DUBAI: Dubai Tourism has launched a new global campaign, Dubai Presents, showcasing the Middle Eastern city via a series of blockbuster trailers featuring Hollywood stars Jessica Alba and Zac Efron. The campaign invites global travelers to put themselves in the picture, write their own script and appear in their very own cinematic adventure, with Dubai’s locations providing the backdrop. Filmed by award-winning director Craig Gillespie, the campaign features a series of six short trailer films across different genres, each taking viewers on a captivating journey across the city. Kicking off with the spy action genre, the campaign will also see…
Author: holidayweekly
MASCOT: Qantas will give ten fully vaccinated Australians a free year of unlimited travel on Qantas and Jetstar, covering both domestic and international flights. The airline plans to launch its ‘vaccination contest’ within the coming months, with entry open to all Australians who have been fully vaccinated by the end of 2021. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce today confirmed that each of the ten “super-prizes” would be “unlimited flying for a year.” “You could fly to New York every week, to London every other week,” he said, with domestic Qantas and Jetstar flights also on offer – although the airline has…
DUBAI: Seven new locations in Germany have been awarded World Heritage Site status by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) during the recently held 44th Unesco meeting in China. With the updated official Unesco list counting more than 1,000 sites in 167 countries around the world, Germany now boasts 51 recognised World Heritage Sites, the third highest of any nation globally after Italy (58) and China (56). Germany’s World Heritage Sites comprise three natural locations and 48 cultural locations. As a key destination to experience natural and cultural treasures, GCC visitors can discover a plethora of diverse World…
DOHA: On August 5, in a statement issued by the airline, Qatar Airways mentioned that it is following the explicit written instruction of its regulator, thirteen Airbus A350 aircraft have now been grounded, effectively removing them from service until such time as the root cause can be established and a satisfactory solution made available to permanently correct the underlying condition. In June, this year Qatar Airways has paused deliveries with Airbus A350 aircraft, citing a flaw in which surfaces below the paint are degrading “at an accelerated rate”. Qatar Airways has already taken action to return its A330 fleet into…
MADRID: The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations has signed an agreement with Destination Capital (DC), a Thailand-based private equity real estate investment company to support the rejuvenation of the hotel industry. The arrangement supports the relationship DC has with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to promote investment in green and sustainable tourism accommodation and to stimulate re-employment, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The collaboration between UNWTO and Destination Capital is based on DC’s adoption of best practices aimed at reducing carbon emissions and operating hotels in a manner consistent with IFC’s environmental and social…
GILGIT: Booming Tourism comes back in scenic Gilgit Baltistan (GB) where so far up to 1 million local and foreign tourists thronged during the ongoing summer season to enjoy its mesmerizing weather and eye-catching mountainous terrain. Bordering Afghanistan and China, Gilgit-Baltistan is Pakistan’s favorite tourist destination and was listed by Forbes among the 10 “coolest places” to visit in 2018. The region’s economy is largely dependent on tourism and was severely hit last year as outbreaks of COVID-19 and travel curbs deterred tourists from flocking to the region’s glacial lakes, valleys and 8,000-meter-plus peaks. Gilgit-Baltistan’s Minister for Tourism, Sports, Culture,…
MANAMA: Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air has started its services to the French capital from Monday, August 2. This is in line with the latest decision by the French authorities to add the Kingdom of Bahrain to their Green List. Being on the green list will mean that citizens and residents of Bahrain will be accepted to travel to France without the need to quarantine. Passengers aged 12 and above must present a proof of a complete vaccination which is authorized by the European Medicines Agency or a negative PCR test that is conducted within 72 hours before the flight…
MINSK: The 5th round of Pakistan – Belarus Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) was held at Minsk. The Pakistan side was led by Dr. Muhammad Tariq, Additional Secretary (Europe) while Mr. Nikolai Boresivich, Deputy Foreign Minister led the Belarus side. Ambassador of Pakistan, Sajjad Haider Khan and Ambassador of Belarus in Islamabad also attended the meeting. Talks between the two sides were focused on the whole range of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. The Additional Secretary thanked the Belarus side for receiving him despite the COVID-19 pandemic. They expressed satisfaction at the steadily growing…
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia announced Friday, July 30, that it would reopen its borders to fully vaccinated foreign tourists after a 17-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the state news agency said. However, Riyadh did not announce any lifting of restrictions on Umrah, a pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time, which usually attracts millions of devoted Muslims from across the globe each year. “The Ministry of Tourism announced that the Kingdom will open its doors to foreign tourists, and lift the suspension of entry for tourist visa holders, starting from August 1,” the Saudi Press Agency reported. It…
DOHA: Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker wants to see more airlines brought into the Oneworld family, along with a drive to increase Oneworld’s profile and branding, as part of an “aggressive” push for the alliance. The always-outspoken Al Baker is currently Chairman of Oneworld’s Governing Board, having been appointed in May 2021 to succeed Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce, who had served in the role since September 2018. “Under my leadership, we don’t accept anything other than being number one,” Al Baker told the FlightPlan III webinar hosted by Inmarsat Aviation and aviation trade group APEX. He said his…