Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

As Jeddah gears up for its second Formula One event the coming weekend, following the first ever top-tier race in December 2021, a new chapter of sports tourism has been started. At present, the sports sector contributes around 0.2% of the Kingdom’s GDP, while the tourism sector contributes about 3%, according to the Ministry of Sport and the Ministry of Tourism. The two ministries have ambitious targets for growth: sports should contribute 0.6% of GDP and tourism 10% by 2030. One of the major areas for growth sits at the crossroads of the two: sports tourism. The latest publication by KPMG, “Competitive edge: The unfolding potential for sports tourism in Saudi Arabia”, presents a model of four different categories of sports tourism, with a global case study supporting each type. Across these categories, the model emphasizes coordination between organizers, mainly the private sector, public sector enablers and national tourism promoters as it is critical to attracting foreign tourists for both sport events and participation. The first “destination-dependent sports tourism” category notes that the Kingdom’s vast natural infrastructure as a major pull factor for sports tourism. That would include activities like diving and other watersports along the Red Sea coast, mountain climbing, as well as desert activities such as rally racing, running, cycling, motor and quad biking. The second model, “alternative location sports tourism,” refers to the sport that tourists often play close to home when they are not on vacation. The sport – or entire vacation – is enhanced by the destination. A key example here is golf, already one of the most prolific tourism sports around the world. The landscape and coastline of Saudi Arabia provide an outstanding and …

The Indonesia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, has attracted up to two million visitors worldwide as Expo 2020 Dubai reach it’s end. The Indonesia Pavilion continues to strive to achieve the target of 2.5 million visitors at the end of Expo 2020 Dubai. “We are thrilled because, in less than two weeks of the end of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Indonesia Pavilion has managed to attract two million visitors. We are optimistic that the numbers will continue to increase until this event ends,” said the Director General of National Export Development of the Ministry of Trade and Commissioner General of the Indonesia Pavilion Didi Sumedi. Didi state that the success of attracting two million visitors could not be separated from Indonesia’s efforts to provide festive shows every day, ranging from amazing cultural performances, exhibitions of local products, to a wide range of workshops that successfully attracted the hearts of Expo 2020 Dubai visitors. The business forum agendas held by the Indonesia Pavilion also played a role in showing attractiveness and opening up investment and trade opportunities in Indonesia. Coffee Cupping event at Indonesia Pavilion serving Local Farmers’ Coffee Didi also said, as the fourth largest coffee producer in the world, Indonesia continues to strive to showcase local coffee farmers at Expo 2020 Dubai. Therefore, in the week of Bank Indonesia’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, the Indonesia Pavilion held a coffee cupping event on Sunday. The event was held in an effort to expand access to the Indonesian coffee market to the Middle East. “At the Expo 2020 Dubai event, Indonesia continues to introduce local Indonesian coffee, from exhibitions to coffee brewing demonstrations that can be found in the Indonesia …

The first-ever virtual event in the region, the Gulf Travel Show 2022 ended its final day with  over 2000 one-on-one meetings attended by travel agents, tour operators, tourism boards, airlines, hotels, travel management companies, international agencies and media over a period of two days for the fourth consecutive time in platinum partnership with Tourism Malaysia. San Jeet, Director, DDP group, reiterated in his address, “Advancing connections in a changing world has never been more important. We want you to make the most of this platform and help us shape the future. Our goal is to offer a virtual show that is as dynamic and as rewarding as a physical one. We intend to build connections, grow businesses and establish long-term mutually beneficial relationships.” Mirza Ghalib – Deputy Director – Tourism Malaysia – Dubai, ‘Gulf Travel Show 4.0 was a success for our Malaysian partners on the virtual B2B sessions with buyers from the Middle East region. We are satisfied with the contacts and enquiries that we have received, and our partners have been full with appointments since the announcement of Malaysia is re-opening on 1st April 2022. This is a good sign for us and we hope to see you in Malaysia soon.’ Sanaf Rahman – Travel Consultant – Aldar Travel & Tours Bahrain, shared, “Gulf Travel Show created a platform over the past two years to connect with suppliers from various parts of the world in one safe virtual space. Every edition of the Gulf Travel Show has brought in different suppliers to meet, engage and collaborate. Another interesting fact will be the insightful panel discussions and presentations by the experts featured in the auditorium, which we all look …

Day one of the fourth edition of the Gulf Travel Show ended with its pre-planned meetings for VIP buyers with over 500 meetings. SanJeet Director DDP Group opened the show welcoming all the exhibitors and buyers to the fourth edition of the Gulf Travel Show. Tourism Malaysia participating for the fourth time at the fourth edition of the Gulf Travel Show (GTS) from 22nd to 23rd March 2022. As a platinum partner, Malaysia is having its own virtual pavilion with 15 booths consisting of tourism boards, tour operators and hotels and resorts such as Tourism Malaysia Dubai, Tourism Malaysia Jeddah, Sabah Tourism Board, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism Selangor, Asian Overland Services, Universal Holidays travel and tours, World Express tours Malaysia, Sunway hotels and resorts, Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur, New World Petaling Jaya hotel, Dash Box Hotels, Lexis hotels and resorts, Berjaya hotels and resorts and Gembox. Following this year’s participation, Mr Manoharan Periasamy, the Senior Director of Tourism Malaysia’s International Promotion Division for Asia & Africa said that it is their fourth consecutive time to participate in the Gulf Travel Show and they continued to participate as they received a very good response and this has been a platform which brought together exhibitors from Malaysia to meet and network with partners from the Middle East. “We are very happy to announce that we will be opening our borders from 1st April 2022 this year to all international travelers and those fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine. Gulf Travel Show provided us the opportunity to connect and engage with partners from the Gulf region and promote our destination and keep them up to date about the latest information on Malaysia. …

Wego and Egypt Tourism Authority launch a campaign to get travelers to visit Egypt during all the seasons. Egypt continues its commitment and efforts in applying stringent health safety and precautionary measures to ensure the safety of citizens and tourists and has been welcoming tourists from the GCC. The campaign will focus on promoting Egypt as the most preferred destination of choice for Middle Eastern travelers showcasing the various elements of Egypt including warm weather, scenery, and a wide array of activities. The country will be marketed and retargeted on all Wego platforms through both the website and application, including online promotions, and other additional contributions. Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, MENA and India at Wego, said: “Over 2.43 million flight and hotel searches from MENA to Egypt were performed on Wego in March, where the country ranked the second most searched destination. We’re delighted to partner with Egypt Tourism Authority, to promote Egypt’s hidden gems including one of the world’s intact temples, museums, and pyramids.” You can’t think of Egypt without imaging Aswan, Hurghada, Luxor or Sharm El Sheikh. The country is the world’s largest open-air museum and has one of the oldest temples and museums, which are a must see for everyone. Amr Al-Kady, CEO of Egypt Tourism Authority, commented: “Egypt is intensifying its efforts to boost the tourism sector in the country and attract more tourists through promotional campaigns that highlight the country’s tourist destinations. Through our partnership with Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the region, we will attract more travelers from the Middle East to explore the best of Egypt. The country has been following stringent measures to provide a seamless …

Tourism Malaysia is participating for the fourth time at the Gulf Travel Show (GTS) from 22 to 23 March 2022. Focusing on business meetings, the digital event hosts buyers from across the region. After the success of the first three editions in November 2020, March 2021 and October 2021, Gulf Travel Show is back by popular demand in 2022. The two-day conference features networking sessions between the Middle East and from across the world as well as panel discussions between travel experts, tourism and hospitality sectors on the current state of the industry. Participants of the travel show include travel agents, tour operators, tourism boards, airlines, travel management firms, international agencies, hotels, and media from 43 countries. As a platinum partner, Tourism Malaysia is having its own virtual pavilion with 15 booths consisting of Malaysian delegates from Sabah Tourism Board, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism Selangor and together with three Destination Management Companies (DMC), tour operator partners, one product partner, and six hotels and resorts from Malaysia. “Starting 1st April 2022, Malaysia will allow quarantine-free entry for fully-vaccinated travellers, ending almost two years of stringent border controls introduced to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. As Platinum Partner of GTS 2022, Malaysia is thrilled to welcome back Middle East tourists to experience our country again. It is a timely opportunity for us to network with travel agents and tour operator partners from the Gulf region,” says Dato’ Haji Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, Director General of Tourism Malaysia.

Qatar Tourism successfully concluded its participation at Outbound Travel Mart (OTM), one of the first major travel trade shows in India for 2022. The show was back on the ground after a two-year pandemic-prompted hiatus, setting a positive tone for tourism resurgence. The Qatar Tourism delegation was led by Philip Dickinson, Vice President International Markets, Qatar Tourism, along with Sandeep Shevale – Tourism Marketing & Promotions and Deveekaa Nijhawan – International Public Relations & Communications. The delegation’s DMC participants covered Discover Qatar, Al Tawfeeq Travel and Travel Designer W.L.L. The team was also supported by BRANDit, India Representative of Qatar Tourism. The event presented itself as a platform to reconnect with the travel trade partners and media in the India market and an opportunity to showcase the diverse offerings and experiences Qatar has to offer. Berthold Trenkel, Chief Operating Officer, Qatar Tourism, said “We are pleased to be part of OTM 2022 and to re-establish our presence in the India market. The objective was to highlight the various facets that Qatar offers not just in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup, but beyond as well. The aim is to leverage our tourism assets based on six demand spaces identified in line with our vision, namely Sun, Sea and Sand; Active Holidays; Relax & Rejuvenate; Cultural Enthusiasts; Luxury City Breaks and Romantic Getaways. With the launch of new hotels, theme parks, cultural hotspots, retail outlets, leisure projects and more, Qatar is all set to unravel a new wave of experiences.” To reaffirm trade partnerships, Qatar’s national carrier, Qatar Airways in association with Qatar Tourism hosted a networking dinner at The St. Regis Mumbai on 14th March 2022. The interactive …

As Tourism Malaysia participates for the fourth consecutive time at the Gulf Travel Show (GTS) on 22nd and 23rd March 2022 from 11am to 5pm, Sabah tourism will be one of the key partners to attend the event virtually to meet the agents for two consecutive days. Humphrey Ginibun, Senior Marketing Manager, Sabah Tourism Board shares, “Sabah Malaysian Borneo is the hidden jewels of Malaysia and Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is proud to promote Sabah as a preferred holiday destination for families, honeymooners, and adventure travellers. Mt Kinabalu in Sabah is Malaysia’s first World Heritage site and Sipadan Island is renowned as among the top dive sites in the world. These tourism products are Sabah’s top iconic tourism product in Malaysia. Prior to the Covid19 pandemic, Sabah is ranked the top two busiest airports in Malaysia and Sabah receives over 200 international direct flights from 20 cities in Asia. Sabah is growing in popularity as a holiday destination, STB looks forward to meeting tour agents who can work hand in hand with us to rekindle tourism holidaymakers and promote Sabah to the Middle Eastern market.” As a platinum partner, Malaysia is having its own virtual pavilion with 15 booths consisting of tourism boards, tour operators and hotels and resorts such as Tourism Malaysia Dubai, Tourism Malaysia Jeddah, Sabah Tourism Board, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism Selangor, Asian Overland Services, Universal Holidays travel and tours, World Express tours Malaysia, Sunway hotels and resorts, Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur, New World Petaling Jaya hotel, Dash Box Hotels, Lexis hotels and resorts, Berjaya hotels and resorts and Gembox. It will be an opportunity to network with travel agents and tour operator partners from the Middle …

For the first time around, Israel is now open to all travellers residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As of 01 March 2022, vaccinated and unvaccinated tourists of all ages are permitted to enter Israel upon presenting a negative PCR test before departure and after arriving in Israel. The Israel Ministry of Tourism made the official announcement at the Expo 2020 Israeli Pavilion on 15 March 2022. The announcement follows a recent agreement between the UAE and Israel extending visa-free entry to all UAE nationals as part of the ongoing strategic partnership between both countries.   Following the announcement, the Israel Ministry of Tourism hosted a B2B workshop for travel partners in the UAE. Dignitaries from the Ministry shared an informative destination presentation showcasing exceptional prospects for post-covid tourism. The workshop attracted over 65 agents from the travel industry, followed by a pavilion tour to the travel trade partners and media. The event concluded with a networking gala serving Israeli delicacies and music that welcomed top travel stakeholders in the market.   Israel’s tourism offering: Israel is a global destination attracting over 4.5 million tourists in 2019 alone. The country provides the perfect conditions to accommodate all UAE visitors, including halal food restaurants. The local Israeli Kosher food is halal-friendly and is liked by many tourists. Additionally, the country offers diverse family-oriented hotels and heritage sites which can be explored with the help of Arabic tour guides.   Speaking at the event, Ksenia Kobiakov, New Markets Development Department Director, Israel Ministry of Tourism, said, “There is a tremendous potential in the UAE to drive incoming tourists to Israel. I hope travellers from the UAE will appreciate Israel’s unique offerings, …

The Malaysian state of Melaka kicked off a week-long campaign to woo foreign investments in maritime, IT, energy, electric vehicles, tourism and other sectors at the Expo 2020 Dubai with an initial target of RM500 million (US$119 million) in projects. The state is also showcasing its latest and ambitious waterfront economic zone, which it says will help transform the once-thriving trading port into a modern metropolis and an important investment hub in Southeast Asia. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Utama Sulaiman Md Ali, who led a high-powered delegation of investors and government officials, said the Expo would also help boost tourism in Melaka, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. Melaka, along with George Town, are historic cities of the Straits of Melaka. Both cities have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with rich multicultural heritage. “Our history as a maritime hub and a busy trading centre goes back a long way.  The deep, sheltered harbour on the narrow channel which took our name, the Straits of Melaka, positioned us at the crossroads of one of the busiest sea lanes in the world,” Sulaiman said in his speech at the launch of the Melaka Week. Besides preserving heritage, Melaka is also forging ahead in its drive for a more relevant and sustainable economic future. It is aggressively pushing to develop the economic corridor called the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone or M-WEZ. Launched just a year ago, state authorities are banking on international investors to help turn the huge 25,000-acre site into a vibrant corridor. A unique aspect of this corridor …