Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the Middle East’s leading event for inbound and outbound travel and tourism professionals, has unveiled its next theme: ‘Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship.’ The 31 st edition of the show will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Monday 6 to Thursday 9 May 2024.

Over the last 15 years, the travel and tourism industry has secured only 1 percent of total funding for startups across all industries, according to analysis from McKinsey. This is despite the fact that the sector accounted for more than 10 percent of global GDP in 2019. With exhibitors from the fields of aviation, accommodation, hospitality, attractions, technology and more, ATM 2024 will explore how innovators in the travel and tourism space are working to attract greater levels of funding to further increase the sector’s overall contribution to global GDP.

The 31 st edition of ATM will once again host policymakers, industry leaders and travel professionals from across the Middle East and beyond, encouraging them to forge new relationships, exchange knowledge and identify innovations with the potential to reshape the future of global travel and tourism. From startups to established brands, the upcoming show will highlight how innovators are enhancing customer experiences, driving efficiencies and accelerating progress towards a net-zero future for the industry.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The Middle East’s travel and tourism sector has demonstrated impressive resilience and growth in recent years, but we must continue to innovate and adapt in order to achieve the industry’s long-term goals. Thanks to ATM 2024’s theme, ‘Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship’, we have a golden opportunity to showcase expert insights, cutting-edge technologies and commercial opportunities with the potential to completely reshape the sector.”

Building on ATM 2023’s theme of ‘Working Towards Net Zero’, environmentally responsible travel will represent a key focus during the show’s upcoming edition. Informed by the UAE’s Year of Sustainability and the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), which will take place in Dubai later this year, ATM 2024 will explore how innovation can be leveraged to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by building a greener travel and tourism sector for future generations.

More than 40,000 travel trade professionals, including 30,000 visitors, attended the 30th edition of ATM in May 2023, setting a new show record. The exhibition attracted more than 2,100 exhibitors and representatives from over 155 countries, providing a global platform for the unveiling of ATM’s net-zero pledge.

ATM 2024 will empower the global travel and tourism community to harness entrepreneurism, helping to catalyse innovation, increase revenues and maximise sustainability over the long term. The UAE aims to attract $150 billion in foreign investment by 2030, making it the perfect environment for these activities. With an emphasis on technological innovation, the nation plans to strengthen its position as an international hub for start-ups – a focus that looks set to benefit entrepreneurs operating in the region’s travel and tourism sector. By exploring the ways in which an entrepreneurial mindset can lead to positive change within the industry, ATM 2024 will enable attendees to identify strategies for growth across a range of key industry verticals.

“As a global leader in innovation, the UAE offers the perfect environment in which to explore these trends and identify new avenues for growth,” Curtis added. “Following the record-breaking levels of attendance witnessed during ATM 2023, my colleagues and I cannot wait to welcome the global travel community to Dubai once again next year.”

Held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024’s strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Destination Partner; Emirates, Official Airline Partner; IHG Hotels & Resorts, Official Hotel Partner; and Al Rais Travel, Official DMC Partner.

Source: Traveldaily News

Nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo will from now visit Kenya without a visa, Nairobi announced on Friday.

The new policy, Kenya says is part of continuing legal shift to accommodate the DRC’s admission into the East African Community.

A noticed issued last week to all diplomatic missions abroad as well as Kenya’s regional administrative heads had alerted officials of the imminent change in policy. It said the visa waiver will be effective from September 01.

“The government of Kenya has removed Democratic Republic of Congo from Category 2 to category 1 of the visa regulations in compliance with the East Africa Community Regulations of free movement of persons within the member states,” said the circular dated August 25.

“In this regard, Kenya has waived visa requirements for all nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo effective September 1, 2023.”

The DRC became the seventh member of the EAC last year in May.

And though it has yet to ascend to some of the protocols including that on free movement and the customs union, Kinshasa had generally used bilateral agreements with current member states on visa. Kenyans, under that arrangement, do not need visas to the DRC.

The Congolese authorities have been waiting a long time for this measure. A few months ago, Christophe Lutundula spoke of the importance of facilitating the movement of people and goods in the EAC bloc.

The Congolese Foreign Minister argued that most of the goods coming from the Indian Ocean pass through the port of Mombasa in Kenya. He also added that, in addition to the port of Mombasa, goods also pass through Dar Es Salam in Tanzania.

The Congolese authorities nevertheless said that they expected the Congo and its citizens, as members of the East African community, should now benefit from the same customs facilities due to members of the East African community.

According to the minister, who spoke weeks before this decision, the DRC has every reason to seek regional integration and to succeed in its integration into the East African bloc, since 5 of the 9 neighbouring countries (Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan) are in the East and belong to the East African Community.

This is why, as soon as he came to power in January 2019, President Félix Tshisekedi focused his diplomatic strategy on his eastern neighbours, “the most integrated bloc in Africa”, as the Congolese president used to say.

Source: The East African

• Following the military coup in Gabon, flights to and from Libreville Airport have been diverted or canceled, causing disruptions for airlines and passengers.
•  The closure of Gabon’s airspace is the second instance of flight restrictions in Africa this month after Niger implemented similar measures.
•  While the closure affects connectivity between Africa and Europe, Gabon’s smaller size and coastal location make the impact less critical than in other countries.

Several flights to and from Libreville Léon-Mba International Airport (LBV) have been diverted and canceled following the closure of Gabon’s airspace on August 30. Gabon becomes the second African country to restrict flights this month after Niger.

The airspace closure follows a military coup on Wednesday, which saw the country’s democratically elected president, Ali Bongo, being placed under house arrest. General elections were held in Gabon on August 26. After the country’s electoral commission announced Bongo’s victory, military forces canceled the results and seized power, appointing the former head of the presidential guard as the new leader.

Libreville airport comes to a standstill

LBV is Gabon’s main international airport, serving several international carriers, including Air France, Air Senegal, ASKY Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, and Royal Air Maroc (RAM). On August 29, all international flights to the airport were canceled as airlines prepared for an airspace closure. RAM said in a statement,

Due to the closure of Gabon’s airspace, we are forced to cancel flights to and from Libreville.

FlightRadar24.com shows that other flights due to land at LBV had to be diverted to various airports in the region. On August 30, ASKY’s B737 flying from São Tomé was diverted to Lomé, while Ethiopian’s B787 from Addis Ababa was diverted to Yaounde. Similarly, Transair’s 737 from Brazzaville was forced to land at Abidjan. Gabon’s only local airline, Afrijet, has also suspended all flights from Libreville. It was the only carrier connecting key domestic destinations.

The situation in Gabon also further disrupts Air France’s operations in West and Central Africa, as the carrier operates daily Airbus A330 flights between Paris and Libreville. It has been forced to cancel this service while its flights to Bamako, Niamey, and Ouagadougou remain suspended.

Effects on connectivity

The growing list of airspace closures within the continent threatens intra-Africa connectivity and various European connections. Major parts of Libya, Sudan, and Niger remain closed for overflight, forcing airlines to follow orthodox flight paths. However, Sudan opened up the northern part of the country last week, which was a relief for some carriers.

Given Gabon’s relatively smaller size and location on the coast, the closure of its airspace is not as significant as that of Niger. However, this increases the total area airlines cannot operate in Africa. Airline Executive and experienced aviation professional Sean Mendis said to Simple Flying,

“Geographically, the impact of Gabon closing its airspace to overflight is a lot less critical than Niger, for example, given the size and location of Gabon. Furthermore, the Niger situation is exacerbated by the restrictions over Libyan and Sudanese airspace as well – creating a contiguous no-fly zone effectively from the Red Sea all the way to West Africa.”

Niger’s flight restrictions forced airlines flying between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa to reroute via other West African nations, adding over 600 miles (965 km) and up to two hours to the journey. In Gabon’s case, airlines can easily deviate offshore or fly through the east without incurring significant penalties.

British Airways is one carrier that has been flying over Gabon since the closure of Niger’s airspace. Its last two Airbus A380 flights from Johannesburg OR Tambo (JNB) to London Heathrow (LHR) were seen bypassing Gabon and flying over the Gulf of Guinea. FlightRadar24.com shows that there was no significant change to the flight time.

Source: Simple Flying

Nairobi is set to host East Africa’s biggest tourism expo from November 20–22 this year as the country seeks to increase tourist arrivals.

The Magical Kenya & East Africa Regional Tourism Expo (MK & EARTE) 2023 will be hosted at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.

It will bring together 160 agents (buyers) from Kenya’s key source markets.

They will then be taken on 3-5-day familiarization trips to sample the products before a three-day business-to-business (B2B) forum with over 25 exhibitors and more than 700 trade visitors.

“The 3-day B2B forum is based on prescheduled appointments with a smart matchmaking tool and guaranteed meetings,” Magical Kenya said in a statement.

EARTE, which is an annual regional travel fair showcasing the region’s diverse tourism and trade opportunities, is hosted by the East African Community partner states on a rotational basis.

The inaugural regional tourism expo was hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania (URT) in October 2021 in Arusha.

A subsequent event was held in Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura, in September 2022.

“As Kenya hosts the third edition of EARTE, the two events MKTE & EARTE have been combined into one event, creating more value and enhancing the level of engagement at the show for all the participants,” it added.

Source: Capital Business

By the time you read this, Cape Town’s minibus taxi (matatu) strike should be over. Nevertheless, the impact of the strike, which as I write has been ongoing for four-days, will continue to be felt for quite a while.

The people who suffered the most were the general public, most of whom use the taxis to get in and out of Cape Town for work.

On the day the taxi strike began, thousands of commuters were caught off guard and forced to walk home in the cold and dark of a typical winter evening.

The taxis went on strike following clashes in the week after the City Council began enforcing new traffic by-laws. The new rules allow them to impound vehicles in cases where drivers cannot produce a valid operating licence, or are found to be operating contrary to the conditions of their operating licence.

The councillor in charge of Cape Town’s Safety and Security department, is a hard headed, thick-skinned, no-nonsense type who appears to relish fighting the taxi industry.

For instance, when the trouble hit, the councillor poured oil on the fire.

He said: “I have been asked by the mayor to ensure that the violence caused by some in the public transport sector is met with an appropriate response, and to remind them that we will proceed with impounding 25 vehicles for every truck, bus, vehicle or facility that is burnt or vandalised.”

Of course, as is usual when there is any sort of public unrest anywhere in Africa, our supposed friends in Western capitals are quick to issue travel alerts to their citizens, warning them not to visit.

Even when as in Cape Town, Nairobi and elsewhere, tourists are often the least affected people in such situations. 

Let’s face it, few if any tourists use public transport in the way locals do.

Also, since most of them come from countries where they have experienced public disturbances, such as protests and riots, they should have the sense to stay behind closed doors until the storm passes, or in this case, in their hotels and Airbnbs.

The UK, where they have had their fair share of protests in recent months on issues from cost of living to the environment, appears to have been one of the first to issue a travel advisory to its people who were planning to visit Cape Town.

Considering that the UK is one of the biggest tourism markets, this travel alert is of particular concern. It may well dramatically reduce the number of tourists visiting Cape Town and the Western Cape just as tourism was beginning to think things were looking up.

That said, I have always believed such travel alerts should go both ways. I have yet to see South African or, for that matter, Kenyan authorities issuing travel alerts for situations in Europe or North America, even though they should.

It needn’t be some sort of tit-for-tat reaction. 

For instance, in May, seven countries issued advisories warning their citizens about gun violence when travelling to the US. They are Australia, Britain, Canada, France, New Zealand, Uruguay and Venezuela.

At the moment, the US itself has Level 2 warnings that advise travellers to “exercise increased precautions” in 51 countries, ranging from some of their closest allies (such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK) to the usual suspects.

In this case, the usual suspects are countries that depend a lot on tourism for income, such as Gambia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.

Others are Brazil, Indonesia, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks and Caicos and the United Arab Emirates.

Of course, travel advisories can also come from within. For instance, in May, a US Civil rights group issued a travel advisory for Black tourists visiting Florida. The advisory came from the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, specifically, the president of the Tallahassee branch.

The advisory said Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of colour and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Source: The Star

Global passenger traffic continued to improve in June, reaching 94 per cent of pre-Covid levels, as the summer travel season in the Northern Hemisphere got off to a strong start, the International Air Transport Association has said.

Total traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers, rose 31 per cent in June compared to the same month in 2022, IATA said in its monthly report.

In the first half of 2023, total traffic jumped 47.2 per cent compared to the same period last year, buoyed by growth in both domestic and international trips.

Demand for domestic travel in June surged 27.2 per cent compared to the same month a year ago and was 5.1 per cent above the June 2019 levels. Domestic demand was up 33.3 per cent in the first half of 2023 compared to a year ago.

International traffic climbed 33.7 per cent compared to June 2022 with all markets recording robust growth, IATA said. International travel demand reached 88.2 per cent of June 2019 levels. In the first half of 2023, international traffic was up 58.6 per cent from the six-month period in 2022.

“Planes are full, which is good news for airlines, local economies, and travel and tourism-dependent jobs. All benefit from the industry’s continuing recovery,” IATA director general Willie Walsh said.

Middle Eastern airlines’ June traffic climbed 29.2 per cent compared to last year, while capacity rose 25.9 per cent. Load factor, a measure of how well airlines can fill available seats, improved by two percentage points to 79.8 per cent.

African airlines’ traffic rose 34.7 per cent in June from the same month a year ago, the second highest percentage gain among the regions, while capacity was up 44.8 per cent. However, load factor fell by 5.1 percentage points to 68.1 per cent, the lowest among the regions, IATA said.

Travel demand continues to outpace capacity growth amid aviation supply chain problems, leaving airlines awaiting new jet deliveries and critical spare parts for parked aircraft, Mr. Walsh said.

“As strong as travel demand has been, arguably it could be even stronger,” he said.

“For the fleet that is in service, some air navigation service providers are failing to deliver the requisite capacity and resilience to meet travel demand. Delays and trimmed schedules are frustrating for both passengers and their airlines. Governments cannot continue to ignore the accountability of ANSPs in places where passenger rights regimes place the brunt of accountability on airlines.”

Meanwhile, global air cargo demand in June contracted at its slowest rate in 16 months since February 2022, according to IATA, as volumes continue to normalize following the peaks recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Air cargo demand in June fell 3.4 per cent year-on-year, while capacity rose 9.7 per cent during the period, IATA said in its monthly report.

“We remain hopeful that the difficult trading conditions for air cargo will moderate as inflation eases in major economies. This, in turn, could encourage the central banks to loosen the money supply, which could stimulate greater economic activity,” Mr. Walsh said.

Middle Eastern carriers posted a 0.5 per cent increase in cargo volumes in June compared to the same month a year ago. This was up from the 2.9 per cent year-over-year decline registered in May.

Capacity rose 11.1 per cent for the month.

“Both Middle East-Asia and Middle East-Europe route areas saw annual growth,” IATA said.

Source: The National News

Travel technology firm Travelport has renewed its multi-year agreement with United Airlines that beginning this month will include the carrier’s New Distribution Capability content.

Travelport’s NDC content and servicing solution for United will become available to all agency customers in the US and the EMEA region in August. Access will then be extended to customers in Latin America and the rest of the world “in the coming weeks”.

Agencies using Travelport will be able to search, compare and book United’s NDC offers, as well as service NDC bookings, including modifications and cancellations.

Jason Clarke, chief commercial officer, travel partners at Travelport said: “We’re laser-focused on modern retailing and making new content sources, like NDC, easier for travel agents. Our partnership with United Airlines provides a streamlined booking experience with simplified access to United’s dynamic offers and ancillaries to our agency network anytime, anywhere.

“Our NDC solution is designed to support travel retailers with complete end-to-end servicing that goes beyond the booking process, allowing agents to easily manage trip changes on the go while offering superior levels of service to their travellers.”

Travelport is the third GDS to provide United’s NDC content, following Amadeus and Sabre, after the carrier announced last week that it plans to remove its Basic Economy fares from EDIFACT channels.  

Travel agents using Travelport+ will have access to NDC content via the Content Curation Layer (CCL) feature, which provides faster search responses and more relevant, accurate search results via machine-learning capabilities, according to the company.

Travelport on Thursday (3 August) announced NDC content from British Airways is now live on its platform for customers in the UK and Ireland, and will be followed by a global rollout.

Clarke said the company will provide “even more extensive offerings” from British Airways, including “personalized offers tailored to customer needs”.

Source: Business Travel News Europe

The Kenyan passport has improved six places in the global mobility ranking to position 67, up from the 73rd place it ranked in January while moving one step up in the continent to occupy the seventh most powerful position.

The Henley Passport Index Report released on Wednesday further shows that the number of countries that Kenyans can visit without a visa, or obtain one on arrival, increased to 76 from 73 in January.

The mobility score measures the number of countries that a person holding a given country’s passport can visit without possessing a visa or the nations where they can get a visa on arrival.

Mauritius, which has maintained its top position on the continent, improved five places in the global rank to hold position 29, showing that holders can visit 148 countries visa-free.

It was followed by South Africa (51), Botswana (58), Namibia (62), Lesotho (64) and eSwatini, with Kenya toppling Malawi which came 68th position in the globe. Tanzania emerged position 69 while Zambia and Uganda came positions 70 and 72 respectively.

Singapore dislodged Japan from the world’s top rank, allowing visa-free users to access 192 countries, followed by Germany, Italy and Spain, which all came position two at 190 each.

Afghanistan’s passport ranks the lowest, only allowing holders to visit 27 countries visa-free. It comes immediately below Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, among others, in that order.

Kenya’s document’s boost is attributed to a government deal inked with its South African and Eritrean counterparts to remove visa travel restrictions.

The strength is set to improve after the Senegalese government this week agreed to allow Kenyans to tour the country without visa requirements.

In 2015, Kenya first made public the decision to roll out new chip-embedded passports for its citizens in efforts aimed at taming rampant forgery and impersonation of holders.

The electronic passport was initially to be launched in December 2016, but the unveiling was over the years extended several times.

The government, however, finally set last December as the deadline for phasing out the old generation passports, with the move being part of a binding commitment to migrate to the new East African e-passport.

Source: The East African