Worldwide leader in travel retail, Travelport, announced a multi-year technology agreement with ITL World, one of the leading travel management companies in the Middle East. The agreement will see Dubai-based ITL World implement Travelport+, Travelport’s recently launched next-generation platform that creates a simplified, capability-rich, marketplace for travel retailing.   The move to Travelport+ will see ITL World benefit from advanced retailing capabilities including a modern, lightweight, highly functional microservices API, as well as a sophisticated point of sale solution and tools for enhanced value generation – all in one place. Travelport and ITL World also intend to implement various NDC initiatives in the future, leveraging Travelport’s NDC connections with multiple airlines.   Additionally, ITL World will use Travelport’s Branded Fares and Ancillary Services, giving its agents a graphically rich experience when searching and booking fares and ancillary offers from the approximately 275 airlines using the solution.   “Deploying Travelport+ supports our commitment to deliver travel management solutions which are innovative, yet cost-effective”, said Dr Siddeek Ahmed, Chairman & Managing Director at ITL World. “Travelport+ will enable us to simplify complex travel retailing processes, respond with agility to the needs of all our customers, and create increased value.”   Kathryn Wallington, Head of Middle East & Africa at Travelport said: “We are proud to be partnering with a market leading travel management company like ITL World. We will continue to work closely with ITL World to enhance capabilities, improve pain points and ensure we are generating value from every trip. ITL World’s upgrade to Travelport+ will also enhance its competitive edge as the industry approaches a full return to travel.”   Founded in the 1980s, ITL World is an award-winning travel …

When the new form of travel and the changing needs of travellers are discussed, the new generation travel solution HeyTripster.com approaches the changing understanding of travel from a different angle by bringing travellers and local information together and supporting sustainable tourism. The travel tech startup offers daily trip plans that enable locals to generate income and plants a tree in the city for each plan purchased.   Time passing with the new environmental challenges… Many of us have started looking for places to travel to again. Well, if we don’t want to physically meet with a professional guide and travel, also if we want to plan our trip without drowning in the information pollution on the internet due to the changing conditions after the pandemic, what can we need other than refined local knowledge? HeyTripster comes to your aid at this point with a new generation travel understanding.   Carefully selected locals, such as gourmets, bloggers, art directors, editors, or architects, who deal with cities with their different characteristics, become trip designers with HeyTripster. Trip plans prepared by locals with different interests combine the most famous places and the most hidden places of the city with all the clues in carefully prepared, up-to-date, and optimum routes. Learning the travel preferences of the travellers, HeyTripster recommends the most suitable plans for the specific requests of the travellers with the algorithm they developed.   Digital plans, which can be viewed online or offline, are delivered to the traveller as the result of the purchase. HeyTripster, which has a business model in which locals generate revenue for each plan purchased, aims to draw attention to sustainable tourism and carbon footprint by donating one …

Radisson Hotel Group is proud to announce the extension of its Moroccan footprint with the opening of four hotels in beloved tourist destinations Al Hoceima, Taghazout Bay, and Saïdia. Located in the south, north and northeast of Morocco, the four hotels consist of three inviting resorts and a comfortable seaside residence, bringing the Group’s fast-growing Moroccan portfolio to more than 10 hotels in operation and under development.   “We are delighted to be boosting the presence of our flagship Radisson Blu brand as well as our resort and Serviced Apartment offerings across Morocco. Morocco is one of our key focus markets in Africa where we are looking to reach 15 hotels in operation and under development in the country by 2025. Offering a base to disconnect in the continent’s number one surf village in Taghazout Bay or soak up the rich culture and superb scenery in Al Hoceima and Saïdia, the addition of the residence and three resorts perfectly complements our current footprint in the country. Travelers can now look forward to experiencing our Yes I Can! hospitality while enjoying endless tranquillity and relaxing summer days whether on a family holiday, romantic getaway, or solo vacation,” says Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President, Middle East & Africa, at Radisson Hotel Group.   Radisson Blu Resort, Al Hoceima – Situated on one of the most scenic Mediterranean bays, Radisson Blu Resort, Al Hoceima is surrounded by 64 acres of cedar forest and is ideally located on the Sfiha beachfront. The hotel features 432 luxury rooms and suites with modern decor and breath-taking ocean and garden views. Located just 20 minutes from Al Hoceima’s international airport, Cherif Al Idrissi, the resort provides …

As hospitality’s doors finally reopen, the sector is quickly getting a sense of the evolved “digital-first” world in which it’s now operating. The past year has seen a significant step change in the adoption of technology and digital services, but while some hospitality businesses were able to welcome online models, huge swathes of the industry were forced to remain dormant, leaving many digital advancements relatively untested or stagnating. Now, the whole sector must quickly accelerate its digital transformation to fuel long-term recovery, or risk customer abandonment and falling further behind.   According to research by Aruba, a HPE company, as of last year the hospitality sector was in a healthy – but not leading – place in its adoption of advanced technologies and moving computing to the Edge. Over half of hospitality IT leaders had started to implement trials or applications in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) (55%), Internet of Things (IoT) (70%) and machine learning (57%). However, that compares to figures of up to 75% for AI in the financial services industry, or 77% for IoT in retail, distribution, and transport.   But it was also already struggling significantly with the data these new technologies produces. A quarter (25%) of IT leaders in hospitality said there was too much data for their systems to handle, and that they could not process the data they collected quickly enough to act (25%). With data levels increasing exponentially over the past year, thanks to the Covid-induced rise of smart technologies, IoT sensors, and connected devices the depth of data sprawl will only be greater.   To get a handle on all this data and deliver the type of differentiated customer experiences …

Shaza Hotels maintains ambitious growth plans in the Middle East with various properties to open in the coming years in Jeddah, Dubai, Salalah and Doha. The expansion plans include Mysk Jeddah, Mysk Kuwait, Shaza Salalah, Shaza Doha and Mysk The Palm, on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai that is to open its doors in time for EXPO 2020 Dubai. Another dazzling destination in the pipeline is The Mysk Moon Retreat, settled amidst the sandy desserts of Mleiha region in Sharjah, it is set to open in 2021, offering luxury glamping tents with private pools and unique service standards unheard to the region In KSA, Shaza is already a household name in the hospitality sector as it operates three luxury hotels in three prime locations: Shaza Makkah, one of the first in line hotels in Jabal Al Ka’abah overlooking Al Masjid Al Haram, Shaza Madinah, right next to Al Masjid Al Nabawi, and Shaza Riyadh, in the buzzing heart of the capital next to Al Rajhi grand mosque. Shaza also operates Mysk by Shaza Al Mouj Muscat, overlooking the vibrant marina of Al Mouj in Muscat, and the four retreats of Sharjah Collection by Mysk including Mysk Al Faya Retreat, Mysk Kingfisher Retreat, Mysk Al Badayer Retreat, and the soon to be opened Mysk Moon Retreat at Sharjah. Each of these retreats offer a unique perspective of glamping atmospheres, service rituals, and guest experience that are unheard of in the region, making them serene, luxury, contemporary, and bespoke retreats. Shaji Abu Salih, Corporate Director of Business Development at Shaza Hotels, said, “The Middle East and GCC in particular make the key feeder markets for Shaza Hotels. We aim to become a true …

Over 2,500 Emirates customers enhanced their travel experience by adding innovative home check-in services to their bookings in July. The airline’s popular service enables passengers departing from Dubai to quickly and efficiently complete the check-in process in the comfort of their home and enjoy a swift and smooth journey through the airport. During the peak summer travel departures from the UAE in July, Emirates’ home check-in services were typically booked for groups of four to five people, with travellers’ most popular destinations being Amman (Jordan), Beirut (Lebanon) and Male (Maldives). Thursdays and the Eid long weekend were particularly busy with up to 130 home check-ins completed and 150 pieces of baggage delivered to the airport a day across Dubai. Underscoring the popularity of the service, some 400 home check-ins were for repeat customers who had already taken advantage of the service before. During the safe and convenient home check-in process, customer-oriented agents check in travellers for their flights, issue boarding passes, weigh and tag their sanitised baggage and ensure these are delivered to the airport and loaded onto the aircraft. Each piece of baggage is disinfected with a long-lasting protective coating that lasts for up to 72 hours. Emirates customers can easily book their home check-in service on emirates.com up to 24 hours before their flight and receive the service up to 8 hours before scheduled departure time. Customers also have the option to book fast-track marhaba services to help whisk them through airport immigration for an even more contactless on ground experience. In addition, travellers can also book pre-travel COVID-19 testing. A qualified medical professional performs the swab test ahead of the home check-in process, and results are shared …

Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE National Rail Network, has completed the longest tunnel in the Gulf Region. Running for 1.8 km, the tunnel is part of Package D on Stage Two. Package D runs for 145 km from Dubai and Sharjah, through the Al Hajar Mountains, toward the emirate of Fujairah. The package includes the construction of nine tunnels through the mountains at a cumulative length of 6.9 kilometres, and additionally includes 54 bridges and 20 animal crossings. The achievement is an significant step for the project’s development in 2021. The route passes through some of the most complex topographical areas in the construction of the network. In total, the completion of the tunnel contributes to ensuring development continues on an accelerated schedule. All tunnel excavation operations were implemented in line with international best safety practice. Teams ensured that all construction was carried out safely, given the mountainous terrain surrounding the site. Tunnel excavation required 300,000 working hours to complete, with over half a million tonnes of stone being removed during excavation. The UAE National Rail Network is being constructed on schedule. Track laying recently commenced at Saih Shuaib, the rail head for track running toward Abu Dhabi and Dubai as part of Stage Two. The overall track on Stage Two will run from Ghuweifat on the border of Saudi Arabia to the emirate of Fujairah on the UAE’s eastern seaboard. At the beginning of 2021, track laying began in the Al Dhafra region toward the UAE’s border with Saudi Arabia.

Tourism 365, part of Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), are conducting a European business travel trip. The trip, which passes through some of Europe’s largest travel markets, will emphasise how Tourism 365 presents robust travel opportunities for European holidaymakers coming to Abu Dhabi. The promotional tour is taking place in Europe, with nations including Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. The trip will focus on Tourism 365, showcasing how it supports in creating experiential travel opportunities for tourists coming to Abu Dhabi. Tourism 365 consists of Capital Experience, a high-quality destination management company, and Capital Travel, a premium travel operator. The launch of the company earlier this year comes in line with ADNEC’s broader role to support the growth of Abu Dhabi as a tourism destination, increasing leisure visitors, enhancing guest experiences, and extending their stay in the UAE’s capital. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, commented: “Tourism 365 plays an integral role in showcasing Abu Dhabi as one of the Middle East’s leading tourism destinations. Our relationship with European markets will enable the wider growth of the tourism sector in the UAE and wider region, which ADNEC consistently seeks to promote.” Roula Jouny, Executive Director of Tourism 365, commented, “Abu Dhabi is seeing an increased supply of travellers coming to visit its leading tourism attractions. With so many tourists looking to make the most of a post pandemic world and experience all that Abu Dhabi has to offer, this trip cements Tourism 365’s reputation amongst some of Europe’s largest travel markets.” “Tourism 365 is integral in enabling innovation across the tourism sector, increasing the emirate’s attractiveness to international visitors, and showcasing all …

Saudi Arabia will reopen its borders to international tourists from 1 August 2021. Tourism visa holders who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to enter the country from 1 August 2021 without the need to quarantine. Travelers will need to provide evidence of a full course of one the four vaccines currently recognized: two doses of the Oxford/Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson. Travelers who have completed two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has opened a web portal at https://muqeem.sa/#/vaccine-registration/home for visitors to register their vaccination status. The site is available in Arabic and English. Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabian are also required to provide a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure and an approved paper vaccination certificate, certified by the official health authorities in the issuing country. To accommodate travelers, Saudi has upgraded Tawakkalna, the country’s award-winning track and trace app, to allow temporary visitors to register with their passport details. Tawwakalna is required for entry to many public places in Saudi, including shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants and entertainment venues. The announcement comes almost eighteen months after international tourism into Saudi Arabia was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Saudi Arabia launched the tourism e-visa program in September 2019. “Saudi is looking forward to reopening its doors and its hearts to international visitors,” said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA). “During the shutdown we have working in close collaboration with our partners in …

After a successful run in the production of Paramount Hotel Dubai and its continuous growth, DAMAC Properties is thrilled to announce the expansion of the hotel chain with the opening of Paramount Hotel Midtown. Nicholas Chalmers takes the leading role at the brand new property as Director. An ideally suited and highly experienced leader in the hospitality industry, Nicholas will take the luxurious brand, that follows in the footsteps of Paramount Pictures, to a new level. Nicholas has more than two decades of international and regional experience in luxury hotels, working in London and Qatar. As Director, he will be responsible for establishing the vision, brand values, and the cinematic mission of the property while overseeing all hotel operations including rooms, food and beverage, revenue management, cast and development, marketing, sales, and future growth efforts. Prior to joining the Paramount Hotel Midtown, Nicholas was a pre-opening General Manager in Al Najada Hotel by Tivoli & Al Najada Hotel Apartments by Oaks in Doha, which helped him become fluent in all facets of hospitality. With his well-rounded skillset, Nicholas has successfully maintained flawless service standards and boosted revenue for hotels he has managed. Nicholas has a Bachelors degree in Modern History & International Relations from Reading University and a Masters degree in International Hotel Management from the University of Surrey. After more than 100 years of producing quality entertainment, Paramount expanded into the world of hospitality with Paramount Hotel Dubai and Paramount Hotel Midtown, where entertainment remains a key draw of the experience.   Embark on an unforgettable experience at Paramount Hotels, where Hollywood-chic glamour meets the laidback lifestyle of California. With an array of unique culinary offerings, rooms designed around …