At ITB Berlin industry experts shared their insights of travel recovery over a period of time. “As Israel vaccinates its population, the tourism and hospitality sectors are reopening, allowing us to plan for the return of tourists soon,” said Israel Minister of Tourism Orit Farkash-Hacohen. Noting that Israel has already vaccinated some 80 percent of its adult population, the destination is turning it into not only an attractive destination but a healthy destination. Minister Farkash-Hacohen summarized how the pandemic has affected Israeli tourism since March 2020. He said, “None of this of course is full compensation, but it helped during this difficult year, “she said.  “Now we are hopeful tourists can soon return, allowing the various tourism-oriented businesses to get back on their feet.” Speaking about the impact of vaccinations on travel, the Israeli Minister shared how positive they have been domestic “with five million people already vaccinated” from Israel’s nine-million strong population. She also stressed the need to find protocols allowing international carriers and visitors to fly to and from Israel: “This is my greatest challenge at the moment, and I am working with the health and transportation ministers to gradually open Israel’s skies and allow more tourists in.”  Referencing the date things will open, the Minister said, “It will take some time, possibly a month” or so, adding she was optimistic. “We need to find ways to open up travel,” Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority said, explaining why vaccinations were key to the reopening of the international tourism industry. “Also, from a safety and security perspective. Travel has to be enjoyable.” At the same time, Minister Sancho of Costa Rica said vaccinations are important, …

Kerzner International Holdings Limited (Kerzner) continues to innovate with the introduction of a new hospitality experience, SIRO. Conceived with fitness and wellbeing at the core, SIRO will be an immersive lifestyle destination, blending the boundaries between hospitality, fitness, and wellness through a fresh perspective and energizing experiences. SIRO will create a collective global community of like-minded individuals who live a high-performance lifestyle passionate about driving achievement and living their fullest potential. “We have always been pioneers, true disruptors within the hospitality space. We have built destinations through the personalities of our brands and understanding our guests’ journey, creating a meaningful legacy,” commented Philippe Zuber, Chief Executive Officer, Kerzner International. “We look forward to continuing the improvement of people’s lives with the introduction of SIRO.  We recognize that holistic health is more important than ever, and the primary focus of SIRO will be exceptional fitness and wellness to support a modern and balanced global lifestyle, delivered with our renowned service in a transformative and nurturing urban environment. As innovators, we are always looking to revolutionize the guest experience and anticipate travellers’ needs. We felt the time was right to introduce the SIRO concept to the world as we continue the strategic growth of the Company. We look forward to SIRO becoming part of key cities around the world.”

Tourism Ireland Virtual Roadshow was a great success when almost 350 agents met with 28 partners from the island of Ireland for two days of fruitful business meetings completing almost 600 over just a few hours. Aisling McDermott – Manager Middle East & Asia -Tourism Ireland, “I’m delighted with how our first virtual Ireland Meets the Middle East Roadshow went. The feedback from participating buyers and suppliers has been so positive and heart-warming. Tourism Ireland’s aim with this event was to further strengthen our relationships with Middle East travel buyers and to showcase the very best of the island of Ireland. I’m confident 2021 will see the restart of international travel and Tourism Ireland have been actively planning for this restart. We’ve been working hard on the ground to ensure we’re ready to welcome back visitors focusing on our luxury offerings, with more emphasis on the private experiences, personalised services, and outdoor activities. This roadshow gave buyers the opportunity to see that Ireland offers something totally unique for visitors from the Middle East while also reassuring them that we have implemented all the newly required health and safety measures, without compromising the holiday experience that makes Ireland so special. I so look forward to welcoming our visitors from the Middle East back to the island of Ireland.”

 flydubai announced the start of flights to Tirana, the capital of Albania, and becomes the first UAE-based airline to offer direct flights on this route. The airline will operate two flights a week between Dubai International (DXB) and Tirana International Airport (TIA) from March 28. Commenting on the announcement, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said, “as countries within our flying radius lift travel restrictions, we continue to look for new opportunities to connect previously underserved markets to Dubai.  We are pleased to be the first UAE-based airline to operate direct flights between Dubai and Tirana.” His Excellency Ermal Dredha, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to the United Arab Emirates, said, “The start of direct flights between Dubai and Tirana provides a more convenient travel option for Albanian citizens living in the UAE and for the many visitors who choose to visit our country for leisure, business or as a connection hub. This new bridge will enable more people to discover the beauty of Albania in the heart of the Balkan and Mediterranean region. Albania also offers excellent cuisine and a range of tourist attractions at an affordable price. Albanians are very well-known for their warm hospitality, making visitors from the UAE as well as the GCC feel at home.” Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said, “flights to Tirana are available for booking from today on flydubai.com and through our travel partners. With a flying time from Dubai of less than six hours, Tirana is centrally located in Southeastern Europe with easy access to beautiful coastlines and mountains along the Adriatic and Ionian Sea. We look forward to welcoming our passengers …

The maiden virtual roadshow ‘Ireland meets the Middle East‘ concluded with great success over two days of very fruitful meetings and discussions. Over 350 agents from the Middle East attended the event and conducted over 600 meetings. The two days saw 28 partners from the island of Ireland meeting with agents from the Middle East and the interactive panel shared with its audience many opportunities to walk away with some great prizes by answering special quiz competitions and engagement with all the partners. Nasir Jamal Khan, CEO, Al Naboodah Travel shared, “It’s been very informative to attend ‘Ireland meets the Middle East’ first virtual annual trade event. It was impressive to see the island of Ireland offers something totally unique to the Middle East and have implemented all the newly required health and safety measure without compromising the holiday experience. As travelers would look for a safe and less crowded destination where they can be assured of a warm welcome, that destination would be Ireland. The virtual annual trade event was well organized by Tourism Ireland and TravTalk team.”  

Abu Dhabi Airports has launched the region’s first PCR testing laboratory within an airport. The new state of the art RT-PCR lab offers fast COVID-19 testing within the Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to facilitate the resumption of air travel and assist with quarantine tracking procedures.  Designed to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of travellers and staff at Abu Dhabi International Airport, the new Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing process is free for arriving passengers and is one of the fastest in the world, with results available in approximately 90 minutes and the capacity to test more than 20,000 travellers and staff per day. Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “Through partnering with Pure Health and Tamouh Healthcare, Abu Dhabi International Airport is now able to offer travellers state-of-the-art rapid testing services delivered by a dedicated laboratory facility. The introduction of the RT-PCR COVID-19 testing is a milestone achievement in our ongoing efforts to facilitate the safe resumption of international air travel and support the recovery of the aviation industry.” “The fact that this is the first airport in the region to contain its own dedicated PCR testing laboratory is testament to our commitment at Abu Dhabi Airports to continuously innovate and look for new ways to deliver a safe, smooth and seamless travel experience for all our passengers. The new fast testing facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport, developed in partnership with many of our stakeholders, will not only enable passengers to confidently travel to Abu Dhabi, but significantly enhance the efficiency of our operations while supporting global efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19,” added Al Hashmi.

Air Seychelles has introduced weekly direct flights from Dubai World Central Airport (DWC) to Seychelles between March 27 and May 29, 2021, starting from USD 343 (AED1,259). As the first country to welcome inoculated travellers from around the world, Seychelles is a safe and travel-worthy holiday destination with strict measures in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. The Indian Ocean archipelago has announced that it will reopen for all international tourists from March 25, by when 70% of its population will have been vaccinated. The seasonal service will operate from the DWC Jetex Private Terminal, renowned for its top-of-the-line experience and unrivaled personalized customer service. The flights, scheduled for eight weeks, will depart Dubai every Saturday morning, arriving in Seychelles around midday, conveniently timed to provide travellers the opportunity to experience the panoramic views of the unparalleled beauty of the Seychelles unique mountains and coastline prior to landing. The return flights from Seychelles International Airport to DWC will operate on Friday afternoons, thus providing travellers a full seven days and six nights in Seychelles. All travelers, regardless of vaccination status, must present a negative PCR test upon arrival taken a maximum of 72 hours prior, as well as complete the mandatory Health Travel Authorization at seychelles.govtas.com prior to departure from Dubai. Travellers will not be required to quarantine on arrival, however, must follow the existing health regulations, including wearing face masks in public and social distancing. The flights will be operated by the airlines’ Airbus A320neo aircraft featuring 12 Business Class and 156 Economy Class seats, as well as a modern inflight entertainment platform allowing free wireless downloads of movies, TV shows, and music on travellers’ personal devices. Economy …

GHM announced plans to open a new luxury resort, composed of 59 rooms and suites as well as 32 chalets and villas at Katara Cultural Village in Qatar’s capital city, Doha. Developed by the Qatari real estate consortium, Triple-A in partnership with Katara Cultural Village, The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort, Doha, Qatar shall occupy a beachfront setting within the landmark 100-hectare (247 acre) Katara Cultural Village district that includes theatres, concert halls, exhibition galleries, mosques, restaurants, shops, a park, and an open amphitheater. The area is a magnet for well-heeled travellers and Qataris who are keen to explore the cultural heritage of the region. All of Katara’s pedestrian-friendly attractions will be accessible from the property, either by foot or buggy. “The Katara Cultural Village is a microcosm of everything that Qatar stands for and what it aspires to be,” said Tommy Lai, Chief Executive Officer, GHM. “Our resort shall be both a springboard to and a respite from one of the most invigorating experiences to be had in the region. It is an oasis of calm and heritage in the middle of a dynamic and modern city.” With a design that pays homage to the glories of Indian Mughal architecture and a touch of Ottoman influence, the new Chedi’s principal hotel building will house a lobby lounge with 180° views of the sea, an expansive spa and fitness facility, and rooms and suites with terraces and views over the Arabian Gulf and Doha skyline.

The first day of the maiden Tourism Ireland virtual roadshow concluded with over 250 buyers and 300 meetings across the Middle East with 28 partners from the island of Ireland. Niall Gibbons – Chief Executive – Tourism Ireland welcomed everyone to the event, “I’m delighted to welcome many friends and partners from all across the Middle East region and the island of Ireland to this our first virtual event, Ireland meets the Middle East 2021. Now as we all know the global travel and tourism landscape has been decimated by covid, but I’m confident that we will see a return, that’s why it’s so important to maintain and develop the relationships that we have seen blossom in the last decade with all our friends and partners in the Middle East, so I wish you well today and thank you for all your support. We have a great industry here at home, great connectivity to airlines like Emirates and Etihad, and we have our national day on 17th March and it has been terrific to see the support growth in the region by buildings lighting up green for our national day, also the UAE national colour too. So thanks again for your support, look forward to seeing you all in the real world very soon. I’ve enjoyed my many visits to the Middle East over the last 10 years and I look forward to seeing you again. Stay safe and well and thanks again for your support and good luck for today.”  

Once again, the much-loved destination of the GCC travellers, Spain will host a tri-series webinar to showcase the many offerings by the destination. Each webinar will focus on a different area in the most beautiful, historically enriched Spain.  There will be two webinars on 16th and 23rd March and the third one on 7th April 2021. It will be the perfect time for the travel fraternity in the Middle East to discover this amazing destination right before the borders reopen. Daniel Rosado Bayon – Director –Spain Tourism GCC shared, “The idea of this webinar series is to remind and highlight Spain´s known destinations and also showcase hidden gems like the North of Spain also known as Green Spain and also the Islands. Spain is an all year round and popular destination among Arab travelers and expats alike from GCC and we have seen an increasing trend in interest to travel year after year. The webinar will have key destination partners from across Spain who will update the trade about the current situation and preparations on how each destination is prepping up to receive tourists when the borders open up and the time is right to travel. The webinar series “Rediscover Spain “will take place on the 16th March, 23rd March, and 7th April and is open to all travel trade across GCC. This will help the travel trade to keep themselves updated on the COVID safety measures in Spain, be informed and educated to offer the right destinations to their clients. The key focus will be on beaches, nature, shopping, and luxury along with introducing few new destinations that would be ideal for the travelers from GCC looking to travel …