Category: News

Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA), the world class flight training facility developed by Emirates, and the National Aviation Academy (TAYARAN), a not-for-profit vocational training institute in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share their expertise and jointly promote their training programmes and exchange cadets pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians in training between the two academies. The MoU was signed by Captain Abdulla Al Hammadi, Vice President Emirates Flight Training Academy and Mohammed T Al Subaie, Director General of the National Aviation Academy, in the presence of HRH Prince Faisal Bin Bandar, Governor of Riyadh ... Read more

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International’s most global brand continues its transformation journey with a nod to its timeless pioneering legacy, as it unveils a new logo that pays homage to its past and depicts its vision for the future. The new design reflects the brand’s holistic vision for the future, making Sheraton the central gathering place of communities around the world, welcoming guests and locals into a public space that embodies the modern town square vibe. “The logo’s evolution reflects the renewed energy and firm commitment we are making to our owners and guests to the resurgence of this ... Read more

Al Noor Island, one of Sharjah’s premier tourist and leisure destinations, is hosting the last leg of a month-long celebration of live oral tradition as part of the third edition of its International Storytelling Festival – Tales on the Island. To conclude on March 16, 2019, this one-of-a-kind cultural festival for children and adults themed ‘Stories: A Treasure of Words’, has featured a stellar cast of 15 storytellers and theatrical performers representing 10 nationalities. On its concluding weekend (March 15–16), seven critically-acclaimed storytellers, Sara Kasir from Lebanon, Michael Harvey from the UK, Katie Knutson from the USA, Martina Pisciali from ... Read more

#VisaFreeAfrica (VFA) has recently introduced the 55 Voices for a Visa Free Africa (55Voices4Africa) writing competition, inviting all African youth to share stories about the challenges they faced with intra-continent travel. VFA is a global campaign to facilitate mobility in Africa driven by the Kigali Global Shapers in partnership with National Aviation Services (NAS), the fastest growing aviation services provider in the emerging markets. Kigali Global Shapers, a community whose vision is to create a platform that engages with the youth to inspire innovation and change launched the writing competition to build further awareness on the important of achieving a ... Read more

The Royal Coronation Ceremony for His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, a historic event in Thailand, will take place between May 4 and 6. It is an ancient traditional practice, dating back to over a century ago, to celebrate the accession to the throne of the King of Thailand. “On the fourth of May, a time to celebrate not only by the Thais but from the world, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be officially crowned as King Rama the tenth of the Chakri dynasty, according to traditions governing the monarchy,” said Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Thailand. The earliest ... Read more

Ahead of World Sleep Day, Westin Hotels & Resorts around the world are today recognizing the power of #JOMO. In lockstep with a growing global demand for well-being and an increased awareness of the value of self-care, Westin will reward guests who find the ‘Joy of Missing Out’ and take time back for extra sleep, exercise or a break from technology. “JOMO is an extension of Westin’s commitment to make it easy for travelers to reclaim their well-being routine while on the road. The brand has been rooted in wellness since the game-changing debut of the Westin Heavenly Bed nearly 20 ... Read more

WTA’s Secretary-General, Liu Shijun and Dr Martin Buck, Senior Vice President, Travel & Logistics Messe Berlin Messe Berlin has been officially awarded membership of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), the first global non-governmental, nonprofit tourism organization, established in China on 12 September 2017. Members of the WTA include national tourism associations, influential tourism enterprises, academic institutes and other institutions from around the world. ITB China is an international Messe Berlin spin-off and set to take place from 15 to 17 May in Shanghai for the third time. The partnership will help strengthen the communication between the global and Chinese travel industry. Through ... Read more

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Dubai & Middle East Office, in association with Royal Thai Embassy in Manama, Bahrain and The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain and Gulf Air, will launch Thai Festival 2019 on March 26 at The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain. The EATHAI VISITHAI 2019 promotion will run from March 26 to April 25, 2019 and will see the city come to life as people celebrate Thai culture and cuisine with incredible discounts on offer at 13 of Bahrain’s finest dining establishments. The participating venues will showcase their appetizing special Thai dishes with tasting and a live cooking show at ... Read more

Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka posts a 7 per cent growth in February 2019, with over 250,000 tourists arriving in the destination. The top five international tourist-generating markets are India, Britain, China, France and Germany. Russia and the United States also recorded a significant growth in the last month. About 28,039 out of 252,033 tourists arrivals were from China in February, informed the Tourism ministry of Sri Lanka. In the first two months of 2019, Sri Lanka welcomed over 490,000 tourists. the ministry aims to attract at least 300,000 Chinese tourists this year, with ongoing publicity campaigns in several cities across China. “It is ... Read more

Czech Republic is slowly becoming an emerging destination among Indian travellers, with Indian tourist arrivals saw a 12.5 per cent growth in 2018. Czech Republic welcomed 96,325 Indian visitors through the year and recorded a total number of 2, 36,145 nights spent by Indians last year, with the average length of stay being 3 .5 nights per visit. While Prague and its attractions remain popular among travellers, an increased interest has been recorded in newer experiences such as beer spa, glass–blowing and wine tasting, bringing Indian footfall to the newer parts, including the South Moravian region. “The theme of the ... Read more

Akaryn Hotel Group, the innovative hospitality company with a portfolio of boutique luxury hotels and resorts in Thailand, is sharing the love with a series of unique wedding and proposal experiences for couples at its properties in Thailand. The Group’s creative operations team has come up with a selection of magical moments that are all about popping the ultimate question in a dynamic and decidedly different style, including an underwater gesture of love, a floating proposal, a request unveiled from a fisherman’s net in the sea. Lovers ready to take the plunge can head to the stylish rooftop swimming pool ... Read more

Emirates has announced the launch of a second daily flight from Dubai (DXB) to London Stansted (STN) starting 1st July, 2019. The additional flight means that Emirates customers will now have 11 daily flight options to and from three London airports. As with the first, the second daily flight to Stansted will also be operated by Emirates’ ‘game changing’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration with 6 private suites in First Class, 42 fully-flat beds in Business Class and 306 seats in Economy Class. The aircraft offers customers an enriched travel experience across all cabins with newly designed seats ... Read more

Niraamaya Retreats has launched its third retreat in Kerala on the banks of Vembanad lake in Kumarakom. The all new Niraamaya Retreats Backwaters & Beyond is now open for bookings. Niraamaya boasts 27 luxurious villas designed to maximize the glorious views of the lake, which also features a large 25m pool and a performance deck apart from two restaurants. “I am very excited to unveil the Niraamaya Retreats Backwaters and Beyond. This is our third property in Kerala and we intend to open two more resorts in Fort Kochi and Munnar to have a well-defined wellness circuit in Kerala. We at ... Read more

Bakel Fort, Kasargod Do you know story telling? Are you an expert cook? Can you win hearts with your smile? If the answers are YES, Kerala Tourism’s BRDC (Bekal Resorts Development Corporation) invites you to become entrepreneurs in the tourism sector under its SMiLE (Small & Medium Industries Leveraging Experiential Tourism) project. Indigenous culinary and tastes have become an integral part of experiential tourism today. Story telling about the destinations has also become a popular devise to attract more tourists to those destinations. BRDC plans to utilize the indigenous tastes of Malabar to lure tourists to the region by providing ... Read more

West Bengal Tourism has joined hands with the TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India (TATA Steel PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India, and Tollygunge Club to come up with a new golfing event- the Bengal Open Golf Championship 2019. The idea behind this association is to leverage the golf tournament in promoting the state as top tourism destination. The Pro-Am event will carry a prize purse of Rs 30 lakh. The top Indian professionals who will be in the fray include SSP Chawrasia, four-time European Tour winner, Rahil Gangjee, a winner on the Japan Golf ... Read more