Exclusive Tourism Will Abu Dhabi’s new tourism vision drive international influx? Saadiyat Island, the cultural centrepiece of Abu Dhabi’s tourism offering, has unveiled a new vision which seeks to attract 19 million visitors and contribute AED 4.2 billion ($1.1 billion) in direct revenue by 2025. The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and developer Miral unveiled the new strategy to support […] May 10, 2022
Aviation Air travellers ‘still risk Covid infection,’ study warns Passengers are still at risk of coronavirus infection while travelling on aeroplanes and in airports, researchers have warned. A study in the Journal of Travel Medicine reported that two Covid-positive passengers infected 15 other people during a 10-hour flight from Dubai to Australia in July 2020 – despite mandatory face masks for passengers, the use […] May 10, 2022
Tourism Russian visitors ‘strong’ despite Ukraine invasion “For us Russia, Ukraine, CIS, are very important,” Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, told delegates at the Arabian Travel Market. May 10, 2022
Tourism Belgian music festival launches adults-only desert glamping Belgian music festival organiser Tomorrowland has teamed up with local partners to open an adults-only desert resort, which will include luxury glamping accommodation, it was announced yesterday at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. The desert resort, to be named Terra Solis, will be located in Dubailand, Al Yufra, 25 minutes’ drive from Downtown Dubai […] May 10, 2022
Tech Make it happen: How to digitally transform your business Here is the first of our monthly guides to harnessing global trends with a razor-sharp regional focus May 10, 2022
Tourism 70 million tourists to visit Saudi Arabia this year Saudi Arabia aims to exceed 70 million tourist visits this year, up eight million on the year before. The kingdom has in recent years started to promote leisure travel as part of a strategy aimed at diversifying the economy away from oil, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Visits were up 130 percent in […] May 10, 2022
Tourism Could alcohol be allowed at Saudi’s NEOM? The issue of legalising the sale of alcohol in Saudi Arabia is “not off the table”, according to a senior executive from one of the kingdom’s most high profile giga projects. “On alcohol, Saudi has a view NEOM will be its own authority, that’s not off the table,” Andrew McEvoy, managing director tourism at NEOM, […] May 10, 2022
Tourism Air travel makes quick recovery from Covid-19 The head of the world’s biggest airline trade body said today passenger traffic was recovering faster than expected and that, on average, the industry could now see those figures return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, a year earlier than expected. The easing of coronavirus related restrictions around the world has released demand pent up over […] May 9, 2022
Tourism New Dubai tourism plans for world famous QE2 Hospitality giant Accor on Monday announced it has added the world-renowned cruise ship, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), to its portfolio as it looks to boost its luxury offerings in the UAE. The cruise ship will undergo further upgrades and renovations prior to joining the MGallery Hotel Collection. No date has yet been confirmed for […] May 9, 2022
Tourism Cruise giant blames slow summer demand on Ukraine crisis Royal Caribbean Group on Thursday flagged slow summer demand for European cruises due to the Ukraine crisis, after a dull first quarter as it reeled under a resurgence in coronavirus infections in some parts of the world. Shares of the cruise operator fell about 5 percent to $73.87 after Royal Caribbean Group said higher fuel […] May 5, 2022
Tourism Airlines forecast higher fares after energy price spike Airlines will pass on rising oil prices to passengers through higher fares relatively quickly, but the spike in energy costs will worsen the industry’s overall outlook in 2022, according to the head of the International Air Transport Association. Speaking after JetBlue launched a counter-bid for US budget carrier Spirit Airlines, director general Willie Walsh also […] May 4, 2022
Banking & Finance Qatar Airways suffers setback in feud with Airbus A British judge has denied a bid by Qatar Airways to reinstate a jet contractcancelled by Europe’s Airbus in the latest twist to a dramatic feud playing out in UK courts. The companies have been locked in a safety dispute for months on Europe’s A350 long-haul jet. Their unprecedented bust-up widened in January when Airbus revoked a separate deal for […] April 29, 2022
Tourism Visitors to Turkey jump 130% in March The number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey jumped 129.7 percent from a year earlier to 2.08 million in March, data showed on Friday, as the sector continued to recover from the impact of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus since 2020. The arrivals compared with a level of 718,097 foreign visitors in March […] April 29, 2022
Tourism Airbus wins backing for 2024 jet output European planemaker Airbus looks set to raise narrowbody jetliner production for 2024 after reaching a compromise deal with at least two suppliers following months of wrangling over the speed of post-pandemic recovery. The world’s largest planemaker is restoring and slightly expanding pre-pandemic output for best-selling models as traffic rebounds in the West, but has been […] April 29, 2022
Tourism China’s airlines post heavy losses on coronavirus curbs China’s three biggest airlines have reported heavy first-quarter losses as prolonged coronavirus curbs weighed on travel demand and a weakening Chinese currency and rising fuel prices inflated costs, trends which persist in the current quarter. Analysts expect another year in the red for Chinese airlines as Beijing sticks with its zero-coronavirus policy to stop the […] April 29, 2022
Tourism Hong Kong eases coronavirus rules for aircrews Hong Kong will shorten mandatory hotel quarantine for passenger flight crews to three days from seven, while cargo crews will be exempt, modest steps at unwinding coronavirus curbs that have turned the city into one of the world’s most isolated places. The changes, which take effect in May, give the global financial hub’s aviation trade […] April 29, 2022
Tourism Emirates widens refurbish plan amid delivery delays Emirates will refurbish more of its existing fleet than previously planned,its chief commercial officer said on Tuesday, as the airline faces delays to deliveries of new Boeing jets and seeks assurances over concerns with the Airbus A350s it ordered. The Gulf carrier is spending over a $1 billion to refurbish the fleet which includes installing a new premium economy […] April 29, 2022
Tourism Private jets see General Dynamics profit take off Gulfstream jet maker General Dynamics Corp on Wednesday posted a 3.1 percent rise in first-quarter profit, as demand for private air travel during the coronavirus pandemic remained high. Shares were up 3.5 percent in morning trading to $245.16. Cautious passengers who opted for private flights instead of commercial flights due to fears of contracting coronavirus […] April 27, 2022
Tourism Boeing shares plunge on fresh 777X setbacks Boeing said on Wednesday it was halting 777X production through 2023 due to a fresh delay in its entry into service after certification problems and weak demand, with $1.5 billion in added costs for the mini-jumbo program. Shares of the US planemaker fell 11 percent to $146.62 in early trading – a nearly 1-1/2 year […] April 27, 2022
