Qatar Airways passengers will be able to explore even more of Africa following its new partnership with Rwanda’s flag carrier, RwandAir via their hubs at Doha and Kigali. As a part of the strategic partnership, the extensive interline agreement will give customers access to the networks of both airlines, providing a seamless travel experience and enhanced customer service including in the frequent flyers programmes.   Customers can pick and choose from over 160 destinations in the combined networks of both airlines, which are perfectly connected via their home hubs of Doha and Kigali.   This latest cooperation comes hot on the heels of the airlines’ recent loyalty partnerships announcement, giving RwandAir Dream Miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty members, access to each other’s destinations with the opportunity to ‘earn and burn’ points across their reciprocal route networks.   His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al-Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive said: “This partnership cements our commitment to giving travellers the widest choice of destinations, while providing a seamless, high quality travel experience, which is the goal of both Qatar Airways and RwandAir.   “Africa is a hugely important market for us and this latest partnership will help support the recovery of international air travel and offer unrivalled connectivity to and from a number of new African destinations.”   Yvonne Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “We’re really excited to be opening up more of the world to our customers through the new interline agreement with Qatar Airways.   “Delivering excellent customer experience is key for us and we know that any travelers flying with Qatar Airways or RwandAir, as part of the agreement, will continue to receive the same unrivalled level of service …

Air France KLM (Middle East) has announced the appointment of a new General Manager for the Middle East region, based at the regional headquarters at Dubai Airport Free Zone. Simon Scholte joined the region on August 1st and will lead the team covering the Commercial, HR, Finance and Station activities of Air France KLM in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Cairo and offline markets (Yemen, Qatar, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Libya, Jordan). Simon Scholte joined Air France KLM in 2005 and has held several senior managerial positions within the company, including Commercial Director in Korea, Russia and CIS; and Director Pricing. He joined the Middle East team from his latest role as Program Director Flying Blue and Deputy VP Customer Loyalty. Simon Scholte has taken over the Middle East regional leadership role from Yeshwant Pawar, who has retired from the Group. Commenting on his new role, Simon Scholte, General Manager Middle East, Air France KLM said: “I am delighted to join the Middle East team and privileged to lead Air France KLM in this beautiful exciting and diverse region known for its rich culture, history, gastronomy and hospitality, especially at an important time, as we develop our network and services and implement our sustainability strategy. Our aim is to meet the evolving service demands and travel expectations of our customers and connect the region with global destinations through our extensive network. Just as importantly, we want to bring global business and leisure travellers to the region and support local economies and partners. On behalf of the Group, I would like to thank Yeshwant Pawar for his outstanding contribution over many years of service and …

IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has debuted its world-renowned luxury brand InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in Azerbaijan with the recent opening of InterContinental Baku.   The 128-room, new-build property overlooks the scenic Baku Bay, allowing guests to experience the InterContinental Life in luxurious modern surroundings while enjoying mesmerizing views of the Caspian Sea, harbour and Baku’s iconic Flame Towers. The city of Baku is a melting point of architecture inspired by the city’s rich history and seamlessly combines the ancient and modern.   Baku is known for its “oil-boom architecture,” originating from a period of significant economic growth and development in the 19th century. The hotel’s façade is inspired by this style, and the rest of the hotel’s design is inspired by the region’s breath-taking landscape, history, and culture, and interwoven with InterContinental’s modern luxury design to create an air of elegance and contemporary grandeur.   InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is famed for blending international know-how with a city’s cultural heritage and InterContinental Baku is no exception. Guests can become familiar with legendary medieval poet and scientist Nizami Ganjavi who was born in Azerbaijan in 12th century, considered the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature. His greatest collection of poems, Khamsa, have been reflected in the hotel’s interior design and inspired the names of different hotel facilities, from the restaurant to the meeting spaces. The hotel features seven floors of elegantly designed guest rooms, an all-day dining restaurant offering a thoughtful balance of local and Mediterranean cuisine and a SPA with indoor pool and hammam. The mezzanine floor features the hotel’s Club InterContinental – named Iksander-nameh after Nizami’s ode to Alexsander the Great – with …

Bringing an exciting new living experience to Dubai, The Resivation Managed By Leva, is a trendy new property in the heart of Al Furjan. The 150-room property boasts a novel concept, specially designed as a wallet-friendly “home away from home” for Dubai’s travelling professionals. With a range of living experiences to choose from, guests can explore the property’s Executive Room – Twin, Double Room, and Deluxe Room. Room rates start at a jaw-dropping introductory offer of just AED 1,849 per month. The property’s rooms are ideal for co-living colleagues, working couples, freelancing friends, and individual professionals. In-room features range from storage solutions, reading lights, and a desk to wardrobes, mini fridges, and smart TVs. The Deluxe Room includes a chic lounge area and balcony. The upscale co-living space delivers all the comforts of home under a single roof, with the added touch of luxurious hospitality. What distinguishes The Resivation Managed By Leva from other business hotels is its distinct style. Conventional business hotels tend to have a corporate atmosphere, leaving guests unable to truly unplug from work. This property brings first-rate amenities, impeccable service, and contemporary design to the fore. Fusing fun and functionality – The Resivation Managed By Leva creatively combines work and play with a gym and yoga studio, a games room, a community kitchenette, dining rooms, a community laundry room, a grab-and-go facility for busy mornings, and a rooftop shisha terrace for relaxed evenings. Despite its community spaces, comfortable privacy remains a priority at the co-living property. All rooms are fully-furnished and come with a spacious en suite bathroom.   Designed for digital nomads – The Resivation Managed By Leva is designed for professionals on the go. Enjoying a prime …

The Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) announced the launch of “Ajman, Your Joyful Summer Staycation” campaign from 25 July until 10 September 2021 where hotels, shopping centers, and touris-tic destinations will be presenting their exclusive summer offers and dis-counts.   This campaign, organized by ATDD for the second year in a row, aims to highlight the distinct landmarks, facilities, attractions, and hotels across Ajman, in addition to promoting domestic tourism and encouraging tour-ists to select the emirate as their safe and preferred destination. The “Ajman, Your Joyful Summer Staycation” campaign will be presenting enticing events, exclusive offers on hotel accommodations, and huge dis-counts on various products and services, as well as recreational activities that fulfill the desires of both residents and visitors of Ajman.   The campaign aims to provide a memorable experience for tourists by of-fering a wide range of travel offers such as special packages for hotel ac-commodations, discounts on hotel services for up to 50%, and deals on restaurants, spas, activities, and outdoor adventures, in addition to the chance of winning a car when shopping at City Centre Ajman.   “Ajman, Your Joyful Summer Staycation” heavily focuses on supporting and promoting domestic tourism, and the Ajman Tourism Development Department is fully committed to launching exceptional initiatives and create a unique yet diverse travel experience that lives to the expectations of all the visitors and tourists.   It is to be noted that the emirate of Ajman is rich with touristic elements that contribute in attracting tourists, such as long pristine beaches, vibrant art scenes, diverse world cuisines to satisfy all tastes, and encompasses a multitude of unique travel destinations, and a wide variety of activities and adventures …

Worldwide leader in travel retail, Travelport, announced a multi-year technology agreement with ITL World, one of the leading travel management companies in the Middle East. The agreement will see Dubai-based ITL World implement Travelport+, Travelport’s recently launched next-generation platform that creates a simplified, capability-rich, marketplace for travel retailing.   The move to Travelport+ will see ITL World benefit from advanced retailing capabilities including a modern, lightweight, highly functional microservices API, as well as a sophisticated point of sale solution and tools for enhanced value generation – all in one place. Travelport and ITL World also intend to implement various NDC initiatives in the future, leveraging Travelport’s NDC connections with multiple airlines.   Additionally, ITL World will use Travelport’s Branded Fares and Ancillary Services, giving its agents a graphically rich experience when searching and booking fares and ancillary offers from the approximately 275 airlines using the solution.   “Deploying Travelport+ supports our commitment to deliver travel management solutions which are innovative, yet cost-effective”, said Dr Siddeek Ahmed, Chairman & Managing Director at ITL World. “Travelport+ will enable us to simplify complex travel retailing processes, respond with agility to the needs of all our customers, and create increased value.”   Kathryn Wallington, Head of Middle East & Africa at Travelport said: “We are proud to be partnering with a market leading travel management company like ITL World. We will continue to work closely with ITL World to enhance capabilities, improve pain points and ensure we are generating value from every trip. ITL World’s upgrade to Travelport+ will also enhance its competitive edge as the industry approaches a full return to travel.”   Founded in the 1980s, ITL World is an award-winning travel …

When the new form of travel and the changing needs of travellers are discussed, the new generation travel solution HeyTripster.com approaches the changing understanding of travel from a different angle by bringing travellers and local information together and supporting sustainable tourism. The travel tech startup offers daily trip plans that enable locals to generate income and plants a tree in the city for each plan purchased.   Time passing with the new environmental challenges… Many of us have started looking for places to travel to again. Well, if we don’t want to physically meet with a professional guide and travel, also if we want to plan our trip without drowning in the information pollution on the internet due to the changing conditions after the pandemic, what can we need other than refined local knowledge? HeyTripster comes to your aid at this point with a new generation travel understanding.   Carefully selected locals, such as gourmets, bloggers, art directors, editors, or architects, who deal with cities with their different characteristics, become trip designers with HeyTripster. Trip plans prepared by locals with different interests combine the most famous places and the most hidden places of the city with all the clues in carefully prepared, up-to-date, and optimum routes. Learning the travel preferences of the travellers, HeyTripster recommends the most suitable plans for the specific requests of the travellers with the algorithm they developed.   Digital plans, which can be viewed online or offline, are delivered to the traveller as the result of the purchase. HeyTripster, which has a business model in which locals generate revenue for each plan purchased, aims to draw attention to sustainable tourism and carbon footprint by donating one …

Radisson Hotel Group is proud to announce the extension of its Moroccan footprint with the opening of four hotels in beloved tourist destinations Al Hoceima, Taghazout Bay, and Saïdia. Located in the south, north and northeast of Morocco, the four hotels consist of three inviting resorts and a comfortable seaside residence, bringing the Group’s fast-growing Moroccan portfolio to more than 10 hotels in operation and under development.   “We are delighted to be boosting the presence of our flagship Radisson Blu brand as well as our resort and Serviced Apartment offerings across Morocco. Morocco is one of our key focus markets in Africa where we are looking to reach 15 hotels in operation and under development in the country by 2025. Offering a base to disconnect in the continent’s number one surf village in Taghazout Bay or soak up the rich culture and superb scenery in Al Hoceima and Saïdia, the addition of the residence and three resorts perfectly complements our current footprint in the country. Travelers can now look forward to experiencing our Yes I Can! hospitality while enjoying endless tranquillity and relaxing summer days whether on a family holiday, romantic getaway, or solo vacation,” says Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President, Middle East & Africa, at Radisson Hotel Group.   Radisson Blu Resort, Al Hoceima – Situated on one of the most scenic Mediterranean bays, Radisson Blu Resort, Al Hoceima is surrounded by 64 acres of cedar forest and is ideally located on the Sfiha beachfront. The hotel features 432 luxury rooms and suites with modern decor and breath-taking ocean and garden views. Located just 20 minutes from Al Hoceima’s international airport, Cherif Al Idrissi, the resort provides …

As hospitality’s doors finally reopen, the sector is quickly getting a sense of the evolved “digital-first” world in which it’s now operating. The past year has seen a significant step change in the adoption of technology and digital services, but while some hospitality businesses were able to welcome online models, huge swathes of the industry were forced to remain dormant, leaving many digital advancements relatively untested or stagnating. Now, the whole sector must quickly accelerate its digital transformation to fuel long-term recovery, or risk customer abandonment and falling further behind.   According to research by Aruba, a HPE company, as of last year the hospitality sector was in a healthy – but not leading – place in its adoption of advanced technologies and moving computing to the Edge. Over half of hospitality IT leaders had started to implement trials or applications in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) (55%), Internet of Things (IoT) (70%) and machine learning (57%). However, that compares to figures of up to 75% for AI in the financial services industry, or 77% for IoT in retail, distribution, and transport.   But it was also already struggling significantly with the data these new technologies produces. A quarter (25%) of IT leaders in hospitality said there was too much data for their systems to handle, and that they could not process the data they collected quickly enough to act (25%). With data levels increasing exponentially over the past year, thanks to the Covid-induced rise of smart technologies, IoT sensors, and connected devices the depth of data sprawl will only be greater.   To get a handle on all this data and deliver the type of differentiated customer experiences …

Shaza Hotels maintains ambitious growth plans in the Middle East with various properties to open in the coming years in Jeddah, Dubai, Salalah and Doha. The expansion plans include Mysk Jeddah, Mysk Kuwait, Shaza Salalah, Shaza Doha and Mysk The Palm, on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai that is to open its doors in time for EXPO 2020 Dubai. Another dazzling destination in the pipeline is The Mysk Moon Retreat, settled amidst the sandy desserts of Mleiha region in Sharjah, it is set to open in 2021, offering luxury glamping tents with private pools and unique service standards unheard to the region In KSA, Shaza is already a household name in the hospitality sector as it operates three luxury hotels in three prime locations: Shaza Makkah, one of the first in line hotels in Jabal Al Ka’abah overlooking Al Masjid Al Haram, Shaza Madinah, right next to Al Masjid Al Nabawi, and Shaza Riyadh, in the buzzing heart of the capital next to Al Rajhi grand mosque. Shaza also operates Mysk by Shaza Al Mouj Muscat, overlooking the vibrant marina of Al Mouj in Muscat, and the four retreats of Sharjah Collection by Mysk including Mysk Al Faya Retreat, Mysk Kingfisher Retreat, Mysk Al Badayer Retreat, and the soon to be opened Mysk Moon Retreat at Sharjah. Each of these retreats offer a unique perspective of glamping atmospheres, service rituals, and guest experience that are unheard of in the region, making them serene, luxury, contemporary, and bespoke retreats. Shaji Abu Salih, Corporate Director of Business Development at Shaza Hotels, said, “The Middle East and GCC in particular make the key feeder markets for Shaza Hotels. We aim to become a true …