Category Archives: Associations

Amadeus and ATS Travel partner to launch the “ATS Go Green” sustainability drive supported by Olive Gaea

Amadeus is partnering with ATS Travel to launch its sustainable drive under the brand ‘ATS Go Green’ in collaboration with Olive Gaea, a Dubai-based start-up providing Net Zero solutions across the MENATI region. Amadeus is committed to working towards environmental sustainability, encouraging industry-wide progress to help achieve its net zero targets and securing long-term growth and prosperity for the travel industry. The company has set a target of zero emissions by 2050, with the ambition to achieve this by 2030. The ‘ATS Go Green’ initiative reiterates the commitment by all parties to reach their environmental sustainability goals and be the front runners in the travel industry providing tailor-made reports on Co2 emissions for corporates. Saleem Sharif, Deputy Managing Director at ATS Travel said, “The partnership will allow Amadeus, ATS Travel and Olive Gaea to work closely together and offer clients offsetting opportunities and inspire sustainable living. The collaboration saw all parties pledging to develop a more sustainable future with participants planting mangroves at the local Al Zohra mangrove ecosystem.  Participants were briefed on the sustainability project and taken on a Kayak tour to the mangrove plantation area with reusable water bottles and eco-friendly utilities. We invited our corporate clients and UAE National airlines representatives to join the event and support the cause.” “The increase of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere today is a growing concern within the travel and tourism sector. We aim to be the front runners in the travel sector providing custom carbon footprint reports for Air, Land, and hotels to our travel corporates. Our collaboration will enable us to go beyond just greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reports in the future, and provide cost effective offsetting options,” …

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Aviation Leaders Assemble in Doha for IATA’s 78th AGM

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), announced that leaders of the global aviation industry are gathering in Doha, Qatar, for the 78th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit (WATS), with Qatar Airways as the host airline. The event (19-21 June) attracts the industry’s most senior leaders from among IATA’s 290 member airlines, as well as leading government officials, strategic partners, equipment suppliers, and media. “In a few days, Doha will become the aviation capital of the world. The last time we met in Doha, in 2014, we were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first airline flight. This year’s AGM is another momentous occasion: Airlines are simultaneously recovering from the COVID-19 crisis, setting the path to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, working to improve gender diversity, and adapting to a geopolitical environment that is undergoing its greatest shock in over three decades,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “It is an absolute privilege to be hosting our industry partners in Qatar Airways’ home city, particularly during our milestone 25th year of operations. Coming together face-to-face provides us with the opportunity to discuss lessons learnt from our recent years during the pandemic, global issues affecting us all in the here and now, and to plan the best way forward for the industry.” The WATS opens immediately following the AGM. A highlight will be the third edition of the Diversity and Inclusion Awards sponsored by Qatar Airways. These awards recognize organizations and individuals who are making a difference in helping to drive the industry’s 25by2025 initiative to make the aviation industry more gender balanced. …

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Live Events Here To Stay, says event industry, with Metaverse Impact A Near Decade Away

The global events industry has entered recalibration mode as it rebounds from a two-year COVID induced hiatus which has forced it to re-examine its future operation strategies and human resource challenges, the Middle East Event Show & Awards 2022 has heard. The show, which connects the Middle East MICE and live events industry, took place at the Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai over June 15 and 16 with more than 70 innovative exhibitors and uniting over 2500 event and entertainment industry professionals with two days of interactive learning, connections, and collaboration. More than 50 industry leaders took to the event’s seminar stages to address emerging sector challenges including the need for greater sustainability through the creation of carbon neutral events with NetZero builds, slow technology adoption, inclusivity in the workplace and the likely impact of the emergence of the Metaverse. Dan Bolton, Owner & Director, BE Experiential & Dan Bolton Creative Management Agency said the turbulent COVID times had made future workforces address the very ethos of the industry and the sector now needed to address mounting concerns over sector sustainability. “As employers, we must be more transparent, authentic and communicative in how we perceive what we ask of our employees, since the wants and needs of the industry are rapidly changing,” he said. “The way to engage, manage, hire, retain and grow people needs to be more empathetic. Culturally, too, event industry employers need to move away from ‘virtual’ and focus on reconnecting with their employees in person.” “The industry is youthful in its essence; and we all have to come together and hire across the spectrum – with age, gender, race, and nationality not being an impediment in …

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Hotelbeds reaffirms its commitment to Türkiye

Hotelbeds has recently announced strong demand for Türkiye. In the last 4 weeks, the volume of bookings has doubled compared to the same period in 2019, bringing more than one million international visitors to the country in 2022. To celebrate this success and to reinforce the company’s commitment to Türkiye, Hotelbeds CEO Nicolas Huss – accompanied by CCO Carlos Muñoz, Commercial Director Jorge Cortés and Regional Sourcing Director Jaime Amengual – visited the country at the beginning of June. During their stay, they were able to organise key strategic meetings with the Turkish Minister of Tourism and Culture and the leaders of the TGA (Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency), as well as with the Hotel Association of Türkiye (TÜROB) and several hotel partners. Hotelbeds CEO Nicolas Huss said: “It was a great honor to be received by the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and the TGA. We are very grateful for the opportunity to speak about our full commitment to the development of the destination and our plans for growth in the coming years. It was great to discuss the future of sustainability in travel as we explored different ways of collaboration. “We are also really pleased with the meeting we had with Ms. Müberra Eresin, President of TÜROB, and her team, where we were able to talk about Hotelbeds’ plans in Türkiye as we continue to grow together. At another meeting with AKTOB President Erkan Yağcı and his team, we were able to exchange valuable information about Antalya’s trends in tourism.” Nicolas accepted the invitation of AKTOB President Erkan Yağcı to be the keynote speaker at the 12th Resort Tourism Congress in Antalya in …

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BTEA fully prepared to receive inflow of visitors for the season

Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) confirmed that all preparations are finalized with the Kingdoms tourism facilities to receive the inflow of visitors in the coming period while taking the necessary precautionary measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and resume economic and tourism activity. BTEA stated that it has prepared several initiatives and projects aimed at promoting family tourism, as Bahrain is an ideal tourist destination for the GCC families to spend holidays, due to the presence of many tourists and entertainment attractions. The authority affirmed that it expects an increase in the inflow of visitors soon from the various entry points to Bahrain, especially through King Fahd Causeway after raising the level of government health coordination between the various GCC countries to adopt vaccination and recovery certificates to ensure the entry of visitors smoothly. BTEA pointed out that it launched a campaign through social media platforms targeting visitors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The campaign focuses on digital marketing through the BTEA account on Instagram and Twitter (tourismbh)  to showcase all tourism activities in addition to the new tourism facilities in Bahrain that were finalized  during 2020. BTEA stated that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the flow of tourists from GCC countries especially from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The authority prepared symbolic welcome events by illuminating the control tower on the King Fahd Causeway in addition to some major buildings in several streets of the Kingdom in red and green colors, with the campaign slogan displayed on billboards inside some commercial complexes and promotional activities around the Kingdom which includes the Bahrain Bay area from 17 to 23 May. Bahrain Tourism Authority affirmed that it has coordinated …

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WTTC publishes new report on destination resilience

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) published a new report on practical guidelines and case studies to support destinations in becoming more resilient and sustainable at its Sustainability and Investment Forum taking place in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The report, ‘Enhancing Resilience to Create Sustainability in Destinations’, jointly created with ICF, WTTC’s industry partner and a renowned global consultancy and digital services provider, provides practical, structured insights, for destinations as they consider their resilience and sustainability. Following the last two years of chaos brought on by the almost complete halt to international travel, no tourism destination has been untouched by the impact of COVID-19. And, many destinations have also been affected by major shocks, such as extreme weather. To support and guide destinations, this innovative analysis builds on real life case studies and presents a range of resilience actions for destinations before, during or aftershock events. The report provides five elements destinations should focus on to build both resilience and long-term sustainability: environment, infrastructure, energy, economic, and societal resilience. It offers four phases to analyse the shock and its aftermath: ‘understand the risk’, ‘prepare for shocks’, ‘respond to shock’, and ‘longer term strategies’. The report presents case studies illustrating how destinations which rely heavily on tourism, whether they are cities or islands, deserts or tropics, apply resilience awareness. Puerto Rico is one of the destinations featured as a case study, highlighting the string of environmental crises and economic challenges that have made resilience a cornerstone of their tourism strategy. Key learnings underline the importance of small businesses, identifying risks and implementing initiatives to handle any potential crisis. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “COVID has had a devastating …

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Saudi Arabia to invest $100m in training over 100,000 young people for tourism

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has today launched a new program to equip 100,000 young Saudis with the key hospitality skills needed to pursue careers in the Kingdom’s flourishing tourism industry. Launched by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Saudi Arabia at the 116th session of the World Tourism Organization’s Executive Council in Jeddah, ‘Tourism Trailblazers’ will provide in-depth global experience to the tourism industry’s future leaders. The program aims to train 100,000 Saudis as the ministry’s continous efforts after the launch of a new human capital development strategy in the Kingdom’s burgeoning tourism industry, which aims to attract more Saudi nationals to the sector. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Saudi Arabia, said: “It is vital that we invest in our youth now. Creating a skilled workforce with the talent and ambition to support and drive the tourism sector regionally and globally is key to realising Vision 2030. This program demonstrates our commitment to empowering young people by providing them with right skills, support and opportunities to shape the future of the tourism industry.” According to His Excellency, the program has three main objectives that aim to nurture, develop and support talent in the industry. It seeks to spread a culture of professionalism, help nascent professionals gain the knowledge and qualifications needed to break into the industry, and support their success through refinement of their skills. The program will help trainees to secure jobs within the sector, including seasonal, part-time, or full-time opportunities across the Kingdom. His Excellency further stressed that this and other initiatives are geared towards delivering on the National Tourism Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030 targets, including the creation of one million …

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ATM 2022 kicks off on a positive note 85% more than last year

29th edition of the Arabian Travel Market concluded day two with great success. According to some of the exhibitors this year’s ATM is one of the best in terms of business meetings. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group and Chairman of Dubai World shared that Dubai continues to strengthen its position at the forefront of global travel and tourism recovery by hosting global events that bring together decision-makers in the sector from across the region and the globe, contributing to worldwide efforts to open new growth horizons for the industry. Dubai’s ability to provide a safe environment for both tourism and prominent global events over the past two years and its success in overcoming the repercussions of the recent worldwide health crisis have enabled it to welcome large numbers of visitors from all over the world. “Dubai provides a unique model for sustainable development that not only promotes economic progress within the nation but also stimulates growth in the region and broader global markets. The Arabian Travel Market provides a vital platform for tourism and travel industry leaders in the Middle East and across the world to connect and network with each other and discover new opportunities for growth, collaboration and success,” he said. Taking place from Monday 9 to Thursday 12 May, this year’s event is more than 85% larger than ATM 2021 in terms of floorspace, with growth in every single region. ATM 2022 features 1,500 exhibitors, representatives from 158 global destinations, and an anticipated 20,000 attendees. The live show will be followed by ATM Virtual, which will …

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Industry experts open session at Arabian Travel Market 2022

The opening session of the 29th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) started off their official sessions with a spotlight on the future of international travel and tourism within the region and beyond. As the post-pandemic recovery of the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector continues apace, industry leaders took to the ATM Global Stage to explore the latest trends and global movements that are steering the sector forward. Flexibility, responsiveness, sustainability and innovation were all highlighted as catalysts for long-term success. Moderated by Eleni Giokos, Anchor and Correspondent at CNN, the opening session’s panellists included Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing; Scott Livermore, Chief Economist at Oxford Economics; Jochem-Jam Sleiffer, President – Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Hilton; Bilal Kabbani, Industry Head – Travel and Tourism at Google; and Andrew Brown, Regional Director – Europe, Middle East and Oceania at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Commenting on the ever-increasing importance of environmentally responsible travel and tourism, Issam Kazim said: “A few years ago, we launched special awards to recognise the efforts that hotels in Dubai are making in advancing sustainability within the emirate’s tourism industry. We have now broadened this with the continued support of our valued stakeholders and partners to ensure that everyone operating in the travel and tourism space is working with sustainability at top of mind. We are also highlighting its importance to residents and visitors, as evident in the launch of the Dubai Can sustainability initiative. “With the post-pandemic era set to create a highly competitive landscape, our successful tourism recovery strategy is still evolving in keeping to the disruption taking place across global tourism. As …

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Arabian Travel Market to open next week

Tourism professionals from around the world will return to Dubai today when Arabian Travel Market, the leading event for the travel industry in the Middle East, returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre today in a few hours. The event will welcome more than 20,000 visitors and over 1,500 exhibiting companies during the four-day tourism showcase, which concludes on Thursday, 12 May. 112 countries will be featured on the show floor ranging from Japan to Jamaica and South Africa to Italy. Industry professionals will have the opportunity to meet and discuss the latest trends from a cross-section of travel, including technology, transport, sustainability, events and business. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “Arabian Travel Market 2022 will reiterate the importance of the travel industry as we continue to address the challenges of COVID-19 while also outlining how we drive the industry forward. “The tourism industry has rebounded incredibly well. As a result, we have seen a clear uptick in participation, with floor space increasing by over 85% compared to the previous year and Middle East exhibitor space eclipsing 2019 levels. We now have the perfect opportunity to hear from industry professionals on the latest trends helping the industry recover and flourish in many instances.” In line with this year’s theme of ‘The future of international travel and tourism’, ATM 2022 will unveil new technology that will eliminate the need for business cards and allow exhibitors and visitors to share details, brochures and marketing material via innovative scanners and badges. Further underscoring the technology focus is the revamped and rebranded ATM Travel Tech event, previously called Travel Forward. A host of exciting sessions will take place, including …

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