Category Archives: Technology

Sabre Corporation has successfully integrated IATA New Distribution Capability (NDC) content from Qatar Airways (QR) to its global distribution system (GDS). After a pilot phase with agency customers in Australia and Sweden, the offers of Qatar’s flag carrier will now be rolled out successively to travel agencies across the globe starting on July 7, 2022. Travel agencies will be able to shop, book, and manage NDC offers from Qatar Airways. Access to Qatar’s content will be available through Sabre Red 360, Sabre’s agency point-of-sale tool, as well as its NDC-enabled Offer and Order Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). “We’ve been actively engaged in Sabre’s Beyond NDC program for several years and we’re proud to be the first carrier based in EMEA to make our products and offers available to the global travel agency community through Sabre’s marketplace,” said Matt Raos, Senior Vice President Global Sales at Qatar Airways. “With NDC as a part of our strategy to evolve our offering and enhance ancillary sales, we believe effective distribution in the indirect channel will become more important in the future.” With Qatar Airways’ extensive network of destinations, access to the carrier’s unique NDC content is expected to be relevant to travel buyers across the globe in the post-COVID-19 recovery period and beyond. “As the corporate travel sector continues to recover, customers are looking for enhanced shopping experiences and improved content in their marketplace,” said John Bukowski, Vice President of Distribution, Content and Sourcing at American Express Global Business Travel. “Our objective is to ensure that our customers and travelers have access to the broadest content and an unrivaled travel experience. We are excited about collaborating with Qatar Airways and Sabre to continue …

Hudini, and Incode Technologies announced their strategic partnership to transform hospitality guest experiences. The partnership with Incode will enable Hudini cus-tomers to deploy identity verification during the check-in and check-out processes through enhanced digital bio-metric technology. This association will automate these processes making it quick, seamless and at the conven-ience of the guest. The hospitality industry relies on its ability to connect people and the places they visit to create memora-ble experiences for its guests. In its revitalization post-pandemic, the industry is realizing the impact that technology can have on a guest’s stay, and the potential it holds to increase customer loyalty and create additional revenue. In fact, a recent study found that 76% of hotel executives are looking to introduce “a fully contactless experience” by 2025. Prince Thampi, Founder and CEO at Hudini said: “Hotel guests crave seamless experiences when they travel. Long check-in processes and complex payment procedures can ruin a guest’s stay. As a leader in biometric identity verification, Incode’s solution removes these challenges and helps to maximise the dig-ital guest experience, without compromising on security or privacy. Through our partnership with Incode, we are excited to offer fully automated identity verification to our check-in and check-out features across our partner hotels.” Both organizations have realized the potential identity verification holds across the hospitality industry and share the ambition for its widespread adoption during hotel check-in and check-out. To further that vision, the partnership will include the following experiences: Transparent guest identification: In a matter of seconds, even before arrival, the industry’s only fully automated identity verification engine validates the identity of a guest. This allows guests to identify themselves at their convenience, triggering Hudini’s systems to …

Sabre Corporation announced the renewal of an exclusive and a long-term agreement with El Ajouz Travel, the leading travel company in Lebanon to power the agency’s growth and recovery. The extended agreement reaffirms two decades of collaboration and was marked by a signing ceremony that was attended by executives and team members from both companies. Under this agreement, El Ajouz Travel will continue to access Sabre’s portfolio of innovative technology, including its industry-leading Sabre Red 360 platform. Furthermore, El Ajouz Travel will deploy Sabre’s Automation Hub- a series of automated processes to minimize human error, increase efficiency, and amplify customer satisfaction. ‘With its industry-leading shopping and merchandising technology, coupled with the expertise of its dedicated team, we are confident that Sabre is the right partner during this pivotal time,” said Hasan El Ajouz, Chairman, El Ajouz Travel. “We are working with them to deploy latest intelligent and innovative solutions to support our long-term goals, differentiate our travel offerings, improve operational efficiencies and boost revenue.” EL Ajouz Travel has showed resilience and steady growth and been recovering on higher rates than the Lebanese market. Its ambitious plans include continue providing exceptional travel services in Lebanon and expand its reach to regional markets. “We are thrilled to continue working with EL Ajouz Travel to achieve their growth goals as the industry continues to recover,” said Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, vice president, Sabre Travel Network Middle East. “We are committed to partnering with them and our agency community in creative ways to deliver smart and intelligent technology that meet their customers’ needs and address the challenges of today’s environment.” Sabre’s travel marketplace plays an important role in facilitating the marketing and sale of airfares, hotel …

The Museum of the Future and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) have announced a new partnership to showcase future mobility solutions, from personal jet packs to self-driving cars. They signed a strategic partnership to exhibit some of the world’s most exciting, advanced mobility solutions at the ‘Tomorrow, Today’ exhibition, an ever-evolving showcase of innovations at the Museum of the Future. Visitors will have the chance to see personal jetpacks, medical drones, food delivery robots, electric bikes, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and more. Highlights include autonomous vehicle prototypes that use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and geospatial data. The exhibition will also display new ideas for green, sustainable, and environmentally friendly mass transport services being presented worldwide and research and development centres around the world. His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, (RTA), Commissioner-General for the Infrastructure, Urban Planning and Wellbeing Pillar in Dubai, said: “The rapid technological and industrial changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, especially in the field of autonomous transportation, will reshape the future of mobility, provide new means of transportation, and develop current means of transportation in line with future trends. The demand for mass passenger transport and shared mobility is expected to increase.” He added: “Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, the Roads and Transport Authority …

Wego and German National Tourist Office for the GCC sign new partnership to inspire travellers to visit the country post COVID-19. The German.Local.Culture. campaign promotes Germany focusing on four themes: ‘Flair, Craft, Taste and Green’. The campaign will be marketed to Wego’s wide user base to bring more travellers from the MENA region. Wego’s data shows that Germany is in the top 10 destinations for MENA travellers looking to travel to Europe in 2022. The campaign will be launched digitally through social media networks for a broader reach to establish an authentic image of Germany as a sustainable travel destination. The country attracts tourists for its historic architecture, picturesque Old Towns, urban city vitality, impressive industrial monuments, castles and palaces and unspoiled nature. The ‘Flair’ theme showcases the architectural styles of the German cities and places of cultural interest to the tourists. The theme highlights the regional roots of small towns with fascinating historical stories. GNTB, through the campaign, aims to reignite the love of architecture among foreign tourists. Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India of Wego, said: “Following the successful campaigns, we’re partnering with the German National Tourist Board for the third year running. We are looking forward to inviting even more travellers to this preferred European destination through this campaign.” The campaign also focuses on enjoyable travel experiences even under covid-19 circumstances. These experiences include Germany’s classical and world-famous opera houses attracting about one-third of worldwide operatic performances. The famous opera houses have historic concert halls, ornate stucco, and plush furniture. Yamina Sofo, director of sales and marketing at the German National Tourist Office (GNTO GCC), said: “The GCC …

Al-Hashar Tourism and Travels LLC selected  Amadeus technology to offer its customers a range of new technology-driven solutions. The multi-year partnership with Amadeus will deliver increased productivity, optimized customer service, and time-saving reporting solutions. Muslim Mahmood Mohammad Ahmed, General Manager of Al-Hashar Travel, said: “Our customers deserve and expect outstanding services from Al-Hashar. This new partnership with Amadeus will propel the company firmly into a brighter, technologically advanced future of enhanced productivity and customer service, ensuring we remain the leading travel provider in the Sultanate, while improving our efficiency and profitability.” Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf, adds: “Today, the overall travel dynamic has evolved due to the pandemic. We must adapt to the emerging needs of the travel industry as we seek to renew travel and build it back better than it was before. Sitting at the heart of the travel ecosystem, Amadeus is committed to supporting forward-thinking customers such as Al-Hashar Travel to reconnect with travelers and bring back the joy of travel. By working together, we can get the world traveling again.” “Al Hashar’s trust in Amadeus is another milestone in our growth and further evidence of our strong commitment towards all the travel agencies in the sultanate,” he added. The solutions being adopted by the Muscat-headquartered firm include the cloud-based Amadeus Selling Platform Connect, a powerful and customizable online booking and fulfillment platform designed to meet Al-Hashar’s specific needs. Implementing Selling Platform Connect enables Al-Hashar’s travel counselors to service travelers around the clock, via any web-connected device. Additionally, Amadeus Master Pricer, a powerful search tool, will assist Al-Hashar staff in sourcing the lowest fares online, while Amadeus Dynamic Travel Documents conveniently collates a traveler’s complete …

Sabre Corporation  and Wingie Enuygun Group announced a renewal of their multiyear GDS agreement to help drive international growth. Wingie Enuygun has been working with Sabre for more than seven years, delivering on its vision to help today’s traveler to save time and money. Under the renewal agreement, Wingie Enuygun will be using Sabre Red 360 to deliver highly personalized offers for its customers, by deploying intelligent and consultative services and features on the wingie.com, wingie.ae, sa.wingie.com and enuygun.com domains. “We are excited to extend our longstanding relationship with Wingie Enuygun,” said Altug Bekdemir, General Manager, Sabre Turkey. “The online sector is at the forefront of travel’s recovery, so there is a huge opportunity for Wingie Enuygun to position itself for growth.  Wingie Enuygun’s decision to extend its partnership with Sabre will enable the company to tap into increased traveler demand through this time of ‘ revenge travel’ and beyond.” MENA’s leading travel marketplace Wingie Enuygun will use Sabre’s marketplace of more than 400 airlines, 750,000 hotel properties, and hundreds of tour operators, rail, car rental and cruise providers, to sell customized travel packages from suppliers around the world. “We have a great relationship with Sabre, based on many years of mutual trust. By renewing our contract with Sabre and updating our performance through Sabre’s advanced technologies, we aim to provide the seamless, quality service that our millions of users seek, thereby improving their travel experience,” said Wingie Enuygun CEO and founder, Çağlar Erol.

Amadeus is partnering with ATS Travel to launch its sustainable drive under the brand ‘ATS Go Green’ in collaboration with Olive Gaea, a Dubai-based start-up providing Net Zero solutions across the MENATI region. Amadeus is committed to working towards environmental sustainability, encouraging industry-wide progress to help achieve its net zero targets and securing long-term growth and prosperity for the travel industry. The company has set a target of zero emissions by 2050, with the ambition to achieve this by 2030. The ‘ATS Go Green’ initiative reiterates the commitment by all parties to reach their environmental sustainability goals and be the front runners in the travel industry providing tailor-made reports on Co2 emissions for corporates. Saleem Sharif, Deputy Managing Director at ATS Travel said, “The partnership will allow Amadeus, ATS Travel and Olive Gaea to work closely together and offer clients offsetting opportunities and inspire sustainable living. The collaboration saw all parties pledging to develop a more sustainable future with participants planting mangroves at the local Al Zohra mangrove ecosystem.  Participants were briefed on the sustainability project and taken on a Kayak tour to the mangrove plantation area with reusable water bottles and eco-friendly utilities. We invited our corporate clients and UAE National airlines representatives to join the event and support the cause.” “The increase of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere today is a growing concern within the travel and tourism sector. We aim to be the front runners in the travel sector providing custom carbon footprint reports for Air, Land, and hotels to our travel corporates. Our collaboration will enable us to go beyond just greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reports in the future, and provide cost effective offsetting options,” …

As part of its continued support of hotels in the Middle East, Atomize partners with ExploreTECH to help drive growth and digital transformation in the region. Hotels in the Middle East are leading the global recovery from the pandemic and are boosting their revenues and growing their market share with the help of price automation. Atomize’s solution matches the region’s high demand for lean and easy-to-use revenue management tools that do not require hours of training to use. This is reflected in the company’s recent customer signings. In the last couple of months alone, Atomize has expanded its Middle East footprint with the addition of hotel groups such as JA Resorts & Hotels with its 10 luxury properties representing 1,500 rooms in Dubai, Maldives and Seychelles, Gulf Court Hotel, with the ambition to do a full roll-out across the group’s portfolio and Dubai-based SUHA Hospitality with its four luxury hotel apartment properties in Dubai. As part of Atomize’s increased presence in the region, they have recently partnered with ExploreTECH, the rapidly expanding marketplace platform that presents the knowledge, resources and technology required to fully optimize business performance in the hospitality and travel sector across the Middle East. “The partnership with ExploreTECH is a natural and important step in our continued support of hotels in the region. Not only are Middle East hotels leading the global recovery but they are also embracing price automation to leverage as much as possible from market demand and reach superior results.”, says Alexander Edström, CEO at Atomize. “It is a great pleasure to welcome Atomize to the ExploreTECH family. By providing an innovative revenue management solution for the hospitality industry, Atomize will provide considerable value …

iCoupon, the leading digital vouchering platform in airports worldwide, is continuing to revolutionise the world of digital vouchering with its new service, iCoupon AutoPay. The iCoupon system already organises all airline vouchers by flight, date, airport and creates draft invoices automatically, and now the retailer will no longer have to spend time sending the auto-generated bill to each individual airline and chase for payment. Instead, iCoupon’s billing system, for those who select the service, will automatically submit the invoices directly to iCoupon, which will pay the bills directly to the retailers on payment dates and terms selected by the retailer. Airlines will only have one bill to pay to iCoupon for their consolidated AutoPay retailer bills, yet still have full visibility of every passenger transaction for audit, EU261 and validation purposes. In addition, the entire billing process takes place automatically in the iCoupon billing engine, meaning that retailers and airlines do not need to make any changes manually and everything carries on as normal from their perspective. By automatically generating billing documents at the end of each month, iCoupon AutoPay will eliminate the time retailers and airlines are putting into billing administration. The billing documents will be fully compliant with local legislation of each country, and with VAT compliance such as EU112 directives. After generating the document, iCoupon will automatically pay the retailer on its selected credit terms. Retailers using iCoupon AutoPay can select which package best suits their needs and will be paid depending on that choice. New and existing retailers and airlines will be able to opt-in to the solution and iCoupon will do the rest, with just the flick-of-a-switch. Non-iCoupon AutoPay clients will be able to continue …