Category Archives: Exhibitions

Messe Berlin, a leading trade fair and event organiser , has been awarded membership of World Tourism Alliance (WTA). With ITB China set to take place from May 15 to 17  in Shanghai, the partnership will help strengthen communication between the global and the Chinese travel industry. Sustainable tourism growth from China can be fostered through deep cooperation and support of WTA. “In this multi-layered world, WTA truly plays a unifying role in the drive for global cooperation and development in tourism. Its message of integration and cooperative dialogue has convinced us in the same way as leading tourism representatives, destinations and institutions around the world, said Dr Martin Buck, Senior Vice President, Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin.” Liu Shijun, Secretary General, WTA, attended multiple events at ITB Berlin and met with David Axiotis, General Manager of ITB China and Dr Martin Buck to talk about possible initiatives and projects. “We are extremely honoured that Messe Berlin has joined WTA and confident that with its expertise and experience, we can build a more competitive and responsible tourism industry for the benefit of all,” said Liu Shijun.  

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Dubai & Middle East Office in partnership with Royal Thai Embassy in Manama, Bahrain and The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain and Gulf Air will launch the Thai Festival 2019 on March 26 at The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain. The EATHAI VISITHAI 2019 promotion will run from March 26 to April 25, 2019 and will see the city come to life as people celebrate Thai culture and cuisine with incredible discounts on offer at 13 of Bahrain’s finest dining establishments. The participating venues will showcase their appetizing special Thai dishes with tasting and a live cooking show at the exclusive launch event on March 26. These include The BF Food Bahrain, Shada Restaurant, Tom Yum Kung Restaurant, Honey Restaurant, Monsoon Restaurant, Royal Thai-Gulf Hotel Bahrain, Wang Thai Restaurant, Thong Eak Restaurant, Som Tum Thai Restaurant, Thai Seafood Restaurant, Wok This Way Restaurant, Top Thai Restaurant and Ayothaya Restaurant. H E Thanis Na Songkhla, Ambassador, Royal Thai Embassy Manama, Bahrain, said, “We are thrilled to bring The Thai Festival 2019 to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Thai food is incredibly popular in the region and we are excited to showcase it further at this exciting festival.” Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand Dubai & Middle East Office, added, “The Thai Festival has been an ongoing success in the Kingdom of Bahrain and we’re excited to see it return for another edition. It’s an incredible way to showcase our world-renowned cuisine and guests will be able to avail incredible discounts and win fabulous prizes.”

WiT Middle East 2019 returns to Dubai after a gap of four years. WiT 2019, which will adopt the theme of WiT 2018 Singapore conference–‘Through The Looking Glass’– is making its comeback with three Foundation Sponsors as a one-day event on April 9, 2019. “After four years away, we feel it’s time to make a comeback plus we’ve had numerous requests from key players in the region, who have attended both our events in Dubai and Singapore, to return. When we were there in 2014 and 2015, we definitely felt the excitement and dynamism of an emerging market and observed it had very similar characteristics to the South-east Asian markets – fragmented, diverse, young, social and even then, it was mobile first – so we look forward to seeing what else has changed and how the industry has grown. With the way the Middle East travel market has grown, we expect a bigger, more international audience. In particular, we are looking forward to seeing how the startup ecosystem has grown and evolved,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder, WiT. “Wego, Cleartrip and Travelstart are three leading travel brands from outside the region that have invested in the Middle East market and are committed to seeing its development and growth,” said Siew Hoon. “We will also be working with Insight Out Consultancy and tap into their regional expertise to ensure our content is locally relevant,” she said.

Experience Hub, the trade and promotion arm of Yas Island Abu Dhabi, is participating at the ITB Berlin to further engage and strengthen relationships with the European travel market, while also expanding its network of partners from Europe. Yas Island is positioned to attract a growing number of visitors from across Europe with recent 2018 visitation numbers revealing an increase of 22 per cent in tourists from the United Kingdom, 10 per cent from Germany and a whopping 45 per cent from Russia. “Yas Island delivers a holiday experience unlike any other and that’s what we will showcase to industry leaders at ITB Berlin this year. With attractions that include award-winning theme parks, including the recently-opened Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi and a world-class motor sports facility like the Yas Marina Circuit, which is home to the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, alongside more than 160 restaurants and Yas Mall, we have a portfolio of entertainment attractions to provide unparalleled holiday packages in the UAE capital,” said Marina Cipriano, General Manager, Experience Hub.” Experience Hub is managed by expert travel professionals across a wide global network who continuously cultivate collaboration opportunities to source valuable insights into the preferences of travellers from Europe and beyond. Experience Hub’s B2B booking portal provides travel partners direct access to holiday packages and tickets to Yas Island attractions at exclusive rates, among other services, keeping them in the know about the latest experiences and opportunities to enrich their offering to their travellers. “With our dedicated teams in the UK, Germany, Russia and other international markets, we have found that travellers are keen to experience shopping, dining, culture and the outdoors. With that knowledge, we can …

The Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS), organised by Dubai World Trade Centre, saw a flock of sea enthusiasts and families attend the opening day for a look at some of this year’s biggest boat and yacht launches. The 27th edition of the show has brought to the coasts of Dubai for the first time ever a number of launches, including custom yacht-builder Oceanco’s newest project, the 105-meter (345ft) diesel-electric driven Esquel, designed for extensive cruising to remote regions extending from the North Pole to the South Pole and everywhere in between. UAE company Enata, launched and demonstrated the pre-production model of the Foiler, the world’s first flying yacht, which promises to make seasickness a thing of the past. Using four retractable foils, the Foiler lifts itself out of the water to give passengers a sensation of flight as it skims along the water using 740-horsepower hydrostatic propulsion. Bespoke luxury yacht builder Dominator Yachts introduced the HANAA. With connotations of Happiness, Bliss and Felicity in Arabic, the HANAA is a 28M Ilumen, which includes bespoke features including a custom made sofa in the salon, the typical Ilumen moon roof over the owner cabin bed, a private bow terrace or many superyacht features like a Williams jet tender, a video projector on the flybridge or an unfoldable beach platform to enjoy the time spent on sea to the fullest. Riju George, Show Director, Dubai International Boat Show, said, “Exhibitors reported very healthy levels of interest and business. With a number of boat launches and unveilings of premium new yachts, Dubai International Boat Show once again cements its standing in the global maritime industry through its variety of luxurious marine vessels and range …

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) is set to announce the exclusive business management updates behind its cultural and ecotourism tourism profile at the 53rd edition of ITB Berlin, which will take place from March, 6-10. The Shurooq stand will be featured at the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) pavilion, which will offer the world a platform to view the efforts that Sharjah entities are putting in to realise ‘Sharjah Vision 2021’.  Among Shurooq’s major announcements will be revealing the name of a new management operator for its ‘Sharjah Collection’ brand of ecotourism destinations, Kingfisher Lodge in Kalba – a rich mangroves reserve; Al Faya Lodge at Mleiha archaeological site; and Al Badayer Oasis at Al Badayer desert. Ahmed Al Qaseer, Chief Operating Officer, Shurooq said, “For the 12th consecutive year, Shurooq participates at ITB Berlin as part of its mission and vision to showcase Sharjah’s biggest achievements in the travel and tourism sectors on leading global platforms. We are returning this year with new and exciting announcements and memorable visitor experiences to reflect the growth in our corporate profile. We will be at the SCTDA pavilion in Hall 2.2, and occupy Stand 102, where we look forward to connecting with existing and new international partners. The level of tourism investment that Sharjah is attracting continues to grow at a phenomenal rate, and this will be an ideal opportunity for us to share our news with all those involved in the hospitality industry as well as fellow developers and foreign investors.”

Expo 2020 and its legacy, District 2020, are expected to have a long-term influence on the growth of inbound arrivals to the UAE from the country’s top five source markets between 2018 and 2023, according to data published ahead of Arabian Travel Market, set to take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28-May 1, 2019. Looking at the country’s top three source markets, the number of Indian visitors travelling to the UAE will increase at a CAGR of 7 per cent to 3.01 million in 2023, while arrivals from Saudi Arabia and the UK will witness an increase of 2 per cent and 1 per cent to 1.76 million and 1.28 million respectively over the same period. While the UAE’s top source market rankings are expected to remain mostly unchanged post-Expo 2020 – the latest research from Colliers International, in partnership with ATM, reveals the Russian and Chinese source markets will show above average annual growth rates for inbound passenger arrivals. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director—ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12 per cent to 1.6 million in 2023, while the number of Chinese tourists visiting the UAE will increase at a CAGR of 8 per cent to 1.27 million over the same period, according to the data. Taking a look at the other key drivers, besides Expo 2020, Russian visitors to the UAE have grown in recent years, due to the introduction of additional and direct airline routes. According to some analysts, China’s middle-class will swell to 338 million households by 2020, a 13 per cent increase in just five years. Therefore, the growth …

The Higher Organising Committee of IWAS World Games Sharjah 2019 confirmed that 1,462 participants from 50 countries are set to compete in the world’s largest wheelchair and amputee sports championship in Sharjah from February 10-16. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member Ruler of Sharjah, the IWAS World Games has returned to the emirate for the second time after its successful debut in the city in 2011. The eighth edition of the world championship brings together seven games including archery, athletics, badminton, swimming, shooting, table tennis and wheelchair fencing. New details of the upcoming biennial sports championship were revealed at a press conference held recently at Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa. Global athletes landing in Sharjah over the next few days are set to represent 50 competing nations confirmed by the Higher Organising Committee which include the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Algeria, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, India, Sweden, Ukraine, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Kenya, Russia, China, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Poland, Pakistan, Norway, Kenya, Latvia, Macau, Azerbaijan, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Serbia, France, Georgia, the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Greece, Czech Republic, Austria, Belarus and Comoros.

Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, has announced the launch of Arabian Travel Week – an umbrella brand comprising four co-located shows – ATM 2019; CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa; ILTM Arabia and ATM Holiday Shopper. ATM is set to be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 27–May 1, 2019. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director–ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “The success of both ATM and ILTM Arabia has provided us with the platform to not only introduce two new events for 2019 but also create a travel week which encompasses the Middle East’s inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism and luxury travel as well as providing a dedicated networking forum for the region’s top airline specialists, aviation authorities, tourism boards, airports and tour operators.” ATM, the annual global event for the Middle East inbound and outbound travel industry, will showcase over 2,800 products and destinations from around the world to over 28,000 buyers and travel trade visitors. This year’s show will place a spotlight on cutting-edge technology and innovation, integrating the theme across all show verticals, planned activities and seminars. Set to be held on April 30 and May 1, CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa will bring together airports, airlines and aviation suppliers in a format that offers formal one-to-one pre-arranged meetings, engaging industry seminars as well as social opportunities to cement relationships with existing clients and engage with new ones. Also new for 2019, ATM Holiday Shopper to be held on April 27, will showcase over 30 travel and hospitality exhibitors from regional and international destinations who will be offering the very best travel and tourism discounts and deals exclusively …

Dubai South Properties has revealed that preparations are well on track to effectively meet the constantly evolving property and community needs of discerning investors and end-users, who seek to explore the attractive propositions offered in Dubai South. Recognised as the UAE’s flagship urban development, Dubai South builds on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, UAE and Ruler, Dubai and is designed to support the diverse needs of a multitude of businesses, industries, investments current and future residents. Real Estate projects that are currently being developed within Dubai South Residential City including the Pulse – a successful “freehold”, mixed-use community which is set for handover mid 2019 onwards. Featuring townhouses, apartments, shopping destinations and urban design landscape, the Pulse offers a unique lifestyle and is catered to mid-market audience. Mohammed Al Awadhi, CEO, Dubai South Properties, said, “The Emirate of Dubai has always been the number one hub for investors, individuals and families from all over the world, who seek a better life, socially and economically. Besides, Dubai is seen as the number one holiday destination by millions of visitors and tourists. Dubai South aims to be a major contributor to Dubai’s growth and the achievement of its vision by presenting this state-of-the-art development. By creating the most desirable environment for the society, our mission is to deliver a better lifestyle in every sense. We are drawing inspiration from the insights we gained from our experiences in Dubai and worldwide and taking it to the next level, in terms of education, medical care, and offering truly convenient communities, to contribute to the vision of happy cities.” New developments under the hospitality …