EDITION Hotels premieres in Dubai’s iconic Downtown district, a stone’s throw from the city’s world-class retail flagships, commercial district and its flourishing art, design and culture hubs.  The Dubai EDITION is the brands latest addition in the Middle East following the success of its launch in Abu Dhabi. Welcoming guests since November 2021, The Dubai EDITION with its own unique and original identity, embodies its sense of place at the centre of a thriving international gateway city that is steered by pioneering spirit and innovation while anchored in its rich culture. It is no wonder that EDITION has debuted in one of the most exciting cities in the world.  The ban Designed in partnership with LW Design, The Dubai EDITION heralds a new generation of modern luxury and pays homage to Dubai’s passion to create something entirely new. The result is an elegant, vibrant, urban hub that undeniably encapsulates the essence of this inspired city and sets the bar for luxury of the future. The Dubai EDITION brings a new bespoke, boutique experience with the acute attention to detail and finesse that the EDITION brand is known for. From the outside, The Dubai EDITION stands tall within the Downtown district surrounded by world-famous attractions and landmarks. The green-filled entrance to the hotel is populated with bold terracotta pots transporting guests from the hustle and bustle to an oasis of calm. The clever landscaping continues throughout the hotel into the lobby, outdoor spaces and terraces, shaping intimate venues complete with lights beautifully woven through the gardens to create a playful dance at night. As with all EDITION hotels, the lobby is a dynamic, social space that subtly reveals a sense of …

In alignment with the UAE Government’s decision to adopt a new working week schedule, and in accordance with the directives received from the client governments, VFS Global’s Visa Application Centres (VACs) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have announced new operational hours for customers. The VACs operate from Monday to Thursday, 09.00 AM to 05.00 PM, except for public holidays and on Friday, 09.00 AM to 05.00 PM, with a prayer break between 01.00 PM and 02.30 PM. The centres will remain closed on Saturday and Sunday. VFS Global helpline for customers will also transition to the new working week schedule. The announcement reflects the organisation’s commitment to supporting its people and responding to changing working patterns. Atul Marwah, Head–Middle East & North Africa, VFS Global said, “Operational hours of our VACs in the UAE are revised as per the instructions received from the concerned Embassy/Consulate. We look forward to colleagues reaping the personal and professional rewards from the UAE government’s visionary and historical course of action. The future of work is changing at such a pace we have to evolve continually how we do things to meet the needs of our people and our customers.” Customers wanting to save travel time and seek greater convenience can opt for Visa At Your Doorstep service. This service gives customers the flexibility of submitting visa applications and enrolling biometrics from a location of choice, be it home, office or school campus. VFS Global staff ensures all applications are complete and ready for processing. The service is ideal for large groups travelling together, as all applications can be submitted on the same date and location. In addition to the VACs, VFS Global Philippine ePassport …

Minor Hotels is pleased to announce the signing of an upcoming addition to its portfolio in Qatar. NH Collection Doha Oasis Hotel & Beach Club is slated to open in mid-2022 and will be the first NH Collection property globally with a beach club. The hotel is currently in the later stages of development and is located in the Ras Abu Abboud area along Doha’s eastern coast, midway between the city centre and Hamad International Airport. The previous Oasis Hotel, from where the new property takes its name, was in the same location and was Doha’s first ever hotel when it opened in the 1950’s. The hotel has a rich history and was a prominent destination for local Qataris, residents and state visitors, with many celebrations and official events having taken place there. The fully redeveloped hotel will have a total of 300 guest rooms, across a mix of Superior and Deluxe Rooms and over 50 suites, all with a design blending modern and classical elegance. The suites will include six 156 square metre Emiri Suites, a 193 square metre Presidential Suite and an impressive Royal Duplex Suite, offering 332 square metres of luxurious space. The F&B offering will be very strong, with six restaurants and bars, including two specialty restaurants and a rooftop bar. Additional facilities will include both male and female spas and gyms, a large ballroom totalling 1,200 square metres and divisible by two, and a mezzanine level with additional meeting rooms, a business centre and supporting conference space. The new hotel will also have a beach club with a swimming pool set amidst gardens and padel tennis courts, plus substantial parking. This will be the first …

The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced Wednesday (January 12) that fully vaccinated tourism workers are now receiving booster shots as an added protection against the heightened threat of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in the country, and with most regions already attaining above 90 percent vaccination rates among active and eligible tourism workers. “We are glad to see the willingness of our tourism workers to get vaccinated grow over the past few months. We continue to encourage them to avail themselves of the free vaccine as this is a critical component for the industry to rebound and thrive in the new normal,” Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said. The tourism chief disclosed that booster COVID-19 shots are now being administered to tourism workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Boracay Island. Eventually, booster shots drive for tourism workers will also be rolled out in other tourism destinations like Baguio City and Davao. Based on the DOT NCR Office’s data, 50% or 12,693 out of the region’s 25,386 hotel workers have already received their COVID-19 booster shots. Meanwhile, in Boracay alone, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) has committed to allocate 20,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to be administered as booster shots to the island’s tourism workers. As of the end of 2021, a total of 282,780 individuals, or 88.38 percent of the country’s initial target population of 325,489 tourism workers from various tourism-related industries, have already been inoculated against COVID-19, leaving only 12.17 percent or 38,931 individuals who have yet to receive their first dose.   The inoculated workers, the tourism chief said, are employed in accommodation establishments temporarily operating as isolation/quarantine facilities, regular hotels, tourism enterprises, tourism support services (TSS), …

Oman Air Holidays has signed a partnership agreement with CONNECT, a subsidiary of Oman’s SABCO Group, becoming exclusive travel partner for all CONNECT events on the 2022 calendar. As the Sultanate of Oman’s leading provider of inbound and outbound flight and holiday packages, Oman Air Holidays will offer event delegates, exhibitors and visitors a variety of exclusive accommodation and tour packages, comprising flight tickets, transfers, excursions and bespoke itineraries and add-ons. “The 2022 MICE season in Oman is shaping up to be a busy one, and we’re delighted to partner with CONNECT to facilitate and enhance the offering of exclusive hotel and tour packages available to everyone attending exhibitions this year,” said Mundher Al Shaikhani, Senior Manager at Oman Air Holidays. “With five large-scale exhibitions already confirmed on CONNECT’s 2022 calendar, Oman Air Holidays has assembled customizable packages offering bespoke add-ons and itineraries for those wanting to explore Muscat and other regions in the Sultanate during their stay.” Commenting on the partnership, Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, Chairman of CONNECT and SABCO Group, said “CONNECT are proud to be partnering with the Sultanate of Oman’s national carrier and tour operator, Oman Air Holidays. This partnership is borne through the shared ambition to position the Sultanate as a world class hub for the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibition (MICE) industry, an industry that has a fundamental role to play in stimulating in-country trade and investment, and in achieving the Oman 2040 Vision. Additionally, international exhibitors, delegates and visitors who attend CONNECT’s market leading events will now have the opportunity to experience Oman Air’s multiple award winning services, and through Oman Air Holidays’ extensive network of hotels, transportation services …

Stella Stays, the rising star in the region’s deconstructed hotel industry, is looking at fast tracking its expansion plans in the nation’s capital. The homegrown company made the decision in line with the recent law changes in Abu Dhabi that introduced new regulations for the holiday home sector. Since last month it is mandatory for all holiday home operators in Abu Dhabi to register their units on the new online system to ensure sector regulations are maintained. The registration helps regulate and enhance the sector, by which alternatives to hotel and hotel apartments are offered to guests in the emirate. With a vison to redefine the hospitality industry, Stella Stays is well recognised for its innovative and guest-centric approach to hospitality. The brand started out with a single penthouse in 2019 and currently, its signed with more than 300 properties and is present in Dubai, Manama, and Montreal. With this new law established, Stella Stays plans to advance into the capital with its unrivalled, efficient technology and service, offering Abu Dhabi holidaymakers and businesspeople an impeccable stay experience. In addition to short term bookings, Stella Stays offers an unparalleled experience for guests looking for a long-term stay, such as new residents of the capital who are looking for a home with the flexibility to move in instantly without worrying about purchasing furniture, paying utilities or signing tedious amount of paperwork that is commonplace with yearly rentals. Additionally, these properties are ideal for corporate travellers, digital nomads,  groups of friends and families looking for a place to stay for a period of weeks or months, as they offer the luxury of spacious rooms that hotels can’t offer. Having had plans for …

Travelport introduced the latest update to its next-generation platform, Travelport+. Now available, these enhanced, modern retailing tools are paving the way to revolutionize travel retail, modernize the booking experience, and make it easier for agents to offer more choice and deliver better service to their travelers. “As part of our mission to revolutionize the travel industry’s retail experience, we continue to evolve, simplify, and automate the most critical technology tools. Today’s enhanced features empower travel agents to offer more choice, enable greater self-service capabilities for travelers, and simplify the most complex servicing processes,” said Jen Catto, Chief Marketing Officer at Travelport. “All Travelport+ customers enjoy a more modern, digital-first retail experience when connecting through our platform. That includes our desktop customers, who have said that the latest version of Smartpoint has managed to transform mundane travel management tasks into superior servicing opportunities.” More Choice, Richer Content, Better Servicing The evolution of Travelport+ tools and agency capabilities continues with simplified access to enriched travel content from multiple sources, including New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard content. Travelport is the first and only global distribution system (GDS) to sign NDC content distribution deals with all three major European airline groups (Air France-KLM, International Airlines Group (IAG), and Lufthansa Group). The company continues to expand its NDC connections with more than 16 airlines worldwide, including American Airlines, Emirates, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines. Adrian Kazim, Chief Operating Officer at Emirates, commented: “Together Emirates and Travelport are starting their journey to deliver the future of travel retail; kicking off with our first-ever GDS joint agreement that is inclusive of NDC content; that will enable the flexibility to innovate Emirates’ products and deliver more dynamic and personalized …

From biometric-based checks, self-boarding and real-time bag-tracking to digitalized air traffic management, airports have kept up competing by continuously adopting cutting-edge technologies for a completely frictionless travelling experience.  Having insights into the newest technology helps remain at the cutting edge of the airport business, now highly competitive post-pandemic. Innovative technologies and products are providing a wider degree of agility and flexibility for the airports as the number of passengers are gradually increasing and they prefer completion of their baggage handling operations outside the airports. Digital queuing and biometric has been viewed as a priority to be implemented to modernize every component of the journey at airports which are expected to allocate up to six per cent of their revenues each year to spend on Information Technology until 2024 on transformative projects and infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving operational efficiency and preparing themselves to handle passengers whose numbers will reach 8.2 billion in 2037 and 20.9 billion by 2040. A diverse range of technologically advance and innovative products will be displayed at the Airport Show 2022. The world’s largest airport industry B2B platform, organized by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, will provide insights into the investments planned by the world’s airports until 2040. The 21st edition will be held from May 17 to 19 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Patron of Airport Show, said: “The Airport Show has provided over the past two decades products and services to create most advanced aviation facilities in the world.” Airports are being increasingly becoming destinations …

Avani Hotels & Resorts has announced the launch of Avani Muscat Hotel, its newest property in the Middle East and the upbeat, contemporary brand’s first property in the Sultanate of Oman. Located in Seeb, a prime residential area at the heart of Muscat’s westward growth, the new property benefits from superb airport and city access making it a convenient base for business travellers, digital nomads and leisure travellers alike. Blending heritage-inspired touches and sleek contemporary style, the property’s 161 guest rooms are a masterclass in subtle design. Soothing yet stimulating environments, empathetic to the needs of today’s hyper connected traveller, have been created with natural materials, bespoke décor and Omani tones. In response to global travellers’ evolving working behaviours, in-room workspaces feature flexible configuration options and easy access to the smart power panel outfitted with multiple plugs and USB ports. On the residential side, 45 studios and one, two- and three-bedroom serviced apartments bring Avani’s fresh, forward-looking aesthetic to one of Muscat’s most dynamic neighbourhoods. At 128-square metres, the three-bedroom apartments are the largest in the inventory and are perfectly suited for long-stay guests and families with children who can take full advantage of AvaniKids, the hotel’s kids’ club and pool. Flavourful dining options include Trisis, a nature-inspired all-day dining restaurant with indoor tree features and specialising in Omani, Arabic and international cuisines, and Avani’s easy gourmet grab-and-go concept Pantry, known for its honest, nutritious meals and specialty coffee. The alfresco Patio Bar offers refreshments and the perfect spot to kick back overlooking the turquoise swimming pool whilst taking in the heartbeat of the city. Dedicated exercise and health club amenities are available at AvaniFit providing space to get in …

Etihad Airways has launched its dedicated sustainability-focused corporate rewards programme, designed to facilitate and deliver corporate partner sustainability goals through carbon offsetting, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) investments and green surcharge fares. Corporate Conscious Choices is designed specifically for organisations committed to reducing emissions and operating sustainably, with rewards and incentives designed to proactively support pro-environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and employee behaviour. The programme provides benefits across four core sustainability pillars: SAF Investment, Green Surcharges, Corporate Conscious Miles and Carbon Offsets. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Sustainability has been at the top of Etihad’s agenda as the most significant long-term priority of our business for a long time now; but it is more than just a business priority. It’s a social responsibility, as the influence organisations have on society as leaders, helping consumers make sustainable choices in their everyday lives, is a duty and obligation of doing business. “We have put a lot of focus on what governments and regulators should be doing to battle climate change, but the fact is we need corporates’ help and there is an equal responsibility for corporates to do what they can to reduce their own carbon footprint, while leading by example to help consumers to live more sustainably. “All corporates and organisations need transportation, whether it’s for travel or their supply chain. Our aim with the launch of Corporate Conscious Choices is to recognise those corporations that take the most sustainable actions through rewards and recognition.” The programme has already resonated among corporates, with a number of leading global organisations partnering with Etihad to launch the programme, including CWT, one of the largest business travel management companies …