Under the directive of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) will be hosted at Dubai Expo City.

The directive underlines the venue’s unique proposition as a state-of-the-art destination, which brought the world together in the UAE for six months. Both Expo 2020 and COP28 share similar objectives: achieving sustainability and promoting international action as essential steps towards facing global challenges.

COP28 focuses on key pillars, including the implementation of climate commitments and pledges, inclusion, working together to take concrete action and identifying solutions that contribute to overcoming challenges, and seizing opportunities to ensure a sustainable future for present and future generations.

The selection of Dubai Expo City as a venue for COP28 builds on the legacy and message of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, and affirms commitment to the themes of sustainability, opportunity, and mobility, while showcasing its advanced and sustainable infrastructure, in line with the UAE’s vision for COP28.

The conference is expected to see over 45,000 participants daily, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts and representatives of civil society organizations.

The new city, announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will be a global hub for innovation and creativity. It will represent a model for the future city that preserves the UAE’s legacy as an active contributor to the progress of the region and the world.

The UAE has a proven track record in climate action and multilateral cooperation. It is the permanent host country for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the first country in the region to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement, and the first in the region to commit to an economy-wide reduction in emissions.

In addition, the UAE has also established itself as a world-class destination for hosting high-level international events focusing on climate action and sustainable development.

Over the past 15 years, the UAE has emerged as a regional leader in renewable and clean energy investments, both domestically and internationally. It invested US$50 billion in clean energy and has recently announced its plans to invest more than US$50 billion over the next decade in additional projects, including hydrogen and ammonia.

The UAE operates three of the world’s largest and lowest-cost solar plants and has invested in renewable energy projects in 70 countries. These investments include more than US$1 billion in grants and loans to 27 island countries that are resource-stressed and particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The UAE leverages effective and innovative climate action as a key driver to building a new, low-emissions economic growth model, underpinned by sustainability, and one that will create meaningful employment opportunities in new sectors thereby driving the ambitions of the UAE, the region, and the world.

COP28 represents a moment of vital significance as the world seeks to maximise progress since the Paris Agreement. The conference will witness a critical stocktaking moment for climate action under the Paris Agreement, in addition to defining future Nationally Determined Contributions.

With Egypt hosting COP27 in November 2022, the UAE is committed to working closely with the host government to accelerate global progress in climate action and adapting to the repercussions of climate change.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was launched in 1992 in Brazil. The conferences are formal meetings, held annually since 1995, which aim to find solutions to reduce the impacts of climate change. At COP26 in Glasgow, the UAE was chosen to host COP28 in November 2023.

Source: Travel and Tour World

British Airways is removing a further 10,300 short-haul flights from the start of August until the end of October, to build resilience into its schedules amidst ongoing disruption across the industry.  

The latest cuts come just days after reports BA was trimming 1,000 flights to destinations this summer across Greece, Spain and Portugal from its London hubs. Airlines including easyJet and Lufthansa Group airlines have also been removing flights in light of ongoing staff shortages at airlines, airports and air traffic control.   

Long-haul flights are unaffected by the latest round of BA adjustments. In total, BA has now altered 13% of its summer schedule.  

The British flag carrier said it decided to trim schedules after the government said it would ease slot rules – where airlines have to use valuable take-off and landing slots at airports or face giving them up.  

“The whole aviation industry continues to face into significant challenges and we’re completely focussed on building resilience into our operation to give customers the certainty they deserve,” the carrier said in an emailed statement on July 7, 2022.  

“While taking further action is not where we wanted to be, it’s the right thing to do for our customers and our colleagues.”  

BA said the new slot flexibility means it can consolidate some of its less busy services in order to protect holiday flights.  

“While most of our flights are unaffected and the majority of customers will get away as planned, we don’t underestimate the impact this will have and we’re doing everything we can to get their travel plans back on track,” BA said, saying it was getting in touch with passengers about rebooking or refunds.  

The carrier is also facing the threat of strikes at London Heathrow (LHR), its main hub. Plane refuelers at the airport have voted to strike while check-in staff represented by two unions have also voted in favor of walkouts in a row over reversing pandemic pay cuts.  

Source: Aerotime Hub

Four in 10 travel insurance policies offer no protection for air passengers if holidays are cancelled owing to strikes, Which? has warned.

While airlines are required by law to refund the cost of a cancelled flight, some holidaymakers could lose money spent on hotels and other expenses.

The consumer group is urging people to look closely at their policy ahead of expected summer disruption.

Package holidays are covered in full if any part of the trip is cancelled.

Which? said that travellers who organise flights, accommodation, car hire and so on separately should always buy suitable travel insurance when they book.

If your flight is cancelled, customers have the right to either a full refund or a replacement flight. Many hotels also offer cancellation policies without a penalty.

However, many travellers could find themselves in need of a travel insurance claim if their holiday is thrown into disarray by a flight cancellations.

Which? assessed 199 policies offered by 71 providers and found 120 of them offered cover if travellers have to cancel a trip owing to strike action.

Of the remainder, 78 did not provide cover for cancellations owing to strikes, while for one policy it was an optional extra.

The consumer group said there were also significant disparities between policies for holidays affected by Covid.

Jenny Ross, money editor at Which?, said: “With many airlines warning of widespread disruption this summer and Covid cases on the rise, travellers should ensure they have taken out adequate insurance to cover any losses or unexpected costs they might face.

“We advise travellers to always check policies carefully to ensure they offer the cover that will be most appropriate to their trip, and to ensure they have cover in place from the time of booking.”

Can you get compensation if your flight is cancelled?

If your flight is cancelled, you have the right to either a full refund, or a replacement flight.

“That different flight does not need to be with the same carrier – it can be an alternative, as long as it flies on the same day,” says Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership.

If you and the airline can’t agree on a new flight, it will refund you.

If the flight was cancelled with 14 days or less notice, you may also be entitled to compensation – but only if the airline is at fault.

“If it’s a direct result of the airline, you’re entitled to compensation, but if it’s the airport, your compensation doesn’t kick in,” says Mrs Lo Bue-Said.

Cancellation plan

Last month, hundreds of British Airways workers at Heathrow Airport voted to go on strike over pay.

In addition to strikes, many businesses have struggled to recruit enough new staff to deal with resurgent demand for travel following the easing of Covid rules.

Airlines are expected to announce a series of cancellations to UK summer flights this week aimed at minimising disruption in the peak holiday season.

A government “amnesty” to the rules on airport slots is in place until Friday, allowing airlines to change schedules without facing a potential penalty.

Gatwick has already said it will be reducing the number of flights during the summer. Heathrow to date has not announced similar plans although last week it ordered 30 flights to be cancelled, saying it was expecting more passenger numbers than it could cope with.

Manchester Airport warned it would not be able to return to its pre-pandemic standards until the autumn.

On Monday, EasyJet said its chief operating officer, Peter Bellew, had resigned after a series of flight cancellations and disruption at the airline in recent weeks.

Source: BBC

The UK government has announced a new plan to address travel disruption in the aviation industry. The 22-point plan aims to avoid a repeat of the problems seen across UK airports over the past few months.

UK tackles aviation travel disruption

In response to the severe travel disruption across the UK this year, particularly over the busy Easter period, the UK government has launched a series of measures to support the aviation industry and passengers.

The joint initiative from the Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) aims to “minimize disruption in the aviation sector and protect passengers if it does happen.”

Staff shortages and rising travel demand caught many airlines and airports unaware, leading to long delays and thousands of canceled flights.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said,

“The 22 measures we’ve published today set out what we’re doing to support the industry. It’s now on airports and airlines to commit to running the flights they’ve promised or cancel them with plenty of time to spare, so we can avoid the kind of scenes we saw at Easter and half-term.”

The 22-point plan

As laid out on the UK government website, the 22-point plan is split into three broad categories – industry support, passenger support, and recruitment and training support.

Key takeaways from the plan include:

Industry Support

• New regulations on airport slots, including an “amnesty” to hand back slots that can’t be fulfilled.
• Weekly committees, including a Strategic Risk Group and Summer Resilience Group.
• Weekly updates on schedule viability to ensure airline schedules can be fulfilled.

Passenger Support

• A new Aviation Passenger Charter offering guidance on the rights and responsibilities of an air passenger.
• Reviewing current airline practices on passenger care, compensation and legal responsibility.
• Strengthening consumer protection, including expanding the CAA’s enforcement powers and written warnings to airports and airlines.

Recruitment and Training Support

• Legal changes to enable airlines and airports to train and deploy staff more quickly.
• Building partnerships with colleges and universities to attract interest in aviation.
• Launching the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) backed by £161 million in grants.

Aviation Minister Robert Courts said,

“The action we’ve taken to support airlines and airports isn’t just about minimizing disruption this summer, but helping the sector recruit the staff it needs for the long term. I look forward to continuing to support them in this effort where we can.”

Consumer group Which? responds

In June, Simple Flying reported on UK consumer rights group Which? warning that the government’s proposals on passenger compensation will weaken passenger rights.

Which? has responded to the government’s new 22-point plan, reiterating its belief that the CAA should be granted the power to directly fine airlines.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said,

“The shameful scenes at UK airports show why passengers need their rights to be strengthened and enforced by a strong regulator and compensation regime. The government should give the CAA powers to fine airlines directly when they flout the law, and drop plans to cut passenger compensation for delayed and cancelled domestic flights.”

Source: Simple Flying

Passengers have complained of queues and “total chaos” at Heathrow after the airport asked airlines to remove 30 flights from Thursday’s schedule.

The UK’s largest airport asked airlines to cut the flights because it was expecting more passenger numbers than it can currently cope with.

Some passengers did not know that their flights were cancelled until they arrived at the airport.

Heathrow said the cancellations were necessary for safety.

Travel writer and broadcaster Andy Mossack tweeted that there was “total chaos” and “zero customer service” at the airport on Thursday morning.

Mr Mossack, who was due to fly to Geneva at 08:25am, told the BBC he was told of the cancellation via an email about 6.00am which he didn’t see until he arrived at the airport.

“There are no flights to Geneva until Sunday or Monday. So I’ve had to come home”.

Terminal 5 was “awful… there were hundreds of people there. Some sleeping on the floor”.

Another passenger tweeted that terminal 5 was a “disgraceful shambles” after he arrived on Thursday morning to find his flight cancelled.

PA reported that one passenger, Andrew Douglas, said he had spent four hours in queues to find out at check-in that his flight had been cancelled with no prior notifications.

Other travellers complained of poor customer service and a lack of help when trying to rebook their flights.

A Heathrow spokesman said: “We will work with airlines to get affected passengers rebooked onto other flights outside of the peak so that as many as possible can get away, and we apologise for the impact this has on travel plans.

“We are working hard to ensure everyone has a smooth journey through Heathrow this summer, and the most important thing is to make sure that all service providers at the airport have enough resources to meet demand.”

A spokesman from British Airways, one of the airlines affected, said: “As a result of Heathrow’s requirement for all airlines to reduce their schedules, we’ve made a small number of cancellations.”

The airline said it was in contact with affected customers to “apologise, advise them of their consumer rights and offer them alternative options, including a refund or rebooking.”

Virgin Atlantic said one of their Heathrow to New York return services had been cut in each direction, while Air France, KLM, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, Brussels Airlines and Air Canada are also affected.

Meanwhile, the government is calling on the industry to run “realistic” summer schedules and alert passengers to any flight changes as “early as possible” to minimise disruption.

“It’s now on airports and airlines to commit to running the flights they’ve promised or cancel them with plenty of time to spare so we can avoid the kind of scenes we saw at Easter and half term,” said Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

Among the 22 measures the Department for Transport introduced on Thursday is a plan to give airlines a short window to hand back plane parking slots for the rest of the summer season.

This is aimed to help manage capacity at the busiest airports.

Earlier this month, around 5,000 people were hit by Heathrow cancellations because of technical issues affecting baggage.

Before that, tens of thousands of passengers had been affected by disruption at UK airports and flight cancellations during the week of the Platinum Jubilee and half-term holidays.

The disruption was caused by several factors, but staff shortages have left the aviation industry struggling to cope with resurgent demand.

Last week when Heathrow made a similar move, it was for a different reason – because of the knock-on impact of a technical problem with baggage.

This time, it’s linked to staffing; it realised more passengers were going to come through the airport the next morning than it has capacity for right now.

But why was the decision only announced on the afternoon of the day before?

The airport says it’s seeing increasing numbers of last-minute bookings following cancellations or disruption at other airports – and this is pushing up passenger demand. Thirteen percent more passengers were booked to fly today than Thursday last week.

Heathrow says it’s constantly talking to airlines, working with them to make sure the right amount of airline, airport and ground handling resources are in place to cope with the number of flights operating.

Gatwick has already announced it’s limiting flight numbers for July and August. Heathrow hasn’t done that, but points out that since Gatwick’s announcement, the government has announced a one-off “amnesty” on airport slot rules, and airlines are expected to use this to cut more flights to try to make schedules more resilient.

Source: BBC

Machine readable passports have finally been phased out and will no longer be recognised as valid travel documents in Rwanda.

According to an official announcement from the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE), the development took effect from June 28, 2022.

“The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration would like to remind the general public that the Rwanda Machine Readable Passport (old passport) has been phased out and ceased to be recognised as a travel document with effect from June 28,” the announcement read.

All Rwandans who wish to travel to countries where a passport is needed, are required to have the new Rwanda East Africa Passport (EAC) e-Passport.

However, returning citizens with valid Machine-Readable Passports will be allowed to return to Rwanda.

In June 2019, the DGIE started the issuance of the e-Passports, a move that other East African countries including Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have also embarked on.

An agreement between EAC member states targets that machine-readable passports are phased out within two years from the date of issuing of the first e-Passports.

In this respect, Rwanda’s first deadline for the phase-out was June 27 last year.

However, with the global Covid-19 pandemic that led to lockdowns in several countries, the Rwandan Communities Abroad could not travel to the nearest Embassy to provide biometric data due to travel restrictions.

As a result, Rwanda extended the phase-out deadline for one year, until June 27, 2022.

In an earlier interview with The New Times, Lynder Nkuranga, the Director General of the DGIE highlighted some of the advantages of the e-Passport, including the fact that it raises the level of trust for Rwandans traveling since it is considered as the world standard travel document.

“Countries can authenticate and confirm the issuing authority of the e-Passport. E-Passport forgery is close to zero because of the embedded chip that contains biometric data of the bearer,” she said.

She referred to the e-Passport as a secure digital travel document that can be digitally verified by other countries.

“The portrait and names written on the chip can be verified to confirm that the holder of the passport is the person whom he or she claims to be.”

The document is also looked at as a step forward in the fight against cross-border crimes including terrorism since it uses advanced technology that ensures that travel documents are used by the legitimate persons and authorities.

Rwandans abroad can apply for both the national identity cards and e-Passports via the Irembo portal.

The development assists Rwandans living in foreign countries to get their East African e-Passports.

The applicants’ biometric data is captured from the nearest Rwandan Embassy and be used for the processing of both ID card and e-Passport.

How much does it cost?

There are several categories of e-Passports. An ordinary one for minors valid for two-years costs Rwf25,000, while that of 5 years (with 50 pages) costs Rwf75,000.

An ordinary 10-year passport with 66 pages, costs Rwf100,000, a service passport with a 5-year validity costs Rwf15,000, and a diplomatic passport costs Rwf50,000.

Source: New Times Rwanda

Twelve African countries have collectively blocked airlines from repatriating US$1 billion to their home countries, and Africa is responsible for 67% of airlines’ blocked funds globally. One country stands out – as of May 2022, Nigeria was hanging onto $450 million in funds belonging to foreign airlines, and one of the consequences is flights to that country cost six or seven times more than flights to comparable flights. And the amount Nigeria is holding onto is increasing weekly.

IATA wants to resolve the issue of blocked funds

Speaking at IATA 2022 in Doha, Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, said resolving the issue of blocked funds was a key priority for IATA. Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and the world’s tenth-largest oil exporter with a population exceeding 200 million – it’s not a market many airlines can easily ignore.

Qatar Airways, Delta Air Lines, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Turkish Airlines number among the high-profile foreign airlines flying into Nigeria. While they pocket the fares sold to passengers in markets outside Nigeria, collecting monies from fares sold to passengers in Nigeria is a trickier issue. Emirates boss Tim Clark has previously highlighted the issues his airline faces regarding Nigeria’s recalcitrance.

Mr Alawadh says ongoing problems with blocked funds are extremely damaging to the airline industry. “This is sad to see that one country almost contributes about 25% of global funds. Some countries have reasons you can understand for not releasing our cash, political reasons, and economic reasons, but releasing blocked funds has been one of our priorities.”

Africa accounts for the lion’s share of global blocked funds

Elsewhere in Africa, Zimbabwe is holding onto around $100 million, Algeria about $96 million, Eritrea has around $79 million belonging to foreign carriers, and Ethiopia is retaining about $75 million. Mr Alawdh says IATA doesn’t always know the exact reasons why Nigeria and other countries retain funds belonging to foreign airlines. Still, he does say it is often a question of priorities set by governments and central banks. When there is a limited pool of capital, including hard currencies, to go around, there is tough competition for what money is available.

Some countries are incrementally working to pay down amounts owed – a development IATA welcomes. Other nations like Nigeria, where the problem is escalating, are tougher to deal with. IATA’s Regional Vice President says there are multiple consequences for the airline industry. Individual airlines are out of pocket. Consequently, fares on flights to Nigeria are exponentially high to cover that portion of tickets the airlines where the airlines cannot pocket the revenue.

Kamil Alawadhi is optimistic about resolving the blocked funds problem

Retaining money belonging to airlines also discourages other airlines from serving the market, reduces connectivity, and reduces options for passengers.

“It’s been a hectic ride with Nigeria,” says Mr Alawadh. He says he’s met with the Nigerian Vice President over the matter and adds there’s awareness at the top levels of Government there that they need to address the issue. “You keep chipping away and telling them that this will damage the country down the road.”

IATA’s man in Africa and the Middle East says he’s concluded two rounds of talks with the Nigerian Government and that the third round is soon to start. Kamil Alawadhi is relatively optimistic about a solution to the long-running problem, but he cannot say how soon it will be resolved.

Source: Simple Flying

South Africa’s Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Thursday that he had been notified by the country’s laboratory services that they had confirmed the first monkeypox case in South Africa.

The patient was a 30-year-old male from Johannesburg who had no travel history, “meaning that this cannot be attributed to having been acquired outside South Africa,” Phaahla told a news conference.

A process of contact tracing was underway, he added.

Monkeypox is a viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. It is endemic in parts of Africa, but not South Africa.

The World Health Organization will decide on Thursday whether to declare monkeypox a global health emergency. That has stirred criticism from some leading African scientists who say it has been a crisis for some African countries for years.

Source: The Star

Kenya Airways’ (KQ) Fahari Aviation and EVE UAM have signed a letter of intent for an order of up to 40 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles.    

The agreement involves joint studies to develop and scale the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market in Kenya and a business model for cargo drone operations, Kenya Airways said in its statement. Deliveries are expected to start in 2026. 

“Urban air mobility is the future of transport, and we are honoured to be the champions of this in the region,” said Allan Kilavuka, group managing director and chief executive officer, Kenya Airways. 

Fahari Aviation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kenya Airways focusing on the application of drone technology in training, operations, and traffic management. Fahari aims to develop maintenance distribution and design, and production of drones. 

“The journey to realize the dream of eVTOL vehicles in Kenya is on course and the partnership with EVE UAM, is a key achievement for us as part of the strategy to adopt new technologies as a growth strategy for the sustainable development of Africa,” Kilavuka added.  

EVTOL aircraft is a new technology that uses electricity to hover, take-off, and land vertically, making it easier to move within cities while avoiding traffic jams. 

Commenting on the partnership with Fahari Aviation, Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve said: “This is a new chapter of the Eve and Fahari Aviation partnership to strengthen both companies’ commitment to establishing the foundations that will sustainably support the ecosystem for urban air mobility in Kenya.” 

“Last year, we announced a collaboration to develop operational models for Fahari Aviation’s key markets, and today’s announcement confirms that it is evolving successfully,” Stein added. 

Kenya Airways subsidiaries diversify into cargo operations 

Regional low-cost airline, Jambojet, a brand of Kenya Airways, diversified into cargo operations in February 2022.  

Dubbed Kenya’s first low-cost airline, the carrier committed its Dash 8-400 passenger aircraft to operate cargo services to eight destinations within Kenya – Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Mombasa, Malindi, Ukunda, Lamu, and Goma in Eastern DRC. 

Jambojet Managing Director and CEO, Karanja Ndegwa said that with the introduction of cargo operations, the airline can focus on connectivity for the region’s coastal destinations. 

Source: Aerotime Hub

Dubai’s successful tourism rebound continues to inspire global tourism recovery with the city welcoming 6.17 million international overnight visitors from January to May 2022, a 197 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase from the same five-month period in 2021, which saw the destination attracting just over two million international travellers.

The latest tourism data was revealed by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) at its first ‘City Briefing’ for 2022, a bi-annual event that provides an in-depth industry outlook to stakeholders and partners, and discusses future strategies to further reinforce the city’s position as a global hub for business, investment, talent and tourism. The event was attended by more than 1,200 key executives from across the tourism ecosystem including aviation, travel, hospitality and retail sectors.

His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) commented: “The remarkable vision and leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, have always been an inspiration to us all, and this is reflected in the city’s continued success, as we focus on enhancing its position as a global hub for economy and tourism. We are building on the massive momentum generated by the hugely successful Expo 2020 to drive growth across all our tourism pillars from cultural to culinary experiences, while working towards achieving the ambitious goal of making Dubai the most visited destination and the city of the future that will be the best place in the world to live and work.

“As we look ahead to the remainder of 2022 and beyond, we will harness the key elements that have ensured the industry’s steady growth year after year since we reopened to international visitors in 2020 – providing an unparalleled diverse destination offering that offers unique value and memorable experiences for our guests. This can only happen with the support of our stakeholders, and we are counting on them to continue playing a pivotal role in facilitating growth, as well as restoring confidence and trust among travellers in Dubai as a safe destination,” HE Helal Almarri added.

The new tourism figures from DET show that overall, Dubai hotels maintained an average occupancy level of 76 per cent from January to May 2022 compared to 62 per cent during the corresponding period in 2021. According to data from hotel management analytics firm STR, Dubai ranked No.1 globally in hotel occupancy, ahead of other international destinations including New York (61 per cent), London (60 per cent) and Paris (57 per cent), for the January-April 2022 period.

Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), opened the day’s programme by providing an overview of the industry with a detailed presentation that featured valuable visitor and marketing insights, in addition to an update on the communications activities that are underway across key international markets that include a novel campaign designed to encourage more families and global travellers to select the city for their summer vacation.  The ‘Stay More, Pay Less’ campaign is a citywide initiative supported by over 60 hotels and resorts, providing outstanding value to international travellers this summer. The promotion provides guests an amazing offer – stay for seven nights at participating hotels and resorts and pay for only five nights or stay for five nights and pay for only three nights stay.

Issam Kazim, CEO of DCTCM, commented: “Our constant dialogue with stakeholders and partners is crucial in ensuring that we are all aligned with the collective efforts being made under the guidance of our visionary leadership to ensure the city stays at the forefront of the world’s leading travel destinations. Our collaboration with stakeholders also provides them an opportunity to take advantage of our diverse campaigns and activities that are designed to sustain Dubai’s global appeal and keep the city top-of-mind as a must-visit destination. Dubai’s positive performance is also testament to the city’s resilience and the success of our recovery strategy. As we strive to leverage a robust domestic market and the growing international visitation, we are confident that the summer season will serve as an ideal launchpad to further accelerate momentum across the industry.”

He also briefed participants on the global campaigns, which have captivated audiences all over the world and shone a light on the city and all of Dubai’s attractions- from Dubai Presents, the thrilling campaign, which highlights ‘must visit’ attractions across the city through trailers featuring Hollywood and Bollywood stars, to Dubai being selected as the No.1 Global Destination in Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Awards 2022. The event also highlighted the drive to position Dubai as a global gastronomy hub that has received a strong boost with the launch of MICHELIN Guide Dubai and the arrival of renowned fine-dining food critique brand Gault&Millau, both important additions to the city’s fast evolving gastronomy scene. 

With its multifaceted offering, Dubai remains a popular destination, further validating the successful global campaigns run by DET throughout the year. Since Q4 2021, there have been over 200 million searches for travel to Dubai, and in May 2022 searches and bookings for the destination reached almost pre-pandemic levels.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) presented key highlights of Dubai’s Retail Calendar 2022, packed with iconic citywide festivals, events, activations and experiences including the much-awaited Dubai Summer Surprises, the region’s biggest summer festival which is celebrating its 25th edition this year, from 1 July to 4 September, 2022, as well as next month’s Eid in Dubai – Eid Al Adha celebrations and the Dubai Fitness Challenge, which kicks off in October.

“With our unbeatable summer proposition, Dubai offers more value than any comparable destination with its world class infrastructure, the vast scope of its events and entertainment centres and hassle-free entry process, making it the summer destination of choice for families. Besides, our continuous collaboration with stakeholders and partners has paved the way for Dubai to offer a unique holiday package, allowing families, residents and visitors to avail themselves of innovative promotions, incentives and diverse deals this summer in Dubai,” Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of DFRE, said.

Source: Breaking Travel News