Category Archives: Agents

Riyadh Air has signed a global distribution agreement with Amadeus, a global technology provider for the travel industry. The strategic partnership will enable Riyadh Air access to one of the largest global networks of travel sellers, supporting the airline’s ambitious growth plans and playing a key role in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s broader transformation agenda under Vision 2030. By joining the Amadeus Travel Platform, Riyadh Air will connect to travel agencies and sellers in more than 190 countries, ensuring that its offers are accessible to travelers worldwide. This will be instrumental in attracting inbound tourism, promoting Saudi Arabia as a compelling global destination, and helping position the Kingdom as a leading aviation and tourism hub. Vincent Coste, Chief Commercial Officer at Riyadh Air, commented, “Our mission is to create a truly world-class airline that reflects the ambition of Saudi Arabia. Partnering with Amadeus gives us the global reach, distribution power, and retailing capabilities needed to support our goal of flying to over 100 destinations by 2030. This partnership is not only about enabling seamless travel experiences, but also about contributing to the broader national vision of economic diversification, tourism growth, and enhanced global connectivity”. As part of the agreement, Amadeus will also distribute Riyadh Air’s future NDC (New Distribution Capability) content, allowing the airline to deliver more dynamic, personalized offers to travelers and to take greater control of its indirect sales strategy. These advanced capabilities will further optimize Riyadh Air’s ability to deliver modern, flexible, and customer-centric retailing. Maher Koubaa, Executive Vice President, Travel Unit and Managing Director EMEA, Amadeus, said “The launch of Riyadh Air represents a major milestone for the Kingdom’s aviation industry, and we are proud …

Oman Air has launched its new digital platform, Oman Air Holidays, in collaboration with TUI. Oman Air Holidays enables guests from Oman to explore over 20 countries while also allowing international travellers to experience Oman as a distinctive and accessible destination. The announcement was made during a press conference in Muscat, marking a significant step in the airline’s initiative to improve the travel experience and boost inbound tourism to Oman, reported Times of Oman. The platform aligns with the airline’s broader strategy to enhance inbound tourism, which includes a stopover program with Visit Oman, efforts to increase direct traffic, and an expanding network, with Amsterdam and Rome being the latest additions. Additionally, in June, Oman Air joined the oneworld Alliance, providing access to a vast global network covering over 170 countries and territories through partner airlines. Michael Rutter, Chief Commercial Officer at Oman Air, said, “This platform is a natural extension of the work we’ve been doing to drive tourism into Oman, bringing together the elements we’ve been building: greater accessibility, stronger partnerships, and more compelling reasons to visit. It also marks an important step in our digital journey, as we continue to invest in more connected, guest-centric experiences. With TUI’s global reach and Oman Air’s renowned hospitality and service, we’re setting a new standard for holiday planning—whether in Oman or beyond.” David Schelp, CEO of TUI Markets + Airline, added, “Partnering with Oman Air allows us to bring our holiday expertise to a new market with huge potential. Oman is a remarkable destination, and this platform makes it more accessible to international travellers. We’re proud to support Oman Air in expanding their offerings while delivering the high-quality experiences TUI …

The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) has launched the Germany Halal Travel Guide, a dedicated resource designed to support Muslim travellers in planning seamless, culturally respectful journeys throughout Germany. Available in both English and Arabic, the guide can be downloaded free of charge from a dedicated microsite hosted on the official Germany Travel website. Created with the expectations of GCC visitors in mind, the guide features practical information and curated recommendations. It highlights halal dining, prayer spaces, and culturally considerate stays that help visitors from the region feel comfortable and confident while exploring Germany. Germany continues to grow as a preferred destination for travellers from the GCC, supported by a well-developed infrastructure, strong hospitality standards, and an inclusive approach to tourism. In cities such as Berlin, Dresden, Dusseldorf and Munich, visitors can enjoy a wide selection of halal restaurants, Arabic-speaking staff, and accessible prayer spaces, all contributing to a sense of ease and belonging. The Germany Halal Travel Guide offers valuable insights for Muslim travellers seeking experiences aligned with their lifestyle and travel preferences. Whether visiting for leisure, medical care, education, or retail tourism, the guide introduces options that support spiritual needs and cultural expectations. It also showcases Germany’s natural beauty, cultural landmarks, and world-class wellness facilities in a format that makes trip planning both efficient and rewarding. Yamina Sofo, Director of the Marketing and Sales Office, GNTO GCC, said: “The launch of our Halal Travel Guide reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring Muslim travellers feel informed and welcomed in Germany. The guide presents clear, accessible information to support planning and create a worry-free travel experience. We are committed to showing guests from the GCC that Germany is a destination …

A new global study commissioned by Sabre  reveals that more than 91% of agencies operate with four or more booking systems, and over half are managing seven or more – a sprawl that is directly impacting productivity, profitability, and agent satisfaction. Travel agencies are facing growing pressure from fragmented content systems that are increasing operational costs and making it harder to deliver a consistent customer experience.  As a direct response to these mounting challenges, Sabre is introducing SabreMosaic™ Travel Marketplace, which brings together the industry’s widest breadth of travel content in one place, with built-in AI efficiencies and flexible connectivity. “Every industry faces fragmentation in the digital age,” said Jen Catto, Chief Marketing Officer at Sabre. “In advertising, it’s fragmented attention. In broadcasting, it’s fragmented programming. In finance, it’s fragmented data. Travel has never been simple, but in today’s multi-sourced content environment, fragmentation is creating new levels of complexity — and it’s starting to take a real toll. Agencies told us clearly: they want simplicity. They want unified access. And they want technology that helps them serve travelers, not slow them down.” Highlights from the survey include: 75% of agencies say the number of content connections has grown over the past three years 80%+ believe unified access through a single platform would reduce technology costs Nearly 90% manage four or more API integrations, with over half citing the tech burden as a challenge At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as a powerful remedy, with 91% of agencies believing it can enhance both productivity and the customer experience. Yet, 41% remain concerned about AI’s long-term implications for the workforce, reinforcing the need for smart, responsible implementation. With the evolution …

SAUDIA has taken a step forward in its digital transformation journey by moving to more guest-centric operations by translating traditional booking records (PNRs) and electronic tickets into Orders. This paves the way for a more personalized and smooth travel experience. An Order is a single, dynamic record of everything the traveler has purchased for their journey. It provides a real-time, consolidated view of all services, enabling the airline to better serve the traveler at every touchpoint – from booking and payment to fulfillment and servicing. By adopting Order capabilities, SAUDIA is fast-tracking its ability to deliver more flexible offers, tailor-made pricing, and fully digital servicing. This transformation marks a foundational step in the airline’s broader ambition to redefine guest experience and operational agility through data-driven retailing. The milestone was achieved using Amadeus’ smart bridging capabilities, which translate traditional records from SAUDIA’s existing Amadeus Altéa Passenger Service System (PSS) into single order records in its new Amadeus Nevio environment. Performing Smart bridging means SAUDIA can begin to operate with orders, accelerating the benefits of the airline retailing transformation in the new Amadeus Nevio environment for its guests while ensuring business continuity with existing traditional infrastructure. “SAUDIA is committed to delivering the highest standard of guest experience and technology innovation is crucial to this objective. Moving to single Orders means we can gain a better understanding of our guests, what they’ve purchased from us, and our partners across the entire journey. Orders are the foundation for a more connected travel experience.” Arved von zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer, SAUDIA, “SAUDIA is one of the airlines leading the industry with its ambitious transformation program. Moving to Orders with smart bridging is an important milestone that …

Seychelles Tourism, in partnership with TravTalk Middle East, hosted an exclusive power breakfast in Dubai, bringing together leading figures from the UAE’s travel trade sector. The event served as a strategic platform to strengthen ties with the region’s key industry stakeholders. Ahmed Fathallah, Regional Manager for Tourism Seychelles, revealed strong performance figures, stating that “the GCC region has recorded an increase of 16% in visitor numbers during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.”  The informal gathering allowed for open dialogue, networking, and alignment on future collaboration between Seychelles and GCC travel partners.

Jordan rolls out the red carpet this year to an eclectic lineup of activities that will delight visitors and residents alike. Revel in the rhythm of memserising concerts by world-renowned artists. Celebrate the richness of culture and have unlimited fun with family. Transcending the realm of music, poetry and art, Jordan is bringing a never-before-seen lineup of artists and cultural programmes that are not just designed to inspire hearts and minds. There is an extraordinary breadth of events, including the Jordan International Food Festival and the Amman International Film Festival, which will bring a horde of celebrities to the city. No celebration of Jordanian culture would be complete without honoring the kingdom’s extraordinary culinary heritage. The Jordan International Food Festival, from 6 to 11 August brings together the finest flavors of the Levant and beyond. And with such a delectable range of food comes soulful melodies by Ahmed Saad (on 7 Aug ), who blends modern pop with traditional Arabic music and evokes the pangs of love, heartbreaks and separations through his renditions. “The extraordinary lineup is an open invitation to experience Jordan’s soul. In venues where our rich history lives and breathes, under skies that have witnessed the rise and fall of empires, contemporary artists will find their perfect stage. This underlines our commitment to providing seamless and rich cultural experiences for all visitors in 2025,” said Dr. Abdelrazzak Arabiyat, Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board. “The country’s diverse attractions and easy access ensure that whether visitors come for leisure, business or cultural exploration, they will discover our kingdom’s extraordinary hospitality and vibrant cutlural experiences.” Headline acts include musical performances by Sami Yusuf – performing for the first …

Sojern is joining forces with PubMatic to enable agencies and advertisers to access and activate Sojern’s extensive real-time travel data insights, with PubMatic’s premium inventory, to target travellers more accurately and in a privacy-compliant way. Creating personalized, targeted campaigns requires finding the right mix of audiences and inventory supply. Curation is a preferred option, enabling real-time optimization and measurement so brands can create relevant ads that drive results. By using a multi-ID approach, curation enables advertisers to work directly with supply-side platforms (SSPs) to strategically combine first-party data, Sojern travel segments, and premium inventory. “It’s clear that curation offers an exciting future for programmatic advertising, and while we’ve worked with PubMatic for many years, this partnership shows that we’re committed to delivering vertical-specific curated advertising to our clients,” said Josh Beckwith, Vice President, Global Corporate Sales at Sojern. “This relationship will fuse Sojern’s best-in-class travel data and multi-ID audiences with PubMatic’s best-in-class inventory, and allow us to optimize both in real time, creating curated campaigns using our clients’ preferred supply path.” The partnership unlocks new opportunities for advertisers to activate Sojern’s real-time vertical-specific traveler insights directly within PubMatic’s curation and data solution, Connect. This integration enables more precise targeting and transforms audience curation into a powerful tool for programmatic advertising and performance. “Today’s advertising needs to work for everyone. Consumers want privacy and relevant ads, while brands need quality advertising space and brand safety,” said Amélie Grenier-Bolay, Country Manager, Italy & MENA, PubMatic. “Strategic curation brings together advertisers, publishers, and audiences by filtering content for quality and relevance. This partnership with Sojern is a perfect example, providing marketers with access to travel data for more effective targeting while ensuring privacy …

Wego’s latest search trends reveal that Cairo continues to lead as the most sought-after global destination for Kuwaiti travellers. The Egyptian capital combines cultural richness and accessibility, remaining a consistent favorite for short stays. Other popular nearby destinations this summer include Amman, Istanbul, Baku, and Tbilisi. Amman offers easy access to Petra and the Dead Sea, while Istanbul captivates with its bazaars and Bosphorus charm. Baku blends futuristic flair with Old City allure, and Tbilisi enchants with thermal baths, rich cuisine, and great value for money. Among these cities, airfares remained stable or declined in several destinations. Baku and Tbilisi recorded double-digit drops in average fares compared to last year’s summer, while Istanbul saw a decline of 8.28% year-on-year. Amman fares also edged down slightly, reflecting more accessible pricing for summer travellers. Wego unveils the most popular and budget-friendly short-haul destinations for Kuwait travellers seeking a quick summer escape. All featured cities offer visa-free entry or seamless e-visa applications, making them especially convenient for last-minute getaways.

The growth of integrated resorts in the Middle East and Asia Pacific (APAC) is redefining the hospitality industry by blending luxury, entertainment, and culture into immersive destination experiences, as reported by experts at Arabian Travel Market. Experts predict that annual gross gaming revenues (GGR) in the UAE could reach between US$3 billion and US$5 billion, driven by the introduction of integrated resort developments. The upcoming launch in Ras Al Khaimah is expected to significantly boost tourism, with the emirate aiming to attract 3.5 million overnight tourists by 2030, generating thousands of employment opportunities. The highly anticipated opening of Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah in 2027 marks a significant milestone for the region, reflecting a broader shift towards diversified tourism offerings. Similarly, the upcoming opening of a casino at Cinnamon Life’s City of Dreams development in Sri Lanka signals a shift toward regulated gaming as part of a holistic resort offering. At ATM 2025, panellists from across the hospitality, research and technology sectors, including Judith Cartwright, Founding & Managing Director, Black Coral Consulting; Darren Bishop, SVP, Market Research and Strategy Consultant, Heart+Mind Strategies; and Edward Batrouni, Founder and Executive Director, Zenitech discussed how these resorts are shifting perceptions and driving demand from key source markets, including India, China, the GCC and Europe. Sanjiv Hulugalle, CEO, Cinnamon Life Hotel & Mall at City of Dreams, Sri Lanka, also part of the expert panel, commented: “A sense of place is critical to making a successful integrated project and not making the casino the centre. You’ve got to really tap into the surrounding destination and not just centre yourself in the place you are. It makes the fabric, the texture, and …