The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Middle East (HSMAI ME) is bringing back its high-impact ROC ME Commercial Strategy Conference for its sixth annual congregation. Held on November 28 and 29, 2023, at the Conrad Dubai Hotel, this exclusive event brings together the brightest minds in the Middle East hospitality industry to provide an unrivalled platform for knowledge sharing and network building. Under the banner of Connect, Evolve and Lead, this year’s must-visit event will harness the knowledge and expertise of the region’s hospitality leaders while also shining a spotlight on the industry’s future frontrunners, inviting you to meet and mingle with the hoteliers of today and tomorrow in a dynamic and enlightening format. Attendees at this year’s conference will have the chance to hear from the top industry thought-leaders, game-changers, motivational speakers, innovators and disruptors, who will take to the stage to host informative and inspirational talks. Dedicated sessions will focus on collaboration and innovation, including how to ensure Marketing, Sales & Revenue Management relationships work hand-in-hand. Attendees will also discover the latest tools and metrics to help implement their strategies, and have the chance to measure their current strategies to ensure they align with global benchmarks and ever-evolving market trends. Over the course of the two days, participants will have the opportunity broaden their network by engaging with exceptional leaders and hoteliers, HSMAI ROC Middle East’s Advisory Board members, General Managers, Marketers, Operations, Sales, and Revenue Management teams. As the only Commercial Strategy Conference for the industry in the Middle East, the ROC ME Commercial Strategy Conference leads the way for education, insights, connections, and inspiration – with curated events created by hoteliers for hoteliers. HSMAI Middle …

Dubai Airports is working with its key service partners to ensure that pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage have a smooth and seamless start to their journey at Dubai International (DXB). Saudia will be operating the first official Hajj flight from DXB Terminal 1 on June 22. As part of the steps taken by Dubai Airports to improve operational efficiency and maintain service levels from the kerb to the boarding gates during the Hajj season, dedicated counters have been allocated at check-in, passport control and security. Special departure gates have also been arranged for accommodating Hajj flights. Mohammed Al Marzouqi, Head of Hajj Committee at Dubai airport, urged all travellers to arrive at Dubai International (DXB) four hours before their scheduled flight departure to complete all travel procedures comfortably. In addition, he advised Hajj travellers to ensure the validity of all their travel documents, including passport, Emirates ID, and Hajj permit prior to arriving at the airport.   “It will get quite busy in the coming weeks as the Hajj season coincides with the summer travel peak, but the teams at DXB have completed the necessary planning and preparation to meet and exceed the expectations of our guests. We are ready to give the Hajj pilgrims a special welcome this year”, he said. While Dubai Airports is working closely with airlines, control authorities, and commercial and service partners to make the airport experience seamless, travellers can follow a few simple tips to smoothen their journey through the airport. Be aware of the latest travel regulations and ensure that you have all the necessary documents with the required validity before reaching the airport. For those travelling with …

Jordan welcomed 4.6 million tourists in 2022, close to the 4.8 million recorded in 2019, with receipts from tourism totaling US$5.8 billion for the year. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein to congratulate him on the “rapid and remarkable” recovery of Jordanian tourism. The Secretary-General also commended the strong support shown to tourism by the Jordanian Royal Family and the Government, including for ongoing work to diversify the sector.

“We anticipate that guests from the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman will be exploring the multiple trip potential to the UK that the new ETA offers over the course of two years for just 10 gbp. With our recent extensive renovation and extremely flexible room spaces which cater to large families and multi-generational travel, not to mention our larger-than-average suites which exist in their own boutique hotel experience – we are ready to re-welcome those GCC travellers who are looking for to make us their home away from home on multiple trips to the UK,” comments Bill Fisher, general manager, Hilton London Metropole;  the largest Hilton property in the UK (second largest worldwide). Hilton London Metropole has welcomed the UK Government announcement this week regarding a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme which will roll out at the end of 2023 and early 2024. The new ETA will allow multiple trips to the UK across two years for just 10GBP. “We’re delighted about the recent announcement from the UK Government regarding the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for many of our key target markets in the Middle East which will come into play in early 2024; and for Qatari travellers at the end of this year. The new scheme will make it even easier for GCC travellers to visit the UK. Having recently undergone an extensive multi-million-pound revamp which was completed with the GCC traveller in mind, the central-London located property has 16 Executive King Suites,  four Octogan Suites and an incredible three-bed penthouse which offers London skyline views, all existing within a boutique hotel set up but benefiting from large scale property services such as 24/7 …

Saudi announces new instant e-visa options that from today, will facilitate UK, US, and Schengen visas holders, as well as permanent residents of UK, US, and any EU country to obtain tourist e-visas to Saudi through www.mofa.gov.sa. Saudi has previously extended regulation to provide visas on arrival to the six categories, this is just the latest step as Saudi makes it easier than ever for visitors to experience the authentic home of Arabia and contribute to Saudi’s vision of reaching 100 million visits annually by 2030.  Since opening to tourism in 2019, Saudi has become one of the fastest-growing tourism markets globally, recording 93.5 million visits in 2022. This achievement is a result of the tremendous efforts of destinations across Saudi in providing visitors with unparalleled experiences and a seamless travel journey. Saudi Tourism Authority is accelerating efforts to make it easier for visitors from across the world to travel to Saudi. Through digitization, Saudi is increasing accessibility and connectivity, providing simplified entry routes to visitors, focused on enabling all travelers to enjoy our natural and cultural diversity. The new instant e-visa is among several initiatives that Saudi has launched over the past year to improve the visitor experience. In 2022, Saudi Tourism Authority launched the Nusuk platform in collaboration with the Pilgrim Experience Program. Nusuk, Saudi’s first ever official integrated digital platform, provides pilgrims and visitors an easy-to-use planning gateway for their journeys to Makkah, Madinah, and beyond. Saudi has previously extended regulation to provide visas on arrival to holders of valid US, UK, and Schengen visas as well as permanent residents of UK, US, and any EU country and e-visa eligibility was extended to residents of the GCC.  …

Emirates announced  that premium economy offering will be available to and from Mumbai and Bengaluru, starting 29 October. Emirates will operate its newly retrofitted flagship A380 aircraft to these two popular Indian points, featuring the new premium economy seats, as well as refreshed interiors that provide an elevated experience in all other cabin classes. Travellers flying on the Dubai-Mumbai route can book Emirates’ Premium Economy seats on EK500/501, while customers flying between Dubai and Bengaluru can book their flights on EK568/569 to enjoy the industry’s latest premium economy product with luxurious seats, more legroom, and an elevated dining experience. Seats can be booked immediately via emirates.com, Emirates sales offices and travel agencies, for travel from 29 October. Emirates’ daily flights offering the Premium Economy experience to/ from Bengaluru and Mumbai will operate as follows: Dates Flight Departure  Arrival Aircraft type From 29 October EK500 (DXB/BOM) 21:50 02:15 (next day) A380 EK568 (DXB/BLR) 21:25 02:30 (next day) From 30 October EK501 (BOM/DXB) 04:15 06:05 EK569 (BLR/DXB) 04:30 07:10 *All times are local. As the roll out of the retrofitted and enhanced Emirates A380s featuring a four-class configuration picks up pace, Premium Economy will be deployed on flights to more global destinations. Premium Economy already features on flights to nine destinations globally, including US points New York JFK, San Francisco and Houston, in addition to London Heathrow, Sydney, Auckland, Christchurch, Melbourne and Singapore. Premium Economy cabins will also make their debut to Los Angeles in July, bringing the number of routes offering the distinctive product to 12 by the end of 2023. In addition to the introduction of Premium Economy on the retrofitted aircraft, customers across all cabins can enjoy the refreshed …

According to Skyscanner’s latest research, 87% of UAE travellers are planning to get away this anticipated Eid Al Adha holiday. Top 10 Searched Countries from the UAE for Eid Al Adha: UK, Philippines, India, Everywhere – According to Skyscanner’s latest survey, 55% of UAE travellers would like to travel somewhere they have never been before this Eid. (Everywhere search indicates that travellers don’t yet know where to go and are looking for inspiration and/or are being price conscious; this is a Skyscanner filter that orders destinations by cheapest price), Thailand, Italy, Turkey, USA, Indonesia and Maldives. Top 10 Searches (Cities) London, Manila, Bangkok, Colombo, Denpasar (Bali), Male, Istanbul, Rome, Tokyo and Singapore. Ayoub El Mamoun, Skyscanner Travel Expert said:  “In our latest polling, 65% of UAE travellers shared that price is very important factor in determining whether they would go on holiday during Eid al Adha. The good news is that even during busy periods like Eid or summer, which would normally be more expensive times to travel, prices are not rising on all routes, nor at the same rate, which means there are still competitive deals for travellers who remain flexible, are open to discovering new destinations and most importantly, know how to shop around and compare fares using sites like Skyscanner. As we approach Eid Al Adha, most travellers from the UAE are planning to travel with family (74%) and groups of friends (19%) during the public holiday, whilst the three most popular types of trips this Eid are visiting family and friends abroad, outdoor adventure, and relaxing beach getaways.”  

Radisson Hotel Group continues its ambitious growth in the region with the signing of seven new hotels, adding over 1,400 rooms to its MENA portfolio. The new hotels expand the Group’s brands, spanning from upscale to premium luxury lifestyle. The group will be expanding its resort presence in Casablanca and Saidia in Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and South Africa along with the Group’s first hotel openings in Reunion Island and Ghana. Elie Younes, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Development Officer at Radisson Hotel Group comments: “Thanks to the relevance of our brands and trust of our owners, we have a successful growth momentum in Africa thus far, this year. With the continent remaining a focus market for us, we are committed to further contribute to the African hospitality industry, providing more possibilities to our guests and employment opportunities to the local communities.’’

American Express announced that Kuwait’s low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways, now accepts American Express card payments. American Express Cardmembers now have greater payment choice and are able to use their American Express Cards with Jazeera, which operates a robust network spanning 66 destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Central and South Asia as well as Africa. “We are thrilled to be working with Jazeera Airways, increasing our range of accepted payment methods and adding value to our Cardmembers,” said Rasheed Khuzam, Kuwait Country Manager, American Express Middle East. “As our network of airline partners continues to grow, we are committed to offering our members added convenience and accessibility, as well as the very best of travel options and experiences.” With the addition of Jazeera Airways, American Express Cardmembers will be able to use their American Express Card when booking flights on jazeeraairways.com or via the Jazeera app making it easier than ever to explore the world. Jazeera Airways has seen year-on-year growth, serving 3.58 million passengers in 2022 and is expected to reach 10 million by 2028. The airline’s steady expansion of routes has made it a popular choice for travelers seeking value flights and excellent service. Bharathan Ravindran, Vice President – Commercial, Jazeera Airways said “At Jazeera Airways we strive to offer the best customer experience for all our passengers. This includes a large variety of destinations, comfortable flights and great value add services. The Jazeera website and mobile application, ranked the no. 1 travel app in Kuwait, are the most popular and rewarding channels to book our flights. By accepting American Express payments, we aim to provide customers even greater payment choice.” The partnership will offer American Express Cardmembers …

The new national airline of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Air flew will make its public debut on June 19th at the 54th Paris Air Show as part of Riyadh Air’s first appearance to global audiences. A new chapter in air travel is taking the skies with the world class, digitally native airline “Riyadh Air”. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted aircraft with the modern and striking livery was revealed in Riyadh at King Khaled International Airport on June 12th marking a national celebration of the new carrier. The historical moment and ceremony were attended by highnesses, excellencies, and official dignitaries. The new airline will elevate the way the world travels with a new level of guest experience and technology that will pioneer the future of the travel industry. The brand identity of Riyadh Air reflects the modern and forward-thinking theme from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is inspired by the warmth and hospitality of the Kingdom and the vibrant lavender colors that carpet the desert in the spring, the beautiful livery is one of a series which will continue to push boundaries in aviation. It has been designed to incorporate visual references to the Kingdom and the city which include the sweeping curves of Arabic script with the global campaign tagline ‘The Future Takes Flight’. Riyadh Air will build connectivity from the capital city to over 100 destinations around the world due to its convenient location with over 60 per cent of the world’s population within eight hours flying time. The airline aims to be significantly innovative in providing travel services in the sector, while being instrumental in delivering the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the …