September 26, 2017

Dubai International Airport (DXB) saw a record 8.2 million passengers in August – a 6.6 percent increase compared to the same month last year, it said.

DXB’s latest monthly traffic report suggested a seasonal traveller rush that boosted figures to 8,233,311, compared to 7,727,105 last August.

Year-to-date cumulative traffic was also up 6.3 percent from 2016, with 59,353,368 recorded during the first eight months of 2016 compared to 55,851,148.

DXB noted that 2016 figures for passenger"...

September 25, 2017

Russia is one of Sharjah’s major tourism source markets, with the UAE emirate recording a 98 per cent increase in Russian guests during the the first half of the year, highlighted Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of the Sharjah Tourism Authority (SCTDA) at the recent Leisure Moscow Fair in Russia.

Local hotels reported a total of 106,693 Russian guests between January and June compared to 54,017 guests during same period in 2016.

Similarly, Russian guests accounted for 446,437 hotel room nights for the first half of the year, representing a 103 per cent increase"...

September 24, 2017

Abu Dhabi has been named as the top city in the Gulf region to avoid stress, according to a new global list.

The rankings, devised by technology firm Zipjet, analysed a total of 150 cities, and highlighted the most and least stressful cities with available data on factors such as housing density, public transport, pollution, unemployment, security, mental health and race equality.

Abu Dhabi was ranked 19th in the list which was topped by the German city of Stuttgart while Baghdad in Iraq was named the most stressful city in the world.

Kuwait City (23) came second in the Gulf region, followed by Dubai (32), Doha (60), Manama (72), Muscat (75), Jeddah (97), and Riyadh (98).
...

September 24, 2017

Official representatives from Louvre Abu Dhabi and its key French partners came together on Friday at Musee du Louvre in Paris to celebrate the universal museum ahead of its public opening on 11th November in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

In attendance were Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism and Member of the Executive Council; Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director-General of the Department of Culture and Tourism; Manuel Rabate, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi; Jean-Luc Martinez, President-Director of the Louvre Museum and Chairman of the Scientific Board of Agence France-Museums; Jean Nouvel,"...

September 23, 2017

More than 80 new hotels are expected to open in the UAE next year, according to a new report.

The latest Middle East and Africa Hotel Construction report by TOPHOTELPROJECTS – commissioned by The Hotel Show Dubai 2017 which took place this week - has identified the UAE as being the busiest country for new build hotels in the Middle East and Africa.

The region currently has more than 200 hotel projects in the pipeline, with Dubai (164 projects), Abu Dhabi (25 projects) and Ras al Khaimah (12 projects) seen as the busiest areas for hotel construction in the UAE. Of these properties, 83 will open next year, the report said.

Some of the most anticipated hotel openings include Dubai’s"...

September 20, 2017

A total of 543 hospitality projects worth Dh262.77 billion ($71.6 billion) are currently under way across the UAE, thus reflecting the vibrancy of the leisure, tourism and the entertainment sectors, according to a report.

Of this, a total of 20 hospitality projects in Dubai worth $1.1 billion have moved to construction stage during the second quarter, stated the report by BNC Network, a key provider of project research and intelligence in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

The hospitality sector constitutes six per cent of all active projects in the UAE's urban construction sector and in dollar terms these projects account for 14 per cent of the total estimated value, it stated....

September 20, 2017

The world's second longest flight is no longer so - for the time being at least - as a severe jet fuel shortage caused chaos for travellers in New Zealand.

New Zealand is currently in the throes of an air travel crisis, after a pipeline that sends jet fuel to the airport was sliced on Thursday - reportedly by a digger.

The 168-kilometre pipeline is the main channel for jet fuel, petrol, and diesel, between the country's only oil refinery and Auckland, the country's largest airport.

Following"...

September 19, 2017

As part of efforts to boost destination experiences in the emirate, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has begun issuing permits for vehicles of tour operators wishing to enter desert and natural habitat areas.

Sharjah is known for its attractive natural heritage and wildlife parks, as well as an ideal destination for desert Safari trips and adventures, which has witnessed huge demand in recent years.

The SCTDA confirmed that it has launched the new project, which grants permit for tour operators and other travel and hospitality companies to explore the emirate’s outback regions as it has become an essential element in tourism offerings of several tour and sightseeing"...

September 19, 2017

Damac Hotels & Resorts, the hospitality arm of Damac Properties, has announced the official launch of the luxurious Damac Maison Royale The Distinction, comprising well-appointed hotel apartments in the heart of Dubai’s prestigious Downtown district.

The latest five-star property marks the debut of the operator’s uber-luxury brand, Damac Maison Royale, and the group’s sixth hotel in the emirate.

The 52-storey tower features a spacious lobby with plush furnishings and offers a choice of fully serviced deluxe rooms as well as one, two and three-bedroom suites, all complemented by a fully-fitted kitchen. The hotel allows guests and residents to enjoy the elegance and comfort"...

September 18, 2017

The 18th edition of The Hotel Show Dubai and 5th edition of The Leisure Show Dubai (September 18-20, 2017) opens today at 10am at Dubai World Trade Center. For the first time in 2017, the annual exhibition will form a core part of a brand-new industry mega-event ‘Dubai International Hospitality Week’.

The Dubai International Hospitality Week will bring together GulfHost, Yummex Middle East, The Speciality Food Festival and SEAFEX along with The Hotel Show and The Leisure Show.

The"...