Let’s visit Philippines virtual show concluded successfully with 20 exhibitors from the Philippines, over 500 one-on-one meetings with 200 specialized visitors from the Middle East. Dakila F Gonzales, Head, Middle East Market, Market Development Division, Office of Product and Market Development, Department of Tourism Philippines in his address shared, “it is rewarding to see our partners from the Philippines and the Middle East gather together and explore opportunities and possibilities for collaboration as the Philippines start to open dorrs through our green list programme. With us today our 20 Philippine partners with exciting travel products suited for the Middle East market from the fast paced millennials to the family market sector looking for safe getaways, all women travel, business travel, MICE and events and for the visiting friends and relatives sector. It is my privilege and honour to welcome all of you for the Let’s visit Philippines virtual show.” Department of Tourism Philippines have been proactively working over the past months making sure that the destination will be top of the mind for the clients in GCC. This virtual show brought together DMCs and agents from across the Philippines to meet with agents from the GCC for six hours of valuable meeting time. Prior to the pandemic Philippines received a good response from the Middle East market, however virtually connecting just before the holiday rush ensured fruitful meetings with the partners which laid the foundation for collaboration further during the next few months. Middle East travelers are always on the lookout for new outbound destinations that are safe, hassle free and most importantly in this post covid era which has less crowds. Philippines with its almost 7000 plus islands has …

Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Al Mirqab Tourist Company LLC to debut the Andaz brand in Qatar. The 318-guestroom Andaz Doha is expected to open in fall 2022, at the same time football fans around the world will turn their eyes to Qatar. The hotel will mark the fourth Hyatt hotel in the country. The Andaz brand of luxury lifestyle hotels offer distinctively local experiences that stimulate the senses. Andaz means “personal style” in Hindi, and Andaz hotels celebrate the individuality of every guest and speaks to the uniqueness of each locale. Every Andaz property stands out as an elevated reflection of the culture that surrounds it – capturing the best of local design and cuisine – while delivering thoughtful, unscripted service. Andaz hotels enable guests to go beyond the familiar and satiate their curiosity about the world and local cultures through immersive experiences that capture the true essence of the surrounding destination. The 318-room hotel with stunning sea views will be located in the prestigious West Bay area of Doha, nestled amongst embassies, consulates and key government institutions. Situated within close proximity to a cosmopolitan blend of restaurants, residential and retail space, the hotel will cater to travelers searching for the best of local culture. It will feature four distinct food and beverage outlets offering a wide range from local flavors to international dishes while creating a vibrant social scene. All dining options will boast modern design and an innovative approach to drinking and dining. “We are honored to announce plans for the Andaz brand in Qatar in our second collaboration with Al Mirqab Group as part of our …

Qatar expands its tourism proposition in line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030. Its tourism strategy puts the visitor at the heart of all new programmes and initiatives. As part of the ‘Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030’, the country has added a variety of exciting experiences, including a wave of new luxury hotels, theme parks, shops, and major leisure projects, that have recently opened, or are set to open in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM. Over 100 new hotels and serviced apartments are currently under construction which will add to Qatar’s already extensive portfolio of properties. Some of the new properties include a Raffles Hotel and Fairmont Hotel and Resort at Katara Towers, Rosewood Doha and the St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island. The hotels will broaden Qatar’s appeal to high value travellers, offering more choice to its existing 80 five and four star hotels. With the aim of raising the tourism sector to 12% GBP by 2030, Qatar will grow and improve assets and attractions, enhance the end-to-end customer experience, invest in Service Excellence and deploy a tailored marketing strategy to target point-to-point (P2P) and stopover visitors. Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, Berthold Trenkel, said: “We are continuing to expand our tourism offering and are excited to introduce guests to the best of Qatari hospitality. In 2019, we saw over two million visitors to Qatar and we hope to see similar growth trends now that we are welcoming visitors back to the country again. “We are now less than one year until the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, so now is the perfect time in visit Qatar. Qatar is an accessible introduction to the Middle East, …

Hilton announced plans to debut Curio Collection by Hilton in Saudi Arabia with a new build property in the capital city, Riyadh. Almashreq Hotel Riyadh, Curio Collection by Hilton has been signed together with Mashareq Investment and is due to open its doors in 2024. Featuring 185 guest rooms, Almashreq Hotel Riyadh, Curio Collection by Hilton will be located in the upcoming Laysen Valley development, opposite the city’s diplomatic quarter.  Opening its first phase in 2022, Laysen Valley will consist of over 50 residential, commercial and retail buildings – set to include offices of major corporations and government departments as well as gourmet dining outlets. Amir Lababedi, Managing Director, Development, Middle East & North Africa, Hilton, said: “This property further extends our offering into Riyadh where we now have properties trading or under development across nine different brands.  Its location forms part of one of the most exciting mixed-use developments in the city and developed by one of the country’s premier developers, Tatweer group, which is set to become a hotspot for F&B as well as a desirable corporate location.” Abdulaziz AlZamil, CEO of Mashareq Investment and Almashreq Hospitality, said: “We believe this is a great partnership that will add a valuable offering to our portfolio under award-winning Almashreq hotels brand. We are very pleased to be working with Hilton and bringing the first Curio Collection by Hilton property to Saudi Arabia and look forward to further partnerships with Hilton in the Kingdom and the region.” Guests will have access to a range of facilities within the property, including an indoor pool and fitness center, six meeting rooms and multiple F&B outlets to cater to hotel guests and the neighbouring …

InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa is preparing for a grand opening in Q1 2022, offering an idyllic, luxury island experience on the pristine Hayat Island shoreline in Mina Al Arab, United Arab Emirates. The 351-room expansive escape will mark the first property for the luxury hospitality brand in the emirate, making it the flagship beachfront resort. All accommodations provide overwater views and access to a private balcony or terrace area – perfect for a relaxed morning coffee or gazing upon the glowing dusk hues. From the spacious rooms for a romantic retreat to private pool villas for family escapes, each sanctuary seamlessly fuses modern luxury living with elegant local touches, just 45 minutes from Dubai. Bringing a new level of luxury to Ras Al Khaimah, the all-new five-star haven will present six new culinary outlets to the emirate, that have been inspired by the surrounding mountains, desert and sea, including the fine-dining Levant & Nar, complete with 360-degree sea views. For an elevated stay, guests can look forward to the unmatched Club InterContinental. A resort within a resort, Club InterContinental is housed in an exclusive building that provides an end-to-end guest experience, with personalised service, separate check in area, access to a private pool, and special privileges that enhance every aspect of the stay. An oasis of tranquillity, the resort’s five-star spa is equipped with a spacious Turkish hammam, as well as 10 treatment rooms with pioneering treatments, while younger guests can learn more about the world in the Planet Trekkers and Teens Club facilities, that are only available at select InterContinental resorts around the world. From dazzling beaches to desert-cloaked landscapes, the resorts Concierge programme helps guests …

In a few hours you can connect with travel agents and DMCs from Philippines to network, learn and understand the new normal strategies, new places, attractions, new gastronomical ideas and strategies promoted especially designed for the GCC clientele. Department of Tourism Philippines have been proactively working over the past months making sure that the destination will be top of the mind for the clients in GCC. As four countries in GCC are added in the green list outbound travel to the Philippines would be much smoother. This virtual meeting will bring together DMCs and agents from across the Philippines to meet with agents from the GCC for six hours of valuable meeting time. If you haven’t registered yet, sign up on http://www.letsvisitphilippines.com/ Virtually connecting just before the holiday rush will ensure that you reconnect with your business partners or meet with new contacts who will be able to kick start plans for the upcoming months. Air connectivity is of utmost importance and the new arrangements made to ensure a smooth passage to the destination will surely regain the positive momentum from before which attracted a good number of visitors from the GCC.

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) revealed that the emirate welcomed 4.88 million visitors between January – October 2021 with international visitation during October alone reaching over one million. Reflecting the rising growth momentum and stability of the industry, strong international visitation was complemented by a robust domestic tourism market, further boosting the hospitality sector resulting in 9.4 million room nights sold between January – October 2021 in comparison to 7 million room nights sold in the same period in 2019. The latest tourism figures were released at the second bi-annual City Briefing of 2021 held by the Department of Economy and Tourism to provide stakeholders with key updates on the tourism sector’s positive growth and insights into current and future strategies and global marketing campaigns. As Dubai continues to lead the global tourism rebound and stimulate international business growth, the forum featured a detailed presentation on domestic and global developments, including an overview of increasing visitor numbers, hotel occupancy, and activities in international markets, which have all reinforced Dubai’s profile as a safe, must-visit destination and the world’s best city to live, work and visit. The meeting was presided by His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, and was attended by over 1,150 representatives from leading establishments in the hospitality, travel, and tourism sectors. The forum was part of DET’s regular dialogue with business leaders to encourage collaboration and exchange insights to ensure the industry is seamlessly aligned with tourism growth initiatives and strategies. Held at Ain Dubai, the forum discussed ways to further accelerate growth in the industry, leveraging the latest landmark attractions to open in Dubai. HE Helal Saeed Almarri, …

A delegation from the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna was recently in Dubai, led by Stefano Bonaccini, the President of Emilia-Romagna, with the aim of displaying the region’s expertise and excellence in industry, academia, research, tourism and innovation. The President was accompanied by the Regional Minister of Tourism, Andrea Corsini, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agro-Products, and professional and industrial universities specialized in developing solutions capable of responding to global challenges. The Emilia-Romagna mission is working to transfer its expertise to the UAE and its visitors during Expo 2020 Dubai through representatives from the industrial, scientific, technological, social, tourism and cultural fields. A series of special events and initiatives are being organized at the Italy Pavilion and the M-Eating Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai around these themes. In the same context, the mission’s tasks included several strategic meetings that brought together Bonaccini, accompanied by the Consul General in Dubai, Giuseppe Finochiaro and Ahmed Al Falasi, CEO of Dubai’s new Department of Economy and Tourism. The mission also organized a visit to the Dubai Future Foundation, where President Bonaccini met the Foundation’s CEO, Khalfan Belhoul, and discussed ways of cooperation and partnership. On the 9th of December, Emilia Romagna organized a press conference at Expo 2020 Dubai, in the presence of the regional minister of tourism, travel and tourism pioneers and representatives of various related sectors, in the presence of local and international media. The conference highlighted the Emilia-Romagna industry of excellence in the sectors of industry, agriculture, specialized tourism and higher vocational education, which together highlight Emilia-Romagna’s enormous potential, infrastructure, and economic and tourist attractions. “Expo 2020 Dubai comes after the very hard months of …

Etihad Airways and ITA Airways have signed a codeshare agreement connecting the networks of the two airlines. This new commercial partnership is designed to boost business travel and tourism between Italy and the United Arab Emirates, and will offer travellers more options and better connectivity when travelling through Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Abu Dhabi. Available for sale today for flights from 14 December 2021, ITA Airways will apply its ‘AZ’ code on services operated by Etihad between Italy (Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa) and the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi). Similarly, Etihad will codeshare AZ flights connecting Italian domestic services beyond Rome Fiumicino Airport (Genova, Bari, Brindisi, Catania, Palermo) plus regional European services (Malta). The new codeshare flights are now available for sale through the airlines’ respective websites (ita-airways.com and etihad.com), reservation systems and in travel agencies. The partners are also working together to expand the scope of their cooperation over the coming months to offer customers even more seamless travel options.

Philippine tourism board will be conducting a virtual roadshow tomorrow Monday 13th December 2021, from 11am to 5pm UAE time. As Philippines prepares to open borders to the GCC with four of the countries added to their green list, namely United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman. Before the pandemic, Philippines received a really good number of visitors from the GCC hence, reconnecting with the travel trade from the GCC will be the ideal way to kick start the reciprocal relationship once again. Register now on http://www.letsvisitphilippines.com/ Over the pandemic Philippines Department of Tourism has been proactively working to ensure that the agents are kept well informed about the destination, making sure it is kept top in mind with special virtual dinner events, comprehensive webinars showcasing the new normal offerings and the safety regulations of the destination. Last week a two part series specialized webinar was conducted to also share insights on how to sell the destination of Philippines to the GCC market with travel trade experts from the GCC to the stakeholders in Philippines which proved to be very informative and insightful.