‎Qatar Airways announced it has signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement with Air Serbia, the flag carrier of Serbia, allowing passengers seamless travel to over 40 destinations when travelling on each other’s networks effective 01 February 2023. Qatar Airways currently operates five weekly flights between its hub in Doha, Qatar and Belgrade, the Serbian capital. The codeshare agreement opens up a host of new exciting destinations for its passengers to use a single booking to continue their journey to European countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia among others served by Air Serbia. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “This partnership will allow us to expand our footprint in the Central and Eastern European markets where we are looking forward to offering additional travel choices for our customers. We are extremely proud to unveil this partnership with Air Serbia, the leading airline in this region since it was founded in 1927 and we look forward to working effortlessly together.” From its hub at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Air Serbia serves more than 70 destinations in Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, Asia and Africa. As a part of this collaboration, Air Serbia will add its marketing code on Qatar Airways direct flights between Belgrade and Doha, as well as various points beyond Doha including Adelaide, Baku, Brisbane, Tbilisi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Muscat, Nairobi, Perth, Seychelles, Singapore and Sydney. Additionally, subject to obtaining all necessary government approvals and once all conditions are fulfilled, Air Serbia plans to extend its coverage to Bangkok, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Phuket, Seoul, Tokyo, Yerevan, Zanzibar and many more. Air Serbia, Chief Executive Officer, Jiří Marek, said: “It …

Emirates will ramp up frequencies to Hong Kong with a daily non-stop service from its Dubai hub, starting from 29 March 2023, adding to its existing daily flight from Dubai to Hong Kong via Bangkok and increasing the airline’s operations in the market up to 14 weekly flights. The resumed service will provide more capacity, choice and flexibility for travellers, as the airline continues to expand its global operations in line with sustained demand for international travel. Operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft, Emirates’ flight EK380 will depart Dubai at 10:45hrs and arrive in Hong Kong at 22:00hrs. The return flight EK381 will depart from Hong Kong at 00:35hrs and arrive in Dubai at 05:00hrs. All times are local. By bringing back its Dubai-Hong Kong flight EK380/EK381, Emirates is responding to the growing demand on the route and offering travellers the choice to fly non-stop or break their journeys in Bangkok. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via travel agents. Travellers are also encouraged to check the latest entry requirements. As one of Emirates’ key Asian destinations, the airline reaffirms its commitment to supporting Hong Kong’s post-pandemic recovery, increasing capacity to serve travellers originating from Dubai or connecting in Dubai from other cities in its global network. Throughout the pandemic, Emirates has supported the market’s local community by maintaining the trade links between Hong Kong and other strategic markets within its network, successfully transporting imports and exports through its airfreight division, Emirates SkyCargo. Emirates also provides increased connectivity for travellers to additional destinations beyond Hong Kong through its interline agreements with Cathay Pacific and HongKong Airlines, among others. The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after …

SAUDIA participated in the second edition of the Saudi Design Festival (SDF) – an annual festival that aims to provide a platform to showcase local designers and talents- through “Design to Progress” panel discussion attended by HRH Princess Nourah Al-Faisal, Founder and CEO of Adhlal, and Group Chief Marketing Officer, Khaled Tash. The panel session witnessed the announcement of Adhlal as an “Advisory Partner” for SAUDIA to launch “SAUDIA Design Program” initiative. The initiative aims to create new opportunities for the Saudi design community to contribute to creating exceptional experiences for airline’s guests, and providing creative solutions to various challenges in the travel & tourism sector. The panel discussed several topics and highlighted the importance that SAUDIA places on creative designs, and its efforts to support all initiatives that would enable the creative and talented people in the Saudi community to help in providing exceptional experiences for SAUDIA’s guests that reflect the culture and values of the Kingdom. The collaboration between the two ends will result in developing and supporting the design sector and promote it as a means to inspiration and innovation. Khaled Tash also shed the light on the upcoming period which will witness the launch of “SAUDIA Design Program” initiative, demonstrating SAUDIA’s commitment to and ambassadorship of the Saudi design community, which in turn will contribute to developing design as a driving force in promoting the key values of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The first cycle of SAUDIA Design Program is expected to take place during Quarter 4, 2023. This initiative will provide opportunities for design students and professionals to contribute to providing inspiring solutions to various challenges in the travel industry. The second edition of …

Italian Cruise Ship, ‘Costa Toscana,’ the flagship vessel of Costa Cruises, has arrived to Doha Port today January 15, 2023, as a part of its first maiden tour of the Arabian Gulf. Offering 3 to 7-day cruise itineraries around the region, the ship can accommodate around 6,500 passengers and features its own waterpark, 13 swimming pools and hot tubs, 13 restaurants and 19 entertainment lounges.  Italian Cruise Ship, ‘Costa Toscana,’ the flagship vessel of Costa Cruises, has arrived to Doha Port today January 15, 2023, as a part of its first maiden tour of the Arabian Gulf. Offering 3 to 7-day cruise itineraries around the region, the ship can accommodate around 6,500 passengers and features its own waterpark, 13 swimming pools and hot tubs, 13 restaurants and 19 entertainment lounges. Costa Toscana makes its debut as part of Qatar Tourism’s 2022-2023 cruise season, which kicked off in December 2022 with the arrival of French cruise ship, ‘Le Bougainville,’ and runs to April 2023. The season will see a grand total of 58 world-class cruise ships and four cruise liner maiden calls make their way to Qatar. Commenting on this occasion, Maryam Saoud, Head of Tourism Product Support at Qatar Tourism, said: “Our cruise season is off to a solid start with the latest expansion in our portfolio of cruise liners a testimony to our growth and diversification. This is also an LNG-powered cruise ship to Qatar, which highlights our commitment to sustainability in the development of the cruise sector. We look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors and delighting them with the warmth, hospitality and range of experiences Qatar has to offer.” Qatar’s cruise sector, which was established in 2016, …

The educational trade visits, underway from 28 January, are a mix of three-to-five-day itineraries to destinations across England, Wales and Scotland, showcasing the latest tourism products to international buyers and that Britain is packed full of fresh and exciting experiences for visitors to come and enjoy right now. Buyers from 16 international markets are taking part in the educational visits including representatives from the UK’s three largest inbound markets the USA, France and Germany, as well as from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, India, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, South Korea and Spain. VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said: “We are delighted to be showcasing Britain to international buyers to drive bookings. From the beauty of our coast and countryside to the exciting variety of our cultural attractions to our world class dining and accommodation, buyers will experience first-hand the warmest of British welcomes and the outstanding and varied tourism products on offer.  Working with the international travel trade is crucial to ensuring they are ready to sell Britain, as well as to broadening travel itineraries, encouraging visitors to explore further and stay longer.” VisitBritain’s in-country teams have worked in partnership with destination management organisations and destination management companies across England, Scotland and Wales to develop itineraries tailored to each market. All itineraries include London before the buyers embark on visits to destinations including Manchester, Liverpool and the Lake District; Bath, Bristol and the Cotswolds; Newcastle and Northumberland; Cambridge; Somerset; the West Midlands; the English Wine Region; Edinburgh; Cardiff and other regions of Scotland and Wales. The hosted visits are part of the national tourism agency’s ‘Showcase Britain’ event, which gets underway with …

Etihad Airways is ramping up flights between Abu Dhabi and Jakarta from daily to double-daily. From 1 October 2023, business and leisure travellers can look forward to 14 weekly non-stop flights between Abu Dhabi and the Indonesian capital, providing more choice, flexibility and convenience. The flights will be operated using Etihad’s fleet of modern Boeing B787 and B777 aircraft, offering guests comfortable seats, personal inflight entertainment systems, and an award-winning and attentive service. “Etihad Airways is delighted to boost air connectivity between Abu Dhabi and Indonesia, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world,” said Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer at Etihad Airways. “Our new flight has been optimised to arrive in Abu Dhabi in the morning, giving travellers from Indonesia a head-start to explore the attractions of our vibrant capital city. “At the same time, our new service leverages our recently-expanded relationship with Garuda Indonesia to make it even more convenient for UAE residents to visit Jakarta, or one of 20 other destinations throughout Indonesia.” The strengthened air links will support the growth of trade and tourism on both sides and reaffirm Etihad’s commitment to supporting inbound tourism. Abu Dhabi offers visitors an abundance of things to do, from family days out at modern museums and theme parks such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi to beautiful golden beaches and unforgettable desert experiences. Home to over 10 million people and the largest city in Southeast Asia, Jakarta is a bustling metropolis that provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy Indonesia’s rich history, culture and nature.

German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable tourism offerings to travellers, encouraging eco-conscious travel expeditions, thriving towards strengthening intercultural understanding, supporting regional businesses and conserving natural resources. According to an analysis by IPK International, around 80 per cent of international travellers are conscious about sustainability, climate and environmental protection and around 40 per cent seek cost-effective offers specially when it comes to their stays. In addition, a strong 90 per cent of those surveyed also have a strong desire to combine a city trip with a stay in a rural region; they extend the length of their stay that contributes towards reducing the CO₂ footprint. “As a tourist board, we continuously share the latest data with service providers, from customer groups to be addressed, to trends in the choice of transport; these are crucial fundamentals for travel providers,” said Petra Hedorfer, CEO, German National Tourist Board (GNTB). “The continuous exchange of best practices is also extremely important in a transformation, so that travel providers can make faster progress together – we, as a Tourist Board, act as a networking and knowledge platform to accelerate these eco-conscious transformations,” she added further. “We welcome travellers to experience Germany and explore its wide range of attractions that are not only exciting but are also environmentally friendly. We thrive in the narrative ‘Germany Simply Inspiring’, which was launched in 2017 and aims to promote the country’s positive image among a global audience,” said Yamina Sofo, Director at the Dubai-based German National Tourist Office (GNTO). GCC travellers can enjoy Germany’s plethora of sustainable offerings, including affordable public transport options, green architecture, and sprawling parks. ‘Feel Good’, one of the campaigns …

Emirates announced that it will reintroduce its flagship A380 to Casablanca as part of the airline’s ramp up of operations to Morocco. Starting from 15 April, the airline will replace the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft currently used between Dubai and Casablanca with its flagship A380 to meet growing demand on the route. The A380 service, operating as EK751 departs from Dubai at 0730hrs, arriving in Casablanca at 1255hrs. EK 752 departs from Casablanca at 1445hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0115hrs the following day. The enhancement of capacity between Casablanca and Dubai will offer leisure and business travellers more opportunities to connect to Dubai and beyond to cities across the Middle East and GCC, Europe, the Americas and West Asia. The flagship A380’s deployment to Morocco is also a testament of the airline’s commitment to support inbound visitor arrivals as the country double downs its efforts to reinvigorate its tourism industry. Last year, Emirates enhanced its partnership with Royal Air Maroc to a codeshare, providing more travel options and connection choices for customers of both airlines between Dubai and Casablanca, and beyond. Casablanca is a popular leisure destination on Emirates’ global network, and demand on the route has seen steady growth since being launched in March 2002. The airline has been operating to Morocco for over 20 years, and has carried more than 3.5 million passengers on the route. The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after by travellers, with the spacious double-decked aircraft offering 14 First Class suites and 76 lie-flat seats in Business Class, as well as 401 generously pitched seats in Economy Class. Customers travelling to and from Casablanca can look forward to enjoying Emirates’ spacious and comfortable cabins, …

Dubai has been crowned the No.1 global destination in the TripadvisorⓇ Travellers’ Choice Awards for a second successive year, consolidating its position as the world’s favourite tourist destination. The recognition supports the goal of the recently launched Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to consolidate Dubai’s status as one of the world’s top three destinations for tourism and business. Dubai’s top international ranking was announced by TripadvisorⓇ, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, at its annual Travellers’ ChoiceⓇ Best of the Best Destination Awards 2023. The back-to-back global seals of approval underscore the significant efforts to bolster the city’s vibrant economy and tourism ecosystem as it seeks to deliver the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the world’s most visited and liveable city. Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award winners are uniquely chosen by millions of travellers from around the world, who provide their real and unbiased reviews or opinions on destinations, activities and experiences.  The quality and quantity of independent destination reviews and ratings from travellers covered a period of 12 months from 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2022. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai commented: “The top ranking by global travellers reflects the vision of the leadership to transform Dubai into the world’s top destination for tourism and business, as embodied by a key goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. The Agenda’s objective of consolidating Dubai’s status as one of world’s top three cities for tourism and business signifies the leadership’s determination to mark Dubai out …

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Atlantic Coast Hospitality, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based real estate development firm Q Holding, announce plans for the upcoming Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr, anticipated to open in 2023. Kasr Al Bahr, meaning “castle of the sea,” was built as a sprawling royal summer palace in the 19th century, later becoming a military hospital prior to closing in 1999. Following extensive renovations of the five-hectare (12-acre) cliffside retreat, Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr will usher in a new era for the historic property with 204 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. “As Four Seasons continues to grow its presence in Morocco, we are proud to build upon the success of our existing properties in Marrakech and Casablanca while introducing a complementary experience, this time in the nation’s capital city,” says Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development and Portfolio Management, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “We are honoured that our partners at Atlantic Coast Hospitality have chosen Four Seasons as the stewards of Kasr Al Bahr, and we look forward to introducing guests to this dynamic destination through a new luxury hospitality experience marked by our renowned personalized service and quality excellence.” Rabat, Morocco’s capital city, is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and effortlessly blends the treasures of its past with dynamic offerings for the modern luxury traveller. The city holds a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation and is often known for its historic landmarks reflecting its past French and longstanding Islamic influences such as the Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Oudayas. Visitors will also enjoy the city’s coastal setting with …