Elaa, the dedicated travel management brand of Seera Group, has been appointed as the exclusive General Sales Agent (GSA) for Philippine Airlines in Saudi Arabia. With effect from 1 September 2021, elaa will lead Philippine Airlines’ sales promotions and marketing activities in Saudi Arabia. For these initiatives, elaa will capitalize on its wealth of experience in travel management locally and internationally. With a fleet of state-of-the-art Airbus and Boeing aircrafts, Philippine Airlines currently offers regular weekly nonstop flights from Dammam and Riyadh into Manila.  The Filipino flag carrier also flies nonstop from Doha and Dubai to Manila. Saudi-based travel agents can now access Philippine Airlines’ excellent products and services as well as the airline’s highly competitive fares through elaa. The range of services that will be provided by elaa to Philippine Airlines include general sales, support for MICE activities, airport handling and office set-ups. According to the recent Saudi Travel Sentiments survey conducted by Seera Group’s flagship consumer travel brand Almosafer, 83 percent of Saudi travellers are planning to fly internationally in 2021. With the PAL GSA partnership, elaa aims to broaden the range of destination offerings, covering the Philippines. Pre-pandemic, Seera Group saw an annual increase of over 50 per cent of bookings to the Philippines. The statistical report generated by the Group ranked the Philippines under the top 10 revenue generating destinations in 2018 and it moved up to top 5 in 2019. The Group sold over 145,000 inbound and outbound passengers from the Philippines in 2019. Saudi Arabia’s outbound tourism market is expected to reach over US$ 43 billion by 2025, according to the latest data from Renub Research. While family holidays currently dominate the market, a …

It was announced that Mushrif Park is to see a new50 km sand bike track. It will be the first track of its kind to be built by Dubai Municipality in the heart of the city promises to be an exciting new destination for sports and adventure enthusiasts both residents and tourists. This project forms part of implementing the vision to make Dubai the world’s best city to live and also to support plan to turn Dubai into the world’s most bicycle friendly city. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has approved the development of a 50km sand bike track in the Mushrif National Park. The first facility of its kind to be built by Dubai Municipality in the heart of the city, the track will be set amidst the Park’s lush forest that features 70,000 trees. The new track will add 276km to the total existing and planned cycle tracks in Dubai, bringing the total length of bicycle tracks in the emirate to 739km by 2026. The project forms part of the implementation of 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 world’s best city to live in. It is also part of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s directives to transform Dubai into the globe’s most bicycle-friendly city and promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, by building the high-quality infrastructure needed for residents to practise cycling as a sport.   Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality said the sand bike track project …

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and AL Tayer Holidays announced a partnership that will allow Al Tayer to market NCL’s cruises across the Group’s multiple businesses and distribution channels. The agreement marks the beginning of a long-term partnership to grow NCL’s market share in the Middle East while enriching Al Tayer’s travel portfolio with the line’s renowned cruises that sail to more than 300 destinations worldwide, including Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island in the Bahamas and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 54-year history of breaking boundaries, and AL Tayer Holidays, a subsidiary of AL Tayer Group, a leader in luxury retail in the Middle East, today announced a partnership that will allow Al Tayer to market NCL’s cruises across the Group’s multiple businesses and distribution channels. Commenting on the agreement, NCL’s Regional Vice President Business Development Middle East & Africa, Nick Wilkinson, said: “We are delighted to partner with a dynamic and distinguished group such as Al Tayer, who share our vision of innovation and putting customer experience first. We are seeing great demand for our cruises from the U.A.E and GCC markets and are striving to further strengthen our position in this high-potential region through strategic partnerships.” Manu Mehrotra, General Manager, Al Tayer Travel commented: “It is an exciting opportunity for us to be partnering with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), an innovator in the cruise industry. NCL has in a short span of time become popular in this part of the world and as is ideally poised to showcase its unique product as the cruise market keeps expanding in our region. The Company’s growth plans …

Almost 70% of global consumers plan to travel domestically within the next six months, yet less than 10% have booked their trips according to a new survey from consulting firm Oliver Wyman. “The summer travel surge is just the beginning of a recovery that seemed almost impossible a little more than a year ago,” said Michael Wette, Head of IMEA Transportation & Services, Oliver Wyman. “We expect to see a continued desire for leisure travel through the end of the year and travel providers should anticipate a sustained leisure recovery with strong bookings continuing at least through the end of the year.” “The travel industry continues to be a part of the diversification strategy for governments in the Middle East region and in the UAE in particular. There will be an even greater level of leisure and business travel due to major events and exhibitions like Dubai Expo 2020, the Dubai Airshow and ADIPEC being hosted.” The survey findings revealed the following: Leisure travel 76% of respondents expect to travel the same or more post-COVID for leisure Traffic out of US airports will match and may even exceed the rate of pre-pandemic travel sometime in early 2022. International leisure travel continues to be the most impacted by the pandemic, as most travelers opt to stay closer to home. The Chinese (81%), United States (67%) and Australian (62%) travelers will prefer to travel domestically when restrictions are lifted. Whereas Canadians (54%) and most Europeans will favour international trips, mostly short hall. Business travel Business travelers are optimistic about the return of corporate trips. Globally, about 75% of business travelers expect to travel the same as or more than they did pre-pandemic. …

Emirates has signed a codeshare agreement with Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras S.A (Azul) which will allow customers to seamlessly connect to and from eight cities in Brazil to Emirates’ global network via Sao Paulo. The codeshare agreement has been approved by the Brazilian Federal Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil). Under the codeshare, customers will be able to connect to and from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SDU), Belem (BEL) Belo Horizonte (CNF), Cuiaba (CGB), Curtiba (CWB), Juazeiro Do Norte (JDO), Porto Alegre (POA) and Recife (REC) airports on flights operated by Azul to Emirates flights from Sao Paulo (GRU) to Dubai and beyond with a single ticket. Tickets be purchased online on Emirates’ website or through Emirates’ local sales offices and travel agents from 18 August 2021 for travel starting from 25 August 2021. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “Emirates is delighted to be entering into a codeshare partnership with Azul to offer our customers an enhanced, smooth and convenient connectivity between eight cities in Brazil to/ from Dubai and our global network through Sao Paulo. Brazil is an important market for Emirates and our cooperation with Azul underscores Emirates’ commitment to strengthen our reach in the region and open up more options for our customers. With one ticket, our customers can access a seamless experience through check-in, bag check and boarding on every leg of their journey. We look forward to working with Azul and strengthening our partnership in the days to come.” “We are very happy to announce this partnership with Emirates, which will provide seamless benefits to our customers. As the largest airline in Brazil in terms of destinations, this codeshare allows our …

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said the UAE is a “global host and an efficient platform for the entire media sector because of its integrated digital infrastructure.” It also has a supportive legal and legislative environment, as well as attractive living standards for all nationalities and international companies in the media and cultural industries, as directed by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, he added. Sheikh Mansour stated this while announcing the launch of the first edition of the Global Media Congress, to be held in Abu Dhabi from 15th to 17th November, 2022, which will be organised by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in a strategic partnership with the Emirates News Agency (WAM). He said the Congress will be “an exceptional platform” for the media sector. The event will include a media an exhibition and conference, which will enable various media organisations to discuss partnership and cooperation agreements aimed at developing their messages that will serve humanity and support communities through providing useful and credible content. The event will be attended by a range of media leaders and global influencers, in addition to academics and youth. The Congress will also discuss several key topics, most notably digital communication, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies and innovation in the media sector. It will host specialist sessions covering journalism, radio, television, internet, social media and international influencers. The event …

Marriott International, Inc. announced plans to expand its portfolio in Turkey with the expected opening of 10 properties by the end of 2022. With the anticipated openings, the company’s portfolio in Turkey is expected to encompass 43 properties with over 7,000 rooms across eight markets by the end of 2022. Reinforcing its long-term focus on the market, the company also announced two recent deal signings under the Four Points by Sheraton brand. “Marriott International has a strong history of successful operations in the Turkish market,” said Begüm Kaya, Director of Development, Turkey at Marriott International. “With our captivating portfolio of brands, world-class distribution platform and all-encompassing travel program, Marriott Bonvoy, we appreciate the confidence our owners and franchisees have with us in this exciting market.” Marriott International continues to see growth in its select portfolio across brands such as Four Points by Sheraton and Residence Inn by Marriott. Four Points by Sheraton builds upon its momentum in the Turkish market with the Four Points by Sheraton Istanbul Kagithane expected to open this year and the Four Points by Sheraton Elazig projected to open in 2022. To meet the demand for longer-stay accommodations in the country, the company is expected to debut its extended stay brand, Residence Inn by Marriott, with the anticipated opening of Residence Inn by Marriott Istanbul Atasehir later this year. The brand is ideal for guests seeking the comforts of home with modern, flexible suites with full kitchens and separate living and sleeping areas, providing the perfect solution for travelers mixing business and leisure travel. The company’s renowned premium brands also remain a strong driver of growth in the Turkish market. Following the recent opening of Orientbank …

British Airways’ passenger flights between Dubai and London since January 2021 have now resumed to a daily operation. The flight will depart from Dubai at 12:15 (LT) and will arrive in London at 16:55 (LT).  These direct return flights from Dubai to the UK will enable many people to reunite with their loved ones who have been kept apart due to Covid-19. Sohail Ali, British Airways’ Senior Vice President, Middle East and Africa, Airport Operations said: “We can’t wait to welcome our customers on board our flights and are delighted to be able to reunite families and friends with their loved ones after such a long time apart. “The safety of our customers and colleagues has always been at the heart of everything we do. We have also introduced a range of measures to provide stress and hassle-free travel.” Customers booking with British Airways can do so with absolute confidence, thanks to the airline’s flexible booking policy. They are able to exchange their booking for a voucher or move their dates without incurring a change fee. British Airways’ existing online Covid hub includes information on flexible bookings, testing, how to use a voucher and what the British Airways flying experience looks like for those that haven’t travelled for some time. British Airways has also introduced a number of measures at the airport and on board to look after the safety and wellbeing of its customers and colleagues. These include social distancing measures, the wearing of face masks (which remain in place) and hand sanitiser stations. Prior to travel customers will also receive details of how they can prepare for their journey, including information on discounted testing providers. To help customers …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has issued the updated list of “Green List” countries. All travellers arriving from these destinations will be exempt from mandatory quarantine measures after landing in Abu Dhabi. Travellers will be required to present a negative PCR Covid-19 test valid for maximum 72 hours before departure and undergo a PCR test upon arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Vaccinated passengers from the updated Green List will take another PCR test on day 6 (day of arrival counts as day 1). Unvaccinated travellers arriving from these Green List countries will also take a PCR test on days 6 and 9. Countries, regions, and territories included within the “Green List” will be regularly updated based on international developments. Inclusion in the list is subject to strict criteria of health and safety to ensure the well-being of the UAE community. The list also only applies to countries that travellers are arriving from, rather than citizenship. Please note below the updated “Green List” as of 18 August 2021 at 2:00 pm: Albania Australia Bahrain Belgium Brunei Bulgaria Canada China Czech Republic Germany Hong Kong (SAR) Hungary Ireland Malta Mauritius Moldova New Zealand Poland Romania Saudi Arabia Serbia Seychelles Singapore South Korea Sweden Switzerland Taiwan, Province of China Ukraine

In order to offer both leisure and business travelers to Dubai a new experience two additional buildings will be added in downtown area overlooking Burj Khalifa by hospitality group Sonder. The two and three bedroomed apartments will be especially designed for the families that will spend bleisure stays and long stay business travellers. “We’re pleased to continue to partner with Sonder, whose innovative and guest-centric approach to hospitality addresses the preferences of the modern, urban, family and business travelers that frequents Dubai,” said Soby Joseph, executive director of Al Fattan Properties LLC. “Sonder is a well-capitalized operator that provides peace of mind and fixed income for real estate assets. They continue to be one of our preferred partners for developments in Dubai.” “We remain bullish on expansion in Dubai as it is one of the most visited cities in the world, renowned for its beautiful design and architecture and is a global real estate hub. These are all attributes that fit perfectly with the Sonder brand and mission and we plan to continue developing Sonder’s footprint in the region,” said Martin Picard, Global Head of Real Estate for Sonder. “We’ve seen very strong performance from our inaugural Dubai property, JBR Suites. We are extremely pleased to be partnering again with Al Fattan to take on operations of what will be Sonder’s fourth largest signing in terms of units. Sonder Holdings Inc. (“Sonder”), a leading next-generation hospitality company that is redefining the guest experience through technology and design, will add two additional buildings to its growing portfolio in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Through an agreement with Al Fattan Properties LLC, Sonder will manage and operate two of the three Al Fattan …