Sultanate of Oman being a key participant at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) officially opened their stand spearheaded by His Excellency Azzan bin Qassim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Oman delegation included 14 companies, institutions, and establishments of the Omani tourism sector. The exhibition, which runs from May 9th to 12th witnessed the launch of Oman’s new pavilion, as well as Oman Tourism Forum 2022. The Forum will oversee participation of over 1,500 exhibitors representing 112 tourist destinations around the world, with over 20,000 visitors specialized in the tourism sector. In a statement commenting on the participation of the Sultanate of Oman, His Excellency Azzan bin Qassim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism said, “ATM is an important platform for the Ministry and the Omani tourism sector institutions to showcase its latest developments and projects, especially as we prepare to welcome the Khareef season soon.” His Excellency added, “The intensive business programs and official meetings serves as a catalyst for Ministry, and the Omani institutions and companies to learn, discover and grow from global markets. The Omani tourism sector institutions are keen to introduce and promote their products, offers and services at such specialized international exhibitions.” His Excellency, The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism also emphasized the launch of the Oman Tourism Forum 2022, set to begin on 10th May – Tuesday. He stressed the importance of such specialized global forums that attracts senior speakers, decision-makers, participants, investors and important stakeholders in the global tourism industry. The forum is organized in cooperation between the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism Oman and the Chinese Forum for International Investment, …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, unveiled Saadiyat Island’s new vision, strategy and brand, positioning it as a leading beach, nature and cultural destination, which bolsters the emirate’s tourism sector and supports the diversification of Abu Dhabi’s economy. This new strategy is set to attract travellers seeking transformative, luxury experiences and drive Saadiyat Vision 2025 which aims to grow domestic, regional, and global visitor numbers, supporting the development of Abu Dhabi’s tourism ecosystem. Saadiyat Island is expected to attract 19 million visitors and contribute AED 4.2 billion in direct tourism revenue by 2025. As with the strategy, the island’s campaign ‘One Island. Many Journeys.’ and new brand have been designed to capture the essence of Saadiyat and underpin its wealth of offerings.  The logo, inspired by the island’s name and the Arabic letter ‘S’, taking the form of the letter in a modern calligraphy style, represents both the island’s rich culture and its modern offerings. H.E. Saleh Mohamed Saleh Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Saadiyat Island is undoubtedly one of Abu Dhabi’s finest treasures. It is unmatched anywhere in the world for its stunning natural beaches, world-class arts, cultural, educational, wellness, sporting and F&B experiences. This natural island is home to amazing wildlife and luxury hotels alike and there truly is something for everyone to enjoy, seamlessly fitting into Abu Dhabi’s wider strategy as the destination of choice for global travellers. We look forward to elevating awareness of Saadiyat’s enriching experiences as part of Abu Dhabi’s wider offering. From culture and entertainment to amazing landmarks and natural …

Emaar Hospitality Group the official hotel partner again this year at the Arabian Travel Market shared their new plans for the region at the official press briefing held earlier yesterday. This year marks a remarkable recovery of the travel and tourism industry around the world as hotels are nearing the same levels of occupancy as before the pandemic. Hotels across Emaar Hospitality Group’s diverse portfolio have achieved high occupancy rates in Q1, and these are expected to rise further during the year. Emaar Hospitality Group has been focused on reinventing practices and products along with new investments toward the expansion of hospitality brands across the region. The diverse portfolio of brands, including Address Hotels + Resorts, a premium luxury hotel and residences brand, and Vida Hotels and Resorts, an upscale lifestyle hotel and residences brand, will now extend to offer its iconic services to guests at new, exciting locations within the UAE and at up-and-coming, highly anticipated destinations across the Middle East. The first opening of this year is the most monumental as it marks the first expansion of the Palace Downtown which is a part of the group’s luxury segment of Address Hotels + Resorts. Palace Fujairah is set to welcome guests in the coming months as a luxury resort in the culturally rich and scenic surroundings of Fujairah and this resort is expected to attract domestic as well as international tourists. Emaar Hospitality Group has announced 5 new openings with properties located in Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Dubai Creek Harbour – which are all key developments of Emaar Properties PJSC. Vida Hotels and Resorts which is known for its choice of upscale and stylish locations in Dubai, …

Wego and Cleartrip Travel Insights Report delves into traveller sentiments and readiness to travel in a post-COVID world. These findings are brought to you from our independent research and data on MENA travellers’ behavior. Recently, around 4,390 residents from UAE and KSA were asked about their thoughts, and behaviors surrounding travel. The report also highlights the impact of COVID-19 on travel, the trends currently being witnessed and positive signs of recovery. The near-term outlook for travel looks favourable, and people are looking to spend more and travel longer in 2022.   Travel Scenario   After numerous lockdowns, never ending changes in restrictions and the constant updates on flights, airport protocols and hotel capacity changes, a lot of passengers are still eager to travel albeit being a bit more cautious.   Vaccinated travellers   Out of the total survey respondents, 99% said they were vaccinated while only 1% said they weren’t. The increase in the number of vaccinated people has had a positive impact on travel and gives reassurance for people to travel more to the countries that have high vaccination rates.   Forward look and planning a trip   As more restrictions are eased worldwide, and vaccinations rates have increased, people are eager to travel more and make up for the lost time.   According to Wego, in 2022, flights and hotel searches increased by 81% in February and 102% in March. This is testament that people are looking to travel more.   Lower risk destinations that guarantee an easy return have been prioritized. The majority of the respondents have opted for destinations which are perceived to be safe and where COVID19 protocols have been adhered to.     Remote work …

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, to be held in November this year, Tawfeeq Travel will be focusing on bespoke travel experience in Qatar. Rehan Ali, CEO, Tawfeeq Travel, said, “Our key focus this year is to establish and position our DMC Tawfeeq Travel across the globe due to FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Qatar Tourism is investing heavily on organising various events throughout the year so that tourists and visitors can experience the hospitality in Qatar before the big event happens in November. The focus of Qatar government is to position Qatar as a key destination for MICE, Leisure and as a destination for big weddings. Tawfeeq Travel will bring in bespoke travel experience in Qatar.” Ali further reiterated the importance of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) and their presence at the event after a long time. “ATM is a key travel show in the region that helps to connect with different service providers, suppliers from different segment of the markets across the globe, as well as gives access to new technologies that has been introduced by the tech providers. After a gap of almost three years, I am excited to participate physically and be part of this event. We have our own desk as Tawfeeq Travel with Qatar Tourism stand.” As Qatar is one of the largest gas producers, corporate travel has seen an increase of almost 80 per cent of the pre-COVID era. Ali elaborates, “Corporate travel has been gradually picking up since last year, Qatar being one of the largest gas producers have long term bilateral relationship with all the major countries and due to year around rig operations the marine business has kept them moving. As …

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced  the launch of its seasonal flights to Sarajevo; the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from Abu Dhabi, starting June 15, 2022. Schedule to Sarajevo, effective June 15, 2022 (all times local):   Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency  G9 610 Abu Dhabi 12:45 Sarajevo 16:35 Airbus A320 Wednesday G9 611 Sarajevo 17:30 Abu Dhabi 00:50 Airbus A320 Wednesday   The charming city of Sarajevo offers a wide range of touristic attractions for its unique cultural mix, including fascinating museums and gorgeous nature. The scenic landscape that surrounds the historic city ensures an exciting experience. Customers can now book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Sarajevo by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.

The world will reconvene once again at the Dubai world trade center in a few hours at the 29th edition of the Arabian travel market which will welcome more than 20,000 visitors and over 1,500 exhibiting companies during the four-day tourism showcase, which concludes on Thursday, 12 May. 112 countries will be featured on the show floor ranging from Japan to Jamaica and South Africa to Italy. Industry professionals will have the opportunity to meet and discuss the latest trends from a cross-section of travel, including technology, transport, sustainability, events and business. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “Arabian Travel Market 2022 will reiterate the importance of the travel industry as we continue to address the challenges of COVID-19 while also outlining how we drive the industry forward. “The tourism industry has rebounded incredibly well. As a result, we have seen a clear uptick in participation, with floor space increasing by over 85% compared to the previous year and Middle East exhibitor space eclipsing 2019 levels. We now have the perfect opportunity to hear from industry professionals on the latest trends helping the industry recover and flourish in many instances.” In line with this year’s theme of ‘The future of international travel and tourism’, ATM 2022 will unveil new technology that will eliminate the need for business cards and allow exhibitors and visitors to share details, brochures and marketing material via innovative scanners and badges. Further underscoring the technology focus is the revamped and rebranded ATM Travel Tech event, previously called Travel Forward. A host of exciting sessions will take place, including the vision for the NEOM and its strategy for creating memorable experiences by Andrew …

Discover Europe travel summit this year was organised by tourism boards of  Austria, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland. Over 95 partners were present from all 4 destinations and key travel agents from the GCC attended the summit over the last two days. It was the first time after the pandemic that all GCC countries got the opportunity to be present physically to meet and network with partners from Europe. The two day event kicked off with new campaign presentations by each tourism board director, followed by B2B meetings between the trade partners. Travel trade partners from Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attended the event with of course the host country participants from across the UAE as well. Robert Groeblacher Director Austria tourism shared that it was very refreshing to meet everyone in person this year as last year most GCC countries were still closed hence participation was limited but this year saw a rise in the number of entrants. He further reiterated that the past year Austria had a good number of visitors from the GCC as they opened fairly early in the region for travellers to visit the destination. Yamina Sofo Director Marketing German National Tourist Office for GCC countries in her presentation provided a sneak preview of one of the main campaigns to be launched this year which is based on nature. Embrace nature as the campaign started showed places and experiences that must be tried and should include in the bucket list. Sofo also shared that Germany had also achieved a high number of visitors from the region, hence they have more campaigns for the market this year. Aisling McDermott Manager tourism Ireland for Middle …

With Dubai fully regaining its vibrancy after safely navigating and accelerating out of the unprecedented global challenge, the city’s newly formed Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) will showcase the diversity of Dubai’s destination offering, along with innovative initiatives designed to further strengthen the city’s tourism industry, during the 29th edition of Arabian Travel Market. With this year’s ATM set to shine a light on the growth trajectory of the global travel and tourism industry, as well as the challenges ahead under the theme ‘The future of international travel and tourism’, DET looks forward to sharing and facilitating the exchange of information and ideas and leverage opportunities for sustainable growth. Located in Hall 3 at Dubai World Trade Centre, a bigger and all-new design Dubai stand (ME-3110) will see more than 100 partners and representatives from government entities, hotels, destination management companies and tour operators join DET to safely welcome visitors, as well as over 290 international hosted buyers to the event. The Dubai stand will also highlight key activities of government bodies and industry stakeholders including Dubai Police, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA -Dubai), Dubai Health Authority, SMCCU, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Culture, Accor and Marriott International.   Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented: “ATM is an important platform for global and regional tourism and this year the forum is happening at a time when the world is increasingly looking to take a leaf out of Dubai’s successful tourism recovery strategy. As the host destination and one of the longstanding partners of this annual event, Dubai’s participation together with a cross-section of  government and industry partners is fundamental to providing …

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group), the executive arm of the Sultanate of Oman for tourism development, announce plans for the upcoming Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Muscat, Oman. The luxury development will comprise of an urban style resort, perfect for business travellers or leisure guests looking to visit the historic sights of Oman’s capital city – a rare opportunity to relish in the relaxing mountain and seaside setting. For those looking to make Four Seasons part of their everyday lifestyle, the project will also include a collection of Private Residences with sweeping views of the Sea of Oman. “The Middle East continues to be an integral part of Four Seasons growth strategy, as we look for opportunities to offer unmatched Four Seasons experiences in exciting and dynamic destinations such as Muscat,” says Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development and Portfolio Management, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “We are excited to be a part of OMRAN Group’s long-term vision for the future development of Oman’s tourism landscape, further accelerating the strategic growth of its capital city and continuing to attract luxury guests and residents from around the world with a brand new Four Seasons offering.” Oman is located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, along the Sea of Oman. Muscat is an ancient city with a long history as an important port destination with a vibrant culture. The idyllic landscape is marked by the backdrop of the Al Hajar Mountains with unending views across the Arabian Sea. In addition to the tranquil setting, leisure travellers can enjoy local attractions such as myriad museums, mosques and heritage sites. “Muscat is a destination …