Revier Dubai, a 4-star lifestyle hotel modeled as a meeting point for today’s gen-X while offering Swiss Hospitality in Business Bay, is all set to officially launch Alphorn’s Swiss Bliss Brunch every Saturday, starting from 15th October 2022, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, at Alphorn Restaurant. On this occasion, the media were invited to celebrate the soft opening of the lively brunch to experience the rich Swiss cuisine first-hand, which amazed them with its delicate servings and high-quality recipes. Priced at AED 299 per person, the Saturday brunch buffet will offer guests a sumptuous buffet with a wide selection of international and Swiss cuisines and bottomless beverages. A house package is also available at AED 399, and a Premium package at AED 499. Diners can also unleash their taste buds across the enormous outdoor terrace of the Alphorn Restaurant. With many cooks in the kitchen, hungry weekenders will experience every Saturday the taste of Switzerland and enjoy not only tempting live- BBQ and cooking stations for high-end tasty meats, and seafood on every corner, but also the most epic Swiss cheese, salads, tarts, pizzas, Alpine macaroni, Rosti potatoes, risotto, in addition of the luxury and delicate treats, counting the Swiss creamiest chocolate. Live performances by house entertainers will also be present to create a joyful atmosphere for friends and families of all ages. Mickael Chevalier, General Manager at Revier Dubai, said: “I am very excited about the Saturday Brunch opening. It provides an urban escape to create harmony with Swiss nature. My passion is to spread the Swiss culture and tell the story to the world through presenting Revier’s authenticity, efficiency, and simplicity values to our guests, giving them the …

Malta, an emerging outbound destination for GCC travellers showcased their prowess when it came to luxury hotels and travel at the AVIAREPS Travel Caravan which consisted two stopovers to meet with their GCC clientele, one in the UAE and the other in KSA. Both events were successfully concluded. TBN spoke with Brian Bartolo, Director of Sales and Marketing Radisson Resort and Spa Malta Golden Sands, reiterated, “ We are showcasing one of Malta’s five star properties located on the north side of the island it is blessed with its location, primarily it sits besides Malta’s Golden Bay beach enjoying Malta’s wonderful sunsets and it is a place that one has to visit. We have five different types of luxury suites, our best selling suites are what called the sense tower suites which sits by the water’s edge and they have just being refurbished two years ago.” Grace El Khoury, Senior Business Development Manager Middle East, Intercontinental Malta, “We are trying to extend our market in the GCC, as you know Intercontinental is part of IHG and we want to explore the GCC market in Malta. The agents mainly inquired about our room inventory, as well as the surrounding areas as well as the meeting facilities for MICE business.” Malta’s delegation consisted of luxury five star properties, luxury DMC and MICE agents and of course the tourism board who brought in the team.

Malta was one of the prominent partners at the AVIAREPS Middle East Travel Caravan with a contingent of DMCs and hotels which were more suited for the Middle Eastern travellers. The travel roadshow saw key international travel brands and destinations gather under the one roof to meet with the UAE’s and Saudi Arabia’s key outbound travel agencies and meeting and conferencing professionals, to meet one to one to develop new travel packages, itineraries and events tailored for UAE and Saudi Arabia-based travellers. Arthur Grima – Senior Manager Marketing at Malta Tourism Authority shared, “We are in the interesting period of seeing the recovery of tourism from the pandemic, in fact this year we are expecting to have around 2 million passengers from all our markets. Middle East is an emerging market for us and the type of tourists we receive are luxury travellers, interested mainly in more exclusive and boutique, private luxury type of hotels. We shared our diverse culture as various civilisations left their mark on their island, which is a significant attraction for visitors, also ours is the only language which is sematic but written in the Latin alphabet and this is very particular, its not just the language but also the gastronomy which is very varied and one can experience over 7000 years of history. Connectivity to Malta from this region is quite easy with the daily flight on Emirates to Malta. We are trying to make ourselves more known in the region.” Brian Bartolo, Director of Sales and Marketing Radisson Resort and Spa Malta Golden Sands, reiterated, “ We are showcasing one of Malta’s five star properties located on the north side of the island it …

Marriott International, Inc. announced plans to debut the Fairfield by Marriott brand in Europe and the Middle East by 2025 in Middle East and late 2023 in Europe. Fairfield is the second largest brand within Marriott Bonvoy’s extraordinary portfolio of 30 hotel brands, with a global footprint of more than 1,230 open hotels. Fairfield by Marriott Makkah Al Naseem, Saudi Arabia – Expected to open Q1 2025; located in the Al Naseem district and set to rise in five towers, the 2,600-guestroom Fairfield by Marriott Makkah Al Naseem will be a fantastic property for those looking to visit cultural sites, such as Mina, Muzdalifa, Al Jamarat Bridge and Arafat. Makkah is known as the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed and is considered Islam’s holiest city. Situated in Makkah city centre, the hotel will provide a convenient base for those visiting on pilgrimage or business. Fairfield by Marriott Makkah Ibrahim Al Khalil Road, Saudi Arabia – Expected to open Q4 2025;  set to be the second Fairfield property in Makkah, the Fairfield by Marriott Makkah Ibrahim Al Khalil Road will look to offer guests a prime location just walking distance of the Grand Mosque. Every year, more than two million people visit Makkah for Hajj, the pilgrimage to Kaaba and with 1,376 expected guestrooms outlined in the design plans, the hotel will be the perfect destination for those visiting. From its innovative design to adapting each property to be locally relevant and its ability to cater to the needs for today’s traveller, Fairfield by Marriott is expected to see continued owner demand. Fairfield celebrates the beauty of simplicity with an effortless hotel experience focused on bringing value, productivity, and a great …

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism projects, The Red Sea and AMAALA, has confirmed daa International as the operator at Red Sea International (RSI), which is on track to become the region’s first-ever carbon-neutral airport. The latest agreement covers operations and general maintenance services worth close to SAR 1 billion and is set to propel the airport on its journey towards environmental sustainability powered by 100 percent renewable energy. “Ahead of welcoming our first guests early next year, Red Sea International is ushering in a carbon-neutral, net-zero era for airport designs and operations. As the region’s first-ever airport powered by 100 percent renewable energy, RSI will serve as an innovative blueprint for decarbonized urban destinations of the future,” said John Pagano, Group CEO of TRSDC. TRSDC welcomed a delegation of Irish dignitaries to its offices in Riyadh to celebrate the signing of the agreement. Minister of State at the Department of Transport in Ireland, Ms Hildegarde Naughton TD, and Ireland’s Ambassador to the Kingdom, Gerry Cunningham were both present, alongside Enterprise Ireland, the country’s trade organization. Additionally, the event was attended by His Excellency the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Mr. Abdul-Azeer bin Abdullah Al-Duailej. “Our agreement with leading industry player daa International, with a proven track-record of excelling in international aviation, marks our latest step towards materializing a sustainable, regenerative gateway that will open this under-explored region of Saudi Arabia to the world,” added Pagano. daa International will serve as the airport operator for RSI in 2023, overseeing design consultancy, management, and operations in accordance with the provisions of General Authority of Civil Aviation of the …

Etihad Airways has launched its first-ever scheduled flights linking Abu Dhabi and Guangzhou. The inaugural flight, EY868, departed Abu Dhabi last night after a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by representatives from the Chinese Embassy to the UAE, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Miral Asset Management and Etihad Aviation Group. The flight touched down at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport this morning at 10:25 (local time), making Etihad the first international airline to operate long-haul passenger services to the top three Chinese gateways – Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou – since the start of the pandemic. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “We have been tremendously excited about the launch of this service. Guangzhou is actually the latest destination to be opened in China by Etihad since the launch of the Abu Dhabi–Shanghai route back in 2012. It will continue to help build a solid air bridge for commerce and cultural exchanges between China and the UAE. “We are very grateful for the support from both governments, business partners and our Etihad team, as our new service to Guangzhou will not only further address the huge demand for passenger travel between the UAE and China, building on the formidable people and business ties between the two markets, but also support the increasing consolidation and strengthening of Etihad’s presence in China and the global aviation industry. It also reinforces the airline’s commitment to serving the Chinese market.” To highlight Guangzhou’s reputation as “the spiritual home of Cantonese cuisine”, and to appreciate the cultural diversity within Etihad’s in-house hospitality team, the event offered a tapestry of cuisines, consisting of several signature dim sum and Arabic-style canapés jointly created by Etihad Airways Chef Murray …

AVIAREPS will launch its Middle East Travel Caravan 2022 edition, once again this year today in Dubai and tomorrow in Riyadh.  This is a two day calendar of networking events that brings together leading destination, aviation and tourism brands under one roof. The partners for this year’s travel caravan are Qatar Tourism, Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) – The National Tourism Board, Malta Tourism Authority, The Royal Commission of AlUla, Visit California, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, SunExpress Airlines, Sunway Hotels and Resorts (Malaysia) and Air Baltic Airlines. This is an opportunity for the travel fraternity to meet with the partners on a one on one basis and share insights, information and collaborate further in future.

Dubai’s 2022-2023 cruise season will kick off on 29 October when the leading luxury cruise Mein Schiff 6 is set to arrive at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid. Underscoring Dubai’s status as the region’s leading cruise hub, the emirate is set to welcome 900,000 cruise tourists during the 2022-2023 season, which kicks off with the arrival of the cruise liner TUI Cruises (Mein Schiff 6) at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid, on 29 October. The 2022-2023 season is scheduled to see 166 ship calls between Mina Rashid and Dubai Harbour, bringing in an estimated 900,000 cruise passengers and crew. Commenting on the occasion, His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Border Security Council, said: “The strong outlook for Dubai’s 2022-2023 cruise season will help accelerate its drive to realise 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 destination and the best city to live and work in. “The cruise industry is an integral part of Dubai’s tourism sector and plays an important role in reinforcing the emirate’s status as a global tourism hub. Dubai’s robust port infrastructure and state-of-the-art terminal facilities can handle some of the world’s largest cruise ships, underpinning the city’s reputation as one of the world’s most advanced cruise destinations and a key gateway for regional and international cruise itineraries. The scheduled increase in cruise liners and passengers visiting the city’s shores this season is driven by Dubai’s exceptional maritime infrastructure and the availability of some of the world’s most outstanding tourist …

Sabre Corporation and Nirvana announced a new long-term, strategic partnership agreement to distribute Nirvana’s lodging content and offerings through Sabre’s marketplace. The new agreement will integrate Nirvana’s lodging content into Sabre’s Content Services for Lodging (CSL) allowing Nirvana to promote its content to hundreds of thousands of travel agents globally. Sabre agencies will be able to shop and book Nirvana’s lodging content and amenities of over 11,000 properties at a competitive net-rate. “Many of our agents have indicated that they prefer to shop and book lodging content inside the GDS, thus we are constantly focused on expanding our lodging offerings and adding more content to help them meet travelers’ needs,” said Traci Mercer, senior vice president, Lodging Ground and Sea products, Sabre. “We are pleased that Nirvana will join our CSL offerings, adding more regional lodging options for customers in the Middle East. This enables travel buyers find the right lodging and amenities at the right price to craft the personalized travel offerings that travelers seek.” Nirvana is a leading lodging content aggregator based out of the United Arab Emirates that aims to provide variety of traditional and non-traditional lodging options including serviced apartments and rentals that are gaining popularity for both corporate and leisure travelers. “It is our vision to extend our operations, expand our reach and provide lodging content to online and offline travel buyers around the world.,” said Alaa Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Nirvana Holding. “Working with Sabre will help us put our content in front of travel buyers beyond the scope of our existing distribution structure, globally. We are delighted to partner with Sabre and benefit from its robust and scalable solutions and extensive …

The most coveted awards in the region, Arabian Travel Awards will once again host the industry winners at the Le Meridien Hotel and conference center in Garhoud on 16th November 2022. San Jeet Director Arabian Travel Awards shares, “Our awards this year is very special as it recognizes the untiring efforts of the industry experts. This year as the borders open, the travel, tourism and hospitality experts were able to restore to levels enjoyed pre-pandemic time. Most had to redefine the way forward in the post covid era, as we can confidently call it. Applications are still open to vote for those in the industry and who has been in the forefront promoting and working to go over and beyond the general norms of the industry. Middle East has always been the most resilient region, especially the UAE and Dubai in particular set an example to all the destinations of the world on how to move forward and achieve in every possible way. The public and private partnership in the GCC region provided the industry a much faster come back ensuring their commitment to move forward. Now, it is time to reward the industry experts and their establishments to advance ahead through all obstacles and challenges to a brand new era in the making in the region.” If you are yet to vote for your team, this is the right time to do so. Check the website www.arabiantravelawards.ae and vote for your hero of the year. Make a difference in the industry and carry forward all the positive trends that has been witnessed. Travel is back on track, new trends emerge everyday and looking forward to a more sustainable future …