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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…
Dubai International Airport passenger traffic increased 10.7 per cent to 3,729,879 in August 2009, compared to 3,368,260 for the same month last year. This is third consecutive month of double digit growth in passenger traffic. July passenger traffic increased 12.6 per cent and June traffic increased 10.3 per cent. It is the second time this year that passenger traffic at the airport exceeded 3.7 million.…
Dubai International Airport passenger traffic increased 10.7 per cent to 3,729,879 in August 2009, compared to 3,368,260 for the same month last year. This is third consecutive month of double digit growth in passenger traffic. July passenger traffic increased 12.6 per cent and June traffic increased 10.3 per cent. It is the second time this year that passenger traffic at the airport exceeded 3.7 million.…
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…
The Air India pilot’s strike is entering its third day and impacting passengers from Saudi Arabia. There have been numerous cancellations of incoming and outgoing flights. Air India operates 46 flights from the Kingdom – 14 from Jeddah and 16 each from Damman and Riyadh. An airline official said a flight from Mumbai scheduled to arrive in Jeddah was cancelled and so the outgoing flight from Jeddah to Delhi…
Six Senses Hotels and Resorts will develop its first resort in the Middle East – a 44 room villa near the Zighy Bay resort on the Musandam Peninsula in Oman. General Manager Rochelle Kilgariff said the spa will be developed on a plateau above Sense on the Edge fine dining restaurant. The restaurant is situated in the mountains surrounding the resort. The restaurants executive chef said if the project goes ahead…
Five star carrier Qatar Airways has shown again its consistent high levels of service after being named the Best Business Class Airline in China at the China Travel & Meeting Industry Awards. Travel Weekly China organized the awards. Qatar Airways won twice as many votes as any other airline. The awards began in 2002 and are widely recognized by industry peers. Over 62,000 attendees at the recent China…
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…
BMI, the only British Airline with direct flight service from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, to London, Heathrow, celebrated four years of service to the Kingdom at an Iftar event in Riyadh. BMI said customers flying in business class from London can now check in until 30 minutes before departure time at the new Premium Check-in area in bmi Number One Heathrow.
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…
Lifestyle hotels, a new generation of properties emphasizing modern design and a less formal approach, are planning to expand in the Middle East. Industry executives say the region is becoming a significant market for the new lifestyle brands. Spain’s Fuenzo “has two projects confirmed in Beirut and Damascus. The group is negotiating projects in Jordan, Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and…
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…
Authorities at Cairo Airport reinforced swine flu testing procedures on Friday as thousands of pilgrims will be returning home from holy sites in Saudi Arabia. Authorities were preparing for about 15,000 arrivals on Friday aboard 30 flights and another 115,000 are expected to return over the next few days. Airport official Hassan Shaaban said “Doctors have been put on flights accompanying the pilgrims home.…
A new report by STR Global shows the UAE accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the planned new hotels in the Middle East and Africa. There are a total of 468 planned hotels (pipeline) which represents 126,464 rooms, and 47 per cent or 59,543 of these are located in the UAE. STR Vice President for content management Duane Vinson said “In the Middle East, the UAE is exploding on the scene with four times the…
Air India Express is expanding its service with the addition of more flights between India and the UAE from 25 October 2009. The low cost carrier will take over routes currently operated by the company’s domestic carrier Air India, in order to save costs. Air India Express ticket prices are about 15 per cent less than the full service carrier tickets, although passengers do not get complete meals and must…
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…
