Connecting tourism sector stakeholders

DUBAI: Emirates Airline welcomed President Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica, the First Lady of the Republic, Claudia Dobles Camargo and their delegation at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive, together with the airline’s executives: Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior VP for International Affairs, and Salem Obaidalla, Senior VP Commercial Operations for the Americas, met the delegation from Costa Rica.

In tandem with the meeting, Emirates announced initiatives to promote Costa Rica as a tourism destination to its global customer base. This includes offering enhanced air connectivity to the central American country through its codeshare partners, and the introduction of bespoke travel packages to Costa Rica under its Emirates Holidays business.

Sheikh Ahmed said, “In 2004, Emirates established the first non-stop flight to connect the UAE with the Americas. Ever since, we’ve focused on expanding those air transport links which are crucial to building stronger trade and tourism ties.

“Emirates has seen an increase in demand from travellers who wish to connect onward to Costa Rica from our gateways in the USA and Mexico, and we’ve been in positive discussions with our interline and codeshare partners to expand travel options to serve this demand. In cooperation with Avianca, Emirates will soon be able to offer our customers connections to Costa Rica via Bogota from more airports including European points such as Barcelona, Madrid and London. We look forward to developing even further ties with Costa Rica in the future.”

President Quesada said, “I’d like to thank the UAE and Expo 2020 Dubai team for the warm welcome. Today, we are celebrating and strengthening the ties between UAE and Costa Rica. Like the UAE, Costa Rica is welcoming to tourists and businesses, and we also have a very strong sustainability focus as we want to ensure that we preserve our world for future generations. We are proud to showcase a slice of what Costa Rica has to offer at our Expo Dubai Pavilion.”

Francisco J. Chacon Hernndez., Costa Rica’s Ambassador to the UAE, said, “We warmly welcome Emirates airline’s initiatives to promote Costa Rica as a destination. Our beautiful country has something for every traveller, and we look forward to welcome more people from the UAE and from around the world to visit Costa Rica.”

Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit: Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel visited the India Pavilion at Expo2020 Dubai on Wednesday and made a strong pitch to global investors to capitalise on the state’s ease of doing business, conducive policies, robust industrial eco system and futuristic infrastructure.

The Chief Minister is leading a high-level delegation to the United Arab Emirates to promote the upcoming ‘Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2022’ to be held in January.

The visit is part of the state’s plans to engage with global investor community, government representatives, heads of companies, trade & industry chambers and promote the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2022. Shri Patel, along with other officials would be showcasing the tremendous business opportunities that the state offers.

Speaking on his visit to the India Pavilion, the chief minister said, “As part of celebrating India’s 75th year of Independence, a special show is organized at the Dubai Expo. India’s progress is showcased in areas like science and technology, industrial growth, agriculture and space sciences.”

“It’s heartening to see the Image of a new India on an international platform like the Dubai Expo. Our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is propelling India to set new benchmarks of development and progress. I am truly impressed watching the India pavilion at this Expo”, he added

The delegation is meeting Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, UAE, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO, DP World at the Expo 2020 site and is slated to hold a Vibrant Gujarat Roadshow in the city, later in the evening.

Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, a biennial event was conceptualised in 2003 under the visionary leadership of Mr. Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India (then the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat). Continuing the success of Vibrant Gujarat Summits, Government of Gujarat is organising the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit with the central theme: ‘From Aatmanirbhar Gujarat to Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, scheduled on 10-11-12 January 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The Summit will be inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.

As per industry reports, at $22 billion, Gujarat received the highest amount of FDI equity in India for FY2021, accounting for 37 percent of the total FDI received in the country. It is a national leader in Chemicals & Petro-chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Gems & Jewellery, Automobile & Auto parts, Textiles among other sectors. The state accounts for 17 percent to India’s industrial output with 11 percent of the country’s factories located there. 

Colombia’s Cultural activities: The Colombia Pavilion at Expo 2020 is hosting a wide array of cultural activities during this whole month of December as part of the UAE Golden Jubilee celebrations providing visitors a glimpse of the nation’s culture, music, film and performing arts. The South American country’s pavilion will host a variety of events, including film series, performances, and exhibitions by prominent Colombian artists.

As part of the celebrations, Colombia’s Minister of Culture Angélica María Mayolo Obregón is also visiting Expo 2020 between December 7 and 9 to meet with members of the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth. The visit aims to explore cooperation opportunities between UAE and Colombia, culminating in a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cultural initiatives.

To kick-off its series of musical performances, on December 8 and 9 the awarded all-female musical group Guarura will be performing Joropo, a Colombian musical genre characterised mainly by the sounds of harp, capachos or maracas, bandola, bandolín, tiple, bandolón and guitar. The pavilion will also feature Julio Victoria, one of the most influential producers in Colombia’s electronic music scene, to entertain visitors with his distinct musical performance.

In addition, from December 20 to 22, visitors will be enticed to dance with the beats of Joe Taylor & the Fire Band, from the Colombian Island of San Andres, for a reggae music concert, highlighting traditional Caribbean music and the sounds that hype up dance halls.

Meanwhile, visitors can view the masterpieces of visual artists Sergio Mantilla Soler and Miguel Chaparro Alvis from December 28 to 30, including the artists collaborative work on their famous virtual installation ‘Unibirds’, inspired by Colombian biodiversity. The two Colombian artists worked together to help raise awareness about climate change and their works have been exhibited in various countries such as Japan, the United States, Belgium, and Germany, among others.

The pavilion is also exhibiting Soler’s solo masterpieces which explore the relationship of human beings and the way they perceive and construct time, as well as Alvis’ exemplary projects of public art, sound, audiovisual, and scenography design.

Visitors to the Terra Pavilion can also catch the special film-showing of Colombia’s famous ‘El Olvido que seremos’. This multi-awarded film, with a plot about an almost supernatural bond between a father and a son, is based on the book written by the Colombian writer Hector Abat Facciolince. Other films to be shown include Jinetes del paraíso, Jericó, los Ajenos, and El Piedra.

In recent years, Colombian films have received international recognitions and nominations such as in the Oscar Academy and Goya Awards. The country also is also the host to the Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (FICCI), the oldest film event in Latin America celebrating milestones in cinematography of Ibero-America and the world. The nation’s film and TV production industry has been positively growing and is known for exporting television programs in various markets. Colombia’s famous telenovelas have successfully crossed continents and have been aired in various platforms and channels across the world.

Throughout the duration of Expo 2020, visitors can marvel at the famed ‘Reclining Woman’ sculpture at the Botero Garden located outside the nation’s pavilion. This iconic and massive work of art is one of the masterpieces of the Colombian artist, Fernando Botero. Master Botero is one of the most popular Latin American artists of the last century, thanks to his figurative style known as “boterismo.”

The nation’s cultural jewels, arts, music, and creativity are poised to charm visitors as they tour the Colombia Pavilion at Expo 2020. Colombia stands out as one of the top cultural tourism destinations, with nine cultural elements declared by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

WAM