SalamAir announced that they will commence flights from Muscat to Lucknow from 17th December. The service will operate five times a week, with flights scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. This route expansion provides excellent connectivity to all GCC destinations, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh, Doha, Dubai, and Fujairah. This strengthens their commitment to their passengers offering them greater flexibility and more travel options.

TravTalk Middle East was the official media partner for the second edition of Qatar Travel Mart which kicked off today in Doha. This year, QTM is set to offer an array of impactful events including an international conference, the Global Village exhibition, a prestigious Gala Dinner, an Awards Ceremony, and a thoughtfully designed Hosted Buyers’ Program. These components are tailored to enhance business-to-business (B2B) prospects. In addition, there will be media familiarization trips and cultural tours. These endeavors collectively aim to cater to the needs of both inbound and outbound travel and tourism enterprises. QTM 2023 will serve as a unifying platform where local and international Destination Management Companies (DMCs), Tour Operators, Travel Agencies, Travel Technology Companies, Associations, and Tourism Boards will converge. This convergence is intended to transcend the confines of the sporting industry, fostering a space for diverse entities to convene. Through this endeavor, fresh connections will be forged, novel opportunities seized, and pre-existing relationships rekindled. This cohesive ecosystem will not only facilitate professional interactions but also will also play a pivotal role in propelling expansion and ingenuity across the travel and tourism landscape.  

With the new ETA announced for GCC and Jordanian nationals, Visit Britain conducted a special webinar for the agents in the GCC region. It was a well-attended webinar with over 300 agents posing their questions to the two speakers, from Visit Britain and the UK government’s home office.  At the beginning Visit Britain shared about their brand-new campaign for 2024, where there was a host of varied experiences which come in the bucket list of the travellers especially from this region as the interest keep increasing mainly due to the great outdoors, rich heritage, culture and the adventurous explorations. A special video was placed showcasing all the great areas to explore, the winter wonderland in Hyde Park, Oxford, Regent etc. “Britain has got it. I invite you to see it for yourself. This is our brand-new brand campaign that has launched this month. Welcome to Britain, where there’s always more to explore. Journey, wild coastlines, adventures through our vibrant cities, go monster hunting, meet the locals. Come see things differently. Plan your trip and visit Britain.com. As you can see, let me just check if I’ve off mused. I’ve this before. Yes, as you can see, there is so much to see and do in just 30 seconds. But what I want to do is start with the most magical time of the year. So basically, there’s nowhere else in the world, I think, that does the festive season quite like the UK. We all know of winter wonderland in Hyde Park, Oxford, Regent and Carnaby Street, Drakes and Twins and Lights, and the famous Ice Rink at Somerset House.” The power point presentation included, Winter Wonderlands and Festive Season, …

TravelSamer Homsi was recognised as the ‘Best Hospitality Leader’ at the sixth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards. Speaking with Travel TV Middle East Samer Homsi – General Manager – Metropolitan Hotel Dubai shared, “I’m very proud of my team, with their support I managed to win and we managed to win Best corporate hotel and I have won Best hospitality leader and it is an honour to have won those two prestigious awards.” The Chief Guest H.E Datuk Seri Ahmad Fadil Bin Shamsuddin Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE gracing the occasion shared, “It is an honour and privilege for me to be invited to join the experts in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry this evening. To the organiser, please accept my appreciation and gratitude in organising the 6th edition of the Arabian Travel Awards, which recognises the contribution of the leaders of travel, tourism and hospitality in the Middle East. ” HE Datuk Seri Ahmad Fadil bin Shamsuddin, Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE graced the occasion of Chief Guest presenting the awards to the stars of the night. It was an amazing night of celebration as the sixth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards concluded recognizing the stars of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry at the Sofitel downtown Dubai.  

Miral announced a 16,900 sqm expansion to Yas Island’s Yas Waterworld set for construction completion in 2025, the expansion will see the addition of 3.3 km of slide sections and is expected to grow guest capacity by 20% through the addition of 18 new thrilling rides and attractions, taking the park total to more than 60 rides and experiences. This is due to its huge popularity with both local and international visitors. Once open, the park will include the UAE’s highest slide, as well as the GCC’s first amusement ride in a water park, that is integrated within a waterslide complex. This exhilarating ride promises an unparalleled adventure, with a 15-meter-high drop for up to 20 guests and water park enthusiasts, who can experience this adrenaline rush together. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO commented: “This expansion marks another addition to our world-class attractions and experiences on Yas Island, and a testament to achieving our vision of positioning it as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure. We are proud to be contributing to the development of Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem and economic diversification, while further enhancing its global appeal as a tourism hub.” For the last decade, Yas Waterworld has immersed guests in ‘The Legend of the Lost Pearl’ story, which reflects the UAE’s rich pearl-diving heritage. Combining the coolest rides and thrilling attractions as well as shopping and dining options into a seamless, guest experience, the award-winning theme park is the ultimate water adventure. Introducing a new chapter to the story, Yas Waterworld will bring a new adventure called the ‘Lost City’. Guests will embark on an exciting journey to discover hidden treasures and secret passages, intertwined with …

Satguru Travel clinched titles as ‘Best Corporate TMC’ and  ‘Fastest Growing GSA’ at the sixth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards. Dinkar Dasaur – General Manager UAE – Satguru shared, “A Prestigious platform to nominate, appreciate & honor the top performers in the travel sector & an opportunity for experts to network. Winning an award with ATA is a testimony of being one of the best in the nominated category considering validation from the customers and Jury. It elevates & validates the efforts of our teams who strive hard for excellence. Sharing the platform with the best in the industry through the nominations of ATA, is a motivating factor in itself.  The categories of nominations at ATA signifies the market trend and client preferences & gives us the opportunity to invent & innovate new products in the Travel space.”  

Emirates announced an order for 15 additional Airbus A350-900s at the Dubai Airshow 2023, worth US$ 6 billion. This takes Emirates’ total A350 order book to a total of 65 units. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group said: “The A350-900s will add to our fleet mix and we are pleased to announce additional orders for this aircraft type. We plan to deploy our A350s to serve a range of new markets including long-haul missions of up to 15 hours flying time from Dubai. We will work closely with Airbus and Rolls-Royce to ensure our aircraft deliver the best possible operating efficiency and flying experience for our customers.” “Emirates’ orders this week are all carefully planned to support our future growth and the Dubai economic vision set out by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Emirates experience is often the first visitor experience of Dubai – and we want it to be the best.” Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International said: “With this agreement we mark another solid step forward in the long standing relationship agreement between Emirates and Airbus. A relationship founded on a pursuit of innovation, efficiency and operational excellence. Just as the A380 established itself at the heart of Emirates operations, we are equally proud of what the A350 will do in the years to come.” The first A350 is scheduled to join Emirates’ fleet in August 2024, and with today’s additional orders, Emirates will receive A350 deliveries until early 2028. Including its order for 95 additional Boeing aircraft on Monday, Emirates will have a total order book of 310 wide-body aircraft. …

NEOM announced a partnership with Burgess, to offer its full suite of services to Sindalah’s yachting clientele. Ahead of the island’s opening during 2024, the agreement supports NEOM’s vision of Sindalah becoming a global yachting destination and offers guests a comprehensive range of services to cater for their yachting needs. Located off the coast of NEOM in north-west Saudi Arabia, Sindalah will be the first of NEOM’s assets to be unveiled and will offer guests an idyllic luxury lifestyle. Home to a world-leading yachting ecosystem which will make Sindalah marina a new hub and fixture in the global yachting calendar. As part of the agreement, Burgess will provide a broad range of luxury services to elevate Sindalah’s global yachting offering. Services include yacht management, charter and charter management, sales and purchase, yacht insurance, new build and refit projects, yacht marketing and procurement. Commenting on the partnership, Antoni Vives, Chief Urban Development, and Islands Officer at NEOM, said: “We’re committed to becoming a distinctive yachting destination, and deliver world-class services to guests and yachts visiting the Red Sea. We recognize chartering as a critical aspect of the yachting experience. Many of our guests visiting Sindalah will be looking forward to experiencing a nautical lifestyle through chartering a yacht. Also, yacht owners and managers will be happy to offer their prized possessions for chartering in the Red Sea. Our partnership with Burgess will help us to ensure that this critical activity is enabled at Sindalah from the time of launch.”   The demand for superyacht services in the region has grown exponentially over the past decade, triggering the decision for Burgess to establish a Middle East presence back in 2016. The company …

Qatar Travel Mart officially opens doors today with TravTalkME as media partner. The three day event kicks off today 20th until 22nd November 2023. Rawad Sleem, Co-Founder and General Manager of NeXTfairs for Exhibitions and Conferences shared that they expect this year not only to be an exciting event but to be 50% larger in scale as well. This year, QTM is set to offer an array of impactful events including an international conference, the Global Village exhibition, a prestigious Gala Dinner, an Awards Ceremony, and a thoughtfully designed Hosted Buyers’ Program. These components are tailored to enhance business-to-business (B2B) prospects. In addition, there will be media familiarization trips and cultural tours. These endeavors collectively aim to cater to the needs of both inbound and outbound travel and tourism enterprises. QTM 2023 will serve as a unifying platform where local and international Destination Management Companies (DMCs), Tour Operators, Travel Agencies, Travel Technology Companies, Associations, and Tourism Boards will converge. This convergence is intended to transcend the confines of the sporting industry, fostering a space for diverse entities to convene. Through this endeavor, fresh connections will be forged, novel opportunities seized, and pre-existing relationships rekindled. This cohesive ecosystem will not only facilitate professional interactions but also will also play a pivotal role in propelling expansion and ingenuity across the travel and tourism landscape.    

NEOM announced its latest luxury coastal tourism destination Epicon, located on the Gulf of Aqaba.  Epicon aims to set a new standard of hospitality and architecture. Rising from NEOM’s desert landscape like a glistening mirage, the property will feature two striking towers, one 225 meters tall and one reaching 275 meters. The towers will be home to an ultra-premium 41 key hotel and luxury residences that comprise of 14 suites and apartments. A short distance from the hotel is the Epicon resort, which blends tranquility with indulgence and features 120 rooms and 45 stunning residential beach villas. Designed as a gateway to the future, Epicon provides an opportunity to escape the stresses of the everyday. Whether relaxing at the beach club, visiting the spa for bespoke wellness treatments, exploring the surrounding nature, participating in one of the many watersports on offer, or dining at destination restaurants for an unforgettable culinary experience, Epicon has been conceived to meet the full array of guest and resident needs. A highly attractive visitor destination and an optimum place to live and thrive, Epicon’s guests and residents can expect a truly immersive and life-affirming experience. The luxurious residences and beach villas aim to deliver new levels of livability through cutting-edge innovations, world-class services and first-class experiences, positioning the resort as a benchmark for iconic living. Guests and residents of Epicon will enjoy unrestricted access to world-class facilities, complemented by views of one of the most desirable shorelines in NEOM. Amenities include a state-of-the-art gym, library, workspaces, pools and lounges. News of Epicon follows the recent announcement of Leyja, NEOM’s sustainable tourism destination set within a magnificent natural valley. The extensive range of experiences and activities …