Leaders from across the aviation sector gathered in Dallas this week at the Skift Aviation Forum to share their thoughts on industry trends and developments. Here are some key themes that emerged from the discussions:
26.10.2024 - 14:49 / skift.com / Rafat Ali / Josh Corder
Skift Global Forum East returns to Dubai next month — a chance for professionals in travel to meet, network, and, most importantly, find out what’s really going on.
As a journalist who lives and was born in the United Arab Emirates, I know the Middle East has no shortage of tourism success stories, but reporting on them can be challenging as the same narratives get repeated. That won’t happen at our event.
Bringing together some of the region’s most powerful leaders, Skift doesn’t just give speakers a podium to pitch their brands – we use their expertise to find out what is next in travel.
Here are five burning questions I have for our array of speakers.
By now, everyone knows the travel behemoth that is Dubai: With a world-class airline in Emirates, more luxury hotels than just about any other city, and a tourism authority fixated on bleeding-edge innovation.
What we want to know is, what’s next? Where does Dubai go from here? Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism will be on stage with Skift CEO and founder Rafat Ali to discuss the evolution of Dubai and how it can stay on top while the world around it is changing so rapidly.
Luxurious bedsheets and large swimming pools don’t cut it anymore. The highest-spending travelers want something more, and the Middle East is waking up to that, offering cooler, trendier five-star stays.
Mark Hoplamazian CEO and president of Hyatt will speak to this – as his group is currently on a luxury and leisure bull run in the Middle East with development deals being signed across Saudi and the wider region seemingly every month.
Dillip Rajakarier CEO at Minor Hotels and Group CEO of Minor International is also set to speak about the future of his group towards becoming a leader in luxury, and exactly what that will look like.
A joke among those living in Dubai is that Dubai is one of the best cities in India, the point being that the relationship between the two destinations is so strong that it might as well be.
India has long been Dubai’s largest market for tourism, and neighbor states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been making ground in capturing more Indian business as well.
Aloke Singh, CEO of Air India Express will discuss the journey to becoming a leading carrier in the rapidly expanding Indian travel market, along with his insights on the key challenges and opportunities for attracting Indian tourists in the future.
Party hotels, Formula 1 tracks, an Abu Dhabi Sphere. The entertainment sector in the UAE and surrounding region is transforming at a rapid pace. It is without question one of the hottest trends in travel, but one that is seldom spoken about in this part of the world.
Skift is looking to change that with its “How Entertainment is Driving
Leaders from across the aviation sector gathered in Dallas this week at the Skift Aviation Forum to share their thoughts on industry trends and developments. Here are some key themes that emerged from the discussions:
Skift Global Forum East kicks off on November 19, with the opening reception taking place at Address Grand Creek Harbour, followed by a day of full forum discussions on November 20 at Address Sky View.
The Skift Aviation Forum this week will feature several airline industry executives discussing the sector’s future and its most pressing issues. So it’s a good time to ask: What are the biggest challenges for the airline industry?
For most of the millions of travelers who make the trek each year, there is no reason to go to Santa Fe except to go to Santa Fe. Just about everything that needs doing can and should be done somewhere else, someplace easier to get to than this tiny city 7,000 feet in the air, whose airport terminal is a fraction of the size of a typical American grocery store. But this town of 90,000 residents strives to ensure that its singularity is reason enough.
Saudi Arabia is set to host the first Esports Olympic Games next year, an event it hopes will bring in a new group of tourists for gaming.
We are all set for the third Skift Global Forum East in Dubai on November 19 and 20. Our focus: The future of global travel through the lens of technology, market dynamics, and transformative experiences.
With Skift Aviation Forum right around the corner on November 12 in Dallas, this is your chance to connect with aviation’s most influential leaders. The forum brings together over 300 decision-makers, analysts, and disruptors from across the aviation industry, making it an unmissable event for anyone serious about the future of air travel.
Loyal American Airlines passengers will soon be able to go through airport security without having to show their boarding pass or ID.
The UK is soon set to introduce the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which will apply to visitors from destinations including Europe, Australia, the US and Canada.
With only a few weeks to go until Skift Global Forum East, over 80 companies already plan to attend on November 19-20 in Dubai. This includes a cohort of names in and around the aviation industry including Accor, Dubai Airports, Hilton, Jumeriah, NEOM, Saudi Tourism Authority, Shangri-La Group, and Singapore Tourism Group just to name a few – with many others joining every day.
It seems everything is getting more expensive, and travelers are likely seeing it most when they’re booking trips to big cities. Are big cities becoming more expensive to visit? And why?
Diriyah Gate, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest and costliest projects, has been funded so far by the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, PIF. But Diriyah Gate Development Authority group CEO Jerry Inzerillo is confident at least half of its $64 billion budget will ultimately be covered by foreign investors.