Speaking with TravTalk Middle East, Maher Azizia, Managing Director STM Tours shared that their main focus was the expat market in the UAE. STM Tours is a leading travel company specialising in fixed departure tours for groups and individuals travelling from the GCC and the USA to Central Europe and now branching out to the Southeast Asian market too. Azizia explained that the main idea to attend ITB Asia was to find out destinations which will offer different and unique experiences for his clients based out of the UAE especially. “We can cater to a minimum of two persons as we ensure that we provide high-quality, hassle-free journeys that combine the best of culture, history, and leisure. We focus on the expats of the UAE as they prefer to spend on their holidays which will bring them personalised and unique experiences and we provide this every step of the way.”

At ITB Asia, one of the most interesting sessions was the Fireside Chat titled, “curating exceptional incentive travel experiences – insights from a planner’s perspective. Alexis Lhoyer – Co-Founder and CEO Asia for Chab Agency shared that there are four key trends which will be seen next year. Hyperpersonalisation, the need to look for authentic experiences, sustainability and technology will be some of the main trends shared by Lhoyer on stage. He further reiterated that this trend is not just in Asia but even in the Middle East. Diana Sani – Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Chab Agency shared that technology today is not going to reduce the jobs but increase our time and make it more efficient to use as the human touch is of utmost importance when it comes to incentive travel planning.

HBX Group launched its Marketing Suite, a combination of marketing services designed to inspire, convert, and drive growth in the travel space. With this launch, HBX Group aspires to become the primary retail media network within the travel industry, serving as a point of reference for hotels, DMOs, airlines, mobility providers and any business seeking to engage with travellers and travel distributors. HBX Group Marketing Suite is composed of two key solutions: Travel Media Solutions and a Digital Marketing Agency. HBX Group’s Travel Media Solutions offers a suite of complete advertising products in an extensive network of hard-to-reach digital spaces, with the potential to reach over 50.000 travel agencies and 3.500 tour operators across 65 countries, as well as travellers from over 100 booking websites and strategic partners. These advertising solutions include digital banners on B2B and B2C websites, social media marketing, bespoke newsletters, email sponsorships, and landing pages. On the other hand, the Digital Marketing Agency is focused on tailor-made strategies developed by expert travel marketers to accelerate business growth within the B2C audience. Services include B2C digital campaign management, marketing advisory, insights, creative services, brand management, and more. HBX Group brings years of experience in the travel sector, giving the company a deep understanding of its unique needs and challenges. This knowledge allows HBX Group to design its services specifically to the demands of travel businesses, ensuring more effective and relevant marketing strategies. Its team of digital marketing experts, specialised in the travel industry, ensure that clients receive thorough, personalised support and guidance, from strategy development to execution and optimisation. The company also has access to the latest technologies to implement and refine marketing strategies. This includes advanced analytics, innovative advertising platforms, …

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) announced a groundbreaking partnership with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), expanding the business events sector at the 2025 edition of the exhibition. As the official Business Events Partner for ATM 2025, ICCA will lead sessions on the evolving landscape of global business events, including seminars focusing on the sector’s future and addressing key trends such as sustainability, digital transformation, and the integration of AI to enhance event experiences. Furthermore, ICCA will be responsible for facilitating the attendance of key international association buyers, showcasing the region’s diverse offer for event planners, and its capacity to attract large-scale congresses with the long-term outlook of contributing to the region’s economy and development. In addition, the Association will launch an exclusive government meeting ranking report at the show, providing critical data on the Middle East’s growing influence in the business events arena. The organisation has previously highlighted Dubai as the top city in the Middle East for association meetings in 2023 and Abu Dhabi in 2022. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Our partnership with ICCA reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional value to the business events sector, which has always been a cornerstone of ATM. We look forward to leveraging ICCA’s global network and insights to deliver unparalleled value to our exhibitors and attendees as we explore the future of business events, particularly in the rapidly expanding international market.” The latest insights from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) show a strong recovery in the business events sector. Business travel spending is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2024, reaching a record US$1.5 trillion. Dubai has already secured 175 international business events in …

Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Hilton have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will further enhance the destination’s visibility globally and support the hotel group with team member training and service optimisation. This new phase of their ongoing partnership is in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global city for business and leisure, underscoring the commitment of DET and Hilton to drive excellence across the tourism sector by creating outstanding experiences for visitors. Designed to establish a collaborative framework between the entities, the MoU will focus on joint marketing initiatives, including through advertising campaigns and social media, actively promoting Dubai as a premier destination. They will also roll out tourism products that highlight the city’s unique attractions, integrating these experiences into seasonal packages to provide visitors with authentic insights into the city. Furthermore, there will be opportunities to incorporate Dubai experiences into the Hilton Honors loyalty programme, which has more than 195 million members globally. Meanwhile, Hilton will be able to leverage DET’s training and capacity building, offered through its Dubai College of Tourism, to enhance team member skills in areas such as customer service and cultural awareness, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services to visitors. The MoU was signed at DET’s headquarters by His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), part of DET, and Guy Hutchinson, President, Middle East & Africa at Hilton. His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Hilton has been a key part of Dubai’s tourism growth story over recent decades, contributing …

The official opening ceremony of the 17th edition of ITB Asia, Singapore was graced by Alvin Tan – Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth of Singapore, Mario Tobias- CEO Messe Berlin and David Ruetz – Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin, reported TravTalkME as media partner of the event. Bringing together over 85 tourism organisations and convention bureaus from across the globe, the 17th edition of ITB Asia promises to be the most expansive and diverse yet. The 3-in-1 show features a 75% increase in African exhibitors and 25% growth from Europe. This year, attendees will gain insights from 160 expert speakers and 100 sessions across three conference tracks, all centered on the theme “Innovating for Tomorrow: Strengthening Future Resilience in Travel and Tourism.” Co-located with MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia, ITB Asia, ‘Asia’s leading travel trade show’ opened its doors today at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Over the next three business days, travel industry professionals will be able to look forward to the largest and most diverse exhibition event and conference programme to date. Spanning across three massive halls, ITB Asia and MICE Show Asia will showcase a diverse range of exhibitors from destinations, attractions, airlines, hotels, cruises, and the MICE industry. Meanwhile, Travel Tech Asia will host the latest travel technology suppliers and startups in an additional hall dedicated to Travel Technology companies, displaying their most innovative tech solutions. With over 85 tourism organisations and convention bureaus, a 75% growth in African representation, and a 25% increase from Europe, the event will offer attendees unmatched opportunities to explore new markets, build partnerships, and gather key takeaways for business …

TravelAI.com confirmed that its applied use of AI is already delivering returns as it comes close to closing net revenues of USD 16 million for 2024 backed by a gross merchandise value (GMV) of USD 230 million. As the ‘proof of concept’ phase closes for the company, the medium-term aspiration is to become the primary AI-powered agent for travelers, managing the full journey from discovery to booking with precision and efficiency. To fulfill this plan TravelAI has appointed Ennea Capital Partners as its strategic advisor to help provide critical guidance with a focus on product development, go-to-market strategies, monetization, and the formulation of a Buy-&-Build strategy to help TravelAI scale its platform and achieve its medium-term vision of becoming the leading AI-powered travel agent. Founded in 2021, TravelAI.com operates a vast ecosystem of over 400 brands, all designed to serve high-intent travelers with personalized travel discovery solutions. By leveraging applied AI, TravelAI connects travelers with highly-relevant, tailored content, helping them find the perfect travel experiences. TravelAI’s platform already processes millions of visitors each month and facilitates thousands of bookings, optimizing demand for major travel seller partners such as Expedia, Vrbo, and Booking.com. The platform’s AI capabilities enable it to handle and scale billions of unique content segments, providing personalized experiences to travelers globally. “There’s a lot of industry talk and doubt about how and when we can actually turn AI into profits but we’ve discovered a model that actually works – and even more pleased to confirm that we’re on target for $16m USD in net revenue for this year with a gross merchandise value (GMV) of €230m USD. With the applied use of AI, we can offer travelers personalized …

Qatar Tourism, through the Service Excellence Academy, has launched a new training program titled ‘Qatar Ambassadors: The Road to Excellence’, which is being implemented in collaboration with the Police Officers Institute of the Ministry of Interior, with the aim of improving the visitor experience at all entry and exit ports by developing the skills and knowledge of port and passport officers. The first-of-its-kind training program lasted for three days and concluded with the handing over of 20 graduates certificates of completion on October 22 at the Civil Defense Officers Club. During the program, the important role of passport officers as “ambassadors of Qatar” who make first and last impressions that often last for visitors was recalled. Interns gain the experience and skills to deliver exceptional services and seamless experiences for all passengers. The program aims to enable officers to deal with diverse situations with professionalism, empathy and care, by enhancing their effective communication skills, emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity. The program includes five modules: the role of migration in the travel experience, mastering effective communication skills, striving for excellence, emotional intelligence, and Qatar ambassadors. Commenting on the training programme, Mr. Omar Al Jaber, Acting Head of Tourism Development, said: “The Qatar Ambassadors: The Road to Excellence programme is a joint effort and collaboration between Qatar Tourism’s Academy of Service Excellence and the Police Officers Institute to provide training for frontline workers dealing face-to-face with visitors to Qatar, as the first to receive visitors upon arrival in Qatar. The role they play in representing Qatar is vital to maintaining the mental image of our country in front of visitors. At Qatar Tourism, we are committed to achieving the highest standards of …

According to the latest report UAE travelers in 2025 would be maximizing their trips with all inclusive offers. All-inclusive resorts are far more than families looking for fun in the sun by the pool. Today’s all-inclusives are attracting Gen-Zers from across the world and similarly, UAE residents, who are looking for stress-free stays and a good deal. In the UAE, over 90% of travelers are likely to stay in an all-inclusive resort in 2025. 47% say their perception of all-inclusive hotels has changed for the better, and over half agree that an all-inclusive resort would be their preferred hotel choice. The top three reasons Gen Z globally is embracing their All-Inclusive Era are minimal stress (41%), ease of booking (39%), and because staying at all-inclusive hotels feels luxurious (38%).

Wego revealed data on the most popular destinations favored by Kuwait travelers this year and they include Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, the Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. Wego observes that Kuwaiti travelers continue to favor these same countries throughout the year for homecoming and holiday trips. Wego’s experts further forecast that this lineup will likely remain unchanged for the remainder of 2024. This steady preference is driven by several factors, including strong family ties, affordable travel options, and a familiarity with the destinations. Traveler dynamics Wego data reveals that a substantial 75% of bookings were made by solo travelers.  This trend could be driven by factors such as solo business trips, personal leisure travel, or flexible schedules that allow individuals to explore destinations on their own terms. Meanwhile, couples and families accounted for 20% of the travel bookings, highlighting varied travel dynamics within the Kuwaiti population. The remaining percentage is made up of group travel bookings. These varied travel dynamics reflect the diverse preferences within the Kuwaiti population, from independent adventurers to those seeking experiences with loved ones. Cultural familiarity boosts popularity of some destinations Further analysis by Wego indicates that cultural familiarity plays a pivotal role in destination choice. Destinations such as Georgia and Azerbaijan in Europe, along with Indonesia and Malaysia in Southeast Asia, feature prominently on the list of most-searched destinations this year. These places are noted to offer visa-free entry or easy online visa applications for Kuwaiti citizens, enhancing their appeal as hassle-free travel options. Healthy growth Mamoun Hmidan, Chief Business Officer of Wego, said: “We observe that the Kuwaiti travel market has seen a robust 14.69% year-over-year increase …