Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

In a move to enhance the tourism offerings in Tuscany, the tourism board of promotion introduced the destination to the United Arab Emirates at a gala event. The event was presided over by Alberto Peruzzini, Managing Director of Tuscany Tourism board (Toscana Promozione Turistica) at Meydan hotel Dubai. At the same event the inauguration of the Alabaster Tower of Pisa – the Project of “The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Japan and in the United Arab Emirates” supported by Tuscany Tourism Board, Chamber of Commerce of Pisa, Municipality of Pisa and Municipality of Volterra took place at the event. The exhibition of the Alabaster Tower, which is reproduced from the original drawings of the famous Tower of Pisa, is realized by the alabaster masters of Arte in Bottega di Volterra’s Association. The Foundation Cassa di Risparmio di Volterra, the Province of Pisa, Cassa di Risparmio di Volterra and the Municipality of Volterra, as well as the Opera della Primaziale Pisana; the work owner, has taken part in the realization of the Tower. The copy of the famous bell tower of the Cathedral of Pisa, will be shown at the luxurious Meydan Hotel in Dubai, with a panoramic view on the prestigious Meydan Racecourse. Tuscany Region and the UAE have an already forged relationship that has been strengthened since 2015 thanks to “Toscana Endurance Lifestyle”, international event of sport and networking organized by sistemaeventi.it in Pisa at the San Rossore Racecourse that in 2017 will return with two top level endurance rides (14-16 July and 4-6 August). The inauguration ceremony was attended  by Alberto Peruzzini, Managing Director of Tuscany Tourism Board, Riccardo Fedeli, Vice Mayor of Volterra and Gianluca Laliscia, Chairman …

According to Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA, there was an increase of 231 per cent in visitor arrivals from Poland in comparison to 2015. The guest nights had also increased by 290 per cent from the previous year with an increased revenue of 273 per cent and an increase in the average length of stay by 17.64 per cent. In an effort to further strengthen the Polish relationship and increase the number of visitors to the emirate, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), which develops the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and plans, initiates and drives its domestic and overseas promotions, welcomed H.E Robert Rostek, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Ras Al Khaimah. H.E Robert Rostek was greeted by RAKTDA CEO Haitham Mattar to discuss future projects and tourism initiatives that will help boost tourism to the emirate and support the tourism authority’s vision in attracting one million visitors by 2019. “Through its efforts to increase visitor numbers from both established source markets and emerging ones, RAKTDA is constantly looking at ways to create strategic initiatives, promotional activities and partnerships,” said Haitham Mattar, CEO of RAKTDA. Last year RAKTDA partnered with the pan-European tour operator TUI to bring two new charter flights – operated by Enter Air – from Poland to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport. The new service followed a new co-marketing agreement between RAKTDA and TUI, which was signed in August 2016. RAKTDA’s Vision 2019 includes a roadmap for innovative hospitality concepts which take advantage of the emirate’s unique natural assets, including pristine coastline, stunning mountain ranges, hot springs and expansive desert.  

Cozmo Travel has announced a partnership with Taiwan Tourism Board. Aimed at the summer of 2017, Taiwan is going to be the latest outbound destination for UAE.  Jamal Abdul Nazar, CEO, Cozmo Travel, said, “We are happy to announce that we have signed a contract with Taiwan Tourism Board with a range of joint promotions to increase tourism and visibility for Taiwan through Cozmo Travel network.” Vishal Mehra – VP Sales, Taiwan Tourism Board, said, “We are pleased to tie-up with Cozmo Travel in the UAE. This partnership is aimed at increasing the number of visitors to Taiwan from the Middle East, a trend that is already on an upward index. We have recognised the fact that Taiwan has a huge potential for tourism offerings to the UAE in particular, and the GCC at large, owing to the multi-cultural population in the region. The partnership with Cozmo Travel will help us further boost interest and ease the travel to the beautiful Chinese island.”    

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) will host the 67th Annual Convention of the German Travel Association (DRV) later this year. The three-day Convention, to be held December 7-9, will welcome more than 800 German travel trade professionals representing a consumer base of around six-to-eight million German travellers. The agreement for Ras Al Khaimah to host the primary international gathering of the German travel industry’s leading special interest group was signed by RAKTDA and DRV at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade show. During the convention, CEOs and senior executives from tour operators, travel agencies and service providers of all sizes, as well as representatives from airlines, cruise lines and insurance companies, will attend RAKTDA-organised tours, destination workshops and evening events highlighting the emirate’s latest natural and man-made product developments, future plans and unique attractions. Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA, commented: “Germans are known for their love of travel, as adventure seekers and early adopters of new products – all of which resonate with Ras Al Khaimah’s maturing tourism proposition. Germany is already our largest international source market and we recorded a 24.6 per cent year-on-year increase in German visitors last year, which means German travellers now represent one in 10 of all visitors to the emirate. “We are building on that progress by hosting the DRV Annual Convention, an event that underlines our growing credentials as a leading option for medium-size MICE events. DRV’s exemplary attendees can look forward to experiencing tailored opportunities to explore the unique diversity of Ras Al Khaimah, including our untouched natural beauty, authentic Arabian culture, heritage and a history dating back more than 7,000 years.” “Ras Al Khaimah is gaining importance as a …

Musafir.com in collaboration with the India Tourism, Dubai (Incredible India – an international marketing campaign by the Govt. of India) has formed a comprehensive partnership to promote tourism in India and to raise awareness about India as a leisure destination among UAE travellers hailing from diverse backgrounds and to highlight India’s vast culture, demography and rich heritage among the UAE travellers. With the association and rigorous promotion of India during December, Jan and February, Musafir.com witnessed a growth of 12 per cent in their flight bookings to the Indian sector out of the UAE and 21 per cent increase in holiday packages sold by Musafir.com to India. I.R.V. Rao, Assistant Director of Incredible India, states, “Our aim is to increase our foothold on the digital front and to further target key new demographics, at which Musafir.com has helped us immensely given their varied demographic base on the online front. We have witnessed a sharp uplift in our Arab enumeration and look forward to working with Musafir.com closely again, to help establish India as a tourist destination in the GCC region.” “The association between Musafir.com and India tourism was extremely successful and the partnership further strengthened the tourism influx into India. Tourism is the second largest foreign exchange earner in India and it is a brilliant source of cultural exchange between the countries and in addition opens the gateway for numerous business opportunities. Tourists from both sides are visiting for leisure with an increased number of UAE nationals availing the tourism facilities in India” said Rajesh Pareek, Group CEO, Musafir.com. Musafir.com has managed to create an awareness amongst the UAE population, (specially expats) through their digital acquisition campaigns with a strong …

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) signed a landmark $1 million agreement to increase tourism to Thailand. Under the new agreement, the Abu Dhabi-based airline and TAT will jointly promote travel to Thailand from priority markets including the United Arab Emirates, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Egypt and Kuwait. The agreement was signed by Etihad Airways Vice President Marketing,  Tim Burnell, and TAT’s Deputy Governor Tanes Petsuwan at a commemorative event in Bangkok at the Executive Lounge, Grande Centre Point Terminal 21. They were joined by Etihad Airways Senior Manager Marketing, Lamya Al Nuaimi. Burnell said: “Etihad Airways has a long and proud association with Thailand – in fact Bangkok was one of our first international routes. It continues to be one of the busiest in our network enjoying strong year-round demand, particularly from the UAE, GCC, Middle East, Africa and Europe. “With five daily flights to Thailand – four to Bangkok and one to Phuket – Etihad Airways has a significant investment in Thai tourism and the new agreement with Tourism Authority of Thailand supports and extends that commitment.Through innovative joint marketing campaigns, we aim to bring hundreds of thousands of first-time and repeat travellers from Europe and the Middle East to Thailand to enjoy this beautiful country and to experience the warm, friendly hospitality for which the Thai people are world-renowned.” Bangkok continues to be one of Etihad Airways’ busiest routes – around 800,000 guests travelled to and from Bangkok in 2016 alone. In all, more than 6 million guests have flown on the airline’s Thailand routes since 2007 and further growth is expected. Tanes Petsuwan said: “Europe …

The largest nationwide festival in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Shop Bahrain unveiled its’ Calendar of Events for the much-awaited festival during a press conference held at the Capital Club. The third-edition of the Bahrain Shopping Festival, ‘Shop Bahrain’, is a unique 30-day celebration of Bahrain’s hospitality and tourism offering for the entire family and boasts a wide range of events and unbeatable promotions for residents and visitors. The festival will mirror the Kingdom’s position as an accessible family destination, renowned for its close proximity to the Gulf countries with easy access through the King Fahad Causeway and the Bahrain International Airport. The Festival will offer an incredibly diverse range of retail experiences. The Festival, co-organized by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) and Tamkeen, is held in cooperation with the partners from the public and private sector such as Batelco, Gulf Air, and YK Al Moayyed & Sons. Organizers also held a Gulf-wide roadshow spanning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar in order to promote the festival. Shop Bahrain will feature a ‘Festival City’, located in Bahrain Bay, and will boast a number of activities for the entire family including games, food stalls along with live entertainment and performances. Shop Bahrain will also include a fun-filled schedule of entertaining activities at the participating shopping malls and hotels. Shoppers will be enrolled in the Festival’s loyalty system when purchasing directly from any participating outlet and partner allowing them to win a wide range of prizes including one of the 12 cars and over 25,000 valuable prizes. The four weekly raffle draws will take place at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism headquarters.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has appointed a golf ambassador to promote the country as a leading golf destination. With over 260 world class golf courses in the country, TAT hopes to attract more golfers from the Middle East to enjoy their different courses. Thongchai Jaidee, a professional Thailand golfer ranked at number 54 will be the brand ambassador for the next year. During this period of time he will work very closely with the tourism board of Thailand in order to attract more “golfing visitors” to the destination. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications TAT stated, “The brand ambassador partnership with Thongchai Jaidee will help achieve a key strategic objective to better link tourism and sports and increase the number of long staying, high spending visitors from the Middle East and Europe. Thailand has over 260 world class golf courses nationwide, with superb facilities and services including experienced, friendly caddies, wonderful accommodation and excellent side activities, such as shopping and spa treatments. Thailand also holds many international golf tournaments every year including Honda LPGA Thailand 2017 will be hosted on February 23 to 26, 2017 at Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course which attract a large number of professional players and spectators.”

Residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can now apply for visas to Belgium at a new visa application centre launched at the VFS visa center in Abu Dhabi. The centre was inaugurated by H.E. Dominique Mineur, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United Arab Emirates. VFS Global currently serves the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium in 10 countries from 45 visa application centres, globally. The new centre in Abu Dhabi is located at the Joint Visa Application Centre, Level 25, Shining Tower, Mubarak Bin Mohammed Street, Adjacent to Khalidiyah Mall, Abu Dhabi. H.E. Mineur said, “The launch of the new Visa Application Centre is a step forward in Belgium’s goal to serve our clients in a better and quicker way. Abu Dhabi is the first step and Dubai will follow. Our collaboration with VFS Global is also part of a more global plan to promote Belgium as an interesting country for tourism and business. Our collaboration with VFS Global is a long lasting and based worldwide, and I am convinced that together we can achieve these goals.” Vinay Malhotra, COO – Middle East & South Asia, VFS Global, “We are honoured to partner with the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium and further extend visa services in Abu Dhabi. It is also a great privilege to be a part of the journey towards advancement of travel between the beautiful country of Belgium and the UAE. We are confident the centre will help us achieve our common goal of providing added convenience and accessibility to UAE residents applying for a visa to Belgium.”

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is bringing back the Thailand Tourism Festival (TTF) to Bangkok’s Lumpini Park to highlight some of the fun and fascinating attractions that can be enjoyed by local and international tourists travelling in the kingdom with free admission. The Festival, which coincides with Chinese New Year 2017, will be held during January 25-19, 2017, and is expected to attract over 650,000 visitors with 90 per cent of these visitors predicted to travel in Thailand in 2017. These trips could generate up to 400 million Baht in revenue. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of TAT said, “Thailand has so much to offer visitors and domestic tourists, and we want this year’s Thailand Tourism Festival to showcase the unique local experiences and attractions to be found in all parts of the nation. By visiting Lumpini Park, visitors can enjoy a taste of the foods, festivals and culture found in all five regions before they choose where to travel. They can also enjoy live music, cultural shows, lucky draws, and a wonderful holiday atmosphere with the best of Thailand on show in the heart of Bangkok.”TTF 2017 is expected to attract over 650,000 visitors with 90 per cent of these visitors predicted to travel in Thailand this year, which could generate up to 400 million Baht in revenue. At the TTF 2017, activities will be organised with 10 zones that highlight Thainess from the five main regions of Thailand – the North, Northeast, East, South and Central regions. Each of the zones will have demonstrations of the local culture and cuisine. There will also be the chance to make merit by giving alms at 7:00 a.m. to 88 monks on …