Category Archives: Agents

Servantrip announced a global strategic partnership with Holidayme dedicated to empowering travel agents and service providers worldwide under the Traveazy Group. The partnership will provide Holidayme – which has 10,000+ travel agent clients in over 50 countries and is based in Dubai – with full access to Servantrip’s portfolio via an API connection. As such, the clients of Holidayme will have access to a portfolio of 100,000+ curated tours & activities experiences in the main destinations Holidayme is selling. In addition, users of Holidayme can gain access to the wider Servantrip portfolio of 700,000 exceptional experiences catering to diverse travelers. Meanwhile Servantrip’s many supplier partners benefit from strengthened distribution through Holidayme’s 10,000+ travel agencies, giving them access to incremental, hard-to-reach, real-time bookings. In addition, Holidayme’s travel agent clients gain a cross-selling opportunity through the functionality that Servantrip offers that allows users to make several bookings in the same reservation. Anand Srinivasan, Chief Business Officer, Holidayme said: “Our travel agents rely on us to deliver the finest and most exclusive products at competitive prices. After a thorough market evaluation, we found Servantrip to be the ideal partner. This collaboration ensures that our travel agents can access an unparalleled selection of tours and activities, enhancing the value and experience we offer to our clients.” Manuel Núñez, CEO at Servantrip added:  “We are hugely excited to be working with such a well-known brand that is so dedicated and passionate about giving its travel agent clients the best of everything. At Servantrip we understand the importance for frontline travel agents of having the right tours & activities products and how that in-destination part of the package can make or break a sale, whilst also making someone’s …

Accor announced the launch of HERA, Accor Travel Advisor Program – a new worldwide loyalty and rewards program exclusively for travel advisors. Available now at HERA.Accor.com, the new program includes more brands, more features, and more capabilities as well as an enhanced digital experience with easy and efficient online tools for booking, tracking and reviewing activity. Other key features of HERA include informative and educational resources on Accor’s participating luxury and luxury lifestyle brands and hotels – including those sitting within the global lifestyle collective Ennismore. The new program generously rewards travel advisors for bookings while allowing them to increase their productivity, performance, and client satisfaction. “We are beyond excited to introduce HERA, a competitive and differentiated program that delivers the capabilities, personalization and rewards that the travel advisor community both needs and wants,” said Pascal Visintainer, Senior Vice President Global Sales, Luxury & Lifestyle, Accor. “Our aim is to inspire loyalty among leading travel professionals, by equipping them with all the resources they need to seamlessly create bespoke luxury travel experiences for their clients and granting them valuable Reward Points to use freely on their own time. With easy-to-use tools for travel planning, an efficient booking system, and plentiful rewards, we are confident that HERA, and therefore participating hotels sitting within Accor’s Luxury & Lifestyle division, will be a top choice of travel advisors around the globe.” HERA takes Accor’s ability to support and recognize travel agents up a notch and replaces the Group’s former Famous Agents program, with all previous travel advisor data, history, and Reward Points seamlessly migrated to the new platform. Using their personalized HERA member ID, travel advisors will earn Reward Points with each room …

The Middle East saw the strongest relative growth, with international arrivals exceeding by 36% pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2024, or 4% above Q1 2023. This follows an extraordinary performance in 2023, when the Middle East became the first world region to recover pre-pandemic numbers (+22%). UN Tourism shared that international tourist arrivals reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2024. According to UN Tourism, more than 285 million tourists travelled internationally in January-March, about 20% more than the first quarter of 2023, underscoring the sector’s near-complete recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. In 2023 international tourist arrivals recovered 89% of 2019 levels and export revenues from tourism 96%, while direct tourism GDP reached the same levels as in 2019. UN Tourism’s projection for 2024 points to a full recovery of international tourism with arrivals growing 2% above 2019 levels. In line with this, the newest data released by the UN specialized agency for tourism show that: Yet it also recalls the need to ensure adequate tourism policies and destination management, aiming to advance sustainability and inclusion, while addressing the externalities and impact of the sector on resources and communities Europe, the world’s largest destination region, exceeded pre-pandemic levels in a quarter for the first time (+1% from Q1 2019). The region recorded 120 million international tourists in the first three months of the year, backed by robust intra-regional demand. Africa welcomed 5% more arrivals in the first quarter of 2024 than in Q1 2019, and 13% more than in Q1 2023. The Americas practically recovered pre-pandemic numbers this first quarter, with arrivals reaching 99% of 2019 levels. International tourism is experiencing a rapid recovery in Asia and the Pacific …

Whilst exhibiting at ITB China Shanghai, Yalago – revealed the latest hotel booking trends and the top destinations with Chinese travellers in 2024. In order of popularity, the choices are Dubai (UAE), Riviera Maya (Mexico), Bali (Indonesia), Singapore (Singapore), and Abu Dhabi (UAE). Yalago is recording the UAE as the most popular country for international hotel bookings from China in 2024 so far, with a 11% growth in booking value this year compared to January – May 2023. With 54% of global bookings from Chinese travellers for five-star hotels, its travel experts attribute this growth to the UAE’s access to luxury properties across a variety of landscapes, close to world-class attractions. Astrid Kastberg, General Manager at Yalago, commented: “China represents one of our fastest-growing source markets for international travel. With the luxury segment prominent, we are finding Chinese travellers booking a more extensive range of five-star hotels, including across the UAE’s cityscapes, islands, and beaches. Through our industry experience and global partnerships, we aim to support worldwide travel companies in offering significant savings to customers, with expertise in destinations including the UAE, and Indian Ocean. We are excited to improve the booking process to the Maldives, as we aim to promote this destination for a standalone stay, or as part of a wider trip.” As luxury beach breaks emerge as on trend, Yalago is launching a new system function to improve the booking process for Chinese travellers seeking to experience the islands of the Maldives in 2024. Yalago’s trade partners can now book a travellers’ hotel stay inclusive of its leading rates, alongside the domestic transfers by seaplane or speedboat required for onward travel, all in one sitting. One of …

With TravTalk ME as media partner ITB China and the ITB China Conference kicks off today in Shanghai. The three day networking event expects over 650 tourism companies gather together this year. ITB China will play a crucial role in reconnecting global travel suppliers with the resurgent Chinese market, forging a collective path forward for the industry. As Chinas premier B2B travel trade show, ITB China will once again reflect the entire travel trade spectrum, with suppliers from around the world covering Leisure Travel, MICE, Business Travel, and Travel Technology. In view of the increasing demand from buyers, MICE will gain in importance as a key topic, and more in-depth presentations and discussions will take place on stage of the ITB China Conference 2024. Furthermore, the China Inbound Tourism segment will be relaunched this year. The rising popularity of Custom-themed Travel in the Chinese market and the profound impact of Travel Technology guarantee a rich variety of content sessions, activities and awards, complemented by insights from experienced travel professionals and forward-thinking opinion leaders.

Sharaf Travel Services and Suha Hospitality officially launched a strategic partnership to enhance travel and hospitality experiences. This collaboration aims to offer customers exclusive packages and premium services, combining Suha Hospitality’s luxury accommodations with Sharaf Travel’s exceptional travel solutions, ensuring unforgettable journeys and superior customer satisfaction. The partnership ceremony, held with great enthusiasm, marked a significant milestone for both companies. Key executives highlighted the mutual benefits and future opportunities this alliance brings. Attendees celebrated the union with a cutting cake, symbolizing the beginning of a prosperous collaboration.

Riyadh Travel Fair 2024 (RTF 2024) will once again be held in the capital Riyadh from 27 to 29 May. The B2C exhibition will host a range of diverse tourism products from a few key markets aiming to support development and sustainability opportunities in the tourism sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The B2C exhibition provides the general public to learn about the latest tourism offers and special deals around the world, as well as providing an opportunity for exhibitors to display and present their products. The Executive Director of Riyadh Exhibition, Mr. Bandar Al-Quraini, said, “The exhibition performs great services to the Saudi tourism market, and a vital role to bring and attract everything related to travel and tourism, and participation in the exhibition revolves around exploring new markets and sectors, marketing products, services and destinations, entering into long-term transactions, identifying the most important international buyers in the region and the possibility of concluding sales deals, getting to know existing customers and partners in areas related to the tourism, travel and hotel sectors, adding new agents and distributors, and launching New products and packages, conduct market testing and get continuous feedback on exhibition performance evaluation. “More than 200 exhibitors will participate in the exhibition under different names such as: government tourism, travel agencies, car rental companies, branded hotels, hotel suppliers, tour operators, online booking systems, tourism companies, medical health tourism, companies, spas and airlines, youth tourism and education abroad, in addition to some new products and activities related to travel and tourists .Riyadh Travel Expo 2024 brings together the most prominent travel and tourism companies and exhibitors representing tourism promotion bodies and tourism companies at the Arab and …

Latest data revealed at the China Global Traveller Market update and seminar shared that there are 140,000 Chinese travellers visiting Dubai per month accounting to 1.7million per year. In terms of flight arrivals, there are 13 to 17 daily direct flights with 4000 plus seats a day. Alexander Glos – CEO i2i Group revealed in his opening statement that China is one of the biggest markets in the world, at a special semianr conducted to share how agents and hotels can attract more visitors from China to the UAE. In his comprehensive presentation he shared the various avenues available to conduct business with Chinese travellers. A key statement he made was that the Chinese travellers have evolved from pre-covid times. More on this story in our next TBN.

Almosafer announced the expansion of its partnership with Amadeus into new verticals at the Arabian Travel Market. As part of the broadened collaboration, Almosafer will integrate Amadeus’ NDC (New Distribution Capability) technology, to help drive the industrialization of NDC, ensuring that all actors make the most of the benefits of NDC, through the distribution of new differentiated and relevant content. The collaboration will enable Almosafer to deliver more customized and targeted content and enhanced digital marketing capabilities by leveraging Amadeus’ accurate data analysis. The expansion of the long-standing partnership between the two companies is testimony to Almosafer’s commitment to accelerate travel retailing through innovative technology. By leveraging their IT and distribution synergies, Amadeus NDC [X] programme fosters cross-industry collaboration between airline and travel seller partners, enriching and enhancing customer experience on the travel agencies’ side while allowing airlines to tailor offers using latest merchandising techniques. In keeping with Almosafer’s focus on being future-ready and providing a seamless experience for their customers, the updated collaboration will enable the travel company to further boost their implementation of NDC-enabled Travel API solution to target more personalised products to customers. Tarique Khatri, Chief Commercial Officer of Almosafer, said: “At Almosafer we have always been at the forefront of harnessing the power of technological innovations to drive customer satisfaction. Our holistic association with Amadeus over the years has enabled us to offer travellers a seamless experience across our digital portals and with the addition of Amadeus’ NDC technology we hope to further our ambitions to provide more targeted personalised content for our customers.” Jamel Chandoul, SVP Travel Sellers, Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, and Central Asia at Amadeus: “Our mission at Amadeus is to make the travel …

The allure of European shopping has become an essential component of every traveler’s itinerary from the Middle East, with McArthurGlen Outlets positioned as the market leader in providing unparalleled retail experiences across the continent. In a landmark achievement, Middle Eastern markets emerged as the first market in tax-free shopping at McArthurGlen’s outlets in 2024, signaling a trend of exponential growth in the region’s affinity for European retail destinations. “Shopping in Europe has evolved from a mere activity to a cultural phenomenon for travelers from the Middle East,” remarked Matthias Sinner, Head of Tourism at McArthurGlen Outlets. “We are thrilled to see the growing enthusiasm among tourists from these markets for exploring the diverse retail landscape of Europe, and our centers are committed to delivering exceptional experiences that cater to their unique preferences and expectations.” The peak travel season for Middle Eastern tourists, typically following Ramadan (Eid al Fitr) and during the European summer, coincides with enticing sales promotions across the continent, amplifying the allure of European shopping. Notably, there has been a noticeable surge in autumn breaks, further underlining the year-round appeal of European shopping destinations for travelers from the Middle East. Key European cities remain the focal points for this group, with McArthurGlen’s outlets strategically located near major fashion hubs. Among the most visited outlets are Serravalle, Castel Romano and Noventa di Piave in Italy, Roermond and Parndorf in Austria, and Paris-Giverny in France, reflecting the diverse shopping preferences of travelers from the Middle East. Middle Eastern tourists, renowned for their penchant for luxury items, display a strong preference for internationally renowned brands and upscale establishments. McArthurGlen boasts an exclusive array of premium and luxury brands, featuring coveted names …