Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Al Hosn Festival, Abu Dhabi’s annual celebration of the emirate’s cultural heritage, is set to return with a packed ten-day programme taking place from 13 to 22 January at the iconic Al Hosn site. Set across Al Hosn’s historic buildings and outdoor areas, the event will showcase the best of Abu Dhabi’s heritage as well as the breadth of its creativity.
Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the festival promises an exciting array of activities for visitors of all ages, with cultural performances, film screenings, art installations, craft and design demonstrations, creative workshops, retail pop-ups, and a variety of culinary experiences.
His Excellency Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Each year, Al Hosn Festival tells the story of Abu Dhabi at its place of origin. A key component of our cultural calendar, the festival celebrates Abu Dhabi’s heritage and craftsmanship and connects them with the contemporary art practices of the emirate. The festival has quickly become a focus of inspiration and exchange for the emirate’s cultural ecosystem, and a key element of DCT Abu Dhabi’s drive to both preserve the emirate’s treasured heritage and support and grow its new generation of artists and creative practitioners.”
Activations will span the vast Al Hosn site, with Qasr Al Hosn transporting visitors back in time to offer a glimpse of life in Abu Dhabi in decades past. Guests will enjoy live demonstrations of Emirati craftsmanship and artisanal techniques at House of Artisans, where they can also participate in creative workshops and witness competitions highlighting Emirati cultural excellence. Similarly, Cultural Foundation is once again set to offer an engaging and thought-provoking programme of art exhibitions, performances, film screenings, interactive installations and workshops.
The festival’s Makers Village is set to return, offering unique items created by artists and designers from local and regional concept stores. There will also be a creative culinary experience.ADVERTISEMENTAl Hosn Festival provides a platform for cultural experimentation and exchange in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s ever-evolving urban landscape, while remaining rooted in the emirate’s authentic traditions. The event aligns with the vision and mandate of DCT Abu Dhabi to protect, preserve and promote the emirate’s heritage, showcase Abu Dhabi as a cultural destination and provide a platform for artistic experimentation and public engagement.
Al Hosn is the original urban block of the city and comprises the historic Qasr Al Hosn Fort, the Cultural Foundation, the National Consultative Council building and the House of Artisans. Al Hosn is emblematic of the proud cultural heritage of the UAE, bringing to life the rich fabric of its history, people and traditions and highlighting the city’s future ambition.Full details of the Al Hosn Festival 2023 programme will be announced closer to the event. For more information, please visit www.alhosnfestival.ae

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Riyadh Season, a pivotal step in achieving Saudi Vision 2030, seeks to attract more tourists and boost tourism growth in Saudi Arabia through various cultural and entertainment experiences and diverse cultural contents.Boulevard World was officially launched on November 21st as part of the Riyadh Season 2022, taking visitors on a journey around the world by presenting diverse cultures from the US, France, Greece, India, China, Spain, Japan, Morocco, Mexico, and Italy.Boulevard World collaborated with Unilumin Group, a Chinese high-tech company, to draw tourists from all over the world and create novel entertainment experiences they have never had. With a large number of Metasight LED displays supported by software integration and control technologies, Boulevard World showcased artistic design and creative content to the audience and created an immersive experience space filled with modern science and technologies. Boulevard World has thus become another world-class entertainment landmark.
The huge spherical screen created by Unilumin will catch tourists’ eyes immediately when they enter Boulevard World. As an innovative product by Unilumin, the spherical screen has broken the Guinness World Records and become a new city landmark in Saudi Arabia. It also represents the strong connections across the global village advocated by Boulevard World. In addition, the largest LED ceiling screen in the Middle East and the first one in Saudi Arabia, together with dozens of outdoor ultra-high-definition (UHD) large screens, allows Boulevard World to present diverse cultures and history to the visitors.
Riyadh Season started cooperation with Unilumin back in 2021. Using Unilumin’s LED displays and Metasight solutions, Riyadh Season has served over 15 million tourists worldwide and has driven the region’s tourism development. The professionalism of Unilumin throughout the project has left a deep impression on the clients in the Middle East.

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ABTA Members’ customers travel with confidence in latest campaign

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ABTA has launched the second phase of its annual flagship Travel with confidence campaign with a customer-focused video to be promoted through social media advertising. The campaign launches today,  Boxing Day, to coincide with the start of the peak holiday booking season and to promote and support Members during the busy period.The two-minute video shares testimonials from loyal customers talking about what holidays mean for them, and the various reasons why they book with an ABTA member.  The video reinforces the reassurance and peace of mind that comes with booking through a trustworthy and reputable company.  Customers featured include Naomi, a Virgin Atlantic Holidays customer, who says:
“Holidays are very important as they provide that much needed time away from work, the chance to explore new cultures, and to spend quality time with loved ones. 
“Total confidence in an ABTA registered Member is 100% peace of mind which makes for a perfect holiday.”
The feel-good video drives home the importance people place on their holidays, with customers listing the time away from work, the chance to explore new cultures, the opportunity to spend time with loved ones, and being good for mental health as the main benefits of going away.  The initial phase of the campaign launched in early December with radio advertising on Heart Digital and reiterated the importance customers place on their holidays. 
The video will be cut to different lengths for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Reddit and will run throughout January.  The campaign will conclude at the end of January with a consumer competition. ADVERTISEMENTGraeme Buck, ABTA Director of Communications said:
“This next phase of our Travel with confidence campaign is designed, just like the radio ads we are still airing, to help drive business for our Members through the peak booking period. 
“It was great to see so many ABTA Members’ customers submitting content for the video and sharing the true excitement of booking a holiday. These real views from real people make this year’s Travel with confidence campaign heart-warming, relatable and effective.”
For more information about the campaign, please visit www.abta.com/travelwithconfidence

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The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center have unveiled revolutionary new data detailing the climate footprint of the Travel & Tourism sector in the Asia Pacific region (APAC).According to the data, between 2010 and 2019, the APAC Travel & Tourism sector decoupled its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions.
The new data for the region reveals the total contribution to APAC’s GDP grew on average 7.3% annually, whilst greenhouse gas emissions increased by just 4% during the same period.
The data also shows how the sector’s emissions intensity continues to decrease.
In 2010, for every $1 USD of the region’s Travel & Tourism GDP, the sector emitted 0.94kg of greenhouse gas emissions.
But in 2019, when Travel & Tourism was at its peak, this figure had dropped by more than 26% to 0.69kg, demonstrating the progress of changes implemented by governments and business leaders across the Asia-Pacific region to create a more sustainable sector.ADVERTISEMENTThe new data shows that in 2019 the sector was responsible for an average of just 10.3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the APAC region.
For the first time ever, this ground-breaking research can accurately report and track the impact industries within the sector have on the environment.
This world first research which covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with the latest figures.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “We are now able to give governments across the Asia-Pacific region the insights they need to make significant steps towards the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“The Travel & Tourism sector in the region has decoupled its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions and reduced its emissions intensity by an incredible 26%. But while this shows progress, a lot more needs to be done.
“To reach our goals and ambitions, we must make bigger and bolder steps to reduce our absolute emissions.
“Government support will be crucial in accelerating the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels which will have a significant impact on our footprint, as well as bringing in more renewable energy to our national grids.”
The global findings were launched at the global tourism body’s 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November this year.
This research was made possible thanks to the partnership between WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center. Under the Saudi green Initiative, more than 60 initiatives have been launched in the past year, representing more than $186BN USD of investment in the green economy.

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North American Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint Revealed

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Between 2010 and 2019, the North American Travel & Tourism sector decoupled its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions. The new data for the region, which covers the Travel & Tourism sectors in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, reveals the total contribution to North America’s GDP grew on average 3.1% annually, whilst greenhouse gas emissions increased by just 1.2% during the same period.
The data also demonstrates how the sector’s emissions intensity continues to decrease.
In 2010, for every $1 USD of the region’s Travel & Tourism GDP, the sector emitted 0.53kg of greenhouse gas emissions.
But in 2019, when Travel & Tourism was at its peak, this figure dropped by 15% to 0.45kg. This demonstrates the progress of changes implemented by governments and business leaders across North America to create a more sustainable sector.
The new data shows that in 2019 the sector was responsible for just 9.3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in North America.ADVERTISEMENTFor the first time ever, this groundbreaking research can accurately report and track the impact industries within the sector have on the environment.
This world first research which covers 185 countries across all regions, will be updated each year with the latest figures.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “We are now able to give governments across North America the comprehensive information they need to make significant steps towards the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“The Travel & Tourism sector in the region has decoupled its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions and reduced its emissions intensity by 15%. But while this shows progress, a lot more needs to be done.
“To reach our goals and ambitions, we must make bigger and bolder steps to reduce our absolute emissions.
“And for this we need government support in accelerating the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels which will have a significant impact on our footprint, as well as bringing in more renewable energy to our national grids.”
The global findings were launched last week at the global tourism body’s 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This research was made possible thanks to the partnership between WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center. Under the Saudi green Initiative, more than 60 initiatives have been launched in the past year, representing more than $186BN USD of investment in the green economy.

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African Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint Revealed

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WTTC reveals APAC’s Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint More

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center have unveiled revolutionary new data detailing the climate footprint of the Travel & Tourism sector in Africa.According to the new data, between 2010 and 2019, the African Travel & Tourism sector decoupled its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions.
The data shows the total contribution to Africa’s GDP grew on average 2.6% annually, whilst greenhouse gas emissions increased by just 1.2% during the same period.
The data also demonstrates how the sector’s emissions intensity continues to decrease.
In 2010, for every $1 USD of the region’s Travel & Tourism GDP, the sector emitted 1.45kg of greenhouse gas emissions.
But in 2019, when Travel & Tourism was at its peak, this figure dropped by more than 11% to 1.29kg. This significant decline demonstrates the progress of changes implemented by governments and business leaders across Africa to create a more sustainable sector.ADVERTISEMENTIn the same year the sector was responsible for an average of just 6.6% of total greenhouse gas emissions across Africa.
In one of the largest research projects of its kind ever undertaken, the global tourism body can for the first time ever, accurately report and track the impact industries within the sector have on the environment.
This comprehensive research covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with the latest figures.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Today, we can give governments across Africa the comprehensive information they need to make significant steps towards the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“The Travel & Tourism sector in the region has decoupled its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions and reduced its emissions intensity by more than 11%, but we know there is still work to be done.
“To reach our goals and ambitions, we must make bigger and bolder steps to reduce our absolute emissions.
“And for this we need government support in accelerating the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels which will have a significant impact on our footprint, as well as bringing in more renewable energy to our national grids.”
The global findings were launched at the global tourism body’s 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November this year.
This research was made possible thanks to the partnership between WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center. Under the Saudi green Initiative, more than 60 initiatives have been launched in the past year, representing more than $186BN USD of investment in the green economy.

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Sanya Hosts GenZ Top Model Contest to Lure Young Tourists

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A new interactive #DubaiDestinations guide issued today by Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), invites residents and travellers to explore the city’s beautiful outdoors with its extensive Picnic and Camping Guide.The Ultimate Picnic and Camping Guide lists a range of Dubai’s outdoor destinations and sites, offering tips for barbecuing, camping, and making the most of the beautiful winter weather. It includes a checklist of the essential items and equipment to carry when camping on your own. The guide lists online platforms for buying or renting camp gear and picnic kits and a list of Dubai’s best homegrown businesses offering ready-to-use picnic and camping F&B kits.
The camping destinations in the guide include Hatta, Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, and deserts across the city, such as Al Qudra, Al Awir, Al Ruwayaah, and the Half Desert Road. The guide’s picnic spots include beach and pond parks, lakes, natural escapes, scenic rest areas,
mountaintop picnic spots and beach and desert locations. The public and private destinations listed in the guide represent Dubai’s vast diversity of outdoor offerings that define its unique destination experience and make it the best city for living. The areas featured in the guide include Dubai Creek Park, Al Barari Nature Escape, Wadi Hatta Park, Al Marmoom Lakes, Safa Park, Leem Rest Area, Jumeirah Beach, Al Khazzan Park and many more.
The guide also lists companies organising picnics. In addition, it lists businesses that help set up camping tents, camper vans, and even outdoor cinemas for groups of all sizes and budgets.
Fatma Al Mulla, City Branding Executive at Brand Dubai, said: “Our interactive winter guide, ‘Dubai: The Ultimate Picnic and Camping Guide’, released as part of the latest #DubaiDestinations campaign, enables both residents and travellers to discover the city’s picturesque outdoor destinations, including landscaped gardens, lakes, beachfront destinations with cafés, and hilltop camping and picnic spots to suit every preference. Our guide covers all aspects of camping and picnicking in Dubai, including locations, companies offering set-up support, digital platforms for buying or renting camping and picnic gear, and Dubai’s homegrown businesses offering F&B kits.ADVERTISEMENT“It really is the ultimate guide for those interested in exploring the outdoors, including desert campsites that offer various activities, beach camps, trekking trails, parks and gardens. We have designed the guide to help families and people of all age groups explore the city and make the most of its outdoors. The latest guide allows residents and visitors the best time during this amazing season.”
The guide is part of the latest phase of the Dubai Media Council’s #DubaiDestinations winter campaign, which returns this year to showcase the attractions and experiences that make the emirate a top pick among global destinations in the cooler months of the year.
The collaborative campaign, implemented by Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the GDMO, highlights various activities and experiences that people can enjoy amidst the beautiful winter weather. This season, Dubai offers residents and visitors amazing adventure, entertainment, food, art, culture, sports and fitness experiences.
The campaign tells the story of Dubai’s emergence as one of the world’s best winter destinations and features engaging content from diverse stakeholders.
Al Mulla thanked the media, content creators, and social media influencers who continue to support the campaign by contributing their unique stories and creative content about Dubai’s attractiveness as a must-visit destination. She also thanked the homegrown businesses in the ‘Proudly from Dubai’ network for their exceptional products and services.
Running until February 2023, the latest campaign of the #DubaiDestinations initiative encourages residents and visitors to discover Dubai’s diverse leisure, dining, adventure and family-friendly activities that make the city a distinctive winter destination.
The #DubaiDestinations campaign is being rolled out over digital, broadcast, print and outdoor media to ensure it reaches large sections of local and international audiences. Brand Dubai is implementing the #DubaiDestinations campaign with various stakeholders and the creative media community. The interactive guide, available in English and Arabic, can be viewed through the following link: https://www.dubaidestinations.ae/guides/4/2.pdf. The #DubaiDestinations website—www.dubaidestinations.ae—comprises content, videos and guides related to the campaign.

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From Austria to Vietnam, 32 destinations from all around the world have been named as ‘Best Tourism Villages 2022’ by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).The accolade recognizes rural destinations that are embracing tourism as a driver of development and new opportunities for jobs and income, while preserving and promoting community-based values and products. The initiative also recognizes villages for their commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental – and a focus on developing tourism in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2022, a total of 32 villages from 18 countries across the five world regions were awarded the recognition. The villages were evaluated by an independent Advisory Board based on a set of criteria covering nine areas:
The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO showcase the power of the sector to drive economic diversification and create opportunities for all outside of big cities
Cultural and Natural ResourcesPromotion and Conservation of Cultural ResourcesEconomic SustainabilitySocial SustainabilityEnvironmental SustainabilityTourism Development and Value Chain IntegrationGovernance and Prioritization of TourismInfrastructure and ConnectivityHealth, Safety, and SecurityWelcoming the news, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For rural communities everywhere, tourism can be a true gamechanger in providing jobs, supporting local businesses and keeping traditions alive. The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO showcase the power of the sector to drive economic diversification and create opportunities for all outside of big cities.”
A total of 136 villages were put forward for consideration by 57 UNWTO Member States (each Member State could nominate a maximum of three villages) for the 2022 edition. From these, 32 were recognized as Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO.ADVERTISEMENTA further 20 villages will enter the Upgrade Programme. All 52 villages will also become part of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Global Network created in 2021 which from this date gathers 115 villages from the five continents. The Network provides a number of benefits including onsite and online training, sharing of good practices and international brand recognition and awareness.
Tourism as a driver of rural development and inclusion
The Best Tourism Villages initiative is the flagship project of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme. The Programme aims to ensure tourism contributes to reducing regional inequalities in income and development, fighting depopulation, progressing gender equality and women’s and youth empowerment, advancing innovation and digitalization, improving connectivity, infrastructure, access to finance and investment, innovating in product development and value chain integration, promoting sustainable practices for more efficient use of resources and a reduction of emissions and waste and enhancing education and skills. The Programme promotes multi-level governance and partnerships and the active involvement and empowerment of communities.
Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO
The Best Tourism Villages initiative includes three pillars:
The ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’: Recognizes villages that are an outstanding example of a rural tourism destination with accredited cultural and natural assets, that preserve and promote rural and community-based values, products, and lifestyle and have a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental.The ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ Upgrade Programme: The Upgrade Programme benefits a number of villages that do not fully meet the criteria to receive recognition. These villages receive support from UNWTO and its Partners in improving elements of the areas identified as gaps in the evaluation process.The ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ Global Network: The Network provides a space for exchanging experiences and good practices, learnings, and opportunities. It includes experts and public and private sector partners engaged in the promotion of tourism for rural development, as well.The Award Ceremony will take place in AlUla, Saudi Arabia on 27-28 February 2023 back-to-back with the first presential meeting of the UNWTO Network of Best Tourism Villages.
The next edition of the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO will open in February 2023.
List of Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO 2022:
Zell am See, AustriaWagrain, AustriaPuqueldón, ChileDazhai, ChinaJingzhu, ChinaChoachí, ColombiaAguarico, EcuadorAngochagua, EcuadorChoke Mountains Ecovillage, EthiopiaMestia, GeorgiaKfar Kama, IsraelSauris-Zahre, ItalyIsola del Giglio, ItalyUmm Qais, JordanCreel, MexicoEl Fuerte, MexicoKsar Elkhorbat, MoroccoMoulay Bouzerktoune, MoroccoLamas, PeruRaqchi, PeruCastelo Novo, PortugalPyeongsa-ri, Republic of KoreaRasinari, RomaniaAlUla Old Town, Saudi ArabiaBohinj, SloveniaRupit, SpainAlquézar, SpainGuadalupe, SpainMurten, SwitzerlandAndermatt, SwitzerlandBirgi, TürkiyeThái Hải, Vietnam
Additionally, UNWTO will work with the following villages participating in the Upgrade Programme:
Trevelin, ArgentinaKrupa na Vrbasu, Bosnia-HerzegovinaFontainhas, Cabo VerdeNinhue, ChileSan Vicente de Chucuri, ColombiaBarichara, ColombiaKalopanagiotis, CyprusPissouri, CyprusAdaba, EthiopiaKhonoma, IndiaNeot Semadar, IsraelOtricoli, ItalyIl Ngwesi, KenyaGrand Baie, MauritiusBella Vista, ParaguayIstebna, PolandFerraria de São João, PortugalCastara, Trinidad and TobagoAnıtlı, TürkiyeCumalıkızık, Türkiye
Applications in 2021 and 2022 were evaluated by an independent Advisory Board. The composition of this multidisciplinary board for 2021-2022 is as follows:
Federico de Arteaga (PhD, Innovation Sustainability, 2022)Joel Callañaupa (Planeterra, 2022)Mari Dunleavy (ICCA Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, 2022)Ahmed Eiweida (World Bank, 2022)Elena García Garrido (ENRD, 2022)Christian Gsodam (ECR European Committee of the Regions, 2021-2022)Amran Hamzah (CIPD Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2021-2022)Ena Harvey (ICCA Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, 2021)Lázaro Israel (Member of the Panel of Experts International Fund for Cultural Diversity at UNESCO, 2021-2022)(Dr.) Manal Kelig (ATTA Adventure Travel Trade Association, 2021-2022)Judy Kepher Gona (STTA Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda, 2021-2022)Fergus Maclaren (ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee, 2021-2022)Joxe Mari Aizega (BCC Basque Culinary Center, 2021)David Mora Gómez (BCC Basque Culinary Center,2022)Ximena Muñoz Vivas (Instituto Design Thinking, 2021-2022)Fabrizio Angelo Orlando (TripAdvisor, 2021-2022)Helena Rey de Assis (UNEP – UN Environment Programme, 2021)Jacqui Taylor (Agritourism Africa, 2022)Peter Wostner (Researcher and Policy Expert. Chairman of the Working Party on Rural Policy at OECD, 2021)(Dr.) Endo Yoshihide (FAO Food and Agriculture Organization, 2021-2022)

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