Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi is hosting its first-ever ‘Superman Season’ this February, with various Superman-inspired activities, exciting meets and greets and family-friendly entertainment for every super fan. In honor of the iconic DC Super Hero’s 85th anniversary, fans can look forward to an unforgettable themed experience at the world’s largest indoor theme park, running daily until March 19th.
Right from the Park’s entrance, guests are invited to don the iconic red cape for fantastic photo opportunities with the ever-so-famous Bugs Bunny statue in Superman overlay. Inside the Warner Bros. Plaza, park-goers can bring out the hero in them as they get the chance to meet and greet with Superman and Supergirl and collect a unique character sticker made exclusively for the Superman Season.
Over at Metropolis, guests and families can enjoy a Superman and Supergirl Mosaic activity every day from 2pm to 5pm and pass by the Ace O’ Clubs for a quick break to enjoy Superman-themed cake pops and cookies.

This season, Annual Passholders can avail exclusive family-friendly interactive activities as part of the season, such as quiz questions, crosswords and word scramble. Guests can also look forward to participating in the Superman Run, which will be taking place on March 19th, in a friendly Super Hero themed event catered for every Superfan.ADVERTISEMENTThe Park’s various retail stores will include personalized Superman and Supergirl capes that will be up for grabs throughout the season, with retail carts available for purchase in the Warner Bros. Plaza and Metropolis.
For more information, please visit: www.wbworldabudhabi.com.
Located on Yas Island, Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi is the world’s largest indoor theme park. It is just minutes away from Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, home to the world’s fastest rollercoaster, Yas Waterworld, the world’s first and only Emirati-themed waterpark and CLYMB™ Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s ultimate adventure hub.
Yas island was awarded World’s Leading Theme Park Destination 2022 and Warner Bros received the award for Middle East’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2022 at last year’s World Travel Awards

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ALL LEGOLAND® RESORTS IN NORTH AMERICA TO BECOME CERTIFIED AUTISM CENTERS™ BY SPRING 2023

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Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett
Jamaica’s efforts to bolster resilience in global tourism by proposing the official designation of February 17th as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually has yielded great success, as the United Nations (UN) officially ratified the move to facilitate its observance globally yesterday (February 6).Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has been a global voice advocating for tourism resilience as a means of safeguarding the sector during times of crises that negatively impact the industry, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
In welcoming the UN’s decision Minister Bartlett said: “This is a signal honour for Jamaica which highlights the fact that our nation continues to have such significant influence on the international stage. This is very timely as the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt and is causing a strain on many tourism-dependent states as they struggle to recover.”
Minister Bartlett, who made a presentation on Global Tourism Resilience during the UN General Assembly meeting at the UN headquarters in New York today, added that: “Global Tourism Resilience Day emphasizes the importance of building tourism resilience across the world to fuel sustainable growth and development.”
He underscored that “this observance will aid in increasing the awareness and actions of global tourism stakeholders towards boosting the industry’s capacity to effectively handle and recover swiftly from major disruptions, such as pandemics, earthquakes and other natural disasters.”
ADVERTISEMENTMinister Bartlett has been playing a leading role in promoting the need for tourism dependent states in particular, to be prepared for inevitable internal and external shocks and to have a body that they can look to for support that will aid them in recovering quickly. To this end he has spearheaded the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and co-authored with University of the West Indies Professor Lloyd Waller, the book: Tourism Resilience and Recovery for Global Sustainability and Development: Navigating COVID-19 and the Future.

The designation follows months of high-level discussions and diplomatic engagements. Minister Bartlett, officially launched Global Tourism Resilience Day during EXPO2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 17, 2022. In September 2022 Prime Minister The Most Hon. Andrew Holness also called for the official designation of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually as he addressed the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Jamaica will officially recognize Global Tourism Resilience Day during the first ever Global Tourism Resilience Conference, which will be held from February 15-17, 2023 at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.

While in New York, Mr. Bartlett will also fulfill a packed schedule of high-level tourism marketing and development engagements before returning to the island today, February 7, 2023

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Visitor numbers to Dubai increased 97 per cent y-on-y in 2022

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Dubai received 14.36 million international overnight visitors in 2022, an increase of 97 per cent year-on-year from the 7.28 million tourist arrivals it recorded in 2021The figures shared by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) show that the emirate had recovered to 86 per cent of its pre-pandemic visitor numbers which stood at 16.73 million in 2019.
The latest data from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) meanwhile showed that global tourist travel in 2022 was 37 per cent lower than 2019, demonstrating that Dubai’s recovery in tourism was significantly above the global average.
Western Europe and the GCC region each accounted for a 21 per cent share of arrivals in Dubai last year. The GCC region witnessed an increase in their share of arrivals from 13 per cent in 2021 to 21 per cent last year. South Asia contributed 17 per cent of total volumes while the MENA region contributed 12 per cent. The Americas accounted for 7 per cent of arrivals while the North Asia and South East Asia region and Africa each contributed 5 per cent and Australasia accounted for 2 per cent.
Average occupancy for the hotel sector in Dubai in 2022 stood at 73 per cent, rising from 67 per cent in 2021. The figure is a little less than the 75 per cent occupancy rate in the pre-pandemic period of 2019. The 73 per cent occupancy rate achieved last year was done so despite a 16 per cent increase in room supply in 2022 compared to 2019.
Dubai’s hotel inventory at the end of December 2022 comprised of 146,496 rooms at 804 hotel establishments, compared to 126,120 rooms available at the end of December 2019 across 741 establishments. The total number of hotels in 2022 marked a six per cent growth over 2021, with 755 hotel establishments offering 137,950 rooms.ADVERTISEMENTThe hotel sector outperformed pre-pandemic levels across all other key measurements – Occupied Room Nights, Average Daily Rate (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR). Occupied room nights reached a record high of 37.43 million room nights in 2022, registering a 19 per cent increase over 2021 (31.47 million) and a 17 per cent increase over the pre-pandemic period of 2019, which yielded 32.11 million occupied room nights.
The ADR of Dhs536 in 2022 surpassed the ADRs for both 2021 (Dhs451) and 2019 (Dhs415), with 19 per cent and 29 per cent increases respectively. The hotel sector’s RevPAR grew increase 30 per cent compared to 2021 (Dhs391 vs Dhs301) and increased 25 per cent over the pre-pandemic period of 2019 (RevPAR of Dhs312).
“The remarkable rise in international visitation in 2022 supports the ambitious goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to double the size of the emirate’s economy by 2033. The tourism and travel sector contributes significantly to the leadership’s aim of making the emirate a model for excellence in the global economy,” said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.
Dubai will launch new initiatives aligned with the UAE 2031 Tourism Strategy, which seeks to attract 40 million guests by 2031 and increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the emirate’s GDP to Dhs450 billion.
visitdubai.com
Source: Business Traveller

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200 MELIÁ HOTELS INTERNATIONAL HOTELS RECEIVE 2023 TRAVELLER REVIEW AWARDS More

Travellers opting for a 2023 small group experience with leading safari specialist Acacia Africa, have an additional nine countries to choose from. Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia now feature on the operator’s Small Group Adventure Camping and Small Group Adventure Accommodated tours, with each trip taking a maximum of 16 people. To mark the news, Acacia will be offering discounts of 15% on Small Group Adventure Camping Tours and 10% on Small Group Adventure Accommodated tours if booked before February 28. The discount will be available on all 2023 scheduled departures and is subject to availability.
Arno Delport, Marketing Manager at Acacia Africa comments, “We have expanded and broadened our small group destinations and realised the demand for ‘TRUE’ small group travel in Africa. Priced from only £602pp for a four-day Kruger Safari, every Small Group Adventure is packed with immersive experiences from seeing the wildlife to engaging with local communities. We will continue to run these trips in our custom built vehicles – the extra space and added comfort allows clients to really stretch out on longer drives and enjoy unequalled window access throughout. All the memorable African experiences of Acacia’s Adventure Tours will remain – but without the crowd!”
​“2023 is poised to be an exciting year for Africa, with travellers keen to explore the continent’s classic safari destinations, including Kenya’s Masai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti. Bucket lists are also expanding, and we are seeing growing interest for more out of the way places, for example, Eswatini and Lesotho. Overall travellers are more confident about booking longer trips, and well ahead of their departure, the pent up demand for travel to Africa refueling the coffers of worthy conservation and community projects. Our desire to travel is also at an all time high with many of us willing to cut back on costs in order to enjoy our dream safari, our affordable Small Group Adventures helping to make those dreams a reality.”

The first country in Africa to offer a ‘digital nomad’ visa, Namibia is destined to be a popular destination in 2023. According to Acacia, remote working has boosted bleisure travel, and the opportunity to take several trips in the Land of the Brave, and across neighbouring countries, over a six month period is an inviting prospect. The cinematic sense of wonder afforded to travellers journeying across Namibia is compelling. Etosha’s otherworldly salt pan, the Fish River Canyon (regarded as Africa’s very own Grand Canyon), Spitzkoppe’s dramatic bald granite peaks, Dune 45, Deadvlei, and the vast dunes of Swakopmund (one of Africa’s many adventure capitals), are breathtaking sights to behold. All of these locations feature on the 19-day Cape Town to Victoria Falls, the Small Group Adventure Camping Experience, also including wildlife viewing in Botswana’s Chobe National Park, a slow paced scenic mokoro safari on the Okavango Delta, and back in Namibia, game drives in Etosha National Park. SAVE 15% (£327pp) from £1,858pp (no single supplement) + Adventure Pass from £325pp including all highlights, transport, camping accommodation, most meals, services of a tour leader and driver. Starts Cape Town – ends Livingstone. Year-round scheduled departures. Full tour price £2,185pp.ADVERTISEMENT
Kenya, known as the “Land of the Original Safari,” is widely regarded as Africa’s most iconic wildlife destination. While there are no guarantees, there is a good chance of seeing all five of the Big Five within its national parks, but twinning Kenya’s Masai Mara and Tanzania’s neighbouring Serengeti is the ultimate combination. Proving that these bucket list countries can be visited on a budget, Acacia’s 13-day Small Group Kenya & Tanzania Accommodated Adventure combines classic Africa with stays in inexpensive, yet superior lodges and tented camps. The complete itinerary includes game drives in the Masai Mara (the thrill of the annual migration best viewed from July through September), the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, a Masai Culture village walk in Arusha, and a stay on the Spice island of Zanzibar. SAVE 10% (£211pp) from £1,904pp (no single supplement) + Adventure Pass from £1,159pp including all highlights, transport, accommodation (including comfortable lodges and tented camps, plus bush camping in the Serengeti/Ngorongoro), most meals, services of a tour leader and driver.  Starts Nairobi – ends Dar es Salaam. Year-round scheduled departures. Full tour price £2,115pp.

All prices exclude return flight. Discount excludes Adventure Pass. All offers subject to availability. Acacia Africa’s Small Group Adventure Camping and Small Group Adventure Accommodated Tours are aimed at travellers aged 18+.  Acacia offers pre and post accommodation and a wide selection of city breaks and short stays. Acacia Africa (020 7706 4700; acacia-africa.com). ABTA No. W4093 PROTECTED.

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Gordon Smith Named Destination Development Director for South of Scotland by VisitScotland

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Gordon Smith, who has worked within tourism for more than 26 years and for the national tourism organisation since 2005, will take up the role.  Gordon has held several senior roles at VisitScotland during this time, most recently as the Regional Director for Ayrshire and Arran, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, where he has been instrumental in the ongoing development of the Ayrshire and Arran Visitor Economy Strategy.
In this role, Gordon will be responsible for leading on the continued responsible recovery of the tourism industry in the South of Scotland. He will lead on the delivery of the key strategic tourism priorities set out in the regional economic strategy and help to support the ambitions of the national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2023, for Scotland to be a world leader in 21st century tourism.
Rob Dickson, VisitScotland Director of Industry and Destination Development said: “I would like to congratulate Gordon Smith on this appointment to what is key role in the South of Scotland. Gordon has considerable experience in partnership and stakeholder relations, as well as extensive knowledge of all aspects of tourism during his varied career. He is very familiar with the needs of the tourism industry and is well placed to support development of the sector in the region.
“Gordon will lead on our key strategic relationships in the South of Scotland, working with South of Scotland Enterprise, both Councils, the South of Scotland Destination Alliance and other partners to support the responsible growth of our tourism and events industry.
“Tourism is a force for good. It creates jobs, sustains communities and contributes significantly to the economy and I am confident that Gordon will ensure this is the case in the South of Scotland.”ADVERTISEMENTGordon Smith, VisitScotland Destination Development Director for the South of Scotland said: “It has been an incredible challenging time for our tourism and events industry in recent years and our focus remains on supporting the ongoing recovery of this valuable part of our economy.
“I look forward to taking up this role at an exciting time for the South of Scotland. The region received global recognition from its inclusion on Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel Guide 2023 and as we countdown to hosting key events as part of the UCI Cycling World Championships and the opening of the coast-to-coast cycle route, we will build on the important partnerships we have in place in the South of Scotland to drive forward tourism recovery and continue to strengthen the economy of the south.”
Gordon will work alongside VisitScotland Destination Development Directors for the Highlands and Islands and Central and North East regions, working directly with relevant enterprise agencies and regional economic partnerships to deliver the work of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET).
For more information on the work of VisitScotland, visit www.visitscotland.org

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María Cristina Rivadeneira, the General Director of Quito Turismo, and Gustavo Santos, head of the Americas for the UNWTO, discussed the current situation of Quito´s tourism sector and possible new initiatives to support its recovery process,Through Quito Turismo, the city´s town council is working on strengthening tourism and generating more opportunities for developing the productive sector through specific priority action.
In this regard, María Cristina Rivadeneira, general manager of Quito Turismo, met with Gustavo Santos, head of the Americas for the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), at its headquarters in Madrid, Spain.
Also present at the meeting were Etzon Romo, development manager at Quito Turismo, Esther Ruiz from the Regional Department for the Americas at the UNWTO, Patricia Carmona and Michel Julian from the Tourism Market Intelligence department; and Lorena Villar from the Tourism and Competitiveness department at the UNWTO.
During the meeting, the authorities discussed the tourism situation in the Ecuadorian capital and the potential to establish initiatives to help the sector continue its process of recovery following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Santos, who was the Minister of Tourism and the State Secretary for Tourism for the Nation of Argentina from 2015 to 2019, claimed that he had a special love for Quito, a city with an “extraordinary wealth of culture” and which the UNWTO will support and encourage in its growth.ADVERTISEMENTp >In the meeting, the highest authority of Quito Turismo shared a brief explanation of the work which is going on in Ecuador´s capital to advance the growth of tourism; mentioned the need to reinforce plans to encourage tourism not only to the main attractions in the Metropolitan District´s urban area, but also to the region´s 33 rural parishes; and highlighted that, with the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, a programme is being promoted that aims to obtain data and territorial information that will make it possible to outline specific actions to strengthen the sector.
Gustavo Santos emphasised that the World Tourism Organisation will offer its experience, assistance and support to Quito and Ecuador so they can position themselves as an attractive, safe and sustainable destination for international visitors; and he reminded everyone that, in June this year, the country will host the 68th Meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas, a meeting which is expected to consolidate work with Ecuador.
Santos expressed the UNWTO´s interest in setting up a pilot project which will enable the collection of real information about the rural area of the DMQ and which will establish public policies and plans to increase tourism. Furthermore, he left open the possibility for Quito to join the Network of Tourism Observatories, comprising 36 cities from countries such as China, Greece, Croatia, The United States, Guatemala, Argentina and others; so that the destination can have more data on and awareness of the state and growth of world tourism.

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Dubai launches 10-year strategy to develop sports sector

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The Dubai Sports Council has approved a 10-year strategy for developing the emirate’s sports sector, with plans to organise 3,000 local, regional and international events and host 1,000 international training camps as part of the strategy.Approved by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the strategy supports the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and aims double the contribution of the sports sector to the emirate’s GDP.
He highlighted the importance of implementing initiatives to achieve sustainability in the sports sector, in line with the vision of the UAE leadership and the directives of the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who announced 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’.
“The announcement by HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to make 2023 the ‘Year of Sustainability’ reflects the UAE leadership’s commitment to implementing sustainability-focused initiatives that seek to ensure a better tomorrow for future generations,” Sheikh Mansoor said as he chaired the meeting of DSC.
“In line with the directives of the UAE President, we remain committed to promoting sustainability in the sports sector.”
The meeting, held at the Council’s headquarters, was attended by Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the DSC; Lieutenant General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police and Member of the DSC’s Board of Directors; and Board Members: Hala Badri, Sami Al Qamzi, Moaza Al Marri, Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the DSC, and Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of the DSC.ADVERTISEMENTSheikh Mansoor said that 2023 will see the launch of several initiatives that will enhance the performance of the sector and its contribution to the city’s GDP. These initiatives will also reinforce Dubai’s status as a key destination for global sporting events, tournaments, and training camps. The year 2023 will build on the success of 2022, which saw the launch of several global tournaments including the Dubai Super Cup and the World Tennis League, His Highness added.
He also issued directives to increase the number of sports events held annually in Dubai to 500. Progressively, this will be increased to 1,000 events annually, as per the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
“The new 2023-2033 strategy announced by the Council will seek to enhance the role of the sports sector in realising the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). The strategy will also contribute to raising Dubai’s profile as a global sporting destination and a hub for attracting talent,” Sheikh Mansoor said.
The strategy includes a number of initiatives and programmes that seek to keep pace with global developments in the sector.
“The key objectives of the strategy include raising the contribution of the sports sector to Dubai’s GDP from 2% to 4% annually, organising 3,000 local, regional and international events and hosting 1,000 international training camps. The strategy also aims to increase the percentage of sporting events hosted in partnership with the private sector to 90%,” he added.
Sheikh Mansoor also issued directives to develop incentives for promoting sports in collaboration with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). He also issued directives to launch an award for recognising schools that have implemented measures to enhance the health and wellbeing of students through sports.
The meeting also discussed policies aimed at attracting athletes to Dubai clubs and reviewed the calendar of events and tournaments that Dubai will host in 2023.
The new strategy includes five pillars:
•  Shaping a new future for sports by developing solutions focused on e-sports, the metaverse and artificial intelligence.•  Raising Dubai’s sustainability as a global sports destination and the contribution of sports to local GDP.•  Making sports accessible to all members of the community.•  Providing a conducive environment for attracting athletes.•  Establishing an integrated and interconnected digital institutional system that ensures comprehensive governance of the sports sector.
Source: TradeArabia News Service

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SPRING BREAK EXPECTED TO BE BUSIER THAN LAST YEAR, WITH SEARCHES UP 40% More

Based on their acquired experience, Lagardère Travel Retail Belgium and Atos have joined together in order to develop a fully automated point of sales, offering the passengers travelling from Pier A at Brussels Airport a unique and original shopping experience.This new technological concept, based on the use of interactive furniture and 3D (Lidar) cameras, allows the automatic recognition of products selected by the passengers. After entering the point of sales by scanning their boarding pass, the passengers can freely select their favourite articles. Those are grouped in a virtual basket at the moment they pass the payment terminal. The passengers can then check the details of their basket, finalize the transaction with their credit card and leave the point of sales with the articles they have purchased.
After a few weeks of testing, this point of sales, named “Quick N’ Easy” offers to the passengers of Brussels Airport as of now a range of bestsellers of Belgian beers and chocolates.
” For Lagardère Travel Retail it was ever since highly important to innovate in the use of technologies related to its core business. Thanks to the support of Brussels Airport, the technological expertise of Atos and our experience as retailer, we were able to develop this new concept in a very short notice. Passengers of Terminal A will be astonished by the easy way of working and the brand new retail experience. By offering this new automated point of sales at the airport, Lagardère Travel Retail ensures its role as a trendsetter.”, says Nicolas Van Brandt – CEO Lagardère Travel Retail Belgium.“At Brussels Airport, we are always looking for opportunities to enhance the passenger experience and to offer quick and touchless alternatives for our passengers throughout the airport. With this innovative shopping solution, a purchase can be done swiftly and autonomously, without even the need to scan the products. This is truly a “Quick N’ Easy” stop to shop for some Belgian delicacies as a gift or just for yourself.”, says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.
Punit Sehgal, CEO of Atos Belux: “This project represents the fusing of technology, optimised customer experience and convenience to deliver an innovative retail experience that is designed to function intuitively and in harmony with the shopper. With this offering, Lagardère Travel Retail now provides a cutting-edge shopping experience that sets it apart in Belgium.”
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