Category Archives: Agents

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has revealed the country recorded a 318 per cent increase on overnight stays from Gulf nationals in the first six months of 2022 when compared to the same period last year*. GCC nationals were responsible for more than 335,000 stays in H1 2022, compared with a little less than 81,000 in 2021. Such figures confirm the region’s position as representing the biggest growth from an Asian source market. While tourism numbers may not have returned to pre-pandemic levels yet, the promising growth demonstrates the countries strong recovery as it continues to attract tourists. “The GCC is the top Asian source market, therefore it’s unsurprising with our recent campaigns that there has been such a strong increase,” said Yamina Sofo, director of sales and marketing at the German National Tourist Office, the regional office of GNTB. “Pandemic recovery has long been top of mind and it’s encouraging to see that both longstanding and first-time travellers are increasingly keen to explore everything that Germany has to offer.” Overall, the Asian source markets have recorded a 252.3 per cent increase in overnight visitors, a jump from just over 217,000 to just under 800,000 in 6 months. The surging increase demonstrates a dedication and determination to travel internationally, despite some countries continuing to implement travel restrictions during the first half of the year. To further drive interest in travel to Germany in the remainder of 2022, GNTB has announced the launch of its ‘Feel Good’ campaign, which encompasses a plethora of guiding tips highlighting the country’s eco initiatives that provide conscious tourists with adequate tools and information to reduce their carbon footprint during their travels. A recent survey by D/A, …

As part of its tireless efforts to provide the best services to its valued customers, Kuwait Airways continues its preparations for the biggest and most prominent event, the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, where the Blue Bird will operate direct, daily match day shuttle services for fans to attend the matches and return on the same day to their homeland, giving fans an exceptional travel experience. In this regard, Kuwait Airways Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways participation in this global event is an excellent opportunity to highlight our distinguished services to our customers. Our preparations for this event commenced in October 2021 and we launched our first promotional and marketing campaign in February 2022. In addition, we signed an agreement with Qatar Airways in May 2022, enabling Kuwait Airways to carry fans on a daily basis to attend the World Cup matches in Doha, and are fully prepared to meet the travel requirements of customers. Kuwait Airways will operate 13 daily flights from the start of the World Cup, which would gradually reduce as the participating teams progress to the finals, with the frequency in the number of flights depending on the extent of requirements of the customers.” Razouqi added, “Kuwait Airways will provide exceptional travel packages to its customers through KAC’s Holidays Office which include match tickets and KAC flight tickets, at prices starting from 200 Kuwaiti Dinars, depending on the respective classes on the flights and the different categories within the stadium. In addition, Kuwait Airways provides complete assurance to its customers about booking flight tickets and tickets for the matches, as we are certified to distribute match tickets in the State of …

Uranus Travel, a well-known name offering travel and tourism services in Dubai since 1994, has now joined hands with Veena World, one of the most-admired travel companies in India, as their very first OSA (Overseas Sales Agent). With this endeavor, Veena World spreads its wings outside India, while Uranus Travels ventures into the segment of operating escorted group tours. Recently a business meet took place between Mr. Vijay Bhatia, MD, Uranus Travels, and Sunila Patil, Founder and Director, Veena World, in Dubai. Veena World, headquartered in Mumbai, is a well-established travel company with 19 sales offices across Maharashtra, Kolkata, and Bengaluru and close to 150 sales partners across India, along with their corporate office in Mumbai. Veena World’s team of 700+ committed travel professionals, which includes 350+ in-house tour managers who are experienced in leading tours across the seven continents of the world, makes it the largest tour manager force in India Uranus Travel brings to its clients Veena World’s wide range of fully escorted and most affordable family group tours and innovative specialty tours such as Women’s Special, Seniors’ Special, Honeymoon Special Tours, Short Trips, YOLO Adventures, Treks & Hikes, Luxury Tours and more to destinations across the Indian Subcontinent and around Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia, and even Antarctica. “With this partnership in place, travelers from the UAE are now certain to travel more, explore more, celebrate life, and see more of our big, beautiful world.” – Mr. Vijay Bhatia, MD, Uranus Travels “This adds another feather into Veena World’s hat. With close to 150 locations across India, we are now looking at also expanding Veena World’s presence overseas. We strongly believe in the potential of showcasing …

The UAE is leading the way for travel, with 93% of people planning to go on holiday in the next 12 months, and half (45%) of all of these trips taking place imminently leading up to and through winter. The new research, released today by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel programme, found that not only are so many people in the UAE planning to go on holiday before February 2023, but seven in 10 (70%) of those are planning to spend more on their holiday than in previous years, making sure it’s a trip to remember. Of those who are planning a holiday, more than three quarters (75%) plan to tick off somewhere on their travel bucket list this holiday season, with half (48%) eager to visit new destinations that they have never visited before. As a result of the pandemic, a third (33%) of UAE adults have missed discovering new places and cultures, leading to a fifth (20%) with the intention to travel more. Trips packed with excitement and exploration are high on the travel agenda, with almost a third (31%) of people from the UAE planning holidays that will allow them to be adventurous (13%), for example skydiving, soaking up the local culture (10%), or doing something experiential (8%) like attending an iconic sporting event. Furthermore, two fifths (40%) of people from the UAE have missed having quality time with loved ones on holiday, leading to over half (55%) of travellers wanting to travel with their family. What’s more, a fifth (20%) of people say travel that centres around spending time with the people tops their bucket list now. To inspire travellers from the UAE with their …

The first day of Tfest Dubai kicked off with Tourism Ireland showcasing their luxury offerings to the most influential buyers across the globe in Dubai. 14 iconic luxury island of Ireland industry partners joined in the event, including Adare Manor, Ashford Castle, Cashel Palace Hotel, Galgorm, Culloden Estate, Hayfield Manor, K Club, The Merrion Hotel, The Shelbourne Hotel, MHL Collection, Trump Hotel & Golf Resort Doonbeg, Irelands Blue Book, By Appointment DMC and Luxurious Ireland. As part of their afternoon Experiences on the Tourism Ireland stand in the Global Village they brought in their concept to life showcasing Ireland through unique experiences under the title – ‘Awakening your senses in Ireland’ and they brought in friends from Ireland who brought this to life. Speaking to Tourism breaking news Olivia Frawley – Executive Pan Market Luxury, Tourism Ireland shared,” we are very excited to be here at Tfest this year as we elevated our partnership with the event, as we felt that  it provided us a great opportunity to highlight the 14 wonderful partners we brought with us to Tfest with our luxury messaging and warm hospitality. We have a mixture of beautiful five star luxury hotels, DMCs, experiences and the most amazing is the fact that we have 14 of them and all situated in the same area, the global village and everyone is busy with their B2B meetings. We are showcasing our products ranging from castles to iconic city center hotels to luxurious hotels and properties in the countryside. What we love about Tfest that they provide us the opportunity for our partners and Tourism Ireland to really create relationships and that one on one time to network with …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), the Kingdom’s national flag carrier, has hosted a special roadshow event in Barcelona, Spain in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Ehab Mohammed AlNajjar, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Saudi Embassy in Spain, on behalf of His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Spain, Mr. Azzam Al-Qain, with the goal of promoting the Kingdom as a leading global tourist destination. The roadshow, which comes as part of the global campaign Fly to Your Next and was held in collaboration with the Air Connectivity Program, showcased Saudi Arabia’s numerous exciting travel and tourism projects and invited travel agencies to learn more about the world-class attractions visitors can experience in the Kingdom. The special event highlighted the latest marketing campaigns for tourism events and programs, including both current and planned initiatives. The Saudi Tourism Authority and tourism megaprojects including NEOM took center stage during the presentation. Invited guests were also familiarized with the benefits SAUDIA provides through its SAUDIA Holidays platform, which offers full packages including flight tickets and hotel reservations, as well as opportunities to book vehicles, tours, and excursions. The national flag carrier’s campaign comes as part of its ambitious plan to bring the world to Saudi Arabia. As the ‘Wings of Vision 2030’, the airline aims to take the campaign to many countries across Europe, as well as the United States and other key markets. SAUDIA highlighted its continuing collaborations with the Ministry of Tourism, the General Entertainment Authority, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Sport. The airline is a strategic partner in transporting participants and visitors from across the globe to leading events in the Kingdom and operates a …

Vistara inaugurated non-stop, daily flights between Mumbai (India) and Abu Dhabi (UAE) over the weekend. The inaugural flight departed from Mumbai at 1910 Hours (IST) and arrived in Abu Dhabi at 2040 Hours (GST), making Vistara the first-ever carrier to offer the choice of Premium Economy class on the route, in addition to Business and Economy class. Commenting on the start of the new international route, Mr. Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “We have been steadily strengthening our presence in the UAE and the rest of the Gulf region, and are excited to add Abu Dhabi to our growing international network. UAE’s flourishing business, trade, and tourism make Abu Dhabi a perfect fit in our network. We are confident that travellers will appreciate the choice of flying India and South Asia’s best airline on this route.“ Schedule of flights to/from Abu Dhabi, UAE effective from 1 October 2022: Sector   Flight No.             Days of Operation            Departure           Arrival Mumbai – Abu Dhabi      UK 0255                Daily      1910 Hrs              2040 Hrs Abu Dhabi – Mumbai      UK 0256                Daily      2140 Hrs             0235 Hrs (+1) * All timings shown are in local time zones *+1 indicates next day arrival   Vistara will accept all eligible customers meeting visa/entry requirements in both countries, as specified by the respective government bodies. Vistara strongly encourages its customers to fully understand these guidelines before making their bookings. Vistara is India’s highest-rated airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and it has been the winner of several ‘Best Airline’ awards, besides being lauded for world-class cabin cleanliness and upholding high safety standards. The airline has recently been recognized as the ‘Best Airline in India and South Asia’ for the …

Saudi held meetings in Central Asian countries with roadshows in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The delegation participating in the official visit was led by H.E. Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Saudi’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah and Chairman of the committee of the Pilgrim Experience Program. As part of Vision 2030, the aim of the visit was to promote Saudi’s new and enhanced arrival procedures that will enable pilgrims all over the world to complete their religious journeys with comfort and ease. In addition, these new procedures will enrich visitors’ religious and cultural experiences. The roadshows witnessed the signing of several agreements with the aim of facilitating procedures and developing greater air connectivity between Saudi Arabia and the two countries. These agreements and partnerships were made in line with improving the quality of services under the Pilgrim Experience Program, an initiative of Vision 2030. The Nusuk e-platform offers a wide range of options and various solutions for accommodation and flight reservations for all Muslims visiting the Two Holy Mosques, including visitors and Umrah performers. Nusuk has been developed in partnership with an accredited and elite selection of travel companies in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, along with Umrah specialists to better serve visitors and Umrah performers. Fahd Hamidaddin, Nusuk Managing Director, stated, The launch of Nusuk is one of the most significant announcements since the Saudi eVisa in 2019. These trade partner agreements and new procedures will increase the number of visitors and pilgrims that Saudi will be able to welcome from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In addition, partnerships with national and low-cost airlines will make travel to Saudi more accessible than ever.

SailGP, the purpose-driven global racing championship, packs up and heads to the region for the first-ever Dubai Sail Grand Prix Presented by P&O Marinas, which will take place at Mina Rashid, November 12-13. Having just passed the halfway mark of Season 3, the enthralling on-water racing continues next month in the Middle East to complete the 2022 calendar, where sports fans will see SailGP’s revolutionary F50 foiling catamarans sail at high speeds just minutes away from some of Dubai’s globally recognized attractions. 2023 will then see the league next head to Singapore, Sydney and Christchurch before the Grand Final in San Francisco in May. The recent final race at the Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía – Cádiz presented by NEAR, saw the closest-ever finish to a SailGP event, as Quentin Delapierre led the France SailGP Team to a stunning victory by just three seconds over Jimmy Spithill’s U.S. team to claim its first event win in the championship. The high-adrenaline event saw tens of thousands of people packed on the shoreline to witness the action-packed weekend of racing between the SailGP national teams – Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the United States – as they continue their battle for the winning trophy. Jimmy Spithill, United States SailGP Team CEO and driver, spoke of the challenging race in Cadiz; “The team was under real pressure going into the last two events, but we have stuck together and it’s given us a lot of belief and a lot of confidence. We are determined to keep this momentum going, and it’s great that we are now much closer to the overall pack on the leaderboard, as …

Musafir.com revealed in its bi-annual travel trend report that sporting events will augment the tourism and hospitality economy up to 30 % in the region. The Middle East is becoming the world’s fastest-growing sports tourism destination valued at an estimated $600bn, according to the World Trade Organisation. Major events such as FIFA World Cup Qatar, Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, etc. will give Gulf tourism a boost in the last quarter of the year. Amongst the GCC countries, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar will see the majority arrival of travellers mainly from Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the UK. The UAE topped the list as the preferred destination by travellers due to its proximity to major sporting events as well as family-oriented activities, personal safety and societal security, room availability, varied retail experiences, adventure sports and leisure, and seamless connectivity. Due to seamless connectivity, the UAE can expect inbound flights to soar up to 20% as compared to same time last year. Apart from attending sporting events, fans will want to explore ‘thrill-seeking’ activities as an add-on for a comprehensive travel experience encapsulating all that the country has to offer. Camping and outdoor activities will also see an increase in Q4 of 2022 due to the pleasant weather. Sachin Gadoya, CEO and Co-founder, Musafir.com and Musafir Business said, “Sports events act as a catalyst and can have a tremendous impact on the economy – as we will see millions of fans gather to not only watch their favourite sport but also to have an unforgettable experience during their stay in the region. We are anticipating an exponential growth in the tourism sector, due to the increasing number …