Tourism and Hospitality
- The news you choose »
- Login to Add to Watchlist
Costa cruises into Dubai
Italian cruise operator, Costa Cruises, has made Dubai its regional cruise hub for a second successive year and has deployed two ships offering a total of six weekly packages to destinations across the Middle East. For the 2007-2008 season, the firm has drafted in the Costa Romantica and the Costa Europa, which have a combined passenger and crew capacity of 4,756. The liners will be docked at the Dubai Cruise Terminal.
Jumeirah picks Dnata Saudi
Jumeirah International, the Dubai based hospitality management company and a member of Dubai Holding, has appointed the Dnata Saudi Travel Agency, an arm of Dubai's Dnata Travel Services, to provide it with sales and marketing services throughout Saudi Arabia from its offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. Jumeirah's existing sales network includes offices in the UAE, the UK, Germany, France, Russia, parts of Asia and the US.
W Hotel for Amman
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is to open a W Hotel in Amman after agreeing a deal with Jordanian property developer Saraya. The 280 room property will open in 2011 and it will be located at Saraya's new headquarters. The W Amman will be the brand's fourth hotel in the Middle East; a W Hotel opens in Doha next year, while two properties in Dubai open in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
MGM, Dubai World eye China
The US based entertainment firm MGM Mirage and Dubai World could make joint investments in China and Macau, according to MGM's Chairman and CEO Terry Lanni and cited by the Financial Times. Lanni, who has just seen MGM open its first casino in Macau, said the projects would be 'non-gaming'. Dubai World secured a 4.8% holding in MGM Mirage in October and the two firms are partners in Las Vegas' CityCenter.
UAE goes the Chinese way
The UAE can expect an influx of tourists from China as the latter's economic boom continues, reported Gulf News. Grace Pan of market research firm ACNielsen said the UAE will become a more popular destination once it receives approved destination status and talks are presently ongoing. Dubai's hotels witnessed a 48% spike in the number of Chinese tourists in the first nine months of 2007, with 68,272 visitors being recorded.
New resort for Kalbouh
A new tourism complex is to be built in Kalbouh Park, Muscat, reported the Oman Daily Observer citing its Arabic sister publication. The project, which will include a five star hotel, will be developed by the private sector and construction is likely to get underway in 18 months time. The resort will be located away from the public areas of the park.
Omniyat, Movenpick deal
The UAE's Omniyat Properties has signed an agreement with the Swiss hotel group Movenpick Hotels and Resorts to manage the serviced apartments at its residential development The Square, located in Al Mamzar, Dubai. The apartments will be part of phase two of the complex and will cater to long and short-term residents as well as to holidaymakers. Phase one should be ready in Q1 2009, with phase two in Q2.
Hajjis off to Mecca
The UAE Red Crescent Authority has made arrangements for around 600 pilgrims from central Asia, who were tricked by travel agents in their home countries that they had visas to visit Mecca when they were actually given tourist visas for the UAE, to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, reported Gulf News. The Sheikh Khalifa Foundation for Charity Works and a UAE philanthropist has met their travel and accommodation expenses.
$300m IFA Manhattan deal
Kuwait's IFA Hotels and Resorts has concluded a $300m deal which will lead to the construction of a new hotel in Manhattan, New York. The transaction also involves the US real estate developer Related Companies, which presently has $9bn worth of projects in the pipeline. The exact location of the venture has not been revealed but hotels in Manhattan have an average occupancy level of 85%.
Pilgrims stranded in UAE
Around 600 Hajjis from central Asia are presently staying in mosques in Ajman, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah after being tricked by agents in their home countries that they had visas to visit Mecca, when in fact they were simply given tourist visas for the UAE, reported Gulf News. Most of the pilgrims, many elderly, are from Kyrgyzstan and they have spent more than 20 years saving up to perform Hajj.
Coral, Husa ink deal
Dubai's Coral International Hotels and Resorts has signed a tie-up with Spanish hotel chain Husa, which will see both firms share technology and marketing strategies. The two hotel groups are seeking greater penetration in Europe and the Middle East respectively. Coral and Husa will look to set up a loyalty programme and will share a centralised reservations system.
Egypt plans to attract 25m tourists by 2020
Zuhair Garana, Egypt's minister of tourism said that the government is planning to increase the number of tourists to reach 25 million tourists in 2020, reported Voltairenet.org. The Minister added that this will be achieved by offering excellent tourists services and offering different tourists' product like environmental and recreational tourism with the aim of achieving the goal of sustainable tourism. Last year Egypt received more than 9 million tourists who spent 89 million nights in Egypt and spent about $8bn.
Nakheel Hotels is formed
Nakheel Hotels is the new name for Istithmar Hotels after Dubai World consolidated its hotel business under one banner to create a fully integrated hotel investment company. The merger is part of an internal restructure within the Dubai World group whereby the real estate business of Istithmar is being joined with Nakheel. The merged entity will remain a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dubai World group.
$4.5m spa opens in Bahrain
The Diplomat Spa, owned by National Hotels Company, a public Bahraini shareholding company and managed by Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, has opened in Bahrain's capital Manama. The $4.5m wellness centre, which will be the largest in Manama, is adjacent to the Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel. The centre includes two health clubs, a 280 metre lagoon pool, an exclusive ladies spa with 11 treatment rooms, and a mixed spa with 6 treatment rooms.
Egypt becoming a Golf destination
The World Travel and Tourism Council in Egypt is predicting close to an 8 per cent rise in tourism arrivals in the country over the past year, as a result of the increase in the number of golf tourists. There are already around 16 international standard golf courses currently operational across Egypt, including the Mena House Golf Course, which directly overlooks the Pyramids, and the Cascades Golf Resort on the Red Sea, with more coastal courses and golf resorts under development.
It looks like you are using a Mac - check out our 
Web Feeds