SAUDIA Airlines resumes direct flights to Mauritius 3 times a week. With the resumption of flights Saudis are now able to travel again into this magnificent destination, and enjoy what this paradise island has to offer. From the start Saudis visiting Mauritius will instantly feel welcome, they are treated to a warm attitude by locals, the Mauritian hospitality, rooting from an extraordinary mix of cultures, religion and ethnicities. All the communities live in harmony by nurturing their own culture and heritage, and sharing them with visiting guests. Mauritius has plenty to offer to the Saudi travelers be it families, couples, adventure travelers, or Saudis who wish to see this paradise island and all it has to offer. Here are some of the most unforgettable experiences you will have on your stay in Mauritius. The island is surrounded by beautiful white sandy beaches and cliffs that offer, together with the blue lagoon, an extraordinary scene that varies according to the seasons and the time of the day. The coastal landscapes also change according to the region, they are nothing alike. A sight to behold for sure! Mauritius is an island, and water sports is a must. Whatever the age or fitness level, you will surely find an activity that will suit you. Activities such as pedalo, kayak, stand-up paddle, and glass-bottom boat, there are also operators for specific outings such as dolphin viewing or big-game fishing, Submarine ride, the undersea walk, the underwater scooter and the parasailing for those looking for more thrilling activities. Aside from the water activities, Mauritius also has plenty to offer adventurous travelers in both air and land, trekking, quad biking, Safari, horse riding, double zip lines …

Medyaf, the industry nationalisation initiative at Dubai College of Tourism (DCT), part of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, has launched the ‘Explore the Tourism Industry in Dubai’ initiative, designed to empower Emirati talent seeking to join the tourism workforce with the fundamental knowledge and skills through an immersive programme of interactive workshops, field trips, vocational experiences and hands-on training. The goal of the Medyaf initiative is to provide students with a better understanding of opportunities within the tourism and hospitality sectors, attracting new talent and supporting their continued professional development, in addition to contributing towards further enhancing the visitor experience. Mariam Al Maeeni, Director of Industry Nationalisation at Dubai College of Tourism, said: “We are delighted to launch the Medyaf ‘Explore the Tourism Industry in Dubai’ initiative, inspired by the constant efforts of our visionary leadership to boost the economy by providing opportunities for Emirati talent to excel across sectors. The initiative is also in line with the important role played by Medyaf in supporting the UAE’s industry nationalisation strategy, which aims to support and bolster Emirati talent and increase the number of UAE nationals entering the tourism sector. Medyaf is a comprehensive public-private collaboration which includes a plethora of immersive workshops, training events, and industry activities contributing to the growth of the tourism sector, in addition to supporting the diversification of the national economy.” As part of the initiative, two workshops were hosted by Medyaf last month; the first was conducted in Al Seef Heritage Hotel and attended by 10 participants, whilst the second was held in Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, and welcomed 11 participants. Both workshops contained theoretical and practical activities in an engaging, interactive environment, and provided …

flydubai announced that it will resume operations to Ha’il and Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, which will bring the number of destinations served by the carrier in the Kingdom to ten. Flights to Ha’il and Tabuk will commence on 09 May with five weekly flights.  flydubai has built a network of more than 95 unique destinations in 50 countries served by a young fleet of 63 Boeing 737 aircraft. With the resumption of flights to Hail and Tabuk, flydubai’s network in Saudi Arabia has now grown to ten destinations including AlUla, Dammam, Gassim, Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh, Taif and Yanbu. Flights to Ha’il Airport (HAS) and Tabuk Airport (TUU) will operate five times a week from Dubai World Central (DWC). Following the completion of the northern runway refurbishment project which is scheduled to take place in Dubai International (DXB) from 09 May to 22 June 2022, flights to Ha’il and Tabuk will resume from Terminal 2 from 23 June. Return Business Class fares from DXB to HAS start from AED 4,500 and Economy Class Lite fares start from AED 1,375. Return Business Class fares from HAS to DXB start from SAR 4,500 and Economy Class Lite fares start from SAR 1,425. Return Business Class fares from DXB to TUU start from AED 4,500 and Economy Class Lite fares start from AED 1,500. Return Business Class fares from TUU to DXB start from SAR 4,500 and Economy Class Lite fares start from SAR 1,330.

The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has launched free intensive training programs for leisure and fishing boats. This is a part of the Ministry’s ‘Sail Safely’ initiative, which aims to enhance maritime safety and security, protect people’s lives, and the marine environment. The training courses target leisure marine enthusiasts in preparation for the upcoming summer watersport activities. Participants in the training courses can apply for a license to sail a leisure boat, after fulfilling the fitness and medical examinations. The Ministry has announced the dates of these sessions and has confirmed that the training will be carried out virtually on its digital and social media platforms on a regular basis. These courses will be offered in both, Arabic and English, in order to cater to a larger number of users. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure’s initiatives in preparing and educating the maritime community have resulted in a remarkable reduction in maritime accidents. The free courses are amongst the Ministry’s various initiatives aimed at qualifying sea lovers to sail leisure boats and enjoy maritime activities safely. This is achieved by empowering them with basic knowledge and skills to practice their maritime hobbies. Sheikh Nasser Al-Qasimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Transport at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said, “The leisure marine sector in the UAE is gaining a lot of popularity thanks to the UAE’s world-class facilities and modern infrastructure. This has made the UAE a global hub for boats and yachts, and a leading destination for leisure marine activities globally. Additionally, the luxury yachts and leisure boats sector is witnessing significant growth in the UAE, which is home to over 310 marinas for boats, yachts, and ships, …

It was revealed at the end of the 21st WTTC Global Summit in Manila, Philippines that the 22nd Global Summit will take place in Riyadh, the capital of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 29th November to 2nd December 2022. WTTC’s global summit was attended in Manila with over thousand delegates, which included world’s business leaders and key decision makers from across the global travel and tourism sector to discuss the recovery of the industry. In her farewell address Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “It has been a privilege to bring together so many leaders from across the global Travel & Tourism sector to the beautiful city of Manila. This Summit is living proof that nothing beats getting together, sharing ideas, debating the challenges, and finding consensus. We still have a lot of work to do to bring down post-pandemic barriers, open economies and harmonise health data for seamless travel. But the future looks bright, and the next decade is there for the taking. We look forward to our 22nd Global Summit later this year in Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to mark the next chapter in the sector’s ongoing recovery.” Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Board Member of the Saudi Tourism Authority, said “We are excited to welcome the world to experience the excitement and the energy of Saudi. We promise you that the next summit will be fresh, inspiring, and rewarding.” WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report also revealed the Travel & Tourism sector was expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade and Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP could reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023. WTTC’s major ‘Hotel Sustainability Basics’ sustainability initiative …

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its knowledge partner ForwardKeys, forecast a major increase in global international flights bookings as international travel takes off. The booking bounce back was revealed at WTTC’s prestigious 21st Global Summit, taking place this year in Manila, as the world continues to reopen from the pandemic. News of the strong recovery highlights a promising prospect ahead for summer holiday travel, with sun and sea destinations, such as the Caribbean and Latin America, leading the international inbound bookings. According to ForwardKeys, leading travel and analytics company, the country’s leading the ranking of top 20 best performing destinations for the summer are Costa Rica, Aruba, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, all of which rely heavily upon international travel. These destinations lead the pack with bookings already surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Last year, the industry’s gradual recovery was significantly slowed by the surge in Omicron cases. However, the future is looking brighter for 2022 with positive booking data worldwide. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “WTTC 2022 booking data from ForwardKeys is a firm signal of the strong recovery of the global Travel & Tourism sector. “Travel to the Asia-Pacific region shows impressive signs of improvement as destinations gradually reopen their borders to visitors, in line with customer demand.” Olivier Ponti, ForwardKeys Vice President Insights, said: “It is very encouraging that Asia has finally begun re-opening, which is driving the return of both travel to Asia and within the region, both of which are clearly going to be instrumental in driving the global economic recovery.” According to the data, Q1 and Q2 figures for this year are showing triple-digit growth for inbound flight bookings around the world, …

World tourism executives and  delegates from across the global travel and tourism sector gather in iconic Manila for the 21st World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit under the theme, “Rediscovering Travel”. In her speech during the opening ceremonies of the summit, dubbed as the most influential event in the travel and tourism industry, Philippines Department of Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat expressed optimism about the growth and resurgence of the country’s tourism sector as the Philippines becomes one of the first Asian countries to reopen with the simplest requirements for fully-vaccinated tourists in a bid to revive the pandemic-hit sector. “With nature revisited, and sustainability reinforced, we move for the normalization of standards we have put in place for a safe, seamless, responsible, and fun travel,” said Puyat. We have strived to promote programs that ensure the return of confidence in traveling. We also saw a significant shift in tourist behavior and preference, and we seized this opportunity to shift the status quo to regenerative tourism, which seeks to leave a destination in a better state than it was before,” she added Puyat was joined on stage by WTTC Chair and Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald and WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson. With the country’s first-ever hosting of the WTTC summit held annually, Puyat emphasized that now is a time to revive connections and engagement with people, and how both governments and the private sector can accelerate recovery and sustain growth. She also noted that the Philippines has remained committed to combat the effects of the changing climate and promote green tourism. According to the WTTC’s projection in its latest Economic Impact Report (EIR), travel and tourism in …

At the opening of the global summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Julia Simpson, President and CEO WTTC in her welcome address shared the agenda for the summit and the new initiatives to be launched. “Ma-bu-hi. It’s incredible to think of what we have been through since we gathered for WTTC’s last Summit. But we are here in Manila to Rediscover Travel… together. Dear Members, Excellencies, WTTC Friends. I am honoured to address you at our 21st Global Summit and my first as President & CEO. In times of crisis we have seen the true grit and resilience of the Travel & Tourism sector. During the COVID pandemic our airlines transported vaccines and PPE; our airports became vaccination centres; and our cruise liners used their connections to help repatriate people. Hotels opened their doors to the homeless and today are giving shelter to 1000s of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. The pandemic rewrote the rule book on how we live and how we travel. It showed how totally inter-reliant we are. Businesses and governments need each other to make travel happen. And our whole sector relies on the communities who host us. For over 30 years WTTC’s mission has been to highlight our sector’s economic and social value. But, it took a pandemic for leaders to really understand our worth.For almost a decade our sector’s growth outstripped that of the global economy. COVID changed all that. Now, recovery is in our sights. It is not uniform, it is faltering, but it IS recovery. Here in Asia-Pacific the reopening is just beginning. I congratulate the Philippines, a nation that has shown determination and courage to reignite travel. But the great powerhouse …

Cruise Saudi’s six-month long Winter Season 2021/22 which began in November last year came to successful close last week. About a third of the 30,000+ passengers sailing in the Winter Season were international guests, representing more than 80 nationalities aboard. The Winter Season itinerary saw the region come together to develop three, four, or seven night itineraries including ports of call in Jordan as well as around the Saudi coastline for the first time. Two of Saudi’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites were also available to visit as part of 14 different tour programs available, Hegra in AlUla and Historic Jeddah, the Gateway to Makkah. Cruise Saudi has activated a total of three cruise ports – in Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City and Yanbu – and ensured they are equipped with the necessary infrastructure and facilities to welcome cruise lines and passengers. A fourth port in Dammam on the Arabian Gulf is ready to receive cruise ships soon. Cruise ships from four international cruise lines – MSC Cruises, Scenic Group, Viking and Silversea – were welcomed and conducted more than 70 safety and security incident free sailings in total around Saudi waters, with above average NPS scores. This included both MSC Bellissima and Scenic Eclipse home porting in Jeddah throughout the Summer and Winter Seasons. Cruise Saudi CEO, Lars Clasen, commented on the milestone saying: “The successes achieved in such a short span of time, from developing the necessary infrastructure for the cruise industry to partnering with government entities and international cruise lines and welcoming passengers from all across the world, have left us humbled. Cruise Saudi’s aim is to catalyze the development of the local cruise industry by promoting …

Air Arabia announced the resumption of its direct flights between Sharjah and four cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Taif, Al Jouf, Gassim, and Hail, starting April 28, 2022. Passengers will enjoy flying directly from Sharjah International Airport to these cities, where frequencies will increase during summer. Schedule to Taif, effective April 28, 2022 (all times local): Schedule to Taif, effective April 28, 2022 (all times local):   Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency  G9 1187 Sharjah 12:30 Taif 14:10 Airbus A320 Mon/Thu G9 1188 Taif 15:10 Sharjah 18:50 Airbus A320 Mon/Thu   Schedule to Al Jouf, effective April 28, 2022 (all times local):   Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency  G9 1221 Sharjah 14:25 Al Jouf 16:00 Airbus A320 Mon/Thu G9 1222 Al Jouf 17:00 Sharjah 20:30 Airbus A320 Mon/Thu   Schedule to Gassim, effective April 28, 2022 (all times local):   Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency  G9 1181 Sharjah 15:30 Gassim 16:30 Airbus A320 Mon/Tue/Thu /Fri/Sun G9 1182 Gassim 17:30 Sharjah 20:20 Airbus A320 Mon/Tue/Thu /Fri/Sun   Schedule to Hail, effective April 28, 2022 (all times local):   Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency  G9 1197 Sharjah 11:15 Hail 12:30 Airbus A320 Thursday G9 1198 Hail 13:30 Sharjah 16:40 Airbus A320 Thursday   Customers can now book their direct flights from Sharjah to the four cities in Saudi Arabia by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.