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The four day “Taste and Flavour of Pakistan” festival was opened at the Millennium Hotel in Abu Dhabi Tuesday night by Pakistan Ambassador Khursheed Ahmed Junego. The festival offers a sampling of Pakistan’s cuisine known for its spices, rich flavor, and aroma. Ambassador Junejo described Pakistan’s cuisine as a fusion of three Asian regions – Central, Middle East, and South Asia. He said “Pakistani cuisine is…
Victoria Falls is positioning itself as a luxury and adventure travel destination, ten years after Zimbabwean tourism plummeted. The town is polishing their attractions in preparation for the Football World Cup in South Africa. Ten years ago 1.4 million tourists visited Zimbabwe generating $400 million for the economy (Dh 1.46 trillion). Years of political instability and economic deterioration have caused most…
The international hotel management company Rezidor reported key indicators declined in both the Middle East and internationally in the second quarter of the year. The slowdown was less pronounced in the Middle East than in other regions. Revenue per available room (RevPar) decreased 15.2% in the Middle East and Africa between April and June 2009. Globally Rezidor’s RevPar declined 22.9%. Saudi Arabia was…
Lebanon’s Jeita Grotto was selected as one of 28 finalists to be placed on the prestigious seven natural wonders of the world list. Nabil Haddad, head of Jeita’s national support committee said “This is a moment every Lebanese should be proud of.” He said the Jeita Grotto has placed Lebanon on the global tourism map again. The Jeita Grotto is located in a river valley near Beirut, is about 10,000 meters…
World Tourism Organization figures show that domestic tourism in the UAE grew 31% in the first six months of this year compared to 11% over the last three years. Deputy General Manager at Al Rais Travel attributed the increase to a rise in the number of inbound tourists to Dubai. Mohammad Al Rais said Arab families are choosing to visit because the hotel and airline offers are irresistible. He said that…
A new report by Deloitte said that hotel rates and RevPar may continue to drop in Dubai and the Middle East due to macro economic reasons and the addition of new hotel rooms. However the report highlights factors that may help the region recover in a shorter period of time. The “Deloitte Executive Report: Winter/Spring 2009” said the region has strong fundamentals and will emerge as a stronger contender among…
The World Tourism Organization yesterday said tourism will increase in the Middle East between 2% and 6% because residents are choosing to travel within the region to save money and because of concerns over the H1N1 flu. In 2008, the Middle East had the highest tourism growth rate in the world at 11% compared to a 2% growth rate for the rest of the world. According to the WTO report, the number of tourists…
Jet Airways announced they will begin service from Sharjah to Kochi from 1 September 2009. The airline’s general manager for Dubai and northern emirates said they decided to launch the new service because “there is a large Keralite community residing in Sharjah and the northern emirates, who would like to travel on a full service premium airline which offers very good ‘value for money’”. With the addition of…
Dubai based Emirates Airline has launched its first airport lounge in Africa at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. With this latest opening, Emirates has now established 23 lounges across its international network. They are for the exclusive use of Emirates Airline customers. Emirates plans to open three more lounges catering to first and business class customers within the next twelve…
Travelport GDS today announced details of a new full content agreement with Spanish flag carrier Iberia. Travelport GDS is one of the world’s primary global distribution system (GDS) providers. Under the new multi-year agreement, all Travelport GDS connected travel agents around the world now have access to Iberia’s full range of published fares and inventory. Travelport has previously negotiated content…
The US550 million Grand Egyptian Museum project is scheduled to open in 2013. A project manager will be announced this month, and tendering begins in September. The museum project was conceived in 1992 and is an enormous undertaking – archeologists compare it to the Great Pyramid of Giza. The vast, stone roofed building will cover an area the size of 11 football pitches, extending from the edge of the Giza…
Emirates Airlines denied recent reports that fares to and from Australia have increase. According to weekend reports in Australia, ticket prices to and from Australia had been increased 7% for all cabins. The reports said that the airline was raising prices now to make up for losses after months of steep discounts. Emirates Airlines said from 23 July, only outbound flights booked in Australia would be subject…
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has commended Mersal Village, the Kingdom’s largest theme park, for helping to promote tourism in Jeddah. CEO of Mersal Village, Haythem Nasier, was given an honorary plaque at Jungle Land by SCTA executive director for tourism development in Makkah province, Al Amri. Al Amri said “We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to Mersal Village for…
Passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport grew 10.3% in June compared to the same month last year, while growth in the first six months of the year was 5%. The total number of passengers passing through the airports three terminals reached 3,361,413 in June 2009 up from 3,048,220 for the same period last year. The number of passengers during the first six months of the year reached 19,453,775.…
Garhoud Park, costing Dh6.75 million park and covering 6,600 square meters in Dubai, will open next month. The opening of the park is part of an effort by the municipality to develop and improve important areas in Dubai. The Director General of Dubai Municipality said they are placing more importance on creating more greenery and areas that are conducive for picnics and recreation. Hussain Nasser Lootah…
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) approved SR41 million for a number of programs to promote tourism and improve tourism services in the second half of 2009. Director of Purchasing and Contracts Administration for the SCTA said the schemes include consulting work for the school tourism education project “Ibtasm”. This program aims to increase patriotism and appreciation for the Kingdom’s…
The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) World Tourism Barometer shows that the number of tourists visiting the Middle East plummeted 18% during the first four months of the year. The UN group attributes the sharp decrease to a decline in the number of tourists visiting Saudi Arabia. The UNWTO report said “Globally, tourism fell by eight per cent in the first four months of the year, continuing the trend that…
Etihad Guests announced it has partnered with the Australian hotel group Rendezvous Hotels and Resorts International (RHI). Etihad Guests is the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways and provides extensive benefits for more than a half million members. Etihad Guest members with a qualifying stay at a Rendezvous Hotel will earn 500 miles and members with a qualifying stay at an RHI boutique Marque hotel will earn…
