Category Archives: Associations

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The world-renowned hospitality event, The Hotel Show, returns to Dubai in May for three days celebrating the industry’s greatest names, brands and talent. Taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on the 24-26 May, the event has become a key date in the industry calendar, taking place in one of the world’s greatest destinations. Dubai has become a leading global destination for both leisure, tourism and hospitality and is one of the most attractive hospitality markets in the world, with a constant stream of investment. According to preliminary data from STR, Dubai’s hotel sector experienced its highest occupancy since 2007 during the final weeks before Expo 2020, with a total of 91.7% of Dubai’s rooms occupied. With the growing hospitality industry in the region, The Hotel Show Dubai has grown to become the largest and most prestigious trade event for hospitality in the Middle East and Africa, and the ultimate meeting place for the industry over the last 22 years. “The hosting of The Hotel Show Dubai is testament to Dubai’s ability to organise world class international events while positioning Dubai as a global city that is open, safe and accessible for UAE residents and leisure and business travellers. Over the past year, Dubai’s hotel sector has performed remarkably well, further accelerating momentum across the city’s travel and tourism industry. As a platform where F&B and Hospitality professionals can come together and really connect, and knowledge share and learn from each other, The Hotel Show will reaffirm Dubai’s position as a must-visit global destination,” said Hoor Al Khaja, Associate VP of International Operations at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. With supporting partners including Dubai’s Department of Economy and …

In a first for Dubai and the UAE – UFI the Global Events Industry Association has elected Geoff Dickinson, CEO of dmg events, as their president for 2024, recognising Dubai and Abu Dhabi as world leading event destinations. Under the leadership of Dickinson since 2010, Dubai-headquartered dmg events is one of the top twenty, international exhibition and conference organisers, with ten offices around the world and organises nearly 100 events annually. Commenting on his appointment, Dickinson said: “I am truly honoured to serve an industry that I am so passionate about. This is the first time any event professional from the UAE has been appointed to this prestigious role and I am sure that the UAE’s status as a leading international events hub, especially having hosted the ‘world’s greatest show’ Expo 2020, was at the very least, a contributing factor.” UFI is the global association of the world’s leading tradeshow organisers and its main goal is to represent, promote and support the business interests of its members and the exhibition industry in general. The UFI president is elected by the UFI’s board of directors for a one-year mandate, becoming its legal and official representative, chairing the executive committee, the board of directors and the general assemblies. UFI directly represents around 50,000 exhibition industry professionals globally, and also works closely with its 63 national and regional association members and includes 795 member organisations in 83 countries and regions around the world. “I will always champion the events industry, focusing on diversity, innovation, technology and sustainability,” added Dickinson. The events industry is vital to the UAE economy. According to an impact report released by the Dubai World Trade Centre, business tourism generated …

It has been announced by UNWTO and Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan (MoTA) that they are organizing two in-person workshops that will take place in Amman and Petra addressing the challenges and opportunities for women in tourism scheduled to take place in Amman (9 May 2022) and Petra (11 May 2022). According to the UNWTO, the workshops will be focused on the empowerment of women working in tourism in Jordan, addressing a total of approximately 150 women in both locations with the same agenda, speakers and key topics. During the pandemic, women working in tourism were more affected than men although women account for more roles and contribution in the sector.