Tourism Cathay Pacific forecasts ‘substantial’ loss in first half Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd expects a lower first-half loss than last year, driven by strong cargo performance and cost-cutting, the airline said on Tuesday, while warning that this year’s loss would still be “substantial”. Last year’s first-half loss at the major Asian carrier was HK$7.57 billion ($964.34 million), though it managed a surprise […] June 14, 2022
Food & Drink Saudi region awarded global gastronomy title The Aseer region in southwest Saudi Arabia is to be given a global showcase after being awarded the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2024 by the Barcelona-based International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). The move is part of a wider $13 billion plan to redevelop the tourism potential of the little-known […] June 13, 2022
Exclusive Tourism Dubai ranked No1 in the world for event hosting Dubai has been ranked as the number one destination globally for meetings in 2021, having been one of the first cities to resume holding in-person business events after the global Covid-19 shutdown. A report published by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) lists the emirate as the place to be both in terms of […] June 13, 2022
Tourism Saudi operator of Domino’s and Dunkin’ plans IPO Alamar Foods, the Saudi-based operator of fast food giants Domino’s and Dunkin’, has announced plans for an initial public offering (IPO), further boosting the kingdom’s recent surge of share sales. Alamar said it will be listing its ordinary shares on the Saudi Exchange’s Main Market, following approval by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) for the […] June 13, 2022
Tourism Finnair looks to Asia, Middle East, after impact of Ukraine war Finland’s national carrier Finnair, hit hard by the closure of Russian airspace, plans to shift its focus away from Asia travel and reduce the size of its operations, the chief executive told Bloomberg News, the agency reported on Friday. Finnair’s pre-pandemic profitability centred on offering short connection times between Asia and Europe via its Helsinki […] June 13, 2022
Aviation World Cup, Russians and business travel help airlines rebound Middle Eastern airlines reported a 265 percent year-on-year increase in demand in April, according to the latest monthly data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Industry analysts also reported that while demand in the region is still operating at around two-thirds what it was pre-pandemic, the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Russian tourists […] June 10, 2022
Tourism Saudi to invest $100m in tourism training Saudi Arabia is planning to invest $100 million training around 100,000 young Saudis to work in the tourism sector, as the kingdom looks to attract over 70 million visitors per year. The Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday launched the Tourism Pioneers programme, which the Saudi Press Agency claimed was the “largest global programme” of its […] June 8, 2022
Tourism US to seize luxury planes owned by Roman Abramovich A US court on Monday issued warrants for the seizure of two luxury planes owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich under US measures imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, court records showed. But the US government’s likelihood of gaining control of the aircraft worth nearly $400 million was uncertain. A Department of Justice official said […] June 8, 2022
Tourism UK should have done better on Covid-19: IATA director general A top airline industry official on Tuesday said the UK should have responded “a hell of a lot better” to Covid-19 and argued aviation should have been more forceful in challenging government-mandated border closures during the pandemic. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), also defended airlines’ handling of a rebound […] June 8, 2022
Business of Sport Can Lionel Messi’s left foot fire Saudi into the tourism big league? In the region's latest multimillion-dollar wager on football, Riyadh is hoping the player's global appeal will attract tourists June 4, 2022
Analysis Tourism Mena has high hopes for post-pandemic tourism Visitors are returning to key tourism destinations around the Middle East and North Africa, but not everywhere is faring so well The surge in passenger numbers at the Gulf’s biggest airports in the opening months of this year tells a clear story of recovery in the region’s travel and tourism sector. Doha’s Hamad International handled […] June 3, 2022
Tourism Egypt dominates African hotel investment market Egypt is very much the dominant player in Africa’s hotel sector, as the Arab world’s largest country looks to rejuvenate its tourism sector following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 80,300 rooms in 447 hotels, across 42 African countries, are currently in the pipeline for development, according to a study by hospitality […] June 2, 2022
Tourism Saudi’s Abdul Latif Jameel to invest $220m in Indian electric vehicle maker Saudi Arabian family conglomerate Abdul Latif Jameel is to invest $220 million in India’s Greaves Electric Mobility, as it looks to benefit from the country’s growing electric vehicle (EV) market. India is currently the world’s fourth-largest automotive market and Greaves Electric Mobility, a subsidiary of Indian engineering firm Greaves Cotton Ltd, produces two and three […] June 2, 2022
Tourism DP World-owned P&O Ferries loses UK government contract Britain says it has cancelled a contract with P&O Ferries “with immediate effect” in its latest action against the DP World-owned company following its decision to axe hundreds of staff earlier this year. The Home Office (interior ministry) said it was ending its agreement with the firm to provide contingency travel services to “juxtaposed ports” […] June 1, 2022
Tourism Qatar Airways ready to see $1bn Airbus dispute through to trial Qatar Airways is ready to see its legal dispute with Airbus over flaws with the protective skin of A350 wide-body jets through to trial, the Gulf carrier said on Tuesday. Qatar Airways is suing the European planemaker in a UK court for $1 billion in damages after grounding about two dozen of its A350s experiencing […] June 1, 2022
Tourism Archaeologists uncover ancient mummies and statues at Saqqara Archaeologists have uncovered hundreds of ancient Egyptian coffins and bronze statues of deities at a burial site in Saqqara. Statues of the gods Anubis, Amun, Min, Osiris, Isis, Nefertum, Bastet and Hathor were among the objects found at the newly discovered cemetery – along with a headless statue of Imhotep, the architect who built the […] May 31, 2022
Analysis Tourism UK will see a resurgence in Gulf travellers this summer The UK has historically been a favoured tourism spot for Gulf Arabs but the global pandemic brought international travel to a grinding halt. As the world reopens its shutters, however, GCC tourists’ appetite for Britain is experiencing a strong renaissance, according to industry experts. On March 18 all remaining Covid-19 international travel restrictions were lifted for passengers arriving […] May 27, 2022
Tourism Qatar Airways and Airbus set for $1bn court battle in London Airbus and Qatar Airways are heading towards a three-month summer trial next year after a UK judge granted the airline a relatively quick timetable while dismissing its procedural claims in a bitter safety and contractual dispute. The judge told a division of London’s High Court there was “public interest” in the outcome of the dispute, […] May 27, 2022
Tourism Gulf airlines to operate over 180 daily Doha flights for World Cup Qatar Airways said today fellow Gulf Arab airlines would operate more than 180 daily shuttle flights to Qatar during this year’s soccer World Cup, allowing fans to fly in from nearby cities and easing accommodation pressure in Doha. Akbar al-Baker, Qatar Airways CEO, told a news conference that United Arab Emirates airline flydubai, Oman Air, […] May 26, 2022
Analysis Tourism Golden age of Saudi tourism ‘needs new airlines to soar’ Hospitality experts say 310,000 hotel rooms will be added by 2030 and more carriers are needed 'rapidly' for the predicted influx of tourists May 25, 2022
Tourism Taliban agrees to have UAE run Afghan airports The Taliban will sign an agreement with the United Arab Emirates on operating airports in Afghanistan, the group’s acting deputy prime minister said today, after months of talks with the UAE, Turkey and Qatar. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said that his administration was renewing an airport ground handling agreement with the UAE. It was not […] May 24, 2022
Tourism First Neom flights set to boost Saudi tourism push The new city of the future’s Neom Bay Airport will launch Saudi Airlines flights to Dubai and London Neom, arguably Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious development project, has announced a partnership with the country’s national carrier to drive tourism to the $500 billion city of the future. The deal with Saudi Airlines, known as Saudia, will […] May 23, 2022
