The latest virtual edition of FHS World has gone live, allowing hospitality leaders, investors and professionals anywhere in the world to explore the Dubai event online, at any time and from any device.

The second day of FHS World 2026 in Dubai brought together some of the hospitality sector’s most influential investors, operators, policymakers and innovators, with discussions ranging from longevity and wellness to artificial intelligence, investment strategy, food security and the changing relationship between hotel owners and operators. Across 25 sessions, a consistent message emerged: hospitality is entering a period in which access to capital and technology alone will not determine success. The industry’s next phase will depend increasingly on disciplined investment, resilient destinations, stronger organisational cultures and the ability to use technology to enhance — rather than replace — the human experience.

Rove Hotels was created to fill a gap between conventional budget accommodation and design-led lifestyle hotels. The rooms were efficient, the public spaces social and the tone informal. Paul Bridger has been closely involved in translating that concept from one Dubai opening into a growing regional business. Bridger joined Rove in 2016 and became chief operating officer in 2021. He brought more than two decades of hospitality experience across the Middle East, Asia, the UK and Ireland. That career gave him exposure to both international brands and the operational realities of building a new proposition from the ground up.

Guests may know the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach or JW Marriott Hotel Marina without knowing that Abu Dhabi National Hotels sits behind the asset. Khalid Anib’s role is to ensure that the owner remains an active participant in the performance and long-term value of those properties. Anib became chief executive of ADNH in 2016. Before joining the group, he spent five years in Saudi Arabia managing the hospitality division of Al Hokair Group, experience that gave him a regional operator’s understanding of hotels, restaurants and entertainment assets.

Amir Golbarg began his hospitality career in Dubai in 2007 at Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah. The experience placed him inside large, high-profile luxury operations at the start of a career that would later span Bangkok, Doha and a rapidly expanding Middle East and African portfolio. He first joined Minor Hotels in 2012 as director of operations and hotel openings at its Bangkok headquarters. International assignments followed, including hotel management at Souq Waqif in Doha. Golbarg then moved to Al Rayyan Hospitality and Katara Hospitality, where he gained experience from the owner and corporate side of hotel operations.

Hospitality was part of Adrian Messerli’s life before it became his profession. He was raised in a fourth-generation family-owned hotel in a Swiss resort village, later worked for Swissair and graduated from Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne. In 2005, he joined Four Seasons and began a career that would take him across several continents. Messerli’s assignments included the United States, Caribbean, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He became a general manager in the Seychelles, later led a city hotel in Shanghai and served as regional vice president and general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Madrid. In 2023, he became president of hotel operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

AlUla cannot be marketed like an ordinary resort. Its value lies in a cultural landscape formed over millennia, including Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, an ancient oasis, dramatic geology and living communities. Rami Almoallim must convert that significance into visitation without allowing demand to overwhelm the place. Almoallim became vice president of destination management and marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla in March 2023. His career spans more than two decades and includes experience with Saudia in ground-handling agreements and communications work connected to Saudi ports, followed by senior roles across marketing and destination development.

Sharjah International Airport sits inside one of the region’s most distinctive aviation models. It supports a large low-cost network, serves a dense resident population and connects tourism, trade and cargo across the UAE’s northern emirates. Ali Salim Al Midfa has been responsible for developing that platform as chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority since 2014. Al Midfa has almost three decades of airport management experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai and has combined aviation leadership with roles across the Sharjah Executive Council and industry organisations

Sharjah’s tourism identity is built on distinction. Museums, heritage, publishing, art, nature and family experiences give the emirate a proposition that complements rather than copies the wider UAE offer. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa has been one of the central figures in shaping that position. Al Midfa joined the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority in 2011 and became chairman in 2014. He also serves on the Sharjah Executive Council, giving him a role in connecting tourism policy with the emirate’s broader economic and social priorities.

Royal Air Maroc occupies a strategic position that few airlines can replicate. From Casablanca, it can connect Europe, West and Central Africa, the Americas and the Middle East while carrying Morocco’s brand into international markets. Abdelhamid Addou has led the airline since his appointment as chairman and chief executive in February 2016.

El Gouna is not a conventional resort. It is a functioning town with hotels, homes, marinas, schools, restaurants, events and a permanent community. Mohamed Amer’s job is to ensure those elements reinforce one another and keep the destination relevant more than three decades after its creation. Amer joined Orascom Development in May 2022 as chief executive of El Gouna. In June 2025, his responsibilities expanded when he became managing director for commercial activities at Orascom Development Egypt. The wider role connects the performance of the flagship destination with commercial strategy across the company’s Egyptian portfolio.

Ahmed Adel’s relationship with EGYPTAIR began in the cockpit. He joined the airline as a pilot in 1988, became a medium-aircraft captain in 1997 and a widebody captain in 1999. Over the following decades, he moved through training, inspection and operational leadership before first becoming chairman and chief executive in 2018.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for August 2026 global passenger demand: Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was down 0.8% compared to August 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 0.6%. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), increased 0.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 85.1% (-0.9 ppt compared to August 2025). International demand fell 0.9% compared to August 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.3%. Capacity was flat (0.0%) year-on-year, and the load factor was 85.0% (-0.8 ppt compared to August 2025).

With Day 2 of FHS World in full swing , we’re pleased to share photos from the session with His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy & Tourism, who took centre stage this morning to discuss The UAE Growth Engine: Tourism, Investment and the New Economy.

In this exclusive Breaking Travel News Q&A, Nick Wood discusses the evolving role of music within hospitality, how the right soundtrack can shape a guest’s perception of a property, the importance of authenticity and local culture, and why hotels and resorts are increasingly turning to music as a key part of their brand identity.

The Peninsula proudly presents its Destination Collection, a thoughtfully curated series inspired by the rich cultural heritage, iconic landmarks and distinctive craftsmanship of the destinations The Peninsula calls home. Designed as meaningful mementos of place, the collection invites guests and collectors alike to celebrate the spirit of travel through beautifully crafted keepsakes.

Air Canada, Virgin Australia and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) have been named finalists in the World Aviation Festival’s Battle of the Airline Apps competition, set to take place during WAF 2026 from 13-15 October in Lisbon. The competition, which spotlights innovation in airline mobile technology, will challenge carriers to showcase how their apps are transforming the passenger journey – from booking and check-in to in-flight engagement and post-travel loyalty.

American Airlines, in partnership with Currensea, the market-leading payments technology platform for co-branded multibank debit cards, and Mastercard, today announced the launch of the AAdvantage® Platinum Debit Card and AAdvantage® Black Debit Card — the first AAdvantage®-branded debit cards and the first reward-earning debit cards from a oneworld® Alliance airline available to customers in the UK.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (BMOT) has appointed veteran Bahamian hospitality executive Jackson Alexander Weech as Director General, effective 1 October 2026. Mr Weech brings more than 35 years of tourism leadership experience across The Bahamas, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom to the Ministry’s senior executive team. Mr Weech is a leading representative of the Bahamian hotel and tourism industry who has worked closely with government, tourism stakeholders and international industry partners on issues including airlift development, workforce development, infrastructure, product improvement and the competitiveness of the destination.

Corporate meetings are evolving beyond venues and technology, with organisations increasingly seeking events that support sustainability, employee wellbeing and meaningful engagement. At Radisson Blu Hotel & Suites GRT Chennai, the GReaT Green Meetings initiative addresses these priorities through environmentally conscious meeting setups, locally sourced cuisine and responsible operating practices. Tree planting is also offered to help offset the carbon footprint associated with meetings.