Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) hosted the latest quarterly meetings of its Business Events and Exhibitions Committees, providing industry stakeholders with updates on restarting and scaling up events since their resumption in September and the roadmap for the sector as Dubai continues to lead the global recovery. Held virtually to maximize attendance during the Holy Month, the two meetings, presided by His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, were part of a series of meetings and townhalls the department has hosted throughout the global pandemic to both keep stakeholders updated on all stages of the recovery and obtain their inputs on various issues. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said, “Guided by the city’s prudent leadership over the past year, Dubai has been able to lead the way globally not only in wider tourism recovery but specifically in the restart of business events. Thanks to the efforts of our stakeholders across the sector, the momentum we built at the end of 2020 has gathered pace this year, with strong optimism for the coming months to further leverage our status as one of the few cities globally to be safely hosting business events of all sizes. As the countdown towards Expo 2020 Dubai continues, business events are playing a vital role in attracting more visitors and showcasing this as a safe city for international gatherings, and also recapturing economic growth across all economic sectors.  We remain attuned to the needs of our stakeholders as we continue on our path and welcome their input, collaboration, and expertise.” HH Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said, “Guided by the city’s prudent leadership over the past …

Emirates is offering travellers from the UAE the chance to book their long-awaited Eid break to popular resort hotspots or make up for the lost family time by reconnecting with loved ones. UAE travelers can also plan early and book their summer holiday with Emirates’ special fares starting from AED 1,525. Emirates Economy Class and Business Class passengers can choose to book their getaway to one of the below popular holiday destinations and to more points across the Emirates network when they visit emirates.com. The offer is valid on bookings made today until 1 May 2021, for travel until 30 September 2021. UAE Travellers can also plan a last-minute getaway with Emirates Holidays, starting from AED 1,849 per person for three-night stays, and packages are available even more destinations in the special fare offer. Emirates remains focused on taking the stress out of travel and has led the industry in protecting the health of its customers to ensure a feeling of safety and confidence when deciding to fly.  Emirates customers travel with the assurance that the latest health and safety measures are in place at every step of the journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology to ease customers through Dubai airport. Knowing their safety and wellbeing is looked after, customers across all classes can enjoy more than 4,500 channels of entertainment on ice, the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, along regionally inspired gourmet meals. Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveller needs during a dynamic time. Recently the airline took its customer care initiatives even further with even more generous and flexible booking policies, an extension of its multi-risk insurance …

Cathay Pacific will resume non-stop weekly flights between Dubai and Hong Kong from Friday, 21 May 2021. Flights will operate from Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport. The service will provide UAE residents and visitors with convenient access to Hong Kong and onward connections across the carrier’s Asian network including Philippines, Indonesia, Chinese mainland, Japan and more. Cathay Pacific will deploy the Airbus A330-300 on the route, configured with a two-class cabin that features the airline’s award-winning fully-flat bed business class seats that include privacy partitions, adjustable lighting, expansive tables, power outlets and one-click sitting and sleeping settings. “Dubai has been an important route for us for more than four decades and we are extremely excited to be resuming our operations from here. We look forward to welcoming travellers from the region who will once again be able to experience our warm, thoughtful service, together with our traditional Asian hospitality. Our customers can now fly confidently with Cathay Care, our commitment towards the wellbeing of our passengers, as we endeavour to provide a safe, secure and comfortable travel experience throughout their journey.” said Vishnu Rajendran, Area Manager – Middle East, Cathay Pacific. “The resumption of this strategic route taps into the resurgent travel demand and underlines our ongoing efforts to recover our business from the impact of the pandemic. It will also provide for additional cargo space to support our scheduled freighters that have been operating through these times,” he added.

Israel is reopening its doors to vaccinated tourists starting at the end of May, supported by the launch of a strategic campaign that ensures as many foreign tourist arrivals as possible in 2021.  The announcement was made by the Minister of Tourism Orit Farkash-Hacohen at a press conference held in Tel Aviv.  “Israel today is a world leader in safety and health, and we will make sure every potential tourist knows this when planning their summer or winter vacation,” Farkash-Hacohen stated, “We cannot miss this opportunity – and, as minister of tourism, we won’t.” “Dubai has great tourism potential for Israel,” the Minister said, adding “The UK and the US have always been large markets for inbound tourism to Israel. I have no doubt, we will see many tourists from all three countries within a short period of time.” Farkash-Hacohen also announced the ministry would reinstate a directive incentivizing foreign airlines to operate flights to the Ramon Airport located outside of Eilat. The incentive, which was in place before the COVID pandemic, is now being budgeted at a cap of NIS 25 Million, which will enable foreign carriers to receive financial incentives for every tourist they bring to Israel. “In recent years, Indian travellers have become familiar with the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and now we want to introduce them to the resort city of Eilat, on the shores of Red Sea.  Once international travel resumes from India, we are confident that Eilat will be a destination on the minds of the Indian travellers, so we want to make progress with potential flight routes when the demand comes.” said Sammy Yahia, Director of Tourism, India & Philippines. “Ensuring …

Ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) taking place in Dubai next month, Hotelbeds, the world’s leading bedbank, has revealed that the prestigious city has consistently been within its top three destinations by room nights sold throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Hotelbeds, despite the crisis, has recovered to pre-COVID volumes, year to date, for the wider UAE as destination. Both early bird bookings and last-minute reservations characterize the majority of the room nights sold. Ali Taheri, Regional Sourcing Director commented, “While the whole of the travel industry has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, it is fantastic news that we can name Dubai as one of our leading destinations during this time, highlighting its enduring magnetism for travellers. “As a region, and as a team, we have been able to maintain high levels of resilience during these unprecedented times and this is due to a number of factors. Firstly, having exposure to a diversified domestic and international client base protected us against the risk of lost volumes in closed corridors and secondly, we benefitted from uninterrupted cash flow while many players were facing systemic cash restrictions. And last but not least, the destructive nature of the pandemic brought out the streetfighter spirit in the team!”  

Marriott International announced it has signed an agreement with RDK Tourism Investment LLC to amplify its luxury presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the addition of The St. Regis Downtown Dubai. The signing is expected to further enhance the company’s luxury footprint across the UAE where it currently operates 17 properties and more than 6,000 rooms across seven of its luxury brands. “We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with RDK Tourism Investment with this milestone project,” said Jerome Briet, Chief Development Officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. “St. Regis delivers exquisite experiences and anticipatory service in some of the most desirable locations around the world. With this addition, the brand will arrive at one of the finest addresses in Downtown Dubai, which is home to the city’s most iconic landmarks. The St. Regis Downtown Dubai is set to offer unparalleled luxury, bespoke service and modern glamour for leisure and business travellers alike.” The St. Regis brand continues to expand its renowned global portfolio by adding the highly sought-after address of Downtown Dubai with the anticipated transformation and rebranding of the Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai by the end of 2021. The renovation plans are expected to include a residential-inspired sophisticated design of the lobby and the addition of an Astor Ballroom, which speaks to the brand’s focus on hosting iconic celebrations. The renovations will be blended with the hallmarks of St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, including the brand’s celebrated Rituals and signature St. Regis Butler Service. “We look forward to building on our relationship with Marriott International to further expand our hospitality portfolio in the region,” said Rashid Darwish Ahmed Saif Al Ketbi, Chairman of RDK …

62 source and outbound markets represented in-person at Arabian Travel Market, including Jordan, KSA, Germany, Italy, Russia, Greece, Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives and Cyprus. A total of 62 countries will be represented on the exhibition floor this year at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021, which takes place in person at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on May 16-19. “This is an impressive response from travel and tourism organisations across all travel sectors, given the various travel restrictions in place around the world, and provides a major boost for the travel industry in the Middle East,” commented Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market. Many destinations participating in ATM this year, will be hoping to attract GCC visitors in the second half of this year. Countries such as the Maldives for example, will have a significant presence at ATM, as well as perennial favourites such as Malaysia and Thailand, Germany, Greece, Italy and Switzerland. “The Maldives has done exceptionally well in 2021 so far, welcoming over 200,000 visitors in the first two months of the year. It is one of the top destinations for UAE travellers and to cope with the increased demand, in March Emirates announced it was increasing its services over the Easter holidays, offering customers 28 weekly flights to Male, up from the scheduled 24 weekly flights,” added Curtis. “This is now an integral part of the ATM offering. Not every industry professional from around the world, can attend in-person every year, particularly this year with travel restrictions changing rapidly around the globe,” said Curtis.

Dubai International (DXB) ended the first quarter of the year on a relatively positive note, registering a gradual but steady recovery in both customer numbers and cargo volumes. By the end of Q1 2021, DXB served 63% of the destinations in 89% of the countries on 74% of the airlines compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Boosted by passenger numbers breaching the 2 million mark in March, DXB’s passenger volumes for the first quarter this year reached 5.75 million. This translates to a contraction of 67.8% compared to Q1 of 2020, which was largely unaffected by the pandemic-related suspension of operations by airlines and airports worldwide towards the end of March. India, which is traditionally a strong market for the UAE, retained its position as DXB’s top destination country with traffic for Q1 reaching 1,384,448 – propelled by top city destinations New Delhi and Mumbai. Pakistan was placed second with 454,294 customers, followed by Bangladesh (221,027 customers) and Russia (196,890 customers). Other destination countries of note include Egypt and Turkey. The top three cities were New Delhi (262,035 customers), Dhaka (178,593) closely followed by Addis Ababa (169,715 customers). Commenting on DXB’s Q1 performance, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports said, “Whilst passenger numbers for the first quarter remained significantly below the monthly volumes we handled before March 2020, in the context of the current global situation they are very encouraging and reflect the consolidation phase in our business recovery. Despite the ongoing challenges to air travel as the world continues to battle against the impact of the global pandemic, as an important hub, DXB will continue to play its role of enabling mobility and connectivity and contribute to the much …

Oman Air has extended its complimentary COVID-19 coverage until 31 December 2021. The complimentary coverage is for expenses incurred by medical treatment or quarantine related to the COVID-19 virus, and applies to tickets issued for travel after 1 October 2020 until 31 December 2021. The coverage is provided to guests who purchase tickets on omanair.com, through the airline’s Call Centre, at Oman Air’s offices or through travel agents after 1st October 2020, and is part of the airline’s expansive efforts to ensure that guests are safe at all times so they can fly confidently. Details are available at omanair.com. The coverage now includes Oman resident cardholders (expats) who are required to present medical coverage for their destination and return to Oman, if travel is completed within 31 days. Omani and GCC nationals do not require Covid-19 insurance, as per the directive issued by Oman’s Supreme Committee for COVID-19 safety. Oman Air will maintain its comprehensive safety program throughout all elements of the travel journey. Masks are required when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman’s airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day. Cabin crew all wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety and a number of other steps have been taken to e­­nsure that the airline’s guests and crew are safe at all times. Guests who are planning to travel to Muscat should visit the Civil Aviation Authority website, caa.gov.om, to ensure they are prepared to comply with requirements to enter the Sultanate. Guests departing from Oman should also ensure …

Dubai College of Tourism (DCT), part of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), organised a virtual workshop for national tourism companies to highlight its efforts in preparing Emiratis to play a vital role in the sector. The workshop, which was hosted under the Medyaf programme, DCT’s industry nationalisation initiative, also provided participants with updates from the tourism sector and the College’s plan for the key fourth quarter period, as the country prepares to host the Expo 2020 Dubai from October. The contribution of the tourism sector to Dubai’s GDP; the city’s advanced infrastructure and diverse attractions and experiences; the top searched places to visit in the emirate, as well as the shopping, dining and entertainment destinations, in addition to the hassle-free entry process for visitors were among the topics discussed at the workshop. Participants were also informed about the wide range of health and safety measures that are in place across the city to ensure that the safety and well-being of travellers, from arrival to departure, remains the city’s top priority. The workshop highlighted Dubai Tourism’s passion to support local Emirati talent and national companies that employ highly qualified Emiratis, through courses taken at the Dubai College of Tourism such as the Online Tour Guide Course. It is important to provide the tourism sector with UAE nationals as they are regarded as the best-placed candidates to introduce the Emirati culture, heritage, and customs to visitors. They will also be able to provide information and share experiences with tourists that stem from their own understanding of Emirati society and its unique culture and traditions.