Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

DXB set to welcome 3.6m guests over Eid holiday peak

Dubai International (DXB) is bracing for a holiday surge unlike any other, with more than 3.6 million guests in total expected to pass through its terminals during the Eid travel peak from 26 March to 7 April.
 
The busiest day of the period is forecast for Saturday, 5 April, when 309,000 guests are expected. 
 
Daily total traffic is set to average 276,000 guests, with the sharpest rise projected in the first week of April. Departures during the Eid week are anticipated to surge by 19% compared to average weekly volumes over the past month, reflecting a significant seasonal uplift.
 
With schools breaking for spring, demand remains strong for key VFR (visiting friends and relatives) markets such as India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom, alongside a notable rise in leisure travel, including an increase in traffic to Sri Lanka, Türkiye and Italy.
 
To support smooth journeys during this peak period, Dubai Airports is urging guests to use the recently introduced DXB Express Maps, a smart wayfinding tool that provides real-time navigation across all terminals. By scanning a QR code displayed on any flight information screen, guests can locate their gate, browse the full array of dining and retail options, or find nearby facilities with ease.
 
Dubai Airports is also ready with enhanced services for People of Determination (PoD) through clearly marked accessibility routes, discreet support for guests wearing Sunflower Lanyard from trained staff wearing Sunflower pins, and a dedicated Assisted Travel Lounge in Terminal 2.
 
In collaboration with airline, service and commercial partners, and government authorities, Dubai Airports is working to ensure seamless guest flows across all touchpoints throughout the holiday period. -TradeArabia News Service

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Gulf Air launches debut flights to London Gatwick Airport

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, celebrated the inaugural flight of its new direct route from Bahrain International Airport to London Gatwick Airport with special events held at both airports. 
 
This milestone marks a significant step in Gulf Air’s network expansion strategy, reinforcing its commitment to offering passengers enhanced connectivity and greater travel options, said the national carrier in a statement.
 
This launch adds London Gatwick as Gulf Air’s second destination in London, complementing its longstanding operations to London Heathrow Airport, which have been serving passengers for over 55 years since 1970. 
 
The addition of Gatwick strengthens Gulf Air’s presence in the United Kingdom, providing travelers with access to two major international gateways in London, said the statement.
 
The departure event at Bahrain International Airport included a welcome reception for passengers and guests, celebrating the airline’s ongoing efforts to connect Bahrain to key global destinations. 
 
Upon arrival at London Gatwick Airport, the inaugural flight was marked by a ceremonial reception attended by Gulf Air and London Gatwick Airport representatives, including Hanadi AlAali, Gulf Air Chief Customer Experience Officer, and Jonathan Pollard, London Gatwick Airport Chief Commercial Officer, it stated.
 
As part of Gulf Air’s broader network restructuring and expansion strategy, the introduction of this route aligns with the airline’s vision to enhance customer experience by offering seamless connections and more choices for travellers, it added.-TradeArabia News Service

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Marriott, PathSpot partnered on kitchen hygiene

Marriott International has partnered with PathSpot Technologies to develop a real-time hygiene management and digital kitchen system.
 
The system, which includes a handwashing validation system and equipment monitoring technology, will be available to Marriott's portfolio of over 9,300 properties across the US, Canada, Caribbean and Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. Marriott's partnership aims to enhance the hospitality industry's innovation.
 
“As the world’s leading global hospitality company with over 10,000 food and beverage operations, $7 billion in sales, and 53 Michelin stars across more than 30 leading brands globally, Marriott is focused on the health and safety of the millions of guests that our properties serve each day,” said Stephen Toevs, Vice President of Culinary Operations for Marriott International. “Our collaboration with PathSpot allows Marriott to offer properties cost-effective technology that monitors food safety procedures more efficiently and effectively while empowering associates to better meet the needs of customers."
 
Using a network of sensors plus visible, audible, and electronic cues, PathSpot’s technology is engineered to immediately notify associates utilising the scanners when invisible contamination is detected, and additional handwashing is needed. By utilising PathSpot’s Hand Scanner technology and logging system, Marriott properties have the ability to more efficiently adhere to strict operating procedures while streamlining handwashing record-keeping and monitoring.
 
All Marriott properties that have installed PathSpot hand scanner technology have also implemented the PathSpot SafetySuite. The interconnected hardware and software tools are helping properties modernise, digitise, and elevate back-of-house operations to create improvements in health and safety standards, like PathSpot’s real time temperature monitoring, which consistently records temperatures in refrigerators and freezers and alerts associates of any temperature-related issues that may impact food quality. 
 
Implementation of PathSpot’s Hand Scanners and SafetySuite have helped properties save an estimated two to eight hours per day in back-of-house monitoring and logging, freeing up associates to focus on guest-facing efforts and allowing the properties to create efficiencies in maintenance and engineering costs as well as to reduce food waste and energy consumption.
 
"Marriott is an industry leader in its dedication to health and safety across its portfolio,” said Christine Schindler, CEO and Co-Founder of PathSpot. “By offering PathSpot's cost-effective food safety and operations technology to its properties, Marriott is promoting consistency, quality, efficiency, in their food and beverage operations while focusing on sustainability. We are grateful to work alongside Marriott as they take another proactive step to strengthen their rigorous safety standards. Our contamination-detection technology helps prevent foodborne illness before it can spread, ensuring a higher level of food safety for everyone they serve.”-TradeArabia News Service