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    TAT Launches ‘Be My Guest’ Campaign

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is set to launch the international Be My Guest campaign as part of the government’s flagship Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025. Representing the Grand Celebration pillar of the initiative, the campaign is anchored by two core programmes – the Be My Guest Soft Power Fam Trip […] More

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    La Bajada de la Virgen Returns to La Palma

    Move over Glastonbury, there’s a party brewing in the Atlantic – and, only on this occasion, it’s been ten years in the making. This summer, the island of La Palma in the Canaries will host one of the world’s most unique and endearing cultural celebrations: La Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves. A Sacred […] More

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    Miami Beach Named No. 1 Honeymoon Destination in the U.S.

    Miami Beach has been ranked the top honeymoon destination in the United States for 2025, according to a recent survey by Upgraded Points.* The study evaluated over 75 vacation spots based on 15 factors, including romantic lodging, couple-friendly activities, and affordability. Miami Beach earned the highest overall score of 71.4 out of 100, surpassing destinations […] More

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    5 Days to Go: World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony

    Only five days remain until the prestigious World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony lights up the stunning surroundings of the Johari Rotana in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Saturday, 28 June 2025. Johari Rotana Hotel As the sun rises over the Indian Ocean, this five-star venue—part of the iconic MNF Square development—will […] More

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    Arabian Travel Market underscores the vital role of Asia Pacific in the future of tourism

    The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is poised for significant tourism growth, with spending on international travel forecast to hit US$2.5 trillion and domestic travel to reach US$4.3 trillion by 2029, according to the latest data from Euromonitor International. Outbound travel from APAC is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7%, with intra-regional journeys expected to […] More

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    VidantaWorld Launches Cirque du Soleil LUDŌ, the First Resident Immersive Water Show Latin America

    Grupo Vidanta and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group are proud to announce the premiere of LUDŌ, a breathtaking show that heralds a new era of immersive entertainment and solidifies VidantaWorld Nuevo Vallarta as a global benchmark in luxury tourism. This groundbreaking production redefines the boundaries of live entertainment by merging water, storytelling, cutting-edge technology, and […] More

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    Middle East region first to recover Chinese tourism numbers, boosting participation at ATM 2024

    According to research by Oxford Economics, outbound travel from China is estimated to almost double this year, compared with 2023 and will only be 22% below its peak pre-pandemic numbers of 155 million tourists in 2019, who spent over $250 billion overseas.
    Full recovery is expected to materialise in 2025, with the Middle East being the first region globally to recover its Chinese inbound market.
    Underscoring that prediction, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 6-9 May, is set to welcome twice the number of Chinese exhibitors and travel professionals, compared with its 2019 show.
    China lifted its covid-related travel restrictions on 8th January 2023, allowing Chinese tourists to travel abroad, without having to quarantine upon their return.  Bookings for overseas travel during Chinese New Year, soared by 540% compared with the same period in 2022, according to data from the Chinese travel site Trip.com.
    Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market commented, “Last year, some analysts were predicting that the Chinese outbound market would recover to around six million per month by the summer of 2023, driven in part by the pent-up demand especially from young, affluent Chinese. ADVERTISEMENT“However, that rebound wasn’t as great as many tourism professionals had hoped for and now analysts are confident that this year, we could see Chinese visitor numbers double year-on-year, with major destinations in the Middle East recovering quicker than any other internationally, especially for luxury travel.
    “That sentiment has also been borne out by the latest spending data for the 2024 Chinese New Year. According to Chinese payment platform Alipay, the number of Chinese overseas transactions were 7% higher than those recorded in 2019.
    “The most popular Middle East destinations include Dubai, Saudi’s AlUla, Egypt and Jordan – Dubai alone welcomed more than one million Chinese visitors in 2019,” said Curtis.
    Chinese participation at ATM 2024 is expected to more than double compared with ATM 2019, with new exhibitors that include private sector companies such as Heytrip International, Jiangsu Intelligence Equipment Co, Flightroutes24 Travel Company Ltd, Feeyo Technology and anticipated destination representation from Macao Government Tourism Office, China Cultural Centre in the UAE and the Hongkong Tourism Board.
    ATM is also organising a dedicated conference session on this key market in its Global Stage, entitled ‘Capitalising on China’s Predicted Tourism Surge’, in association with Huawei. This session, which takes place on Monday 6th May from 15:10 to 15:50, will explore the changing trends, cultural preferences and the role of mobile marketing and tourism predictions in the Chinese tourism market. In line with this year’s show theme ‘Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship’, other highlights at the 31st edition of ATM include entrepreneurship-focused sessions as well as dedicated sessions for other key source markets such as India and the Americas. As well as showcasing a range of event features based around the theme, informative content will be delivered across the Global Stage and the new Future Stage at ATM 2024, led by respected industry keynote speakers, and thought leaders.Held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024’s strategic partners include the Dubai 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.

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