Category Archives: Technology

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched an inspiring video series for travellers to experience elements of Amazing Thailand at home, as part of its campaign to ‘Bring Thailand to the World… Virtually’. Available throughout April, the virtual content will feature the best of Thai culture and heritage through entertaining tutorials, with the aim of extending a message of camaraderie and positivity. The series will include Thai cooking classes, Muay Thai lessons, fruit and vegetable carving, Thai-inspired spa treatments and traditional Thai dance suitable for all ages to participate and enjoy. Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for Dubai and the Middle East, said, “This message extends to those who have visited Thailand and to all those we have yet to welcome to our shores. We want to share the vibrant energy of the people of Amazing Thailand with the world as we remain resilient and see this through side-by-side.” Chef Nine from Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok and chef Sonia from 137 Pillars House Chiang Mai will each present cooking masterclasses to teach viewers how to prepare popular and flavourful Thai dishes including Thai Pineapple fried rice and Pad Thai to enjoy at home. Viewers can discover the ancient art of Muay Thai through a digital training camp conducted by world-class Muay Thai practitioner and owner of Krudam Gym in Bangkok, Dam Srichan. Muay Thai is known as the “art of eight limbs” and has a history that can be traced to the 18th century. It is also an excellent Thai sport to keep fit through its strengthening techniques. Wellness experts, Gift and Jib from Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok combine nutrient-packed ingredients – such as …

In the absence of a Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2020 event, The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), in collaboration with global cultural organisations, is delivering a special Culture Summit Abu Dhabi live stream experience, set to be broadcast on YouTube on 9 April at 5pm (UAE time). HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, will chair the panel session ‘Alone Together: Culture and Resilience’, featuring distinguished participants including Ernesto OttoneRamírez, Assistant Director-General for Culture, UNESCO; Alexandra Munroe, Samsung Senior Curator of Asian Art and Senior Adviser, Global Arts, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation; Rebecca Lyons, Director of Collections and Learning, Royal Academy of Arts; Melanie Noronha, Senior Editor, Thought Leadership, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, The Economist Intelligence Unit; and Marisa Henderson, Chief, Creative Economy, UNCTAD. ‘Alone Together: Culture and Resilience’ will address the current global situation and its impact on culture from a social, economic and psychological angle. Culture today is in crisis, but the session will address how it is responding to the threat and helping to create a resilient society that prioritises participation and community support. With culture being the continuous thread which links an increasingly isolated global population, the discussion will assess the impact of this current period of unprecedented crisis on the culture sector, and explore how culture might help to lessen our collective anxiety and trauma. With many institutions closing their doors for an extended period of time, there are severe challenges around funding and staffing, and the panellists will debate how cultural organisations can best endure this period of shutdown, and how we can most effectively support institutions, artists, and the creative …

Sojern to share current travel trends at the forefront of marketers’ minds. These insights are based on data collected on March 25, 2020. The data will be reviewed on a weekly basis in order to provide a regular view of trends and patterns in consumer behaviour. This blog series, includes the data in order to aid travel marketers in their assessment of this worldwide event. They can use these trends to inform their marketing strategies during this period and be prepared for the recovery once the situation stabilises. Whilst no-one can anticipate the full impact of these exceptional circumstances, the data can provide some insight into how travellers are responding to the current situation, the more long-term impact that COVID-19 will have on destinations, and when the first signs of recovery start to appear. Global flight bookings to the Middle East are dramatically down – as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve, there are further border closures, travel restrictions and lockdowns put into place across the globe. Additionally, major airlines in the region including emirates and Saudi have grounded their fleets and countries such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have enforced strict measures in order to contain the virus including dawn to dusk curfews. It is inevitable that we see global flight bookings to the Middle East drastically drop with global flight bookings to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) down 72 per cent year-over-year. Oman sees the least pessimistic outlook with global flight bookings down 38 per cent year-over-year. This is still significantly down but less so than the likes of Kuwait which has seen a 91 per cent drop in global flight bookings.

IBTM Events recently launched a new online platform, IBTM Connect. The launch is part of a three-step plan to keep exhibitors, hosted buyers and the wider industry connected as collectively we navigate the impact of COVID-19. IBTM Connect will host regularly updated content, including insightful webinars and videos from key industry professionals, ways to virtually network with industry peers and news and updates to prepare for recovery. Commenting on the launch, Shane Hannam, Portfolio Director, IBTM Events, said, “Our connections and industry partnerships mean that we are uniquely positioned to create and curate high quality content from around the globe that can serve to provide insights and tangible benefits during this time. By keeping conversations going and sharing learnings, together we can weather the storm and emerge in the strongest possible position to rebuild and recover.” Content will be refreshed regularly, including with weekly webinars from industry experts covering topics, including motivational keynote speaker Gary Bradt delivering a session on ‘how to cope during times of unprecedented change’ and Helen Moon, Founder and MD of EventWell, talking about ‘mental health and wellbeing’. The latest content on IBTM Connect covers everything from mental health and wellness, to managing a crisis and tips for working from home.

Travelport announced signing a new multi-year content agreement with Malaysia Airlines. The agreement also includes the use of Travelport’s leading merchandising tool, Travelport Rich Content and Branding, as well as Travelport’s Digital Media Solutions. With the agreement, over 68,000 agencies servicing hundreds of millions of travellers worldwide will have real-time access to search, book and sell the content and inventory of Malaysia Airlines. It will also join over 300 other airlines using Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding merchandising tool, which gives agencies a graphically rich experience when searching for and booking branded fares. Additionally, Travelport Digital Media Solutions, including Travelport sponsored flights and destination banners, will be used by Malaysia Airlines to promote its flight options through highly targeted advertising tool kits and campaigns. Commenting on the new deal, Lau Yin May, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer of Malaysia Airlines said, “We fly to over 1,000 destinations around the world and Travelport’s edge in technology innovations, air merchandising and digital marketing will help Malaysia Airlines better fulfill the demands of travellers and seize growth opportunities in today’s highly competitive environment.” Chris Ramm, Vice President Asia Pacific, Air Partners at Travelport, said, “Following the airline’s launch of new flexible fare options last year, I believe Travelport Rich Content and Branding will further empower Malaysia Airlines to offer more flexibility to travellers who increasingly demand personalised travel experience. Our Digital Media Solutions will also support Malaysia Airlines in global and tactical sales campaigns to promote its product offerings.”

Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has signed an agreement with BeemCar, touted as one of the largest developers of sky pods in the world, to develop sky pods in Dubai, in a move to step up the development of futuristic mobility solutions in the emirate through suspended transport technology. Abdul Mohsen Ibrahim Younes, CEO of Rail Agency, signed for RTA; and Robin Brownsell, CEO of BeemCar, signed on behalf of the company. “The signing of the agreement is part of RTA’s efforts to deploy autonomous transit means in line with the Dubai Self-Driving Transport Strategy aimed at diverting 25% of total mobility journeys in Dubai to autonomous transit means by 2030. The move corresponds to RTA’s efforts to enhance the integration of mass transit modes, and offer a solution to the first and last-mile challenge; which helps riders reach their final destinations,” said His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA. “I am very pleased to attend the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority and BeemCar UK. This exciting collaboration will evaluate the feasibility of an aerial transit system based on BeemCar’s unique expertise. This is another example of the UK’s continued commitment to forging partnerships with the UAE across a broad range of innovation and technology,” said His Excellency Chris Heaton-Harris, Minister of State at the Department for Transport, UK.

SalamAir has announced a strategic tie-up with Tune Protect Commercial Brokerage LLC (Tune Protect EMEIA), to offer an array of travel protection benefits for its passengers. The agreement encompasses travel protection for travel-related uncertainty of the airline’s domestic and international passengers. The travel protection products offered are specially designed for SalamAir travellers. The travel protection programme provides travellers with a host of benefits such as overseas medical expenses, travel cancellation, missed departure, baggage delays, travel delay, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, personal accident and many more. Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir said, “As part of this agreement, we will offer comprehensive travel protection provisions for our customers that will allow them to be assured in case of any travel-related eventuality. Having a travel protection plan enables travellers to travel with peace of mind. Travel Protection is very popular in all markets across the world and we believe that our passengers will benefit from what Tune Protect is offering. Tune Protect offers comprehensive and affordable protection plans to meet the needs of travellers.” Arijit Munshi, General Manager of Tune Protect EMEIA said, “SalamAir is in the midst of its most exciting growth phase and I am sure that the technology provided by Tune Protect EMEIA to facilitate the travel protection programme across its network will provide ease and convenience, as well as a memorable travel experience to SalamAir’s customers.”

Hala Travel Management, an Abu Dhabi based company, has confirmed an extended partnership agreement with Amadeus to develop and deploy digital solutions for its government and corporate clients.  Hala Travel Management is part of the Etihad Aviation Group and has long championed global best practices in digital transformation and provides truly bespoke experiences to its clients. The agreement will span over the next five years with a focus on personalised services, traveller safety, and delivering unparalleled value for money to organisations in the UAE.  As part of the agreement, the company will be able to leverage the strengths of the Amadeus Selling Platform, connecting with global tools such as the Amadeus Online Corporate Traveller, Amadeus Margin Manager, Amadeus Fare Optimiser, the Amadeus B2B Wallet, Mobile Application and its latest Amadeus Value Hotels programme. Ahmed Ershood Al Shehhi, General Manager of Hala Travel Management, said, “We have always looked at technology as an enabler—a tool for providing enhanced, seamless, and more personalised services to our clients. With Amadeus, we have a wealth of digital tools at our fingertips, and are free from technology constraints so that we can put more of our passion to work.” Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director of Amadeus Gulf, said, “We are delighted to be collaborating with Hala Travel Management as a real pioneer in the local travel sector. The Amadeus platforms that they will have access to are built with customers in mind, following thousands of hours of in-depth user research. In this fast-moving industry, such platforms help companies to sell more, move faster, and ultimately serve better.” 

Etihad Airways announced a partnership with Braathens IT to develop TravelPass, an innovative travel solution initially aimed at corporate and frequent travellers which will be launched later this year. The new TravelPass technology provides a subscription-based travel solution, allowing Etihad to offer its frequent guests complete flexibility and ease with their regular and recurring travel arrangements. Customers can purchase a TravelPass for a set number of trips or a particular travel period instead of purchasing flights one by one. Subscription-based travel is good news for the aviation industry as it provides customers with the choice between prepaid trips and pay-as-you-fly options, meeting the demands of flexibility, ease of booking and cost-efficient travel management. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “The innovative TravelPass technology offers a revolutionary booking experience for corporate and frequent clients who will also be enrolled into our award-winning Etihad Guest frequent flyer programme. By simplifying the travel process to just a few clicks, our guests have a seamless transaction through a platform that holds all your details in one place, gives you the flexibility to make changes to your bookings without fees and gives you the choice to pay later. We know our corporate clients are time-poor and believe this innovative addition to our digital offering will improve the travel journey for subscribers.” Svein Therkelsen, Chief Executive Officer, Braathens IT, said, “Etihad is going to take sophisticated digital personalisation very far, everything from ease of use to customisation. They are an innovative player and they will continue in that direction to improve their customers’ digital experience using TravelPass.”

Accenture opened Dubai Tourism Innovation Hub, the company’s first innovation hub in the Middle East & North Africa region. Located in Dubai Media City, the Dubai Tourism Innovation Hub is an immersive environment that showcases Accenture’s capabilities across a variety of innovative technologies, including extended reality, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and more. Through industry-focused demos, co-creation sessions, prototyping, and a startup showcase, the Dubai Tourism Innovation Hub provides a platform for clients and partners to tap into Accenture’s global industry knowledge to ideate and develop smart and scalable innovative solutions that help them transform their businesses in the tourism sector. “With tourism development a priority on national agendas across the Gulf Cooperation Council region, we’re excited to launch our very first Tourism Innovation Hub in Dubai,” said Norberto Cibien, Managing Director and Accenture Products industry group lead in the Middle East. “Millions of people will visit Expo 2020 Dubai, and with 70 per cent expected to come from abroad, it’s critical to develop a seamless travel experience, which requires bridging disconnected ecosystem players and catering to unique and evolving customer needs.” Xavier Anglada, Managing Director and Accenture Digital lead in the Middle East, added, “Accenture is proud to harness innovative technologies to support the government and private-sector stakeholders in bringing tailored and new concepts and features to the region. Through the Dubai Tourism Innovation Hub, we will create sustainable and valuable opportunities for business transformation in the tourism sector here in the UAE and across the wider region.”