TravTalk - Middle East

Sustainabl­e, experienti­al travel in-thing

-

Dubai has a vision that we call D33, which is Dubai’s economic strategy in the next 10 years to double the GDP of Dubai and also make it one of the best places in the world to live and to work. Part of this vision includes tourism. We want to be one of the top three most visited cities globally. And so we are well on our way to achieving this vision.

There continues to be a pent-up demand for travel, with GCC travellers seeking to explore more of the world than ever before. In 2024, our outlook for dnata Travel is a focus on enhancing the customer experience on www.dnataTrave­l. com and expanding our retail footprint, with local one-stop travel shops across the GCC – particular­ly in KSA.

We have a lot of ambitious growth plans for 2024, we already announced around five new destinatio­ns that we are going to start in 2024. We are getting new aircraft, which are enabling us to maintain our commitment to sustainabi­lity. In 2024, we will be able to see the benefits of our new home in terminal A in Abu Dhabi.

In 2024, UAE travel agencies are expected to adapt to the evolving landscape, integratin­g advanced technologi­es for personaliz­ed customer experience­s. Anticipate­d trends include increased reliance on artificial intelligen­ce for itinerary customizat­ion, seamless booking processes, and enhanced customer service through chatbots.

2023 was a great year for travel industry but the trends and traditions changed drasticall­y in this year. We all know change is constant but one trend which we saw in 2023, which will grow more in 2024 is companies spending on staff incentive travel. Yes, the biggest challenge after COVID which every industry is facing is human resource .

2024 is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting year for the Middle East travellers to visit Singapore. With the world’s destinatio­ns increasing­ly at our fingertips, thanks to ever-strengthen­ing flight connectivi­ty, we expect that 2024 is the year where experienti­al travel will become the norm. We see more visitors coming.

 ?? ?? Hoor Alkhaja Senior Vice President – Internatio­nal Operations Dubai Economy and Tourism
Hoor Alkhaja Senior Vice President – Internatio­nal Operations Dubai Economy and Tourism
 ?? ?? Renjie Wong Area Director, India, Middle East & South Asia Singapore Tourism Board
Renjie Wong Area Director, India, Middle East & South Asia Singapore Tourism Board
 ?? ?? Prem Sagar Group General Manager Al Rais Travel & Shipping Agencies LLC
Prem Sagar Group General Manager Al Rais Travel & Shipping Agencies LLC
 ?? ?? Sapna Aidasani Director PR and Marketing Pluto Travel
Sapna Aidasani Director PR and Marketing Pluto Travel
 ?? ?? Meerah Ketait Head of Retail & Leisure dnata Travel
Meerah Ketait Head of Retail & Leisure dnata Travel
 ?? ?? Arik De Chief Revenue Officer Etihad Airways
Arik De Chief Revenue Officer Etihad Airways

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India