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July 4th - Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry, announced a three-year partnership agreement with Kanoo Travel, the largest travel company in the Middle East. Under this agreement, Kanoo has chosen Amadeus' e-Travel Management, the widely deployed online booking solution for managed travel, for its corporate travel services in the…
July 1 - The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia annually earns over SR30 billion from Haj and Umrah, a figure that could be doubled if the two seasons were professionally managed, said Abdul Ghani Hammad Al-Ansari, a member of the Haj and Umrah Committee at the Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "This figure is confined to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and could be increased through good management,"…
July 1 - A group of Saudi journalists left Riyadh for Colombo this week on a familiarisation tour. The programme was organised by the Sri Lankan embassy in coordination with the country's tourism promotion bureau and Sri Lankan Airlines, to attract more tourists from Saudi Arabia, according to Sri Lankan Ambassador Ahmed A. Jawad. There has been a significant increase in Saudi tourists visiting Sri…
June 30 - Figures released by the Lebanese tourism ministry indicate that the sector’s activity has grown during the first five months of 2010 compared to the same period last year. The number of tourists visiting Lebanon saw an annual increase of 28.6 percent to reach 732,855 compared to 569,724 in 2009. This year-on-year progress sustains the significant rise in overall tourism activity throughout 2009…
June 28 - Festivals in Saudi Arabia this summer are expected to generate SR13 billion, a two per cent increase over last year, according to Abdullah Al-Jihani, Deputy Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). Al-Jihani said there will be eight million tourist visits to festivals around the country, at a rate of seven nights in every city. There are 19 festivals and hundreds of…
June 28 - or the fifth year in a row, Malaysia continues to attract a large number of Saudi tourists, a senior tours and sales executive has said. "For five years in a row Malaysia has topped the countries attracting Saudi summer vacationers. Egypt and the UAE are usually next in popularity," said Mahmud Hamid, a tours and sales executive. According to tour and travel experts, people choose their destinations…
The Saudi Passport Department has introduced the e-gate system at King Fahd International Airport in Damman and King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh to help passengers enter and exit. Authorities have advised those who want to make use of the electronic facility should approach the registration center at the two airports to get their e-gate cards. Officers will issue an ID card after checking the…
June 27 - The Middle East’s central location makes it a gateway for Europe, Asia, and Australia, and this connectivity is why the region will remain a major aviation hub, with airport capacity expected to reach 400 million over the next several years. Dubai was the pioneer in connecting traffic flows between regions, with the home base for Emirates Airline benefiting the region as it expects to attract 400…
June 27 - Saudi Arabia's travel and tourism sector is all geared to cope with the heavy rush of outgoing holidaymakers with the approaching summer vacation. There has been tremendous increase this time in the number of Saudi travelers to European countries judging by flight and hotel reservations. This was mainly because of the depreciation of euro against Saudi riyal and easing of visa procedures by these…
The number of short-term holiday accommodation has registered a decline in Dubai, said UK-based travel company Holiday-Rentals. The number of Dubai properties listed on their website has been reduced by 18 percent in the last year. “The number of Dubai properties on our site has gone down in 2010, which usually means that the owners have either sold their properties or are no longer renting out. Due to last…
June 24 - From April 6 to June 14, 2010, cruise ships brought 26,580 visitors to Dubai, according to figures released by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). Guests came to the Dubai Cruise Terminal operated by DTCM at Port Rashid. Among the cruise liners that contributed significantly to the increase in cruise trips are the Silver Whisper with 227 passengers; the Seabourn Odyssey with 293;…
June 24 - The government of Bahrain is looking into promoting cruise tourism with 100 visits from liners in the coming season. Bahrain’s cruise season, said sources, runs from October to May and attracted more than 150,000 visitors in 2009-10, with nearly 70 ships docking at its port. "A passenger ship with 2,000 tourists makes Bahrain richer by [an average of] Dh1 million [$274,000]. With more than 70…
June 24 - The contract for the Louvre Museum project in Abu Dhabi has been postponed to August 1. There has been no update on the contracts for the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum and the Fosters+Partners-designed Zayed Museum. "We expect that the main contract for the Louvre will be awarded around August 1. It has witnessed a one-month delay," said a source. "There is still no news on the…
June 23 - The Alexandria Arab tourism festival, organised by Kuwait's Ministry of Information and Alexandria Governorate starts today, said the head of the ministry's delegation to Alexandria, Nawaf Abduallah Al-Enizi. The festival will be inaugurated by the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Egypt Dr Rasheed Al-Hamad and the Governor of Alexandria General Adel Labib. The 10-day festival will consist of a book fair…
June 22 - The sixth annual print edition of one of Oman’s tourism publication, Destination Oman, was released on Monday by Dr Rajiha bint Abdul Amir bin Ali, Minister of Tourism, aptly timed with the Khareef season in Oman. The book that contains lots of pictures is wildly popular and is considered to be a reliable source of information on Oman tourism. The works of renowned international photographers such…
June 21 - The municipality opened on Saturday a new park in Jeddah's northern Dhahban district, part of the "100 Parks in 100 Weeks" initiative. The 25,000-square-meter park is named "Jewel of the Bride," a reference to Jeddah's nickname, "Bride of the Red Sea." "This park has been equipped with all necessary facilities, including sitting areas and lighting poles to add to the pleasant atmosphere…
June 21 - Investors in Jordan on Saturday launched a tourism project in the Dead Sea that is focused around Islamic architecture and values. The project, with an estimated cost of $100 million, is called Al Buhayra and will have the largest lagoon in the region. The resort will have 1,000 suites and will be developed by Sama Jordan for Investment, Real Estate and Tourism Development and Jordan Agriculture…
June 21 - Dubai Marina Yacht Club won the “Innovation and Excellence” award in the Marine and Marina Management category at The World of Yachts Recognition Awards for Excellence 2010 this Saturday. The ceremony was held in Beirut at the sixth Beirut Boat Show 2010 and consisted of jury from professionals in the marine and yachting business. Speaking on the occasion, Phil Blake, Senior Marine…
