Category Archives: Agents

Oman Air hosted a trade event in Dubai, bringing together key travel agents and industry partners to share updates on its latest product offerings and strategic developments. The session, led by Brajesh Kumar, Regional Manager – Sales (GCC & MEA), provided agents with an overview of Oman Air’s expanding global network and its milestone entry into the oneworld alliance, which offers guests seamless access to more than 900 destinations worldwide and enhanced benefits across partner airlines. In addition to the alliance, Oman Air shared key company updates including the launch of new European routes to Rome and Amsterdam, the introduction of double-daily flights to London, and its recognition as an APEX WORLD CLASS™ airline for excellence in guest experience. The airline also highlighted its efforts during Dhofar’s Khareef season – an enduring favourite among GCC citizens and residents – while promoting Oman’s year-round appeal through its stopover programme and new Oman Air Holidays platform. The presentation also touched on Oman Air’s cutting-edge NDC product, which empowers partners to offer seamless, dynamic and tailored travel experiences. The event underscored Oman Air’s dedication to its travel agent partners in the UAE, recognising their vital role in the airline’s commercial success. By fostering direct communication and providing comprehensive product knowledge, Oman Air aims to equip its partners with the tools needed to effectively sell the airline’s premium and value-driven offerings to their clients. Oman Air operates across the GCC region with 04 daily fights between Dubai and Muscat.

Sharaf Travel has renewed its strategic partnership with Amadeus Gulf, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and customer-centric travel experiences across the region. Through Amadeus technologies such as NDC-X, Fare Optimiser, and B2B Wallet, Sharaf Travel aims to deliver smarter retailing, secure payments, and highly personalized experiences for both corporate and leisure travelers. The collaboration underscores a shared vision to make travel more connected, efficient, and intelligent. The milestone was marked by a gathering of key leaders, including Jayaram Vaidyanathan, Managing Director & CEO at Sharaf Travel, and Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director of Amadeus Gulf, alongside other senior executives from both organizations. Their presence highlighted the importance of the partnership in driving digital transformation and enhanced customer engagement in the travel sector. “This renewed collaboration enables us to leverage advanced technologies to meet the evolving needs of travelers and deliver seamless, personalized experiences,” said Sharaf Travel leadership. Together, Sharaf Travel and Amadeus Gulf are set to redefine the travel landscape in the region, combining innovation, operational excellence, and a strong focus on customer satisfaction. Tickets and travel services powered by these technologies are now available through Sharaf Travel’s booking channels.

The inaugural MICE Meeting Point 2025 kicked off in Beijing with TravTalkME as media partner. Two key MICE agents from the UAE attended with other agents from across the globe. Speaking at the opening David Axiotis, Managing Director, Messe Berlin – China shared, “China accounts to 25% of global business travel spending with conferences, exhibitions, incentive travel and events of all kind continuing to grow at an unprecedented pace. This two day event brings together organisations and companies from across the world, covering all segments of the MICE industry including conferences, event organisations, incentive travel, association meetings, overseas exhibition organisation, corporate travel and many others. It provides a unique platform to foster international collaboration, exchange industry insights and explore new business opportunities contributing to the growth and success of the MICE sector and its stakeholders.”

This collaboration aims to deliver comprehensive travel solutions to corporate clients across the region. Under this agreement, DW Travel will serve as Uniglobe’s preferred travel partner in the Middle East, providing end-to-end travel management services to Uniglobe’s clientele. This partnership leverages DW Travel’s regional expertise and Uniglobe’s global network to offer clients seamless and efficient travel experiences. Uniglobe Travel is a globally recognized travel management company (TMC), representing a network of independently owned and operated corporate travel agencies that collectively generate over USD 5 billion in annual revenue. While each agency operates autonomously, all adhere to Uniglobe’s high standards of professionalism, ensuring consistent service quality across markets. With a strong local presence in 60 countries and servicing clients in 90, Uniglobe currently manages travel programs for more than 10,000 corporate organizations worldwide. “We are excited to enter this strategic partnership with Uniglobe Travel,” said Bader Ahli, Director of DW Travel. “This collaboration not only strengthens our position in the corporate travel sector but also expands our ability to deliver world-class, tailored travel solutions to clients across the Middle East. By combining our deep regional expertise with Uniglobe’s global reach, we are set to redefine the corporate travel experience, offering seamless, efficient, and highly personalized services for businesses of all sizes. Whilst DW Travel has experienced 37% revenue growth year over year, our hope is that this partnership will provide opportunities for us to accelerate our growth even further in the future.” Patrick Hooft, President of Uniglobe BI and EMEA, commented, ‘Partnering with DW Travel is a pivotal step in strengthening Uniglobe’s presence in the Middle East. Their deep regional expertise and commitment to excellence perfectly complement our global network. By combining our …

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has successfully concluded its 2025 roadshow in India, with events held in Mumbai on September 3 and New Delhi on September 5. The initiative aimed to strengthen Sharjah’s position as a preferred destination for Indian tourists and expand strategic partnerships with key players in India’s tourism sector. The roadshow featured events at Mumbai’s St. Regis and New Delhi’s Leela Palace, attended by around 90 Indian business partners in each city, alongside media representatives. The Sharjah delegation included leading public and private sector partners such as Air Arabia, Emirates Airlines, Al Zajil Tourism, Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA), Shurooq, Golden Tulip Hotel, and Centro Sharjah Hotel. The tour highlighted Sharjah’s top attractions and showcased its refreshed tourism brand, “Visit Sharjah,” through a promotional video and interactive experiences, including virtual reality displays. SCTDA announced four strategic partnerships with Indian tourism companies—Royal Tours, Riya Holidays, Thrillophila, and TravClan—and launched consumer campaigns with platforms like Amazon and Inshorts.Sharjah continues to see growing interest from India, recording a 38% increase in Indian hotel guests in the first seven months of 2025, reinforcing its status as a top tourism market.

The investment, valued at OMR 1.81 million ($ 4.7 million), comes as part of OMRAN Group’s efforts to drive innovation in the tourism and hospitality sector and expand alternative accommodation options in the Sultanate of Oman. Commenting on the investment, Shabib bin Mohammed Al Maamari, Managing Director of Visit Oman, said: “This strategic investment reflects OMRAN Group’s commitment to adopting innovative solutions that support the diversification of the tourism sector and strengthen digital innovation. Through this partnership with UnderTheDoormat Group, we aim to empower property owners, licensed units, local communities, and SMEs by opening new avenues for business and reinforcing the Sultanate’s position as an attractive global tourism destination, in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.” Merilee Karr, Founder and CEO of UnderTheDoormat Group said, “The OMRAN Group investment into UnderTheDoormat Group is a major milestone for the company. It supports our growth strategy in the Gulf region and further enables our global technology expansion in the short term and flexible rental sector globally. Within Oman, combining OMRAN’s vision for tourism growth with our expertise in technology, compliance, and operations, we can create a robust short-term rental framework that empowers property owners, SMEs and communities. Together, we will set new standards for quality and innovation in the region and beyond.” Through this partnership, OMRAN Group will roll out a fully integrated digital infrastructure for short-term rentals in Oman. The framework will ensure quality standards and full legal compliance, while enabling SMEs to benefit from advanced digital solutions offered by Hospiria and TrustedStays, enhancing competitiveness and creating growth opportunities locally and internationally. The investment also paves the way for property owners and local hosts in Oman to list their …

Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Sabre’s EmQuest have officially launched Season 3 of their Exclusive Promotion to reward outstanding travel agents across the UAE. Running from 01–30 September 2025, this exciting campaign offers travel professionals the chance to win a trip for two to either the Philippines or Bali, Indonesia, complete with tickets and accommodation. The promotion is designed to recognize the hard work of travel agents and encourage them to showcase PAL’s world-class service and connectivity to their customers. “Travel agents are an integral part of our success story in the Middle East and across the EMEA region,” said Josh Vasquez, Regional Head–EMEA, Philippine Airlines. “Through this partnership with EmQuest, we are not only rewarding excellence but also inspiring agents to continue promoting the beauty of the Philippines and beyond. This campaign reflects PAL’s commitment to building stronger relationships with our valued trade partners.” Andrew Dowling, General Manager of Sabre’s EmQuest, added: “EmQuest and our good partners at Philippine Airlines are pleased to launch the 3rd Season of our popular promotion to give our valued travel agency customers the opportunity to experience the excellent in-flight service onboard PAL to a destination in the Philippines and Bali by simply booking and issuing PAL tickets through Sabre.” Campaign Highlights: • Sales Period: 01–30 September 2025 • Travel Period: No restrictions apply • Prizes: • Top seller to the Philippines: Trip for two with tickets and accommodation in Manila • Top seller to beyond Philippines: Trip for two with tickets and accommodation in Bali • Eligibility: Applicable for all new tickets issued via Sabre under UAE PCC during the sales period, including deal fares. Winners will be announced by 10 November 2025, with prizes …

Returning to London’s iconic Excel from 4-6 November 2025, WTM London is now open for registration. Building on last year’s hugely successful turnout, which saw an 11% rise in qualified buyers and 34,000+ meeting taking place, the 2025 edition of WTM London is on track to be the largest in its history. In line with the continued expansion of Excel London, the show is poised to grow by 25,000 m², offering increased space, enhanced content, higher level engagement and the introduction of WTM Trend Fest, a brand-new cultural programme spotlighting immersive global experiences spanning live performances, themed activations and daily presentations. Early indicators suggest record-breaking growth for exhibitor numbers, with destinations, experiences, transport, accommodation and tech solutions number continuing to rise. To elevate the exhibitor experience even further, WTM London will debut its very own TV channel this year, WTM TV, designed to educate, engage and connect audiences. Levelling up its already unparalleled conference programme, WTM London recently revealed a unified theme across all six conference tracks – ‘reimagining travel in a changing world’ – to maintain focus and clarity throughout the entire event. With the show’s expansion of stage and floor capacity, as well as a continued rise in conference session attendance (up by 29% last year), comes the opportunity to introduce new educational and entertainment experiences, including a series of bookable, fee-based masterclasses hosted by experts and exhibitors which will debut this year. With the programme already taking shape, renowned sessions such as the Ministers Summit at WTM, Sustainability Summit, Geo-economics Summit, Marketing Summit, WTM Global Travel Report and ITT Future You Forum, have all been confirmed to return to the stages of WTM London this year. Please book your free …

Almosafer announced a strategic partnership with Marka, a prominent local event management company specialising in high-impact corporate, cultural, and business events. This collaboration reflects Almosafer’s ongoing commitment to enriching the Kingdom’s growing event and tourism landscape and delivering world-class experiences that resonate with both domestic and international audiences.  

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has officially announced the theme for the 2026 edition: “Travel 2040: driving new frontiers through innovation and technology.” Taking place from 4–7 May 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), ATM 2026 will explore the forces reshaping the global tourism landscape and highlight how innovation is transforming every stage of the traveller’s journey. The period leading up to 2040 is expected to be one of the most transformative eras in the history of global tourism, with research from the World Economic Forum highlighting that the travel and tourism sector is projected to serve 30 billion tourist visits and contribute $16 trillion to global GDP by 2034. In parallel, technological advancements, including AI-driven personalisation and immersive digital experiences, alongside green aviation and smart mobility, are set to redefine how, where, and why people travel. Against this backdrop, ATM 2026 will provide a vital platform for the global travel community to explore new opportunities, accelerate technological adoption, and build a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive industry for the future. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The next ten years and beyond are going to be crucial for the travel and tourism industry. We are at a significant turning point where factors such as climate change, digital advancements, and evolving consumer expectations are all coming together to create both challenges and opportunities. By showcasing how innovation can enhance the travel experience, improve operational efficiency, and promote sustainability, ATM 2026 will provide an important platform for the global industry to prepare for what lies ahead, while ensuring the Middle East remains at the forefront of this evolution.”