dnata Travel Group is enhancing its long-standing partnership with Club Med, the world’s leading provider of upscale, all-inclusive holidays, as demand for its travel experiences from the GCC countries increases. dnata Representation Services has been exclusive distributor for Club Med in the region since 2013. As local traveller demand soars for more comprehensive holiday packages inclusive of meal plans, activities, flights, and transfers, dnata is bringing Club Med experiences closer than ever to the region through exclusive rates, tailor-made packages, and a host of new resorts for 2022. Known for its ‘Sun’ and ‘Ski’ resorts in sought-after and unique locations worldwide, Club Med continues to grow with new openings, renovations and extensions annually. Its mountain escapes are popular with GCC travellers seeking nature-based holidays including new resorts in the French Alps (La Rosière) and Canada (Quebec Charlevoix) which launched in 2021. With the launch of 2022’s ‘summer mountain’ holiday season, Club Med offers a playground for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts with six resorts in Europe open until September. The popular hiking, trail, biking and yoga activities on offer are included as part of its all-inclusive concept, bookable in the GCC with dnata Travel. Highly-anticipated for the winter 2022/23 season are new ski resort launches in Tignes and Val d’Isère, the latter being the first of Club Med’s luxury Exclusive Collection Resorts to be located in the mountains. John Bevan, Divisional Senior Vice President, dnata Travel Group, commented: “We are growing our partnership of almost a decade with Club Med as we expand its presence across the GCC. Demand for travel is at a high, and local trends include a rise in popularity in all-inclusive offerings and nature-based retreats, making …

Air Arabia (PJSC) reported a strong first half (January to June) 2022 as recovery in demand for air travel continued. Air Arabia reported a net profit of AED 451 million for the first six months ending June 30, 2022, compared to AED 44 million registered in the corresponding first half 2021. In the same period, the airline posted a turnover of AED 2.24 billion, a 110 per cent increase compared to the corresponding first half of last year. More than 5.2 million passengers flew with Air Arabia between January and June 2022 across the carrier’s five hubs, an increase of 131 per cent compared to the same period last year. The airline’s average seat load factor – or passengers carried as a percentage of available seats – increased by 11 per cent during the first six months of 2022 and stood an average at 79 per cent. During the second quarter ending June 30, 2022, Air Arabia registered a net profit of AED 160 million, compared to AED 10 million net profit reported for the same period last year. The company’s turnover for the second quarter of 2022 increased by 125 per cent as demand for air travel increased registering an AED 1.11 billion, compared to AED 496 million in the corresponding period last year. More than 2.7 million passengers flew with Air Arabia between March and June 2022 across the carrier’s five hubs, an increase of 195 percent compared the same quarter last year. The airline’s average seat load factor increased by 13 per cent during the second quarter of 2022 and stood at an impressive average of 79 per cent. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, Chairman of Air …

The Tourism Institute of Spain (TURESPAÑA) launches a new media and content campaign, “Legends of Spain”. “Legends of Spain”will bring to global audiences the seafaring legends of the Sirens in the Basque Country, the myth of the giant winged snake of Asturias (The “Cuélebre”) and the stories of “The Land of Giants” of Castilla-La Mancha that inspired Cervantes’ Don Quixote. This campaign is part of Turespaña’s branded-content strategy of partnering with the world’s largest and most important publishing brands and content producers, with the aim of generating the most inspirational content, told by the best storytellers in the world, for the global audiences of greatest value for Spain.

Majid Al Futtaim Distribution is proud to announce a new distribution partnership with Universal Pictures International, the international distribution arm of Universal Pictures. Effective February 1, 2023, Universal movies will now be released in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the GCC and Egypt by Majid Al Futtaim Distribution, one of the largest film distributors in the region and a subsidiary of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas. This new deal realigns the release of Universal Pictures International movies in the Middle East and will see Majid Al Futtaim release such titles as M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller Knock At The Cabin, Super Mario Bros movie, Renfield, Fast & Furious 10 and Trolls 3 to name a few next year. The new deal with Majid Al Futtaim builds on Universal’s longstanding distribution partnership with highly-respected distributor Four Star Films who will continue to release all Universal titles in Lebanon and Cyprus. Paul Higginson, Executive Vice President, EMEA for Universal Pictures International said: “This is a very exciting time for cinema in the Middle East with the investment and audience interest at unprecedented levels. We are thrilled to be partnering with Majid Al Futtaim, one of the most ambitious and forward-thinking Groups in the region.” Ignace Lahoud, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas added, “This strategic partnership reaffirms Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to deliver compelling content and the ultimate cinematic experience to cinemagoers in the region. We are proud to collaborate with Universal Pictures International (UPI), which has a long legacy of producing commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies. We look forward to bringing their impressive slate of blockbuster films and popular movie franchises to the big screen …

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Middle East is preparing to host the 5th annual Commercial Strategy Conference, an in-person event being held at the Conrad Dubai Hotel on 28th and 29th November 2022. Following the unprecedented events and challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event theme is “Accelerate Recovery”. Placing a strong focus on recovery and education, HSMAI has become a leader in identifying and communicating hospitality trends while acting as an influential voice within the hospitality industry, all while connecting its members with industry partners. A key highlight of the 2022 event is how the agenda comes together from the HSMAI Middle East commercial, revenue optimization and marketing advisory boards. The conference is put together by hospitality leaders for the hospitality industry and partners. The leaders in their respective field will share expert insights and knowledge to help boost the industry’s post-Covid recovery into a new era. Another key feature of the Conference is Curate, a unique executive insights forum exclusively designed to connect and discuss priority issues and emerging trends across areas such as hotel sales, marketing, revenue optimization, and distribution. The first ever Curate forum is set to take place on 29th November 2022. The invite-only event is unique in a way as it allows for cross-disciplinary discussions, that are highly beneficial to the growth of any hotel. HSMAI ME is offering an early bird offer for the Annual Commercial Strategy Conference between now and September 15th. Registrants will receive up to 35% discount on the price for all ticket categories. Furthermore, all group bookings of 10 or more will receive one complimentary pass with access to both days. With an aim …

The wide range of hotel establishments in Dubai presented yet another stellar performance across all hospitality metrics during the first half of 2022. Average occupancy for the hotel sector between January and June 2022 stood at 74%, one of the world’s highest, compared to 62% in H1 2021, a difference of 12 percentage points and just short of the 76% occupancy level registered during the pre-pandemic period of H1 2019. This is particularly noteworthy as it was achieved in spite of a +19% increase in room capacity over the same period in 2019. Dubai’s hotel inventory by the end of June 2022 comprised 140,778 rooms open at 773 hotel establishments, compared to 118,345 rooms available at the end of June 2019 across 714 establishments. Meanwhile, the total number of hotels in H1 2022 marked an 8% growth over H1 2021, highlighting continued strong investor confidence in Dubai’s tourism sector. The hotel sector outperformed pre-pandemic levels across all other key measurements – Occupied Room Nights, Average Daily Rate (ADR) and Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR). Dubai hotel establishments delivered a combined 18.47million occupied room nights during the first six months of the year, a +30.4% YoY growth, and a +18% increase over the pre-pandemic period of H1 2019, which yielded 15.71 million occupied room nights. In addition, the ADR of AED567 in the first half of the year surpassed the ADRs for both H1 2021 (AED382) and 2019 (AED444), with 48.5% and 28% YoY growth, respectively.  The robust performance of the hotel sector is also evident in RevPAR growth – a surge of over 76% compared to the first six months of  2021 (AED417 v AED237)  and an increase of 24% …

Dubai attracted 7.12 million international overnight visitors between January and June 2022, recording more than 183% growth in visitors compared to the 2.52 million tourists who visited Dubai during the same period in 2021, according to latest data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). This positive trend in H1 2022 places the city firmly on track to achieve its tourism goals for 2022 and beyond, and further reinforces its position as an international destination of choice. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said: “The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the city of the future and the world’s best place to live, work and invest in has resulted in a resurgence of Dubai’s tourism sector. The growth in tourists reflects the resilience and dynamism of the emirate’s economy. His Highness’s vision has helped Dubai create a strong and stable economic foundation and a dynamic business ecosystem, enabling it to become a leading global hub for diverse sectors. The rapid rise in international tourist arrivals puts Dubai on track to achieve its ambitious target of becoming the world’s most visited destination. In the years ahead, Dubai will continue to develop itself further as a destination that offers compelling value to international travellers.” The number of tourists recorded in H1 2022 was close to the numbers achieved in the first six months of 2019, which saw 8.36 million tourists arriving in Dubai. The emirate’s ability to quickly return to near pre-pandemic tourism levels is even …

Oman Air continues to facilitate travel for football fans to this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The airline will operate 48 Match Day Shuttle flights between Muscat and Doha from 21st November to 3rd December 2022. The airline offers wide-body service, including Boeing 787 Dreamliner between Muscat and Doha. Passengers on shuttle flights will enjoy Oman Air’s exceptional award-winning products and services, both in the air and on the ground, and its signature Omani hospitality accessible to guests on every flight. Return Match Day Shuttle flights can be booked on the Oman Air website (omanair.com) with prices starting from 49 OMR for Economy Class and 155 OMR for Business Class. Fares include fees, taxes, airport charges, and hand baggage allowance. Passengers are advised to arrive in Doha at least four hours before the start of a match due to the high frequency of flights each day. In addition, all passengers must register for a Hayya card (fan ID) prior to their flight, as this is required for travel on all Match Day Shuttle flights and for entry into Qatar. Throughout the tournament, football fans can book their Match Day Shuttle flights, which provide a smooth and comfortable 24-hour experience between Muscat and Doha. The service is intended to seamlessly connect fans to Qatar so that they can attend their respective matches. A no-check-in baggage policy also allows passengers to plan an easy-in, easy-out travel itinerary. Football fans to the region can also visit Muscat to experience thrilling adventures, breathtaking natural beauty, and genuine Omani hospitality through a variety of stopover packages available from Oman Air Holidays. Whether stopping for a few hours, overnight or several days, the Sultanate of …

Close on the heels of re-introducing double-daily flights, Emirates has announced plans to up frequencies to Mauritius starting 1 October 2022. The additional evening frequency which will operate up till 31 January 2023 is in response to increased travel demand to and from Mauritius, and will boost connectivity to the island nation. Emirates’ third-daily flight to Mauritius will operate with the following schedule (all timings local): EK 709 departs Dubai at 22:10 hrs and arrives in Mauritius at 04:45 hrs. EK 710 leaves Mauritius at 06:30 hrs, arriving in Dubai at 13:05 hrs. The third-daily flight will boost seat capacity to and from Mauritius by approximately 35%, catering to the surge in demand and providing added support to the tourism industry during one of the busiest travel seasons. The added frequency supplements the existing double-daily Airbus A380 services and will also offer customers travelling to Mauritius with more flexibility when planning their trip with the choice of an early morning arrival at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in addition to the existing EK 0701 service which arrives mid-morning, and EK 0703 that arrives early evening. Travellers departing Mauritius will also have ample choice to connect safely and seamlessly to Dubai, and through Dubai onwards to Emirates’ global network of 130 destinations. All three daily flights offer code sharing with Air Mauritius to allow greater access and a seamless travel experience to and from the island nation. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said, “We thank the Mauritian authorities for considering our request to operate a third daily flight. Air connectivity is critical to international tourism, and these extra seats will help …

DidaTravel launched its B2B flight booking multi-GDS portal, including access to full-service carriers, low-cost carriers (LCCs), and new distribution capability (NDC) content. DidaTravel’s 23,000 B2B buyers around the world – such as travel agents, tour operators, OTAs, TMCs and MICE – can now access flights from 500 plus airlines to fly to more than 20,000 destinations around the world. Going forward clients will have the added option of combining flights with accommodation to boost their ancillary revenue thanks to dynamic packaging technology that also includes in-path and post-booking cross-selling tools. Packaging of flights with accommodation is already available through the company’s new flight booking engine or as an XML / API integration, with dynamic packaging to be integrated at the end of 2022. In addition, currently there is an option for clients to query flight prices manually. To lead this new area, Jason Guan – who joined DidaTravel last year – has now been appointed as Flight Business Unit General Manager, reporting directly to Rikin Wu, DidaTravel Founder & CEO. This new team consists of specialists with expertise in the area of system analysis and design, system architecture and modelling, development and coding, testing and implementation. Rikin Wu, DidaTravel’s Founder & CEO comments: “Most of our clients across Middle East region are looking for flight content, in particular for the possibility to package flights with accommodation.  Given the popularity of packages in the region, we anticipate a high level of demand in the Middle East market – and are already putting in place the resources to fulfil this demand.” Jason Guan, DidaTravel’s Flight Business Unit General Manager added: “I am so pleased to join DidaTravel. We have put together a …