GCC travellers are increasingly visiting Austria during the summer as it is the best time to explore everything Austria has to offer, with mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine, as well as cool evenings to stroll around picturesque towns. Whether it’s enjoying the unique landscapes, stunning nature parks, or iconic landmarks, summers in Austria offer the opportunity to explore the region’s cultural, historical, or gastronomic heritage making the country an exciting destination for the summer. With no obligation to provide a PCR test, proof of vaccination or recovery for entering Austria, travellers can travel easily to enjoy the beautiful country. In Austria’s well-developed and comprehensive public transport infrastructure, visitors will have little trouble reaching most of the country’s attractions. The local transportation system includes trains, trams, and buses, and the capital city of Vienna is also served by the metro. Located in the middle of Europe, Austria is a stunning country with natural beauty and unique history and culture. The beautiful crystal-clear lakes surrounded by blooming flowers, the breathtaking mountains, and the secret waterfalls make Austria an adventurer’s paradise. The captivating beauty of Austria allows travellers to recuperate from the stresses of everyday life by taking pleasant walks on an alpine pasture, swimming in a mountain lake or strolling through a forest. Over the years, Austria, with its lush green valleys and snow-capped peaks, has become one of the most popular European destinations during summer for holidaymakers from the GCC. Visitors can experience active outdoor activities, lazy days in the sun, and relaxing city breaks, all without having to travel far from home. Austria’s cultural diversity, outdoor activities, friendliness, and history make it one of Europe’s most accessible, year-round, and …

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourism saw a strong rebound in the first five months of 2022, with almost 250 million international arrivals recorded. This compares to 77 million arrivals from January to May 2021 and means that the sector has recovered almost half (46%) of pre-pandemic 2019 levels. The strong growth in the Middle East (+157%) and Africa (+156%) remained 54% and 50% below 2019 levels respectively, and Asia and the Pacific almost doubled arrivals (+94%), though numbers were 90% below 2019, as some borders remained closed to non-essential travel. Here, the recent easing of restrictions can be seen in improved results for April and May. Rising tourism spending out of the major source markets is consistent with the observed recovery. International expenditure by tourists from France, Germany, Italy and the United States is now at 70% to 85% of pre-pandemic levels, while spending from India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar has already exceeded 2019 levels. In terms of international tourism receipts earned in destinations, a growing number of countries – the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Seychelles, Romania, North Macedonia, Saint Lucia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Pakistan, Sudan, Türkiye, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Mexico, Croatia and Portugal – have fully recovered their pre-pandemic levels. “The recovery of tourism has gathered pace in many parts of the world, weathering the challenges standing in its way”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. At the same time, he also advises caution in view of the “economic headwinds and geopolitical challenges which could impact the sector in the remainder of 2022 and beyond”.

Emirates has resumed passenger services to London Stansted (STN), serving its third London gateway with a daily flight. The airline has advanced plans to increase capacity from five-weekly services to a daily flight, starting from today. With the return of services to Stansted, Emirates has ramped up  its operations to London with nine daily flights, including six daily flights to Heathrow and a double daily flight to Gatwick.*  The added services will meet market demand and offer customers more travel choices and enhanced connectivity this summer. London Stansted will be served by Emirates’ wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with its renowned ‘Game Changer’ First Class product. Emirates flight EK65 will depart Dubai at 08:50hrs and arrive in London Stansted at 13:30hrs local time. The return flight, EK68 will depart London Stansted at 21:10hrs and arrive in Dubai at 7:10hrs local time, the following day. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or through online travel agents. London Stansted remains a key hub for the airline’s passenger and cargo operations. The daily service will offer customers in East and Southeast UK more travel options, flexibility, and convenience when travelling with Emirates to more than 130 destinations, via Dubai. Emirates currently serves seven gateways in the UK. By October 2022, the airline will be serving the country with 110 weekly flights, including: six times daily to London Heathrow; daily service to London Stansted; double daily A380 service to Gatwick; three times daily to Manchester, including a double daily A380 service (starting 1st October 2022); double daily service to Birmingham; five weekly flights to Newcastle; and a daily service to Glasgow. The airline is also currently serving London …

Since opening its doors in March 2022, Somerset Downtown Al Khobar, the stylish property in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under The Ascott Limited (Ascott) portfolio, has witnessed strong occupancy rates in its first quarter of operations, as it continues to provide the ideal long-stay setting for both leisure and business travellers in the heart of Al Khobar. The property has witnessed a steady growth in the long stay segment, alongside a higher demand for the leisure domestic segment as school summer holidays take place across the region. Leisure guests can now avail 20% as part of the brand’s ASR Member Special Rate at discoverasr.com/offers Parallelly, the property is also offering a Long Stay Offer of up to 30% off for its corporate guests at discoverasr.com/offers Commemorating its successful first three months, Ascott is offering guests up to 60% off on bookings and Triple ASR points as part of the Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) loyalty programme at the stunning Al Khobar property, until the end of August. Mr. Vincent Miccolis, Ascott’s Managing Director, Middle East, Africa, Turkey and India said, “Somerset Downtown Al Khobar provides the perfect option for travellers who enjoy inspired living, whether they are planning a quick trip or an extended stay in the city. Offering guests’ a balanced living experience that effortlessly integrates work and personal life, Somerset Downtown Al Khobar is the perfect home-away-from home retreat. This is reflected in the formidable performance the property has experienced in such a short space of time, and we look forward to continued success for our Somerset apart’hotel in this coastal city.” The stylish 16-storey property showcases 139 elegantly designed and lavishly aesthetic apartments. Somerset Downtown Al Khobar …

The fifth edition of Gulf Travel Show (GTS) will kick off on 28th and 29th September 2022 under the theme of sustainable tourism. One of the most important factors post covid is sustainability in every single way. Participation in GTS assures you of the great responsibility held by the travel and tourism fraternity about their intent to reduce its carbon footprint. Gulf Travel Show (GTS) is the only event which was built in with a purpose. When it first started out just after the pandemic whilst most borders were still closed, it gave the travel, tourism and hospitality fraternity an opportunity to ensure that confidence is restored in the minds of the people passionate about the industry. It was also a tool which connected online GCC buyers with exhibitors from across the globe. The fifth edition or GTS 5.0 demonstrates its commitment to uphold its social responsibility to ensure less carbon emissions, yet bring all players to the table and learn and study the stakes, the many opportunities to make things right after a bout of almost two and a half years of pandemic era. Sustainability has many layers to be addressed, it is no longer a word to be utilized and passed on as a mere CSR activity, hence it is a commitment to ensure that everyone has a part to play on mother earth. Starting off with airlines and their biofuel capabilities, hotels and their sustainable strategies, tourism boards which provide and maintain sustainable goals to ensure that the country or destination promoted will not be perturbed, undisturbed, instead leave in its natural state. When UNWTO announced its commitment on declaration of sustainability in the industry, players were …

Air Astana launched in May 2002,with Dubai being amongst its earliest international destinations. Initial services from Almaty to Dubai started in August 2002 with twice weekly flights and followed with additional services from Nur-Sultan commencing in 2007. The number of passengers travelling on flights between Kazakhstan and Dubai has dramatically increased over the past 20 years, with less than 7,000 carried in 2002 and over 101,000 already carried during the first half of 2022. A similar jump can be observed in cargo volumes, with 54,000kg being uplifted in 2002 and reaching over 730,000kg during the first half of 2022. Flights to Dubai are currently operated by state-of-the-art Airbus A321LR aircraft, which are configured with 16 Business class seats and 150 Economy class seats. “The UAE offers a wide range of leisure attractions and business opportunities, with Dubai proving to be a very popular destination for Kazakhstan travelers over the past 20 years,” said Adel Dauletbek, Vice-President, Marketing and Sales, Air Astana. “Passenger traffic from Almaty and Nur-Sultan continues to grow strongly, and we plan to restore pre-pandemic frequencies from both cities later this year.” In the coming winter season, flight schedules to and from Dubai will be improved for passenger convenience, with departures from Almaty and Nur-Sultan in the morning and arrival at lunchtime, with the return departure from Dubai just after lunch and arrival back in Kazakhstan in the evening. Frequencies are scheduled to peak at 17 per week by the end of 2022, with ten services per week from Almaty and seven from Nur-Sultan. Kazakhstan has re-established a visa-free regime for citizens of 57 countries, including the UAE, for up to 30 days to enter-exit and stay. Passengers …

Emirates has announced further movements in its commercial team in the Middle East, Far East, Africa, and West Asia in line with the airline’s continuous expansion and accelerated operations. The new rotations will position talented and dedicated UAE Nationals in some of Emirates’ key markets, to help drive the airline’s commercial initiatives. The newly appointed commercial leads will each bring their experiences and skills to lead the airline’s development in their respective markets, including growing the customer base, strengthening existing partnerships and identifying opportunities to forge ones. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “We’re proud to place UAE Nationals into leadership positions through our commercial outstation programme, representing Emirates and the UAE on the global aviation front. As a government directive and advocated by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, we continue to prioritise Emiratis to fill internal vacancies, where they can optimise their capabilities and reach their full potential. We are committed to building a talent pool of well-accomplished UAE Nationals, and I’m confident that our newly-appointed managers will not only gain new experiences, but also use their knowledge and expertise to support our current and future strategies as we continue to expand our global operations. ” Effective 1 August, the following changes will take place in the Emirates commercial team: Mohammad Lootah currently Manager Jordan will take on the role of Manager Israel Mohammad Bin Hafiz currently Manager Zambia will take on the role of Manager Jordan Omar Bushlaibi currently Manager Oman will take on the role of Manager Zambia Fahad Al Hassawi currently Commercial Manager in India will take on the role of Manager Oman Nasser …

Oman Air will launch service between Muscat and Trabzon, Turkey, with 3 weekly flights (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), which will commence on 2 August 2022.  The Tuesday flight from Muscat will depart at 09:50 and arrive in Trabzon at 13:00. The flight from Trabzon will depart at 14:00 and arrive in Muscat at 19:05. The Thursday and Saturday flight from Muscat will depart at 08:30 and arrive in Trabzon at 11:40. The flight from Trabzon will depart at 12:40 and arrive in Muscat at 17:45. Economy class starts at 155 OMR and Business Class starts at OMR 680 OMR. Guests travelling to Muscat and Trabzon should ensure they are aware of official requirements to enter or transit through the country. Guests can also book a customized Trabzon holiday package through Oman Air Holidays.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), completed the transfer of its operations from Terminal 2 to Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom in cooperation with its ground services arm, Saudi Ground Services (SGS) as well as Europe Handling. Led by the General Manager of International Stations, Mr. Muhammad Al-Zaydi, a SAUDIA and SGS team collaborated to support Cobalt, the UK local ground services company and to ensure the smooth running of the ground services. This collaboration signifies SAUDIA’s efforts to providing the best services to its guest as well as showcase the wide capabilities of SGS locally and globally. It also emphasizes the synergy of SAUDIA Group’s ecosystem and its ability to cover all aspects and requirements of work in the industry. SAUDIA and SGS both honored the working teams on Tuesday 26 July 2022 for their success in managing the transfer process at Heathrow Airport. The honoring ceremony was in the presence of the Saudi Ground Services CEO, and VP Ground Operations in SAUDIA, Mr. Mohammed Baakdah praised the working team’s efforts and emphasized the importance of the mutual and continuous cooperation between the companies under SAUDIA Group. While Mr. Raed Al-Idrissi commended the team for achieving a high degree of responsibility and efficiency and stated his pride towards the qualified young men and women in the team. It is notable that SAUDIA announced the transfer of its operational services at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom Terminal 4 on July 7, 2022. SAUDIA operates 48 flights between the Kingdom and UK, with a capacity of more than 13.9 thousand seats. And 28 weekly flights between Riyadh and London in both directions, with a capacity of 8.1 thousand …

The number of visitors to Seychelles has surpassed figures for the whole of 2021 during the third quarter of 2022, proof of tourism recovery in the country. The 182,850th passenger disembarked at the Seychelles International Airport at Pointe Larue on Wednesday, 27th July 2022, topping the 182,849 passengers who travelled to the island destination last year. As a token of appreciation, the passengers of the morning flights were treated with small gifts from the Tourism Department. The Director-General for Destination Marketing, Mrs Bernadette Willemin, noted that given the difficulties the tourism sector has endured these past two years, she is proud of the great feat that has been achieved. As in previous years, Europe remains the main market source, which accounts for 73.83 per cent of all arrivals. Leading the European market are France and Germany, with the former drawing in a total of 24,615 visitors since the start of the year to week the end of week 29. Behind the European market sits the Asian market, with the United Arab Emirates, Israel and India taking the lead, respectively. “We are delighted to once again be celebrating a significant milestone in our journey towards the recovery of the local tourism industry. Reaching 2021 figures in only 7 months, is an achievement that would not have been possible without the collaborative effort of the government and private sector. We are keeping our eyes on making yet another hit in our 2022 arrival numbers,” said Mrs Willemin. Emphasising the importance of remaining competitive as a destination, Mrs Willemin added that the tourism team has been focused on reinforcing its marketing strategies and intensifying its online presence. “As a destination, we are striving …