New connections. Fresh perspectives. The travel developments to know.
2,506 reports
April 1- German authorities are looking for German national Georg Recker for a multi-million Euro fraud in connection with a hotel project in Dubai that was never built. Recker’s arrest warrant was issued in November last year by a court in Dortmund, Germany. Recker himself is said to be hiding in Dubai. According to the details, investors have provided funds worth Dh123.7 million for the project titled Dubai…
March 31- The Sultanate of Oman has established a tourism office in Dubai because of the increase in number of tourists to the Sultanate last year. Khalid Al Zadjali, acting Director of Tourism Events Departments, said “For the Sultanate of Oman, the UAE is very strong market with rising tourist arrivals. In order to tap this market Oman has opened an office here for better marketing and coordination.” Al…
March 31- The tourist landmark Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque will be closed for the next three days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) to mark the death of Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who died in a plane crash in Morocco. Al Nahyan was chairman of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). All non-worship activities at the Mosque have been stopped. Visitors will be accepted again on Saturday. Tour operators…
March 30- Prince Salman, governor of Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said the government is committed to developing the tourism sector, which will create more jobs and help the national economy grow. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, (SCTDA) has the ambitious plan of increasing the tourism sector’s contribution to non-oil GDP from 6.5 percent to 11 percent in the near future. The…
March 29- The launched a tourism road show in Riyadh on Saturday night and is planning similar shows in Jeddah, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other major Gulf cities. Michael Morgenstern, counselor at the German Embassy and Stefan Loecherabach with Lufthansa attended the road show. Germany, which received about a half million Saudi tourists last year, aims to attract even more in 2010-2011. GNTB director for…
March 29- Travelport, the leading global distribution system (GDS) provider, held an annual three-day distributor’s conference in Lebanon to share plans with its distribution partners in the Middle East. "Our annual distributor's conference is a great opportunity for us to solidify the already robust distribution network that we have in place across the Middle East," said Jennifer D'Souza, Regional Commercial…
March 29- The European Union (EU) and Libya have lifted visa bans that forbade citizens of each region from travelling to the other, it was announced at Sirte, Libya, during an Arab summit. The lifting of the ban is the first step towards breaking the ice between Switzerland and Libya. The EU’s Spanish president stated that the names of all those Libyan citizens have been removed from the blacklist that…
Dubai – March 25th 2010 – As the Dubai Fashion Week returns and unveils again for the 7th time in Dubai, this April, with spectacular and extravagant designers from the around the world; fashion lovers and connoisseurs will witness a new spectacle of opulence, magnificence and luxury. Michael Cinco, one of the region’s finest fashion designers, will be demonstrating to the public his latest Autumn Winter…
March 28- During a meeting of the Arab Tourism Organization in Alexandria Egypt, a proposal was raised to create electronic ID cards containing traveler’s biometric information, which would one day be used in place of traditional passports. The new cards would benefit the tourism sector because it will allow people to travel more freely within and between Arab countries in the region. Tourism is becoming a…
Al Sultan Group, a Kuwait-based company, has signed an agreement with the Taj, an upcoming shopping centre in Jordan, for launching together food and beverage outlets. This is the first time that Al Sultan is investing in Jordan, starting with the opening of Wasabi Restaurant. Other outlets include Au Bon Pain and Ruby Tuesdays. These outlets will be housed at the Taj’s terrace level that is uniquely…
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), along with 52 co-participants, will be participating in the Gulf Incentives, Business Travel and Meetings (GIBTM-2010) exhibition to promote UAE as an ideal year-round Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) destination. The three-day fair is being held from March 29 to 31 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). In this…
Oman’s Ministry of Tourism will participate in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) exhibition being held from May 4 to 7 in Dubai, it was learnt on Thursday. Oman Air will also have a pavilion, whilst other companies from Oman will be in attendance sharing stand space. This year’s show, said Khalid Al Zadiali, Ministry of Tourism’s director of tourism events, is highly anticipated since the number of participants…
A large group of foreign tourists comprising more than 630 men and women from 18 countries are in Jeddah these days. The group toured Jeddah's historical area on Tuesday and was warmly welcomed. The tourists, who arrived by Crystal Serenity, an international tourist cruise ship, also visited the Abdul Rauf Khalil Museum, Corniche, camel market in south Jeddah and the fish market. The group includes tourists…
Bahrain generated over $1.746 billion from tourists, said an official of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2010. Quoting Euromonitor statistics, the ATM official, said last year Bahrain's spending on outgoing tourist expenditure reached $677 million while domestic tourism expenditure totaled only $17 million. Bahrain's Ministry of Culture and Information will participate in this year’s ATM that is slated to take…
Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) has launched a tender competition to build a branch of the Louvre Museum on Saadiyat Island, it was learnt on Tuesday. The expected opening date for the museum’s opening is September 2013. "The main contract works, the dome, mechanical, electrical, is tendered today," Felix Reinberg, director of projects delivery at TIDC’s museum division…
Several parks in Abu Dhabi are seen housing fitness and sports equipment in line with the city municipality’s commitment to encouraging a healthier lifestyle. New fitness facilities are being installed along walkways in the Public Park at Abu Dhabi Corniche and the park on Khalifa Street. "This initiative comes within the municipality's strategy to meet the community needs of services, recreational and sports…
The Ministry of Interior, UAE is employing stringent visa formalities in a bid to ensure that visa applicants have a clean record, said Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and minister of interior on Tuesday. According to the details, the ministry’s new procedures will verify whether or not a person has been deported fro the UAE or is on the list of people banned from…
The number of GCC tourists visiting Turkey increased by 16.45 per cent in 2009, said a recent report regarding the global travel and tourism industry. According to the details, more than 27 million tourists from around the world visited Turkey in 2009, with GCC tourists comprising a large part of this figure. Emin Kaya, the cultural and information attaché in Dubai and the Turkish Tourism Office manager in the…
