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Sama Airlines, Saudi Arabia’s low cost airline, will expand its fleet and add new destinations soon according to a senior airline official. Sama’s director of marketing said “We are currently reviewing options for adding new aircraft to our fleet and adding new destinations to the sub continent.” Faisal Al-Duhaim said their fleet of seven B737 aircraft now serves eight destinations in the Kingdom and seven…
Tibet state media yesterday reported a record 1.2 million tourists visited the country last month. Tourists are returning to the region following 17 months of deadly unrest. In March 2009 China banned travel to Tibet after riots broke out in the Lhasa capital, marking the 49th anniversary of a failed revolt. The state media report said last month “We achieved the highest performance in terms of the number…
Lodging Econometrics reported that the Middle East will see 99 new hotel openings with 25,829 hotel rooms in 2009, and most of the new openings will be occur in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Lodging Econometrics, an international firm that tracks all hotel real estate, forecasts that 110 hotels with 31,725 rooms will open in 2010. During the first quarter of 2009 68 new hotels with 11,924 guest rooms opened in the…
Sun International, the hotel and resorts company based in South Africa, is seeking more tourists from the Middle East as it attempts to build up new markets during the decline in demand from Europe. There has been more interest in South Africa recently as a tourist destination. The soccer World Cup will be held there next year and the former cruise liner QE2 will be docked in Cape Town, South Africa for 18…
The number of people making the umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia has fallen 30% due to swine flu related travel restrictions. Visa applications for travel to Saudi Arabia during umrah have been suspended by Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. Fursan Travel Company, based in Saudi Arabia, is concerned about the affect this will have on the economy. CEO Roger Pfund said “The decision to ban people travelling due to the…
The number of visitors attending the Jeddah Ghair summer festival this year was disappointingly low. The city’s director of cultural affairs attributed the low turnout to insufficient funds and not enough businesses sponsoring activities at the festival. Samijr Nawar said Jeddah Mayor has been advised about how to find sufficient financing for the festival next summer. Mr. Nawar said in northern Obhur…
Reel Cinemas, LLC will open 12 m ore Reel Cinemas by the end of the year to complete a huge 22 screen megaplex project that will seat 2,800. Reel Cinemas LLC is a joint venture of Emaar Retail and Singapore based premier entertainment provider Cathay Organization Holdings, Ltd. After the new Reel Cinemas are complete at Dubai Mall it will be the biggest move complex in the UAE, covering more than 150,000…
Abu Dhabi municipality has started a month long face lift of a popular Abu Dhabi beach in order to accommodate an increased number of visitors expected this summer. The beach is popular because its entrance fee is very low compared to the exorbitant rates of private beaches and hotels. The number of visitors is expected to surge dramatically this season with the closure of a nearby public beach – Ras…
A new US hotel brand will make its debut in the Middle East with the launch of a new hotel in Abu Dhabi. The Aloft hotel will be located near the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) and offer designer style and accessible technology at an affordable price to the business traveler. It will provide guests a self service check in facility. General Manager for Aloft Abu Dhabi said “We have the…
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said the air will be filled with less carbon dioxide this year because of reduced air flights caused by the economic slowdown. Global aviation emissions will drop 6.5% to 623 million tons of carbon dioxide. Airlines, executive jets, and airforces around the world are expected to reduce their annual contribution to emissions this year by 43 million tons.…
Many foreign buyers are interested in various hotel properties in Dubai, but discouraged by the limited availability of loans. CB Richard Ellis manager Amine Hamdani said the return on investment in 5 star hotels is much better in Dubai than in Paris. She said Dubai properties generate about 35% net income for investors compared to 15% for properties in France. Hamdani explained while more international…
Former Bangladesh cricket captain liked the dishes at a Surrey restaurant in the UK so much, he ordered several delivered via airmail to Dubai. Captain Habibul Bashar ate at the Amish Indian Restaurant in Surrey England during the Twenty20 competition in June. Mr. Bashar made the special order for a party he his hosting for around 50 of his friends and family. The owners of the UK restaurant, Amin and Sham…
The Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA) announced it will not accept the pay raise just announced by management of Pakistan International Airlines, unless their contract pilots are regularized. Vice President for PALPA said management has put them in a difficult situation because they are bound to distribute Rs226 million to PALPA members but on the other hand, “the contract of more than 80 pilots…
The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation will celebrate Independence day in an appropriate manner with a number of activities. A flag-hoisting ceremony will take place at Flashman’s hotel and all motel and tourist information centers. The PTDC is also offering a tour to Islamabad for the SOS Children Village of Rawalpindi on 14 August 2009.
The UAE is one of five countries to welcome Chinese tourist parties for the first time ever beginning on 15 September. This follows signing of an Approved Destination Status (ADS) agreement last month between the UAE and China. The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Beijing Tourism Administration also signed a memorandum of tourism cooperation. CEO of Desert Adventure Tourism…
Abu Dhabi added four more major trade shows to its portfolio to be held over the next year. The event organizer, Nexus Global Events, said more than 20,000 visitors will attend the four shows. The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition (ADNEC) will host the Middle East Broadcast Broadcast and Middle East Television shows this November, and the Sports Arabia and Franchise Arabia next year. The MICE industry now…
The number of flights at Kuwait International Airport increased 25% to 9,288 in July – compared to the same month last years. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said this represents a 26% increase in the number of passengers. A statement issued by a CAA authority said non-commercial flights fell 17%. The number of passengers coming through the airport reached 901,812 compared to 718,093 in July 2008. Air…
The New West End Company, which represents about 600 hotels and retail outlets forecasts there will be about 140,000 tourists from the Middle East shopping in London’s most exclusive shops over the next three months. They are expected to spend about 11% more than they did during the same period last year. Five star hotels in London are trying to make their Arab guests feel more at home by hiring Arabic…
