Tourism Emirates Group hires 10% more staff following record profits Emirates Group reported a record half-year profit on Thursday despite fuel costs trebling as passenger numbers soared and customers opted for premium seats. The Dubai-based conglomerate, which includes Emirates Airline and travel agent dnata, attributed its performance to strong demand for air travel following the gradual easing of Covid 19-related restrictions worldwide. Middle East airlines reported […] November 10, 2022
Tourism Egypt solves riddle of how to attract 30 million tourists Egyptian tourism minister Ahmed Issa has said that the country has worked out plans to attract 30 million tourists. “Egypt has always felt that it deserves 30 million tourists and the challenge that has been given to me as a problem solver [is to] figure out what to do and what needs to be done,” he […] November 9, 2022
Tourism Israel to start self-driving public bus pilot programme Israel has launched a two-year pilot programme in which four companies will operate self-driving public buses in a bid to ease road congestion, the country’s innovation authority said. The authority, along with the transportation Mministry and Ayalon Highways, chose four groups – including Egged, Israel’s largest bus operator – that will start running independent autonomous […] November 8, 2022
Tourism Emirates suspends Nigerian flights again over trapped ticket sales Dubai’s Emirates has suspended flights to Nigeria for the second time since September citing an inability to repatriate funds from Africa’s biggest economy, the airline said on Thursday. Nigeria is facing severe dollar shortages, forcing many citizens and business to seek forex on the black market, where the naira currency has progressively weakened. An Emirates […] November 4, 2022
Tourism Emirates expects to restore full schedule to South Africa by May Dubai’s Emirates airline is hoping to resume all of its 49 flights per week to South Africa by May next year, an executive said on Tuesday, as demand for international travel recovers with the easing of COVID-related curbs. The airline in September announced additional flights, with three daily flights to and from Johannesburg from March […] November 2, 2022
Tourism Saudia to buy up to 100 German electric jets for domestic network Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has signed an agreement with German air taxi developer Lilium to buy up to 100 of its aircraft for use on Saudia’s domestic network, the state carrier’s chief executive said on Wednesday. Saudia CEO Ibrahim Koshy said the planes would be ‘a premium service’ that carry four to six passengers, adding […] October 27, 2022
Tourism Saudia in talks with Airbus and Boeing over plane orders Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) is in talks with planemakers Airbus SE and Boeing Co. on orders for itself and a new carrier the kingdom plans to launch, the state-owned airline’s chief executive said on Tuesday. The talks are for aircraft for both airlines as they have the “same shareholder”, Ibrahim Koshy told Reuters on the […] October 26, 2022
Opinion Tourism Customer-centric won’t cut it. Food firms must be ‘customer obsessed’ Food and beverage firms might think they provide superior service, but would consumers agree? Here's how to make sure October 24, 2022
Tourism Kuwait Airways receives 18 new aircraft, despite 2022 losses Kuwait Airways has received 18 aircraft from Airbus out of an order for 31, Reuters reported, citing the state carrier’s chairman. The airline expects to record an annual loss of KD 50-60 million ($161.27-193.52 million) in 2022, chairman Ali Aldakhan said. The company expects to break even by the end of 2024, he added. “It […] October 24, 2022
Tourism Airbus and Boeing battle for jet orders for new Saudi airline Saudi Arabia is in advanced negotiations to order almost 40 A350 jets from Europe’s Airbus as part of strategic efforts to launch a new airline and challenge heavyweight carriers in the Gulf, industry sources said. If confirmed, the purchase by the sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF), worth $12 billion at list prices, could be announced […] October 24, 2022
Tourism Qatar Airways cuts flights to free up space for World Cup traffic Qatar Airways has withdrawn flights from 18 destinations to make space at Hamad International Airport for airlines carrying fans to next month’s soccer World Cup, the company’s CEO said on Tuesday. Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker said the priority now was to accommodate the hundreds of flights that will be landing in the […] October 19, 2022
Analysis Tourism Pyramid selling: Egypt wants to get tourism back on its feet The Grand Egyptian Museum, a $1 billion mega-project close to the Giza pyramids, will open to the public next month. The opening, which coincides with the COP27 climate change conference in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, is an opportunity to focus attention on a tourism industry that has been blighted by terrorism, conflict and […] October 17, 2022
Tourism Qatar Airways to hire 10,000 staff amid World Cup preparations Qatar Airways is boosting its workforce by 10,000 to handle an influx of passengers flying into Doha for the soccer World Cup and in line with a broader post-pandemic expansion, the airline told Reuters. The Doha-based carrier is in the midst of a recruitment drive which will lift its total workforce to more than 55,000 […] October 14, 2022
Tourism Oman’s SalamAir places $935m order for six Embraer jets Embraer SA said on Thursday that Oman’s low-cost carrier SalamAir has signed a firm order for six E195-E2 jets, with options for a further six aircraft, an announcement that sent shares in the Brazilian planemaker higher. The deal was valued at $934.6 million with all options exercised and will be added to Embraer’s third-quarter backlog, […] October 7, 2022
Exclusive Tourism Sydney-based StayWell looks to add up to 15 Mideast hotels StayWell Holdings, one of the largest hotel management groups in Asia Pacific, is looking to add up to 15 new properties in the Middle East, with its luxury brand targeting debuts in Dubai and Riyadh. Simon Wan, president and director of StayWell Holdings, told AGBI that the expansion plan comes on the back of advances […] October 7, 2022
Tourism Sales of one-way tickets to Dubai double as Russians flee call-up The number of Russians booking one-way tickets to Dubai doubled in a week after President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation to fight in Ukraine, flight data has revealed. Putin’s television address on September 21 prompted a spike in demand and web searches for flights out of the country. Travel analytics firm ForwardKeys has found […] October 4, 2022
Tourism Booking.com adds safety advisory for West Bank properties Online travel agency Booking.com has added safety labels to listings in the occupied West Bank, which Israel, having initially opposed the move, welcomed for not singling out Jewish settlements. The move was rebuked by Palestinian officials, who said the advisory should only be used for Israeli settlements. The company now posts an advisory on its […] October 3, 2022
Tourism Iranians flock to Turkey’s eastern province on tourism rebound Visitors from Iran, Iraq and Armenia have started flocking Turkey’s Van province, helping the eastern region exceed the pre-pandemic figures, Daily Sabah newspaper said. Provincial culture and tourism director Erol Uslu disclosed that Iranian visitors had shown great interest in the city since the beginning of the year. The official said Van had exceeded the […] October 3, 2022
Tourism International visitors spent $14.3bn in Qatar last year International visitors to Qatar spent QR52.1 billion ($14.31 billion) in 2021, accounting for almost 14.5 percent of the country’s exports last year, according to World Travel & Tourism Council figures reported in the Gulf Times. Leisure spending reached QR44.73 billion, 75 percent of the total spending in 2021. The travel and tourism sector contributed QR67.6 […] October 3, 2022
Tourism Debating the Levantine origins of the falafel Falafels are gaining a mainstream following in Europe and can be found in supermarkets, restaurants, takeaways and street-food stalls everywhere. In UK cities alone, Go Falafel has grown into a chain with three outlets in Manchester, two in London and one in Liverpool. Dubai’s Operation: Falafel and Israeli pitta chain Miznon have recently opened in […] September 30, 2022
Tourism Oman and UAE seek new trade era after multi-billion dollar deals Oman and the UAE are looking to begin a new era in trade relations following the signing of deals to boost collaboration in culture and media, railways, education, scientific research, agricultural wealth and financial markets. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Oman this week to sign an agreement between Oman Rail and […] September 28, 2022
Tourism UAE’s hotel pipeline hits $32bn as tourism recovery continues Hotel operators plan to add 48,000 rooms by 2030, says Knight Frank. But some think the luxury market could already be oversupplied September 27, 2022
