Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

In a new campaign to boost travel between Asian destinations, Singapore Airlines along with Tourism Malaysia Dubai office organised a special presentation/workshop to update their latest offerings to leading travel trade partners in the UAE. Opening the event Commercial Director GCC/ME region Singapore Airlines Fawad Khan shared the importance of the partnership for the travel trade who could now offer a lot more to their customers by cross selling products from flying on less carbon emission aircraft on Singapore Airlines to discovering one of the most eco friendly destinations in Asia, Malaysia. Addressing the travel trade, Fawad Khan Commercial Director GCC/ME region Singapore Airlines shared, “thank you for being here we are so delighted to have you with us just before the year ends to value your contributions throughout the year. It has not been an easy time for all of us you will agree passengers coming to you asking for refunds or changes and so many questions asked rightfully by them due to the uncertainty of today’s environment. However, gradually travel is coming back and we are all benefitting by it. Tonight, along with Tourism Malaysia we are so honoured to host this briefing or seminar to get together with you so as to learn from you the requirements for your clients and for us to share updates from our side.” Director of Tourism Malaysia Dubai Rosnah Mustafah, first introduced herself once again and thanked Fawad for partnering with them. “Welcome everyone or salamat datang from Malaysia to you trade partners, thank you for being here. I’m so pleased that you are joining us today for this networking session to enable us to show our seriousness and readiness in …

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has announced the launch of the annual Dubai Tourism Summit, a first-of-its-kind travel forum in the region which will lay the foundation for a home-grown world-class thought leadership programme to boost the city’s resurgent tourism industry and support regional and global tourism. The Dubai Tourism Summit will provide a networking platform for industry stakeholders to share their vision, ideas, strategies and best practices, as well as insights on leveraging the latest innovations and trends to create a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future for global tourism. His Excellency Helal Al Marri reiterated, “We are grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for his visionary leadership, inspiration and guidance that has led to several milestones in 2022. Dubai has always been an international icon of innovation and excellence. The Dubai Tourism Summit will see us working even more closely with our domestic and global stakeholders and partners as we focus on pushing the boundaries further to highlight Dubai’s position as the top international destination and the best city in the world to live in, work and invest. With the Dubai Tourism Summit, we will elevate our blueprint for sustainable growth, contributing towards our industry’s continued success and supporting the recovery of regional and global tourism.” HE Al Marri further added: “Our performance in the first ten months of 2022 indicates that we are on target to achieving our tourism goals, which dovetail with the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to attract AED100 billion as additional tourism investments and 40 million …

Wego and CzechTourism partner together in a move to provide travelers with the best travel experiences this winter. The Czech Republic is a beautiful and diverse country with many things to see and do. Whether you’re interested in history, culture, or just having a good time, there is something for everyone in the Czech Republic. CzechTourism will benefit from Wego’s large user base in the MENA region, and the data and insights it provides on the users’ behavior as well as the personalized travel experience it offers. Both parties will work on a series of campaigns and marketing activities to promote this marvelous winter destination. Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India of Wego, said: “We are excited to start our partnership with CzechTourism to promote travel to the country. We are committed to provide our users with more choices and bring the best destinations to explore. This time of the year in the Czech Republic can be magical, with the country’s stunning landscape transformed by snow and ice. It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a range of winter activities and we expect to see an increased demand from the region to the country in the coming weeks.” The country is a great destination for winter holidays. Travelers can hit the slopes, explore an array of winter activities in store for every type of traveler, or relax at a spa. Marek Kroutil, international marketing manager for Middle East, CzechTourism said: “Czech Republic and especially Prague is a well-known destination amongst the GCC travelers and thanks to many regular or seasonal flights they can get from the main source markets to our …

Germany recorded a 180 per cent increase in overnight stays from Gulf nationals in the first three quarters of this year compared to the same period of 2021, according to new data from the German National Tourist Board (GNTB). During the first nine months of 2022, GCC nationals accounted for more than 872,000 overnight stays, making the Gulf region Germany’s top Asian source market. In 2021, the number of GCC nationals visiting the country was 311,000, demonstrating strong growth. Yet when compared to pre-pandemic figures from 2019, it still represents a decrease of 34.5 per cent, showing not only substantial space for future growth, but also the logic behind the tourism board expecting the gap to close further next year. “We continue to see strong traction from the GCC region, with visitors looking to fulfil cultural experiences,” said Yamina Sofo, director of sales and marketing at the German National Tourist Office, the regional office of GNTB. “Our goal at the moment is to continue to attract visitors from the region and aim to reach the numbers we welcomed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have seen a striking performance this year when compared to 2021, demonstrating that our diverse campaigns and offerings are attractive, and effectively reaching the audience.” The aggregate of Asian source markets recorded more than 2.9 million overnight stays between Jan-Sep 2022, indicating a 283 per cent increase on the same period in 2021. This upsurge indicates travellers are determined to travel even more than usual. To further drive visitors – particularly those from within the GCC – the GNTB introduced three diverse campaigns this year that offer a wholistic tourism offering throughout the country. Aligning with …

Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, has inked an agreement with Omantel, a leading telecom operator, to provide passengers flying to Oman with Tourist SIM Cards on board their flight. The one-year partnership aims to offer guests a hassle-free and efficient digital solution that enriches their travel experience, as well as attracting more tourists to come to Oman. Abdul Rahman Nasser, Chief Commercial Officer at Oman Air, said, “We are delighted to once again join hands with Omantel, and we will all benefit from the spillover effect of this great buzz happening around the region. I am confident that our year-long partnership will be a success, and it will bring convenience to our passengers and save them time and effort upon arrival.” Eng. Aladdin Baitfadhil, Chief Commercial Officer at Omantel, said, “We are thrilled about our partnership with Omar Air, and we are all set to provide passengers flying to the Sultanate of Oman with seamless and hassle-free connectivity even before landing, while we increase our customer base.” The two companies also have another partnership involving their respective loyalty programmes, enabling Omantel’s customers to convert their Makasib points to Sindbad Miles. With a growing number of partners, Oman Air continues to find new and innovative ways to elevate its guest experience and build on its reputation as an award-winning airline, while promoting Oman as a must-visit destination.

A unique pop-up event organised as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is inviting people to experience a nostalgic recreation of Dubai in the 80s. A new addition to the DSF, organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the 10-day event, held at the Last Exit Al Khawaneej, transports visitors into a visual representation of Dubai in the 80’s and early 90s. The event is one of a series of attractions and experiences featured in the #DubaiDestinations winter campaign. The Dubai 80s event aims to capture the moment in time when Dubai was on the cusp of pivotal change. Apart from being a defining era globally, the 80s were a decade that raised Dubai and the UAE’s profile on the international map. It was a time when the country embarked on a transformative journey that made it a leading global city. Dubai 80s will explore the defining era of the city’s past, with vintage photo galleries showing pictures of Dubai before its transformation into a global metropolis, photo booths, shows, anime and live performances, old-school gaming arcades, and classic cars, all offering a blast from the past. “The event is an attempt to create a heartwarming experience of life in the decade that was a turning point in Dubai’s history. Dubai 80s invites visitors to look back and reflect on a decade in which the seeds of our current prosperity and growth were sown. Looking back, especially at the 80s and early 90s, is fascinating as this was such a transformational era for Dubai,” said Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment. “Dubai developed rapidly within the span of just a few years. The …

VisitBritain is set to launch a new GREAT Britain marketing campaign across Europe, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries and the USA in early 2023 to drive bookings, inspiring visitors to ‘See Things Differently,’ promoting messages of warm welcome and highlighting Britain as a dynamic, adventurous and inclusive destination. The campaign will also capture major events in 2023 including the Coronation of King Charles III in May, with an additional Bank Holiday announced, and Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, on behalf of Ukraine, also in May, timely and valuable opportunities to promote Britain’s welcome and creativity and ability to host events of the highest calibre. VisitBritain has published its inbound tourism forecast for 2023 with continued strong recovery predicted in overseas visitor spending. It shows spending by inbound visitors is predicted to grow faster than visitor volume, with higher spending also per trip. Its overall forecast is for spending by international visitors in the UK of £29.5 billion in 2023, up 4% on the all-time spending high of £28.4 billion in 2019. Looking at the number of visits to the UK, 35.1 million visits are forecast, 86% of the 40.9 million in 2019. UK Tourism Minister Stuart Andrew said: “It is fantastic to see that tourism is continuing to bounce back strongly after the sector received substantial government support during the pandemic. “This predicted rise in visitor spending will give a further boost to the industry, helping to create new jobs and drive economic growth across the country.” VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates reiterated, “Our priority has been to rebuild international visitor value so it is very encouraging to see the continued strong recovery forecast in spend, supporting jobs, small …

Oman Air Holidays has announced a strategic partnership with the Jordan Tourism Board to undertake joint promotional activities in Oman and Jordan. The partnership will include a series of co-branded tactical campaigns that aim to position Oman Air Holidays as a preferred provider of international travel packages and encourage those in Oman to visit Jordan during peak season. Oman Air currently operates seven flights a week from Muscat to the Jordanian capital, Amman, which is popular amongst travelers for its spectacular landscape and ancient treasures. Mundher Al Shaikhani, Senior Manager Holidays and Loyalty Programme at Oman Air, said, “Oman and Jordan already enjoy a warm relationship and this partnership seeks to increase value creation for both countries and contribute to our respective tourism agendas. We look forward to working with the Jordan Tourism Board as we continue strengthening our presence across the region, while creating amazing itineraries that offer something completely different to our guests.” Dr. Abed Al-Razzaq Arabiyat Managing Director of Jordan Tourism Board, added, “As we strive to increase Jordan’s competitiveness as a global tourism destination, we are expanding our reach to new and more targeted markets. Our growing touristic relationship with Oman offers many mutual opportunities, and our partnership with Oman Air Holidays is sure to add considerable momentum to our goals.” Oman Air Holidays excels in creating extraordinary travel experiences to some of the world’s most exciting destinations. With a string of recent partnerships, it is strengthening its growing portfolio of packages, which provide excellent value and choice, complemented with the award-winning service and hospitality of Oman Air. Whether a family break, a romantic getaway, or an adventure-packed escape, guests will find a package to suit …

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has hosted the third Dubai Gastronomy Forum, the major industry event focused on engaging Dubai’s key F&B stakeholders, showcasing new gourmet concepts and content series, highlighting key events and culinary happenings with a briefing of Dubai Food Festival 2023 – all further elevating Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for food tourism. The event, which was attended by 150 gastronomy industry culinary stakeholders, hotel groups, destinations, key industry specialists, and F&B partners, was hosted by DET and took place at Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai. The Gastronomy Forum, part of DET’s Gastronomy Always On (GAON) initiative, further reaffirmed Dubai’s standing as an international hub for gastronomy, and a beacon for visionary restaurateurs, chefs, discerning foodies, epicurean travellers and culinary aficionados. During the forum, DET shared opportunities with industry stakeholders in the gastronomy sector of forthcoming calendar of events, new content series, activations and partnerships taking place to support and promote the F&B industry, with the aim of further strengthening the city’s dynamic ecosystem of more than 13,000 restaurants and cafés and rallying their support in further enhancing the city’s reputation as a year-round global gastronomy hub. As the industry looks forward to 2023, DET also unveiled new details of the 10th anniversary edition of the much-anticipated Dubai Food Festival (DFF).  Taking place from 21 April – 7 May 2023, DFF 2023 will showcase the depth, diversity and creativity of Dubai’s gastronomy offering through an expanded programme of events and activities, celebrating home-grown concepts, Emirati and international cuisine, as well as global trends and the chefs, culinary pioneers, gourmet thought leaders and tastemakers that continue to reflect and inspire Dubai. During the 17-day DFF …

The vibrant and varied culture of Hungary is a dialogue of ages and fates, captivating tourists with its folkloric tales, classical exuberance and modern expressions. Art and culture are a cornerstone of daily life for many Hungarians where originality, artistic expression and virtuosity are highly regarded. Indeed, Hungarian intellectual and cultural heritage is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. As such, in 2023 Hungary is looking to position and promote its cultural pedigree in all its forms to become the European must-visit hub for Middle Eastern travellers interested in theater, concerts (both classical and modern), festivals, museums, and art galleries. For the first three months of 2023 a number of key exhibitions and events will be highlighted, including the first complete exhibition of El Greco’s work at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, which will be held until 19 February 2023. The exhibition seeks to provide a broad overview of the life’s work of one of the foremost masters of European art, Domenikos Theotokopoulos, most widely known as El Greco, by presenting the complexity of his visual world and sweeping stylistic development. For more information, click here. Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and music has for decades been an essential part of life for many Budapest residents with many families experiencing the opera as part of their annual festive season traditions. Playing at the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest until January 15, 2023, the opera house itself has recently undergone extensive renovations, making this year a particularly poignant time to visit. For more information on performance dates, click here. A lot more is on offer too, including: Museums and Galleries: Explore the National Gallery in Buda Castle in Budapest, home …