MADID: The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has awarded its UNWTO.QUEST Certification to Fundació Mallorca Turisme. The award further advances UNWTO’s work to promote and recognize excellence and quality in destination management for the benefit of the whole of the sector. At the same time, it boosts competitiveness in Mallorca, one of Europe’s top destinations, and emphasizes the importance of placing sustainability at the heart of future growth. Fundació Mallorca Turisme, a UNWTO Affiliate Member, becomes the fourth DMO (Destination Management Organization) in the world and the first in Europe to receive the UNWTO.QUEST Certification. The international benchmark was created to…
Author: holidayweekly
RIYADH: The Saudi tourism ministry is looking to attract new investments worth SR220 billion ($58.5 billion) by 2023 and more than SR500 billion ($133 billion) by 2030, said a report. Addressing a session on “Future sectors” at the Saudi Budget Forum 2021, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb said that Saudi Arabia had opened its doors to tourists last year as part of its tourism strategy, drawing more than 500,000 visitors from over 25 countries before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Gazette reported. “The tourism sector in the kingdom constitutes 3.5 per cent of the total gross domestic product…
BERLIN: Every year, the annual ITB Book Awards recognise the most original publications, mainly in German, but also in German translation. In the run-up to ITB Berlin NOW 2021, which due to the pandemic will be an entirely virtual event, the large-format wall calendar ‘Japan 2021 – Land of the Rising Sun ‘(Weingarten/Athesia Kalenderverlag) was picked for the Travel Calendar Award.” This magnificent calendar features unique picture-postcard views, with examples of impressive landscape photography and historical cultural attractions. They include natural attractions such as Japan’s Mount Fuji, along with the Churei-to pagoda in Fujiyoshida, photographed by Michele Falzone. Also featured…
DUBAI: Emirates has received the APEX 2021 Five Star Global Official Airline RatingTM, based on feedback from passengers that was independently collected by APEX via its partnership with TripIt, and validated and certified by an external auditor to ensure that all ratings were made by genuine travellers who had flown on the airline they were reviewing. Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said: “We are delighted to receive this recognition from our customers. It reflects all of our efforts to provide our customers with a safe and enjoyable flight experience. He added: “In the past months, Emirates has constantly…
RAWALPINDI: AirSial, a private airline which has recently launched its operation, has announced that it will provide free travel to a passenger accompanying the coffin of a loved one. A press release issued by the airline said that AirSial chairman Fazal Jilani and the board of directors had decided to provide free of charge mobility of bodies, along with one family member, on all its routes. Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated AirSial on Dec 9. It is the country’s third private airline and it is being operated by Sialkot’s business community. The airline will commence its flight operation on Dec…
KARACHI: Visiting the highest global peaks in Gilgit-Baltistan has now become easy, as Pakistan International Airlines has introduced special fares to facilitate travellers visiting Skardu and Gilgit. Sharing the details, the national flag carrier announced that it would now be charging a minimum one-way fare of Rs6,915 from passengers travelling from Islamabad to Skardu and Gilgit areas of the federally-administered region. “Time to admire the highest peaks in the world in Gilgit!!” the PIA said in a message. Earlier, PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik, while speaking to the marketing team and airline officials at a review meeting, directed the…
LAHORE: On 17th December 2020, Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan (STFP) and Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create and maintain an effective working partnership between the two organizations for the promotion of Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism in the province of Punjab through various joint initiatives. Under this collaboration efforts will be made to develop the capacity of local communities and concerned stakeholders to promote ecotourism at selected hot spots of nature base tourism in the province of Punjab. President of STFP, Mr. Aftab ur Rehman Rana and Managing Director or TDCP, Mr. Muhammad…
PESHAWAR: Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Ecotourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TREK) is an initiative between the provincial government, World Bank and Nestlé Pakistan to promote responsible tourism. The tourism sector is all set to experience a boom, as new destinations open up for domestic and international tourists in the northern areas. Prime Minister Imran Khan announced this while unveiling the logo of TREK, at a ceremony in the capital. TREK is a collaboration between World Bank, Nestlé Pakistan and the provincial government to promote responsible tourism, provide employment opportunities, develop infrastructure, preserve heritage sites and provide better waste management for tourists…
GENEVA: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) renewed its call on governments to ensure that employees in the aviation sector are considered as essential workers during the impending Covid-19 vaccine campaign, once health care workers and vulnerable groups have been protected. IATA’s 76th Annual General Meeting (AGM) had unanimously adopted a resolution to this effect. “We are not asking for aviation workers to be on top of the list, but we need governments to ensure that transportation workers are considered as essential when vaccine roll-out plans are developed. The transportation of the Covid-19 vaccines has already begun, and as calculations…
LONDON: Britain’s top court gave the go-ahead to the expansion of Heathrow Airport on Wednesday, allowing the 14 billion-pound ($19 billion) plan to proceed after decades of legal battles and political wrangling. The Supreme Court ruling overturned a previous court decision that had blocked the plan on environmental grounds. Heathrow, Britain’s biggest airport, currently has only two runways and is keen to proceed despite the plunge in air traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic that has seen it lose its crown as the busiest hub in Europe. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been a vociferous opponent of the expansion, which was…