Tag Archives: Microsoft

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Microsoft’s new report highlight the transformative power of AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Travel & Tourism, marking a commitment to a digital future with unparalleled customer experiences. The first in a series of AI reports, announced during the global tourism body’s event at FITUR and in collaboration with WTTC’s Industry Partner, Microsoft, is poised to redefine Travel & Tourism standards and call on the sector for greater integration of such technologies. As the global leader in Travel & Tourism, WTTC is committed to driving innovation and supporting the sector to embrace AI and other cutting-edge technologies. To promote sustainability and excellent customer experiences, WTTC acknowledges the crucial importance of AI in revolutionising the sector. Throughout the traveller’s journey, WTTC believes AI can play a pivotal role in delivering a tailored and enhanced experience now and in the future. This technology can empower personalised recommendations and marketing strategies by analysing traveller data, optimising pricing strategies through real-time adjustments, and offering instant responses and fine-tuned interactions via sophisticated AI powered chatbots. The report also highlights AI’s capabilities extend to predicting future demand patterns, efficiently allocating resources, and providing valuable insights for governments and Travel & Tourism stakeholders. This contribution can be pivotal in promoting sustainability with efficient resource management by monitoring and minimising environmental impacts, ensuring a more responsible and sustainable sector. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of Travel & Tourism, AI emerges as a catalyst for positive change. The transformative capabilities highlighted in this report demonstrate that AI is not just a technological advancement, it is a strategic tool that can personalise the customer experience, drive sustainable improvements, and create …

Riyadh Air and Microsoft signed a Memorandum of Understanding to drive innovation and sustainability across Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector. As part of the agreement, Riyadh Air has selected Microsoft’s trusted Azure cloud platform as its preferred platform for accelerating digital transformation and will leverage the highly secure, scalable, and reliable platform to improve operational efficiency and customer service. The announcement will see both organizations collaborating to leverage the potential of cutting-edge technologies such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, copilot experiences, the Metaverse, and Virtual Reality to enhance Riyadh Air’s offerings, services, and operational models. Adam Boukadida, Chief Finance Officer, Riyadh Air, said: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Microsoft as we embark on an accelerated digital enablement journey to fuel the growth and innovation within the aviation industry. Leveraging the robust Microsoft Azure platform is just the beginning; we are poised to tap into the vast network of Microsoft partnerships and harness the remarkable AI capabilities offered through Microsoft’s comprehensive suite of services & solutions, empowering Riyadh Air to grow & thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape. By embracing Microsoft’s platform and solution capabilities, we aim to build a unique customer and employee experience and expedite our progress in achieving our sustainability targets.” Riyadh Air and Microsoft will also jointly establish a Centre of Excellence that will provide a structured framework for driving innovation and delivering substantial business benefits for both organizations. The partnership also sees both parties forming a dedicated board that will actively drive efforts in line with the Kingdom’s national sustainability agenda. Turki Badhris, Acting General Manager at Microsoft Arabia, said that the partnership is a perfect demonstration of Riyadh Air’s forward-thinking vision which leverages …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Microsoft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at GITEX Global 2023. The alliance enables innovation in key areas such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing and brings together both organisations’ capabilities and resources to enhance the tourist and cultural experience in Abu Dhabi. This engagement with Microsoft aligns with DCT Abu Dhabi’s objectives to drive digital transformation within the organisation, redefining the landscape of the culture and tourism industry in the emirate to positively impact visitors and residents. Activities under the MoU will also drive growth, foster innovation and enhance knowledge among DCT Abu Dhabi employees. The MoU spans across the optimisation, automation, and modernisation of IT and security infrastructure and will be enabled by Microsoft’s cloud computing platform Azure and cutting-edge security. The combination of the Microsoft Azure Intelligent Data Platform and Azure OpenAI Service will significantly improve operational insights, and the use of AI-powered Microsoft 365 tools will streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and elevate the overall service quality provided by DCT Abu Dhabi. HE Adnan Al Awadi, Support Services Executive Director at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Through our collaboration with Microsoft, we reaffirm our commitment to excellence through digital transformation as together we shape the future of work. In line with UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025, these efforts will contribute to elevating Abu Dhabi’s tourism and culture offerings and help meet the diverse needs of millions of tourists who visit from around the world each year. We are embarking on a journey to create a comprehensive digital ecosystem that connects and streamlines our network.” Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, said: …

The Emirates Group and Microsoft have joined forces to train, mentor and transform high-potential UAE Nationals to become future leaders. The curated, high-impact programme is designed around Microsoft’s technology courses, including digital transformation and driving business impact with AI, as well as the development of soft and leadership skills. The shared vision is to educate and inspire these future leaders of the Emirates Group as well as to carve out a clear career roadmap based on their business and cultural transformation. With over 120 hours of classroom workshops within a hybrid setting, the programme is underpinned by mentorship led by Microsoft’s leadership team in the UAE, as well as an opportunity for participants to meet and learn from senior leaders at Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, USA. Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, said: “We value our historical collaboration with Microsoft, and we are delighted to extend it to opportunities for our future leaders to develop their careers and gain wider knowledge. We cherish our common vision centred on developing and empowering our people for a better future, and we rely on their potential and contribution to benefit our businesses and communities. This new initiative is a first step, and we look forward to strengthening our collaboration to support our Emiratisation strategy.” Speaking on the occasion, Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, said: “The rapid pace of digital transformation across key industries, such as the aviation sector in the UAE, means that it is more important than ever for young professionals to hone the digital skills they need to succeed in the workforce of tomorrow. We are excited to collaborate with the Emirates Group on this new programme to …

Amadeus and Microsoft have joined forces to co-author a new report exploring how new technologies will make the experience of travel better. Entitled ‘Delivering Traveler Value: Inspiring, understanding and fulfilling expectations throughout the travel experience and beyond,’ the report looks at how a focus on the ‘purpose’ and ‘context’ of each trip will allow the industry to maximize value.  The report unveils some of the latest milestones of the global strategic partnership between Microsoft and Amadeus. Together, the two technology leaders are working to deliver a new set of tools, solutions, and data applications to offer a next-generation experience for travelers, travel sellers and providers. The report draws on work from Northstar Research Partners, which was commissioned to survey 2,400 business and leisure travelers in six key markets around the world – Brazil, Germany, India, Indonesia, United Kingdom and the United States. The findings provide quantifiable evidence, supported by in-depth interviews with senior leaders from Amadeus, Microsoft and across the travel industry. Explored within the report is the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) within the sector when it comes to making time-sensitive offers, the impact of new technologies such as the metaverse and an evaluation of how enhanced data analytics can deepen the understanding of the traveler. Contributions from partners – including Meliá Hotels International, Expedia Group, TomTom and American Express Global Business Travel – also reveal how the new tools on offer can create more personalized and relevant experiences for travelers. Additionally, the report discusses the technology being developed as part of the Amadeus and Microsoft partnership. This includes the transformational travel and expense solution Cytric Easy and agility and analytics modules of the Amadeus Creation Platform, designed …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has partnered with Microsoft to further streamline data-driven services offered to stakeholders, enhance the e-learning platform for Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) and adopt an innovative approach towards showcasing the city as a must-visit destination. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented, “As we plan for future scenarios, cloud based solutions have emerged as a crucial element of Dubai Tourism’s digital transformation strategy because of the secure, sustainable and scalable nature of the technology. The diversity of our partnership with Microsoft will add to our efforts to embed world class technology solutions to our business systems and further enhance the scope of cutting-edge digital services that we provide our stakeholders in real-time, to help ensure Dubai stays ahead of the curve and also maintain its position at the forefront of the world’s leading travel destinations.” “Microsoft Azure has been at the heart of the company’s efforts to form several strategic partnerships across UAE’s public and private businesses and accelerate their digital transformation agendas by migrating to the cloud,” said Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft UAE. “Our partnership with Dubai Tourism enables their platform to seek better customer engagement, empower its workforce, optimise operations and reinvent products and services. This is made possible by our two cloud regions in the UAE serving customers across the region to innovate and grow.” Essa Bin Hadher, General Manager, Dubai College of Tourism, said, “Dubai College of Tourism established a strong online learning platform even before the pandemic and today the advantages of using such a system have become more important than ever. Indeed, in this challenging environment, we are able …

Miral, Yas Island’s creator of destinations has joined efforts with Microsoft on an ambitious digital-transformation journey that promises to reshape the global leisure and entertainment industry. By adopting key Microsoft technologies, Miral will deliver unparalleled guest experiences to tens of millions of annual visitors, setting new benchmarks for innovation in the sector. Miral is the developer and promoter of Yas Island, a family entertainment and leisure destination including a range of world-class attractions, theme parks such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld and the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, that was recently opened to the public on 25 July. “Our vision is to transform Yas Island into a globally recognised wall-less destination, increasing annual footfall to 48 million visitors by 2022, and this digital transformation project is part of delivering on our promise and achieving our vision,” said Eng. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, CEO of Miral. “Creating personalised seamless experiences by harmoniously bridging the gap between physical and digital was our main priority. The goal was to allow visitors to plan their journey before they arrive, tailor their experiences to their desires and continue to revisit their memories as they leave Yas Island. We selected Microsoft as our trusted technology partner because we have strong confidence in their solutions as well as their in-depth global experience in similar industries, which will help us achieve the sought results,” added Al Zaabi.