Category Archives: Exhibitions

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has announced hosting the PATA Annual Summit from May 15-18, 2020, organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The four-day event will bring together international thought leaders, industry shapers and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia Pacific region. The summit embraces a global forum for enhancing the sustainable growth, value and quality of tourism and includes a one-day conference, the PATA Annual General Meeting and the PATA Youth Symposium that allows students and young tourism professionals an opportunity to engage with senior industry leaders. As part of the event programme, PATA in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will also once again organise the UNWTO/PATA Leaders Debate which brings together senior executives from both the public and private sector to address thought-provoking issues currently affecting the industry. Dr Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, said, “Ras Al Khaimah has committed to supporting cultural, natural heritage and environmental preservation across the Emirate, activities which are aligned with PATA’s mission in acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. That is why we are honoured to be working with RAKTDA in bringing together our public and private sector members and partners to discuss the challenges and issues faced by our industry.” Commenting on the announcement, Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “We look forward to hosting the PATA Annual Summit 2020 in Ras Al Khaimah and introducing the destination to key international industry leaders and delegates from the travel and hospitality sector in the Asia Pacific region. Strengthening the Emirate’s MiCE offer by showcasing our world class …

The 57th ICCA Congress is set to take place from Nov 11-14, 2018 at Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince, Dubai and Chairman, Executive Council of Dubai. The event will be familiarising delegates with the ICCA “Outside The Box Sessions” by introducing them to curated tours and site visits, showcasing the city’s cultural offerings, ground-breaking innovation and talent development. Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “The 2018 ICCA Congress is a key event for the global business events community and provides Dubai a platform to showcase itself as a business and knowledge hub. We hope these experiences, which involve some of our key stakeholders and partners across the city, will inspire delegates and allow them to consider future opportunities in the Dubai. They will also complement the strong core educational programme that ICCA has put together for delegates, as well as the networking and social events throughout the congress.” To help delegates build a more cohesive picture of Dubai, delegates can expect to explore the Expo 2020 Dubai site and see first-hand the scale of the global event and how it is set to provide opportunities for meeting industry professionals. The “Outside The Box Sessions” will also see delegates take a tour of the Emirates airline crew training academy and experience the development of skills as well as the importance of aviation to the city’s development. During the tour, delegates will have a first-hand look at the Emirates airline’s safety and emergency evacuation simulators, service training simulators, as well as the A380 cabin service simulator, among many others.

Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) will be back for its 24th edition from December 26, 2018 to January 26, 2019, attracting shoppers from all over the world. Organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), DSF will kick off with innovative initiatives and memorable experiences built around the three pillars of the festival – shopping, winning and entertainment. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) said, “As Dubai gears up to host yet another successful edition of Dubai Shopping Festival, we are focused on creating a vibrant ambience for visitors to further enhance the emirate’s position as a leading tourism destination that offers unforgettable and rewarding shopping experiences. With DSF being a key pillar of Dubai’s retail sector, we are keen in keeping up the momentum, provided by the previous edition, to help boost business in Dubai during this period. We are grateful to the government and the private sector for their enormous contributions to DSF year after year, and with the 24th edition of DSF set to dawn in December, we are working closely with all our partners to ensure that DSF truly lives up to its reputation as a global attraction.”  

Cutting-edge technology and innovation will be adopted as the theme for Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, to be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28 to May 1, 2019. According to a latest research conducted by Colliers International, personalisation Artificial Intelligence (AI) could increase hotel revenues by over 10 per cent and reduce costs by more than 15 per cent – with hotel operators expecting technology such as voice and facial recognition, virtual reality and biometrics to be mainstream by 2025. The research also estimates that 73 per cent of manual activities in the hospitality industry have the technical potential for automation, with many global hotel operators including Marriott, Hilton, and Accor already investing in automating elements of their human resources. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “It is important to highlight that the GCC is one of the fastest-growing regional hospitality markets on a global scale and an innovative technology-reliant industry. Its impact on hotels and travel and tourism is multi-dimensional, ranging from voice and facial recognition, chatbots and beacon technology to virtual reality, blockchain and robot concierge. Throughout ATM 2019, the spotlight theme will be launched as a platform to create awareness and inspire the travel and hospitality industry about the next generation of technology, while bringing together senior travel executives to meet and conduct business with innovative tech providers. With technologies like AI and automation quickly maturing, the hospitality and travel and tourism industry must prepare for a wave of disruption in order to reap the overall benefits of these technologies.”

Al Qasba is set to host the debut edition of Sharjah’s first art Festival ‘Reflection’. Aimed at offering artists, sculptors, photographers and musicians a platform for expression, as well as the local community a place to explore the world of art, this popular destination will be turning into a hub of vibrant activity from December 20 to 31. Al Qasba management has opened registrations for established artists as well as aspiring professionals in the fields of photography, painting, sculpture, drawing, work on paper (paper art e.g. Origami and other), performing arts, instillations, sound art, videography, visual arts, and others, to submit their participation requests to: reflection@AlQasba.ae before October 27, 2018. Talking about the event, Khuloud Salim Al Junaibi, Manager, Al Qasba informed, “Aimed at being an annual cultural festival of music, art and learning to celebrate latest local and international trends in art, and food, ‘Reflection’ will be the first-of-its-kind cultural extravaganza in the emirate of Sharjah. Building on the emirate’s reputation of being the cultural capital of the UAE and the region, this art fest will see participation of prestigious galleries, leading restaurants and cafés, talented artists, and government entities. Through this 12-days event, Al Qasba aims to foster a community culture where creative people have an avenue to express themselves, network and showcase their works to potential buyers and the general public in a vibrant and engaging environment.” The fest will comprise artists live in action alongside Al Qasba’s picturesque walkways. Live music concerts, talent shows and delicious cuisines will be in the offering at this 12-days cultural celebration.

Abu Dhabi International Boat Show (ADIBS) 2018 is all set to be held from October 17-20 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The show will take place under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Sports Council. Designed to be a ‘Uniquely Abu Dhabi’ experience, The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) is organising and hosting the event, showcasing the emirate’s rich maritime legacy and state-of-the-art range of luxury yachts and boats and fishing products from the world’s leading companies. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO, ADNEC, said, “We welcome the international companies and players in the luxury yachts and boats and fishing tools industry to participate in the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show and showcase their latest products. Visitors from the global leisure marine community will witness regional and global launches of the latest yachts and boats and the latest fishing tools, products, and services.” Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Chairman, Al Suwaidi Marine, said, “The inaugural edition of the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show will open doors to a new world of boating and fishing tools within the UAE, accompanied by a rush of potential opportunities that will benefit the players in the maritime industry. We are excitedly looking forward to this event, which we believe will be a strategic platform to showcase and highlight the best that the boating industry has to offer.”

Golden Sands Hotel Apartments was declared the Best Family Hotel Apartments at the 2nd annual Arabian Travel Awards. Mirna Tenidis, Director of Marketing of Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, received the award. Last year, the Golden Sands Hotel Apartments was recognised as the Best Brand Hotel Apartment. Mohammed Khoori, General Manager, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, said, “The Arabian Travel Awards is one of the much-awaited awards in the industry. We are grateful to be recognised as this year’s recipient of the Best Family Hotel Apartments. This is a meaningful award because it reflects who we truly are. Our facilities cater to big and small families and our location is convenient for both young and adult guests. I want to share this award with the team who are relentlessly providing the best service to our valued guests.” Organised by Durga Das Publications, the 2nd Arabian Travel Awards recognised and honoured the best in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries in the Middle East. This year, more than 50,000 votes were submitted from over 25 countries, with nearly 60 awards to recognise at the exclusive event attended by VIPs, dignitaries, travel, tourism and hospitality professionals. During the awards ceremony, a beautifully designed Collector’s Edition Book was also unveiled that showcases the beauty and culture of the Middle East.

Travelport has been recognised as the Best Technology Partner to the travel and hospitality industry in the Middle East for the second consecutive year at Arabian Travel Awards 2018. The company also scooped the Best Travel Technology Provider award, a category formerly called Best Global Distribution System, which Travelport also won in 2017. The ceremony took place recently at JW Marriott Hotel in Deira, Dubai. Arabian Travel Awards is an annual event designed to support, promote and develop the Middle East travel and hospitality industry by identifying and rewarding excellence, and inspiring its practitioners to continuously raise the standards of their product and service offering. Winners are selected based on a unique system of jury, judgement and online voting by industry professionals. In other categories, Cozmo Travel won Fastest Growing Travel Management Company and Al Naboodah Travel won the Best General Sales Agent (GSA) award. Matthew Powell, Managing Director, Travelport, Africa, Middle East and South Asia, said, “We are proud of the work we have done over the last 12 months. Our travel commerce platform is faster, our merchandising and analytics solutions are more powerful, and our mobile applications like Trip Assist, are even more dynamic and in tune with the needs of today’s hyper-connected travellers. We are delighted this work has been recognised by the industry. We will continue to work tirelessly to lead the change we want to see for the benefit of our customers and travellers.”

In order to explore new horizons and reach out to new markets, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has begun its roadshow on September 24 to Far East Asian markets in collaboration with Emirates airline. These events, which will run till September 28, mark the Authority’s entry into the Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean markets for the first time. Underscoring its commitment to enhancing the efficiencies in the tourism sector through partnerships and collaborative efforts, the Authority has started holding meetings which will take place during these five days with various public and private entities, officials and agencies aimed at building long-lasting relationships with them. The Authority is keen to win new markets in the Far East region in line with its strategic efforts to attract more visitors by showcasing exceptional tourism offers during the roadshow, including key benefits and a wide array of tourism products in Sharjah. HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, said, “We are working on a clear plan and strategy in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member, Supreme Council and Ruler, Sharjah, to promote the tourism sector and make Sharjah a leading family destination in the world. Considering all the stakeholders in the public and private sectors and following the framework set forth in Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, the tourism sector in the emirate has been able to hold a distinguished position on the global tourism map and has become a major engine of comprehensive development today, paving the way to new touristic key markets.”

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) hosted its inaugural Dubai China Conference on September 19-20 at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai. The two-day event, which welcomed over 900 attendees, featured integrated workshops and informative guest speakers offering valuable insights from both Chinese and local industry experts. With panel discussions strongly attended throughout the event, guests were invited to deep dive into Dubai’s China-readiness strategy, along with  engaging into presentations led by industry partners. Breakout periods were also built into the two-day schedule to allow industry players to share knowledge during networking opportunities alongside partners such as Huawei, Ctrip and Tencent. There was also a series of engaging workshops hosted by Mafwengo, Fliggy and Alipay enabling attendees to meet the teams for discussing further potential collaborations, as well as Meituan and DaZhongDianPing which delved into the digital cooperation trends in Dubai. With exponential growth in overnight visitors from China, the event offered a clear indication of the market’s rising prominence as one of Dubai’s fastest growing source markets, after closing the first eight months of 2018 with a record 578,000 visitors – a growth of nine per cent over the same period in 2017. While demand from Chinese travellers is increasing at a quicker rate than capacity, visitation growth is supported by a 9.5 per cent increase in air capacity over the last five years, and increasingly competitive ticket pricing. Furthermore, the percentage of those on China-Dubai flights who stay in Dubai has increased by 29.2 per cent highlighting the increase in demand for elongated stopovers for Chinese tourists.