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Dubai Duty Free has emerged as the world’s single biggest air retail operation in 2008, based on sales data released by independent industry experts Generation Research. Dubai Duty Free recorded sales of $1.1 billion last year. London Heathrow and Seoul Incheon recorded slightly less sales of just over $1 billion. Chairman of Dubai Airports Sheikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum said it is a great achievement to…
The Shandur Polo festival, which has become a fixture of life in this remote and mountainous region begins on 7 July and end on 9 July. The traditional two team contest began in 1936 and for many years did not have a fixed date. Over the last twenty years with increased international travel and corporate sponsorship the event has developed a more settled look and feel. The event also contributes significantly…
The two day ‘Ikebana for Peace’ floral arrangement was held the Japanese Consulate and Cultural Center Friday evening. Ikebana is the Japanese traditional art of flower arrangement intended to bring about a sense of calm and peace. Sassui Palejo, the Provincal Minister for Culture and Tourism, thanked the Japanese Consul General for the invitation to the exhibition and stressed the importance of…
A new bus terminal at Khaepwali, constructed by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), was inaugurated on Friday. The new terminal will provide bus service for Nankana-Amristar, and is located about 5 kilometers from Nankana Sahib. Federal Minister for Tourism said the NWFP and Sindh provinces do not need to be concerned about the Kalagh Dam, and if electricity requirements are met, it will not…
Jordan’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities released figures showing tourism revenues in Jordan were up 1.9% in the first six months of the year. The total number of visitors increased 3%. Tourism revenues between January and June 2009 were JD847 million compared to JD831 million for the same period last year. There were 751,293 tourists origination from Arab countries, accounting for more than 25% of the…
Emirates officials said a proposed ban on elderly and children performing Hajj this year would not affect their passenger loads if it is enforced. The Dubai airline was commenting regarding an agreement announced last week between Arab health ministers to restrict certain people from travelling in order to minimize the risk of transmission of the H1N1 virus. About three million Muslims will arrive in Mecca…
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…
Some Dubai hotels in the economy market have begun displaying their rates outside their entrances in an effort to attract last minute walk up guests. Deloitte and Touché Partner Robert O’Hanlon explained “Public announcement of rates happens in many international cities, particularly in budget and economy range hotels, and it is not unexpected to see such a trend emerging locally as the same international brands…
India’s private international airline, Jet Airways, begins new Mumbai-Riyadh flight service from 6 August 2009. This is the airlines second destination in Saudi Arabia. They currently have a daily Mumbai-Jeddah service. The new service will operate on a Boeing 737-800 aircraft on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. With the addition of this new service Jet Airways now flies to 8 cities in the Gulf…
Emirates Airlines has partnered with Virgin Blue Airlines to offer the Emirates Visit Australia Pass which provides great air travel bargains in Australia. Domestic connections to 22 additional Australian destinations on Virgin Blue are offered from the four Australian cities currently served by Emirates – Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney. In the future Virgin Blue will expand the list of cities…
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…
Emirates Airline said the European Union should carefully consider implications of international airline alliances to ensure they do not violate antitrust rules. Airlines have been severely affected by the global economic crisis, after years of building their international operations. Many airlines have been developing relationships so they can cut costs and capacity. Andrew Park, a senior Vice President at…
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…
