Uber also launched its latest innovative travel feature, Smart Itineraries

Dubai: Uber announced a strategic partnership with Dubai Airports, to improve riders’ on-ground commute experience when arriving in Dubai. The partnership comes in preparation to meet the growing operational needs in Dubai, as tourist arrivals in the city peak this winter.

Uber also launched its latest innovative travel feature, Smart Itineraries.

Once riders link their Uber profiles with their Google account by clicking on ‘Travel’ in the app, it displays upcoming travel plans and allows people to reserve an Uber to and from specific locations based on hotel and flight bookings, making the travel experience even more seamless. Smart Itineraries is part of the Uber Travel Suite of Offerings globally, with a range of features expected to launch in the region soon.

Pia El Hachem, General Manager, Uber UAE and Levant commented: “Our mission at Uber is to help people move around their cities more seamlessly. This partnership with Dubai Airports and the launch of Uber Travel will streamline the traveling experience for tourists and residents alike by making stress-free and reliable transportation more accessible and easier to use. We will continue to expand our services to accommodate increasing travel needs, through the power of our technology.”

Uber’s pick-up zones

Uber’s new vehicle staging area at Dubai International (DXB) will hold over 125 vehicles, allowing for a short, estimated time of arrival (ETA) for passengers at the pick-up zone.

As part of the partnership, Uber and Dubai Airports will be increasing pick-up zones capacity in all terminals, including twelve parking bays, and in-terminal wayfinding. According to the International Air Transport Association, airlines in the Middle East have continued to see strong demand with passenger traffic more than doubling in September compared to a year earlier.

The partnership is particularly relevant for residents who travel within the GCC frequently, as well as expats who go back and forth between Dubai and their home country.

Eugene Barry, Executive Vice President of Commercial at Dubai Airports said, “As operator of the world’s busiest international airport, and gateway to one of the world’s most vibrant cities and destinations, we are at the forefront of convergent consumer needs and traveler expectations. Dubai Airports partnership with Uber is designed to enhance the degree of service and convenience for our guests, while complementing our existing range of ground transport options to and from DXB.”

Recent government data revealed that tourism arrivals in Dubai have bounced back to near pre-pandemic levels with the city receiving more than 10 million visitors from January to September 2022, compared to 12.08 million in the same period of 2019.

DXB is the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic, and is anticipated to be a major regional hotspot with travel picking up in the coming months. It recently raised its 2022 passenger forecast to over 64 million, having already welcomed 46 million passengers this year.

Source: Gulf News

The embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Kenya on Thursday, December 29, revised travel requirements for Kenyans heading to the Asian country.

According to the notice, China relaxed some restrictions imposed on Kenyan travellers, especially during the pandemic in 2020.

Commencing January 8, 2023, Kenyan travellers will be required to take nucleic acid tests within 48 hours before their flight departures. No Kenyan will be allowed to board a China-bound plane without a clearance certificate.

However, China’s embassy added that Kenyan travellers would be exempted from obtaining a health code before departure.

Upon arriving in China, Kenyans will be expected to fill out a customs form to declare the test results to shield the country from the pandemic.

At the entry point, Kenyans who post positive test results or have any fever symptoms will be required to self-quarantine.

“Given the ongoing pandemic, the above adjustments do not mean the easing of disease control. Travellers are advised to take primary responsibility for their health and use precautionary measures for self-protection,” the Chinese embassy stated.

 “The Chinese government will continue to monitor the latest trends of the pandemic and adjust the disease control practices accordingly to facilitate the entry and exit of personnel,” they added.

Before announcing new travel rules, Kenyans headed to China had to obtain three tests before being allowed to depart.

According to a notice released in April 2022, Kenyans were expected to obtain a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, nucleic acid, and antigen test 48 hours before boarding a plane.

Travellers were also required to obtain a health code from the embassy in Nairobi.

The revision of the travel restrictions points to good diplomatic relations between Kenya and China since President William Ruto’s ascent to power.

Besides China, other countries also have relaxed travel restrictions imposed on Kenyans during the pandemic.

The US was the first country to relax some strict travel restrictions, including lifting the suspension targeting Kenyan travellers.

Lifting the travel restrictions contributed to the recovery of the tourism sector and stopped job hemorrhages which had forced some big hotels to shut down. It also contributed to economic recovery in the country.

Source: Kenyans.co.ke

The 2022 Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) report shows African countries making progress in their freedom of travel policies, most of which had been severely curtailed by the Covid-19 crisis.

The annual publication, prepared by the African Development Bank Group in collaboration with the African Union Commission, is now in its 7th edition and was launched on Sunday on the sidelines of the 2022 African Economic Conference in Mauritius.

The report tracks visa policies adopted by African governments on three main criteria: whether entry to citizens from other African countries is visa-free, if a visa on arrival can be obtained, and whether travellers are required to obtain visas ahead of traveling to other African countries.

This year’s report underlines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years (2020 and 2021) during which most countries restricted movement, both domestically and for international travel. Restrictions on international travel ranged from closing entire borders to quarantines, screening measures, and bans on visitors from countries deemed “high risk.”

Domestic restrictions included a gamut of measures such as prohibitions on travelling between provinces, bans on non-essential movement, curfews, and rules that limited gatherings.

The 2022 report reflects on renewed signs of progress: 10 countries have improved their visa openness score over the past year, and visa openness on the continent now exceeds that recorded during the year prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and is in line with the peak score achieved in 2020.

Progressive visa policies that increase visa-free entry or to visa on arrival policies, will ensure that this positive trend continues. The use of technology and a greater adoption of e-Visa systems will help fast-track the ease at which travellers can cross borders.

Highlights of the 2022 Africa Visa Openness Index

African travel has become more open to African citizens in 2022, with fewer restrictions overall. There is now an even split between travel that is visa free, and travel where a visa may be obtained on arrival at the destination country.

• Three countries—Benin, The Gambia and the Seychelles—offer visa-free entry to Africans of all other countries. In 2016 and 2017, only one country did so.
• 24 African countries offer an eVisa—5 more than five years ago.
• 36 countries have improved or maintained their Visa Openness Index score since 2016.
• 50 countries have maintained or improved their Visa Openness Index score relative to 2021, usually after removing some of the visa policy restrictions implemented during the pandemic.
• 48 countries out of 54—the vast majority of African countries—now offer visa-free travel to the nationals of at least one other African country.
• 42 countries offer visa-free travel to the nationals of at least 5 other African countries.

Interestingly, lower income countries account for a large share of the countries that make up the top-20 ranked countries in 2022 with liberal visa policies: 45% of countries in the top-20 on the index are classified as low-income countries, while a further 45% of countries are classified as lower middle-income.

EVisas allow prospective travelers to apply for a visa from the comfort of their home or workplace ahead of travel, streamline the application process reduce time at borders, provide a greater measure of certainty ahead of travel, reduce the need to submit a passport for processing to consular offices, and make travel safer and more secure.

African Union Commission Deputy Chairperson Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa said: “This edition links free movement to the development of regional value chains, investments, trade in services and the AfCFTA. There is greater recognition that human mobility is key to Africa’s integration efforts.”

African Development Bank Group Acting Vice President in charge of Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, remarked: “The Africa Visa Openness Index has been tracking visa openness as a measure of the freedom of movement since 2016. This year’s edition—the seventh—shows many African countries having greatly simplified their visa regime over the past year.”

The 2022 edition of the Report showcases three countries that have made the most progress in their visa openness, namely Burundi, Djibouti and Ethiopia. Ethiopia in particular has risen several places on the index to regain her position in the continent’s top 20 performers after removing the temporary measures instituted in 2021.

In an innovation, the report provides an analysis of free movement of persons at regional economic community level in Africa. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community are the most open communities, with ECOWAS hosting eight of the top ten countries.

Commenting on the report, African Development Bank Group Acting Director in charge of the Regional Integration Coordination Office Jean-Guy Afrika, said: “The Africa Visa Openness Index has tracked the evolution of visa regimes on the African continent from before the pandemic to today. As the 2022 report shows, African countries are dismantling many of the measures imposed during the pandemic. Indeed, on the whole, the continent has returned to a level of visa openness last seen just before the pandemic began.”

Some key statistics:

• For 27% of intra-Africa* travel, African citizens do not need a visa, up from 25% in 2021.
• For 27% of intra-Africa* travel, African citizens can obtain a visa on arrival, up from 24% in 2021.
• For 47% of intra-Africa* travel, African citizens are still required to obtain a visa before travelling, an improvement of the 51% in 2021.

*Intra-Africa travel refers to travel by African citizens between African countries.

Source: AfDB

Authorities in Kenya and Eritrea have reached an agreement to facilitate the travel process by lifting the visa requirements for citizens of each other’s countries.

According to both countries’ authorities, the new decision would further tighten the bilateral relations, and also facilitate the travel process.

The decision was reached at a meeting held between the President of Kenya, William Ruto as well as his counterpart from Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki. The leaders also agreed to tighten cooperation in the African Union, “in the spirit of Pan-Africanism”. 

“We will keep working together to promote regional trade and investment,” President Ruto said.

In addition, they also agreed to cooperate and consult on regional integration and also to safeguard regional peace, as well as the development and security in the Horn of Africa.

The presidents of both countries also discussed the importance of promoting regional trade as well as an investment through developing regional, sea, land and air transport.

At present, all Kenyan citizens are required to have a visa when planning to travel to Eritrea and vice versa, however, the recent changes will contribute to further easing the travel process.

Authorities in Kenya in November announced that they had reached a visa -free agreement with South Africa whose decision will become effective starting from January next year.

Through an agreement reached between both countries’ presidents, it was emphasized that citizens of both countries would be eligible to enter each other’s countries.

Source: EABW News

You probably enjoy flying! However, the same can’t always be said for children, especially those flying alone. If you ever find yourself having to send your child on a flight by themselves, here’s what you need to know.

Unaccompanied minor programs

With flying becoming an increasingly accessible mode of travel, it is more common than you’d expect that, for various reasons, children fly without the accompaniment of a parent or guardian. This is why many airlines these days offer programs for unaccompanied minors.

Services can range from basic chaperoned assistance to more comprehensive travel support, depending on what’s offered by your airline of choice. Generally, all unaccompanied minor programs are designed to cushion a child’s stress and fear of traveling alone and to reassure parents that their child is well taken care of.

Requirements

• Age: Almost all airlines do not allow children under the age of five to fly unaccompanied. Those above five can fly alone – provided the airline has an unaccompanied minor program. However, some airlines require the child to be at least 12. If your child is aged 16 and older, they will be considered an adult, so chaperoned services will not be available to them.
• Documentation: Apart from your child’s passport, you will also need to provide documents detailing the responsible adult who will be picking up and dropping off your child. Your child will only be allowed to leave with the nominated adult at the arrival point if relevant identification documents, such as a passport or driver’s license, are provided.
• Important information: Crucial details, including travel insurance and medical information for allergies and medications, should be provided to the airline prior to the trip. It is also advisable that you provide more than one emergency contact detail should an incident occur during the journey.

Checking in

Right through the check-in process, minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Once the child is checked in, a member of the cabin crew will then guide them through security and onto the aircraft. Minors are given priority boarding so that they can get settled on the plane before the rest of the passengers board.

Parents or guardians are encouraged to remain at the airport until after the departure time, just in case the flight is unable to depart for any reason.

Extra precautions

While these rules and regulations generally apply to most airlines that offer chaperoned services, the level of service can vary. Also, do note that there are often additional costs involved. It’s a good idea to confirm the exact requirements and regulations of the airline you are booking your child’s flight with.

https://d57295122e4cede2e9fb9ab65a9fb060.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html For example, Jetstar recently came under fire for removing an unaccompanied 11-year-old from a flight. The flight booking was originally made through Qantas, the low-cost carrier’s parent company, which allows unaccompanied minors. Jetstar, however, does not allow children under 15 to travel alone.

Source: Simple Flying

The United Arab Emirates is ranked as the world’s number one passport to hold in terms of mobility and freedom from travel restrictions, according to the latest publication of the Passport Index, a global ranking by Montreal-based citizenship financial advisory firm Arton Capital.

The UAE, a small, oil-rich Gulf sheikhdom of about 10 million people — some 90% of whom are foreign expats — has beaten the likes of Germany, Sweden, Finland and Luxembourg in the latest ranking, though those countries are all in the top five.

Essentially, if you’re an Emirati passport holder, you can travel to a huge number of countries visa-free, and in many others you can get a visa right when you arrive. Emirati passport holders can enter 121 countries without a visa, and get a visa on arrival in a further 59 states. They need a visa for just 19 countries, meaning they’re able to access 91% of the world’s countries without having to apply for a visa before traveling.

Compare that to the United States, whose passport allows visa-free travel to 109 countries and visa-on-arrival to 56, while 26 countries require Americans to apply for visas in order to enter. The U.S. passport’s “world reach” is calculated at 83% of the world’s countries, compared to the UAE’s 91%.

The UAE, a desert hub for business and travel that’s home to the most multinational company headquarters of any Middle Eastern country, received a list-topping “mobility score” of 180. The methodology behind that score takes into account visa-free and visa on arrival privileges in other countries, and “the higher the mobility score, the better global mobility its passport bearer enjoys,” according to the report.

“What sets the UAE passport apart in particular is its ability for holders to enter countries with a visa on arrival,” Armand Arton, president and CEO of Arton Capital, told CNBC.

“Whilst the passport’s power to enter countries visa free is comparable to its competitors, those with a UAE passport can enter 13 more countries with a visa on arrival than those with a German passport, the second ranked passport.”

The UAE has benefitted from numerous reforms in recent years that have brought many more people into the country to live, including normalizing relations with Israel and introducing a remote workers visa. Its leaders have reopened or improved diplomatic links and made major investments and trade agreements with several different countries.

Many mobility reforms were carried out so quickly in comparison to EU countries because of the differences in their governments, says Arton.

“The European Union controls the most power to change the global mobility rankings as it represents all members states,” he said. “As a result, a new visa waiver agreement with Europe can instantly boost a country’s ranking. This, however, is a double-edged sword, as the EU is a heavy machine that requires consensus from all member states before acting. ”

“Therefore,” Arton added, “it cannot act as swiftly and decisively as the UAE has done and continues to do.”

The UAE has also refrained from cutting travel ties with Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine, unlike many Western governments, making it a highly desirable destination for people from those countries, particularly those trying to evade sanctions. The resulting influx of people has led to a property boom, especially for the UAE’s glitzy commercial and tourism capital Dubai.

Dubai itself was recently ranked by the networking platform InterNations as one of the world’s top five cities for expats to live. Allowing easy entry for more nationalities typically means that those countries reciprocate.

“The UAE has emerged as a unique crossroads,” said Taufiq Rahim, a research fellow at the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai. “It is between East and West, advanced economies and developing ones, and open to all. It is hard for any country to compete with this diversity of access and thus no surprise that it would top any passport index.”

For Khalifa BinHendi, an Emirati businessman and public figure based in Dubai, the UAE passport has been pivotal to his businesses’ growth and innovation.

“As businessmen, having the strongest passport on the global stage unlocks vast opportunities and creates a culture of speed,” BinHendi said. “Speed is everything in business, the faster you are the better the results. We can travel from London to Tokyo on a course of 24 hours which gives us a unique position and sharpens our competitive edge in running our business ventures and franchises.”

“This makes us beyond proud of our nation,” he added. “It motivates us all to be better citizens and contribute to the betterment of the UAE economy and society.”

Emirati passport holders count at roughly 1.5 million, according to local media reports. The UAE is also regularly named as one of the world’s safest countries, with an extremely low crime rate.

“Europe remains a particularly strong cohort, yet the rise of passports from the Gulf states are undeniable,” a statement from Arton Capital said. The results also showed, it added, “how some passports are stagnating, such as the UK’s as a result of domestic political choices.”

Despite a war erupting in Europe and the travel-stopping consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, countries have overall actually become more welcoming and global mobility has increased, the report said. Changing work structures including the rise of remote working have helped push this along.

“Many are considering swapping the commute to the office for life as a ‘digital nomad’,” Arton Capital wrote. “The investment such workers bring into host countries is highly attractive to many states. Consequently the world has seen a surge in the implementation of ‘digital nomad’ visas in countries around the globe, from Thailand to Estonia.”

“Though the world continues to feel the aftershocks of the pandemic, surprisingly, travelling has never been easier, with steady growth in passport power across the board, a trend that we predict will continue into 2023,” the firm wrote, adding that according to its methodology, almost every passport in the world has become more powerful in terms of its mobility.

Source: CNBC

Momentum is building behind the Single African Air Transport Market, or SAATM, a flagship project designed to create a single unified air transport market in Africa, organized by the International Air Transport Association.

New routes should be easier to launch without the need for reciprocal services, and 17 African countries have now agreed to test the initiative, out of a total of 35 country signatories (which represents 80 percent of the existing aviation market in Africa.)

They are: Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Africa, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Zambia, Niger and Gabon,

The 17 airlines will now open their air transport markets to each other as part of a new “SAATM Project Implementation Pilot.” According to reports, Kenya Airways will target corporate travel in a new Ghana-Senegal route, starting December 11.

The pilot routes come as more steps are being taken to create a new continental airline following a pact between South African Airways and Kenya Airways. Earlier this month a long-term business proposal was struck, which includes migration policies and trading privileges.

The air transport plan could eventually generate $4.2 billion in additional gross domestic product), 600,000 new jobs, a 27 percent reduction in fares and make a contribution to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, according to reports. For example, currently some routes between neigboring African countries involve connecting flights to nearby major international hubs.

The Single African Air Transport Market was established in 2018 and is considered as a step towards the full liberalization of the continent’s air transport market.

Source: Skift

According to IATA’s 2022 Global Passenger Survey (GPS), simplification and convenience are the top concerns in travelers’ minds since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The organization found that passengers want convenience when they plan their travel and when choosing where to depart from. Proximity to the airport was passengers’ main priority when choosing where to fly from (75%). This was more important than ticket price (39%).

Travelers were satisfied with being able to pay with their preferred payment method which was available for 82% of travelers. Having access to planning and booking information in one single place was identified as being a top priority. Additionally, 18% of passengers said that they offset their carbon emissions, the main reason given by those that did not was that they were not aware of the option (36%).

The research also found that most travelers are willing to share their immigration information for more convenient processing. According to the survey, 37% of travelers said they have been discouraged from traveling to a particular destination because of the immigration requirements.

Process complexity was highlighted as the main deterrent by 65% of travelers, 12% cited costs and 8% time. Where visas are required, 66% of travelers want to obtain a visa online prior to travel, 20% prefer to go to the consulate or embassy and 14% at the airport. Alongside this, 83% of travelers said they would share their immigration information to speed up the airport arrival process. While this is high, it is slightly down from the 88% recorded in 2021.

Nick Careen, senior vice president for operations, safety and security at IATA, said, “Travelers have told us that barriers to travel remain. Countries with complex visa procedures are losing the economic benefits that these travelers bring. Where countries have removed visa requirements, tourism and travel economies have thrived. And for countries requiring certain categories of travelers to get visas, taking advantage of traveler willingness to use online processes and share information in advance would be a win-win solution.”

Finally, passengers were reportedly willing to take advantage of technology and re-imagined processes to improve the convenience of their airport experience and manage their baggage. In particular, 44% of travelers identified check-in as their top pick for off-airport processing.

Immigration procedures were the second most popular ‘top pick’ at 32%, followed by baggage. Furthermore, 93% of passengers are interested in a special program for trusted travelers (background checks) to expedite security screening.

Surveyed passengers were also interested in more options for baggage handling – 67% stated that they would be interested in home pick-up and delivery and 73% in remote check-in options. Moreover, 80% of passengers said that would be more likely to check a bag if they could monitor it throughout the journey, and 50% said that they have used or would be interested in using an electronic bag tag.

The survey also found that passengers see value in biometric identification, with 75% of passengers wanting to use biometric data instead of passports and boarding passes. Over a third have already experienced using biometric identification in their travels, with an 88% satisfaction rate. However, data protection remained a concern for about half of travelers.

Careen continued, “Travel during Covid-19 was complex, cumbersome and time-consuming due to government-imposed travel requirements. Post-pandemic, passengers want improved convenience throughout their trip. Digitalization and use of biometrics to speed up the travel journey is the key. Passengers clearly see technology as key to improving the convenience of airport processes.

They want to arrive at the airport ready to fly, get through the airport at both ends of their journey more quickly using biometrics, and know where their baggage is at all times. The technology exists to support this ideal experience. But we need cooperation across the value chain and with governments to make it happen. And we need to continuously reassure passengers that the data needed to support such an experience will be safely kept.”

Muhammad Albakri, senior vice president of financial settlement and distribution services at IATA, said, “Today’s travelers expect the same online experience as they get from major retailers like Amazon. Airline retailing is driving the response to these needs. It enables airlines to present their full offer to travelers. And that puts the passenger in control of their travel experience with the ability to choose the travel options that they want with convenient payment options.”

Source: Passenger Terminal

Countries must see younger travellers as an investment despite new obstacles to growing this market sector, experts have urged. A WTM London audience heard how younger travellers were the first to return after Covid and collectively had the most disposable income.

Sally Cope, Tourism Australia’s regional general manager, UK & Northern Europe, said Australia had long seen the value of younger travellers, backpackers and those taking a working holiday: “It gives people their first taste of travel, it’s an investment.”

She said pre-Covid, 250,000 jobs were filled in Australia under the working visa scheme and that only 40,000 of these workers had remained when borders closed. “Our industry noticed that.”
Long-stay visitor spend often exceeded that of luxury travellers, she said, with the average at around AUS $10,000. Recognising this, Australia has extended its working visa scheme to those aged up to 35 and for three years. The requirement to do farm work in the second year has been removed.

“That opens up a whole new audience of digital nomads and those with a mid-career gap.”

Steve Lowy, chair of the British Educational Travel Association (BETA), said there were other benefits to communities from youth travel. More than other types, youths ended to stay in more suburban locations and buy locally, spreading the benefits, he said.

There were more spin-offs: “I have 1,000 students in London. I would say 40% of their parents have come and visited them. There is no marketing needed.”

Andrew Brown, the World Travel & Tourism Council’s New Zealand-born director of commercial and membership, said his country’s attitude to backpackers was not as positive as Australia’s. “They are seen as low value travellers, but they are not, because they spread awareness.” This meant parents often visited after their children had shown them what there was to see.

The panel advised countries to offer ‘landing packages’ which sorted out initial accommodation, banking and safety worries for young visitors. This was an issue now parents were in constant touch on social media. “Smooth that out and you will go for gold,” said Brown.

He praised Portugal’s traveller employment scheme. “Portugal looked at the gap in the market that they didn’t have yet.” He added Canada was also proactive, with 35 job schemes for overseas youth, while the UK had six.

Source: Breaking Travel News