Technology Highlight

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In the first half of 2024, flynas, recognized as the world’s premier low-cost airline and the leading LCC in the Middle East, reported transporting over 7 million passengers, marking a 47% increase in traffic and a 37% rise in seat availability on both domestic and international routes compared to the previous year. This surge follows closely on the heels of their significant acquisition of 160 Airbus aircraft.

Bander Almohanna, CEO and Managing Director of flynas, commented: “Our record performance during the first half of 2024 is driven by our strategic growth plans as we continue to upgrade our fleet, increase capacity, and expand our global network. The strategy, ‘We Connect the World to the Kingdom’, is aligned with the objectives of the National Civil Aviation Strategy to enable national air carriers to connect the Kingdom with 250 International destinations, accommodate 330 million passengers, and to host 100 million tourists annually by 2030. “Our strategy will also play a key part in driving the objectives of the Pilgrims Experience Program (PEP) to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques, successfully transporting more than 100,000 pilgrims from 20 countries in the first half of the year.” Almohanna added

Almohanna emphasized that the enhancement in seating capacity, particularly to domestic summer locales, reflects flynas’s dedication as a national airline to bolster the tourism industry within the Kingdom and to fulfill the progressive objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. This effort is supported through collaborations with various stakeholders in the tourism and aviation industries. Additionally, flynas has broadened its international footprint by strengthening ties and forming partnerships with other airlines to extend its global network.

“flynas has taken delivery of 6 A320neo aircraft during 2024, which reinforced our operations, and created hundreds of new jobs for Saudis and opened applications for a new batch to the Future Pilots program, aiming to nationalize the co-pilot position in flynas by 100%. Additionally, our Future Engineers Program has accepted 22 Saudis into its second batch at the beginning of this year, contributing to nationalizing the roles in aircraft engineering and maintenance”. Almohanna added

Currently, flynas manages over 1,800 weekly flights across more than 70 destinations worldwide and has served over 78 million passengers since its inception in 2007. With the recent addition of 25 A320neo aircraft in the past 18 months, the airline’s fleet has expanded to 60 planes, indicating significant progress towards its strategic ambitions for growth and development in the aviation sector.

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Understanding the preferences and behaviours of Mexican tourists has become crucial for maximising tourism revenue.

Civitatis emphasises on the significant economic impact of Spanish-speaking tourists on local economies.

It also emphasizes on the immense potential for growth when Mexican travellers adopt digital payment methods.

It is the leading platform in online distribution of guided tours, activities, and excursions in Spanish language across 160 countries worldwide,

Spanish, the second most spoken native language globally, boasts 750 million speakers worldwide, making it the second most widely spoken native language globally, behind Mandarin and ahead of English.

Mexico leads the pack with 126 million native Spanish speakers. In 2023 alone, Mexico saw a staggering 46 million departures.

This underscores the immense influence of the Spanish-speaking market, particularly the Mexican segment, in global travel.

Recent data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) – an autonomous agency of the Mexican Government dedicated to coordinating the National System of Statistical and Geographical Information of the country reveals a substantial increase in international travel by Mexican residents.

In May 2024, 5,360,549 Mexican residents travelled abroad, marking a 30% increase from May 2023.

On their side, Civitatis internal statistics reports a significant growth in the number of Mexicans travelling abroad, with an 85% increase in travellers from January to May 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

This growth outpaces the national average and indicates a strong preference for European long-haul destinations such as Italy, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom over destinations like the United States or Colombia.

According to INEGI, Mexican travellers travelling abroad spent a total of $895.6 million, reflecting a 21.5% increase from the previous year.

The average expenditure per trip also saw an increase, with Mexican travellers spending an average of $167.08 per trip.

According to Civitatis, the average expenditure per activity and person has risen over 10% in 2024.

This increase underscores the growing economic impact of Mexican tourists on local economies in their preferred destinations.

Juan Rossello, Country Manager of Civitatis Mexico and Business Development USA and Central America, said: “The growing number of Mexican travellers and their spending power present a significant opportunity for the global tourism industry.

By understanding their payment preferences and travel behaviours, businesses can better cater to this valuable market segment.

Encouraging the adoption of digital payment methods will not only enhance the travel experience for Mexican tourists but also unlock substantial growth potential for local economies in their chosen destinations.”

An analysis by Fiserv, a global fintech and payments company with solutions for banking, global commerce, merchant acquisition, billing and payments, and point-of-sale, highlights the importance of understanding payment preferences among Mexican tourists.

100% of Mexicans still prefer cash as their preferred payment method, with 47% using it for daily or low-value expenses, but they also widely use debit and credit cards (85% and 66%, respectively).

Digital payment methods, although currently less commonly used with only 34% preference, represent a significant growth opportunity due to their convenience and security.

Rossello comments on this matter: “The digital payments field in Mexico is growing annually, and we could further enhance this development with specialised, secure technology that ensures safe and fast transactions, thereby improving the variety of payment methods.”

As more Mexicans adopt digital payment methods, the potential for economic growth within the tourism sector increases significantly.

Ensuring the ‘protection and processing without delays’ of payments is crucial for fostering long-term relationships with banking and financial institutions.

An omnichannel acceptance model for payment methods allows businesses to evolve and cater to the diverse needs of travelers.

As digital payment adoption increases, so does the potential for significant growth in tourism revenue.

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Crystal, announced the launch of its state-of-the-art booking engine, designed to streamline and enhance the booking experience for travel advisors.

This groundbreaking platform will go live Aug. 1, 2024, offering unparalleled ease of use, advanced features and robust support tailored to meet the needs of today’s travel professionals.

With the launch of this sophisticated tool, Crystal aims to set a new standard in the cruise industry, making it simpler and more efficient for travel advisors to manage cruise bookings.

The booking engine, seamlessly integrated into crystalcruises.com, offers a suite of resources designed to provide travel advisors with the flexibility, speed and reliability they need to serve their clients effectively.

Key Features:

Intuitive User Interface: The new booking engine boasts a clean, easy-to-navigate design that simplifies the search and booking process.

Real-Time Availability: Advisors can access up-to-date information on cruise availability, suite categories and pricing.

Personalized Recommendations: The platform leverages advanced algorithms to provide cruise recommendations based on clients’ preferences and optional back-to-back voyage combinations.

Enhanced Support: A dedicated support team and comprehensive training resources ensure travel advisors can make the most of the new system.

Exclusive Promotions: Travel advisors can access special deals and promotions through the new booking engine.

“Travel advisors are at the heart of our business, and we are committed to providing them with the best tools and resources available,” said Marett Taylor, Chief Sales Officer of A&K Travel Group.

“Our new booking engine is a testament to our dedication to innovation and excellence.

We believe it will significantly enhance the efficiency of our valued travel partners, enabling them to deliver exceptional service to their clients.”

Training and Support
To ensure a smooth transition, Crystal has developed comprehensive training resources, including webinars, video tutorials and step-by-step guides.

Travel advisors will also have access to a dedicated support team ready to assist with any questions or issues that may arise.

“I am thrilled that Crystal has made the commitment to its travel advisor community by investing in this new booking engine,” said Melissa Araya, Vice President of Cruise at Virtuoso.

“With everything we need now right at our fingertips, it will make it easier and more efficient for our travel advisors to deliver exceptional service to their clients.”

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