Experience Hub, the trade and promotion arm of Yas Island Abu Dhabi, is participating at the ITB Berlin to further engage and strengthen relationships with the European travel market, while also expanding its network of partners from Europe. Yas Island is positioned to attract a growing number of visitors from across Europe with recent 2018 visitation numbers revealing an increase of 22 per cent in tourists from the United Kingdom, 10 per cent from Germany and a whopping 45 per cent from Russia. “Yas Island delivers a holiday experience unlike any other and that’s what we will showcase to industry leaders at ITB Berlin this year. With attractions that include award-winning theme parks, including the recently-opened Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi and a world-class motor sports facility like the Yas Marina Circuit, which is home to the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, alongside more than 160 restaurants and Yas Mall, we have a portfolio of entertainment attractions to provide unparalleled holiday packages in the UAE capital,” said Marina Cipriano, General Manager, Experience Hub.” Experience Hub is managed by expert travel professionals across a wide global network who continuously cultivate collaboration opportunities to source valuable insights into the preferences of travellers from Europe and beyond. Experience Hub’s B2B booking portal provides travel partners direct access to holiday packages and tickets to Yas Island attractions at exclusive rates, among other services, keeping them in the know about the latest experiences and opportunities to enrich their offering to their travellers. “With our dedicated teams in the UK, Germany, Russia and other international markets, we have found that travellers are keen to experience shopping, dining, culture and the outdoors. With that knowledge, we can …

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has opened doors to its fourth property in Jeddah with Mövenpick Hotel Tahlia Jeddah. Owned by Hadia Abdul Latif Jameel Food Products Trading Company, the hotel is a sophisticated lifestyle property with a prime location on Hail Street, just 30 minutes from King Abdulaziz International Airport and within walking distance from both the thriving Jameel Square commercial building and Al Thalia shopping street. With a leading-edge noise cancelling system built into the structure, the hotel’s 161 rooms and suites, equipped with expansive living areas, are a haven for business and leisure travellers in the heart of the city. Ideal for families and long-term stays, special rooms are equipped with a full kitchenette, while children can be kept entertained at The Little Birds Club, featuring a range of entertaining and educational activities. The property is also set to become one of the city’s most sought-after dining destinations, with Jeddah’s first restaurant managed by Michelin star chef and restauranteur Vineet Bhatia whose culinary creations are brought to life at ‘Rasoi by Vineet’. “This contemporary property is a distinctive addition to our fast-growing portfolio in Saudi Arabia where we currently operate 12 properties and have four more pipelined. Mövenpick Hotel Tahlia Jeddah, through its design, unique dining options and spacious rooms and suites, will add to Jeddah’s upscale offering as the city continues to attract a greater number of visitors through Saudi Vision 2030’s economic and social reforms. Adding a fourth property in Jeddah bolsters our cluster strategy in the Kingdom, consolidating Movenpick’s reputation for innovation, culinary excellence and authenticity, reinforcing its we make moments brand promise,” said Sami Nasser, Chief Operating Officer—Middle East & Africa, AccorHotels. Guests can also embark on a gourmet …

The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) kicked off its annual worldwide marketing campaign ‘German Summer Cities’ with a successful brand activation event at City Walk Mall in Dubai, together with the campaign’s premium partner Lufthansa Group as well as UAE-based Al Rais Travel. In an objective to woo the Gulf travelling community to choose Germany as their preferred destination, visitors were offered a great mix of engaging activities such as VR installations, travel information through promotional staff and special promotional packages by Al Rais Travel as well as Lufthansa. The three-day event was designed to capture the essence and unique atmosphere of the many great German cities. The multi-channel ‘German Summer Cities’ campaign which is being rolled out throughout the GNTB’s 31 offices around the world includes comprehensive digital marketing, pop-up event scheme in 14 key source markets and a wide range of PR activities. The GCC is one of the Top 15 source markets for Germany and the third largest non-European source market, after China and USA. In 2016, Germany ranked top among GCC travellers, even ahead of UK, Turkey and France. According to German Federal Statistical Office, there were 87.7 million international overnight stays recorded in accommodation establishments with at least 10 beds in 2018. For the ninth consecutive year, the number of visitors to Germany in 2018 reached record levels, showing a 5 per cent increase overall to 2017.

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) will highlight its new milestones and achievements in promoting Sharjah’s tourism industry at ITB Berlin 2019 to be held from March 6-10. SCTDA oversaw unprecedented success in 2018, recording a growth of 23 per cent, and focused on the heritage and culture of Sharjah and the UAE as it welcomed 575,876 European guests throughout the year. SCTDA will strongly emphasise on promoting local culture and distinct leisure activities that the emirate has to offer at ITB Berlin 2019 as they aim to build on this figure. Commenting on the participation, H E Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA, said, “Our latest participation in ITB Berlin represents a new opportunity for us to highlight the most elegant aspects of the Sharjah’s heritage, historic sites, adventures, architecture, culture and other offerings. We hope our focus on the emirate’s ecotourism, outdoor activities and branded hotels will attract more tourists and investors from Germany, a major source market, and other participating nations. The event will also enhance our efforts to meet our target of attracting 10 million visitors by 2021.” “Through our participation in the exhibition, we look forward to strengthen our cooperation with airlines, airports, hospitality and travel facilities. We anticipate new partnerships that will promote the growth of passenger and cargo traffic through Sharjah Airport, which has now become of the leading global networks for many countries. Our presence also seeks to introduce the latest and most important services, innovations and facilities provided by Sharjah Airport as well as present expansion projects currently underway and how they can contribute to tourism growth in the coming years,” he further said. Participating entities under the umbrella of SCTDA include Sharjah …

Abu Dhabi Airports welcomed GoAir’s launch of four new flights between Kannur International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport, connecting the two cities with flights operating every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. GoAir’s inaugural flight from Kannur to Abu Dhabi was received with much fanfare, as the Indian subcontinent remains one of the most popular destinations for travellers departing from Abu Dhabi. Bryan Thompson, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports commented, “India is a key travel market for Abu Dhabi International Airport, and we are always eager to strengthen our connectivity to the Indian subcontinent, enhancing further our services extended to our dear customers.” Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “India has always been one of our largest and most important areas of operations, and we look forward to ensuring GoAir’s guests enjoy a comfortable and efficient experience throughout Abu Dhabi International Airport where we continue to deploy world-class smart travel solutions, attractive retail offerings, and relaxing lounge spaces. This additional service to Abu Dhabi reflects the capital’s status as a key destination and transit hub, and forms a part of our strategy to attract new airlines to our network.” Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir, said, “This is a historic moment for GoAir as we enter the Middle East region with our maiden flight taking off from Kannur to Abu Dhabi, thereby strengthening the India-UAE relationship. GoAir is world’s fastest growing airline and Abu Dhabi is our 4th international destination after Phuket, Male and Muscat, and 28th destination sequentially speaking. GoAir is delighted to partner with Abu Dhabi Airports. I welcome aboard passengers from Kannur and Abu Dhabi on four direct flight services per week at an attractive …

Dubai-based international incentives provider, the ENTERTAINER, and Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa, announced a partnership that gives Wego users access to exclusive offers across the dining, leisure, entertainment and beauty sectors. Travellers using Wego’s offers on the metasearch engine’s iOS and Android Apps will now gain access to hundreds of 2-for-1 ENTERTAINER offers. These offers, cherry-picked for their relevance to the MENA traveller, can be redeemed across a number of global locations via the Wego App. Members can benefit from these offers at select lifestyle business outlets in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia and Bali. Donna Benton, Founder, the ENTERTAINER, said, “Our partnership with Wego only further highlights what we believe in – appealing to all digital travellers. We want to ensure that they experience some of the best restaurants, spas and leisure activities, stress-free and at great value”. Mamoun Hmedan, Managing Director—Middle East, North Africa and India, Wego said, “This partnership is in line with our constant endeavour to give users, from around the world, the best travel shopping experience. Adding the ENTERTAINER bouquet of offers to the Wego offers regular selection of curated discounts and deals whilst reaffirming Wego’s commitment towards deepening its bond and engagement with existing users. Today, these users can avail great offers even when on holiday, rather than just securing bargains on flights and accommodation (which are booked pre-trip). Since Wego is the MENA region’s top travel App, we believe that it is best positioned to act as the natural distribution partner for the ENTERTAINER.” Tony Marshall, Head of Travel, the ENTERTAINER added, “We’re proud to be increasing the …

The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) has joined in a wide range of discussions to support global efforts promoting the luxury yacht sector during its participation at International Superyacht Summit 2019. Themed on ‘Sailing for the Better’, the talks were attended by a host of decision makers, regional and international experts, industry leaders and maritime pioneers who provided in-depth insights on the emerging challenges and promising local, regional and international opportunities of the luxury yacht industry. DMCA officials also reviewed the competitive essential components of Dubai – an influential force in shaping the future of the global yacht sector. Hamed Hassan, Director – Registration and Licensing, DMCA, highlighted the rapid developments in the luxury yacht sector as a key component in driving the maritime sector in Dubai; pointing out that the significant growth of the local maritime cluster has enhanced Dubai’s leadership position as one of the world’s five most competitive and attractive maritime clusters based on pillars of innovation, excellence and technology. He noted that Dubai has always been an attractive destination for luxury yacht owners from around the world, and that sustained national efforts and unlimited support from the leadership has led to the development of legislation and infrastructure that upholds the city’s strong position on the global maritime map as one of the world’s best maritime capitals. Hassan also reviewed the progress made in upgrading the components’ competitiveness of the local maritime sector, which currently enjoys high international confidence as a safe and attractive environment for maritime investments related to maritime leisure, under the proactive initiatives of the DMCA. Hassan said, “Our success comes as a result of our ongoing focus on the modernization of maritime and …

The Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS), organised by Dubai World Trade Centre, saw a flock of sea enthusiasts and families attend the opening day for a look at some of this year’s biggest boat and yacht launches. The 27th edition of the show has brought to the coasts of Dubai for the first time ever a number of launches, including custom yacht-builder Oceanco’s newest project, the 105-meter (345ft) diesel-electric driven Esquel, designed for extensive cruising to remote regions extending from the North Pole to the South Pole and everywhere in between. UAE company Enata, launched and demonstrated the pre-production model of the Foiler, the world’s first flying yacht, which promises to make seasickness a thing of the past. Using four retractable foils, the Foiler lifts itself out of the water to give passengers a sensation of flight as it skims along the water using 740-horsepower hydrostatic propulsion. Bespoke luxury yacht builder Dominator Yachts introduced the HANAA. With connotations of Happiness, Bliss and Felicity in Arabic, the HANAA is a 28M Ilumen, which includes bespoke features including a custom made sofa in the salon, the typical Ilumen moon roof over the owner cabin bed, a private bow terrace or many superyacht features like a Williams jet tender, a video projector on the flybridge or an unfoldable beach platform to enjoy the time spent on sea to the fullest. Riju George, Show Director, Dubai International Boat Show, said, “Exhibitors reported very healthy levels of interest and business. With a number of boat launches and unveilings of premium new yachts, Dubai International Boat Show once again cements its standing in the global maritime industry through its variety of luxurious marine vessels and range …

Etihad Airways has announced the launch of new seasonal routes from Abu Dhabi to Alexandria in Egypt and Salalah in Oman, catering to strong demand during the summer peak. Both flights will operate four times per week throughout July and August 2019. Both destinations attract large numbers of visitors during the summer months. Robin Kamark, Group Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation said, “We are delighted to offer our guests new choices of holiday destinations during the summer months. Alexandria and Salalah are popular destinations for residents in the UAE, and from further afield. Whether they’re looking to spend time with family or friends over the summer holidays, or planning to visit the stunning southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula during Khareef, we are sure that our guests will enjoy all that these new destinations have to offer.” With the addition of these seasonal destinations, the airline will operate a total of 32 flights per week to Egypt, 28 flights to Cairo and four to Alexandria. The airline will operate a total of 25 flights per week to Oman with 21 weekly flights to Muscat and four to Salalah.

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) is set to announce the exclusive business management updates behind its cultural and ecotourism tourism profile at the 53rd edition of ITB Berlin, which will take place from March, 6-10. The Shurooq stand will be featured at the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) pavilion, which will offer the world a platform to view the efforts that Sharjah entities are putting in to realise ‘Sharjah Vision 2021’.  Among Shurooq’s major announcements will be revealing the name of a new management operator for its ‘Sharjah Collection’ brand of ecotourism destinations, Kingfisher Lodge in Kalba – a rich mangroves reserve; Al Faya Lodge at Mleiha archaeological site; and Al Badayer Oasis at Al Badayer desert. Ahmed Al Qaseer, Chief Operating Officer, Shurooq said, “For the 12th consecutive year, Shurooq participates at ITB Berlin as part of its mission and vision to showcase Sharjah’s biggest achievements in the travel and tourism sectors on leading global platforms. We are returning this year with new and exciting announcements and memorable visitor experiences to reflect the growth in our corporate profile. We will be at the SCTDA pavilion in Hall 2.2, and occupy Stand 102, where we look forward to connecting with existing and new international partners. The level of tourism investment that Sharjah is attracting continues to grow at a phenomenal rate, and this will be an ideal opportunity for us to share our news with all those involved in the hospitality industry as well as fellow developers and foreign investors.”