H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy met with Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UNWTO, explored the means to enhance cooperation between the UAE and the Organization to support and further develop the country’s tourism sector and promote its sustainable growth. During the meeting, H.E. Bin Touq highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership between the UAE and UNWTO, as reflected by an array of joint innovative initiatives such as the “Innovation & Digitization in Tourism” forum hosted by the UAE in 2022. It discussed future trends to enhance the sector’s contribution to the growth of regional and global economies, in addition to discussing the Tourism Satellite Account project, which aims to strengthen the statistical system of the UAE tourism sector through training and qualifying nationals to work in this sector. He indicated the necessity to further develop this partnership to build a sustainable tourism sector with many promising opportunities, and bolster the UAE’s efforts to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development goals in line with the “We the UAE 2031” vision. The two sides agreed to continue cooperation by launching innovative initiatives that contribute to supporting the UAE’s leadership in tourism sector, and equipping professionals in this sector with the latest expertise in accordance with international best practices. The meetings saw H.E. Bin Touq, who also heads the Emirates Tourism Council, elaborate on the objectives of the UAE’s National Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to raise the country’s position as the best tourism identity in the world, and consolidate its position as a leading tourism destination. It also aims to increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the UAE economy’s GDP to AED 450 billion by 2031, in addition to …

As travel picks up once again around the world. Wego provides a detailed report on Egypt’s top flight destinations for domestic and international travel in 2023. According to Wego’s 2023 data so far, Kuwait and Jeddah are highly favored by Egyptian travelers as top international destinations due to convenient accessibility and wide range of attractions. Following these two cities are Dubai, Doha, and Muscat. On the domestic front, Cairo takes the lead as the most popular choice even for local tourists. Along with Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Aswan, and Luxor also captivate Egyptian travelers with their unique characteristics. During the ongoing changes within the travel industry, Wego’s core mission is to assist Egyptian travelers in uncovering their preferred destinations, offering a streamlined booking process for flights and accommodations to ensure an exceptional travel experience. With a wide range of flight options at their disposal, those with a passion for global exploration will find countless opportunities in 2023.    

Germany has witnessed a considerable surge in tourism from GCC countries, recording a remarkable 40.9 per cent increase in overnight stays during the first half of 2023 compared to the same period 12 months prior. Further, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) revealed a huge 593 per cent rise in visits by Gulf nationals in H1 2023 compared to the same period in 2021, underscoring the enormous post-pandemic recovery the country has undertaken. And while overall figures are still 10.3 per cent lower than the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, a 40.9 per cent increase from 2022 is stark evidence of the country’s enduring appeal. Additionally, with GCC providing 478,715 overnight stays in H1 2023, compared to 338,000 in H1 2022 and just 81,000 in H1 2021, the GCC region has established itself as the third-largest Asian source market for inbound tourism to Germany. Yamina Sofo, Director at the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), said: “The GCC stands out as one of the top Asian source markets, showcasing a strong increase in travel interest due to recent successful campaigns by GNTB. Both longstanding and first-time travellers are increasingly eager to explore everything that Germany has to offer.” To sustain this positive momentum, GNTB recently reintroduced its ‘Simply Feel Good’ campaign last month, providing valuable tips on eco-friendly initiatives to reduce carbon footprints during travels. This campaign aligns with the demands of conscientious travellers, emphasising Germany’s commitment to environmentally conscious travel experiences. In tandem, the ‘Embrace German Nature’ campaign, running across the GCC since March, has heightened awareness of Germany’s diverse natural wonders. From protected landscapes and cycling trails to rejuvenating spas and much more, the campaign resonated with GCC travellers seeking …

TravelGenius Pte Ltd announced the launch of Geni-us, a powerful travel search engine which delivers meaningful, relevant, and personalised travel recommendations and itineraries based on the travellers’ desired experience. The map-based travel planning and discovery platform uses a revolutionary technology understanding travel intent, with a natural language free form search, answering all travellers needs in a single search and locating the best area to stay at. Acting as the users’ local travel agent, Geni-us.ai, currently launched in Beta version, offers a stress-free way for users to turn all their travel desires into memorable experiences, at a click. Following the recent launch of SpotQuest, the leading location intelligence platform for hospitality businesses, TravelGenius is ushering in a new era of human-centric innovation for the travel industry. Leveraging cutting-edge Voice and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies, as well as advanced mapping capabilities, TravelGenius offers a dedicated location intelligence platform tailored to the unique needs of the hospitality and travel sector. With access to meticulously curated proprietary data, TravelGenius enables location classification at granular levels, right down to streets and neighbourhoods. This all-encompassing platform is a one-stop solution catering to the diverse needs of travel businesses, consultancies, hotels, restaurants, travellers, and destinations alike, offering a transformative approach to the world of travel. Pioneering this game-changing solution for the travel industry, Hannes Bos, the Founder of TravelGenius, is a hospitality professional with over two decades of industry leadership. Understanding the travel industry challenges, Hannes has always wanted to simplify how people work in the industry, and how travellers can plan for their trip and make the best out of their stay. “Over the last twenty years, the online travel industry has not been able …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Microsoft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at GITEX Global 2023. The alliance enables innovation in key areas such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing and brings together both organisations’ capabilities and resources to enhance the tourist and cultural experience in Abu Dhabi. This engagement with Microsoft aligns with DCT Abu Dhabi’s objectives to drive digital transformation within the organisation, redefining the landscape of the culture and tourism industry in the emirate to positively impact visitors and residents. Activities under the MoU will also drive growth, foster innovation and enhance knowledge among DCT Abu Dhabi employees. The MoU spans across the optimisation, automation, and modernisation of IT and security infrastructure and will be enabled by Microsoft’s cloud computing platform Azure and cutting-edge security. The combination of the Microsoft Azure Intelligent Data Platform and Azure OpenAI Service will significantly improve operational insights, and the use of AI-powered Microsoft 365 tools will streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and elevate the overall service quality provided by DCT Abu Dhabi. HE Adnan Al Awadi, Support Services Executive Director at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Through our collaboration with Microsoft, we reaffirm our commitment to excellence through digital transformation as together we shape the future of work. In line with UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025, these efforts will contribute to elevating Abu Dhabi’s tourism and culture offerings and help meet the diverse needs of millions of tourists who visit from around the world each year. We are embarking on a journey to create a comprehensive digital ecosystem that connects and streamlines our network.” Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, said: …

SITA is helping Costa Cruises mitigate costly trip disruptions by providing accurate real-time flight updates via a cloud-based application equipped with an intuitive user interface, the operations team can link each flight to the associated vessel and the relevant booking codes. Costa Cruises, part of the Carnival Group, offers Fly & Cruise packages encompassing both dedicated charter flights and scheduled flights. The flight updates provided by SITA Flight Monitoring Solution will empower Costa Cruises’ Operations Control Center (OCC) to handle the embarkation and disembarkation process for Fly & Cruise guests more efficiently, as well as improve planning for crew movements and allocations. In the event of a cancelled or delayed flight, this continuously refreshed set of data becomes crucial for promptly arranging guest transfers to the next port of call, minimizing associated costs, avoiding inefficiencies, and ensuring a first-class guest experience. Similarly, disembarking guests at the right moment enables them to continue enjoying their time onboard the ship while allowing Costa Cruises to optimize airport transfers. The application leverages SITA Flight Global APIs and offers direct integration with the airlines to benefit from real-time updates, even for charter flights. Massimo Callegari, Director Guest & Corporate Travel Service at Costa Cruises, said: “At Costa, it was imperative to find a supplier that could offer accurate and timely flight updates through a cloud-based solution featuring a user-friendly interface and direct integration with the charter airlines. Significant operational challenges are shared between cruise companies and airlines, and, with its strong footprint in the air transport industry, SITA clearly understands how they could help us enhance the management of our Fly & Cruise operations.” Sergio Colella, President for Europe at SITA, said: “The world …

At the recently concluded TravelTech ME with TravTalkME as media partner the travel experts from various travel agencies, tourism boards, travel technology and metasearch companies etc shared some very important aspects in terms of the future of the travel and tourism sectors. Daniel Rosado, Director Spain Tourism GCC shared, “during travel tech we had the chance to discuss and learn about the new trends, challenges and solutions on the travel sector related to technology, where experts from different companies enlighten the attendees. But also, amongst the topics we discussed some other issues on a more general approach in order to give the frame and set the tone of the current situation of the region where these technologies are applied. We highlighted the importance of tourism in the region, with UAE and Saudi leading the way. We analysed the latest data and figures trying to understand where the near future will take us. Regarding the outbound market we also saw that its growing at a steady pace and travel to countries such as Spain has experienced an impressive growth.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the upcoming change in the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) Remittance Frequency for IATA accredited agencies from fortnightly to weekly effective January 1, 2024. This change will impact the following BSP Gulf countries: Oman, UAE and Bahrain. The changes, including remittance and settlement dates, will be reflected in the calendar application on the IATA Customer Portal before January 2024. “IATA is committed to supporting the travel agency community during this transition. The change has been communicated to all agencies and the 2024 remittance calendar will be made available by the end of the year to enable them to prepare accordingly,” said Mr. Khaled Al-Eisawi, Area Manager Gulf and Near East at IATA. “The change means that IATA will be billing travel agencies for their airline sales on weekly basis and the travel agencies will be settling their dues to IATA within a week of receiving their invoices.  As the association representing travel and tour agencies in Dubai, we encourage our member agents and corporate customers to take the necessary measures and adjust their billing and payment schedules to effectively manage the impact of this change,” said Mr. Asim Arshad, President DTTAG. IATA remains committed to the facilitation of financial settlement between IATA accredited agents and member airlines under the Passenger Agency Program umbrella.

Cozmo Travel announced the inauguration of its office in Muscat, complementing the existing operations in Salalah. The new office in Muscat has been meticulously designed to serve as a convenient and accessible point of contact for clients, offering a comprehensive array of travel services, including flights, accommodation, holiday packages, visa assistance, and more. Jamal Abdulnazar, CEO of Cozmo Travel, expressed his enthusiasm for this new expansion, stating, “Our objective is to empower individuals and families to turn their travel dreams into reality. The inauguration of our new office in Al Khuwair, Muscat, underscores our unwavering commitment to providing convenient access to expert travel advice and services. We aspire to be the preferred choice for anyone seeking extraordinary travel experiences. Additionally, Cozmo Travel also is a partner of Visit Oman, a subsidiary of Omran Group and the national travel operator of Oman via an MOU signed in Dubai during ATM 2023 with the aim of promoting and developing Inbound tourism within various segments of tourists into Oman from all 11 countries within the Cozmo countries and our partners globally in over 90 countries. With the establishment of this new office, Cozmo Travel continues to make significant strides in revolutionizing travel experiences, ensuring that every journey transcends mere travel and becomes a memorable adventure. Operating across more than 70 branches in 11 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Armenia, and India, Cozmo Travel has a dedicated team of over a thousand employees. The company is committed to expanding its team’s reach and services, catering to the diverse travel requirements of individuals and corporate entities. The inaugural ceremony was graced by the presence of His Excellency …

Wego reveals the trending international and domestic destinations for travelers from key countries in the region. As more avid globetrotters are taking to the skies this year and travelers from Saudi are no exception. Wego data found that Cairo, Istanbul, Dubai, Jakarta, and Lahore take the lead as the most popular international destinations from Saudi Arabia in 2023 so far. On the domestic front, Saudi travelers are rediscovering the beauty of their own country. Jeddah leads the way, followed by Riyadh, Dammam, Abha, and Medina. These international and domestic destinations offer a wealth of experiences for Saudi travelers. Whether exploring the treasures of Cairo or enjoying the coastal beauty of Jeddah, each destination has its unique charm. Wego remains committed to helping Saudi travelers discover their dream destinations, providing a seamless booking experience for flights and accommodations. With thousands of flight routes available, the possibilities are boundless for those eager to explore the world in 2023 and beyond. Airplanes leaving and returning to Kuwait once again adorn the nation’s sky as Kuwait travelers are eager to explore the world. Where are most of them travelling to this year? Wego has the answer as our data will reveal the most popular international destinations from Kuwait in 2023 so far. Topping the list of international destinations for Kuwait travelers is Cairo, immediately followed by Istanbul, Amman, Chennai, and Jeddah. All of these destinations offer a blend of modern and historical charms that appeal to Kuwaiti travelers. Wego remains committed to be the go-to travel site and app for Kuwait travelers, as well as the primary source of trip information ensuring that every journey is as memorable as the previous ones. Global travel …