Tag Archives: partnership

AVIAREPS and the World Tourism Organization UNWTO announced a partnership to join forces and support the development and growth of the international tourism sector in selected European UNWTO member countries. This will be achieved through the award of a full-service destination marketing grant and four research grants. AVIAREPS, an Affiliate Member of the UNWTO, will provide a diverse 360° portfolio of destination marketing and research services free of charge to a total of five countries chosen by UNWTO. The UNWTO + AVIAREPS Destination Marketing Grant will include a suite of digital marketing services such as campaign websites, landing pages, webinars, online press conferences, e-learning programmes and virtual events provided via the AVIAREPS Ecosystem. The Digital Ecosystem is AVIAREPS’ brand-new all-in-one marketing hub for the travel industry, which empowers everyone to market their destination and product to a global community online via a platform that combines several digital marketing services into one unified hub. The service portfolio furthermore includes Influencer Marketing services via AVIAREPS’ matchmaking platform Swayfluence, which takes the guesswork out of influencer marketing by making quality connections between brands and influencers for authentic and impactful campaigns. While the pandemic put the travel industry worldwide on hold, AVIAREPS was quick to invest in digital innovations to diversify its service portfolio. Through ongoing consultations with industry leaders, state-of-the-art digital services, that are economical and answer the specific challenges faced by destination marketing organisations, are now available through these efforts. It is hoped that this suite of digital services will be able to benefit all countries and regions to rebound quickly and sustainably following the effects of the pandemic. In addition to the Ecosystem and Swayfluence services, the UNWTO + AVIAREPS Destination …

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 …

‎Qatar Airways announced it has signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement with Air Serbia, the flag carrier of Serbia, allowing passengers seamless travel to over 40 destinations when travelling on each other’s networks effective 01 February 2023. Qatar Airways currently operates five weekly flights between its hub in Doha, Qatar and Belgrade, the Serbian capital. The codeshare agreement opens up a host of new exciting destinations for its passengers to use a single booking to continue their journey to European countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia among others served by Air Serbia. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “This partnership will allow us to expand our footprint in the Central and Eastern European markets where we are looking forward to offering additional travel choices for our customers. We are extremely proud to unveil this partnership with Air Serbia, the leading airline in this region since it was founded in 1927 and we look forward to working effortlessly together.” From its hub at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Air Serbia serves more than 70 destinations in Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, Asia and Africa. As a part of this collaboration, Air Serbia will add its marketing code on Qatar Airways direct flights between Belgrade and Doha, as well as various points beyond Doha including Adelaide, Baku, Brisbane, Tbilisi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Muscat, Nairobi, Perth, Seychelles, Singapore and Sydney. Additionally, subject to obtaining all necessary government approvals and once all conditions are fulfilled, Air Serbia plans to extend its coverage to Bangkok, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Phuket, Seoul, Tokyo, Yerevan, Zanzibar and many more. Air Serbia, Chief Executive Officer, Jiří Marek, said: “It …

For more than 50 years, Zahara Travel has become renowned for demonstrating an entrepreneurial and pioneering approach to corporate travel. This strategy has helped the company gain prominence as a premium service-oriented organization, resulting in winning the “Oman Award for Excellence” in Tourism six times. Thanks to its collaboration with Amadeus, the corporate travel specialist plans to boost its level of automation to deliver an enhanced and more personalized customer service. Zahara Travel has chosen to implement the latest cloud-based Amadeus Selling Platform, which delivers fast access to a comprehensive range of travel services using real-time connectivity for the most up-to-date inventory and pricing. To benefit customers further, Zahara Travel will deploy Amadeus Productivity Suite, which is a behind-the-scenes set of tools that enable travel consultants to focus on delivering the best customer service rather than the administrative processes that need to be managed. Amadeus Web Services is another key component of the agreement between the two companies. Gautam Broota, CEO of Zahara Travel and Service Bureau LLC said, “As a pioneer in the Travel and Tourism business in Oman, we strive to offer our customers the most efficient and seamless award-winning service. Our partnership with Amadeus ensures we are using highly advanced products and services that enhance our ability to deliver customer service in a comprehensive and personalized manner. We are excited about the expanded range of solutions included in this agreement as it elevates our offering to the next level for all our stakeholders.” Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf, adds: “Amadeus’ travel solutions will help enhance the services offered by Zahara Travel and is backed by our commitment to support our customers every step of the …

Elaf Travel and Tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Sabre Corporation cemented a long-standing relationship,  signing an exclusive agreement to drive the agency’s growth through advanced technology.  The agreement was signed at a ceremony attended by management and executives from both companies to celebrate a decade of successful collaboration. The agreement provides Elaf Travel and Tourism continued access to Sabre’s portfolio of innovative technology across the region, including its industry-leading workflow Sabre Red 360 and the latest mobile, data analytics, personalization and automation capabilities. “We are excited to confirm our relationship with Sabre, which will continue support our growth and technology plans,” said Dr. Adel Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Elaf Group. “We are working together to deploy the latest solutions and capabilities, transform our business, and advance our offerings to enrich our customers’ experiences – particularly online.” Using SR360, the agency will have access to Sabre’s marketplace of more than 420 airlines, 750,000 hotel properties, and hundreds of tour operators, rail, car and cruise providers, enabling it to sell personalized travel packages from suppliers all around the world. “We are happy the Elaf Travel and Tourism recognizes the value of our technology and trusts the dedication and expertise of our local team,” said Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, vice president, Sabre Travel Network Middle East. “Elaf Travel and Tourism has a wide range of services catering to the online, offline, and corporate travel sectors and we are committed to deliver products and solutions that meet their diverse customer needs and help the company to scale and expand its business to meet the high expectations of the tech-savvy Saudi travelers.”  

Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, managed by Hospitality Management Holding (HMH), announced the launch of market leading AMSAAN technology to ensure that the visitors with hearing disability can fully enjoy their exciting services and facilities. Gulf People of Determination Information Technologies launched their new platform AMSAAN that allows hard of hearing guests to select any of the available sign languages on the tablet and immediately connect with an online interpreter. The first step, which has already been implemented, includes Ukrainian and Russian sign languages, with Arabic, British, and international sign languages to follow soon. ‘People with hearing disability can easily communicate with other hard of hearing people but communicating with the hearing world can be more complicated. Ensuring that our hotel is hard of hearing friendly and barrier free is very important to us. We are committed to removing those barriers, so that our guests with hearing disability receive the same high-quality, personalised service we deliver for all of our hotel visitors,’ commented Iftikhar Hamdani, Area General Manager – Northern Emirates. ‘More than 9% of the world’s population suffers hearing loss of varying degrees,’ added Mr. Vitalii Mykhalchuk, CEO  of Gulf People of Determination Information Technologies. ‘Our company develops and implements complex IT solutions for deaf people and people with hearing loss that are easy to use. The key objective of AMSAAN software is to implement a distinctive approach for travellers who have hearing difficulties and promote tourism without barriers. Our global goal is to attract tourists with hearing loss from all over the world as well as to make the UAE as one of the most accessible and comfortable countries for the deaf people and we are delighted to have …

Emirates and United announced a historic commercial agreement today that will enhance each airline’s network and give their customers easier access to hundreds of new destinations* within the United States and around the world. From November, Emirates customers flying into Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston – three of the biggest business hubs in the U.S – will be able to easily connect onto United flights to and from nearly 200 cities across the Americas on a single ticket. At the eight other U.S. airports served by Emirates – Boston, Dallas, LA, Miami, JFK, Orlando, Seattle and Washington DC – both airlines will have an interline arrangement in place. United will launch a new direct flight between Newark and Dubai starting in March 2023 – from there, customers will be able to travel on Emirates or its sister airline flydubai to more than 100 cities. Tickets for United’s new Dubai flight are now on sale. Emirates and United announced their agreement today at a ceremonial event at Dulles International Airport, hosted by United CEO Scott Kirby and Emirates President Sir Tim Clark, featuring United and Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and flight crews from each carrier. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Two of the biggest, and best-known airlines in the world are joining hands to fly people better to more places, at a time when travel demand is rebounding with a vengeance. It’s a significant partnership that will unlock tremendous consumer benefit and bring the United Arab Emirates and the United States even closer. We welcome United’s return to Dubai next year, where our hub Dubai essentially becomes a gateway for United to reach Asia, Africa and the Middle East …

Saudi Airlines (SAUDIA) has initiated the next phase of an ongoing agreement with Saudi Falcons Club to become a Strategic Partner and the Official Carrier for the International Saudi Falcon and Hunting Exhibition. SAUDIA’s presence at the 10-day expo, which kicked off in Riyadh on Thursday, Aug. 25th, comes as part of the airline’s effort to be present at a variety of events and activities that enhance cultural development and promote Saudi Arabia’s rich falconry tradition. Guests attending the exhibition will have the opportunity to redeem a promotional up to 20% discount on a wide range of travel packages through SAUDIA Holidays. Guests can plan the perfect holiday getaway that includes a wide range of flight, accommodation, and service options, including vehicle rentals and tours. Moataz Alandijani, General Manager of Partnerships and Sponsorships at SAUDIA commented “We are very pleased with what was achieved last year with Saudi Falcons Club and we are proud to extend the strategic partnership for the next 3 years, and our participation comes as part of SAUDIA Group’s contribution to supporting all heritage, culture and sports event. The CEO of the Saudi Falcons Club, Hussam bin Abdulmohsen Al-Hazaimi, affirmed the club’s endeavor to expand the agreements with all strategic partners to serve those interested in falconry. He stated, “The Saudi Falcons club is proud to sign the partnership agreement with SAUDIA Group and contribute to supporting and serving the cultural and local heritage of Saudis.” The strategic partnership signed at the exhibition marks the three next years of the on-going agreement between SAUDIA group and the Saudi Falcons Club. The agreement encompasses additional sponsorships and official carrier status for various other events as well as …

Finnair and Qatar Airways have concluded an agreement to establish a long-term strategic cooperation between Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen and Doha. Finnair and Qatar Airways are exploring opening services also between another European destination and Doha. These services will be supported by a comprehensive codeshare agreement with shared passenger and cargo capacity between both airlines. Customers from the three Nordic cities will benefit from seamless connections via Doha to Qatar Airways’ extensive network of around 100 destinations across Australasia, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The collaboration will also open new destinations and connection opportunities across Finnair’s Nordic network for Qatar Airways’ customers. The services are planned to start between November and December 2022. They will be operated with Finnair’s Airbus A330 aircraft featuring Finnair’s new long-haul cabins, including industry-leading Air Lounge business class seats, a brand-new premium economy travel class and refreshed economy class. The flights to Doha are to be sold and marketed by both Finnair and Qatar Airways as per the schedule below: 7 weekly flights to and from Helsinki 7 weekly flights to and from Stockholm 7 weekly flights to and from Copenhagen Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, said: “As a fellow oneworld member, we enjoy a close relationship with Finnair and these new services to Hamad International Airport are an example of Qatar Airways working with partners for the benefit of our joint customers. This strategic partnership demonstrates our commitment to the Nordic markets and strengthens our position as the leading Middle East carrier in this important region. This partnership will be the foundation for the future expansion here.” HE Al Baker added: “Soon, Doha will be the oneworld hub …

Emirates and Air Canada announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement that will create more options for customers when travelling on the carriers’ networks while also enhancing the customer experience throughout the journey. Emirates and Air Canada intend to establish a codeshare relationship later in 2022 that will offer enhanced consumer travel choices for Air Canada customers to travel to the United Arab Emirates and to destinations beyond Dubai. Emirates customers will also enjoy an enhanced travel experience when travelling to Toronto or to key destinations across the Air Canada network. Customers will have the ability to book connecting travel between both airlines’ networks with the ease of a single ticket, seamless connectivity at the carriers’ respective global hubs and baggage transfers to their final destinations. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “This is a significant partnership that will enable our customers access to even more destinations in Canada and the Americas, via our Toronto and US gateways. It also opens up many new route combinations for travelers across Emirates’ and Air Canada’s extensive networks in the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. We are pleased to partner with Air Canada, one of North America’s most established airlines and Canada’s flag carrier and we look forward to jointly progressing on various areas to provide even better customer flight choices and experiences.” “As we continue pursuing our strategy of expanding our global reach in response to growing opportunities in VFR markets (Visit Friends and Relatives) that serve Canada’s large multicultural communities, we are very pleased to form a strategic partnership with Emirates, a highly respected flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates with a hub in the vibrant …