Category Archives: Technology

Expo City Dubai is pioneering advancements in new technologies and elevating its position as an Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation hub with the launch of the region’s first Artificial Intelligence Film Festival (AIFF), which will explore the potential of AI technology to enhance creative storytelling and advance the filmmaking landscape. The hybrid AIFF, hosted by Expo City Dubai with a dedicated website to enable virtual visitors to explore the festival remotely, will be the region’s premier event to celebrate and propel the convergence of cinema and AI, underlining the symbiotic relationship between human creativity and technology. It establishes Expo City Dubai as the epicentre of AI innovation, a future-focused community and a global platform for collaboration on big ideas. AIFF will span almost six months of dynamic experiences, including a global competition, innovative film screenings, engaging panel discussions featuring renowned AI experts and filmmakers, and hands-on workshops offering insights into AI integration in film production – all showcasing how AI can be used to enhance the filmmaking process. The competition opens today, with professional and amateur film creators from around the world invited to submit a short film that includes AI-generated content. The winning entries will be showcased at an awards ceremony on 29 February 2024. Marjan Faraidooni, Chief of Education and Culture, Expo City Dubai, said: “As a driver of innovation and a hub for AI exploration and development, Expo City Dubai is proud to unveil the Artificial Intelligence Film Festival – a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to put humanity at the centre of technological innovation. “The first in a long line of initiatives, AIFF will explore the relationship between creativity and technology, between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence. …

RezLive.com announced the launch of its new and enhanced version, designed to provide travel agents with a more refreshing and convenient platform for their business needs. The upgraded features and user-friendly interface aim to streamline the booking process, empower travel agents, and elevate the overall booking experience. RezLive.com has always been committed to delivering exceptional travel solutions, and the new version is a testament to the company’s dedication to continuous improvement. The latest upgrades leverage cutting-edge technology to revolutionize the travel industry’s B2B segment, ensuring travel agents have access to the most advanced tools and a seamless user experience. One of the key enhancements of the new B2B version is its refreshing and intuitive interface. The platform has undergone a complete redesign, featuring a modern and sleek look that captivates users from the moment they log in. The clean and user-friendly layout allows travel agents to navigate effortlessly and access a comprehensive range of travel services and products. Furthermore, RezLive.com’s new version offers a highly convenient booking process that saves time and simplifies operations for travel agents. With the introduction of a simplified search and booking system, agents can quickly find the best deals tailored to their clients’ needs. The upgraded interface is optimized for speed and responsiveness, ensuring efficient browsing and enabling agents to complete bookings with ease. “We are excited to launch the new version of RezLive.com, which signifies a major milestone for our company,” said Jaal Shah, Group Managing Director at RezLive.com. “Our goal is to empower travel agents with a refreshing and convenient platform that enables them to provide seamless travel experiences for their clients. With the new version, we are confident that travel agents will …

TBO.COM announced a strategic partnership with WebEngage for a comprehensive digital transformation. TBO will harness WebEngage’s cutting-edge automation and AI-ML tools, journey designers, and personalization engines to empower travel agents to serve their customers effectively. TBO is known for its pathbreaking “B2A” strategy in the tourism industry. Acronym for “Business to Agents”, the first-of-its-kind strategy in the region is aimed at empowering agents to maximize earnings by meaningfully catering to travellers seeking customized, hassle-free, and convenience-oriented tourism services. Such innovative B2B strategies, coupled with round-the-clock agent support and acceptance of over 55 currencies, have enabled TBO to expand its purview to over a million hotels and 120 countries globally. “Travel distribution platforms such as ours are ripe for technological adoption aimed at higher conversions and insights-led engagement. A marketing-automation innovator of WebEngage’s calibre as a solutions provider complements the scale of our operations and aspirations. The partnership will enable us to deliver personalized services to our agents and partners and, through them, a multitude of travellers across the globe,” expressed Gaurav Bhatnagar, Co-Founder & Managing Director, TBO.COM Reiterating the need for marketing automation in tourism distribution, Avlesh Singh, Co-Founder & CEO, WebEngage, said that business-facing companies must engage like they are directly dealing with customers. “The next phase of B2B growth will hinge on superior customer experiences. Therefore, in tourism distribution, a unified view of agents, dynamic segmentation, and the ability to automate and orchestrate cross-channel communications at scale will constitute a competitive edge. Our partnership with TBO is built on that objective.” WebEngage’s full-stack Retention Operating System has delivered measurable results for companies across sectors. As a testament to its success, WebEngage has built a portfolio of over 800 …

Almosafer has partnered with MoEngage, a marketing automation and customer engagement platform, to drive meaningful engagement with its travellers using an insights-led strategy. Almosafer’s consumer travel platform offers travelers seamless experiences for domestic and international travel bookings through its omnichannel offerings. Currently catering to KSA and other GCC audiences, the brand will leverage MoEngage’s platform to create personalized messaging, ensuring continuous customer engagement at the right place and time. “We understand the importance of trust when it comes to booking travel services. Our customers can rely on us to deliver on our promises, ensuring they receive the services they booked with confidence and peace of mind. Additionally, we also realize the research that goes behind booking a service, and we intend to provide assistance there as well with the help of MoEngage”, said Pallav Singhvi, VP Consumer Travel – Almosafer. Apart from meaningful customer engagement, Almosafer will leverage MoEngage’s capabilities, such as advanced segmentation, automation, and personalization capabilities. This will enable the brand to craft highly relevant and impactful campaigns whilst delivering the right messages to the right customers, maximizing the effectiveness of engagement efforts. Almosafer joins the growing list of 1200+ global companies across 35 countries, such as Azadea Group, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Landmark Group, Apparel Group, Airtel, Ola, Oyo, and Mashreq, that trust MoEngage to deliver a consistent experience across multiple devices and touchpoints. “We are excited to join hands with a leading brand that focuses on engagement across the customer journey lifecycle. Establishing a sound customer customer engagement strategy can lead to a long-term relationship and MoEngage will be more than happy to assist Almosafer in doing so”, said Sweta Duseja, Director of Customer Success, META …

Sabre Corporation announced a new distribution agreement with Nile Air under this multi-year distribution agreement, Nile Air will be promoting its content to hundreds of thousands of travel agents on Sabre’s marketplace starting this month. “We’re excited to reintroduce Nile Air to Sabre’s system, providing technological solutions that enhance their operations and passenger experience,” said Alessandro Ciancimino, Vice President Airline Distribution for Sabre in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “This collaboration reflects Sabre’s commitment to supporting airlines in innovative ways to achieve their retailing goals. We strive for a sustainable distribution model benefiting all stakeholders in the travel chain, offering extensive content and seamless integration.” Sabre’s technology will help enable Nile Air to optimize its distribution strategy, offering passengers more choice and convenience when booking flights. This agreement will further streamline Nile Air’s operations, helping to ensure a smooth and efficient workflow. “Partnering with Sabre aligns perfectly with our retailing vision, enabling customers to access our content from anywhere and offering Sabre’s global agencies continued access to Nile Air content,” stated Mohamed El Sherif, Chief Commercial Officer of Nile Air. “Through this collaboration, we aim to provide our passengers with a seamless and personalized journey, from booking to post-travel feedback, enhancing passenger satisfaction and elevating our operational efficiency.” As part of the agreement, Nile Air will utilize Sabre’s expertise to help ensure that their passengers receive the highest standard of service and experience. This collaboration marks an important step for both Sabre and Nile Air in enhancing the travel industry’s overall quality and efficiency.

Sabre Corporation announced the availability of Lodging AI, marking the introduction of its Sabre Travel AI™ capabilities in the lodging sector and enhancing the power of Content Services for Lodging. Lodging AI can help travel agencies improve hotel attachment rates, creating additional revenue opportunities and providing travelers with more personalized lodging options. Using Sabre Travel AI™ machine learning models, the new lodging capability analyzes property attributes, customer trip segmentation, and traveler and agency preferences to generate custom lodging options and serve up properties that are most likely to be booked. “Artificial intelligence combined with data and insights, such as profiles and preferences, is a very powerful tool in removing friction from the travel booking process,” said Sabre Chief Product Officer Garry Wiseman. “As the next evolution of intelligent retailing capabilities supported through our strategic partnership with Google, Lodging AI brings more personalized results to enable agents to be more efficient in their workflows and to ensure travelers obtain the most relevant options available.”

Travel metasearch website WayAway has recently introduced a new category on its maps and listings called ‘female traveller approved points of interest’. According to research by WayAway shows 87% of female travellers would give preference to a ‘female-led’ hotel and almost half would pay more. Over 100 listings are included for launch with target of low thousands for year end – with over 200 on-the-ground representatives around the world looking out for more already. These points of interest could include the fact that the owners, founders, or senior management of a hotel or restaurant or shop are females – or simply that the point of interest has a female focus, for example a museum or monument celebrating women. Over 100 points of interest were included for the recent launch and WayAway aims to increase this into the low thousands by the close of the year.

Sojern and Profitroom announced a new collaboration. In today’s era, where hotels closely monitor their budgets, the collaboration aims to equip hotels worldwide with a powerful combination of advanced booking technology and data-driven marketing solutions. This will enable hoteliers to effortlessly reach travellers searching for a place to stay and drive direct bookings on their website, ultimately leading to increased revenue. “With travellers increasingly relying on multiple digital channels to discover, plan and book their trips, the hospitality industry is undergoing a profound shift,” said Josh Beckwith, Managing Director, Global Strategic Accounts and Partnerships, Sojern. “This collaboration between Sojern and Profitroom is perfectly timed to address the evolving needs of hoteliers of all sizes, helping them navigate the complex landscape of digital marketing and guest acquisition, and ultimately drive measurable results while boosting profitability. In an exciting year for Sojern, we are thrilled to partner with Profitroom to empower hotels with the tools and insights they need to succeed in today’s competitive market.” As a leading provider of hospitality technology solutions, Profitroom boasts one of the highest-converting booking engines on the market, complemented by powerful marketing automation tools, an advanced channel manager, and a website builder. By integrating these offerings with Sojern’s digital marketing capabilities, hoteliers can optimise their online presence, attract high-value guests, and streamline operations. Furthermore, Sojern recently introduced its suite of Guest Experience Solutions through the acquisition of VenueLytics. Sojern’s enhanced Travel Marketing Platform now enables hotels to engage with guests throughout their entire journey. “We are excited to join forces with Sojern and help hoteliers accelerate growth while increasing direct online revenue,” said Samantha Williams, Commercial Director, Profitroom. “By leveraging each other’s strengths, we will equip …

Amadeus signed an agreement with Travel International – Terminals Group, Abu Dhabi. The strategic collaboration between Amadeus and Travel International – Terminals Group is designed to enhance customer service and bolster the company’s online presence, as well as creating efficiencies behind the scenes. A cornerstone of this collaboration is the adoption of Amadeus Online Suite, an innovative omni-channel e-commerce solution that will expand Travel International’s online presence and deliver a wealth of high-quality tailored content to its customers. The new partnership includes the deployment of automation tools such as Amadeus Robotics solutions Auto-Ticketing and Quality Control which automate the ticket issuance activities and streamline PNR quality processes essentially freeing up agents’ time from manual tasks while improving the overall business efficiency. Additionally, Amadeus All Fares with NDC-sourced content will empower Travel International’s agents to find the best airfare deals for customers by comparing multiple content sources. The wide-ranging agreement also includes Amadeus B2B Wallet, a cutting-edge payment solution that ensures secure, seamless transactions. “We are thrilled to join forces with Amadeus,” said Ali Bin Jarais, CEO of Travel International – Terminals Group. “This partnership will allow us to leverage state-of-the-art solutions that enhance our customer service and streamline our operations. We are confident that the Amadeus technology we have selected will provide numerous efficiency gains and enable our team to elevate the overall travel experience for our customers.” “We are excited to collaborate with Travel International – Terminals Group and support their ambitious vision for the future,” commented Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director of Amadeus Gulf. “Our award-winning technology will empower this well-respected travel company to deliver best-in-class customer service, reduce costs and inefficiencies through optimized operations, and facilitate business …

Travelport confirmed the integration with Deem and Travelport+. The announcement comes just months after Travelport publicized the game-changing acquisition, a move intended to fulfill a growing need for a tight, fully-integrated tool that provides access and end-to-end servicing of all multi-source content, including NDC. “Business travelers want, and deserve, the same modern retailing experience as leisure travelers,” said John Elieson, COO and Deputy CEO of Travelport. “When Travelport announced the acquisition of Deem in March, it was with the intention of providing the corporate travel world with award-winning, complementary tools that are as revolutionary, modern, and easy-to-use as Travelport+. We’ve not only delivered on that promise, but are proud to confirm the integration of the Deem and Travelport+ platforms.” Together, Deem and Travelport are modernizing the corporate travel experience. Travel management companies (TMCs), corporations and their travelers that utilize Deem and Travelport+ will be able to access a wide range of rich and relevant content, all in one place, enhanced by the Content Curation Layer (CCL). This Travelport+ feature uses powerful artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) capabilities to provide agents and travelers a more modern retailing experience with faster search responses, more pertinent results, and greater accuracy. When seamlessly integrated with Deem’s award-winning, modern user interface, this will allow travelers to stay within their corporate policies while ensuring bookings (including NDC) are fully serviceable. In the 150 days since the acquisition, Deem has continued to thrive, with notable moments such as: Being named a Champion in Software Reviews 2023 Travel Management Emotional Footprint Awards Expanding to support global customers in more than 60 countries Achieving a net score of 9.5 in a customer satisfaction survey, a nearly two-point lead …