The world’s largest annual airport industry B2B platform has been rescheduled to take place from October 26-28, 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) where it was scheduled earlier for June. The new dates reflect the aviation industry’s confidence of normalcy returning to global markets by then and the lifting of extensive travel restrictions around the world following the COVID-19 pandemic. Organised by Reed Exhibitions Middle East under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the event is supported by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and dnata, amongst a host of global and regional aviation bodies, suppliers’ associations and working groups. His Excellency Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO of Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans) said, “Every industry has come to a standstill due to the unforeseen circumstances we are faced with. Our past experiences of handling crises will help us to bounce back into the aviation business, once the crisis is contained.” Airport Show is expected to attract 375 exhibiting companies and over 8,500 visitors coming from almost 100 countries. Now in its 20th edition, the event showcases the most advanced global aviation technologies and allows attendees to participate in a series of conferences, matchmaking programmes and workshops. The collocated Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF) and women in Aviation General Assembly will host over 1,500 delegates and 100 speakers, covering the latest industry developments across 4 key themes of Air Traffic Control, Airport Security, Airport Passenger Experience and Ground Handling. Last …

UAE Minister of State H.E. Zaki Nusseibeh will be sending a message of unity and solidarity in response to global challenges presented by COVID-19 by hosting a live social media event on April 16. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will be holding the online cultural marathon symposium to be attended by UAE Ambassadors representing the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, India, Singapore, China, and Australia. With the participation of museum directors, artists, design specialists, and cultural institutions discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and offering solutions and insights, the event will last for over 24 hours. As the UAE intensifies its efforts to support art, the online symposium will serve as a meeting point for arts professionals around the world to explore ways to emerge from this crisis as a global community.

Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) requested all hotel groups to be considerate towards their staff members in time of COVID-19 outbreak, when hospitality industry is at a standstill. Giant hotel groups operate in different countries, some with strong social security systems while others offering weak or totally inexistent support, leaving employees at risk when forced out of work. Khalid Anib – Chief Executive Officer – Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH), said “I urge operators to act responsibly and share a tiny portion of their generous fees collected during the previous years to support the staff across all levels, particularly associates at the properties; and to seriously consider creating some sort of solidarity fund dedicated to preserve the dignity of employees should something like this arise in the future.” The hospitality industry all over the world has been dramatically disrupted by the ongoing drastic measures imposed yet critical to preserve life. The main focus facing every hotel owner today is how to deal with this unprecedented challenge of occupancies having reached unbearable levels in a very short period of time with growing uncertainties around the rebound and related timing. Forcing employees to be on paid / unpaid leaves is unfortunately necessary to partially reduce payroll costs; owners will continue to bear in full all other employee benefits: accommodation, food, insurance etc. along with other massive fixed liabilities such as loans and interest repayments / building maintenance and insurances / necessary capital expenditures and others. Anib added, “I have recommended the release of a portion of each employee’s accrued end of service benefit to financially help them to support their loved ones’ back home during such difficult times. I would like to …

Further to the previously announced schedule of special passenger flights, Etihad Airways will add additional flights from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne and Amsterdam. The airline has been operating special flights which have allowed passengers stranded in the UAE due to COVID-19 restrictions, the opportunity to return home. The flights also support the ‘UAE Food Security Program’ by utilising belly-hold capacity of passenger aircraft for cargo. The airline continues to repatriate UAE citizens on return sectors, where possible, and carry fresh produce as belly-hold cargo, on the return segments back to Abu Dhabi. In addition to Melbourne and Amsterdam, Etihad continues to operate special passenger flights from Abu Dhabi to several destinations including Seoul Incheon, Singapore, Manila, and Jakarta.

In the absence of a Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2020 event, The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), in collaboration with global cultural organisations, is delivering a special Culture Summit Abu Dhabi live stream experience, set to be broadcast on YouTube on 9 April at 5pm (UAE time). HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, will chair the panel session ‘Alone Together: Culture and Resilience’, featuring distinguished participants including Ernesto OttoneRamírez, Assistant Director-General for Culture, UNESCO; Alexandra Munroe, Samsung Senior Curator of Asian Art and Senior Adviser, Global Arts, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation; Rebecca Lyons, Director of Collections and Learning, Royal Academy of Arts; Melanie Noronha, Senior Editor, Thought Leadership, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, The Economist Intelligence Unit; and Marisa Henderson, Chief, Creative Economy, UNCTAD. ‘Alone Together: Culture and Resilience’ will address the current global situation and its impact on culture from a social, economic and psychological angle. Culture today is in crisis, but the session will address how it is responding to the threat and helping to create a resilient society that prioritises participation and community support. With culture being the continuous thread which links an increasingly isolated global population, the discussion will assess the impact of this current period of unprecedented crisis on the culture sector, and explore how culture might help to lessen our collective anxiety and trauma. With many institutions closing their doors for an extended period of time, there are severe challenges around funding and staffing, and the panellists will debate how cultural organisations can best endure this period of shutdown, and how we can most effectively support institutions, artists, and the creative …

German National Tourist Board (GNTB) brings together their ongoing marketing activities on all social media channels worldwide in a joined communication campaign – #DiscoverGermanyFromHome, amid the recent lockdown. The main goal is to create inspiring, emphatic and at the same time informative content in an engaging and interactive way and to communicate with tomorrow’s consumers. The campaign includes virtual experiences of the destinations in Germany in all of the 16 federal states. The campaign therefore invites consumers to experience destination-Germany virtually and furthermore strengthens the communication with potential future Germany visitors. Besides #DiscoverGermanyFromHome the campaign also uses the hashtags that are currently circulating such as #staysafe, #stayathome or #traveltomorrow. Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the GNTB Executive Board, says, “With over 30 social media channels we are continuously trying to keep the interest in Destination Germany alive, inspiringly and informatively. Besides the direct consumer contact, we are also using our established online tools to maintain the active dialogue with our Germany tourism partners and the international tourism industry.” Due to the current situation the GNTB has postponed all planned market specific and worldwide marketing campaigns such as the start of the planned campaign ‘German Summer Cities’ and ‘#WanderlustGermany’ to the second half of the year. The preparations for the campaigns have been completed to the extent that the digital parts of the campaigns can start at the flick of a switch.

Today more than half Accor branded hotels worldwide are closed, likely over two thirds in the coming weeks. The abrupt deterioration in the situation has prompted the Group to take drastic actions across its global operations; hence it has launched ‘ALL Heartist Fund’, a COVID-19 special financial program. In these unprecedented times, the Group stands more than ever by its employees, partners and communities, providing time, resources and access to its local and global network. Given the situation, the Group has decided to take aggressive, incremental actions. Collectively, these include: travel ban, hiring freeze, reduced schedules and /or furloughing for 75 per cent of global head office teams for Q2, resulting in a minimum €60m reduction in G&A for 2020; reviewed recurring investment plan for 2020 resulting in a €60m reduction in capital expenditures; the Group is further streamlining all other costs (e.g. sales, marketing, IT), in line with lower system wide revenues. In these unchartered territories, Accor’s Board of Directors has decided to complement management actions outlined above, by withdrawing its proposal for a 2019 dividend payment of c. €280m. After consulting with the Group’s main shareholders, JinJiang International, Qatar Investment Authority, Kingdom Holding Company and Harris Associates, Accor has decided to allocate 25 per cent of the planned dividend (€70m) to the launch of the ‘ALL Heartist Fund’, a COVID-19 special purpose vehicle. This fund will typically assist: Group’s 300,000 employees, pledging to pay for their COVID-19-related hospital expenses, for those who do not have social security or medical insurance; on a case by case basis, furloughed employees suffering great financial distress; on a case by case basis, individual partners facing financial difficulty This fund reflects the ambition …

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) launches a range of far reaching support initiatives, aimed at its hospitality, leisure and development partners, during the peak of COVID-19 crisis and to lay the strong foundations for future recovery. In a move that further reflects the emirate’s ‘ONE RAK’ commitment to transparency, ease of doing business and global community spirit, the tourism authority has sent all business partners and stakeholders a comprehensive contingency plan, which maps out short- to mid-term solutions to mitigate the negative impact of coronavirus on travel to Ras Al Khaimah. Addressing partners and stakeholders via a virtual meeting on April 1, Raki Phillips, CEO, RAKTDA, highlighted that the hospitality industry was facing a grave threat from the coronavirus crisis. The UNWTO estimates losses from international visitor spends to be between USD $30-50 billion globally, while The World Travel and Tourism Council have found up to 50 million jobs have been put at risk. RAKTDA’s prompt robust response sees the creation of an internal Stimulus Committee and Steering Stimulus Committee representing the Emirate. Led by Raki Phillips and top executives across the hospitality, leisure and development sectors, specific measures include a six-month waiver of all touristic licenses; waiver of Tourism Dirhams from March to May; a complete exemption of tourism licensing fees for Q2 and Q3 and tourism licensing fines until September 30. This support will be further enhanced by a dedicated Financial Incentive Package aimed towards non-government owned touristic entities, including budget, midscale and 4-star hotels as well as attractions, golf courses and other tourism establishments. In addition to this, hospitality partners will be able to benefit from complimentary participation in a diverse array of exhibitions and …

Etihad Airways has updated its Etihad Credit offering by providing an additional bonus of up to 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles depending on the booked cabin class, to support passengers with impacted travel. Eligible Etihad guest members redeeming Etihad Credit will automatically receive the bonus miles within four weeks of their credit being issued. Guests not yet members of Etihad Guest can also claim bonus miles by applying online on their website. Etihad Credit allows customers to cancel their flight and use the value as credit to rebook their trip for travel until July 31, 2021 – any ticket, any fare type, any Etihad destination. Any fare difference from the original ticket price will be charged. Bonus Tier Miles will also be provided to eligible Etihad Guest members to keep them on track to reaching their next tier, even when it’s difficult to travel.

Oman Ministry of Tourism revealed that significant investments will be poured in, to transform ancient houses into heritage inns and guest houses in an aim to boost tourism efforts promoting the sultanate’s vibrant local heritage. As one of the Ministry’s top priorities, the preservation of ancient houses – which are considered architectural treasures that show Oman’s archaeological character – are central to national initiatives showcasing the unique heritage and rich history and civilisation of the sultanate. The Ministry’s announcement is expected to result in higher tourist arrivals to meet the government’s goal of attracting 11 million local and international visitors by 2040. Boosting domestic tourism will also lead to new job opportunities for citizens and a diversified national economy. Saleh bin Ali Al Khaifi, Director of Promotion and Marketing Department, Oman Ministry of Tourism, said, “Investing in heritage homes is a step in the right direction amid our continued efforts to entice more tourists from all over the world to come visit Oman. Therefore, we are moving forward with our mega tourism projects aimed at transforming old traditional homes into heritage inns with the best services, while preserving and protecting the old structures and the atmosphere of the neighbourhoods in our ancient areas. We will observe the highest standards in these projects, keeping sustainability and the finest hospitality in mind.”