Kuwait tourism in its effort to introduce more attractions for citizens, residents and tourists are on the way to developing a unique project as Ras Al Ard.The project aims to develop the Ras Al-Ard club site, which has an area of 35,000 square meters. The project was designed to be a contemporary and integrated facility that contains recreational and sports activities that meet the needs of participants from different groups of indoor and outdoor swimming pools and children of all ages, all year round.and visitors in general. Project sections include Kids club, Food and beverage outlets & terraces, Cabanas, Multi-use sports court, Outdoor infinity pool, Parking & driveways with landscaping, paved walkways & boardwalk.

Saudi Arabia’s best and brightest future hospitality workers have arrived at les Roches Global Hospitality Education on its campus in Marbella, Spain. The cohort is part of a new program announced by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism to equip 100,000 young Saudis with the key hospitality skills needed to pursue careers in the Kingdom’s flourishing tourism industry. Launched by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia at the 116th session of the World Tourism Organization’s Executive Council in Jeddah last month, ‘Tourism Trailblazers’ will provide in-depth global experience to the tourism industry’s future leaders. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia said: “The program demonstrates our commitment to empowering young people by providing them with right skills, support and opportunities to shape the future of the tourism industry. “It is vital that we invest in our youth now. Creating a skilled workforce with the talent and ambition to support and drive the tourism sector regionally and globally is key to realising the Saudi Vision 2030, a unique and transformative economic and social reform blueprint that is opening Saudi Arabia up to the world.” The program has three main objectives that aim to nurture, develop and support talent in the industry. It seeks to spread a culture of professionalism, help nascent professionals gain the knowledge and qualifications needed to break into the industry, and support their success through refinement of their skills. The program will help trainees to secure jobs within the sector, including seasonal, part-time, or full-time opportunities across the Kingdom. The first cohort of students at les Roches Global Hospitality Education on its campus in Marbella will be equipped with the …

Flights to the Maldives commence from 4th October making the tropical dream island paradise more accessible and affordable than ever. From 30 October, flights to Kuwait City will begin, underpinning Wizz Air Abu Dhabi’s commitment to the Gulf region. The new routes will be operated onboard Wizz Air Abu Dhabi’s newest Airbus 321 Neo aircraft, which is expected to join the national airline’s fleet later this year Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the ultra-low-fare national airline of the UAE, today announces it will launch two new routes from Abu Dhabi to the idyllic island paradise of the Maldives, and the airline’s fifth key destination in the Gulf, Kuwait. The new routes will offer travellers the opportunity to explore marvellous destinations in line with the airline’s ambition to provide tourists and residents in the UAE and the region with hassle-free, affordable travel options. Tickets are on sale now on wizzair.com and on the airline’s mobile app, with fares starting from just AED 99* for Kuwait and AED 319* for Maldives. From October, Wizz Air will offer flights four times a week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from Abu Dhabi to Male, the main international airport in the Maldives. Located in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is an unrivalled holiday destination, boasting white sandy beaches, spectacular sunsets and colourful reefs brimming with wildlife. With year-round tropical weather, this picturesque paradise promises ultimate escapism from everyday life. For those yearning to discover what the islands have to offer, Wizz Air’s new route unlocks affordable travel options for those within the UAE and for self-connecting passengers travelling from Central and Eastern Europe via the Wizz Air network. Flights to Kuwait, located in the North-Western …

Policybazaar.ae announced that there has been a significant rise in demand for travel insurance in FY21-22 in the UAE. The fintech company saw a 150% increase in sale of travel insurance policies where travelers bought more policies in Quarter 2 in comparison to the Quarter 1 of 2022. The company saw a rise in demand from top tourist destinations such as the USA, Schengen countries, Indonesia, UK amongst others – as majority of these countries have made travel insurance mandatory along with other valid travel documents. Apart from the countries where travel insurance is mandatory, the other reason behind more travelers buying travel insurance policy is due to lingering dread of the pandemic. The other major reason resulting in an increase in the sale of travel insurance policy was due to a knock-on effect on the luggage mishandling situation such as either lost or delayed baggage, due to acute shortage of baggage handlers at the airports. The global travel insurance market size was valued at $12.38 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $119.31 billion by 2030. This translates to a growth at a CAGR of 26.1% from 2021 to 2030. While travel has picked up its pace globally, airports around the world are facing extremely high levels of flight cancellations and delays in the past few months. Having a travel insurance policy may not be mandatory for tourists in all the countries, but it is always recommended to have one when traveling abroad. Travel insurance policy compensates travelers from undue expenses in situations of a medical emergency, personal liability, or other emergencies like loss of baggage. Delaying or losing check-in baggage is one of the most common adversities …

Emirates will increase the frequency of its services to/from London Gatwick airport with the addition of a third daily flight, effective 27 July until 3 August 2022. This third daily flight will help serve high demand from customers travelling to and from London this summer. It will also provide additional seats to accommodate Emirates passengers affected by capacity adjustments on flights from London Heathrow, which will be made to help ease operational pressures at the airport. Emirates’ customers impacted by capacity adjustments at London Heathrow will be contacted directly by the airline or their travel agent. The airline is working closely with its travel partners to re-accommodate any impacted bookings and ensure smooth onward flight connections for customers to reach their planned destination. The additional daily flight to London Gatwick will be operated by a wide-body Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft offering seats in First, Business and Economy class. Flight EK011 and EK012 will operate to and out of London Gatwick in the morning. Emirates is grateful for the support of London Gatwick Airport, along other partners on the ground who have been working closely with the airline to secure sufficient ground handling resources to deal with the additional demand, and provide passengers with a smooth and reliable journey. Emirates will continue to operate its six daily flights to/from London Heathrow during this period, and its planned re-start of daily services to London Stansted will commence on 1 August.

Wego has tied up with Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to invite MNEA travelers to enjoy the best of the country in the new norm. To revive tourism in Thailand, the country launched the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022’ campaign. The campaign under the theme “Amazing New Chapters” which the key messages will highlight the abundance of tourism products and services in Thailand that will fulfil all your travel desires, because from A to Z, Thailand has it all. The country ranks among the top 10 destinations for GCC travelers. It will be promoted across all Wego marketing channels to drive more visitors to the country and spread awareness on the new things to do and explore in the country post COVID-19. Chaiwat Tamtai Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for Dubai and the Middle East commented: “One of the key travel trends for 2022 is workcation. As a result of this trend, Wego saw a spike in the number of searches on holiday homes 136%, hotel apartments 92% and apartments by 69% in Q1 2022 in comparison to the same period last year. And to make the country travel-friendly for workcations & remote jobs, Thailand is planning to launch a long-term resident visa for retirees, working professionals, specialists, and wealthy foreigners.” The top destinations searching for Thailand from Jan to June 2022, are Saudi which saw 56 % compared to the same period in 2021, followed by Kuwait with 15% increase, UAE with 12%, and Bahrain with 7%. 48% of people searching for holidays in Thailand are solos, followed by 27% couples, and 24% families.   Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and …

Oman Air launched its Future Leaders Commercial Graduate Programme exclusively for Omani graduates. The intensive 2-year programme is currently accepting applications from university graduates of 2020, 2021, or 2022 and will offer up to 12 selected candidates the opportunity to gain internationally recognised qualifications while being exposed to all commercial functions at Oman Air. Future Leaders, which officially begins in October 2022, is designed for the most talented Omani graduates, and expands on Oman Air’s excellence-focused culture. With job rotations that will expose students to six core commercial departments—Strategy & Planning, Revenue Management, Sales, Marketing, Product Development, and Service Delivery—graduates will receive practical experience from inside the airline’s diverse commercial department. The programme will help students reach their potential as commercial managers and provide them with the skill sets needed to enter the airline sector. Oman Air CEO Eng. Abdulaziz Al Raisi remarked, “We are committed to attracting, guiding and mentoring university students for a successful career in aviation, which is why we are strengthening Oman Air’s commercial department with Omani graduates. There’s no better place for them to learn the ins and outs of the airline business and develop potential for commercial management than at our headquarters in Muscat. Through Future Leaders, we aim to train the best minds to become the best leaders with hands-on learning and responsibility in a fast-paced, real-world airline setting.” Students in the programme will receive formal induction and training for two weeks before starting their employment with Oman Air. They will receive soft and hard skills training from senior commercial leadership during their first week of onboarding. Additionally, they will be given an overview of each commercial department and how they all come …

The Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) for the handling and processing of all waste within the Authority’s jurisdiction. The agreement also covers future cooperation between DGDA and SIRC on research, investment opportunities, deployment of solutions, operations, and management. The MoU was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of DGDA, Jerry Inzerillo, and his SIRC counterpart Eng. Ziyad bin Mohammed Al-Shiha. Under the scope of the MoU, DGDA, and SIRC will collaborate on citywide waste management solutions that adhere to world-class Practices for handling, recycling, and disposing of all kinds of waste. This will be done using cutting-edge, efficient technologies, cooperating on technical and investigative studies, and knowledge and skill-sharing workshops. Inzerillo stated that the partnership with SIRC reflects DGDA’s commitment to achieving environmental sustainability, maximizing returns on investment in waste management, and taking all the necessary measures to ensure the quality-of-life standards set in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 meet the satisfaction of Diriyah’s community. He highlighted that this was especially important given the city’s importance as the cradle of the First Saudi State and the Arab Capital of Culture for 2030. Eng. Shiha expressed his pleasure with the signing of the MoU, which sets a framework for collaboration and sharing administrative functions, investment opportunities, and technical expertise between both parties, saying that the agreement would help explore ways to diversify sources of revenue in the recycling sector.

Abu Dhabi holiday home operators are being reminded to register their properties in the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi’s (DCT Abu Dhabi) online system ahead of the final deadline of 1st August, to comply with regulations established to safely manage holiday homes in the local community. Individuals interested in renting out a holiday home should follow a simple online application procedure, which includes providing several documents, including a Licence application form, a photocopy of the passport or Emirates ID of the owner, the unit’s certificate of insurance, the unit’s deed, and any additional documentation requested by DCT Abu Dhabi. Hamad Mohammed Saeed Alsudain, Licensing & Regulatory Compliance Director at DCT Abu Dhabi said: “In line with international best practices, we are reminding  holiday home operators that the deadline to obtain their licence and lawfully take part in the temporary home letting business is 1st August. Our aim is for residents and visitors alike to feel comfortable and safe at holiday homes across the emirate, making Abu Dhabi an even more attractive destination for business and leisure travellers. We thank all operators and members of the community for their cooperation and understanding.” The requirements for operating holiday home rentals in the emirate came into effect last year following a decision by the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The regulations ensure that private accommodation operators maintain a standard of excellence whilst providing a wide variety of safe and secure options. The system also serves to support the increased demand for alternatives to established hotels and hotel apartments. With this, DCT Abu Dhabi is safeguarding high-quality holiday homes by supporting residential communities. Existing holiday homeowners in the …

Almosafer has experienced its best month ever for consumer travel bookings in Saudi Arabia in June 2022, with volumes exceeding pre-pandemic levels in June 2019 by 28%. The growth in bookings reveals a strong appetite for consumer travel as pent-up demand is unleashed with the removal of pandemic restrictions across the world. Data collated from across Almosafer’s omnichannel booking platforms has revealed the booking behaviours of Saudi travellers for this summer period. Saudi travellers continue to enjoy luxury experiences, opting to book stays at luxury accommodations with five-star hotels accounting for almost 50% of hotel bookings this summer. As people return to travel, they are spending more money for meaningful experiences as average order values for bookings has increased by 66% for hotels and 19% for flights, compared to the summer travel season in 2019. Travellers are also displaying resilient confidence in the travel industry as they continue to book their holidays in advance, with an average booking window of 36 days in summer 2022. With travel restrictions being eased, or removed entirely, across the world, there are now much less sudden changes to international travel rules which could jeopardise travel plans leading to growing consumer confidence. Spending on domestic travel in Saudi Arabia has also increased by 7% as Saudis continue to explore the many attractions in the Kingdom. Abha, the culturally rich capital of the Aseer region, is becoming an increasingly popular destination this summer with bookings up by 125% compared to summer 2019. For international travel, Dubai, London, Cairo, Paris and Sharm El Sheikh ranked as the most popular destinations for Saudi travellers. Bookings for London this summer have increased by 133% compared to summer 2019, driven …