The Italy Pavilion hosted a forum ‘Lazio, a Luxury Destination’ discussing the culture, wellbeing, fashion, sport and world-class ingredients that are on offer to visitors from the Gulf region. Attracting millions of tourists each year, Italy continues to be one of the world’s leading luxury destinations for travellers. Luxury tourism is a key strategic growth area for Italy and Lazio was the subject of yesterday’s forum at the Italy Pavilion Amphitheatre, and how the central region will play a crucial role in attracting more wealthy travellers from the Arabian Peninsula and wider Middle East. Organised by Lazio’s Regional Department for Tourism, ‘Lazio, a Luxury Destination’, was also attended by Paolo Glisenti, Commissioner-General for Italy’s participation at Expo 2020 Dubai; Valentina Corrado, Lazio Regional Minister for Tourism, Local Agencies, Urban Security, Local Police and Administrative Streamlining; Quirino Briganti, Responsible for Lazio Region activities at “Expo 2020 Dubai”; Matteo Caroli, Tenured Professor of Economics and International Enterprise Management at LUISS University, Rome; Giorgio Palmucci, ENIT President; Marco Misischia, National President of CNA (Confederation of Craftsmen and SMEs); Lavinia Biagiotti, President and CEO of Biagiotti Group; Fausto Palombelli, President of Unindustria Association – division for tourism and leisure, and Carlo Acampora, CEO of Grand Hotel Via Veneto. A high-end tourism survey conducted in May 2021 by Bain & Company on behalf of the Altagamma Foundation (a luxury brands committee) revealed that in 2019, the year before the outbreak of the pandemic, the luxury tourism sector in Italy still generated an overall turnover of 25 billion Euros (pre-pandemic this figure is around 60 billion Euros). This included both direct and indirect revenues from 1% of accommodation facilities and 3% of overnight stays in Italy, …

The France Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai records its first million visitors since it’s opening on October 1st, 2021, boosted by events dedicated to international visitors and B2B audiences. With three months left, the France Pavilion is more involved than ever to provide a memorable experience for all visitors. Alongside the permanent exhibition, two temporary exhibitions are in the pipeline, each one dedicated to an artistic expertise: “Grand Paris Express” under the theme of architecture from January 20th to February 21st (by the Société du Grand Paris x Dominique Perrault) and “Jean Paul Gaultier from A to Z”, an exceptional retrospective of the enfant terrible de la mode’s 50 years of career from February 28th to March 31st. The first three-months were kicked off with France National Day on October 2nd, a special day confirming that the pavilion is an unforgettable showcase for French excellence, promoting innovations, talents and assets of our sponsors and stakeholders. For several years now, the Pavilion has been supported by the best representatives of French savoir-faire through our ambassador sponsors ENGIE and Orange, with the ambition of transmitting to visitors from all over the world French values of being bold, optimistic, and ensuring a sense of community. This special day was then followed by many events structured around twelve themed fortnights to raise public awareness about the challenges of tomorrow and to highlight French initiatives in terms of biodiversity, climate, peace, space, and consumption, to name a few. In result to these fortnights, the France Pavilion also organized panel discussions in collaboration with the French community, the UAE University, French institutions such as OFB and CEREMA; masterclass; workshops and photo exhibitions: throwback in our newsroom …

His Excellency Minister of Tourism, Mr. Ahmed Al Khateeb, met with Federico J. González, CEO Radisson Hotel Group, who is currently visiting the Kingdom, to discuss the Group’s expansion plans aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Radisson Hotel Group is continuing its substantial expansion as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, several strategic points were discussed, these include: The opening of a Radisson Hotel Group regional headquarters in Riyadh during 2022 in response to the growing portfolio of the Group in the Kingdom, becoming the largest country for RHG in the region. Generating many new job opportunities and committing to developing and creating exchange programs for Saudi talent in the hospitality sector. The Kingdom remains a key development area for the Group, and part of its five-year transformation plan, which aims to double is presence in the Kingdom. Today, the Group operates 24 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments in KSA and has another 20 under development.  Radisson’s commitment to sustainable operations was also discussed, particularly Radisson’s Carbon Negative meetings program. The Group continued its development momentum in the Kingdom including several milestones such as: Doubling of the Group’s presence in Jeddah with the addition of over 600 rooms, most of which will open in 2022 with the launch of the Radisson Individuals brand in the region as well as the recent opening of Radisson Hotel Riyadh Airport, with upcoming openings that include the Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center and bringing the second Radisson Collection hotel to Riyadh with Mansard Riyadh, a Radisson Collection Hotel. Also doubling the Group’s presence in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, adding nearly 1000 rooms and …

Qatar Airways is boosting its service to Nigeria with the launch of four weekly flights to Kano (KAN) on 02 March 2022, and three weekly flights to Port Harcourt (PHC) on 03 March 2022, both operating via the Nigerian capital, Abuja. The airline currently operates two daily flights to Lagos and four times a week to Abuja, which will expand to a daily service in March. Kano and Port Harcourt will become the seventh and eight new African gateways launched by Qatar Airways since the start of the pandemic. Both routes will be served by the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy Class. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “The airline was one of the few to keep operating to many African destinations throughout the pandemic and, as restrictions are lifted, is continuing to expand its network on the continent. As home to the largest economy and population in the region, we see tremendous growth potential for travel and trade in Nigeria. It is a key market and an important part of our African growth strategy; the expansion of our presence across two new gateways is a testament to our continuous commitment to Nigeria. “We anticipate good reciprocal demand between Port Harcourt, UK, USA and destinations across Asia. For Kano we see the opportunity to grow traffic to and from markets such as KSA and India, as well as strong cargo prospects.” As travel restrictions ease, Qatar Airways is restoring its services to all its African destinations. When Kano and Port Harcourt flights start operating, the airline will provide 188 weekly flights to 28 destinations in …

In light of the current situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) committed to support and assist all Kazakhstan tourists that were unable to leave the Emirate last week due to airline connectivity issues in their home country. The Authority provided all those without a flight home complimentary full board accommodation, inclusive of food and beverage and other amenities in their current hotel until the situation improves and travel is once more possible. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, commented: “Our thoughts go out to the people of Kazakhstan during this challenging time and we sympathize with those last week who were unable to return home. Our outmost priority is the wellbeing and safety of our valued visitors during this stressful time and we remained committed to provide support until they were able to safely travel back to the Republic.”

Preimo Urban Mobility, which was established in 2018 as Mojay Lifestyle Limousine, is a luxury chauffeur service has relaunched with the aim to provide comfort and safety through innovative technology. The company has successfully completed 20,000 trips and delivered to an elite clientele of world leaders, business executives, government officials, 5 star hotels, aviation sectors and other a-list travelers. Ensuring a world class chauffeur service, Preimo Urban Mobility’s vehicles are an epitome of luxury with spacious interior design including rich leather seats, complimentary wifi, wireless charging and premium bottled water. Keeping innovation and adaptability at the forefront each vehicle has advanced safety features including motion sensor door handles and touch screens alongside experienced chauffeurs that are fully vaccinated. With technology being the core of the relaunch, Preimo Urban Mobility has developed  a new user-friendly online booking platform allowing clients efficiency and flexibility in booking, managing, and rescheduling trips at their fingertips. “Through the new business model Preimo Urban Mobility will provide an unforgettable hospitality experience, which will set a new standard of excellence and luxury in the urban mobility industry.,” said Raul Silva, CEO and Managing Director of Mojay Global Holding Limited. Preimo Urban mobility takes great pride in having worked with a series of luxury clients such as Caesars Palace Dubai, Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah, FIVE Palm Jumeirah Hotel, SLS Dubai Hotel And Residences, Raffles The Palm Dubai, St Regis Dubai The Palm, Palazzo Versace, Armani Hotel, The Meydan Hotel, Chopard, Saudi Aramco, ENOC, Chanel, JETEX, iJET. Preimo Urban Mobility is part of Mojay Global Holding Limited, a Private Investment Holding Company. Mojay Global Holding Limited is a value and solution driven diverse organization created to invest, advise, and manage …

Moscow City Tourism Committee kicked off its first in person roadshow in Dubai with 12 partners representing hotels, travel agents and tour operators from Moscow and St.Petersburg. The event was attended by around 90 key travel agents and tour operators in Dubai who were able to discuss on one on one basis the strategies to promote the destination with their clients. The roadshow kicked off with a comprehensive presentation from key partners in Moscow City Tourism about the offerings for the GCC market. One of the key highlights of the presentation was that 50 countries that are non GCC are on the list for e-visa whilst those not on the list are able to apply for a visa for a fee of US$ 40. They further explained about the current covid rules and regulations and the fact that wearing a mask and keeping social distance is z necessity in order to keep everyone safe; the travelers and the residents. Speaking on the occasion Julia Syundyukova Head of International Projects Moscow City Tourism shared that their main aim from this roadshow is to educate the agents about their many offerings for the GCC market as just before the pandemic they had a very good number of visitors from the region and since the two countries share the same safety standards with covid protocols. She further reiterated that the B2B sessions with agents will have a great impact and engage both parties to work together on the requirements for the region. She further stated that cuisine wise with more halal food offerings, experience wise with Arabic speakers to help guests, prayer rooms, family oriented experiences will benefit the region. The presentations at …

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is partnering with leading forum organiser Intelligence Squared to stage a forum at Expo 2020 Dubai. Presented under the STB’s SingapoReimagine Global Conversations series, it aims to spur thought-leadership conversations on the future of travel and tourism. The SingapoReimagine Global Conversations which was launched in Singapore last year, encourages global industry leaders to exchange ideas and explore collaboration opportunities to reshape travel. It also highlights changing consumer behaviours as well as the latest trends and observations on travel and tourism. The Dubai edition is titled Reimagined Cities: Can cities leverage urban design and technology to attract the next generation traveller?. Taking place from 3.30pm to 5.00pm on Saturday, January 22, 2022 in the Terra Auditorium at Expo 2020 Dubai, the expert panel will dive into the shifts in global travel trends and what the next generation would want from a destination. Placing the spotlight on urban design and technology, these conversations will challenge traditional ways of destination marketing and discuss exciting trends within the travel and tourism industry. Starring a line-up of industry experts, the discussion will include insightful inputs from Dr. Barkathunnisha, Co-Founder, World Women Tourism and Founder of Elevated Consultancy & Training; Michael Magill, Managing Director, RSP Architects Panners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd Middle East; and Xavier Anglada, Managing Director at Accenture – Innovation, Digital Transformation, Energy Transition. The session will be moderated by Sarah Khan, recently appointed Editor-in-Chief of Condé Nast Traveller Middle East. Representing a new generation of modern travellers, Sarah brings a contemporary and global perspective to the travel industry and will be leading discussions on future of travel with a special focus on sustainability. The panel will cover a …

Expo 2020 in the UAE has showcased resilience and strength in bringing tourists back to the country through safe measures. The world’s biggest cultural event is nearing the three million mark as it has already recorded 2,942,388 visitors, both local and tourists, in four months. With the theme of travel and connectivity from January 9 to January 15, Heriot-Watt University Dubai takes a look at three travel trends that are here to stay. Sustainable Tourism is one of the biggest emerging travel trends globally. The concept covers a holistic tourism experience that impacts a country’s society, economy, and environment. According to a report by booking.com,  83 per cent of travelers believe that the pandemic served as the tipping point for travelers to understand the importance of sustainable traveling. Domestic Tourism has increased in the past two years due to travel restrictions, the need for PCR tests and unpredictable lockdown situations which forced residents of countries to rethink their travel options. As a result, the global domestic tourism market is expected to reach USD6.73 trillion by 2030. Working Vacation or Workation as travellers refer to it continues to gain popularity across the globe. Remote working has taught most of the world that employees can work from anywhere. This is mostly true of job types that are not restricted to desk roles. Staying in a particular city or country and working in another while also treating it as a vacation post-work-hours is attractive to over 52 per cent of travellers, according to a survey by booking.com. The resurgence of COVID-19 cases globally has impacted the tourism industry, however, with the right measures and government support, countries can overcome the situation and promote …

Royal Jordanian has launched its innovative and dynamic corporate program Fly High in line with its five-year turnaround plan, which aims, among others, to become the preferred airline in the Levant by offering bespoke products and delivering a consistent customer experience. The Fly High program targets different corporate sizes: large-, medium- and small-sized enterprises, non-profitable organizations and family businesses, both in Jordan and abroad. It is reworked to offer simple, efficient and budget-friendly deals to fit different business travel requirements. RJ’s Chief Commercial Officer Karime Makhlouf said: “Stemming from RJ’s plan for the next five years to be a customer champion, we are now working on launching innovative solutions and enhanced digital services, among which the newly launched Fly High. With this program, the companies will receive a substantial cost-friendly and budget saving service for high-volume travel, without any commitment.”   Fly High, he added, has two programs: Tiara, which is designed to offer fare discounts to companies that already have organized travel programs and travel budgets, while also being able to keep their preferred travel management company, and Lionize, which offers benefits such as extra luggage, flexibility in changing the ticket booking date, more flexible ticket refund policy, and many more. Furthermore, Corporate Card holders can use the lounges and business-class check-in counters around the world.