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The post MENA’s new forum in September gears up to focus on key destinations to drive tourism growth appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily.

MENA Attractions & Destinations Forum 2022 will be held on September 28-29, 2022 in Dubai, UAE to explore upcoming cultural and leisure projects and ways to drive growth for the tourism sector. The interactive forum will host over 300 international and regional stakeholders from key sectors, including governments, tourism agencies and consultancies, hotel chains, park owners and operators, museums, culture and heritage site authorities, technology and solution providers, and investment institutions.

With several global heritage and religious sites, modern attractions, and leisure destinations, over 50 million tourists visit the region every year.

The Mena region has received a growing inflow of tourists driving growth in attractions and destinations. However, some key challenges still hinder the region from capitalising on the industry’s full potential, especially with the changing demographics, infrastructure, weather conditions, and technology developments.

The forum will also focus on developing and rebranding destinations that cater to a diverse population, current innovative family entertainment and edutainment that meets visitor requirement, converting heritage sites into new attractions to cater to different population segments and capitalizing on live entertainment to increase visitors.

Osama Khlawee, AVP Tourism Sites and Destination Development Leader, said: “Taking full account of its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities assuring proper management as well as marketing which are especially significant for destinations to attract fresh investments, develop value-added jobs, recruit new talent, and boost innovation.”

Richard Krent, director for development, Qiddiya, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia added: “Destination Development requires an intensity of creative artistry with a sense of joy that connects with its audience.”

Participants will learn about museums and heritage site developments in the Mena region, how to drive innovations in theme parks and water parks and get familiar with projects related to extreme sports and theme parks.

The two-day event is organised and promoted by GM Events, a Dubai-based multi-faceted event management company of international repute, having organized numerous successful forums and exhibitions for different industries across the Mena region.

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The post JetBlue in deal to buy Spirit appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily.

JetBlue Airways has reached a $3.8bn deal to buy Spirit Airlines in a takeover that would create the fifth-largest airline in the US and remove a fast-growing budget carrier from the market.

The deal, announced on Thursday morning, caps a fierce bidding war for Spirit and came hours after Spirit scrapped plans to combine with fellow discounter Frontier Airlines. Spirit lacked the shareholder support to win approval of the Frontier merger, which was first unveiled in February.

If approved by regulators, JetBlue’s takeover of Spirit would leave Frontier as the largest discount carrier in the US. It would also be the first major US airline deal since 2016, when Alaska Airlines beat JetBlue for Virgin America. Analysts say the deal could also open the door for more consolidation among smaller carriers.

JetBlue executives say that buying Spirit would fast-track its growth by giving it access to more Airbus jetliners and pilots and help it compete with larger carriers such as American, Delta, Southwest and United, which control most of the US market. The New York-based carrier plans to refurbish Spirit’s yellow planes with sparse interiors in JetBlue style, featuring seatback screens and more legroom.

JetBlue said it will pay $33.50 a share in cash for Spirit, including a $2.50 per share prepayment if Spirit shareholders approve the deal and a 10 cent per month ticking fee starting next year until the deal closes.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2024, JetBlue and Spirit said in a filing. They expect to be able to fly on the same operating certificate, essentially as the same airline, in the first half of 2025, a spokeswoman said.

“We have two priorities: one is to get this deal closed and get the airline integrated and build a bigger JetBlue”, Robin Hayes, JetBlue’s CEO said in an interview. “Secondly to run a reliable operation in the meantime”.

Hayes would helm the combined airline, which JetBlue said would remain headquartered in New York City.

“We have a long-term commitment to New York and we’re going to stay here”, Hayes said. But both airlines have large operations in some of Florida’s busiest airports, including Spirit’s home base of Fort Lauderdale and the tourism hub Orlando.

JetBlue’s surprise, all-cash bid for Spirit in April threw Spirit’s plan to combine with Frontier into disarray. Frontier and JetBlue then competed for Spirit, each sweetening their offers. Last month, Frontier’s CEO fretted about the lack of shareholder support for its proposed merger but called its offer “best and final”.

Spirit, based in Miramar, Florida, had repeatedly rebuffed JetBlue’s bids and said the tie-up wasn’t likely to be approved by regulators, in part because JetBlue’s alliance with American in the Northeast, which the Justice Department sued to block last year. Spirit said the deal would drive up fares and that American would wield too much control over JetBlue.

The US Justice Department didn’t immediately comment on the JetBlue-Spirit deal on Thursday. American declined to comment on the deal.

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The post Dubai becomes world’s most popular destination appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily.

Dubai is the most-viewed destination on TikTok with views for videos featuring the hashtag #Dubai totalling over 81.8 billion, said travel management company Bounce in a new report. Placing second in 2021’s index, Dubai has usurped the top spot from New York City, overturning a huge lead and showing just how much Dubai has grown in popularity, according to the TikTok Travel Index 2022 published by Bounce.

Synonymous with wealth and luxury, Dubai has become one of the most sought-after destinations for holidaymakers who want to soak up the sun in style. This ultra-modern city is home to some of the world’s most astounding architecture, such as the tallest building on Earth, the Burj Khalifa.

In second place is New York City, which has attracted 59.5 billion views on TikTok. The Big Apple is well established as one of the top destinations in the world. While New York may have lost its place as the most popular travel destination on TikTok, the city still attracts vast numbers of viewers on the platform, and could well reclaim the top spot in future years.

Famous for being a melting pot of different cultures, New York has its own distinctive identity as a hotbed of creativity and diversity. Travelers to New York are spoilt for choice, with some of the most popular options including catching a Broadway show, taking a trip to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty, or climbing the Empire State Building for a spectacular view of the city.

In third place, with 36.8 billion views on TikTok, is London, overtaking last year’s bronze medallist Istanbul. The capital of the UK is one of the most iconic cities in the world, with a near endless list of must-see tourist attractions.

The city is also home to some of the best nightlife you can find, as well as brilliant museums and galleries, West End shows, luxury shopping, excellent restaurants, and beautiful parks meaning there really is something for everyone on a trip to London.

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