Category Archives: Agents

The fifth edition of Gulf Travel Show (GTS) will kick off on Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th September 2022 under the theme of sustainable tourism. One of the most important factors post covid is sustainability in every single way. Participation in GTS assures you of the great responsibility held by the travel and tourism fraternity about their intent to reduce its carbon footprint. Gulf Travel Show (GTS) is the only event which was built in with a purpose. When it first started out just after the pandemic whilst most borders were still closed, it gave the travel, tourism and hospitality fraternity an opportunity to ensure that confidence is restored in the minds of the people passionate about the industry. It was also a tool which connected online GCC buyers with exhibitors from across the globe. The fifth edition or GTS 5.0 demonstrates its commitment to uphold its social responsibility to ensure less carbon emissions, yet bring all players to the table and learn and study the stakes, the many opportunities to make things right after a bout of almost two and a half years of pandemic era. Sustainability has many layers to be addressed, it is no longer a word to be utilized and passed on as a mere CSR activity, hence it is a commitment to ensure that everyone has a part to play on mother earth. Starting off with airlines and their biofuel capabilities, hotels and their sustainable strategies, tourism boards which provide and maintain sustainable goals to ensure that the country or destination promoted will not be perturbed, undisturbed, instead leave in its natural state. When UNWTO announced its commitment on declaration of sustainability in the industry, …

Atlantis, The Palm announced a selection of nine local conservation and sustainability projects set to receive funding from the 1 USD contribution initiative the resort launched in June 2021. Over the past 12 months, for every marine animal experience participated in by a guest, Atlantis, The Palm has collected $1 (USD), which has resulted in a $120,000 (USD) investment fund for the project, which aims to support UAE-based conservation and sustainability projects to help protect the ocean and our environment. Over the past two months, UAE-based organisations were invited to apply for funding, after which proposals were solicited and assessed against their contributions to scientific advancement, conservation and sustainability. Atlantis Atlas Project currently focuses on four key groups of wildlife; sharks, rays, dolphins, and corals, and two key threats to the ocean; unsustainable seafood and plastic pollution. With this in mind, projects were selected based on their support of these conservation goals. The first project the funding will support is UAE’s leading social enterprise Goumbook on their ‘Save The Butts’ campaign. This initiative sees the collection of cigarette butts littering beaches and public areas and uses circular economy principles to recycle the waste to create valuable material from it. This campaign will also actively involve Atlantis Dubai’s colleague base through volunteer litter picking and collecting waste within the destination that Goumbook and their partners can recycle. The initiative will also provide a year of funding for UAE-based Seafood Souq, which will support the development of a digital platform to make seafood trade more efficient, sustainable, transparent and traceable. This will involve developing a QR code for diners – to be piloted on Michelin-starred Ossiano’s menu – enabling diners to find …

Registration is now open for the foremost global event of the international travel industry – World Travel Market London – taking place at London’s ExCeL on 7-9 November 2022. This year’s show is back to its fully live, pre-pandemic format, with hundreds of destinations exhibiting and brands from across the globe showcasing their new products to buyers. Organisers are pulling out all the stops to make WTM London 2022 the most memorable so far, with a packed conference programme across four themed stages: the Future Stage, Sustainability Stage, Technology Stage and the Insights Stage.  Over 70 live sessions have already been confirmed, with more content being added every week. Visitors will hear from top motivational speakers, celebrities and industry leaders from a variety of sectors during a tailored programme to help inspire, educate and guide – bringing key insights and takeaways that are hard to find anywhere else. Once again, WTM London will serve as the meeting point for the prestigious WTM, UNWTO & WTTC Ministers Summit.  Responsible Tourism will also be on the agenda, while Travel Tech – the event for cutting-edge technology for travel and hospitality, will attract decision-makers from across the globe. Networking is back in full force and WTM London is offering plenty of opportunities for meetings, whether that’s specific buyer networking sessions, drinks parties or other opportunities where delegates can enhance their presence, make maximum connections and increase their business network. Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director at World Travel Market London, said: “Buyers are telling us how excited they are about walking through the doors of ExCeL once again, where they can discover what’s new in the world of travel and what’s in store for the …

With a target to attract over six million international visitors a year by 2030, Qatar Tourism (QT) has opened its first representative office in Tehran, Iran earlier this month, adding to QT’s vast and growing network of offices around the world. Marked as QT’s13th global opening, the office will lead various promotional activities, including tour operator partnerships, travel agent destination training, media visits and campaigns, all of which will serve to highlight Qatar as a cosmopolitan and culturally rich destination for travellers from Iran. Qatar makes for an attractive and convenient destination for tourists from Iran, owing to weekly direct flights from the Iranian cities of Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz, and Isfahan to Doha in less than three hours and visa-free entry for Iranian citizens. In addition, both countries follow Islamic calendars and can see synced holiday seasons, allowing visitors from Iran to travel to Doha for a last-minute getaway or luxurious city break. Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, Berthold Trenkel, said: “Qatar Tourism’s choice in the location of its latest office opening is a testament to the decades-long cultural and trade ties between the two countries. Iran is one of 15 target markets identified by Qatar Tourism as a primary source for tourists looking to relax, rejuvenate and soak in some culture. Opening a representative office in Iran will help support Qatar Tourism’s strategic goals to increase the number of visitors to Qatar by threefold, increase spending by 3 to 4 times, and grow the GDP contribution of the tourism sector to 12% by 2030.” In addition to holidays in which Qatar is the end destination, the country makes for an excellent stopover retreat for Iranian travellers set to …

Global Village guests will have the opportunity to experience a stunning new attraction when Season 27 opens on October 25, 2002. The ‘’Global Village Big Balloon’’, accommodates up to 20 people of all ages and is also suitable for people of determination. The helium balloon, which is as high as a six-storey building and measures 65 feet in diameter, will give guests the chance to experience spectacular 360-degree views across Global Village and the wider surroundings. The huge balloon is to become a new landmark in the sky, visible from miles around the multicultural destination. Naveen Jain, Director – Business Development, Global Village, said: “Every Season we make sure our guests are able to experience new and exciting attractions. A balloon ride experience is on many people’s bucket lists, so we’re thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to our guests. Closer to the season opening, we will be revealing more fun experiences that can be enjoyed by all the family.” The massive balloon has been designed to exceed the high safety standards that have been established by Global Village in recent years. The park once again received a 5* rating for the 4th consecutive year by the British Safety Council and was also awarded the prestigious Sword of Honour for the past 3 years.

Jamal Travel Agency, a fully-fledged travel and tourism service provider based in the United Arab Emirates, is working together with Amadeus to launch its B2B and B2C ecommerce platform. The new agreement sees Jamal Travel Agency adopting Amadeus’ advanced technology solutions to help achieve the company’s strategic objectives for greater efficiency, increased profitability and its drive to enter new markets. Jamal Travel Agency has built its solid reputation and customer base since its inception in 1988. By working with Amadeus, Jamal Travel Agency plans to offer a wide range of new technology-driven solutions with customer service at the core. Its goal is to make travel experiences more integrated and frictionless. Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf, adds: “We are primed to help Jamal Travel Agency grow its position as a leading travel agency by helping the company launch its exciting new B2B and B2C ecommerce platform. Jamal Travel Agency will use a variety of Amadeus solutions ranging from ecommerce (Amadeus web services API), to increasing its non-air content revenues, automating processes by means of robotics and adopting the latest payments technology. Our aim at Amadeus is to help travel agencies navigate through the current challenges and help renew travel by delivering what customers need.” Sainulabdeen Salim, Founder and Managing Director, Jamal Travel Agency said: “Our partnership with Amadeus is focused on increasing productivity, streamlining customer service and giving our commercial teams access to more markets. We will also be able to offer customers greater control in managing their travel bookings and process payments seamlessly and securely through our ecommerce platform. We are confident this new alliance with Amadeus will reinforce our position as a trusted and favorable travel partner …

Saudi Airlines (SAUDIA) has initiated the next phase of an ongoing agreement with Saudi Falcons Club to become a Strategic Partner and the Official Carrier for the International Saudi Falcon and Hunting Exhibition. SAUDIA’s presence at the 10-day expo, which kicked off in Riyadh on Thursday, Aug. 25th, comes as part of the airline’s effort to be present at a variety of events and activities that enhance cultural development and promote Saudi Arabia’s rich falconry tradition. Guests attending the exhibition will have the opportunity to redeem a promotional up to 20% discount on a wide range of travel packages through SAUDIA Holidays. Guests can plan the perfect holiday getaway that includes a wide range of flight, accommodation, and service options, including vehicle rentals and tours. Moataz Alandijani, General Manager of Partnerships and Sponsorships at SAUDIA commented “We are very pleased with what was achieved last year with Saudi Falcons Club and we are proud to extend the strategic partnership for the next 3 years, and our participation comes as part of SAUDIA Group’s contribution to supporting all heritage, culture and sports event. The CEO of the Saudi Falcons Club, Hussam bin Abdulmohsen Al-Hazaimi, affirmed the club’s endeavor to expand the agreements with all strategic partners to serve those interested in falconry. He stated, “The Saudi Falcons club is proud to sign the partnership agreement with SAUDIA Group and contribute to supporting and serving the cultural and local heritage of Saudis.” The strategic partnership signed at the exhibition marks the three next years of the on-going agreement between SAUDIA group and the Saudi Falcons Club. The agreement encompasses additional sponsorships and official carrier status for various other events as well as …

Zamzam.com, the online platform facilitating Umrah booking services in the region, enters a strategic partnership with Merit Incentives to deliver on its brand promise ‘Umrah Simplified’. As part of this collaboration, Merit Incentives’ clients in the banking sector and its marketplace will equip their customers to redeem their loyalty points for Zamzam gift cards, providing all customers with the opportunity to gift their loved ones an Umrah experience. Registered users can redeem their loyalty points for a Zamzam gift card to plan their travel to Umrah and Hajj effortlessly and conveniently. In addition, customers can redeem their loyalty points on Zamzam.com to plan their pilgrimage to Mecca or visit Madina. Commenting on the partnership, CEO of Zamzam.com, Omar Seraj Akbar, said: “Delivering a seamless Umrah experience is paramount to our business. Our platform acts as a gateway to effective Umrah planning and is designed to help customers enjoy a seamless booking experience. Our alliance with Merit Incentives fulfils our strategic goal of expanding our network and providing a  religious tourism experience to a wider audience. Through this partnership, we aim to make Umrah travel accessible and more shareable than ever for everyone in the region and beyond.” At Merit Incentives, we are focused on providing the best customer and employee engagement technologies & strategies with new innovative ideas, said Julie Barbier-Leblan, CEO of Merit Incentives. Our main objective is to offer complete freedom of choice to our millions of programs’ end-users and personalise redemption options that match their personal, cultural or even religious preferences. Partnering with ZamZam.com to offer the Muslim community – in the MENA region and globally – an opportunity to redeem their points for Umrah packages was …

It was disclosed recently by Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India of Wego, said: “With FIFA World Cup approaching, travelers have started planning their trips and booking their tickets. With that, they are also searching for nearby hotels in the UAE, where they can see the best of both countries. And Dubai hotel searches are on the rise in the period between November and December 2022. If we were to look at the hotel daily rates in November and December 2021, they were around $225 and 240$ simultaneously. Recently, the daily rate on average for November 2022 is $345 and for December 2022 $410. We may still see change in prices as we approach the event dates, but these are the current numbers based on the searches from September to December 2022. The hotel and flight searches to Dubai, around the period of the event recorded over 96,900 on our platform and we expect to see an increase in searches and bookings as we get closer to the event date.”

As part of its endeavours to enhance cooperation with various stakeholders and achieve comprehensive tourism development objectives, the Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of Al Dakhiliyah Governor to develop several tourism projects in numerous tourist destinations in the governorate. The agreement was signed by H.E. Hilal bin Saeed Al Hajri, Governor of Al Dhakiliyah, and Eng. Mohammed Abu-Bakar Al Ghassani, Vice Chairman of OMRAN Group, in presence of senior officials from both parties in dusitD2 Naseem Resort, Jabal Akhdar. OMRAN Group continues to explore tourism development prospects in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and various stakeholders. As part of the National Tourism Strategy 2040, ongoing efforts are being made to increase the tourism offerings in the Sultanate and enhance the sector’s competitiveness. By introducing novel experiences offered by Al Dakhilyiah governorate through various projects, OMRAN Group continues to foster the tourism sector in the governorate since it is considered as one of the main tourist destinations. Furthermore, it strives to promote qualitative experiences in the group’s projects and investments in the governorate, including Alila Al Jabal Al Akhdar, dusitD2 Naseem Resort Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa fort, Al Hoota Cave, Harat Al Bilad and Bahla Fort and Oasis.