Analysis Tourism Riyadh wants the world to visit the ‘Arabian Highlands’ of Aseer The streets of Abha become festooned with lilacs and mauves throughout May, when the city’s 25,000 jacaranda trees come into bloom. Pockets of purple burst throughout the hilltop capital of the southern province of Aseer, bringing an increasing number of tourists. Aseer’s botanical diversity has helped it become the fastest growing tourism prospect in Saudi […] May 8, 2025
Video length: 04:54 Leisure & Hospitality Disney to open theme park in Abu Dhabi The Walt Disney Company has announced that it is partnering with Abu Dhabi’s leisure-focused developer Miral to build a theme park in the UAE capital. The resort, Disney’s first in the Middle East, will be on the waterfront of Yas Island. It will be the US company’s seventh theme park around the world and the […] May 8, 2025
Analysis Leisure & Hospitality UAE hotels absorb rising costs at expense of profit Many UAE hoteliers are reluctant to raise prices to compensate for rising operational costs, even as intensifying global competition and geopolitical volatility tighten profit margins. According to data from CBRE Middle East, growth in UAE hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) has slowed over the last two years, from 6 percent in 2023 to 3 […] May 5, 2025
Video length: 04:55 VIDEO Tourism Miral’s global ambitions for Yas Island entertainments Abu Dhabi leisure and entertainment group Miral believes its pipeline of attractions, including a Harry Potter destination at Yas Island, will increase its contribution to the Abu Dhabi economy to as much as 15 percent. AGBI caught up with Miral CEO Mohamed Al Zaabi at Arabian Travel Market to find out why he believes Yas […] May 2, 2025
Exclusive Tourism H World International plans Saudi hotels development H World International, a major hotel developer, will open multiple new properties in Saudi Arabia, including a branch of its 95-year-old Steigenberger brand. “We are about to announce much more development in Saudi Arabia, specifically around Riyadh,” said Siegfried Nierhaus, the hotelier’s Dubai-based vice president and head of development for the Middle East, India and […] May 2, 2025
Tourism ‘Tourism is the new oil’, says man trying to bring 150 million people to Saudi Investment in tourism will remain a priority in Saudi Arabia despite falling oil prices and increased budgetary pressures, according to the kingdom’s top industry official. The underserved three-star and four-star hotel sector is a particular focus, Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, told AGBI. “The darker it gets, the more reason we should […] May 2, 2025
Tourism Turkish tourism hits record highs in first quarter Despite economic and political turmoil, foreign visitors flocked to Turkey in record numbers in the first quarter of the year. Although the figures provided a welcome boost to revenue and expectations for growth through the rest of the year, some commentators have warned that future earnings may be weighed down by an overpriced local currency. […] May 1, 2025
Tourism AlUla expects record tourism in 2026 after marketing push AlUla, one of Saudi Arabia’s flagship tourism projects, is expecting a record year for visits in 2026, following an international marketing campaign targeting overseas travellers who typically stay longer and generate more yield. The oasis resort in Medina province received 286,000 visitors last year, up by a fifth on 2023, according to the Royal Commission […] May 1, 2025
Giga-projects PIF’s Red Sea Global plans Saudi and overseas expansion Red Sea Global is expanding beyond its west coast base to develop hotels and other projects in Saudi Arabia and overseas, a company executive has said. The company will probably announce a new project in a Saudi city later this year, head of hospitality Sébastien Carre told AGBI on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market […] April 30, 2025
Tourism International visitors to Dubai rise 3% Dubai welcomed 3 percent more international visitors in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, with the largest single group coming from Western Europe. More than 5.3 million people visited the emirate – the most populous of the seven-member UAE federation – with those from Western Europe accounting for […] April 28, 2025
Tourism Turkey’s domestic tourism sector heats up Turkey’s domestic tourism sector surged in 2024, with more Turks holidaying at home than ever before, shrugging off high inflation and economic uncertainty by taking to the road in record numbers. Between them, Turkey’s 85 million citizens took 67 million domestic trips last year, an increase of 9 percent on 2023, according to state statistics […] April 28, 2025
Media & Advertising Dubai doubles down on social media with ‘influencer academy’ Sunsets, skyscrapers, shopping sprees. Type #Dubai into any social media platform and you will find thousands of them. Whether they’re promotional films or holiday snaps, the quality and reach of these images can vary widely. Now Dubai’s tourism authority is setting up an “influencer academy” to teach aspiring digital creators how to make the most […] April 21, 2025
Tourism Turkey takes the plunge into swimming tourism Blue water swimming enthusiasts drawn to the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits are providing a boost to the economy April 18, 2025
Analysis Tourism Affordability is the key for Saudi hotel expansion Al Farhan Group, a family-owned company with 16 three- to four-star hotels across Saudi Arabia, plans to open at least one hotel every year for the next several years. Its ambitions reflect those of the Saudi government, which wants to encourage more domestic and inbound business and leisure travel and almost double the number of […] April 17, 2025
Tourism Cruise passengers to Qatar on the rise Mwani Qatar, the state operator of seaports and shipping terminals, reported a 5 percent year-on-year increase in passenger numbers in the 2024-25 cruise season. Doha Port, the Gulf nation’s main gateway, received nearly 400,000 visitors from 87 cruises, a 19 percent annual rise in ship visits, the Peninsula newspaper reported. The latest season saw the […] April 17, 2025
Tourism Second resort city planned for Salalah in Oman Oman has approved a second major resort in Salalah on the Indian Ocean in the south of the sultanate in an effort to attract more tourists as part of the country’s economic diversification programme. The $100 million, 470,000 square metre project has been named Boulevard Razaz and will include canals, landscaped gardens, a shopping mall, […] April 15, 2025
Opinion Tourism Moscow’s metro rolls out Arabic welcome for Gulf tourists Arabic speakers visiting Russia often struggle to find locals who speak their language. Yet Moscow is eager to welcome them April 9, 2025
Tourism High occupancy rates push UAE hotel revenues to $12bn UAE hotel revenues reached AED45 billion ($12.3 billion) in 2024, an increase of 3 percent year on year, according to the chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council. Hotel occupancy rates climbed to 78 percent last year, ranking among the highest regionally and globally, state-run Wam news agency reported, citing Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the […] April 8, 2025
Tourism Saudi Arabia sets foreign tourism income record in 2024 Spending by people visiting Saudi Arabia last year hit a record high, bringing the kingdom closer to its Vision 2030 tourism targets. Inbound tourists spent SAR154 billion ($41 billion) last year, a 14 percent increase from 2023, which was also a record year. It also meant a record SAR50 billion ($13 billion) travel surplus, after […] April 3, 2025
Tourism Thai earthquake increases Omani Eid bookings to Dubai The earthquake which has devastated parts of southeast Asia has forced many Eid holiday makers from Oman to divert from flying to Thailand and to choose Dubai instead as is a preferred destination. Travel agents in Oman have seen a surge of bookings to Dubai with most of them leaving by air. “In last year’s […] April 2, 2025
Opinion Leisure & Hospitality Travel to and from the GCC is this year’s top Eid trend Bookings are on the rise as tourists seek celebrations and cultural immersion March 28, 2025
Analysis Tourism Demand for luxury keeps Dubai hotel openings upscale Dubai’s traditional love of luxury hotels shows no signs of slowing. Five-star hotel openings dominated the sector in 2024, although industry experts insist mid-range and budget segments remain vital to the emirate’s long-term hospitality growth. Last year, nearly two-thirds of new hotel rooms added in 2024 were in the luxury and upper upscale segments, according […] March 27, 2025
