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Nuran Serviced Residents will focus on the GCC leisure market in an effort to boost its occupancy levels. The company is part of Emmar Hospitality Group. General Manager for Nuran said GCC presents the biggest opportunity, particularly in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait. Socrates Alvaro said Nuran participated in the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing road show and received especially good feedback from…
A branding expert says Lebanon’s branding efforts will help transform that country into one of the world’s top business and tourist destinations. The Director of Strategy and Brand Communication for BrandCentral said Lebanon has emerged “as one of the few positive stories in 2009 with remarkable growth in its tourism industry and overall economy.” Ibrahim Lahoud said that many around the world are not aware…
The UAE travel sector saw a 7% increase in volumes in July compared to April. 693 UAE travelers were surveyed on YouGovs’s Travel Tracker between April and July, and data shows that there was a 7% increase in the number of people taking short haul business and long haul leisure trips. YouGov’s Travel Tracker is a research tool that reports current and future travel trends each quarter. The survey showed…
The Department of Transport has invited tenders for the design of a 340 million tram network in Abu Dhabi. Several weeks ago the department agreed on a list of six consultancies to help design the metro system. The new projects are part of the government’s plans to invest more than Dh 300 billion in transport development projects over the next 20 years to decrease road congestion. The first phase of the…
Jumeirah Group signed an agreement to take over management of the Qing Shui Bay resort in China, about an hour’s flight from Hong Kong. The resort is on the southern island of Sanya and scheduled to open in 2013. Alex Lieu – Vice President of Agile Property Holdings and Gerald Lawless – Executive Chairman of Jumeirah Group signed the agreement in Hong Kong. Jumeirah Qing Shui Bay will have 50 private…
Aabar Investments announced it will buy a 32% stake of Virgin Galactic, the space tourism division of Virgin Group for $280 million (Dh1 billion). Aabar Investments is 71% owned by Abu Dhabi’s Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC). IPIC took over the company last February and since then has substantially increased investments in new technologies. Aabar Chairman Khadim Al Qubasi said the partnership is consistent…
Director General of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the hosting of a conference of India’s biggest travel and trade conference between 29 September and 2 October. DTCM Director General Mr. Khalid A bin Sulayem signed the agreement with the president of the Trade Agents Association of India (TAAI) The MoU provides for…
A senior research analyst at Deloitte and Touche said the hospitality industry is trying to attract new market segments such as transit passengers. Occupancy levels in Dubai fell more than 12% in June. Deloitte and Touche partner Robert O’Hanlon explained that with new hotels joining the market “we are seeing innovative ways to attract transit passengers out of the airport”. Emirates Airline and the Ritz…
Departure fees from Dubai International Airport have been raised to Dh75 from 1 May 2009. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued the relevant amendment to Law No3 of 2004 governing departure fees from the airport. His Highness is Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and issued the ruling in his capacity as Ruler of Dubai.
Sharjah, the culture capital of the UAE, is gearing up for a higher percentage of regional tourists as it increases its cultural tourist attractions. A wide variety of holiday package deals are being offered as part of the “Sharjah Summer Breaks Campaign”. Between 15 June and 15 August this year hotels and hotel apartments are offering discounts of between 20% and 40%. Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and…
The German branch of Europe’s second largest travel agency, Thomas Cook, announced that for a fee, they will reserve poolside recliners in advance at nine hotels in Egypt, Turkey, and the Canary Islands. The travel agency has received a large number of calls about the new service Head of communications for Thomas Cook in Germany said the offer is good only for holiday makers booking their travel from…
A new report by Global Refund, the research tourism firm, shows that Saudi Arabia tourists dominate tourist spending in Lebanon, contributing about 20% of all tourist spending in the first half of 2009. Emirati and Kuwaiti travelers account for about 12% each of all tourist money spent, Egyptian tourists accounted for 8%, and Jordan tourists 7%. Beirut received most of the tourism money at about 82% followed…
Passenger traffic numbers at Dubai International Airport exceeded Hong Kong International Airport numbers for the first time last month. A new report by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa) said the global financial crisis has helped push Dubai faster on its path to becoming a key financial hub while Hong Kong has fallen back sharply. The Capa report said demand in Asia has been affected by the Swine…
Saudi Arabia will not change the countries quota for Hajj pilgrims this year, but they will probably ban children and the elderly to reduce risk from the swine flu virus. An emergency Arab Health Ministers meeting was held in Cairo on Wednesday where it was proposed to block people older than 65 and younger than 12 from the Hajj. Health Ministry spokesman said the government is expected to implement the…
The tourism season in Abu Dhabi has been brisk according to recent news reports and this is attributed to strong efforts by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, Etihad Airlines, and Emirates Palace, Hotels and Reports. The Liwa Dates Festival 2009, promotional tourism offers, and tours to palm oasis in Abu Dhabi have helped to attract tourists. Abu Dhabi hotels and…
InterContinental Hotels and Resorts have expanded their partnership with National Geographic Society (NGS) to include global geotourism initiatives. This will bring more awareness and understanding of the environmental and cultural responsibilities of InterContinental associates and guests around the world. InterContinental will also set up a business advisory board consisting of senior executives and hotel…
Uganda may use Dubai based Dodsal Group to expand and modernize Entebbe International Airport in Kambala, including establishment of a free export-processing zone. Uganda’s economy has had healthy growth over the past six years and is expected to grow by 6% in 2009-10. State Minister for Investment told reporters “The proposal is to make integrated infrastructure development where, among others, there will…
Sports City, a unit of Dubai based Bukhatir Group, has started work on a 256 hectare development in Tunisia scheduled for completion in 2024. The project is called Tunis Sports City, will be located in the northern suburbs of Tunisia’s capital city of Tunis and cost an estimated $5 billion to complete. Earlier in the month work began on new upscale apartments that will be part of the complex. Workers are…
