Tourism and Hospitality

UAE consumers to spend more on travel
More people in the UAE plan to increase spending on travel this year, according to a MasterCard Consumer Lifestyles Survey. The number of consumers willing to spend more on travel jumped from 88% to 99%, the survey found, with 51% saying they plan to increase their travel spend up to 25%. The survey, conducted between October 1 and 23, 2007, found that 78% of UAE consumers planned to travel for personal reasons in the months up to September this year, while a minority, about 5%, planned to travel for business and 8% for both.
United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, April 15 - 2008 at 08:35

Britons warned away from Yemen
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has warned tourists not to visit Yemen after several recent terrorist attacks. It is advising against all but essential travel to the country after attacks in and close to Yemen's capital Sana'a, saying there is a 'high threat from terrorism'. If anyone must go to Yemen it warns them to do so only with a military escort.
Yemen: Monday, April 14 - 2008 at 08:45

InterContinental appoints Cario GM
InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed Jurgen Baumhoff as the new General Manager at InterContinental Semiramis in Cairo. He has worked for InterContinental for 25 years and will oversee operations at the 728 room hotel.
Egypt: Sunday, April 13 - 2008 at 19:39

Jumeirah eyes 3 Jordan hotels
Dubai's Jumeirah is developing three hotels as part of the Saraya Al Aqaba project in Jordan, according to a top Jordanian official at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, cited Gulf News. Aqaba is the only beach in Jordan spanning 27 kilometres on the Red Sea, and shares borders with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Egypt.
United Arab Emirates: Saturday, April 12 - 2008 at 09:10

Nakheel buys stake in US hotel
Dubai-based Nakheel Hotels has bought a 50% stake in the Fontainebleau Miami Beach resort in the US for $375m, reported US newswires. The hotel is undergoing a $500m renovation and is expected to open during the second half of 2008. Aventura-based Turnberry Associates bought the hotel in 2005. The Fontainebleau, which is located on 17 acres of oceanfront, will offer more than 1,500 luxury guest rooms and suites, along with a 40,000 square foot European-style spa, when its renovations are complete.
United Arab Emirates: Thursday, April 10 - 2008 at 07:45

Monarch Hotel to launch in Dubai
A multi-million dollar Monarch Hotel and office tower project on Shaikh Zayed Road in Dubai will be officially launched next month, reported Khaleej Times. The hotel project is part of a mega complex, which also has a 38-storey office tower. The hotel, which has 33 levels of luxury rooms, suites and serviced residences, is owned by Abu Dhabi's Capital Investments.
United Arab Emirates: Wednesday, April 09 - 2008 at 10:24

Abu Dhabi needs 20,000 more hotel rooms
Up to 20,000 aditional hotel rooms will be needed in Abu Dhabi to meet the emirate's projected tourist traffic of 3.5 million, according to Shaikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, who inaugurated the second edition of Gulf Incentives, Business, Travel and Meetings Exhibition. He stressed the importance of involving the private sector to revitalise the tourism sector in the emirate and the role of ADTA in supporting partnership between public and private sectors in achieving the desired goals of the tourism development strategy.
United Arab Emirates: Wednesday, April 09 - 2008 at 10:21

Shuaa Capital to launch hotel fund
Dubai-based Shuaa Capital is launching a new investment fund that will raise capital to develop hotels in Saudi Arabia, reported Khaleej Times. The hotels and other tourism infrastructure developed from the investment fund will be managed by Rotana Group, said Selim El Zyr, president and CEO of Rotana.
United Arab Emirates: Wednesday, April 09 - 2008 at 10:17