The largest carrier in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific, has rolled out some exciting fares to celebrate this year’s  World Tourism Day. Cebu Pacific gives away Dubai-Philippines seats for less than AED300 base fare from September 26 to 30, 2019. It will cover the travel period of January 1 to March 31, 2020. Those planning to visit their loved ones and friends in the city can get deals as low as AED200 base fare for Dubai-Manila flights. Those who want to explore the Queen City of the South may also get Dubai-Cebu flights (via Manila) with a base fare of only AED279. Filipinos and UAE residents who want to discover Mindanao, meanwhile, can get exciting deals too. Dubai-Cagayan de Oro flights and Dubai-Davao flights (both via Manila) are offered for as low as AED289 base fare.

Emirates is partnering with Emaar and enhancing its presence at The Dubai Mall to connect to a broad local and international audience through interactive brand experiences like the Emirates A380 Simulator Experience and KidZania, and new Emirates Official Store retail experiences across different visitor touchpoints and shopping environments. Ultimately, the larger goal is to excite visitors across all ages by delivering a memorable, tangible piece of Emirates and tell the brand story through unique experiences and innovative travel products. The Emirates A380 Experience, the region’s only public A380 flight simulator has now been relocated to the second floor of The Dubai Mall, adjacent to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. Aviation enthusiasts, amateurs testing their flying abilities and those curious about the full experience of flying an A380, can take command of the cockpit for take-off, cruising and landing at thousands of international airports, including every airport in Emirates’ global network. A qualified instructor will be on hand to guide customers through the full experience. A variety of packages are available, starting from 15 minute sessions all the way to 45 minute experiences. Shoppers at The Dubai Mall will soon also be able to find Emirates Official Store products at multiple locations popular with visitors looking to discover the Mall’s iconic attractions. Families coming to KidZania will be able to shop Emirates Official Store products at the venue’s entrance, with a range of kids and toddlers Arsenal and Real Madrid kits, cabin crew uniforms and wooden airport sets. Emirates’ best-selling A380 aircraft model in the Expo Dubai 2020 livery will also be available for purchase.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) is gearing up to host the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Middle East & North Africa Leaders Forum 2019 next week. The forum will take place on October 2 at Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Ras Al Khaimah for the first time in the region and will bring together key industry leaders to discuss the core issues facing the region’s Travel & Tourism sector. The one-day programme is set to bring together government agencies, industry associations, CEOs and senior leaders of the top travel and tourism companies, experts, and media from across the region, in an effort to explore contemporary issues facing the sector and discuss growth opportunities to advance the regional agenda. Local and regional experts from the both public and private sectors will deliver keynotes and engage in topical panel discussions, including Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, Minister of Tourism, South Africa; Rusty Brainard, Chief Environmental Sustainability Officer, Red Sea Project; Shaun Vorster, Vice President, Expo 2020 Dubai, Alison Grinnell, CEO, RAK Hospitality Holding; and Raha Moharrak, Mountaineer & first Saudi Woman to Climb Seven Summits. Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of RAKTDA, said, “The opportunity to host this prestigious industry forum comes at a pivotal time as we aim to fuel a sustainable tourism-driven economic growth in Ras Al Khaimah, as guided by our current Destination Strategy 2019-2021. Tourism remains one of the key drivers of the Emirate’s continued growth in GDP and employment.”

A statement issued by His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA on World Tourism Day 2019, stated, “The celebration of World Tourism Day 2019, under the theme ‘Tourism and Jobs: A better future for all,’ reaffirms the commitment of the World Tourism Organisation to highlight the skills, education, and jobs available in the tourism industry. This year’s national commemoration is yet another powerful reminder of the social, cultural, economic, and environmental values of tourism, which play a pivotal role in achieving our sustainable development goals and increasing the international tourist arrivals to Sharjah according to Sharjah Tourism Vision. This key framework aims to attract 10 million visitors to the emirate by 2021.” “We are also committed to contributing to the ‘Sultan Al Qasimi Emiratisation Project’—taking pride in being part of this all-encompassing human capacity development initiative through our specialised training courses. By offering such courses, we are helping to improve the skills and knowledge of all workers in the tourism and hospitality industries, raising the level of tourism services in Sharjah and reinforcing our aim to make our services at par with the world. Sharjah has enjoyed significant growth in recent years and the tourism sector has contributed more than AED 9 billion to the total gross domestic product (GDP), which now stands at AED 102.5 billion. Looking ahead, enhancing cooperation between the public and private sector entities is the key to generating greater employment opportunities for our citizens and residents and sustaining our current success,” he shared.

His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Executive Committee, inaugurated new spaces within the Cultural Foundation, marking the completion of major renovation and maintenance work at one of Abu Dhabi’s the most prominent cultural landmarks. Located in historic Al Hosn, in the heart of the capital, the Cultural Foundation’s new spaces include a 900-seat theatre and the all-new Abu Dhabi Children’s Library. HH Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said, “Abu Dhabi’s strength as a cultural hub is the deep link between our history and future aspirations. Investment in immersive learning spaces like this will develop the young leaders of the future.” The inauguration ceremony was attended by HE Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi; HE Eng. Awaidha Murshid Al Marar, Chairman of the Department of Energy – Abu Dhabi, H.E. Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development, Abu Dhabi, HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, Education and Knowledge – Abu Dhabi, HE Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Minister of State. The inauguration marks the start of the institution’s opening season, which will welcome the public to enjoy landmark visual arts exhibitions, a performing arts series, the library’s multi-generational educational programme, the newly established Bait Al Khatt (House of Calligraphy) and the Al Marsam Al Hor (Art Studios). Reem Fadda, Director of the Cultural Foundation, said, “With a multitude of events for audiences of all ages to enjoy, it is our goal to nurture and educate the nation, and offer a new platform …

dnata continues to expand its catering operations in the United States. The company has opened two new, state-of-the-art facilities at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and now offers quality catering services from six airports in the country. dnata’s catering operations in the two cities are expected to create a total of 250 new, direct jobs with the company over the next 18 months. Robin Padgett, Divisional Senior Vice President for dnata’s catering division, said, “We pride ourselves on providing five-star catering services to our airline customers, ensuring an excellent dining experience for their passengers on board. We continue to invest in our operations and team in the US to deliver on our ambitious goals and become a major player in this strategic market.” dnata’s new facility in Boston complements the company’s existing operations in New York on the East Coast of the US. At full capacity the facility will operate with a team of 150 catering professionals, supplying up to 12,500 meals a day. dnata already serves three airlines from Massachusetts’ capital. As its first catering centre on the West Coast of the country, dnata’s new facility in Los Angeles creates up to 100 jobs with the company and has a capacity of 10,000 meals a day.

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, the world’s first-ever Warner Bros. branded indoor theme park, succeeded in claiming a Guinness World Records title for the “Largest Gathering of People Wearing Capes”. Taking place at the park’s Gotham City and Warner Bros. Plaza lands, the event was part of Batman’s 80th anniversary celebrations on Batman Day. Batman fans of all ages came together from far and wide to take part in the festivities, donning Batman’s iconic cape and commemorating 80 years of adventures with everyone’s favorite Caped Crusader. Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi’s Gotham City and Warner Bros. Plaza buzzed with guests who dressed as the Caped Crusader and revelled in the celebratory atmosphere, featuring special entertainment including interactive segments, character meet and greets and lots of other surprises. Batman himself was there, saluting fans who showed up to honour his landmark anniversary. Fans of the Dark Knight took home commemorative items and delightful memories from the record-breaking event. Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is one of the world’s largest indoor theme parks, delivering an unparalleled fan experience. While at the park, guests are transported to six truly immersive lands, including DC’s Metropolis and Gotham City, Cartoon Junction, Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch and Warner Bros. Plaza, to enjoy the park’s 29 state-of-the-art exhilarating rides and interactive attractions.

Travelport further deepened its collaboration with Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the travel agency community on the implementation of SIA’s KrisConnect Programme – the airline’s initiative to leverage IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard. Damian Hickey, Global Vice President & Global Head of Air Travel Partners, briefed representatives of around 200 agencies on Travelport’s NDC implementation roadmap for SIA at the launch of the airline’s expanded KrisConnect Programme in Singapore. He also offered a preview of the intuitive new NDC-enabled process which agencies can soon expect, as Travelport prepares to launch the next phase of its NDC delivery shortly. Since KrisConnect was first launched in late 2018, Travelport has been working extensively with SIA to integrate its NDC content, ahead of general availability from April 2020. Functionality is expected to be launched through Travelport’s NDC-enabled points-of-sale, starting with initial pilots with a small group of agency customers in the coming months. Agencies connecting to KrisConnect through Travelport will gain access to customised offerings that are tailored to customers’ needs and preferences. SIA has advised that they will also benefit from a wider range of fares and other content come April 2020. All of this will be delivered through an intuitive, user-friendly interface integrated into the Travelport systems they are already familiar with. This latest collaboration builds on Travelport’s leading momentum in rolling out NDC capabilities for the industry. Travelport was the first GDS to make a live NDC booking in October 2018, and is already connected to six airlines’ NDC content.

Cozmo Travel, the winner of the 2018 Arabian Travel Awards “The Fastest Growing Travel Management Company”, has been expanding their reach in the market with its strong presence for the past nine years and consistently delivering excellence through their services and satisfying customer needs in the best way possible. “The opening of Cozmo Travel’s fourth new branch in Ajman, Al Jurf area near China Mall, marking the opening of the fifth branch this year, is yet another important step towards realising our vision of being the leading travel agency in the Middle East. The new office will serve as one of the many strategic locations in Ajman along with the other major locations that we already operate from,” said Mr. Jamal Abdulnazar, CEO, Cozmo Travel. Cozmo Travel branches are strategically located across the seven emirates in order to be accessible to all customers. It has 12 branches in Sharjah, four in Ajman, two in Fujairah, three in RAK, two in Abu Dhabi,  two in Al Ain, one in UAQ, and six branches across Dubai.

Guests visiting Arambrook between October 25 – 27, have the opportunity to attend the 4th Annual Art Franschhoek Festival, a showcase of a range of local artwork, ceramics and sculptures. A highlight of this year’s Art Franschhoek, and a first for the valley, is an exhibition entitled ‘Masterpieces from Franschhoek Private Collections’. Hosted by Ebony/Curated’s Bordeaux House Gallery, this is a unique once-off and exclusive display of exquisite artworks on loan from private owners for one weekend only. With the recent opening of two major international art museums in the city, it is not hard to believe that Cape Town has a long and rich art history with an eclectic offering of contemporary and traditional African Art. The luxury boutique hotel Arambrook is situated alongside the Liesbeck River, an ideal base for a cultural treasure hunt. Located within close proximity to the hotel, explorers will find Norval Art Foundation, a centre for art and cultural expression. The Norval Art Foundation sits adjacent to Table Mountain National Park and exhibits 20th and 21st century pieces from both local and international artists. Another recommended stop on the art trail is The Kalk Bay Modern. Situated above the famous Olympia Bakery with arguably the best view of Kalk Bay Harbour and False Bay, Kalk Bay Modern is dedicated to supporting an eclectic mix of emerging young South African talent, as well as established and well-known names. The gallery also holds one of the largest collections of contemporary San art from South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.  Alternatively, the Montebello Design Centre, located in Newlands, is one of Cape Town’s best kept secrets with twenty-five arts and craft studios and workshops, for you to explore.