Tourism Tokyo diners can nosh on food at ‘Stranger Things’ cafe Japanese fans of the sci-fi hit “Stranger Things” can chow down on demonic pasta and rock out to retro 1980s tunes at a pop-up cafe inspired by the Netflix Inc horror drama. The shop, a partnership with local restaurant chain Pronto Corp, recently extended its run in the fashionable Shibuya district of Tokyo several months […] August 15, 2022
Tourism Oman’s tourism sector on recovery path amid economic diversification Oman’s tourism sector is expected to recover during 2022 and 2023, with strong growth forecast for 2024- 2026, according to the Fitch Solutions Agency. The recovery began in the fourth quarter of 2021, the agency said, expecting the growth to continue in the coming years, on the back of the Oman Vision 2040 economic diversification […] August 15, 2022
Tourism Sharjah unveils holiday home project to diversify revenue Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has launched “Holiday Homes Project,” which aims to offer a framework to allow residents to lease their apartments to tourists and visitors. The move is in cooperation with several government and private companies to diversify the sources of income for the hospitality sector, WAM, the UAE state-owned news […] August 15, 2022
Tourism Israeli airline El Al expects nod for Saudi-Oman corridor in days Permission for El Al Israel Airlines to fly over Oman is expected in “a matter of days”, chief executive Dina Ben-Tal said on Thursday, a move that would be a big boost for the flag carrier’s Asian routes. Ben-Tal, speaking to reporters after El Al issued second-quarter results, said the airline had already received approval […] August 12, 2022
Tourism Korean Air to resume flights to Israel in January Korean Air Lines will resume non-stop flights to Israel in January with a Seoul to Tel Aviv route, Israel’s Tourism Ministry said on Thursday. Korean Air, which stopped its flights to Israel due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, will operate three weekly flights on the route, it said. The ministry noted […] August 12, 2022
Tourism Crushed by war, Syrian tourism eyes expat uptick Somar Hazim had high hopes when he opened a hotel in Damascus in 2009, adding to a growing number of boutique guest houses in the Old City that were proving to be a hit with tourists, before war broke out and forced him to close down. Although security returned to Damascus years ago, big-spending foreign […] August 10, 2022
Tourism Oman’s hotel revenues surge 121.4% in H1 2022 Revenues of hotels in Oman surged 121.4 percent year-on-year to reach 83.36 million rials ($217 million) by the end of June 2022 year-on-year (YoY), state-owned Oman News Agency reported, citing the National Centre for Statistics and Information. The number of guests in the three and five-star hotel categories increased 44.6 percent YoY in the first […] August 10, 2022
Analysis Tourism Shortfall of skilled staff could hamper GCC tourism goals The GCC’s tourism sector is forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, generating revenue of $26.3 billion, but experts question whether future growth could be stymied by shortages in the region’s skilled hospitality workforce. UAE-based investment banking advisory firm, Alpen Capital, said the sector registered a 74.8 percent growth over the past year, adding […] August 10, 2022
Opinion Food & Drink Restaurateurs beware: diners may choke on your price rises The food and drink sector contends with fluctuations in both customer income and the cost of food, energy, and rent August 9, 2022
Analysis Tourism Manama goes all out to woo international holidaymakers If the number of people that poured into Bahrain in March for the Formula 1 Grand Prix is any guide, the country’s tourism prospects look bright. One observer reported seeing more private jets at the airport than ever before, and the race-day attendance of 35,000 fans was a record. Those signs of revival from the […] August 9, 2022
Tourism Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to resume flights to Russia in October European budget airline Wizz Air will resume flights from Abu Dhabi to Moscow from October, it said on Thursday, more than five months after the carrier suspended all services to Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February. The airline’s Abu Dhabi-based joint venture, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, will operate the daily flight from October […] August 9, 2022
Tourism Dubai receives 7.1m tourists in first half of 2022 Dubai attracted 7.12 million international overnight visitors between January and June 2022, recording more than 183 percent year-on-year growth, UAE state news agency WAM reported, citing the latest data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). According to the DET data, the number of tourists received in H1 2022 was close to the numbers […] August 8, 2022
Tourism Middle East air traffic takes off in June on global tourism revival Middle Eastern airlines reported a 246.5 percent year-on-year rise in passenger traffic in June 2022, driven by a continued recovery in international traffic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a new report. International revenue passenger per kilometres (RPKs) currently stands at 25 percent below its level in June 2019 for the regional airlines. […] August 6, 2022
Tourism Kuwait’s Agility finalises $924m buyout of UK aviation firm Kuwait’s Agility, one of the largest Gulf logistics companies, said on Thursday it has finalised its £763 million ($924.37 million) acquisition of British aviation services company John Menzies. Agility said it will combine the acquisition with its National Aviations Services (NAS) and the deal values Menzies at approximately £571 million on a fully diluted basis […] August 5, 2022
Tourism Dubai Aerospace uncertain of getting planes back from Russia Major airplane lessor Dubai Aerospace Enterprise said on Thursday it didn’t know if it would ever get back 19 jets leased in Russia after Moscow passed a law allowing for hundreds of jets to be seized in response to Western sanctions. The Dubai state-owned lessor reiterated that it had written off $576.5million (AED2.12billion) for the […] August 5, 2022
Tourism Saudi Arabia open airspace to more flights serving Israel Cathay Pacific and Air Seychelles have overflown Saudi Arabia for Israel flights for the first time, aviation data showed on Thursday, after Riyadh announced last month it would open its airspace to all airlines, paving the way for more overflights to and from Israel. Opening Saudi airspace to flights to and from Israel was a […] August 5, 2022
Tourism Airbus axes remaining A350 jet deal with Qatar Airways Airbus has revoked its entire outstanding order from Qatar Airways for A350 jets, severing all new jetliner business with the Gulf carrier in a dramatic new twist to a dispute clouding World Cup preparations, two industry sources said. No comment was immediately available from Airbus or Qatar Airways. The two aviation titans have been waging […] August 4, 2022
Tourism Travel expenses by UAE employees soar 286% UAE employees are filing soaring business expenses on the back of spiking energy prices. Average total monthly travel reimbursement costs have risen 286 percent year-on-year in 2022, according to research by Bayzat, a UAE-based employee benefits platform. At the same time, the average amount spent per travel request rose 66 percent year-on-year. With UAE fuel […] August 3, 2022
Exclusive Tourism Diriyah CEO sets date for first stage of $50bn project The first phase of Saudi Arabia’s $50.6 billion project to transform the historic Diriyah district will open later this year, its boss has told AGBI. Jerry Inzerillo, group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, said the public would be able to visit the restored UNESCO World Heritage site at At-Turaif and the Mattal Al […] August 3, 2022
Analysis Retail The tourists are back – and they want to shop till they drop Hotels in the UAE generated AED11 billion ($3 billion) in revenue during the first quarter of 2022, a 20 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2019 as Gulf tourism continues its recovery from the pandemic. In other regions, tourism has been rebounding slowly and unevenly. According to a report from the UN […] July 27, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Tourism Etihad CEO issues call to make aviation industry net zero There is no “single bullet” to solve the climate crisis and airlines must work together to create a sustainable aviation sector, the CEO of Etihad Airways has told AGBI. Tony Douglas, group chief executive officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “This is about industry – from the giants to the start-ups – governments, regulators and academics […] July 25, 2022
Tourism Dubai digital maps get self-driving on the road Digital maps are being created in Dubai in preparation for the launch of self-driving vehicles in the city next year. US-based Cruise will this month operate two Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles to prepare the maps for the company’s self-driving vehicles which are scheduled to be on the road in Dubai in 2023, making it the […] July 25, 2022
