Category Archives: Agents

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has inaugurated the “Japan Travel House” in Qatar, a pioneering initiative designed to serve as a dedicated contact point and information hub for travel to Japan. This strategic move aims to kindle interest in visiting Japan and encourage travel from the GCC countries, with a particular focus on Qatar. The official launching event took place on Wednesday, 4th October 2023, at the Japan Travel House. The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. Satoshi MAEDA, Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar. Notably, the ceremony was also open to the general public in Qatar, providing them with an opportunity to learn about travel to Japan. Attendees were treated to authentic Japanese cuisine courtesy of Junko Sushi & Japanese Dining, which serves as a contact point. The Japan Travel House will actively distribute pamphlets highlighting various tourist attractions across Japan. Visitors can expect personalized face-to-face travel guidance and prompt responses to their inquiries. Additionally, the facility will feature informative display panels introducing diverse destinations from all corners of Japan. Plans are also in place to host Japanese cultural experience events. H.E. Mr. Satoshi MAEDA commented: “Tourism is one of the important areas for bilateral relations between Japan and Qatar. The government of Japan has introduced various measures to promote tourism from Qatar to Japan. Visa waiver measure for nationals of the State of Qatar based on ordinary passport registration system for Qatari nationals started in April this year, and we began accepting applications electronically from August. Prime Minister Kishida introduced these measures to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar at the bilateral summit …

Sav has joined forces with Musafir.com to bring a groundbreaking approach to travel savings. This transformative partnership is set to reshape the travel landscape, making it more accessible and affordable for UAE residents. In an era where financial responsibility and smart spending are paramount, Sav and Musafir.com introduce an innovative paradigm shift—”Save Now, Buy Later for Travel”. This trailblazing feature empowers users to embark on a journey of financial discipline while planning their dream vacations. Sachin Gadoya, CEO and Co-Founder of musafir.com said, “At Musafir.com, our mission has always been to make travel dreams a reality. Through this partnership with Sav, we aim to empower our customers to save effortlessly for their dream vacations. This partnership is a testament to our commitment to providing unforgettable travel experiences while making the journey towards them more accessible and convenient.” Unbeatable Travel Discounts Musafir.com commits to contribute to users’ goals across hotels, holidays, domestic and international Visas, which will redefine their travel experiences: 10% Off on UAE Visas: Seamlessly apply for UAE visas and enjoy an unprecedented 10% contribution from Musafir.com. 50% off on International Visas: Explore the world with ease and save significantly on international visas. 5% contribution on Hotels: Secure your stay at top-notch hotels with an unbeatable 5% contribution from Musafir.com. AED 300 contribution on Booking Holidays: Plan your dream holiday and save AED 300 on your booking. This partnership epitomizes Sav’s unwavering commitment to helping users save on their travel aspirations. Musafir.com joins this mission as one of the pioneering companies promoting sustainable affordability in the travel category.     A Unified Vision for Financial Empowerment This partnership between Sav and Musafir.com is about fostering sustainable financial practices in …

Amadeus entered strategic partnership with Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC to enrich Bahwan Travel Agencies’ product portfolio and elevate customer experience in Oman market. The partnership will see Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC integrating cutting-edge solutions from Amadeus, including Amadeus Web Services, Selling Platform and Productivity Suite. These state-of-the-art tools enhance operational efficiency, streamline booking process, and empower travel agencies to provide more personalized and seamless services to customers. Key solutions Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC will implement is Amadeus All Fares for shopping and Amadeus Robotics for fare optimization. These will enable agency to offer travelers comprehensive and optimized fares suited to needs of traveler, ultimately enhancing their overall journey planning experience. The partnership also delivers Amadeus Ticket Changer for faster, automated ticket re-issue and refund capabilities, Quality Control Smart Scripts, and other tools to ensure smoother and hassle-free operations. Biju Antony, General Manager of Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC, said: “At Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC, our commitment is to provide exceptional travel experiences for customers. Partnering with Amadeus aligns perfectly with our vision, as the their solutions are renowned  for innovation and reliability. We believe this collaboration will help us take our customer service to new heights and deliver seamless and personalized travel experiences.” Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director of Amadeus Gulf, expressed his excitement about partnership, stating, ” As an industry, we only progress by working together. That’s why we are thrilled to collaborate with Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC in bringing latest Amadeus travel technology to take travel experience to next level. Our solutions are designed to drive efficiency and elevate customer service, and we are confident that Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC will greatly benefit from implementing these state-of-the-art tools, reinforced …

Christopherson Business Travel and Travelport jointly announced an industry first: being the first travel management company (TMC) to successfully issue a ticket on the revolutionary Deem platform since its integration with Travelport+. The move signals a significant advancement in corporate travel management and marks the dawn of a new era in modern retailing. The integration of Deem with Travelport+ demonstrates Christopherson’s commitment to providing its customers with the most efficient and advanced travel booking options. New distribution capability (NDC) technology allows for more personalization, flexibility, and transparency in booking and servicing travel, ultimately enhancing the customer experience. As longtime partners of Travelport, Christopherson was one of the first North American TMCs to upgrade to Travelport+, enabling the agency to deliver the modern retailing experience their customers expect. Travelport+ simplifies access to multi-source content and generates value for agents and travelers, with advanced retailing capabilities, sophisticated cloud-based point of sale solutions, and tools that make operations easier. “Adopting Deem with Travelport+ is a game-changer for our clients,” said Mike Cameron, CEO of Christopherson Business Travel. “This successful implementation not only positions us at the industry’s forefront, but it ensures our customers benefit from a consumer-like booking tool with multi-source content, including NDC, displayed in a modern storefront, all powered by Travelport+.”

Kanoo Travel and Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) have signed a travel services agreement. The agreement will provide ADDC employees, and their families access to Kanoo Travel’s comprehensive travel services, including flights, hotels, car rentals, and travel insurance. Aubrey Heldt, Divisional General Manager in Operations of Kanoo Travel, said, “We are delighted to partner with ADDC, one of the most important government entities in Abu Dhabi. This agreement is a testament to our commitment to providing our clients with the highest quality travel services and our strong relationships with leading companies in the region.” Kanoo Travel Divisional CEO Zaeem Gama, commented, “The service agreement is a significant milestone in our pursuit of innovation and consumer experience. Our partnership with ADDC adds a distinct and compelling dynamic as we unlock an exceptional potential to serve our high-profile clients with unique opportunities for travel suited to their specific needs.” “We are forging an innovative path in the sector by leveraging our skills to push the boundaries of travel management and provide remarkable experiences that exceed expectations. This agreement highlights our dedication to staying ahead of changing industry trends and cements our position as a leader in the field of travel management”, Gama added.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) has launched a global initiative to train and support professionals from the travel industry, enabling them to become “Israeli Specialists” through a self-learning module program in collaboration with Travel Agent Academy. The e-learning program consists of five interactive and engaging sessions, each followed by a quiz. Its goal is to make Israel as the preferred Mediterranean destination among travel professionals. The introductory module provides a comprehensive overview of the main sights, cities, hotels, and distinctive experiences in the country, along with captivating information about its multicultural population. The four advance modules are designed to empower learners to fully grasp the destination’s experiences and offerings: Christian Travel through Israel – General and Faith-Based Multigenerational and Heritage Travel in Israel Food, Wine, and Culture Outdoor Adventure in Israel’s- Diverse Landscapes Travel industry professionals from the United Arab Emirates can register for the Israel Destination Specialist e-learning portal free of charge and commence their educational journey. A onetime self-registration is required on the Israel Destination Specialist portal, which can be completed promptly to accommodate work and learning schedules. The first 40 learners who successfully complete the modules and submit the electronic certificate from the portal to tourism@vfsglobal.com before September 30,2023, will receive incentive vouchers as a token of appreciation from the Israel Ministry of Tourism. Qualified learners will be notified via email by October 10, 2023. Her Excellency Ms. Liron Zaslansky – Consul General of the State of Israel in Dubai emphasized the significance of strengthening ties between Israel and the UAE through tourism stakeholders. “The Israel Destination Specialist serves as a platform for UAE travel professionals to explore and showcase Israel’s diverse tourism offerings, ultimately inspiring …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi kicked off Abu Dhabi Travel & Tourism Week (25-30 September), a platform which brings together the emirate’s travel and tourism industry to foster growth and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s status as a global tourism hub. The initiative aligns with the emirate’s broader vision to welcome over 24 million visitors this year and further enhance the business and leisure tourism industries, driving economic impact to the UAE capital and beyond. The week starts with the first City Tourism Briefing event and supports the roll-out of Abu Dhabi Business Events Forum, Abu Dhabi Wedding Show and the Future Hospitality Summit, leveraging the collective power of many tourism stakeholders from diverse industries all contributing their expertise and insights to drive progress. HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: “The Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 drives our ambitions to build a strong foundation of strategic partnerships that facilitate the establishment of the emirate as a thriving global hub for business, investment, and leisure travel.  The Abu Dhabi Travel & Tourism Week is set to unlock new opportunities that reaffirm our commitment to positioning Abu Dhabi as a dynamic and sustainable hub for tourism.  We look forward to fostering growth in the sector by accelerating high-potential industries such as gastronomy, aviation, and business events and welcome all of our partners and future collaborators to join us in our journey.” Abu Dhabi Travel & Tourism Week will advance the emirate’s tourism industry across a range of sectors, such as Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) events, hospitality, destination marketing, weddings, tourism strategy, and more.

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 …

World Travel Market London 2023 has signed up more than 14% new exhibitors, ranging from household names to specialist firms and niche brands. They will make up around 4,000 exhibitors at ExCeL London (6-8th November) to exchange ideas, drive innovation and accelerate their businesses. High-profile names debuting this year this year include Eurostar – the high-speed international rail service connecting the UK with mainland Europe – and ABBA Voyage, a live concert staged in London with virtual ‘Abbatars’. Also exhibiting for the first time is the Bermuda Tourism Authority, which is heading to WTM London to highlight its culture, heritage, cuisine, wellness and sustainability offerings. Other tourism boards making their first appearance at WTM London come from destinations as diverse as Sabah – promoting travel to northern Borneo, in Malaysia – and Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan. Other new exhibitors from Asia are Ayana Hospitality, which offers luxury resorts and hotels in Indonesia, and Vietnam’s Thien Minh Group, showcasing its wide range of services, such as destination management, hospitality, online solutions and aviation. Rapidly growing global online travel agency Trip.com Group will be attending to target growth within the European market, while UK-based package holiday specialist HolidayBest will promote its worldwide range of destinations and vacation styles. Other new exhibitors will be travelling from Turkey, such as the Turkish travel agency association TURSAB, and Salkantay Trekking will be visiting from Peru, where it is a leading tour operator offering treks and adventure tours to Machu Picchu. Delegates in the technology zone will be able to meet new tech exhibitors such as search marketing agency Vertical Leap, and payments specialist flywire – which exhibited with WTM for the first time …

Emirates, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA) have launched online training courses for new travel professionals to help them develop and build stronger skillsets, as well as enhance understanding around the industry’s key principles to support the wider travel and tourism sector. Using the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism’s already established Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) online platform, travel professionals in South Africa have free access to various online courses and training resources to help them develop the essential skills required to enter the industry or expand their abilities, improve their knowledge around industry systems and processes, ultimately helping them to maximise their career potential and employability. Courses start with the fundamentals: understanding the role of a travel agent, gaining familiarity with key industry terminology, understanding different procedures in relation to travel bookings, from the initial quotation stage through to the time of travel. Participants will explore the types of enquiries and proposals common within the industry, alongside developing the skills and knowledge required to prepare quotations, book supplier products and services and process travel related documentation. The rich, interactive content delivered in the courses contextually use Dubai as the primary market example when explaining the skills and terms associated with the travel industry value chain. Emirates’ products and services are also utilised to simulate and explain the airline retailing journey and the fundamentals of distribution systems for travel agents. In addition to acquiring valuable industry knowledge, professionals gain extensive insight into Dubai as a destination, already a popular city for South Africans, as well as Emirates products and services. Upon completion of the courses, participating travel professionals will …