Wego and Indonesia Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy collaborate to revive tourism to Bali. The all-time favorite destination, Bali, is welcoming tourists in the new norm. Bali is a country of diverse landforms. It has been one of the top honeymoon destinations or holiday spots. Bali has everything for adventure enthusiasts and the solo traveler in search of tranquility, ranging from waterfalls to nightclubs to treks. Through Wego’s vast user base in MENA, Indonesia Tourism Board will be able to promote its destination and Bali specifically to drive more bookings. To revive tourism post covid, Indonesia has launched an exhibition with the theme “It’s time for Bali”. To welcome tourists to the country, Bali offers Visa on arrival to 72 countries. Countries from the middle east like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait have also been added to this list. Alongside, other nationalities’ visitors must apply for the B211A Visit Visa for 60 days. The primary purpose of easing travel to Indonesia is to encourage tourism and attract foreign exchange into the country. Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India of Wego, said: “We are expanding our partnerships to cover more destinations and offer our users more choice. Indonesia and particularly Bali is a hot spot for many travellers, especially from the MENA region. We look forward to working with the Indonesia Tourism Board to bring more travellers to the country.” According to a recent study, Indonesia is set to welcome over 900,000 tourists by the end of this quarter. The government is helping curb the spread of covid-19 spread by keeping the highest vaccination rates in Bali and …

Etihad Guest, loyalty programme of Etihad Airways in partnership with Mashreq, has launched a points transfer programme for members to benefit from. Members can now convert Mashreq Salaam Points into Etihad Guest Miles with a conversion ratio of 22 Salaam Points for every 1 Etihad Guest Mile. Etihad Guest members can simply visit the authorised Mashreq Mobile app to convert Salaam points into Etihad Guest Miles. Members who transfer Salaam Points to Etihad Guest before 20 July 2022 can enjoy 20% extra Bonus Miles as an introductory offer. Kim Hardaker, Vice President Loyalty & Partnerships, Etihad Airways, said: “We’re excited to partner with Mashreq Bank so our Etihad Guest members can now transfer Salaam Points into our programme. The collaboration is designed to both encourage new customers and allow existing loyalty members to reap more benefits from partnering with two strong local brands. Members benefit by accelerating towards their next reward, whether they choose to redeem on flights with Etihad Airways and our 20 partner airlines, upgrades and so much more.” Etihad’s loyalty programme has relaxed its mileage expiration policy. Mashreq card holders can now benefit from miles that will only expire after 18 months of inactivity, and can be kept active by buying, earning, redeeming, or transferring miles. Kartik Taneja, Head of Payments at Mashreq, said: “As the travel industry continues to chart a positive course of recovery, we are delighted to introduce instant redemption of Salaam Points for the award-winning Etihad Guest Miles loyalty program, where the conversion can be completed swiftly and seamlessly via our Mashreq Mobile app. Our vision to become the region’s most progressive bank, enabling innovative possibilities, involves helping our customers take instant journeys …

Qatar Airways will be increasing its Doha – Melbourne flights from the current once-daily schedule to double-daily flights from 1 October with the support of the Victorian Government. The airline and the Victorian Government signed a strategic agreement to increase connectivity to Melbourne to further boost trade and tourism. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Melbourne is the original home for Qatar Airways in Australia, and we are excited to enhance our operations there, as a testament to both strong demand and our deep commitment to Australia. We look forward to welcoming more passengers to experience our five-star hospitality, as travel to and from Melbourne to many cities worldwide via our Doha hub in Qatar. The launch of the additional daily flight to Melbourne ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ will allow more football fans travel to attend their respective matches.” Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Ben Carroll, said: “Backing international aviation supports our economy and we will continue to work with airlines like Qatar Airways to establish and expand routes into Melbourne to boost local jobs.” Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer, Lorie Argus, said: “There is huge demand for international travel out of Melbourne, and these extra services couldn’t come at a better time with the soccer World Cup kicking off in November. It’s exciting to see airlines like Qatar Airways adding more capacity into Melbourne, given they are a global airline and could send their aircraft anywhere it’s a huge vote of confidence in our city. Qatar Airways is already a favourite with passengers heading to the Middle East or Europe, and given their partnerships with both Virgin Australia …

Emirates and Air Canada announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement that will create more options for customers when travelling on the carriers’ networks while also enhancing the customer experience throughout the journey. Emirates and Air Canada intend to establish a codeshare relationship later in 2022 that will offer enhanced consumer travel choices for Air Canada customers to travel to the United Arab Emirates and to destinations beyond Dubai. Emirates customers will also enjoy an enhanced travel experience when travelling to Toronto or to key destinations across the Air Canada network. Customers will have the ability to book connecting travel between both airlines’ networks with the ease of a single ticket, seamless connectivity at the carriers’ respective global hubs and baggage transfers to their final destinations. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “This is a significant partnership that will enable our customers access to even more destinations in Canada and the Americas, via our Toronto and US gateways. It also opens up many new route combinations for travelers across Emirates’ and Air Canada’s extensive networks in the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. We are pleased to partner with Air Canada, one of North America’s most established airlines and Canada’s flag carrier and we look forward to jointly progressing on various areas to provide even better customer flight choices and experiences.” “As we continue pursuing our strategy of expanding our global reach in response to growing opportunities in VFR markets (Visit Friends and Relatives) that serve Canada’s large multicultural communities, we are very pleased to form a strategic partnership with Emirates, a highly respected flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates with a hub in the vibrant …

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed the Travel & Tourism sector in Saudi Arabia is expected to grow at an average of 11% annually over the next decade, making it the fastest growing Travel & Tourism in the Middle East. According to the forecast from WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR), this annual growth, more than six times the 1.8% growth rate of the country’s overall economy, will bolster the economic recovery of the Kingdom. By 2032, the Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP could reach nearly SAR 635 billion, representing 17.1% of the total economy. The forecast also reveals Travel & Tourism employment could double over the next 10 years, creating more than 1.4 million jobs, to reach almost three million employed within the sector by 2032. The projections for both employment and the sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s economy, surpass the ambitious goals set out by the government’s Vision 2030 strategic framework. By 2023, following two years of heartache, Saudi Arabia’s Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy could surpass pre-pandemic levels, when it is projected to rise 2% above 2019 levels, to reach nearly SAR 297 billion. Employment in the sector could also exceed 2019 levels by 14.1%, creating more than 223,000 additional jobs, representing nearly more than 1.8 million by the end of next year. By the end of this year, the sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow 15.2% to nearly SAR 223 billion, amounting to 7.2% of the total economic GDP, while employment in the sector is set to grow by 16.1% to reach more than 1.5 million jobs. According to the global tourism body, the Kingdom, …

Gulf Travel Show is back with its fifth edition on 28-29 September 2022. The show promises to focus on sustainable travel and keep the spotlight on best practices in the industry. Back by popular demand, Gulf Travel Show (GTS) 5.0 is focusing on connecting industry players virtually while demonstrating its commitment to sustainability. SanJeet, Mentor, Gulf Travel Show, shared, “The fifth edition brings with it a variety of new features as we have specialised days for VIPs and networking dedicated to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As the Kingdom looks at tourism promotions with recent opening of its borders, KSA continues to show prowess towards achieving their 2030 vision on sustainability. Our main purpose is to ensure collaboration between destinations, hotels and travel professionals, who are committed to their role in taking the next steps to promote travel. We hope that this edition will bring in all the necessary networking between industry partners and look forward to conducting a bigger and better digital event.” GTS, a digital initiative that emerged during the pandemic, provides a new way to connect with the trade. In this edition, GTS has decided that its panel discussions would focus on sustainable travel practices and showcase sustainability as its main theme. With an impressive line-up of speakers planned, the knowledge sessions are sure to keep the audience engaged. An important feature of the GTS this time is the pre-scheduled meetings. The travel show has gone a step further and introduced features dedicated to accommodate requests by the travel fraternity.

The first phase of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority’s (DGDA) master plan has been awarded platinum-level precertification for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC’s LEED certification is a globally recognised, prestigious symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership, providing a framework for healthy, efficient and cost-saving green buildings and is the world’s most widely known sustainability certification scheme. Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO, DGDA, commented: “I am thrilled that our efforts have been recognised by the LEED precertification as climate and nature-related considerations are at the heart of our development. With regenerative tourism and a people first development at the epicenter of our philosophy, we want to ensure that Diriyah is a shining example when it comes to sustainability standards internationally, and will result in a highly liveable, pedestrian city. Diriyah is the ultimate wellspring and source of a civilization, and our sustainable approach, rooted in a reverence of the city’s past and origins, has now been authenticated by this major accolade and proof point.” Mohamed Saad, Acting DevCo President DGDA, stated: “The significance of Diriyah’s preliminary LEED accreditation cannot be overstated and has involved input from every portion of DGDA. Thanks to this large collaborative effort, we are well on our way to demonstrating to the world that our development is comprehensively sustainable at every level.” LEED certification can be achieved at different levels: the building, neighbourhood, community and city levels. The first phase of the Diriyah development has targeted the certification at both the building and city levels. The precertification of LEED for buildings and cities at a platinum level shows that the development has sustainability at …

The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) announced its entry into a strategic partnership with OMNES Media to host the Arab Influencers Gathering, ‘City Talk’, next October at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre in the Dead Sea, Jordan. Scheduled to be held from 2nd to 5th of October 2022, City Talk will bring together more than 500 social media influencers and specialists in the influencer marketing industry from different countries of the Arab world to review and discuss the industry’s recent and most important developments. It features 6 panel discussions and 6 workshops, in addition to daily meetings with the most prominent influential Arab personalities in order to come up with recommendations and solutions to many of the issues under discussion. The gathering will also organize a field tour to a number of tourist facilities and destinations in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, during which the JTB will shed light on the historical, natural and cultural heritage of these destinations, which will provide rich material for the participating influencers. Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat said: “We are honoured to host City Talk at the Dead Sea, one of the most important tourist destinations at the local and international levels. Organizing this prestigious event is in line with the JTB’s strategy to support conference and exhibition tourism by hosting the most prominent regional and global events and harnessing such events in promoting Jordan and its unique tourist destinations.” The gathering will provide rich content with information and experiences related to the influencer marketing industry through working papers, presentations and panel discussions that will be presented by speakers, exhibitors and participants on many related topics. “The event is an …

dnata Representation Services, part of the dnata Travel Group, is growing its partnership with the Banyan Tree Group across Thailand as the country emerges as one of the most popular international travel destinations from the GCC countries this year. dnata Representation Services has acted as exclusive sales representative in the Middle East for the Banyan Tree Group’s Maldivian properties since 2016. dnata will now provide support for a range of its popular hotels and resorts across Thailand, offering regional travellers exclusive holiday packages and dedicated local support. Its representation will cover ever-popular Banyan Tree Bangkok in the capital, and multiple properties across the country’s largest island, Phuket. This includes Banyan Tree Phuket, which recently launched a new wellbeing resort – Banyan Tree Veya Phuket – as part of its cluster; Angsana Laguna Phuket, opening this year a highly-anticipated new restaurant, ATOLL, set amidst a lagoon; alongside the Homm Bliss South Beach Patong and Cassia Phuket. dnata Travel, based across the GCC, recently announced that Thailand is the most popular holiday destination for UAE travellers for summer 2022, while the brand records a surge in popularity for travel to the country across its wider regional operations including in KSA. Sébastien Doussin, DVP – Global Ground Services & Destination Management at dnata Travel Group, commented: “As one of the Middle East’s longest-standing travel providers, we remain at the forefront of latest traveller trends across the region. Our enhanced partnership with the Banyan Tree Group, owner of some of the world’s most renowned luxury resorts, enables us to support our travellers with excellent hotel packages in some of the most sought-after travel destinations from this part of the world including Thailand and the …

Emirates expects a busy summer and is set to operate as scheduled over the peak travel season, including at its 39 European points with its London Stansted route re-starting from 1 August. With over 24,000 scheduled passenger flights to and from 129 airports around the world for July and August, Emirates has been co-ordinating with its ground handling partners at airports around the world, ensuring they are up-to-date with operational requirements and are prepared to support smooth passenger movement. Emirates has also worked closely with other stakeholders at Dubai Airport to support its flight schedule and services, provisioning additional resources to ensure efficient operations at the hub, including for transiting passengers. Those visiting Dubai or doing a summer stopover can ease through departures and arrivals with speedy biometrics-enabled check-points; and utilise various convenient options for mobile, online, home, and self-check in. The double-decked Emirates A380 aircraft is also being deployed to serve high customer demand at over 30 cities around its network, this includes popular European cities: Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Rome, Paris, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Vienna, and Zurich. Whether travelling for the holidays or to visit family and friends, customers can look forward to all of Emirates’ signature experiences. On ground, this includes complimentary Chauffeur Drive airport transfers for First and Business Class customers in nearly all cities served by Emirates. Onboard, customers in all cabins can expect freshly prepared meals inspired by the season and region, and an unmatched selection of the latest movies, TV shows, radio, live TV, podcasts and more on the 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment on Emirates ice. Flight updates and travel advisories: To receive the latest flight updates, customers are …