Bridgestone Middle East has joined forces with Nile Projects & Trading Company (NPTCO) to launch a new promotional campaign that will encourage more travellers to embark on exciting and safe road trips. The campaign, ‘Rediscover Egypt, Keep Exploring with Bridgestone,’ is also part of the company’s continuing efforts to innovate its customer engagement activities worldwide and keep pace with the market changes brought about by the current pandemic. The promo is open to all customers who will buy Bridgestone tires from the Jeep service stations of NPTCO. For every purchase of four Bridgestone tires, customers will be given a scratch card containing a range of major prizes – from Jeep mats and tire cover to Bluetooth headset – to make their vacation getaways not only more thrilling but safer as well. “Tires are critical to ensuring comfort, safety and fuel efficiency. Through this promo, we want to emphasize the importance of routinely checking and changing vehicle tires to ensure secure, happy and memorable road trips for your families and friends. Having reliable tires to accompany you in your road travel gives you peace of mind and confidence,” Stefano Sanchini, Regional Managing Director, Bridgestone MEA. “Global tourism remains restricted amid the still raging pandemic. While this is so, domestic travels offer us an alternative. This is the time to explore Egypt’s treasures anew while still following the basic precautionary measures. As you go on your road trips, let our tires take you around Egypt. Rediscover the country’s timeless, natural beauty, vibrant culture and rich traditions with Bridgestone tires while enjoying your prizes,” Stefano added.

Radisson Hotel Group has plans to more than double its serviced apartments portfolio within the next 5 years across EMEA. Today, serviced apartments represent around 10% of the Group’s EMEA portfolio with 45 properties and more than 5,400 units in operation and under development. Radisson Hotel Group operates its serviced apartments as a stand-alone or a mixed-use development in combination with a traditional hotel operation. Serviced apartments will be developed as a brand extension of the existing Radisson Hotel Group’s brand portfolio to cater to the different segments from midscale to luxury. Elie Younes, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer Radisson Hotel Group said, “For many years we have explored the strong demand for serviced apartments and extended stay products by recognizing it as an attractive risk-adjusted investment proposition that has considerable growth potential. Given its relevance to the current economic climate, this value proposition has recently been further defined in our portfolio, offering a holistic concept with more opportunities for our investors and more possibilities for our guests.”

Travel Counsellors UAE has reported more new bookings were made throughout the month of November 2020 than in November 2019 with sales climbing to 114% of the figures achieved during the same period last year. Holly McCann, General Manager of Travel Counsellors UAE said, “The spike in sales is driven by Travel Counsellors customers pent up demand. Our top selling destination in November was The Maldives and the vast majority of those bookings are travelling within the next 4 weeks. This along with the continued trend towards residents enjoying staycations in the country means that we have seen our trading here very quickly bounce back to pre-covid levels.” Katie McMichael, Marketing Manager said, “The campaign reflects the feelings customers now have towards travel, with many seeing the new year as an opportunity to experience the bucket-list destinations they’ve always dreamed of, whilst others naturally remain cautious, preferring to travel closer to home and the short haul destinations featured on our 2021 list. The recurring theme, however, is the real requirement to book through an experienced travel professional, who will be available to handle any changes to travel arrangements throughout.” McCann added, “Leisure customers and corporate clients who have been unable to travel this year have witnessed first-hand how their Travel Counsellor has looked after every element of their trip, taken care of all amendments, and in many cases rebooked their well-earned break or business trip for a later date. They’ve seen the true value of being able to rely on real, personalised one-to-one advice, feel completely cared for and been able to take advantage of the knowledge base of a global community of nearly 2000 travel professionals, who have come …

Emirates is expecting more than 200,000 passengers to travel through Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport during the Christmas holiday period as UAE residents and citizens head home or abroad, according to the airline’s latest booking figures. The busiest day for the airline will be on Friday December 11, although high passenger traffic is expected to start today, and will run through December 21. In addition, more than 200,000 passengers will be arriving into Dubai on Emirates flights during that same period.Customers are reminded to check the latest travel requirements to their booked destination, and to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight departure. Passengers are encouraged to build in extra time in their journey to avoid delays with expected traffic congestion coming into Terminal 3. Passengers physically checking in at the airport are requested to check in no later than 3 hours prior to departure, regardless of class of travel. Customers who present themselves less than 60 minutes prior to their scheduled flight departure will not be accepted for travel. They can also check in online 48 hours to 90 minutes before flight departure. Those who opt to check-in online are reminded to visit the Emirates check-in counters at the airport to collect their boarding pass and to verify travel documents required for each destination country. Customers are also urged to use the convenient self check-in and bag drop kiosks for a more seamless airport experience. The service is available to all destinations except to the US, Canada, China, India and Hong Kong due to additional requirements from these destinations. The 32 new self-service bag drop machines and 16 self-service kiosks complement the desks manned …

Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Middle East (HSMAI) hosted its inaugural Revenue Optimization Conference (ROC) Middle East as a true hybrid event, focused on Staying Connected, Staying Informed and Staying Relevant amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic. Attended by a combination of 300 virtual and in-person guests at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City Hotel, the event was held in accordance with all required safety and social distancing measures in place.  Opened by HSMAI Managing Director, Mona Faraj who handed over to HSMAI President & CEO, Bob Gilbert joining virtually from the US, thanks to the great technology of Maze FX . A line-up of 53 global speakers, including representatives from Dubai Tourism, Accor, Jumeirah, Hilton, Kempinski, IHG, Shangri La, Minor, Barcelo and many more addressing attendees on how to lead the hospitality industry to resume business activities, re-connect again, and exchange best practices. Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, was this year’s opening keynote speaker. Highlighting how the Covid-19 has demonstrated the hospitality industry’s resilience, its ability to pivot and the embedding of new best practices, Kazim also discussed the evolution of the city’s global marketing efforts through recent months, including the launch of the ‘Live Your Story’ campaign. “It has given us great honor that HSMAI ROC 2020 was the platform for the industry to be united together again and I am delighted at the attendance received today, both in person and virtually.  It is an endorsement of the mission that makes up the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International in the Middle East and the collaboration between the hospitality industry and its partners united towards one goal,” said Faraj.

Louvre Abu Dhabi and NYU Abu Dhabi saw the conclusion of Reframing Museums, the three-day virtual symposium. This first co-hosted virtual edition saw over 1,000 participants registered to hear from a diverse group of more than 70 speakers, moderators and facilitators from five continents, all gathered to address the current challenges and opportunities for arts and culture institutions the world over. With the symposium reaching capacity prior to the launch, free access to recordings of the sessions have been made available to the public, on both the Reframing Museums website and dedicated YouTube channel. Louvre Abu Dhabi and NYUAD also announced the publication of content from the symposium, by Akkadia Press, which will be available from next summer. HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “In Abu Dhabi and all over the world, this has been a year of physical separation, but happily in many other ways our global society has been brought closer together. We will only succeed in securing our future as a collective – in our shared wisdom, determination, and resilience – all reaffirmed by the many voices who joined us for this virtual symposium. This platform of open debate mirrors the message echoing through the halls of the world’s great museums and educational institutions: we must celebrate universality, and address what it means to truly accept and understand one another. “This symposium is not a one-time opportunity; arts and culture are at the centre of Abu Dhabi’s agenda, as we continually harness the power of culture to expand minds and hearts. Reframing Museums reflects our core values of openness and understanding, and we look forward to …

Seera Group signed an exclusive GCC partnership with Experience Hub, a subsidiary of Miral and the trade and promotion arm of Yas Island Abu Dhabi, one of the fastest growing leisure and entertainment destinations globally. The agreement will see the two entities work together to train Seera’s agents and sales associates on the iconic attractions in the UAE capital city and drive further visitations from Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A comprehensive calendar of virtual training activities has been lined-up to cover the various attractions on Yas Island Abu Dhabi, enabling Seera to promote these destinations further to its consumer travel customer base. Another initiative by Seera Group to foster strong industry linkages to support the recovery of the travel and tourism sector, the partnership is expected to drive stronger visitor footfalls to Abu Dhabi from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Muzzammil Ahussain, EVP of Consumer Travel at Seera Group, said, “Abu Dhabi is one of the fast-growing destinations of choice for visitors from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Through our partnership with Experience Hub, we are offering our sales associates and travel agents more insights into the diverse aspects of Yas Island. As we prepare for travel and tourism activity to reopen and flourish, such virtual training programmes will not only keep our teams motivated but also accelerate the sector’s growth.” Liam Findlay, General Manager of Experience Hub, said: “The GCC is a key source market for Yas Island and our first priority in welcoming back international visitors to the destination. Our aim at Experience Hub is to forge deeper relationships with our partners through collaboration and resource-sharing so that together we can rebuild consumer confidence and foster growth …

Dubai has emerged as a leading example of a city that is getting tourism back on track following its successful and gradual reopening of its borders and economy, industry experts said during a recent webinar hosted by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The webinar, titled Trust in Tourism 4.0: How Dubai Adapted to Welcome You Back, was organised by Dubai Chamber’s representative offices in Latin America, and joined by over 470 participants, including business leaders from the UAE and several Latin American countries, including Brazil, Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina, and Guatemala. H.E. IssamKazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing outlined several factors that ensured Dubai’s successful reopening, including the government’s proactive approach to ensuring the health and safety of citizens, residents and tourists, which included a comprehensive city-wide sanitation programme, close cooperation with the private sector and wider society. Kazim highlighted the New Dubai Assured Program, an award stamp issued by the government to businesses meeting high safety standards, as an effective tool in this regard, adding that Dubai Tourism maintained communication within key source markets throughout the year, keeping stakeholders informed of new developments as the emirates restarted business events and meetings. For his part, Omar Khan, Director of International Offices, Dubai Chamber noted that Dubai delivered on its promise to welcome international visitors, and offered participants insights on how the business landscape in the emirate has changed in the new normal. He revealed that a number of business and leisure events have already been hosted in Dubai, and said the return of GITEX Technology Week, the region’s largest technology exhibition, is a positive development signalling a recovery on the horizon. Khan pointed out that the …

Gulf Air is adding new capabilities in partnership with Amadeus, in addition to the distribution and loyalty technology it uses today, in order to better meet the needs of travellers. The sheer number of travel options and fares available can be overwhelming to consumers. That’s why Amadeus and Gulf Air have joined forces to help travellers and travel professionals more easily match the right product offer to the right customer. Amadeus Airline Fare Families enables airlines to showcase the full value of their travel offers, allowing travel professionals to easily view all possible options. This includes the details of services included in a fare or offered at a charge, as well as the applicable fare conditions. For travel retailers using Amadeus technology, a unique, proactive upgrade facility will help drive revenues for both the travel agency and Gulf Air and enable customers to enjoy the flexibility and comfort that is important to them. Vincent Coste, Chief Commercial Officer, Gulf Air, comments, “Our partnership with Amadeus is going from strength to strength. We are pleased to extend our existing cooperation to include Amadeus Airline Fare Families and Amadeus Rich Merchandising. We are proud of the products and service we provide, and this technology will enable us to better showcase our differentiated offer to our customers. As travelers return to the skies, we are confident that these technologies will help drive even greater customer satisfaction.” Maher Koubaa, Executive Vice President, Airlines, Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Amadeus adds, “Gulf Air is a valued and longstanding customer, and we already work closely on a number of strategic areas including distribution and customer loyalty. With so much choice and innovation taking place in the …

Arabian Travel Market (ATM), is expecting a huge influx of exhibitors and visitors from Israel and further afield, wanting to take full advantage of Israel’s participation in its first major travel event in the Middle East. ATM, which has already announced that the 2021 edition of its annual showcase, will take place live at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from May 16-19, has witnessed a massive spike, not only in enquiries from Israel, but from travel companies around the world that specialise in tours to that region. “Following the signing of the Israel–United Arab Emirates normalisation agreement, the Israel Ministry of Tourism is planning significant steps to promote Israel as a tourism destination in the UAE. This will include participating for the first time in the Arabian Travel Market with a large booth and a delegation of Israel tourism industry representatives, as well as attending high level conference sessions,” said Ksenia Kobiakov, Director of New Markets Development Department, Israel Ministry of Tourism. “The interest shown by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism as well as other travel professionals based in Israel and international operators specialising in tours to Israel, has been extraordinary. This is a brand new market for both inbound and outbound operators and will provide a much needed boost to regional and international travel,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. “However, it is not just about direct travel between Israel and UAE and Bahrain,” she added. “Due to the burgeoning international flight network between El Al, Emirates, flydubai, Etihad and Gulf Air, there will be massive potential for two-centre holidays or stopovers, either during inbound or outbound legs. “Indeed, according to the Israel Ministry of …