Category Archives: Agents

The first ever promotion of Sri Lankan Indigenous medical system, `Hela Wedakama` treatment was launched in United Arab Emirates by the leading Sri Lankan traditional Ayurveda company, Siddhalepa Ayurveda at Novotel Hotel, World Trade Center, Dubai. The launch was initiated by Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort as the kick-off session of the awareness campaign of targeted the GCC region. A special promotional campaign is expected its widest reach with the assistance of Sri Lankan Airlines , the travel trade and travel media of the GCC region. The expectation of present international visitor has been expanded beyond the typical holidays and the travelling for medical purpose has become a boom at present. Thus, this initiative entails enormous `healthy` results for the medical-traveller who is exploring on alternative medical treatments. The main presentation of the session was conducted by Ayurveda Ratna, Mr. Asoka Hettigoda the Chairman and Managing Director of Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort (As well as Hettigoda Group of Companies). Mr. Hettigoda explained how Siddhalepa grew from the grass-root level and entered the Switzerland first in 19….. Further, he added presently Siddhalepa has attracted visitors from various parts of the world while exporting its authentic Ayurveda products to more than 40 countries. Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort aided by Siddhalepa Hospital is patronized by the visitors presently not only for their relaxation treatment but also medicament for various body abnormalities. The launch was well attended by about 45 persons comprising Arabian travel trade members and media based on the region. The Arabic travel trade members commended that they are happy to hear about the efforts to promote medical tourism by Siddhalepa this way effectively. Several travel companies added that Sri Lanka should continue …

At a special interview with TravelTV Middle East Amir Golbarg Senior VP Operations MEA Region Minor Hotels shared that the travel trade partners are of paramount importance as they build destinations when opening hotels. “travel trade is of paramount importance to us and we like to be destination builders. We like to create and add new destinations onto the map, and that’s one thing we work very closely in terms of, in particular with our Anantara brand, which is all about being indigenous sustainable luxury. And when you go in and you want to penetrate and create a new destination on the map, you’ve got to work with the travel trade. You’ve got to work with the local governments and the entities. And for us, you know, it’s the whole geosystem of travel coming together. We are an anchor and an establisher that’s going to create the demand. But the demand needs to be known, and to be able to get that voice heard, that’s where the travel trade is key. And you need to bring the entire geosystem together, and one without the other cannot function. So for us, travel trade as a whole has many components that many, unfortunately, look at it in silos. And I think in today’s world, we’ve gone from global back to local. And when you go back to local, then you need to look at who do you need to work with domestically to build the destinations up or to rebuild the perception of the destinations. So for us, that’s a key component, and travel trade plays a significant role in us building destinations.”

dnata Travel has reported a 21% increase in the average booking value for in-store services in 2024 compared to the previous year. Walk-in services at its 13 retail outlets across the UAE remain the most popular way for residents to book travel, driven by a rise in demand for more complex itineraries. This summer, multi-location trips across Europe were particularly popular, combining train and self-drive travel. France, Italy and Switzerland were frequently included in these itineraries, which featured multiple stops across one or several countries. Tailor-made itineraries in Asia also gained traction throughout the year, with bookings typically including multiple stops within a single country. Hotspots across Thailand and Sri Lanka are especially sought after, with a notable spike in demand for Vietnam compared to previous years. Cruise itineraries, offering multiple stops across different countries, are also seeing steady growth, with dnata Travel anticipating even higher demand as the GCC cruise season approaches this winter. Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure UAE at dnata Travel, commented: “Multi-destination itineraries are trending, as travellers look to experience the best of a region or country in one extended trip. “Many of our customers prefer to book these complex journeys in-store, where our travel experts can provide personalised advice on destinations, hotels and the latest offers. We offer a one-stop solution, where travellers can book everything from flights and hotels to car rentals, tours and insurance. “One of the highest value in-store bookings in 2024 was a summer trip across France, taking in Paris and Cannes, then on to Monaco. Our travel experts arranged the flights, accommodation, private transport and guided tours, all with a fashion theme, in one sitting. This luxurious itinerary featured …

Travelport announced it has signed a multi-year renewal agreement with Delta Air Lines, including NDC content. The top U.S. airline is collaborating with Travelport on the integration of its NDC solution into Travelport+ to support Delta’s selling and servicing transformation. “We value our long-term partnership with Travelport and are pleased to extend our full content agreement, as well as make Delta’s NDC technology solution available to all of Travelport’s agency customers,” said Jeff Lobl, Managing Director, Distribution Strategy and Agency Sales Programs at Delta Air Lines. “Together, we aim to create value by ensuring customers are presented with the best options to fit their needs for a better, more personalized shopping experience.” To help agencies solve challenges with comparing NDC offers alongside traditional content, Travelport recently debuted its Content Curation Layer (CCL). Travelport’s CCL uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) to sift through aggregated, multi-source content and return the right range of accurate, highly intuitive search results that are normalized and easier for agents and travelers to understand. CCL is the latest enhancement to the Travelport+ platform, simplifying the delivery of retail-ready content from partners like Delta and presenting tailored options to agency customers and the end-traveler. “Our renewed agreement with Delta underscores our shared commitment to modernizing travel retail for agents and travelers with a seamless, personalized shopping and servicing experience,” said Damian Hickey, Global Head of Travel Partners at Travelport. “As we prepare for the future delivery of Delta’s NDC content, our ability to deliver multi-source content in a retail-ready way ensures that agents and travelers will be able to easily shop and compare all of Delta’s product offerings in one place.”

Sabre Corporation and Virgin Australia announced a strategic partnership to modernize the airline’s retailing capabilities through the phased implementation of SabreMosaic, the revolutionary AI-driven platform built to transform airline retailing. This establishes Virgin Australia as the flagship customer and will enable the airline over time to adopt the broad suite of solutions within SabreMosaic, marking a significant milestone in the airline’s journey towards modern retailing and the general market availability of the SabreMosaic solutions. The collaboration underscores the companies’ commitment to innovation and industry leadership, as well as the airline’s aim to be an early mover in the industry transition to offer-and-order based modern retailing. “Building on our decades-long partnership, Sabre is proud to collaborate with Virgin Australia as our launch partner for SabreMosaic, which is our revolutionary platform designed to transform airline retailing,” said Roshan Mendis, Chief Commercial Officer, Sabre Travel Solutions. “We aim to empower Virgin Australia to deliver a personalized, dynamic travel experience that will set a new standard in the industry. This collaboration marks the beginning of a new era, as SabreMosaic is now available to airlines worldwide.” Virgin Australia’s path to modern retailing “We are excited to partner with Sabre to lead the industry in modern airline retailing,” said David Hogarth, Chief Information Officer of Virgin Australia. “This partnership supports our mission of being Australia’s most loved airline by offering our customers choice and a wonderful guest experience. The SabreMosaic platform will over time enable us to optimize our offers, enhance guest interactions, and build a competitive advantage in the market.” Sabre designed the SabreMosaic platform and related solutions with a modular approach, giving Virgin Australia the ability to easily operate in a hybrid environment …

Starting 27 October, ITA Airways will be operating direct flights from Dubai to Italy with the state of the art A321neo, the new-generation aircraft that combines efficiency and style to make your travel experience truly unforgettable advised Mr. Mohamed Jassim Al Rais, Executive Director, APG Gulf, the General Sales Agent of ITA Airways in the UAE. He added that ITA Airways, Italy’s national carrier, is committed to providing exceptional service and connectivity as with a modern fleet and a focus on sustainability, ITA is well-equipped to offer travelers a comfortable and memorable journey between Dubai and Rome and on its vast network beyond. ITA will operate a daily service on DXB-FCO-DXB routes offering highly attractive fares (both in business and economy class) to Rome and beyond sectors, including points in UK/Europe and USA. ITA would operate to Dubai with A321 Neo with a 3 class figuration offering Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy, thereby offering full service product with aggressive fares. Schedule: Rome Fiumicino to Dubai: Starting October 27th, departing at 10:40 a.m. (local time) and arriving in Dubai at 7:50 p.m. (local time). Dubai to Rome Fiumicino: Starting October 28th, departing at 1:50 a.m. (local time) and arriving in Rome at 6:00 a.m. (local time). Mr. Mohamed Al Rais, expressed his enthusiasm about this new venture, “We are proud to partner with ITA Airways to bring this exciting route to Dubai. This collaboration not only enhances our portfolio but also enriches travel options for our customers. We look forward to providing outstanding service and showcasing the best of Italy to travellers in the UAE. We invite everyone to explore the beauty of Italy with ITA Airways. Stay tuned for …

IndiGo has reached an agreement with travel technology leader Amadeus to provide travel sellers around the world with access to the airline’s NDC content via the Amadeus Travel Platform. IndiGo has decided to rely on Amadeus for its unique and robust offering, which combines state-of-the-art airline and distribution technology with an unmatched market reach. The airline, which will carry more than 110 million passengers in 2024 and has growth ambitions backed by one of the largest aircraft order books in the industry, will strengthen its competitive edge through access to new markets and customer segments, thanks to Amadeus’ 96% global market coverage of NDC-ready travel sellers across the globe. NDC technology, with its standardized messaging is a game changer in the distribution landscape. It opens up new opportunities for airlines to distribute their content to travel sellers even more efficiently and elevate their retailing to the next level. For corporate clients and travel agencies, NDC simplifies the booking process by providing direct access to IndiGo’s full range of products. This not only streamlines operations but also delivers the ability to offer exclusive deals and promotions tailored to individual traveler profiles. With the Amadeus NDC capabilities and the seamless integration with the airline’s IT systems powered by Navitaire, IndiGo is able to build dynamically price-tailored offers and expose them to customers – boosting ancillary sales and optimizing the customer experience, regardless of which sales channel they choose quickly and efficiently. Indigo is already live with NDC booking and servicing capabilities in UAE and Singapore with other markets to follow. IndiGo’s commitment to embracing NDC technology reflects its dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction. By providing greater access and reach of its products …

Ajman is currently witnessing a substantial increase in tourists from the CIS countries, recording an exceptional increase of 12 per cent visitors and 12 per cent increase in nightly accommodations. This is a testament to the growing attractiveness of the emirate as a tourist destination. There has been a marked increase of 3 per cent in hotel occupancy rate, along with a 5 per cent increase in room revenues as compared to the previous year. The Ajman Tourism Department has launched a promotional tour to the CIS under the leadership of His Excellency Mahmood Khaleel Alhashmi, Director General of the Ajman Tourism Development Department. The tour, which is being held from September 14 to September 21, has been organised to reinforce collaborations with representatives from the tourism sector of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan in a move to attract more tourists to the emirate of Ajman. The promotional tour includes visits to Almaty, Tashkent and Baku, during which the Department is highlighting Ajman’s latest tourist destinations and new projects which aim to enhance the Emirate’s position as a global tourist destination. His Excellency Mahmood Khaleel Alhashmi said: “The key goal of the promotional tour is to enhance Ajman’s position as a leading tourist destination at a regional and global scale. Our visit to the CIS is aimed at deepening strategic relations with our key partners, and further explore newer avenues for cooperation ad exchange of expertise.” He added: “During the promotional tour, we are showcasing Ajman’s rich heritage and ongoing transformation as a unique cultural and tourist destination within the UAE, enabling us to draw more visitors. We are confident that all these efforts will create new opportunities for sustainable economic …

Al Jaber Travel and Tours Qatar announced its latest addition to its portfolio, Al Jaber DMC, delving into destination management as they have the capacity, experience, knowledge and facilities to cater to the inbound travellers to Qatar. Dileep Nair General Manager Al Jaber Travel and Tours shared, ” keeping in line with Qatar’s Vision 2030, we have developed this brand, Al Jaber DMC, a destination management company where we can serve inbound travellers with memorable experiences. Qatar’s Vision 2030 includes economic growth, social development and environmental management, these 3 aspects will boost Qatar’s tourism. Hence, we decided that this will be an opportunity for us to launch this brand now so that we could assist travellers coming from different parts of the world into Qatar to experience Qatar’s true hospitality and enjoy the landscapes of Qatar. Our advantage is that we have two hotels of our own Century Hotel Doha, which is Four Star and Century Marina Lusail which is a five star hotel, this  makes it easier for us to curate packages for different types of travellers coming into Qatar. We are specialists in MICE  and cruise sector and this too adds on to our plethora of offerings to our valuable customers. As we embark on the cruise season in a few weeks as winter this time there are three main cruise lines which would operate and a few others expected, which we will update very soon.”

Travalyst has scaled flight emissions information globally, with emissions data appearing in over 65 billion searches1. The search figure, released by Travalyst – the not-for-profit organisation founded by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex – aggregates data from a number of its coalition partners2, which include Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Sabre, Skyscanner, Travelport, and Trip.com Group. Travalyst’s mission is to align the travel industry behind clear, consistent and credible sustainability information to help people make more informed choices. The Travel Impact Model (TIM), which estimates lifecycle emissions for flights at the individual passenger level, was developed by Google and has been scaled through the Travalyst coalition. Platforms using the TIM present flight emissions information at the time of booking, so travellers are able to choose a flight with an estimated lower-than-typical CO2e footprint3. On some platforms, travellers can also sort flight search results by emissions, alongside standard filter options such as cost and arrival/departure time. For example, the typical CO2e per passenger on a one-way economy flight from London (LGW) to New York (JFK) is 466 kg4. Popular travel booking platforms highlight an option that is 12% (57 kg) lower than the typical CO2e for that route. The difference in CO2e is approximately equivalent to a passenger’s flight from London (LGW) to Dublin (DUB) (typically 56 kg CO2e). The TIM takes a variety of attributes into account including flight origin and destination, aircraft type, cabin class and seat configuration, load factors and average aircraft utilisation. With such granular data comes the ability to see emissions at individual airline level, which could pave the way for airlines to compete on reducing their climate impact, as well as price and service. …