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A top official said Sharjah will spend over Dh10 billion to expand its tourism attractions, including projects in Khor Fakkan, Dibba, and Kalba. The projects will be implemented in stages through 2010 and will include hotel development, entertainment sites, heritage areas, and mixed use projects. Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA)…
Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (SIDA) has begun talks with banks in order to raise capital for investment in tourism projects worth Dh10 billion. SIDA chief executive, Marwan J. Al Sarkal, confirmed that “Yes we have started talks with banks to raise capital for the development of tourism projects in the emirate of Sharjah.” He said the investment will probably be obtained through an Islamic…
Abu Dhabi’s Cristal Hotels and Resorts is planning to open 25 new hotels across GCC and Asia over the next five years including a new three star budget hotel concept focused on business travelers. The hotelier’s CEO, Peter Blackburn, said “We have zeroed in on these two regions because we believe the Middle East and Asia are the only markets still booming in these recessionary times.” He said the economies in…
Ahmed Mohammed Al Khan, head of Global Banking Corporation (GBCORP) said the tourism sector in Bahrain is likely to double in importance, increasing to 25 percent of the country’s total income by 2020. Mr. Al Khan spoke about the tourism sector on the final day of the Second Annual Urban Waterfronts Conference at the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel. He emphasized the importance of recognizing Bahrain’s heritage and…
Projects underway in the western part of Abu Dhabi will help increase tourism numbers to the emirate. The President, his Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Saturday the projects will develop the area economically, culturally, and socially. Shaikh Khalifa spoke at the tourism projects while touring the region to inspect petroleum, gas, developmental, housing, architectural, and tourism…
The fifteenth Dubai Shopping Festival will begin on January 28 and offer a month of bargains and entertainment. Dubai Summer Surprises will be held between June 17 and August 7. The dates for the two events were announced at the World Travel Market 2009 in London. Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Shopping Festival Office, Laila Suhail, said “World Travel Market 2009 is the ideal opportunity to showcase the…
Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) net profit increased 27.8 percent during the first nine months of the current fiscal year, despite the biggest drop in hotel room revenues in six years. ADNH, which owns Le Meridien, the Hilton, and Al Diar line of hotels in Abu Dhabi, reported net profits increased to Dh372.5 million (US$101.4m), up from Dh291.5m) for the same period last year. ADNH chairman Saif al Hajeri…
Nasair opened a new sales office in Jeddah, at the corner of King Abdul Aziz and Hera’a streets. Waleed Mohammed Al-Sheikh, nasair’s marketing and communication director, said “nasair expects to open four sales offices across Jeddah as part of an overall effort to compliment city travel demands on the Kingdom’s first economic and low cost carrier.” Nasair will open sales offices in Medina, Makkah, Damman, and…
A group of Italian tourists visited the ancient Nabataen town of Madain Saleh and were amazed by the splendor and charm of the valleys surrounded by the stunning shapes of various geological formations. Madain Saleh is a very popular destination for western tourists – more than 75,000 visited last year including Americans, Europeans, and Japanese. Archaeologist Mutlaq Suleiman said “They were very happy and…
Over 400 exhibitors from the Middle East are taking part in the World Travel Market (WTM) at London’s ExCel, which starts Monday and runs until November 12th. This is the world’s second biggest travel and tourism gathering, and will be inaugurated by London Mayor Boris Johnson. Last year more than 49,963 visitors attended the four day business to business event. More than one third of the participants…
People remember the launch of the US$1.5 billion (Dh5.5bn) Atlantis Hotel in Dubai as the last big party before the recession hit. The lavish event, reported to cost $20 million, epitomized the perception of an indulgent brand in Dubai. A year afterwards, however, a hotel executive says the money was well spent, and the actual amount for the launch party was far less than $20 million. Wendy Potter, Vice…
Emirates Airlines continues to buck the global trend, posting a net profit of Dh752 million ($205 million) during the first six months of its current fiscal year. This is 165 percent higher than the Dh284 million, ($77 million) net profit it made during the same period last fiscal year, and comes at a time when the global aviation industry is set to lose Dh41 billion this year. The increased profits came…
Senior Vice President of Arabian Adventures and Congress Solutions International, Fred Bardin, said Dubai hoteliers must start being realistic about hotel room rates. Mr. Barnes said that although RevPar and occupancy rates have dropped this year in Dubai, “we still have some of the highest rates in the world – these hotels are still living in Utopia.” Mr. Barnes said the strategy of cutting rates at the…
Hotel Industry Executives said Dubai’s hospitality sector is again gearing up for the approaching high season with special packages and market specific promotions to attract tourists. The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is increasing its sales efforts in the UK and Europe, its biggest source market, in order to boost tourist arrivals. DTCM is set to make a big impression with its new…
FutureBrand Consultancy’s fifth annual Country Brand Index predicts the UAE, China, and Vietnam will likely become top tourism destinations in five years. The United States unseated Australia to take the top position for the first time, followed by Canada in the second spot. Australia came in third for this years study and New Zealand and France rounded out the top five. FutureBrand said “The Obama effect has…
Chief Executive of Cathay Pacific Airways, Tony Tyler was in Jeddah to announce the airline will expand further in the Middle East. Last week the carrier introduced flights between Jeddah and Hong Kong. The new service will connect business and leisure passengers to Cathay Pacific’s extensive international network through Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific began service to Riyadh in 2001 and shortly after started…
Top Industry experts said the hospitality industry in the Gulf region is still struggling to recover from the impact of the economic downturn. There have been decreases in all four key measurements in year-on-year results for September. STR Global Managing Director, James Chappell said “The region has improved, especially the UAE, considerably when compared to August, while average revenue per available room is…
Despite the impact of the global recession on most travel market eco-tourism, or green tourism, is increasing. Green tourism used to be a niche form of tourism but it is now pushing its way into the mainstream. The term eco-tourism implies travel to protected areas in a low impact, small scale way, and there is a focus on educating the traveler. Emirates launched Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa the first…
