On 20 August 2021, the national Ark of Taste menu was introduced to the general public in Azerbaijan. The menu has been prepared within the EU-funded project, Community-based Value Chain Enhancement in the Greater Caucasus Mountains Area (COVCHEG), based on the Slow Food philosophy of good, clean and fair food.   The Ark of Taste menu was put together using local ingredients, such as grapes, rice, nuts and other food varieties that are part of the Ark of Taste – an international Slow Food catalogue listing products that might disappear soon. Moreover, these products are made by local communities of farmers and food producers, who are brought together by the Slow Food Presidia. These producers are encouraged to sustain quality production, recover traditional processing methods and safeguard native breeds, local plant varieties as well as unique regions and ecosystems. “The launch of the Ark of Taste menu is another milestone in raising awareness about the local products of Azerbaijan that need to be put back on the table and developing more sustainable practices in the country”, said Florian Sengstschmid, Chief Executive Officer of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board. In addition to the Ark of Taste and Presidia, the Slow Food Travel (SFT) concept has also been prepared within the COVCHEG project. The aim of developing the SFT concept is to combine travel with first-hand culinary experiences based on meetings with local farmers, shepherds, winemakers, butchers or bakers and learning more about local gastronomic traditions. Considering the importance of local gastronomy and cultural heritage, the EU-funded COVCHEG project is being implemented by Slow Food in partnership with the Azerbaijan Tourism Board. This project aims to foster economic regeneration and the well-being of …

ITB China, the marketplace for China’s travel industry, has announced that Trip.com Group will be the Official Travel Service Partner for this year’s show, held from 24 – 26 November 2021 in Shanghai with a virtual extension from 8 November to 31 December. Trip.com Group is one of the world’s leading online travel service providers with global travel brands under its umbrella providing hundreds of millions of travellers worldwide with accommodation reservation, transportation and attraction ticketing, vacation and tour packages, and corporate travel management services. Trip.com Group’s engagement at ITB China 2021 will include numerous on-site activities, sharing its latest market knowledge and forecasts at the ITB China Conference sessions, and added networking opportunities by co-hosting the ITB China Cruise Night for the fourth consecutive time, this year set to take place on the evening of 24 November. Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, said: “I am very excited to attend ITB China in person this year. It has been a while, but it is wonderful to be able to meet up with industry partners again. While the pandemic has brought global travel to a standstill, we are working together at full speed toward travel recovery. ITB China 2021 will provide the travel industry with a trusted platform for personal encounters and successful business again. I can’t wait to seeing you all in Shanghai again soon!” As one of Trip.com Group’s flagship events, the 2021 ASIA-PACIFIC CORPORATE TRAVEL SUMMIT will be held concurrently to ITB China on 24 November in Shanghai to discuss the future development of the business travel eco-chain together with high-value corporate customers, airlines, hotels, MICE companies, travel payment and expense management companies. The event is also …

The Industry Nationalisation Department of Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) has concluded its Medyaf virtual summer training programme. The programme, which took place from July 4 to August 5 2021, saw the participation of 74 Emirati students between the ages of 16-20.   Medyaf, the industry nationalisation initiative was established as part of DCT to lay the groundwork for talented Emiratis to join the city’s tourist-facing workforce. The latest training programme aims to empower students to enhance their knowledge and skills over the summer period, while earning a training certificate. This year’s programme included live workshops delivered by expert speakers, as well as a series of interactive games and educational activities.   Mariam Al Maeeni, Director, Industry Nationalisation, DCT delivered a closing note, thanking the participants and wished them success. She also reiterated DCT’s commitment to train students in line with the College’s strategy to invest in Emirati students and develop their knowledge and skills during the summer vacation, while introducing them to the diverse and impactful roles within the tourism sector.   A number of students expressed their thoughts on their experience at Medyaf’s summer training programme. Fatima Al Yamahi, an 18-year-old student at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), said her experience with Medyaf was a great investment of her time and effort, as it helped her develop her communication skills, which is key when dealing with customers. Al Yamahi encouraged other young students to participate in the variety of courses offered by the Medyaf initiative, as they help broaden participants’ horizons and enhance their knowledge about the various fields provided by the UAE to its citizens.   Asmaa Al Afifi, a 20-year-old university student, said: “I dedicated …

Elaa, the dedicated travel management brand of Seera Group, has been appointed as the exclusive General Sales Agent (GSA) for Philippine Airlines in Saudi Arabia. With effect from 1 September 2021, elaa will lead Philippine Airlines’ sales promotions and marketing activities in Saudi Arabia. For these initiatives, elaa will capitalize on its wealth of experience in travel management locally and internationally. With a fleet of state-of-the-art Airbus and Boeing aircrafts, Philippine Airlines currently offers regular weekly nonstop flights from Dammam and Riyadh into Manila.  The Filipino flag carrier also flies nonstop from Doha and Dubai to Manila. Saudi-based travel agents can now access Philippine Airlines’ excellent products and services as well as the airline’s highly competitive fares through elaa. The range of services that will be provided by elaa to Philippine Airlines include general sales, support for MICE activities, airport handling and office set-ups. According to the recent Saudi Travel Sentiments survey conducted by Seera Group’s flagship consumer travel brand Almosafer, 83 percent of Saudi travellers are planning to fly internationally in 2021. With the PAL GSA partnership, elaa aims to broaden the range of destination offerings, covering the Philippines. Pre-pandemic, Seera Group saw an annual increase of over 50 per cent of bookings to the Philippines. The statistical report generated by the Group ranked the Philippines under the top 10 revenue generating destinations in 2018 and it moved up to top 5 in 2019. The Group sold over 145,000 inbound and outbound passengers from the Philippines in 2019. Saudi Arabia’s outbound tourism market is expected to reach over US$ 43 billion by 2025, according to the latest data from Renub Research. While family holidays currently dominate the market, a …

It was announced that Mushrif Park is to see a new50 km sand bike track. It will be the first track of its kind to be built by Dubai Municipality in the heart of the city promises to be an exciting new destination for sports and adventure enthusiasts both residents and tourists. This project forms part of implementing the vision to make Dubai the world’s best city to live and also to support plan to turn Dubai into the world’s most bicycle friendly city. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has approved the development of a 50km sand bike track in the Mushrif National Park. The first facility of its kind to be built by Dubai Municipality in the heart of the city, the track will be set amidst the Park’s lush forest that features 70,000 trees. The new track will add 276km to the total existing and planned cycle tracks in Dubai, bringing the total length of bicycle tracks in the emirate to 739km by 2026. The project forms part of the implementation of 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 best city to live in. It is also part of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s directives to transform Dubai into the globe’s most bicycle-friendly city and promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, by building the high-quality infrastructure needed for residents to practise cycling as a sport.   Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality said the sand bike track project …

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and AL Tayer Holidays announced a partnership that will allow Al Tayer to market NCL’s cruises across the Group’s multiple businesses and distribution channels. The agreement marks the beginning of a long-term partnership to grow NCL’s market share in the Middle East while enriching Al Tayer’s travel portfolio with the line’s renowned cruises that sail to more than 300 destinations worldwide, including Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island in the Bahamas and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 54-year history of breaking boundaries, and AL Tayer Holidays, a subsidiary of AL Tayer Group, a leader in luxury retail in the Middle East, today announced a partnership that will allow Al Tayer to market NCL’s cruises across the Group’s multiple businesses and distribution channels. Commenting on the agreement, NCL’s Regional Vice President Business Development Middle East & Africa, Nick Wilkinson, said: “We are delighted to partner with a dynamic and distinguished group such as Al Tayer, who share our vision of innovation and putting customer experience first. We are seeing great demand for our cruises from the U.A.E and GCC markets and are striving to further strengthen our position in this high-potential region through strategic partnerships.” Manu Mehrotra, General Manager, Al Tayer Travel commented: “It is an exciting opportunity for us to be partnering with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), an innovator in the cruise industry. NCL has in a short span of time become popular in this part of the world and as is ideally poised to showcase its unique product as the cruise market keeps expanding in our region. The Company’s growth plans …

Almost 70% of global consumers plan to travel domestically within the next six months, yet less than 10% have booked their trips according to a new survey from consulting firm Oliver Wyman. “The summer travel surge is just the beginning of a recovery that seemed almost impossible a little more than a year ago,” said Michael Wette, Head of IMEA Transportation & Services, Oliver Wyman. “We expect to see a continued desire for leisure travel through the end of the year and travel providers should anticipate a sustained leisure recovery with strong bookings continuing at least through the end of the year.” “The travel industry continues to be a part of the diversification strategy for governments in the Middle East region and in the UAE in particular. There will be an even greater level of leisure and business travel due to major events and exhibitions like Dubai Expo 2020, the Dubai Airshow and ADIPEC being hosted.” The survey findings revealed the following: Leisure travel 76% of respondents expect to travel the same or more post-COVID for leisure Traffic out of US airports will match and may even exceed the rate of pre-pandemic travel sometime in early 2022. International leisure travel continues to be the most impacted by the pandemic, as most travelers opt to stay closer to home. The Chinese (81%), United States (67%) and Australian (62%) travelers will prefer to travel domestically when restrictions are lifted. Whereas Canadians (54%) and most Europeans will favour international trips, mostly short hall. Business travel Business travelers are optimistic about the return of corporate trips. Globally, about 75% of business travelers expect to travel the same as or more than they did pre-pandemic. …

Emirates has signed a codeshare agreement with Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras S.A (Azul) which will allow customers to seamlessly connect to and from eight cities in Brazil to Emirates’ global network via Sao Paulo. The codeshare agreement has been approved by the Brazilian Federal Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil). Under the codeshare, customers will be able to connect to and from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SDU), Belem (BEL) Belo Horizonte (CNF), Cuiaba (CGB), Curtiba (CWB), Juazeiro Do Norte (JDO), Porto Alegre (POA) and Recife (REC) airports on flights operated by Azul to Emirates flights from Sao Paulo (GRU) to Dubai and beyond with a single ticket. Tickets be purchased online on Emirates’ website or through Emirates’ local sales offices and travel agents from 18 August 2021 for travel starting from 25 August 2021. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “Emirates is delighted to be entering into a codeshare partnership with Azul to offer our customers an enhanced, smooth and convenient connectivity between eight cities in Brazil to/ from Dubai and our global network through Sao Paulo. Brazil is an important market for Emirates and our cooperation with Azul underscores Emirates’ commitment to strengthen our reach in the region and open up more options for our customers. With one ticket, our customers can access a seamless experience through check-in, bag check and boarding on every leg of their journey. We look forward to working with Azul and strengthening our partnership in the days to come.” “We are very happy to announce this partnership with Emirates, which will provide seamless benefits to our customers. As the largest airline in Brazil in terms of destinations, this codeshare allows our …

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said the UAE is a “global host and an efficient platform for the entire media sector because of its integrated digital infrastructure.” It also has a supportive legal and legislative environment, as well as attractive living standards for all nationalities and international companies in the media and cultural industries, as directed by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, he added. Sheikh Mansour stated this while announcing the launch of the first edition of the Global Media Congress, to be held in Abu Dhabi from 15th to 17th November, 2022, which will be organised by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in a strategic partnership with the Emirates News Agency (WAM). He said the Congress will be “an exceptional platform” for the media sector. The event will include a media an exhibition and conference, which will enable various media organisations to discuss partnership and cooperation agreements aimed at developing their messages that will serve humanity and support communities through providing useful and credible content. The event will be attended by a range of media leaders and global influencers, in addition to academics and youth. The Congress will also discuss several key topics, most notably digital communication, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies and innovation in the media sector. It will host specialist sessions covering journalism, radio, television, internet, social media and international influencers. The event …

Marriott International, Inc. announced plans to expand its portfolio in Turkey with the expected opening of 10 properties by the end of 2022. With the anticipated openings, the company’s portfolio in Turkey is expected to encompass 43 properties with over 7,000 rooms across eight markets by the end of 2022. Reinforcing its long-term focus on the market, the company also announced two recent deal signings under the Four Points by Sheraton brand. “Marriott International has a strong history of successful operations in the Turkish market,” said Begüm Kaya, Director of Development, Turkey at Marriott International. “With our captivating portfolio of brands, world-class distribution platform and all-encompassing travel program, Marriott Bonvoy, we appreciate the confidence our owners and franchisees have with us in this exciting market.” Marriott International continues to see growth in its select portfolio across brands such as Four Points by Sheraton and Residence Inn by Marriott. Four Points by Sheraton builds upon its momentum in the Turkish market with the Four Points by Sheraton Istanbul Kagithane expected to open this year and the Four Points by Sheraton Elazig projected to open in 2022. To meet the demand for longer-stay accommodations in the country, the company is expected to debut its extended stay brand, Residence Inn by Marriott, with the anticipated opening of Residence Inn by Marriott Istanbul Atasehir later this year. The brand is ideal for guests seeking the comforts of home with modern, flexible suites with full kitchens and separate living and sleeping areas, providing the perfect solution for travelers mixing business and leisure travel. The company’s renowned premium brands also remain a strong driver of growth in the Turkish market. Following the recent opening of Orientbank …