Speaking at the Bavel Travel Summit taking place in Spain, Maria Sellar from Terrapay called out gender bias in the travel technology industry. During a speech titled ‘Breaking Barriers: Inclusion and Diversity in Travel Industry Leadership!’, Sellar went on to demand the travel technology industry bridges this gap or risks falling behind. Whilst addressing the 200+ crowd of travel tech professionals at the event in Sitges, Spain – organized by B2B travel payments company Voxel – Sellar shared her own experiences of discrimination and highlighted research seen by Terrapay that proved the stark inequality between males and females in the sector, including that: • Only 28% of tech employees are female, but more worryingly still the percentage of women serving as CEOs in technology companies is only roughly 17%. • There’s some evidence things are going backwards: there was a decline of 2.1% in the representation of women in big tech companies between 2020 and 2022! • Between 2016 and 2022, an average of only 15% of tech startup founders were female, according to Startup Genome, 2023. “You only need to look down the list of attendees at travel technology events to see how male dominated it is, there’s not much statistical analysis to be done – and again, when you look at who is speaking on stage or who are the CEOs, the gap is obvious and worrying” commented Sellar, who at B2B travel payments provider Terrapay is the General Manager for Travel. She continued “For anyone with any doubts about the value of gender equality, consider that it isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic advantage that fosters creativity and a broader range of perspectives, ultimately benefiting the …

Speaking with TravTalkME Lydia Li, Deputy General Manager ITB China shared that one of the key emerging trends seen over the past few months is an increase of outbound travel with Chinese travellers opting for MICE and business travel to the Middle East. According to the recent report by Trip.com, there were destinations that fall in the medium- and long-haul outbound travel categories that witnessed significant growth, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and the Maldives, among others along the Belt and Road Initiative, experiencing high order growth rates, increasing by over 800%, 60%, 40%, and 40% respectively compared to 2019. Countries farther away such as the UK, Argentina, and Norway also saw significant increases, with growth rates exceeding 60%, 40%, and 200% respectively compared to 2019.

Forward ticket data for July and August 2024 indicates that European travellers are increasingly choosing to venture further afield to explore Dubai with a 11 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2023. Highlighted by forwardKeys, Outbound travel from Europe is displaying clear trends, with year-on-year growth in long-haul travel to a diverse range of Asian markets.

Speaking with TravTalkME on the sidelines of ITB China, Abdelkhalek Mostafa – Regional ecommerce Director Pickalbatros Hotels and Resorts shared that Chinese travellers have become one of the main source markets for their hotels and resorts across Egypt over the past few years. The main attraction of the Chinese is their world renown theme park, the largest by the name of ‘Neverland City’ in Hurghada. Ensuring that the source markets are provided all facilities is a key factor for destinations, hence Pickalbatros Hotels and Resorts too have  introduced many facilities to cater to this important clientele. Ranging from family oriented resorts to adult only resorts, Pickalbatros Hotels and Resorts have established a formidable name with their clientele from across the world.

The global tourism body is forecasting that the sector will grow its GDP contribution to more than OMR 3.3BN in 2024, 7.6% of the country’s economy, and is projected to employ more than 206,000 people across the country, with one in fourteen people working in the sector. Domestic visitor spending is predicted to continue growing, to reach OMR 1.5BN, beating the 2019 level by just over 8%. Although international visitor spending is forecast to still be behind 2019 levels by OMR 142.3MN, it is expected to continue growing through 2024.  The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) unveiled a promising future for Oman’s Travel & Tourism sector. With strong government support and strategic initiatives, the sector is poised to not only recover but to reach unprecedented heights this year. According to the global tourism body’s latest research, in 2023 the Travel & Tourism sector’s GDP contribution surged by almost 35%, totalling OMR 2.8BN, and is on track to surpass previous records. The sector witnessed a robust job growth of 15%, now employing 191,500 individuals nationwide. Last year, international visitors injected OMR 1.1BN into the economy, a remarkable 69% increase from 2022, while spending by domestic travellers rebounded to OMR 1.4BN. Oman’s status as a top tourist destination in the Middle East is clearer than ever, thanks to strategic government investment and support. These efforts are not only rejuvenating the economy but are also setting the stage for further increases in international travel spending and overall economic contribution from the sector. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said; “Oman’s Travel & Tourism sector is on the cusp of an historic revival in 2024. “The Oman Government is a strong support of Travel …

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/ Visit Maldives) participated in the Riyadh Travel Fair (RTF) 2024, organised from 27-29 May 2024. Alongside 17 participants representing 9 companies, MMPRC showcased Maldives as a luxury destination in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). MMPRC’s contribution in the fair was to strengthen the presence of Sunny Side of Life in the KSA market, achieve growth in arrivals, promote segments of tourism, and target affluent travellers in the Middle Eastern luxury segment. Riyadh Travel Fair 2024, convened in the Saudi Capital of Riyadh, is considered as a significant annual event where the leading travel and tourism companies of Saudi Arabia, GCC and other countries gather, with exhibitors representing tourist promotion authorities and tourist companies at the Arab and international levels. RTF is a market for the introduction of tourist products, services, and investments provided by the most significant tourist companies in the world. Corporate travel decision makers, investors, tour operators, travel agents representing VIP clients, and other industry professionals take part in the event every year. At RTF 2024, the Maldives stand offered visitors a glimpse of the Sunny Side of Life. The stand was thoughtfully curated to showcase the diverse segments of the Maldives’ tourism industry, including luxury travel, family holidays, adventure holidays, and cultural experiences. The vibrant and colourful stand featured a range of unique experiences, including a social media contest and a special giveaway. Cultural experiences, such as a Dhivehi Calligraphy Corner, and gastronomy experiences were offered to the visitors, who got a chance to sample Maldivian delicacies. Through the event, Visit Maldives aimed to promote and market the Maldives as the world’s leading destination. It marketed its tourism products, …

IHG Hotels & Resorts signed a management agreement with Urbnlanes Development to bring two new Crowne Plaza hotels to Egypt. The dual signings will see the introduction of Crowne Plaza Cairo New Administrative Capital and the Crowne Plaza New Cairo Yellow. Set to open in 2028, both new Crowne Plaza hotels promise a unique blend of premium hospitality and convenience for guests. True to the Crowne Plaza brand, the new-build hotels are set to deliver exceptional guest experiences rooted in blended travel that cater to both leisure and business guests, enabling effortless flexibility and balance between work and life. Located in the iconic Levels Towers in the heart of the New Administrative Capital, Crowne Plaza Cairo New Administrative Capital is set to offer excellent accessibility to business guests looking for proximity to the nearby government ministries, administrative institutions, embassies and finance houses. The hotel will offer three dining options, including a sky bar, and will also hosts five well-appointed meeting venues to cater to the needs of corporate guests. Crowne Plaza New Cairo Yellow, will be nestled within New Cairo’s main arteries. Part of the ‘Yellow’ mixed-use development project, the hotel will be located within short distance from business parks and Cairo International Airport. Along an all-day dining restaurant and a Club Lounge, Crowne Plaza New Cairo Yellow will feature five meeting and events venues including a ballroom. Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, commented: “Signing of two new Crowne Plaza hotels in Egypt represent a significant vote of confidence and trust in IHG and the appeal of the brand. We are excited to be an integral part of these major new developments and look forward to …

Speaking on the current trends of the Chinese outbound travellers, Xiong Xing, COO of Trip.com Group speaking on the topic, “Insights into the 2024, civil aviation market.” He introduced the data from Trip.com’s FlightAI market insight platform, which shows that as of 19 May, China’s cross-border flight capacity has recovered to 71% in 2024 compared to the same period in 2019, while the outbound travel search index for 2024 has risen by 63% compared to 2019, with travellers experiencing high demand for travel. “The concentrated release of travellers’ demand for travel has accelerated the pace of the industry’s recovery, and the hotly heated cross-border market is also showing new changes and trends.” Xiong Xing said. Although post-80s and post-90s travellers accounted for 53% of outbound travellers, post-2000s travellers have become the group with the fastest increase in share. From the perspective of travelling groups, parent-child family users are the absolute main force of summer outbound travel. In addition, the continuous growth of silver-haired travellers also injected new vitality into the travel market. It is worth noting that, under the strong recovery of outbound tourism, inbound tourism is also accelerating the recovery trend with the help of visa-free policy. Xiong Xing introduced that among inbound travellers in 2024, the orders of travellers from countries with mutual visa exemption for ordinary passports will grow the fastest compared to 2019.

Accor announced the launch of HERA, Accor Travel Advisor Program – a new worldwide loyalty and rewards program exclusively for travel advisors. Available now at HERA.Accor.com, the new program includes more brands, more features, and more capabilities as well as an enhanced digital experience with easy and efficient online tools for booking, tracking and reviewing activity. Other key features of HERA include informative and educational resources on Accor’s participating luxury and luxury lifestyle brands and hotels – including those sitting within the global lifestyle collective Ennismore. The new program generously rewards travel advisors for bookings while allowing them to increase their productivity, performance, and client satisfaction. “We are beyond excited to introduce HERA, a competitive and differentiated program that delivers the capabilities, personalization and rewards that the travel advisor community both needs and wants,” said Pascal Visintainer, Senior Vice President Global Sales, Luxury & Lifestyle, Accor. “Our aim is to inspire loyalty among leading travel professionals, by equipping them with all the resources they need to seamlessly create bespoke luxury travel experiences for their clients and granting them valuable Reward Points to use freely on their own time. With easy-to-use tools for travel planning, an efficient booking system, and plentiful rewards, we are confident that HERA, and therefore participating hotels sitting within Accor’s Luxury & Lifestyle division, will be a top choice of travel advisors around the globe.” HERA takes Accor’s ability to support and recognize travel agents up a notch and replaces the Group’s former Famous Agents program, with all previous travel advisor data, history, and Reward Points seamlessly migrated to the new platform. Using their personalized HERA member ID, travel advisors will earn Reward Points with each room …

The Maldives’ President Dr Mohammed Muizzu is taking part in the The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4). SIDS4 is scheduled to be held from 27 to 30 May 2024 in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda. This year’s theme for the conference is “Charting the course toward resilient prosperity”, discussing the various development challenges faced by small island developing states. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) were recognised as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, held in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In essence, they were formally recognised as a special case both for their environment and development. This was when the SIDS programme was established within the UN. Today, SIDS comprise a distinct group of 37 UN Member States and 20 Associate Members of the UN Regional Commissions spread across three geographical regions. His Excellency President Dr Mohammed Muizzu engages in the interactive dialogue under the theme “Revitalising SIDS Economies for Accelerated and Sustainable Growth” along with Anders Adlercreutz, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering of Finland. Maldives’ Foreign Minister Zameer will deliver closing remarks at the Private Sector Roundtable on 28 May 2024 while Environment Minister Thoriq and Housing Minister Haidar will be delivering interventions at the interactive dialogues. Both the Environment and Housing Minister will also participate in a number of side events. The majority of SIDS member states depend on the tourism industry as their main economic backbone, employment opportunities, and foreign exchange. At the SIDS4 conference, significant discussions will be held focussing on strategies to alleviate …