Musafir.com has announced a partnership with Visa across the UAE, Qatar and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and launch of dedicated websites for Qatar and KSA. “At Musafir.com we like to exceed our traveller’s expectation. The travel marketplace is very competitive. Our partnership with Visa is a significant step for the rapidly growing travel industry in the UAE and GCC. We anticipate this to make an even more scalable business with the expertise to change the booking experience for travellers. The idea is to focus on getting people to move from offline booking to online booking. This association will be our next chapter of high-growth in this dynamic industry,” commented Sachin Gadoya, Managing Director and Co-founder of Musafir.com. Musafir.com also announced a special offer for all the travellers. A traveller will be able to save AED 200 on ticket booking using Visa debit or credit card until December 31, 2016. Travellers can save up to AED 1200 (for up to six people), using a Visa card only. Customers across the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, can receive their discounted air tickets in three easy steps.  Once the destination is booked, customers will be redirected to the GOVISA page where the service will SMS a security code. After typing the code into checkout section, AED 200 will automatically be deducted from the original price.

Turkish Airlines has added Zanzibar to its network in Africa taking the total number of destinations to 293 worldwide and 50 in Africa. These include the east African city hubs of Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Nairobi, Mogadishu, Djibouti, Asmara, Addis Ababa, Kigali, Entebbe and Zanzibar. The Zanzibar flights will be operated 3 times per week as Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in both directions. Introductory round trip fares are available from Istanbul to Zanzibar starting at $636  (including taxes and fees). Additionally, for the operations to Zanzibar –till 12th June 2017-, Miles&Smiles members will be able to earn 25% extra status miles. Flight TK567 will also provide a direct link to Istanbul Atatürk Airport, from where passengers will be able to conveniently reach top global destinations including Frankfurt, Muscat, Munchen, Dubai, Paris, London, Milano, Amsterdam, Zurich, Bombay, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Rome, Brussels, Berlin, Vienna, Hamburg, Tel-Aviv, Düsseldorf, and Prague.

Action Hotels has announced the formal opening of its third hotel in Oman, Mercure Sohar. The 151-bedroom freehold hotel, located in the heart of Sohar, is Action’s ninth collaboration with AccorHotels and the first Mercure-branded property in the portfolio. The hotel welcomed its first paying guests on December 1, 2016 and early business enquiries have been encouraging. Mercure Sohar brings Action Hotels’ portfolio to 12 operational hotels and 2,181 rooms in six countries with the total pipeline set to take Action to 3,000 rooms by 2017.

Sharjah’s east coast port of Khorfakkan is expected to welcome 28 luxury cruise ships disembarking some 72,000 tourists during the 2016/2017 cruise season, according to Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA). Among the vessels expected, three international cruise ships will make their maiden calls at Khorfakkan, while the management of US-based luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises are meeting the SCTDA and visiting tourist destinations across in Sharjah emirate this month.TUI Cruises, Thomson Cruises and MSC Cruises all have cruise ships visiting Sharjah this season. The 15 deck, 293 metre TUI Mein Schiff 3, equipped to carry 2,500 passengers and 1,000 crew, arrived in Sharah on 10 December, carrying mostly German nationals. Thomson Celebration, a 10 deck, 215 metre vessel able to carry about 1,800 passengers and crew will visit Sharjah on 16 December carrying passengers from the UK and Europe. Meanwhile, MSC Fantasia, MSC Fantasia flagship 18 deck, 333 metre luxury cruise ship able to carry about 5,700 passengers and crew, will disembark at Khorfakkan on 21 December.

Minor Hotels has announced the debut of its luxury Anantara brand in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Scheduled to open in 2019, Anantara Jeddah Resort will be located on the waterfront in Obhur in the city’s upmarket northern district and will offer 226 guest rooms and 102 two to five bedroom villas. The property is owned by SAB Group and was previously a luxury residential compound, which will undergo a renovation and transformation, led by cutting-edge international design architects. Facilities will include a selection of dining options with both indoor and outdoor seating, fitness and swimming pool areas, a kid’s and teen’s club and a library. For business guests there is a 500 square metre meeting room, which is divisible by two, plus two further meeting rooms. The resort has two receptions and lobbies; one is dedicated for VIP arrivals. Spa and wellness will be a major focus of the resort, which will offer a separate female and male Anantara Spa and an impressive wellness centre. An extensive selection of wellness journeys will be available, as part of Anantara’s ‘Balance’ programme. These will include detox, de-stress, weight management, anti-aging and rejuvenation, along with therapies such as Ayurveda, hammam and reflexology. Guests will be able to enjoy wellness cuisine and healthy cooking classes, with activities including yoga, pilates and Tai Chi. In addition, the resort will offer a regular programme of wellness-focused educational workshops and special events.

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority will be hosting the UIM F1H2O World Championship Grand Prix of Sharjah from December 15-21, 2016, at the Khalid Lagoon. Speaking at the press conference, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority H.E.Khalid Jassim Al Midfa stated the importance of promoting sports tourism by hosting events of this nature which brings together more tourists from all over the world. Further he reiterated that this enables Sharjah an opportunity to showcase their authentic culture and reveal the true Arabian spirit of sports.

Qatar Airways has rounded off its 2016 global route expansion on a high note with the launch of daily flights to the idyllic islands of the Seychelles – the 14th new destination on the airline’s route map this year and the third in Africa. The destination comprises 115 tropical islands in the western Indian Ocean, located off the east coast of Africa. Its airport is located on the island of Mahé near the city of Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles. Visitors can experience the Vallée de Mai Nature Preserve on the island of Praslin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens on Mahé, or, of course, enjoy the white sand beaches the islands are known for. The Seychelles is key to Qatar Airways’ global network expansion strategy and its continuing growth in Africa. The airline currently operates to 23 African gateways, including the recently launched service to the Namibian capital of Windhoek, which joined the airline’s route map in September 2016. The Doha to Seychelles flight schedule offers an attractive 08:50 morning arrival and 19:25 evening departure so travellers can take full advantage of their time on the islands. Passengers planning a getaway to the Seychelles are encouraged to plan a stopover in Doha, with a new transit visa scheme offering visitors a free transit visa for up to 96 hours on your way to or from your final destination.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has finalised a deal to operate the hospitality firm’s first property in Ras Al Khaimah. The 550-key Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, which is slated to open in 2019, will boast a prime beachfront location, offering guests unrivalled views of the Arabian Gulf and the picturesque Ras Al Khaimah coastline. Al Marjan Island is Ras Al Khaimah’s first man-made project, built to the tune of US$1.8 billion, and featuring a cluster of coral-shaped islands, creating a destination that is fast emerging as a top Middle East holiday hotspot. Mövenpick’s upcoming five-star resort, which comprises 430 rooms and suites and 120 serviced apartments, will cater to the increasing number of local and global leisure travellers heading to this idyllic beach destination. Visitor numbers to Ras Al Khaimah are expected to surge 11% to reach more than 820,000 in 2016, according to the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, which has set a target of one million arrivals by the end of 2018. Al Marjan Island is close to RAK International Airport, served by scheduled carriers such as Qatar Airways, Air Arabia and Air India Express, as well as numerous European and Russian charter airlines, while the world’s busiest airport, Dubai International, is just 45 minutes by road.

Abu Dhabi Airports will conduct a full scale emergency exercise at Abu Dhabi International Airport on December 14, 2016. The exercise is expected to run for approximately two hours from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. During this time, Abu Dhabi International Airport will continue to operate as normal. The exercise is being conducted in accordance with Civil Aviation Regulations issued by the General Civil Aviation Authority, and in compliance with standards and recommendations as stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Response teams from various units including airport operations, security, fire and rescue, police, and medical services, will test their coordinated response to an emergency situation.

Emirates has ramped up its product offering both on board and on the ground in view of the upcoming festive season. A new Christmas menu has been introduced for the first time across all cabin classes featuring traditional festive meals. The special menu will be in addition to the wide variety of cuisine available on board and features holiday favourites such as roast turkey and yule log cakes. These Christmas meals are available for customers travelling from Dubai to Australia, Europe, the United States or the United Kingdom and will be served throughout December. The festive offering reflects Emirates’ commitment to providing regional and seasonal menus using fresh ingredients of the highest quality across its network. As a special treat, First Class Customers, can look out for luxury hot chocolate handmade with 100% Valrhona Chocolate and blended to perfection by chocolatier David Franco. Emirates has also pulled out all the stops to ensure young flyers get the most of their holiday travel experience. A special kid’s festive menu is available for the second year with roast turkey, sweet potato mash, carrots and peas, as well as a candy cane and Emirates’ Little Travellers chocolate buttons as an added treat.