Category Archives: Technology

In a few hours, you can join in for the first webinar – ‘Tourism in Spain’ in a tri-series that will kick off at 11am UAE time today. To participate please contact Crisna de Guzman at crisna.deguzman@ddppl.com or call +971505074618, +971554704200. Educate and update yourself about a country with its rich heritage and history that can really add on to your bucket list. Today you can gather knowledge about the destination, the weather, what to do, the most interesting and popular spots etc.

Sharjah Holding PJSC, a strategic partnership between Majid Al Futtaim Properties and Sharjah Asset Management, has announced collaboration between the Al Zahia community and the Ministry of Health and Prevention to deploy autonomous vehicles in the community to support residents amid the coronavirus pandemic. Since its recent launch, the vehicles, known as AI Mobility Service Cars, have been traversing the community offering free sanitising products including face masks, gloves, and hand sanitiser to help preserve the health and safety of residents across Al Zahia. The initiative marks the first time autonomous vehicles have been deployed across a residential community in the UAE in support of resident wellbeing. Homeowners will hear the vehicle’s catchy song and slogan as the car navigates the community on a pre-programmed route. To access products, community members can stop the car simply by waving their hand as though hailing a taxi. The products will then be dispensed free of charge before the car continues on its route. Powered by technology companies Huawei and Neolix, the car incorporates an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) ‘brain’ to travel the neighbourhood safely. In addition to being familiar with the Al Zahia community through HD mapping, the vehicle also intelligently analyses its surroundings using a combination of cameras and sensors to detect people, animals, and other cars within range. A digital screen also features on the vehicle’s front to share messages with the community. Shadi Al Azzeh, Projects Head at Majid Al Futtaim – Al Zahia, said, “From the very beginning we’ve served our residents by being human-centric in everything we do, and the arrival of this autonomous, contact-less vehicle to the streets of Al Zahia is the perfect example of …

Spain tourism will be presenting a series of webinars to be conducted on May 20, June 10 and June 17, 2020. This will be an ideal opportunity to learn about the destination, its most known and unknown areas, what to do when in Spain, discover new itineraries, its weather, its culture; the series includes a whole new awareness of one of the most sought after European destinations in the world. The main goal of these sessions will be to create an inspiring, emphatic and informative content in an interactive environment to communicate with tomorrow’s travellers. Daniel Rosado Bayon – Tourism Counsellor shared, “We will have three separate sessions; in each of them we will go through the basics about the country before discovering with detail different destinations, from most known areas to a whole new part of Spain. In the first one, on May 20, we will go through our two main destinations: Madrid and Barcelona. In the second one, we will immerse in Andalucia and the Islands. The final one on June 17 we will share about some of the lesser known areas of the destination. We invite you to attend these sessions so that you will be well aware of the destination and discover new facts and places in the Country.”

Sojern launched a new interactive dashboard providing real-time COVID-19 travel insights. These insights will empower Sojern’s customers, partners and industry leaders to forecast travel demand and make informed decisions about market recovery. Sojern will be providing free and unlimited access to the public via the their website, a service the firm has only ever provided to customers and partners.The dashboard, updated daily at 10:30 pm UTC, will provide market-level details on future searching and booking trends indexed to pre-COVID levels to provide visibility into timing for a recovery in specific destinations. Amber Kuo, Director of Travel Insights, Sojern, said, “In COVID times, travel marketers are feeling stressed and uncertain about the future. Providing daily updates gives marketers more control because they can see how the situation is evolving, and when is the right time to act.” George Kalliamvakos, Digital Media Manager, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sojern has played an instrumental role in providing insights and data to our organisation that helped us monitor demand and build predictable forecast models and action plans.” “These are extremely challenging times for hotels, the support that Sojern is giving with its big data analysis is priceless. Knowing what the consumer is looking into, helps us shape the investment on sales and marketing activities,” said Rachele Belladelli, Sales & Marketing Consultant for Hotel Rosa Alpina, Tyrol, Albereta, Castel Hortenberg and Paragon 700, Unique Retreats. “Sojern’s analyses of the public’s flight intentions are very interesting because they support us with our revenue forecast during and post-COVID, and therefore for media planning. Never has this been more important, because it has to do with the …

These may be uncertain times for the travel industry, but that hasn’t deterred PIA from making Amadeus its mainstay long-term partner in travel distribution. Middle East: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has reached a landmark agreement in distribution with Amadeus, giving PIA full access to Amadeus’ global travel seller network. Through this new agreement, Amadeus-connected agencies will now be able to book PIA’s full suite of domestic and international inventory through the Amadeus Travel Platform. Given the unprecedented challenge that the travel industry is facing, never before has distribution strategy and reach been more important for an airline. “We’ve undertaken a significant transformation programme at PIA, and now we’ve found the right distribution partner with global reach to drive our future growth. This deal brings us international presence in markets we didn’t have to date, ensuring that more travel agencies across the globe can book and sell our offer,” says Abdullah H. Khan, General Manager, Public Affairs Division, PIA. Speaking on the occasion, Arshad Malik, Chief Executive Officer, PIA, says, “Especially in the current environment, when there is so much uncertainty, a strong partner like Amadeus gives us the technology and distribution capabilities we need to reach our expansion targets. We have made substantial investments to restructure our business the past year, laying the ground to capitalise on our growth potential in both domestic and international markets, and we’re excited about what our partnership with Amadeus will bring.”

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) hosted the first digital ATM Advisory Board meeting with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism and hospitality industry dominating the discussion. The Board will continue to provide guidance on industry themes, challenges, growth opportunities and future strategies in the Middle East travel and tourism sector, however, this will now be set against a backdrop of COVID-19 and how the industry can adapt to the ‘new norm’. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “The Advisory Board is a cross section of industry leaders who provide an insight based on firsthand experience of the trends impacting the tourism industry. Their knowledge ensures ATM continues to act as a voice for the industry by providing support and direction during these difficult times. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the travel and tourism industry, like many others, to a halt, with very little indication of when the recovery will begin. It is therefore imperative we continue to listen and understand where we are as an industry, what the future could potentially look like and what we can do to work together to aid the recovery when it comes. ATM continues to play a crucial role in supporting the industry to achieve this.” The meeting addressed the impact of COVID-19 will have on the international trade show arena through discussions focused on the key learnings from businesses during the pandemic and the resulting changes to the industry. It also provided an insight into the ‘new normal’ for the tourism industry, and the approach to dealing with new social distancing measures, reliance on domestic tourism and the impact of airline restrictions.

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) announced the launch of ATM Virtual, a three-day event that will take place from June 1-3, 2020. The event, which underscores ATM’s commitment to delivering positive business and networking opportunities to the region’s vast travel and tourism community, will focus on emerging trends, opportunities, and the challenges which are directly impacting the tourism industry amid the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “Our debut virtual event provides us with the opportunity to work closely with the ATM community and ensure we can support the travel and tourism industry in rebounding as quickly and efficiently as possible. We will address the impact the global health pandemic has had on the travel and tourism industry and discuss a road map to recovery, identifying the trends shaping the future of the industry and the ‘new normal’ that lies ahead.” ATM Virtual, which will take place over three days, will feature comprehensive webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, one-to-one meetings, as well as facilitating new connections and offering a wide range of online business opportunities. “For exhibitors from this region, the dedicated networking event will also have one Middle East-focused session per day, as well as sessions for buyers, focused on purchasing European and Asian products, plus a session specifically targeting Chinese buyers,” added Curtis.

Abu Dhabi Airports has partnered with Tawazun Strategic Development Fund (TSDF) to launch the new CoDi BOT UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle), designed and manufactured by Marakeb Technologies, for the disinfection of viruses including COVID-19. The introduction of new state-of-the-art technology is the latest measure introduced by Abu Dhabi Airports to contain the spread of COVID-19, and aligns with the directives of H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports. This collaboration is part of a broader initiative by Abu Dhabi Airports to integrate the most advanced technologies within its operations, to achieve a high level of efficiency, and provide the best services to its travellers. The CoDi BOT UGV will be piloted from May throughout Abu Dhabi International Airport, including in staff areas and cargo facilities, as well as being used as part of cabin deserialisation processes on passenger aircraft. Specifically ensuring aircraft cabins are kept clean and sterile, the CoDi BOT UGV is designed to be able to manoeuvre through airplane cabin, which is a unique feature of this product, while ensuring the safety of its operators through remote control capability, using real-time video and high-speed 4G data connection. Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, commented, “The acute impact of the pandemic would have heightened our overall sense of awareness toward hygiene, and as vital piece of public infrastructure, we have a clear responsibility to ensure our spaces remain clear of any virus threat. By deploying artificial intelligence, it adds another layer of protection and builds on our comprehensive response to the COVID-19 outbreak. “We can reassure passengers and our frontline staff that we are taking every precautionary measure to …

As virtual interaction becoming the new norm in this period of COVID-19, you can now experience Dubai as one of the world’s best family destinations through a range of online activities that families can do together from the comfort of their homes that will also keep everyone happy and entertained. LIVE FROM DUBAI- Enjoy the best of Dubai’s local talent across fitness, culinary, dance, theatre, arts, comedy and more, thanks to a curated ‘Live from Dubai’ event series brought right into your living rooms by Dubai Calendar, the city’s go-to entertainment and events guide. Streamed each week from Wednesday to Saturday via the Dubai Calendar Instagram Page, the Live from Dubai’ series offers an innovative family-friendly programme of entertainment, activities and engaging sessions hosted by some of the biggest and brightest stars in the UAE. THRILL RIDES- Who said that you can’t experience the thrill of a rollercoaster simply by staying at home? Check out the list of thrills below and immerse yourself in popular rides from the comfort of your own home! Mad Pursuit at Motiongate, Dubai- Madagascar Mad Pursuit unleashes your wild side, sending you on an electrifying adventure through the circus! This madly fast rollercoaster will definitely make you move it, move it! The Bullet Train at Motiongate, Dubai- The twists and turns in this fast paced ride leave you with an adrenaline rush that you won’t be forgetting anytime soon! Experience the journey from District 12 to The Capitol with a multi-angle video that leaves you on the edge of your seat! Dragon Gliders at Motiongate, Dubai- Toothless and Hiccup are promising the adventure of a lifetime with an invitation through the mysterious Forbidden Island, captivating …

Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) has announced the launch of its new online tour guide training programme, which is designed for individuals looking to become professional certified tour guides. Upon passing the programme, applicants will receive a two-year license and will be able to apply to become professional guides for tour operators or start their own tour company. Designed to make the process of getting a tour guide license as convenient as possible, the programme will teach prospective candidates how to present Dubai and its culture to international visitors, in addition to the skills they need to excel in this position. The course, training and testing is currently available in English, with a Mandarin version being developed and to be launched soon. To enroll for the programme, one has to meet certain requirements, which are listed in the online training platform. Commenting on the programme, Essa Bin Hadher, General Manager of Dubai College of Tourism said, “One of our main goals is to ensure that anyone who visits Dubai has an unforgettable experience and is able to create memories that last a lifetime. Tour guides across the city are critical players in ensuring we achieve this, and by launching our easy-to-access programme we are also laying the groundwork for many more talented emiratis and expatriate residents to join the city’s tourist-facing workforce. With online and distance learning assuming more significance due to the current situation, we have sought to simplify the process of obtaining a Dubai tour guide license through this programme.” Once candidates have fulfilled the preliminary requirements, they need to complete three stages within a maximum of 90 days. This includes the ‘Dubai Way’ section, a 12-hour e-learning …