Tag Archives: 2024

Korea Tourism Organisation won ‘Most engaging travel events organised by an NTO in the Middle East’ at the seventh edition of the Arabian Travel Awards 2024. “It was fantastic, great entertainment, excellent line of awards, and we are overwhelmed because we won in three different categories. We would just make sure that we come back again and we won even more awards. Arabian Travel Awards are highly credible, and I call them the Oscar of our travel industry in the Middle East, so fantastic.”-Glenn Johnston, Representative, Korea Tourism Organization

Louvre Abu Dhabi celebrates a record-breaking 1,422,021 million visitors in 2024, marking its highest attendance since its grand opening and bringing the total visitor count to over 6 million. This achievement showcases the museum’s dedication to creating meaningful cultural connections through world-class exhibitions, engaging educational initiatives, and immersive visitor experiences. Reflecting its global appeal, international visitors made up 84% of total attendance, with UAE residents comprising the remaining 16%. Across all visitors—both international and residents—China and Russia led with 12% each, followed by India (7%), and France and the UK (6% each). This underscores the museum’s broad reach as well as its cherished role within the local community.

Fortune Group of Hotels – a Praveen Shetty Enterprise won the title ‘Best budget hotel’ at the seventh edition of  the Arabian Travel Awards 2024. “We are deeply honored to receive the “Best Budget Hotel Group” Award at the Arabian Travel Awards 2024. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our 1,500+ team members at the Fortune Group of Hotels. Our commitment to delivering genuine hospitality at affordable prices continues to drive us forward. This milestone holds personal significance as my first major recognition since joining the family business post-university. Witnessing my team’s excitement was priceless, and I hope it inspires them to aim higher. Stay tuned—our long-term plans will bring even more exciting developments. Thank you for this honor!” Prachi Praveen Shetty , Fortune group Of Hotels, A Praveen Shetty Enterprise , Executive Director

Khimji’s house of travel bagged ‘best group travel promotion for Malaysia in Oman’ at the seventh edition of Arabian Travel Awards 2024. Khimji’s House of Travel is a part of the diversified Khimji Ramdas (KR) Group in the Sultanate of Oman, with lineage dating back to well over a century. We offer Destination Management Services for inbound travel to Oman and UAE with in-house facilities backed by a team of multilingual professionals, who have extensive knowledge of the Country and the expertise to handle different segments of Destination Management like Leisure and MICE groups, Niche FIT clients, Special Interest Holidays and Destination Weddings.

The airport welcomed 92.3 million guests in 2024, surpassing its previous all-time high of 89.1 million in 2018. Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports shared, “This year’s results exceeded our forecast by almost 200,000 in guest numbers, underscoring the strength of DXB’s global appeal. Over the past decade, DXB has welcomed more than 700 million guests on over 3.3 million flights. Since 2014, DXB has led the Airports Council International’s rankings as the world’s busiest international airport. Dubai International (DXB) has set a new benchmark in global aviation, welcoming 92.3 million guests in 2024 – the highest annual traffic ever recorded in its history. This milestone surpasses the previous record of 89.1 million achieved in 2018 and coincides with a landmark achievement: a decade of DXB leading the Airports Council International’s (ACI) list of the world’s busiest international airports.* This record-breaking performance was driven by sustained growth throughout the year, capped by an extraordinary final quarter that highlighted Dubai’s magnetic appeal as a global destination for travel, business, and investment. December emerged as the busiest month of 2024, with 8.2 million guests choosing DXB as their gateway and destination, reaffirming its position as the airport of choice for millions worldwide. Commenting on the achievement, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: “Dubai International (DXB) is a global success story that reflects the UAE’s ability to transform bold ambitions into reality. Consistently ranked as the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, its record annual passenger traffic this year is a testament to the relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence that continues to shape the UAE’s progress.” “Our sustained …

Emirates clenched yet again ‘Best Airline’ award at the seventh edition of Arabian Travel Awards 2024. “We’re honoured to be recognised for our efforts and the wider work being done in the industry, particularly in our region, which is progressing rapidly and achieving milestone after milestone. Such awards are a way to express gratitude to the industry, its individuals, corporations, and companies that have contributed to creating these milestones.” Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates

It was announced that Ras Al Khaimah International Airport welcomed a record-breaking number of passengers, totalling 661,765 in 2024, marking a 28% growth compared to 2023, and nearly double the number of travellers from 2022. This increase is attributed to several factors, including expanding airline services, adding new destinations, and a general recovery in travel demand. The number of departing passengers also saw a significant rise of 39%, reaching 293,815 travellers. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation, Ras Al Khaimah, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, stated that the UAE has achieved significant milestones in its global transformation, especially in the air transport sector. These achievements are the results of the visionary leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, which have helped the UAE rank among the world’s busiest air travel and cargo transit destinations. He emphasised that the profound transformations witnessed in Ras Al Khaimah, driven by the support and vision of H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and the follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah and Chairman of the Executive Council. Their efforts have played a key role in positioning the emirate as a global aviation hub linking Eurasian, Arab, and African nations through the UAE. The Civil Aviation Authority’s achievements are directly reflected in significant increases in passenger and cargo transport, supporting the overall development of Ras Al Khaimah’s business, tourism, hospitality, services, …

akbartravels.com won ‘Best B2B travel portal’ at the seventh edition of the Arabian Travel Awards 2024 “Winning this award reinforces our commitment to excellence and highlights our dedication to empowering travel agents across the region with innovative solutions. This accolade has strengthened our brand reputation, motivated our team, and underscored the vital role of B2B platforms in shaping the travel industry. Moving forward, we aim to enhance user experiences, expand our offerings, and introduce cutting-edge technologies to serve our partners better.” Ashiya Nazar, CEO, Akbar Group International Division.

Deluxe Mirage travel and tourism company won ‘fastest growing travel management company – KSA’ at the seventh edition of the Arabian Travel Awards in 2024. “Winning the Fastest Growing Agency in KSA in Arabian Travel Awards has provided us with enhanced visibility in the KSA market, strengthened our credibility, reinforced our position as a trusted partner for prospective clients, and, last but not least, inspired our employees to go the extra mile with renewed morale. This award marks a key milestone for Satguru Travel, enhancing our industry reputation and inspiring continued innovation. As competition in the travel industry grows, this recognition sets us apart, showcasing our commitment to sustainable and innovative growth. It also signals the rise of new players, driving higher standards of quality and service.”- Sajid Hussain, Branch Head, Eastern Province Dammam, Deluxe Mirage Travel & Tourism Company (Part of Satguru Group) (The award was received by Shashi Menon, General Manager, KSA & Bahrain, Deluxe Mirage Travel & Tourism)

According to the latest report by UN Tourism, The Middle East, Europe and Africa see strongest results in 2024 relative to 2019. Middle East record strongest international arrivals with 95 million with international arrivals 32% above pre-pandemic levels in 2024, though 1% higher compared to 2023. Growth is expected to continue throughout 2025, driven by strong demand contributing to the socio-economic development of both mature and emerging destinations. This recalls our immense responsibility as a sector to accelerate transformation, placing people and planet at the center of the development of tourism. Africa (74 million) welcomed 7% more arrivals than in 2019, and 12% more than in 2023. Europe, the world’s largest destination region, saw 747 million international arrivals in 2024 (+1% above 2019 levels and 5% over 2023) supported by strong intraregional demand. All European subregions surpassed pre-pandemic levels, except for Central and Eastern Europe where many destinations are still suffering from the lingering effects of the Russian aggression on Ukraine.