Almosafer, the leading travel brand in Saudi Arabia, confirmed it will open 25 new retail branches by the end of this year as part of its commitment to revolutionize the travel booking experience in the Kingdom. With its new omni-channel approach, Almosafer is taking its digital knowledge into interactive physical spaces and adding the human element to give customers the choice and freedom to book their travel exactly in the manner they want. To equip its retail team with the expertise they need to help Saudi's with their travel plans, Almosafer has created a specialized recruitment process focused on attracting Saudi's multi-talented youth and shaping a new generation of male and female travel advisors. Almosafer Academy will develop and certify travel advisors through an intensive 10-week recruitment training programme which will equip the workforce with the skills they need to become the new generation of specialized Travel Advisors in the Kingdom capable of curating seamless travel experiences. Covering skills ranging from sales and customer experience to operations and leadership, the future travel advisors will be exposed to a wealth of knowledge, insights, guidance and many networking opportunities with special guests and travel experts to propel them to the next step in their career. Almosafer has already received over 10,000 applications from Saudi's for one of the coveted roles and training will commence in September 2019. Muzzammil Ahussain, EVP of Almosafer, said: "The introduction of our seamless, omni-channel booking experience through online, phone and retail branch is designed to give Saudi customers the choice and freedom to book travel in the way that they want. We are now building on the success of our branches in Riyadh and Jeddah and expanding our retail footprint with the roll out of 25 new interactive stores in the key cities across KSA. Many of our customers want a human element to help navigate the huge range of options and ensure a trip meets all their preferences and our next generation retail branches are designed to service that need. Our aim is to inspire and excite our customers in branch with rich interactive content while letting our expert travel advisors take the effort out of planning the perfect trip." Fahad Mohammed Al Obailan, VP Retail, Almosafer, said: "Catering to the discerning needs of travellers from Saudi Arabia, Almosafer's new retail channels will be led by a new wave of travel advisors who will interact with the customers at a more personal level. These skilled specialists, trained through the Almosafer Academy, will offer personal consultation and expert guidance, helping Saudi travellers from various generations travel with peace of mind. No one is better placed than Saudi Nationals with a strong cultural and social understanding of the market, to take on the travel advisory role and we are delighted to have already received over 10,000 applications from across the Kingdom. These young men and women, recruited and nurtured at the Almosafer Academy, will reinforce the ability of our retail channels to provide travellers with specialist advice, knowledge and support every step of the way." Almosafer retail branches will be present in various cities including Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Kharj, Khobar, Jubail, Al Ahsa, Khafji, Makkah, Taif, Madinah, Khamis Mushait, Abha, Bahah, Bishah, Jizan, Najaran, Tabuk, Aljouf, Unaizah, Buridah, ArRass, Hail, Yanbu and Rabig. — SG
