Celebrations Have Begun At Oaga, Art Resort, Maldives: Report

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 19, 2023

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is looking to grow its tourism arrivals into the country to  5.5 million within the next 5 years as it is about to reach out to private sector players for collaborative efforts to take the country to the global stage. KTB chairperson Francis Gichaba has disclosed that the tourism sector is back on full recovery pointing out that the arrivals by the end of this financial year will be closing at slightly over 1.9 million visitors that was recorded in 2019. Gichaba has revealed, “We are very optimistic that with the support from the private sector and other key players in the industry, our performance will even surpass the 2019 arrivals to over 2 million and progressively beyond." He was delivering a speech at Bomas of Kenya during a tourism stakeholders meeting that brought under the same roof tour operators, hoteliers, government agencies and tourism associations. The session sought to validate KTB's 5-year strategic plan for 2023-2028. In the strategy, KTB is targeting to achieve 5.5 million international tourist arrivals and grow the tourism industry's contribution to the economy of Kenya to KES 1 trillion each year by June 2028. Gichaba said destination marketing has been a collaborative exercise noting that the involvement of the private sectors in the development of strategy which was one of the ways of incorporating invaluable ideas that would shape the sector's performance within the review period. Kenya Hotel Keepers Association and Caterers (KAHC) CEO Mike Macharia suggested to the private players to curate their products and travel experiences to the needs of the market. He said, “We talk of Africa as the low-hanging fruit in terms of numbers and market share in the country and therefore the product owners should package their products and experience and sell to Africa. This move would also open opportunities for Africans to invest in the hospitality sector in Kenya... We have to go where the market is, and this is what our competitors such as South Africa have beaten us on. They have invested heavily in market presence not only to build brand awareness but to sign marketing deals." Read Also: Manila Wins Big At World Travel Awards 2023, Crowned World’s Top City Destination Celebrations Have Begun At Oaga, Art Resort, Maldives: Report Burger King Is Giving Away Free Food All Month

BY  Abdul Aziz Nov 16, 2023

Christmas lights, parades, and football bring a lot of people to Wheeling and Ohio County during this magical time of year, which also helps to boost the local economy. "The holiday season in Wheeling in Ohio County is perhaps the premiere time of the year," said Frank O’Brien, director, of Visit Wheeling. The Festival of Lights in Oglebay is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. Along with hundreds of people attending the city's Winter on the Plaza event, thousands will congregate around Wheeling's Fantasy in Lights Parade. When you have several hundred thousand people spending time in your community, they spend anywhere between $3 to $5 million while they’re here, and sometimes, it's even more than that," O’Brien said. Many more will also swarm Wheeling Island Stadium for the Super Six High School Championship games. Large crowds are drawn to Wheeling's downtown by an increase in events and performances at WesBanco Arena and the capital theatre. Numerous people will be dining out, lodging in hotels, and making purchases from neighborhood merchants. And even though the city is lined with substantial construction, many people are still traveling there and managing to make ends meet. "We have been able to actually track some of that,” O’Brien said. “I'm not going to say that the roads are not a problem -- and the sidewalks being torn up is a problem -- but we are finding that people are still coming, primarily to the events at the arena and Capital Theatre." According to O'Brien, tourism generates about $800 million in revenue for the Northern Panhandle annually. Moreover, it's reasonable to anticipate making close to $10 million in the county just this season. "It's a crucial time for tourism in our area, and I think we do it better than anybody else," O’Brien said. As the holidays draw near, there will be plenty of opportunities to spread cheer and wealth. Learn More About: November Trips In 2023: From London To The World Zanzibar Or Oman: Which Do The Hungarian Tourists Like?

BY  Abdul Aziz Oct 16, 2023

Recently, a travel marketplace named ‘Skyscanner’ has launched a new inspiration and discovery tool that AI powers. This AI tool is known as “Dream and Discover with AI.” This AI-powered tool is launching initially in Australia, India, and Singapore to test traveler behavior when planning a trip with other travel marketers. In this software tool, there is also an Open AI-powered Chat GPT technology where travelers can ask any open-ended statement and question like “Best cities for cultural tours,” Or” Best budget-friendly destinations,” and so on. This tool mainly helps to generate multiple travel-related ideas and recommendations as well. It even provides various links to choose the best flight options daily. The tool can generate multiple suitable recommendations and travel ideas. The chief product officer of Skyscanner, Piero Sierra, said, “Generative AI is such an exciting technology that we as a travel industry are only just beginning to apply. 56% of travelers are coming to Skyscanner for inspiration so with this beta launch we are looking to understand how it might help travelers in the discovery phases of the travel planning journey, and importantly how they engage with the technology versus existing tools.” He even further stated that it is one of his experiments where he wants to see how it can be a tool by incorporating AI technology. As per his perspective, Piero aids that Skyscanner helps travelers plan and even book trips easily and confidently. Learn More About: 10 Best Restaurants In The US Maldives And Bora Bora Among Top 10 Tourists Spots In The World