Category Archives: Agents

In a bid to find the UAE’s unluckiest traveller with the worst travel photo, search for the UAE’s unluckiest traveller by RSA Insuance returns in its second season from December 4 to 18. The two-week long campaign will give people across the UAE the chance to use their unluckiest travel photos to win a dream vacation – and redeem themselves. Commenting on the campaign, David Harris, Director – Marketing and Distribution, RSA, said, “The campaign aims to address a global conversation on how social media is impacting our behaviour while on holiday. We notice that travellers are too consumed planning for their trip and researching the best Instagrammable spots that they tend to forget taking out travel insurance. Ensuring peace of mind is often a neglected priority for most UAE travellers due to the lack of understanding of covers available in the market. As such, we are launching this campaign as it will enable us to get closer to consumers and raise awareness about the importance of travel insurance.”    

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) and Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, a division of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) have teamed up to win bids to host four leading international conferences in Abu Dhabi – all of them being held in the Middle East region for the first time. These wins, for the World Congress of Nephrology, the Annual Conference of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) Congress, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Africa, Europe, Middle East Global Conference, and the XIV World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) World Congress – will contribute to enhancing Abu Dhabi’s growing reputation as a global health and education hub. Securing these significant conferences will also support the Abu Dhabi government in its efforts to further develop these sectors, which have been identified as key development areas in the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 roadmap for the future. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “Abu Dhabi is now firmly established as a major player on the global events stage, able to excel at hosting the world’s most prominent conferences and exhibitions. Working in partnership with our colleagues at ADNEC to secure these conferences for the Emirate is further proof of the great strides we are making in positioning Abu Dhabi as a destination of choice for a whole host of major international organisations.” Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO, ADNEC, said, “These four conferences are of strategic importance as we continue our efforts to position the Emirate as a key global hub for health and education, which are among the sectors identified in the Abu Dhabi vision document as crucial to the Emirate’s …

Atout France, the national French tourism development agency has launched France.fr — the official dedicated Arabic website for France as a destination. With the goal of welcoming 100 million tourists to France by 2020, the Arabic version of the website has been developed to increase interest and footfall from the region. France.fr is fully adapted with the travellers from the Middle East in mind. The content created takes into consideration the cultural nuances and traditions. Besides, social media platforms are also available in Arabic to inspire and encourage followers to share their experiences. User-friendly and optimised for mobile consumption, the new website contains content and information on tourism in France, hotels, restaurants, things to do, culture and heritage, events and museums. Karim Mekachera, Regional Director, Atout France, Middle East, explained, “Digital innovation is at the heart of our marketing initiatives and we have placed a significant focus on content creation, curation and distribution of the content on France in a number of languages to remain truly connected to people around the world. The website’s aim is to boost France’s appeal as a touristic destination, improving its ranking as a top travel destination for the Arab traveller.”

VFS Global has signed a contract with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic for providing visa services in 10 countries worldwide. As per this new contract, VFS Global will now provide visa services for Slovakia in China, India, Kazakhstan, Palestine, Belarus, Russia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt through 38 visa application centres. The rollout of all these new operations is expected to be completed by December 2018. Under the new contract, VFS Global will accept both short and long-term visa applications on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Chris Dix, Head – Business Development, VFS Global, said, “We are excited about our new partnership with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. The countries where we will be operating are markets where VFS Global has worked for several years and whose travellers are familiar with our services and expertise. We are also pleased to have the opportunity to serve our new clients in new locations, and bring applicants in these locations the same benefits and high-quality service that we have been offering our customers worldwide for the last 17 years.”

Inmarsat and Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) have agreed to a strategic collaboration for an initial ten-year period that will enable airlines, aircraft manufacturers and passengers to benefit from the combined expertise of the two companies that have been at the forefront of technology and innovation for nearly four decades. Under the terms of the agreement, Inmarsat will become Panasonic’s exclusive provider of Ka-band IFC for commercial aviation and panasonic will now be able to offer Inmarsat’s high-speed, broadband connectivity service, GX Aviation, powered by Global Xpress. Panasonic will continue to invest in its own network and, with GX Aviation as a primary offering for new business, will be perfectly positioned to serve both its current and future customers. In addition, Inmarsat will now be able to offer Panasonic’s market-leading portfolio of services and NEXT solutions to Inmarsat’s commercial aviation customers. The collaboration presents a unique opportunity to leverage Inmarsat’s proven track record of high-quality and innovative global mobile connectivity, and Panasonic’s market-leading in-flight entertainment, digital services and connectivity solutions. Looking forward, Inmarsat and Panasonic will also collaborate on the development of a next generation GX Aviation terminal, as well as new connectivity-enabled services, data analytics and technology to improve overall end-to-end performance. By delivering this step-change in aviation services capability, airlines will have access to new and better solutions that address widely recognized industry challenges of capacity, coverage and compatibility. This will give greater quality, consistency of experience and more choice to airlines and their passengers in the IFC market, which by some estimates could exceed $100 billion by 2035. Rupert Pearce, Chief Executive Officer, Inmarsat, said, “Our highly complementary collaboration with Panasonic combines the unique expertise and proven capabilities …

IHG has signed a management agreement with the Al-Arabiya Real Estate Company, owned by The Bukhamseen Group, to launch Staybridge Suites in Kuwait. The new hotel is due to open in January 2022 and will add to IHG’s growing portfolio in the Middle East. Located in Salmiya, the 120-keys Staybridge Suites Kuwait Salmiya will offer long-stay guests a choice of one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites. The modern serviced apartments will be stylishly designed and furnished, featuring separate living and working areas, fully equipped kitchens, state-of-the-art entertainment systems and free WiFi. Guests staying at the hotel will have easy access to business areas such as downtown where major banks and financial institutions are located, as well as tourist attractions such as the Marine Museum, Shaab Leisure Centre Park and a variety of shopping malls and restaurants. With the modern-day corporate traveller in mind, Staybridge Suites Salmiya will offer facilities such as an on-site fitness centre, so that guests can maintain their exercise regimen and a swimming pool for a refreshing dip after a long day. Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said, “We are delighted to partner with Al-Arabiya Real Estate Company, owned by The Bukhamseen Group to debut Staybridge Suites in Kuwait. The Bukhamseen Group has been one of our most valued partners in the Middle East since we signed one of our first Holiday Inn hotels in the region with them more than 40 years ago. We are excited to be working even more closely together to expand our footprint in Kuwait and introduce Staybridge Suites, to cater to the demands of extended stay travellers. We look forward to opening the doors of Staybridge Suites Kuwait Salmiya …

The Embassy of Ireland, Abu Dhabi, has announced the opening of a visa application centre in Dubai, UAE in partnership with VFS Global. Earlier this year in June, the Embassy had opened its first-ever visa application centre in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai centre has started accepting visa applications from non-UAE Nationals who are based in the UAE and who require a visa in order to enter Ireland. In addition, they will no longer need to visit the Embassy and instead they should submit their visa applications only at the VFS Global centres in the UAE. Opening the visa application centre in Dubai, Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD Ireland, accompanied by HE Ambassador Aidan Cronin, Embassy of Ireland, Abu Dhabi said she very much welcomed the opening of the centre and that the new external visa application centre located in downtown Dubai and operated by VFS Global will provide an excellent streamlined service for the non-UAE nationals who are based in Dubai and who require a visa in order to enter Ireland. Ambassador Cronin also welcomed the opening of the centre and added that this is the second visa application centre in the UAE and the fourth outsourced processing centre for Ireland visas in the GCC. He also said that VFS Global provides a whole range of services for the customer. The centre in Dubai is located at Level 3, Falcon Phase 2, WAFI Mall, Umm Hurair 2. Visa applicants can direct their queries to the call centre number +971 4 2055912 or communicate with the centre via email at info.irelandUAE@vfshelpline.com. Details on visa application procedures can also be accessed at www.vfsglobal.com/Ireland/uae. Commenting on the new centre, Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group …

GTA dnata expands operations at Toronto Pearson International Airport with the start of a new, long-term partnership with Air Transat. Starting from November, GTA dnata provides ground and passenger services to the airline, more than doubling the number of flights handled by its operations. To support the growth, GTA dnata has hired more than 200 additional staff to its team, which now consists of 450 customer-oriented aviation professionals. Mario D’Urso, Chairman, GTA dnata, said, “We are proud to have been selected the ground handling partner of Air Transat at Toronto Pearson International Airport. This long-term contract is a vote of confidence in our quality services and we look forward to supporting the extensive operations of Canada’s largest leisure carrier. It is our aim to exceed our customers’ expectations, and we will continue to work hard to deliver excellent service for all our airline partners in Toronto with our expanded team.” dnata entered the Canadian market by establishing GTA dnata through the acquisition of 50 per cent stake in GTA Aviation’s cargo and ground-handling operations at Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2016. GTA dnata now serves 12 airlines in Toronto, assisting 4,800 passengers and moving two tons of cargo every day. Underlining its commitment to the Canadian aviation market, dnata will also establish flight-catering operations and open a new, state-of-the art facility in Vancouver in January 2019.

Arabian Adventures has signed a partnership agreement with HTMS International. Under the agreement, HTMS will promote and sell the UAE-based destination management company’s premium services in the Italian market. Arabian Adventures is the UAE’s leading destination management company. Its full service offering includes everything from personalised meet and assist services at the airport, transfers, hotel reservations, tours, event management and visa assistance. With their passion for excellence and safety, Arabian Adventures’ 450 customer-oriented team members provide best-in-class service to one million customers annually. Arabian Adventures offers its personalised services to consumers directly as well as through its extensive international partnership network. Samir Mehta, General Manager, Arabian Adventures, said, “We are delighted to increase our investment into our international operations with this strategic partnership. The announcement underlines our commitment to the Italian market, where we see excellent business opportunities and solid demand for our quality services. We look forward to welcoming more Italian travellers in the UAE with the legendary Arabian hospitality we are renowned for.” Marco Innocenti, CEO, HTMS Italy, said, “We are excited to partner with Arabian Adventures, a leading destination management company operating at one of our customers’ most preferred destinations, the UAE.” He further added, “Following the recent celebration of our 30th anniversary, this announcement marks another remarkable milestone at the end of a memorable year.”

Millenium Hotels has signed an agreement with Hotelbeds Group that grants all of the Hotelbeds Group brands (Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, Tourico Holidays and GTA) with direct real-time access to over 1.4 million of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ annual room nights in more than 60 global business and leisure travel destinations. The pact will strengthen Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ distribution through Hotelbeds’ presence in more than 140 markets, spanning a wide range of channels including airlines, MiCE operators, point redemption schemes, retail travel agencies and tour operators representing over 60,000 travel distributors. Mark Redmond, Head – Global Chains, Hotelbeds Group, commented: “We are delighted to be connecting to Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ global hospitality offering. This will be a strong relationship in delivering special rates and availability across the MHR portfolio to our clients, while giving MHR access to higher-margin, niche segments of the travel market.” Also, Nayan Peshkar, Senior Vice President, Digital, Distribution and Revenue Strategy, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, said, “We are pleased to be working with Hotelbeds. This supports the Group’s wider distribution strategy of reducing reliance on static rate and room agreements in the leisure segment.”