Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

Dubai’s key international markets regain momentum with positive performances led by No.1 source market India with 910,000 visitors, followed by KSA, Russia and UK. Dubai welcomed 7.28 million international overnight visitors between January and December 2021, representing 32 per cent year-over-year growth (YoY), establishing a momentous marker in the global tourism recovery, and setting the city firmly on course to achieve sustainable growth on its way to becoming the world’s most visited destination. According to the latest data published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) international visitation to the city surpassed 3.4 million visitors in the fourth quarter of 2021, achieving 74 per cent of the total pre-pandemic tourist arrivals of Q4 2019, and paving the way for hotels in Dubai to deliver a stellar fourth quarter performance that surpassed pre-pandemic levels. A positive trend which is expected to continue throughout 2022 and beyond, the 2021 visitation figures underline the resilience and resurgence of the city’s travel and tourism sector and reaffirm the role of tourism as a key driver of economic growth, while further validating Dubai’s recent selection as the world’s most popular destination in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2022. HE Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, commented: “Under the visionary leadership and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, our ability and agility in achieving a remarkable turnaround amid continuing global challenges has cemented Dubai’s position as the destination of choice for international travellers. The outstanding performance also advances our journey towards becoming the most visited destination and the world’s best city to live and …

Already a firm favourite amongst travellers and their four-legged friends, the team at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) introduces Ras Al-K9, a pet-friendly program running across 25 hotels, restaurants, pet friendly-festivals, outdoor parks and beaches in the Emirate. Ras Al Khaimah is the perfect getaway for exploring the great outdoors with dogs. From spectacular wadi walks and mountain hikes on Jebel Jais to chilled out beachside café lunches, desert adventures and overnight stays, there is plenty of experiences on offer across its stunning landscapes – the sea, desert and spectacular mountains – especially this season with milder temperatures. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, commented: “Ras Al Khaimah’s natural typography alongside its spirit of genuine hospitality appeals to both travelers and their four-legged friends. We understand how hard it can be to leave a beloved pet at home while on holiday so we made it as easy as possible for guests to bring their pawsome family members with them. Ras Al-K9 is a community initiative, tapping into the Emirate’s affinity for dogs and providing hassle free options to explore, engage and stay in Ras Al Khaimah. Teaming up with Ras Al Khaimah Animal Welfare Center, hotel partners and others committed to animal welfare, we aim to create an inclusive and supportive community for both visitors and their canine companions.” Set tails wagging with beachside & inland frolics: The Emirate is famed for its pristine white sandy beaches, most of which are open to dogs and their hoomans and offer up the ideal spot to spend the day snoozing under a beach umbrella, catching a frisbee or splashing around in the water. Firm favourites include …

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia announced a three-year Digital Tourism Strategy, in the next step of the Kingdom’s continued reform of the sector. The announcement was made today at LEAP, Saudi’s largest-ever tech event held in Riyadh. The Ministry of Tourism is pioneering nine innovative programs consisting of 31 core initiatives by 2025 – positively impacting residents, visitors, investors and the public and private sectors. These programs will accelerate the Kingdom’s National Tourism Strategy and Vision 2030 targets, including 100 million new visits, tourism’s 10 percent GDP contribution and 1 million new tourism jobs. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia said: “The Digital Tourism Strategy will help us to redesign tourism in the Kingdom and achieve our ambitious Vision 2030 objectives of having Saudi Arabia become a world-leading tourist destination. The Kingdom’s execution of this strategy over the next three years will inspire the tourism sector globally.” The Digital Tourism Strategy aims to position the Kingdom as the global digital tourism leader. Application of the Strategy aims to provide tourists and stakeholders with a more seamless experience that enables a thriving tourism sector. The strategy focuses on a number of areas: Seamless Travel: Providing digital solutions to simplify travel procedures Ease of Doing Business: Launching a unified platform to connect tourism service providers and applications Innovation: Creating an experimental environment that will allow technology innovators to test new digital tourism solutions Digital Travel: Supporting tourism extended reality applications (e.g. virtual or augmented reality) Encouraging Sustainability: Rewarding tourists for eco-friendly behaviors Informed Decision Making: Building solutions that gather data and provide analytics for the tourism sector Skilled Digital Workforce: Creating …

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has outlined its key strategic framework ahead of the return of wholescale international tourism, with various additions and adjustments to meet the needs of global travellers in a post-pandemic world. Addressing the results of recent independent surveys and reports, GNTB intends to focus on three key areas to help grow the national tourism industry: digitalisation, sustainability, and remote work.   Digitalisation “As international travellers continue to grow more confident once more, it is essential to strengthen the competitiveness of Germany as a global destination,” said Yamina Sofo, Director Sales & Marketing, GCC. “For this reason, we have studied public opinion and identified various way to improve our offerings. We are now in the process of constructing modern, reliable, and sustainable infrastructure for our visitors to feel comfortable when travelling.” According to a 2021 IPK International survey, 75 per cent of travellers prefer digital offers when planning a trip. Online booking not only allows for easier accessibility, but also removes physical contact during the transaction. Similarly, the use of e-guides and tour books has grown in popularity because of pandemic protocols. Germany will look to develop and widen the availability of these options this year. Sustainability Travellers’ values have also shifted towards sustainable tourism. According to Booking.com’s 2021 Sustainable Travel Report, 61 per cent of international travellers regard the COVID-19 pandemic as the main motivator to travel sustainably. Germany, for its part, starts from a strong position in that regard. GNTB’s Feel Good campaign won the World Travel Market’s ‘World Responsible Tourism Award’ last year, as well as the European Cultural Travel Network’s Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism Award for 2021. Likewise, the 2021 Sustainable …

The Philippines will start to accept fully-vaccinated foreign leisure travelers from visa-free countries   beginning February 10. Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat made the announcement today January 28 (Friday) after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved the proposal of the Department of Tourism (DOT). “We at the DOT are very thankful to our partners in the IATF-EID for approving our proposal to allow the entry of foreign leisure travelers. The Department sees this as a welcome development that will contribute significantly to job restoration, primarily in tourism-dependent communities, and in the reopening of businesses that have earlier shut down during the pandemic,’’ Puyat said. “With years of coordination between national agencies, industry stakeholders, and the various local government units (LGUs) to prepare our destinations for tourism in the new normal, we are confident that we will be able to keep pace with our ASEAN neighbors who have already made similar strides to reopen to foreign tourists,” added the tourism chief. Puyat clarified that the recent IATF-EID decision will cover only leisure travelers from countries whose nationals are allowed visa-free entry to the Philippines. It can be recalled that, last year, the IATF-EID approved the entry of fully vaccinated tourists from Green List countries/territories/jurisdictions starting Dec. 1, 2021 but was temporarily suspended due to the omicron variant. Earlier today, the IATF-EID announced the suspension of the country classification system starting Feb. 1, 2022. Also starting Feb. 1, fully-vaccinated returning overseas Filipinos will no longer be required to undergo quarantine as long as they are able to present a negative result of an RT-PCR test taken 48 hours prior to departure from point of origin.   Likewise, …

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced the 11th edition of the Sharjah Light Festival, which will take place from February 9-20 across nine sites in the emirate. With its tagline ‘Echoes of the Future,’ the festival will feature dazzling light and music shows designed to shine a light – quite literally – on Sharjah’s main landmarks and prominent architectural features. The announcement was made during a press conference hosted by the authority yesterday evening in Hamriya municipality, Sharjah, in the presence of His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA and a number of officials, department directors and employees of government institutions from the Emirate of Sharjah, in addition to representatives from the local and international media. The Sharjah Light Festival is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and is an initiative of the emirate’s tourism sector to encourage visitors to Sharjah. Aiming to support the course of development and progress in the emirate with artistic representations of its illustrious past, its dynamic present, and its bright future, the event has been curated to commence a new phase of post-pandemic tourism growth in Sharjah. “Over the past decade, the Sharjah Light Festival has contributed to the consolidation of Sharjah’s name as a leading destination for premium events that attract all categories of visitors from around the world. Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority’s strategic partners from the public and private sectors are vital to the success of this event, with the contribution of government departments and commercial agencies instrumental in promoting the Emirate of Sharjah as an integrated tourism …

Russia has grown to become the second-largest source market for Dubai’s travel and tourism sector in 2021, climbing from eighth place in last year’s rankings. This is according to data released ahead of the next edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 9-12 May 2022. Commissioned by Reed Exhibitions (RX), the organisers of ATM 2022, the Colliers report concluded that the UAE is also likely to retain its status as the preferred GCC destination for Russian visitors over the longer term, accounting for more than 90% of inbound arrivals in 2026. In addition to the volume of inbound visitors to the UAE, the average spend of Russian travellers is expected to grow significantly between 2021 and 2026, increasing by $85 to reach approximately $1,280 per person during this period. Consequently, the Russian market is on course to surpass $1 billion for the Emirates within the next four years. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “The latest figures from Colliers demonstrate that visitors from Russia are playing – and will continue to play – an important role for our region’s travel sector, especially when it comes to the UAE. “The fact that Dubai was among the first destinations to open its borders to Russian travellers without the need to quarantine has no doubt been a significant factor in the sustained levels of visitation, with 296,000 inbound arrivals to the emirate in 2020. “Encouragingly, 2021 numbers look set to surpass that figure, with Dubai having welcomed 256,000 visitors from Russia as of the third quarter of the year.” The Russian market’s average length of stay (ALoS) saw a …

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has announced the formation of a new division focused on the regulation of integrated resorts. These include hotel operations, convention space, entertainment, restaurants and lounges, spa, retail and gaming facilities. Following global best practices in the regulation of gaming that operate as part of integrated resorts across various jurisdictions worldwide, the Department of Entertainment and Gaming Regulation within RAKTDA will consider the social, cultural, and environmental landscape of the Emirate and cover licensing, taxation, operational procedures, and consumer safeguards. The foremost priority of this new division is to create a robust framework that will ensure responsible gaming at all levels. The regulatory structure will address the entire gaming enterprise within integrated resorts, requiring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations (including financial crime laws) from operators, suppliers and employees. Additionally, the regulations will cover marketing, advertising, and financial transactions, ensuring that these areas comply with the Department of Entertainment and Gaming Regulation.

Amidst optimism and hope in reviving the tourism sector, Botswana Pavilion, on 19th January 2022, held official press briefing to announce the Botswana Tourism Month at the Expo 2020 Dubai. Set to be on display until the 8th  of February 2022, the one-of-a-kind showcase promises to highlight the Southern African country as a globally competitive force in tourism with a rich natural resource base and investment potential. The exhibition will shine a spotlight on Botswana’s diverse culture, its food, song, dance and the long-standing principles of sustainability. Participating delegates included Botswana’s Honourable Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms. Philda Kereng, her Permanent Secretary Dr Oduetse Oldman Koboto alongside Botswana Tourism Organisation’s Acting Chief Executive Officer – Ms. Tshoganetso Carl-Ponoesele. Also present on the occasion were officials from Botswana’s government entities and Botswana’s finest tourist operators hoping to share the travel packages on offer and potential investment projects with investors and travellers seeking to learn about the country’s opportunities first-hand. Speaking at the engagement, The Honourable Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms. Philda Kereng said, ‘Botswana is known for its exclusive experiences, dramatic wildlife encounters, picturesque landscapes and off-grid vacations. The country boasts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Tsodilo Hills with the rock art filled spiritual sites, and the Okavango Delta which is the desert’s unexpected wetland wonder.’’ It is not by coincidence that Botswana hosts the world’s largest elephant population. The country’s high-value and low-volume tourism escapades are focused on minimising the negative environmental impacts. Botswana has also seen substantial growth in business and investment opportunities due to its stable political environment. Furthermore, in the advent of COVID-19, the Government of Botswana together …

The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced Wednesday (January 12) that fully vaccinated tourism workers are now receiving booster shots as an added protection against the heightened threat of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in the country, and with most regions already attaining above 90 percent vaccination rates among active and eligible tourism workers. “We are glad to see the willingness of our tourism workers to get vaccinated grow over the past few months. We continue to encourage them to avail themselves of the free vaccine as this is a critical component for the industry to rebound and thrive in the new normal,” Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said. The tourism chief disclosed that booster COVID-19 shots are now being administered to tourism workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Boracay Island. Eventually, booster shots drive for tourism workers will also be rolled out in other tourism destinations like Baguio City and Davao. Based on the DOT NCR Office’s data, 50% or 12,693 out of the region’s 25,386 hotel workers have already received their COVID-19 booster shots. Meanwhile, in Boracay alone, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) has committed to allocate 20,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to be administered as booster shots to the island’s tourism workers. As of the end of 2021, a total of 282,780 individuals, or 88.38 percent of the country’s initial target population of 325,489 tourism workers from various tourism-related industries, have already been inoculated against COVID-19, leaving only 12.17 percent or 38,931 individuals who have yet to receive their first dose.   The inoculated workers, the tourism chief said, are employed in accommodation establishments temporarily operating as isolation/quarantine facilities, regular hotels, tourism enterprises, tourism support services (TSS), …