Expedia Lodging Partner Services (LPS) hosted its Annual Wanderlust Summit in Dubai. Over 300 delegates and partners across Expedia’s network in the Middle East attended the event. The summit was hosted by Johan Svanstrom, President of Hotels.com and Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN), Ait Voncke, Vice President Europe Middle East Africa Market Management and Paula de Keijzer, Senior Director Market Management – Middle East, Africa, Greece and Turkey. Expedia presented the latest technologies to their hotel partners through Expedia Partner Central that allow them to connect to customers. This toolkit of technology, marketing and data offerings is designed to help hotel partners drive knowledge and efficiencies to grow their business through the leveraging of data to optimise revenue. Paula de Keijzer, Senior Director Market Management Middle East, Indian Ocean, Africa, Greece and Turkey at Expedia said, “We are thrilled to host our annual Wanderlust conference in the presence of our Dubai hotels partners. With the sharing and exchange of knowledge we believe we can help our hotel partners better leverage trends and plan to anticipate and respond to travellers’ needs.”

Dubai has been chosen by Crystal Cruises as the location for the company’s flagship liner to make its maiden voyage in the region. The decision to make Dubai the location for the regional debut of the liner’s sophisticated new look further cements the emirate’s position as the region’s leading cruise destination. Despite Dubai’s cruise industry only really gaining momentum in 2001 with the opening of the first cruise terminal in the Gulf, the city has been instrumental in pioneering cruise tourism in region. The emirate is now serving over 20 world-class cruise lines, including Crystal Cruises, the world’s most awarded cruise line. DP World was also present to welcome Crystal Symphony on her maiden voyage to the region. “The choice of Dubai by Crystal Cruises reinforces the emirate’s reputation as one of the world’s leading cruise destinations. DP World is committed to providing all forms of support to cruise liners that call at Dubai’s cruise terminals, as part of our group’s comprehensive strategy to boost the growth of the emirate’s cruise industry.” said Mohammed Al Mannaei, CEO, P&O Marinas and Executive Director, Mina Rashid – DP World.

H.E. Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), received a delegation from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The delegation included Second Deputy Chairman Walid Abdulrahman Bukhatir, Honorary Treasurer Ziad Mahmoud Al Hajji and Board Member Mohamed Ali Al Hazami. During the meeting, H.E Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa stressed on the importance of strengthening cooperation and reinforcing bilateral relations between both countries across all fields, especially the tourism sector. He also mentioned the BTEA’s readiness to strengthen relations with the United Arab Emirates and work towards achieving their joint goals. The delegation expressed their gratitude for the warm welcome and affirmed their readiness to enhance the joint cooperation between the two countries in the tourism field and to further explore bilateral initiatives.

According to a recent Pricewaterhouse Cooper report, global megatrends and their impact on the Middle East’s travel and tourism industry, highlight that travellers in the GCC now do the majority of their holiday research and booking on smartphones and tablets. Smartphone usage for the GCC markets is among the highest in the world, 78 per cent in the UAE and 77 per cent in Saudi Arabia. Due to the ubiquity of high-speed mobile internet, travellers can easily access mobile applications to book flights and hotels online, and compare online reviews. Wego, a leading travel search website for GCC travellers living in the Middle East, was the first to enter the MENA region by launching fully localised services to meet the needs of a new generation of travellers wanting to shop for and book flights and hotels on their smartphones. “The response from GCC countries to Wego’s fully Arabised websites and mobile apps has been overwhelming,” said Mamoun Hmedan, Wego Managing Director of MENA and India. “Wego has grown rapidly to become the most popular and trusted travel search service in the region with over 10 million monthly visits.”

Blackwire, an in-vehicle Wi-Fi service provider entered into a partnership with infotainment platform Savvy Buddy to create an internet connectivity bridge between the airport and hotel. With a sole commitment to create an unmatched luxury experience for the UAE visitors, Blackwire will keep travellers connected as soon as they enter their taxi upon arrival to the country. This service will allow travellers to  plan their business dinner arrangements, room preferences and family entertainment programmes. As soon as visitors enter the Wi-Fi enabled vehicle, they will be introduced to the Savvy Buddy interface that will power in-room mounted smart phones, soon to be available at major five-star properties across Dubai. The second stage of the user experience will be Savvy Buddy powered phone that hotel guests will be able to take with them everywhere they go in the UAE and use it to connect with the world, call taxi services, use the most popular apps and control their smart hotel rooms remotely.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a partnership with Cairo Sheikh Zayed City in collaboration with Al Badr for Investments and Commercial Spaces Company for the Crowne Plaza. Scheduled to open in 2021, the 187-room new build will form part of Phase II of Arkan Plaza, a prime upscale mixed-used development, and is strategically located in the heart of Sheikh Zayed City. The new Hotel is 10 minutes away from the New Cairo Museum and 15 minutes from the Great Pyramids of Giza. The new development aligns with IHG’s strategy to grow the Crowne Plaza brand across Middle East and North Africa (MENA), by further strengthening its presence in top-tier business epicentres and primary markets in the region. The property is also in close proximity to Cairo International Airport and will be just 10 km away from the Sphinx International Airport. Business and leisure travellers can get the best of both worlds with three meeting rooms and a business centre along with an outdoor pool, Club Lounge and a spa to revitalise both body and mind.

Turkish Airlines offers an exclusive private transfer service for Business Class passengers who purchase flexible return tickets between select markets. Passengers flying from Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Cairo, Karachi, Kuwait City, Lahore, Islamabad, Mumbai, Tehran, Tel Aviv to USA and Canada or the return itinerary can benefit from the exclusive drive service. “Turkish Airlines always strives to enhance the overall experience of our passengers and continuously looks to improve upon its already impressive products and services. The exclusive programme will be a great addition to the services available to our valued Business Class passengers, who have helped us earn the top spot in the categories of “World’s Best Business Class Lounge”, “Best Business Class Onboard Catering” and “Best Business Class Dining Lounge” within the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2017,” said Ahmet Olmuştur, Chief Marketing Officer, Turkish Airlines.

Abu Dhabi Airports has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Healthpoint, part of Mubadala’s network of healthcare providers, as its preferred healthcare partner. Healthpoint will provide premium medical services to Abu Dhabi Airports’ staff and their families, and facilitate cooperation between both parties on other areas of potential collaboration. The MOU was signed by Abdul Majeed Al Khoori, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports and Dr Mai Al Jaber, Deputy Medical Director at Healthpoint, at Abu Dhabi Airports’ headquarters. As part of the new MOU, Healthpoint will provide its multi-specialty services to Abu Dhabi Airports’ employees, ensuring staff and their families receive high quality care and service they need in Abu Dhabi.

In leveraging the latest in digital technology to provide superior guest experiences, Emaar Hospitality Group marked its industry leadership with the addition of Apple Pay, a new way to pay. A transformational leader in mobile payments, Apple Pay is an easy, secure and private way to make transactions that are fast and convenient. The new service is available for guests across all three hotel brands of Emaar Hospitality Group, covering all 11 operational hotels and three serviced residences in Dubai. Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When guests use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device or on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is securely stored in the Secure Element on their device. Guests using Apple Pay at check-in can simply use an iPhone or Apple Watch to pay at the contactless reader at the front desk. There will be no additional need to provide a physical credit card upon check-in.

JA Ocean View Hotel in Dubai Marina has been recognised as a five-star beach hotel by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). The news comes as JA Resorts & Hotels follows through on a wide-reaching strategy of enhancement across its portfolio. All the rooms and suites at the hotel have private balconies and sea views of the Arabian Gulf. Six restaurants and bars complement an infinity swimming pool, spa, salon, gym and fitness zone. Children enjoy access to a splash pool, kids’ club and a playground. Situated on ‘The Walk’ next to the beach with an outdoor seaside complex with shops, restaurants, cafés, fitness circuits and kids’ play areas, visitors to Dubai will have easy access to sights such as the Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall, besides impressive coastal views towards The Palm Jumeirah and a pedestrian-friendly promenade to stroll along. In 2018, a pedestrian bridge will connect the area with Bluewaters Island, where Ain Dubai – the world’s largest and tallest Ferris wheel – will open.