New connections. Fresh perspectives. The travel developments to know.
5,425 reports
Dubai World is continuing its expansion in Africa by investing in Bubye Reserve Zimbabwe, a game park project. Last month Dubai World’s Nakheel Hotels opened its first resort in Capetown, South Africa. This latest investment follows Dubai World’s recent acquisition of major shares in three game reserves in South Africa. Dubai World Chairman Prince Sultan bin Sulayem said they are investing in game parks in…
The US Consul-General in Jeddah will host its second Saudi-US cultural festival in Taif beginning on Wednesday. The consulate issued a statement that the American Saudi-Arabian Culture and Commerce Festival aims to strengthen and develop cultural and commercial ties between the Kingdom and the U.S. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, Taif Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Taif governate have…
Pullman Hotels and Resorts has partnered with Accor Hospitality Middle East and Majid Al Futtaim Properties to launch its first hotel in Dubai. Pullman, the prestigious upscale hotel brand, recently signed an agreement with its partners to complete the hotel by the second half of 2010. It will have 481 rooms, including 94 suites. A second Pullman hotel, the Deira City Centre Hotel is scheduled to be announced…
Executive Director for Business Tourism at Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing said Dubai has a challenging year ahead but is well placed for a quicker recovery than other destinations. Hammad bin Mejrin said “We strongly believe Dubai may emerge faster than other regions when the global economy improves.” Dubai has responded to the global economic slowdown with a multi-million dirham…
A new report by STR Global shows that revenue per available room (RevPar) for beach hotels in Dubai fell to about AED 500 in March. This decrease in RevPar exceeds any by other hotels in Dubai, and is about half the RevPar figure for the same month last year. STR Global compared rates at 22 properties in the Jumeirah Beach area with 82 others in Dubai. Global Chief Executive of a property consultancy, Jones…
Jumeirah Group, the Dubai hotel giant, said it is optimistic about a recovery in its home tourism market by the end of 2009, following a first quarter revenue drop of 20 per cent. Executive Chairman of the Jumeirah Group, Gerald Lawless, said their profits are down compared to last year and he described the coming months as challenging. He said their message to visitors is “yes you can now visit us, we have…
Air India Express increased their India operations with the launch of two new routes from Abu Dhabi. The low cost airline also increased its number of flights to Cochin from five to six nights per week. Air India Express is a subsidiary of Air India and operates from its base at Chochin International Airport. From 30 April, Air India Express will use a Boeing 737-800 with economy class configuration to fly…
Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the President and Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) said the national tourism plan has been updated and it will be announced next year. Last year the country received 47 million visitors and that number is expected to increase to 88 million by 2020. Under the tourism plan the kingdom’s current 30 airports, which are now…
Hotels in the Middle East continue to perform better than hotels in other parts of the world, although there is a fall in revenue per available room (RevPar) and occupancy rates. Among Arab cities, Abu Dhabi has the highest RevPar, occupancy and average room rates. Deloitte advisory firm reported that a nine percent decrease in occupancy levels caused RevPar in Middle East hotels to fall 12.9% to $142.…
A senior doctor and head of medical services at Sharjah International Airport said they will install thermal scanners on Monday to screen passengers for suspected casers of swine flu. Dr. Essam Salameh said the airline receives passengers from Athens, Greece, and transit passengers on flights from Europe and Turkey pass through the airport. Under Ministry of health procedures already in place if a pilot…
A forum exploring the special needs market begins in Dubai on 13 May 2009. The 5th annual Middle East Forum for Accessible Tourism (MEFAT-2009) will investigate the unexplored special needs tourism market. Chairman of Dubai Airports and President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum will inaugurate the forum, which is being held in Le Meridien Dubai. More than 500 decision…
EFG Hermes warned on Thursday that a swine flu pandemic would hit the UAE hard. Because tourism is a major contributor to GDP in the UAE and Oman, confirmation of the swine flu in the region would have a significant impact. This sector is already experiencing difficulties and oil prices will be affected as people reduce their travel. Analysts at EFG Hermes said in a note to investors that there are still no…
Human error is the cause of a close call for an Emirates Airline passenger jet landing at Melbourne Airport in March. The passenger jet, carrying 257 passengers and 18 crew came close to crashing because a flight crew member entered the wrong numbers into an aircraft computer. Director of Aviation Safety Investigation for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau explained the information fed into the airline…
Bahrain Air announced it is expanding in the sub-continent and is preparing to begin flight services to Mumbai, its third destination in the area. Bahrain Air is a private national carrier that operates in MENA countries and the Indian sub-continent. Director of Commercial Operations and Planning for Bahrain Air said they are excited about the new service. He said Mumbai is one of the biggest markets in the…
Dubai reaffirms its position as one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations as the number of visitors to Dubai reached an all time high in 2008 of 6,996,449. Dubai tourism growth continues despite the economic slowdown, although at a somewhat slower pace. It is one of the few international destinations to have an increase in the number of visitors over last year. Dubai’s highly diversified premium…
King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has halted incoming flights from counties affected by swine flu. Director General of the airport, Khaled Al-Medhel, said the flights were stopped as a precautionary measure. This move comes as the World Health Organization raised the global flu alert to level 5, which is the second highest level indicating a pandemic is imminent. Flights to King Fahd…
Qatar Airways is considering adding Tokyo to its network of international destinations. Officials said a new runway at Narita International Airport is scheduled to be completed next year. Qatar currently flies daily to Osaka and recently signed an agreement with Japan to expand their air services.
Sharjah based Emirates Investment Group (EIG) is planning to expand in Pakistan. EIG is part owner of Emirates Global Islamic Bank in Pakistan. Vice Chairman Raza Jafa said they want to more than double their current 42 branches in Pakistan. Jafa said they want to have 100 branches by 2010 and their focus is on expanding into rural areas so they can help people there finance their agricultural projects. The…
