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 …
Read More »Amadeus and ATS Travel partner to launch the “ATS Go Green” sustainability drive supported by Olive Gaea
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,” …
Read More »ATS Travel extends its partnership with Amadeus to fuel regional expansion
ATS Travel has extended its partnership with Amadeus as the UAE-headquartered travel management company embarks on an ambitious expansion plan across the GCC. The deal cements a long-term digital transformation partnership between the two companies, adding new value to ATS Travel’s offering and helping position it as a leading travel management company in the Middle East. With the new solutions, ATS Travel will gain new efficiencies by fully automating its ticketing system through Amadeus Auto Ticketing Solution. Meanwhile, Amadeus Remote Ticketing Solution will deliver a fully automated solution for managing pricing, price comparison, and ticketing at remote points of sale. ATS Travel will also benefit from Amadeus Hotels, a one-stop-shop search platform that pulls together content from top hotel aggregators and the world’s leading hotel chains and representation companies into an intelligent single screen solution. Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf, commented, “The pandemic has led to accelerated demand for digital solutions across the customer journey, particularly for touchless experiences. Amadeus technology will allow ATS Travel to automate many of its functions, delivering superior customer service and cutting costs.” Saleem Sharif, Deputy Managing Director at ATS Travel, said: “The travel industry is one of the biggest contributors to regional economies. Therefore, improving efficiencies streamlines our business and helps us deliver better value to the markets we operate in. Amadeus and ATS Travel have a relationship that goes back many years, and based on the strength of its solutions, our long-term plan is to standardize our technology stack on Amadeus technology.” ATS Travel is the UAE representative of ATG – one of the largest, independently owned business travel management companies globally – with offices in Saudi Arabia and India. The …
Read More »Amadeus, Microsoft tie-up to change travel dynamics
Amadeus with its recent strategic tie-up with Microsoft will be looking at more flexibility and committing itself to adaptability in track with changing market dynamics. Ernesto Sanchez, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf shares with TravTalk Middle East, their plans and focus for this year at the 29th edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM). Renew Travel enables us to communicate to a coherent story that is adaptable to shifting market environment, and reflects the challenges that everyone who works in travel has experienced over the last few years. What is the focus of Amadeus this year? This year Amadeus’s focus is on Renew Travel following last year’s Rebuild Travel initiative. Renew Travel is a platform that provides Amadeus with the flexibility to adapt to changing market dynamics. It enables us to communicate to a coherent story that is adaptable to shifting market environment, and reflects the challenges that everyone who works in travel has experienced over the last few years. As global travel returns in the wake of the ongoing pandemic, it is clear that uncertainty remains. However by focusing on ways to support the industry to become more resilient, agile, and traveller-centric, Amadeus is committed to driving the industry renewal. We collaborated with the key industry player Microsoft to enhance the traveler experience and help facilitate the travel in a new dimension through breakthrough technologies. Source: https://amadeus.com/en/topic/safe-travel-ecosystem Could you share about the technologies currently developed by Amadeus and Microsoft? Amadeus’ tie-up with Microsoft last year has unlocked a plethora of opportunities that translate into value for the travel industry. The partnership includes joint innovation and product development to envision, design, and deliver cutting-edge travel solutions. We call this new dimension …
Read More »Emirates signs new distribution agreement with Amadeus
Emirates has signed a new agreement with Amadeus, extending their partnership to offer the travel trade community more flexibility, choice, and future capabilities. From 1 February 2022, all trade partners on Amadeus will be able to access Emirates’ content free of surcharge. The new agreement will also see Emirates’ NDC (new distribution capability) content integrated into the Amadeus Travel Platform, with NDC content being made available to travel sellers over the course of 2022. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are pleased to refresh our partnership with Amadeus. This is another step forward in our goal to empower our trade partners in delivering even better customer experiences. In today’s environment, and particularly as the industry rebuilds post pandemic, everyone in the travel services chain will benefit from flexible models of engagement, multiple means to access to dynamic rich content, and the ability to offer differentiated products and services.” Decius Valmorbida, President, Travel, Amadeus, said, “This renewal is another major milestone in our distribution strategy and our ongoing retailing journey. With this new agreement with Emirates, we start 2022 building on the momentum made over the years to support modern retailing and once more demonstrating our commitment to continue offering through the Amadeus Travel Platform more travel content globally and at scale.” Catering to a dynamic marketplace, Emirates aims to provide its trade partners with a choice of connection options and differentiated products and benefits across channels, including via its own NDC-enabled direct connect platform, Emirates Gateway.
Read More »Sharaf Travel and Amadeus partner to drive NDC forward in the UAE
Sharaf Travel Services and Amadeus have set a new milestone to drive forward New Distribution Capability (NDC). Together with Sharaf Travels, Amadeus has successfully issued a Singapore airlines ticket on 4th March 2021 with NDC content via Amadeus Travel Platform. Sharaf Travel has thus laid the foundation to deliver modern retailing, with new, richer and more innovative content and advanced servicing for its travelers. NDC is an integral part of the Amadeus Travel Platform which brings together travel content from multiple sources (EDIFACT, NDC and other APIs), allowing travel agencies to easily search and compare offers on one screen. Through Amadeus’ NDC-enabled solutions, travel agencies like Sharaf Travel are able to shop, order and pay for airline travel offers via NDC in their usual booking environment. Additionally, Sharaf Travel has access to the main servicing capabilities that an agency requires once a booking via NDC has been made, such as changes, cancellations, or adding ancillary services such as preferred seats, meals or checked baggage. Jayaram Vaidyanathan Iyer, Managing Director, Sharaf Travels, said, “Our travel business was established to provide quality travel and tour services to the rapidly expanding population in the UAE. To meet that aim, we firmly believe in the value of NDC to address the industry’s need for modern retailing as well as travelers’ changing needs, offering our customers access to rich content as well as a transparent shopping experience.” “We are thrilled to have processed our first booking via NDC in the UAE with Sharaf Travel. As we roll-out our NDC-enabled solutions and make content via NDC available, we are opening up a world of opportunities for agencies and travelers in the region,” said Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing …
Read More »Seera Group chooses Amadeus as its preferred technology partner to implement NDC
Seera Group has extended its long-standing partnership with Amadeus to adopt NDC. As the Middle East’s leading provider of travel and tourism services, Seera Group will join Amadeus’ NDC [X] program and implement the NDC-enabled Travel API solution to distribute richer airline products to its customers. It will allow the selling of new fares and services to customers that are only available via NDC. Customers are at the core of everything the Seera Group does, and integrating NDC efficiently within its workflow, online and offline, will help the group’s travel brands differentiate its offers with more relevant options, better fares and availability, as well as post-booking servicing capabilities. Speaking about the extension, Tarique Khatri, EVP at Seera Group, said, “Amadeus has been a long-term technology partner of Seera. We have been working together successfully to drive innovation in the region and provide our customers access to new, dynamic airline content that includes more tailored services. Amadeus has always been at the forefront of cutting-edge technology for our industry, and working together to implement NDC was a natural extension of this partnership. We are confident that NDC will help us personalize our offer, open up new opportunities to upsell, and really elevate our customer experience.” Bernhard Steffens, Senior Vice President of Business Travel Agencies in Europe, Middle East and Africa said, “For a brand like Seera Group that focuses on customer centricity, the adoption of NDC makes perfect sense. It will help add tremendous value to its travelers, and cement Seera’s place at the forefront of travel innovation in the Middle East. With NDC taking off in the industry, Seera Group understood it was the opportune time to partner with us …
Read More »96% UAE travellers confident with digital health passports
The latest study, commissioned by Amadeus and delivered by Censuswide, provides encouraging news for the industry, with 51% of travellers from the UAE keen to book international travel within six weeks of restrictions lifting. The study also demonstrates the importance of understanding traveller concerns around privacy, ease of use and security. As governments and the travel industry explore the benefits of digital health passports, the message from travellers is clear: digital health passports can be a vital tool in opening up travel. An Amadeus commissioned study has found that that just over 9 in 10 (91%) travellers surveyed globally would be comfortable using a digital health passport for future trips. This encouraging research provides an incentive to accelerate plans for digital health passports that will help to address traveller concerns. The study provided further good news for the industry as just over half of UAE travellers (51%) said they would book international travel within six weeks of restrictions lifting, demonstrating that the appetite to travel remains high. The survey of 9,055 travellers in France, Spain, Germany, India, UAE, Russia, Singapore, UK and US also contained a note of caution for the industry with over 9 in 10 (93%) travellers having some concerns around storing their health data for travel. The survey also explored what solutions might alleviate concerns around digital health data and travel in the future and results showed: Almost 3 in 5 (58%) of UAE travellers would be comfortable using a digital passport if it was accepted by most countries and was regulated by international standards, while 47% would be comfortable if only COVID-19-specific data was included in any health passport. Just under 8 in 10 (78%) would …
Read More »Oman Khimji’s extends partnership with Amadeus
Khimji’s House of Travel, one of the leading travel companies in Oman, has extended its partnership with Amadeus to build momentum around its digital transformation and the development of integrated travel services. Since 2012, Amadeus has worked with the agency to strengthen its position in Oman’s travel and tourism market as well as helping it expand across the region. Cashio Vettom, General Manager of Khimji’s House of Travel, said: “One of the pillars of our success has been an unwavering focus on digital transformation and innovation. We have developed state-of-the-art service platforms with the support and expertise of Amadeus – a pioneer of the global travel industry. Our experience means we can completely trust Amadeus to offer solutions that ensure we exceed our customers’ expectations. This is especially important considering the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as we strive to give confidence to the local travel market.” Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director of Amadeus Gulf, said, “Our priority in Oman has always been on maintaining strong, long-lasting relationships with our customers. Khimji’s House of Travel is a great example of how trust built over time brings dividends to our customers and the travelers they serve. We are determined to keep delivering digital solutions that enable the agency to offer its customers an even more rewarding and seamless, travel experience.”
Read More »UAE’s Omeir Travel Agency renews Amadeus partnership
Omeir Travel has strengthened its long-term relationship with Amadeus by extending its partnership. Since 2003, Amadeus has accompanied Omeir Travel in its digital transformation and the development of integrated travel services for consumers in the UAE and from around the world. This continued collaboration comes as Omeir Travel plans expansion into more B2B and retail outlets in the UAE. The latest engagement also includes the development of an Omeir Travel one-stop-shop mobile app that meets customers’ hotel and flight needs and is expected to be introduced to the UAE market very soon. Abdulla Bin Omeir, CEO at Omeir Travel Agency, said, “With the travel sector constantly evolving, our business must stay agile to not only keep up, but to stay ahead. Our partnership with Amadeus has allowed us to do this with resounding success. It makes me very pleased to extend our relationship once more. Our ambition is to provide customers with tailored services and a superior experience, which Amadeus helps make possible.” Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director of Amadeus Gulf, noted, “ We are pleased to see the role our technology has played in the growth, digitisation, and optimisation of Omeir Travel during our ongoing collaboration that spans nearly two decades. We will continue to support them with our worldwide experience and leading technology-based solutions as the business enter an exciting new stage of expansion.”
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