Events, Organisations & Operators,

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, representing the Northern Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, held a 2-city roadshow in India. The 4-day networking event in Delhi and Mumbai received an overwhelming response with over 400 travel trade, MICE, wedding specialists and leading media. The 2022 Roadshow successfully showcased key highlights and upcoming tourism developments in Ras Al Khaimah that will help facilitate additional traveller demand from India.
The event kicked off in New Delhi on April 4 th followed by Mumbai on April 7 th where the tourism authority delegation, led by Iyad Rasbey, Executive Director, Destination Tourism Development at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, met business partners and media.
Commenting on this year’s roadshow, Iyad Rasbey said “It was great to reconnect with our travel partners in India since the start of the pandemic. India is a very viable and highly valued travel market; last year alone it was the third largest international source market for Ras Al Khaimah, welcoming over 30,000 visitors. This is considerable given that the Indian market was largely closed or restricted last year. We aim to increase this and go back to pre-pandemic tourism numbers through promotional activities geared towards leisure travellers and incentives targeting MICE, destination weddings and other celebrations.”
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority announced a tourism strategy that will see the destination become the regional leader in sustainable tourism by 2025. It maps out key steps for the Emirate to secure long-term sustainability that will drive overall tourism growth objectives and contribute directly to national and international climate change and environmental policy commitments. An investment of USD $134 million is geared towards 20 sustainable tourism developments across the Emirate especially on Jebel Jais where our projects have been designed to not just protect the mountain ecosystem, but to enhance it. By creating attractions that preserve the Emirate’s culture and local communities, guests will be able to enjoy authentic experiences that will see them leaving a positive impact in Ras Al Khaimah when visiting.ADVERTISEMENTOn new and upcoming destination attractions in 2022, the Jais Sledder, the region’s longest toboggan ride were highlighted amongst a line-up of upcoming enhancements on Jebel Jais like the Jais Wings (paragliding) and Jais Mountain eco-golf. New sustainable accommodation includes Earth Altitude, an eco-based pop-up hotel concept and Cloud7 Camp Jebel Jais, the ultimate sustainable glamping experience. In addition, a brand-new tethered hot air ballooning experience in Manar mall, RAK airventure, which will offer panoramic views of the city above the beautiful mangroves and a Scallop Ranch at Al Hamra Marine will offer oyster/scallop diving, live cooking, family and kids’ experiences, and cultural activations.
Expanding the destination’s portfolio of world-class hotels, the Emirate recently welcomed the opening of InterContinental Mina Al Arab with 351 rooms, the largest Hampton by Hilton globally, with more than 500 rooms and Radisson Al Marjan Island with 388 rooms. Operated by global hospitality brands, a series of new hotels and resorts will be launched across the Emirate over the next three years including Marriott, Movenpick, Anantara, Sofitel and Conrad, adding 3,525 keys to the current 7,720 keys in Ras Al Khaimah.

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The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), the Japan Tourism Agency and the Nara Prefectural Government have the pleasure to announce that the 7th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism will take place on 13-15 December 2022 in Nara, Japan.

Building on UNWTO’s work on advancing innovation across the tourism sector, the Forum represents a unique opportunity for experts from across the growing field of gastronomy tourism to share new ideas and best practices.
More information on registration and the provisional programme will be available shortly.

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As hoteliers evaluate their group business opportunities for 2022, a new report from Amadeus combines hotelier insights with Amadeus business intelligence data to reveal the key trends that will guide the group travel and events market in the year ahead.
According to Amadeus’ Demand360® data, 2022 is showing a significant rise in group travel booking rates. As of March 17, 2022, the on-the-books group performance in the US for 2022 already exceeds final group performance for the prior two years, a 122% increase over 2020 and a 50% increase over 2021. With nearly 8 months to go in the year, there’s significant opportunity to close the gap to pre-pandemic levels.
The five trends that will define group travel in 2022 are:
1.    Changed group travel requirements: Amadeus MeetingBroker™ data reveals that significant changes in group travel will persist in 2022.In 2019, 58% of event RFPs were for groups of 50 people or less, which increased to 63% in 2022. In addition, the average lead-in time for an RFP has shortened from 223 days in 2019 to 193 days in 2021.
Hotels in non-traditional destinations are seeing increases in group travel bookings. In 2022, we see Anchorage, AK and Tuscaloosa, AL in the top 20 US markets, while urban areas like San Francisco are still experiencing lower occupancies when compared to pre-pandemic activity.
2.    Lean teams have to do more with less: Both sales and operations teams will have to restructure and adapt to handle a higher volume of smaller deals with reduced staff.The return of the group market dictates a restructuring of sales teams to win new business. Reward structures also need to correlate with salespeople bringing in new business and those nurturing relationships with existing clients.
There has been a shift to selling centrally and executing locally with sales teams now having a direct connection with the on-property experience.
3.    Hybrid and in-person meetings are here to stay: Hybrid meetings and events are now an established part of business travel as facilitated by significant technology enhancements.Hotels need to reassess their processes and identify where they can outsource to third party tech experts to free up staff to focus on guests.
The in-person experience at a hybrid event matters more than ever to ensure guests feel value in attending. Similarly, hotel event managers can stand out by helping planners new to hybrid events tie together the in-person and at-home experiences.
4.    Meeting planner relationships are even more crucial: Nurturing planner relationships will be key in this climate defined by tough negotiations.Speed of RFP response will remain important as volume increases. Amadeus data shows that RFPs from meeting planners increased by 51% in 2021 compared to 2020.
Fully integrated systems will be key to winning business with access to real-time market data playing a central role in successful RFP negotiations.
5.    Innovative partnerships are unlocking more potential: New alliances between hotels and businesses are helping to broaden reach and secure bookings.Hoteliers with strong data insights into guest profiles place themselves in a better position to negotiate interesting partnerships to grow new revenue streams.
Modern technology and CRM solutions are enabling hotels to refer and share bookings across portfolios, or independent hotels with similar profiles.
Daniel O’Keefe, SVP Hotel Property Solutions, Hospitality, Amadeus comments, “While the picture for 2022 is still evolving, there is cause for realistic optimism in the US, where signs are pointing towards a continuation of the momentum that built around group travel in Q4 of 2021. One of the key takeaways from this report is the importance of both historical and forward-looking data as a prerequisite for overcoming a number of the challenges facing meetings and events executives during a pandemic. In the context of reduced sales and operations teams, accurate data and information is critical, and teams need the expertise to act on it efficiently. At Amadeus, we’re ready to equip hoteliers with the tools they need to access and understand this crucial resource.”
Dana Cariss, Vice President of Revenue Strategy, CoralTree Hospitality, says, “Continued innovation across our industry in the face of uncertainty is driving our recovery. Hotels are striking new partnerships to take advantage of changes to some company’s ways of working to remain competitive. Meeting planners are reacting to dynamic shifts in the fundamentals of group travel and the persistence of hybrid or remote working. This offers a new opportunity for hoteliers to turn to modern technology to help adapt to the changing market.”
In partnership with Salesforce, this paper leverages insights gathered from Amadeus’ MeetingBroker™ and Demand360® business intelligence data as well as interviews with hoteliers, industry experts, and Amadeus executives to aid hospitality professionals in preparing for the return of group business.

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84% of business travellers to attend conventions within next six months

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Key findings from a new survey reveal that 84% of business travellers expect to take at least one trip to attend conferences, conventions or trade shows in the next six months. The Quarterly Business Travel Tracker also revealed that, while less than one in 10 U.S. business travelers are uncertain if they would travel in the next six months, the top reason for uncertainty was that meetings and events are not occurring. Corporate policies restricting business travel was the second-highest reason for uncertainty.
Business travellers also expect to resume traveling at a slightly slower pace compared to pre-pandemic levels, averaging about 1.6 trips per month (compared to 1.7 monthly trips pre-pandemic).
The release of these findings corresponds to Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on April 7, where organisations around the world spotlight the tremendous positive impact created by business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions, conferences and conventions on people, businesses and the economy.
Powered by U.S. Travel Association and the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, GMID has special significance this year as the meeting and events industry moves beyond the pandemic-era trends of virtual and hybrid meetings and returns to live, in-person events.
“The return of in-person meetings and events—and business travel in general—is a welcome sight after more than two years of pandemic-related uncertainty,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “There is simply no substitute for a face-to-face meeting, which is proven to lead to more fruitful business opportunities and can help power an economic and jobs recovery in communities across America.”ADVERTISEMENTWhile U.S. Travel forecasts that business travel spending was still down 60% from pre-pandemic levels in 2021, the Quarterly Business Travel Tracker’s latest data shows a clear shift in American business travelers’ desire to return to in-person meetings.
Source: J.D. Power
“While the data indicates a strong desire from American business travelers to hit the road again, there is a big difference between willingness to travel and actually taking a trip,” said Dow. “Corporate leaders should seize the competitive advantage, budget for business travel, and encourage their teams to get back on the road and reestablish those personal connections that only come with face-to-face interactions.”
Another component of the Quarterly Business Travel Tracker, a newly developed current and forward-looking Business Travel Index, shows that while business travel activity slowed somewhat in Q1 2022, business conditions for travel such as GDP and business investment are quite favorable, reaching an index of 105 for Q2 2022 (2019=100).
“In-person conferences have relational and financial impacts to corporations that are significant,” said Andrea Stokes, Practice Lead for Hospitality at J.D. Power. “Nearly half of survey respondents indicated that conferences, conventions, and trade shows are critical to developing relationships with customers, suppliers or others. Nearly one in four respondents indicated these events are critical to closing sales.”

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NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organisation and convention and visitors bureau, is proud to support the Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) during its seventh annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on Thursday, April 7. Iconic landmarks across all five boroughs will light up in blue (MMBC’s signature color) to raise awareness of the power and impact that face-to-face meetings have on the global economy and NYC’s local tourism and hospitality industry. On Tuesday, NYC & Company held a Tri-State Meeting Planner Event with more than 100 suppliers and more than 250 meeting planners in attendance at the Javits Center. The organisation’s Convention Development team will also participate in a local industry GMID reception this afternoon at the Intercontinental New York Times Square. 
“As the business capital of the world, we know that when you meet face-to-face anything is possible. We join our colleagues in the travel industry to celebrate those opportunities on Global Meetings Industry Day as the world reconnects. We encourage business and event leaders to bring colleagues, clients and collaborators together by hosting meetings and events in the greatest city in the world – a place of infinite experiences, where everything is possible,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company. 
The following participating locations will light blue for GMID: the Javits Center’s glass-enclosed 15-story Crystal Palace (April 5-7); the spires of One Bryant Park (April 7); the One World Trade Center spire and podium (April 7); Sven Long Island City in Queens (April 7); 30 Rockefeller Plaza (April 7); Pier 17 (April 7); One Vanderbilt (April 7); Empire State Building (April 7) Coney Island Parachute Jump (April 7); and 151 West 42nd St (April 7). 
“It is an honor to annually light New York City blue in celebration of GMID,” said Jerry Cito, NYC & Company’s Executive Vice President, Convention Development. “NYC & Company is proud to continue to spotlight the impact of our industry and the importance of live meetings and events in NYC and around the globe.” 
Tuesday evening, the NYC & Company Convention Development team hosted its annual Tristate Meeting Planner event from 6pm to 8pm at the newly renovated Javits Center. More than 250 planners from across the region came together for a night of networking with more than 100 NYC & Company member businesses.  ADVERTISEMENTCity celebrations will continue today with the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), MPI Greater New York, SITE Northeast, PCMA New York Chapter, ILEA, NYSAE and the Live Events Coalition of NY & NJ holding an event this afternoon at the Intercontinental New York Times Square. Together, these industry partners will share best practices and tips for success for planners and suppliers as they look ahead to the future.  
“We are honored to light up our Crystal Palace in blue to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day and reinforce the importance of our industry,” said Alan Steel, President and CEO of the Javits Center. “With our recent expansion, we are seeing a strong demand for in-person meetings and events as our largest trade shows and conventions are returning with a renewed sense of excitement and energy. With 95 percent of adult New Yorkers vaccinated, it is a perfect time to come together again and share ideas that can move our economy – and our industry – forward.” 
In 2021, the Javits Center celebrated the completion of its $1.5 billion expansion, including a 1.2 million-square-foot expansion; 54,000 square-foot special event space; a new rooftop pavilion that can accommodate 1,500 people; a one-acre rooftop farm; 90,000 square-feet exhibit space; and more. New York City is also expected to see nearly 10,000 new hotel rooms open this year. For additional information on destination updates, NYC & Company released a new resource, 22 Reasons to Visit NYC in 2022, to help visitors, delegates and locals alike plan for a trip in NYC. 
Last September, NYC & Company unveiled It’s Time to Make It NYC, the organisation’s largest marketing and sales effort for the meetings and conventions industry. 
NYC & Company is considered as North America’s Leading Business Travel Destination by World Travel Awards.

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Key travel industry leaders and international exhibitors from various segments of MICE, Leisure, Corporate and Travel Technology met virtually this week for the 3-in1-show ITB India, MICE Show India and Travel Tech India, hosted on ITB Community in Asia (ITB Community).
The concurrent three-day ITB India Conference featured close to 100 online sessions with over 80 industry experts. Under the heading “Connecting you to the Indian Travel Market”, the focus of this year’s show was to discuss effective strategies to lead the Indian and South Asian travel industry towards recovery and growth and share best practices that will help the industry make meetings and events more sustainable.
Major market players and industry heavyweights such as Agoda, Airbnb, Booking.com, FCM Travel, GIATA, HRS Group, Tourism Australia, Tripadvisor, Uber, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and many more addressed key topics concerning the travel & tourism industry and provided valuable insights and perspectives for shaping corporate strategies and measures.
Katrina Leung, Managing Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organizer of ITB India, MICE Show India and Travel Tech India said: “Our 3-in-1 business-to-business show came to a successful close today, bringing leading industry experts and the most relevant topics virtually to every corner of the world. The 2022 show was a great success virtually, and we look forward to next year’s in-person event, when ITB India 2023 will once again provide the long-awaited human connection and allow for face-to-face business meetings and networking in Mumbai”.
MICE Show India and Travel Tech India were held in conjunction with ITB India Virtual, making them part of the Indian and South Asian travel market’s three-day B2B trade show and convention. At this year’s MICE Show India, top executives from world-renowned MICE associations and leading companies discussed topics ranging from event organisation and management to technological applications and trend forecasting to move the MICE industry forward. Gathering the latest technologies, emerging trends, leading travel brands and innovative startups in one place, Travel Tech India explored innovations, initiatives and case studies from various industry profiles, including technology companies, hotels, OTAs, transportation companies and more.ADVERTISEMENTAlongside ITB India’s conference, international exhibitors representing destinations, hotel chains and tech companies made keen use of the virtual format to present their products and services. Key exhibitors like Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Business Events Perth, German National Tourist Office, GIATA, Melia Hotels International, National Tourism Office of Spain in India, Radisson Blu Hoi An, Royal Commission for AlUla, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism New Zealand, Turismo de Portugal and many more presented themselves to a wide online audience.
The on-demand sessions of ITB India, MICE Show India and Travel Tech India Virtual are available until 6 May 2022 and are opened to registered delegates only. To access the on-demand presentations, users can register online at the ITB India website here.
ITB India 2023 to take place as a live- event
ITB India 2023 will be held as a 100% physical event from 26 – 28 April 2023 at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, India. Exhibitors may register for super early bird rate of 15% off Listed Rate before 15 January 2023 via the registration link here.

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With the global post-pandemic recovery continuing to gather pace, India’s positioning as Dubai’s largest source market remains the key focus at the upcoming Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 9 to 12 May.
With India’s travel industry projected to account for 29 million outbound trips per year by 2025, according to analysis from GlobalData, and ResearchandMarkets.com predicting its outbound tourism market will surpass $42 billion by the end of 2024, ATM 2022 will offer a timely opportunity to explore the vast potential offered by the country’s travel, tourism and hospitality sector.
Data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) shows that the country ranked top of the emirate’s source market list for 2021, accounting for 910,000 inbound visitors, and short-haul flight queries for destinations including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Egypt have witnessed a 30 percent uptick among Indian tourists, according to Thomas Cook (India).Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “The global pandemic had a major impact on India’s travel sector but, as our industry’s global post-pandemic recovery continues to gather pace, Indian tourists appear eager to return to their favourite Middle Eastern destinations. We are excited to explore the vast potential of this vital source market as part of our dedicated buyer forum at ATM 2022.”
The number of inbound tourists travelling from India to the UAE has witnessed a 50 percent increase of late, with VFS Global processing 40,000 travel visas since Dubai reopened its borders following the pandemic. With a buyer forum dedicated exclusively to India, attendees, exhibitors and delegates at ATM 2022 will have ample opportunity to take a deep dive into the country’s tourism, travel and hospitality industry, examining current and future trends, and exploring the ways in which destinations across the Middle East can capitalise on this important source market.
“With the reopening of the Indian skies, flights to and from India now reach 3,250 flights per week by 66 airlines. Emirates alone is now back to pre-pandemic frequencies, operating 170 weekly flights to nine cities, which underscores the importance of the Indian market for the region. ADVERTISEMENT“ATM 2022 offers the ideal forum in which to explore synergies between the GCC and Indian tourism sectors, and to identify opportunities to grow inbound travel in the future,” she added.
In addition to the dedicated India forum, ATM 2022 will also feature sessions focused on Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning tourism sector.
Now in its 29th year and working in collaboration with the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) – formerly the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) – ATM show highlights in 2022 will include, among others, a destination summit focused on the key source market of India, as well as Saudi Arabia.
Previously called Travel Forward, the revamped and rebranded ATM Travel Tech event will take place on the ATM Travel Tech Stage, hosting seminars, debates and presentations as well as the inaugural ATM Draper-Aladdin Start-up Competition.

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ABTA has announced the return of its annual overseas Travel Convention, the UK travel industry’s flagship event.
Taking place in the imperial city of Marrakech from 10-12 October 2022, the three-day event will include two days of thought-provoking and high-level business sessions, as well as a wide range of supporting events that will provide valuable opportunities to network in both business and social settings.
The Convention will also provide the chance for ABTA Members, travel journalists and the wider industry to experience the latest tourism developments in the Red City first hand.
Registration will open on Tuesday 3 May.
Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive at ABTA – The Travel Association said:ADVERTISEMENT“I’m very pleased that Marrakech will be hosting the 2022 Travel Convention this October and would like to thank the Moroccan National Tourism Office for making this possible. As ever, the event will provide a crucial opportunity for the industry to come together to discuss the future of travel and tourism and we’ll be releasing more details about the event content shortly.
“It will also be a fantastic opportunity to show travel professionals what this vibrant destination has to offer – from its rich cultural heritage, spectacular scenery, and ornate architecture, to warm hospitality and delicious cuisine. Over the last couple of years, a number of new attractions have launched, meaning delegates will get the chance to take a fresh look at this popular destination.
“I really encourage you to note the dates your diaries and look forward to welcoming you at what is sure to be a fantastic event.”
More information will be available at www.thetravelconvention.com.

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