Category Archives: Govt

Onur Saylan – Consul General – Consulate General of Turkiye in Dubai, speaking with TravelTV Middle East shared that they are looking at easing the visa processes for the expats living in the UAE such as Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos etc.by the end of the year. He reiterated the importance of promoting destinations which are the hidden gems of Turkiye which will be their focus in the upcoming months. “We work with tourists from UAE to provide alternative programs and placements. If we think of Turkiye, they immediately think of Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Trabzon and Cappadocia. It is true that these are some of the most beautiful cities in the world, not only in Turkiye, but there is more in Turkiye. Due to the current situation around Turkiye, there are more strict processes, but we are looking at coming up with easier visa process for expat groups living in UAE, such as Indian, Pakistani and the Philippines. We will establish many new methods to ease this process.  I think by the end of this year, we will find new alternative processes for visa issuance in the UAE.”

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT) launched the Arabic language version of the ‘Experience Abu Dhabi Experts’ e-learning platform, a tool designed to actively support partners in the travel ecosystem, including travel agents and tour operators. The platform equips travel professionals across the Gulf with the knowledge needed to showcase Abu Dhabi’s rich cultural heritage, iconic landmarks and attractions and diverse accommodation options to their clients. Specialised content across nine modules covers various facets of Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector, allowing participants to create more attractive and customised tourism products. Upon completion of the programme, participants will receive a certificate officially recognising them as ‘Experience Abu Dhabi Experts’, bolstering their credibility within the industry and providing them with the knowledge to craft personalised travel itineraries for the destination. Abdulla Yousuf, International Operations Director at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “We are committed to empowering our travel partners across the region by providing them with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively showcase Abu Dhabi as an ideal destination for all types of visitors. By engaging directly with our partners, we collectively contribute to Abu Dhabi’s compelling growth story and ensure it remains a top choice for travellers seeking unique and enriching experiences.” The module is currently available in Arabic, English, Mandarin, German, Italian, Russian, French and Hindi and will be expanded to 13 languages, making it accessible to the global travel trade. Travel professionals can register for free at experienceabudhabiexperts.com and access the training content anytime, anywhere through mobile devices, tablets, or desktops, flexibly arranging their time and enjoying a convenient online learning experience. Domestic travel is expected to represent the bulk of the travel market in 2024, and …

Speaking at Future Hospitality Summit World in Dubai, HE Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy of the UAE shared that they target 16% contribution from tourism to GDP by 2031. HE Al Marri further shared that they are on track with the demand and supply and that they target over 450biliion dirhams worth of investments in the hotel industry over the next seven years. Further iterated the need to increase room nights especially by combining medical and wellness tourism. “We are targeting over 450 billion dirhams worth of investments in the hotel industry itself to come in in the next seven years. We are looking at increasing the number of keys, increase the amount of hotels, offers, products coming in. We’re looking at it from a different line. We’re looking at medical tourism, wellness tourism. These are kind of the two topics now that’s really going on in the tourism aspects, but they are segregated. They talk about medical tourism on a separate note, and they talk about wellness tourism on a separate note. To me, wellness and medical has to be combined. I look at it that way because the most important thing is the nights per stay, the tourists who stay in the country. Today, there are about 3 to 4 nights per stay. We want to increase that to 7 nights, 8 nights. That’s the dream for any interest of tourism.”

Kuwait Minister of Information and Culture and Kuwait Airways Chairman discussed ways to enhance joint cooperation between Kuwait Airways and the Ministry through the exchange of services related to the tourism sector, in addition to reviewing the most important future projects between the two sides. The Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Mr. Abdulrahman Badah Al-Mutairi held discussions with Kuwait Airways Chairman, Captain Abdulmohsen Salem Al-Fagaan, who was accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer, Captain Ahmad M. Alkreebani and a delegation from Kuwait Airways. The discussions focused on the significant efforts extended by the company and the services it provides in supporting the tourism sector in the State of Kuwait. During the meeting, the Minister also discussed ways to enhance joint cooperation between Kuwait Airways and the Ministry through the exchange of services related to the tourism sector, in addition to reviewing the most important future projects between the two sides. Following the meeting, Al-Fagaan highlighted in a press statement that Kuwait Airways continuously enjoys the full support and consideration from the Ministry of Information in all its activities and events, especially within and outside the State of Kuwait, making it an indispensable partner in Kuwait Airways’ accomplishments and contributing significantly to the achievement of its desired objectives. Al-Fagaan stated, “Various aspects of joint cooperation between Kuwait Airways and the Ministry of Information and Culture were discussed in several important areas, most notable among them, the participation in the Gulf Cup Football Championship (Gulf 26) hosted by the State of Kuwait in December. This is in addition to the State of Kuwait’s participation in the Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan and to promote the working of …

The Ajman Tourism Development Department signed a sponsorship agreement with Etihad Water and Electricity, reaffirming its commitment to fostering collaboration within the nation’s key sectors. The agreement will establish a strategic alliance between both entities, with an aim to sponsor community and tourism events, as well as a diverse array of activities to achieve mutual development goals. Under the agreement, various sports, tourism and community events will be organised to attract both visitors and residents, positioning Ajman as the region’s leading tourist destination. The alliance also showcases the significance of maintaining coordination between both entities, while promoting knowledge exchange and leveraging collective resources to ensure success of such events. It is also poised to expand the institutional presence of Etihad Water and Electricity by showcasing its services and initiatives that benefit both residents and tourists. H.E. Mahmood Khaleel Alhashmi, Director-General of the Ajman Tourism Development Department, and H.E. Yousif Ahmed Al Ali, CEO of Etihad Water and Electricity, signed the agreement in the presence of senior officials from both organisations. H.E. Mahmood Khaleel Alhashmi said: “Our partnership with Etihad Water and Electricity is a strategic move to support the implementation of the department’s initiatives to elevate Ajman’s position as a leading tourist destination. It is also a part of our efforts to strengthen collaboration between government and private entities to achieve key developmental goals.” H.E. underscored that the collaboration with Etihad Water and Electricity will yield favourable outcomes for the Emirate. Moreover, he highlighted Etihad Water and Electricity’s integral role in supporting upcoming events to enhance participation of tourists and residents in these activities, while promoting their exemplary array of services. H.E. Yousif Ahmed Al Ali, CEO of Etihad Water …

Addressing G20 delegates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, said: “Saudi Arabia shares and celebrates the G20’s dedication to boost tourism growth and to put sustainability at the heart of our work. ”Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to make its rapidly expanding tourism sector sustainable and a powerful force for forging closer cultural links between the world’s nations at the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Brazil. Reflecting on the meeting’s overarching theme of “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”, Al-Khateeb added: “There is more than just an economic benefit from the strides we are making to improve connectivity. They also provide the chance for people from around the world to explore the rich culture of Saudi Arabia and for our people to experience the wonders of other countries and cultures.” The high-profile gathering in Belém is bringing together not only the G20 nations, of which Saudi Arabia is the only permanent member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as 32 additional guest countries and international organizations. Saudi Arabia approved the creation of the G20 Tourism Working Group during its presidency in 2020 and among the Ministers’ key objectives at this meeting in Belém finalizing a report by the Working Group that details measures taken by its members to promote robust, sustainable, and balanced global tourism growth. During the event in Belém, His Excellency met with ministers and senior political figures from Brazil, India, Italy, Spain and Japan, as well as with His Excellency Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of UN Tourism and Julia Simpson, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). In addition to meeting with global leaders, His Excellency also joined a WTTC Public-Private Dialogue to coincide with the launch …

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council shared that UAE is looking at positioning itself as a leading global tourism destination and increase the sector’s contribution to the national GDP to AED 450 billion by the next decade. These were expressed by H.E. Bin Touq who represented the UAE at the G20 tourism ministers’ meeting 2024, held recently in Brazil. H.E. Bin Touq elaborated on various initiatives and policies implemented by the UAE to foster domestic tourism. These endeavours have played a significant role in establishing a distinguished tourism infrastructure in the country in line with international best practices. Additionally, the UAE has prioritised the development of premier and diverse tourism destinations and offerings, while also ensuring the provision of superior services. The tourism sector contributes significantly to the UAE’s economic diversification efforts, seamlessly aligning with the objectives outlined in the ‘UAE Tourism Strategy 2031.’ The strategy aims to position the UAE as a leading global tourism destination and increase the sector’s contribution to the national GDP to AED 450 billion by the next decade. H.E. expressed his appreciation to the Republic of Brazil for organising the G20 Summit and acknowledged Brazilian presidency’s endeavours in ensuring the event’s success. H.E. expressed his gratitude to the G20 members and international tourism organisations attending the ministerial meeting for their concerted efforts in promoting the sustainability of global tourism. In addition, H.E. Bin Touq highlighted the continuous growth in tourism exchanges between the UAE and Brazil. The total number of Brazilian tourists who visited the UAE in 2023 exceeded 183,000, reflecting a remarkable rise of 46.4 per cent when compared to the 125,000 visitors …

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has reinforced its commitment to becoming a global tourism leader by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA). The agreement, finalized during the Global AI Summit in Riyadh, emphasizes the Kingdom’s focus on leveraging advanced technology to support its Vision 2030 objectives. Tourism, a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic diversification plan, has already surpassed expectations. In 2023, the Kingdom reached its target of welcoming 100 million annual tourists—seven years ahead of schedule. Now, Saudi Arabia is setting its sights even higher, aiming to attract 150 million tourists by the end of the decade. This rapid growth underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to developing its tourism infrastructure and embracing innovation, with AI playing a central role in this transformation. At the heart of this next phase of growth is the integration of artificial intelligence. The partnership with SDAIA is designed to embed AI across the tourism sector, enhancing operational efficiency, personalizing visitor experiences, and optimizing resource management. The MoC outlines plans to establish a Center of Excellence for AI in tourism, deploy AI-driven technologies, and create data-driven strategies to continually refine and elevate the sector’s offerings. His Excellency Anas Al-Sulai, Assistant Minister of Tourism, emphasized the transformative impact of AI on Saudi tourism. “Saudi tourism is growing at an incredible pace, and we are seeing visitors from all over the world choose Saudi Arabia as their destination. As we continue this upward trajectory, we recognize the critical role of technology in enhancing the visitor experience. From the moment travelers land at our airports to every experience they have in our country, AI will be a key …

The General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha’at) is planning to host a series of events during “tourism week” in Madinah, to be held from 25 to 29 August 2024. Monsha’at will conduct eight workshops as part of the week-long event, covering topics such as innovation in tourism, tourism routes, tour guides, and showcasing successful local tourism businesses. The event is part of a nationwide efforts to boost the tourism sector; similar events will take place simultaneously in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar. According to Monsha’at, this aims to help local entrepreneurs and investors by highlighting investment opportunities and government support programs for small and medium-sized enterprises.

In a recent interview with tourismbreakingnews.ae Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi, Director International Promotion Division, North and East Asia, covering Asia and Africa shared that they are expecting a double increase in terms of tourism numbers from the GCC. Last year, Malaysia welcomed 164,568 tourists from the region, representing a substantial increase of 85.88% compared to 88,534 tourists in 2022. Therefore, we are optimistic that the arrivals from this region will double compared to last year. In mid-2024, Malaysia’s tourism sector showed strong recovery and growth in tourist numbers compared to previous years. Malaysia experienced a significant increase in international arrivals in 2024, with a 28.9% growth from January to June compared to the same period in 2023. Specifically, the West Asia market saw a rise from 56,592 tourists in the first half of 2023 to 85,559 tourists in 2024, an increase of 51.2%. Malaysia has been actively refining its strategies to attract visitors from the West Asian market. Tourism Malaysia will continue to collaborate with national carriers and foreign airlines through the Charter Flight Matching Grant (GSPC) to increase air traffic from the West Asian market to Malaysia. As of now, the number of flights for the year 2024 is 138 per week with a seating capacity of 41,956 from the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman. Leveraging air connectivity to increase arrivals to Malaysia and rejuvenating offerings will further enhance Malaysia’s appeal as a preferred tourist destination in this region. Tourism Malaysia and Emirates signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) for a joint promotion campaign at the Arabian Travel Market 2024. In general, our marketing approach for 2024 is geared towards high-impact and fast conversion strategies by …