Category Archives: Govt

His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, delivered the keynote speech to open the inaugural World Travel & Tourism Council Middle East & North Africa Leaders Forum 2019, held in partnership with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority at Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre. Sheikh Saud confirmed in his speech at the event, which attracted hundreds of C-level tourism and travel industry delegates from around the region and the world, that Ras Al Khaimah has had a unique journey, from communities of pearl fishermen, traders and mountain tribes to the prosperous, growing Emirate we see today. Sheikh Saud said, “To create sustainable development here in Ras Al Khaimah, we have been busy trying to build one of the most diverse economies in the region. Currently, no single sector of our economy makes up more than 30% of GDP. And in terms of tourism, we’ve witnessed huge growth – tripling our visitor numbers from under 400,000 to over 1 million in just seven years.”  The one-day World Travel & Tourism Council Middle East & North Africa Leaders Forum 2019 brought together a select group of CEOs and regional travel and tourism leaders, along with Tourism Ministers and regional experts. Speakers included Raha Moharrak, the first Saudi woman and youngest Arab to summit Mount Everest; Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports; Raki Phillips, the CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority; Shaun Vorster, the Vice President of Expo 2020 Dubai; Princess Hayfa bint Abdullah Al Saud; and Gloria Guevara, the President & CEO of WTTC and former Tourism Minister of Mexico.

For the first time Azerbaijan tourism board will be partnering with the most coveted Arabian Travel Awards as its maiden destination partner on Ocober 22, 2019, at the Westin Mina Seyahi Hotel in Dubai. “We are delighted to be part of the Arabian Travel Awards 2019 and to be recognised by the travel trade across the region. We hope our collaboration with TravTalk will continue to drive awareness of our beautiful destination to travel agents across the Middle East. Azerbaijan has been delighted to witness a huge growth in the number of tourists from this region in recent years and really looks forward to welcoming many more in the future,” said Ms. Sevinj Zeynalli, Director of International Market Management. Arabian Travel Awards is a platform for the Middle East market to appreciate the efforts of those travel specialists owing to whom the travel and hospitality industry is booming. The aim is to encourage them to continue promoting tourism in the region. The awards are fair and unbiased, following a systematic method of internet-based voting. These awards are supported by media partners Travel TV.News, TravTalk Middle East and TravTalk India. The awards will be divided into four categories — Personal Awards, Business Awards, Trending Awards and Partner Awards. They will include awards for the Best Business Hotel, Best Family Friendly Hotel, Best City Hotel, Best Green Hotel, Best Leisure Hotel, Best Destination Management Company, Best Hotel Apartments, Best B2B Travel Portal and Best Luxury Hotel, to name a few.

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 …

A tourism delegation led by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) visited three major cities in China to help boost awareness about the emirate as a holiday destination for Chinese travellers. The delegation, which included Etihad Airways, hotels, attractions and tour operators, visited Chengdu on September 16, followed by Shenzhen on September 18 and finally Beijing on September 20, for the annual roadshow. China has become one of the largest international source markets for Abu Dhabi hotel guests, with the emirate welcoming 401,316 Chinese hotel guests in 2018.  June 2019 figures reveal a 21.8 per cent increase, year-to-date, in visitors from China compared to 2018, with the first six months of 2019 having already seen 209,000 Chinese visit the emirate. The Department is targeting 600,000 Chinese hotel guests a year by 2021. Several tourist attractions and hotels across the emirate have already received the China Tourism Academy’s Welcome Chinese Certification, awarded to destinations offering high quality services to Chinese visitors, including Mandarin-speaking staff, while recent legislation now allows Chinese visitors to receive a visa-on-arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport making the process of staying in Abu Dhabi even easier. Many leading destinations and hotels across Abu Dhabi also now accept China Union Pay bank cards, making it easier for Chinese tourists to stay and travel. Saeed Rashed Al Saeed, Destination Marketing Department at DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “This year, we educated local agents as to how the emirate caters to different styles of tourism; for example, both Free Independent Travel and Group Inclusive Tours are rapidly growing in popularity in China. We look forward to further promoting Abu Dhabi’s unique offerings and cultural experiences, …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has announced a partnership with Turner Asia Pacific, a WarnerMedia company, to launch a new digital campaign starring the popular Chinese emoticon ‘Tuzki’, as part of efforts to further increase tourist traffic to the emirate from China. Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, “Through Tuzki, we aim to capture the imagination of Chinese netizens to participate in the campaign via social and digital touchpoints, further highlighting our ongoing efforts to work with relevant industry partners to deliver initiatives that will highlight Dubai as a ‘must-visit’ destination.”  In a clear indication of China’s rising prominence as one of Dubai’s fastest growing source markets, the first seven months of 2019 saw over 575,000 visitors arriving from China – a 12 per cent growth compared to the same period in 2018. Notable successes this year include the launch of the Dubai Mini Assistant, an enhancement of the city-experience Mini Program, one of the applications of the WeChat ecosystem, featuring 10 new mobile-based digital audio tours to highlight in-city accessibility, local historic sites and cultural landmarks for Chinese netizens. The Dubai College of Tourism also launched the Chinese Traveller Standards for tourist-facing staff across city touchpoints to enable them to deliver personalised, exceptional Dubai experiences to every Chinese guest. Chinese netizens will also be inspired to book a Dubai holiday during the National Day Golden Week from October 1-7, 2019.  “This digital rabbit is the perfect ambassador for Chinese tourists to Dubai and will show them that this remarkable place has a unique personality and welcomes them with a sense of fun,” said Clement Schwebig, Managing Director of China …

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the fourth edition of the International Photography Festival, XPOSURE 2019, on September 19. Opening addresses by Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council (SMC); and three of this edition’s international guests, Aidan Sullivan, Ami Vitale and Ray Wells, discussed several questions about the crucial role of photography in ‘xposing’ stories that must be told, and the need for events like XPOSURE to continue to bring the global photography community together on one platform to discuss their challenges and opportunities. The UAE’s cultural capital has dedicated itself to the exciting world of photography this entire weekend. Organised by Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), the four-day event has tastefully curated 1,112 works by 357 photographers from all seven continentrs under four distinct themes, ‘Xpose Adventure’, Xpose Emotions’, ‘Xpose Art’ and ‘Xpose Life’. It runs at Expo Centre Sharjah until September 22, and offers amateurs, professionals and hobbyists in the UAE to hear from 53 leading names in the industry, who have flown into Sharjah with their finest works and awe-inspiring experiences. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi said, “At XPOSURE, we carry the messages of humanity and goodness in our hands.” In his keynote address at the inaugural ceremony, the Sharjah Media Council Chairman reiterated the need for responsible and ethical photography practices. “Pictures are the most powerful medium in media today. In our digital era, a picture’s impact is stronger and more far-reaching than we can imagine. People require strong proof to believe in something, and pictures do that. This means, what we shoot and share with the world must …

As part of its efforts to achieve the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, which aims to attract more than 10 million tourists to the emirate by the year 2021, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced that it will organise roadshows in three Chinese cities — Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. The campaign, which is set to run from September 16-20, is aimed at stimulating the Chinese outbound travel market to Sharjah by encouraging them to take advantage of the UAE’s visa-on-arrival policy for Chinese tourists. The growing number of Chinese tourists to Sharjah who come to explore the emirate’s cultural and heritage identity has made it one of the most important markets for SCTDA. Therefore, the roadshow will add immense value to the Authority’s efforts to attract more Chinese travellers to the emirate, by creating awareness on its product offerings and other special packages. In line with this, the roadshows in Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai will see SCTDA highlight the emirate’s ambitious development projects in cooperation with the public and private sectors before Chinese audiences. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, said, “The number of visitors from China during the second quarter of this year has reached to 13,289, which reflects the consistently increasing interest of Chinese tourists to visit Sharjah, and it is expected this figure will go even higher by the end of this year. In view of this growth, SCTDA’s upcoming roadshows in three Chinese cities will strengthen communication channels with travel, tourism and hospitality industry leaders, and will promote exchange of best practices, successful experiences, and insights on latest trends to effectively support the growth of the tourism industry.”

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority announced that the 14th edition of the hugely popular Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon will return to Al Marjan Island on February 21, 2020. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Arabian Gulf, the stunning Al Marjan Island will host the action-packed sporting event where participants will be treated to pristine views of white sandy beaches and the shimmering ocean along the running route. The popular half marathon will host a variety of race categories, including elite runners, club and recreational runners, people of determination and juniors. Additionally, Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is introducing a new relay race category for the first time; allowing two participants to take turns in completing the distance in a timed format. Families can also enjoy this event with a 1 KM Fun Run designed for children, allowing one parent to accompany the child at no extra cost. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon has remained a crowd favourite for more than a decade, with an astounding number of returning participants demonstrating the event’s stature and coveted success.” Abdullah Al Abdooli, CEO of Marjan said, “We are delighted to support Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, a world-class event that welcomes participants from across the globe, and further cements the reputation of Ras Al Khaimah as one of the region’s premier sporting, lifestyle, tourist and residential destinations.” Enrico Fili’, CEO of RCS Sports and Events said, “We are proud to support Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority for the first time and committed to delivering an unforgettable experience to the running community.”