Travelport has announced two new leadership for its Agency Commerce teams in the Americas and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). In the Americas, Simon Ferguson will become Managing Director, Agency Commerce for the region which spans the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Ferguson takes over from Bret Kidd who will be taking an alternative role within Travelport. Simon will relocate from London, where he currently oversees Travelport’s Northern Europe region and will be based in Atlanta from July 1. Ferguson is a graduate of Sheffield University whose earlier career included leadership positions in travel technology and media before joining Travelport in 2011. In 2017, Travelport’s revenue in the Americas was over $700m. In EMEA, Damian Hickey will take on the role of Managing Director, Agency Commerce following the departure of Rabih Saab earlier this year.  Hickey will take up the role from June 1 and will relocate to Travelport’s Langley, UK base from Singapore, where he currently oversees Travelport’s Air Commerce business in the Asia-Pacific region. Hickey has been at Travelport since 2012 in a number of leadership roles. He is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and has worked in the travel technology sector for over twenty years. In 2017, Travelport’s revenue in the region exceeded $1bn.

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has signed a management agreement with Emaar Hospitality Group to operate a lifestyle boutique hotel – Vida Al Qasba Sharjah in Al Qasba. The hotel featuring 100 rooms and suites is uniquely positioned to meet the increasing demand for spacious and quality hotel rooms in Sharjah. Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Shurooq and Olivier Harnisch, CEO, Emaar Hospitality Group, signed the management agreement in the presence of senior officials of both entities. Commenting on the agreement, Al Sarkal said, “Sharjah’s tourism sector has recorded consistent growth with the number of hotel guests set to increase from 2.07 million in 2017 to over 3.16 million in the next two years. To meet the demand, it is important to strengthen the supply of quality hotels that meet the lifestyle aspirations of the visitors. We chose Emaar Hospitality Group’s Vida Hotels and Resorts to operate our boutique hotel in Al Qasba, led by its credentials in creating a refreshingly different experience for the new generation of travellers.” Harnisch said, “Vida Hotels and Resorts has brought a fresh identity to the hospitality sector of the region with our focus on two defining features that meet the aspirations of the new generation of travellers – design-led spaces and connectivity. Sharjah has tremendous potential of growth for its hospitality and tourism sectors. Vida Al Qasba Sharjah addresses a distinctive white space in the market through its positioning as a lively and vibrant hub where inspiring minds meet and connect.”

 Unveiled at the Arabian Travel Market, the ‘Middle East Consumer Travel Report 2018’ by Amadeus explores searching and planning habits of the region’s travellers in a digital era. The study suggests that the search for value plays a decisive role in how today’s travellers research, compare and book their journeys in this part of the world. The report acknowledges that the Middle East travel market is incredibly diverse when it comes to travel patterns. Cost is cited most often by travellers (50%) as the first consideration when selecting their accommodation — more important than hotel location, classification, or rating. Similarly, almost half of travellers (46%) cite budget as a main factor when choosing flights, more so than airline reputation and even the itinerary. As a result, one in three (33%) travellers today “actively search” for discounts online during the shopping process. While value is a key driver in travel decisions, consumers in the Middle East are open to being influenced when searching for their destination. However, the expectations from traditional travel advisors are changing, most travellers now visit a travel site or agency when they are ready to book, not when they are still planning their trip.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has launched Dubai Pass for visitors to enjoy the city’s range of attractions, experiences and tours. It is an all-inclusive pre-paid card, grants cash-free access to 33 key events and venues across Dubai, making it the perfect way for tourists to explore the city’s world-class destination proposition. It will be available to redeem from May 16, 2018. Starting at AED399, the pass offers ‘Select’ and ‘Unlimited’ packages, with a specially-curated list of popular attractions and experiences. These include Burj Khalifa, Dubai Parks and Resorts, IMG Worlds of Adventure, Wild Wadi Waterpark, Ski Dubai, Desert Safari Tours, and many more. With every purchase, visitors will also receive a 50% discount on tickets to La Perle – the city’s one-of-a-kind live entertainment show with acrobatics and aerial stunts – by simply presenting their Dubai Pass when buying a ticket to the show. The ‘Select’ package is priced at AED399. It allows card users to enjoy a range of attractions – one from each of the three-tiered attraction pools. The pass is valid over seven consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. Meanwhile, the unlimited package is available for AED899. Users can choose unlimited events and activities, and the pass is valid for three days. The year-round Dubai Pass has been introduced following the success of previous seasonal DSS and DSF passes. It will provide a streamlined way for people to experience Dubai, save money and make the most of their trip with family and friends.

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development (SCTDA) has revealed at the Arabian Travel Market 2018 that Sharjah hotels recorded an occupancy growth rate of 70 per cent in 2017, indicating an exponentially rising number of regional and global travellers visiting the emirate. Commenting on the results, HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA, said, “Last year’s positive developments were the results of the initiatives to transform the emirate into one of the world’s leading family destinations in line with the directives of HH Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and in support of Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, which seeks to attract over 10 million visitors to Sharjah shores by 2021. Our intensive tourism campaigns hit its targets in 2017, further boosting the local tourism sector and enhancing its reputation at the local, regional, and global levels.” He added, “Our strong performance last year helped catapult Sharjah into the ranks of the most innovative and competitive cities in the world. Our continuing achievements and successes are proof of the emirate’s capability to provide an exceptional travel experience as well as high potential to attract tourists from around the world. Furthermore, Sharjah is famous among travellers who want to explore ancient monuments, with visitors from Russia, China, and different parts of the globe descending on the emirate to experience its beauty and rich traditions. All of these are helping drive our economic, social, cultural, and environmental growth.”

An MoU was signed at the Arabian Travel Market between Emirates and Mauritius to strengthen their partnership in future. It was signed by Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President – Commercial Operations for Africa, Emirates’ and Devi Seewooruthun, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, in the presence of Anil Gayan, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Mauritius, . “Mauritius has always been an important destination on the Emirates network, and we are pleased to be continuing our long standing commitment with them. We will look to develop a series of joint activities together with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, to highlight the destination and its appeal throughout our network”, said Abbas. “The partnership between Mauritius and Emirates has stood the test of time. The signing of this fresh MoU is a strong signal to strengthening that partnership even more in the years to come”, said Gayan. The agreement will see marketing activities such as attendance of tourism trade shows and fairs, trade familiarisation trips, product presentations and workshops, amongst others, be undertaken jointly by Emirates and the Tourism Board. In 2017, Mauritius welcomed 1,341,860 tourists. The destinations’ main markets are France, UK, Germany, South Africa, India, Italy, China, the Russian Federation and Reunion Island.

In order to attract more Chinese visitors to the UAE, Meraas has launched ‘Hala China’, a brand-new initiative in collaboration with Dubai Holding and DXB Entertainments. ‘Hala China’ will aim to complement Dubai’s rich calendar of events by creating an annual schedule of exciting events hosted at the destinations of these three companies that aims to showcase Dubai and the UAE to Chinese tourists. The novel initiative will also see the creation of new tourism packages that cater to Chinese visitors in seven categories – stay, shop, eat, play, explore, wellness and concierge. The unprecedented initiative will focus on exploring opportunities that encourage and facilitate economic development through both tourism, trade and investment. ‘Hala China’ will see several key government ministries and companies in Dubai and China team up to organise events and incentives, which will play a role in further strengthening bilateral relations. The year-long pipeline of activities includes a mix of events and programmes spanning food festivals and fashion shows, sporting events, music festivals and Chinese cultural pageants. His Excellency Abdulla Al Habbai, Group Chairman at Meraas, said, “In supporting the development of tourism and trade relations between Dubai and China, we continue to align our commercial objectives with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai reflected through Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2020.”

In keeping with its strategy to receive 1 million cruise tourists by 2020-21, Dubai Cruise Tourism has signed an MoU at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to launch the Dubai Cruise Committee, which confirms the implementation of a collaborative framework designed to consolidate the city’s position as ‘cruise hub of the region’. The Dubai Cruise Committee is a strategic network of leading industry partners; Dubai Tourism, DP World UAE Region FZE, Emirates Airline, The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai, and Dubai Customs. This newly-signed MoU demonstrates each organisation’s commitment to work together to increase the number of cruise tourists to Dubai. As well as agreeing to work together to sustain the emirate’s position as a leading winter cruise destination, the Dubai Cruise Committee discussed and approved business development strategies to secure long term contracts with existing clients and attract new cruise lines to use the emirate as their winter home port in the region. The committee also agreed to work to extend Dubai’s cruise season further into the summer months, to appeal to additional market segments around the world. Commenting on the newly-signed MoU, Hamad Bin Mejren, Senior Vice President, Dubai Tourism, said, “Dubai has been instrumental in pioneering cruise tourism in the region, and our success could not have been achieved without our close working relationships with both the public and private sectors. This landmark agreement signed by the Dubai Cruise Committee will ensure that international cruise lines will receive an end-to-end support for their plans in Dubai.”

Roda Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of Roda Links Al Nasr, a four-star property that will target business and leisure travellers who are looking for affordable accommodation in Dubai. Roda Links Al Nasr will open its doors on May 1, 2018 and will mark another milestone in Roda’s expansion plans, bringing the total number of properties that the group owns and manages to seven. Roda Links Al Nasr Dubai features 114 comfortable rooms with hip bars and fine dining outlets. The rooms and suites feature elegant contemporary décor with quality furnishings and state-of-the-art amenities. All rooms are equipped with satellite radio and TV channels, mini-bar, safety deposit box, ironing board and high-speed wireless internet connectivity. Amro Nagah, General Manager, Roda Links Al Nasr said, “We are pleased to announce the opening of Roda Links Al Nasr, our seventh property in Dubai and is a fantastic addition to our impressive portfolio of existing hotels and resorts serving varied market segments. Roda Links is our contribution to the mid-market sector which is a fast-growing segment in the industry. The property is an ideal option for business travellers, families and couples who demand comfort and personalised service at affordable rates and we are happy to develop a range of accommodation options for these travellers. Our focus will remain on delighting our guests with personalized Arabian hospitality and intuitive services and we are confident that Roda Links will deliver this.”

 In an effort to increase arrivals of tourists from the Asian and Middle East markets, Zimbabwe Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Priscah Mupfumira has led a tourism delegation to Dubai to attend the Arabian Travel Market (ATM). During the show, the minister met with strategic decision makers including leading tour operators, airlines and other government officials. Tourist arrivals have increased from a mere 657 in 2003 to 3,148 in 2004 and only reached a peak in 2009 when 10,077 tourist arrivals were recorded. In 2017, the country recorded 7,537 arrivals, a 58% increase from 4,783 arrivals recorded in 2016.  Zimbabwe has generated a lot of interest as a tourist destination ever since the inauguration of the new President. One of the very first positive actions that were taken by the new government was to relook at all the legislation that had been constraining investment inflows into Zimbabwe. Now the new administration has put in place supportive measures that seek to rebuild confidence and increase Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in order to revive the national economy. Zimbabwe is now ready for the Middle East market, where access from Dubai is through Emirates, Kenya Airways, Rwanda Air, South African Airways and Ethiopian Airways. The destination offers a wide range of luxury accommodation options for the Middle East market ranging from city hotels, lodges and tented camps across the country. The country has a variety of activities that suits different market segments from thoughtful to soft adventure for all ages.