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 …

Over 2,500 Emirates customers enhanced their travel experience by adding innovative home check-in services to their bookings in July. The airline’s popular service enables passengers departing from Dubai to quickly and efficiently complete the check-in process in the comfort of their home and enjoy a swift and smooth journey through the airport. During the peak summer travel departures from the UAE in July, Emirates’ home check-in services were typically booked for groups of four to five people, with travellers’ most popular destinations being Amman (Jordan), Beirut (Lebanon) and Male (Maldives). Thursdays and the Eid long weekend were particularly busy with up to 130 home check-ins completed and 150 pieces of baggage delivered to the airport a day across Dubai. Underscoring the popularity of the service, some 400 home check-ins were for repeat customers who had already taken advantage of the service before. During the safe and convenient home check-in process, customer-oriented agents check in travellers for their flights, issue boarding passes, weigh and tag their sanitised baggage and ensure these are delivered to the airport and loaded onto the aircraft. Each piece of baggage is disinfected with a long-lasting protective coating that lasts for up to 72 hours. Emirates customers can easily book their home check-in service on emirates.com up to 24 hours before their flight and receive the service up to 8 hours before scheduled departure time. Customers also have the option to book fast-track marhaba services to help whisk them through airport immigration for an even more contactless on ground experience. In addition, travellers can also book pre-travel COVID-19 testing. A qualified medical professional performs the swab test ahead of the home check-in process, and results are shared …

Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE National Rail Network, has completed the longest tunnel in the Gulf Region. Running for 1.8 km, the tunnel is part of Package D on Stage Two. Package D runs for 145 km from Dubai and Sharjah, through the Al Hajar Mountains, toward the emirate of Fujairah. The package includes the construction of nine tunnels through the mountains at a cumulative length of 6.9 kilometres, and additionally includes 54 bridges and 20 animal crossings. The achievement is an significant step for the project’s development in 2021. The route passes through some of the most complex topographical areas in the construction of the network. In total, the completion of the tunnel contributes to ensuring development continues on an accelerated schedule. All tunnel excavation operations were implemented in line with international best safety practice. Teams ensured that all construction was carried out safely, given the mountainous terrain surrounding the site. Tunnel excavation required 300,000 working hours to complete, with over half a million tonnes of stone being removed during excavation. The UAE National Rail Network is being constructed on schedule. Track laying recently commenced at Saih Shuaib, the rail head for track running toward Abu Dhabi and Dubai as part of Stage Two. The overall track on Stage Two will run from Ghuweifat on the border of Saudi Arabia to the emirate of Fujairah on the UAE’s eastern seaboard. At the beginning of 2021, track laying began in the Al Dhafra region toward the UAE’s border with Saudi Arabia.

Tourism 365, part of Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), are conducting a European business travel trip. The trip, which passes through some of Europe’s largest travel markets, will emphasise how Tourism 365 presents robust travel opportunities for European holidaymakers coming to Abu Dhabi. The promotional tour is taking place in Europe, with nations including Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. The trip will focus on Tourism 365, showcasing how it supports in creating experiential travel opportunities for tourists coming to Abu Dhabi. Tourism 365 consists of Capital Experience, a high-quality destination management company, and Capital Travel, a premium travel operator. The launch of the company earlier this year comes in line with ADNEC’s broader role to support the growth of Abu Dhabi as a tourism destination, increasing leisure visitors, enhancing guest experiences, and extending their stay in the UAE’s capital. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, commented: “Tourism 365 plays an integral role in showcasing Abu Dhabi as one of the Middle East’s leading tourism destinations. Our relationship with European markets will enable the wider growth of the tourism sector in the UAE and wider region, which ADNEC consistently seeks to promote.” Roula Jouny, Executive Director of Tourism 365, commented, “Abu Dhabi is seeing an increased supply of travellers coming to visit its leading tourism attractions. With so many tourists looking to make the most of a post pandemic world and experience all that Abu Dhabi has to offer, this trip cements Tourism 365’s reputation amongst some of Europe’s largest travel markets.” “Tourism 365 is integral in enabling innovation across the tourism sector, increasing the emirate’s attractiveness to international visitors, and showcasing all …

Saudi Arabia will reopen its borders to international tourists from 1 August 2021. Tourism visa holders who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to enter the country from 1 August 2021 without the need to quarantine. Travelers will need to provide evidence of a full course of one the four vaccines currently recognized: two doses of the Oxford/Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson. Travelers who have completed two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has opened a web portal at https://muqeem.sa/#/vaccine-registration/home for visitors to register their vaccination status. The site is available in Arabic and English. Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabian are also required to provide a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure and an approved paper vaccination certificate, certified by the official health authorities in the issuing country. To accommodate travelers, Saudi has upgraded Tawakkalna, the country’s award-winning track and trace app, to allow temporary visitors to register with their passport details. Tawwakalna is required for entry to many public places in Saudi, including shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants and entertainment venues. The announcement comes almost eighteen months after international tourism into Saudi Arabia was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Saudi Arabia launched the tourism e-visa program in September 2019. “Saudi is looking forward to reopening its doors and its hearts to international visitors,” said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA). “During the shutdown we have working in close collaboration with our partners in …

After a successful run in the production of Paramount Hotel Dubai and its continuous growth, DAMAC Properties is thrilled to announce the expansion of the hotel chain with the opening of Paramount Hotel Midtown. Nicholas Chalmers takes the leading role at the brand new property as Director. An ideally suited and highly experienced leader in the hospitality industry, Nicholas will take the luxurious brand, that follows in the footsteps of Paramount Pictures, to a new level. Nicholas has more than two decades of international and regional experience in luxury hotels, working in London and Qatar. As Director, he will be responsible for establishing the vision, brand values, and the cinematic mission of the property while overseeing all hotel operations including rooms, food and beverage, revenue management, cast and development, marketing, sales, and future growth efforts. Prior to joining the Paramount Hotel Midtown, Nicholas was a pre-opening General Manager in Al Najada Hotel by Tivoli & Al Najada Hotel Apartments by Oaks in Doha, which helped him become fluent in all facets of hospitality. With his well-rounded skillset, Nicholas has successfully maintained flawless service standards and boosted revenue for hotels he has managed. Nicholas has a Bachelors degree in Modern History & International Relations from Reading University and a Masters degree in International Hotel Management from the University of Surrey. After more than 100 years of producing quality entertainment, Paramount expanded into the world of hospitality with Paramount Hotel Dubai and Paramount Hotel Midtown, where entertainment remains a key draw of the experience.   Embark on an unforgettable experience at Paramount Hotels, where Hollywood-chic glamour meets the laidback lifestyle of California. With an array of unique culinary offerings, rooms designed around …

A short haul destination from the UAE, Albania announced it has opened for tourism and started welcoming travelers especially from the GCC. The Republic of Albania further announced its participation to Expo 2020 Dubai, aiming to reintroduce the country’s culture, heritage, traditions, economical opportunities, and tourism to the United Arab Emirates and other international attendees of the rescheduled global event from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 in Dubai, UAE. In an interview with Iris Media, Mr. Taulant Balla, the Majority Group Leader of the Parliament of Republic of Albania shared the views and goals of Albania in attending Expo 2020 Dubai. “We have faced the same economic and tourism impact that the world experienced. As we understood how nobody knows when will this last, we are aiming to have the world expo as a platform to place Albania back to its position. It is a challenging goal but through partnerships with international relations and strengthened cooperation with the UAE, our aim is to go at the same level we were in 2019 before the pandemic.” One of the primary goals of Albania is to boost the tourism sector after it has re-opened its borders and started welcoming back international tourists. Through an effective vaccination program implemented in the country where every citizen and resident of Albania are obligated to be dosed with their choice of vaccines from Pfizer, Astrazenica, Sputnik, and Sinovac, the country has taken control of the spread and is now included in the green list of countries to safely visit. “We have done things that are going in the right direction. We are still cautious, but we are already enjoying the fruits of our effective …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has issued the updated list of “Green List” destinations. Vaccinated travellers arriving from these destinations will be exempt from mandatory quarantine measures after landing in Abu Dhabi and will be required to undergo PCR testing upon arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport, as well as another PCR test on day 6. Unvaccinated travellers arriving from these countries are exempt from mandatory quarantine but will also need to undergo PCR testing on arrival, as well as two further PCR tests on day 6 and 12.   Countries, regions, and territories included within the “Green List” will be regularly updated based on international developments. Inclusion in the list is subject to strict criteria of health and safety to ensure the well-being of the UAE community. The list also only applies to countries travellers are arriving from, rather than citizenship.   Please note below the updated “Green List” as of 31 July 2021 at 14:00pm UAE local time:   Albania Armenia Australia Austria Bahrain Belgium Brunei Bulgaria Canada China Czech Republic Germany Hong Kong (SAR) Hungary Israel Italy Maldives Mauritius Moldova New Zealand Poland Romania Saudi Arabia Serbia Seychelles Singapore South Korea Switzerland Taiwan, Province of China Ukraine United States of America   More information on the “Green List” can be found on www.visitabudhabi.com. DCT Abu Dhabi will also continue to issue updates on the list and overall travel status in the coming months.  

Following successful trials, Etihad Airways has expanded IATA Travel Pass on flights between Abu Dhabi and seven destinations across its network as it continues to implement digital solutions to simplify the travel experience in the wake of the pandemic. IATA Travel Pass is available for guests on all Etihad flights between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, Barcelona, Geneva, Madrid, Milan, New York and Singapore and offers the convenience of a one-stop platform for managing COVID-19 documentation.   Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer at Etihad Aviation Group, said: “The feedback from the IATA Travel Pass trial has been positive, with Etihad’s guests appreciating its ease-of-use and data security. Etihad is pleased to now make IATA Travel Pass available on flights to and from seven major global cities, providing more guests with the option of simplifying their journey and airport experience.”   Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security, said: “Etihad’s decision to expand IATA Travel Pass based on positive customer feedback is a strong endorsement of the solution. IATA Travel pass was designed to provide a one-stop-shop solution for travellers to safely and efficiently manage their COVID-19 documentation and generate an ‘OK to Travel’ which airlines can trust. It’s great to see the app in use facilitating the restart of international travel.”   Etihad Airways was one of the first airlines globally to begin testing IATA Travel Pass in April 2021 in support of a global, standardised solution for travellers to validate their documents and navigate COVID-19 travel requirements.   To access the IATA Travel Pass, guests simply need to download the IATA Travel Pass app for Android or iOS, where they can add their Etihad Airways …