a Codeshare and Frequent Flyer Partnership Agreement. Through the codeshare partnership, passengers will be able to purchase tickets to destinations in Brazil from flights departing from Istanbul and many other airports in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Far East. Linking of two carriers’ frequent flyer programs (FFP), will enable members of the Miles&Smiles and Smiles loyalty schemes to earn and redeem miles when flying on either carrier. Brazil has become one of the most emerging destinations especially for the travelers from the Middle East and this partnership will see more traffic between the destinations. The codeshare agreement provides that Turkish Airlines passengers from Middle East. Africa, Asia and Far East can acquire connections with the entire network operated by GOL in the Brazilian territory and to Asuncion, Santiago, Montevideo, Lima destinations in the region. Currently, Turkish Airlines operates 7 daily flights to GRU Airport, São Paulo’s international airport in Guarulhos (GRU). With the codeshare agreement, passengers of Turkish Airlines will be able to purchase directly through the airline’s sales channels, tickets for flights operated by GOL in Brazil. Besides this codeshare, Turkish Airlines and GOL have reached consensus on launching FFP cooperation as well. TK’s Miles&Smiles and GOL’s SMILES members will gain access to accrual and redemption benefits on both airlines. FFP partnership will initially start with redemption soon, and accrual benefits will be provided afterward. Commenting on the agreement Bilal Ekşi, Turkish Airlines CEO said; “As Turkish Airlines, we are pleased to launch codeshare and FFP cooperation with GOL in Sao Paulo that will allow passengers unique travel alternatives via İstanbul to Brazilian domestic routes. They will enjoy FFP benefits with …