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New Holiday Inn to open in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi-based Al Qudra Real Estate, a wholly owned subsidiary of Al Qudra Holding, has said that its Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi hotel will be opening to the public this October. The new hotel will be managed by the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) as a 4- star business hotel. The hotel comprises over 200 rooms, including standard, executive, and suite rooms, as well as two restaurants, a bar and a cafe lounge.
Oberoi signs Al Wa'ab deal
Qatar-based developer, Al Wa'ab City Management has signed a memorandum of understanding with India's Oberoi Hotels and Resorts to build a hotel in the developer's mixed-use development, Al Wa'ab City, the Peninsula has reported. The new hotel will have 225 rooms and suites, 30 serviced apartments in addition to premium outlets for fine dining, leisure and health amenities and is due to be completed by 2014.
Qatar drafts tourism master plan
The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has drafted a master plan for the development of tourism in the country, which is expected to become a major destination in three to five years, Gulf Times has reported. The plan includes developing sites across the country to cater to business tourists, who would like to combine leisure with their trip, QTA said.
Saudi tourists spend SR4.7bn
According to a report by the Data Centre for Tourism Research of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, 870,000 Saudi tourists had spent SR4.7bn holidaying outside the kingdom this year, the Saudi Gazette has reported. Bahrain topped the list of the destinations of Saudis for the second consecutive year with 406,500 tourists. Jordan was second with 169,000 tourists and the UAE third with 78,000 tourists.
WTO: Tourism sector to recover in 2010
The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said that the global tourism industry is over the worst and recovery in 2010 seems likely. Although the decline in the Middle East is significant (-13%), this is the only region, apart from Africa, which has posted positive results in June and July this year. Arrivals are still well above the 2007 level as the current decline follows two very strong growth years. Also in the Middle East various destinations bucked the overall trend and report noteworthy growth rates, including Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Renaissance to open five hotels in GCC
Marriott group's lifestyle brand, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open five properties in the Middle East over the next three years, Emirates Business 24/7 has reported. Renaissance Doha is set to open later this year 257 rooms. Three more properties will open in 2010 - two in Dubai and one in Bahrain, while 411-room Renaissance Abu Dhabi will be ready in 2012.
Abu Dhabi prepares tourism centres
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has said is will open six new visitor information centres and activate four additional touch-screen visitor kiosks throughout the city within the coming month in time for November's 2009 Etihad Airways Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The first centre to come on line is in the Arrivals Hall of Abu Dhabi International Airport on October 4, while four centres at the Yas Marina Circuit, Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall and Al Wahda Mall, will be open from October 24-November 2. The final outlet at Mina Zayed will provide services including immigration proceedings, duty free and an information centre.
Abu Dhabi begins hotel classification programme
The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has rolled out its hotel classification system by putting up the first of 110 signs, which classify hotels and hotel apartment facilities within the emirate, outside the five-star Emirates Palace. All hotels and hotel apartments within the emirate have been classified with hotels categorised on a sliding scale of one star to five stars, and hotel apartments classified as either deluxe, superior or standard. The system is aimed at developing industry standards and procedures, enhancing tourism standards in the emirate and encouraging their continuous improvement, ADTA has said.
Dubai hotels aim to boost safety
Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing has signed a deal with the Directorate General of Dubai Civil Defence that aims to improve the safety facilities of hotel establishments in the emirate. The deal entails a comprehensive check of the preparedness of security teams in all hotels in dealing with emergencies and evacuation in addition to checking out the fire fighting equipments installed at hotel establishments, DTCM said.
Egypt sees 8.5% dip in visitors in H1 2009
Egypt's state-run statistics agency has said that the number of tourists visiting the country had dropped 8.5% in the first half of 2009, compared to the same period last year, Reuters has reported. 5.4 million tourists had departed in the first half of 2009, compared with 5.9 million in the first half of 2008, the agency said.
Saudi hotels suffer swine flu losses
Hajj and Umrah businesses in the two Saudi holy cities of Makkah and Madinah have suffered financial losses of approximately $240m as a result of swine flu fears, according to Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat. The owner of Amjad Al-Salam Hotel in Madinah, Ali Jaballah has said that more than 300 hotels in the central area of the holy city have incurred losses of more than SR400m when their occupancy fell below 10% during Ramadan.
Orascom launches construction of holiday resort in Alps
Egypt-based Orascom Development Holding has announced the beginning of construction of the Andermatt resort, the first integrated holiday resort in the Swiss Alps. The first development phase, during which the company will construct the Chedi hotel, basic infrastructure as well as an 18-hole championship golf course, is expected to be operational by winter 2013/2014. The entire project will comprise six hotels with 844 rooms, 490 apartments, 20-30 villas as well as considerable infrastructure and leisure facilities.
Dubai Stargate theme park opens
The Stargate theme park has opened in Zabeel Park, Dubai, after taking four years to build. The Dhs280m park features state-of-the-art interactive play with an element of education. Westech, a Swiss leisure services provider, supplied the project with all leisure equipment and the installation of rides and games. The park was due to open in November, but that date was brought forward because the park's Space Mall hit 70% occupancy.
Premier Inn opens at Dubai International airport
Premier Inn has announced it has opened a new hotel at Dubai's International airport. The new hotel at Dubai International Airport has 281 rooms, with en-suite bathrooms, and could accommodate a family of up to four. The hotel also offers a contemporary restaurant (Bedouinns), a bar (The Retreat), and a Costa Coffee outlet. The company has also recently inaugurated their hotel in Dubai Silicon Oasis, the company has said.
Angsana Dubai to be closed
Damas Hotels LLC and Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts have agreed to terminate the hotel management contract for the five-star Angsana Dubai Hotel and Suites, according to Gulf News. The hotel will cease to operate as of September 30 and will be converted into residential units that are expected to be sold on a vacant possession basis. Staff will also be compensated and helped to find new jobs, Bernold Schroeder, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director, Hotel Operations said.
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