Emirates has launched Dubai Experience, its powerful and intuitive platform for customers to easily browse, create and book their own customised itineraries including flights, hotel stay, visits to key attractions, and other dining and leisure experiences in Dubai and the UAE. Customers can choose from pre-curated itineraries if they are first-time visitors, or if they have specific interests in sports, culture, adventure, or entertainment and the arts. They can also have fun creating their own unique itineraries from scratch, pulling from an extensive list of recommended activities and dining options, or mix and match, using pre-curated itineraries as a starting point. Whether it is one of the many popular free attractions across the UAE, or one that requires pre-booking and payment, the easy-to-use itinerary planner provides details such as estimated duration, location map and cost, allowing customers to confidently plan and maximise their Dubai and UAE visit. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are proud to promote the very best that Dubai and the UAE have to offer on Dubai Experience, which is fully integrated with emirates.com. This powerful platform offers our customers the ability to plan their Dubai journeys and stopovers, and benefit from exclusive rates and expertly curated recommendations. “Through the Dubai Experience platform, Emirates aims to add value to our customers and enrich their journeys, and ultimately drive more people to visit our beautiful home and hub in the UAE. We will continue to add more exciting content on Dubai Experience, and look at opportunities to launch it to customers in more markets.” Today, Emirates’ customers in 19 countries* can build rich and customised itineraries from a selection of over 100 hotels and 200 activities …

IHG Hotels & Resorts debuts a new global loyalty program: IHG One Rewards, as it welcomes guests to the next chapter of travel.  With nearly 6,000 hotels in over 100 countries, IHG Hotels & Resorts has been hard at work while the world was on hold – building its portfolio, repositioning itself in the industry with exciting new brands and partnerships, investing significantly, and taking loyalty to new heights. Today, as travelers pack their bags, dreaming of their vacations or the satisfaction of successful business trips, IHG is launching a best-in-class loyalty program, IHG One Rewards, which is centered around its guests – giving them richer benefits, more ways to earn, and a new premier credit card, all powered by leading technology on its new mobile app. The reimagined program connects IHG One Rewards members to IHG Hotels & Resorts’ growing portfolio of 17 brands, including one of the largest Luxury & Lifestyle collections in the world. The launch of IHG One Rewards follows the announcement in January 2022 of the program’s new tier and bonus point earning structure – designed to help members earn more points faster and have more ways to use them. IHG One Rewards will offer industry-leading value and relevant benefits for members to enhance their stays. Highlights of the program include: Faster Earn: A new tier and bonus point earning structure will allow members to earn more points faster and gain rewards sooner. The new tier and bonus point earning structure starts on April 13, 2022 and will be reflected in all member accounts on or before April 17, 2022.   Richer Benefits: Further enhancements and member benefits include: o             Free Breakfast for Diamond Elite …

Germany has long been a popular destination for Eid travellers because of the variety of vacations the country has to offer: From city breaks to naturistic explorations, adventure holidays to sporting experiences. Now this year, with restrictions having eased, the country is gearing up for an influx of visitors once more – including a considerable number from the Gulf region. While Germany has countless attractions, some of the key inspirations for Eid travel include the town of Marburg, which is celebrating its 800th anniversary this spring, so culture vultures have the chance to revel in a tour that spans eight centuries of history and includes important figures such as Saint Elisabeth, Landgrave Philipp, and Emil von Behring. Other events the town has encountered over the years are also highlighted. With the weather warming up, outdoor activities in Germany are also set to enjoy popularity, like the Romantic Road in Möttingen. With a minimum of three-day itineraries encouraged to revel in all the beauty of the 350km route through forests, mountains and villages seeped in half a century of history, the trip is perfect for those looking to soak up both nature and culture. With many mosques throughout Germany open to tourist visits throughout the year, the Blue Mosque in Hamburg is one of the oldest Islamic sites in the country. Renowned for its exceptional structural design, its beautiful shades of turquoise blue accompanied by Arabic calligraphy wrap around several prayer rooms, which together can hold up to 1,500 people. The mosque also features one of the world’s largest carpets – it took three years to complete and required 22 people hand-tying 80 million knots. “Germany’s longstanding ties with various international …

marhaba and Plaza Premium Group (PPG) have entered into a joint venture agreement to expand their international offering. The partnership brings together two leading brands to combine knowledge and resources, and bring airport hospitality to the next level through excellent and innovative airport concierge and lounge services as travel demand increases globally. The first project under the agreement will see the development of the new marhaba Plaza Premium Lounge at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan. With the lounge development already in progress, the new marhaba Plaza Premium Lounge at Queen Alia International Airport is expected to open in July 2022. The lounge will have a capacity of 140 guests and is inspired by the beautiful landscape of Amman, with subtle inclusion of the local culture and heritage in its design. Steve Allen, CEO of dnata Group, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with PPG to bring our globally renowned airport hospitality services to more travellers across the world. Our joint commitment to quality and service excellence will ensure first-rate customer experience for travellers throughout their journey. We look forward to opening the first, best-in-class marhaba Plaza Premium lounge in Amman and further enhancing our joint offering in the coming years.” Mr. Bora Isbulan, Deputy CEO of Plaza Premium Group said, “This is truly an exciting opportunity for PPG. Our global agreement with marhaba is a testament to our shared commitment to providing the best-in-class airport hospitality for travellers to enjoy. We expect to yield more opportunities in the future through this collaboration. Meanwhile, we are also excited to announce our first venture through the PPG and marhaba’s global agreement, the launch of the new marhaba Plaza Premium …

Dubai Next, the digital crowdfunding platform that has attracted many young innovators and start-up ideas, is anticipating an increase in fund-seekers and contributors following the country approving a federal system for such platforms recently. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the new federal framework that will allow operators from the government and private sectors to back crowdfunded projects. Dubai Next was launched in May 2021 by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, The platform, which is managed by Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) in Dubai, is attracting  innovators and has already enabled eight start-up concepts raise the required funds. “Crowdfunding has had a significant impact in ushering in a new generation of entrepreneurs in the UAE. It provides an alternate financing option, and an ideal opportunity to turn start-up ideas into viable projects. Students aged 12 and above can create campaigns on Dubai Next and the campaigns seen so far are diverse and innovative” said Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME. Crowdfunding involves small amounts sourced towards financing of a single commercial venture. Anyone with an innovative idea or project can create a campaign on Dubai Next and seek funds from contributors. The not-for-profit platform is open to people of all nationalities. “The Dubai Next experience confirms that crowdfunding can motivate our growing youth population to pursue entrepreneurship, thus ushering in a new generation of entrepreneurs and eventually positioning Dubai as the global hub of innovative enterprise,” Al Janahi said. Currently, Dubai Next …

Industry experts will gather to discuss ‘the Middle East as a financial hub for future worldwide tourism investment’ during the upcoming ITIC-ATM Middle East Summit at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Monday 9 to Thursday 12 May. Hosted jointly by ATM and the International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC), this year’s summit will be held on Tuesday 10 May 2022, shining a spotlight on access to project finance in the post-Covid era. According to analysis from BNC Network, hotel contracts worth US$4.5 billion are expected to be awarded in the GCC during 2022, representing year-on-year growth of 16 percent. The UAE generated the highest value of cumulative hospitality-related contracts in the GCC last year, followed by Saudi Arabia. The combined value of UAE and KSA projects accounted for more than 90 percent of all hospitality contracts awarded in the region during 2021, according to the research. On a regional level, data released by STR shows that more than 169,000 pipeline rooms are currently under contract across the Middle East, the three most active cities being Dubai, Makkah and Doha, respectively. This year’s ITIC-ATM Middle East Summit therefore represents a timely opportunity for travel and tourism professionals to explore regional investment opportunities, discover new modes of financing and network with peers from around the world. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “Development in the Middle East is progressing at a rapid pace. Fuelled by ambitious national initiatives such as Expo 2020 Dubai, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and Saudi Vision 2030, our region is witnessing significant levels of tourism-related investment, and this trend shows no sign …

Cruise Saudi welcomed MSC Cruises’ flagship MSC Virtuosa making it the line’s second vessel to visit Jeddah Islamic Port. The newly launched cruise ship, part of the world’s third largest cruise line, spent around 17 hours at the port before continuing its voyage along the Red Sea. MSC Virtuosa joined MSC Bellissima at Saudi’s largest and busiest port, where the latter ship has been homeporting throughout the 2021/2022 Summer and Winter Seasons. The visits are part of Cruise Saudi’s efforts to build a fully integrated, world-class cruise industry in the country, elevating tourism in line with Vision 2030 – the Saudi leadership’s transformation plan to diversify the economy. MSC Virtuosa entered into service in May 2021 and is one of the two largest ships in MSC Cruises’ fleet. It features the longest LED dome and largest shopping area at sea. Featuring the very latest in environmental technology, MSC Virtuosa is a modern and innovative ship with an incredible choice of onboard features including 11 boutiques, five swimming pools and a waterpark on board. Commenting on MSC Virtuosa’s visit, Lars Clasen, Chief Executive Officer of Cruise Saudi, said: “We are proud to host the flagship of one of the world’s most established and popular cruise lines. MSC Virtuosa’s visit highlights Saudi as an exciting cruise destination for international cruise lines and travelers. At Cruise Saudi, we look forward to welcoming more guests and operators to experience the glistening waters of the Red Sea as the tourism industry gathers pace. “By supporting Saudi’s tourism industry, we are not only enabling the world to experience Saudi’s pristine islands and beaches as well as unique culture, heritage and hospitality – but we are also …

flydubai announced that flights to Taif in Saudi Arabia will commence on 15 April with a daily service. This brings the number of destinations served by the carrier in the Kingdom to seven. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we are pleased to see our network grow to offer more than 95 unique destinations. The network expansion has been supported by our growing fleet as we continue to take delivery of more aircraft over the next few months. We look forward to welcoming passengers back on our flights to Taif and thank the authorities for their continuous support.” Taif is located less than 100 kilometres east of Mecca in a valley on the eastern side of the Hejaz mountains. The millennia-old city is a favourite summer destination for those looking for the pleasant weather offered by the altitude. Due to its cooler climate and fertile land, the region earned its title of “Garden of the Hejaz”. Known as the City of Roses, more than 900 rose farms produce over 300 million flowers every spring. flydubai has built a network of more than 95 destination in 50 countries served by a young fleet of 63 Boeing 737 aircraft. With the resumption of daily flights to Taif, flydubai’s network in Saudi Arabia has now grown to seven destinations including AlUla, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh and Yanbu. flydubai’s passenger experience has been redesigned to enable travel in a safe environment that minimises crew and passenger contact and offers passengers confidence to travel at every step of their journey. Passengers are required to make sure that they are up to date with the regulations from the IATA Travel Centre and the …

Vibe  announced its partnership with ground transport experts CMAC Group, enabling its clients on demand or planned access to taxis, executive cars, minibuses and coaches. Accessed through its online booking tool, Vibe’s clients – including TMCs and leisure intermediaries – can now provide timely transportation options, allowing the end user to search, book and report on all of their transfer needs, as necessary. Supplemented by a unique 24-hour support hotline, this latest service enables Vibe’s clients to enhance the end-to-end travel experience, add value to their customer proposition and unlock new revenue opportunities. Matthew Chapman, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and Co-founder of Vibe comments: “At a time when many travellers are still concerned about using public transport and travel intermediaries are looking to find new products to cross-sell to increase revenues, selling ground transportation as part of travel packages is proving more popular than ever. But finding a reliable provider who can manage everything end-to-end, around the globe, is not easy. CMAC goes above and beyond many suppliers, offering a manned support line alongside access to transport solutions which made them the partner of choice for us.” Peter Slater, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CMAC Group adds: “Combining the individual strengths of Vibe and CMAC will undoubtedly provide significant benefits to clients and their customers. Vibe’s strong platform and CMAC’s unrivalled supply chain makes this a one-stop shop for all ground transportation needs, improving efficiency and ensuring that users have access to a reliable managed transport experience whenever they need it.”

The doors to Dubai Sports World, the UAE’s largest indoor sporting venue, are officially open. The annual multi-sports initiative, in its 12th edition, returns bigger and better this year: 42 courts and pitches spread across 20,000sqm and running for almost six months. His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, in the presence of Mahir Julfar, Executive Vice President – Venue Services Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, declared the venue open and explained the reasoning behind the extended period of operations. “Running for 23 weeks through the summer, the 12th edition of Dubai Sports World offers a broad range of sports and physical activities in line with the UAE leadership’s vision to cultivate a healthier, fitness-oriented lifestyle,” he said. “This unique sporting facility encourages all ages and standards to continue practising sport and socialising as part of an active lifestyle, aligned to our vision of promoting the health, happiness, and vitality of our Dubai community. “This year’s edition is the longest yet, which reflects the increased interest and engagement in sporting activities we have seen throughout the emirate, in line with the UAE leadership’s emphasis on promoting sports and physical activity for all members of society.” To make the 23-week initiative a reality, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has transformed Za’abeel Halls 3-6 into the UAE’s largest indoor sports destination, spread across 20,000 square-metres and set up for an array of sports and academic coaching. Running from 8am until 1am every day during Ramadan and 8am to midnight every day thereafter until September 21, the venue offers facilities to play badminton, basketball, cricket, football, padel, tennis, table tennis, and volleyball. The interconnecting halls serve as a self-contained and …