Tag Archives: MICE

Safarak Travel and Tourism, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) has recorded remarkable growth in its MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) division, contributing significantly to the emirate’s economic development. Safarak has experienced a 76% increase in MICE enquiries year-on-year, with a conversion rate of 28% in the first quarter of 2024, surpassing the industry average of 20%. This surge in activity has resulted in AED 25.5 million being injected into the emirate’s economy, aligning Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) vision to establish the emirate as a premier MICE destination. Ras Al Khaimah has established itself as an easily accessible destination in the Middle East, serving as an ideal hub between Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In addition, new direct flights from Qatar Airways and IndiGo have been pivotal in increased international air connectivity, making Ras Al Khaimah even more accessible, further adding to the emirate’s MICE appeal. Its draw as a MICE destination is enhanced by unique venues and stunning natural landscapes, from the UAE’s highest mountain range to its vast desert and 5-star beachside hotels on the Persian Gulf. Safarak has been continuously exploring new venues to expand its portfolio, guaranteeing a robust and diverse selection for event planners. Recent additions include the highest boardroom in the UAE, Jais Sky Room, offering breathtaking views of the Hajjar mountain range, and the historic Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village, providing an authentic local cultural setting for events. The Ras Al Khaimah Cultural Centre continues offers a space for large groups, whilst the Design Gallery has increased in popularity for intimate bookings. The first quarter of 2024 has seen Safarak handling a diverse range of events across various …

The growth in the hospitality sector revenue of individual GCC countries is expected to range from a CAGR of 6.9% to 11.0% between 2023 and 2028. Saudi Arabia is projected to grow in line with the GCC average of 7.5%, supported by numerous government-led initiatives as part of its Vision 2030, whereas the UAE is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9%, backed by the government’s focus on modernizing infrastructure and easing tourist visa rules. Smaller markets are expected to witness high growth rates during the forecast period, with Qatar at 11.0%, Kuwait at 10.5% and, Oman and Bahrain at 9.0% CAGR. According to Alpen Capital, the GCC hospitality sector revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2023 to 2028, reaching approximately US$ 48.1 billion by 2028. This robust growth is fueled by the unified efforts of the GCC countries in prioritizing hospitality as a key element of their long-term diversification strategies. Furthermore, steady economic growth, increasing tourist arrivals and a multitude of mega MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and sporting events to be hosted in the region will support the projected growth. “A rising trend towards sustainable tourism and responsible travel is gaining ground across the GCC’s hospitality sector due to increasing ecological awareness among consumers worldwide. The tourism industry is experiencing a surge in the popularity of new segments, such as cultural tourism and health & wellness tourism, reflecting evolving consumer likings and lifestyles. Despite market competition and geopolitical uncertainties, the industry continues to strategically enhance visitor experiences and stimulate demand through innovation and consolidation. We expect to witness healthy domestic and cross-border M&A activity, as the sector advances to respond to the …

Speaking with TravTalkME Lydia Li, Deputy General Manager ITB China shared that one of the key emerging trends seen over the past few months is an increase of outbound travel with Chinese travellers opting for MICE and business travel to the Middle East. According to the recent report by Trip.com, there were destinations that fall in the medium- and long-haul outbound travel categories that witnessed significant growth, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and the Maldives, among others along the Belt and Road Initiative, experiencing high order growth rates, increasing by over 800%, 60%, 40%, and 40% respectively compared to 2019. Countries farther away such as the UK, Argentina, and Norway also saw significant increases, with growth rates exceeding 60%, 40%, and 200% respectively compared to 2019.

Speaking with TravelTV Middle East at the Future Hospitality Summit in Riyadh, Haitham Mattar – Managing Director MEA and South West Asia, IHG Hotels and Resorts shared that this week is among the busiest in Riyadh with World Economic Forum and Future Hospitality Summit taking place simultaneously in the city of Riyadh. He reiterated that the hotels are enjoying a great return as they are operating in full swing. IHG Hotels and Resorts is the largest hotel operator in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with many properties in Mecca, Madinah and Riyadh. Mattar reiterated that the government of Saudi Arabia’s flexibility in visa has created many visitors to explore the kingdom and the MICE and event sector has grown exponentially over the past few months. He reiterated that the city of Riyadh has seen multiple events over the past few months which has brought in visitors from across the globe. Their foot print has been growing right throughout the past few years and they will focus more in the Kingdom in bringing new brands to the kingdom and introducing their brands across the different cities.

Dadabhai Travel in the Middle East, announces the renewal of its primary strategic GDS technology partnership with Sabre Corporation reaffirming their position as strategic contributors in shaping the future of the travel industry. This renewed commitment underscores Dadabhai Travel’s dedication to providing enriched customer experiences across multiple verticals, including Leisure, meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), business to business (B2B), and business to consumer (B2C). Sabre’s suite of products, including Sabre Red 360 (SR360), Content Services for Lodging (CSL), Sabre APIs, Sabre Virtual Payments (SVP), and Automation Hub, has played a pivotal role in empowering Dadabhai Travel to provide consistent and seamless services to its clients across its expansive network. The renowned SR360 platform, a cornerstone of this partnership, offers a customizable user experience that enables Dadabhai Travel to achieve product differentiation, selling branded content, add-ons, dynamic upsell options, and personalized offers. “Sabre’s continuous commitment to future investments and technology roadmaps aligns seamlessly with our vision of being the technology partner of choice,” said Aziz Gilitwala, Managing Director, Dadabhai Travel. “As a prominent TMC brand with diverse offerings, Dadabhai Travel relies on Sabre’s technology as our trusted partner. Sabre’s products and solutions have been instrumental in enhancing our capabilities and delivering on our commitment to offering unrivaled service levels, state-of-the-art technology, and providing competitive global travel options.” Sabre’s role extends beyond technology, with a critical contribution to enabling Dadabhai Travel to increase productivity and achieve ambitious growth objectives. This renewed collaboration marks a significant milestone setting the stage for continued innovation and excellence in the travel industry. “Our partnership with Dadabhai Travel goes beyond technology—it’s about collaboration, shared knowledge, and a joint commitment to driving innovation in the travel industry,” …

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) welcomed 2.47 million participants in 2023, marking a remarkable 25% increase in visitation compared to the previous year. The results were driven by 301 Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), business and consumer events, a notable 23% rise year-on-year. The impressive increase in visitors reflects the strength of DWTC’s diversified content-rich calendar, led by 107 Exhibitions and International Association Conventions and Industry Conferences. These events collectively attracted 1.56 million attendees, marking a substantial 33% increase compared to the previous year. Of these, over 722,000 were international attendees, representing an unprecedented 60% growth year-on-year. These industry-leading events and exhibitions saw a participation of 53,789 exhibiting companies, representing a remarkable 45% increase over last year. An unprecedented 78% of these exhibiting companies were international (41,864), further reinforcing DWTC’s ability in consistently drawing both new and repeat international participants. The surge in foreign business attendees furthers the aspirations of the D33 Agenda, to propel Dubai to be a top three global economic city by 2033. The diversity of DWTC’s robust events calendar was further reinforced with its consumer and leisure events portfolio growing last year to host a total of 35 entertainment, live, and leisure events collectively attracting over 850,000 visitors. Commenting on the outstanding results, H.E. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, said: “DWTC’s increasingly diverse exhibitions and events portfolio, along with its allied businesses, continue to go from strength to strength. Our results underscore the robust dynamics of the emirate’s thriving economy and strategic focus on key industry sectors, reinforcing Dubai’s leading status as a global hub for knowledge, innovation and business. The past year has been shaped by extraordinary momentum …

Safarak Travel and Tourism, the premier destination management company based in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), is thrilled to announce its recent membership with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the renowned global community and knowledge hub dedicated to the international association and governmental meetings industry. As RAK emerges as a growing Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) destination, Safarak Travel and Tourism’s collaboration with ICCA is a strategic move to bring world-class association events to the region. This aligns seamlessly with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority’s (RAKTDA) long-term vision to position Ras Al Khaimah as a preferred destination for international meetings. “The affiliation with ICCA is a significant milestone for Safarak Travel and Tourism. It opens doors to a global MICE community and allows us to showcase Ras Al Khaimah as a strong contender for hosting international events.” said Cathy Mead, General Manager of Safarak Travel and Tourism With RAK gaining prominence in the MICE sector, this partnership with ICCA enables Safarak Travel and Tourism to play an active role in a global business networking platform. The collaboration provides opportunities to educate the international community about Ras Al Khaimah while fostering connections with planners who might be already familiar with other Emirates such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA, commented: “ICCA is thrilled to witness Safarak Travel and Tourism’s continued commitment to excellence in the industry. Their recent endeavors, especially the strategic collaboration with ICCA, exemplify their dedication to shaping Ras Al Khaimah as a premier destination for international meetings. This alliance not only showcases Safarak Travel and Tourism’s prowess but also underlines the growing significance of Ras Al Khaimah in the global Business …

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has unveiled an exceptional H1 calendar featuring an impressive line-up of over 70 Exhibitions, Conventions and Conferences to be held across the two venues, DWTC and Dubai Exhibitions Centre (DEC) located at Expo City Dubai. The events spanning sectors like Healthcare, Food, Energy, Tourism, Transport and Technology are to set to further boost DWTC’s contribution to Dubai’s economy and reinforce its status as a global hub for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. Mahir Abdulkarim Julfar, Executive Vice President at DWTC, said: “As a global MICE industry leader, DWTC stands as a testament to Dubai’s unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. In 2024, our focus is on growth and expansion – with both our venues, the DWTC and DEC, gearing up to host a series of high profile and transformative events. We look forward to the introduction of new exhibitions such as FESPA Middle East, as well as welcoming back prestigious legacy events including Arab Health, Gulfood, Arabian Travel Market and many more. These major exhibitions and ground-breaking conferences and conventions are poised to propel Dubai’s reputation as a leading global business and tourism destination.” In addition to showcasing an impressive roster of business events, DWTC continues to serve as a versatile world-class venue, hosting corporate meetings, sports and entertainment events. These diverse events contribute significantly to Dubai’s vibrant citywide calendar. DWTC’s content-rich calendar featured some of the world’s leading events such as: Dubai International Pharmaceuticals and Technologies Conference and Exhibition (DUPHAT) (9 – 11 January), Intersec (16 – 18 January), World of Coffee Dubai (21 – 23 January), Arab Health Exhibition and Congress (21 January – 1 February), UAE International Dental Conference …

Visit Qatar and the World Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) have signed an agreement to renew their diamond sponsorship. The agreement is part of Visit Qatar’s efforts to promote and support Qatar’s business events industry, which is of great importance within Qatar’s tourism sector. Under the agreement, Visit Qatar will promote Qatar as a destination for business events and allow partners to create more opportunities for collaboration across all of the Association’s events and activities throughout the year. Commenting on the signing of the agreement, Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi said, Head of Sector Marketing & Promotion Tourism at Qatar Tourism: “Visit Qatar and the World Association of the Exhibition Industry have a long-term strategic partnership with the common goal of promoting and developing the exhibitions, conferences and incentives industry. Qatar is an ideal destination for hosting business events, thanks to the construction of modern facilities, innovative public transport networks, easy travel policies, as well as its geographical location and world-class tourist destinations, providing business people with tourism experiences that meet all their expectations.” Michael Duck, QBA President for 2022/2023, said: “We are delighted to continue working with Visit Qatar as one of the World Association of Exhibition Industry Diamond Sponsors in the coming years. Supporting this Global Association programme allows additional products and services to be offered to our global membership holders and ultimately to further grow their events and exhibitions industry.” Qatar is a major home and destination for major global events, thanks to the country’s highest security standards, in addition to hosting 128 meeting and conference corners, spanning 70,000 square meters. Qatar is strategically located between east and west, with an award-winning national carrier and international airport. …

Dubai World Trade Centre will be hosting over 100 events business and consumer events in the last quarter. It will include recognised meetings, exhibitions and conferences, as it gears up for what is anticipated to be one of the city’s busiest events seasons, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global hub for business tourism with over 100 business and consumer events spanning vital sectors including technology, sustainability, food and beverage, healthcare, green economy, among others over the last quarter. Mahir Abdulkarim Julfar, Executive Vice President at DWTC, said: “DWTC plays a crucial role in furthering the emirate’s position as the global Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) capital. We are witnessing substantial growth of flagship events like GITEX Global, ArabLab+, Big 5 Global, World Radiocommunication Conference among others and are equally excited to host new events at the venue. The upcoming events season will offer an unrivalled opportunity for exhibiting companies, participants, and the business communities at large to network and collaborate, provide access to global markets, while facilitating foreign investments into the emirate and contributing to the ongoing growth of Dubai as a business tourism destination in line with Dubai’s Economic Agenda (D33)”. September opens with Plastics Recycling Show ME, Sleep Expo, ME Foam & Polyurethane Expo, Adhesives Sealants, and Bonding Expo ME from (5 – 7 September), followed by Gulf Bride Show (13 – 17 September), Frozen Musical Celebrations (16 September), Sign and Graphic Imaging ME Exhibition, Connecting Trade Worldwide (18 – 20 September), the Annual Dermatology Conference and Exhibition MEIDAM (22 – 24 September) and the Forex Exhibition (26 – 27 September). The leading platform for the laboratory and analytical industry ArabLab+ will take place between (19-21 September) …