Middle Eastern airlines saw a 14.2% YoY rise in demand in April with capacity increasing 9.9% and load factor increasing 3 percentage point to 79.3% compared to 2023, finds IATA. TT Bureau During the month of April, total demand, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), was up 11 per cent …
Read More »SAF production to triple in 2024
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that its projections for a tripling of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) production in 2024 to 1.9 billion litre over the previous year are on track. This would account for 0.53 per cent of aviation’s fuel need for the year. SAF fuel comes in …
Read More »Luxury travel marked by bespoke services
The Middle East region has been rapidly expanding its luxury offerings over the past few years in terms of hospitality. The region has the most affluent travellers who seek premium services. In an interview with TRAVTALK, Marloes Knippenberg, CEO, Kerten Hospitality, shares her views on the rise of demand for …
Read More »‘We ferried 4.5mn ME travellers in 2023’
More than 4.5 million passengers travelled onboard Turkish Airlines from the Middle East to Türkiye last year. Prof Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines, says the task for this year is to increase the number of visitors, especially from the Middle East region, as they …
Read More »Readiness of AI & VR for travel experiences
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) predicted that 2024 will be a record-breaking year for the travel and tourism sector, with its global economic contribution expected to reach an all-time high of US $11.1 trillion. The continuous advancements in AI and VR, coupled with increasing consumer acceptance, indicate that …
Read More »Bleisure raking in money via agents
A significant portion of business to hotels in the Middle East region is contributed by agents due to the rise in bleisure travel over the past few years, which enables the traveller to explore more options than just the business meeting. In an interview with TRAVTALK, Sushanth Nambiar, Cluster GM, …
Read More »ME expects1mn Chinese in 2024
ITB China, a three-day networking event organised recently in Dubai with TRAVTALK as the media partner, witnessed 600 exhibitors from over 80 countries and 1,000 buyers, apart form 15,000 visitors. More than 27,500 business meetings were conducted at the event. A cross section of the trade express their views on …
Read More »Tourism bounty for KSA
Travel and tourism sector contributed SAR 444.3 billion to the GDP of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2023. The Kingdom also exceeded the target of 100 million tourists during the year. TT Bureau According to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s …
Read More »AI’s travel takeover
The impact of Artificial Intelligence and technology can be seen on the travel sector all over the world. Experts voice their opinion on the topic that seems to have revolutionised the industry today. Jamal Abdulnasar, CEO, Cozmo Travel AI and technology have transformed the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry by …
Read More »Staycations gain momentum in UAE
With the summer coming early this year, staycations seem to be a massive hit among locals and expats in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah, offering beachfront resorts, desert retreats, and luxury urban hotels, are some of the hot destinations finding favour with the …
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