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Oman will launch its version of the Tour de France next month when it starts its first national cycling tour. There will be more than 128 riders on 16 teams taking part in the race, which will cover 687 km over a period of six days in Oman’s famed mountain ranges. The country’s highest peak, Jebel Akhdar, is nearly 3,000 meters high, and may be part of the race route. The tour will take place from February 14th…
Egypt’s Tourism Minister said that figures show the country was not as affected by the global economic crisis as much as was feared, and 2010 also looks promising. Zoheir Garranah said that the number of incoming tourists is expected to rise significantly next year because of steps Egypt took to weather the financial storm, and the initial recovery from the global economic downturn. Garranah told the Oxford…
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has started issuing group visas. Procedures are in place to issue group visas for citizens of up to 65 non-Arab countries. Director General of the license department at SCTA said the group visa will be issued to a minimum of a group of four tourists. Ahmad Al Eisa said that it is very easy for any group intending to visit to obtain the visas from Saudi…
One of the biggest online French travel agencies, “quotidiendutourisme.com” announced that Tunisia has ranked as the second most popular destination by its customers. Leclerc’s list of favorite destinations ranks France first with 35 percent of the total number of passengers, Tunisia ranks second at 13 percent, followed by Morocco at 8 percent, and continental Spain (7 percent). Tunisia recently ranked as…
The arrival in Dubai of the new state of the art vessel, the Costa Delizioasa to join Costa Cruises, will consolidate the UAE’s position as a hub ship for cruise ships in the Middle East. The cruise ships arrival will strengthen the partnership between Europe’s top cruise company, Costa Cruises, and Emirates Airline, as both companies prepare for an expected surge in cruise tourism in the region. The…
SNTAA, the cruise management division of leading destination management company SNTA Emir Tours, said it expects unprecedented growth. The forecast follows Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing projections that cruise tourism will increase 30 percent in 2010. Royal Caribbean Cruise Limited (RCCL) appointed the company to take care of ground arrangements for its Brilliance of the Seas cruise which…
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities signed an agreement with the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on Tuesday. Under the agreement the two bodies will work together to develop the Kingdom’s tourism sector and coordinate programs and related activities. Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the SCTA, signed the agreement with Abdul Aziz Al-Humain, president of the…
Customer reviews on internet websites have become a powerful way for hoteliers to bring in new customers, or lose them. The four star Dubai hotel, Al Manzil learned last week just how much these reviews can impact their business, as it rose from near obscurity to the top of the city’s rankings in the leading travel website, TripAdvisor. The South African hospitality company Southern Sun manages Al…
Cruise ship Costa Deliziosa will be named in Dubai on February 23rd, the first major milestone for Dubai’s new cruiseship terminal, which opens on January18th. The event is being organized by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and the European Cruise Company, Costa Crociere. The naming ceremony will be held during the ship’s inaugural cruise, which departs from Savona, Italy on February…
Prince Sultan bin Salman said Umrah pilgrims will be tapped soon in order to increase medical tourism in the Kingdom, an idea that will soon receive a strong boost. Prince Sultan is chairman of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). The Prince talked about medical tourism while giving a lecture at Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said there are many high-standard health care…
Tunisia is becoming an attractive health tourism destination, as more towns and resorts gradually transform into prominent therapy centers. The country is drawing more people around the world seeking relaxation, treatment, or plastic surgery. The government has made the export of health services a major goal by 2016 and is looking to put Tunisia on the world’s health tourism map. Health facilities have been…
A recent poll found that only 25 percent of respondents think the AED100 ticket price to go up the Burj Khalifa is reasonable. Most respondents in the online poll believe the price is too high and 34.6 percent called for the Emaar developer to lower the price immediately. Twenty three percent of respondents said they had planned to visit the Burj Khalifa, but changed their mind because they were not ready to pay…
Emirates Airline will be a major sponsor of the fifteenth edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), which takes place from January 28th until February 28th. More than 6,000 retail outlets and about 50 malls will participate in the DSF over 32 days. There will also be over 150 regional and international events showcased at the festival, including shows, concerts, and musicals. Ahmed Khoory, a senor…
Global Village, the region’s entertainment, shopping, and cultural attraction located in Dubailand, continues to bring in visitors of all ages, who can enjoy 70 different rides in the gaming and fun fair zone. The entertainment area takes up the biggest amount of space in the park, and nearly 30 percent more games and rides have been added to this year’s edition. Popular children’s rides in this area are the…
The USAID-Jordan Tourism Development Project (JTDP) extended a grant on Wednesday to the Jordan Motorcycle Club in order to encourage inbound and outbound domestic tourism on motorcycles. The grant agreement will give visitors a different way to experience the Kingdom. Under the grant, the two organizations will work with regional motorcycle clubs to organize events and tours. The Jordan Motorcycle Club is…
The hospitality industry is optimistic about growth prospects in the region, with more hotels on the market, and room rates down from last year. Rotana Area Director of Sales and Marketing for Dubai and Northern Emirates said that room rates were way too high, but “Around the middle of 2009, the rates started to even out and there was a correction in the market. Now room rates have come back to normal, how they…
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing announced that the new cruise terminal located in the Port Rashid complex will be inaugurated in February, giving a big boost to the cruise tourism segment in Dubai. The main purpose of the new terminal is to showcase Dubai’s rich heritage as a maritime center, emphasize the importance of Dubai as an international tourist destination, and present a strong…
Regulatory authorities have given the local five star Al-Faisaliah Hotel preliminary approval to open its new “Sense Spa”, which will be the first women-only spa in Saudi Arabia. The hotel plans to open the spa on its tenth anniversary in May, when it will unveil a new wing of 106 rooms. Managing Director for Al-Faisaliah, Peter Finamore, said “This four-storied spa will be the first female health and wellness…
