Tourism UAE staycations fuel Premier Inn’s growth as bookings rise Room bookings at British-owned hospitality company Premier Inn Middle East have increased this year, driven by a rise in Abu Dhabi and Dubai staycations. Staycation reservations are a fifth higher for the June to September 2023 period than a year ago, it said in a statement. The UAE accounts for half of reservations, taking the top […] July 30, 2023
Tourism PIF launches investment firm targeting domestic tourism Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has launched the Saudi Tourism Investment Company (Asfar) as the kingdom aims to attract 100 million domestic and international visitors annually by 2030. The new entity will invest in new tourism projects and develop destinations with hospitality and retail attractions in cities across the kingdom, in addition to investing […] July 28, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Tourism Aseer province is Saudi’s next untapped tourism hotspot The mountainous region of Aseer is Saudi Arabia’s next target for tourism investment, according to one of the kingdom’s most prominent industry leaders. Developing Aseer and encouraging repeat visits will be key to helping the kingdom meet its tourism goals, said Salman Gassim, government advisor and chief executive of Riyadh-headquartered Swiss Hospitality Company. Gassim, whose […] July 24, 2023
Tourism UAE passports gain most visa-free access since 2013 The UAE’s passport has recorded the biggest improvement over the last decade in access to global markets, as the Gulf state develops international tourism and trade. Figures from the Henley Passport Index show that Emirati passport holders enjoy access to 179 out of 226 countries and territories without requiring a visa in advance. This places […] July 24, 2023
Tourism Abu Dhabi checks into $900m deal for Japan hotels A subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is part of a consortium that has completed a $900 million deal to acquire a portfolio of hotels in Japan. The Adia subsidiary has joined Singapore’s private equity real estate firm SC Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs Asset Management in acquiring 27 hotels from Japanese developer Daiwa House […] July 19, 2023
Tourism Sustainable tourism the new priority for Middle East Sustainable tourism was once viewed as a marginal segment of the Middle East’s offering – an eco-lodge in Jordanian desert, or a Bedouin trail in the Sinai. Times are changing. The Gulf’s marketing chiefs are rolling out ambitious projects that are designed to lure the eco-conscious traveller. Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Global project airport will […] July 17, 2023
Tourism Reimagined kingdom: Saudi Arabia’s tourism challenge Not so long ago, the extent of tourism in Saudi Arabia amounted to pilgrims and business travellers. Other visitors were largely discouraged. Attracting them is now a priority, in a reimagined kingdom where hotels, leisure venues and cultural assets stand to generate income and jobs. Saudi Arabia now has ambitious goals in tourism: it wants […] July 14, 2023
Tourism Tourism in Egypt thrives as 7m visitors arrive in H1 2023 Egypt received seven million tourists during the first half of 2023, according to tourism and antiquities minister Ahmed Issa. The higher visitor numbers were driven by the cooperation of the private sector and the government agencies, Ahram Online newspaper reported quoting the minister. In April, Egypt received a record high of 1.35 million tourists. The […] July 11, 2023
Tourism Oman working on $11bn integrated tourism projects Oman has granted 19 licences for developing integrated tourism complexes with investments worth OMR4.38 billion ($11.37 billion). Projects worth OMR3.12 billion are in the pre-implementation phase, state-run Oman News Agency reported citing a statement from the ministry of heritage and tourism. The complexes are planned across Muscat, Dhofar, South Al Sharqiyah, South Al Batinah and […] July 10, 2023
Analysis Tech How tech is transforming Saudi’s Hajj travel industry Saudi Arabia’s strong digital infrastructure means it is ready to receive “whatever number of pilgrims and Umrah performers”, according to its director general of passports Sulaiman al-Yahya. Two million people are expected to converge on Mecca in the next week to complete the Hajj pilgrimage. By 2030 the kingdom is committed to tripling this number […] June 23, 2023
Real Estate Taiba gets nod for $800m purchase of hotel group Dur Taiba Investments Co, one of the largest real estate developers in Saudi Arabia, said on Wednesday that its offer to acquire hospitality firm Dur in a SAR3 billion ($800 million) deal has been approved by the General Authority for Competition. In a filing to the Saudi Stock Exchange, Medina-based Taiba, which is best known for […] June 21, 2023
Tourism Saudi $400m fund to drive Habitas hotel expansion Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Development Authority (TDA) has launched a SAR1.5 billion ($400 million) fund to open new properties with London-based hospitality management group Habitas across the kingdom. The sustainable luxury hotel chain plans to open as many as six new properties, in addition to two existing ones in the kingdom, Bloomberg reported. Sites include the […] June 18, 2023
Tourism RAK casino plan is a trump card for property investors Plans to build the UAE’s first casino in Ras Al Khaimah are improving the odds of the emirate appealing to property investors around the world. New research from real estate consultant Knight Frank reveals the upcoming Wynn resort and casino would increase the likelihood to invest in property in the emirate for nearly a third […] June 14, 2023
Tourism Saudi launches instant e-visa to achieve 2030 visitor goal Saudi Arabia has launched a new instant e-visa facility as the kingdom aims to attract 100 million visitors annually by 2030. The new e-visa will facilitate UK, US and Schengen visa holders and permanent residents of the UK, US and any EU country to obtain tourist e-visas through the ministry of foreign affairs, Saudi Tourism […] June 13, 2023
Exclusive Aviation Saudi flight bookings above pre-Covid levels International flight bookings to Saudi Arabia this summer are up 8 percent compared with the same time in 2019, indicating a post-pandemic recovery as the kingdom develops its tourism industry. As of May 23, flight bookings to Saudi Arabia in June, July and August were mainly driven by arrivals from Egypt. They were up 204 […] June 12, 2023
Tourism Geneva’s Gulf visitors not put off by Swiss bank crisis Switzerland’s banking system may have suffered a dent to its reputation this year, but the headlines have not put off Gulf visitors from visiting Geneva. For the first 10 months of 2022, Gulf visitors accounted for 191,139 room nights in the European country’s second city, according to data from its official tourism body. Travellers from […] June 12, 2023
Opinion Tourism Raffles the Palm could just be peak Dubai bling Global billionaires keep demanding more ways to splash their cash in the emirate June 9, 2023
Video length: 02:59 Tourism UK cuts GCC visa costs to boost trade and tourism The UK is cutting the costs of visiting the country for nationals from the GCC and Jordan in a bid to boost business and tourism links. Gulf and Jordanian visitors will soon only be required to pay £10 ($12.45) to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). They pay £30 per visit under the current […] June 7, 2023
Construction Saudi firms scrap hotel joint venture as costs spiral A planned hotel joint venture between Saudi travel giant Seera Group and the AlUla Development Company (UDC) has been scrapped due to rising costs. The two parties have agreed to terminate the contract, due to “the futility” of the planned investment in a new hotel project in Saudi Arabia. In a filing to the Saudi […] June 7, 2023
Tourism Hotel group Rotana to open new casino resort in Georgia Abu Dhabi hotel management company Rotana is opening a new casino resort on the Black Sea coast in Georgia in 2026. Set to be the largest hotel complex in the country, the five-star Pontus Rotana Resort & Spa, Gonio, will add 600 keys to Rotana’s growing global footprint and provide access to world-class gaming at […] May 30, 2023
Retail Harrods checks into hotels as it awaits return of Chinese shoppers Harrods, the London department store owned by Qatar, has opened its first branded hotel project, diversifying into hospitality overseas as the retail sector faces challenges at home. In late March it launched the Harrods Residence Suite, a two-storey luxury suite in Swire Hotels’ Beijing property the Opposite House. The retailer also has a hospitality outpost […] May 30, 2023
Analysis Tourism Saudi domestic tourism drive takes off at Dubai’s expense Saudi visitor numbers to Dubai are expected to remain high, despite falling considerably from pre-pandemic levels as residents from the kingdom feel the pull of domestic tourism. The 289,000 travellers from Saudi Arabia made it the fourth-largest source market for travellers to Dubai in the first quarter of this year, but this total was still […] May 29, 2023
