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The UN World Tourism Organization predicts that the number of visitors to the Middle East will more than double by 2020 because of ongoing investment in the sector. UN WTO regional representative for the Middle East said the growth rate will be more than double the world average. Amr Abdel-Ghafar said the number of tourist arrivals will increase to 136 million by 2020, compared to 54 million last…
Tour operators are hoping that the number of Russian visitors to Dubai will increase again in 2009. Last year there was a 21 per cent increase in the number of Russian tourists to Dubai. Russian based Natalie Tours CEO said “Dubai has attracted 51,000 Russian tourists so far this year, which is at a par with the numbers last year. We still have three months to improve that.” Natalie Tours is hosting a…
An official with the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing said Dubai must revise its goal of reaching 15 million tourists by 2015 because of the global economic crisis. Executive Director for Business Tourism, Hamad Mohammed bin Mejren, said “if we do not reach our target of attracting 15 million tourists by 2015, we will work hard to reach the closest that we can get to our original tourists…
Abu Dhabi is getting ready for its first Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix race on November 1. Numerous events will take place in the weeks before the race including a series of concerts, a Brazilian style street festival, and a giant cinema screen. The ‘Amazing’ series of events will start on October 16 on the Corniche and Yas Island and finish with a performance by the Aerosmith band on November 1 after the…
Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa is delighting diners with their ‘Dinner in the Sky’ dining experience, which suspends a table in the air 50 meters above the beach, loaded with food, 22 guests, chef, and waiter. The idea for ‘Dinner in the Sky’ began two years ago and is operated by Mindset Media and Event Horizon. It will launch on 4 October 2009. The hotel’s food and beverage director Thomas Kathman said…
The growth of the spa industry and appeal of old style Turkish steam baths promise to revive Old Istanbul bath houses. Following decades of neglect developers are spending millions of dollars buying and restoring Istanbul’s best hammans (steam baths). There has been a surge of interest among Turks in Ottoman customs and developers are expecting rising tourist numbers. Turkey had 26.3 million visitors in 2008…
Residents in the Kingdom set aside their swine flu worries to enjoy Eid activities last week. Executive Manager of Al-Shallal Theme Park in Jeddah said the number of visitors increased about 20% to 500,000 compared to last year. Jungle Land owner said he had the same number of visitors this year as he did for Ramadan last year. Haltham Nosair said “There is no doubt that people fear crowded areas, as they are…
Nakheel, the owner of QE2 is in talks with port authorities in South Africa about the safety of docking the cruise liner in Capetown. Capetown authorities earlier this month said space limitations make it unsafe for QE2 to dock at the city’s terminals. Nakheel purchased the luxury cruise liner for $100 million in 2007 and had planned to move it to Cape Town before work begins transforming it into a luxury…
Dubai Metro is launching ten stations giving visitors an easy, convenient way to tour Dubai. Tour operators say the new service will boost the tourism trade. Dubai Metro is accompanied by a tour guide and gives passengers the option of jumping off at various points. City tours will be available to everyone after all the lines are fully developed. Trips will merge the Metro tour with an abra ride or dhow…
The Ministry of Haj has urged Umrah companies and service providers not to permit Haj pilgrims to depart unless they have first obtained confirmed bookings for airlines or ships. Many pilgrims are arriving at airports and seaports in Jeddah and Madinah to begin their return trips. Companies must ensure that pilgrims arrive at King Abdullaz Airport in Jeddah six hours before departure and Prince Muhammad…
The Java World Travel Fair had strong participation by the UAE, including the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways, and Dubai’s Emirates Airlines. The World Tourism Congress organized the JATA fair and it took place in Tokyo between September 17th and September 20th. More than 100,000 people visited the UAE booths, which…
A new report by STR Global shows that revenue per available room (RevPar), and occupancy rates fell dramatically during Ramadan. STR Global Managing Director said “With Ramadan taking place from August 21 to September 19 2009, the Middle East/Africa region dropped 21 per cent in RevPar for August.” Elizabeth Randall said this is the first time RevPar for this region has fallen behind Europe and the…
Stargate Resort has opened its doors in Zabeel Park, Dubai, after four years of construction. The ‘eductainment center’ which was initiated by real estate company Osus and Dubai municipality, features state-of-the art interactive play and parent pleasing education. The center will teach visitors about the far reaches of the solar system. CEO of Osus said “Stargate is a one-of-a-kind interactive learning…
Dubai Malls highlighted traditional Arabic dancing during the Eid celebrations. Large crowds watched dancers perform the Tanoura and Khaligi with Dabkeh in Palestinian and Syrian styles. More visitors were attracted by discounts offered by outlets. Shoppers at the Reef Mall in Deria enjoyed their outing with the festive backdrop of traditional Arabic musicals and dance acts. A Tanouri dance show followed…
Attention is turning to the different rail projects throughout the Gulf in the wake of the successful launch of Dubai Metro. There is a possibility of a Pan-Gulf network linking the major cities in the region. Dubai Metro is the most important passenger rail services but it is one of many rail systems that will connect GCC countries and the whole region. It took four years to launch Dubai Metro at a cost of…
Cash strapped yacht owners are keeping the second hand boat market busy as they look to recover some of their investment. Many who bought their yachts during better economic times are now trying to free up cash by selling their boats. Rashid, who owns a property company in Dubai, purchased a new 50 foot luxury yacht over two years ago for Dh10 million (US$2.72m). At the time Rashid had the funds to maintain…
The slowdown in the construction industry has provided an unexpected bonus for the Louvre and Guggenheim museum projects in Abu Dhabi. The Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) launched both these projects last year at a cost of Dh5 billion (US$1.36 billion). Because of less demand in this sector, costs are expected to be 30 per cent less than last year, and contractors, which were once difficult to…
Tourism official and operators in Oman expect the number of tourists visiting Oman will increase 11 per cent to 2 million this year, because Gulf residents are looking for less expensive holidays in the region. Ministry of Tourism head of development Khalid Al Ghassan said “The global crisis has forced Gulf nationals to travel closer from home and Oman is hugely benefiting from it.” Al Ghassan said about…
