Skift Travel News Blog

Holiday Inn has introduced a new open lobby concept at the 275 room Holiday Inn Dubai Business Bay, located in the United Arab Emirates. 

The new concept has been designed to transform the traditional hotel lobby into a multi-functional hub that fosters ‘a dynamic environment where individuals can seamlessly blend work, dining and social interactions. The design incorporates connected facilities to enhance the overall experience.’

“The launch of the Holiday Inn Dubai Business Bay marks a significant milestone in our commitment to redefine guest experiences. The Holiday Inn Open Lobby concept revolutionizes the way guests interact with hotel spaces, creating a dynamic and integrated environment. We are confident that this innovative approach will set new standards in hospitality, offering guests a unique and memorable stay,” said Haitham Mattar, managing director, IHG Hotels & Resorts, India, Middle East & Africa.

The Iranian government announced on Thursday it’s removing visa requirements for visitors from 33 countries, including Saudi Arabia — with which Iran has strained relationship over recent years.

The Iranian Students News Agency said Tehran’s move means citizens of 45 countries or territories would be able to visit Iran without having to obtain a visa.

“The ministry of tourism believes that an open-door policy will showcase Iran’s determination to engage with different countries of the world,” the ISNA reported.

Iran’s decision to include Saudi Arabia among the destinations it’s removing visa requirements for is another sign of thawing tensions between the two countries. Both governments agreed to start formal talks about resuming scheduled direct flights between Tehran and Riyadh. A Chinese-mediated deal in March restored Saudi and Iranian diplomatic relations, which included embassies reopening in the two countries.

Saudi Arabia is truly leaving no stone unturned in its pursuit to become a tourism superpower. The kingdom’s latest move is to create the “Dan Company”, an organization under the sovereign wealth fund designed to promote and develop agritourism and eco-tourism.

Dan’s first project will be located in the Al Ahsa region and will cover 1.8 million square meters. It will feature an eco-resort, an agri-resort and an adventure resort, according to the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The company is also expected to contribute approximately $1.6 billion (SAR 6 billion) to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP by 2030, betting on intrepid travelers getting involved in “traditional farming experiences” in the Gulf state.

PIF’s co-head of local real estate development Khalid Johar said: “[Dan] will boost economic development and contribute to national economic growth. The company will operate novel business models that integrate sustainability and embrace nature, involving the private sector and local farmers in agritourism and ecotourism.”

The PIF is chaired by Saudi’s crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, and has around $700 billion in assets. As one of the world’s largest such wealth funds, PIF can finance many of the country’s ambitious tourism developments, including ski retreats, mega-yacht hubs, archipelagos and entire cities dedicated to entertainment.

Saudi Arabia’s Belgium-sized city of Neom has unveiled another giga-project. It’s called the Gulf of Aqaba and will contain many of the futuristic hotels the $500 billion project has announced in recent months.

The Gulf of Aqaba project will be along the coast with the same name, at the northern tip of the Red Sea. It will house upmarket boutique hotels like the Epicon project, Siranna and Leyja. Neom also announced an ambitious events and entertainment space called Utamo, promising to fly in celebrities.

Tucked into in a mountain located along the Gulf of Aqaba coastline, Utamo will be used for music events, exhibitions, and art activations. It will also have a string of high-end restaurants dotted around.

The Gulf of Aqaba Grand Plan

In November, Skift reported that Neom had trademarked a dozen terms under the “hotel services” category, suggesting a big push into hospitality by the Saudi giga-project. These trademarks included Epicon and Leyja, as well as Siranna and Utamo.

You can see all the other trademarks here.

Saudi’s Leyja project comprises three hotels with 40 keys each in the mountain area near the Gulf of Aqaba. Habitas has been confirmed as the operator, and its founder and CEO has promised he will create something people will flock to.

“Human connection is at the core of our brand and ethos,” said Habitas CEO Oliver Ripley, during a virtual press conference in the metaverse. “We want to send guests on a transformative journey and they are invited to attend a welcome ceremony. Really, the essence is about reconnecting with themselves, their loved ones and with new friends and people. It’s all about human connection.”

The plan for Epicon comprises a select few hotels and restaurants, including two towers – one standing at 225 meters and the other soaring to 275 meters. These towers will host an “ultra-premium” 41-key hotel and 14 suites and apartments constituting luxury residences. Near the hotel, the Epicon resort offers 120 rooms and 45 residential beach villas. Neom has not disclosed the opening date or development cost. In addition to the accommodations, Epicon will encompass beach clubs, lounges, restaurants, and boutique shops.

Celebrities at Neom

Earlier this month, Will Smith was at Neom, invited by the project’s media team, Neom told Skift.

Smith posted a video on Instagram morning his recent visit to Neom.

The post went out to Smith’s 64 million followers and came during his trip to the Kingdom where he also stopped at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah to plug his upcoming movie.

British Airways is working with SigncodeUK on a new partnership to provide accessible signed video content for its deaf and hard-of-hearing customers.

The first video, which you can take a look at below, has been created to provide a more comprehensive overview of the travel journey, from the booking process to the in-flight experience. The video also features Fredrick Da Costa, British Airways’ first Deaf Customer Experience Agent who uses BSL as part of his role. 

British Airways has announced that a second video is expected to be released by the end of 2023 that will focus on onboard safety features and procedures, as well as also exploring the opportunity to provide the content in additional additional languages.

The new signed video content will be available to customers both pre-travel and whilst on board, and can be accessed via a link or a unique QR code.

“We are proud to partner with SigncodeUK to further improve our accessibility offering for our Deaf and hard of hearing customers. This collaboration aligns with our ongoing commitment to ensure that all our customers have a seamless experience and can travel with confidence, with dignity and in comfort,” said Carrie Harris, director of sustainability at British Airways in a release.

Argentina-based Despegar raised its full-year 2023 guidance for both profits and revenue based on what it said were operational improvements and strength in the Latin American markets it serves.

“Accordingly, we are raising our 2023 Adjusted EBITDA guidance range, and raising the lower end of our 2023 revenue guidance range,” said CEO Damian Scokin in a financial filing Wednesday. “Further, we expect to maintain above-market revenue growth and continue generating operational efficiencies in the foreseeable future, as our profitable growth strategy gains additional traction.”

The company said that its adjusted EBITDA is now expected to come in at the $105 million to $110 million range; previous guidance was $90 million to $100 million.

Meanwhile, the company now pegs full-year 2023 revenue to settle in the $690 million to $700 million range while previously it forecast $670 million to $700 million.

In November, citing its third quarter results, Despegar saw particular strength in its core markets of Brazil and Mexico.

Guests staying at select Renaissance Hotels will soon have access to RENAI, a virtual concierge.

RENAI, which stands for Renaissance Artificial Intelligence, is being launched as part of a pilot program designed to provide guests with instant access to ‘vetted , insiders’ picks for vibey cocktail bars, under-the-radar attractions, top-rated breakfast spots and more through an exciting new virtual concierge service.’

The artificial intelligence is powered by the knowledge of Renaissance Navigators – hand-picked employees from hotel locations who act as in-house guidebooks.

“Our Navigators celebrate the culture, ideas, people and talents of their neighborhoods and provide their personal recommendations on what to see and do in their backyard. RENAI By Renaissance makes this even more accessible and inclusive,” said Eddie Schneider, Global Brand Director, Renaissance Hotels in a release. 

“We were already in the process of evolving our signature Navigator program when technology leaps presented a serendipitous opportunity to fuse our Navigators’ human insights with time-saving technology. With today’s travelers having access to an overwhelming amount of information, our goal is to help them cut through the clutter and provide a personalized guest experience with regularly updated tips for local discovery.”

RENAI is now available at The Lindy Renaissance Charleston Hotel, Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel, and Renaissance Nashville Downtown, with the service being expanded more widely in 2024. 

Visitors to Kenya will no longer need a visa to enter the East African nation starting in January, President William Ruto announced on Tuesday.

Ruto said Kenyan officials had developed a digital platform to ensure all visitors would receive an electronic travel authorization prior to arrival, which would eliminate the need to apply for a visa.

“”It shall no longer be necessary for any person from any corner of the globe to carry the burden of applying for a visa to come to Kenya,” he said at an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence from the United Kingdom.

Ruto has been a vocal advocate for visa-free travel. He announced in late October that Kenya would grant visa-free entry to all African nationals by the end of 2023, becoming the fourth country on the continent to do so.

Kenya’s move to provide all visitors visa-free travel entry comes after Minister of Tourism and Wildlife Alfred Mutua said in November at the World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit in Rwanda that the country was considering scrapping visa requirements for visitors outside of Africa.

Marriott International has announced a partnership with The Neu Project, an initiative from Google’s Experience Institute (Xi), in an effort to create a more neuroinclusive experience for event attendees.  

Under the new partnership, all customer meetings and events of over 250 people that are hosted by Marriott will incorporate a range of neuroinclusive initiatives, including:

• A dedicated quiet room that will be available for attendees to use in order to recover from sensory overwhelm.
• A range of tools and resources available upon request at registration, including sensory & fidget toys, noise canceling ear plugs, sleep masks, sunglasses, printed agendas and venue maps.
• A full schedule of event details, including information when there may be loud music, flashing lights or surprise moments during the event program.
• Real-time captioning and subtitles on-screen during main stage programming.

According to a press release, Marriott has collaborated closely with The Neu Project over the last two years to learn directly from the neurodivergent community.

“Grounded in our commitments to innovation and inclusion, Marriott is dedicated to making meetings and events more accessible for everyone,” said Drew Pinto, executive vice president and chief revenue & rechnology Officer at Marriott International in the release.

“The Neu Project is a driving force in this space, and we look forward to working jointly with them, along with the neurodivergent community, to deepen our understanding of neurodivergent needs in order to truly welcome all.”

Uber has launched a suite of festive programming designed to help customers ‘go anywhere, get anything, and celebrate together this season’.

For December, any guests who are looking to celebrate with friends through Uber Charter will have the opportunity to experience one of Uber’s festive buses, which offers holiday inspired amenities including karaoke, holiday lights, photo props and more.

The festive karaoke coaches will be available to users in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and Washington, D.C, and are bookable in the Uber and Uber Eats apps. 

In addition to the festive party buses, Uber will also be looking to continue to spread the holiday cheer through a number of initiatives, including a Dr. Seuss inspired Christmas kit, reindeer outfits for its delivery robots in select U.S. cities, and gift collections curated by a number of celebrities.