Category Archives: Associations

Germany is firmly establishing its position as a leading destination for outdoor tourism, encouraging travellers to consider its nature and outdoor activities following the lift of post-pandemic travel measures, with the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) leading the charge in presenting the country’s offering to GCC travellers. The European country is the ideal travel destination for its array of outdoor locations, wildlife, sports, and adventure tour offerings, favoured by both domestic and international travellers. Germany’s tourism sector is inviting visitors to explore its parks, nature trails, and other open spaces with all the family. “Travellers from the GCC are eager to explore while ensuring they are keeping their families safe,” Yamina Sofo, Director Sales & Marketing, German National Tourist Office Gulf Countries said. “We are encouraging future travellers to consider nature-oriented holidays as an option, and Germany boasts a wealth of offerings across the regions, suitable for families, or solo travellers.”

Visit Qatar, an initiative of the Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), aims to boost their tourism industry with the launch of a new digital experience. The website shares Qatar’s rich cultural tapestry, experiences and adventures in an inviting online journey. As Qatar continues its preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the highly responsive and mobile-first website will become a vital tool in realising an ambitious goal: tripling the number of visits and doubling tourism revenue by 2030. Behind the scenes, the new marketing technology platform is one of the first in the world to use Adobe Experience Manager as a cloud service, highlighting Qatar National Tourism Council’s digital leadership and innovation in the region. “The shared ambition and positive energy of this project are inspiring,” said Murat Ertugrul, VP MEA at Emakina. “Visit Qatar’s ambition to position the nation as a hub to discover – where cultural authenticity meets modernity – is something to behold. Ensuring the best possible end-to-end experience for visitors to Qatar was at the heart of this particular project – and now that QNTC has full control over their new Adobe platform, they can maximize its functionalities in complete autonomy. We are looking forward to continuing this dynamic collaboration, contributing to the ambitious Qatar National Tourism Council Transformation Journey roadmap.” Darren Light, Head of MEA for Adobe Experience Cloud adds, “The new Visit Qatar website perfectly leverages Adobe AEM’s power for front and backend development. Although the COVID-19 pandemic forced all experts to work from a distance, the fluidity and the efficiency of their teamwork were remarkable. And we can all be proud of the engaging state-of-the-art result.” Berthold Trenkel, COO of Qatar National …

Emirates and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which aims to position Dubai as one of the first cities in the world to implement digital verification of traveller medical records related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination. The MoU was signed by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive, and His Excellency Awadh Al Ketbi, Director General of Dubai Health Authority. Sheikh Ahmed said, “Dubai is a leading global air transport hub, as well as one of the world’s most progressive cities in the area of e-government services. It’s a natural step to combine our capabilities to implement digital verification of COVID-19 medical records, which will also enable contactless document verification at Dubai Airport. This will tremendously improve the traveller experience, as well as the reliability, efficiency and compliance with entry requirements imposed by destinations around the world.” He added, “Dubai will continue to lead the way in implementing effective and balanced approaches to contagion control while facilitating travel and air transport which are crucial to communities and economies.”

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has joined forces with various authorities to ensure establishments across the tourism ecosystem are fully implementing precautionary measures to combat COVID-19 and safeguard the health and well-being of residents and visitors. Since the reopening of the city to domestic tourism in May and international tourists in July, Dubai Tourism adopted a zero-tolerance approach to non-compliance with health and safety protocols. Heavy fines and penalties were also imposed against violators of precautionary guidelines. Dubai Tourism continues to conduct joint inspection campaigns in cooperation with Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality and the Department of Economic Development (Dubai Economy), especially across places that attract large gatherings. Penalties for violations range from fines to final warnings, suspension of permits and closure of the facility. Over the last two months, Dubai Tourism has increased its inspection campaigns to ensure that hotels and establishments across tourism touchpoints including retail, leisure, attractions, and events are complying with wide-ranging health and safety protocols outlined by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management. Following the New Year’s Eve celebrations, Dubai Tourism in coordination with other relevant authorities has conducted nearly 10,000 inspections of hotels and recreational facilities. A total of 274 violations were recorded and 47 facilities closed, marking a compliance rate of 89%. A new set of precautionary measures against COVID-19 that was valid from 2-28  February in Dubai was recently extended until the beginning of Ramadan in mid-April. The new rules cover various sectors and activities with shopping malls; hotel establishments, swimming pools, and private beaches in hotels required to operate at 70% capacity.  Indoor venues, including cinemas and entertainment and sports venues, will continue to operate at …

According to a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Reed Exhibitions, the organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021, the amount of money that Middle East travellers spend on international leisure travel, will begin to exceed 2019 pre-COVID levels, in as little as three years. This is supported by forecast analysis carried out by Tourism Economics (TE). “This is very encouraging,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, which will take place in-person at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) 16-19 May 2021. “In 2019, spending on international leisure travel in the Middle East was significant, representing 47% of the total overall travel spend, compared with 37% spent on domestic leisure travel and 8% each on international and domestic business travel. “In 2020, spending on international leisure travel was only 20% of the amount spent a year earlier. However, this year, spending compared with 2019, will recover to around 50%. It will increase to 75% in 2022 and 95% in 2023, until 2024, when spending in this segment will exceed pre-COVID levels by up to 10%,” added Curtis. “Leisure travel will lead the recovery, initially through domestic and short-haul travel, which peaked by as much as 85% of all overnight arrivals in the Middle East during 2020. This will gradually return to normal over the next four years at around 70%, as international travel becomes more popular and takes greater market share,” said Curtis.

Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) has announced a strategic partnership with leading international hospitality company, Jumeirah Group, to facilitate graduates in pursuing successful careers in the tourism and hospitality sectors, and forms an integral part of the industry nationalisation initiative, Medyaf. This initiative firmly supports Dubai Tourism’s growth strategy and highlights the pivotal role that local talent will play in the future of Dubai’s tourism sector and its status as an exceptional world-class destination. Essa Bin Hadher, General Manager of Dubai College of Tourism, commented, “The agreement with hospitality leader Jumeirah Group will provide a major impetus to the Medyaf programme of Dubai College of Tourism, to attract and train talented Emiratis for gainful employment in the tourism sector.  It is also a reflection of the strong spirit of collaboration that exists between government and private sector establishments in Dubai and will further enhance the role of the hospitality sector in the implementation of Dubai’s tourism strategy designed to make the city the world’s No.1 most visited, revisited, and preferred destination. With the world going through challenging times, it is imperative to expand the pool of local talent and we are confident that by working with industry partners of Jumeirah Group’s calibre, we will be able to achieve the goals of our industry nationalisation drive, a critical element in strengthening Dubai’s tourism workforce.” Commenting on the agreement, Ellen Dubois du Bellay, Chief Human Resources Officer, Jumeirah Group said, ”The development of young local talent is a key focus for Jumeirah Group. The next generation will be crucial to the future of our company and that of the hospitality sector in the UAE, and we fully support the nation’s mission to …

At ITB Berlin industry experts shared their insights of travel recovery over a period of time. “As Israel vaccinates its population, the tourism and hospitality sectors are reopening, allowing us to plan for the return of tourists soon,” said Israel Minister of Tourism Orit Farkash-Hacohen. Noting that Israel has already vaccinated some 80 percent of its adult population, the destination is turning it into not only an attractive destination but a healthy destination. Minister Farkash-Hacohen summarized how the pandemic has affected Israeli tourism since March 2020. He said, “None of this of course is full compensation, but it helped during this difficult year, “she said.  “Now we are hopeful tourists can soon return, allowing the various tourism-oriented businesses to get back on their feet.” Speaking about the impact of vaccinations on travel, the Israeli Minister shared how positive they have been domestic “with five million people already vaccinated” from Israel’s nine-million strong population. She also stressed the need to find protocols allowing international carriers and visitors to fly to and from Israel: “This is my greatest challenge at the moment, and I am working with the health and transportation ministers to gradually open Israel’s skies and allow more tourists in.”  Referencing the date things will open, the Minister said, “It will take some time, possibly a month” or so, adding she was optimistic. “We need to find ways to open up travel,” Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority said, explaining why vaccinations were key to the reopening of the international tourism industry. “Also, from a safety and security perspective. Travel has to be enjoyable.” At the same time, Minister Sancho of Costa Rica said vaccinations are important, …

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) will conduct a two-day roadshow curated for travel trade partners in the Middle East on 8th and 9th March 2021 from 8am to 8pm GST. The roadshow is part of STA’s ‘Journeys in Arabia’ virtual engagement series and is an opportunity for partners to meet one-on-one with senior representatives from the key destinations, experience, and hospitality brands. For the first time ever, local travel trade partners and key stakeholders are being brought together on one platform, to build relationships and stimulate conversations around potential commercial partnership opportunities. As it relates to leisure tourism, Saudi is a relatively new destination hence the focus is two-fold. While it is fundamental to drive awareness about Saudi amongst travelers around the world, also it is also critical to engage, educate and inspire travel trade partners about the diverse products and experiences that Arabia offers. Saudi Arabia aims to achieve 100 million annual visits to the Kingdom by 2030, made up of both domestic and international travelers. In order to achieve this goal, STA has developed a comprehensive strategy to drive the number of visits, increase spend and build a leading tourism brand for Saudi. Across the world, 15 priority leisure source markets have been identified spanning the GCC region, Asia, North America, and Europe. This is broken down further into three target segments, leisure, MICE, and spiritual travel. Since the opening of doors to leisure tourism in September 2019, STA has unveiled many new destinations and experiences for audiences from home and abroad. The Saudi offering is unique– its rich culture, deep heritage, diversity of landscapes and unparalleled hospitality. It is the authentic home of Arabia: a place of exploration, …

As the milder temperatures continue to set the perfect conditions to explore the great outdoors, the team at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) is sharing useful tips and information to inspire nature enthusiasts to explore the Emirate’s spectacular trails. Running throughout March, the tourism team will release a series of expert-led videos on its social media channels advising hikers (and avid walkers) how best to prepare for an excursion as well as offering interesting insights into the various routes and tips on safety. Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “The diverse terrain of Ras Al Khaimah offers hikers an extensive choice of outdoor experiences that appeal to first-time adventurers as well as experienced hikers. With this program,  we wanted to shine a light on the spectacular natural wonders of Ras Al Khaimah, as well as providing all hikers with guidance and support to enjoy memorable and safe nature-based experiences.”

Tourism Malaysia pledges partnership for the second consecutive time at the second edition of the Gulf Travel Show to be held on March 31 and April 1, 2021 as diamond partners. Shahrin Mokhtar, Director of Tourism Malaysia – Dubai shared, “Tourism Malaysia Dubai, Jeddah & India join forces with major tourism partners to spearhead Malaysia promotion in Virtual Gulf Travel Show 2021. Tourism Malaysia has become the Diamond partner in GTS 2021 to further communicate the “Malaysia Truly Asia” brand to the travel industry fraternity in MENA and India markets. This time we are planning to showcase Malaysia with our 10 selected tourism partners who will engaged with Middle East & India potential buyers during the 2 days virtual show. This a great opportunity for us to interact with the industry players and plan for the New Normal once Malaysia opens its borders to welcome tourists. For this year, we are promoting the hashtag #WeMissYou to the market indicating that we miss the tourists coming to our beautiful country and can’t wait to see them again at the Malaysian shore soon.” The first edition of the Gulf Travel Show successfully concluded in 2020 with 40 plus exhibitors, 6000 one-to-one meetings, and 2,500 visitors from 59 countries which included travel agents, tour operators, tourism boards, airlines, hotels, travel management companies, and international agencies encouraged the emergence of a second edition. Once again, the show promises some of the key travel, tourism, and hospitality experts from across the Middle East share their insights on the industry through one on one sessions and panel discussions.