Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

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), …

Kicking off the first webinar for the year conducted by the German National Tourist Office for GCC countries Yamina Sofo, Director Sales and Marketing GNTO for GCC shared the latest update about travelling to Germany for Gulf countries. If you are fully vaccinated with the European Union approved vaccinations and also have the new booster shot, it is very easy to get about Germany and to visit restaurants and other areas. Sofo then shared  about the latest tourism campaigns for the year starting off with the continuation of the German local culture campaign which started in 2021 and mentioned that it way continue through this year. The next campaign is the Feel good and embrace German nature which is another interesting way to discover the various escapes in the destination. Birte Kristin Zielasko Mecklenburg-Vorpommerm Tourist Board shared her presentation with the 10 important reasons to visit the destination. With 2000 km of Baltic sea with coastlines and bays, world famous chalk cliffs and the white sandy beaches will be the first reason to visit the destination. Having 30% of protected nature as UNESCO nature heritage would be the second reason. This entails some amazing discoveries such as the dance of the cranes which enables you to capture over 50,000 photo opportunities and be one with nature. Third most important reason is that there are 2000 glistening lakes in this federal state that you can enjoy. There are various sailing areas where you can rent a sailing boat especially the traditional ones are quite famous to truly immerse yourself in a different experience. Fourth reason to visit is the famous Baltic sea cycle route or as you say out and about …

Diamond Developers, the mastermind behind The Sustainable City brand, the first fully operational sustainable community in the Middle East has entered into a development partnership agreement with the Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group), the executive arm of the Sultanate for tourism development. The agreement entails the development of first phase of the Yiti Tourism masterplan with an investment value of approximately AED 3.7 billion (approximately USD 1 billion). In conjunction with this partnership, a joint venture called Sustainable Development and Investment Company (SDIC) S.A.O.C has been established to carry out the execution of this phase. “OMRAN Group’s partnership with Diamond Developers marks a major milestone in Yiti Development as we together begin the first phase of this integrated urban destination in Muscat. The signing further attests to OMRAN Group’s strategic vision in expanding the nation’s tourism sector and continuing to play a pivotal role as a catalyst and enabler of multi-fold, lucrative investment opportunities in the country in line with Oman Investment Authority’s directions in realising the ambitious goals of Oman Vision 2040 and supporting the delivery of the National Tourism Strategy,” said Hashil Bin Obaid Al Mahrouqi, CEO of OMRAN Group. “We are delighted to collaborate with Diamond Developers as they are one of the leading and reputable companies in building sustainable cities in the region.  Their approach is in line with our vision of adopting the foundations of placemaking and harnessing sustainability in all aspects of the development.” Al Mahrouqi added. The first phase of the Yiti project, which covers 900,000 square meters, will focus on constructing a fully sustainable mixed-use project, the Sultanate’s first of its kind community that promotes sustainable living. The first phase will …

In just a few hours, at 12noon GST you can virtually explore one of the hidden gems in Germany; its northern region with pristine sandy beaches, white chalk cliffs, sophisticated Baltic seaside resorts, cozy fishing villages, sky high brick churches and fairy tale castles of Meckenburg-Vorpommem. Germany is one of the most popular vacation destinations for the travelers in the Middle East as it has a diverse offering catering to each traveler from the Middle East, whether it be family, millennial, leisure, MICE etc. Meckenburg-Vorpommem located between the metropolises of Berlin and Hamburg in the northeast of Germany, the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has fascinated guests from all over the world for centuries. It is time once again for the agents in the region to take a quick peak at the destination to offer a new area to explore to those yearning to discover. Yamina Sofo Director Sales and Marketing German National Tourist Office GCC shares the importance of attending this event and invites all trade partners to join and learn about the novelties of this destination virtually at first. “We are looking forward welcoming our valued trade partners to ´The Gems of Northern Germany` where we will inform and update the GCC trade about Destination Germany and shed a special light to the beautiful federal-state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, one of Germany´s leading tourist destinations. We see immense potential of Germany`s Northern regions for our GCC guests and therefore wish to showcase the special natural wonders and cultural offering there are to experience. From pristine beaches to cozy fishing villages, fairy tale castles to sophisticated seaside resorts the destination has a treat for all age groups.” The region welcomes its guests …

As part of efforts to achieve a cashless, contactless payment system across the hospitality, retail and tourism sectors, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PayBy, the innovative financial technology platform. In support of the UAE government’s vision to create a secure financial ecosystem for merchants and consumers and its drive towards digital transformation across all sectors, PayBy’s widely accepted, user-friendly and highly secure platform will now be in use across hotels, malls and other tourism establishments. With the current global concerns around hygiene and safety, the use of PayBy’s system will also play a key role in minimising touch points across the emirate. Saeed Al Dhaheri, Acting Tourism Products Development Director, DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Our MOU with PayBy is an important step towards a seamless and innovative financial ecosystem throughout Abu Dhabi in line with the national digital transformation which will clearly benefit consumers, visitors and many other stakeholders. At DCT Abu Dhabi, we are committed to the use of state-of-the-art technology to improve the experience for tourists and residents, so the implementation of PayBy’s innovative platform is another key measure in achieving this objective.” Financial transactions on PayBy are protected by advanced technologies, including an Artificial Intelligence-based fraud management system to detect unauthorised activities, which complies with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS), the international gold standard in this sector. By offering security to guests’ payments at participating establishments and entities across the emirate, PayBy will support Abu Dhabi’s efforts to be a globally renowned, ‘smart’ tourism destination equipped with leading digital infrastructure. PayBy was launched to offer greater safety, …

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and HSBC Bank Middle East have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), paving the way for increased cooperation in further enhancing Dubai’s position as a global liveability destination. The MoU was signed by Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing and Abdulfattah Sharaf, CEO of HSBC UAE and Head of International, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited. Under the terms of the agreement, DET and HSBC will promote to HSBC customers and employees the unparalleled quality of life in Dubai, its position as a global investment hub and the diverse features of the destination that everyone can enjoy. The MoU also envisages collaboration in marketing activities designed to promote events and experiences across the tourism ecosystem to further amplify the city’s position as a leading international business, leisure and events destination. Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented: “We are pleased to partner with HSBC, a global brand that has played a significant role in the development of Dubai’s business, banking and finance sectors, in showcasing our multi-faceted business and tourism offering. This MoU reflects the trust and confidence reposed in Dubai by multinational corporations and will further enhance our efforts to support the aim of our visionary leadership to make Dubai the most sought-after international city and the most attractive location to live and work in. Our partnership with HSBC is also testament to the continued efforts being made in collaboration with our stakeholders to leverage the city’s strategic location, world-class infrastructure and its position as one of the world’s safest destinations to attract multinationals, entrepreneurs, investors and tourists to Dubai.” Abdulfattah …

The first webinar of the year is to kick off tomorrow 18th January 2022 at 12noon GST to discover Northern Germany virtually. It is about the pristine sandy beaches, white chalk cliffs, sophisticated Baltic seaside resorts, cozy fishing villages, sky high brick churches and fairy tale castles of Meckenburg-Vorpommem. Germany is one of the most popular vacation destinations for the travelers in the Middle East as it has a diverse offering catering to each traveler from the Middle East, whether it be family, millennial, leisure, MICE etc. Meckenburg-Vorpommem located between the metropolises of Berlin and Hamburg in the northeast of Germany, the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has fascinated guests from all over the world for centuries. It is time once again for the agents in the region to take a quick peak at the destination to offer a new area to explore to those yearning to discover. Yamina Sofo Director Sales and Marketing German National Tourist Office GCC shares the importance of attending this event and invites all trade partners to join and learn about the novelties of this destination virtually at first. “We are looking forward welcoming our valued trade partners to ´The Gems of Northern Germany` where we will inform and update the GCC trade about Destination Germany and shed a special light to the beautiful federal-state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, one of Germany´s leading tourist destinations. We see immense potential of Germany`s Northern regions for our GCC guests and therefore wish to showcase the special natural wonders and cultural offering there are to experience. From pristine beaches to cozy fishing villages, fairy tale castles to sophisticated seaside resorts the destination has a treat for all age groups.” The region …