AlUla Moments announced the return of the much-anticipated AlUla Wellness Festival 2023, taking place from October 19th to November 04th. The two-weeks flagship festival is dedicated to promoting mind, body, and wellness and offers a diverse array of holistic workshops and activities inspired by AlUla’s rich historical and natural heritage. Featuring an extensive calendar of curated programs, this year’s edition will showcase a multitude of activities developed in collaboration with world-class industry leaders. The third edition of the AlUla Wellness Festival promises unparalleled holistic offerings, guiding participants and attendees towards physical, mental, and emotional balance and alignment. Boasting an extensive calendar of workshops, events, and engaging activations, this year’s festival assures an enriching experience through a journey of Wellness, Culture, Art, and Music. Commenting of the festival launch, Rami Al Mouallim, Vice President, Royal Commission of AlUla said: “Reflecting on the remarkable journey since the inception of the AlUla Wellness Festival grand opening in October 2020, we take immense pride in curating events that celebrate the beauty and essence of every season in AlUla. Today, AlUla stands as a refined and sophisticated destination, with an unrivaled blend of heritage, culture, arts, and adventure that captivates our visitors from all corners of the world.”

Marjan in Ras Al Khaimah announced the launch of a W Hotel on Al Marjan Island on the back of a collaboration between Marriott International, Inc., and Dalands Holding. Slated for a grand opening early 2027, W Al Marjan Island is poised to achieve a dual distinction, not only as Marriott International’s second hospitality venture on the island, but also as W Hotel’s first property in Ras Al Khaimah, bringing the brand’s bold design, outstanding service and always-on programming to the northern emirate. Destined to be located on Marjan’s flagship archipelago island, set against the picturesque backdrop of the Arabian Peninsula, and enclosed by the Yanas and Jais Mountains, W Al Marjan Island will further elevate the appeal of this thriving leisure destination to globetrotters. Featuring an inventory of 300 hotel rooms and suites with sweeping sea views, this magnificent property is also anticipated to include signature spaces such as the Living Room, WET deck, W Lounge, AWAY Spa, and FIT fitness centre along with three restaurants and retail spaces. While Ras Al Khaimah is fast emerging as the tourism hub in the region, the forthcoming inauguration of the first W Hotel represents a remarkable stride towards cementing its stance as a global investment and hospitality destination of choice. This impending addition signifies more than just a new luxury establishment; it’s a testament to the northern emirate’s unwavering dedication to curating exceptional experiences for the tourist community. Abdulla Al Abdouli, Chief Executive Officer, Marjan, said: “As Ras Al Khaimah rightfully solidifies its position on the global tourism landscape, we take pride in our significant contribution to enhancing its credibility and attractiveness among international investors. This commitment has led to a …

As part of its continuous endeavor to provide the best services to its valued customers and to facilitate communication with them, Kuwait Airways inaugurated its new Sales Office at the Sabah Al Salem area. The office timings for client services are from 9 AM until 4:30 PM, through the week, except for Fridays and Saturdays. Moreover, the working hours will be extended in the coming period, where the office is expected to provide services to more than 100 customers a day. The opening of this office will be followed by opening of the company’s Sales Offices in the Assima Mall and the Al Kout Mall.  The company will also be aiming to open a branch in the Jahra region soon. Along with the inauguration of the new office, Kuwait Airways organized the Customer Day initiative, which includes an initiative devised to closely identify the requirements of its customers, with the participation of the Executive Management and headed by Kuwait Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi. This initiative, which the company has organized for the first time this year, mainly aims to provide a tangible and unique experience for decision-makers from the Executive Management, to work side by side with the employees of the company’s various departments, and will include receiving customers at the Sabah Al Salem branch, coinciding with the opening the Sales Office. This will provide them with valuable experience to closely identify the needs of the largest customer base in Kuwait, follow up on their requests to evaluate their experience and strive towards reaching the best levels of service in accordance with the highest international standards. Kuwait Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways …

According to Saudi Press Agency, the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, King Khalid University, University of Tabuk, Batterjee Medical College, Prince Mohammed bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship, and several renowned international institutions in tourism education, has launched five specialized educational programs for master’s degrees and applied diplomas in the tourism and hospitality sectors. These programs aim to cater to the market demands for skilled professionals in different regions of the Kingdom. The Tourism Education Initiative, initiated by the Ministry of Tourism, aims to align with the increasing need for qualified personnel in the tourism and hospitality industry within the Kingdom. As part of the National Strategy of Tourism Development and the Saudi Vision 2030, the Ministry of Tourism plans to generate one million jobs in diverse tourism sectors by 2030.

Emirates will introduce a new complimentary bus service for its Economy Class passengers arriving in Tokyo-Haneda Airport, starting from 1 September. Emirates will be the only air carrier in Japan to offer a complimentary bus service from Haneda Airport to major train stations within Tokyo, guaranteeing seamless and efficient transport solution for the airline’s customers to two prominent drop-off locations – the iconic Tokyo Station (TYQ) at Marunouchi North Entrance and the bustling Shinagawa Station (SGS) at Konan Entrance bus stop no. 7. The new service will be available at Haneda Airport’s Terminal 3 Charter Bus Parking spot which is equipped with a three-letter IATA code, allowing passengers to seamlessly arrange their bookings all the way through their final stations. Bus number EK7034 departs from Haneda International Airport at 00:01hrs and arrive in Tokyo Station (TYQ) at 00:40hrs. Bus number EK7036 will depart from Haneda International Airport at 00:01hrs and arrive in Shinagawa Station (SGS) at 00:30hrs. All times are local. * The complimentary daily service offers convenient and efficient connectivity for Emirates’ passengers, as they make their way to central points within Tokyo in nearly 40 minutes or less. A seamless travel journey is further enhanced by thoughtful amenities including easily accessible onboard restrooms. * In rare cases of delayed flight arrival, the bus will wait until 1:00hrs local time the following day to accommodate the passengers and drop them off at the designated stations.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the 17th edition of Al Dhafra Festival is set to take place from 21 October 2023 to 8 February 2024 as part of the camel mazayna season in Abu Dhabi. The event will be held under the organisation of the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi in cooperation with Emirates Heritage Club. The festival comes as a continuation of the efforts of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support heritage preservation projects, promote and develop heritage festivals, enable camel owners to sustain the practice of breeding and caring for camels, and support falconry and purebred Arabian horses contests and other heritage competitions. These efforts have transformed Abu Dhabi into a unique model in the field of heritage festivals organisation. The festival highlights the role of camels in the culture and heritage of the UAE and the GCC countries through camel mazayna competitions held in Abu Dhabi for purebred breeds in the categories of Asayel, Majahim, Asayel hybrids and Wadh. The upcoming edition will include Sweihan mazayna, Razeen mazayna, Madinat Zayed mazayna and the concluding festival: Al Dhafra Festival. The 17th edition of Al Dhafra Festival is the largest since its inception in 2008, with organising committee assigning a total of 361 rounds for all the participating camel breeds – an increase of 35 rounds compared to the previous edition. Al Dhafra Festival aims to unify the standards, terms and conditions, and intensify efforts to achieve success in the mazayna competitions, expand participation of camel owners in the competitions, preserve the purebred camel breeds, boost camel trade, contribute to …

Oman News Agency shared that the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism organized a workshop on Global Distribution Systems (GDS) for reservations. The opening of the workshop was held under the patronage of Azzan Qassim Ali Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism. The workshop aims to propel the tourism industry in the Sultanate of Oman towards new horizons by increasing bookings in Omani hotels and enabling tourism establishments to leverage these systems in attracting a larger number of visitors to their facilities. GDS systems are central booking platforms that provide travel agents from various countries with real-time access to tourism services, such as flight and hotel rates, car rentals, and other essential traveler products. These systems serve as a crucial link between travel service providers (hotels) and reservation sources (travel agents), allowing them to efficiently manage bookings and distribute their offerings on a global scale. This workshop is part of the implementation of several initiatives and programmes aimed at promoting the Sultanate of Oman as a tourist destination while ensuring a prosperous future for the hotel sector in the country. The event brought together numerous hotel establishments in the Sultanate of Oman, with the presence of two major providers of Global Distribution Systems (GDS) services: Travelport and Amadeus. Representatives of these platforms had a unique opportunity to present their innovative solutions by facilitating direct communication between service providers and the hospitality sector in Oman across its various categories. The Ministry seeks to enhance Oman’s presence in the global tourism market and boost revenue flows in line with the Omani tourism strategy and comprehensive tourism development plan. In this regard, Haitham Al Ghassani, Director General of Tourism …

According to Oman News Agency the revenues of 3-5-star hotels in Oman stood at RO 122,530,000 as at the end of July 2023, up by 27.8% over the corresponding period in 2022. Statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) show that the total number of hotel guests grew by 25.8 percent to 1,098,157 by the end of July 2023, compared to 872,796 during the corresponding period in 2022. Hotel occupancy posted a growth of 10.3%. The number of Omani guests reached 411,551. Meanwhile, the number of guests form the GCC countries stood at 99,947, marking a rise of 19.1%. The number of the European guests also increased by 44.4% to stand at 259,649. The Americans were 33,420 were Americans (up by 3.3 percent), 6,365 were citizens from African countries (37 percent up), while the number of hotel guests from Asian countries stood at 163,779, marking an increase by 47.1 percent. The number of hotel guests from Oceania countries surged by 242.7 percent to 24,755.

The Finnish Border Guard has announced that Finns will be the first in the world to test digital travel documents starting from August 28 2023. According to the Border Guard, all Finns on Finnair’s flights who will be travelling to London, Manchester, and Edinburgh will be able to test the digital travel document. This means that they will have the chance to go through the controls faster without having to wait for a long period, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. “The Finnish Border Guard invites passengers on Finnair’s Great Britain flights to test their digital travel document at the border check at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport starting on August 28, 2023. Finnair customers on the London, Manchester and Edinburgh routes have the opportunity to go through the border control faster and more smoothly than usual without queuing,” the statement of the Finnish Border Guard reads. As explained, passengers will be able to go through faster procedures by registering as voluntary users of a digital travel document. Once they register, they will be able to use their digital document when travelling from and to Finland. However, it has been stressed that the document can only be tested at the Helsinki Airport. Those who register to the system will be able to test the digital travel document until the end of February 2024. The digital travel document, known as DTC (Digital Travel Credentials), is being tested for the first time in the world, as the Border Guard explains. DTC is a digital version of the physical passport, and it is just as reliable as the latter. “DTC is a digital version of a physical passport and is equally reliable. It enables a smooth and fast border crossing …

Statistics echo this sentiment, with ‘bleisure’ tourism accounting for 30-35% of the global business tourism market and boasting a staggering worth of $500 billion (Dh2 trillion) in 2022. The upward trajectory is set to keep rising, with a projected growth rate of 20% over the ensuing decade. As the corporate travel industry regains its stride post challenges, the concept of ‘bleisure’ tourism, a blend of business and leisure travel, is quickly positioning itself as not only popular but also economically prudent, reveals Musafir Business, the leading all-in-one corporate travel management platform in the region by musafir.com. Sachin Gadoya, CEO and Co-Founder of musafir.com and Musafir Business, offers insights, “Following the pandemic, the sphere of ‘bleisure’ travel is witnessing a significant upswing in the region, with nearly 20% of corporate travelers thoughtfully weaving leisure experiences into their business journeys. Projections indicate that this number is destined to rise further by 15% in the times ahead.” This dynamic shift is evident as individuals extending their business trips by 1-2 days for leisure, and vice versa, becomes increasingly common. Forecasts predict these trips will span more destinations, boasting longer durations. Larger international companies are quick to adopt this trend, while smaller-scale and local firms, which are not multinational corporations, may take more time to embrace it. The average ticket price for corporate travel within the GCC ranges from AED 3,500 to 4,000, and this trend is expected to continue through 2024. Amid the scorching summer heat, corporate travel primarily entails outbound trips from the UAE. Prominent business travel destinations like Europe, the USA, and South East Asia proficiently address the diverse demands of corporate globetrotters, with ticket prices ranging between AED 5,500 to …