Aldar Properties PJSC’s (‘Aldar’s) latest development, Lea located on the northern shores of Yas Island has sold out during Cityscape Abu Dhabi generating over AED 400 million in sales. Offering land plots starting at AED 990,000 and sizes ranging from 405 sqm – 1,800 sqm, and available for purchase by all nationalities, Lea features 238 residential plots in a prime location adjacent to Aldar’s flagship Yas Acres project. Lea boasts parks, promenades, and waterside walkways. In addition to this, residents benefit from all of the amenities within Yas Acres – parks, swimming pools, play areas, picnic areas, schools, mosques and the Yas Acres full length nine hole golf course. This most recent sell out follows the successful launch of Alreeman, a land plot masterplan located close to Abu Dhabi Airport, which generated AED 1.6 billion in sales. Commenting, Talal Al Dhiyebi, Chief Executive Officer, Aldar Properties, said, “Selling over AED 400 million of real estate is a ringing endorsement of what we do best – understanding what our customers need and then creating the right product to fulfill their requirements. We are off to a flying start this year, and we are seeing really strong demand for land opportunities within well thought out, master planned communities. Generating over AED 2 billion from our two most recent developments – Al Reeman and Lea, shows how market sentiment is moving in a positive direction.” Maan Al Awlaqi, Executive Director – Commercial, Aldar Properties, said, “We are delighted with the response we received for Lea from both investors and homeowners of various nationalities. This is further evidence of the strong demand for land plots, following our launch of Alreeman. This is also our …

Africa’s vast aviation potential as the continent continues to increase airline frequency to the GCC will be explored at the Inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa – co-located with Arabian Travel Market 2019 and taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre on April 30 and May 1. With up to 300 delegates, the forum will include a packed conference programme, panel discussion and airline and industry briefings as well as unlimited one-to-one meetings pre-scheduled for airlines, airports and suppliers – all combined with endless informal opportunities for networking throughout the two days. The potential for the aviation sector in Africa is immense. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects that the African continent will become one of the fastest growing aviation regions within the next 20 years, with an average annual expansion rate of almost 5 per cent. Currently, there are 731 airports and 419 airlines on the African continent, with the aviation sector supporting around 7 million jobs and generating $80 billion in economic activity. In terms of passenger numbers, 47 million passengers departed from Africa’s top five airports, which included Cairo, Addis Ababa and Marrakesh in 2018, according to the latest ANKER report. “Emirates and Saudia were only responsible for 8 million of those passengers, highlighting the potential for new routes throughout the continent and between the Middle East and Africa. Furthermore, IATA reckons if just 12 key Africa countries opened their markets and increased connectivity, an extra 155,000 jobs and US$1.3 billion in annual GDP would be created in those countries,” said Nick Pilbeam, Divisional Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. The international aviation industry has been monitoring developments in Africa closely, especially since the Single African Air …

Successfully completing its “Great Move” process and transferring all of its passenger operations to its new hub, Istanbul Airport, Turkish Airlines now adds Marrakech, the tourist city of Morocco, to its flight network. As the national flag carrier’s first inaugural flight from its new home, Marrakech became Turkish Airlines’ second destination in Morocco while becoming its 308th destination globally. Started from April 15, Istanbul – Marrakech – Istanbul direct flights will be commenced five days of a week as Turkish Airlines reinforces its title of flying to more international destinations than any other airline. The inaugural flight from Istanbul Airport, landed in Marrakech Menara Airport, was welcomed by the customary water cannon salute in a formal ceremony, and was attended by the executives both from the global carrier and Marrakech Menara Airport, and press members as well. Commenting on this inaugural flight, Ahmet Olmuştur, Chief Marketing Officer, Turkish Airlines, stated, “With Istanbul Airport, a new era has begun in global aviation. Our new operation centre offers an important opportunity for us to develop our globally unparalleled flight network performance even further. Thus, we are working on new strategies to capitalise on this opportunity. Marrakech will always hold a special place for us as it is the first destination we added from our new home. We are happy to carry our passengers to this crimson city with our privileged travel experience.” Passengers travelling to Marrakech with the privileged travel experience of Turkish Airlines, will be able to visit various significant locations for cultural tourism while experiencing different activities such as nature and wildlife tours. Istanbul – Marrakech – Istanbul scheduled flight times beginning from April 15, 2019 will include Monday, Wednesday, …

The Dubai College of Tourism (DCT), an institution established by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), is holding its annual series of Open Days to raise awareness of its vocational and specialised courses for prospective students. The next DCT Open Day will be held on April 22 at DCT’s new campus located at One Central, in the Dubai World Trade Centre area. The first Open Day of 2019 was held on March 23, kicking off the programme which will offer six further Open Days on Saturdays during the summer months. Dates include April 27, June 22, July 6, July 20, August 3 and August 24, 2019.  Open to both prospective students and their parents, the Open Days will be held between 2-6 pm, giving first-hand insight into the world-class vocational education programme that is offered at DCT across five core disciplines: Retail, Tourism, Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Events. Essa Bin Hadher, General Manager of Dubai College of Tourism, said, “The Open Days at DCT provide an opportunity for prospective students to tour our brand-new campus, learn about the various programmes available, meet the instructors and also talk to current students to get a better understanding of the specialised courses on offer. We are committed to providing the highest quality training packages, delivered within a friendly environment that will also help pave the way for students to find suitable job placements through our network of stakeholders. We hope our Open Days will encourage applications from prospective students who are interested in joining us for the September 2019 intake to continue their education as they pursue a range of qualifications including Certificates, Diplomas and Applied Bachelors Programmes.”

As the region readies itself for the upcoming Ramadan celebrations Dubai is introducing another retail festival for the tourists and residents of Dubai, to further its position as a hub for homeware. Celebrating the very best of the emirate’s homeware offering, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) announced the inaugural Dubai Home Festival (DHF) will run from April 18 to May 1 and give homeware fans the perfect opportunity to shop. Showcasing Dubai as the hub of homeware in the Middle East, the citywide event will feature an array of unmissable home furnishing sales, exclusive promotions, events and life-changing chances to win an apartment throughout the festival. From interiors inspiration to design deals, there will be a host of global and homegrown brands on display, as well as a range of exciting in-mall activations and opportunities to snap up homeware collections as part of the exciting DHF Reveals programme. A key element of the festival, shoppers will also have the opportunity to take part in a series of interesting workshops and masterclasses hosted by design experts to help finesse their furnishing style and create the ultimate decorative pieces. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, commented, “Dubai has a rich history in hosting must-visit festivals that attract tourists from across the world, including the flagship Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises, and we are now incredibly proud to be unveiling the very first Dubai Home Festival. We’ve seen significant growth in Dubai’s homeware industry and together with our strategic retail partners, we are excited to shine a spotlight on this flourishing sector to give consumers the opportunity to enjoy unbeatable sales, promotions and events in this …

Looking for a weekend staycation, long-haul getaway or the perfect Eid break on a budget? Visit the first-ever ATM Holiday Shopper where hundreds of exclusive travel and tourism deals will be on offer for one day only. “Taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on April 27 – the day before the official opening of Arabian Travel Market – travel agencies, hotels and far-flung destinations will be offering a wide range of incredible deals to consumers attending the show,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. With itineraries for thousands of hotels and resorts across the world, Middle Eastern holiday website HolidayMe will be providing 20 per cent off package holidays to the first 100 visitors to its stand. While Holiday Factory, a leading tour operator in the UAE market, will be offering 10 per cent off package holidays to 25 destinations across the Indian Ocean, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. If you’re looking for a relaxing family break over Eid, visit Ras Al Khaimah’s stand and receive up to 20 per cent off on hotel stays or a complimentary room upgrade at various properties across the emirate as well as up to 20 per cent off on spa treatments and food and beverage during your stay. Attendees can immerse themselves in faraway cultures with the world’s first Virtual Reality (VR) Travel experience. Ride through the streets or soar over the sights of some of the world’s most famous cities including Rome, Tokyo, the Swiss Alps, Masai Mara Kenyan Safari, Dubai, Paris and Washington DC. Enjoy a range of family-friendly attractions throughout the day such as cultural displays, calligraphy, henna and falconry amongst many other activities. …

For the second time in a row the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and ITB China, set to take place from May 15 to 17, 2019 in Shanghai, have joined together to promote education and professional development in the hospitality industry. HSMAI is a 90-year-old, global, non-profit association with more than 7,000 members committed to growing business for hotels and their partners. It has recently recruited Asia’s top hotel revenue managers to join forces to produce a training programme that underpins a new online industry education platform. Appropriately, on May 17 the dedicated ‘Education & Job Day’ is being held for the second time at the ITB China Conference 2019. It is focusing on the exchange of educational knowledge and the promotion of career opportunities of current and future talents of the Chinese travel industry. HSMAI will be conducting a session in the presentation hub on May 17, 2019 starting at 10 am covering the topics of Revenue Management, Data Intelligence and Hotel Sales Distributions. These topics form part of HSMAI’s Certificate in Revenue Management (Hospitality) launched in 2017 and created by the senior leaders of revenue management in hotels around the world. “HSMAI have been busy updating our current courses and developing new education and courses to assist hotel professionals to grow their careers. In 2019, we’ll be developing new programmes for hoteliers to continue their learning in digital marketing, distribution and managing commercial functions”, says Jackie Douglas, President HSMAI Asia Pacific. Huilian Duan, President of the HSMAI Greater China Chapter Board, urged her industry colleagues to get behind the education, “All Sales, Revenue and Digital Directors should be certified in their respective fields.  Only HSMAI can …

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has signed a Master Development Agreement with Valor Hospitality Partners Africa to roll out multiple franchise hotels over the next 10 years, across IHG’s portfolio of brands in mid-scale, upscale and luxury segments. The agreement will see IHG expand its presence in Sub-Saharan Africa, including key countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Zambia and Kenya. The development adds to IHG’s growing pipeline in the Middle East and Africa and cements its position as one of the leading operators in the region. Valor Hospitality Partners Africa is a subsidiary of Valor Hospitality Partners Global that manages projects across America, the UK, Middle East, South Africa and South East Asia. IHG currently operates hotels with Valor Hospitality Partners in America and the UK. Speaking on the announcement, Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, said, “Valor has been our long-term partner in America and the UK for many years and we are pleased to be building our network with an experienced existing operating partner in new markets. This signing is in line with our growth ambition in the region and will add approximately 1,000 rooms to our portfolio in the African continent, primarily in the mid-scale segment and select hotels in upscale and luxury segments. We currently have 26 operating hotels across eight countries in Africa, and we are looking at expanding our presence further by close to 40 per cent, in three to five years.” Graham Wood, Managing Director of Valor Hospitality Partners Africa, added, “We have consistently benefitted from IHG’s global distribution system in the Americas and the UK, best-in-class revenue management tools, …

Emirates and Africa World Airlines (AWA), the Ghanaian airline, announced a one-way interline agreement whereby Emirates customers can connect onto selected routes of Africa World Airlines’ network, opening up new African destinations for Emirates customers from May 2019. “The agreement between Emirates and Africa World Airlines underpins our commitment to provide greater connectivity across West Africa. This partnership will allow us to further extend West Africa via the selected domestic and regional routes of Africa World Airlines,” said Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Africa, Emirates. “Africa World Airlines is proud to partner with Emirates in order to connect passengers through our hub at the new Terminal 3 in Accra. Customers will enjoy seamless connections at the premier gateway to the West African region as a result of this new agreement,” said Sean Mendis, Chief Operations Officer for Africa World Airlines. Passengers on Emirates’ network can now benefit from greater connectivity to West Africa, especially those travelling from popular inbound markets such as Dubai, China, India and Australia who can now connect from Accra onto AWA flights to Kumasi, Tamale and Sekondi-Takoradi in Ghana; and regional destinations Monrovia in Liberia and Freetown in Sierra Leone. Emirates passengers can choose from seven weekly flights from Dubai to Accra until June 2, 2019, when Emirates will increase services on the route to 11 weekly flights. The agreement with AWA will further extend Emirates’ connectivity from Accra with up to ten flights daily to Kumasi, four flights daily each to Tamale and Takoradi and six weekly flights to Monrovia and Freetown.

Etihad Airways and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi are taking Jeddah residents on an immersive tour of Abu Dhabi across VOX Cinemas using 3D projection mapping. This is the first time this technology is being utilised to promote a destination in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the wider Middle East region.  This month, projection mapping will turn VOX cinemas into a theatrical stage to provide viewers with a simulated first person experience of what it’s like flying with Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi. Tim Burnell, Vice President Marketing, Etihad Airways, said, “Abu Dhabi is a dynamic capital with a wealth of exciting opportunities to offer to every type of traveller. We are delighted that today’s technology can showcase what our airline and capital has to offer, by bringing the experience to them, making them feel like they are actually here.” Viewers will board an Etihad aircraft and walk around the Business Cabin before being transported to world-famous leisure attractions including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld and to Warner Bros. At World Abu Dhabi, famous cartoon and comic characters such as Bugs Bunny and Batman will interact with the audience. The journey continues to a mangrove forest, followed by miles of beautiful white sand beaches and a live cooking demonstration, before closing on Abu Dhabi’s rich skyline.