Spotlight

AMAZON PAYMENT SERVICES LAUNCHES IN THE MIDDLE EAST
AMAZON PAYMENT SERVICES offers a range of services including payment processing, easy installments and monitoring services for businesses in the Middle East and North Africa Today, Amazon announced th...

Etihad transfers F1 biosphere safely to Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways aircraft safely transported the teams, drivers and crew in alignment with the FIA’s mandated Covid-19 guidelines Etihad Wellness is Etihad’s industry-leading health and safety initi...

The Seychelles Islands Remains a Tourist Favourite
The mystical Seychelles Islands remains a fantasy escape for travellers across the globe and, although the vicious pandemic has dwindled travel, the destination maintains its allure. On the path to a ...

Shaza Riyadh named the Leading Hotel Residences 2020
Inspired by the Andalusian riads, the hotel is an urban retreat for the most sophisticated travellers Shaza Riyadh, the contemporary luxury hotel residence situated next to the iconic Al Rajhi Grand M...

Sennheiser holiday gift guide
The year is not yet over, but it is obvious that 2020 has been really different. Yet some things will remain the same – and the magic of the upcoming holiday season is one of them. Whether baking co...

Hahn Air’s connects five new partners and accepts BSP cash
Hahn Air announced that its IATA certified NDC platform now accepts BSP Cash as an additional form of payment for connected travel agencies in more than 190 markets worldwide. At the same time, the co...

StashAway officially launches in the UAE
StashAway, Southeast Asia’s largest and fastest growing digital wealth manager that offers its services to both retail and professional clients has launched in the Dubai International Financial Cent...

Greetings from Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu is made for honeymooners and couples seeking romantic getaways where nature, wellness, culture and even moments of playfulness create experiences to be cherish...

Sennheiser launches CX 400BT True Wireless earphones
Rules are there to be broken: With the new CX 400BT True Wireless, Sennheiser has rewritten the rulebook for true wireless audio by bringing its high-end acoustic technology to an exciting new pair of...

Ascott welcomes residents to an exclusive experience across ME
The Residents Special Promotion of up to 25% off is applicable across Ascott’s 11 operational properties in the region. The offer can be availed until 31st December 2020. In light of the current d...

Aviareps launch ME 3D Travel
“The unique 3D online platform will allow various tourism stakeholders to host their virtual stands and meet, interact and conduct meetings with key outbound travel professionals and travel agents f...

‘The Virtual Museum: Underwater Malta’
The interactive and immersive online platform brings users closer to Malta’s underwater mysteries. Recently, the Mediterranean island of Malta has become a sought-after destination for many Middle E...

Air Arabia reports AED 169 million first half 2020
First half results were heavily impacted by second quarter performance that witnessed suspension of regular flights. Strong measures in place to continue preserving liquidity and supporting business c...

Wyndham Rewards Eases Member Level Requirements, Offers 3,000 Bonus Points as part of Travel Again Promotion
Members can now unlock new levels (status) after as few as three nights, plus earn up to 3,000 Wyndham Rewards bonus points over a two or more night stay Wyndham Rewards®, the world’s most generous...

Elephant welfare supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tourism Authority of Thailand supports elephant welfare through government-community collaboration Money and food donations, medical care and other support is being provided for elephant welfare #Am...

ATM Virtual draws almost 12,000 online attendees
Debut Arabian Travel Market Virtual event registers 11,977 attendees Participants represented 140 countries Travel trade professionals from across the world gathered in their thousands to attend the t...

Lamborghini presents the Urus Pearl Capsule
Automobili Lamborghini presents the Urus unlocking new colours Automobili Lamborghini presents the Urus in the new design edition, Pearl Capsule: the start of new adventures in colour and features for...

RAK invites UAE residents amazing “short-cations”
RAK invites UAE residents amazing "short-cations"...

Maldives… the sun will shine again
The Maldives is a nation of islands in the Indian Ocean, that spans across the equator. The country is comprised of 1192 islands that stretch along a length of 871 kilometers. While the country covers...

Rockfish welcome back its Friday Lazy Lunch
ROCKFISH WELCOMES BACK ITS FRIDAY LAZY LUNCH AT JUMEIRAH AL NASEEM The Mediterranean seafood favourite will re-commence its soft beverage Lazy Lunch starting Friday, May 8 Jumeirah Hotels & Resort...

Prepare your own Maltese cookies while staying at home
People who long for the taste of Malta now have the chance to indulge in exotic Maltese desserts prepared by none other than themselves. Due to the surplus of free time during quarantine, ma...

Seychelles showcased in Jeddah Travel Event
Strengthening the destination’s presence in the GCC market, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) showcased the tropical paradise in the 10th edition of the Jeddah Intl. Travel & Tourism Ex...

Vakkaru Maldives names Chef Bruno Cerdan as Culinary Director
The seasoned Chef brings 30 years of experience to lead the luxury Maldivian property’s renowned culinary journey The picturesque reef island resort, Vakkaru Maldives, is pleased to announce the app...

Maldives awarded as the ‘Favorite Country for a Holiday’
Maldives Wins & awarded as the ‘Favorite Country for a Holiday’ at the Ultratravel 2019 Awards in Dubai! Kicking off its innings in the Middle East with a bang in 2020; and riding on p...

Radisson Hotel Group leads growth in Oman
Radisson Hotel Group leads growth in Oman with the new Radisson Hotel Apartments Muscat Ghala Heights Radisson Hotel Group is proud to announce the signing of Radisson Hotel Apartments Muscat G...

C Central Welcomes 2020 with Grand Opening in Dubai
Luxury beachfront living at its finest Luxury five-star hotel C Central Resort The Palm marks the beginning of 2020 with a milestone event – its grand opening in Dubai. With VIP guests and media...

SriLankan Airlines and Gulf Air ink codeshare agreement
SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, and Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, have entered into a codeshare partnership with effect from 18th December 2019, sign...

Cathay Pacific Honours Travel Trade Professionals
Airline recognised the UAE’s top travel agents during second Cathay Pacific Award Night The UAE’s leading travel trade companies have been recognised by the Cathay Pacific Group during its ‘Cath...

Discover an Immersive Luxury Resort in Tunisia’s Sahara Desert
Set in the mystical Sahara Desert in the southwest of Tunisia, Anantara Tozeur Resort offers a luxury gateway to ancient cultural and desert wonders in breathtaking natural settings. From its exquisit...

Central European capitals and their nightlife
As a consequence of their complicated histories and limited access during the time of Cold War, the capitals of the Central European countries were not seen as tourist destinations for many years. The...

Best Activities in Mauritius for the Saudi Traveler
Mauritius, the beautiful island of the Indian Ocean boasts warm weather and sunshine all year-round and substantial amount of culture for a one of a kind holiday experience and the visitors wil...

The Festive season at Sofitel Dubai The Palm
A STYLISH EVENT COLLECTION FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON AT SOFITEL DUBAI THE PALM Beneath the star-studded sky and surrounded by twinkling lights, Sofitel Dubai The Palm collection of unparalleled experienc...

SriLankan Airlines forges ahead with Business Turnaround Plan
SriLankan Airlines has made significant progress in its efforts to become a sophisticated customer-centric airline intent on achieving financial success, by implementing a wide-ranging Turnaround Plan...

Best spa holiday destinations in Central Europe
All you need is… spa! Best spa holiday destinations in Central Europe Even though everyone has their own definition of a perfect vacation, there are some kinds of leisure that we all deserve fro...

JNTO Signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Emirates
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Emirates to Increase Visitors from the Middle East To further increase tourism demand from the Middle East to Japan, the...

Sofitel launches Dubai Fitness Membership
SOFITEL DUBAI THE PALM LAUNCHES SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP FOR DUBAI FITNESS CHALLENGE As Dubai Fitness Challenge gets underway for a 3rd year, Sofitel Dubai The Palm have launched an exclusive membership off...

Discover Ozen by Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts …here’s 13 reasons!
With the festive season fast approaching, especially the upcoming UAE National Day holidays, we have the perfect destination for you. Maldives – the go-to choose – from its tropical weather an...

Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts appoints Senior Management Team
Newly appointed Vice President of Revenue & Distribution and Vice President of Sales join the growing team of the Indian Ocean Hospitality group Indian Ocean based Hospitality group Atmosphere Hot...

Tajawal presents packages to five destinations in five hours
This holiday season discovers some of the world’s most fascinating destinations with tajawal, Dubai-based online flight and hotel booking platform offering fabulous travel packages inclusive of ...

OBLU Select at Sangeli turns one!
Almost 20,000 guests experience the resort in its opening year Four-star resort OBLU Select at Sangeli celebrates its first birthday on 1 July 2019, and is proud to share 12 months of highlights that ...

NRI Businessman Rizwan Sajan becomes one of the first few foreigners to receive the 10-year visa
The UAE has started issuing 10-year residence visas to select group of investors, professionals and scientists – as the country begins liberalising residency permits to gradually allow permanent res...

In the Maldives hospitality, Authenticity is key to Success
Our Hotels, Resorts & Best in Class Guest Services all revolve around our core fundamental Brand Values; Fun, Value, Tranquility and Bliss. These are deeply instilled within every aspect of the At...

Explore Maldives
Welcome to the Maldives, where sands are white as the smiles of the locals, where fish swim happily in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, where the weather is a dream, and the deep rays of the sun w...

KEF introduces LSX – a fully stereo and fully wireless music system.
KEF is proud to announce LSX, a compact two-speaker wireless music system with all the convenience and connectivity of the connected world, but with the emotion and detail of true high-resolution ster...

Atmosphere demonstrates the strength with VARU
Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts has unveiled further expansion plans, with another five-star Maldivian property, VARU by Atmosphere, set to open in October 2019. ‘Varu’ is a term in Dhivehi meanin...

House of Cheese a hit with UAE residents
The inaugural Dubai Cheese Fest has been dubbed a huge success as over 3,500 cheese connoisseurs from Dubai paid homage to “fromage” during the two-day event held at the stunning Westin Dubai Mina...

Expanded range of offerings from VCATI
Vision Concept Aviation Training Institute (VCATI) announced the launch of new courses that offer students who are also working part-time or full-time the opportunity to qualify for professional emplo...

Singaporean food at Kim’s
Spicequey’s Kim’s Singapore Seafood recently opened its doors in Meraas’s Al Seef. Munawar Shariff spoke with Sameer Purain, Founder and Owner of the restaurant about how his restaurant is the p...

MALTA TOURISM LAUNCHES NEW FAMILY TRAIL
The Malta Tourism Authority’s series of themed ‘trails’ has a new addition; the Family Trail, which highlights a treasure trove of activities. The Maltese Islands are fascinating for families. M...

RAK TOURISM NEW STRATEGY
RAS AL KHAIMAH TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITYUNVEILS THE EMIRATE’S NEW DESTINATION STRATEGY 2019-2021 New Destination Strategy aims to attract close to 1.5 million visitors to the Emirate by 2021 T...

Small Town Ramble in Taiwan
Taiwan is an island country and continues its vigorous efforts to promote tourism and offshore-island exploration this year by initiating the “2018 Year of Bay Tourism” program. Under this initiat...

Average length of stay of travellers from the Kingdom highest in the GCC
Travel from Saudi Arabia to the Czech Republic on an upswing; Growth in H1 2018 at over 21% The Czech Republic is fast emerging to be a sought after destination for travellers from the Kingdom of Saud...

Over 18% growth from UAE to Czech
Over 18% growth in travel from the UAE to the Czech Republic in H1 2018, says CzechTourism Second highest number of visitors from the GCC after Saudi Arabia The Czech Tourist Authority- CzechTourism &...

South African Tourism conducts inaugural tourism mission
South Africa Targets Middle East Travellers in Bid to Attract an Additional 4 Million International Tourist Arrivals by 2021 Twenty-one South African tourism entities and companies are visiting the Mi...

A Vibrant Mix of the Ancient & Modern city: Taipei
A Vibrant Mix of the Ancient & Modern city: Taipei Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan is culturally rich, a highly-developed and vibrant city. Taipei offers a wide range of world-class facilities ...

Slovakia becomes VFS Global’s 62nd client government
To operate 38 new Visa Application Centres in 10 countries, by December 2018 VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd., operating as VFS Global signed a contract with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs o...

Kansai targets UAE Holiday Makers
Kansai’s Osaka and Wakayama Prefectures along with hotel and tour operators to jointly conduct UAE travel agent workshops in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. 38% capacity increase on Emirates’ Dubai – K...

Orange County has launched its latest lifestyle for visitors from the Middle East
Orange County Visitors Association (OCVA) California, has launched its latest lifestyle tourism campaign centered around the celebration of the end of the year, with opportunities for visitors from th...

VFS Global signs contract with eight European Governments
VFS Global today announced that it has signed contracts with eight European client governments, to extendtheir visa service network in August and September 2018, including with the Government of Slove...

Celebrate the 2019 Taiwan Lantern Festival!
The Taiwan Tourism Bureau has been holding the Taiwan Lantern Festival for years to attract visitors and raise the international profile of the cultural attractions of Taiwan with the idea of “spre...

Online with Tune Protect & Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA)
Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA) has geared up on the online space to provide additional travel products by partnering with Tune Protect EMEIA – the online facilitator of Travel Assurance. Today...

Sun Moon Lake Cycling, Music & Fireworks Festival
Artists and writers have been visiting Sun Moon Lake ever since the Qing Dynasty, inspired to create by its beautiful scenery. During the Japanese occupation, the Lake was listed as one of Taiwan’s ...

GTA’s retail arm joins forces with Bedsonline
GTA’s retail arm joins forces with Bedsonline to establish the leading global platform for travel agents – Consolidated under the newly refreshed Bedsonline brand, GTA retail customers will mi...

The indispensability of travel protection plans
Given the complexities, uncertainties and vicissitudes of modern day travels, it is becoming increasingly clear and imperative that travellers must obtain travel protection to cope with any eventualit...

Eminence Spa at Wyndham Garden Ajman unveils new facial treatments
CromoAroma Color Therapy by Marzia Clinic Italia now available at the sp Eminence Spa at at Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche announces the launch of innovative facial treatments at the facility. Develope...

Schneider Electric at Arab Future Cities Summit Dubai that the Middle East and North Africa
Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, announced today ahead of the Arab Future Cities Summit Dubai that the Middle East and North Africa, and es...

Maldives reports rise in Middle East visitor figures
Maldives reports significant rise in Middle East visitor figures with a 10.7% Increase during the first six months of 2018… Latest figures from the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives show that the de...

Believe It or Not!, it’s coming to WAFI
Explore the unbelievable for the first time in the Middle East All things strange and bizarre are coming to WAFI this September. If you haven’t already guessed, its Ripley’s Believe It or Not! I...

Casting away concerns—the Travel Assurance way
As a veteran of the travel trade in the Sultanate of Oman, Dinesh Poojary, General Manager, Eihab Travels, has the inside track on the industry in the country. , a constituent company of the premier b...

Sustainable Seas: Royal Caribbean International at the Vanguard of Green Initiatives
The cruise industry at large has always been criticised for its environmental impact, from the passenger waste to the effluent produced by their gigantic engines. Nevertheless, Royal Caribbean Interna...

Six Senses Kaplankaya Residences
Wellness with Six Senses Kaplankaya Residences With many people taking a turn to a more wellness-focused daily routine, guests can now enjoy their getaways and enhance their life to a holistic ...

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts to host TBC Asia 2018 in October
Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts to host TBC Asia 2018 in October, a global travel conference in Colombo Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is set to host the third edition of the Travel Bloggers’ Conferenc...

hansgrohe transforms the hotel shower into an oasis of well-being
Check in and Relax Showering is wellness: hansgrohe ensures relaxation and provides a short break from the hectic pace and stress of work-related travel. In this way, an ideal day can begin with a ref...

100+ Restaurants Offer Great Rates through Visit Orlando
100+ Restaurants Offer Great Rates through Visit Orlando Starting today, foodies can begin making reservations for Orlando’s most popular restaurant month: Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Mo...

VFS Global Opens Application Centre for Sudan in Saudi Arabia
VFS Global Opens First Visa Application Centre for Republic of Sudan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia In addition to visa processing services, VFS Global will also provide legalisation services. The Embassy...

SriLankan Airlines offers quick getaways
SriLankan Airlines offers quick getaways to the sun, sand and surf for Gulf tourists SriLankan Airlines, the National Carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of the oneworld airline alliance, is looking ...

Beyond a Holiday…
Australia and Beyond Holidays is launching in the Middle East, although a relatively new inbound company in Australia its management team and ownership is by individuals who have been in the inbound t...

Matthew Powell – A Self-Driven Perfectionist
The one lines that come to mind to best describe Matthew Powell is ‘passion with perfection’. This ideology would span both his professional and personal paths. Reminiscing his early years in the ...

Mobile Travel Trends 2018
The digital landscape is shifting faster than it ever has before and so too are the needs of travelers. It took airlines 68 years to gain 50 million users, Super Mario Run passed 50 million users in j...

Lasting Impressions
Burj Khalifa with ‘Mission 828’ At the Top, Burj Khalifa unveiled a new virtual reality (VR) experience that simulates the real-feel of scaling all Burj Khalifa’s 160 habitable floors as well as...

Firnas Airways: Tapping into the potential of underserved / un-served routes
What was the idea behind launching Firnas Airways? We launched Firnas Airways as we saw a huge commercial opportunity to serve un-served and under-served routes within and outside of Europe that had z...

Asim Arshad: Charismatically Consistent & Self-Driven
The one line that best describes Asim Arshad, Group CEO, Orient Travels is penned down by Harsha Bhogle – "Across professions, consistency is a direct product of work ethic". This sums it all up for...

The Louvre Abu Dhabi
Travel Bulletin Middle East brings you some unique facts about the newly opened Louvre Abu Dhabi and some portraits of the collections ...

New Attractions lined up for UAE
Travel Bulletin Middle East brings our readers the new and soon-to-be-unveiled attractions in the UAE… ...

Raffles Seychelles: A Natural Escapade
The Raffles Seychelles is a picture-perfect destination where natural beauty is in abundance coupled with its locational advantage gives guests the ideal holiday option. The luxury resort is situated ...

Travel Counsellors: A New Avenue of Growth
Maggie Bootsman, General Manager UAE, Travel Counsellors talks to Charmaine Fernz on her new role, consistent growth of Travel Counsellors in the region, new initiatives and what lies ahead…...

Rami Mashini: Determination + Passion = A Successful Leader
Rami Mashini best describes his career path as driven by sheer passion and determination. The passion for being in the hospitality industry can be credited to his family-run restaurant business. He re...

Technology revolutionising the landscape of tourism: Sabre Report
The Radar Report is an opportunity to shed light on nine of the trends and technologies that have recently experienced some significant growth or achieved a milestone. Some of the much-talked about te...

Travelport LIVE: Innovations lead the way
The recently concluded Travelport Live MESA conference held in Oman at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa certainly touched the right chords with relevant topics and discussions. The w...

Lake Geneva region targets bigger ME numbers
Recent statistics from the regional tourist office state that the Lake Geneva region attracted close to 2.8 million tourists in 2016. These numbers include approximately 95,000 tourists from the Middl...

Tour East: Building on a legacy
Tour East established in 1972, has witnessed steady growth over the years to attain a leading position in Asia. The company with over 500 tour specialists has seen an increase in tourist flow across f...

Start Travel: On a Middle East drive
Start Travel, an IATA Accredited travel company based in Baku is focused on offering its customers trips that are filled with experiences and fun. The Company having well-established itself is keen to...

Venture Planet: Carving a niche in tourism solutions
Representation of a tourism clients is a challenging role especially in a constantly changing market like the UAE. In keeping with the trends, representation too as a role has its own nuances. Nonethe...

Discipline – The Fuel for Achievement
The one line which best describes Nasir Jamal Khan is ‘without discipline and hard work, it is difficult to be a top professional’ by Jahangir Khan (the former World No 1 professional squash playe...

Arabian Travel Market: Growing bigger Responsibly
The Arabian Travel Market (2017) witnessed a 10% increase in visitors from the GCC and a seven percent increase in international visitors to the event. The event that took place at Dubai World Trade C...

Centara expands its presence in the Middle East
Centara Muscat Hotel offers 152 comfortable rooms. It is a modern city hotel featuring well-rounded facilities; three restaurants serving Thai, traditional Turkish dishes and other international favou...

Winning against all odds: Kulwant Singh
A famous quote ‘Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently’ by Henry Ford is what best describes Kulwant Singh, founder and managing director of Lama Group L.L.C...

Emirati culture up close
Tilal Liwa Hotel in Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter is calling all UAE residents and visitors to celebrate the Liwa Date Festival. The 13th edition of the festival will take place from 20-30 July 2017...

Cool Down at La Playa Pop Up
Beat the summer heat in an air-conditioned tent serving Shisha and some scrumptious food from CLAW BBQ menu. All this and more is available at on the beach at the La Playa Pop Up. The venue offers bri...

Centara Hotels & Resorts continues expansion with openings in Oman, Qatar
Centara, Thailand’s largest hotel operator, knows it is on to something. Travellers have long been attracted to Thailand – the “Land of Smiles” – for its charming, gracious hospitality. If y...

ATM 2017 – The Industry Voices
Klaus Ehrenbrandtner – Austria National Tourist Office What’s new? We will showcase popular, new destinations and holiday attractions. There will be a virtual reality video section powered by ...

ATM 2017 adopting the ‘Experience’ factor
The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2017 has promised to be bigger and better with a big focus on the ‘experiential’ factor. Tourism today is all about the experience and this will be the highlight of...

Passion with Purpose – Haitham Mattar
Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAK TDA) in a tête-à-tête with TBME’s Charmaine Fernz divulges what drives him as a professional, how routine is not his cup of ...

Ramadan at Flavours Restaurant
Flavours Restaurant at Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham JBR will be offering special Iftar and Suhoor promotions. The chefs will showcase a menu with a mix of traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern cui...