A recent report from the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), stated that over 50% of private jet flights are for groups. Private Jet Charter Service Market Research indicates the demand for group private jet charters increased by 27% from 2019 to 2021. According to industry statistics, the demand for larger private jets, capable of accommodating 10 or more passengers, has surged by nearly 30% over the last five years. This trend highlights the changing preferences of travellers who are increasingly seeking the camaraderie and exclusivity of group travel without the hassles of commercial flights. This tracks with data from Klasjet which reported an increase in group size for charter bookings in 2023, compared to the previous year. ‘We are certainly seeing not only a rise in group bookings but an increase in the size of these groups. “Traditionally the reserve of sports teams and entertainment stars. Private  charter is becoming a luxury that discerning group travellers see value in, particularly in light of airline disruption in recent years,” says Justinas Bulka CEO of Klasjet

Miral announced the launch of its robust Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy for the group, focused on creating positive impact across society. Inspired by its long-standing commitment to the people and communities it serves, the strategy will launch and implement over 80 economic, social and environment initiatives and programmes over the next two years, across the business and all the Group’s subsidiaries – Miral Experiences, Miral Destinations, Yas Asset Management. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO, Miral, commented: “Miral has always been committed to creating world-leading experiences that not only accelerate the realization of the Emirate’s tourism growth and contribution to the industry’s ecosystem, but also to have a positive impact on the communities in which we operate. With the launch of this new group strategy and framework, we are underpinning our commitment, making it integral to how we operate and ensuring that we are taking crucial action across our entire business, to benefit three key groups – people, community, and the environment – helping to achieve our long-term goal of sustainable development. By aligning our focus areas with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we can help establish and promote Abu Dhabi’s leading position as a global destination in eco-tourism and sustainable tourism.” In the last few years CSR has seen increasing relevance to businesses and stakeholders across the world. In the UAE, the CSR UAE Fund was formed in 2018 with the vision to establish the UAE as a global leader in Corporate Social Responsibility. As such, Miral has developed its group strategy to focus on contributing towards society and the environment through innovative and sustainable community interventions, closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and …

Movenpick Resort Al Marjan Island has joined EarthCheck, the world’s foremost certification, consulting, and advisory group for luxury travel and tourism organizations. Moreover, the Ras Al Khaimah resort has proudly achieved the Benchmarked Bronze Status. This marks the initial phase of the ongoing journey with EarthCheck’s certification process. As part of this journey, organizations progress through bronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels and ultimately attain the esteemed EarthCheck Master status. The Benchmarked Bronze Status acknowledges unwavering commitment to measuring and monitoring sustainability performance. “Being a new resort, merely a year old, and at the outset of our pursuit to become a more sustainable hotel, attaining the Benchmarked Bronze Status is an immense accomplishment. We remain steadfast in our dedication to achieving more in this domain while upholding EarthCheck’s quality and purpose,” said Fabien Chesnais, General Manager of Movenpick Resort Al Marjan Island. He continues “Every member of our team at Movenpick Resort Al Marjan Island is part of this journey. Each staff member undergoes sustainability training, and we’ve established a Green Team that convenes regularly to explore novel ideas and champion sustainable practices within the resort. “We recognize the environmental and cultural assets that draw visitors to Ras Al Khaimah, making it an extraordinary destination with resorts adorned by pristine clear waters and sandy beaches. It is our responsibility to protect and responsibly manage these assets, and we’re resolute in fulfilling our role.” In line with EarthCheck, Movenpick Resort Al Marjan Island champions sustainability, prioritizing local suppliers, embracing waste reduction, and transitioning to digital resources. Guests join the cause by opting out of daily linens change, using eco-friendly plunger bottles for bath essentials, and discovering Ras Al Khaimah through local …

The Uruq Bani Ma‘arid Reserve in Saudi Arabia has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as announced by His Highness Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Minister of Culture, Chairman of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and Chairman of the Heritage Commission. The decision was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between the 10th and 25th of September. The successful nomination of the site marks Saudi Arabia’s very first UNESCO Natural Heritage Site and celebrates the Kingdom’s continued efforts to protect and maintain its natural ecosystems and cultural heritage. The Minister congratulated Saudi Arabia’s leadership on this monumental international inscription. The inscription came on the back of unwavering support for culture and heritage in the Kingdom and reflects Saudi Arabia’s vast culture and biodiversity across its regions. Praising the joint national efforts that supported the site inscription, the Minister also emphasised Saudi’s commitment to the conservation of natural heritage and the sustainable development of natural heritage. This commitment highlights the importance of natural heritage and its strategic importance to Saudi Vision 2030. His Highness Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud said: “The inscription of the Reserve on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the first Natural Heritage Site in the Kingdom contributes to highlighting the importance of natural heritage on a global scale and reflects the outstanding value of the Reserve.” Situated along the western edge of ar-Rub al-Khali (The Empty Quarter), Uruq Bani Ma’arid Reserve occupies an area of over 12,750 km2 and is the only major sand desert in tropical Asia and the largest continuous sand sea …

It was announced that travellers to Dubai could pass through check-in, immigration and boarding using a single biometric access with their facial print at Terminal 3 of  the Dubai International Airport from November. The announcement was made by Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai at the “International conference on policymaking : The future of ports in Dubai. He further stated that the single biometric system will come into effect at Terminal 3 in November in partnership with Emirates Airline. This will be the first time in the region where paperless airport access system will be used in the region.

Travelport announced the launch of more transparent, enhanced carbon dioxide (CO2) emission estimates for flights on Travelport+ calculated using the publicly accessible Travel Impact Model (TIM), which has been developed by Google in partnership with the Travalyst coalition. This new feature is the first of Travelport’s wider product offering that is focused on helping agents, travel managers and travelers easily make more eco-conscious choices when planning and booking their trips. “Agents, corporate and leisure travelers want to feel more confident in making better travel decisions that put environmental impact as a top priority,” said Tom Kershaw, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Travelport. “Agents and travelers are seeing different carbon emissions scores and rankings for the exact same flight options when searching them in different channels. As an industry, adopting a free, publicly accessible data framework will allow us all to be more transparent and consistent in the way travel options are displayed and scored based on factors like carbon emissions, environmental certifications, or waste initiatives. We’re committed to standardizing the information on the environmental impact of transportation and accommodation options and displaying it in a way that makes it easy for agents and customers to incorporate that information in their decisions.” Travel retailers using Travelport can easily compare CO2 estimates generated by the TIM per flight, per passenger, across carriers, at the point of sale based on factors such as the type of aircraft, seat configuration, distance of the flight, load factors and more. These enhanced TIM carbon emission estimates for air segments can be accessed via Smartpoint, Trip Quote and the Travelport API Suite in the Flight Service Information Display and In-Flight Search Response views. The TIM was …

Red Sea Global (RSG) announced it is to become the exclusive agent for Bear Grylls Survival Academy (BGSA) bringing the world-famous survival and adventure brand to Saudi Arabia. The partnership promises to offer outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to learn key team building, wilderness education and survival skills on a variety of course options, all of which have been designed by Bear Grylls himself. It also opens the possibility to collaborate on accessible opportunities including physical and mental wellbeing programs alongside RSG’s adventure sports brand Akun. This follows the developer’s commitment that its destinations will be focused on offering experiences that are accessible and inclusive for guests and visitors with disabilities and special needs. “Bear Grylls is known the world over for his exhilarating and adrenaline-pumping adventures in nature’s most challenging environments. Yet, always at the heart of these exploits is the central message that nature plays a profound role in shaping us as people – instilling strength, resilience, self-belief and teamwork. We believe that everyone should have the chance to follow their sense of adventure and will work with the Bear Grylls Survival Academy team to develop outdoor experiences for all, whether adults or young people, and irrespective of physical and cognitive ability,” said John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global.

The Middle East reported the best results in January-July 2023, with arrivals 20% above pre-pandemic levels. The region continues to be the only to exceed 2019 levels so far. According to the latest data from UNWTO, arrival numbers reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels between January and July 2023with the Middle East, Europe and Africa lead the global sector’s rebound. Tourism demand continues to show remarkable resilience and sustained recovery, even in the face of economic and geopolitical challenges. The new issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer tracks the sector’s recovery over the course of 2023 up to the end of July. The UNWTO Barometer shows: By the end of July, international tourist arrivals reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels. 700 million tourists travelled internationally between January and July 2023, 43% more than in the same months of 2022. July was the busiest month with 145 million international travellers recorded, about 20% of the seven-month total. UNWTO data once again shows how tourism is recovering strongly in every part of the world. But as our sector recovers, it also needs to adapt UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “UNWTO data once again shows how tourism is recovering strongly in every part of the world. But as our sector recovers, it also needs to adapt. The extreme weather events we have witnessed over recent months as well as the critical challenges of managing increasing tourism flows underline the need to build a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient sector and ensure recovery goes hand-in-hand with rethinking of our sector.” Results by Region All world regions enjoyed strong rates of tourism recovery over the first seven months of 2023, driven by demand for international travel from …

Wizz Air announced an exciting promotion with 20 percent off selected flights to and from Saudi Arabia. The promotion applies for bookings made from 18 September 00:01 to 19 September 23:59 GST and for travel dates until on or before 14 December 2023*, providing customers affordable, hassle-free travel opportunities. The promotion has been launched as part of Wizz Air’s celebrations for Saudi National Day as well as marking one year of operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The reduced fares are on sale on wizzair.com and the WIZZ mobile app, available in the Arabic language. Robert Carey, President of Wizz Air, said: “We are delighted to celebrate the Saudi National Day and one year of operations in the Kingdom by launching a special promotion for 80,000 tickets at 20% off.

GCC travellers can venture into a whole range of sustainable, wondrous places with eco-rich experiences available from Berlin to the Black Forest, Recknitz Valley to Lake Constance with the latest rebranding campaign by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB). They relaunched its highly successful ‘Feel Good’ initiative – but this time with a tweak aimed at underscoring Germany’s commitment to sustainable tourism. Now known as ‘Simply Feel Good’, the revamped campaign hopes to inspire a new era of conscious travel, invites travellers to explore a wealth of eco-friendly vacation experiences, and aims to focus on creativity, passion, and the environment. Sustainability is at the heart of Germany’s tourism offerings, and ‘Simply Feel Good’ is designed to empower travellers to make environmentally responsible choices throughout their journeys.