Category Archives: Govt

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) hosted the sixth edition of the Sharjah Hospitality Forum under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council. The forum was held at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Center in Sharjah, under the theme ‘Sustainable Tourism creates Business Opportunities’, in the presence of local and global experts to explore new horizons, in order to shape the future of the tourism sector from a sustainability perspective. The agenda of the sixth Sharjah Hospitality Forum featured extensive discussions on ways to enhance the role of sustainable tourism in advancing the development of tourism services and offerings. This year’s edition of the forum opened with a speech by H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, highlighting the importance of further developing the tourism, hospitality and travel sector through the adoption of innovative approaches and strategies with a focus on sustainability, and how this will enhance the emirates’ position on the world tourism map. He further added that the idea behind choosing ‘Sustainable Tourism creates Business Opportunities’ as the theme of the sixth edition of the Hospitality Forum stems from the necessity to consolidate the concept and practices of sustainability in the tourism sector, which is at the forefront of global trends. The Chairman was followed by HE Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade Affairs, who noted that sustainable tourism is one of the pillars adopted by the UAE to serve the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, as it is also a vital sector that …

H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, & Vice Chairman of the Supreme National Committee of the Year of Tolerance, unveiled a series of commemorative stamps to celebrate the UAE’s ‘Year of Tolerance’. Emirates Post, in collaboration with the Supreme National Committee for the Year of Tolerance, has released these stamps to highlight the achievements of the year in incorporating the values of openness, harmony and coexistence within communities, in line with the UAE’s goal of promoting a culture of tolerance and spreading the message of peace through diversity. The announcement was made at the World Tolerance Summit organised by the International Institute for Tolerance, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The summit focused on promoting the principles of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, the acceptance and understanding of others, the preservation of human dignity and the creation of friendships that value the diversity of religions, beliefs, cultures and languages. The launch of a special edition stamp comes as an initiative to commemorate the Year of Tolerance through a symbol that will carry our message to the world. Commenting on this stamp issuance, His Excellency Abdulla M. Alashram, Acting Group CEO of Emirates Post Group said, “The UAE is spreading a unique message to the world about the importance of diversity and respect across the communities in which we live. It is our responsibility as citizens of the UAE to promote the values of tolerance, coexistence, humanity and peace across the emirates and beyond.”

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced the sixth edition of the Sharjah Hospitality Forum under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council. The forum will be held on November 18, 2019, at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre in Sharjah. The 2019 edition of the Sharjah Hospitality Forum aims to provide the tourism sector with the global industry expertise and knowledge needed to achieve future growth, thereby enabling the sector to keep pace with global sustainable goals. A series of interactive sessions conducted by local and global experts on the importance of sustainable tourism in supporting businesses and ways to enhance the sustainable growth of the travel and tourism sector will be featured. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, said, “We are keen to organise the sixth edition of the Hospitality Forum, bringing together an even larger group of experts and pioneers of the tourism, hospitality and travel sector. The initiative forms an integral part of our efforts to strengthen Sharjah’s position in the global tourism landscape, in line with the objectives of Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021. This year’s forum, themed ‘Sustainable Tourism creates Business Opportunities’ will highlight the importance of consolidating the concept of sustainability in the tourism sector to support local and global tourism.” “Thanks to the rapid growth of the tourism sector in the emirates which now contributes more than 8.8 per cent or more than AED 9 billion to the annual GDP of AED 102.5 billion. Through the hosting of the latest edition of the forum, we seek to …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has provided an outlook of the industry to stakeholders and partners, highlighting the positive year-to-date international visitation, sharing destination insights and drawing attention to the innovative marketing initiatives that have been launched to further boost visitor numbers. Dubai Tourism also discussed ways of increasing collaboration with its partners, and emphasised the importance of aligning with, and leveraging all efforts including the hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai to achieve the goals of Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2022-25. The strategic meetings were held recently between HE Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism and key executives from leading entities in the travel and hospitality sectors including Emirates, flydubai, Jumeirah, Marriot International, IHG, Al Habtoor Group, Atlantis, The Palm, and Emaar Hospitality Group. HE Helal Saeed Almarri, said, “Such strategic meetings serve as a platform to highlight various marketing campaigns and initiatives launched by Dubai Tourism to attract more visitors to the city. We would also like our partners to be aligned with the various developments in the industry and to take advantage of the diverse campaigns and all efforts that are being made to realise the goals of Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2022-25.” Neal Jones, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer – MEA, Marriott International, said, “We strongly believe in the future of Dubai and under the vision of its leaders, Dubai Tourism does a remarkable job of positioning and evolving Dubai as an international business and leisure hub.” Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, said, “We have a deep understanding of the country’s unique culture and business environment and an exceptional partnership with Dubai Tourism, who have been extremely focused on …

Russian tourists travelling to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are expected to generate an estimated US$1.22 billion in travel and tourism revenue by 2023, an increase of 19% when compared with figures from 2018. The latest Colliers research commissioned by Reed Travel Exhibitions predicts the UAE will witness the highest growth, with total tourism spend by Russian visitors projected to reach US$1.153 billion by 2023 and tourism spend per trip increasing 5% from US$1,600 to US$1,750. Looking at Russian outbound tourism figures, the country continues to be one of the top 10 source markets for the UAE, with 578,000 Russian visitors entering the UAE in 2018 and this number is predicted to increase at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.2% to 688,300 by 2023, according to Colliers International. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “With the oil price recovery, stabling of the financial markets and increased disposable incomes, Russia, once again, represents a significant growth area for travel and tourism revenue across the GCC.” Building on this, Saudi Arabia is expected to witness the second-largest increase closely followed by Oman, with total Russian tourism spend estimated to reach US$28,659,600 and US$21,788,000 respectively, by 2023. “Saudi Arabia’s Giga Projects are aimed to cater to the luxury segment of the tourism market targeting high-net-worth individuals and Russia is currently ranked fourth in the world in terms of the number of billionaires residing in the country, with 303 Russians representing a total billionaire wealth of USD$355 billion. Higher Russian visitor numbers will help support investment opportunities and economic diversification, in line with the kingdom’s plans to target 30 million visitors annually by 2030,” Curtis concluded.

The Health Tourism Department announced its participation at the World Travel Market (WTM) 2019 in London as part of its continuing efforts to promote Dubai’s leading position as a globally recognised destination for health and wellness treatments. Dubai has maintained a steady growth in health tourism and continues to enhance the experience for patients and wellness tourists. According to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the emirate attracted 3,37,011 medical tourists in 2018 alone, who spent a combined value of AED 1.163 billion on treatments in the top leading specialties: Orthopedics, sports medicine, dermatology and skin care, dentistry and fertility treatments. The Health Tourism Department is promoting its 70 plus Dubai Health Experience (DXH) group members’ healthcare facilities in the key source markets including GCC, Europe, Africa, Russia and China. Dubai integrates tourism activities, health & healing relaxation services in the safest and most secure environment. The Health Tourism Department has created the first tourism portal DXH.ae in the Middle East, which enables tourists or travel partners to find relevant and latest information on their entire health holiday. Linda Abdullah, Consultant at Health Tourism Department, Dubai Health Authority said, “Our participation in the latest edition of WTM forms part of our strategic efforts to further raise awareness on Dubai’s capabilities as a health destination in the travel and tourism sector. The combination of tourism, health and wellness offerings is set to increase the contribution of tourism sector to the economy. Further enhancing patient safety & experience and availability of international talent for the delivery of world-class health services are among the key pillars of Dubai’s health tourism strategy. This will help Dubai attract even more health tourists in the coming years.”

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) released two new books at the ongoing 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair 2019, which is being held under the theme ‘Open Books, Open Minds,’ to celebrate the Emirates’ title as ‘World Book Capital for 2019.’ The fair kicked off on October 30, 2019, and will run until November 9, 2019, at the Sharjah Expo Center. SCTDA’s participation in the third largest book fair in the world falls in line with its endeavors to further develop the tourism sector, as well as contribute to promoting knowledge and appreciation for culture and heritage across the emirate. The first book titled ‘Sharjah, the Heart of Culture’ talks about the emirate’s rich heritage, culture and sheds light on its vision and strategies to educate the younger generation about local traditions. The second book, titled ‘Visitors from Space’ has been published in collaboration with Kalimat Publishing. The comic book explores various aspects of Sharjah, including trivia, places to see, and destinations to visit for children to understand.   H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, says, “Our participation in the 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair reflects our commitment to accelerating the cultural movement in Sharjah. The emirate is steadily moving forward towards global leadership, in line with the vision and directives of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. H.H. has laid the foundation for a cultural and intellectual revival in the emirate by sparking the love of reading within the local community.”

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) announced a new partnership with Tencent Games to develop ‘The Map’, featuring Dubai within the successful online game application. LEGO Cube is a sandbox game developed and operated by Tencent Games under the license of the LEGO Group, featuring LEGO bricks, mini-figures, and other iconic LEGO properties. The free-to-download-and-play game offers players an inventive platform to creatively explore and develop Dubai’s famous landmarks in a virtual world on command. This unique offering showcases Dubai Tourism’s continued efforts to provide customised, engaging, and interactive campaigns aimed at keeping the city top of mind for Chinese travellers. The Map, developed and published by Tencent Games, projects the emirate on a virtual platform, allowing players to experience Dubai’s many local and cultural landmarks. As a city renowned for its forward-thinking and futuristic programming aimed at offering visitors exceptional experiences, it is an ideal destination to be incorporated into the innovative platform. The interactive ‘Map’ features some of Dubai’s most celebrated attractions such as Atlantis The Palm, Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Frame, Dubai Opera, LEGOLAND Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, Green Planet, La Perle, Ski Dubai, and Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. Players are encouraged to delve into the game to learn more about Dubai’s diverse destination offering, with the added opportunity to build recognisable landmarks with LEGO Cube. Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), commented, “China continues to consolidate its status as one of the city’s top-performing source markets, and we remain committed to engaging Chinese outbound tourists through innovative and highly targeted marketing activities for their future travel plans. This exciting new partnership with Tencent Games leverages the global trend …

The German National Tourist Office-Gulf countries (GNTO) hosted a B2B travel trade networking lunch in the Kingdom of Bahrain in partnership with Lufthansa Airlines. The aim of GNTO’s series of B2B events is to promote Germany as a year-round travel destination and to highlight the latest tourism attractions for the year 2020. The event was attended by the German Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain His Excellency Kai Boeckmann together with selected Bahraini travel trade professionals, key opinion leaders, and media. His Excellency Kai Boeckmann said, “Diversity is a key element that Germany offers and I’m delighted to invite Bahraini tourists to visit my homeland to enjoy a memorable visit.” Mark Pey, General Manager Sales, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain & Yemen, Lufthansa Group said, “Today’s networking event has been one of huge importance to us, year on year we’re seeing an increase in Bahraini nationals visiting Germany and choosing Lufthansa as their airline of choice. Lufthansa first started operating to Germany from Bahrain on April 2, 1985, and is proud to continue connecting the countries by offering customers premium products and services.” Nicole Zaspel, Sales & Marketing Manager for the Gulf countries at GNTO, an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) shared, “The GCC market, is the third-largest non-European source market behind China and the United States and is very important to us. We’ve seen incredible growth with 1.8 million overnight stays by GCC nationals in 2018 compared to 7,70,000 overnight stays in 2009, which demonstrates that the annual number of overnight stays has grown by 130% over the past decade.”

VFS Global officially inaugurated its new Abu Dhabi Joint Visa Application Centre at a more comfortable and premium location in terms of amenities and infrastructure. The newly relocated centre is situated at Level B2 (Lower Ground), The Mall, World Trade Centre, Khalifa Bin Zayed the 1st Street (Airport Road), Abu Dhabi. Spread across 24,000 square feet, the new centre serves 28 client governments and is expected to process over 100,000 visa applications annually. The centre is equipped with 72 application submission counters and can accommodate up to 1,500 applicants a day. For customers seeking luxury and convenience, the Abu Dhabi centre offers 24 submission counters in its Premium Lounges. The new centre is dedicated to the memory of the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Former Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Founding Father of the UAE. Representing the UAE government and having unveiled the statue of His Highness Sheik Zayed – H.E. Dr. Ahmed Al Banna, Ambassador of the UAE to India, said, “Abu Dhabi is thrilled to welcome the seamless and automated VAC experience that this centre will deliver to travellers from Abu Dhabi.” Commenting on the launch of the new centre, Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO for Middle East, South Asia & China, VFS Global, said, “The launch of the new Abu Dhabi centre, which is one of the biggest in the region, reflects our vision to provide world-class facilities to match the UAE capital’s strong demand for best-in-class visa application services.”