Indian travellers can now use UPI to make online bookings for At the Top, Burj Khalifa, following a partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), NEOPAY, and Emaar Entertainment.

The launch makes At the Top, Burj Khalifa the first attraction in the UAE to offer UPI as a payment option for e-commerce transactions. Visitors can now book their preferred experiences through the attraction's official website using UPI before travelling to Dubai.

The latest development builds on NIPL's partnership with NEOPAY, which introduced QR-based UPI merchant payments across the UAE in 2022. While Indian travellers have been using UPI for in-store purchases across NEOPAY's merchant network, the new integration extends this convenience to online bookings, allowing visitors to complete payments in advance using a familiar payment method.

One of Dubai's most popular attractions, At the Top, Burj Khalifa welcomes millions of visitors each year, including a significant number from India. With UPI now available on the official booking platform, Indian travellers can select their preferred experience and complete the payment before arriving in the UAE, making travel planning more convenient.

The initiative also reflects the growing demand for secure and seamless cross-border digital payment options while strengthening the digital payments ecosystem between India and the UAE.

Commenting on the launch, Ritesh Shukla, MD & CEO of NPCI International, said, "Indian travellers are increasingly seeking payment experiences that are simple, familiar and seamless when they travel abroad. By enabling UPI acceptance for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa, we are making it easier for them to use a payment method they know and trust while planning their visit, even before they arrive in the UAE. Through our partnership with NEOPAY and Emaar Entertainment, we are expanding UPI acceptance in the UAE and bringing greater convenience to Indian travellers visiting one of the world's most iconic destinations."

Vibhor Mundhada, CEO of NEOPAY, said, "This is more than a payments integration, it is a landmark moment in the evolution of digital commerce between India and the UAE. By enabling UPI acceptance for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa, we are bringing one of India's most trusted payment platforms to one of the world's most iconic destinations. As the first company in the GCC to introduce UPI acceptance for e-commerce transactions, NEOPAY continues to lead payment innovation, helping merchants deliver seamless customer experiences while unlocking access to millions of digitally savvy Indian consumers."

An Official Spokesperson at Emaar Entertainment added, "At the Top, Burj Khalifa is a global icon that welcomes visitors from across the world, with India representing one of our most important international markets. By introducing UPI as a payment option for online bookings, we are making the customer journey simpler, more intuitive and more convenient for Indian guests from the moment they begin planning their visit. This collaboration reflects Emaar Entertainment's commitment to delivering world-class experiences powered by innovation and customer-centric digital solutions."

As digital payments continue to reshape the travel experience, initiatives like this make international travel more convenient for Indian visitors while helping destinations offer payment options that travellers already know and trust.

Radisson Hotel Group has partnered with Accenture to introduce an AI-powered hotel discovery app in ChatGPT, offering travellers a more conversational way to search, compare, and plan hotel stays before booking directly through Radisson Hotels.

Available as RadissonHotels in ChatGPT, the app allows users to discover more than 1,000 Radisson Hotels across 100+ countries using natural language. Travellers can ask for recommendations based on their preferences, such as a family-friendly weekend in Amsterdam or a hotel near the Eiffel Tower in Paris with a gym and spa.

The app provides relevant hotel recommendations with live room availability, real-time rates, amenities, hotel details, location insights, and interactive map-based results. Once travellers have selected their preferred hotel, they are directed to the Radisson Hotels website to complete their booking.

The launch marks another step in Radisson Hotel Group's agentic commerce strategy, where AI-powered conversations replace traditional search-based booking journeys. Instead of browsing multiple websites, travellers can now discover, compare, and shortlist hotels through a single conversation.

According to Accenture's Consumer Pulse Research, 87% of travellers are open to using an AI-powered travel assistant to help them choose the best travel options, while 71% believe AI will influence at least half of their hotel or airline spending over the next year. Radisson Hotel Group also noted that AI platforms such as ChatGPT are becoming increasingly important sources of travel discovery alongside traditional web channels.

Commenting on the launch, Gianni Di Fede, Chief Commercial Officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said, "AI is radically transforming how people search for and book hotel stays, and we are committed to being at the forefront of this shift. With Accenture, we are reimagining hotel discovery for the next generation of travelers, meeting guests in the planning moment with a branded experience that makes it easier to find, compare, and book Radisson Hotels properties."

The collaboration began with Radisson Hotel Group adopting an MCP accelerator, part of Accenture's AI Merchant Center, to optimise how hotel content, inventory, pricing, and booking information could be structured for AI-powered discovery. Accenture also helped design the overall user experience, ensuring seamless interactions across devices while connecting directly to Radisson Hotel Group's existing systems for real-time hotel information.

The companies plan to further enhance the experience by introducing personalised recommendations, loyalty programme recognition, in-chat booking, reservation management, trip modifications, and AI concierge services in the future.

Speaking about the changing travel landscape, Ndidi Oteh, CEO of Accenture Song, said, "Agentic commerce is fundamentally changing how people discover and choose brands. As journeys become more conversational and intent-driven, companies have to rethink how they show up, not just to be found, but to be chosen, and to deliver value in that moment. Radisson Hotel Group is taking a step in that direction, creating a more direct and meaningful way to connect with travelers when decisions are being made."

The ChatGPT app forms part of Radisson Hotel Group's wider digital transformation strategy. Accenture has supported the hospitality company in modernising its digital infrastructure, bringing its brands together on a unified global platform while enabling more personalised marketing across its network of over 1,000 hotels.

Emily Weiss, Senior Managing Director and Global Travel Lead at Accenture, added, "With travel, planning is becoming easier for consumers, but more competitive for brands. Travelers want to compare options quickly, narrow down choices and book with confidence, often in a single journey. That puts pressure on brands to show up with accurate, up-to-date, and easy-to-navigate information at every step. With Radisson Hotel Group, the focus was on making hotel content more accessible, so travelers can find what they need, explore options, and move to booking more seamlessly."

The initiative also builds on Accenture's broader collaboration with OpenAI, reinforcing the growing role of AI in transforming customer experiences, travel planning, and digital commerce across the hospitality sector.

The 2026 Sichuan Ganzi Mountain Culture & Tourism Festival officially opened on July 24 at Yuke Grassland in Daofu County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. The festival celebrates the region's rich nomadic heritage through cultural performances, intangible cultural heritage (ICH) showcases, folk traditions, and immersive visitor experiences.

The opening ceremony transformed the grassland into a large open-air stage, where local herders recreated the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Kham communities. They crossed the grasslands with cattle, carrying black yak-hair tents and urdah, the traditional stone-throwing ropes used by Tibetan herders for managing livestock. The performance reflected the centuries-old seasonal migration practices followed by pastoral communities in search of water and grazing land.

Adding to the spectacle was a grand procession of heavy cavalry and the legendary Gesar riders. Dressed in traditional attire, the riders galloped across the grassland, followed by a colourful parade featuring ethnic costumes made from pulu, the traditional Tibetan handwoven wool textile. The showcase highlighted how traditional craftsmanship continues to inspire contemporary fashion.

Sharing his experience, Mr. Zhang, a visitor from Beijing, said, "As the scenes of nomadic migration gradually unfolded before my eyes, a long-lost yearning for a simpler pastoral life suddenly welled up within me. My whole family loves the grassland lifestyle in Daofu. It is something you cannot experience in the city."

Running until July 26, the festival features eight major events, including the opening ceremony, the Ganzi 1,000-person ICH livestream showcase, and the fashion-inspired Guozhuang gala. Visitors can also explore a variety of grassland market activities such as intangible cultural heritage workshops, local produce exhibitions, regional food tastings, and music-themed leisure gatherings.

Located in northwestern Sichuan Province, Daofu County enjoys an average summer temperature of around 24°C and is known for its scenic landscapes, including Yala Snow Mountain, Stone Forest Park, Yuke Grassland, alpine meadows, and Tianlong Lake. The county is also home to the cultural traditions of the Kham people and the historic Highland Silk Road.

Tourism in Daofu has witnessed steady growth in recent years. Between July 2021 and June 2026, the county welcomed 10.4123 million visitors, generating nearly 11.454 billion yuan in tourism revenue, reflecting its growing appeal as a cultural and nature-based travel destination.