According to Bahrain News Agency, HE Fatima Jaffar Al Sairafi Minister of Tourism Bahrain, shared, “the growth indicators achieved by the tourism sector over the past two years have exceeded the targets set in Bahrain’s tourism strategy 2022-2026.” She made the statement as she attended a work meeting which was held yesterday at the Exhibition World Bahrain to discuss the progress in implementing the tourism strategy 2022-2026, which is part of the economic recovery plan. The meeting was attended by Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Chairman Sameer Nasser, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Nasser Qaidi. HE Al Sairafi stressed the ministry’s commitment to strengthening partnership with all government agencies, representatives of the private sector, and tourism sector establishments, in implementing the strategy. “The success of this national strategy depends on the cooperation of all government and private institutions, given the importance of the tourism sector in creating opportunities, providing jobs and diversifying the sources of income and supporting Bahrain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), she said. She outlined pathways for implementing the tourism strategy, noting that the ministry and the authority are working with various stakeholders from the public and private sectors concerned with the tourism sector. She indicated the strategy includes four core pillars – “destinations”, enhancing Bahrain’s standing as a leading regional and international tourist destination through developing marine and sports tourism, revamping beaches, recreational facilities, infrastructure and cultural facilities, and organizing more events. The strategy also focuses on developing the airline network and facilitating visas and port procedures (arrival), extensive promotional campaigns at the regional and international level (marketing), and through increasing the …

JA Hatta Fort Hotel has announced the reopening of Terra Cabins, which is set to reopen on September 1. Guests can now book their stays at the hotel’s latest addition, which offer a unique experience of reconnecting with nature and exploring Hatta’s inherent beauty. Set among the rugged mountains of eastern United Arab Emirates. Following the success of Terra Cabins’ debut season, the hotel’s latest addition saw favourable occupancy rates and a strong demand from residents of the country. Amongst the charm of the outdoors and the captivating scenery surrounding the cabins, the upcoming relaunch will see additional advantages, allowing guests to indulge in conveniences like in-room dining with a newly launched menu. With striking exteriors and cosy interiors, Terra Cabins have been uniquely built to provide a hotel-like experience in a low-impact, environmentally friendly fashion. While Terra Cabins deliver on the environmental front, they also offer plenty with regards to guest pleasure and comfort. The airy cabins welcome natural daylight, with windows that give way to stunning alpine views. Additional cabin amenities include a mini-bar, walk-in rain shower, an on-demand multimedia projector, wardrobe, and alcove seating area. Visitors can choose between the regular Terra Cabins, which accommodate up to four guests and include a bunk bed and double bed, and the Deluxe Terra Cabins, which accommodate up to five guests and include two bunk beds, a double pull-out bed, and dedicated patio area. While guests staying at Terra Cabins enjoy seclusion and privacy, they can access all facilities at JA Hatta Fort Hotel, including 24-hour in-room dining services, specialty restaurants, and all leisure and recreational activities available at the resort.  

Sabre Corporation announced a new distribution agreement with Nile Air under this multi-year distribution agreement, Nile Air will be promoting its content to hundreds of thousands of travel agents on Sabre’s marketplace starting this month. “We’re excited to reintroduce Nile Air to Sabre’s system, providing technological solutions that enhance their operations and passenger experience,” said Alessandro Ciancimino, Vice President Airline Distribution for Sabre in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “This collaboration reflects Sabre’s commitment to supporting airlines in innovative ways to achieve their retailing goals. We strive for a sustainable distribution model benefiting all stakeholders in the travel chain, offering extensive content and seamless integration.” Sabre’s technology will help enable Nile Air to optimize its distribution strategy, offering passengers more choice and convenience when booking flights. This agreement will further streamline Nile Air’s operations, helping to ensure a smooth and efficient workflow. “Partnering with Sabre aligns perfectly with our retailing vision, enabling customers to access our content from anywhere and offering Sabre’s global agencies continued access to Nile Air content,” stated Mohamed El Sherif, Chief Commercial Officer of Nile Air. “Through this collaboration, we aim to provide our passengers with a seamless and personalized journey, from booking to post-travel feedback, enhancing passenger satisfaction and elevating our operational efficiency.” As part of the agreement, Nile Air will utilize Sabre’s expertise to help ensure that their passengers receive the highest standard of service and experience. This collaboration marks an important step for both Sabre and Nile Air in enhancing the travel industry’s overall quality and efficiency.

Emirates marked one of its busiest summers ever, carrying over 14 million passengers with average seat load factors exceeding 80% across its global network between June and August. Looking at the coming months, Emirates’ booking trends show unabated demand for international travel across its network. Destination Dubai remained popular amongst travellers, even during the summer months with two million customers traveling to the airline’s hub to enjoy its year-round attractions and events. Top inbound markets to Dubai on Emirates during this period included the UK, India, Germany, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt and Kuwait. Over 35% of visitors to Dubai travelling on Emirates were families, staying an average of over two weeks to experience the city’s incredible sites and attractions. This winter season, the airline anticipates another spike in demand for travel to Dubai as the city runs a packed calendar of global conferences, world-class sporting events and more. The city has already welcomed more than 8.5 million international visitors in the first six months of 2023, registering more than a million more visitors during the same time last year. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “Travel demand across our network has been strong and resilient despite rising cost-of-living pressures in many markets. It shows the value that people place on travel – whether for work, play, study, or visiting loved ones; and how essential international air connectivity is to communities.” He added: “As an early mover in restoring our flying schedules, Emirates worked closely with our industry partners to ensure our readiness to serve customer demand as well as attract visitors through building on the appeal of our home and hub, Dubai. We’re happy to see strong customer …

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts announced its expansion into Egypt with the opening of Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis. A blend of modern elegance and local authenticity, the hotel features 252 luxurious and contemporary deluxe rooms and suites. Four exquisite restaurants and bars invite guests on a journey of discovery, whilst best-in-class facilities include a Waldorf Astoria Spa and stunning event spaces. The elegant hotel brings a welcoming atmosphere, unforgettable experiences, and seamless, personalised service to the Egyptian capital, providing a tranquil oasis, complete with beautiful botanical gardens, for guests to unwind away from the bustling streets of the city. Perfectly located in the ancient city of Heliopolis, Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis is close to Egypt’s main presidential palace, with must-see spots like Downtown Cairo, Khan El Khalili Bazaar and the highly anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum all easily accessible from the hotel. The up-and-coming New Administrative Capital, a new urban community home to government, residential, business and cultural districts, is also within convenient reach from the hotel. Simon Vincent, executive vice president and president, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Hilton, said: “Egypt welcomed 11.7 million tourists in 2022, up 46% on the previous year, and with Cairo often being the starting point for travellers’ journey to discover Egypt, we are delighted to bring the world-renowned luxury of Waldorf Astoria to this sought-after destination. Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis will appeal to discerning guests seeking world-class luxury, offering enriching experiences and unparalleled service within easy reach of Cairo’s vibrant cultural and heritage sites.”

Yas Island has launched a virtual exploration platform, offering international visitors access to the emirate’s iconic landmarks. The users’ digital avatars provide a journey through attractions and cultural sites, showcasing Abu Dhabi as a leading tourism destination.  The initiative is part of a pioneering collaboration between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Aldar, Miral, twofour54, and Ethara. The virtual Yas Island experience was developed by Super League and breaks through on Roblox, accessible at Yas Island Tycoon – Roblox. Users’ digital avatars take a journey through key Abu Dhabi landmarks on Yas Island and beyond, including SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Circuit, Etihad Park, Aldar Square, twofour54’s Yas Creative Hub, and an Experience Abu Dhabi dedicated area featuring Louvre Abu Dhabi, Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Sir Bani Yas Island, Al Ain Oasis and Al Jahili Fort. Participants will be able to traverse the 25-square-kilometre virtual site and experience a playable, socially engaging world designed to entertain and inform audiences globally. Throughout a blend of interactive experiences, immersive environments, games, and soon to come one-of-a-kind events, players can explore and build cultural and entertainment attractions within Abu Dhabi. As users progress through the virtual destination and its attractions, they will experience more adventures such as theme park rides, driving across Yas Island in race cars and constructing virtual homes. Customisable avatars and surprise awards are part of every player’s personalised adventure. The gamified experience will continually evolve with new partnerships and experiences. His Excellency Saeed Al Fazari, Strategic Affairs Executive Director at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “This immersive adventure in the virtual realm is the latest example of Abu Dhabi’s commitment to utilising innovation …

Among international airports with more than 15 million passengers annually, Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport took the first place with a compliance rate of 91%. King Khalid International Airport followed with a compliance rate of 82%. In the category of international airports with five to 15 million passengers annually, King Fahd International Airport led with a compliance rate of 91%. Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport followed with compliance rate of 82%.   Among international airports with two to five million passengers annually, Abha International Airport ranked first with a 100% compliance rate. In the category of international airports with less than two million passengers, Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport led with a 100% compliance rate, outperforming peers in terms of total average waiting time for departure and arrival flights. For domestic airports, Gurayat Airport topped with a 100% compliance rate, surpassing peers in terms of total average waiting time for departure and arrival flights. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) issued its monthly report on the performance of domestic and international airports in Saudi Arabia for July. The airports are assessed according to 14 basic performance measurement criteria. This comes in implementation of the strategic directions aimed at enhancing the services provided to travelers and improving the traveler experience across the Kingdom’s airports.  

The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) and the Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair have renewed their collaboration agreement until 2028. Under this agreement, the carrier will add 4 new routes, bringing the total to 25 routes connecting Jordan with 12 European cities. The signing ceremony was attended by HE Makram Queisi, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and Chairman of the Jordan Tourism Board; Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair, and Dr. Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, Managing Director of JTB. “This agreement reflects the importance of low-cost flights in attracting tourists to Jordan,” said Queisi during the signing ceremony, emphasizing that the Kingdom has experienced a positive shift in inbound tourism in recent years post-Covid. We are delighted to be adding routes with the international carrier Ryanair. This will significantly contribute to the increase in tourist numbers to the Kingdom over the next period,” he added. Arabiyat indicated that low-cost flights have given new impetus to Jordanian tourism, enabling it to achieve a significant leap that has helped raise the number of tourists. He expects the Kingdom to witness increasing numbers of overnight visitors, highlighting that this positive shift has been growing steadily and strongly since it began in 2018. Arabiyat further emphasized that the anticipated rise in tourist numbers will play a significant role in distributing the gains from tourism development across all governorates and will aid in promoting tourism experiences throughout the Kingdom, leading to positive impacts on local communities by generating novel job opportunities. He also added that Ryanair has a massive number of followers on its social media pages, which will help to increase awareness of Jordanian tourism through its strong marketing content. In turn, the CEO of Ryanair expressed …

The company, which has developed its own proprietary software, has joined the NextGen FDI program to consolidate its global operations in the UAE. The company will establish its headquarters in Dubai Internet City, supporting 500 jobs in the country within two years, 250 of which will be highly skilled, as it seeks to enhance its platform through advanced technology capabilities such as AI and blockchain. The Ministry of Economy has announced that Holiday Swap, a vacation exchange and booking platform with more than 1 million monthly users worldwide, is the latest company to join its NextGenFDI program, the multistakeholder initiative that provides pioneering businesses from around the world with the market-entry fundamentals required to establish and scale their operations in the UAE. Launched in 2018, Holiday Swap is a community-based platform that connects holidaymakers online, enabling them to swap homes or rent directly from one another at minimal or zero cost. Today, the platform has more than 120,000 listed properties across 185 countries, including the UAE, where it has approximately 1,200 listings. It aims to expand its listings to 400,000 properties by the close of 2023. His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said: “The onboarding of Holiday Swap reflects the continuing success of the NextGen FDI program in attracting pioneering companies to the UAE and fostering the development of cutting-edge solutions across a diverse range of economic sectors. The partnership is not only testament to the UAE’s position as a world-class hub for innovation but also the scale and sophistication of its travel and tourism industry, which contributed AED167 billion to the country’s GDP in 2022, a growth of more than 60 …

Dubai International (DXB) celebrates a significant milestone in its recovery with passenger traffic for the first half of the year surpassing 2019 levels. The world’s busiest international hub welcomed 41.6m guests in H1, just over 100%, compared to the traffic recorded during the first six months of 2019. DXB registered a robust performance throughout the second quarter, during which passenger traffic surged by 42.7% year on year to reach 20.3m. May was the busiest month during Q2 with 6.9m guests. Propelled by a strong Q2, DXB’s H1 traffic totalled 41.6m guests, up 49.1% compared to 27.9m recorded in H1 2022. “It’s been a rewarding first half for Dubai International and amidst increasing guest numbers, we take great pride in knowing we are continuously delivering with operational excellence and providing an exemplary guest experience. Our dedicated team go above and beyond to create a personalised and seamless experience for every guest.  Recent stories of our team delivering a unique guest experience at DXB include communicating with a guest with a hidden disability using a translator tool, working with our stakeholders to locate a lost passport minutes before the guest’s flight was due to depart, helping a guest recover his lost wallet from his hotel after he cleared immigration and even reuniting a little boy in the U.K with his beloved stuffed bunny after he had been left behind at DXB . As we recover with our H1 traffic surpassing pre-pandemic levels, we continue to remain committed to ensuring every guest who travels through our airport leaves with a smile,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. DXB’s baggage performance continues to be world-leading, and in H1 2023, baggage volume increased by …