IndiGo enhances connectivity between Mumbai and Kuwait from 29 October 2024 by adding frequencies, focusing on both business and leisure travellers. This new frequencies aim to enhance international connectivity and bolster mobility between the commercial hubs in Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, considering the increased demand for business and leisure travel from the states. The addition of these flights will provide travellers with more options to explore these vibrant tourist and economic hubs in Southeast Asia and Middle East during the upcoming festive season and holiday travel months. With the launch of these new routes and frequencies, IndiGo now provides 908 direct flights a week from Chennai to 48 destinations, 141 weekly flights from Coimbatore to 7 destinations, and 1292 weekly flights from Mumbai to 72 destinations. Mr. Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo, said, “We are pleased to further enhance our international connectivity with new / direct additional flights to Singapore, Colombo and Kuwait. With introduction of these flights IndiGo now offers increased connectivity to Singapore (72 flights a week) from 9 cities in India, to Colombo (37 flights a week) from 4 cities in India, and to Kuwait (34 flights a week) from 5 cities in India. These new routes and additional frequencies foster stronger economic and cultural ties and unlock new avenues for trade, tourism, and collaboration. As India’s preferred carrier, we are committed to offering on- time, affordable, and hassle-free travel experiences across our extensive network.” Singapore, also referred to as the “Lion City” and the “Garden City,” boasts a unique fusion of culture, continental cuisine, customs, and traditions. The well-known Merlion Park, Gardens by the Bay, Universal Studios, SEA Aquarium, Marina Bay Sands Skypark, Botanical …

HealthStay.io, a member of Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF) Cohort 7 Accelerator, has launched its world-first artificial intelligence (AI) powered sales and booking management solution to revolutionise medical tourism in the UAE and beyond. The white label solution – hosting a strategic partnership with Dubai Health Experience (DXH), part of Dubai Health Authority (DHA) – will act as the link between medical tourists and healthcare in Dubai, automating the entire process, enabling medical tourists to select their procedure and make all necessary bookings to facilitate their visit via the international patients section of a hospitals website. Commenting on the launch, Fatima Yousif Alnaqbi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services Sector, Chief Innovation Officer at the Ministry of Finance, and MBRIF representative, said: “We are pleased to support innovative initiatives that contribute to strengthening the UAE’s position as a global centre of excellence. It always gives us great pride to see an innovation supported under our Innovation Accelerator programme succeed. The launch of HealthStay.io, which offers solutions to enhance the medical tourism experience in our country, highlights the importance of such programmes and underscores the invaluable contribution a customised accelerator can have on our innovation ecosystem, creating positive impact on our economy.” HealthStay.io’s solution streamlines the many processes involved in medical tourism into a single automated system for patients, from selecting a practitioner to finalising flights, visas and accommodation bookings. For hospitals, with the use of HealthStay.io’s interconnected custom built CRM tool they now have a new automated system to acquire new customers, qualify leads and maximise efficiency throughout. Sean Conaty, Co-founder & CEO, HealthStay.io said: “HealthStay is an exciting example of how AI can play a key role in …

Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai (DWC) will host the 10th edition of the MEBAA Show, the leading business aviation event, from 10th-12th December 2024. The show will offer unparalleled opportunities to drive change across the industry. Renowned as a place to build new connections, highlight key launches and explore business opportunities, this edition will cater to the growing demand for business travel in the region. Ali Alnaqbi, Founding and Executive Chairman of the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA), said, “As the business aviation industry continues to evolve, the MEBAA Show remains a pivotal platform for fostering crucial connections and driving innovation. This year’s event will host global leaders, offering unique opportunities to share and gain knowledge, explore new business deals and forge paths that align with our shared vision of advancing the future of business aviation.” A number of key regional and international operators have already confirmed attendance, including Saudia Private, Qatar Executive, Mukamalah Aviation Company, and Jet Aviation.

King Salman International Airport is to become a hub for tourism, travel and transportation in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In keeping with Vision 2030 the airport development company is partnering with leading local and international companies in the fields of architecture, engineering, construction, and air traffic management. Mr. Marco Mejia, Acting CEO of King Salman International Airport Development Company, stated: “We are committed to delivering an airport which will be seen as the benchmark in the world of aviation. It will provide the national and international connectivity the city of Riyadh needs to meet and drive the business, trade and tourism growth set out in Vision 2030. These four firms will work alongside the Saudi and international talent we have brought together, they will be an essential addition to our team as we build King Salman International Airport, creating a new passenger experience.” King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC), one of Public Investment Fund’s companies, announced the signing of strategic partnership contracts with four leading local and international companies in the fields of architecture, engineering, construction, and air traffic management. This partnership aims to start a new phase to develop King Salman International Airport (KSIA) to become a hub for tourism, travel and transportation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the wider region. The award-winning architecture firm (Foster + Partners) will design the airport’s master plan covering a total area of 57 square kilometres, which includes several terminals, six runways, and a multi-asset real estate area. The airport’s design will capture Riyadh’s essence and reflect Saudi culture, providing a unique travel experience for visitors and travellers. While the international engineering firm (Jacobs), will provide specialist consultancy services for the airport’s …

Qatar Airways Group has acquired a 25% stake in Southern Africa’s premier independent regional carrier, Airlink. The announcement is a continuation of the airline’s ambition to further develop its operations across the African continent. The investment in Airlink – which flies to more than 45 destinations in 15 African countries – will enhance a code-sharing partnership between the two airlines. The deal will bolster Qatar Airways’ Africa growth strategy and cement its role as a key driver to the continent’s economic success. On the announcement, Qatar Airways’ Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “Our investment in Airlink further demonstrates how integral we see Africa being to our business’ future. This partnership not only demonstrates our confidence in Airlink, as a company that is resilient, agile, financially robust and governed on sound principles, but also in Africa as a whole, showing huge potential that I am delighted we are able to help start realising.” Airlink Chief Executive Rodger Foster said: “Having Qatar Airways as an equity partner is a powerful endorsement of Airlink and echoes our faith in the markets we currently serve and plan to add to our network. This transaction will unlock growth by providing efficiencies of scale, increasing our capacity and expanding our marketing reach. By bolstering Airlink and its business, this investment will strengthen all of the existing airline partnerships Airlink has nurtured over the years.” The partnership between Qatar Airways and Airlink seeks to align both carriers’ loyalty programs – Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Airlink Skybucks. Qatar Airways currently flies to 29 destinations in Africa, and there’s been strong growth in the market with new destinations added to the Qatar Airways network …

Qatar Airways has launched additional flights to the key global destinations of London, UK; Male, the Maldives; Miami, USA; and Tokyo, Japan for the 2024-2025 season. Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Thierry Antinori, said: “As the World’s Best Airline, Qatar Airways is the best travel companion for international holiday-makers. Our increased flights during the winter holiday season comes as a response to the needs of our passengers who wish to create unforgettable travel experiences. Mr. Antinori continued: “Qatar Airways’ is also strengthening its commitment to the UK. Growing to 56 flights a week – the most of any Gulf carrier – further reinforces our long-standing relationship with London Heathrow Airport, as well as our unique strategic alliance with British Airways, which also operates two flights a day to Doha.” Qatar Airways flight to London (LHR) tarting 27 October 2024, Qatar Airways flights to London (LHR) will increase from 49 to 56 weekly flights. Following strong demand from customers, the airline will be offering more than 42,000 seats per week each way. Along with the two daily flights operated by its joint business partner, British Airways, there will be 10 daily flights between London Heathrow and Doha. New flights for this popular route are open for travellers, including travellers from Australia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. The flights will depart daily as follows: • Doha (DOH) to London (LHR) – Flight QR109: Departure 09:30; Arrival 14:05 • London (LHR) to Doha (DOH) – Flight QR110: Departure 15:30; Arrival 01:10 Qatar Airways flight to Male (MLE) Starting 13 December 2024, Qatar Airways flights to Male (MLE) will increase from 21 to 28 weekly flights. Bookings are now open for travellers …

The General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha’at) is planning to host a series of events during “tourism week” in Madinah, to be held from 25 to 29 August 2024. Monsha’at will conduct eight workshops as part of the week-long event, covering topics such as innovation in tourism, tourism routes, tour guides, and showcasing successful local tourism businesses. The event is part of a nationwide efforts to boost the tourism sector; similar events will take place simultaneously in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar. According to Monsha’at, this aims to help local entrepreneurs and investors by highlighting investment opportunities and government support programs for small and medium-sized enterprises.

In a recent interview with tourismbreakingnews.ae Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi, Director International Promotion Division, North and East Asia, covering Asia and Africa shared that they are expecting a double increase in terms of tourism numbers from the GCC. Last year, Malaysia welcomed 164,568 tourists from the region, representing a substantial increase of 85.88% compared to 88,534 tourists in 2022. Therefore, we are optimistic that the arrivals from this region will double compared to last year. In mid-2024, Malaysia’s tourism sector showed strong recovery and growth in tourist numbers compared to previous years. Malaysia experienced a significant increase in international arrivals in 2024, with a 28.9% growth from January to June compared to the same period in 2023. Specifically, the West Asia market saw a rise from 56,592 tourists in the first half of 2023 to 85,559 tourists in 2024, an increase of 51.2%. Malaysia has been actively refining its strategies to attract visitors from the West Asian market. Tourism Malaysia will continue to collaborate with national carriers and foreign airlines through the Charter Flight Matching Grant (GSPC) to increase air traffic from the West Asian market to Malaysia. As of now, the number of flights for the year 2024 is 138 per week with a seating capacity of 41,956 from the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman. Leveraging air connectivity to increase arrivals to Malaysia and rejuvenating offerings will further enhance Malaysia’s appeal as a preferred tourist destination in this region. Tourism Malaysia and Emirates signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) for a joint promotion campaign at the Arabian Travel Market 2024. In general, our marketing approach for 2024 is geared towards high-impact and fast conversion strategies by …

Abu Dhabi gained the title of the world’s top destination for weddings in 2024 at the Event Management Federation (EMF) Ace Global Awards, the flagship gathering for India’s leading weddings and entertainment industry. The Awards were held as part of the EMF Global Conference, which was hosted in Abu Dhabi on 26 and 27 July in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau (ADCEB), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. The EMF Global Conference brought together 685 leading figures from the international events industry, including Bollywood Celebrities, renowned International Wedding Planners and service providers from the entertainment industry as well as luxury hotels and resorts, with a focus on the rapidly growing weddings and celebrations sector. At the end of a two-day schedule, which saw high-profile events held at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island and the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital was officially presented with EMF’s award for ‘Best International destination of the year for Weddings & MICE ‘during a ceremony at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director of Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “It is a great privilege for Abu Dhabi to be named as EMF’s number one choice for couples looking to host an incredible destination wedding in 2024. This title celebrates the diverse and comprehensive landscape of services, offerings, and experiences available to couples who choose to tie the knot in the emirate. As we work towards further solidifying Abu Dhabi’s status as the go-to location for stunning weddings in a spectacular and welcoming setting, accolades from important industry leaders such as the EMF Global Conference help to prove that we …

Branded residences, one of the fastest-growing sectors in hospitality, will take center stage at FHS World (30 September to 2 October), with a dedicated, full-day conference led by one of the sector’s leading innovators Accor One Living. Debuting at FHS World on 2 October, The Branded Residences Forum will feature workshops and conference sessions exploring the sector’s rapid growth in the Middle East and across the world. The event will examine key topics related to the development and operation of branded residences, including value creation opportunities, the growing array of branding options available to developers, the emerging trend towards standalone branded communities, and the arrival of non-traditional players such as luxury automotive and fashion brands in the sector. Sustainability strategies, legal structuring, design and sales & marketing case studies are also on the robust agenda, along with the exploration of sector-related topics including co-working concepts, the evolution of shared living and the rapid growth of private clubs as places to work. According to Savills Residential Development Consultancy, the branded residences sector has grown by 160 per cent globally over the last decade. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 1,300 projects around the world, with hotel branded residences accounting for 82 per cent of them. Savills data also shows that the Middle East – which is rapidly emerging as a global hub for the sector – currently has 45,000 residential units in 200 branded developments across 80 brands. With a staggering 500 per cent increase in branded residences in the last decade – from 10 in 2014 to 50 in 2023 with another 50 in the pipeline – Dubai is the most active market worldwide and now rivals Miami, New York …