The post Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup returns to Dubai appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Now on its ninth run, the Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup triumphantly returned to Dubai for the tournament on Tuesday, 29th October at the Dubai Creek & Yacht Club.

Local high-profile figures and members of the business community attended the event. 

The event at the Dubai Creek & Yacht Club was the 103rd of 118 tournaments in this year’s Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup, with the victors competing in the Grand Finals in Türkiye later this year. 

From a global total of 118, those that win will go through to the Grand Finals and have the chance to stay and play at Gloria Serenity Resort & Gloria Golf Club on the Turkish Golf Coast. 

Representing Dubai, Alok Pant secured their champion position with 45 points, and Sameer Baht was runner-up, while Gregory Mathieu came third. 

The Closest to the Pin competition was won by Narinda Ahuja for the men and Nonita Chand for the women. Lee I’Ons won the lowest gross score with a score of +4.

An outstanding sporting event

Since its inception in 2013, the Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup now brings together over 8,000 players who compete against one another in more than 118 tournaments in 67 countries worldwide. 

Turkish Airlines general manager in Dubai Mehmed Zingal said: “We warmly thank all of our guests who made the Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup here in Dubai a huge success. Once again, it was a thrilling tournament in the TAWGC series, congratulations to our winner, Alok Pant. We wish him the best of luck in Türkiye.” 

All Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup finalists will fly to Türkiye with the comfort and luxury of the Turkish Airlines’ Business Class. 

Turkish Airlines’ support makes the past events, such as the Turkish Airlines Open and TAWGC in Antalya, an international premium destination for golfers with outstanding facilities. 

The Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup 2024 is supported by Gloria Hotels & Resorts and Ruck & Maul.

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The post Tourism Authority of Thailand signs memorandum of understanding with Visa appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and global payments leader Visa recently signed a new memorandum of understanding. 

Titled Reshaping Thailand’s Tourism with Innovation and Advanced Data Analytics, the MoU seeks to enhance the country’s appeal as a premier destination for international tourists during the Thailand Grand Tourism Year 2025.

Building on a longstanding 20-year partnership, this latest collaboration seeks to elevate the tourism experience by leveraging financial innovation, creating a seamless travel experience for visitors while fostering sustainable growth for local businesses.

TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool, said: “TAT is committed to advancing our tourism marketing efforts through a 360-degree partnership approach, integrating all sectors both domestically and internationally. This MoU with Visa represents a collaborative effort to enhance tourism through financial innovation, enabling visitors to travel and manage their financial transactions seamlessly.”

Visa Thailand country manager Punnamas Vichitkulwongsa added: “We are excited to deepen our valued partnership with TAT, leveraging our global expertise in payments innovation and data analytics.  As global travel surges, international visitors increasingly demand a seamless, cashless payment experience akin to those in their home countries.  This collaboration not only bolsters local businesses but also unlocks new opportunities for tourism stakeholders and drives sustainable economic growth for Thailand.”

A structured framework

The MOU establishes a collaborative framework focused on four main initiatives:

Strategic Marketing Programs: TAT and Visa will collaborate on implementing the “Five Musts” programme, which includes Must Taste, Must Try, Must Buy, Must Seek, and Must See. This programme will showcase Thailand’s top restaurants, attractions, and unique experiences to enhance tourist engagement and satisfaction.

Visa Expansion and STAR Project: The partnership aims to expand Visa’s acceptance in key provinces to improve the tourism infrastructure. This initiative will offer tourists a convenient and secure payment experience, fostering local business support and community development.

Collaborative Communication and Campaigns: TAT and Visa will join forces to boost awareness and attract global tourists through co-promoted campaigns.

Data Analytics and Consulting: Visa’s data analytics capabilities will play a crucial role in shaping tourism campaigns such as the Winter Sale, Summer Sale, and Thailand Grand Sale. By analysing spending patterns, both organizations aim to refine marketing strategies and drive tourist engagement throughout the year.

How this partnership works

The TAT-Visa partnership underscores shared commitment between both partners to redefining Thailand’s tourism landscape through innovation, enhancing the kingdom’s position as a world-class travel destination.

By utilising Visa’s data analytics, TAT aims to develop targeted tourism campaigns and significantly expand digital payment acceptance points, ensuring that tourists enjoy greater convenience in their spending. 

TAT is confident that this collaboration with Visa will play a crucial role in boosting tourism capacity and increasing spending among international visitors, particularly from 23 key markets, which account for over 80 percent of total foreign arrivals and revenue.

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The post ATIA welcomes Australian federal government’s COVID-19 response report appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) welcomed the release of the Australian Federal Government’s COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report.

The report presents critical recommendations to strengthen Australia’s resilience and preparedness for future pandemics.

ATIA actively participated in the inquiry, submitting a detailed report that outlined the travel industry’s unique challenges during COVID-19, including limitations experienced with the $270 million Consumer Travel Support Grant (CTSG).

The Inquiry Report recognises ATIA’s submission and highlights the need for a refined understanding of industry profiles to improve crisis response and support key sectors like travel. The report also underscores the importance of ensuring that future pandemic responses remain proportionate and adaptable to changing conditions. 

While international border closures may still be considered, the report supports a balanced approach that weighs health, economic, and social impacts.

A missed opportunity

ATIA maintains that excluding the actions of individual States and Territories from the inquiry was a missed opportunity. 

ATIA chief executive Dean Long said: “ATIA’s position remains firm that excluding the actions taken by States and Territories during the pandemic from the review was a missed opportunity. The open-shut nature of state borders created significant disruption for travellers and the travel industry. We welcome the Inquiry’s call for clearer delineation of responsibilities across government levels, which will be essential in delivering a streamlined and effective response [in the future.]”

The significant effects of repeated border closures across Australia underscore the importance of a clear delineation of responsibilities between federal, state, and territory governments to ensure a coordinated response in future crises.

ATIA looks forward to working closely with the Federal Government to refine crisis planning for the travel industry, aiming to build frameworks that are streamlined, scalable, and supportive of the critical role travel businesses play in Australia’s economy.

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The post ICONSIAM to stage Amazing Thailand Countdown 2025 appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

ICONSIAM announced that it is staging the Amazing Thailand Countdown 2025.

This event combines the best of Thailand with the best of the world, as it features global star Lisa (Lalisa Manobal) at the festivities.

The Amazing Thailand Countdown 2025 offers a unique opportunity for both locals and international visitors to immerse themselves in the vibrant spirit of Thailand and ring in the New Year in style. 

That said, this event aims to strengthen Thailand’s position as the world’s premier global countdown destination.

A true global landmark and icon

ICONSIAM Company Limited managing director Supoj Chaiwatsirikul stated that the global landmark along the Chao Phraya River is ready to be a driving force in enhancing Thailand’s image and stimulating the country’s economy, especially in the tourism sector. 

Chaiwatsirikul said: “This year, ICONSIAM aims to make our countdown event globally recognized under the concept of Iconic Celebration of Thai-Global Phenomena. The event will take place over three days and three nights from 29-31 December at River Park, ICONSIAM.”

He added that, in light of the company’s vision to elevate Thailand’s global standing as the top countdown destination, ICONSIAM is allocating a significant investment in this extraordinary event. 

A fabulous event

Chaiwatsirikul further emphasised the extraordinary features of the “Amazing Thailand Countdown 2025”, declaring it to be the most spectacular countdown celebration Thailand has ever witnessed. 

Highlights include eco-friendly fireworks celebration and global Thai-conic entertainment showcase featuring numerous leading Thai and international artists. This 3-day celebration aims to bring an extraordinary experience for everyone to enjoy at River Park, ICONSIAM. 

Chaiwatsirikul concluded by saying: “We anticipate that the event will attract over 20 million audiences both in person and through live broadcasts from across the nation and worldwide. This will uplift the image for Thailand, stimulate the economy, especially the tourism sector, propelling Thailand into the top global countdown destinations and propelling growth in the country’s tourism industry.”

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The post Queenstown Airport announces $23m airfield safety project under way appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Queenstown Airport announced that a NZ$23 million airfield safety project has commenced on its main runway.

Engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) beds will be installed at both ends of the main runway over the next few months.

Queenstown Airport is the first in Australia or New Zealand to use this innovative technology, which utilises cellular cement blocks that crush under the weight of an aircraft. 

These are designed to slow a plane to a safe stop with little damage, should one overshoot the runway.

Airport CEO Glen Sowry says there’s never been such an incident at Queenstown, but the airport wants to minimise the risk if an overrun did occur.

He said: “EMAS technology has proven its worth in the northern hemisphere, and we are proud to be leading its introduction in this part of the world. It’s the gold standard and will substantially increase the margin of safety for those landing here.”

Queenstown Airport operates with a runway end safety area (RESA) of 90 metres, and the EMAS will provide the same protection as a 240m RESA.

A sod-turning ceremony was held to mark the start of the project, with representatives of the airport company and the head contractor, Downer, wielding the spades. 

More substantial earthworks are now under way at the Shotover end of the runway to prepare for the construction of new pavement, on which the EMAS bed will be laid.

Work is being done at night, starting after the last scheduled flight has landed. No work is planned for Friday or Saturday nights.

There will be no disruption to flight schedules and no change to the types of aircraft that may land at Queenstown Airport once the EMAS is installed.

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The post IATA announces that a fully digital travel experience is now closer to reality appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and its partners have successfully demonstrated that the industry is ready to deliver a fully digital air travel experience. 

This was achieved in a proof-of-concept (PoC) involving two passengers using different digital wallets and travel credentials on a round-trip between Hong Kong and Tokyo.

IATA partnered with Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong International Airport, Narita International Airport, Branchspace, Facephi, NEC, Neoke, Northern Block and SICPA for the travel which took place on 21 and 22 October. 

The airport elements of this PoC were conducted in a live environment, building on an initial PoC carried out in a test environment in 2023.

What happened during the test run?

In the PoC, two travellers used digital wallets containing their digital passport, company ID, and frequent flyer credentials to obtain personalised offers, book a flight, obtain a visa, check their travel documentation, check-in and receive boarding passes. 

The travellers used biometric identification to manage airport processes in a live environment without repeatedly showing their travel documents. 

The successful journey integrated seven verifiable credentials (ePassport copy, live biometric image, visa copy, company ID, frequent flyer membership, order, and boarding pass), two digital wallets and a trust registry to verify issuers.

IATA senior vice-president for operations, safety, and security Nick Careen said of the results: “A seamless fully digital travel experience powered by digital identity and biometrics has moved from theory to proven reality. The challenge now is to make this more efficient travel experience available to all travellers. There is good reason for optimism. With One ID standards already in place and the expansion of Modern Airline Retailing to support digital identity with the highest levels of data privacy and protection, the industry could be ready for this in the very near future. Government efforts to adopt digital travel credentials based on ICAO standards are picking up pace. Europe is already planning to issue Digital Identity Wallets to citizens and residents by 2027.”

What happens now?

This successful pilot is a key step towards a seamless digital travel experience, allowing airlines to offer more personalised, secure, and efficient journeys for passengers using digital identity, while ensuring traditional manual processing remains available for those who prefer it or in case backup systems are needed.

The PoC demonstrated that IATA’s Modern Airline Retailing vision and IATA’s One ID Standards can seamlessly improve the customer  experience, from shopping to travel, in harmonisation with existing airline/airport processes. 

With a traveller’s identity document securely stored in a digital wallet, the traveller can consent to share their biometrics to pass through various airport checkpoints—such as bag drop, security, immigration, and boarding—without needing to show physical documents. 

In doing so, several other key elements of digital travel experience were validated. These include:

• Industry standards to support a digital travel experience are fit for purpose:

• • • Verifiable Credentials (VCs) for live biometric VCs and boarding pass VCs, developed this year, were successfully tested. In addition, a Visa VC was successfully used to demonstrate paperless document verification.
    • The draft Technical Guidance for Digitalization of Admissibility was used as a baseline to successfully define requirements for interoperability. 

• Critical interoperability: Successfully using multiple VC issuers, verifiers, and wallets by two travellers on the round-trip journey validated the flexibility of the required technology across travel stages and jurisdictions. The VCs integrated smoothly with existing biometric systems at both Hong Kong and Tokyo’s Narita airports.

• Trusted Issuer Registry was successfully tested: This system verifies that a credential was issued by a trusted entity. To enable widespread adoption, an open ecosystem with credential issuers from both the public and private sectors is desired, making such verification critical.

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The post IWTA speaks with Natthineethiti (Nikki) Phinyapincha, Founder TransTalents Consulting Group appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

 

IWTA Chairwomen Michaela Connor speaks with Natthineethiti (Nikki) Phinyapincha, Founder TransTalents Consulting Group

 

 

 

If you know of any female leaders or up and coming superstars in the Travel and Hospitality industry you would like to hear their story, please visit our page and complete a nomination form!

 

NOMINATE SOMEONE

 

NOMINATE YOURSELF

 

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The post ITA Airways launches daily direct flights from Dubai to Rome appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

 

ITA Airways has inaugurated its first route to the United Arab Emirates with a nonstop flight between Dubai and Rome Fiumicino. The Italian reference carrier will operate this route on daily basis.

The inaugural ITA Airways flight from Rome Fiumicino, AZ856, serviced with Airbus A321neo, landed at Dubai International (DXB) at 7:50 p.m. (local time).The first ITA Airways flight from Dubai to Rome Fiumicino, AZ857, departed at 1:50 a.m. (local time) on Monday 28th of October.

To mark the occasion, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at DXB Arrivals, which was attended by Pierfrancesco  Carino, Vice President International Sales ITA Airways, Benedetto Mencaroni Poiani, Regional Manager for Asia, Middle East, and Africa ITA Airways, Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy in UAE, and Robert Whitehouse, Vice President (VP) of Research at Dubai Airports.

As part of the launch activities in the UAE market, ITA Airways showcased its network, brand and winter season highlights to local media representatives and stakeholders during an event hosted by the Department of Economy and Tourism of Dubai at Grand Hyatt Dubai.

The new Rome – Dubai flight is a milestone for the Company, expanding its network to include a strategic market. Dubai is a global hub for both business and leisure tourism, and the launch of this nonstop service demonstrates ITA Airways’ commitment to offering optimal travel solutions while reinforcing the importance of network expansion in the Company’s growth strategy.

Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer of ITA Airways and CEO of Volare, said: “We are delighted to inaugurate our nonstop service between Dubai and Rome Fiumicino. As the first major addition to our winter schedule, this new daily route will enhance tourism and trade between Italy and the United Arab Emirates, a strategic market not only for point-to-point travel but also for connecting to other domestic, international, and intercontinental destinations via our Fiumicino hub, combining leisure and business travel. This new flight strengthens our presence in the Middle East, complementing our nonstop services to Riyadh and Jeddah, launched earlier this summer”.

Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy in the United Arab Emirates, stated: “I am pleased to welcome to Dubai the first flight of ITA Airways from Rome. The continuous growth of Italian nationals living in the UAE, the significant touristic flows in both ways and the expansion of Italian export to the prosperous Gulf market make this new connection between Rome and Dubai a timely and farsighted decision.”

Robert Whitehouse, VP of Research at Dubai Airports, said: “We’re excited to welcome ITA Airways to DXB, further expanding our network and strengthening connections between Dubai and Italy. This new launch not only opens Dubai to more visitors from Italy but also offers seamless onward travel through DXB’s extensive global network. We look forward to hosting guests eager to explore the vibrant destinations and the hundreds of cities we connect to worldwide.”

The new direct flight from Dubai to Rome Fiumicino will be operated as follows:

• Dubai – Rome Fiumicino, operating from 28 October with departure at 1:50 a.m. (local time) and arrival in Rome at 6:00 a.m. (local time).
• Rome Fiumicino – Dubai, operating from 27 October with departure at 10:40 a.m. (local time)and arrival in Dubai at 7:50 p.m. (local time).

This new route is serviced by the state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo, the first narrow-body aircraft in ITA Airways’ fleet configured with three distinct classes: Business Class (12 seats),Premium Economy (12 seats), and Economy (141 seats, including 12 Comfort Economy seats). The A321neo is known for its fuel efficiency, consuming over 20% less fuel than previous models, and operates quietly. The aircraft also features ITA Airways’ custom interior design, enhanced lighting, and spacious overhead bins, as well as the latest in-flight entertainment systems, with” on-demand” video and audio, 17.3” (Business), 15.6” (Premium Economy) and 13.3” (Economy) low reflectivity and 4K resolution touch screens for a simple, smooth and intuitive user experience.

ITA Airways’ fleet consists entirely of Airbus aircraft, with 100 planes currently in service. Sixty of these are next-generation models, including 7 A321neo, 19 A320neo, 9 A220-300, 8 A220-100, 11 A330-900, and 6 A350-900 aircraft. Sustainability is at the heart of ITA Airways’ vision, with the airline aiming for 90% of its fleet to be eco-friendly by the end of its 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. These advanced aircraft consume 25% less fuel and produce lower CO₂ emissions, aligning with the airline’s goal of becoming Europe’s greenest carrier.

As part of its ongoing network expansion, ITA Airways is flying to 53 destinations during the 2024/2025 Winter Season, including 15 domestic, 23 international, and 15intercontinental routes.

Following the launch of the Dubai route, ITA Airways winter season will also introduce a new direct flight to Bangkok, marking the airline’s debut in Thailand, starting on November 16th with five weekly frequencies on the Airbus A330neo. Additionally, from December 20, 2024, ITA Airways will offer up to five weekly frequencies between Rome and Malé, the capital of the Maldives, operated by the Airbus A330-900.

 

 

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