Tourism China reopens borders to foreign tourists for first time since 2020 China said that it will reopen its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in the three years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic by restoring the issuance of all types of visas from Wednesday. The removal of this last cross-border control measure imposed to guard against Covid-19 comes after authorities last month […] March 14, 2023
Tourism Landlords benefit as UAE and Saudi embrace Airbnb model The UAE’s introduction of a remote working visa and Saudi Arabia’s plan to allow residents to rent out rooms in their homes has led to the Gulf embracing the Airbnb model and a boom in the short-term rental sector. In March 2021 the UAE cabinet introduced a remote work visa, allowing workers to set up […] March 12, 2023
Tourism Saudi tourism appeal growing ‘at the speed of light’ Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is growing “at the speed of light”, a senior official said as the Gulf kingdom made its debut at the Berlin travel show. According to Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of Saudi Tourism Authority, the country recorded a total of 93.5 million domestic and international visits last year as it transforms “at a […] March 8, 2023
Tourism Qatar Airways eyes rapid growth as travel demand rebounds Qatar Airways has announced plans for rapid growth, as the travel industry recovers from the pandemic. Announcing objectives at the ITB tourism fair in Berlin, the Gulf carrier said it would add seven destinations, restore 11 others and boost the frequency of flights to 35 markets – marking a 21 percent rise in flights by […] March 8, 2023
Tourism Red Sea Global bucks trend as Saudis take on hospitality roles Saudi nationals are flocking to the kingdom’s Red Sea Global mega-project to take up jobs in the multi-billion dollar development. One of the areas in the project, simply named The Red Sea, is on track to welcome its first guests in 2023 when the initial hotels open. Upon full completion in 2030, the project will […] March 6, 2023
Tourism Egypt imposes tourism fee on hotel stays to support new fund Egypt has imposed an additional fee for hotel accommodation at one percent of the price of a room to boost the tourism and antiquities support fund. The decision came into effect on March 1, Egypt Today newspaper reported. The fees will be paid at a rate of not less than 5 pounds and not more […] March 5, 2023
Tourism Israel’s El Al sees revenue rise 75% by 2028 as travel rebounds El Al Israel Airlines reported a fourth-quarter net profit and forecast that annual revenue will jump 75 percent by 2028 as travel is rebounding strongly from the pandemic and the carrier plans to expand routes to Asia. Chief executive Dina Ben-Tal Ganancia said El Al was looking to resume flights to India and add flights […] March 3, 2023
Tourism Coronation, Eurovision and tea to entice Gulf travellers to UK The coronation of King Charles III, Liverpool’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest, and Britain’s obsession with drinking tea are some elements set to feature in a marketing campaign to encourage more Gulf travellers to visit the UK this spring. VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, said spending by GCC-based tourists visiting the UK climbed above […] February 28, 2023
Tourism Egypt taps private firms to boost tourism by 30% over five years Egypt, home to ancient pyramids and Red Sea resorts, aims to boost tourism by up to 30 percent annually over the next five years, bringing in private firms to operate sites and inaugurating a huge museum around the end of 2023, its tourism minister said. Tourism is a crucial source of foreign currency and jobs […] February 28, 2023
Tourism Turkey’s tourism beats pre-Covid levels as January arrivals up 57% Tourist arrivals in Turkey have crossed pre-Covid levels in the first month of 2023, a local daily reported. The number of foreign visitors arriving in January jumped 56.51 percent from a year earlier to two million, Daily Sabah newspaper said, citing the Culture and Tourism Ministry. Foreign visitors reached 1.28 million in January 2022, compared […] February 27, 2023
Aviation Oman opens airspace and joins Saudi corridor for Israeli carriers Oman has said all airlines can overfly its territory, joining neighbouring Saudi Arabia in providing a corridor for the national carriers of Israel, which neither Gulf state formally recognises. Israeli leaders hailed the announcement mainly as a gain for civil aviation to Asia and Australia – rather than any harbinger of a breakthrough in bilateral […] February 24, 2023
Tourism Dubai hotels on course for post-pandemic rebound Dubai’s hospitality sector is forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels this year as the number of international tourists staying at hotels continues to rise, industry experts predict. A report by Zoom Property says that the occupancy rate in Dubai would reach an average of 80 percent this year, in addition to a steady increase in […] February 23, 2023
Food & Drink UAE food delivery sector has strong appetite for growth The UAE’s food delivery market is yet to reach saturation point, according to industry experts, and there is still plenty of room at the table for others to join the party. Statista, the Hamburg research platform, reported that the sector in the UAE is forecast to see annual growth of 6.33 percent overall through to […] February 22, 2023
Tourism Dubai airport annual passenger traffic soars 127% in 2022 Dubai’s main airport registered a 127 percent jump in annual passenger traffic to 66.1 million last year, it said on Tuesday, beating its own forecast. Dubai International Airport (DXB), a major international hub, is forecast to welcome 78 million passengers this year as the United Arab Emirates prepares to host major international events including the […] February 22, 2023
Exclusive Food & Drink Chef Jason Atherton sees Dubai as hotspot for restaurant openings When British restaurateur and celebrity chef Jason Atherton was searching for the location of his latest business venture, Dubai was a no-brainer. He met and married his wife Irha in the emirate and is quick to describe Dubai as “like a second home to me”. The launch of City Social, which opened its doors earlier […] February 20, 2023
Tourism How secret London talks led to Air India’s gigantic plane order Air India’s record aircraft deal has put the Tata Group-owned airline in the league of aspiring global carriers. On Tuesday it provisionally agreed to acquire almost 500 jets from Airbus and Boeing to take on domestic and international rivals. Striking the largest ever deal by one airline took months of secret talks carried out a […] February 15, 2023
Tourism Nigerian central bank told to allocate more dollars to Emirates Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the country’s central bank to increase the amount of foreign currency allocated to Dubai’s Emirates airline, after it suspended flights to and from Nigeria because it was unable to repatriate funds. Nigeria is facing severe dollar shortages, forcing many citizens and businesses to seek foreign exchange on the black […] February 15, 2023
Tourism Investors circle to buy trophy Emirates hotel assets The UAE’s relatively quiet hotel investment landscape will pick up this year as foreign buyers join local investors in competing for a slice of the resurgent, post-pandemic hospitality sector. “The region is registering such high levels of occupancy at the moment that there is a lot of international money ready to invest in hotel assets,” […] February 15, 2023
Analysis Logistics Fujairah’s ship is coming in – and bringing tourists as well as trade Fujairah’s position on the Gulf of Oman coast has become its defining characteristic. The location has helped the emirate build a thriving maritime sector and given the rest of the UAE an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. The Port of Fujairah opened in the early 1980s and successive development projects have added berths and […] February 8, 2023
Analysis Tourism The small surprising wonders of Ajman and Umm Al Quwain Last December Ajman ruler Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi approved the emirate’s budget for 2023. The AED2.92 billion ($795 million) in spending plans marked a 21 percent year-on-year increase, and the largest in the emirate’s history. And on UAE National Day last year, Abdullah Ahmed Al Hamrani, director general of the Ajman Department of […] February 8, 2023
Tourism Hyatt signs deal for three new Saudi hotels Hyatt has announced that an affiliate has entered into management agreements for three hotels in Saudi Arabia. The deal with Rua Al Madinah Holding Company will cover the Grand Hyatt Madinah, Hyatt Regency Madinah and Hyatt Place Madinah. Upon opening, these properties will add a combined 1,729 room keys to the hospitality giant’s portfolio in […] February 8, 2023
Tourism European airports traffic up 98% in 2022 to 1.94bn passengers Traffic at European airports almost doubled year-on-year in 2022 but remained below pre-Covid levels, Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) said on Tuesday. Last year’s traffic jumped 98 percent compared with 2021 to 1.94 billion passengers but was still 21 percent below the levels seen in 2019, before the pandemic, with just 27 percent of […] February 8, 2023
