Organised in partnership with Tourism Spain/Turespana, dnata Travel Group’s inaugural golf event attracted 60 players to the stunning Montgomerie Golf Club Dubai on November 3. All participants sported pink attire to support the work of the Al Jalila Foundation and extend Breast Cancer Awareness Month into November. Prizes, sponsored by Club Med, were handed out for men’s and women’s individual performances, plus team’s performance and nearest the pin. Participants included leisure and corporate customers, and partners of dnata Travel Group, including Kim Thomson, Publishing Director of TTN Middle East.

Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas was recognised with two prestigious accolades for outstanding service excellence at the first edition of Qatar Tourism Awards for 2023. The property emerged victorious in two distinct categories, receiving the prestigious “5-Star Hotel” award, while the resort’s luxury eforea Spa, was honoured with the “Spa Outstanding Service Excellence” award, solidifying its reputation as a premier spa & wellness destination in the region. 

Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national airline, operated the first commercial flight from Abu Dhabi International’s highly anticipated new Terminal A on October 31, 2023. Etihad flight EY224, from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi, departed Terminal A at 14:35. The flight used one of the airline’s Airbus A350-1000, with 359 guests onboard. The ceremonial flight was officially inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by a distinguished array of guests, including Etihad and Abu Dhabi Airport Board members and aviation leaders. Among those present were Etihad’s CEO Antonoaldo Neves, as well as Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and Interim CEO, and Frank McCrorie, Chief Operations Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports.

Dubai Harbour welcomed the iconic Resilient Lady from Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages on its maiden call to the Arabian Gulf. The call is one of a number of international cruise liners set to arrive at Dubai Harbour during this year’s cruise season, with 300,000 passengers and 49 ship calls.  Resilient Lady is the newest Lady Ship to join the Virgin Voyages fleet that previously included Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady. Celebrating Virgin’s longstanding British heritage, Resilient Lady launched on May 14, 2023, from her summer homeport in Athens, Greece. 

Thynk, a global provider of advanced technology solutions for data-driven hotel sales and operations management, has announced the acquisition of ‘Please ask m’, a pivotal step in fortifying its hospitality cloud solution. This acquisition aligns seamlessly with Thynk’s strategic growth initiatives, aimed at providing hoteliers with an augmented suite of software to elevate sales and operations, deliver superior guest experiences, and harness actionable data-driven insights. 

The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) successfully concluded its five-day GCC roadshow at the German Ambassador’s residence in Abu Dhabi, marking the end of a productive journey across the region. GNTO visited Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait, Doha, and Abu Dhabi between October 29 and November 2. GNTO, along with nine partners, showcased Germany’s diverse tourism offerings for GCC travellers, emphasising amenities such as Arabic-speaking staff and Khaleeji chefs.

The Bicester Collection, a family of 11 distinctive luxury shopping destinations in Europe and China, is introducing a new virtual retail experience, bringing its unique Village environment to audiences worldwide. This innovative new offering is powered by the Emperia platform, an immersive retail start-up that imagines the future of the industry, where brands can offer seamless and personalised experiences physically and virtually. Offering seamless alignment between its physical and digital offering, The Bicester Collection’s immersive virtual experience allows audiences around the world to discover four of the Collection’s Village destinations, Bicester Village, La Roca Village, La Vallée Village and Fidenza Village, from the comfort of home. 

Inside Burj Al Arab’s brand new ‘Golden Sunset’ tour package is available exclusively for the winter season until the end of this year. Guests can now experience the best sunset view in Dubai from UMA Lounge with a tour of the property, followed by a glass of bubbly, and a live saxophonist.