Tag Archives: Middle East

Cozmo Travel, the winner of the 2018 Arabian Travel Awards “The Fastest Growing Travel Management Company”, has been expanding their reach in the market with its strong presence for the past nine years and consistently delivering excellence through their services and satisfying customer needs in the best way possible. “The opening of Cozmo Travel’s fourth new branch in Ajman, Al Jurf area near China Mall, marking the opening of the fifth branch this year, is yet another important step towards realising our vision of being the leading travel agency in the Middle East. The new office will serve as one of the many strategic locations in Ajman along with the other major locations that we already operate from,” said Mr. Jamal Abdulnazar, CEO, Cozmo Travel. Cozmo Travel branches are strategically located across the seven emirates in order to be accessible to all customers. It has 12 branches in Sharjah, four in Ajman, two in Fujairah, three in RAK, two in Abu Dhabi,  two in Al Ain, one in UAQ, and six branches across Dubai.

flynas, the Saudi national air carrier and leading low-cost airline in the Middle East, announced the launch of its new direct international flights to Lucknow and Calicut in India starting from October 15, 2019, as part of its global expansion plan. This step will raise the number of flynas’ destinations in India to four after it has previously launched direct flights to New Delhi and Hyderabad. flynas will operate three weekly flights to each destination, with the first flight scheduled from Riyadh to Lucknow on October 15, while the second and third flights are scheduled for October 17 and October 18, respectively. Furthermore, flights between Riyadh and Calicut and Dammam and Lucknow will commence from October 16. flynas had recently announced the launch of its new direct flights between Riyadh and New Delhi, which started on July 1, 2019. It also announced the launch of direct flights between Riyadh and Hyderabad in June 2018 as part of its expansion strategy for the next phase which seeks to add more destinations and contribute towards doubling its number of passengers, which reached 6.6 million passengers on 60,000 domestic and international flights last year. New destinations include Lahore, Islamabad, Algeria, Erbil, Baghdad, Sarajevo, Vienna, Batumi, Tbilisi, Baku and other domestic and international destinations.

Apiso and Sabre Corporation announced a long-term partnership to increase virtual payments adoption in the travel industry across the Middle East region. The partnership, and resulting technical integration between Apiso and Sabre, will promote Apiso’s unique product offering as the preferred payment solution for Sabre Virtual Payments’ customers in the fast-growing Middle East. It will also enable Sabre to scale the volume of payment transactions processed through its global distribution system (GDS) and other technology solutions globally. “Sabre’s virtual payment technology and its extensive distribution reach coupled with Apiso’s advanced technical solutions and payment integration will enable us to jointly deliver compelling products to help regional and international travel companies to optimise their payments workflow, drive revenue and profitability,” said Andrew Sims, Director, Apiso. “We are excited about this partnership that will provide advanced, reliable, secured and flexible virtual payment solutions to the region.” Sabre Virtual Payments’ network of strategic banking partners enables it to effectively meet specific regional needs while providing a comprehensive global solution. “Sabre Virtual Payments continues to expand our strategic partnerships to ensure a comprehensive solution that optimises travel payments globally,” said Salman Syed, Vice President, Sabre EMEA. “Our partnership with Apiso helps us deploy Sabre Virtual Payments with flexible facilities such as multi-currency and multi-channel options, increase the value of our regional offerings in the Middle East and provide customers with a global payment solution that meets their specific payment needs.” Apiso works with back-end financial services providers that are members of the global payment schemes to automate the provision and administration of virtual cards for B2B supplier payments across multiple industry segments.

According to a recent report released by Dubai tourism, the hotel sector has recorded one of the highest in the world with occupancy at 76 per cent with establishments delivering a combined 15.71 million occupied room nights during the first six months of the year, a five per cent increase over the same period in 2018. Another noteworthy fact is that the emirate has now reached an inventory of 118,345 within 714 establishments at the end of June 2019, representing a six per cent increase, which showcased continued strong investor confidence in Dubai’s tourism demand. In the Middle East, Dubai continues to be the much favoured destination recording the largest traffic from all over the world. Brands such as Rove have revolutionised the market in Dubai. Luxury five-star and four-star hotels commanded 34 and 25 per cent of the emirate’s total inventory, respectively.  Meanwhile properties in the one to three-star categories represented a share of 20 per cent. Increasing demand for diversified accommodation options was met with a combined 21 per cent of hotel apartment establishments across the deluxe/superior and standard categories.

The second edition of the Tamil Nadu Travel Mart will be held from September 19 to 22, 2019 at the Chennai Trade Centre in India. S Sundar, Honorary Secretary, Tamil Nadu Travel Mart Society, shared, “Tamil Nadu Tourism will be taken to the next level after this second edition and Middle East agents will get to know more about Tamil Nadu and increase their business opportunities for further mutual benefits. The main objective is to sell Tamil Nadu as a destination bringing together the many touristic attractions available for different types of tourists from around the world. To tell the world Tamil Nadu is not only a pilgrim destination but we have various other leisure products as well. It is purely a Tourism Mart like Kerala Travel Mart but this year CII is organising a Medical Value Mart along with this whereby both buyers will have a seamless entry to both venues using the same buyer ID.” Tamil Nadu Travel Mart is one of the biggest global events that focuses on marketing the destination of Chennai as not just a pilgrim and heritage site but also promotes the various other offerings that are important to  travellers from around the world. Middle East has always been a close ally of the destination mainly due to its connectivity and one of the most famous tourism partnerships is travel for medical tourism.

Sam, FCM’s ground-breaking ‘Smart Assistant for Mobile’ is now available to its clients in the Middle East.  An industry first, Sam is technology that entirely enhances a traveller’s experience whilst on the go. The mobile app blends a powerful mix of Artificial Intelligence with the expertise of real FCM travel consultants to deliver personalised, relevant information to business travellers’ mobile devices through a chat-based interface. The highly interactive, travel-savvy app supports business travellers with all aspects of travel via a conversational interface to answer questions, make recommendations and perform actions before, during and post trip. As of now, two versions of Sam are available to FCM clients and business travellers in the Middle East:  A premium version exclusively for FCM customers with additional features that are configured for these customers as part of their tailored rollout. These premium features include auto-synching the traveller’s bookings, integrated self-booking tool, live chat with an FCM consultant to provide service and make or amend bookings on the move; weather, restaurants, traveller tips and the option for the user to ‘share location’ as part of a mobile duty of care feature.  A basic free version  enables any user to add their trips manually, view weather, traffic and flight alerts, and connect with local ground transport options. Ciarán Kelly, Managing Director Middle East & Africa, FCM Travel Solutions, commented, “As a leading global TMC, we are the first to offer AI to our business travellers, and our Middle Eastern clients are now using Sam’s ground-breaking interactive and supportive features while they are on the move. Sam supports the business traveller, and the Travel Arranger in an organisation, understanding and reacting to their circumstances and enhancing their …

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts will to showcase its latest innovative guest experiences and global expansion plans at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019 in Dubai. Building on its long history of constantly enhancing guest experiences through its innovative approach to luxury hospitality, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts will be highlighting the recent launch of ‘Take Your Time: Daily Discoveries’, a collection of on-property experiences that invites guests to celebrate the culture of each destination. The experiences are designed to encourage guests to truly connect with the world and the people who matter most in their lives. Simon Casson, President – Hotel Operations—Europe, Middle East and Africa, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, said, “At Four Seasons, we have a long legacy of innovation – not only in terms of how we leverage technology to enhance our offering and services, but also in the way we embrace and celebrate innovation as a way to constantly elevate the guest experience. Whether it is by inviting guests to connect with Four Seasons people and destinations in more meaningful ways, such as through ‘Take Your Time’, or providing real-time assistance through the Four Seasons Chat service, innovation has always defined our approach to creating unforgettable luxury hospitality experiences for our guests.” “While technology clearly has a vital role to play in shaping the future of the hospitality industry, we recognise that the human touch remains key to delivering authentic personal care that makes each and every guest feel treasured and understood. We will continue to evolve our services in line with the changing needs of travellers, but without compromising on our fundamental belief in the power of deep personal connections, which remains at the heart of …

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, has inaugurated the 26th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM). He was joined by Helal Saeed Al Marri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Director-General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), plus other VIPs who embarked on a tour of the show floor as the four-day event got underway at DWTC. Taking place from April 28 to May 1, this year’s event has 400 main stand holders with representation from over 150 countries. With more than 40,000 visitors expected to attend the event, ATM 2019 will showcase over 2,500 exhibiting companies – of which 100 will be making their show debut. The 26th edition of ATM will form part of the inaugural Arabian Travel Week, as well as ILTM Arabia, CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa – a new route development forum launching this year and new consumer-led event ATM Holiday Shopper. Other highlights will include the debuts of Arabia China Tourism Forum and Hotel Industry Summit, as well as the return of Global Halal Tourism Summit. As this year’s main theme, cutting-edge technology and innovation will be integrated across all show verticals and planned activities.

Citizens and expatriate residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can apply for Schengen visas to Belgium at the new Visa Application Centres jointly launched by the Embassy of Belgium in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and VFS Global. The new centres provide outbound travellers from Al Khobar and Jeddah a very convenient visa application platform, ensuring enhanced quality of services and seamless procedures. Applicants also complete their biometric enrolment at the same application centre. With the launch of these new centres, applicants no longer need to visit the Embassy of Belgium and instead need to submit their visa applications at the VFS Global centres in Al Khobar and Jeddah. During the official inauguration of the Visa Application Centre in Al Khobar, H E Dominique Mineur, Ambassador of Belgium to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said, “The recent opening in Jeddah last month has already resulted in an increase in the number of visa applications received for Belgium from the Kingdom. We hope the Al Khobar Centre will also generate the same interest, and we thank VFS Global for their support. This will undoubtedly strengthen the relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Belgium.” The first Visa Application Centre for Schengen visas to Belgium started its operations in December 2016 from the capital city of Riyadh. Commenting on the new centres for visas to Belgium, Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO—Middle East, South Asia & China, VFS Global, said, “The number of applications for Schengen visas applied in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has increased significantly and continuously over the years. The positive economic environment in the Kingdom and the high level of economic growth has created more opportunities for business …

WiT Middle East 2019 returns to Dubai after a gap of four years. WiT 2019, which will adopt the theme of WiT 2018 Singapore conference–‘Through The Looking Glass’– is making its comeback with three Foundation Sponsors as a one-day event on April 9, 2019. “After four years away, we feel it’s time to make a comeback plus we’ve had numerous requests from key players in the region, who have attended both our events in Dubai and Singapore, to return. When we were there in 2014 and 2015, we definitely felt the excitement and dynamism of an emerging market and observed it had very similar characteristics to the South-east Asian markets – fragmented, diverse, young, social and even then, it was mobile first – so we look forward to seeing what else has changed and how the industry has grown. With the way the Middle East travel market has grown, we expect a bigger, more international audience. In particular, we are looking forward to seeing how the startup ecosystem has grown and evolved,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder, WiT. “Wego, Cleartrip and Travelstart are three leading travel brands from outside the region that have invested in the Middle East market and are committed to seeing its development and growth,” said Siew Hoon. “We will also be working with Insight Out Consultancy and tap into their regional expertise to ensure our content is locally relevant,” she said.