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Travel Marketplace KKDay Debuts in Malaysia to Dominate the $5Mn Tourism Industry

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Taiwanese travel e-commerce platform, KKDay, has announced it is expanding its footprint to Malaysia. With the launch of platform, CEO Ming Chen wants to dominate the $5 million travel and tourism industry of the nation.

The company, strategically, planned the move into the country seeing a “growing population, wanderlust for travel among Malaysians, and a thriving economy”. KKday CEO Ming Chen, in a statement, says,

KKday, since its launch in 2014, has expanded to Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and now, Malaysia. It mainly focuses on Asian destinations but has extended to Europe and America. It claims to have provided travellers with over 6,000 travel experiences from 53 countries and 170 cities all over the world.

The company envisions to becoming the most preferred tours and activities platform for DIY travellers in the country. CEO Ming Chen, commenting on the same, says,

Ultimately we wish to become the number 1 choice of tours and activities for Malaysian DIY travellers when they travel abroad.

He further opines that Islamic tourism will play a key role in the expansion as they will be developing  sightseeing tours and unique customer experiences exclusively tailored to the needs of Muslim travellers. He believes that Malaysia exhibits a unique tourism portfolio as multicultural and ethic market of both Chinese and Muslim tourists houses the ideal environment for the them to grow.

KKDay, however, had officially launched its platform in Malaysia on April 19th with its #flywithpama campaign to Taiwan. The campaign will award a three-member family trip of 5-day, 4-night stay in Taiwan. It had debuted in Singapore in the similar manner with a campaign named #taiwantrippin.

Recently, the startup had raised $7 million in Series A+ funding led by Monk Hill Ventures and Taiwanese VC firm AppWorks. The round also saw participation of Mindworks Ventures, Cathay Ventures and Substances Capital.

Originally published on www. thetechportal.com

Increased GCC Visitor Numbers Swell ATM 2017

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This year’s Arabian Travel Market witnessed a 10 per cent increase in visitors from the GCC and a 7 per cent increase in international visitors to the event, which was held in Dubai World Trade Centre from April 24-27.

For the second year in succession, visitor numbers smashed through the 28,000 mark – the show saw a 71 per cent increase in visitors over the last five years.

Simon Press, senior exhibition director, ATM, said: “The continued growth of ATM is testament to the strength of the travel and tourism industry in the Middle East. The event has also built on its quality year on year and the professionalism of exhibitors and stands not only increases the brand value of their own organisation, but also that of Arabian Travel Market.

“Exhibition stand contracts signed during ATM 2017 for next year are up 38 per cent year-on-year, with exhibitors keen to reserve their space for what promises to be a record-breaking event in 2018 as ATM celebrates its 25th anniversary.”

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, ATM has grown to become the largest event of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world. The 2017 edition, on the theme of experiential travel sponsored by La Perle, boasted an additional hall, with 466 main stand holders representing 87 countries and over 100 new exhibitors making their debut. The number of countries represented at ATM 2017, taken from all attendees, totaled 157.

The show got off to an inspiring start, with an informative discussion on the legacy of Expo 2020. Now just under three years away, it was revealed that plans for the site after the world showcase concludes will see 80 per cent of the plot re-developed with all Expo’s assets and transport infrastructure re-purposed for future use by a range of tenants and major private sector firms.

Commenting on the overall session, Press said: “The seminar also explored the importance of Dubai’s sustainable tourism initiatives, the expansion of the emirate’s airports’ capacity and the engagement of global audiences through partnerships with celebrities and social media influencers.”

The UNWTO & ATM Ministerial Forum, which was attended by more than 20 Government Ministers and global leaders, concluded that the main priorities for the region’s tourism industry include human resources development, public/private sector cooperation, connectivity, technology and sustainability.

“Despite all external shocks, the Middle East and North Africa tell one of tourism’s biggest success stories. A story that brings an immense opportunity to make tourism a pillar of economic diversification, job creation and sustainable development in this region” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“This meeting provided an opportunity to identify the priorities of tourism policy for the MENA destinations, strengthen regional cooperation and public-private partnerships that prepare the region to welcome the 195 million international tourist arrivals – almost triple the present volume of 72 million – forecasted by UNWTO for 2030,” he added.

New this year, the inaugural Halal Travel Summit, was one of many seminar sessions on the Global Stage, which welcomed leading Muslim travel industry experts including Rafi-uddin Shikoh, CEO of DinarStandard and Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO of Salam Standard & Tripfez, in a discussion about halal destination strategies and how to sell halal travel.

Muslim travel is a key sector for economic development and job creation throughout the world, generating $139 billion in GDP and creating 4.5 million jobs worldwide. And the travel and tourism industry throughout the Middle East is perfectly placed to capitalise according to panellists.

Fadhlillah said: “The US and the EU represent 44 per cent of the global Muslim travel market, netting nearly $64 billion of inbound expenditure during 2015.

“The Asian and Middle Eastern countries attracted more than a third (37%) of the global expenditure total, and these regions are expected to see the most robust tourism growth in the coming years.”

The one-day summit featured three interactive seminar sessions covering the big picture, halal destination strategies and how to sell halal travel. It was agreed there was a strong need to create a halal tourism industry body involving both Muslims and non-Muslims. Also, in the Middle East, there is a need to develop formal halal destination strategies with public and private sector involvement and buy-in, following in the footsteps of Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan.

Zulkifly Md Said, director general, Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia, said: “Islamic tourism is not something that has to be forced upon. However, if you feel that you want to expand your business to the Muslim traveller, then you must understand the adjustments you need to make to capture their presence.”

Another of the highlights from the Global Stage was the hot topic of aviation. Despite the concerns from Gulf carriers regarding the electronic devices ban on US-bound flights, it is indicative of the confidence of regional airlines who all presented a strong presence at the show.

Jaan Albrecht, the newly appointed CEO of Saudi Arabian Airlines Group (Saudia), said: “The first three months have been a steep learning curve. Saudi Arabia is a country of more than 30 million proud nationals and residents, with a lot of background, history and a huge domestic travel market, fuelled by also having the largest population of young people of any country in the world. It’s a fascinating market.”

Other popular features included the Wellness and Spa Lounge, Travel Agents’ Academy, Buyers’ Club and the Bloggers’ Speed Networking events.

Press added: “What we have done is followed the market trends in the region and also listened closely to what our exhibitors want. The show is designed with content in mind and I think this year we were able to fully explore our theme of experiential travel, while also covering the hot topics in the industry.

“This would not have been possible without the partnerships we have created and continue to create.”

The ATM Best Stand Awards also returned, with some delighted winners including Etihad Airways, Amadeus, Kerzner International Resorts, Al Rais Tours and Holidays and Jetclass.

Responsible tourism, which played a huge part in the show and continues to be at the forefront of the industry, has appropriately been named the theme for 2018. – TradeArabia News Service

Originally published on www.tradearabia.com

Philippines Sees 15-20% Rise in Qatari Tourists

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The Philippines is expecting a 15 to 20 percent increase in the number of Qatari visitors this year while setting a target of seven to eight million international visitors for 2017, an official from the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has said.

“For this year, we are targeting a low of seven million and a high of eight million foreign visitors across all markets. From Qatar, since it is regarded as an opportunity market, we hope that we can grow between 15 to 20 percent,” Philippine Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Jr. told this daily recently.

Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of Philippine Department of Tourism’s B2B Networking and Fashion Show on Sunday, Bengzon said around 5,000 Qataris visited the Philippines last year.

“In 2016, we had about 5,000 Qatari visitors to the country. They go to the Philippines basically for shopping, look for unique beach holiday experience, and there’s a certain segment that is also into medical tourism,” he said.

Bengzon stressed that more important than tourist arrivals is the revenue generated from the tourists and it is where Qatar as an important source market comes in. “Qatari tourists generally spend two to three times as much as the average tourist to the Philippines, so even if you’re talking 5,000 Qatari visitors just for now, when you look at the revenue that we get, it is quite substantial,” he noted.

To lure more Qatari tourists, he said, “The strategy is basically to create a higher level of awareness among Qataris and to impress upon them that the Philippines is the next big holiday destination in Asia.”

There are plans to launch new tourism products in the future, among which is to roll out a medical tourism programme and a dedicated programme tailored for ladies in Qatar and other GCC countries as well as introduce new destinations, he revealed.

On Halal tourism, he said “It’s a continuous effort and the good news is that there are more five-star hotels now in Metro Manila that are Halal-friendly. We have a few hotels in the Bay area and in Makati and a few restaurants that are also able to offer Halal food. We have an increasing number of Halal-friendly establishments even outside Manila like in Cebu and Boracay.”

The Philippines witnessed around six million foreign visitors last year, an increase of 10.5 percent compared to 2015.

“Last year, we generated about six million foreign visitors and that represents a growth rate of about 10.5 percent, which is higher than the global average of about 4.5 percent and even higher than the Asian average of about 6.5 percent. It clearly shows that tourism in the Philippines is growing at a faster rate,” he said.

Bengzon was in Doha leading a delegation comprising Philippine-based hotels and resorts, travel operators and tourism entities aimed at bolstering the Philippines’ outbound tourism from Qatar.

Originally published on www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

Muslim-Friendly Tourism: Qatar Ranked Sixth in OIC Countries

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Global Muslim Travel Index 2017 shows Qatar is one of top 10 Muslim-friendly tourist destinations among 48 OIC member countries included in the survey.
The report released by Mastercard-CrescentRating has ranked as many as 130 destinations including 48 OIC destinations and 82 non-OIC destinations.
Qatar secured 70.5 scores in the criteria set to choose Muslim friendly tourist destinations having various considerations like visa requirements; Muslim traveler needs awareness; family-friendly destination; dining options & Halal assurance; access to prayer places and many more.
Qatar stands at number 6 among 48 OIC countries for its Muslim friendly tourism facilities.
Other countries in this list include Malaysia 82.5 (score), the UAE 76.9, Indonesia 72.6, Turkey 72.4, Saudi Arabia 71.4, Qatar 70.5, Morocco 68.1, Oman 67.9 and Bahrain 67.9.
The top 10 Muslim-friendly tourist destinations in non-OIC countries category are Singapore 67.3, Thailand 61.8, the UK 60.0, South Africa 53.6, Hong Kong 53.2, Japan 52.8, Taiwan 52.4, France 52.1, Spain 48.8 and the US 48.6.
CrescentRating uses insights, industry intelligence, lifestyle, behavior and research on the needs of the Muslim traveler to deliver authoritative guidance on all aspects of Halal travel to organizations across the globe.
Founded in 2008, CrescentRating services “are used by every tier of the tourism industry, from government bodies and tourism agencies to hospitality service providers, to better serve the needs of the Muslim traveller”.
The report further points out that in 2016, it was estimated that there were 121 million Muslim international travelers. “This is projected to grow to 156 million by 2020, where the travel expenditure by Muslim travelers is expected to reach $220bn. It is also projected that total Muslim travel expenditure will reach $300bn by 2026,” the report says.
GMTI 2017 looks at four key strategic areas – Access, Communications, Environment and Services – which have been further divided into 11 sub-criteria. This highlights the aspects that a destinations needs to look at to improve in order to become a more Muslim friendly travel destination.
In “Access” area, there are two sub-criteria; air connectivity and visa requirements. In “Communications” area, come sub-criteria including Muslim traveler needs awareness & outreach and ease of communication. For “Environment”, sub-criteria are family-friendly destination, Muslim traveler and general safety and Muslim visitor arrivals. In the last area of “Services”, sub-criteria include dining options & Halal assurance, access to prayer places, airport facilities and accommodation options.
The report also sheds light on “Mega Trends in Muslim Consumer Market”, saying that the Halal food industry continues to be one of the key drivers in the Muslim consumer market.
The report further reveals that the demand for Halal pharmaceuticals and cosmetics continues to grow, with more products being created to serve the unique health and wellness lifestyle needs of Muslims.

Originally published on www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

Certification Becomes A Prohibitive Issue for Halal Tourism in Indonesia

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Jakarta: – Based on the study by the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Tourist Index (GMTI) 2017 officially released in Jakarta, Indonesia ranks third in the Muslim tourism market sector (halal tourism) for a number of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and non-OIC destinations.

Indonesia’s position is up one rank from the previous year. The leader of the halal tourism market for this year (ranks first and second) is still held by Malaysia and United Arab Emirates.

Associated with the released results, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that one of the main obstacles to attract Muslim tourists to the country is halal certification issue. According to Arief, there are still several places to eat that do not have halal certification.

“Halal certification issue becomes one weakness [hindrance] of Muslim tourists visiting Indonesia, especially for those who want to enjoy halal tourism. Although they need a halal certification. This obviously becomes home works for us to continue to socialize it,” said Arief in GMTI 2017, at the Pullman Hotel, Jakarta, Wednesday (05/03/2017).

Not only about certification, the weakness of halal tourism in the country is also caused by the lack of promotion. “Simply put, I use the 4P formula. We have a good product, we have a good Price, but we are not good at Promotion sector. We are not good at promoting, including halal tourism, in fact Tourism Ministry has set 10 halal destinations,” said Arief.

For halal tourism, Arief said the ministry is currently developing it in three priority provinces namely West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), West Sumatra and Aceh.

“Of the three developing provinces, the one with best capital and whose results are visible is NTB, Lombok. The growth is 50 percent and the total occupant is 80 percent there. So it’s now a prime destination for halal tourism,” added Arief.

Originally published on www.en.netralnews.com

Taiwan: Asia’s ‘Hidden Gem’ Embraces Islamic Tourism

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Taiwan is a beautiful island country layered with the heritage of Taiwanese aboriginals, Dutch, Spanish and Chinese in a beautiful cultural amalgam of sorts. Endowed with magnificent peaks, green rolling hills, plains, basins, coastlines, lush forests and national parks, it is also a nature lover’s paradise.

At the backdrop of the Arabian Travel Market, the Arabian Gazette team caught up with Dr. Trust H.J. Lin, Director of Taiwan Visitors Association, who was here in the UAE to promote his country in the Middle East region.  Here are the excerpts of the interview.

Why do you think Taiwan is a preferred destination for international travelers?

I would like to quote from the international media like Travel & Leisure – The Editor’s Choice – They have rated Taiwan as one of the top 10 destinations to travel, in Asia. The same publication recently did a survey for expats who picked Taiwan as the no 1 country – for medical care, safety, beautiful nature and pastoral city life.

What are the top destinations for travel in Taiwan?

Basically, Taiwan is a big island full of surprises. It’s hard to say what are the top locations. However, so far we have seen great interest in Taipei – the capital city among international travellers who visit Taiwan. In addition, many go to Taroko for the nature. Some to Yunshan, and others to the east coast.

How many international visitors does Taiwan receive every year?

Last year Taiwan welcomed more than 10 million international visitors in the country.

How important is the UAE market to Taiwan?

We consider the UAE market as diamond and we are seeing a growth trend, so we are investing in this region. We see it as an ideal place for us to start, before moving to the other regions in the GCC.

What special initiatives is the ministry of tourism taking to attract travellers from the Middle east region?

For the middle east market particularly for people from the GCC we are right now providing the easy visa or e-visa facility. It has made getting visa simpler than before. Apart from that we have partnered with various airlines for the benefit of our travellers from the region. Also we work closely with our PR consultants in the region to make Taiwan an easily accessible and well known destination.

Can you comment on Taiwan’s Halal Tourism offering?

The middle east market is a Muslim market and right now Taiwan is building a Muslim friendly environment for visitors not just from this region but from other parts of the world. Every year, we see a lot of Malaysian tourists coming to Taiwan and most of these travellers are Muslims. Taiwan is proud to be voted as one of the most Muslim friendly country in Asia and we’ve got the halal certification from the halal board too. Many of our restaurants and hotels provide halal food.

What travel trends are you seeing from travellers in the region?

We’ve seen that middle east travellers go to Taiwan as a family group. Therefore, the key is to attract the prime member of the family to visit Taiwan.  We have special incentives for MICE travellers and for the past few days we had two functions focussed on MICE, as well. We are hoping people will first travel for business and make a second trip, along with their families.

Originally published on www.muslimvillage.com

‘Tanjung Manis Halal Hub has Great Business Potential’, Says Malaysian Industry Professional

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KUCHING: The Tanjung Manis Halal Hub (TMHH) has great business potential for upstream, downstream and midstream industries.

Sharifah Masture Wan Razali the principal assistant secretary of Industry, Trade and Investment Promotion Division of the Ministry of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Trade and Investment (MIETI) said the hub could penetrate not just the domestic market but also China, Indonesia, Middle East and Southeast Asian markets.

“There is high demand in the halal market and so the state government has developed TMHH covering more than 77,000ha of agriculture land to develop and produce halal food and produce,” she said as one of the speakers at the Guo Clan Economic Forum here yesterday.

The half-day forum, organised by Sarawak Hong Yong Kueh Clansman Association, saw delegates from Taiwan, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar and Peninsular Malaysia.

Sharifah Masture said Sarawak was the only state in Malaysia offering lower water and electricity tariffs for investors and industries. The Bakun HEP dam came with an installed capacity of 2,400 megawatts while the Murum HEP dam had an installed capacity of 944 megawatts, she added.

She said Sarawak was the third preferred investment destination in Malaysia after Selangor and Johor. Among reasons investors chose Sarawak were political stability and the incentives offered, she added.

She said the state’s major industries included timber and timber-based, oil and gas, energy incentive, shipbuilding, palm oil and eco-tourim.

Samalaju Industrial Park was one of energy-incentive industry players in the state, said Sharifah Masture, adding there were currently six corporations including Tokuyama Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Pertama Ferroalloys Sdn Bhd and Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd operating there.

She added there were 39 shipyards in Sarawak while the shipping industry had created at least 23,000 jobs over the years.

On eco-tourism, Sharifah Masture said Sarawak ‘is a paradise for relaxation’ as the state had culture, adventure and nature to offer.

“Sarawak is a beautiful place for investment and tourism,” she said, advising individuals who needed more information to call 082-313 212 or visit www.mieti.sarawak.gov.my.Also delivering talks at the forum were Muar Fen Yang Association chairman Ker Soon Yong and Batu Pahat Tong Ann Kerk Association chairman Kerk Beng Huat.

Originally published on www.theborneopost.com

Malaysian Companies To Export Halal Food Products To China

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SHAH ALAM: The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) targets to market food products such as biscuits and chocolates by its smallholders or entrepreneurs to the supermarket chain in China by July this year.

Chairman Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said this was one of the initiatives by the agency to assist in opening up market opportunities for the smallholders and entrepreneurs to increase their income and not depend only on income from rubber which is subject to price uncertainty.

He said he would be leading a delegation comprising members of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Chamber of Commerce to Xining, China, soon to meet Chinese Internet tycoon, Jack Ma, to have further discussions on this matter.

“We are made to understand that the sale of halal food products online in China is among the two biggest pioneered by the Ma family.

“In addition, the Ma family owns 20 hypermarkets in China which could be explored by Risda’’s entrepreneurs to market their halal products,” he told a press conference after launching the Selangor-level Risda Entrepreneurs Carnival in Shah Alam on Tuesday.

He said priority would be given to market food products by Risda’s entrepreneurs with Produk Ummah logo, besides products with the halal logo from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia.

The Produk Ummah logo was developed by Risda with the cooperation of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, he said.

He also said besides products manufactured by Risda’s entrepreneurs, food products by entrepreneurs under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development would also be marketed to China.

“At the meeting, Risda will also discuss the Islamic tourism programme in an effort to make Malaysia as an Islamic tourism hub for Chinese tourists who want to make Malaysia as a transit to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia),” he said. – Bernama

Originally published on www.thestar.com.my

CrescentRating Launches Global Muslim Travel Index

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In a survey last year of the world’s most Muslim-friendly countries for travelers, Korea ranked 54th out of 130 countries, falling far behind the global average in terms of halal dining, prayer room availability and language access.

The survey, called the Global Muslim Travel Index, was conducted by MasterCard and CrescentRating, a company that provides information on halal-friendly travel. The survey assessed countries’ convenience, infrastructure and general attitudes toward Muslim travelers.

No. 1 went to Malaysia, where Islam is the state religion and 61.4 percent of the population is Muslim. Since 2009, the Southeast Asian country has been systematically managing its tourism infrastructure through the Islamic Tourism Center, which is directly managed by the secretary general of the Tourism Ministry.

One core role the center has played is establishing standards and certificates for ensuring products and services are strictly halal. Malaysia considers the halal market a major growth engine for the country and hosts global events like the Malaysia International Halal Showcase and the world’s first Islam Tourism Conference set to convene in July.

Malaysia puts particular focus on ensuring quality travel for families, so not just individual restaurants, but also entire hotels have to be halal-certified. Its national mosque, the Masjid Negara, can accommodate up to 15,000 people.

Among non-Muslim-majority nations, neighboring Singapore topped the list. In the city-state, Muslims make up about 15 percent of the population, but its geographic proximity to Malaysia and Indonesia mean the service industry is very experienced with catering to Muslim populations. The city’s Sultan Mosque is designated as a national monument.

Thailand is the second-most preferable non-Muslim-majority country for Muslim travelers. Although more than 90 percent of the country is Buddhist, Thailand has 3,484 religious facilities for Muslims and over 500 halal restaurants nationwide, including those that serve non-Thai food.

Krabi, a renowned tourist site on the west coast, was originally populated by Muslims. The Somkiet Buri Resort there not only provides halal-friendly facilities but also has Muslim employees on hand to help tourists. In 2015, Thailand’s Tourism Authority developed a Muslim tour guide in the form of a mobile app called “Thailand Muslim Friendly.”

In East Asia, Japan was the highest ranked at 34, with particularly good marks for prayer room access and an above-average score for dining options. The best example that proves Japan’s efforts to strengthen its halal infrastructure is Kansai International Airport in Osaka. The airport not only has four halal restaurants, but 16 other eateries there exclude pork and alcohol from their dishes. The airport also has four prayer rooms with gendered spaces.

Japan’s food industry is cooperating as well. The country has around 60 halal restaurants that use traditional sauces and spices, and there are an equal number of religious facilities nationwide.
China, which has a large Muslim minority, was ranked 50, just four steps above Korea. With the global halal market booming and the country’s Muslim population growing, the Chinese government has been pushing to develop the halal industry. It has been holding conferences and seminars, and in 2015, the country built an industrial zone with over 200 companies that sell or manufacture halal products in the city of Wuzhong, where much of the population is Muslim.

Although the country’s share of the global halal market is small at 0.1 percent, China is expected to grow faster in the future as it already has big companies that manufacture and distribute halal products to the local community.

Arman Muslim Food Industrial Group, based in the Muslim-majority province of Xinjiang, provides groceries to over 2,700 franchises and 10,000 other stores in the province, according to the company.

Originally published on www.koreajoongangdaily.joins.com

Emirates Islamic Offers Bonus Skywards Miles

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Emirates Islamic, one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the UAE, has announced a mega Miles campaign on its Skywards Cards.

The bank will offer bonus Skywards Miles to new cardholders and higher Miles for spends on its Infinite and Signature Skywards Visa credit cards. The offer is valid till June 30, with cardholders getting an opportunity to earn up to 80,000 bonus Skywards Miles.

Wasim Saifi, deputy CEO – Consumer Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates Islamic, said: “More than any other time of the year, UAE residents prefer taking a break during summer. We are very pleased to announce the launch of this campaign now, giving customers the opportunity to enjoy high bonus Miles to reward themselves and enjoy huge savings on travel expenses.”

“Besides the Miles offering, customers can also enjoy a range of premium lifestyle benefits with our award winning Skywards Cards. Product innovation and value added benefits are at the forefront of Emirates Islamic’s Cards positioning and we will continue to innovate and bring new products and offers to our valued customers,” he added.

Emirates Islamic Skywards Cardholders enjoy a range of lifestyle and financial benefits including complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver tier membership, unlimited complimentary golf any day of the week, free valet parking, unlimited complimentary airport lounge access, global concierge services and more. Cardholders can also earn up to 2 Skywards Miles per USD spend on the card.

Through the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection, cardholders can enjoy discounts at over 900 luxury hotels worldwide, in addition to a host of special discounts on car rentals, exclusive restaurants, jewellery stores, theme parks, educational centres, holiday packages and a wide range of leading outlets around the world.

Emirates Islamic recently announced the launch of the Emirates Islamic Skywards Visa Signature Credit Card to expand its retail banking proposition and deliver a differentiated customer experience to the emerging affluent UAE population. – TradeArabia News Service

Originally published on www.ttnworldwide.com

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