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A senior executive with Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) said 40% of their 37 planned new hotels will be delayed. IHG Vice President for Development in Middle East and Africa, Kirk Kinsell said some owners and developers are retendering their projects due to land issues and this is causing delays. He said many projects are not delayed, including the one on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, and they are confident many…
Airlines continue to offer discounts even as summer season approaches, demonstrating the affects of the global downturn on the tourism industry. Etihad Airways is offering dual income couples with no children special last minute fare deals to destinations in the Middle East, India, and UK. This latest offer by Etihad is part of a special weekly online deal offered on Mondays and Tuesdays for travel within the…
CEO for luxury hotel Ritz Carlton, Simon Cooper, said on Monday they will likely delay the opening of their new hotel in Abu Dhabi by one year. Simon said the new hotel is relatively on schedule and will probably open in 2012. He said their second hotel in Dubai at Dubai International Financial Center will open by the end of the year. Tourism in Dubai accounts for nearly 20% of GDP and has been under more…
A record number of nominations have been received for this years World Travel Awards (WTA) ceremony, which takes place in Dubai on Tuesday, alongside the Arabian Travel Market 2009. Organizers attribute the increase to the economic downturn as well as the higher profile of the event. WTA recognizes best performers in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. Abu Dhabi based companies has the highest…
Judges in Bahrain are scheduled to announce their decision regarding a possible delay on the government’s ban of alcohol and entertainment in one and two star hotels. Regent Palace investor filed a case in the Civil Administration court seeking a one year grace period before the ban is implemented. He appeared in court yesterday and his lawyer asked the Judges to suspend the ban because of massive losses…
Abu Dhabi Airports Company announced the first passenger flight from Kabar, Afghanistan on Safa Airways will arrive on Thursday, 14 May. They made the announcement at the Arabian Travel Market, which began today in Dubai. Safa Airways began operations in the last half of 2006. Fare for the new route to Abu Dhabi start from $99 for a one way ticket. The new route will give Abu Dhabi a direct link with the…
Online Hotel agency Hotels.com is ready to launch its first Arab language web site in order to increase business in the Middle East. The new site will bring their number of foreign language sites to 37. Hotels.com is one of Europe’s leading online hotel agencies and registers about 60 million hits on its network of websites. They take a cut on every transaction booked using their website. Managing…
Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI) announced it will open a new hotel in Makkah showing again the resilience of the booming hospitality sector in the region. They will partner with Saudi construction giant Bin Laden group to open the Raffles Makkah Palace Hotel in Makkah. The hotel operator currently employs more than 35,000 people and owns 92 hotels globally. The new Raffles Makkah Palace Hotel…
President Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed satisfaction with Etihad Airway’s rapid and sustained growth. The President said UAE’s national carrier’s progress in the few years since its launch is an effective contribution to growth and the boom in UAE in general. He said their contribution will boost the tourism sector in the country. Shaikh Khalifa viewed the designs and plans of Etihad Airway’s…
Tourist Enterprise Company(TEC) Deputy Chairman outlined plans for a strategic expansion in Kuwait that will cost about KD 100 million. Khalid Al Gamin, addressed reporters at a press conference about the company’s expansion plans following the companies annual general assembly meeting at its headquarters in Shuwaikh last week. Mr. Gamin said despite the global economic crisis the company maintained its…
Dubailand and the world’s biggest global cruise line, Royal Caribbean, formed a strategic marketing partnership with the signing of a memorandum of understanding on Monday. The partnership is expected to substantially boost the cruiseline industry and Dubai as a favored tourist destination. The two partners will engage in joint marketing and promotional activities in key global source markets in order to…
Marriot Global Sales announced that it achieved an impressive 20 per cent sales growth in the Middle East and Africa region despite the economic downturn, which has slowed many other sectors. The increase in sales is due to the astounding 42 percent surge in online bookings through the Marriot Global Reservations Center. The positive sales growth demonstrates the resilience of the hospitality sector and its…
The tourism board of India will showcase incredible India at the world’s largest travel exhibition, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2009, being held in Dubai this week. There will be 31 companies from the tourism and hospitality sector featured at ATM 2009. Regional Director for India Tourism, Manmohan Saldanhah said they see the economic recession as an opportunity because India’s location in the region makes…
The UAE based luxury airline for executives, Royal Jet, will participate in the 2009 Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai this week. They will be the only private aviation company at the exhibition. The airline is a long standing supporter of ATM and has participated every year since its inception six years ago. Royal Jet is supporting Abu Dhabi as a world class tourism destination at its corporate corner within…
The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) will participate in the Arabian Travel Market for the 12th consecutive year. The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the regions premier travel and tourism event which takes place annually. This year the ATM takes place at the Dubai World Trade Center from 5 May through 8 May. SCTDA chairman Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, said there will be a…
Abu Dhabi And Dubai airports remained free of the swine flu virus through Sunday night. Passengers at these airports were screened by thermal cameras. Sharjah international airport is scheduled to install thermal imaging cameras within two days. The medical clinic at Abu Dhabi International Airport reported that of the thousands of passengers scanned buy thermal cameras, ten had high temperatures, but tested…
Industry experts addressing delegates at the Arabian Hotels Investment Conference 2009 said the hospitality sector has been deeply affected by the global financial crises. They said there are signs of improvement but it is far from over. Deutsche Bank CEO for the Middle East and North Africa, Dr. Henri Azzam said it “could be deeper and longer than many of us anticipated.” Deloitte’s Global Managing Partner for…
Emirates Airline officials said next year they will delay delivery of several Boeing 777 aircraft in order to protect its cash reserves during the downturn. Executive vice Chairman for Emirates Airline and Group, Maurice Flanagan said they are slightly rearranging deliveries next year, but did not provide details. This move follows the airlines previous measures to cope with the economic slowdown, including…
