The milestone edition of the annual MALT Congress held in Dubai on March 30-31, 2022, was attended by more than 200 buyers. The MALT Congress featured expert sessions, and panel discussions, with more than 20 hours of networking witnessing the whole industry come together to discuss the future of luxury travel and well as the digitalization of the industry. The two-day Summit concluded with the MALT Excellence Awards, a coveted award ceremony that focuses on celebrating and recognizing success, growth, and innovation in the GCC Travel & Tourism industry. The event was supported by a large range of sponsors.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) has marked the 50th anniversary of the airline’s first passenger flight to Dubai, which arrived on April 5, 1972. The anniversary flight was greeted on arrival at Dubai International Airport by airport representatives and KLM staff, who joined a ceremony to mark the milestone. KLM started services to Dubai with a once-a-week connection via Athens and Dhahran, operating an extended Douglas DC-8 jet aircraft.

Abu Dhabi Airports, the owner and operator of the Emirate’s five airports, and Etihad Guest, the award-winning loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, signed an agreement to launch the “Miles on the Go” product at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Etihad Guest members can now instantly earn and spend Etihad Guest Miles when shopping at participating merchants located at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Members can earn 1 Etihad Guest Mile and 1 Etihad Guest Tier Mile for every Dh3 ($0.82) spent at any of the 119 participating outlets.

This year sees a major milestone in the history of Kempinski Hotels as the company prepares to celebrate its 125th birthday. After its humble beginnings as a family-run wine merchant and restaurant business in 1897, Kempinski today manages a collection of 80 elegant hotels, resorts, and residences in 34 countries around the world, with another 26 projects under development. To commemorate the occasion, the company launched a dedicated website on April 5, that introduced the ‘125 Anniversary Special’: a collection of generous offers that includes discounts of up to 25 per cent on hotel stays until September 30, with a flexible cancellation policy.

Luxury chauffeur service, Preimo Urban Mobility has extended partnership with Armani Hotels for the third year in a row to offer private airport transfers services to the hotel guests. The company has successfully completed 1,142 trips till date for the hotel.

Hatta Resorts and Hatta Wadi Hub by Dubai Holding, announced a wide range of offers on stays and activities throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan. They  are providing visitors and guests a unique opportunity to connect with family and friends during Hatta Season 4, now extended until May 15, 2022. The Ramadan offers at Hatta Resorts include special stay packages starting at Dh750 ($204.19) for two adults and two kids, offering guests the chance to create memorable moments at three distinctive accommodations.

Caffe Vergnano has announced an important partnership with the prestigious Jumeirah Hotels group, bringing the authentic espresso experience to the UAE. It will now provide its acclaimed coffee to premier locations in Dubai, including in Burj Al-Arab, bringing the perfect blend of tradition and innovation to coffee lovers in the region. Initially launching at eight of Jumeirah Hotels prime locations, Caffe Vergnano, “the espresso of choice” and Jumeirah Group, “leaders in luxury hospitality” are excellently matched. Founded in 1882, Caffè Vergnano is Italy’s oldest coffee roasting company and is renowned across the world for its superb, slow roasted coffee.

This year, Emirates marks 30 years of best-in-skies entertainment and connectivity. In 1992, Emirates installed TV screens in all seats across all cabin classes throughout its fleet, a revolutionary move that shaped traveller expectations and the inflight entertainment industry in the decades to come.