Stars dazzle at the award ceremony

It was a glitzy and glamorous evening as the fourth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards recognized some of the key leaders in the region. The three categories of awards were presented by the Chief Guests to honour the dedicated professionals of the industry.

Shehara Rizly

This year’s awards were extremely special as it was a salutation and for all those overcoming the unprecedented challenges during the pandemic. His Excellency. Mohammad Tarid bin Sufian, Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE, Her Excellency Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, Ambassador, The Republic of the Philippines, UAE and Dr. Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai graced the occasion with their presence. The chief guests shared a few words about the industry. His Excellency, Mohammad Tarid bin Sufian, Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE, says in his address, “It was indeed an energetic and lively opening of the Arabian Travel Awards. It is indeed an incredible honour to be with all of you this evening. After a short break due to the pandemic, we are here for this awards ceremony. Congratulations as this event serve as a recognition honouring those who worked tirelessly and given their time and soul and life to the industry. This evening is your time and your moment. It is more than a trophy, known as Maya. It is recognised at a professional level. We can now see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Her Excellency Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, Ambassador, The Republic of the Philippines, UAE, notes, “It is my pleasure and honour to be here tonight. Just by seeing all of you here, I can say that travel and tourism are back and it gives so much confidence in the industry seeing all of you getting back to normal. The past 21 months have been unprecedented; as the Ambassador of the UAE’s third-largest group, I became instant friends with travel agencies, airline companies, and learnt a great deal in that time. It was difficult, but with excellent company, I was able to achieve anything. Expo is a great example of hope, and I believe you in the industry have shown your commitment. I believe it is important that the industry voice be heard, since policymakers need you to balance the policies they have, and your inputs are important.”

Dr. Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai, says, “Travel and tourism sectors are important to both India and the UAE, they are both natural partners. We have 3.3 million Indians living here, the single largest community living outside of India.

This will be the first time the single largest group will visit the Expo. We have a good untapped potential in tourism seector. This year, we started the flight between Sri Nagar and Sharjah. Congratulations to all the winners!”