Airline, airport, hotel, destination, visa, and Muslim travel updates from Irhal.
The airline marks Philadelphia as its 14th destination in North America NEW YORK, NY, USA – Qatar Airways has reconnected Doha and Philadelphia with the launch of a daily non-stop flight between Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), its 14th destination in North America, which resumed on 1 August 2026.
Read full storyThis summer, Central Shopping Centers invites international visitors to experience the best of shopping, dining, and leisure with Summer Holiday 2026, running from 20 July – 30 September 2026. Created exclusively for international tourists, the campaign offers shopping privileges across Thailand’s five world-class shopping malls: centralwOrld, Central Park…
Read full storyThe Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Jordan Tourism Board, in cooperation with tourism associations, have launched the integrated digital platform "Ahlan Jordan" as part of measures to support the tourism sector and address the impact of regional circumstances on travel activity.
Read full storyflydubai, the Dubai-based carrier, has increased its daily operations between Dubai and Naples and is set to boost its flights to Milan-Bergamo to a double-daily operation from 31 July, enhancing passenger connectivity to Italy.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – July 28, 2026: The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has announced that Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a museum of modern and contemporary art, will open its doors on 11 December 2026 at Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi.
Warner Bros. World™ Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the region's largest indoor theme park, is inviting guests to place themselves in the hands of one of DC's most iconic Super-Villains, as Kryptonite Collider officially opens.
Malaysia Retains No. 1 Position in Global Muslim Travel Index 2025, Offering GCC Travellers a Summer of Festivals, Culture and Discovery.
The Dubai-based carrier announces the start of daily flights to Aleppo from 20 July, reaffirming its connectivity to opening underserved markets Aleppo becomes the carrier’s second destination in Syria alongside Damascus
What if the most valuable thing you brought home from a trip wasn’t an object, but a story? Northern Thailand is home to dozens of ethnic communities who have carried their identities across mountains and borders for centuries – and many of them welcome curious, respectful visitors.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today launched the search for the 7 Contemporary Wonders of the World, a global initiative designed to identify and celebrate the landmarks and buildings created since 1801 that have had the greatest impact on Travel & Tourism, local communities and economic development, and continue to redefine the future of destin…
Luxury travel today is no longer measured by how much you can see in a few days, but by how deeply you can experience a destination. At Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort, guests are invited to embrace this philosophy through Long Stay Beach Escape, an exclusive package designed for travelers who wish to enjoy more of Phuket's culture, wellness, and f…
Read full storyTwo hotels, three ways to stay, and one summer campaign inviting guests to choose their own scene across Paramount Hotel Midtown and Paramount Hotel Dubai
Read full storySharjah Museums Offer an Integrated Summer Experience Blending Culture, Science, and Discovery for All Community Members
Read full storyNew five-day programme empowers young people to build confidence, resilience and lifelong skills while embracing active lifestyles
Read full storyAcross Five Museums with Interactive Museum Programmes Enriching Children’s Knowledge
Read full storyOceans of Lights Festival returns to SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in its third edition to offer a summer program full of activities and new experiences
Read full storyJuly 2026, Yerevan, Armenia: Armenia has extended its temporary visa-free entry arrangement, keeping the country within easy reach for eligible travellers from across the Gulf for a further year. The arrangement now runs until 1 July 2027.
Read full storyJuly 2026, Yerevan, Armenia: The competent Armenian authorities announced the extension of the temporary decision exempting eligible travelers from GCC countries from prior visa entry for an additional year, making the decision effective until July 1, 2027. This decision aims to facilitate travel procedures and tourism movement and exchange between Armenia and the Arab Gulf region, allowing travelers…
Read full storySet within Khalid Lagoon, the island shows how Sharjah brings art, nature and design into everyday public life.
Read full storyBlending cultural discovery with elevated wellness and leisure experiences, World of Hyatt summer destinations offer GCC travelers seasonal getaways across the GCC, Africa and Europe.
Read full storyAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – June 30, 2026: Yas Waterworld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi has officially been awarded the Guinness World Records™ title for the most waterslides in a waterpark, featuring a record-breaking collection of 55 slides.
Read full storyExperience the Colours of Malaysia at Citrawarna 2026 This Summer
Read full storyGermany is an ideal destination for friends traveling together, thanks to its creative neighborhoods, vibrant markets, street food culture, and stunning natural retreats
Read full storyFollowing the launch of its first collaboration in 2025, the Jacquemus brand returns this summer to the Monte Carlo Beach Club with a new design that reimagines the coastal atmosphere with a contemporary spirit. The design evokes the spirit of 1950s beach clubs, where elegance meets the calm Mediterranean lifestyle.
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For those who wish to visit India's literary capital - home of the world's biggest Literature Festival - Etihad Airways has made life easier with daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Jaipur. Besides being home to a world famous literature festival, Jaipur has several other claims to fame. The pink colored historical buildings; the Hawa Mahal - which was built with the "original intention to allow royal ladies to…
A photograph captures a destination but an artist's rendering of a scene keeps the moment alive. Besides, unless you are visiting the offices of Getty Images or Reuters, instead of a large print of a photograph we prefer to hang paintings on our walls. The conversation a painting of a distant land sparks encourages others to travel as well. But original art is expensive. Not any more. Meet ARTtwo50.com the…
Emirates Airline has just announced that football legends Pele and Ronaldo will be the airline's Global Ambassadors. Announcing the news with a YouTube video link sent to all Skywards members, Emirates has succeeded in creating a lot of buzz ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The video is also featured on the main page of the airline's website. Emirates has daily non-stop flights from Dubai to both Rio de…
For the second year in a row, Singapore’s Changi Airport has been named the best airport in the world by millions of international flyers for features like tropical rooftop gardens, movie theaters, Jacuzzi and free foot massages. The Singapore airport beat 410 hubs around the world to take the top spot at the World Airport Awards. The awards were based on 12.85 million customer nominations across 110…
Helsinki has emerged as the priciest city for room service, and Tunis the cheapest in a new index that provides a snapshot of how much a club sandwich and a can of Coke will set guests back around the world. In TripAdvisor’s 2014 TripIndex Room Service, analysts created a price comparison of in-room amenities like a club sandwich, a bottle of water, peanuts, a soda, a mini bottle of vodka and dry cleaning…
The first curved coins from the United States Mint are on sale now. The limited edition coins include a $5 gold coin, a $1 silver coin and a half-dollar clad coin. The concave design, the creation of artist Cassie McFarland, features a baseball glove on one side and a ball on the other. It was designed in recognition of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this…
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts will replace approximately two million complimentary print newspapers distributed annually to guests with environmentally-friendly digital versions beginning 29 March. The Hong Kong-based luxury hotel group has partnered with PressReader, a digital newspaper and magazine service, to make connecting to Shangri-La and Kerry hotels and resorts’ free Wi-Fi even more edifying.…
Construction work on the world’s first 1km-high building, the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia, is set to begin on April 27. The $1.2 billion project has been plagued by setbacks since it was first proposed in 2011, but above-ground work on the Jeddah super skyscraper will commence next month, Building reports. Stretching at least 1,000m, the slender structure will be more than three times bigger than…
British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson is looking to move into cruise shipping, he told the German business daily Handelsblatt on Wednesday. “We want to move into the cruise-shipping business with Virgin in the next few years,” Branson said. “We are already in negotiations with shipyards in Italy and Germany on the construction of big ships for Virgin Cruises,” he said, adding that the chances that…
Can “gentle persuasion” be used to cut waste? Psychology researchers at the University of Luxembourg say yes. Researchers at the university worked with two hotels in Swiss and Austrian ski resorts in early 2013 to persuade guests to use fewer towels each day. Three different signs were placed separately in different hotel bathrooms, all of which “gently reminded” guests of towel use in regards to the…
EDINBURGH, Scotland – At a press conference in Edinburgh, ahead of Qatar Airways new route to Scotland, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, announced further details of the new scheduled service from Edinburgh to Doha, which launches on 28th May 2014. The new addition to its route map is set to significantly reduce journey times for those travelling from Edinburgh to…
Westin Hotels wants guests to “Sleep Well” in it, and is putting $15 million behind a year-long well-being campaign to reinforce its lifestyle brand image.
One bitcoin enthusiast has handed over more than 800 bitcoins (about $500,000) to buy a two-bedroom luxury villa in Bali, Indonesia . The sale of the fully furnished two-bedroom villa at the award-winning delMango Villa Estate in Seminyak was finalised last month through the online bitcoin luxury marketplace BitPremier, according to media reports. The villa’s buyer is an “early bitcoin adopter” who…
If you are planning a trip to Barcelona be sure to visit the newly restored mansana de la discordia - block of discord - which is a collection of three buildings including the colourful Dutch inspired ridged building Casa Amatller by Puig i Cadafalch, the Casa Lleo Morera which is a family-size version of the Palau de la Música and the Casa Batlló, by Antoni Gaudí which has Gaudi's distinctive wavy design.…
Japan Airlines has emerged as the most reliable carrier in the world, posting the best on-time performance. After collecting real-time flight status information of the top 200 airlines in the world, Flightstats.com came up with a ranking that puts the Japanese carrier at the top of the heap: of the 129,300 flights tracked, in 2013, Japan Airlines posted a 93% on-time departure rate and an 89% on-time…
Amsterdam’s historic former Telephone Exchange building is set to get a makeover as the contemporary W Hotels chain prepares to move in to town. W Amsterdam, set to open its doors in the city’s Dam Square in autumn 2015, will be the design-led Starwood Hotel brand’s first Dutch location. The hotel will feature 169 stylish guestrooms, including 10 suites and one Extreme Wow Suite (the company’s take on…
The first Ferrari theme park in Europe will come up in 2016 as part of the existing Port Aventura complex near Spanish seaside resort Salou. The 100 million euro (US$139 million) project will include a Ferrari Land theme park; the first and five-star Ferrari-themed hotel with 250 rooms; restaurants, shops and extensive simulator areas for race cars. The theme park will be targeted at “catering for all…
Just as real estate agents suggest baking cookies to make potential buyers feel at home, more and more hotels are using the same concept to fill their lobbies with signature scents developed exclusively for their brand. In the hotel industry, the strategy is known as “scenting,” an extra-sensory marketing strategy that’s meant to attach certain smells to brands, drive loyalty, and make people feel at home.…
Marriott Hotels, the flagship brand of Marriott International, and Miyako Hotels & Resorts have announced the highly anticipated opening of the Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel, the first property for the brand in Osaka and the fourth in Japan. Marriott Hotels has partnered with Miyako Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of the Kintetsu Corporation, to create the new co-branded hotel in Kintetsu’s “Abeno Harukas”, a…
Oh no mum, not another museum! Thanks to Corinthia Hotel London, teenagers visiting London will never say that again. For children who don’t want to be dragged around the latest gallery, and want to experience off-the-beaten-track London activities, Corinthia Hotel London has developed the concept of the Crafty Concierge! The five-star London hotel has introduced the Crafty Concierge Facebook page aimed at…
Reaffirming their commitment to corporate social responsibility, Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi and Traders Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi implemented a green technology using coffee grounds as natural insecticide and fertiliser for both hotels’ foliage. The food and beverage team, in collaboration with the engineering team, initiated this green effort in making use of the food waste to…
Dubai, UAE; March 16, 2014: The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, has launched an Instagram competition, ‘Capture Creativity,’ to celebrate the inaugural ‘Dubai Art Season,’ the city’s umbrella arts initiative. Joining the #MyDubai initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown…
British Airways took center stage at Taste of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates most prestigious and high profile food and drink festival, 13-15 March. Former Pussycat Dolls lead singer and multi-platinum selling solo artist Nicole Scherzinger flew into Dubai as British Airways very special guest, to join the airline in their exclusive VIP Lounge. The singer met with British Airways…
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will increase its Abu Dhabi-Moscow services from seven flights per week to double daily on 1 June 2014, and then to triple daily from 1 October 2014. The UAE flag carrier commenced operations to the Russian capital’s Domodedovo airport (DME) in December 2008, and since then has carried more than 400,000 travellers. In 2013 passenger…
