Conveniently located close to Dubai’s attractions, renowned shopping malls, business hubs, and 20 minutes away from Dubai’s airports, Media Rotana is a luxury five-star hotel which offers its residents 537 spaciously modern rooms and suits alongside 16 contemporary meeting rooms for a great stay and a holistic hotel experience. In addition, there are the five specialty-restaurants serving a mouthwatering dining experience, ranging from Italian, British and international cuisines – happy hour and theme nights. Media Rotana is offering its valued guests a Leisure Escape Package. Guests that book at Media Rotana can have their stay with breakfast in addition to either Dhow Marina Cruise or Explore Dubai City-Tour. Dhow Marina Cruise is an aquatic 90 minutes voyage journeying through Dubai Marina, Yacht Club and Marina Towers. Not only there’s a pick-up & drop-off facility, but an international buffet is also arranged, while a professional artist performs a Tanura dance. Explore Dubai City-Tour is a quest of discovery as we get wheels-on to indulge the eyes with the sights of the momentous Dubai Museum, distinguished Jumeriah Mosque, pristine Jumeriah Beach, exciting Palm Island, momentous Atlantis Hotel, famous Mall of The Emirates – with its breathtaking Ski Dubai – alongside fine shopping at the Dubai Mall.  

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced, alongside the Sharjah Summer Festival 2019 celebrations, a month of fun, exciting recreational, cultural, and educational activities at the Expo Centre Sharjah. The ongoing activities at the Centre began on July 17, 2019 and will run until August 17, 2019, forming part of the SCTDA’s efforts to develop the emirate’s tourism and other key sectors. The centre’s ‘Sharjah Fun Fair’ has been divided into different areas, children can join in a range of games and events being held at the Cartoon Network Football Zone, which features a free play football pitch, a Cartoon Network-themed football shoot-out, and a fully functioning Cartoon Network arts and crafts area. The Sharjah Fun Fair also has a special PlayStation Gaming Zone as well as a Transformers Gaming Zone.  In addition, the ‘Sharjah Fun Fair’ houses a Food Zone with bright themed food stalls. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA, said, “Through our collaboration with the Expo Centre Sharjah, we aim to achieve the fundamental objectives of Sharjah Tourism Vision to attract 10 million tourists by 2021. With the support of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, we continue to work with our partners from the public and private sectors to develop diverse products and services that will help boost the tourism sector.”    

Following the success of the first ever City-Experience Mini Programme launched by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in collaboration with WeChat, the programme has been further enhanced with the launch of 10 new digital audio tours which are now available for visitors to use while exploring the city. Inviting the users of China’s most popular social networking site to easily access Dubai’s tourist attractions during their stay, the newly re-branded ‘Dubai Mini Assistant’ elevates the existing programme to a more advanced digital maturity, now offering sophisticated chatbot capabilities, powered by Tencent’s AI technology, to provide seamless experiences and services to Chinese travellers. With robust growth in overnight visitors from China in the first quarter of 2019, the new audio tours further add to the ease of accessibility for these tourists when visiting Dubai, allowing them to discover the city’s many historic sites and cultural landmarks through their mobile phones. Reconfirming its continued commitment to one of the emirate’s top source markets, Dubai Mini Assistant forms part of the Department’s city-wide ‘China Readiness’ strategy, focused on designing an enriching and memorable experience for Chinese travellers. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, “China is quickly emerging as one of the fastest growing source markets for Dubai’s tourism industry, with the city welcoming more than 290,000 visitors in the first three months of the year, representing a stellar 13 per cent increase when compared to the same period in 2018.”  

Abu Dhabi Airports has welcomed GoAir’s launch of two new daily flights, the first between Mumbai International Airport and Abu Dhabi, and the second to Delhi International Airport, further connecting the UAE capital to the two major Indian cities. GoAir’s inaugural flights from Delhi, India’s capital and Mumbai, the financial capital of the world’s sixth largest economy to Abu Dhabi, was received with warmth and fanfare on July 22, as the Indian subcontinent remains one of the most popular destinations for travellers departing from Abu Dhabi. Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “The new daily flights to Abu Dhabi reflect the capital’s status as a key destination and a transit hub for business and leisure, which forms a part of our strategy to attract new airlines to our network, and support the growth of tourism in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.” Jeh Wadia, Managing Director of GoAir, said, “Our daily flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Abu Dhabi is a manifestation of GoAir’s vision for the Middle East. In less than six months, we have introduced a new set of routes that supports business and leisure, and reinforces the strong relations between India and the UAE.”  

Sharjah Airport recently received Air Peace’s inaugural flight from Lagos. The Nigerian airline’s first international airport outside Africa, Sharjah Airport offers the advantages of Sharjah’s geographic location and the level of service that the Airport provides to airlines and travellers. The fact that Air Peace chose Sharjah Airport underlines the importance of the growing travel market and tourism and economic activity in the Emirate of Sharjah. The company has appointed Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA) as its exclusive agent in the UAE market. After the plane landed, it was received by a number of officials from the airport’s management and a delegation from Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The passengers and crew were welcomed with authentic UAE hospitality. HE Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said, “We welcome the arrival of Nigeria’s Air Peace, which operates flights from Sharjah Airport as a hub and destination.” His Excellency emphasised that the airport is keen to provide the best services and facilities to Air Peace and all airlines operating from Sharjah Airport to ensure their success and enable them to provide services to passengers efficiently. Allen Onyema, Air Peace’s Chairman and CEO, said, “We thank the officials of Sharjah Airport Authority and the employees at the airport for the great support they have provided to Air Peace and for facilitating all procedures necessary to start operating flights to Sharjah.”  

Radisson Hotel Group has launched its new multi-brand and mobile-first global website, RadissonHotels.com, which also serves as a unique platform for Radisson Rewards members. Complementing the revamped site will be the Radisson Hotels App, available by the end of July 2019. This online landmark brings the group a step closer to becoming one of the industry’s digital leaders. The enhanced RadissonHotels.com allows guests and loyalty members to explore the group’s entire portfolio of more than 1,100 hotels worldwide – and to easily book a stay in just a few clicks. For both new and existing Radisson Rewards members, RadissonHotels.com and the Radisson Hotels App will deliver a personalised digital experience. Due to its intuitive user interface, the website and the App will be the main hubs for earning, viewing and redeeming points – as well as seeing all the benefits of Radisson Rewards in one place. Eric De Neef, Executive Vice President & Global Chief Commercial Officer for Radisson Hotel Group, said, “The launch of RadissonHotels.com is a key milestone on our journey towards the top. Having one single touchpoint for all our brands will strongly enhance the user experience and drive SEO value. RadissonHotels.com is a core commercial initiative of our five-year operating plan, which is transforming our business and aiming to make Radisson Hotel Group the company of choice for guests, owners and talent.” The full website will initially be available in English, Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Swedish. Additional language support will be brought online progressively – allowing as many guests and members as possible to access RadissonHotels.com in their native language.  

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is celebrating the more than 100 Hotel Indigo properties around the world with the launch of a shoppable hotel room that allows anyone to buy direct from the best artists and craftspeople from around the world, in one place, on social media. Inspiring us to be more curious and explore the stories of neighbourhoods we have yet to experience, Shop the Neighbourhood, with Hotel Indigo shines a spotlight on the local neighbourhood stories that inspire the distinctive designs of each property. Curated artisans and local makers are featured in the shoppable room, including hand-selected items from celebrity milliner Gladys Tamez (Hotel Indigo Los Angeles – Downtown), Trabi Safari (Hotel Indigo Berlin – East Side Gallery), Hilary Grant (Hotel Indigo Dundee), Les-Ottomans Home Design (Hotel Indigo Venice Sant’Elena), famed street artist Lee Quiñones (Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York) and Muzen radio (Hotel Indigo Hotel Indigo – Bangkok Wireless Road). Jason Moskal, Vice President, Global Marketing, Hotel Indigo, commented, “We are excited to bring together the best of local design and for the first time ever, give consumers the chance to take a little piece of our incredible neighbourhoods home with them. It’s been such an adventure working with the local artisans to bring this concept to life.” Henry Reeve, IHG’s Director of Interior Design in Europe, said, “Each of the 100 or so hotels in the Hotel Indigo portfolio is completely different. We work tirelessly with local businesses and artisans to ensure that the heart and soul of each Hotel Indigo truly represents the neighbourhood in which it resides.”  

Following the success of the first Sharjah Summer Festival last year, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has launched a new version of the festival this year, which will take place from July 17 to August 17, 2019.  The festival will offer special tourist packages that have been created especially with families in view, which includes a diverse portfolio of leisure activities ranging from summer camps to shopping discounts and more. The SCTDA has also revealed that the latest edition of the festival is part of the continuing efforts to attract over 10 million tourists into Sharjah by the year 2021. This year, the festival will feature diverse entertainment events and fun recreational and cultural activities for the summer season organized to highlight Sharjah’s unique customs, tourist sites, and natural beauty. The event will host a variety of surprises and activities throughout the month, providing local, regional, and international tourists with a range of discounts and other exclusive offerings in hotels and shopping centers. Expo Centre Sharjah will also host the family-oriented “Sharjah Fun Fair” with fun, indoor activities on top of other cultural events that will be staged across the emirate as part of the festival. Visitors can participate in sports and games scheduled during the event, including several fun activities in an area dedicated for children. There will also be food kiosks, competitions and other events to experience. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, said, “The festival’s new edition reflects our keenness to organise events that enhance the emirate’s tourism sector and revitalise the economy. It is also part of the ongoing efforts to reinforce the emirate’s position as a highly preferred tourist destination.” …

Indonesia’s Bali is one of the most favoured destinations by the Middle Eastern traveller, hence Turkish Airlines has now made it part of its network by adding direct flights from Istanbul. Global carrier’s Istanbul-Bali direct flights will be operated as seven frequencies per week. Flying to more countries and international destinations than any other airline in the world, Turkish Airlines inaugurated its direct flights between its home base Istanbul and world-renowned tourist destination, Bali (Indonesia) on July 17, 2019. Having operated with the airlines’ first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which joined to its ever-expanding fleet a few weeks ago, TK 066 coded first flight conducted with 84 per cent load factor and carried 250 passengers. Introductory flight fares are available from Istanbul to Bali starting at 748 US Dollars (including taxes and fees). Commenting on newly commenced Istanbul-Bali flights, Kerem Sarp, Senior Vice President Sales (2nd Region), Turkish Airlines, said, “With our new generation aircrafts continuing to join our fleet, we feel highly encouraged to launch new direct flights to farther destinations in the world. By inagurating direct flights to Bali, our second destination in Indonesia, we keep strengthening our mission to reach all corners of the world.”  

Emirates has announced a daily service from Dubai (DXB) to Mexico City International Airport (MEX), via the Spanish city of Barcelona (BCN). The flight will commence from December 9, 2019. Emirates’ Mexico City flight will be a linked service with Barcelona. Citizens from Mexico, Spain and the UAE only need their passports to enjoy visa-free travel to respective countries.  The new route will be operated with a two-class Emirates Boeing 777-200LR which offers 38 Business Class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration and 264 seats in Economy Class. The new 777 flight will also offer up to 14 tonnes of cargo, opening up access to more global markets for Mexican exports such as avocados, berries, mangoes, automotive parts and medical supplies.  Emirates SkyCargo has been flying freighters to/from Mexico City since 2014 already and in the last year carried over 22,500 tons of cargo on the route. Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airlines, said: “The availability of high-quality, daily international air services is essential for the development of tourism, business and cultural ties. Trade, especially in high-value and time-sensitive products, will be facilitated by the ample cargo capacity on Emirates’ Boeing 777 aircraft. We also expect tourism to receive a major boost from the daily flights on our newly-refurbished Boeing 777-200LR. Due to the high altitude of Mexico airport, it is not possible to operate a non-stop flight from Dubai, and Barcelona was a natural choice for a stopover.” “Mexico supports the launch of the long-awaited flight Dubai-Barcelona-Mexico City, which responds to Mexico’s Government tourism policy towards opening new markets and strengthening connectivity between the Middle East and Mexico. We are eager to receive tourists from this part of the world,” said …