Category Archives: Associations

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) hosted a virtual town hall meeting for industry stakeholders, providing an overview of the tourism sector and global travel updates and trends, as well as insights into source markets, initiatives, campaigns and events designed to highlight Dubai’s position as the destination of choice for families in the summer. The Summer 2021 Virtual Town Hall, presided by Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), is part of the regular top-level industry engagements initiated by Dubai Tourism to ensure the entire industry is seamlessly aligned with the marketing communications and campaigns dedicated to tourism growth. The meeting, attended by over 600 key executives from the hospitality, travel and attractions sectors, reviewed the progress made by the industry since the reopening of the city to domestic tourism in May 2020 and international tourists in July 2020. It also reviewed the strong measures in place to safeguard the health and well-being of residents and visitors. During the meeting, it was noted that the wide ranging steps taken by Dubai to successfully manage the pandemic resulted in the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) awarding the emirate the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp. Dubai also launched its own compliance programme, the DUBAI ASSURED stamp to certify and recognise establishments across the tourism ecosystem that have complied with all safety protocols. An ongoing countrywide vaccination campaign has also placed the UAE among the top five nations globally in terms of overall vaccine rollout. The Town Hall provided an insight into Dubai Tourism’s direction and plans for Summer 2021, to enable stakeholders to leverage and benefit from the various marketing initiatives and ensure the …

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, co-hosted a virtual meeting of the UNWTO Global Tourism Crisis Committee with the organization’s Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The meeting’s participants, which include UNWTO Member States and representatives from global industry organizations, discussed the importance of multilateral cooperation and tangible action to facilitate the safe and seamless resumption of international travel. These efforts will support the sector’s recovery by building confidence among travelers and tourism businesses. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb asserted the Kingdom’s leadership in coordinating and shaping recovery strategies: “As the global community continues to navigate the effects of the pandemic, we must find new and innovative solutions to bring our countries into the new normal, while paving the way to recovery, and ensuring that no country is left behind. This should be based on collective, coordinated and tangible action to ensure that as we build back, we emerge stronger and more resilient.”

Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) has announced a strategic partnership with Chalhoub Group. This partnership comes as part of DCT’s Medyaf programme, the industry nationalisation initiative aimed at preparing talented young UAE nationals for careers across tourism touchpoints including the retail sector. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Essa Bin Hadher, General Manager of DCT and Wassim Eid, President People & Culture at Chalhoub Group . The MOU will pave the way for the development and career support of DCT students and UAE nationals in various roles in the retail sector. Essa Bin Hadher, General Manager of Dubai College of Tourism, commented, “Our partnership with Chalhoub Group will provide a major boost to our Medyaf programme to create more opportunities for talented Emiratis to work in the retail sector. The continuing collaboration with the private sector in Dubai comes within the framework of strategic measures being undertaken to meet a key goal of Dubai’s tourism strategy to make the city the world’s No.1 most visited, revisited and preferred destination.  During these challenging times, there is even greater urgency to expand the pool of local talent by working with industry partners like the Chalhoub Group to achieve the goals of our industry nationalisation drive, a critical element in strengthening the city’s tourist-facing workforce and adding to the sustainability and growth of our industry.” Commenting on the agreement, Wassim Eid, President People & Culture, Chalhoub Group, said, “We are proud to partner with the Dubai College of Tourism to support a new generation workforce and attract UAE nationals to join the luxury retail sector. DCT is giving young talents a great opportunity by introducing them to the private sector and …

“Malaysia has already placed strict SOP’s and at present open for business travellers. We are looking at opening travel bubbles with our neighbouring countries like Singapore and Thailand and by Q3 or 2022 exploring to open to other markets starting with China, Japan and India and then reaching the Middle East. We are constantly reviewing all possibilities, SOPs are already in place for various touristic areas and hotels in keeping with international standard. It is good to connect with all of you for the first time from Middle East and India together at the second edition of the Gulf Travel Show,” says Manoharan Periasamy – Senior Director of International Promotion Asia & Africa Division – Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. He adds, “We participated in November 2020 for the first time at the Gulf Travel Show and due to the positive feedback received from the travel trade we pledged our support as diamond partner at this second edition with 10 selected partners from Malaysia showcasing their many offerings for two whole days. It is a great opportunity to be with the industry players from Middle East and India as they are two of the key source markets; Middle East in top 5 and India in top 10. 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.” Shahrin Mokhtar, Director of Tourism Malaysia – Dubai shared, “We have been keeping the Middle East agents engaged by conducting a specialized training programme to learn more about the destination and all its offerings, our participation in the Gulf …

The inaugural virtual press conference was held on the opening day at the Gulf Travel Show 2021 conducted by Tourism Malaysia. It started off with the promotional video for Malaysia Truly Asia, which transported you virtually from pristine beaches to amazing nature getaways, cultural splendor at Sarawak village, street food and fine dining options, theme parks with the longest water slide, and the famous Petronas tower describing the breathtaking destination of Malaysia. Mohamed Lotfy – PR & Communications from Tourism Malaysia Dubai office welcomed the media and introduced the speakers for the press conference. Opening remarks were made by Manoharan Periasamy – Senior Director of International Promotion Asia & Africa Division – Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, greeted the Middle East and Indian media for their presence. “It is good to connect with all of you for the first time from Middle East and India together at the second edition of the Gulf Travel Show. We participated in November 2020 for the first time at the Gulf Travel Show and due to the positive feedback received from the travel trade we pledged our support as a diamond partner at this second edition with 10 selected partners from Malaysia showcasing their many offerings for two whole days. It is a great opportunity to be with the industry players from Middle East and India as they are two of the key source markets; Middle East in top 5 and India in top 10. 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. Malaysia has already placed strict …

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.