Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) reveals its latest campaign – RAK Sessions, a creative collaboration that harnesses the power of music to support developing talent during these unprecedented times, set against the backdrop of a stunningly diverse destination. Showcasing the Emirate from a new perspective, RAKTDA has collaborated with ten talented emerging artists in the UAE, lending its scenic natural beauty and renowned landmarks to their latest music videos. The campaign features diverse landscapes and attractions using the world’s most enduring artform – music, to invite listeners, fans and followers alike to discover Ras Al Khaimah. Locations include  the UAE’s highest peak Jebel Jais and its iconic Jais Adventure Peak – marking the first song worldwide shot entirely on a zipline, and most notably the longest zipline in the world – historic landmarks such as Jazirah Al Hamra, Dhaya Fort and Suwaidi Pearls Farm, Wadi Al Baih –   and iconic hotels such as the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort, to transport them to the Emirate and inspire their next visit. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, commented, “Art and culture are fundamental to our long-term destination strategy, and through this campaign we are not only actively contributing to the creative development of Ras Al Khaimah but also providing young musicians and artists with a unique platform to reach wider audiences while showcasing the breadth of offering in the Emirate. The world is changing rapidly, giving us the opportunity to reinvent ourselves and the way in which we promote tourism destinations.” Layla Kardan shared, “The opportunity for up and coming artists in the region to partner with an entity such as the Ras Al …

Kyoto tourism will conduct a comprehensive  webinar on Tuesday March 2, 2021 from 11am to 12noon UAE time. Koji Kuriyama, Managing Director, Kyoto Tourism Federation stated that the theme for the webinar is ‘Discover the serene beauty of Kyoto prefecture, the must-see sights and unique experiences it has to offer’. All trade partners will be able to witness the many offerings in the destination which will include Kyoto by the Sea, Woodland Kyoto, Kyoto Infused with Tea & Kyoto Otokuni Bamboo Grove pres//ented by the three partners. Koji Kuriyama, Managing Director, Kyoto Tourism Federation reiterated, “We are targeting mainly GCC,  Turkey and other countries in Middle East to join and discover Kyoto. Travel trade who would like to offer Kyoto or Japan for their customers.  Our webinar will provide them all the must-see sights, unique experiences, etc. of all over Kyoto prefecture. Middle East has become one of our key markets and we will also be sharing the guidelines for health and hygiene in Japan.”

Emirates announced that in line with government directives, passenger services from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) to Dubai are temporarily suspended until February 28, 2021.Customers from both Abuja and Lagos will not be accepted for travel prior to or including this date. Passengers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not allowed entry into the UAE (whether terminating in or connecting through Dubai). Emirates flights from Dubai to Lagos and Abuja will continue to operate as per the normal schedule.   We regret the inconvenience caused. Affected customers should contact their booking agent or contact the Emirates Call Centre for rebooking. In order to receive update notifications, customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting Manage Your Booking. In another announcement by Emirates stated Flights to Sao Paulo: Emirates will resume passenger services from Dubai to Sao Paulo with flight EK 261 on 11 Feb 2021. Customers with Sao Paulo as their destination will be accepted for travel from this date. However, Flights from Sao Paulo: Passenger services from Sao Paulo to Dubai will remain suspended until 28 Feb 2021. Customers from Sao Paulo will not be accepted for travel prior to this date. Emirates regret the inconvenience caused. Affected customers should contact their booking agent or contact the Emirates Call Centre for rebooking.

Re-affirm your position in the industry by collaborating once again with the trade partners on a two day virtual meeting at Gulf Travel Show 2021 on March 31 and April 1, 2021. This will be the perfect opportunity to connect with local and international industry leaders who would share valuable knowledge and information, engage in insightful conversations and listen to some of the pioneers in the industry at panel discussions sharing their views. Speak to the team and book your spot today! Contact – crisna@ddppl.com +971 55 470 4200; sonia.butalia@ddppl.com +91 96503 11774; nikhil.jeet@ddppl.com After a successful  2020 edition of the Gulf Travel Show with 40 plus exhibitors, 6000 one-to-one meetings, and 2,500 visitors from 59 countries which included travel agents, tour operators, tourism boards, airlines, hotels, travel management companies and international agencies. GTS with its proprietary exhibition software will help you recover, rebuild and reimagine relationships and products. Our first edition which concluded with great success was an affirmation of the need of the hour for the travel fraternity to ensure they maintain their connections and proactively search for new connections and/or partners that will help them grow their business help grow their brand and build long-term profitable business connections. A brand new digital experience awaits you with a platform which depicts that of a real live event, with our state of the art technology. As you enter the event, you will be transported to the venue with a very easy to manage menu that enabled you to really enjoy the event without any hassle. The hosted buyers will have the opportunity to earn points while visiting each booth and increase chances of making connections and at the end …

It’s time to start confirming your commitment to the partnerships that were made by re-affirming your stand at the Gulf Travel Show 2021 to be held on March 31st and 1st April 2021. The resounding success from the 2020 edition of the Gulf Travel Show  with 40 plus exhibitors, 6000 one-to-one meetings, and 2,500 visitors from 59 countries which included travel agents, tour operators, tourism boards, airlines, hotels, travel management companies and international agencies. Stand out from the crowd !Talk to us! Contact  – crisna@ddppl.com +971 55 470 4200; sonia.butalia@ddppl.com +91 96503 1177; nikhil.jeet@ddppl.com Connect with local and international industry leaders, attract viewers with their insightful and engaging panel discussions and be a part of the hosted buyer programme along with the leader board motivated buyers to have meetings till the late hour at the Gulf Travel Show. GTS with its proprietary exhibition software will help you recover, rebuild and reimagine relationships and products. Our first edition which concluded with great success was an affirmation of the need of the hour for the travel fraternity to ensure they maintain their connections and proactively search for new connections and/or partners that will help them grow their business help grow their brand and build long-term profitable business connections. Experience a platform which depicts that of a real live event, with our state of the art technology. As you enter the event, you will be transported to the venue with a very easy to manage menu that enabled you to really enjoy the event without any hassle. The hosted buyers will have the opportunity to earn points while visiting each booth and increase chances of making connections and at the end will be …

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has confirmed the start of its route from Abu Dhabi to Alexandria, Egypt on February 22. The connection between Abu Dhabi and Alexandria provides an ultra-low fare travel option for tourists and residents in both UAE and Egypt. Tickets are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app, now also available in Arabic language, with fares starting as low as AED 179. Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said: “Alexandria is an exciting destination steeped in history located on Mediterranean waters. The UAE and Egypt provide a popular travel corridor for residents and tourists in the region, and we are committed to providing options that are more viable and affordable for travellers. We look forward to seeing you on board our aircraft soon.” Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt and a major economic hub for both tourism and industry. The city extends 40 km along the northern coast of Egypt situated by the Mediterranean Sea. The destination is well known for its antiquity as the site of the Pharos, the great lighthouse, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world as well as the ruins of the Temple of Serapis, as well as the Serapion, which was part of the legendary library at Alexandria. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has the youngest fleet composed of four brand new Airbus A321neo aircraft, offering the lowest fuel burn, emissions and noise footprint. The airline has also introduced a new era of sanitized travel across its network, with enhanced hygiene measures to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew.  Click here to view Wizz Air’s new health and …

Inaugural virtual trade show for the Middle East hosted by Tourism Ireland will kick off on March 8-9, 2021 from 2 to 5pm UAE time. Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland shared how the tourism offerings in Ireland has evolved with the covid 19 pandemic and the safety of the destination. “We strongly believe 2021 will see the restart of international travel. Tourism Ireland is actively planning for that restart with a three-phase plan – restart, rebuild and redesign. The priority for 2021 will be to restart tourism to the island of Ireland through a significant kick-start campaign, which will be launched across 12 markets, including the GCC, when the time is right to drive bookings and revenue for tourism businesses. It will deliver a very clear ‘book now’ message to create demand for holidays across the island of Ireland. Tourism suppliers from all sectors across the Island of Ireland have been implementing the newly required health and safety measures without compromising the holiday experience that makes Ireland so special and the great Irish welcome that we’re famous for. Tourism Ireland’s research consistently highlights the island of Ireland as one of the destinations holidaymakers will be most comfortable visiting when international travel resumes.” He further stated the partners and how it will all work out during the two day event. “Twenty-five tourism suppliers from around the island of Ireland will be taking part in Tourism Ireland’s first virtual trade show in the Middle East. The two-day B2B event in partnership with TravTalk Middle East aims to promote the island of Ireland’s exciting holiday experiences and to reassure the travel industry that we are ready to welcome their clients as …

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced the launch of the SingapoReimagine MICE Virtual Show, the first such collaboration between STB and local MICE players. Organised by STB, the two-day event will be held from 3 to 4 March 2021 and is part of Singapore’s efforts to catalyse the MICE industry’s recovery and generate business opportunities for our partners. About 700 participants are expected at the show. Dr Edward Koh, Executive Director (Conventions, Meetings & Incentive Travel), Singapore Tourism Board, said, “Singapore has started its journey to reimagine the future of business events, and we are doing so in partnership with our MICE industry to push new boundaries using technology and creativity. The SingapoReimagine MICE Virtual Show demonstrates how we are transforming industry models to seize new opportunities, and underlines our reputation as a safe, trusted and innovative destination for business events.” Kenny Goh, founder of MICE Neurol, said, “Singapore has both the physical and digital infrastructure to be the centre of global events and we hope to do our part to reignite the MICE industry and continue to brand Singapore as a leading MICE destination.” Francis Tan, Director of MICE Depot said, “Partnering STB for this event has allowed us to showcase our technical know-how in creating digital content for events and also enabled us to sharpen our skillsets. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a need to pivot and adapt our business. As such, we invested in the development of our own in-house event studio and created internal training programmes to equip our employees with skillsets for broadcasting events in order to create quality virtual and hybrid events.” Jamie Koh, founder of Brass Lion Distillery, said, “For this event, we’ve …

As part of the trial project, SimplyGo is partnering with technology provider SITA. SITA’s advanced technology platforms and experience in border management, airport, and airline operations were crucial in distributing the SimplyGo platform across continents. For the first time, a small group of air travelers flying from Germany and Estonia to the United Arab Emirates has tested the health data platform and app SimplyGo in a live environment. Peter Bauer, founder of SimplyGo, said, “The trial demonstrated that SimplyGo technology supports travelers and airlines in adhering to health requirements and secure systems. The app is extremely simple for travelers to use. Just a few clicks and users securely store their COVID-19 test or vaccination information, making it accessible for airlines and border officials. There’s no paperwork or bar code at the check-in needed, all data is managed securely and highly protected from fraud. This trial is the first step in rolling out SimplyGo, to help restore confidence in air travel and to ensure a safer and more efficient air travel for all.” Jeremy Springall, Vice-President SITA AT BORDERS, said, “As the technology provider for the air transport industry we are working closely with governments, industry bodies, and border organizations globally to mitigate health risks of travel during the pandemic. SITA’s Health Protect ecosystem enables interoperability and acts as a bridge between health passport schemes, airlines, airports, and governments. It comprises a suite of solutions, including SITA Health ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), SITA APP, and SITA Flex for in-airport passenger flow monitoring. Selecting the right combination of products and integrating with a health pass system like SimplyGo, ensures governments are aware of who is intending to travel and their health status. …

Staytus announced Hotel Chat, the first chat platform built exclusively for hospitality. The web-based service is designed to connect guests and hotels before, during and after the stay. Publicly accessible by all guests regardless of their personal messaging preferences, Hotel Chat is free of charge for hotels to use. Hotel Chat bridges the gap between guests’ demands for contactless interactions and hotels’ need for a simple, secure means of managing communications and delivering service digitally. From the hotel side, messages are received on a purpose-built platform designed for service. Messages can be viewed by an unlimited number of staff users. Staff can respond to guests in their native language and collaborate internally for a faster response. Hotel Chat also provides a secure, GDPR-compliant environment and no data is stored on staff mobile devices. This avoids potentially compromising guest data when using personal messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Messenger. “Our team loves the capabilities of Hotel Chat, which speed up communication between departments, help reduce workload, and also generate more guest engagement and guest satisfaction,” said Olivier Lenoir, General Manager, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. “More and more guests prefer to chat with their hotel. This growth trend started even before the pandemic,” said Troy Simoni, CEO, Staytus. “It’s about convenience and service. Excellent service is fast and personal, but doesn’t always need to be face-to-face anymore. People want to chat with real humans, not chatbots, and they want quick answers. These trends helped us design Hotel Chat. It’s made to be the world’s best chat platform for hotels and guests.”