Emirates has opened the doors of a new retail sales office in Fujairah, further expanding its presence in the Northern Emirates and offering more convenience to customers wishing to book their next trip. Located in Al Ghilaila Building, overlooking the Fujairah corniche, the new office was inaugurated by senior Emirates and dnata commercial and sales executives, in a ceremony attended by local government representatives. To celebrate the airline’s expansion in the Northern Emirates, Khalid Bel Jaflah, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President, UAE; Shaz Peshimam, Senior Manager Dubai and the Northern Emirates and Khalid Hassan, District Manager Northern Emirates were joined by dnata representatives including Simon Woodford, Vice President, Global Air Services and Distribution, dnata Travel Group, along with Yaser Rashed Mohammed Rashed from Fujairah Police, and Esmaeil Al Boloushi, General Manager, Fujairah International Airport, for a ribbon cutting ceremony. Emirates has worked in partnership with dnata Representation Services as its General Sales Agent (GSA) in Fujairah for the past three decades. The opening of the first Emirates retail sales office in the emirate represents a focus on expansion to offer more first-hand support to the airline’s avid traveller base. Significant investment has been made in equipping the new, conveniently located office, for a comfortable and more relaxed environment for Emirates customers wishing to walk in, book their travel, or speak to a sales agent to plan their next journey. The new retail sales office covers 68 square metres and features four customer service counters dedicated to flight reservations, ticketing, and general customer enquiries. The contact details for the Emirates retail sales office in Fujairah are: Address: Al Ghilaila Building shop 5 & 6 Office opening hours: Mon – Thu & Sat …

Ras Al Khaimah(RAK)  International Airport is eager to use digital technologies to provide best experience for the travelers and tourists visiting Ras Al Khaimah’s top range hotels, tourist attraction centers and RAK international Airport. TAV Technologies will provide it’ s state of the art digital technologies and knowhow to levitate passenger experience in RAK. The scope of the cooperation is to provide a digital platform for all stakeholders, institutions and the individuals. RAK International Airport CEO Mr. Atanasios Titonis stated: “ We are pleased to partner with TAV technologies to develop best in class digital technologies to the travellers visitiong Ras Al Khaimah . Our long lasting partnership will support tourism of Ras Al Khaimah to provide a user friendly digital platform for the esteemed travelers and tourists.‘’ TAV Technologies CEO M.Kerem Öztürk said: ‘’ As Tav Technologies we are aiming to implement the newest technologies for Airport operations and also create a digital ecosystem with all the stakeholder like hotels, tourism agencies, airlines and tour operators in order to provide the best experience to all the visitors of Ras Al Kaimah. So we are looking forward to a great digital transformation in Ras Al Kaimah Airport and the region.  

Hotelbeds is pleased to announce that it is one of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ preferred partners for distribution of wholesale rates from IHG hotels in Europe and Greater China. As a result, travel buyers working with Hotelbeds will continue to enjoy access to wholesale rates from IHG hotels. Hotelbeds’ network reaches thousands of B2B travel buyers, such as offline tour operators, retail travel agents, airlines and company employee loyalty programs, across more than 140 source markets worldwide. Hotelbeds’ portfolio of B2B travel buyers offers IHG’s hotels incremental, high-value bookings from both domestic and international travelers. Carlos Muñoz, Chief Commercial Officer at Hotelbeds, commented: “This partnership demonstrates our shared confidence in the future growth of the B2B industry.  Thanks to this collaboration, our client partners worldwide will have access to a leading product portfolio which is fantastic news coming off the back of some very challenging years.” George Turner, Chief Commercial & Technology Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, commented: “Partnering with Hotelbeds in Europe and Greater China will enable us to more seamlessly manage our wholesale distribution.” IHG Hotels & Resorts has 17 brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Express and last year joined Hotelbeds’ Green Hotel Programme to further strengthen its commitment to sustainable tourism. The Green Hotels Programme is a turn-key solution to bring Hotelbeds and its partners into the green economy and accelerate the transition of the travel industry towards sustainability – a topic whose importance has increased dramatically in light of the COVID pandemic.

According to the latest figures released by Switzerland Tourism, UAE residents staying overnight in Switzerland have surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Comparing figures between July to December 2021 with the same period in 2019, the number of bed-nights recorded, increased 20.8% from 188,384 to 227,482. The number of UAE arrivals also grew from 75,084 to 85,632, during the same period, 2019 versus 2021. “These are extraordinary figures and underscores the popularity of Switzerland with Emirati nationals as well as residents. From the moment that UAE residents were allowed to travel to Switzerland (28th June 2021) we have seen a significant increase in the volume of visitors and the length of stay has also grown from an average of 2.5 nights per visitor to 2.66,” commented Matthias Albrecht, GCC director for Switzerland Tourism. The substantial increase in numbers is supported by a recent survey conducted by YouGov, which in its 2022 Travel and Tourism Brand and Destination Rankings Report, highlighted Switzerland as the top ranked overseas destination for UAE residents. YouGov’s index gave Switzerland a positive impression score of 31.6 a year-on-year increase of 17.9%, ahead of Singapore (30.9), Canada (28.6) and the Maldives (27.6). In further welcome news for UAE travellers to Switzerland, on the 17 February 2022, the Swiss federal government announced that visitors from the UAE are no longer required to provide an entry form, vaccine certificate, or negative PCR test. “UAE visitors can now enjoy the endless attractions Switzerland has to offer, from natural scenery and outdoor pursuits to delicious local cuisine and immersive cultural experiences. With regulations eased, masks and COVID certificates are not needed when entering shops, restaurants, cultural venues, and other public settings and events,” added …

H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and Chairman of Etihad Rail witnessed the connection of Abu Dhabi and Dubai with a direct railway within the “UAE National Rail Network”, in a major development within the largest infrastructure project in the UAE. Their highnesses installed the final piece on the railway track, marking the start of a new phase of logistic and economic integration between the two emirates, and in preparation for linking the rest of the emirates to an integrated national railway network in the UAE. The completion of the main railway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai comes within the framework of “The UAE Railway Programme” which was launched as a part of the Projects of the 50, with an investment worth of AED 50 billion. The UAE Railway Programme includes a national network of railway projects that would link the seven emirates. The programme is expected to create economic opportunities amounting to AED 200 billion. H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum affirmed that “The UAE Railway Programme” reflects UAE’s ambitions and aspirations to start the next fifty years with huge development projects that enhance its position as a leading regional and global center in the sectors of trade, economy and logistics services. H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed added: “The completion of the main railway of the “UAE National Rail Network” project between Dubai and Abu Dhabi represents an important pivotal phase that shows the great benefits of this national project in linking all the …

Emirates is streamlining check-in formalities for its customers in Ajman and the Northern Emirates with the introduction of a new check-in facility in collaboration with the Ajman Transport Authority. The new facility, located in the Ajman Central Bus Terminal,  is the first remote check-in facility outside of Dubai and is another way the airline is helping customers reap the benefits of simple and quick check-in closer to home, reducing queues and improving their overall experience across the first touchpoints of their travel journey. From 1st March, customers can easily and efficiently check-in, verify Covid-19 related medical records for their destination, receive their boarding passes and board one of the convenient Ajman Transport Authority buses to Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport.  Once customers arrive at Terminal 3 and disembark, they can drop of their bags in a dedicated baggage area and proceed directly to immigration and security—ensuring a smoother ground journey through the airport by bypassing the check-in counter at Dubai International. Plans are underway to integrate baggage check-in at the new Ajman facility in the coming weeks. Open 24 hours a day,  the Emirates check-in facility in Ajman will have four counters and two self-service kiosks for a contactless start to the journey, allowing check-in, boarding pass collection, choosing or changing seats on board, and updating passport and Skywards information. Bus trips from the facility to Terminal 3 will run in parallel with Emirates’ peak operational periods, which include early and late morning scheduled flights as well the late night departures. Mohammed Mattar, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Airport Services said: “We are committed to continually enhancing every aspect of the on-ground experience for our customers and creating a …

The ninth edition of Arab Aviation Summit (AAS), the region’s leading aviation and tourism industry event, was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, today at the Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Ras Al Khaimah. Under the theme ‘Roadmap to recovery’, hundreds of international and local industry experts as well as media representatives gathered to discuss an array of aviation and tourism topics. Since its inception, the Summit has proved to be an ideal platform to shed light on the status of the region’s aviation-tourism requirements and its prospects. This year’s edition aimed to create a post-pandemic roadmap to recovery. It also amplified the messaging that emanates from discussions on important topics and issues, including knowledge sharing that are vital to helping industry players unify their efforts towards uplifting the aviation and tourism sector. Endorsed by Arab Governments, the 2022 AAS is hosted in collaboration with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) and supported by global industry partners such as Airbus, CFM, Air Arabia, Turkish Technic, Collins Aerospace, and others. Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Ras Al Khaimah, the location of the 2022 Arab Aviation Summit, offers state-of-the-art, elegantly designed meeting facilities, and is the first safe meeting facility in the world, as certified by Bureau Veritas, the international leader in testing and inspection services and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travel Stamp. The certification follows the implementation of stringent safety and security protocols by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, offering hospitality and event providers access to global best practice, supportive policies and professional guidance on safety …

The fourth edition of the most popular virtual trade show the Gulf Travel Show aims to kick off on 22nd and 23rdMarch 2022 at 10am UAE time until 3pm. It will be an opportunity to network with travel agents and tour operator partners from the Middle East. Travel products from across the world have signed up to participate. Focused on business meetings, the digital event will host buyers from across the region. After the success of the first three editions in November 2020, March 2021 and October 2021, Gulf Travel Show is back on popular demand in 2022. Like last time, all exhibitors and buyers will log-in to the GTS platform from either their office or the comfort of their home. Each exhibitor will be given their own private virtual booth with branding, videos and document broadcast facilities. These can be customized as per the individual requirements. Buyers can visit the virtual exhibition and individual stalls of all exhibitors and have personalised undisturbed meetings. For more information, contact crisna@ddppl.com

It was announced recently that the much awaited Ritz Carlton in Amman Jordan is slated to open by Q2. Two stunning towers unveil a refined, modern luxury experience the heart of Jordan’s buzzing capital city, Amman. The Ritz-Carlton, Amman will offer 228 guestrooms including 34 lavish suites, perfectly complemented by the brand’s legendary service. Guests can relax in the elegant Cigar Lounge or indulge in distinguished cuisine at the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant. For a dinner with a view, the rooftop restaurant and bar offer dazzling views across the skyline. The enchanting towers offer both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a fitness centre and spa, along with a 1,000 square metre ballroom.

The latest touristic destination in the new Deira Islands in Dubai will now have more access as Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has opened a new access point to enjoy a more scenic route.  Access to Souk Al Marfa at Deira Islands, the waterfront souk and marketplace by Nakheel is now even easier, thanks to a new abra and ferry station launched under a new partnership between Nakheel and the Road Transport Authority (RTA), with free rides available to all visitors in the first five months. With two routes, connecting Souk Al Marfa to Dubai’s Old Souq and Deira Old Souq, the 25-minute abra journey operates from 5 pm to 10 pm on weekdays, and 10 am to 12 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). The 20-minute ferry trip runs between Souk Al Marfa and Al Ghubaiba from 6 pm to 10 pm on weekends only (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Celebrating and connecting Dubai’s oldest most traditional trading hub with the city’s newest island development, the abra and ferry journeys will offer views of the Deira Corniche, Deira Old Souq, Dubai Creek and the Gold Souq, providing an enjoyable and scenic experience for families looking to explore the city. Muath Abdelkader AlRais, General Manager of Souk Al Marfa said: “The new abra and ferry service brings a new and memorable way for local residents and visitors from further afield to reach our newest retail destination. It’s part of our commitment to continually enhancing Souk Al Marfa as a key retail and entertainment destination in Dubai.” Ahmed Bahrozyan, Chief Executive Officer at Public Transport Agency at Roads and Transport Authority added: “We …