KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines, The National Flag Carrier of Pakistan, has recently finalized on changing their hosting solution to Hitit Computer Services with state of the art features for an enhanced reservation experience. “We, at Travelport, welcome the National Carrier and extend our services to cater to PIA distribution, reservation & ticketing requirements.”said Mr. Shaheen Premani, COO TSL (Pvt.) Ltd. Through Travelport GDS platform, all IATA agents shall have the capability to make reservations and issue the tickets for their customers. In order to ensure a smooth transition and ease the training of our agency users, training videos have been…
Author: holidayweekly
MADRID: UNWTO announced a competition, focused on the search for innovative startups capable of transforming the way people travel and experience tourism, while adhering closely to the principles of sustainability (economic, social, environmental). The first edition of the UNWTO Tourism Startup Competition, organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in partnership with Globalia, the leading tourism group in Spain and Latin America, is the world’s first and largest initiative devoted to identifying new companies that will lead the transformation of the tourism sector and fostering innovation ecosystems through tourism. The semi-finalists have been invited to present their projects in the…
NEW DELHI: First ever Indian Travel Mart was organized in New Delhi from 16th to 18th September 2018. Earlier it was announced that PM Modi will inaugurate the event, however the event was inaugurated by Mr. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Railways and Coal in the presence of Union Tourism Minister, K J Alphons and the Tourism Minister of Morocco, Mohamed Sajid. Inaugurating the event, Goyal wished the best to the Tourism Ministry to reach the ambitious goal of US$100 billion FTA receipts/year within 5 years. He said that unless the infrastructure is improved, India can’t come up as a…
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has introduced a new ‘social messaging’ plan which provides all passengers with free access to iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp onboard. Saudia is the first airline in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia regions to introduce a complimentary social media messaging plan onboard flights. On May 5 this year, Saudia initially introduced the free Whatsapp plan onboard domestic flights, which expanded to include all international flights less than a month later, on May 31. As of today, more than 500,000 guests have logged on and experienced the free Whatsapp plan. Four months later, the…
DOHA: Qatar Airways reported on Tuesday a $69 million loss for the financial year ending March 31, citing a regional political dispute that has seen it banned from four Arab countries. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain have banned Qatar Airways since June 2017 as part of a dispute they have with the government of Qatar. “This turbulent year has inevitably had an impact on our financial results,” Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said in a statement. Adding “the most challenging year in its 20-year history”. The airline, which restated its year-earlier profit to 2.8 billion riyals,…
DUBAI: Leading travel commerce platform Travelport has appointed Mark Meehan as Managing Director of its newly formed Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APACMEA) region. Meehan has built a distinguished career at Travelport, having been successful in a range of high-profile global and regional roles over his 19-year tenure with the company. Most recently, he was Managing Director of Travelport’s Asia Pacific operations, which grew by 10 per cent during 2017. Prior to this, Meehan was Managing Director for Travelport Africa, a role that saw him grow the company’s share across the continent and establish owned operations in both South…
ISLAMABAD: The tourists Monday demanded the concerned authorities to upgrade and continue the maintenance work on roads and motels located in the hilly tourist resorts of Daso as these were in shambles for over last ten years. “The beauty of the Daso is unmatched with the name given paradise of earth which is being neglected after the earthquake”. An archaeologist Samar Majid said that after the earthquake October 2008, there have been no efforts made to restore the place as it was once as the earthquake caused a huge loss to its beauty. “The region is not being given importance…
MUSCAT: Oman Air, the national carrier of the sultanate, has added another exotic destination to its expanding network – Athens, the capital of Greece. The airline said this was first of its several new routes to be launched in 2019. The daily flight to and from Athens will be operated with the new-state-of-the-art Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, said a statement from Oman Air. Outlining its 2019 plans, CEO Engineer Abdul Aziz Al Raisi said: “We are extremely proud and happy to add Athens to our rapidly growing network, as the first of several new routes to be launched in 2019.…
BEIJING: Peking University has organized a well-attended seminar and an impressive photographic exhibition to further expand cultural linkages between China and Pakistan and showcase Gandhara civilization and relics among Chinese scholars, researchers and students. The seminar and exhibition were arranged by the School of Foreign Languages, Institute of Humanity and Social Sciences, Peking University, the oldest higher education institution in China. Addressing the audience as Chief Guest, First Secretary, Pakistan Embassy, Beijing, Mr. Raheel Tariq threw light on the ancient history of Gandhara civilization and spread of Buddhism along the valleys of Peshawar, Swat, Dir, Buner, Bajaur, Takht-e-Bahi and Taxila.…
HONG KONG: Flag carrier SriLankan Airlines was awarded two prestigious titles at the World Travel Awards 2018 Asia and Australasia ceremony held at InterContinental Grand Standford in Hong Kong on September 15. Whilst the airline’s launch campaign to Australia titled ‘Two Cities. One Spirit’ was awarded the ‘Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign 2018’ accolade, SriLankan managed to defend the familiar title ‘Asia’s Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean 2018’ for the second consecutive year. SriLankan Airlines group Chief Executive Officer, Vipula Gunatilleka, said: “SriLankan Airlines’ emphasis has been on systematic and focused growth in certain markets to reposition the airline as…