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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Abu Dhabi’s pavilion at this year’s ITB Berlin – one of the world’s top B2B travel shows which runs in the German capital from March 5-9 – will showcase three key destinations in one emirate and almost 70 product lines. “It’s our strongest ITB delegation to date which keenly reflects the growth in the destination’s supplier base, experience line up and product portfolio,” explained Mubarak Al Nuaimi,…
Jamie Oliver has been trying to speak Cantonese to promote his new restaurant in Hong Kong – and it didn’t go entirely to plan. Making a stab at the local Chinese dialect in a light-hearted YouTube video, he announces: “I will open an amazing Italian submarine.” He also promises that the restaurant will be “very slippery”, before collapsing into giggles. Like other tonal languages, Cantonese can…
Dusit International reasserts its position as one of Asia’s leading hospitality groups at the world’s largest annual tourism exhibition, ITB Berlin, held in the German capital city from 5th – 9th March 2014. At ITB, the company debuts its newest addition to the Dusit brand family, Dusit Devarana Hotels and Resorts. The brand is a significant niche offering that leverages Dusit’s legendary hospitality and…
Khiri Travel, a travel company specializing in Southeast Asian tours, is offering travelers a chance to stay in a luxury tent near the Khmer temples of Banteay Chhmar, located in Northwestern Cambodia. The tour operator has signed agreements with the local population to pitch two luxury tents near the temple ruins for tourists. Wholly involved in the project, local villagers welcome guests upon their…
FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS has introduced the first fully customizable hotel bed in partnership with leading bed manufacturer Simmons. According to a Sleep Survey conducted by Ipsos in late 2013, 92% of respondents expressed a definite preference on the firmness of their bed. This inspired the development of a new type of mattress that can be altered depending on guests’ needs. The Four…
The soaring cost of cars and utilities as well as a strong currency have made Singapore the world’s most expensive city, toppling Tokyo from the top spot. Tokyo‘s weakening yen saw it slide to sixth place, in the 2014 Worldwide Cost of Living survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). “Singapore’s rising price prominence has been steady rather than spectacular,” said a report accompanying the…
Dubai (United Arab Emirates), 4 March 2014. Guests who use the airport transfer service of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts can now take advantage of complimentary WiFi connectivity on their way to the property where they stay. The initiative is part of the upscale hospitality company’s aim to add value through the use of progressive technology. Hotel limousines of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts across the Middle…
Figures just released by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority show that 276,970 guests checked into the emirate’s accommodation last January – a 36 per cent rise on January 2013. In all the arrivals delivered 855,651 guest nights which is an increase of 26 per cent on the same month-by-month comparison. Occupancy for the month rose to 77 per cent - which was up ten per cent on January last year and…
With 200 high-rise towers planned for London over the next 20 years to meet the city’s growing population, London‘s skyline is undergoing rapid changes. A new exhibition examining this transformation has been announced for April by New London Architecture, London’s Centre for the Built Environment. London’s Growing… Up! will explore the transformation of the cityscape since the introduction of…
Qatar Airways has launched a free Doha city tour for passengers who are transiting through Doha. This joint initiative, between Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism Authority, will provide passengers with a unique transit experience. Passengers travelling with Qatar Airways who have between five and twelve hours transit time in Doha can take advantage of the free city tour by visiting the Doha City Tour…
The Cromwell boutique hotel in Las Vegas is now taking reservations for stays as of May 21. The star attraction of the hotel is the opening of celebrity Chef Giada De Laurentiis first rstaurant, Giada, serving tradional Italian dishes. The open kitchen concept will also allow guests to watch as chefs prepare fresh pasta, breads and desserts, while the restaurant will bring the first antipasto station…
Sharjah, UAE – Qatar Airways has continued its aggressive expansion plans with the launch today of two new regional routes, thereby growing its strong connections within the Middle East. The new routes, to Sharjah and Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), will both operate daily from the airline’s hub in Doha and add to the existing Qatar Airways network of flights to Dubai (DXB) and…
Six Senses Hotels, Resorts & Spas announced that it will open an exclusive resort on Félicité Island in the Republic of Seychelles. The Six Senses Zil Pasyon will be built on Félicité Island, 55 km from the archipelago’s main island, Mahé. Guests will reach the resort from the international airport by boat or by helicopter. The Zil Pasyon will include 28 one-bedroom villas, two two-bedroom villas and…
A Dubai restaurant has installed interactive tables that allow guests to swipe through the menu, update their Facebook status and even order a taxi home. At Ebony Interactive Restaurant in Dubai, interaction with wait staff is minimal, as diners can browse the digital menu, place their order, and watch chefs prepare their meal via ‘chef cams’ by using the touchscreen tabletops. The interactive tables…
On the glitziest night of the year, those celebrities who do deign to eat will sip shots of carrot orange gazpacho and nibble on crispy lobster dumplings and popcorn-topped panna cotta. Those are among some of the 50 dishes that will be on offer at the Oscar night from the chef known as the caterer to the stars, Wolfgang Puck. This year’s menu includes crispy lobster shrimp dumplings with five spice,…
The new Shangri-La at the Shard will open on May 6, with the luxury hotel boasting unmatched views of London from the city’s most striking skyscraper. As the tallest hotel in Western Europe and the first high-rise hotel in London, the Shangri-La occupies levels 34 to 52 of the 72-storey Shard. Guests will be escorted in a high-speed elevator from the hotel’s dedicated entrance on St. Thomas Street to…
Brands like the Mandarin Oriental and Clinique La Prairie were among the big winners at an awards night honoring the best in luxury spa and wellness destinations around the world. If you’re planning a spa vacation abroad, take cues from the results of the World Spa & Wellness Awards 2014 presented in London this week, where the industry handed out 11 awards that singled out the best regional hotel and spa…
Hotel Indigo, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, has launched a new guest service they call “Neighborhood Guide,” an interactive touch screen that will be installed in hotel lobbies across the system. Much like a virtual concierge, the display allows guests to look up local attractions, restaurant recommendations and interact with guests from other properties around the world. But what makes…
Passengers at Heathrow can now enjoy some plane spotting as they wait for their own flight to depart. The new ‘View Heathrow’ platform at Terminal 4 is the first of its kind at Heathrow since the old Terminal 2’s viewing platform was closed along with the building itself. The new 270 degree observation deck has a view of the southern runway, the control tower and British Airways’ Concorde. Fixed…
The Ice Hills Hotel recently popped up in Hokkaido, Japan. It is part of an initiative by Creative Hokkaido to capture the island’s culture and creativity. The beauty of this hotel lies in its transience—it will only last as long as the winter. Unlike most hotels, this one has three unique suites designed by artists from the Clark Gallery. They are Toshihiko Shibuya, Leo Fujisawa, and Midori…
San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna have published their list of the top 50 restaurants in Asia for 2014, with top honors going to David Thompson, the chef of Nahm in Bangkok, Thailand. Lauded for reviving centuries-old Thai recipes with a contemporary and sophisticated flair, chef David Thompson doesn’t shy away from the punchy, bold flavors that characterize Thai cuisine — garlic, shrimp paste, chilies and…
Running a new brand as part of their development strategy in the Middle East, Jannah Hotels & Resorts will announce at the ITB Berlin 2014 their upcoming Al-Seef resort in Abu Dhabi. Nehme Darwiche, Jannah Hotels & Resorts CEO, said the resort would give a strong push to the tourism sector in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The resort features 213 new suites, three swimming pools, a variety of…
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will expand its network in South East Asia with the launch of a non-stop daily service between Abu Dhabi and Phuket. Phuket is the largest island in Thailand and has emerged as one of the world’s most popular destinations for both holidays and retirement. Located in the Andaman Sea, tourists flock to the island for its pristine natural…
Put up by Ninja Academy, this fake subway station seems to have taken the place of the Cordusio station in Milan, Italy. This 3D installation looks like it is made out of LEGO bricks and promotes the release of The LEGO Movie. Next to it is Emmett, the movie’s protagonist—he is holding a sign that says, “Save Creativity”. This mysterious station popped up in the middle of the night—we wonder if…
